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Showing posts with label Environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Environment. Show all posts
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Editorial
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http://www.thegroundreportindia.com/2012/04/2012-april-tribal-edition-editorial/
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
CASH CROPS, FREE TRADE AGGREMENTS & THE STATE OF KERALA
Anoop Nobert
A new ruling dispensation has started its tenure in the southern most state of India 8 months ago & it will be not be inappropriate to think about the state of Kerala. In fact, the backdrop of the various talks and deliberations about the Free Trade Agreements only makes it too appropriate a moment to spare some thoughts about India’s most well performing state, in terms of various Human Development Indices. The recent rise in the number of farmer suicides in the cash crop citadel of the state, Wayanad district also makes this issue more relevant & significant. The overwhelming participation of its subjects, cutting across religious differences, in the celebration of the harvest festival of Onam is nothing but a wonder of sorts, to say the least. But, that being said ,to say that, in the present times festivals like Vishu & Onam –for that matter all festivals transcending religious differences-are just marketing carnivals, on the side lines of which consumerism(too often conspicuous consumerism),alcoholism and matrimonial prodigality manifest themselves most blatantly, is nothing but stating the truth. The agricultural significance that these festivals had is lost without a trace. Agriculture in Kerala has now transpired to mean as farming of cash crops like rubber & cashew nut, spices like cardamom and plantations like tea and coffee. The pursuit for larger profits with an eye on the prospective & seemingly ever increasing demands from markets outside the state for the aforesaid cash crops has lead many a people to abandon farming of, staple food crops like rice, nutrient rich pulses, vegetables and diary products. The pressure from big plantations over small land holders only added fire to the fury and many traditional farmers had to half heartedly switch over to cash crops. All these have lead to a situation where in the state of Kerala is at present heavily dependent on its neighboring states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka for staple foods, pulses, vegetables & even milk & milk products. Traditional cash crops like coconut-from which the state derives its very name of ‘Kerala’- , areca nut, and betel leaves etc have also suffered severe blows.
But not all things are going well for the predominant cash crops as well. Due to their almost complete dependence on global markets any slight wave in the global scenario is able to make its effect felt in cash crop driven economy of Kerala. The fact that besides cash crops the remittance from almost 60 lack people working outside the geographical boundary of the state is the other major driving force of the economy only makes things more complex. It can easily be made out that the economy of Kerala is the most globalised among all states and any surge in the global economic scenario is sure to make its recuperations felt on the state. In the global level the trade and commerce of many of these cash crops are manipulated and stage managed by just a handful of corporations and this makes the fate of such cash crop growers all the more vulnerable. The subsistence and lively hood of such farmers are at perils of the whims and fancies of the games played by big corporations. The years 2005 to 2007 witnessed the highest price for coffee exported from India in markets like London and Maples. But ironically those were the same years when the highest number of coffee farmers in the district of Wayanad decided to bring there life to an abrupt end through suicide owing to agricultural debts. This exposes the glaring disconnect between the market price doled out by the consumers and the return for the farmers for their products, both the groups unable to comprehend the way market forces are being manipulated by the corporate business class.
Now the Year 2011 seems to have many more bad news for cash crop growers in its baggage. India is actively considering about inking Free Trade Agreements with a slew of nations including the mighty European Union. Such free trade agreements will open the flood gates for trade liberalization between the signing nations even in the field of cash crops and the same may bring the indigenous farm products under sever strain and competition from the products available from these countries and in the eventuality many an Indian cash crops can loose their grip even in the traditional home markets. It is needless to say that all these are surely going to have a negative bearing for the state of Kerala. The point is not to flare up hyper national or jingoistic passions & protectionist sentiments. Nor it is any ones case that India, aspiring to become a super power in the 21st century and to increase its geo-political influence, should not help in the progress and development of small and lesser developed countries by providing favorable conditions of trade to them. Globalisation can enhance prosperity and development across the countries if the same modalities are applied with the intent of exchange of mutually beneficial products. It can increase the avenues for people to people contact across the borders and there by it can provide a great impetus to the “One World” concept and to world peace. But for that to happen the control of the economy should rest with the society as whole which is, in the present scenario, seems to be a distant dream. On the contrary the sate of affairs in the economic sphere is being controlled by a few oligarchs. In such a scenario globalisation just becomes the kaleidoscope for the representatives of private capital to view the whole world as just a single market in purist for profit maximization. Private capital transcends all national barriers in its quest for profits. The neo-liberal ruling dispensations in many countries are just the political faces-save covert faces- of private capital. Many a regimes are but forced to fall in line or to act at their behest. The policies and decisions of such governments, not so infrequently and without many hindrances, are influenced by the agents and the proxies of profit seeking private capital. Developed countries by virtue of their technological advancements and concentrated financial and economic power too often become successful in thrusting down the throat of developed and under developed countries policies that are favorable to them albeit under the most hypocritical claim of ‘helping in the development of the lesser developed.’ Developed nations seek for level playing fields in the markets of the developing and lesser developed countries and urge and audaciously advocate the governments of the land to cut subsidies and scrap other positive discriminatory measures instituted to safe guard the interest of local inhabitants, majority of whom belonging to the economically bottom strata of the world population pyramid. All these are done not withstanding the subsidies the developed world doles out to products from its own countries. Level playing field will be welcomed by all if it is impartially applied or in other words if those who cry for such level playing fields ensure that the same principle is applicable to them also.
The observation by former diplomat and the flamboyant Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Shashi Tharoor covers it all “The amount that the developed nations spends for susidising their animal husbandry products per year is so much so that when taken per livestock that will suffice each one of the cattle population in those countries to fly around the world in Business Class Flight Tickets not just once but twice an year!”. “Physicians heal thy self”………. “Thou strain the gnats and swallow the camel”, can be the best reply that can be given to Uncle Sam & Co. With regard to the liberal trade regimes with small and lesser developed nations belonging to leagues of ASEAN, SAARC, LDC etc it should be ensured that the benefits are not appropriated by just a handful. Many a times business consortiums which are in no way related to such countries are found to gain advantages. Lessons can be learned from past experiences. The free trade regimes that Indian envisages with countries like Sri Lanka -which includes among the other things some spices also in its preview-should be watched and monitored with utmost caution. Big business can find the Island nation as a gate way to India to escape import duty. Huge quantities of spices may be first imported to Sri Lanka by global conglomerates and from there they can find its way to India- at virtually zero tariff rates -with an eye on the huge Indian markets. It can even end up in such a scenario that the quantity of spices that will be exported form the Lakan nation to India may be so big that even if the total land area of that country is converted for cultivation of spices the quantity won’t be able to match the tones that are exported to India!
True that in 2009 while inking the FTA pact with ASEAN nations the state of Kerala was able to convince the Govt of India to exclude almost 200 items, that were critical for its farmers, from the no tariff regime .That owes much to the political clout of the state which saw the unequivocal criticisms & condemnation, of the India Govt’s initial plan for allowing complete free trade of all products, by the various bipartisan political parties of the state , cutting across political patronages and affiliations, surprising the whole nation. But will that maneuverability be effective against the arm twisting modus operandi of the mighty European Union Nations is a question worth asking. Also it will be good to introspect whether an economy can be substained always with the help of revenue from cash crops and foreign remittances. Policy makers, intellectuals, scientists, technocrats, politicians, literary figures, social and cultural activists, religious leaders, artists and the vast pool of the educated intelligentsia of the sate should unite at the earliest to find a way out of this imbroglio besieging the state and to save it from the clutches of the rampant consumerism orchestrated, engendered and fostered by the agents of the ongoing neo-liberal version of competitive free-market capitalism.
After all, it is not at all in the best interest of the state and its people to be branded as the “mouth watering and dream destination for marketing executives” which was once hallmarked for its intellectual disturbances and ferments amidst the intelligentsia , idealist romanticism among the artists, heightened political consciousness and activism by its general public, principle based religious and political leadership, its revolutionary fight against inequalities, exploitation and exclusionism based on the outdated & antiquated principle of the so called nobility of birth and last but not the least its longing pursuit of egalitarianism which finds its ultimate expression in the most widely celebrated festival of Onam which is conceptualised and woven around the much cherished and fallaciously constructed myth about the benevolent Socialist dictator Maveli and his classless empire.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE
1. Overview
India is faced with the challenge of sustaining its rapid economic growth while dealing with the global threat of climate change. This threat emanates from accumulated greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, anthropogenically generated through long-term and intensive industrial growth and high consumption lifestyles in developed countries. While engaged with the international community to collectively and cooperatively deal with this threat, India needs a national strategy to firstly, adapt to climate change and secondly, to further enhance the ecological sustainability of India's development path.
Climate change may alter the distribution and quality of India's natural resources and adversely affect the livelihood of its people. With an economy closely tied to its natural resource base and climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water and forestry, India may face a major threat because of the projected changes in climate.
India's development path is based on its unique resource endowments, the overriding priority of economic and social development and poverty eradication, and its adherence to its civilizational legacy that places a high value on the environment and the maintenance of ecological balance.
In charting out a developmental pathway which is ecologically sustainable, India has a wider spectrum of choices precisely because it is at an earlystage of development. Our vision is to create a prosperous, but not wasteful society, an economy that is self-sustaining in terms of its ability to unleash the creative energies of our people and is mindful of our responsibilities to both present and future generations.
Recognizing that climate change is a global challenge, India will engage actively in multilateral negotiations in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner. Our objective will be to establish an effective, cooperative and equitable global approach based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilites and respective capabilities, enshrined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Such an approach must be based on a global vision inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's wise dictum—The earth has enough resources to meet people's needs, but will never have enough to satisfy people's greed. Thus we must not only promote sustainable production processes, but equally, sustainable lifestyles across the globe.
Finally, our approach must also be compatible with our role as a responsible and enlightened member of the international community, ready to make our contribution to the solution of a global challenge, which impacts on humanity as a whole. The success of our national efforts would be significantly enhanced provided the developed countries affirm their responsibility for accumulated greenhouse gas emissions and fulfill their commitments under the UNFCCC, to transfer new and additional financial resources and climate friendly technologies to support both adaptation and mitigation in developing countries.
We are convinced that the principle of equity that must underlie the global approach must allow each inhabitant of the earth an equal entitlement to the global atmospheric resource.
In this connection, India is determined that its per capita greenhouse gas emissions will at no point exceed that of developed countries even as we pursue our development objectives.
2. Principles
Maintaining a high growth rate is essential for increasing living standards of the vast majority of our people and reducing their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. In order to achieve a sustainable development path that simultaneously advances economic and environmental objectives, the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC) will be guided by the following principles:
· Protecting the poor and vulnerable sections of society through an inclusive and sustainable development strategy, sensitive to climate change.
· Achieving national growth objectives through a qualitative change in direction that enhances ecological sustainability, leading to further mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
· Devising efficient and cost-effective strategies for end use Demand Side Management.
· Deploying appropriate technologies for both adaptation and mitigation of greenhouse gases emissions extensively as well as at an accelerated pace. Engineering new and innovative forms of market, regulatory and voluntary mechanisms to promote sustainable development.
· Effecting implementation of programmes through unique linkages, including with civil society and local government institutions and through publicprivate-pa rtnersh i p.
· Welcoming international cooperation for research, development, sharing and transfer of technologies enabled by additional funding and a global IPR regime that facilitates technology transfer to developing countries under the UNFCCC.
3. Approach
The NAPCC addresses the urgent and critical concerns of the country through a directional shift in the development pathway, including through the enhancement of the current and planned programmes presented in the Technical Document.
The National Action Plan on Climate Change identifies measures that promote our development objectives while also yielding co-benefits for addressing climate change effectively. It outlines a number of steps to simultaneously advance India's development and climate change-related objectives of adaptation and mitigation.
4. The Way Forward: Eight National Missions
In dealing with the challenge of climate change we must act on several fronts in a focused manner simultaneously. The National Action Plan hinges on the development and use of new technologies. The implementation of the Plan would be through appropriate institutional mechanisms suited for effective delivery of each individual Mission's objectives and include public private partnerships and civil society action. The focus will be on promoting understanding of climate change, adaptation and mitigation, energy efficiency and natural resource conservation.
There are Eight National Missions which form the core of the National Action Plan, representing multi-pronged, long-term and integrated strategies for achieving key goals in the context of climate change. While several of these programmes are already part of our current actions, they may need a change in direction, enhancement of scope and effectiveness and accelerated implementation of time-bound plans.
4.1. National Solar Mission
A National Solar Mission will be launched to significantly increase the share of solar energy in the total energy mix while recognizing the need to expand the scope of other renewable and non-fossil options such as nuclear energy, wind energy and biomass.
India is a tropical country, where sunshine is available for longer hours per day and in great intensity. Solar energy, therefore, has great potential as future energy source. It also has the advantage of permitting a decentralized distribution of energy, thereby empowering people at the grassroots level. Photovoltaic cells are becoming cheaper with new technology. There are newer, reflector-based technologies that could enable setting up megawatt scale solar power plants across the country. Another aspect of the Solar Mission would be to launch a major R&D programme, which could draw upon international cooperation as well, to enable the creation of more affordable, more convenient solar power systems, and to promote innovations that enable the storage of solar power for sustained, long-term use.
4.2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
The Energy Conservation Act of 2001 provides a legal mandate for the implementation of the energy efficiency measures through the institutional mechanism of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in the Central Government and designated agencies in each state. A number of schemes and programmes have been initiated and it is anticipated that these would result in a saving of 10,000 MW by the end of 11th Five Year Plan in 2012.
To enhance energy efficiency, four new initiatives will be put in place. These are:
· A market based mechanism to enhance cost effectiveness of improvements in energy efficiency in energy-intensive large industries and facilities, through certification of energy savings that could be traded.
· Accelerating the shift to energy efficient appliances in designated sectors through innovative measures to make the products more affordable.
· Creation of mechanisms that would help finance demand side management programmes in all sectors by capturing future energy savings.
· Developing fiscal instruments to promote energy efficiency
4.3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
A National Mission on Sustainable Habitat will be launched to make habitat sustainable through improvements in energy efficiency in buildings, management of solid waste and modal shift to public transport. The Mission will promote energy efficiency as an integral component of urban planning and urban renewal through three initiatives.
i. The Energy Conservation Building Code, which addresses the design of new and large commercial buildings to optimize their energy demand, will be extended in its application and incentives provided for retooling existing building stock.
ii. Recycling of material and Urban Waste Management will be a major component of ecologically sustainable economic development. India already has a significantly higher rate of recycling of waste compared to developed countries. A special area of focus will be the development of technology for producing power from waste. The National Mission will include a major R&D programme, focusing on bio chemical conversion, waste water use, sewage utilization and recycling options wherever possible.
iii. Better urban planning and modal shift to public transport. Making long term transport plans will facilitate the growth of medium and small cities in ways that ensure efficient and convenient public transport.
In addition, the Mission will address the need to adapt to future climate change by improving the resilience of infrastructure, community based disaster management, and measures for improving the warning system for extreme weather events. Capacity building would be an important component of this Mission.
4.4. National Water Mission
A National Water Mission will be mounted to ensure integrated water resource management helping to conserve water, minimize wastage and ensure more equitable distribution both across and within states. The Mission will take into account the provisions of the National Water Policy and develop a framework to optimize water use by increasing water use efficiency by 20% through regulatory mechanisms with differential entitlements and pricing. It will seek to ensure that a considerable share of the water needs of urban areas are met through recycling of waste water, and ensuring that the water requirements of coastal cities with inadequate alternative sources of water are met through adoption of new and appropriate technologies such as low temperature desalination technologies that allow for the use of ocean water.
The National Water Policy would be revisited in consultation with states to ensure basin level management strategies to deal with variability in rainfall and river flows due to climate change. This will include enhanced storage both above and below ground, rainwater harvesting, coupled with equitable and efficient management structures.
The Mission will seek to develop new regulatory structures, combined with appropriate entitlements and pricing. It will seek to optimize the efficiency of existing irrigation systems, including rehabilitation of systems that have been run down andalso expand irrigation, where feasible, with a special effort to increase storage capacity. Incentive structures will be designed to promote water-neutral or water-positive technologies, recharging of underground water sources and adoption of large scale irrigation programmes which rely on sprinklers, drip irrigation and ridge and furrow irrigation.
4.5. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem
A Mission for sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem will be launched to evolve management measures for sustaining and safeguarding the Himalayan glacier and mountain eco-system. Himalayas, being the source of key perennial rivers, the Mission would, inter-alia, seek to understand, whether and the extent to which, the Himalayan glaciers are in recession and how the problem could be addressed. This will require the joint effort of climatologists, glaciologists and other experts. We will need to exchange information with the South Asian countries and countries sharing the Himalayan ecology.
An observational and monitoring network for the Himalayan environment will also be established to assess freshwater resources and health of the ecosystem. Cooperation with neighbouring countries will be sought to make the network comprehensive in its coverage.
The Himalayan ecosystem has 51 million people who practice hill agriculture and whose vulnerability is expected to increase on account of climate change. Community-based management of these ecosystems will be promoted with incentives to community organizations and panchayats for protection and enhancement of forested lands. In mountainous regions, the aim will be to maintain two-thirds of the area under forest cover in order to prevent erosion and land degradation and ensure the stability of the fragile eco-system.
4.6. National Mission for a Green India
A National Mission will be launched to enhance ecosystem services including carbon sinks to be called Green India. Forests play an indispensable role in the preservation of ecological balance and maintenance of bio-diversity. Forests also constitute one of the most effective carbon-sinks.
The Prime Minister has already announced a Green India campaign for the afforestation of 6 million hectares. The national target of area under forest and tree cover is 33% while the current area under forests is 23%.
The Mission on Green India will be taken up on degraded forest land through direct action by communities, organized through Joint Forest Management Committees and guided by the Departments of Forest in state governments. An initial corpus of over Rs 6000 crore has been earmarked for the programme through the Compensatory Afforestaion Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) to commence work. The programme will be scaled up to cover all remaining degraded forest land. The institutional arrangement provides for using the corpus to leverage more funds to scale up activity.
4.7. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
The Mission would devise strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to climate change. It would identify and develop new varieties of crops and especially thermal resistant crops and alternative cropping patterns, capable of withstanding extremes of weather, long dry spells, flooding, and variable moisture availability.
Agriculture will need to be progressively adapted to projected climate change and our agricultural research systems must be oriented to monitor and evaluate climate change and recommend changes in agricultural practices accordingly.
This will be supported by the convergence and integration of traditional knowledge and practice systems, information technology, geospatial technologies and biotechnology. New credit and insurance mechanisms will be devised to facilitate adoption of desired practices.
Focus would be on improving productivity of rainfed agriculture. India will spearhead efforts at the international level to work towards an ecologically sustainable green revolution.
4.8. Natinal Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change
To enlist the global community in research and technology development and collaboration through mechanisms including open source platforms, a Strategic Knowledge Mission will be set up to identify the challenges of, and the responses to, climate change. It would ensure funding of high quality and focused research into various aspects of climate change.
The Mission will also have, on its research agenda, socio-economic impacts of climate change including impact on health, demography, migration patterns and livelihoods of coastal communities. It would also support the establishment of dedicated climate change related academic units in Universities and other academic and scientific research institutions in the country which would be networked. A Climate Science Research Fund would be created under the Mission to support research. Private sector initiatives for development of innovative technologies for adaptation and mitigation would be encouraged through venture capital funds. Research to support policy and implementation would be undertaken through identified centres. The Mission will also focus on dissemination of new knowledge based on research findings.
5. Implementation of Missions
These National Missions will be institutionalized by respective ministries and will be organized through inter-sectoral groups which include in addition to related Ministries, Ministry of Finance and the Planning Commission, experts from industry, academia and civil society. The institutional structure would vary depending on the task to be addressed by the Mission and will include providing the opportunity to compete on the best management model.
Each Mission will be tasked to evolve specific objectives spanning the remaining years of the 11th Plan and the 12th Plan period 2012-13 to 201617. Where the resource requirements of the Mission call for an enhancement of the allocation in the 11th Plan, this will be suitably considered, keeping in mind the overall resources position and the scope for re-prioritisation.
Comprehensive Mission documents detailing objectives, strategies, plan of action, timelines and monitoring and evaluation criteria would be developed and submitted to the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change by December 2008. The Council will also periodically review the progress of these Missions. Each Mission will report publicly on its annual performance.
Building public awareness will be vital in supporting implementation of the NAPCC. This will be achieved through national portals, media engagement, civil society involvement, curricula reform and recognition/ awards, details of which will be worked out by an empowered group. The Group will also consider methods of capacity building to support the goals of the National Missions.
We will develop appropriate technologies to measure progress in actions being taken in terms of avoided emissions, wherever applicable, with reference to business as usual scenarios. Appropriate indicators will be evolved for assessing adaptation benefits of the actions.
These Eight National Missions, taken together, with enhancements in current and ongoing programmes included in the Technical Document, would not only
assist the country to adapt to climate change, but also, importantly, launch the economy on a path that would progressively and substantially result in mitigation through avoided emissions.
5.1. Institutional Arrangements for Managing Climate Change Agenda
In order to respond effectively to the challenge of climate change, the Government has created an Advisory Council on Climate Change, chaired by the Prime Minister. The Council has broad based representation from key stake-holders, including Government, Industry and Civil Society and sets out broad directions for National Actions in respect of Climate Change. The Council will also provide guidance on matters relating to coordinated national action on the domestic agenda and review of the implementation of the National Action Plan on Climate Change including its R&D agenda.
The Council chaired by the Prime Minister would also provide guidance on matters relating to international negotiations including bilateral, multilateral programmes for collaboration, research and development. Details of the institutional arrangement are at Annexure 1.
The NAPCC will continue to evolve, based on new scientific and technical knowledge as they emerge and in response to the evolution of the multilateral climate change regime including arrangements for international cooperation.
India is faced with the challenge of sustaining its rapid economic growth while dealing with the global threat of climate change. This threat emanates from accumulated greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, anthropogenically generated through long-term and intensive industrial growth and high consumption lifestyles in developed countries. While engaged with the international community to collectively and cooperatively deal with this threat, India needs a national strategy to firstly, adapt to climate change and secondly, to further enhance the ecological sustainability of India's development path.
Climate change may alter the distribution and quality of India's natural resources and adversely affect the livelihood of its people. With an economy closely tied to its natural resource base and climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water and forestry, India may face a major threat because of the projected changes in climate.
India's development path is based on its unique resource endowments, the overriding priority of economic and social development and poverty eradication, and its adherence to its civilizational legacy that places a high value on the environment and the maintenance of ecological balance.
In charting out a developmental pathway which is ecologically sustainable, India has a wider spectrum of choices precisely because it is at an earlystage of development. Our vision is to create a prosperous, but not wasteful society, an economy that is self-sustaining in terms of its ability to unleash the creative energies of our people and is mindful of our responsibilities to both present and future generations.
Recognizing that climate change is a global challenge, India will engage actively in multilateral negotiations in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner. Our objective will be to establish an effective, cooperative and equitable global approach based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilites and respective capabilities, enshrined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Such an approach must be based on a global vision inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's wise dictum—The earth has enough resources to meet people's needs, but will never have enough to satisfy people's greed. Thus we must not only promote sustainable production processes, but equally, sustainable lifestyles across the globe.
Finally, our approach must also be compatible with our role as a responsible and enlightened member of the international community, ready to make our contribution to the solution of a global challenge, which impacts on humanity as a whole. The success of our national efforts would be significantly enhanced provided the developed countries affirm their responsibility for accumulated greenhouse gas emissions and fulfill their commitments under the UNFCCC, to transfer new and additional financial resources and climate friendly technologies to support both adaptation and mitigation in developing countries.
We are convinced that the principle of equity that must underlie the global approach must allow each inhabitant of the earth an equal entitlement to the global atmospheric resource.
In this connection, India is determined that its per capita greenhouse gas emissions will at no point exceed that of developed countries even as we pursue our development objectives.
2. Principles
Maintaining a high growth rate is essential for increasing living standards of the vast majority of our people and reducing their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. In order to achieve a sustainable development path that simultaneously advances economic and environmental objectives, the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC) will be guided by the following principles:
· Protecting the poor and vulnerable sections of society through an inclusive and sustainable development strategy, sensitive to climate change.
· Achieving national growth objectives through a qualitative change in direction that enhances ecological sustainability, leading to further mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
· Devising efficient and cost-effective strategies for end use Demand Side Management.
· Deploying appropriate technologies for both adaptation and mitigation of greenhouse gases emissions extensively as well as at an accelerated pace. Engineering new and innovative forms of market, regulatory and voluntary mechanisms to promote sustainable development.
· Effecting implementation of programmes through unique linkages, including with civil society and local government institutions and through publicprivate-pa rtnersh i p.
· Welcoming international cooperation for research, development, sharing and transfer of technologies enabled by additional funding and a global IPR regime that facilitates technology transfer to developing countries under the UNFCCC.
3. Approach
The NAPCC addresses the urgent and critical concerns of the country through a directional shift in the development pathway, including through the enhancement of the current and planned programmes presented in the Technical Document.
The National Action Plan on Climate Change identifies measures that promote our development objectives while also yielding co-benefits for addressing climate change effectively. It outlines a number of steps to simultaneously advance India's development and climate change-related objectives of adaptation and mitigation.
4. The Way Forward: Eight National Missions
In dealing with the challenge of climate change we must act on several fronts in a focused manner simultaneously. The National Action Plan hinges on the development and use of new technologies. The implementation of the Plan would be through appropriate institutional mechanisms suited for effective delivery of each individual Mission's objectives and include public private partnerships and civil society action. The focus will be on promoting understanding of climate change, adaptation and mitigation, energy efficiency and natural resource conservation.
There are Eight National Missions which form the core of the National Action Plan, representing multi-pronged, long-term and integrated strategies for achieving key goals in the context of climate change. While several of these programmes are already part of our current actions, they may need a change in direction, enhancement of scope and effectiveness and accelerated implementation of time-bound plans.
4.1. National Solar Mission
A National Solar Mission will be launched to significantly increase the share of solar energy in the total energy mix while recognizing the need to expand the scope of other renewable and non-fossil options such as nuclear energy, wind energy and biomass.
India is a tropical country, where sunshine is available for longer hours per day and in great intensity. Solar energy, therefore, has great potential as future energy source. It also has the advantage of permitting a decentralized distribution of energy, thereby empowering people at the grassroots level. Photovoltaic cells are becoming cheaper with new technology. There are newer, reflector-based technologies that could enable setting up megawatt scale solar power plants across the country. Another aspect of the Solar Mission would be to launch a major R&D programme, which could draw upon international cooperation as well, to enable the creation of more affordable, more convenient solar power systems, and to promote innovations that enable the storage of solar power for sustained, long-term use.
4.2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
The Energy Conservation Act of 2001 provides a legal mandate for the implementation of the energy efficiency measures through the institutional mechanism of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in the Central Government and designated agencies in each state. A number of schemes and programmes have been initiated and it is anticipated that these would result in a saving of 10,000 MW by the end of 11th Five Year Plan in 2012.
To enhance energy efficiency, four new initiatives will be put in place. These are:
· A market based mechanism to enhance cost effectiveness of improvements in energy efficiency in energy-intensive large industries and facilities, through certification of energy savings that could be traded.
· Accelerating the shift to energy efficient appliances in designated sectors through innovative measures to make the products more affordable.
· Creation of mechanisms that would help finance demand side management programmes in all sectors by capturing future energy savings.
· Developing fiscal instruments to promote energy efficiency
4.3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
A National Mission on Sustainable Habitat will be launched to make habitat sustainable through improvements in energy efficiency in buildings, management of solid waste and modal shift to public transport. The Mission will promote energy efficiency as an integral component of urban planning and urban renewal through three initiatives.
i. The Energy Conservation Building Code, which addresses the design of new and large commercial buildings to optimize their energy demand, will be extended in its application and incentives provided for retooling existing building stock.
ii. Recycling of material and Urban Waste Management will be a major component of ecologically sustainable economic development. India already has a significantly higher rate of recycling of waste compared to developed countries. A special area of focus will be the development of technology for producing power from waste. The National Mission will include a major R&D programme, focusing on bio chemical conversion, waste water use, sewage utilization and recycling options wherever possible.
iii. Better urban planning and modal shift to public transport. Making long term transport plans will facilitate the growth of medium and small cities in ways that ensure efficient and convenient public transport.
In addition, the Mission will address the need to adapt to future climate change by improving the resilience of infrastructure, community based disaster management, and measures for improving the warning system for extreme weather events. Capacity building would be an important component of this Mission.
4.4. National Water Mission
A National Water Mission will be mounted to ensure integrated water resource management helping to conserve water, minimize wastage and ensure more equitable distribution both across and within states. The Mission will take into account the provisions of the National Water Policy and develop a framework to optimize water use by increasing water use efficiency by 20% through regulatory mechanisms with differential entitlements and pricing. It will seek to ensure that a considerable share of the water needs of urban areas are met through recycling of waste water, and ensuring that the water requirements of coastal cities with inadequate alternative sources of water are met through adoption of new and appropriate technologies such as low temperature desalination technologies that allow for the use of ocean water.
The National Water Policy would be revisited in consultation with states to ensure basin level management strategies to deal with variability in rainfall and river flows due to climate change. This will include enhanced storage both above and below ground, rainwater harvesting, coupled with equitable and efficient management structures.
The Mission will seek to develop new regulatory structures, combined with appropriate entitlements and pricing. It will seek to optimize the efficiency of existing irrigation systems, including rehabilitation of systems that have been run down andalso expand irrigation, where feasible, with a special effort to increase storage capacity. Incentive structures will be designed to promote water-neutral or water-positive technologies, recharging of underground water sources and adoption of large scale irrigation programmes which rely on sprinklers, drip irrigation and ridge and furrow irrigation.
4.5. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem
A Mission for sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem will be launched to evolve management measures for sustaining and safeguarding the Himalayan glacier and mountain eco-system. Himalayas, being the source of key perennial rivers, the Mission would, inter-alia, seek to understand, whether and the extent to which, the Himalayan glaciers are in recession and how the problem could be addressed. This will require the joint effort of climatologists, glaciologists and other experts. We will need to exchange information with the South Asian countries and countries sharing the Himalayan ecology.
An observational and monitoring network for the Himalayan environment will also be established to assess freshwater resources and health of the ecosystem. Cooperation with neighbouring countries will be sought to make the network comprehensive in its coverage.
The Himalayan ecosystem has 51 million people who practice hill agriculture and whose vulnerability is expected to increase on account of climate change. Community-based management of these ecosystems will be promoted with incentives to community organizations and panchayats for protection and enhancement of forested lands. In mountainous regions, the aim will be to maintain two-thirds of the area under forest cover in order to prevent erosion and land degradation and ensure the stability of the fragile eco-system.
4.6. National Mission for a Green India
A National Mission will be launched to enhance ecosystem services including carbon sinks to be called Green India. Forests play an indispensable role in the preservation of ecological balance and maintenance of bio-diversity. Forests also constitute one of the most effective carbon-sinks.
The Prime Minister has already announced a Green India campaign for the afforestation of 6 million hectares. The national target of area under forest and tree cover is 33% while the current area under forests is 23%.
The Mission on Green India will be taken up on degraded forest land through direct action by communities, organized through Joint Forest Management Committees and guided by the Departments of Forest in state governments. An initial corpus of over Rs 6000 crore has been earmarked for the programme through the Compensatory Afforestaion Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) to commence work. The programme will be scaled up to cover all remaining degraded forest land. The institutional arrangement provides for using the corpus to leverage more funds to scale up activity.
4.7. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
The Mission would devise strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to climate change. It would identify and develop new varieties of crops and especially thermal resistant crops and alternative cropping patterns, capable of withstanding extremes of weather, long dry spells, flooding, and variable moisture availability.
Agriculture will need to be progressively adapted to projected climate change and our agricultural research systems must be oriented to monitor and evaluate climate change and recommend changes in agricultural practices accordingly.
This will be supported by the convergence and integration of traditional knowledge and practice systems, information technology, geospatial technologies and biotechnology. New credit and insurance mechanisms will be devised to facilitate adoption of desired practices.
Focus would be on improving productivity of rainfed agriculture. India will spearhead efforts at the international level to work towards an ecologically sustainable green revolution.
4.8. Natinal Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change
To enlist the global community in research and technology development and collaboration through mechanisms including open source platforms, a Strategic Knowledge Mission will be set up to identify the challenges of, and the responses to, climate change. It would ensure funding of high quality and focused research into various aspects of climate change.
The Mission will also have, on its research agenda, socio-economic impacts of climate change including impact on health, demography, migration patterns and livelihoods of coastal communities. It would also support the establishment of dedicated climate change related academic units in Universities and other academic and scientific research institutions in the country which would be networked. A Climate Science Research Fund would be created under the Mission to support research. Private sector initiatives for development of innovative technologies for adaptation and mitigation would be encouraged through venture capital funds. Research to support policy and implementation would be undertaken through identified centres. The Mission will also focus on dissemination of new knowledge based on research findings.
5. Implementation of Missions
These National Missions will be institutionalized by respective ministries and will be organized through inter-sectoral groups which include in addition to related Ministries, Ministry of Finance and the Planning Commission, experts from industry, academia and civil society. The institutional structure would vary depending on the task to be addressed by the Mission and will include providing the opportunity to compete on the best management model.
Each Mission will be tasked to evolve specific objectives spanning the remaining years of the 11th Plan and the 12th Plan period 2012-13 to 201617. Where the resource requirements of the Mission call for an enhancement of the allocation in the 11th Plan, this will be suitably considered, keeping in mind the overall resources position and the scope for re-prioritisation.
Comprehensive Mission documents detailing objectives, strategies, plan of action, timelines and monitoring and evaluation criteria would be developed and submitted to the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change by December 2008. The Council will also periodically review the progress of these Missions. Each Mission will report publicly on its annual performance.
Building public awareness will be vital in supporting implementation of the NAPCC. This will be achieved through national portals, media engagement, civil society involvement, curricula reform and recognition/ awards, details of which will be worked out by an empowered group. The Group will also consider methods of capacity building to support the goals of the National Missions.
We will develop appropriate technologies to measure progress in actions being taken in terms of avoided emissions, wherever applicable, with reference to business as usual scenarios. Appropriate indicators will be evolved for assessing adaptation benefits of the actions.
These Eight National Missions, taken together, with enhancements in current and ongoing programmes included in the Technical Document, would not only
assist the country to adapt to climate change, but also, importantly, launch the economy on a path that would progressively and substantially result in mitigation through avoided emissions.
5.1. Institutional Arrangements for Managing Climate Change Agenda
In order to respond effectively to the challenge of climate change, the Government has created an Advisory Council on Climate Change, chaired by the Prime Minister. The Council has broad based representation from key stake-holders, including Government, Industry and Civil Society and sets out broad directions for National Actions in respect of Climate Change. The Council will also provide guidance on matters relating to coordinated national action on the domestic agenda and review of the implementation of the National Action Plan on Climate Change including its R&D agenda.
The Council chaired by the Prime Minister would also provide guidance on matters relating to international negotiations including bilateral, multilateral programmes for collaboration, research and development. Details of the institutional arrangement are at Annexure 1.
The NAPCC will continue to evolve, based on new scientific and technical knowledge as they emerge and in response to the evolution of the multilateral climate change regime including arrangements for international cooperation.
Friday, December 02, 2011
A plea from Dr.Pugazhendi to the all the Democratically Concerned People of Tamil Nadu, India and the World
Appeal by:
Dr. V. Pugazhenthi MBBS,
1/187, Mudhaliyar Street,
Sadras, Kanchipuram District,
Tamil Nadu, India 603 102
Ph: 8870578769
Sub: False Charges filed on me to curtail my professional and democratic duty to warn the people I am serving about the ill effects of the nuclear radiation around the Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant
I am a medical doctor practicing in Sadras village near the Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu, India, since 1989. I was a gold medalist during my undergraduate years at Madurai Medical College, but chose not to pursue higher education because I felt I should work among the poor masses in the villages. I chose Sadras as the place for my practice since I had many friends at Kalpakkam, who happened to work in the Kalpaakam Nuclear Power Plant.
Sadras, Kanchipuram District,
Tamil Nadu, India 603 102
Ph: 8870578769
Sub: False Charges filed on me to curtail my professional and democratic duty to warn the people I am serving about the ill effects of the nuclear radiation around the Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant
I am a medical doctor practicing in Sadras village near the Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu, India, since 1989. I was a gold medalist during my undergraduate years at Madurai Medical College, but chose not to pursue higher education because I felt I should work among the poor masses in the villages. I chose Sadras as the place for my practice since I had many friends at Kalpakkam, who happened to work in the Kalpaakam Nuclear Power Plant.
From 1989 to 2000, my professional work was focused principally on serving the Dalit and the Fisher folks. My interests were in Primary Heath Care and I had devised many innovative cost efficient methods to treat the most prevalent diseases among the masses. I had written profusely about these methods in many journals and have published books highlighting these. My work was recognised by the local and national media and they had interviewed me many a times with regard to this. The noted magazine "Outlook" had published an exclusive article about me on 21 June 2004. I was even fondly nicknamed as "One Rupee Doctor" by many magazines that had interview me. I had started a small health awareness movement calledMakkal Nala Vazhvu Pani Iyakkam (Forum for People's Good Life) and had opened a clinic at Vayalur exclusively for this purpose among its Dalit populace. Impressed by my work, former Justice of the Supreme Court Shri.D.K.Basu came unannounced to grace this occasion. (1)
It was during these first 10 years of my professional work I have understood that the chances of the people living around this Nuclear Power Plant to succumb to genetic diseases and various types of cancers was far higher than other places where nuclear power plants are not present. I decided to study this systematically. I got the first opportunity when my colleague Dr.R.Ramesh of Coimbatore asked me whether I could help in conducting a survey on the incidence of Polydactyly ( people with more than 5 fingers/toes in each hand or foot) in this region. This was early 2001 and was related to the public hearing process for the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor scheduled to be held on 27 July 2001. (2) The survey showed a very high incidence and this made me plunge into studying the effects of radiation among the local populace. I have not looked back ever since and have conducted many a health surveys since. I have remained a whistle blower who have ardently asked the Nuclear Power Plant authorities to follow nationally and internationally accepted safety codes. (3) Appreciating my work, I have been asked to become the technical and medical consultant to a group of concerned local citizens on the ill effects of radiation. This group called " Anuk Kathirveechu Paathukaappukkaana Makkal Iyakkam" (Peoples Movement for Protection Against Nuclear Radiation)" is to conduct a protest on 12 November 2011 against the breech of nationally and internationally laid safety codes by the authorities of the Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant. Their contention has valid scientific proofs. People belonging to this movement are working for the past one month to make this protest a successful one.
It is in this background, I received a telephone call at 6 PM on 1 December 2011 from the Puthupattinam police station. The police inspector Mr.Siva Kumar, told me that the Puthupattinam Panchayat Chief had filed a petition against me and whether I could go to the Police Station for an enquiry in this regard. I was busy in my clinic and told him once my works were over I would meet him at the station. I went to the police station at 7.30 PM. I was asked to wait. The police inspector then telephoned the panchayat chief. He arrived at the station by 8..10 PM. The enquiry lasted for about 30 minutes. I left the place by 8.50 PM.
The police inspector narrated the charges filed against me by Mr.Kaliaperumal :
1. Mr.Kaliyaperumal, the Panchayat Chief of Puthupattinam village has filed a petition against me and one Mr.Nehru. He is charging us both that we had threatened to murder him if he does not cooperate with out anti nuclear work.
It was during these first 10 years of my professional work I have understood that the chances of the people living around this Nuclear Power Plant to succumb to genetic diseases and various types of cancers was far higher than other places where nuclear power plants are not present. I decided to study this systematically. I got the first opportunity when my colleague Dr.R.Ramesh of Coimbatore asked me whether I could help in conducting a survey on the incidence of Polydactyly ( people with more than 5 fingers/toes in each hand or foot) in this region. This was early 2001 and was related to the public hearing process for the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor scheduled to be held on 27 July 2001. (2) The survey showed a very high incidence and this made me plunge into studying the effects of radiation among the local populace. I have not looked back ever since and have conducted many a health surveys since. I have remained a whistle blower who have ardently asked the Nuclear Power Plant authorities to follow nationally and internationally accepted safety codes. (3) Appreciating my work, I have been asked to become the technical and medical consultant to a group of concerned local citizens on the ill effects of radiation. This group called " Anuk Kathirveechu Paathukaappukkaana Makkal Iyakkam" (Peoples Movement for Protection Against Nuclear Radiation)" is to conduct a protest on 12 November 2011 against the breech of nationally and internationally laid safety codes by the authorities of the Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant. Their contention has valid scientific proofs. People belonging to this movement are working for the past one month to make this protest a successful one.
It is in this background, I received a telephone call at 6 PM on 1 December 2011 from the Puthupattinam police station. The police inspector Mr.Siva Kumar, told me that the Puthupattinam Panchayat Chief had filed a petition against me and whether I could go to the Police Station for an enquiry in this regard. I was busy in my clinic and told him once my works were over I would meet him at the station. I went to the police station at 7.30 PM. I was asked to wait. The police inspector then telephoned the panchayat chief. He arrived at the station by 8..10 PM. The enquiry lasted for about 30 minutes. I left the place by 8.50 PM.
The police inspector narrated the charges filed against me by Mr.Kaliaperumal :
1. Mr.Kaliyaperumal, the Panchayat Chief of Puthupattinam village has filed a petition against me and one Mr.Nehru. He is charging us both that we had threatened to murder him if he does not cooperate with out anti nuclear work.
2. The alleged threat was sent to him in the form of an anonymous letter, which he said was penned by Mr.Nehru under my direction.
3. An SMS to his mobile phone from an unknown mobile phone number had also threatened to murder him. This is also alleged to have been sent by someone close to me under my directions.
4. Many SMS notes keep coming to his mobile phone from unknown numbers abusing him. He believes that all these SMS notes are sent to him under my directions.
I gave the following replies to the police inspector with respect to the above charges:
1) I do not involve myself in any anti nuclear work. I am only discharging my professional service by telling everyone about the findings culled from my two decade long work and critical studies related to health and nuclear radiation in general and Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant in particular. I am not an organiser of any anti nuclear movement but am and will remain a technical and medical consultant of such movements. Recently I have been asked by People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy that spearheads people's agitation against Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, to share my professional experiences as one of its panel of experts. Like this, I have shared my experiences and studies with people all around the country.
I have met the Panchayat Chief Mr.Kaliaperumal on various occasions. I have even congratulated him on the day he had won the local election. I have talked to him cordially always. I have explained to him as I explain to everyone I meet, about the issue of nuclear radiation around. As I work as a medical professional and not as a political organiser, where does the question of me threatening him to join my work? My work is to treat, study and share. Where does his charge fit in?
However, as you are asking me a particular question, I state here that I have not at any moment threatened Mr.Kaliaperumal to join an anti nuclear agitation.
2. I have nothing to do with the anonymous letter that threatens Mr.Kaliaperumal with death. I know Mr.Nehru, but under no circumstance he is working with me. The charge that Mr.Nehru wrote this letter under my influence is a concocted lie.
3. I have nothing to do with any of the SMS notes that are alleged to be received by Mr.Kaliaperumal.
As I finished with my reply, the police inspector said he has not filed the First Information Report. However, he asked me to give in writing that "I would be present at the police station whenever I am summoned by him for further enquiries. If I am not present for such enquiries, then I agree that the charges kept on me is true." I told him what that would mean to my daily professional schedule. I explained to him how the poor patients who come to see me from miles afar would deeply suffer. However, he insisted that I should give this in writing. At last, as a good samaritan,I gave him in writing that whenever he summons me I would be present at the police station.
Once I gave him this written note, he told me in a very harsh warning voice: " Doctor! Do you know that I can book you under national Security Act for whatever the works that you are doing? By the way.... Have you ever heard anything about "police encounter"? So, be careful."
I remain baffled. However, there's no way my professional and democratic work can be suspended by any force whatever.
I strongly suspect the hand of the authorities of the Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant behinnd all this. They are particularly disturbed by the facts I have recently published with respect to the safety codes being practiced by them. They are, I suspect, disturbed by a news that I am about to publish a book that is to question the various safety issues related with the power plant. I think, by intimidating me with such police threats, they believe that they will be able to make the Kalpakkam environment radiologically safe.
I have been open always for discussion with the authorities of the power plant. I have met them many a times and have always shared all the data available with me. However, they have, over the past 10 years have not tried to answer any of my questions in the earnest. Now, I suspect, that they have decided to opt other means to silence my work.
It is in this regard, I request all of you - my democratically minded brethren - to pray and voice for me and my family members.
I gave the following replies to the police inspector with respect to the above charges:
1) I do not involve myself in any anti nuclear work. I am only discharging my professional service by telling everyone about the findings culled from my two decade long work and critical studies related to health and nuclear radiation in general and Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant in particular. I am not an organiser of any anti nuclear movement but am and will remain a technical and medical consultant of such movements. Recently I have been asked by People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy that spearheads people's agitation against Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, to share my professional experiences as one of its panel of experts. Like this, I have shared my experiences and studies with people all around the country.
I have met the Panchayat Chief Mr.Kaliaperumal on various occasions. I have even congratulated him on the day he had won the local election. I have talked to him cordially always. I have explained to him as I explain to everyone I meet, about the issue of nuclear radiation around. As I work as a medical professional and not as a political organiser, where does the question of me threatening him to join my work? My work is to treat, study and share. Where does his charge fit in?
However, as you are asking me a particular question, I state here that I have not at any moment threatened Mr.Kaliaperumal to join an anti nuclear agitation.
2. I have nothing to do with the anonymous letter that threatens Mr.Kaliaperumal with death. I know Mr.Nehru, but under no circumstance he is working with me. The charge that Mr.Nehru wrote this letter under my influence is a concocted lie.
3. I have nothing to do with any of the SMS notes that are alleged to be received by Mr.Kaliaperumal.
As I finished with my reply, the police inspector said he has not filed the First Information Report. However, he asked me to give in writing that "I would be present at the police station whenever I am summoned by him for further enquiries. If I am not present for such enquiries, then I agree that the charges kept on me is true." I told him what that would mean to my daily professional schedule. I explained to him how the poor patients who come to see me from miles afar would deeply suffer. However, he insisted that I should give this in writing. At last, as a good samaritan,I gave him in writing that whenever he summons me I would be present at the police station.
Once I gave him this written note, he told me in a very harsh warning voice: " Doctor! Do you know that I can book you under national Security Act for whatever the works that you are doing? By the way.... Have you ever heard anything about "police encounter"? So, be careful."
I remain baffled. However, there's no way my professional and democratic work can be suspended by any force whatever.
I strongly suspect the hand of the authorities of the Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant behinnd all this. They are particularly disturbed by the facts I have recently published with respect to the safety codes being practiced by them. They are, I suspect, disturbed by a news that I am about to publish a book that is to question the various safety issues related with the power plant. I think, by intimidating me with such police threats, they believe that they will be able to make the Kalpakkam environment radiologically safe.
I have been open always for discussion with the authorities of the power plant. I have met them many a times and have always shared all the data available with me. However, they have, over the past 10 years have not tried to answer any of my questions in the earnest. Now, I suspect, that they have decided to opt other means to silence my work.
It is in this regard, I request all of you - my democratically minded brethren - to pray and voice for me and my family members.
Thursday, December 01, 2011
International Water Law Scholarship Programme
The
Global Water Partnership together with IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law,
Policy and Science, under the auspices of UNESCO, at the University of
Dundee, is looking to build on their successful 2011 International Water
Law Programme (http://www.dundee.ac.uk/water/workshop), and offer scholarships for 30 participants to undertake a module in International Water Law, in Dundee 11-29 June 2012.
Scholarship recipients are responsible for all travel (to/from Dundee) and subsistence (food/accommodation) costs. GWP is aiming at providing funding for travel and subsistence for a limited number of successful Scholarship applicants. Even though final funding is pending, GWP and the University of Dundee now invite applications from suitable candidates.
Applications will be accepted from 24 November 2011 to 3 February 2012. Successful candidates will be notified at the beginning of March 2012 to allow as much time as possible to obtain visas, additional funding, etc.
The module is aimed at persons working in water resources who wish to acquire specialist knowledge of international water law, especially as it relates to transboundary water challenges in the GWP regions.
Applicants to the joint GWP-University of Dundee IWL Programme should be from GWP Partner organisations and are required to be proficient in English, either as native speakers, or to a standard of an IELTS score of 6.5. A university degree is required in Hydrology, Environmental Science, Law, Agriculture, or related field.
Read more and apply here: http://www.gwp.org/GWP-Dundee-2012
Friday, September 30, 2011
INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR on Teacher Education for Peace and Harmony (11-13 Feb 2012)
INTRODUCTION
Recently world has seen nuclear catastrophe during Tsunami in
Japan, political Tsunami in Middle East and Africa; racial & ethnic
conflicts in Sri Lanka, east Asia and middle-east; terrorist and fundamentalist
attacks in India, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries as well as
Maoist Violence in south Asia. This shows the expression of intolerance,
manifestations of racial and ethnic hatred, the perpetuation of violence,
terrorism and wars with discrimination, inequality and the growing disparities
between the rich and the poor. If civilizations aren't tuned to the reality of
human existence, they conserve the worst of human behavior and free themselves
from any responsibility of co-existential relations. Eventually, they become
corrupt and self-destructing. All civilizations that misalign reality with bad
decisions, wrong education, moronic people and parasitic leaders, first destroy
their surrounding and finally destroy themselves. Teachings and practices of
Peace and Harmony are always relevant and significant for ensuring mutual
cooperation, fundamental freedom, peace, humane conduct and co-existence.
The
educated human being is then a fundamental unit of analysis for the study of
mankind, existence and its order for purposeful ends. People found advantages
in participating and cooperating with order of nature and society to achieve
peace and harmony. Across the world, as well as in the Asian counties peace,
values, morals, character and ethical education are gaining popularity, as
nation-states, international organizations, global corporations and civil
society organizations increasingly recognize the importance of such education.
In the changing global scenario the main aim of teacher education will be to
help people to develop themselves as global and local responsible citizens who
shall make with conscientious efforts for building a humane world with peace
and harmony. The focus of teacher education would be the values of peace and
harmony, based on the human mindset, human rights, mutual respect, mutual
trust, cooperation and respect for life, social justice, open-mindedness and
co-existence. Keeping this in view it is necessary to reorient and restructure
the teacher education programme to include education for peace and harmony.
Teacher education for peace and harmony intertwine with the concept of peace,
which in turn is intrinsically linked to the understanding of global world
orders and commonalities of socio-political-economic and legal systems. Content
of teacher education curricula and teaching methodologies for moral, ethical,
value, peace and harmony education for the development of human values need to
be designed and strengthened. The urgency and necessity of such education was
recognized by the member states of UNESCO in 1974 and reaffirmed in the Integrated framework of action on
education for peace, human rights, and democracy in 1994. UNESCO is committed to
promote universal values of peace and non-violence, human rights and social
justice with intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding. The approach of
UNESCO in educating for peace is multidimensional, for that it links education
with a range of activities to address the root causes of violence and to create
an atmosphere of peaceful co-existence and sustainable development.
OBJECTIVES
To identify the current challenges of
teacher education in solving the “human problems”.
To update the teacher
education according to global norms established by UNESCO and other bodies.
To develop skills among
teacher trainees in human values, harmonious living with co-existence.
To promote
inter-disciplinary research activities for education for peace and harmony.
To create awareness
among teachers for development of activities for peace and harmony education.
To frame an outline of
the curriculum of teacher education for peace, harmony & human values.
To articulate and
identify the activities, contents, programme for teaching peace and harmony.
To establish an international centre of Teacher education
for peace and harmony.
THEME : Teacher Education for Peace and
Harmony
DATE : Feb 11-13, 2012
VENUE : NEW
DELHI – INDIA
1. Sri Sathya Sai
International Centre, Pragati Vihar, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
2. India International Centre,40,Max Mueller Marg,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi
Programme Schedule:
Apart from inaugural and valedictory sessions, there will be
three plenary followed by 15 thematic sessions. The first plenary session will
focus on “Coexistence and Harmony through Teacher Education”. The outcome of
this plenary session will have a direct bearing on curriculum, contents,
methodology, evaluation process and overall direction of teacher education. The
second plenary session is proposed to deal with Teacher education in technical,
vocational and professional sectors. The objective of this plenary session is
to introduce vision of peace and harmony. The third plenary session will be
devoted to teacher education as a whole which is essentially the central theme
of the seminar. These plenary sessions will provide direction to the
declaration of the seminar.
SUB THEMES:
Papers and Innovative Ideas are welcome on any of the
following Sub Themes
1. Relevance of universal
human values and peace based education
2. Humanization of teacher
education
3. Global trends and New
scenario of teacher education
4. Dimensions and
relationship of peace education with foundations of education
5. Teacher educational
governance: Issues and challenges
6. Co-existence and harmony
through teacher education
7. Skills and activities
for teacher education for peace and harmony
8. Preparing peace
teachers and peace workers in the community
9. Role of teacher in
multicultural and multi-ethnic society
10. Peace based integrated
curriculum for teacher education
11. Education for peace towards a millennium of well being
GUIDELINES FOR
SUBMISSION OF PAPERS /PRESENTATIONS Schedule for Submission of Abstracts / Full
Papers.
The abstract/paper must
follow the format used by international journals/seminars.: (A) author (B)
college/university/institute (C) email-id (D) mobile / telephone number (E)
title of the abstract (F) body of the abstract.
LANGUAGE
Abstract(s) must be
written in ENGLISH or in HINDI:
Schedule for
submission of abstracts / papers
(i) 300 to 500 words abstracts should be
submitted by October 15,
2011.
(ii) Acceptance of the
abstract will be intimated by November, 10, 2011.
(iii) The last date for receiving the full paper of approx. 5000 words by December 30, 2011.
Please mail/email your abstracts and papers to:
Dr. Surendra Pathak,
Convener, International Seminar, IASE deemed University,
Gandhi Vidya Mandir, Sardarshahar (Churu), 331401, Rajasthan, India
Email : iase.internationalseminar@gmail.com, pathak06@gmail.com
REVIEWERS PANEL:
Abstracts, papers and presentation will be reviewed by
committee, which includes:
1. Dr. H L Sharma, Professor
Education, New Delhi
2. Dr. Nityanand Pandey,
Assam Central University, Silchar
3. Dr. S B Singh , Professor
education, Jodhpur
4. Dr. Asha Shukla,
Head Dept. of Women Studies, Barkatullah University, Bhopal
5. Prof. Hemlata
Talesra, Director & Head, Smt. K. B. Dave College of Education,
Pilvai, Mehsana, Gujarat
6. Dr. Krishna Mohan,
Consultant, Psychology & Mental Health, Founder &
Managing Director of PsychGuru Mental Health Services Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad
7. Rakesh Gupta, Studying
Madhyast Darshan in the guidance Shri A. Nagraj, Bangalore
8. Prof. Kumud Chandra Thakar, Former
Director Lok Bharti, Sanosara, Bhavnagar, Gujarat
REGISTRATION FEE:
(a) Foreign Delegates
a. Developed Country : USD 250
b. Developing country : USD 150
(b) Indian Delegates
Individual Delegate :
Rs. 2500 Institutional
Delegate :
Rs 3000 (extra
copy of seminar proceedings will be given for their library)
(c) Student Delegates : Rs. 1000
(M.A./ M.Ed./M.Phil./Ph.D.)
(Registration fee includes accommodation & food for the
Delegates)
Registration fee should be submitted through Demand Draft/Pay
order along with the registration form and sent to,
The Seminar Convener, International Seminar on Teacher
Education for Peace and Harmony, IASE deemed University, Gandhi Vidya Mandir,
Sardarshahar (Churu), 331401,
Rajasthan, India.
REGISTRATION ONLINE:
Online Registration can be done through swift account.
DETAILS OF BANKING
Swift Code Number: SBBJ INBB
IFSE CODE No. SBBJ 0110140
Beneficiary's Name: Gandhi Vidya Mandir, Sardarshahr, India.
Foreign currency Account Number: - 51093725633,
Indian currency Current Account Number: - 51093722745
Beneficiary Bank: State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur,
Address: Sardarshahr, 3301401, Rajasthan, India.
ACCOMMODATION
Delegates will be accommodated in the Guest House and
Participating Students in the hostels arranged by organizers. Separate
accommodation will be provided on payment with prior information.
LAST DATE OF REGISTRATION IS JANUARY 15, 2012.
ABOUT THE
ORGANIZERS GANDHI VIDYA MANDIR (http://www.gandhividyamandir.org.in/)
Gandhi Vidya Mandir(GVM),
a Non-governmental, Non-profit making registered society was founded in 1950 on 1190 acres of land in one
of the harshest and the most backward areas in the country. The region is
acutely prone to droughts and floods, heat and cold waves, epidemics and other
calamities. It was the vision of Shri Kanhaiyalal Dugar (who later embraced
Sanyas (renunciation) and was known as Swami Shri Shriram Sharan ji) an
embodiment of universal humanism, who, with the blood and sweat of many devoted
social-workers, philanthropists, students and staff, created this epitome of
emulative excellence in human endeavor.
He dedicated his entire life and all
his personal wealth to the cause of education and upliftment of the
down-trodden. “Gandhi Vidya Mandir” means a comprehensive seat of education
making sincere efforts towards realizing humanitarianism. GVM has been striving
to alleviate these problems through various permanent projects and programmers
relating to education, culture, livelihood, health and hygiene, vocational
education etc., without discrimination of caste, class or creed. The cultural
and spiritual aspects and propagation of Gandhian ideals of ahimsa, peace and
sarvodaya are adequately covered in the curricular as well as community
programmes.
The ‘Baal Graha’ (Children’s Home) provides education and home to
orphans. In the surrounding villages, there are 46 centres of basic Shiksha Karmi Yojna for rural boys
and girls in the age group of 6
to 14 years,
benefitting about 2000 students.
Non Formal Education (NFE) is provided to over 3000 boys and girls in the age group of 6 to 14 years in 100 village-centers. There are
12 primary
schools and 45 adult
education centers serving over 10,000 children and adults,
mainly young girls and women. GVM hosts resident & non-resident students,
from pre-primary to Ph.D. level. There are separate multi-faculty colleges for
girls and co-educational colleges in Ayurveda, Para-Medical, Life Sciences,
Veterinary Sciences, IT, Management, Engineering and Art & Home Science. It
is dotted by large parks, gardens, playgrounds, auditoria, cultural and
spiritual centers GVM was conceptualized and nurtured as a University. It has
grown from strength-to-strength and its 60 years history is a saga of strides, struggles and successes.
‘Service with Sincerity’ is our watchword and the motto is
‘Gyanbhanur-bhasatam’ - ‘May the Sun of Knowledge Shine’. (the sun knows no
discrimination and engulfs the entire world with light and warmth).
IASE DEEMED
UNIVERSITY
Institute of Advanced
Studies in Education (IASE) – Deemed to be University, a unit of Gandhi Vidya
Mandir (GVM), Sardarshahr, Dist. Churu, Rajasthan, is a non Government
self-funded Institute of Higher Education.
It is located amidst the
north-western part of the dreaded Thar Desert, 230 km north of jaipur, 330 km
west of Delhi, 125 km east of Bikaner and 45 km from Ratangarh Junction/ Churu.
In 2002, the Government of India accorded the formal recognition of ‘Deemed to
be University’ to IASE of GVM, under Section 3 of the UGC Act (1956) vide
notification F.29/200-U.3 of 25th June 2002, and the UGC
notification F.6-25/2001 (CPP-I) of 17th July
2002.
The University is providing highest quality education at low cost. This
institution has grown at an enviable pace since then without any contribution
or grants from University Grants Commission (UGC) or Ministry of Human Resource
Development (MHRD). Distance Education Programme was started in 2003 with the
objective of bringing education to all those who seek it at a place, pace and
time of their own choosing, and to inculcate the spirit o life-long learning,
at affordable costs. This beautifully fits into the vision of our founding
fathers. Over a period of time, thousands of students have benefited in diverse
fields of Education, IT & Management, Engineering, Paramedical, Bio
Technology, Science & Humanities and Value Education from certification
upto post-graduate programmes.
Basic Teacher’s
Training College
It was founded on Aug 9, 1953, offering ‘Teacher
Training Courses’ (TTC), as it then existed. In 1954, Basic STC replaced this course. The degree course (B.Ed)
was started in 1956,
M.Ed in 1960 and
the facility for Ph.D added in 1968.
It has produced 500 BSTC,
13,000 B.Ed, 700 M.Ed and 57 Ph.D since its existence.
In 1993,
BTTC was upgraded to the status of the ‘Institute of Advanced Studies in
Education’ (IASE), under the centrally sponsored scheme of restructuring
and reorganization of teacher education. From 20th February, 2008
IASE was converted into CTE. This is one of India’s premiere
institutes in the education sector, pertaining teacher-training right from
primary up to the doctoral stage with an additional special charge of two
districts of Rajasthan, namely Nagaur and Churu, to improve the quality of
teaching at all levels, through specific in-service training courses devised by
it.
SUPPORTING
ORGANIZATIONs
GUJARAT VIDYAPITH: AHMEDABAD
(http://www.gujaratvidyapith.org/)
Gujarat Vidyapeeth is an institution providing life-building
education based on Gandhian thoughts. It was established by Mahatma Gandhi on 18th October,
1920 during
movement against British rule. Upto 1930, in Gujarat Vidyapeeth, the languages like Gujarati,
Marathi, Bengali, Sanskrit, Persian and English were taught along with the
courses in Indian Studies, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Economics
and Music. Considering the significant contribution of value-based educational
experiences of Gujarat Vidyapeeth at national and international level, the
Government of India awarded Gujarat Vidyapeeth with the status of ‘deemed to be
University’ under the, provisions of University Grants Commission Act, in the
year 1963. In
the Sadra campus, the graduation level and post-graduation level courses are
also available in Physical Education College and Micro-Biology Science
Department.
In Randheja campus, in its Gram Seva Mahavidyalay, the Home Science
course is available for girls and in its Rural Management Institute, both
graduation and post-graduation level courses are available both for boys and
girls. In Ahmedabad campus, various courses are offered in its Education
Colleges as well as in its Lifelong Education Department. The basic objective
of Gujarat Vidyapeeth is to prepare workers who are well equipped with
character, capability, culture and commitment through educational programmes in
the context of re-construction of nation based on Gandhian ideals. Gujarat
Vidyapeeth has been always concerned with the experiments of research training
and extension in various fields of education for development and implementation
of Gandhian thoughts. Gujarat Vidyapith trains students in such a way that they
will strengthen self-reliance. For that we made residential colleges. We
believe that education should not be conducted only in four walls but it should
take place informal way while residing the students at campus. At present
students are working daily in such a way so that the quality of self-reliance
could reflect in their lifestyle.
JAIN VISHVA BHARATI UNIVERSITY
Jain Vishva Bharati University was established with the
inspiration of late Gurudev Tulsi, a great seer, saint and scholar of the
modern era. In 1991,
Government of India notified JVBI as Deemed to be University under Section 3 of University Grants
Commission Act, 1956.
Late Gurudev Shri Tulsi remained its first constitutional Anushasta (moral and
spiritual disciplinarian), Acharya Mahaprajna was the 2nd and
Acharya Mahashraman is the present Anushasta. The Jain Vishva Bharati
University is an endeavour in the direction of putting into practice, promote
and propagate the high ideals of Anekant, Ahimsa, Tolerance and Peaceful
Coexistence for weal being of the mankind.
The University has resolved to work
as a center of Advanced Studies, Research & Training in Jainology in the
context of comparative studies in Indology, World Religions, Ahimsa and World
Peace. The objectives for which the University is established and functioning are:
(i) to provide for Instruction, Training, Research, Extension and
Experimentation in the various branches of learning; (ii) to provide for
research and for advancement of and dissemination of knowledge and extension
activities in the Oriental Learning— Prakrit Language and Literature, Pali,
Sanskrit, Apabhramsha, Jainology, Philosophy, Religion, Comparative Studies in
Philosophy and World Religions, Astrology, Mantravidya Avadhanvidya
(Mnemonics), Yoga and Sadhana, Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Colour Therapy, Magnet
Therapy, Epigraphy, Paleography, Jeevan Vigyan & Preksha Dhyan (Science of
Living & Preksha meditation) and the fundamental principles of Shramana
Culture and such other related and ancilliary or supplementary subjects. Jain
Vishva Bharati Institute launched a Bachelor of Education programme recognized
by National Council for Teacher Education. The programme was designed to suit
candidates from all over India and it places specific emphasis on meditation as
a tool to enhance learning skills and I.Q. Jain Vishva Bharti Institute (Deemed
University) envisions a value and technology based society.
ORGANISING
COMMITTEE
Chairman
Kanak Mal Dugar
Chancellor, IASE Deemed
University President of Gandhi Vidya Mandir Vice President, Global Harmony
Association Honorary President, GHA-India
Co-Chairperson
Prof. Sudarshan Iyengar
Vice Chancellor, Gujarat
Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Ahmedabad
Samani Charitra
Prajna
Vice Chancellor, Jain
Vishwa Bharti Deemed University, Ladunu
Vice Chairman M L Bhatt
Vice Chancellor, IASE
Deemed University
Advisors
Dr. M L Sharma
Former Principal Education
Specialist Asian Development Bank
Dr. N. K. Ambasht
Pro Vice Chancellor IASE
Deemed University,
Former Chairman – National
Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS, Govt. of India)
Prof. O. S. Dewal
Former Principal, Regional
College of Education (NCERT), Ajmer
Prof. Puran Chand
Advisor, Gandhi Vidya
Mandir,
Former Joint Director,
NCERT, New Delhi
Seminar Director
Dr. Dinesh Kumar
Former Pro VC, IASE Deemed
University,
Principal, Basic Teachers’
Training College
btt.gvm@gmail.com, 09414086003
Seminar Convener
Dr. Surendra Pathak
Head of the Department,
Value Education, (Chetna Vikas Mulya Shiksha) IASE Deemed University
pathak06@gmail.com, 09414086007
Email for Seminar Correspondence
iase.internationalseminar@gmail.com
BOARD OF ADVISORS
(International)
Professor Clarence B. Jones (USA)
Scholar in Residence and Visiting Professor at the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute, Stanford University
Mr. Charles Mercieca, Ph.D. (USA)
President, International Association of Educators for World
Peace Dedicated to United Nations Goals of Peace Education, Environmental
Protection, Human Rights & Disarmament
Professor Emeritus, Alabama A&M University Hon President
& Professor, SBS Swiss Business School, Zurich
Dr.
Leo Semashko, (Russia)
Founder and President: Global Harmony Association (GHA) and
International Website "Peace from Harmony",
State Councillor of St.Petersburg,Founder and Director,
Tetrasociology Public Institute, Russia;
Former Professor Sociology, St. Petersburg Universities
Professor Bob Adamson (Hong Kong)
Head, Dept of International Education & Lifelong Learning
Hong Kong Institute of Education
Professor Michael Pye (Germany)
Professor of the Study of Religions, University of Marburg,
Germany (retired),
Research Associate (International Buddhist Studies), Shin
Buddhist Comprehensive Research Institute, Otani University, Kyoto, Japan
Dr. Kofi Kumado (Ghana)
Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Honorary
Member of the International Commission of Jurists (2001)
Professor Dayantha S Wijeyesekera (Sri Lanka)
Emeritus Professor, University of Moratuwa,
Member, National Education Commission,
Chairman, Standing Committee on Tertiary and Technological
Education of the Commission,
The Country Representative of the Institution of Civil
Engineers (UK)
Dr. Neil Hawkes (Oxford, UK)
Cert.Ed, ACP, BA, MEd, FCol P, D.Phil (Oxford), FRSA
International consultant in Values-based Education,
Director of the charity ALIVE (Association of Living Values
Education International),
Director of the Values Education Trust in the UK
Dr. Dephne Romy (Switzerland)
Member, French National Center for Scientific Research
affiliated Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches: Fondements du Droit Public.
Founder of Académie Sans Frontières, a network of scholars
worldwide as well as Sociolinguists on Facebook. Author of several publications
and articles to be found on her blog at cosmopolitanism.wordpress.com and
she is the Editor-in-Chief of a special issue of the French Journal Droit et
Culture
Dr. S. Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana (Washington D.C)
Visiting Assistant Professor, Georgetown University
Founding members & Associate Director of Salam Institute
for Peace and Justice
Dr. Federico V Niduasa (Philippines)
President, International Research Center for Global Peace and
Harmony, Inc.,
Academic Researcher on Peace, Japan Humanistic Anthropology
Association, Tokyo, Japan,
National Director for Family Values, Anti-Drug Campaign,
Office of the President, Republic of the Philippines
Asia Coordinator , International Police Commission, General
Headquarters, Sacramento, California, United States of America
Marcos Estrada (Brazil)
General Coordinator, Youth Team for a Culture of Peace
Produce the Final Civil Society Report of the UN International Decade for a
Culture of Peace
Vivek Umrao Glenderning (Australia)
Editor, The Ground Report India,
Chairman & CEO, Ground Report Media Pvt Ltd
Member, Wikimedia, Australia,
International Journalist, The Chartered Institute of
Journalists, London UK
Member, International PEN, England,
Member, Sydney PEN, Australia
Harinder Mishra (Jerusalem, Israel)
Faculty, Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University of
Jerusalem,
Jerusalem correspondent of Press Trust of India (PTI) since
2004,
worked as a special correspondent for BBC and DW based out of
Jerusalem,
Former sub-editor and news monitor at All India Radio for six
years,
completed doctorate studies at the Centre for West Asian
Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
BOARD OF
ADVISORS (National)
Ms Radha Bhatt (New Delhi)
Chairperson, Gandhi Peace foundation and Veteran
Gandhian
Dr. Vijay Bhatkar (Pune)
Founder – C-Dac, ER&DC, Techno Park, IIIT, ETH
Research Lab and Maltiversity
Fellow IEEE,
Fellow ACM,
Fellow CSI, INAE, NAScI, IETE, MASc
Padamashri,
Maharastra Bhushan
J. Veera Raghavan (Gurgaon, Delhi)
Former Secretary, Human Recourse Development, Govt. of
India
M K Kaw (New Delhi)
Former Principal Advisor (Education) Planning
Commission & Former Secretary (HRD) Govt. of India.
Dean, Sri Sathya Sai International Centre for Human
Values
Dr. J. S. Rajput (New Delhi)
Educationist,
Former director - NCERT
Prof. Ravindra Kumar (Meerut)
Awarded Padma Shri,
Former Vice Chancellor, Meerut University;
Hon. Patron, Stallion College of Engineering &
Technology;
Secretary-General, World Peace Movement Trust;
Editor, Global Peace International Journal,
Consultant to the United Nations UP GS
Prof. Mohammad Miyan (Hyderabad)
Vice-Chancellor, Maulana Azad National Urdu University,
Hyderabad
Prof. A.K. Bakshi (Allahabad)
Vice-Chancellor, UP Rajshri Tandan Open University
Prof. Surya Nath Prasad (Nagpur)
Former President and currently Executive Vice President
of International Association of Educators for World Peace
Prof. M C Sharma (New Delhi)
School of Education, Indira Gandhi National Open
University (IGNOU), New Delhi
Prof. R R Gaur (New Delhi)
Advisor & Ex. Head, National Resource Centre for
Value Education in Engineering, IIT Delhi,
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Delhi (Retd.)
Dr. A. K. Merchant (New Delhi)
General Secretary, Temple of Understanding—India
Dr. T. N. Dhar (New Delhi)
Former Joint Director, NCERT, New Delhi
Dr. Syed Salman Chishty (Ajmer Sharif)
Gaddi Nashin - Khadim e Khawaja Hazrat Khawaja
Moinuddin Hasan Chishty Dargah Khawaja Saheb Ajmer Sharif and
Director, Chishty Foundation, Ajmer Sharif Humanitarian
Non-Profit Trust, Regd. Govt. of India
Dr Yugandhar GR (Hyderabad)
Founder-The World United, MS, Institute of
Transformational Medicine, (Connecting People through Personal & Planetary
Evolution Spiritual Science - Holistic Health - Environment)
Prof. Ganesh Bagariya (Kanpur)
Jeevan Vidya Prabodhak and Professor, Department of
Electronics and Communication Engineering, HBTI
Prof. Ummed Singh (Surat)
Professor and Coordinator M.Ed. (Specialisation :
Educational Technology), South Gujarat University, Surat
Dr. Nand Kishore Acharya (Hyderabad)
Professor IIIT Hyderabad, Former Prof. Ahimsa, Mahatma
Gandhi International Hindi University, Wardha, Maharastra
Prof. B.K. Tripathi (New Delhi)
Joint Director, NCERT, New Delhi
Ishwar Dayal Kansal (New Delhi)
Promoter and Chief Editor, SANSKARAM (Hindi Magazine),
New Delhi
Shri Pawan Gupta (Mussoorie)
Founder, Society for Integrated Development of
Himalayas, Mussoorie, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Shri Himanshu Dugar (Bhuj, Gujarat)
Social Worker and Educational consultant
Dr. Sandeep Purohit (Jaipur)
Web-Editor, Rajashthan Patrika
Dr. Rajendra Khimani (Ahmedabad)
Registrar, Gujarat Vidyapeeth,Ahmedabad
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