Raju Vernekar
The 67th Republic Day, becomes more special compared to previous years, with the Government planning to launch the action plan for the “Start Up India” program which is expected to provide a lot of job opportunities to the youth across India. The government is also supposed to emphasize on keeping statues of great individuals of India and the neighbourhoods clean.
The presence of Francoise Hollande, the Prime Minister of France, as the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations, is expected to add a touch of poignancy, considering the status of both countries as the ones affected by terrorism and the recent events at Paris and Pathankot. It will also convey a message that all such countries stand together in solidarity.
Since 1950, India has been hosting head of state or government of another country as the state guest of honour for Republic Day. Indonesian President was the guest of honour in the first R Day celebrations in Delhi in 1950.
However, number of marching units is expected to be less this time. This year, only the Border Security Force (BSF) that takes care of the borders shared with Bangladesh and Pakistan, Assam Rifles, which guards the borders with Myanmar, and Railways Police Force (RPF), which is responsible for the national railways and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) (women) will have marching units. Besides, the dogs squad contingent of the army and a team of French soldiers will be a new feature this year.
The unity in diversity and the military might with marching contingents and mechanized columns will be seen along the 8 km long route from Raisina Hills to Red Fort. Besides, the colour full tableaux depicting the myriad hues of country’s diversity, a vibrant performance by students and armed forces in full battle regalia will be at display at Rajpath. The Prime Minister will lay a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, at the India Gate in the memory of unknown soldiers. Then the President will unfurl the National flag and the National Anthem will be played along with a 21-gun salute. Awards for valour, like the Ashok Chakra etc. would be given away by the President.
The regiments of Armed Forces will march past. IAF will do a fly-past and cultural glimpses from various parts of the country would be showcased. But where does India stands today?
Economy
Oil prices are already falling due to the global slowdown and the Indian rupee recently crashed below the 68-level and closed at 66.75 on fresh demand for the American currency from importers amid a massive fall in domestic stock market. However according to “India Ratings & Research(Ind-Ra)”, our economy is expected to grow by 7.9 per cent in 2017 and may progress at a similar pace over a couple of years extending beyond 2019. The agriculture sector is expected to grow at 2.2 per cent in 2016-2017, services sector at 9.5 per cent and industrial sector at 7.6 per cent.
Wholesale Price Index
Indian wholesale prices fell by 1.99 percent year-on-year in November of 2015, slowing from a 3.81 percent drop in October, as prices of food rose higher than in the previous month while cost of petrol and manufactured declined at a slower pace.
FDI
According to a report by Japanese brokerage Nomura, by end 2015, Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India, was in the region of $34.9 billion, a massive 61.6 per cent jump from $21.6 billion in the previous fiscal. The 2015 inflows were 1.7 per cent of GDP, up from 1.1 per cent in the previous year. Besides, as per another report, the FDI in the country has grown by 39 per cent in the last 18 months and the trend is expected to continue.
Fiscal deficit
India’s fiscal deficit reached Rs 4.84 lakh crore during April-November. The government is on course to meet the fiscal deficit target of 3.9 per cent of GDP for 2015-16, and 3.5 per cent next fiscal year, despite pressure of additional outgo on account of the Seventh Pay Commission and One Rank One Pension (OROP).
BPL
Unreleased data from the first urban Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC), tabulated as per criteria laid down by the erstwhile Planning Commission’s expert Hashim committee, shows that roughly 35 per cent of urban Indian households and 73 per cent rural households are below the poverty line. The highest per cent of urban BPL households are in the north-eastern states of Manipur (54.95 per cent of its total population) and Mizoram (52.35 per cent) followed by Bihar (49.82 per cent). The least proportion of urban poor are in Goa (16 per cent) followed by the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Delhi, both at 18 per cent.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate in India decreased to 4.90 percent in 2013 from 5.20 percent in 2012. Unemployment Rate in India averaged 7.32 percent from 1983 until 2013, reaching an all time high of 9.40 percent in 2009 and a record low of 4.90 percent in 2013. The Make-in-India programme, focuses on states to generate employment by setting up manufacturing and investment zones. The government’s grit for rapid employment creation will be tested in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, which will account for more than 50 per cent of the increase in working age population between 2011 and 2021. These four states-the poorest in terms of per capita income-will add nearly 54 million to India’s working age. While the four affluent states-Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana-will add only 22 million.
Education
India’s Literacy rate is at 74.04 per cent. Kerala is the most literate state in India, with 93.91 per cent literacy, followed by Lakshadweep at 92.28 per cent. Bihar is the least literate state, with a literacy of 63.82 per cent. The male literacy rate is higher than the female literacy rate.
Clean India
The “Clean India” campaign, aims to realise its vision by October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The campaign, aims to : 1. Eliminate open defecation by constructing toilets for households, communities, 2. Eradicate manual scavenging, 3. Introduce modern and scientific municipal solid waste management practices, 4. Enable private sector participation in the sanitation sector and 5. Change people’s attitudes to sanitation and create awareness. Over the next 5 years, the government plans to invest nearly Rs 2 lakh crore to construct 12 crore toilets across India.
Housing
Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) launched in June last year, about 2 crore houses are to be built in urban areas by the year 2022 to ensure housing for all. Out of this, 96 per cent is meant for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Low Income Group (LIG) households. Central government has proposed to extend assistance in the range of Rs.1.00 lakh to Rs.2.30 lakhs per each dwelling unit to be built under PMAY. The Centre would hold discussions with the state governments about the measures being taken to promote affordable housing projects for the EWS and LIG.
Malnutrition
The rate of malnourishment is around 33 per cent, while the target under the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to bring it down to 26 per cent. A study conducted by medical journal Lancet in India has found that 78 per cent of the infant mortality in India was due to low birth-weight and diarrheal diseases.
In the Rapid Survey on Children (RSOC) conducted by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, with assistance from UNICEF, it was found that 29.4 per cent of children (below 3 years) were underweight, while 15 per cent were wasted (low weight for their height) and 38.7 per cent were stunted (low in height for age). In the absolute terms, the current levels of underweight and stunted children are abysmally high and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assertion that malnutrition is a “national shame” is still valid.
Female infanticide
Despite a “crusade” to end sex selective abortions, the ill-practice continues and India reportedly loses 3 million girls in infanticides per year. Data for the whole country shows that hardly 140 persons were punished for conducting sex determination tests since the enactment of the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act in 1996 (amended in 2003).
Women’s security
After Delhi gang rape case of December 2012 the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 was passed to curb offences such as acid attack, rape, sexual harassment, stalking, trafficking of persons etc. But the new act is yet to prove effective going by growing crime against women. Even Delhi’s diplomatic area is not very safe, despite the area having round-the-clock security by the Delhi Police and other security forces.
Now the age of the juvenile criminals has been reduced to 16 years from 18 years, by passing the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, in the backdrop of the release of a juvenile convict in the gangrape-cum-murder case of December 2012. However the efficacy of the amendment is yet to be tested.
SPACE
IRNSS1
India has continued its progress in space advancement. With the recent launch of the IRNSS-1E satellite, we have moved a step closer to completing network of satellites that will form a space-based regional navigation system providing location services over India and neighbouring areas. The IRNSS-1E, which was launched on Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C31, from Sriharikota, is the fifth of the seven satellites that will make the constellation. The remaining two are scheduled to be launched before March this year. IRNSS stands for Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. The plan is to integrate IRNSS and GAGAN (GPS-Aided Geo Augmentation Navigation)with “Bhuvan”, a satellite-based mapping service for the Indian mainland developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) a few years ago.
DEFENCE
IDDM
The new category called Buy Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) has been introduced in the Defence Procurement Policy (DPP), which seeks to recognise importance of design and development, by the Ministry of Defence. The Intellectual Property (IP) in the products, should be owned by Indian companies. As per Buy Indian (IDDM), if the product is designed in India and 40 per cent of the equipment has indigenous content, it will qualify under this category. If 60 per cent of the content is indigenous, and even if the design is not owned by Indian company, this clause will be applied. This category is going to ensure huge inflow of funds into research and development and will ensure that the scientific talent in India is engaged in developing cutting edge technologies in Defence.
Tejas aircraft
The full-scale production of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft “Tejas” is expected to begin next year. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a naval version of Tejas and the navy is seeking a more powerful engine. Six aircrafts will be made this year and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will subsequently scale it up to eight and 16 aircraft per year. It is estimated that 20 aircraft will be built by 2017- 2018, to make the first squadron of the aircraft. The LCA programme was initiated in 1983 to replace the ageing MiG-21s plane ..
Helicopters
In another development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)’s new helicopter factory sat Tumakuru in Karnataka declaring that the first helicopter should be out from the factory in 2018. Certainly this is the new beginning towards “Make in India”.
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