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The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras has been graded as the top most institute for engineering, the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore as the best university, the Indian Institute of Management – again at Bangalore – ranked as the leader in management studies and the Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences as the leading institute for pharma studies by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) announced by the government. The National Institutional Ranking Framework, created by the Ministry of Human Resources Development in 2015, outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country. The parameters used for ranking broadly cover “Teaching, Learning and Resources,” “Research and Professional Practices,” “Graduation Outcomes,” “Outreach and Inclusivity,” and “Perception” under 22 parameters.

Interestingly, the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi has been ranked as the third best and the Hyderabad University as the fourth best universities respectively. While the JNU was lately in the news for anti-India sloganeering which resulted in a filing of sedition case against the JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, the Hyderbad University also saw trouble following the suicide of a Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula. The Institute of Chemical Technology at Mumbai is the second best publicly-funded University in country scoring 87.58 points as against the IISc which has scored 91.85 points.“The top rank is a reflection of the commitment of the faculty, staff and students of IIT Madras towards fulfilling the objectives of the Strategic Plan 2020 that we have set for ourselves”, said Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras soon after the rankings were announced by the Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani.

The IIT Madras Strategic Plan spells out quantified targets for all key pillars of the Institute. These include a flexible curriculum suited to the aspirations of today’s youth, high quality faculty, a thriving research programme with a critical mass of research scholars and laboratories with the latest equipment, India’s strongest industry-academia collaboration epitomized by the country’s first university-based Research Park, an effervescent start-up ecosystem with nearly a hundred companies being currently incubated, a rapidly expanding programme of collaborations and student exchanges with leading global universities, and an enviable Placement record. In addition, the Institute prides itself in its outreach to the community at large. The Institute takes up a large number of projects and activities in the country where it brings to bear its core strengths in order to address various technical challenges. It has developed key technologies to address grand challenges faced by the country in water, energy, healthcare, housing, and the like. The Institute’s alumni play an active role in helping the Institute grow, as well as in its outreach to the community. Alumni and well-wishers are making record contributions to the Institute to help it retain its position as a top educational and research institution and enhance its global standing.

The top five slots in engineering studies have been grabbed by the Indian Institutes of Technology with IIT-Madras being followed closely by IIT-Bombay, IIT-Kharagpur , IIT-Delhi and IIT-Kanpur. Among the newly IITs or the Rising Star category, IIT-Rooorkee stands sixth in the list of 25 best engineering colleges. Among the business schools, IIM Bangalore is followed by IIMs at Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Lucknow and Udaipur. The business school at Udaipur was started in 2010 and has done extremely well for itself by scoring 84.23 points. In the pharmacy studies, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Studies is followed by University Institute of Pharmaceutical Studies at Chandigarh, Jamia Hamdard in New Delhi, Poona College of Pharmacy in Pune and Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University at Ahmedabad. Participation in the ranking was purely voluntary and those institutions with an intake of less than 200 students and involved only in teaching without an research were not considered.”

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India and Saudi Arabia have rejected totally any attempt to link the menace of extremism and terrorism that threatens all nations and societies to any particular race, religion or culture. Acknowledging and commending their strong bilateral security cooperation, the Saudi King and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism operations, intelligence sharing and capacity-building. Significantly, the two leaders expressed strong condemnation of the phenomenon of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, irrespective of who the perpetrators were and of their motivations, according to a joint statement issued in Riyadh at the end of delegation level talks on Sunday, the second and last day of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia. Mr. Modi also met the representatives of the three million strong Indian community in Riyadh and visited the all-women TCS IT Centre in the city.

India and Saudi Arabia called on all states to reject the use of terrorism against other countries; dismantle terrorism infrastructures where they happen to exist and to cut off any kind of support and financing to the terrorists operating and perpetrating terrorism from their territories against other states; and bring perpetrators of acts of terrorism to justice. Out of 37 points in the joint statement, five were devoted to terrorism and security matters. The similarity in the views of India and Saudi Arabia came after Prime Minister Modi made a strong pitch in Washington for a united, global response to tackle terrorism as terrorists were no longer hiding in caves but had become tech-savy and urbane. This is second high level visit from the Indian side to Saudi Arabia in the last six years. The then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had visited the oil-rich Kingdom in 2010. Saudi Arabia is also the fourth largest trading partner of India. The Kingdom is planning to set up world’s largest sovereign wealth fund of about $ Two trillion and India is keen to get a substantial investment.

The joint statement said that the two leaders agreed to further strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism, both at the bilateral level and within the multilateral system of the UN. The two leaders called upon the international community to strengthen multilateral regimes to effectively address the challenges posed by terrorism. India and Saudi Arabia also agreed to work together towards the adoption of India’s proposed Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations. Mr. Modi lauded Kingdom’s efforts at fighting terrorism in all its aspects and its active participation in international efforts towards this end. The Indian side was briefed on the Kingdom’s initiative in bringing together Islamic Alliance against terrorism, the joint statement said. The two countries also agreed to strengthen cooperation in law enforcement, anti-money laundering, drug-trafficking and other transnational crimes. They welcomed the signing of an MOU on cooperation in exchange of intelligence related to money laundering, related crimes and terrorism financing. The two sides further agreed to take action against illegal transfer of money.

Both leaders agreed to promote cooperation in cyber security, including prevention of use of cyber space for terrorism, radicalization and for disturbing social harmony. The two leaders directed their relevant agencies to coordinate efforts to counter radicalization and misuse of religion by groups and countries for inciting hatred, perpetrating and justifying terrorism for pursuing political aims. They welcomed exchanges and dialogue between religious scholars and intellectuals of both countries and the organization of conferences and seminars to promote values of peace, tolerance, inclusiveness and welfare, inherent in all religions.

Historical ties, people-to-people contacts

King Salman received Prime Minister Modi at the Royal Court and they held wide ranging discussions and exchanged views on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest. The two leaders underlined the close and friendly bilateral ties, deep-rooted in shared history and sustained and nourished through growing economic partnership, multi-faceted cooperation and vibrant people to people contacts. They recognized the close inter-linkage of the stability and security of the Gulf region and the Indian sub-continent and the need for maintaining a secure and peaceful environment for the development of the countries of the region. The two leaders expressed appreciation for the successful transformation of bilateral relationship in political, economic, security, defence, manpower and people to people exchanges, in recent years, which have enriched bilateral ties. They expressed satisfaction at the regular exchange of high-level visits between the two countries, underlining that the Delhi Declaration (2006) and the Riyadh Declaration (2010) elevated the mutually beneficial bilateral relations to the level of ‘Strategic Partnership’.

The two leaders agreed upon the need to intensify bilateral defence cooperation, through exchange of visits by military personnel and experts, conduct of joint military exercises, exchange of visits of ships and aircrafts and supply of arms and ammunition and their joint development. They also welcomed the decision for convening of the second meeting of Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation in Riyadh to follow up on the visit of Prime Minister Modi.

Trade & Investment

Both leaders appreciated the bilateral institutional mechanisms in the field of trade & investment, energy, defence and manpower. Acknowledging the on-going positive transformation of the economies of India and Saudi Arabia, the two leaders emphasized the importance of expanding trade and investment ties to drive the strategic engagement forward. King Salman Bin Abdulaziz  commended Prime Minister Modi’s initiatives of “”Start Up India””, “”Make in India””, “”Smart City”, and “”Clean India”, noting their strong potential to provide Indian economy a positive thrust for growth. The Indian side highlighted the key initiatives taken by the government to improve the ease of doing business in the country and India’s key efforts to simplify and rationalize existing rules and relax the foreign direct investment norms in key areas, including railways, defence and insurance. Inviting Saudi Arabia to be a partner in India’s growth story, Prime Minister Modi encouraged Saudi Aramco, SABIC and other Saudi companies to invest in the infrastructure sector in India and to participate in projects creating mega industrial manufacturing corridors, smart cities as well as the Digital India and Start up India programmes. The Saudi side expressed its interest in investing in infrastructure development in India, especially in priority areas such as railways, roads, ports, and shipping.

The two leaders agreed to transform the buyer-seller relationship in the energy-sector to one of deeper partnership focusing on investment and joint ventures in petrochemical complexes, and cooperation in joint exploration in India, Saudi Arabia and in third countries. The two leaders discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest, including the security situation in West Asia, Middle East and South Asia, in the light of their common interest in the regional and global peace, security and stability. During their discussions on regional issues, the two sides emphasized the importance of the principle of good neighbourliness, non-interference in internal affairs, respect of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolution of dispute through peaceful means. The two sides expressed their hope for achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and the resolutions of international legitimacy, in a way that guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of their independent, united and viable state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Prime Minister Modi invited the King to pay an official visit to India at mutually convenient time, which was gladly accepted.”

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Close to 8 per cent – 7.8 per cent to be precise – of the total Indian population has diabetes and over 21 per cent people are overweight, which is a major risk factor for diabetes. In India, there were 11.9 million diabetic people in 1980 and this number has now gone up to 64.5 million in 2014. Diabetes also results in 2 per cent of the total deaths. Prevalence of diabetes among men in India has gone up from 3.7 per cent to 9.1 and that of women has increased from 4.6 per cent to 8.6 per cent. While as of now, percentage of men and women suffering from diabetes is almost equal, more women showed risk factors leading to diabetes than men. If 19 per cent men were overweight, the percentage of such women was 23.9 per cent, 3.1 per cent men were obese, the percentage of women was 6.5 per cent; and the percentage of men who were physically inactive was 9.2 per cent but the percentage was much higher in women – 15.1 per cent. In simple terms, women with a high risk factor were more likely to develop diabetes in the future if preventive measures were not taken.

According to the first WHO Global Report on Diabetes, released to mark the world Health Day, the number of adults living with diabetes has gone up four times globally since 1980 from 108 million to 422 million in 2014 accounting for more than 8.5 per cent of the population. This means one in every 11 persons is diabetic. Risk factors like overweight and obesity, too, had shown a dramatic increase. Diabetes caused 1.5 million deaths globally in 2012. High sugar levels can also cause heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and lower limb amputation. Diabetes is a chronic, progressive NCD characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose (blood sugar). It occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough of the insulin hormone, which regulates blood sugar, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

There are three main forms of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. The cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown and people living with it require daily insulin administration for survival. Type 2 accounts for the vast majority of people living with diabetes globally, and is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity. Once seen only in adults, type 2 diabetes is now increasingly occurring in children and young people. Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that occurs in pregnancy and carries long-term risk of type 2 diabetes. It is present when blood glucose values are above normal but still below those diagnostic of diabetes.

Diabetes, known as the silent killer, can be prevented by expanding health-promoting environments to reduce diabetes risk factor like physical inactivity and unhealthy diets, and strengthening national capacities to help people with diabetes receive the treatment and care they need to manage their conditions. “If we are to make any headway in halting the rise in diabetes, we need to rethink our daily lives: to eat, be physically active, and avoid excessive weight gain,’’ says Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director General. “Even in the poorest setting s, governments must ensure that people are able to make these healthy choices and that health systems are able to diagnose and treat people with diabetes,’’ she has said.

“Diabetes rarely makes headlines, and yet it will be the world’s seventh largest killer by 2030 unless intense and focused efforts are made by governments, communities and individuals,” Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said. “Diabetes is of particular concern in the Region. More than one out of every four of the 3.7 million diabetes-related deaths globally occur in the Region, while its prevalence exacerbates difficulties in the control of major infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. Almost half of the 96 million people suffering the disease don’t know they have it. If diabetes prevalence continues to rise, the personal, social and economic consequences will deepen,” she said. According to the WHO, governments must regulate the marketing of food to children, and insist on accurate food labeling to help consumers make decisions that can help them avoid diabetes. Taxing sugary beverages and re-investing the revenue in health promotion activities is an evidence-based intervention that makes real change. Dr Khetrapal Singh said that governments must also increase access to health care and promote educational campaigns regarding self-management and control, as well as making treatment less costly. Diabetes can be managed successfully.”

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The effects of harmful Ultra Violet Radiation on the health of skin and eyes have been well documented and much talked about in recent years. However, researchers today have identified that ultra violet light is not the only harmful component of light when it comes to visual health. The Blue Violet spectrum of visible light is another component that has the potential to cause damage to retinal cells of the eyes. In fact, researchers have coined a new term to describe the danger this light spectrum presents to critical structures within the eye. They call it “blue light hazard”.

Interestingly, blue violet light (wavelengths between 380 and 500 nm) is not just emitted by the sun but also by artificial sources of light such as LEDs, CFLs, and digital devices such as computers and smartphones. Given the increased usage of new age lighting devices and an increasingly ubiquitous existence of smartphones and computers, what we are witnessing today is a much higher exposure to blue violet light than say five years back.

This development has prompted a new wave of research and studies in the field of ophthalmology as well as ophthalmologic optics. But before moving on to that let’s understand with greater precision the effects of blue violet light on the structures within the eyes.

What is Blue Light?

The small spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation which our human eyes are capable of perceiving is termed ‘visible light’. A human eye typically responds to wavelengths between 390 to 700 nm (nano metre). This entire visible spectrum can further be divided into different bands which includes blue, green and red lights. Blue light has a wavelength of between 380 nm and 500 nm, making it one of the shortest, highest-energy wavelengths. While this range of visible light spectrum plays a generally beneficial role on health, in particular by regulating the internal biological clock, a small but specific section of this band has been found to cause damage to retinal cells.

Because they have shorter wavelengths and higher frequency and higher energy, blue light waves create flickering and glaring effect on the eyes. This is perhaps why prolonged exposure to computers, television and smartphones causes strain to the eyes, headaches or fatigue. Researchers believe that prolonged exposure to blue light may cause retinal damage and contribute to age-related macular degeneration, which can further lead to loss of vision. In most cases, this photochemical damage accumulates over a lifetime.

Where is Blue Light?

Well, it is everywhere! While sun is the main source of blue light emission, it is certainly not the only source. Today, we are literally surrounded by sources of blue light and therefore continuously exposed to it.

While solar radiation is considered to have 25% to 30% blue light, the modern, energy efficient light sources such as CFLs and LEDs emit significantly higher amount of harmful blue light (roughly 26% of the light from CFLs is blue while an estimated 35% of light emitted by LEDs lies in the blue portion). On the contrary, the conventional, incandescent lamps which were widely used till a few years back, were noticed to emit very little blue light.

Besides, our eyes hardly stops working in front of digital screens today. The digital screen technology has evolved radically over the years, and many of today’s electronic devices use LED back-light technology. Computers, cell phones, flat-screen televisions and tabs are just among a few of the devices that use this technology. With their wide-spread use, not only has our cumulative exposure to blue light increased, but the duration of exposure is also radically higher today.

What are the Solutions & Preventive Mechanisms?

The natural filters of the human eye do not provide sufficient protection against blue light. Therefore, any preventive mechanism has to start with greater awareness and attempts to reduce exposure of harmful blue light. Researchers have also been off late working on mechanisms to help selectively filter the harmful wavelengths of blue light while transmitting the beneficial ones.

Protecting Your Vision

Limiting the amount of screen time is very important for the generation that lives by digital devices. While one cannot do away with the requirements of work, we can certainly reduce the leisure time spent on digital devices. Reducing time spent on chatting and surfing the Internet can be helpful in reducing eye strain, headaches and digital mental fatigue.

Using screens and digital devices in a correct posture is also important. Make sure the screen causes minimal glare, reduce brightness and surrounding lights and make sure the screen is always right ahead of your face to ensure least strain on the eyes.

Wearing protective eye wears in front of digital screens has emerged as the most viable preventive option in the face of increasing prevalence and exposure to blue light radiation. Studies have also showed that wearing protective lenses with blue light filters helps reduce symptoms of eye strain and fatigue

The writer is Consultant Eye Surgeon, Paras Hospitals.“

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Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu has given an assurance that the real estate regulatory authorities will be set up in each state within the target period of one year. The Real Estate Bill, passed by Parliament, has laid down this commitment but it is for the Central and state governments to ensure that this target is actually met. According to Mr. Naidu, the process of formulating rules and guidelines under the new Act has already begun and these should be finalised within three months. After these are laid down, he is confident of achieving the target of setting up real estate regulators in each state even before the scheduled time frame of one year.

In an interaction with journalists in the Capital, he pointed out that this was a rare case of cooperation between the Opposition and the ruling party to ensure that this critical Bill was passed in both Houses of Parliament without any hurdles. It is expected to bring great relief to people who want a roof over their heads and are left to deal with rapacious real estate developers.

Consumers Face Hardships

Lakhs of buyers have been left in the lurch by companies that have stopped construction midway for some reason or the other. Many consumers have used their life’s savings to pay for property but have to continue staying in rented accommodation as the project is delayed for years on end. Given this dismal backdrop, it is no wonder that even the Opposition relented to allow the passage of the Real Estate Regulator (Regulation and Development) Bill in the Rajya Sabha. With its passage in the Lok Sabha, it now has to be ratified by state governments. The new legislation is certainly not perfect. It actually has provisions for sending buyers to prison for non compliance with the regulator’s orders. This is a provision which needs to be reviewed as it is usually the developer who creates problems for the buyer rather than the reverse.

The new legislation comes to the rescue of home buyers for whom the only recourse till now has been to file a case in court which could take decades for a final decision. They can now go to the regulatory authorities to be set up under the new law which is meant to tackle the unscrupulous real estate developers and brokers who have been defrauding consumers. The builders’ lobby has naturally been opposing the legislation.  It argues that it only penalises them for delays and not state agencies that delay approvals for projects. The fact is that prolonged delays of five to 12 years are rarely due to clearances by government agencies. Poor construction quality and delay in handing over possession are other major problems for home buyers.

Salient Features

Among the big reforms in the bill is the elimination of the concept of “super built up area” instead of “carpet area” to compute the size of a property. In the past, the area of a property was always based on carpet area or the actual usable area of the  apartment. Over the past decade, developers began using the term “super built up” to quote prices which would include common areas like lobbies, staircases, lifts and shafts in an apartment complex. This is not a concept used globally and real estate experts and activists have clearly described this as an unethical practice.

Under the new law, builders will have to quote prices based on the carpet area, thus relieving buyers of this extra burden. According to one estimate, builder’s profits rise by as much as 15 per cent by adopting the concept of super built up area. This does not mean that developers cannot charge for common areas in complexes. But such fees will have to be levied separately, making it a more transparent transaction for the buyer.

Probably, the most crucial element in the new law is the creation of a regulatory body for the real estate sector. In the absence of a regulator, it has been possible for builders to go ahead without any restraints in finalising contracts with buyers. The regulatory agencies are supposed to be set up by each state within the next one year as the bill has now been passed in Parliament. This is expected to act as a major deterrent for fly by night real estate operators who have caused tremendous harassment to genuine buyers.

The bill also addresses the issue of funds being diverted from one project to another. This had led to a situation in which buyers who had taken huge loans and given money upfront for flats were suddenly told there are no funds to complete the project.The new law stipulates that 70 per cent of the funds collected for a project will have to be kept in a separate account meant only for this purpose. All projects with homes of 500 square meters and above will also have to be registered with the regulator. The established real estate developers should not have any problem in meeting the requirements laid down by the regulators.

As for the time frames for construction, the bill only stipulates that developers must meet their own schedules. No fixed schedule has been laid down in the bill for completing construction. But if a builder makes a commitment to complete a project within three or five years, then the homes will have to be handed over by the target date. Otherwise the developer faces high penalties.

The expectation is that more buyers will come forward to buy property now that there is a surety that investments in this sector are safe and secure. Higher demand should in turn bring about greater investments in the housing industry and more availability of housing stock should bring about a reduction in prices. Even foreign direct investment in the construction sector is expected to rise as the new law will bring about greater transparency in an area of the economy that has been known to operate on black money and speculative transactions. With real estate accounting for as much as 9 per cent of GDP, this should also spur economic growth in a sector with high employment potential.”

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The elite Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have more than doubled the annual fee for undergraduate students from the upcoming academic session. The annual fee will now be Rs 2 lakh instead of the present Rs 90,000. However, students from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and differently-abled will get complete fee waiver while the most economically backward students whose family income is less than Rs 1 lakh per annum will also get full remission of the fee.

Announcing this the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry said the report of the Committee on funding of IITs and the recommendations of Standing Committee of IIT Council (SCIC) for revision of annual fee in IITs to Rs.3 lakh per year from the current Rs.90000 had been examined but instead it was decided to hike the fee to Rs 2 lakh. The other economically backward students whose family income is between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per annum will get remission of two-third of the fee, and all students will have access to interest free loan under the `Vidya Lakshmi Scheme’ for the total portion of the tuition fee payable.

The rationale for the SCIC recommendation arises from the fact that the cost of maintenance of the IITs is to be met largely from the student fee. On an average, the Government is spending about Rs 6 lakh per year on each student in the IITs, an official spokesperson of the Ministry said. Further, all IITs have been asked to use the increased student fee for infrastructure development with the assistance of funds from the Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) so that the increased fee directly translates into better infrastructure for the students. The Ministry also notified the changes in the JEE examination pattern for 2017. It was decided that the performance of the students in the Class 12 Class Examination shall be a crucial parameter for determining the eligibility of the students for JEE examination. For all candidates to qualify in the JEE Examination, they shall have to secure at least 75 per cent marks or be in the top 20 percentile in the 12th Class Examination conducted by respective Boards. For SC/ST students, this condition has been relaxed to 65 per cent.

The present system of giving 40 per cent weightage for the 12th Class marks in calculating the ranks in the JEE Main shall be dispensed with. All other JEE Examination systems shall remain unchanged. These recommendations were made in the Ashok Misra Committee and are based on public feedback. Meanwhile, students of the IIT at Guwahati have demanded the government to roll back the fee hike from the next academic session. `Already the fee is high and now doubling it will impact the entire family,’’ the students said.”

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Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Kate Middleton will begin their maiden visit to India on April 10 when they arrive in Mumbai. The British Royal Couple is also slated to visit Kaziranga National Park in Assam as well as the Taj Mahal. They will also visit the Himalayan Kingdom Bhutan and return to New Delhi for wrapping up their visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would host a lunch for Prince William and Kate Middleton, the External Affairs Ministry said.

“”We look forward to welcome Duke and Duchess on their first visit to India, next week. In New Delhi, they are scheduled to lay a wreath at India Gate and visit Gandhi Smriti. Prime Minister Modi will host a lunch for them on April 12,”” MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

“”Engagement with the British Royal Family has been an integral component of India-UK relations. When Prime Minister Modi had visited UK in November last, he had been invited for lunch by the Queen,” he said.

The spokesperson said the coming visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is reflective of the continued high level engagement between India and U.K. On Sunday, New Delhi will have another dignitary paying visit to the country. The Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, accompanied by Foreign Minister and Fisheries Minister and three MPs, will be visiting India on April 10 and 11. India and Maldives had commemorated 50 years of diplomatic relations last year and the Maldivian President was also invited for the swearing in ceremony of the Modi government in May last year. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Maldives in November 2014 and October last year for the India-Maldives joint commission meeting which was held after a long gap.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is also slated to travel to Moscow for the 14th meeting of the Russia-India-China foreign ministers on April 18.”

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Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on Thursday said that in his view the “”peace process with India has been suspended”” as there is no meeting scheduled between the two Foreign Secretaries yet. He was responding to a question over the status of the peace process between India and Pakistan. “”I think at present it is suspended, so let’s see if we are able to commence the dialogue process,” he said at a programme at the Foreign Correspondents Club in the Capital. To another question on whether India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) would be permitted to visit Pakistan, the High Commissioner said that “”the whole investigation is not about reciprocity in view but more about extending cooperation.””

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that the visit of Pakistan’s Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe Pathankot Air Base terror attack took place in a cooperative approach. Answering a query at his weekly briefing, the spokesperson said that India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) would also like to visit Pakistan. Earlier, in his opening statement, Mr. Basit stated that Pakistan wants to have a normal and peaceful relationship with India, He raked up once again the issue of Jammu & Kashmir, reiterating that its “”fair and just resolution, as per the aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir, is imperative.”” He said that there was no short cut to achieving a lasting peace and added that both the neighbours need to engage uninterruptedly, comprehensively, and meaningfully.

Mr. Basit termed the Jammu & Kashmir dispute as being at the “”root cause of mutual distrust and other bilateral issues””, adding that attempts to put it on the backburner will be counterproductive. Referring to the recent arrest of Kulbhushan Yadav in Pakistan, he claimed that it corroborated what Pakistan has been saying all along. “”We all are aware of those who seek to create unrest in Pakistan and destabilize the country,”” India has denied any link of the arrest with the R&AW, its external intelligence agency, which the Pakistan has been alleging was behind bids to foment trouble in Balochistan. India has demanded consulr access to Kulbhushan Yadav to which the Pakistan has not responded in the past two weeks.

Mr. Basit also claimed that in the last one month, Pak authorities have arrested scores of terror operatives with foreign linkages. He said the presence of such elements was “”quite disturbing.”” He said that the Zarb-e-Azb operation against terrorism and militancy in Pakistan was yielding good results. The High Commissioner said that Pakistani economy was also showing signs of recovery and macro-economic indicators were encouraging. “”There is special emphasis on infrastructure development and energy projects. With growing foreign investments the overall economic situation is steadily improving,”” he added.

“”Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly believes in enhancing regional cooperation and connectivity. However, a strong regional cooperative structure cannot be built on unpredictable bilateral relations. We need to move on all fronts simultaneously if we are to benefit from the opportunities unleashed by globalization,”” the Pak envoy said.

He expressed the hope that the 19th SAARC Summit, to be held in Islamabad in November this year, would help create more synergies and win-win situation. Even as Islamabad continues to face heat at global forums on its support to terrorism and its failure in dismantling the terror infrastructure from its soil, the High Commissioner put up a brave front by asserting that Pakistan’s contributions in developing non-discriminatory and effective multilateral frameworks, ranging from security to economic cooperation to human rights issues are recognized the world over.

“”It is in this spirit, Pakistan continues to be one of the largest troop contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions around the world. Pakistan, a country of 200 million people, is blessed with enormous resources. We have begun our march towards stability and prosperity. Nothing can detract us from realizing our potential,”” he said.”

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Article104.pngThe Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has cautioned people not to fall prey to ploys of unscrupulous entities who are charging money for printing Aadhaar on a plastic card in the name of smart card, as the Aadhaar letter or its cutaway portion or downloaded version of Aadhaar is perfectly valid. There have been reports that unscrupulous elements were charging anywhere between Rs.50 to Rs.200 for printing Aadhaar on a plastic card in the name of smart card. Far more is being charged for simply laminating the downloaded version of Aadhaar.

“”The Aadhaar card or the downloaded Aadhaar card printed on ordinary paper is perfectly valid for all uses. If a person has a paper Aadhaar card, there is absolutely no need to get his/her Aadhaar card laminated or obtain a plastic Aadhaar card or so called SMART Aadhaar card by paying money. There is no concept such as smart Aadhaar card,”” said Director General & Mission Director of UIDAI, Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey.

In case a person loses his Aadhaar card, he can download his Aadhaar card free of cost from https://eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/. The print out of the downloaded Aadhaar, even in black and white form, is as valid as the original Aadhaar letter sent by UIDAI. There is absolutely no need to print it on plastic card or get it laminated, an official statement said. In case a person still wants to get his Aadhaar card laminated or printed on plastic card, he may do so only at authorized Common Service Centres or Aadhaar Permanent Enrolment Centres by paying no more than the prescribed rate, which is not more than Rs.30, the statement added.

The public for protection of their privacy are advised not to share their Aadhaar number or personal details to unauthorized agencies for getting it laminated, or printed on plastic card, the statement said while directing E-commerce companies such E-bay, Flipkart, Amazon and others not to allow their merchants to collect Aadhaar information from general public for printing Aadhaar card as collecting such information or unauthorized printing of Aadhaar card or aiding such persons in any manner may amount to a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment under Indian Penal Code and also Chapter VI of The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016.”

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Article103.pngIslamic State (IS), which is an emerging force in Afghanistan, is slowly but steadily becoming powerful. There can be a difference of opinion about the actual strength and its area of influence in the country, or even its link with IS of Syria and Iraq, but there can be no dispute that the strength of the IS (Da’esh) fighters is increasing. In January 2015, IS announced about the formation of Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) and Hafiz Saeed Khan was made the Chief of the organization and Abdul Rauf, who was killed later in drone attacks, was appointed as Deputy of the outfit. The organization owes allegiance to IS Chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and believes in Salafist Islamism.

The cadre strength of IS in Afghanistan and Pakistan is believed to be more than 10000 at present. The leaders of ISKP after the formation approached various terrorist outfits of Afghanistan and Pakistan especially of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and allured them to join IS. The leaders of IS before meeting Afghan or Pakistani leaders completed the groundwork by distributing leaflets, pamphlets and other propaganda material especially about establishing of Islamic State of Khorasan Province. The publicity material was printed in Pashto, Dari and other languages so that the common Afghans as well as Pakistanis could read the material and formulate a favorable opinion about the terrorist outfit.

A banned Jundullah terrorist organization which has influence in Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan have also proclaimed its allegiance to IS (Da’esh). Besides Jundullah, some discontented elements of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Ahl-e-Sunnat Wai Jamat (ASWJ) also joined Daesh. Jundullah has a committed cadre of terrorists, which in the recent past had killed 43 Ismaili Shias in Karachi and more than 60 innocent persons near the Wagah border.

Outreach through internet too figures prominently in IS’ modes of operation. In fact, such has been the influence of IS and its Khorasan affiliates that TTP changed their loyalty and joined IS. The IS being an international outfit was able to lure many, including a significant number of disgruntled elements of the Afghan Taliban and other terrorists outfits that operate in areas along the notorious Durand Line.

Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the claimant to the position of supreme leader of Taliban has opposed the recruitment drive of IS in Afghanistan. He wrote a letter to Baghdadi that IS should stop recruitment in Afghanistan and let Taliban fight independently. However, with the active connivance of IS, Mansour, it is believed was critically wounded during a meeting with other factions of Taliban in the Pakistani town of Kuchlak. Fierce fighting has been occurring between IS and Taliban forces ever since. In June 2015, IS evicted Taliban from few districts of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. In fact, the strength of IS in the Central and surrounding areas got enhanced when Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) declared its allegiance to the outfit.

IS which is aware of the importance of publicity started radio station with the name of “Voice of the Caliphate”, reaching out to the masses in Afghanistan and in a rather intimidating way. Needless to say, radio which is still the most popular form of communication in underdeveloped Afghanistan has managed to lure young Afghans into IS’ fold. The broadcasts are being done both in Pashto and Dari languages. Besides recruitment from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, IS has also sent few hardcore cadres from Syria to increase the ideological and operational strength and organization of the outfit in Afghanistan. The IS cadres of Syria have been imparting training to Afghans, Pakistanis, Uzbeks and others who have declared their allegiance to it. IS is also getting financial assistance from foreign countries.
IS ideology of establishment of ISKP is luring hence jihadists from whole world are gathering under IS flag. Islamic mercenaries of several countries are joining ISKP. Hence the Afghan government, Central Asian states, Iran, Russia, India and other world players should chalk out a plan to curb the increasing influence of IS in the country, as it is not only dangerous for Afghanistan but it will be perilous for the region as well as for whole world.

The Afghan government lacks resources to counter the threat emanating from world’s most powerful terrorist outfit therefore regional as well as peace loving countries of the world should assist directly or indirectly to Afghan government. Afghan Taliban, which was united and powerful under Mullah Muhammad Omar, is considerably weakened due to infighting, large scale desertions and pressure from Afghan government. IS is taking advantage of weakening of Taliban and trying to increase its influence. IS is spreading ethnic and religious abhorrence which is very dangerous for Afghanistan which is already suffering from deep ethnic divide. At present, Taliban are fighting IS more effectively than the Afghan government. Taliban who are still powerful in Afghanistan are giving a tough fight to Da’esh but the ideology, financial resources, armaments and techniques of IS are far superior to that of Taliban’s. Hence, the outfit is making inroads even in what were believed to be the strongholds of Taliban with the help of defectors as well as of locals.

IS cadres are very ruthless with their opponents and kill them brutally. They resort to sexual abuse of young women, extortion, severing of limbs, looting and burning of houses etc. The IS generates fear in the residents of the area. The IS is enhancing its influence and fighting is increasing in Afghanistan and chances of peace are becoming remote. The economy of the country is deteriorating and the present government is losing public support. After the departure of majority US-led NATO forces from Afghanistan, Taliban and IS have strengthened themselves. US President Obama’s decision to retain some US troops even after 2017 is a welcomed decision. US has rightly authorized its troops in Afghanistan to target IS. In case world community abandons Afghanistan, IS will defeat Taliban and will occupy large parts of Afghanistan which will be used as a base to carry out terrorist activities in the whole world especially, in the South Asian region. Therefore the world leaders should equip Afghan army with latest weaponry, electronic gadgets, training and should provide the requisite intelligence about IS so that Afghan forces can counter this dreaded terrorist organization.

(Jai Kumar Verma is a Delhi-based strategic analyst. This article first appeared on April 3 in South Asia Monitor. It is being reproduced here with the permission of the author.)“