MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned INS Kalvari (S-21), the first of the six Scorpene class submarines built under Project 75 (Kalvari Class) into the Indian Navy at an impressive ceremony held at Naval Dockyard, here on Thursday. The event marked the formal induction into the Navy of the first of the six submarines being constructed at Mazagon Docks Ltd., in collaboration with the French builder M/s Naval Group. 

Prime Minister described INS Kalvari as a prime example of “Make in India.” He commended all those involved in its manufacture. He described the submarine as an excellent illustration of the fast growing strategic partnership between India and France. He said the INS Kalvari will add even more strength to the Indian Navy. 

He said that the 21st century is described as Asia’s century. He added that it is also certain that the road to development in the 21st century goes through the Indian Ocean. That is why the Indian Ocean has a special place in the policies of the Government, he added. Prime Minister said this vision can be understood through the acronym SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region. 

Mr. Modi said India is fully alert with regard to its global, strategic and economic interests in the Indian Ocean. He said that is why the modern and multi-dimensional Indian Navy plays a leading role in promoting peace and stability 

He said India believes that the world is one family, and is fulfilling its global responsibilities. India has played the role of “first responder” for its partner countries, in times of crises, he added. He said the human face of Indian diplomacy and Indian security establishment is our speciality. He said a strong and capable India has a vital role to play for humanity. He said countries of the world wish to walk with India on the path of peace and stability. The Prime Minister said that the entire ecosystem related to defence and security has started to change in the last three years. He said the skill-set accumulated during the manufacture of INS Kalvari is an asset for India. 

Congratulating the MDL for restarting the production line of submarines once again, Defence Minister Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman,  thanked the Yard workers, who she said “mattered high on this day”. The process of submarine construction has again been started in the country and it should not stop, she said. She emphasized the need to avoid episodic starts and stops in the industry and maintain a pool of skills needed to build high technology platforms within the country, sustenance of which would lead to a virtuous cycle of betterment for Indian industry, retention of skills and better peace dividends to the nation.

Welcoming the gathering, Admiral Sunil Lanba stated that this commissioning marked a milestone in the journey of the Indian Navy towards indigenous submarine building. The Indian Navy is deeply committed to the principle of indigenisation and the Government’s thrust on ‘Make in India’. Commissioning of Kalvari is a testimony of our resolve and these achievements are a result of the Indian Navy’s proactive and integrated approach to achieve self-reliance, the Admiral said.

The Commissioning Warrant of the submarine was thereafter read out by the Commanding Officer, Captain SD Mehendale. Subsequently, hoisting of the Naval Ensign onboard for the first time and ‘Breaking of the Commissioning Pennant’ with the National Anthem being played, marked the completion of the Commissioning Ceremony.   

INS Kalvari is manned by a team comprising 08 officers and 35 sailors with Captain SD Mehendale at the helm as her first Commanding Officer. The commissioning will augment the offensive capability of the Indian Navy, and the Western Naval Command in particular. 

PHILADELPHIA : Boeing and the Netherlands Ministry of Defence today signed an agreement that will upgrade six Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) Chinook helicopters to the latest F-model configuration, ensuring commonality of systems for their entire fleet of 20 F-model Chinooks. Deliveries of the six modernized Chinooks are planned to begin in 2021.

“The Netherlands’ Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) is responsible for providing the Dutch armed forces with the best equipment money can buy, and our troops deserve that,” said Colonel Koen van Gogh, DMO project leader. “Ever since their introduction in the mid-1990s, the Chinooks have been continuously involved in almost all of our missions abroad, but also in disaster relief operations and in domestic support. A true versatile workhorse of our Defense Organization.”

The upgrade to a common configuration will improve operational effectiveness, maintenance, and affordability.

A key feature includes advanced operational capabilities provided by the Common Avionics Architecture System cockpit with an integrated Digital Automatic Flight Control System. The common avionics architecture system also aligns with the U.S Army and other allies, improving worldwide interoperability, flight-handling characteristics, and long term sustainability.

“Our longstanding close partnership with the Netherlands played an important role in achieving their objective of a standardized fleet of CH-47F Chinooks,” said Chuck Dabundo, vice president, Boeing Cargo Helicopters, and H-47 program manager. “Worldwide interest in Chinooks continues to grow. This is the eighth international order since 2015, and it grows the operational Chinook fleet within NATO. There is no doubt the Chinook is the world’s premier heavy-lift helicopter with a long future will continue to serve our customers for decades to come.”

In 2016, the Netherlands acquired 14 CH-47F Chinooks through the U.S. Department of Defense’s Foreign Military Sales program. To date, Boeing has delivered more than 900 H-47 Chinook helicopters. The Chinook is on order or operated by 20 countries, including eight NATO nations – Canada, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the U.S.

Union Minister of Women & Child Development, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has written to leading Bollywood film production houses asking them to comply with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act, 2013 to provide a safe, secure and inclusive work environment for women.

Through this effort, Ministry of WCD will extend outreach and implementation of the Act to yet another section, a statement issued by the Ministry said.

The Minister has personally written to Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, Bhushan Kumar, Ekta Kapoor, Vinod Chopra, Mahesh Bhatt, Shahrukh Khan, Sooraj Barjatya Bhavana, Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Anil Dhirubhai Ambani, Ajit Andhare, Sajid Nadiadwala, Vijay Singh, NP Singh, Aamir Khan, Shobu Yarlagadda, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Manish Mundra, Pritish Nandy, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Subhash Ghai.

Mrs Gandhi said that as leaders of their organisations, they are ethically and legally accountable for the safety of not only their direct employees, but of all outsourced and temporary staff as well.

On November 7, Mrs Gandhi had launchedan online complaint management system titled Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box) for registering complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace. The complaint management system has been developed to ensure the effective implementation of the SH Act, 2013. This portal is an initiative to provide a platform to working women to file complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace under the SH Act. Those who had already filed a written complaint with the concerned ICC constituted under the SH Act are also eligible to file their complaint through this portal.

Late last month, Mrs Gandhi had tweeted, thanking Mr Arun Jaitley, Minister of Corporate Affairs, for considering Ministry WCD’s request to amend relevant rules under the Companies Act, 2013, for women’s safety. The amendment would ensure that the Board of Directors of all companies duly report on the constitution of complaints committee under the Act.

Bestselling international novelist Adam Nicolson will speak about the resurgence in nature-writing heralded by the current wave of green literature at the Jaipur Literature Festival next year.

Cultural historian and Virginia Wolfe expert Alexandra Harris will offer a fresh perspective on the English writer’s iconoclastic masterpiece Orlando; award-winning journalist Åsne Seierstad, who went to Afghanistan two weeks after September 11^th and later returned to live with an Afghan family will share her insights on the troubled nation; and Dominic Dromgoole, former artistic director of the Globe Theatre, will discuss Shakespeare’s universality and how his works manage to resonate with audiences from China to Syria as seen through Globe to Globe, the recent world tour of Hamlet at the Festival slated from January 25 to 29, 2018.

The third list of speakers also include Harvard professor Homi Bhabha, with his vast knowledge of post-colonial writing, who will also speak at the Festival as will forensic anthropologistKathy Reichs, whose books inspired the popular American television series, Bones; human rights activist and surgeon Ma Thidawill speak of her ideals and chronicle Myanmar’s dramatic history; author and filmmaker Nasreen Munni Kabirwill take part in a candid conversation with musical maestro Zakir Hussain;Philip Norman, author of biographies on the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Elton John, will recollect anecdotes from the Beatles’ famed 1968 visit to India.

Celebrated naturalist Redmond O’Hanlonwill take us on a fascinating journey deep inside the People’s Republic of Congo, where he went in search of a dinosaur rumoured to have survived in a remote prehistoric lake!

Amongst the Indian speakers are geo-strategist Brahma Chellaney who will stir up the troubled waters of the South China Sea and the Brahmaputra conundrum; C. Raja Mohanwill consider the many ideas that make China an Asian powerhouse; author and economistGurcharan Das will analyse the complex modern triptych of aspiration, greed and instant gratification and the elusive idea of frugality; poet and novelist Jeet Thayilwill discuss his latest book, The Book of Chocolate Saints, and his dominating themes of love, hate and savagery.

P. Sainath,India’s best known development reporter, will shed light on the heart of darkness within India’s agrarian and rural reality; filmmaker and environmentalist Pradip Kishen will unravel the ancient history and the rugged topography of the mysterious Aravalli hills;debut novelists PrayaagAkbar and Preti Tanejawill discuss their chillingly dystopic novels, Leila and We That Are Young respectively;Bollywood royaltySharmila Tagorewill speak to herdaughter, Soha Ali Khan, who has authored a witty memoir titled The Perils of Being Moderately Famous; the sassy septuagenarianShobhaa De,with her characteristic charisma and irreverence, will discuss turning 70, the subject of her latest book; environmental crusaderSunita Narainwill make an impassioned plea to overcome the impending global climate catastrophe;diplomat T.C.A. Raghavan, author of The People Next Door: The Curious History of India’s Relationship with Pakistan, will discuss cross-border dynamics; and columnist Vir Sanghvi will regale festival-goers with his refined palate on the unlimited potential of food.

January 2018 will also see JBM present the second edition of its extremely successful ‘The First Book Club New Writers Mentorship Programme’, which will now include entries for short-stories and poetry as well as works of fiction or non-fiction from first-time writers who will be chosen for a coveted opportunity of mentorship under publishing veterans. 

The Getty Foundation, the British Council, the Aga Khan Foundation and Nordic countries too have come together to support and strengthen the Festival. Harvard University Press, The Murty Classical Library, Westland, Kindle Direct Publishing, Avid Learning and Kingfisher (as Good Times Partner) have also partnered with the Festival this year.

SAN DIEGO : General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), in partnership with Starburst Accelerator, a global aerospace and aviation incubator, hosted a selection committee entitled “The Future Is Now” at its headquarters in Poway, California on December 1^st. The showcase featured pitch-style presentations from 10 aerospace startups sharing technology and innovations to a cross-section of industry experts and potential investors. The event provided an opportunity to hear about new ideas being developed and consider how the ideas could impact business growth.

“GA-ASI has embraced an entrepreneurial approach to its business throughout our 25-plus years in aviation and this event is a natural extension of our approach to innovation,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “We hosted this event as a way to provide aerospace entrepreneurs with an audience of enthusiastic industry leaders who are interested in investing in new technology that will fill critical capability gaps in support of the warfighter.”

Starburst Accelerator hosts quarterly selection committee programs as part of its mission to provide access to seed funding from the top business angels and venture capital firms dedicated to aerospace, defense and security. As an added benefit, this event also attracts major aerospace industry resulting in a collaborative environment for the advancement of new technology.

“The selection committees are integral to our work accelerating the most promising early-stage aerospace companies,” said François Chopard, founder and CEO of Starburst Accelerator. “Hosting our final program of 2017 at GA-ASI, a well-respected innovator in aviation and leading design manufacturer, was a natural choice and key to connecting the competing startups with major industry players. As we see more startups enter the aviation space and be welcomed by well-known incumbents, the future of aerospace is bright.”

Mexico : The Mexican Navy received two final AS565 MBe Panther helicopters, completing the order of ten purchased in November 2014. 

Versatile, safe and efficient. That’s how the Mexican Navy describes the MBe Panther after approximately two years of its use in various operations. Its maximum take-off weight has increased significantly from 4,300 kg to 4,500 kg. But this isn’t the only improvement: the MBe Panther also offers optimised performance in high and hot environments, and features modern avionics with a vehicle and engine multifunction display (VEMD) and sophisticated mission equipment for greater operational capabilities, allowing it to achieve a top speed of almost 280 km/h and a range of 780 kilometres. All of these qualities make this helicopter a safe and cost-efficient model for the missions it covers.

“The MBe version is a more modern helicopter with an advanced four-axis autopilot and generally improved performance and features thanks to engines that are more powerful than those of its predecessor. This is the third version of the Panther to be used by the Mexican Navy, who has been operating helicopters from this range since 2004,” explains Admiral José María García Macedo, General Coordinator of Naval Aeronautics for the Mexican Navy. “The MBe’s capabilities can be used in both marine and land-based environments for missions like search and rescue (SAR), or to support the civil population in disaster areas or areas affected by natural catastrophes. It can also be used for cargo load jobs and as an air ambulance. In total, each Panther logs approximately 300 flight hours per year.”

“The personnel of different squadrons consider this helicopter easy to fly, especially due to its technology and avionics, which facilitate operations and increase security throughout missions. We are very satisfied with the new Panther,” affirms Admiral García Macedo.

On 2 August 2017, two crew members of a tuna boat were aboard a piston helicopter as part of fishing activities, where they suffered an accident and fell into the sea 370 kilometres south-east of Puerto Chiapas. An MBe Panther equipped for medical evacuations set off from the ocean patrol of the Mexican Navy “Durango” to rescue the crew members. The injured crew were immediately transported to a regional hospital to receive specialised medical care, given the severity of their injuries.

New Delhi : A special Delhi court today convicted former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and ex-coal secretary H C Gupta in a coal scam case. Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar also convicted ex-Jharkhand chief secretary A K Basu and private company Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL) in the case.

They have been found guilty of varying offences including criminal conspiracy in the case pertaining to irregularities in allocation of Rajhara North coal block in Jharkhand to the Kolkata-based VISUL. The Special Court however, acquitted four other accused including VISUL’s Director of all charges.

The court will hear argument on quantum of punishment tomorrow.

While speaking to The India Saga Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das on the conviction of Former CM Madhu Koda he said – “ Law has taken its course.”

The CBI alleged that the firm had applied for allocation of Rajhara North coal block on January 8, 2007. It said although the Jharkhand government and Steel Ministry did not recommend VISUL’s case for coal block allocation, the 36th Screening Committee recommended the block to the accused firm.

The CBI said that Gupta, who was chairman of the screening committee, had allegedly concealed facts from then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, that Jharkhand had not recommended VISUL for allocation of a coal block. Dr Singh was then heading the Coal Ministry too.

The coal scam had hit the headlines in 2012 after an audit by the national auditor revealed that the country has lost up to Rs. 1.86 lakh crore due to inefficient allocation of coal blocks. The auditor said for over a decade, mining rights were allotted to private firms at low prices. In 2014, the Supreme Court cancelled the allocations.

A case against 46-year-old Madhu Koda — who was the Chief Minister of Jharkhand from September 2006 to August 2008 — was filed in December 2014.  

HC Gupta, before retiring in 2008, was the Coal Secretary for two years under the Congress-led UPA government. With the screening committee he headed allocating at least 40 coal mining rights, he was accused of playing a leading role in the massive swindle.

He is accused in eight cases. In May, he was convicted along with two other former bureaucrats in a case related to the allocation of a coal mining block in Madhya Pradesh to a private company. It was the first coal scam case in which senior government officials were held guilty.

NEW DELHI : The Centre has told the Supreme Court that at least 12 special courts will be set up to decide cases involving politicians as accused. 

The Ministry of Law and Justice said this in an affidavit filed in pursuance of an order asking it to come up with a scheme for the purpose. 

It said, 12 such courts for a period of one year will be set up at a cost of 8 crore rupees. The Centre also sought more time to collect and collate data of pending cases against lawmakers across the country.

The apex court had, last month, directed the Centre to place before it the details regarding 1,581 cases involving MPs and MLAs, as declared by the politicians at the time of filing their nominations during the 2014 general elections. 

It had asked the government to apprise it of how many among these cases have been disposed of within one year and how many have ended either in conviction or acquittal.

Contrary to the assumptions that nearly half the abortions in India were unsafe, the first national study of the incidence of abortion and unintended pregnancy now suggests that only 5% of the abortions are unsafe.

Safety has been enhanced, primarily, due to safe medical and surgical procedures available now. Safety is an issue where there is lack of availability of services or information. 

An estimated 15.6 million abortions were performed in India in 2015. The vast majority of abortions (81%) were achieved using medication abortion (which, in India, is commonly referred to as medical methods of abortion, or MMA) that was obtained either from a health facility or another source while 14% were performed surgically in health facilities, and the remaining 5% were performed outside of health facilities using other, typically unsafe, methods, according to the National Estimate of Abortion and Unintended Pregnancies in India.

Almost half of the 48.1 million pregnancies that occur in India each year are unintended. Two-thirds of all unintended pregnancies end in abortion. Close to one in four abortions in India (22%) are provided in health facilities. Almost three in four abortions (73%) are obtained independently through purchasing medical methods of abortion from a chemist or informal vendor. The remaining 5% are obtained using various methods that are often dangerous and account for 0.8 million abortions, the report says.

Medical methods of abortion (MMA)—using a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol—account for four in five abortions in India. Medical methods of abortion are safe and effective when used in accordance with World Health Organization guidelines.

Only 5% of abortions in India occur in public health facilities, which are a key source of health care for poor and rural women.  The majority of primary health centers and substantial proportions of community health centers, the most common types of public health facilities in India, do not offer abortion services. The most common reasons reported for not providing abortion services are lack of trained staff and lack of necessary equipment or supplies.

As many as 47 per 1,000 women aged 15-49 got an abortion done in 2015, according to the National Estimate of Abortion and Unintended Pregnancies in India that also said that of the total 48.1 million pregnancies in 2015, about half were unintended—meaning they were wanted later or not at all. The estimated unintended pregnancy rate was 70 per 1,000 women aged 15–49 in 2015, which is similar to the rates in neighbouring Bangladesh (67) and Nepal (68), and much lower than the rate in Pakistan (93).

The study published in The Lancet Global Health—was conducted jointly by researchers at the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai; the Population Council, New Delhi; and the New York– based Guttmacher Institute.

“Although abortion has been legal under a broad range of criteria in India since 1971, we have never had a reliable estimate of the number occurring until now,” says Dr. Chander Shekhar, professor in the Department of Fertility Studies at IIPS and co–principal investigator of the study. “This new evidence provides policymakers with information that is essential for designing and implementing effective reproductive health care programs.”

Unlike previous research on this topic, this study is the first specifically designed to measure the national incidence of abortion in India. The researchers used two direct methods for measuring incidence. One was compiling national sales and distribution data on MMA (mifepristone and mifepristone-misoprostol combipacks), which represents the vast majority of all abortions in India. The second was implementing a large-scale survey of public and private health facilities in six states—Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh—where close to half of Indian women of reproductive age live. The number of abortions to women who used traditional methods was calculated using indirect measures.

Currently, slightly fewer than one in four abortions are provided in health facilities. The public sector—which is the main source of health care for rural and poor women—accounts for only one-quarter of facility-based abortion provision, in part because many public facilities do not offer abortion services. Close to three in four abortions are achieved using MMA drugs from chemists and informal vendors, rather than from health facilities. MMA is safe and effective when used in accordance with World Health Organization guidelines. For example, according to clinical studies, an MMA regimen that combines misoprostol and mifepristone is 95–98% effective when used correctly and within a nine-week gestational limit.

“Women in India face considerable challenges trying to obtain abortion care, including the limited availability of abortion services in public health facilities,” says Dr. Susheela Singh, vice president for international research at the Guttmacher Institute and co–principal investigator of the study. “Our findings suggest that a shortage of trained staff and inadequate supplies and equipment are the primary reasons many public facilities don’t provide abortion care.”

The study proposes a number of steps to improve the availability and quality of abortion services in health facilities, including training and certifying more doctors to provide abortion care. The study also recommends permitting nurses, AYUSH doctors (practitioners of indigenous medicine) and auxiliary nurse midwives to provide MMA. This would substantially expand the number of providers—and facilities—qualified to offer safe abortion services. The authors also note the importance of ensuring that public health facilities have the equipment and drug supplies necessary to provide surgical abortion care and MMA.

To address the needs of the millions of women choosing to obtain MMA from sources other than health facilities, the authors urge the implementation of strategies that will provide women with accurate information about how to use the method safely. Finally, the study recommends improving the quality of contraceptive services, including by offering a wide range of contraceptive methods and providing counselling to help individuals prevent the pregnancies they do not want and achieve their reproductive goals.

Every 1 in 3 internet users globally is a child but not much is being done to protect them from the perils of the digital world and to increase their access to safe online content, according to a latest report by the UNICEF. 

The latest edition of “The State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in a digital world’’ says young people are the most connected age group with 71% being online now with 48% of the total population. While just 1 in 25 young persons in Europe is not connected, 3 out of 5 youth in Africa still continue to be offline.   

Approximately 56% of all website are in English and many children cannot find the content they understand or that is culturally relevant, and more than 9 in 10 child sex abuse URLs identified globally are hosted in Canada, France, the Netherlands, the Russian federation and the United States. 

The report presents UNICEF’s first comprehensive look at the different ways digital technology is affecting children’s lives and life chances, identifying dangers as well as opportunities.  It argues that governments and the private sector have not kept up with the pace of change, exposing children to new risks and harms and leaving millions of the most disadvantaged children behind.  

“For better and for worse, digital technology is now an irreversible fact of our lives,” says UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “In a digital world, our dual challenge is how to mitigate the harms while maximizing the benefits of the internet for every child.” 

The report explores the benefits digital technology can offer the most disadvantaged children, including those growing up in poverty or affected by humanitarian emergencies. These include increasing their access to information, building skills for the digital workplace, and giving them a platform to connect and communicate their views.

But the report shows that millions of children are missing out. Around one third of the world’s youth – 346 million – are not online, exacerbating inequities and reducing children’s ability to participate in an increasingly digital economy. 

The report also examines how the internet increases children’s vulnerability to risks and harms, including misuse of their private information, access to harmful content, and cyberbullying. The ubiquitous presence of mobile devices, the report notes, has made online access for many children less supervised – and potentially more dangerous. 

And digital networks like the Dark Web and cryptocurrencies are enabling the worst forms of exploitation and abuse, including trafficking and ‘made to order’ online child sexual abuse. 

Only collective action – by governments, the private sector, children’s organizations, academia, families and children themselves – can help level the digital playing field and make the internet safer and more accessible for children, the report says while recommending provision of affordable access to high quality online resources for all children. 

The report also calls for protecting children from harm online – including abuse, exploitation, trafficking, cyberbullying and exposure to unsuitable materials, safeguarding children’s privacy and identities online, as well as teaching digital literacy to keep children informed, engaged and safe online.

“Girls and boys in India have the unique opportunity to benefit from the connectivity that the digital world can provide. India is famous as an IT Hub and no matter where they live, every girl or boy should have a digital advantage,” said UNICEF Representative in India, Dr Yasmin Ali Haque at the launch in Delhi. 

“UNICEF is working with the Government in developing a comprehensive plan on digital safety for children. The Internet and social media provide incredible opportunities for children to learn, participate and socialize but it also brings significant risks of online abuse and violence. Digital literacy is, therefore, key to ensure that all girls and all boys can stay informed, engaged and safe online,” says Dr Haque.