NEW DELHI: Bahubali-The Conclusion is all set to create ripples at the upcoming Moscow International Film Festival 2017 beginning later this week. This movie has already set the screens on fire in China. Indian cinema will find a special place in the Festival where an Indian Panorama has been has been specially curated to celebrate 70 glorious years of India-Russia friendship. Blockbuster Bahubal-2 will be screened at the Festival. 
It is for the first time in the history of this mega film festival in Russia, that a section is dedicated to Indian cinema showcasing path breaking films from Bollywood. It has been jointly curated by Captain Rahul Bali and Mr. R C Dalal and organised by Indian Film Festival Worldwide with Innovations India & JD Institute of Fashion being the partners.
International Film festivals have become a widespread phenomenon across the globe over the last 50 years as major events that go on to establish the reputation of the cities in which they are organised and the Moscow International Film Festival organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Federation every year is one of the most reputed film festivals in the world.
A symbol of exemplary friendship and bilateral relations between India and Russia, the Indian Panorama will feature some of the finest Indian movies such as Bahubali: The Beginning, Badman, A Death in the Gunj, Bey Yaar, U Turn, Kothanodi and Bahubali: The Conclusion.   Indian cinema is known for songs, dance and bright colours but changes are being made to the iconic brand of cinema and they will be on display at the Festival.  The audience in Russia will have an opportunity to see some great works of creative brilliance by master Indian film makers by way of these iconic Indian movies which will go a long way in strengthening the bonds of friendship between the two countries via cinema
Over the course of the past 20 years, the jury at the Moscow International Film Festival has been headed by leading film personalities with global recognition like Richard Gere, Theo Angelopoulos, Margarethe von Trotta, Alan Parker, Gleb Panfilov, Fred Schepisi, Luc Besson, Geraldine Chaplin, Héctor Babenco, Pavel Lungin, and Mohsen Makhmalbaf to name a few. The program director of the prestigious and globally renowned Moscow International Film Festival is Kirill Razlogov, a culturologist. The selection committee is headed by a Russian film critic Andrei Plakhov while the President of the Moscow International Film Festival is the Oscar Wining Russian legendary director and actor, Nikita Mikhalkov.
Gulshan Grover’s Badman—India’s first mockumentary film be the opening film of the Indian Panorama at the Moscow Festival scheduled to be held between June 22 and 29 at Moscow. Actor Gulshan Grover, S.S.Rajamouli, Shobu Yarlagadda and Abhishek Jain would represent the Indian Film Fraternity amongst a galaxy of film stars from Russia and across the world. 
Indian Film Festival Worldwide (IFFW), a brainchild of Captain Rahul Bali and Mr. R C Dalal, is an organisation devoted towards a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and organises Indian Film Festivals across the globe which give the Indian film fraternity a platform to share their remarkable work and create a dialogue with the concerned communities in the host countries. The IFFW acts as a platform for intellectual exchanges, for discoveries, for resistance and a place that assures the continuation of “auteur” cinema in a manner so as to be a reflection of specific societies and cultures.
“We would be showcasing seven award winning Indian films in six different languages—Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Telugu, Gujarat and Hindi – to mesmerize the world audience with the magic of Indian cinema and spreading the fragrance of India in Moscow,’’ said Captain Rahul Bali and R.C.Dalal, co-curators of the Indian Panorama.                                                               

PARIS: Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Limited(TASL) signed a landmark agreement affirming the companies intent to join hands to produce the F-16 Block 70 fighter jets in India. 
The F-16 Block 70 is ideally suited to meet the Indian Air Force’s single engine fighter needs and this unmatched U.S.-Indian industry partnership directly supports India’s initiative to develop private aerospace and defense manufacturing capacity in India. The agreement comes days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the U.S. later this month during which he will have a meeting with the U.S. President Donald Trump. 
This unprecedented F-16 production partnership between the world’s largest defense contractor and India’s premier industrial house provides India the opportunity to produce, operate and export F-16 Block 70 aircraft, the newest and most advanced version of the world’s most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter.
F-16 production in India supports thousands of Lockheed Martin and F-16 supplier jobs in the U.S., creates new manufacturing jobs in India, and positions Indian industry at the center of the most extensive fighter aircraft supply ecosystem in the world.
“This agreement builds on the already established joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Tata and underscores the relationship and commitment between the two companies,” said N. Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons. 
“Lockheed Martin is honored to partner with Indian defense and aerospace leader Tata Advanced Systems Limited on the F-16 program, said Orlando Carvalho, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. “Our partnership significantly strengthens the F-16 ‘Make in India’ offer, creates and maintains numerous new job opportunities in India and the U.S., and brings the world’s most combat-proven multi-role fighter aircraft to India.”
The Lockheed Martin-TASL F-16 partnering agreement builds on TASL’s proven performance manufacturing airframe components for the C-130J airlifter and the S-92 helicopter.
With more than 4,500 produced and approximately 3,200 operational aircraft worldwide being flown today by 26 countries, the F-16 remains the world’s most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter ever produced. The F-16 Block 70 is the newest and most technologically advancedF-16 ever offered.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company which is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
Tata Advanced Systems Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, focused on providing integrated solutions for Aerospace, Defence and Homeland Security. In a short span of five years, Tata Advanced Systems Limited has become a significant player in the global aerospace market, becoming the premier manufacturing partner for global OEMs, including Boeing, Airbus Group. 

NEW DELHI: H2 Life Foundation which is a not-for-profit organization focused on public policy and advocacy has committed to train 20,000 persons as GST (Goods and Services Tax) Champions, in line with the government’s aim to provide entrepreneurship skills and promote self-employment. These GST Champions will help small businesses file their GST returns.

H2 Life Foundation has developed a comprehensive course in association with Aspire Institute of Professional Studies (ASPIRE). ASPIRE is a private limited company engaged in education and training since 2009.

Spread across three modules – theory of GST, practical training on GST software of a GSTN recognized GSP, and how to make a career in GST filing, the course aims to hone the skills of students and professionals to become ‘trained GST champions’, who will help meet the GST compliance requirements of small businesses.

As promulgated by the Government, GST is one of the major economic reforms, affecting more than two crore taxpayers in the country. It is expected to create employment requirement for more than five lakh computer operators having knowledge of finance-related subjects along with information technology. This is over and above the existing pool of tax preparers and professional firms already engaged in it. People need to be aware of this new taxation system and H2 Life Foundation is committed to create this awareness and improve employability.  

H2 Life Foundation in association with ASPIRE has launched the course across India through authorised learning centres that meet the infrastructure and manpower requirements. The course content has been created with inputs from experts across the industry.

Mr. Vikas Sharma, President, H2 Life Foundation, during the launch of the course in New Delhi said that, “GST is one of the biggest economic reforms since 1991. It will surely impact the economy in a positive way. That’s one reason why people should be well aware and educated about the Act. Therefore, we are running a pan-India project of appointing our learning centres across the nation so that more and more people get aware of GST and are able to tap the opportunity to get a skill-based livelihood’’.

He also said that, “we have set our own milestone to educate more than 20,000 people about GST, GST filing and related procedures”.

H2 Life Foundation and ASPIRE aim to make learners immediately valuable whether as an entrepreneur or in their daily jobs. GST will not only improve the economy by reforming the tax collection system but will also open up myriad employment opportunities given its scale.

NEW DELHI: Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind will be the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Presidential nominee. 
The surprise choice of Mr. Kovind’s name was made on Monday by BJP chief Amit Shah at a news conference here, saying that party’s parliamentary board had finalised his name. 
Calling the BJP-NDA  Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind a farmer’s son, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he will make an exceptional President.        “I am sure Ram Nath Kovind will make an exceptional President & continue to be a strong voice for the poor, downtrodden & marginalised,” Mr Modi tweeted minutes after the formal announcement.         “With his illustrious background in the legal arena, Mr. Kovind’s knowledge and understanding of the Constitution will benefit the nation,” Mr. Modi said in another tweet.    He said that Mr Kovind, who comes from a humble background has devoted his life to public service and worked for poor and marginalised.        Known to keep a low profile, Mr. Kovind is a lawyer by profession and has headed BJP’s Dalit wing and was a Rajya Sabha member for 12 years. He has also been a party spokesperson. He completed his education from Kanpur University in Uttar Pradesh. Though he began his career with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BJP’s ideological mentor, Mr. Kovind is not knows for his hardline views. Extremely soft spoken and gentle, his approach has been to take everyone along. 
Born on October 1, 1945, Mr. Kovind comes from a humble background and his family hails from rural area of Kanpur, a bustling industrial town in North India. 
He was appointed Governor of Bihar three years ago when the Modi government took office in New Delhi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while welcoming his nomination, said that his gubernatorial stint in Patna’s Raj Bhawan has been very cordial. 
Mr. Kovind is scheduled to arrive in the Capital on Monday evening. His Presidential nomination is likely to be filed on June 23. President Pranab Mukherjee’s term ends on July 24 and the Presidential election process will be completed by July 20. 
The main opposition party Congress criticised the manner in which the BJP “unilaterally” announced the candidature of Mr. Kovind. “This kind of unilateral, full-fledged announcement was not expected…The Opposition parties have decided to meet on June 22 for consultations,” senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters here. 
He said after the three-member BJP panel had met the Congress president and other opposition leaders, it was expected that the BJP-led NDA would first discuss the “specific names” with the opposition parties. 
Prime Minister Modi has already spoken to his predecessor Dr. Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha in a bid to evolve a consensus on the name of Mr. Kovind. As the ruling NDA dispensation is comfortably placed, Mr. Kovind’s election as the country’s next President will be a smooth affair. By nominating a Dalit leader as the next tenant of Rashtrapati Bhawan, the BJP hopes to expand its base among lower castes, downtrodden, oppressed and deprived sections of the society.     

Road traffic injuries kill approximately 3,16,000 people each year in the South East Asian Region and are the highest cause of death only after AIDS and TB. Despite comprising only 11 countries, this is 25% of the global total of road traffic deaths.

If the situation doesn’t improve and necessary interventions and actions are not taken, the road injury deaths are predicted to rise from ninth biggest killers in 2015 to seventh biggest in 2030. The South East Asian region has a road traffic death rate of 17.0 per 100 000, compared to the global rate of 17.4. However, within the region there is considerable variation, ranging from 3.5 to 36.2.

Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists make up 50% of road traffic deaths in the region: in some of the regions countries this figure rises to over 80%. The safety needs of these groups must be addressed in order for a decline in the regional deaths to be achieved.

The situation in India is no different. According to the year 2015 police data, 43.7 per cent of the total road crashes were due to over- speeding which caused 60,969 deaths and left 2,12,815 persons injured. As many as 16.6 per 100,000 population die in road accidents.

Earlier this year, the George Institute for Global Health, India conducted a study of 2,200 road accident victims in three hospitals in North India with one of its collaborators Dr Shankar prinja from PGI Chandigarh highlighting the health, social and economci burden of road injuries. The study revealed that 10% of people die post discharge and that more than a third of the families experienced financial distress due to injuries. 

It is the young economically productive age group at the highest risk and it is estimated that the total cost of road injuries is 3% of India’s GDP which is more than our entire health budget. 

According to Dr Patanjali Dev Nayar, Regional Advisor— Disability, Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation, WHO-SEARO, none of the countries in the region have national policies to separate vulnerable road users from high-speed traffic.

“Legislation is a key strategy to improving road user behaviour but most countries in the region could do much more to bring their laws on key risk factors – speed, drink-driving, helmets, seat-belts and child restraints – into line with best practice. Also, enforcement of laws relating to the key behavioural risk factors is weak: strengthening enforcement is critical to realising the potential gains associated with passing strong laws,’’ said Dr Dev Nayar.

Vehicle standards are a critical part of road safety but only 2 countries in the region currently applies any of the 7 priority international vehicle safety standards, while no country applies all 7. Improving infrastructure is an effective mechanism for reducing road traffic injuries. Six countries require road safety audits for new roads, while 4 assess the safety of existing roads, Dr Dev Nayar said adding improving post-crash care can help to reduce road traffic deaths and the severity of injuries.  

The South-east Asia Region comprises a large proportion of global road deaths. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal on road safety – halving the total number of road traffic deaths by 2020 means that the pace of implementation needs to be rapidly accelerated within this region.

Pointing out that humans make mistakes that lead to road crashes, Dr Dev Nayar  said people involved in designing, building, managing and using the road traffic system have a shared responsibility to ensure that road crashes are prevented as much as possible or, when they occur, do not lead to fatal or serious injuries. All parts of the system need to be integrated and strengthened so that the safety effects are multiplied and if one part fails other parts will still protect all the people involved.

Book        :  1965 — Stories From The Second Indo-Pak War.

Author     :  Rachna Bisht Rawat.

Publisher :  Penguin.

Pages        :  190.

Price         :  Rs 299/-

The book “1965 – Stories from the Second Indo-Pak War” by Rachna Bisht Rawat vividly recounts the five major battles fought by the Indian Army. The sheer grittiness, intense hand-to-hand combat and unflinching valour of the officers and men of the Army refreshes one’s memory of the grittiest battles fought at Haji Pir, Asal Uttar, Barki, Dograi and Phillora where the Pakistanis were beaten fair and square. 

Understandably there was a lot of unhappiness that hard won territories had to be returned and the sacrifice of the Indian soldier had been in vain. It is believed that Pakistan was running out of ammunition and had the war continued for a few more days, it would have broken their back. 

In Pakistan too there was lot of disgruntlement as public opinion had been created giving the impression that they were winning the war. 

As the wife of an Army officer, Rachna’s narrative is simple, matter of fact and poignant. Even after the ceasefire was imposed after 21 days of the conflict in which India’s victory was never in doubt, it is widely believed India lost in Tashkent what it had gained during the war. The peace agreement signed on 10 January 1966 between then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and the then Pakistan President Gen Ayub Khan was aimed at normalising relations between the two countries. On the contrary the third Indo-Pak war of 1971 was round the corner. 

At 1.30 AM on 11 January 1966 Shastri died of a heart attack in Tashkent. He was one of those rare Indian Prime Ministers who had boldly told the Indian Army that it could cross the border and attack Pakistan at a place of its own choosing. It was agreed that both sides will pull back their armies to the pre-August position. On the first of September 1965 Pakistan invaded Chamb district of Jammu and Kashmir believing that a peace oriented India would never declare all out war. They were proved wrong. 

The deliberate invasion intended to annexe J and K triggered a 21-day bloody conflict that witnessed one of the biggest tank battles since the Second World War and infantry attacks where 100 per cent casualty was considered acceptable. Ultimately the cold courage of the Indian soldier prevailed over the superior U S weapons that Pakistan had banked on. 

The pitched battles were fought from Kashmir’s Haji Pir pass to the paddy and sugar cane fields of Punjab. Having unprecedented access to Army records and war diaries coupled with extensive interviews with the survivors some of whom were in their eightees five decades after the conflict lends authenticity to the author’s painstaking efforts of providing a first hand account of the conflict in five different and diverse theatres of war.  

On September 20, 1965 the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution calling upon India and Pakistan to implement the ceasefire on 22 September at 7 AM GMT (12 PM IST). The resolution did not satisfy either country. India had set two conditions to the ceasefire: that Pakistan would be declared the aggressor and give an assurance that it would not interfere in Kashmir thereafter. Neither conditions were agreed to. Pakistan too had hoped to defeat India with Chinese support and force plebiscite in Kashmir. This did not happen either. Ceasefire was finally declared between the two countries on 23 September at 3.30 AM (IST) after international pressure intensified. However, skirmishes still went on. 

In his foreword union Defence minister Manohar Parrikar said the endeavour was to commemorate the 1965 Indo-Pakistan conflict. “I hope the book will make you pause and think about the courage and sacrifice of our soldiers who defend our borders and ensure our freedom,” he observed. 

Rachna is candid that mistakes are made even in wars and “I have not tried to hide that. In many cases the bravery of the enemy has been applauded by our own soldiers.” There are incidents where Pakistani Company Commanders have informed India about the bravery of an Indian soldier and vice versa. The author said “she was touched to the core. Soldiers respect bravery, even in the enemy.”  

Around 2 PM on 27 August 1965 Maj Ranjit Singh Dyal gets orders to launch the attack on Haji Pir. What had been planned as a brigade level attack is now being taken on by a single company. This suddenness of the daring assault he leads flusters the enemy and they flee in confusion. By 10 AM on 28 August Haji Pir pass is taken. Maj Dyal’s stories of courage are legendary.  He had the strength of character to stand by what he believed in.  2Lt Dyal was headed for big things in life. He would go on to command his unit, become the Army Commander, then General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, and later the Governor of both Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar. He was one of the country’s first Maha Vir Chakra awardees of the 1965 war when India was still smarting from the reverses of the 1962 Chinese aggression.  

The Indo-Pak war witnessed the largest tank battle in military history between WWII and 1965. Moe than a 1000 tanks on both sides took part in the deadly offensives. One of the most fascinating war trophies of the Battle of Sal Uttar. Battered and abandoned enemy tanks were lined up by the victorious Indian Army. In three days of the war 75 Pakistani tanks were destroyed or abandoned. These included the entire tank fleet of Pakistan’s 4 Cavalry, whose commanding officer, twelve officers and several soldiers of other ranks surrendered on the morning of 11 September. Lt Col H R Janu of 4 Grenadiers says he had counted as may as 103 tanks after the battle. This area was referred to as the Patton Tank graveyard. Subsequently named Patton Nagar it served as a unique memorial to all those who fought and fell at Asal Uttar or survived the ordeal of that battlefield. 

Then there are others whose individual acts of valour coupled with leadership on the battlefield unmindful of the injuries suffered by them inspired others to bash on regardless and silence the enemy. Being just out of school in 1964-65 one was overawed by the Army and the raw courage of these soldiers. Newspapers were flooded with the narration of their heroism despite their life hanging by a thread. 

Their supreme sacrifice coupled with the prestige of their regiments soared to new heights. It encompassed the valour of so many including Company Quarter Master, Havidar Abdul Hamid, awarded the PVC posthumously. During the capture of Phillora a splinter cut through Lt Col Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore’s arm leaving a gaping wound. He refused to be evacuated insisting saying its just a scratch. Besides he still has to oversee the attack on Chawinda. In this battle his tank was hit several times. Inspired by his leadership his regiment fiercely attacks and destroys as many as 60 tanks. He was also awarded the PVC posthumously. 

The furious action at Dograi had its own moments of anxiousness before achieving victory. There were several heroes including Lt Col Desmond Eugene Hayes who only made two demands from his men who were the Jats. The First is “Ek Bhi aadmi peche nahi hatega” and the second was “Zinda ya murda Dograi mein milna hai.” A must read book which also underlines the need to remember the simple women who lost their husband on the battlefield thereby “losing their today for our tomorrow.”

NEW DELHI: Parsis are among the smallest ethno-religious minority in India. Now a new genetic study has confirmed that members of this community indeed migrated to India from ancient Persia, which is present day Iran.

The study involved analysis of genetic data of Parsis in India and Pakistan as well as biological remains of members of the community excavated from Sanjan in Gujarat which had early settlements of Parsis in India.

The results have shown that Parsis are genetically closer to ancient Neolithic Iranians, followed by present day Middle Eastern populations (Iranian and Caucasian). This provides evidence of sex-specific admixture and prevailing female gene flow from South Asians to the Parsis, according to results of the study published in journal Genome Biology on Wednesday. The international team of scientists was led by Dr Kumarasamy Thangaraj from Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and scientists from India, Estonia, United Kingdom and Pakistan.

“We have done extensive analysis using mitochondrial, Y chromosomal and autosomal DNA markers to trace the origin of the Parsi population of the Indian subcontinent and found that they have genetically admixed with the Indian population about 1200 years ago, suggesting that the first Zoroastrian might have arrived India about the same time period,” explained Dr Kumarasamy Thangaraj.

The results are consistent with the suggested migration of the Parsi populations to South Asia 8 to 10 centuries ago and in agreement with their assimilation with the local South Asian population. It also shows that Parsis of both India and Pakistan come from the same original group who landed in Sanjan.

“This is the first successful ancient DNA study from India which has analysed maternal DNA composition of ancient remains excavated in Sanjan. Interestingly, 48% South Asian indigenous lineages among the ancient Parsi samples was observed, which is likely due to assimilation of local females during the initial settlement,” pointed out Dr. Gyaneshwer Chaubey, first author and a senior researcher at the Estonian Biocentre, Tartu, Estonia.

Historical evidence shows that Parsis – whose present population is just about 57,000 individuals – trace their origins to Persia. Their fertility and mortality rates have steadily declined over the past century, thus making them vulnerable to possible extinction.

Besides reconstructing population history of Parsis, the study also shows a major impact of population rearrangements in West Asia due to Islamic conquest, felt Dr. Veena Mushrif-Tripathy, one of the authors and a bioanthropologist at Deccan College, Pune. (India Science Wire)

Conservative Party leaders appear to be jinxed when it comes to gambling. First, British Prime Minister David Cameron lost the referendum on Brexit and now his successor Theresa May failed to win more seats than before. She lost out on securing a decisive mandate which would have strengthened her hands. 
The gamble misfired and the Conservative party lost a dozen seats finishing with a tally of 318. Their rival with Jeremy Corbyn in the vanguard of the Labour party ended with 262 seats and about 40 per cent of the vote share. 
It is believed May’s image as a tough leader may have contributed to her misreading the public mood. Unlike France just across the Channel which catapulted an untested En Marche to power, Britain continues to have faith in the two traditional parties vying for power securing more than 80 per cent of the votes. 
Inexorably Brexit was at the centre of it all. On the other hand the Liberal Democrats demanding a new referendum, had to remain content with a conspicuously low vote count. There is no doubt that domestic factors as much as Brexit influenced the elections in Britain. 
May finds herself on shaky ground having reached a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party for her government’s survival. Impartial observers insist that May will have to think afresh on Brexit and domestic policy. 
In the immediate aftermath of the results, the Labour Party and in particularly Corbyn has been baying for May’s resignation. She has refused to oblige him and is determined to take the country forward. However, the challenge of providing her majority on the floor of the House of Commons remains after the Queens address at the beginning of next week on June 19. 
May has the option of accepting support from the ten-member Northern Ireland Unionists which is bound to entail a price which she might not be able to reject. The Scottish National Party will seek to extract an even bigger price which is unlikely to be acceptable to the Conservatives. For the same reason, Liberal Democrats may also be unacceptable even if they offer support as they are part of the unstable arrangement. 
If May fails to muster the numbers, the Queen could even invite Jeremy Corbyn to try and muster a majority. Amid all this there are the impending negotiations with the European Union for an exit that is not damaging or hurtful to Britain. 
On her part May had sought during her campaigning a strong verdict in her party’s favour failing which she apprehended the Brexit outcome could be gloomy. Considering the fractured mandate that the Conservative party has got, the negotiators have an unenviable task on their hands. 
At the same time there can be more upheaval with the talk of another election before the end of this year. Even as there is uncertainty about the Brexit talks beginning on schedule, the EU has warned Britain facing the risk of a “no deal” if talks are delayed. It has set a two year deadline to get over with Brexit so that it can get on with other business. 
The anti-UK mood in Europe has spiralled on account of May accusing the EU leadership of conspiring against Britain. Needless to say all EU members have closed ranks. 
British commentators feel while the EU is united about its negotiating strategy, May has little idea of what Britain wants, let alone how to achieve it. That is where the problem is.

Alarm bells are ringing for the Centre and state governments with farmers on the warpath in different parts of the country. Left with no option they are committing suicide being unable to repay the bank loan and in a considerable number of cases find themselves at the mercy of the money lending sharks. 
A loan waiver is nothing short of buying temporary peace as evidenced in Maharashtra. That cannot be said about Madhya Pradesh where chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sat on an indefinite satyagraha only to end it abruptly after 28 hours. This was after the firing in Mandsaur in which five farmers were killed in police firing. 
Chouhan’s image as being dedicated to the cause of farmers has suffered a grievous blow. The states with little manoeuvering space were left with no option but to announce loan waivers. They will find it difficult to bear this heavy burden on their own. 
It assumes importance with the Union Finance minister Arun Jaitley announcing that the Centre is unlikely to bail out the states going in for loan waiver. In Maharashtra the amount is no less than Rs 1.35 lakh crore.  What has compounded the problem are the low prices of the commodities well below not only the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the government but even less than seasonal rates. 
One of the follies of the political leadership is to look at short term gains rather than taking an overall view after a proper assessment of the prevailing situation and working in a determined manner for sustained and multi-pronged development on the agriculture front. 
The problems of farmers is manifold encompassing vast tracts of land that are drought prone, rainfed and areas affected by floods along with the lack of direly required irrigation facilities. 
There are several other aspects pertaining to the problems faced by the poor and marginal farmer. It has been suggested that farmers be given a one-year break on debt servicing. 
Most importantly the government must pursue long term solutions which has been the bane of the political leadership all along. For many yars the MSP has been dropping below the annual inflation and in real terms the farmer is being paid less and less for his produce. This is in addition to their family size growing coupled with shrinking land-holdings.  
Another disturbing aspect is that the MSP is used as much as a monetary policy tool as an agricultural policy intervention. It is often used to keep inflation in check and loan waivers have become a political compulsion. As evidenced in the past, short term political expediency must give way to long term solutions to problems in the farming sector. 
While loan waivers yield political dividend, it causes systemic changes to the farm credit market and does nothing to end the debt trap five years hence. The rural economy and the agricultural sector in particular have been in distress for quite some time now. 
The distress started three years back worsened with two back-to-back droughts in 2014 and 2015. It was also due to declining farm gate prices of a majority of crops since 2014. It has become imperative for the Centre and the states to rework their agricultural policies taking advantage of the technology available. 
The community of unhappy farmers is a cause for worry among politicians. The government cannot waste any more time in creating the necessary infrastructure linking farmers to urban centres. The farm economy is inexorably linked with the rest of the country. 
The government has to invest in irrigation, transport, storage facilities, R&D and environmental regulation allowing markets to function backed by insurance along with boosting productivity.
Meanwhile, BJP president Amit Shah is travelling to Maharashtra to assess first hand the distress to farmers and the magnitude of the problem. Meanwhile, farmers in Haryana are also demanding farm waiver in the wake of a disastrous potato crop.
In all this the question is can the Modi government ignore the signs of an economic slowdown! On its part the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the trade union wing of the RSS, emphasised that the government needs to focus on creating jobs in the small and micro sectors.  

Bhutan and Maldives have eliminated measles, a highly infectious disease that is a major childhood killer globally. Measles kills 46,000 children every year in India.
The two countries—Bhutan and Maldives– have become the first in WHO South-East Asia Region (SEARO) to be verified for having interrupted endemic measles virus transmission, ahead of the 2020 Regional target.
“Bhutan and Maldives have demonstrated how a highly contagious virus like measles can be eliminated. WHO commends them for this momentous public health achievement,” Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia, said, announcing the findings and conclusions of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Verification Commission  for Measles Elimination and Rubella control.
“The strongest political commitment, alongside the concerted efforts of health workers, officials and partners at all levels, has helped achieve this landmark success, which is a boost to the Region’s effort to eliminate measles and control rubella,’’ Dr Khetrapal said. 
Bhutan and Maldives launched their Expanded Program on Immunization in 1979 and 1976 respectively, and since then worked indefatigably to increase access to immunization services.
India launched its Measles-Rubella vaccine in February this year. The vaccine is given to children in the age group of 9 months to 15 years. 
Maldives has not reported any case of indigenous measles since 2009, and Bhutan since 2012. To fortify their progress, both countries have been carrying out mass vaccination campaigns with measles and rubella vaccine covering high-risk populations.
“While endemic measles virus transmission has been interrupted, both Bhutan and Maldives continue to be at risk of measles virus importation. Hence, both countries must continue efforts against measles and rubella and protect high-risk populations to effectively deal with any importations,” Dr Khetrapal Singh warned.
An estimated 620 000 measles deaths have been averted in 2016 alone following vaccination carried out by Member countries. Nearly 107 million children have been reached with an additional dose of measles vaccine through mass vaccination between 2013 and 2016.
All countries have introduced two doses of measles containing vaccine and have been making focused efforts and progress against measles and rubella.  All countries are conducting case-based surveillance for measles and rubella, and Regional surveillance standards have been revised to meet elimination standards. The measles laboratory network has been expanded from 23 laboratories in 2013 to 39 WHO accredited laboratories in 2016, a WHO statement said.
The measles elimination and rubella control strategy in WHO South-East Asia Region is based on four key approaches – achieving and maintaining at least 95% vaccination coverage with two doses of measles and rubella vaccine through routine and supplementary immunization; developing and sustaining a sensitive case based surveillance that meets recommended performance indicators; developing and maintaining an accredited measles and rubella laboratory network; and  strengthening support and linkages for these strategies.