1.This organisation was first started as the Army Sports Control Board (India) in March 1919 on the same lines as the ASCB in U.K. The Commandant, Army School of Physical Training was appointed Honorary Secretary of the Board. Later the Sports organisations of the three Services were amalgamated on 3rd April 1945 with the approval of the then Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) and the Services Sports Control Board; India was formed. Each Service was represented on this Board and constituted as per the following: - President - The Director of Military Training, Army Headquarters. Members - An officer each from three Services (Army, Navy and Air Force).
Secretary - An officer holding the appointment of GSO-2 in the Military Training Directorate, Army Headquarters 2. In the year 1947, the Chief of Staff Committee had approved the reconstitution of Services Sports Control Board with an Inter-Services character. The three services would now run the Services Sports Control Board in rotation for a period of tenure being three years. The tenure involves the change of President and Secretary every three year from each of the three services. The three Joint Secretaries, one each from each Service are for tenure of four years each.
ROLE To establish friendly co-operation between the three services for the benefit of sports To strive and ensure that there shall be no hindrance to the participation of any service or individual in sports on any grounds. To strive and ensure that there shall be no hindrance to the participation of any service or individual in sports on any grounds.
To ensure that all contest/championships between member of the three Services shall be held under the laws and rules of the competitions. To co-operate with the National Sports Federations and IOA in carrying through the competition held by them abiding by the International rules and regulations of the games published by them.
CENJOWS was raised at the initiative of Ministry of Defence on 24 Aug 2007 and is registered under 'The Societies Registration Act 1860'.
The centre has been set up to: Rise above sectoral and departmental legacies, and examine joint warfare and synergy issues in their entirety. Provide the much needed interface between various stakeholders, viz the government, public and private sector, academia, NGOs and civil society. Initiate debates and discussions in an independent and unbiased milieu for emergence of best possible alternative.
Mission To promote Integration as a synergistic enabler for the growth of Integrated National Power and provide alternatives in all dimensions of its applications through focused research and debate.
Vision Accord priority, to free dialogue and discussion on all issues with a bearing on joint warfare and on the formulation of independent policy options to decision makers, in the Gol and Defence Headquarters.
Endeavour to mould public opinion and influence the national security elite on issues where India’s national power is synergised. Nurture and facilitate study, scholarship and discourse in respect of broad spectrum of joint warfare issues.
Seek to engage foreign institutions, having common interests and commitments, in our immediate neighbourhood and further afield, and undertake an exchange of ideas with a view to enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation in the joint warfare field.
India Gate. The iconic India Gate in Lutyen's Delhi was constructed in 1931 by erstwhile British empire to commemorate the Martyrs of India during World War I as well as Third Anglo-Afghan War. It stands tall as a must visit monument for visitors in New Delhi. Of over 83,000 Indians who laid down their lives, India Gate bears 13,516 names, etched all over the monument.
Amar Jawan Jyoti (AJJ). An inverted bayonet with a helmet structure along with AJJ was installed over night under the Arch of India Gate in January 1972 to commemorate India's victory in India - Pakistan War 1971 and as Nation's tribute to our brave soldiers who laid down their lives. Wreaths have been laid at AJJ ever since on dignitaries at various occasions, including by foreign dignitaries.
Post Independence Era Battle Casualties. Post India's independence on 15th August 1947, our country has been involved in many conflicts of different magnitudes and participated in innumerable operations both inland and overseas. Our country continues to engage in counter-terrorism operations and proxy war from across the front resulting in number of battle casualties. While a number of area/battle specific memorials are built across the country, but no memorial existed that was all encompassing.
Decision to Construct National War Memorial. The requirement to construct a National War Memorial had been under consideration since 1961 at the apex level. The consideration acquired momentum in 2014 and after a deliberate process the Union Cabinet on 07 October 2015 approved construction of National War Memorial & Museum (NWM&M) within the National capital's Lutyen's zone. Given the present ceremonial use of India Gate and AJJ, area East of the India Gate around the Canopy at 'C' Hexagon in New Delhi was found to be the most suited site for the Memorial.
Process of Creation. A two stage Global competition to select a suitable design for the Memorial was held in 2016-17. Shri Yogesh Chandrasan of WeBe Design Lab Chennai, won the Global competition for his design and was appointed Project Consultant. Necessary sanctions from statuary besides consultations with urban bodies in Delhi were held and a Detailed Project Report was prepared. M/s NCC Ltd was awarded the contract on 25 January 2018 and Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) executed the project on behalf of Ministry of Defence. The monument was dedicated by the Nation to the Armed Forces of India on 25 Feb 2019 by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
Param Vir Chakra The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest military decoration, awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valour during wartime. On 26 January 1950, celebrated as Republic Day of India, the PVC was instituted as a Gallantry Medal with retrospective effect from 15 August 1947 by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the then President of India.The Medal translates as the "Wheel of the Ultimate Brave", and the award is granted for "most conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy". The medal was designed by Mrs. Savitri Khanolkar. The designer drew inspiration from sage Dadhichi, a vedic rishi who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving up his body so that the Gods could make a deadly weapon called Vajra or Thunderbolt from his spine. The medal is cast in bronze. In the centre, on a raised circle, is the state emblem, surrounded by four replicas of Indra's Vajra, flanked by the sword of Shivaji. The decoration is suspended from a straight swiveling suspension bar, and is held by a 32 mm purple ribbon.
What’s missing? Currently, India’s e-waste rules have no laws mandating solar cell manufacturers to recycle or dispose waste from this sector. India is poorly positioned to handle PV waste as it doesn’t yet have policy guidelines on the same.
A lack of a policy framework is coupled with the fact that even basic recycling facilities for laminated glass and e-waste are unavailable. Despite the e-waste regulation being in place for over seven years, only less than 4% of estimated e-waste is recycled in the organised sector as per the latest estimates from the Central Pollution Control Board.
What constitutes Solar e- waste and concerns associated? Solar modules use potentially hazardous materials, including lead compounds, polymers and cadmium compounds. If disposed of in an inappropriate way, potential leaching of those hazardous materials can have negative environmental and health impacts.
For instance, leaching of lead has huge environmental impact including loss in biodiversity, decreased growth and reproductive rates in plants and animals, and several other health hazards like adverse impact on kidney function, nervous, immune, reproductive and cardiovascular systems.
Need of the hour: Specify liability and responsibility of each stakeholder for waste management and treatment. Mandate module manufacturers to use environmentally sustainable design and materials with end-of-life in mind.
Lay down standards for PV waste collection, treatment and disposal. Encourage mutual recycling responsibility agreements between module suppliers, project developers and power purchasers. Undertake regular surveys of recycling facilities to understand technology and capacity levels. Identify investment and technical requirements for dedicated PV recycling facilities with focus on high-value recovery.
Way ahead: India is among the leading markets for solar cells in the world, buoyed by the government’s commitment to install 100 GW of solar power by 2022. So far, India has installed solar cells for about 28 GW and this has been done largely from imported solar PV cells. Therefore, the time is ripe for the country to put in place a comprehensive policy to address the issues.
What is BRI? BRI consisting of the land-based belt, ‘Silk Road Economic Belt’, and ‘Maritime Silk Road’, aims to connect the East Asian economic region with the European economic circle and runs across the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa.
BRI is China’s ambitious project announced in 2013. It covers about 65% of the world population, 60% of the world GDP and over 70 countries in six economic corridors. China is spending almost $1 trillion to revive and renew the overland and maritime trade links between China, Europe, West Asia, and East Africa through construction of modern ports linked to high-speed road and rail corridors.
India’s concerns with BRI: India argues that the BRI and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project violates its sovereignty because it passes through the part of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir that belongs to India.
Debt trap: BRI projects are pushing recipient countries into indebtedness, do not transfer skills or technology and are environmentally unsustainable. China is planning to extend the CPEC to Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka are eagerly pursuing potential BRI projects.
Through OBOR, China is countering the strategies of India in North East region and is promoting its greater presence in North East India, part of which China claims as its own territory. This may have a security impact on India. Tense bilateral relations with China, deep mistrusts and India’s growing concerns over Chinese hegemonic intentions in South Asia and Indo-Pacific region make it practically unlikely that India will ever consider joining this project.
Military deployment: The fact that the Chinese have begun to deploy 30,000 security personnel to protect the projects along the CPEC route makes it an active player in the politics of the Indian sub-continent. Clearly, this is a case of double standards.
What is Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI)? The PvPI was started by the Government of India on 14th July 2010 with the AIIMS New Delhi as the National Coordination Centre for monitoring Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) in the country for safe-guarding Public Health.
Pharmacovigilance is defined as the science relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects, principally long term and short term adverse effects of medicines. The CDSCO has a nation-wide Pharmacovigilance Programme for protecting the health of the patients by promising drug safety. The Programme is coordinated by the Indian Pharmacopeia commission, Ghaziabad as a National Coordinating Centre (NCC).
About CDSCO: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation(CDSCO) under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India.
Functions: Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, CDSCO is responsible for approval of New Drugs, Conduct of Clinical Trials, laying down the standards for Drugs, control over the quality of imported Drugs in the country and coordination of the activities of State Drug Control Organizations by providing expert advice with a view of bring about the uniformity in the enforcement of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
CDSCO along with state regulators, is jointly responsible for grant of licenses of certain specialized categories of critical Drugs such as blood and blood products, I. V. Fluids, Vaccine and Sera.
Implications: If enacted, the new bill would ensure that the US State Department treats India as a NATO ally for the purposes of the Arms Export Control Act. The law would send a powerful signal that defence sales to India should be prioritised according to US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, which had worked on this important legislation. The legislation bolsters national security and helps ensure full alignment between the Department of Defence and the Department of State.
Need: India is the world’s largest democracy, a pillar of stability in the region and has shown strong commitments to export control policies. This adjustment to US law will further allow the US-India partnership to flourish in line with the US’s security commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.
Background: The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal 2017 included special language recognising the unique US-India defence relationship that designated India as a “Major Defence Partner” of the United States. The language seeks unique consideration for trade and technology sharing with India and increased attention and support to advance this relationship in the areas of defence trade and technology sharing.
To fulfil the spirit and intent of the NDAA 2017, the US-India Enhanced Cooperation Act would amend the Arms Export Control Act to put India on par with NATO allies and Israel, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
Russia’s highest civilian award – the “Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First,” will be awarded to PM Narendra Modi for his work on bilateral ties. Eligibility: The Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First is awarded to prominent government and public figures, prominent representatives of science, culture, art and various sectors of the economy for “exceptional services that contribute to the prosperity, greatness and glory of Russia”.
It was first awarded by former Russian Tsar ‘Peter the Great’ in 1698 and subsequently discontinued. In 1998, former President Boris Yeltsin reinstated the honour by a presidential decree. Previous recipients include Chinese President Xi Jinping, and presidents of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
Context: Researchers have unearthed an unknown human species that lived on an island in Philippines some 50,000 years ago– Homo luzonensis.
The newfound species is named Homo luzonensisin honor of Luzon, the island where the mysterious beings lived during the late Pleistocene epoch, more than 50,000 years ago. They were less than four feet tall. Though luzonensisis short like the hobbit, it shares features with a number of other ancient human relatives.
It has curved foot and finger bones like Australopithecus(a genus that includes the famous Lucy); premolars that have characteristics similar to those seen in Australopithecus, Homo habilis and Homo erectus; and small molars that look like those of modern humans, or Homo sapiens.
Context: India will be the Guest of Honour country at the 2019 Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) to be held during April. The fair aims to highlight the UAE’s rich heritage, and showcase its authenticity, cultural and literary output. This will be the 29th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
What happened? On April 13, 1919, Baisakhi day, following unrest in Amritsar after protests against the Rowlatt Act, Brigadier General (temporary rank) Reginald Dyer took a strike force of 50 rifles and 40 khukri-wielding Gurkhas into an enclosed ground, Jallianwala Bagh, where a peaceful public meeting of 15,000-20,000 was being held.
The firing of 1,650 rounds was deliberate and targeted, using powerful rifles at virtually pointblank range. Eyewitness accounts and information collected by Sewa Samiti, a charity organisation point to much higher numbers. Non-Indian writers place the number killed at anything between 500 to 600, with three times that number wounded.
Post incidence events – More was to follow after the proclamation, two days after the massacre, of Martial Law in Punjab: the infamous crawling order, the salaam order, public floggings, arbitrary arrests, torture and bombing of civilians by airplanes — all under a veil of strictly enforced censorship.
After calls for an investigation, including by liberals in Britain, a Disorders Inquiry Committee, soon to be known by the name of its Chairman, Lord Hunter, was set up.
Recent responses by the Britain: British Prime Minister Theresa May finally came out with: “We deeply regret what happened and the suffering caused.” However, the country has refused to formally apologise. Britain’s refusal to squarely apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre is expected but disappointing.
What this means? Deep regret is all we may get instead of the unequivocal apology that is mandated. The expectation could be that time will add more distance to the massacre, making these calls for apology increasingly an academic exercise. The fact remains that there are many ways to heal a festering wound between nations, as Canada’s apology for the Komagata Maru shows; clever drafting is not one of them.
Context: In a move that was widely debated inside and outside the government for a year, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced the results of nine lateral hires on contract at the level of joint secretary in various departments and ministries. The move is a tipping point and marks a breach in the hegemony of the IAS.
Background: In 2014, the Centre had mooted the idea of allowing lateral entry from academia and the private sector at the joint-secretary level. Initially 10 such lateral entries were to be selected and had drawn criticism from the serving and retired members of the Indian bureaucracy.
Rationale behind this move: The recruitments have been done in a bid to infuse domain expertise in key government departments and is aimed at bringing in specialized talent in various government departments, contributing to better governance.
Why this is a good move? Earlier experiences showed good results: Lateral entry has been used in the past to harness top talent from outside the civil services. Mr. Manmohan Singh, Nandan Nilekani, Ahluwalia etc served at various positions in the government and have showed promising results on ground.
Helps in getting private sector expertise: Various private sector experts have also been appointed as officers on special duty, ranked between under-secretary and secretary, to ministers. Institutionalising lateral entry, thus, makes it easier for the country to benefit from private sector/non-UPSC talent.
Deals with vacancy issue as well: The move will also address the drying up of the talent pool at the top level as there is an overall shortfall of about 20% in just IAS officers in 24 state cadres. The 2016 BS Baswan committee report pointed out that many large states suffer from a pronounced deficit of IAS officers, leading to their reluctance to depute officers for central posting.
Lateral entry will also address many structural problems the present system suffers from: The seniority criteria in promotions has meant many talented lower ranked officers take a long time to get appointed to posts where their skills could have significant impact in the immediate run.
Focuses on merit: While the education threshold for eligibility in the current notification is set at the graduate-degree level, higher qualifications will be an advantage. The call is for outstanding individuals with expertise in the relevant fields.
Specialists: The move could be a significant step towards fulfilling the longstanding need for domain specialists in positions crucial to policy-making and implementation of government schemes. Specialists coming from outside are likely to bring fresh ideas and help improve outcomes.
The idea is criticized due to the following reasons: Lateral entry system is a disruption as there is a risk that due process might not be followed and ill-qualified, political appointees will land up in senior positions of the government and hurt public interest. Lateral entry does open the risk and prospect of powerful corporate groups placing their men in key positions of government. Also people who are recruited in this way might lack ground experience and also have little idea about the administrative leviathan.