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l Rajasthan Special Courts Act, 2012 passedThe Rajasthan Assembly has passed a significant

anti-corruption legislation Rajasthan Special CourtsAct, 2012 which would facilitate the Governmentto confiscate and attach any disproportionateproperty amassed by the corrupt public servants.The act is already in place in Bihar and Orissa.

The legislation brings everyone who draws salaryfrom the Government, including the Chief Minister,under its purview even the judicial officers.

Under the Act if a notice is served by thepresiding officer of the Special Court on anysuspected property worth beyond the known sourceof income of its possessor, that asset could not betransferred or sold. The value of the property would

be assessed on the basis of the prevailing marketrates.

All the provisions in the Act are time-bound,with a set time period for various actions. TheSpecial Courts would have to decide on any casein six months' period and only under unusual

circumstances a decision could be postponed. Evenin that case the postponement, the delay could not

be beyond three months,

If the Special Court finds the public servantwhose property is confiscated innocent later, thesame would be returned to the person with 5 percent interest on its value.

l Skill training for 50 crore people by 2022planned

The Union government aims to impart vocational

training to over 50 crore young people across thecountry by 2022.

This project, to be implemented with technicalsupport from Germany, will prepare a pool ofhighly skilled employees and entrepreneurs.

At the Gulbarga MSDC, young people will beimparted training in various trades so that they

become more employable. Vocational training willnot only help the young hone their skills but alsoincrease their chances of getting jobs.

The MSDC in Gulbarga will turn out to be acentre of excellence providing training of worldstandard. Every year, 1,800 students will be trainedin short-term and long-term courses in this centre.

NATIONAL

The Union government is focussing on creatinga workforce by establishing Industrial TrainingInstitutes. Of the 9,465 ITI s in the country, 4,000were established during the last five years. Thereare almost 13.4 lakh trainees in these institutes.Apart from this, 741 vocational training institutesin several States have trained 2.6 lakh people inthe last five years.

l More incentives for ASHAs

The Mission Steering Group, the highest decision

making body of the NRHM - has approved theproposal for involving ASHAs in activities such asspacing between births, promoting iodised salt andvillage sanitation.

Thus the accredited social health activists(ASHAs) - the first port of call for health caresunder the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)- will be entrusted with additional responsibilities,albeit with better monetary incentives.

The ASHAs will now have to work as a

counseller for the newly-married couples and thosewith one child to have their first child after twoyears of marriage and space their children for atleast three years. For this, the ASHAs would bepaid an incentive of Rs. 500 per couple she managesto convince for spacing between births.

It has also been decided to involve ASHAs inorganising the monthly village health sanitation andnutrition committee (VHSNC) meeting for whichshe will be paid an incentive of Rs. 150 a month.This meeting will be followed by the meeting of

women and adolescent girls where the health andsanitation needs of adolescent girls would bediscussed.

Importantly, it has also been decided to furtherincentivise ASHAs by providing an additional Rs.100 for every child who receives complete first yearimmunisation and Rs. 50 for every child who furthercompletes two years of immunisation as per thestipulated schedule. As of now, ASHA gets Rs. 150for mobilising children to immunisation session sites.

The Centre has also identified 303 anaemiaendemic districts in the country where each ASHAwill be given an honorarium of Rs. 25 a month fortesting 50 salt samples for checking iodine content.

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Thus the additional responsibilities along withthe monetary incentives have been proposed toencourage and motivate ASHAs for better work.

l Convergence of MPLADS with PanchayatYuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan and the UrbanSports infrastructure Scheme

Government has allowed convergence ofMPLADS with Panchyat Yuva Krida Aur KhelAbhiyan (PYKKA) and the Urban SportsInfrastructure Scheme (USIS) of the Ministry ofYouth Affairs and Sports.

According to this funds from Member ofParliament Local Development Scheme (MPLADS)can be converged with Panchyat Yuva Krida AurKhel Abhiyan (PYKKA) with the objective ofcreating more durable assets.

MPs may recommend under MPLADS, works

such as Development of playfields only of fixedand durable nature under PYKKA including levelingof playgrounds in hilly areas, construction of

boundary wall, etc. in villages and blocks from outof the shelf of PYKKA projects if otherwise eligibleunder MPLAD Scheme.

Similarly, in the urban areas, convergence withthe Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS) willalso be permissible for creation of durable sportsassets such as multi-purpose sports halls, athletictracks, football, hockey turf, etc. as per the

provisions of guidelines on MPLADS.The accounts of Expenditure will be strictly

maintained separately for both MPLADS, PYKKAand USIS.

l Group of Interlocutors Report on J&K

The Group of Interlocutors Dileep Padgaonkar,Radha Kumar and M.M. Ansari appointed by theUPA government to identify the political contoursof a solution to the problems of the State of J&Khas submitted its report 'A New Compact with the

People of Jammu and Kashmir'.The group identifies three aspects to theharmonisation of relations across the LoC: ensuringthe same quantum of political, economic andcultural freedoms obtains in all parts of the erstwhileprincely State; expansion of trade and travel; andresolution of the water-sharing issue.

The report stated that the situation on thePakistani side of the LoC was rather different fromthat on the Indian side. There is lack of freedomsand autonomy in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and

the Northern Areas or Gilgit-Baltistan. A largenumber of legal and constitutional reforms andchanges on the ground will be required on thePakistani side if the same political, economic and

cultural freedoms are to be offered across the LoC.However, the 2009 Gilgit-Baltistan reforms package

brought the Pakistani side of the State closertowards harmonising relations with the Indian side.It is directed towards granting internal politicalautonomy to the Northern Areas of Jammu andKashmir.

On easing trade and travel, the reportrecommended opening up of more cross LoC routesand relaxation of restrictions on who could travelto include pilgrims, medical patients and tourists.The proposed routes across the LoC are; Jhangani-Mirpur, Mendhar-Kotli, Jammu-Sialkot, Skardu-Kargil, Turtuk-Khapulu, Chamb-Nonian to Mirpur(across Munawar-Tawi), Gurez-Astoor-Gilgit andTitwal-Chilham (across the Neelam Valley).

Further the measures to ease travel would includeissue of travel permit on the strength of the

Permanent Resident Certificate; completion ofsecurity clearance within a maximum period of 30working days; provision of multiple entry-exitpermits valid for one year; and permission torelatives to see off or receive travellers at the borderpost.

Also, in order to ease trade, the report suggestedthat fairs be organised in towns closest to the LoCon both sides. Annual or biannual haats or marketfairs could be held between the check points on

both sides of the LoC. The list of export and import

items should be enlarged regardless of theirprovenance and without any restrictions on thequantity of traded goods. Customs duties should

be exempted on a reciprocal basis for a period ofthree years.

The report also recommends the setting up ofconsultative committees with members from eachlegislature on both sides, along with experts, tofacilitate activities in areas such as agriculture,environment protection, tourism, exchange visits,and medical relief measures during epidemics andnatural disasters.

On the waters issue, the report stated that thelimitations imposed by the Treaty to enhancingwater storage capacities on the rivers on the Indianside has curbed both the hydro-power generationcapacity of the State as well as stymied efforts forirrigating land, the report pointed out. These factors,in turn, have failed to attract investment in theState.

Under the Treaty, India was duty-bound to

comply with the obligations as an upper riparianState, and in any case, it was next to impossible tounilaterally abrogate the Treaty as there is no exitclause.

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Further it recommended an integrateddevelopment plan for the conservation of the IndusBasin. This would take into full account the linkages

between water, land, the users, the environmentand the infrastructure. It would have to focus on

better cooperative management of shared waterresources.

The report has also called for granting "financialautonomy" and renegotiating a financialarrangement between Srinagar and New Delhi inorder to make the state self-reliant.

The members have also asked for time-boundreservations for Kashmiri students in nationaleducational institutes to make up their loss due tomilitancy in the last twenty years.

On the issue of human rights violation the panelproposes redressal of all cases of alleged humanrights violations" through the mechanism of

payment of adequate financial compensation and/or unconditional apology by the culprits". It hassought release of all political prisoners, stone-peltersand militants if they have not been charged withserious crimes.

On internal devolution, the interlocutors' reportcalls for establishment of three regional councils for

Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh with equalconstitutional status and vested with legislative,administrative and financial powers, and furtherdevolution down the line to the Panchayati Raj

institutions. It also talks of reservations in all thesebodies to women, weaker sections of society andcommunities uprooted from their homeland due towar and endemic conflict such as Kashmiri Panditsand other migrants to ensure they are adequatelyrepresented.

The report also proposes the setting up of aConstitutional Committee that would review theapplicability of Central statutes extended to Jammuand Kashmir after the July 1952 Delhi Agreement.The CC will be headed by an eminent jurist and

have members from the State and the rest of Indiawho "inspire confidence in all stakeholders."

The review process - once ratified by Parliamentand the State legislature - would eventually endthe extension by presidential order of further Centrallaws to the State. One of the key recommendationsof the report is that Parliament will make no newlaws applicable to Jammu and Kashmir unless theserelate to the country's internal and external securityand its vital economic interest.

l The Public Procurement Bill, 2012

The Union Cabinet has today approved thePublic Procurement Bill, 2012. The Bill seeks toregulate procurement by Ministries/ Departments

of the Central Government and its attached/subordinate offices, Central Public Sector Enterprises(CPSEs), autonomous and statutory bodiescontrolled by the Central Government and otherprocuring entities with the objectives of ensuringtransparency, accountability and probity in theprocurement process, fair and equitable treatmentof bidders, promoting competition, enhancingefficiency and economy, safeguarding integrity inthe procurement process and enhancing publicconfidence in public procurement. The Bill wouldcreate a statutory framework for public procurementwhich will provide greater accountability,transparency and enforceability of the regulatoryframework.

The salient features of the Bill are:(a) The Bill provides for codifying the fundamental

principles governing procurement, essential

for achieving economy, efficiency and qualityas well as combating corruption and legallyobligates procuring entities and their officialsto comply with these principles.

(b) The Bill ensures that competition will bemaximised in procurement in the interests ofeconomy, efficiency, integrity.

(c) Providing for adequate flexibility to take intoaccount diversity of needs and types ofprocuring entities, types of procurement needsand methods of procurement.

(d) Providing for a strong framework oftransparency and accountability through apublic procurement portal and a grievanceredressal system in which an independentmechanism, chaired by a retired High Court

Judge, would review grievances.

At present, the General Financial Rules, 2005govern procurements by the Central governmentwhile some ministries and departments havespecific procedures or manuals to supplement these

rules. There is no legislative framework governingprocurement. The bill is based on therecommendations of a committee on publicprocurement headed by Vinod Dhall.

l Government bans use of live animals foreducation and research

The Union ministry of environment and forests(MoEF) has banned the use of live animals indissection and other experiments in educational andresearch institutions. But the scientists conductingnew molecular research will be exempted from the

ban.

Based on the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsAct (1960), the MoEF has issued guidelines to the

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University Grants Commission, ministry of healthand family welfare, Pharmacy Council of India andthe Medical Council of India to discontinuedissection and experiments with live animals inuniversities, colleges, research institutes, hospitals,laboratories and instead use alternatives likecomputer simulation.

The MoEF says that the central government isduty bound to use alternatives to avoid unnecessarysuffering or pain to animals.

Ministry states that effective alternatives in theform of CDs, computer simulations and mannequinmodels are available; they are not only effective asabsolute replacements for animals in teachinganatomy or physiology but are also superiorlearning tools in teaching of pharmacy or lifesciences.

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The guidelines were framed based on the dutiesof the Committee for the Purpose of Control andSupervision of Experiments and Animals (CPCSEA),which has been constituted under the provisions ofSection 15 of the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsAct (1960).

The committee comprises seven nominees - three

nominees appointed by CPCSEA and the remainingfour from educational institutes.

Further, "Animal ethics" would be included as achapter in an appropriate course of study. In orderto sensitize students and other stakeholders, thedepartments shall display the highlights of the Actsin the laboratories and elsewhere. The departmentsmay also adopt other modalities to popularise thescience and sentiments of the provisions of theseActs.

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INTERNATIONAL

l Pakistan sets terms for re-engaging with U.S.Pakistan's Parliament gave a unanimous but

conditional nod to re-engaging with the U.S. Inthe new scheme of bilateral relations proposed byParliamentary Committee on National Securityproposes the immediate end to drone attacks withinPakistani territory, stop infiltration on any pretextincluding hot pursuit, and ban transit of weapons

by land or air into Afghanistan.

The Parliamentary Committee on NationalSecurity (PCNS) headed by Raza Rabbani earlier

said that the reopening of NATO supply lines shouldbe contingent upon a thorough revision of the termsand conditions by which NATO supplies transitthrough Pakistan; adding that such goods should

be subject to Pakistani scrutiny.

In the revised report of PCNS it also stated thatno new verbal agreement should be entered into

by any arm of the government and all such existingagreements "will cease forthwith''.

Though Islamabad had refused to engage withthe U.S. at all levels for three months after theNATO attack on Pakistan Army outposts alongthe border with Afghanistan, contacts between thetwo countries had begun over the past few weekswith both the military and the civilian side of thegovernment showing a willingness to re-engagewith Washington. However, the policy directivesfor conducting the relationship in future would begiven by Parliament.

l US-Pakistan relations reset

The past year has seen U.S.-Pakistan relations

steadily deteriorate following a series of incidents,including the Raymond Davis affair in the

beginning of 2011, the May 2nd killing of OsamaBin Laden by U.S. forces in Abbottabad, and theSeptember Senate testimony of then Chairman ofthe Joint Chiefs, Admiral Mullen, that the Haqqaninetwork was "a veritable arm of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency." The relationship hita new low following a November border incidentin which 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed by NATOair strikes. Pakistan responded by shutting down

the all-important NATO supply route anddowngraded diplomatic engagement as itsparliament initiated a thorough review of the

bilateral relationship.

Recently a Pakistan parliamentary committee hasreleased its recommendations for "resetting" theparameters of U.S.-Pakistan relations. Therecommendations from the parliamentarycommission include calling for the U.S. to end dronestrikes on Pakistani territory; to apologise for theNovember 26, 2011, NATO strike; to start payingfees for the transit of NATO shipments for the warin Afghanistan; to refrain from "hot pursuit"operations by U.S. forces from Afghanistan intoPakistani territory; and to increase transparency of

the activities of foreign security contractors.The resolution stated that Pakistan must not

allow private security contractors to operate on itssoil and that other nations wouldn't be permittedto establish bases in the country, meeting oppositionparty demands. The resolution added that "no overtor covert operations" can be carried out in Pakistan

by foreign security forces.

l Sudan and South Sudan Crisis

Sudan has been at civil war for almost its entire

post-colonial history, starting in 1956. After decadesof fighting for independence from the north,southern Sudan seceded on July 9, 2011, and

became the Republic of South Sudan, six monthsafter nearly 99 percent of the region's votersapproved the split in an internationally backedreferendum.

Even after southern secession on July 9, 2011,the two new states of Sudan and South Sudancontinues to face insecurity within their borders.Shortly before southern secession, the Sudanese

government took aggressive military action againstits civilians in the border areas of Abyei and SouthKordofan, displacing close to 200,000 civilianscombined. Violence in Darfur continues.

The major reason for crisis is oil dispute.

In 2005, the country's opposing political partiessigned a peace accord that ended Africa's longest-running civil war, which killed an estimated 2.2million people. According to the accord revenuesfrom oil produced in South Sudan were to be

shared with Sudan as 50:50 ratio. But thereferendum of 2011 seized the continuation of thisaccord due to which dispute over revenues fromoil increases.

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As about 75% of the oil lies in South Sudan but

the pipelines and refineries are in the north. Thus

after independence of South Sudan, to cover up

the losses related to oil revenue Sudan has imposed

transit fee of 32-36$ a barrel which accelerated the

dispute further. South Sudan wants it to be low as

$1.

The oil dispute escalated into violence, with the

two nations clashing militarily around the border.

l N. Korean long-range rocket launch failed

North Korea's heralded long-range rocket test

of Unha-3 rocket ended in failure, disintegrating inmid-air soon after blastoff and plunging into thesea.

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North Korea says the aim of the launch was toput a satellite into orbit - a move marking the 100thanniversary of the birth of national founder KimIl-sung.

But the US and other nations say the launchconstituted a disguised test of long-range missiletechnology banned under UN resolutions.

The debris fell into the Yellow Sea off SouthKorea and its navy launched a salvage operationto retrieve the debris, despite warnings fromPyongyang last week not to attempt such anoperation.

North Korea conducted a similar rocket launchin 2009. On that occasion US and South Koreananalysts said the rocket failed to reach orbit - butNorth Korea said it was a success.

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ECONOMY

l TRAI seeks power to grant telecom licencesThe Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

(TRAI), proposed to the government that it shouldbe given the task of granting telecom licences.

It has recommended three levels of unifiedlicence for the telecom sector. TRAI hasrecommended that there should be three levels -national level, service area level and district level.One time non-refundable entry fee for unified licenceshall be (a) Rs.15 crore for national level unifiedlicence; (b) Rs.1 crore for each service area levelunified licence except for Jammu & Kashmir andNorth East Service areas where the entry fee will

be Rs.50 lakh each, and (c) Rs.10 lakh for eachdistrict level unified licence.

In the new licensing regime, the spectrum hasbeen delinked from the licence. Earlier, DoT usedto issue separate licences for separate services, andin case of mobile services, spectrum came bundledwith licences. It was in this licence and spectrumallocation process in 2008, massive 2G scam to thetune of over Rs.1.76-lakh crore was allegedlycommitted.

Now, DoT has not only made licence technologyneutral but has also delinked it from spectrum;which means that a company can take a licenceand is free to offer any service. And for acquiringspectrum, a market-driven mechanism has to befollowed.

l Government Constitutes AdvisoryCommittees on FMC

The rise in prices of certain agriculturalcommodities, including some essential commodities,in recent months has come to the notice of theGovernment. The fundamentals of demand andsupply in the physical market decide the prices ofcommodities but there have been complaints insome quarters that excessive speculation in futuresmarkets have also contributed to this price rise.The futures market only acts as a platform for pricediscovery and price risk management for thephysical market participants.

Now after the complaints the Forward MarketsCommission (FMC) is keeping a watch on thesituation and has been asked to use all theregulatory tools available to keep a check on the

excessive speculation in the futures trading incommodities and specifically agriculturalcommodities. The Commission has alreadyimplemented higher margin requirements fortrading in agri-commodities and has also reducedposition limits for essential commodities.

The Secretary, Department of Consumers alreadyconducting an enquiry into the recent fluctuationsin the commodity futures market for guar seed andguar gum and the report is expected to be receivedwithin a fortnight.

To advise the Government and the FMC, it hasbeen decided to form advisory committees for allcommodities including agri-products which wouldconsist primarily of physical market participantssuch as representatives of farmers, producers,processors, exporters, domain experts and otherstakeholders. These advisory committees wouldadvise the Government and the FMC on how to

bring about better alignment between the physicalmarkets and the futures market so that the farmersand hedgers are substantially benefited from thefutures trading which is its primary purpose.

It may be noted that the Forward MarketsCommission is an independent regulator. However,the Chairman, FMC keeps the Government fullyinformed of all the important developments in themarket.

l RBI cuts repo rate

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cut the policy

rates by 0.50 percentage points, signalling banks to

cut the lending rates. The short-term repo rate (atwhich banks borrow from RBI) has been cut from

8.5 per cent to 8 per cent. The reduction signalled

deceleration in growth, and softening of inflation.

RBI expected inflation to rule at 6.5 per cent for

March 2013. Accordingly, it projected a GDPgrowth of 7.3 per cent for the current year.

Further the central bank has come out withdiktats on consumer friendly measures such asabolition of pre-payment charges and offering zero

balance account with minimum facilities like chequebook and ATM to all customers. The central bankalso directed the banks to provide existing customersa unique customer ID code (UCIC) by April 2013.

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l Repo rate and reverse repo rate:

A repurchase agreement is the sale ofsecurities together with an agreement for theseller to buy back the securities at a later date.The repurchase price should be greater than theoriginal sale price, the difference effectivelyrepresenting interest, called the repo rate. The

party that originally buys the securities effectivelyacts as a lender. The original seller is effectivelyacting as a borrower, using their security ascollateral for a secured cash loan at a fixed rateof interest.

A reverse repo is simply the same repurchaseagreement from the buyer's viewpoint, not theseller's. Hence, the seller executing the transactionwould describe it as a "repo", while the buyer inthe same transaction would describe it a "reverse

repo". So "repo" and "reverse repo" are exactlythe same kind of transaction, just described fromopposite viewpoints. The term "reverse repo andsale" is commonly used to describe the creationof a short position in a debt instrument wherethe buyer in the repo transaction immediatelysells the security provided by the seller on theopen market.

Effect on inflation

A reduction in the repo rate will help banksto get Money at a cheaper rate. When the reporate increases borrowing from the central bank

becomes more expensive. In order to increase theliquidity in the market, the central bank increasesor decreases the rate. Thus inflation getsautomatically controlled.

l BIS to Develop International Standard for

BPO Services

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is planningto develop international standards for the

information business process outsourcing (BPO)industry which currently does not have any suchstandards but only follows best practices.

In today's era of liberalization and globalization,quality of products and services is one of the keyfactors for the success of any organization.Performance excellence is an important element of

competitiveness which leads to efficient andeffective operations.

Quality not only includes tangible aspects, butalso, intangible issues, such as social responsibilityof an organization towards environment,stakeholders, etc.

India has made tremendous strides in the IT

and telecom sectors, which are recognizedworldwide. The new standards will help in retainingthe place of prominence by providing quality serviceto international clientele without compromise.

l Business process outsourcing (BPO) is thecontracting of specific business taskoperations and responsibilities to a third-party service provider. It is divided as:

(a) Horizontal BPO: Horizontal BPO involvesfunction-centric outsourcing e.g. outsourcing

in procurement, payroll processing, HR,facilities management and similar functions.

(b) Vertical BPO: A vertical BPO focuses onproviding various functional services in anumber of industries as Healthcare, financialservices, manufacturing and retailsimultaneously.

l Knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) isa form of outsourcing, in whichknowledge-related and information-related

work is carried out by workers in adifferent company or by a subsidiary ofthe same organization. KPO businessentities provide typical domain-basedprocesses, advanced analytical skills and

business expertise, rather than just processexpertise as done by BPO.

India has a winning edge over other countries

because of the following reasons.

(a) Availability of English speaking, skilled

human resources in plenty.(b) Availability of cheap work force to offer cost

effective BPO Solutions.

(c) Government's support to develop theindustry.

(d) Availability of advance technology at parwith western countries.

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INDIA AND THE WORLD

l India, Pakistan close to new visa agreementIndia and Pakistan is likely to announce a new

liberal visa regime by next month to facilitate easymovement of businessmen and to give a fillip totrade.

India and Pakistan have been working hardbehind the scenes to do away with the 1974 visaagreement and put in place a liberal regime thatwould allow more free movement for people-to-people exchange.

The new provisions are likely to allow thebusinessmen from both countries for multi-entryvisas for more than one year with access to multiplecities.

It will provide one year multi entry visa to thosebusinessmen whose credentials are certified by thechambers on both sides as FICCI (India) and FPCCI(Pakistan).

l RIC SUMMIT 2012

The 11th Meeting of the foreign ministers of theRussian Federation, the Republic of India and thePeople's Republic of China held in Moscow on 13April 2012.

JOINT COMMUNIQUE of the EleventhMeeting states that:

l The Ministers underlined the importance ofcooperation in the field of disastermanagement and appreciated the outcome ofthe trilateral programme for exchange ofinformation and expertise on the use of geo-

spatial technologies in monitoring andforecasting flood and drought organized inHyderabad, India on 24-26 May 2011. Theyalso welcomed the outcome of the 4th Russia-India-China Trilateral Expert Meeting onDisaster Management in St. Petersburg, Russiaon 6-9 September 2011 and identifiedpriorities for further cooperation in thetrilateral format.

l The Ministers supported advancing practicalcooperation in the trilateral format in the areasof emergency response, health care, agriculture,

business, energy and innovation & hightechnology, acting in close coordination with

efforts made in these areas by differentmultilateral fora.

l Ministers emphasized on the need of findingcollective solutions to global challenges such asregional conflicts, WMD proliferation, terrorism,transnational organized crime, illicit drugtrafficking, natural and man-made disasters,financial and economic destabilization, foodshortages and climate change. The Ministersaffirmed that Russia, India and China willclosely cooperate in addressing these challenges.

l The Ministers stressed the importance for theAsia-Pacific region to establish an open andtransparent security and cooperationarchitecture responsive to the legitimate interestsof every country in the region and built onuniversally recognized norms and principles ofinternational law, recognition of the indivisibilityof security and mutual respect and confidence.

l The Ministers expressed deep concern over thecontinuing situation in Afghanistan and stressedthe importance of the international community

remaining engaged in Afghanistan. They calledon the international community to deal firmlywith terrorist groups to obviate the risk ofAfghanistan sliding back to being a safe havenfor terrorists and extremists, threatening theregion and beyond. Further the Ministers statedthat the withdrawal of International SecurityAssistance Force (ISAF) should be guided by thesecurity situation on the ground and thecapability of Afghan National Security Forces totake care of the security of their country. The

Ministers noted that ISAF should fulfill its taskin accordance with the mandates of UNSCresolutions.

l The Ministers emphasized the urgent need forthe international community to counteract illicitdrugs production in and trafficking fromAfghanistan.

l They reaffirmed the need for a comprehensivereform of the U.N., including its Security Council,with a view to making it more effective, efficientand representative. Russia and China reiteratedthe importance they attach to the status of Indiain international affairs and support its aspirationto play a greater role in the U.N.

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l They recognized Iran's right to peaceful uses ofnuclear energy consistent with its internationalobligations, and support resolution of the issuesinvolved through political and diplomatic meansand dialogue, including between the IAEA andIran, and urged Iran to comply with theprovisions of the relevant U.N. Security CouncilResolutions and extend its full cooperation tothe IAEA.

l The Ministers underlined the necessity of assistingother U.N. member states in betterimplementation of the U.N. Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and increasing the numberof parties to the U.N. anti-terrorism conventions,and promoting the implementation of SecurityCouncil resolutions.

l The Ministers expressed concern over theincreasing use of information and

communication technologies in ways threateningthe security of nations as also international peaceand security. In this context, the Ministers notedthe need for the international community toformulate relevant norms and rules.

l The Ministers expressed support for the effortsof Mr. Kofi Annan as the Joint Special Envoy ofthe U.N.-Arab League, including his proposalfor early deployment of the U.N. observermission.

l The Ministers agreed that major economies

should in a precise and timely manner coordinateefforts to facilitate the strong, sustainable andba lanced global growth. They expressedparticular concern over persisting developmentgap between the North and the South, andstressed that steps to reduce this gap couldenhance global growth.

l The Ministers decided to hold the next Ministerialmeeting in India.

l Commerce Ministers of India and Pakistanmeet at New Delhi

India's Commerce and Industry Minister AnandSharma and Pakistan's Commerce MinisterMohammad Amin Fahim met in New Delhi toenhance greater economic engagement between

business communities of both sides and deepenbilateral cooperation for mutual prosperity of theirpeople. There has been a substantial increase inthe list of commodities permitted to be importedfrom India. As per the Pakistan Government's orderof 20th March, 2012, a Negative List of 1209 tarifflines has been announced; In accordance with thePakistan Cabinet decision complete phasing out ofNegative List by December 2012 is subject to furthernegotiations between the two countries.

The salient outcomes of the meet are:

(a) The new gates were opened at the AttariIntegrated Check Post (ICP) for trade. Thenew arrangements shall streamline movementof trucks across the border and significantlyenhance the flow of trade through land route.The new infrastructure will enable a

substantial increase in the movement of goodstraffic across the border. Also, it will now bepossible for trade to be conducted over longerhours during any working day.

(b) India and Pakistan have agreed to draw aroad map for allowing a whole spectrum ofitems for trade through the land route - Attari-Wagah. The products includepharmaceuticals and related products,cement, livestock, newsprint, petrochemicals,fabric and raw jute. At present, 150-odd items

are allowed to be exported to Pakistanthrough the land route and by truck. Afterthe pruning of the negative list by Pakistanlast month, the number of items India couldexport has gone up to nearly 7,800.

(c) Ministers expressed possibilities of openingmore land customs stations between bothcountries which would enhance greatereconomic engagement between businesscommunities of both sides.

(d) It was agreed that discussions would continue

at the official level, to draw a roadmap forfurther reductions in the SAFTA sensitive lists.While reducing the SAFTA lists, both sideswould appropriately consider requestsreceived for tariff lines to be removed.

(e) It was also noted that the respective CentralBanks are examining issues relating to openingof bank branches of both the countries.

l India and UK agree to push Trade andInvestment

Shri Anand Sharma, Commerce, Industry andTextiles Minister met his British counterpartSecretary of State for Business, Innovation andSkills, Dr. Vince Cable and the Chancellor of theExchequer Mr. George Osborne at the 8th round ofIndia-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee(JETCO) Meeting.

The JETCO was established on 13 January 2005in New Delhi to steer the strategic economicpartnership between the two countries followingthe historic Joint Declaration "India-UK towards a

new and dynamic partnership" between PrimeMinisters Dr. Manmohan Singh and Tony Blair inSeptember 2004 in London. The JETCO has beenconceived as a business driven institutional

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framework to enhance trade and investment bothways.

The outcomes of the meet are:

(a) Both sides agreed to concentrate on Educationand Skills Development and innovation andhealthcare technology, particularlycardiology.

(b) In the advanced manufacturing andengineering sector the meeting identifiedseveral projects like collaboration betweenBAE systems and Mahindra & Mahindra, JV

between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited andRolls Royce and collaboration betweenBhushan Power & Steel and CDE AsiaLimited for immediate implementation.

(c) A dedicated website of the UK- India SkillsForum has been launched.

(d) India stated the need for improving theregulatory environment for investments

because Indian companies who want toacquire companies in the UK have beenfacing considerable delay and long legalhassles.

(e) India expressed concern over the issue of therestrictions imposed on non-EU immigrationinto the UK which is adversely affecting theoperations of Indian companies in the UK.

(f) India invited the British companies to

investment in the infrastructure developmentprojects in various parts of India includingthe Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor andBangalore-Chennai corridor.

l 2nd India-Azerbaijan Inter- GovernmentalCommission Reviews Bilateral EconomicRelations

The 2nd Session of the India - Azerbaijan Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade (IGC),Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperationheld in Baku, co-chaired by Mr.Jyotiraditya M.

Scindia, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry,Government of India and Mr.Huseyngulu Baghirov,Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources ofRepublic of Azerbaijan.

The meet has drawn the attention towards thenecessity of establishing the International North-South transport corridor (INSTC) to improve theconnectivity problems between the two nations andidentifying issues for the smooth functioning of theCorridor. The development of the corridor wouldlead to saving in transportation costs and time.

Further the meet also recognizes the need forearly finalization of a Bilateral Investment Promotionand Protection Agreement (BIPPA) and the DoubleTaxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) betweenthe two countries to encourage investment flowsand elevate investor's confidence.

A Protocol was signed at the end of the meetingidentified key areas of cooperation such aspharmaceuticals, energy, transport, agriculture andIT sectors and also suggested steps to overcome the

existing barriers. It also recommended specificmeasures like finalisation and implementation ofagreements to give a legal basis and provide comfortto the economic and financial relationship.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

l Modern farming methods proposed byexperts

India's farmers need to change with the timesto enhance their efficiency".

Experts laid emphasis on giving a fillip tofarm technology and underscored the need foradopting modern methods to boost farmproductivity. Several practical suggestions foraugmenting agricultural growth, which in turnwould increase farmers' prosperity, were made

at the interaction attended by agriculturalexperts and scientists.

While advocating an action plan for evolvingimproved plant varieties, experts called foremploying advanced technology for production,undertaking research for developing disease-resistant varieties and formulating strategies fordealing with climate-driven events such asdroughts, floods and temperature fluctuations.

According to the experts Plant biotechnology

could help address issues related to limitedresources like water and fertile land, impact ofclimate change and growing dependence onchemicals such as fertilisers and pesticides,pointed out the speakers.

The significance of machinery was highlightedfor effective and quick agricultural operations.The farm machinery is useful for the works ofdeep ploughing, land levelling and otheroperations. For threshing and harvesting,

multipurpose machineries are imperative, whilemachines used for drying crops aremanufactured in a variety of designs and sizesto cover the diverse requirements of differentcrops.

As agriculture is providing jobs to millionsof people, the incomes are low for most of them.This gap could be filled through the use oftechnology, development of stress-tolerantplants, protection of plant varieties and betterwater management.

The participants also stated that the use ofmodern technology for agricultural productionwould be the most plausible solution to combat

food insecurity and related challenges.Agricultural research and technological infusionare the keys to strengthening domesticagriculture, ensuring sustainable growth,reducing farm losses and augmenting farmers'incomes.

l India launches New Generation StrategicMissile AGNI-V

Setting a new milestone in the country'sIntegrated Missile Development Programme,India's maiden Long Range Ballistic Missile(LRBM) AGNI-V (A-5) has been successfullyflight tested from the Wheeler Island (Orissa).

The significance of the success lies in the factthat Agni-V is the most formidable missile inIndia's arsenal, with the longest range. With thisgrand success, India joins the U.S., Russia, Franceand China, which have ICBM capability. WithIndia's policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons,Agni-V will provide the country with depth indeterrence.

Agni-V has been designed and developed bythe Defence Research and DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO).

The salient features of the missile are: Rangeupto 5000km;Three stage solid propellant; 17 mtall; capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of1.1 tonnes; Can hit targets in large parts of China,including Beijing, Pakistan and South Asia;

Greater accuracy due to better guidance andnavigation system; Composite Rocket Motorsand propulsion systems entirely indigenous

A number of new technologies developedindigenously were successfully tested in this A-5 Mission. The redundant Navigation systems,very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro basedInertial Navigation System (RINS) and the mostmodern and accurate Micro Navigation System(MINS) ensured the Missile reach the target point

within few meters of accuracy. The high speedonboard computer and fault tolerant softwarealong with robust and reliable bus guided theMissile flawlessly.

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BRIEF BACKGROUND

Prithvi was the first of the missiles developed under the Integrated Guided MissileDevelopment Programme (IGMDP), which was initiated in 1983. After the successful launch ofPrithvi-1 in February 1988 and Agni in May 1989, the United States and other developedcountries imposed technology embargoes on India under the Missile Technology Control Regime(MTCR), adversely affecting the availability of electronic devices such as computer processorchips, radio frequency devices, electro-hydraulic components, maraging steel and compositematerials such as carbon fibre.

Then the DRDO embarked on a massive programme to overcome this and adopted aconsortium approach by roping in many of its laboratories, private industries and universities,as a result the DRDO developed critical components such as phase shifters for phased arrayradars for the Akash missile; magnesium alloys for Prithvi; and servo-valves, resins and carbonfibres for re-entry systems of Agni.

The missiles that have been inducted into the armed forces include Prithvi-1, Prithvi-II, anti-ship Dhanush, surface-to-air Akash and surface-to-surface Agni-1 (700 km), Agni-II (2,500 km)

and Agni-III (3,500 km).Among the strategic systems, the Agni missiles form the bulwark of India's nuclear deterrencestrategy, which is based on the no-first-use of nuclear weapons policy. The first in the serieswas Agni-II with a range of 2,500 km, followed by Agni-1 (700 km), Agni-III (3,000 km), Agni-IV (3,500 km) and Agni-V (5,000 km) now.

Agni-1, which is Pakistan-specific, was built in a record 18 months after the Kargil conflict.Agni-1, Agni-II and Agni-III have been inducted into the Army.

Agni-1 is a single-stage missile, which is 15-metre tall and weighs 12 tonnes. Agni-II is a

two-stage missile, 20-metre-long and weighs 17tonnes. Agni-III is also a two-stage missile, whichis 17 metres long and weighs 50 tonnes. All Agnimissiles are propelled by solid fuel and cancarry nuclear warheads.

l World IT Forum 2012

The World IT Forum 2012 held in New Delhiemphasized on the role of ICT in agriculture,education, health and e-governance, within theoverall theme of ICT for sustainable humandevelopment.

WITFOR is an initiative of the InternationalFederation for Information Processing (IFIP) andis being organized by IFIP every second yearsince 2003 in cooperation with the governmentof the host country and other stakeholders.

Representatives from over 30 countriesattended WITFOR 2012 to share their knowledge,views and best practices in the use of IT forgovernance and delivery of key public services

brought together on a common platform,allowing them to showcase successful workingmodels of the use of ICT for development.

The forum discussed on various issues like:administrative reform and cyber-security,

NextGen Farming, Future of technology inAgriculture, Learning and Distance Education,and Mobile Technologies with a focus on'financial inclusion' etc. World IT Forum 2013 to

be held in Paraguay

WITFOR

World Information Technology Forum(WITFOR) was initiated by the InternationalFederation for Information Processing (IFIP) totake advantage of the developmentalopportunities offered by digital technologies andthe need for developing countries anddeveloped countries to collaborate to benefitfrom such opportunities. Started in 2003, IFIPhas organised WITFOR every other year incooperation with the government of the hostcountry and many other stakeholders

WITFOR investigates successful, sustainableICT strategies in developing countries andexamines different initiatives and projects on

effective, context sensitive development and useof ICT applications. In particular the WITFORevents are intended to:

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(a) Help put ICT-enabled developmentinitiatives on the agenda of differentorganisations, governmental bodies, andgroups currently involved in informationand communications technologies.

(b) Work with different groups to ensure thatthe issue of ICT diffusion and sustainable

effective use is on the agenda of seniorpolicy makers and political leaders.

(c) Assist international organizations anddonor agencies to build issues of thespread of ICTs and access to information

into their loan and funding programmeswith adequate financial and institutionalallocations.

(d) Be more pro-active in using newtechnologies explicitly to reduce existingsocial tensions and conflicts.

(e) Encourage scholars, analysts andresearchers to put the issue of electronicequity higher on their research agendas.

The inaugural WITFOR was held in Lithuaniain 2003, followed by Botswana in 2005, Ethiopiain 2007 and Vietnam in 2009.

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2 - MARKERS

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l Children from weaker sections can now haveaccess to private schools

Children from the disadvantaged sections ofsociety will now have access to private schools asthe Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionalvalidity of the Right of Children to Free andCompulsory Education Act, 2009. The Act makesit mandatory for all schools, except minorityunaided (religious and linguistic minoritiesincluded), to reserve 25 per cent of seats for childrenfrom the disadvantaged sections, the burden of

which will be borne by the government.

l Indian cinema cultural fest begins in Moscow

To mark 65th anniversary of diplomatic relationsbetween two nations, a festival of Indian cinemaand culture is opens up in Russia. The 10-day festivalwill feature the screening of 15 Indian films,including "Three Idiots," "Fashion" and "AWednesday," as well as Qawali music performances

by the Nizami Brothers group. The Open Indiaprogramme also includes fashion-shows, photo

exhibitions, cooking shows, lectures and master-classes. Reciprocating Open India, a festival ofRussia will be held in India later this year.

l Registration of marriages to be madecompulsory

The government proposes amendment of theRegistration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, toinclude registration of marriages under the purviewof this law. This will provide legal protection tocouples, especially in cases of inter-religiousmatrimony.

The Union Cabinet has also approvedamendment to the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, toprovide for registration of marriages of Sikhs. Theproposed Bills will be beneficial to women,protecting them from unnecessary harassment in

matrimonial and maintenance cases. It will alsoprovide evidentiary value in matters of custody ofchildren, right of children born from wedlock oftwo persons whose marriage is registered and theage of the parties to the marriage.

While marriages of Sikhs along with those ofBuddhists and Jains are currently registered underthe Hindu Marriage Act, Muslims, Parsis, Christiansand Jews have separate Acts for registration.

l World trade to slow down to 3.7 % in 2012

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) hasprojected a further slowdown in world trade,pegging the growth at 3.7 per cent for 2012.

World trade expanded in 2011 by 5 per cent, asharp deceleration from the 2010 rebound of 13.8per cent. It attributed the slowdown to the globaleconomy losing momentum due to a number ofshocks, including the European sovereign debtcrisis. Multiple economic setbacks during 2011dampened growth beyond expectations and led toa stronger than anticipated easing in the fourth

quarter, according a report released by the WTO.l Haryana bans use of word handicapped

The Haryana government has banned the useof expression 'handicapped' as it violates andundermines the dignity of persons with disability.

The expression 'handicapped' is against the spiritof the Constitution, the Persons with Disabilities(Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and FullParticipation) Act, 1995, and, the United NationsConvention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities to which India is a state party.l New President of World bank

Korean born American health expert Jim YongKim has been selected as the new president ofWorld Bank.

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EDITORIALS

l Beyond the Right to Education lies a schoolof hard knocks

The Supreme Court's recent mandate that privateunaided non-minority schools should reserve 25 percent of seats for underprivileged children is beinghailed as a landmark ruling. The spirit of thedecision is indeed laudable as it reflects theegalitarian ethos of the Right to Education (RTE)Act. Thus, as private schools open their doors tochildren from marginalised sections of society, thegovernment pats itself on the back for engineering

a social revolution. Aside from the logisticalcomplications this entails, the government'scongratulatory mood is both premature andmisguided for a number of reasons.

Undoubtedly, education is the quintessentialpassport to greater opportunities - be they economic,academic or social. As the RTE Act holds, allchildren, regardless of their family backgrounds orindividual profiles, should have access to ameaningful education that empowers them to readcritically, problem-solve analytically and think

imaginatively.

ASER study

However, our collective enthusiasm for thecourt's decision would turn out to be misplaced ifanyone bothers to do basic math. According to astudy published online by Dr. Wilima Wadhwa ofAnnual Status of Education Report (ASER),enrolment in private schools in 2008 was 22.6 percent. While this figure is likely to have increasedsince, over 70-75 per cent of our children still attend

government schools. Even as private schools reserve25 per cent of seats for economically backwardchildren, the vast majority will still be schooled ingovernment-run institutions. Moreover, mostchildren in rural areas attend government schools.According to the District Information System forEducation 2010-11, as many as 84 per cent ofchildren in villages attend government schools. Ifthe RTE Act has to be implemented in letter and inspirit, the government cannot ignore the quality ofeducation it provides under its roof just because it

has "won" the reservation battle with privateinstitutions. Even as the government makes privateschools "socially responsible," it still has to bear theonus of educating the majority of children. Further,

the assumption that private schooling is superiorto a government education is based on the factthat children in the former tend to outperform thelatter in examinations. But that is a superficialreading of facts. Once we scratch the surface, wefind that other factors also contribute to children's

better outcomes in private schools, as indicated ina study conducted by Dr. Wadhwa. When parentaleducation, tuition classes and economic disparitiesare controlled for, the difference in reading scores

between government and private schools falls

drastically from 20 per cent to five per cent.In addition, we have to recognise that private

schools differ vastly in terms of the quality ofeducation they provide. This is why there areserpentine queues from the early hours of themorning for admissions into kindergarten in a fewreputed schools. The scramble for seats is evidenceof the dearth of quality education. Just herdingchildren into private schools is not going to ensuretheir learning unless teachers are sensitised andtrained to deal with children with different profiles.

According to a study conducted by Wipro andEducational Initiatives, there are significantdifferences in the scores of children attendingschools affiliated to the various national and State

boards. Besides, children in the "top" private schoolsalso exhibit rote learning and prejudiced thinkingon sensitive socio-cultural issues.

Three factors abroad

Thus, we cannot overlook the fact that oureducational system, both government and private,is in need of serious overhaul. In 2007, McKinseyand Company published a report that analysedwhy some school systems in the world ranked highlyin international assessments of literacy, numeracyand problem-solving year after year. Topperforming countries included Belgium, Finland,

Japan, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Singapore andSouth Korea. While the countries sported vastdifferences, both culturally and politically, threefactors regarding their education systems werecommon to all high performing nations.

First, a teaching job in these countries, unlike inIndia, is a high-status profession. In addition toreceiving salaries comparable to other well-paying

jobs, teacher training courses are highly selective

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and admit only the cream of graduates. Second,teachers are provided intensive training and newrecruits are mentored on the job. In our country,teachers tend to work in isolation and inexperiencedteachers are expected to handle a class on theirown without additional guidance. Third, in the top-performing countries, schools try to offer the bestpossible education for every child by supportingthose who lag behind. These schools monitorstudent performance closely and intervene whenchildren fall behind by employing special educatorswho are trained in remedial instruction.

Thus, both government and private schools needto implement systemic changes. The comingacademic year is an apt starting point when theRTE goes into effect nationally. Private schools needto welcome poor children wholeheartedly andprepare to meet the educational demands that thisreservation will bring. Our educationalestablishments are generally insensitive to childrenwith learning difficulties with most schools lackingformal remedial programmes. As children fromweaker sections enter their portals, the need forsuch services is only going to increase.

A U.S. study

A study in the United States revealed that thevocabulary of a three-year-old child of professionalparents was 1,100 words whereas, a child whoseparents were on welfare had a vocabulary of just

525 words. Under the RTE, poor children wereadmitted in 2011 into Shri Ram School, New Delhi.An article in the Wall Street Journal quoted theprincipal, Manika Sharma as saying: "The teachershave come into my office and broken down. Theysay, 'Help us. There is no learning happening forthe other affluent children. What we achieved inone week with kids before is taking three weeks.'"Writer John Gardner aptly says, "The schools arethe golden avenue of opportunity for ableyoungsters but they are also the arena in which

less able youngsters discover their limitations." Asprivate schools open their doors, educators have toensure that children from poor homes do not feelthreatened by their more able and affluent peers,

both academical ly and social ly. Schools needresource personnel who can counsel and help thesechildren realise their potential. In addition tosupplementary remedial classes that help students

bridge the academic divide, all children should besensitised on getting along amicably.

Even as the child who comes to school in a

chauffeur driven car, studies alongside thechauffeur's child, the government cannot shy awayfrom upgrading infrastructure, enhancing teacherquality and promoting educational attainment in

public schools. As a society, we need to make aconcerted effort to achieve educational excellence,

both government and private. Private educators andthe government have to work synergistically toloosen the shackles of our strictly stratified society.

Euphoria over t he Supreme Court 's nod for t he

RTE Act could evaporat e i f w e do some hard mat h.

Source: The Hi ndu

l The road to universal health care

The best form of providing health protectionwould be to change the economic system whichproduces ill health, and to liquidate ignorance,poverty and unemployment. The practice of eachindividual purchasing his own medical care doesnot work. It is unjust, inefficient, wasteful andcompletely outmoded ... In our highly geared,modern industrial society, there is no such thing as

private health - all health is public. The illness andmaladjustments of one unit of the mass affects allother members. The protection of people's healthshould be recognised by the Government as itsprimary obligation and duty to its citizens."

These are the words of the distinguishedCanadian surgeon, Norman Bethune, who, in 1936,called for universal health protection in whichhealth services would be provided to all throughpublic funds. He pointed out that the major causesof ill health among the poor in Canada, at that

time, were: financial inability to pay, ignorance,apathy and lack of medical service. These are trueof present-day India, where health insecuritycontinues to increase with growing economicprosperity.

What is UHC?

Universal health coverage (UHC) has now beenwidely adopted by Canada and many otherdeveloping countries both as a developmentalimperative and the moral obligation of a civilised

society. India embraced this vision at itsindependence. However, insufficient funding ofpublic facilities, combined with faulty planning andinefficient management over the years, has resultedin a dysfunctional health system that has beenyielding poor health outcomes. India's publicspending on health - just around 1.2 per cent ofGDP - is among the lowest in the world. Privatehealth services have grown by default, withoutchecks on cost and quality, escalating private out-of-pocket health expenditures and exacerbating

health inequity. While the National Rural HealthMission and the several government funded healthinsurance schemes have provided a partialresponse, out-of-pocket expenditure still remains at

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71 per cent of all spending, without coverage foroutpatient care, medicines and basic diagnostictests.

The High Level Expert Group (HLEG) establishedby the Planning Commission has submitted acomprehensive framework for providing UHC inIndia. A health entitlement card should assure

every citizen access to a national health package ofessential primary, secondary and tertiary care, bothinpatient and outpatient. The HLEG is very clearthat services included under UHC must be taxfunded and cashless at delivery. User fees are to beabolished because they are inefficient, inadequateand iniquitous. Contributory social insurance is notappropriate for countries like India where a largesegment of the workforce - close to 93 per cent - isin the unorganised sector and vast numbers are

below or near the poverty line.

Four priorities

Increasing public spending on health is the firstimmediate requirement. The President of India hasaffirmed that "to attain the goal of universal healthcare, my Government would endeavour to increase

both Plan and Non-Plan public expenditure in theCentre and the States taken together to 2.5 percent of the GDP by the end of the 12th Plan."However, even the doubling of public financingwill not be adequate to support all the componentsof a fully evolved UHC. Priorities need to be defined.

The first priority for achieving UHC, as the PrimeMinister has pointed out, should be "a determinedeffort to strengthen our public health systems."Primary health care must be improved, startingwith sub-centres, the first health post for thecommunity. By staffing them with well-trainednon-physician health care providers, both facility-

based and outreach services can be providedwithout being doctor dependent. District hospitalstoo should be strengthened to provide high quality

secondary care, some elements of essential tertiarycare and training to different categories of healthcare providers.

The second priority should be to improve thesize and quality of our health workforce. Withoutthis, the promise of UHC will remain an emptyentitlement. Since primary health care is our firstpriority, resources must be devoted to theproduction of competent and committedcommunity health workers for the frontline, mid-level health workers or AYUSH doctors for the sub-

centres, and general and specialist nurses as wellas non-specialist doctors for primary health centres.More specialists are needed for higher levels ofhealth care including the district hospitals. New

nursing and medical colleges should bepreferentially set up in States which presently havevery few, linking them to district hospitals. Publichealth competencies must be increased throughinter-disciplinary education which is aligned tohealth system needs. Improved management of allof these human resources must involve betterincentives for recruitment and retention, cadrereview and creation of well defined career tracks.

The third priority should be to provide essentialmedicines and diagnostics free of cost at all publicfacilities. At the same time, referral linkages andpatient transport services should be improved tointegrate primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare in the public system. Difficult to reach areasand vulnerable population groups should receivespecial attention, even as the principle ofuniversality must be applied while designing healthservices.

The fourth priority must be to put in place thenecessary public systems for UHC. Regulatorysystems need strengthening - from hospitalaccreditation to health professional education andfrom drug licensing to mandatory adoption ofstandard management guidelines for diagnosis andtreatment of different disease conditions at eachlevel of health care. A national inter-operable HealthInformation Network is needed to improvegovernance, accountability, portability, storage ofhealth records and management. Communityparticipation must be supported to actively engagepeople in the design, delivery, monitoring andevaluation of health programmes. And finally,larger investments should be made in healthpromoting programmes in other sectors such aswater, sanitation, nutrition, environment, urbandesign and livelihood generation.

Role of the private sector

The Kolkata Group led by Amartya Sen, in its2011 Public Declaration, pointed to the many

limitations of the private sector in health."Influential policymakers in India seem to beattracted by the idea that private health care,properly subsidised, or private health insurance,subsidised by the State, can meet the challenge.However, there are good analytical reasons whythis is unlikely to happen because of informationalasymmetry (the patient can be easily fooled byprofit-seeking providers on what exactly is beingprovided) and because of the 'public goods'character of health care thanks to the

interdependences involved. There are also majordecisional problems that lead to the gross neglectof the interests of women and children in familydecisions." It is also well known that insurance

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schemes (whether funded by the Central and Stategovernments) at best provide limited health careand at worst divert a large part of the health budgetto expensive hospitalised tertiary and secondarycare, to the great neglect of primary care.

Clearly, there is no alternative to a progressivestrengthening of the public facilities and thereby

reduce people's dependence on private providers.However, the public system may need to "contract-in" the services of willing private providers, to fillgaps in its capacity to deliver all the services assuredunder UHC. Such "contracted-in" private providerswill have to deliver cashless services and would becompensated on the basis of pre-determined costper package of health services rather than "fee forservice" for each visit or procedure. In such anarrangement, the private sector acts as an extensionof the public sector where needed and will notcompete for the same set of services for the samepeople.

Final remarks

It is time to recognise that everyone, not just thepoor, needs to be protected against rising healthcosts that can impoverish any family. We are onthe threshold of a historic transition to guaranteehealth security for all Indians. UHC will greatlyreduce out-of-pocket expenditures and provide

much needed relief to people. Apart from improvingpeople's health, adopting UHC is likely to generatemillions of new jobs, enhance productivity, andpromote equity. Statesmanship must assert itself tocreate a national framework of UHC that is capableof State-specific adaptations. It is time to give thepeople of India the efficient, affordable andequitable health system they desire, deserve anddemand.

Progressi ve st rengtheni ng of publi c faci li t i es is

t he only w ay t o reach medical serv i ces to t he

populati on as a w hole.Source: The Hi ndu

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Documents

14-20 April 2012