Baghpat: 

Siding with farmers protesting the Centre’s new agriculture laws, Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik here on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah not to offend them.

Speaking at an event in his home district, Malik said if the Centre gives legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, farmers will relent.

The Meghalaya Governor also claimed that he prevented the arrest of farmer leader Rakesh Tikait when he heard rumours about it.

Malik further said he had requested the prime minister and the home minister not to use force against farmers, and not to send them home from Delhi empty-handed.

“None of the laws are in favour of farmers. The country in which farmers and soldiers are not satisfied, that country cannot move ahead. That country cannot be saved. Hence, the Army and farmers should be kept satisfied,” Malik said urging PM Modi and Home Minister Shah not to offend them.

Describing the condition of farmers as bad, Malik said, “They are getting poorer day by day while the salary of government officials and staff increases after every three years. Whatever is sown by a farmer is cheap and whatever he buys is expensive.”

“They do not know how they are becoming poor. The ‘satyanaash‘ (annihilation) of the farmers is taking place without their knowledge. When they go to sow (crops), there is some price, and when they go to reap it, the price decreases by almost ₹ 300,” Malik said.

Taking a jibe at the arguments offered in favour of the new farm laws, Malik said, “A lot of noise was created that farmers can now sell (crops) at any place. This is a 15-year-old law. Despite this, when a farmer from Mathura goes to Palwal with wheat, there is a lathicharge on him. When a farmer from Sonipat comes to Narela, there is a lathicharge on him.”

“There are many questions of farmers, which must be answered. Today, there is no law in favour of farmers. This has to be corrected. I want to assure you that in the matter of farmers, I will go to any extent to solve their problems,” he said.

Apparently referring to Sikh farmers protesting against the laws, Malik said, “The Sikh community does not back down and forget things even after 300 years.”

“Indira Gandhi (ex-PM) had got the ‘Mahamrityunjay Mantra Jaap‘ done for a month after the Operation Blue Star. Arun Nehru told me that when he asked her that you do not believe is such rituals, then why are you performing these, she said you don’t know, I have damaged their ‘Akal Takht’. They will not spare me.”

5Comments(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India should draw comfort from the fact that it has been offered a seat on the decision-making table along with China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and the US. This is a big opportunity, given the fact that India has been losing leverage in Afghanistan ever since the Taliban came back to battle in 2004, getting stronger and stronger. So, the issue for India is whether it should stick to its stance of loyalty to the Afghan government or be flexible in its approach.

WIST IN THE TALE: A few weeks before the day agreed upon for the withdrawal of US forces, America has come out with a new peace plan for Afghanistan. REUTERS

Lt Gen NPS Hira (Retd)

Former Deputy Chief of Army Staff

Afghanistan has been suffering for the past 40 years. Today, it is one of the poorest countries and has the highest daily death toll from militant violence and security forces’ killings. With a few weeks to go before May 1, the day agreed upon for the final withdrawal of American forces, the US has come out with its new proposal for peace in Afghanistan. Perhaps, no analyst would disagree that in the present circumstances there may be no solution to the problem without power-sharing with the Taliban.

The situation has been further precipitated by Donald Trump’s election agenda of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. Unfortunately, he continued with the withdrawal even after he had lost the elections. If we go back to the time before the US elections were due in 2016, Barack Obama had planned to withdraw completely out of Afghanistan. But when he realised that doing so was against American interests, he changed the plan and left 10,000 troops in Afghanistan to keep the options open for the new President to be elected.

But Trump is made of a different clay. He has, unfortunately, tried to close down the options for Biden. As a result, much as Biden may desire to promote the western style of democracy, his options to put pressure on the Taliban stand constrained. A lot has been written about the details of the new plan of Biden as well as the bad optics of the language of the letter by Antony Blinken to Afghanistan’s elected President Ghani.

Biden’s plan needs to be viewed in the larger context of the limited options open to him. The plan, in essence, is an interim power-sharing set-up between the Afghan government and the Taliban, an essential revision of Afghanistan’s Constitution as well as the judicial system by commissions with members from the Afghan government as well as the Taliban. This exercise is to be followed by fresh elections in Afghanistan. A ceasefire has also been proposed in Afghanistan during this period.

Neither the Afghan government nor the Taliban are happy with the plan, though it is difficult to say if Biden can be faulted for his effort. There is a fair amount of public opinion in the US to get its troops out of Afghanistan and let the Afghans decide their own fate, irrespective of the course it may take.

Ghani secured his presidency last year for a further period of five years. He is obviously unhappy with the plan because if put into effect, he as well as his government stand to lose a lot. The harsh tone of Blinken’s letter to Ghani suggests that if he were not to accept the proposal, the US may have no option but to watch him thrown to the wolves, if the US is to complete its withdrawal as planned.

To be fair to Biden, the Taliban have been as much, if not more, pressured to agree to a ceasefire and also face a popular mandate. The Taliban’s only strength in this tug-of-war is the use of violence and, therefore, this proposal is anathema to them. The plan has built-in safeguards for women, human rights and a popular mandate of the people.

Given the animosity and distrust between the Afghan government and the Taliban, both can draw comfort from the fact that the US has proposed this plan to unfold under the supervision of the United Nations. This implies the deployment of a peacekeeping or, more aptly, a peace-enforcement contingent from different nations. The plan does seem to rely on a fair amount of wishful thinking, but Biden does not have a choice. It is difficult to think of any other better option under these circumstances for peace in Afghanistan.

India should draw comfort from the fact that it has been offered a seat on the decision-making table along with China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and the US. This is a big opportunity, given the fact that India has been losing leverage in Afghanistan ever since the Taliban came back to battle in 2004, getting stronger and stronger.

So, the issue for India is whether it should stick to its stance of loyalty to the Afghan government or be flexible in its approach. The people in Afghanistan have suffered a lot. To help improve their sad plight, it may be more apt to take a humane approach.

No doubt, the Afghan government is an elected body, but one may also not overlook that the Taliban have come to enjoy a considerable following among the rural masses and cannot be wished away. It represents the Pashtuns, which is the biggest and most dominant ethnic tribe and has ruled Kabul in the past. The Taliban have also recently been taking recruits from all ethnicities, including the Hazaras, who are Shia Muslims.

So, if the Taliban agree to a ceasefire and also to take part in the elections, it may not be a bad option to work with them in the larger interest of peace.

Since a man of Biden’s sensibilities for democracy and human rights has come around to the above viewpoint, as is reflected in the proposed plan, India may also need to look at it with an open mind. It is logical to conclude that if we cannot wish the Taliban away, it is better to get them to agree to join the democratic process and moderate their policies.

One can also read between the lines: that if the Taliban do not agree, Biden, by floating this proposal, has created sufficient grounds for the US military to stay back in Afghanistan and continue with its military option against the Taliban. So, the plan has not only made Ghani’s position somewhat vulnerable, it has also put the Taliban in a tighter corner. It looks unlikely that the Taliban would agree to the proposal, unless the US shows its teeth by declaring its intention to stay put beyond May 1. Even with that option, finding a solution to the Afghan problem is a tall order.

In the past, India had good reasons for not getting involved militarily in Afghanistan, but as a part of the UN contingent, it is a good opportunity to send troops to Afghanistan. This is likely to give India more leverage in Afghanistan against Pakistan than what it has today. Its soft power in Afghanistan will multiply manifold if it is able to put boots on the ground under the UN mandate. Its presence will help take care of its immediate interests as well as build a lasting relationship with Afghanistan, irrespective of the composition of the future governments.

Accounts for 7.7 per cent of Army’s manpower, though its share in national population is 2.3 per cent

hoto for representational purpose only. Reuters

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 15

Piping its neighbours, Punjab, often referred to as the sword army of the nation, has the second highest number of soldiers, other than officers, serving in the Army amongst all states and union territories in the country.

The strength of army personnel from Punjab is 89,088, according to information placed by the Ministry of Defence in Parliament today. This accounts for 7.7 per cent of the Army’s rank and file, even though its share of the national population is 2.3 per cent.

With 1,67,557 soldiers, Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states contributing manpower to the Army. While Uttar Pradesh, the nation’s most populous state, makes up 16.5 per cent of the country’s population, its share in the rank and file is 14.5 per cent. Maharashtra, with 87,835 soldiers occupies the third slot followed by Rajasthan, with 79,481 soldiers.

Among other states in the region, Haryana is sixth in the national tally while Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh 11th and 12th position, respectively. The contribution of these states to the Army, however, is significantly more than their share of the national population.

The Ministry’s data shows that with 65,987 soldiers, Haryana accounts for 5.7 per cent of the rank and file where as its share of the national population is 2.09 per cent. Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh have 47,457 and 46,960 active duty soldiers, respectively. While they account for 1.01 per cent and 0.57 per cent of the national population, respectively, they make up 4.1 and 4 per cent of the army’s strength,

The Army currently has 11,51,726 soldiers on its rolls against the authorised strength of 12,29,559, facing a deficiency of 77,833 men in the ranks. As far as officers, other than those in the medical stream, are concerned, the present holding is 42,959 against the authorised 50,806.  

Unlike the Air Force and the Navy, the Army does not maintain state-wise details of the number of officers on its strength. As far as the Air Force is concerned, Haryana has the second highest number of officers after Uttar Pradesh and the third highest number of airmen.

Incidentally, the number of doctors presently with the Army Medical Corps and the Army Dental Corps is 6,608, which is higher that the sanctioned strength of 5,736. The posted strength of Military Nursing Officers at present is 3,841 against the authorised number of 4,389.

The region has a strong martial heritage and a rich military history that dates back thousands of years, and is a witness to many wars and battles. Joining the armed forces is a tradition in many families and several generations have donned the uniform.

In the infantry, the largest component of the army, the Punjab Regiment, Dogra Regiment, Sikh Regiment, Sikh Light Infantry, Jammu and Kashmir Regiment, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and Ladakh Scouts draw their manposer from this region. Soldiers from these states also make up a sizable chunk of other arms and services.

Vacancies in the rank and file are allotted to the state on the basis of their respective population. In case a state fails to fill up the allotted vacancies, these can then filled from, other states.

Routes critical in maintaining supplies to Army, IAF stationed along LAC

Amid the ongoing military tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, India is racing to open both road routes that connect the plateau of Ladakh with mainland India. File photo

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 15

Amid the ongoing military tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, India is racing to open both road routes that connect the plateau of Ladakh with mainland India.

In February end, Zoji-La, a 11,500-ft-high mountain pass on the Srinagar-Leh route, was opened weeks ahead of the schedule. Now, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has sent a special team to open Baralacha-La, a 16,000-ft-high Himalayan pass on the Manali-Leh route.

Strategic move

• Zoji-La, a 11,500-ft-high mountain pass on the Srinagar-Leh route, was opened last month, weeks ahead of the schedule
• Baralacha-La, a 16,000-ft-high pass on the Manali-Leh route, is likely to be opened by month-end
• Supplies to the Army and IAF in eastern Ladakh are dependent on these two road routes

Baralacha-La is the first high pass on the 427-km-long Manali–Leh highway. The road normally opens in mid-May, but the BRO might open it by the end of this month. Supplies like oil, food, ammunition and spares for the Army and IAF locations in Eastern Ladakh are dependent on these two routes. Once the passes close during the winter, the only option is to fly men and supplies from logistics hubs in Chandigarh or Hindon.

On Sunday, a team of the BRO clad in arctic clothing trekked across the snowbound Baralacha-La to reach Sarchu, a location where the road opening equipment was kept during the winter. The team is fully stocked with ration, spare parts, communication equipment etc.

Connectivity on 59 roads achieved

Connectivity has been achieved on 59 roads with 3,205 km length along the India-China border, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Rajya Sabha on Monday.

It attempted to cross the pass on March 11 and again on March 12, but heavy snowfall held them back. The crossing was again attempted on March 13, which was successful. The team, however, fell short of the destination, Sarchu, where it reached the next day. Snow clearance work has started on access routes to the pass. There is a minimum of 20 feet of snow for more than 10-15 km on either side of the pass.

Meanwhile, Zoji-La, located 130 km east of Srinagar, was opened in February, but fresh snow around March 10 blocked the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh road.

New delhi: 

Five Lieutenant Colonels, a Major and a Lieutenant of the Indian Army were among 23 people named by the CBI in an investigation into corruption involving recruitment to the force on Monday following searches in 30 places in 13 cities.

The accused include 17 army personnel in all and six others with “allegations pertaining to bribery and irregularities in recruitment of officers and other ranks through Service Selection Board”, the CBI said.

The agency said the case was registered based on a complaint from the office of Additional Directorate General, Discipline & Vigilance, Adjutant General’s Branch, Integrated HQ of Ministry of Defence (Army).

The CBI received a complaint last month that serving personnel were involved in accepting bribes for helping candidates clear medical exams at the Base Hospital in New Delhi.

Lt Col MVSNA Bhagwan of the Army Air Defence Corps, the alleged mastermind of the recruitment racket, is among those named, they said.

The complaint said that Lt Col Bhagwan, currently on study leave, and Naib Subedar Kuldeep Singh also received kickbacks from potential officer candidates at SSB centres.

The agency said that Lt Col Surender Singh of 31 SSB centre North; Lt Col YS Chauhan of 6 Mountain Division Ordnance Unit; Lt Col Sukhdev Arora of Directorate General of Recruiting; Lt Col Vinay, GTO, Selection Centre South, Bangalore; and Major Bhavesh Kumar allegedly facilitated the selection of candidates through SSB.

It is alleged that bribes in several lakh rupees were paid to the officers and their relatives through cheques, cash, and online transfers for the selection of candidates, they said.

Searches were conducted today at 30 places including the Base Hospital at the Delhi Cantonment, other army establishments, civilian areas covering 13 cities, the CBI said.

The locations searched include those in Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Guwahati, Kapurthala, Bathinda, Kaithal, Palwal, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Vishakhapatnam, Jorhat and Chirangon.

CommentsThe searches led to the recovery of several incriminating documents which are being studied, the agency said

he accused: Lt Col Surender Singh, SSB, Kapurthala, Lt Col YS Chauhan, 6 Mountain Division, Bareilly, Lt Col Sukhdev Arora, DG Recruiting New Delhi, Lt Col Vinay, GTO, Banglore, Lt Navjot Singh Kanwar, 21 Mountain Division, Guwahati, Lt Col MVSNA Bhagwan, AAD Corps, Main Subedar Kuldeep Singh, Delhi Cantt etc. Some family members of serving personnel have also been booked.

More than 1,000 such kits will be delivered to state-run undertaking for further integration and production of missile

The group will extend support in maintenance and repair operations for in-service air defence missile systems.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16

Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems Private Limited (KRAS), in collaboration with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, on Tuesday rolled out the first batch of medium range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) kits for the Indian Army and the Air Force under the government’s Make-in-India initiative.

KRAS will deliver more than 1,000 such missile kits to India’s state-run undertaking, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for further integration and production of the missile, according to a statement issued here.

Stating that the venture marked a step-change in technological expertise and collective demonstration of the capability to be the global manufacturing hub for defence products, Baba Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director of Kalyani Group, added that apart from the missile kits, the group will extend support in maintenance and repair operations for in-service air defence missile systems.

Brig Gen Pinhas Yungman, Head of Air and Missile Defense Systems division of Rafael, said that the company, which had been a reliable partner to the Indian armed forces for almost three decades, will not only build products for them but also trigger and help achieve the government’s vision of exports from India.

28,926 vacancies in BSF, followed by 26,506 in CRPF

For representation only. Tribune file photo

New Delhi, March 16

There were 1,11,093 posts lying vacant across the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the Assam Rifles, with the majority of such vacancies at the constable-rank, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The recruitment process was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 but selection of nearly 56,000 constables was done for the CAPFs and the Assam Rifles recently, the government said.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai presented these figures, updated till September 1, 2020, in response to a query by BJP MP Rajyavardhan Rathore, a former Army officer who now represents Jaipur (Rural) in the Lok Sabha.

The CAPFs refer to seven central security forces of the country under administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs. They consist of the Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), besides the Assam Rifles (AR) and the National Security Guard (NSG).

According to the data, there were 28,926 vacancies in the BSF followed by 26,506 in the CRPF, 23,906 in the CISF, 18,643 in the SSB, 7,328 in the AR and 5,784 in the ITBP as on September 1, 2020.

“Vacancies in the CAPFs and the AR arise due to retirements, resignations, deaths, new raisings, creation of new posts, cadre reviews, etc. and majority of vacancies are in the grade of constable,” Rai stated.

He said the vacancies arising in the CAPFs and the AR are filled up by various methods of recruitment such as direct recruitment, promotion, deputation as per the provisions of the respective Recruitment Rules.

Requisite measures are being taken to fill up the vacancies through various agencies like the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC) as well as by holding recruitment rallies, conducting departmental examinations and holding meetings of Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs), he said.

The minister also stated that due to the COVID-19 pandemic recruitment processes got delayed.

“Recently the SSC has declared results for Constable (GD) Examination-2018 on January 28, 2021 and has selected 55,915 constables for the CAPFs and the AR,” Rai said.

“Filling up of vacancies is an ongoing continuous process which is done as per the administrative and operational requirements of the forces,” he added. PTI

Policymakers, farmers see it as yet another attack on state amid ongoing stir against agri laws

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 14

In another setback for the state, the Food Corporation of India is proposing the revision of the specifications for foodgrain procurement, making the rules tighter by introducing changes in quality control as suggested by “some private players”.

Food panel recommendations for…

WHEAT

• Reduce moisture content from 14% to 12%; grain won’t be bought even with value cut
• Reduce foreign matter from 0.75% to 0.50%
• Reduce slightly damaged grains from 4% to 2%
• Hectolitre weight of wheat (at 75 kg per hectolitre) to be introduced for export

PADDY

• Reduce permissible limit of foreign matter from 2% to 1%
• Lower limit of damaged and discoloured grains from 5% to 3%
• Reduce admixture of lower class paddy from 6% to 5%

RICE

• Allow 20% rice refraction against 25% earlier
• Reduce limit of damaged grains by 1%
• Red grains shouldn’t be allowed
• Reduce moisture content from 15% to 14%

The proposals, among other things, include reducing the limit of moisture content in wheat from present 14 per cent to 12 per cent, reducing the incorporated semi-damaged grains in procured grains from four per cent to two per cent, and reducing the prevalence of shrivelled and broken grains from six to four per cent.

For paddy purchase, too, the specifications have been changed and strict quality control proposed with reduction in moisture content (from 17-16 per cent); reduction in permissible foreign matter; a two per cent reduction in permissible limit of damaged and discoloured grains among others.

The proposals, for uniform specifications of foodgrain for procurement under central pool, also mention that from now on there can be no prevalence of other foodgrain in wheat (generally during storage, other grains tend to get mixed) against two per cent allowed to date; no weeviled grains will be purchased and grains have to be purchased by the Centre with zero live infestation.

Procurement of wheat begins in Punjab from April 1 and 130 lakh metric tonne of wheat is targeted for government purchase.

Though apparently the Centre’s insistence on stricter quality control norms is targeted at ensuring good quality purchase for public distribution and for ensuring its export worthiness, the move is being seen by policymakers, farmers and government officials as yet another attack on the state, whose farmers have been at the forefront of the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws.

“Suddenly, norms are being tightened for foodgrain procurement from Punjab. Some of these rules are not feasible. Introducing the new quality control norms now, when the crop is just a month away from being harvested, is an indication that the Centre (through FCI) is shying away from purchasing grains, something the farmers have been protesting all along. Generally, there are rains near harvest time, which lead to higher moisture content. By reducing the existing limit of moisture content allowed in wheat, the government will find that a large amount of wheat is unsuitable for purchase. Where will the farmer go?” asks Jagmohan Singh Patiala, general secretary of BKU Dakaunda.

Recently, the Centre had issued instructions making it mandatory for all farmers to give details of land ownership to get MSP for wheat. This, too, has generated heat in the state where almost 45 per cent of land holdings are leased out by farmers to other cultivators.

Punjab Food and Supply Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu told The Tribune that this was an indication that FCI wanted to run away from purchasing grains. “FCI has been slowly reducing the grain purchase over the past few years. I will meet the Union Food Minister this week to resolve these issues,” he said.

Rewari Sainik School organised an ‘investiture ceremony’

Rewari: Sainik School organised an ‘investiture ceremony’ of newly selected school prefects. Principal Soumyabrata Dhar administered oath to them and exhorted them to devote themselves to studies and imbibe traits like sincerity, obedience to duty, good communication skills and patriotism. Later, cadets who did exceptionally well in academics during the last academic year, were given book prizes and certificates.

KU to offer 4 online courses

Kurukshetra:The University Grants Commission has granted permission to Kurukshetra University (KU) to start four full-fledged online courses from the 2021-2022 session. These courses are bachelor of arts, bachelor of commerce, master of arts (mass communication) and master of commerce. A letter in this regard has been received from UGC. “It is a major decision which will enhance access to higher education and will help in increasing gross enrolment ratio of students in higher education institutions, ” said Prof Som Nath Sachdeva, Vice-Chancellor, KU.

Five students shine in JEE (Main)

Karnal: Five students of the city have excelled in the JEE (Main), the result of which was declared recently. Anmol has scored 99.74 per cent, while Pardeep Chahal got 99.49 per cent, Adhya Shukla (99.44 pe cent), Anjali (99.31 per cent), Lakshya (99.11 per cent). Congratulating the students Aakash Chaudhary of Aakash Institute, Karnal, said that it was a proud moment for the family, city and institute that the students excelled in the JEE (Main). He gave credit to the students and staff members’ for their dedication and hard work.

Seminar on ‘sustainable future’

Mahendragarh: Central University of Haryana (CUH), organised a webinar on “sustainable future” wherein students and faculty members from various institutions across the country and industry experts also participated. Thamilselvan SK, Executive Director of ONGC Videsh and former CEO of Imperial Energies, Russia, as the key speaker, emphasised on understanding of the topic while Prof RC Kuhad, Vice Chancellor, said such webinars had proved helpful for students in knowing about industrial requirements.

Biz school offers scholarships

Gurugram: Sunstone Eduversity has announced over 100 scholarships for aspirants of the 2021-23 batch. These scholarships will be applicable across all MBA programmes offered by Sunstone Eduversity. To avail the scholarship, students must take the sunstone scholarship test which will be a mix of quantitative aptitude, verbal reasoning and LRDI. Students can win scholarships worth of Rs 30,000, Rs 60,000 and Rs 1,00,000, depending on their test score. The eligibility for the test is the same as that of the MBA/PGDM programmes offered by Sunstone Eduversity.

Seminar on freedom struggle

Hisar: The Dean Students Welfare office and National Service Scheme Unit of Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar, organised a seminar on “India’s freedom struggle” on the occasion to mark 75 years of India’s Independence. Prof Tankeshwar Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, was the chief guest of the seminar. Dr Jitender Bhardwaj, Registrar Ch Bansi Lal University, Bhiwani and Dr Mahender Singh, associate professor of Dayanand College, Hisar, were the speakers of the seminar.

Webinar on womanhood

Yamunanagar: Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Yamunanagar, SDG Lab and DIAS, New Delhi, held a two day webinar on womanhood (stritav). The seminar was marked by a discussion, in which eminent speakers from varied fields of life, across the globe participated to celebrate all facets of women’s life. Indrani Sharma, founder of Indrani Sharma and Company, Chennai; Divya Prabha from International Chandramauli Trust, Kashi; Prerna Kumar, founder of Chaiveda, New Delhi. and Sudhir, social protection officer of International Labour Organisation based in Mexico City, Mexico, shared their views

School honours cricketer, parents

Ambala: Lord Mahavir Jain Public School welcomed Vaibhav Arora who is scheduled to play in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL). The members of the school managing committee, Principal Ruchi Sharma and mentors presented a bouquet to Vaibhav and his parents who were the special guests for the day. Vaibhav answered all queries regarding his career and his path to success. The principal praised Vaibhav for his persistence and applauded the support of his parents.

Internal quality cell meeting

Faridabad: The 28th internal quality assurance (IQAC) meeting of Aggarwal College, Ballabgarh, was organised on the college premises. The objective of the meeting was holistic development of students by improving teaching and learning methods in the college, said principal Dr Krishan Kant Gupta, Chairperson, IQAC. In this meeting, five new initiatives were taken up and approved

Workshop on intellectual property

Kurukshetra: KU Vice-Chancellor Prof Som Nath Sachdeva said intellectual property helped in enhancing the competitiveness of technology-based enterprises. Universities and public research institutions are among the major contributors towards innovation and research, particularly in emerging economies. He was addressing a three-day workshop on ‘Intellectual property rights’ organised by the department of computer science & applications, Kurukshetra University.

Given the current level of farming technology and practices, promoting horticulture, oilseeds and pulses, for which the agro-climatic conditions of Punjab are suitable, is a viable alternative. These are not only less water-intensive but also essential for meeting the increasing requirements of nutritional security. At the same time, the increased local production of these crops would save considerable outflow of foreign exchange needed for importing them.

he end of the halcyon days of the wheat-paddy regime is looming large, leaving farmers unsure whether agriculture can sustain their livelihood in future. File photo

TKA Nair & RS Ghuman

THE seeds of the ongoing farmers’ agitation against the farm laws were, ironically, sown with the advent of the Green Revolution in Punjab, and subsequently in Haryana and Western UP, in the 1960s and 1970s. The wheat-paddy crop rotation assiduously promoted by the Central and state governments through robust institutional support, public-funded R&D in high-yielding varieties of seeds, assured irrigation and subsidised fertilisers, ably backed by field-level extension services and the initiative of Punjabi farmers made the Green Revolution a great success, paving the way for ensuring the food security of the country. The Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime and the procurement policy of the government, together with free electricity, sustained the boom and Punjab was rightly hailed as the ‘Bread Basket of India’.

Regrettably, the consequences of the Green Revolution have been a mixed bag for the state and its economy. The highly water-intensive paddy crop was not indigenous to Punjab and its widespread cultivation necessitated intense exploitation of groundwater sources. Flood irrigation and application of chemical fertilisers incentivised by government policies aimed at enhancing production severely damaged soil and its fertility over the years. With higher and higher exploitation of groundwater, the water table in the paddy-growing areas of the state has gone down alarmingly. On account of the fear of the wrath of the farmers’ organisations and competitive vote-bank politics, successive state governments have found it impossible to do away with free power for agriculture that costs the exchequer over Rs 6,200 crore annually, crippling the finances of the state. Over the years, the productivity of wheat and paddy flattened and resulted in stagnating income for the farmers in spite of the MSP. The end of the halcyon days of the wheat-paddy crop regime is looming large, leaving farmers unsure whether agriculture can sustain their livelihood in future.

No bolt from the blue

The current crisis in agriculture is not a bolt from the blue. As early as the 1980s, serious doubts about the viability of the wheat-paddy cropping pattern had surfaced, evident from the constitution of the Johl Committees (I and II) in 1986 and 2002. The Johl Committees realised the unsustainability of the wheat-paddy cropping pattern and recommended a series of measures for restructuring and diversifying agriculture, the most significant of which was shifting 20 per cent of the area under agriculture to non-paddy crops. The committees also emphasised that commitment of the Central and state governments in terms of technological, institutional and assured price support for alternative crops was critical for achieving the desired objective. As later events proved, neither the Central nor the state governments nor the farmers realised fully the seriousness and urgency of the simmering crisis and ‘business as usual’ was allowed to continue with sporadic annual debates about the quantum of MSP without addressing the core issues arising out of overexploitation of water, declining productivity of soil and the increasing cost of production and diminishing returns.

The three laws which have earned the wrath of the farming community, especially in the Punjab-Haryana-Western UP belt, are a serious attempt at reforming the agriculture sector, which was long overdue, and open it up for free market forces. But it has misfired for many reasons. The laws do not address the main concerns of the farmers: to be assured of remunerative returns for their crops. The Centre’s unwillingness to give statutory protection to MSP is the critical stumbling block in the way of resolving the ongoing agitation.

Evolve modus vivendi

Prolonging the stir indefinitely is neither in the interests of the farmers nor of the country at large. Given the assurances of the government about the continuance of MSP and its decision to keep the farm laws in abeyance, it should be possible to evolve a modus vivendi to end the impasse and carry forward the much-needed reforms agenda through a transparent consultative process. Doubling farmers’ income within a given time frame and operationalising the statutory MSP for all 23 crops which are covered under the MSP regime through appropriate procurement mechanisms of the Central and state governments and the private trade should be the twin pillars of an overarching Central legislation which should provide for state-specific enactment to suit local conditions and requirements, especially as agriculture is on the State list and marketing of agri-produce on the Concurrent listThat continuation of MSP in its current form is not a panacea for rejuvenating agriculture and promoting the interests of farmers is beyond doubt. Perpetuating the operation of the MSP regime for wheat and paddy is not only unsustainable but also disastrous, especially for Punjab, its farmers and its agrarian economy. Punjab would turn into a desert at the current rate of exploitation of groundwater. Farmers must realise the ground reality and the state and Central governments must help them move out of the vicious cycle of wheat-paddy cropping.

Given the current level of farming technology and practices, promoting horticulture, oilseeds and pulses, for which the agro-climatic conditions of Punjab are suitable, is a viable alternative. These are not only less water-intensive but also essential for meeting the increasing requirements of nutritional security. At the same time, the increased local production of these crops would save considerable outflow of foreign exchange needed for importing them. Central and state governments should commit themselves to providing the required infrastructure, R&D support and institutional mechanisms, including market intervention, for the operationalisation of MSP for sufficiently incentivising the farmers to opt for the new cropping pattern.https://d11a87db4002e5398b414d9a0ed75dd1.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

As its farmers have been the worst-hit on account of unsustainable wheat-paddy crop rotation and the ongoing agitation, Punjab could consider taking the lead in facilitating the process.

Nair is a former Chief Secy of Punjab; Ghuman is Professor of Economics, CRRID, Chandigarh