News October 2013

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    First Mega Food Park in UP to be established at Jagdishpur (Amethi district)

    Foundation stone laid Shaktiman Mega Food ParkSet up with assistance under the programme Scheme of Mega

    Food Parks

    o The scheme aims at facilitating the establishment of a strong food processinginfrastructure backed by an efficient supply chaincollection centres, primary &

    central processing centres and cold chain infrastructure

    o The processing centres have infrastructure required for processing, packaging,environmental protection systems, quality control labs, trade facilitation, etc. which

    is shared by all industrial units in the food park.

    To have ~35 industrial units, employ ~30k persons Most modern infrastructure and food processing facilities Will help small and medium entrepreneurs, SHGs and farmer groups to set up food

    processing industries Provide better prices for farmers by creating new market for raw material Should lead to fast growth of food-processing industry in UP over the years

    Food Security (Speech at FAO Food & Agriculture Organization meet at Rome)

    Food Security legislation: Paradigm shift in approach to food security in Indiafrom being awelfare measure to rights-based approach

    o Fundamental Right to life enshrined in Article 21 provides for right to live withhuman dignity, which includes the right to food and other basic necessities.

    self-sufficiency in food grain production at the national level 67% of its population -- 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to

    receive 5 Kg of food grain per head per month at a highly subsidized rate under Targeted

    Public Distribution Scheme

    nutritional support to pregnant women and lactating mothers and children up to 14 years ofage by providing them with nutritional meals

    Support to international efforts for food securityo India always in forefront to contribute to food aid programmes of needy countries as

    well as through World Food Programmeo India supported the initiative of G-20 Forum to tackle food price volatilityo India is supporting the initiatives launched by the G-20 forum especially the

    Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) and the Rapid Response Forum (RRF)

    o To address emergency food security needs at regional level, India has the majorcontribution to the Food Bank set up by the South Asian Association for Regional

    Cooperation (SAARC)

    o India has removed restrictions on export of cereals especially rice and wheat.o By this measure, during 2012-13, more than 10 million tons of rice and 5 million tons

    of wheat have been exported from India.

    o This has helped many nations in meeting their requirements of food grains

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    India-Bangladesh (Indo-Bangla Ties)

    Sheikh Hasina: 2010; MMS: 2011

    Fields of cooperation: business and trade, connectivity, power, water resources, security, border

    management, infrastructure, people to people contacts, culture, environment and education

    2011 India-Bangladesh boundary agreement

    Enclaves: One states territories being surrounded by territory of another stateo Can lead to difficulties in travelling, border crossings etco Difficulty for home gov services to access its nationals in such stateso These rules and practical problems relating to enclaves came to Indias aidin

    liberation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Portuguese enclaves in Indian territory)

    o Joint Survey: 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves onIndian soil; > 50,000 people

    o in the States of West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripurao Residents lack basic amenities that main citizens enjoy for practical difficultieso Illegal immigration; shootings on border; administrative nightmare

    By the Land Boundary Agreement of 1974between the two countries, and the 2011 Protocolto the said Agreement, India and Bangladesh agreed to exchange these enclaves and better

    demarcate the land boundary between them

    o The Constitution (One Hundred and Nineteenth) Amendment Bill, 2013 proposes togive effect to this proposed land exchange.

    o the First Schedule of the Constitution needs to be amended to give effect to anagreement of 1974 and its protocol

    o Bangladesh has already ratified the pact India to give 13,000 acres; get 3,000 (net loss on paper 10,000 acres)

    o Illusory loss: never get access anyway; loss only on paper; will only improve lives ofpeople living there

    Great stretch of imagination to believe that such a land exchange can give rise to calls forsecession in other parts of India. An enclave is a very unique position, geographically and

    administratively

    Cleared by cabinet in Feb 2013; but BJP opposes BJPs issue: India giving away too much whileasking too less in return (giving 13000 acres,

    getting 3000 acres); will fuel secessionist tendencies in other parts of India; Already illegal

    migration from Bangladesh not being stopped; wants comprehensive discussion in

    parliament

    India begins power export to Bangladesh

    To export 500 megawatts of electricity a day to Bangladesh over a period of 35 years Work in progress for 1,320-MW coal-fired Rampal power plant (Maitri Power Project)

    o Concerns by environmentalists over danger to biodiversity of Sundarbans (worldslargest mangrove forest)

    Teesta River agreement

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    India and Bangladesh share 54 trans-boundary rivers, big and small! In 1996, the sharing of the Ganga waters was successfully agreed upon between the two

    nations.

    Being a lower riparian, Bangladesh is keen on sharing waters of common rivers Teestaoriginates in Sikkim, Panhunri glaciers and enters Bangladesh after flowing 120 om

    in WB; Meets Brahamputra in Bangladesh at Teestamukh

    83% catchment area in India India has constructed a barrage at . for feeding its irrigation canals; so has Bangladesh No dearth of water during monsoon; its the shortage during lean period thats being worked

    out

    Bangladesh has sought a lean-period flow for purposes of drinking water, irrigation,industrial use, navigation and environment

    Need to understand water flow data; take into account climate changeFeni River

    Originates in Tripura; makes common border with Bangladesh Both sides want to lift waters of the Feni for irrigation and are said to have agreed on

    sharing in equal quantities in the pact that has been worked out.

    Honour for Indians who helped in Bangladesh liberation

    No of awards to foreign friends by Bangladesh over a period of 2 years People and organisations who played important role in its independence Indira Gandhi given posthumously the highest state honour Bangladesh Freedom Honour President Pranab Mukherjee also honoured Former Indian President, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, and the former Prime Minister, Gulzarilal

    Nanda also honoured with the Bangladesh Liberation War Honour

    $1-billion credit agreement including a $200-million grant for different projects

    mostly related to the railways and infrastructure development (Akhaura-Agartala rail link) highest loan that India has so far committed to any country

    Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP)

    To reduce incidents of killings and crime along border Concerns expressed by HR groups and Bangladesh Border forces to exchange info of vulnerable areas; ensure joint patrolling effectively in

    coordinated manner

    Border Guard Bangladesh and BSF India India has issued strict instructions to BSF that no firing takes place on border crossing

    War Crimes Tribunal

    Jamaat-i-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee sentenced to life imprisonment (laterchanged to death)

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    Popular uprisings demanding that the leaders of Jamaat convicted be hanged Concerns raised on judicial process after the decision on life imprisonment converted to

    death penalty after mass protests

    Bangladesh crackdown on anti-India elements

    In the past four years, the Hasina government has delivered more than 20 wanted terrorists,including the top leadership of ULFA and Bodo groups, and conducted crackdowns on camps

    inside Bangladesh

    Extradition Treaty: signed bw the two countries to help extradite criminals wanted by bothMiscellaneous

    India needs to support Bangladesh as it strives to be a modern secular nation (credentials itshares with India)

    Has shown support to India by ensuring no anti-India terror or insurgent activities can becarried out from its soil unlike in the past

    Since Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League came to power five years ago, there has beentremendous goodwill for India in Bangladesh.

    Current Awami league gov also doing its best to keep Islamic fundamentalism at bay India wants land corridor in Bangladesh to connect WB to NE states apart from the 20-25 km

    long Silliguri corridor (chicken neck)

    IndiaSri Lanka Relations

    Fishermen arrests & releases

    Seen the problem in the handbook on Indias coastal security; Demarcation of maritimeboundary in Palk Strait but TN fishermen still cross; Livelihood issue; Want better catch; SL

    has become more aggressive to tackle the problem

    Now GOI will facilitate meeting of association of Indian and SL fishermen to ease tension Need to tackle in humane manner without violence

    Tamil population; LTTE; accusations of genocide and HR violations

    North Provincial Elections; devolution of powers and 13thAmendment

    PMs visit to Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia

    11th India-ASEAN Summit and the 8th East Asian Summit in Brunei

    Bilateral visit to Indonesia

    IndiaASEAN

    Indias engagement with the ASEAN and its member countries is the cornerstone of our Look East

    policy

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    has evolved into a strong, comprehensive and multi-faceted partnership in recent years

    started with a strong economic emphasis, with focus on commerce and connectivity, but has

    increasingly acquired strategic content

    elevation of our relations with the ASEAN to a Strategic Partnershipat the special CommemorativeSummit in New Delhi

    conclusionof the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement in Services and Investmentin December 2012

    East Asia Summit

    foremost forum for promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the dynamic Asia Pacific region

    India is participating in the negotiations for a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership

    among the ASEAN and its FTA partners, which will help create an economic community in the region

    The Summit has been highly supportive of Indias initiative for the revival of the Nalanda University,

    which is slated to begin academic programmes next year.

    Indonesia

    A key ASEAN member

    country with growing regional and global profile

    important bilateral partner

    share centuries old people-to-people, cultural and spiritual ties

    extensive common interests as maritime neighbours and in the fields of economy, energy, security,

    space and development

    our ties with Indonesia as an essential part of Indias integration with the broader region