Tuesday, 21st may, 2013

HEADLINES

• Special representatives to ensure Depsang type incidents dont occur

NATIONAL NEWS

• India seeks clarification on the kishenganga order
  • India has moved the Court of Arbitration at The Hague for “clarification” or “interpretation” of the its order delivered in February on its dispute with Pakistan over the 330 MW Kishanganga project under construction in North Kashmir.
  • In the order, the Court does not permit New Delhi to use the modern “draw down” technique for removal of silt deposits in run-of-the-river dams on rivers allocated to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960
  • The “draw down” technique requires depletion of reservoirs below the “dead storage level”, on which Pakistan had reservations
  • In its second part of the order, the Court held that “except in unforeseen emergency” the Treaty does not permit India’s reduction below “dead Storage Level’’ of the water in the reservoirs of run-of-the-river plants located on rivers allocated to Pakistan.
  • In its partial award delivered in February this year, the Arbitration Court, however, upheld the legality of India’s right under the treaty to divert waters from Kishanganga /Neelam river (a tributary of Jhelum) to Bonar Nallah, also a tributary of Jhelum for the Rs.3,600-crore Kishanganga hydro-electric project in Baramullah district.

• India china renew flood data pact on Bhramaputra
  • While India is seeking a joint mechanism with China for better transparency on the 39 project sites that the latter has identified on the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, what was signed on Monday during the visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was a “renewal” of the pact on sharing of flood data during the north-west monsoon season.
  • Mr. Li said he was ready to share more information on hydrology and rivers, but there was no word on setting up a joint mechanism to address India’s concerns on dams coming up on the Brahmaputra on the Chinese side.
  • As per the pact, China will provide India hydrological data of the Brahmaputra twice a day during the flood season (June 1 to October 15) at hydrological stations Nugesha, Yangcun and Nuxia, which lie on the mainstream of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra). It will also provide data if water levels exceed mutually agreed levels during the non-flood season.In return, India will give information about data utilisation in flood forecasting and mitigation.
  • The pact will be followed by the signing of an Implementation Plan of Hydrological Information, under which China has agreed to provide information on any abnormal rise-or-fall in water levels/discharge, which might lead to sudden floods in the Brahmaputra, on the basis of monitoring and data collection on real-time basis.
  • A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Ministry of Water Resources and China’s National Development and Reform Commission on cooperation in “ensuring water efficient irrigation.” It aims at enhancing bilateral cooperation water efficient technology with applicability in agriculture and exchange of best practices

OPINION/EDITORIALS

• A Harish Khare article on corruption and elections
• Article on data privacy and UIDAI
• Article on the Golden temple and the controversies
• Editorial on India – China relations

BUSINESS/ECONOMICS

• India China take steps to reduce trade deficit
  • India and China, on Monday, signed a series of memorandum of understandings (MoUs) on pharmaceuticals, buffalo meat and fisheries and an agreement on feed and feed ingredients to address the growing trade deficit.
  • The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and AQSIQ also signed an MoU on co-operation for import and export of fishery products. The MoU aims to institutionalise co-operation in promoting trade of fishery products. India is expecting to export more to China through this co-operation.
  • An MoU was also signed between the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) and the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products (CCCMHPIE). India has been finding it difficult to expand its trade with China in the pharmaceutical sector. The signing of the MoU is expected to facilitate access to the Chinese market