Address by the Hon’ble President of India at the Inauguration of the Manekshaw Centre and the Seminar on “Role of Force in Strategic Affairs” on the Occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the National Defence College

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Press Information Bureau

Government of India

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Presidents Secretariat

Address by the Hon'ble President of India at the Inauguration of the Manekshaw Centre and the Seminar on "Role of Force in Strategic Affairs" on the Occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the National Defence College

New Delhi: October 21, 2010.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to be here to inaugurate the Manekshaw Centre as well as the seminar on "Role of Force in Strategic Affairs", organized as a part of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the National Defence College. As NDC has been able to successfully foster a culture of strategic thinking and analysis, it has emerged as a premier institution of strategic studies in India. Its training courses attract the best and brightest. Its ability to engage not only the defence personnel, but also civilian officers, is a tribute to the multi-dimensional approach of its training. It can count among its alumni officers from various countries across the globe. Their participation has enriched the quality of NDC courses. Its alumni have risen to the highest positions in their careers and in their countries. We have amongst us His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan and we are proud that he attended the 45th Course of the National Defence College and I warmly welcome him.

I would like to begin by congratulating the brave personnel of our Armed Forces, who risk their lives to defend our freedom. We have had a number of Officers, who throughout their careers showed the way, through their sterling qualities. One can never forget the leadership provided by the Late Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw, who led by example at a crucial time in the military history of our nation. It is a matter of immense pride to the nation that our Forces are professional, and have time and again displayed their dedication and valour. Many of them have even made the supreme sacrifice. They remind us that we cannot take our security for granted.

I understand that this Seminar will take a holistic look at various aspects of national security and strategic issues, including the changing nature of warfare, role of force, the existence of non-state actors, nuclear deterrence and international responses to war. I am confident the deliberations at this event will significantly contribute to our understanding of changing requirements of security in the 21st Century.

India is a peace loving nation. Historically, we have never coveted territory nor have we been an expansionist power. We have no aggressive intent. Our strategic doctrine is derived from our civilisational values of peace, tolerance and mutual co-existence. We wish to live in peace and harmony with our neighbours based on mutual respect, non-interference in each other's affairs and in accordance with principles and Charter of the United Nations.

Our objective, as indeed that of other nations, is the progress and prosperity of the country. Our primary challenge is the eradication of poverty, disease and illiteracy that afflict millions of our people. However, no nation can prosper without its borders being secure and security remains the basic edifice on which developmental pursuits are built. We need to be adept at managing the constantly changing nature of warfare and threats to our national security. A strong defence and an effective deterrence are essential to preserve peace. Hence, we have to remain alert for any eventuality and provide our Armed Forces the necessary resources to deter any aggression or threat, even as we pursue the goal of creating an external environment that is conducive to our development process.

Given the size of our country and our economy, it is but natural that India should have global interests and a significant stake in ensuring that the international system is stable and conducive to peace and prosperity. We believe that greater international co-operation is the best way to secure this objective.

Our greatest strength is the moral force that we bring to bear on global stage. It is India's commitment to democracy, rule of law, pluralism and our values that have enabled us to earn the world's respect. The protection of the values that India stands for is a matter of national priority. Threats to these basic concepts need to be addressed. One of the foremost threats that the civilized world is confronted, with is from terrorism and India has been its victim. As the horrendous attacks in Mumbai demonstrated two years ago, terrorist groups have become more sophisticated and are able to use advanced technology and equipment in their objective of killing innocents. But, terrorism is a global challenge with a world wide network that threatens regional and global security. The world community has woken up to this challenge. India believes that terrorism has to be confronted with all the force at our command and in close co-operation with the international community.

There are other challenges to security, many of them far removed from the classical notions of inter-state conflict. As the world has globalized, so too have these challenges, no longer respecting national borders. Transnational crimes, piracy, drug trafficking and cyber attacks are all examples of these new threats, many of which are interlinked. All this requires that we must develop capabilities of adequately responding to not only the traditional threats, but also the new threats of the 21st Century. The tools available to us are no longer limited to military power alone. Other attributes of power, including soft power, economic strength and technological advances have an increasing role to play.

The justification of the use of force itself has always been subject of controversy. It is a measure of the progress that we have made as humans that we no longer treat wars as the first mode of resolving differences. The use of force in international relations must be resorted to as the last option. We must always be guided by the philosophy that preventing wars is better than waging them. Guided by this philosophy, India has been one of the largest contributors to the peacekeeping operations of the United Nations throughout the world. Our men and women in uniform serve in very difficult and dangerous trouble spots of the world to harness the use of force for the maintenance of peace and security.

We have also seen that force in the traditional sense has been deployed for humanitarian assistance and disaster management. By this, it has contributed to the common good and as in the case of the Tsunami or Cyclone Nargis led to greater regional co-operation and understanding.

In conclusion, I would like to say that India has been widely recognized as a factor of peace and stability not just for our region, but also for the entire world. India remains actively engaged with its global partners and will work together with them for the promotion of international peace and security and realize its rightful place in the world order.

With these words, I convey my greetings to all present here and I wish the Staff and the alumni of the National Defence College the very best for the future.

 

ad/rk/sm/dk/kol/13:39 hrs.

 

Press Information Bureau

Government of India

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Vice President's Secretariat

Vice President's Convocation address at the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology

New Delhi: October 21, 2010.

 

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Hamid Ansari  has said that according to FAO, over 250 million Indians are chronically undernourished, constituting 22 per cent of our population. This is anomalous looking at record food grain production in recent years. Delivering convocation address at the Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology in Orissa today he has said that what is becoming clear is that food security and self-sufficiency should be measured not just in terms of production, but in terms of access to, and actual consumption of, food grains.

Shri Ansari has said that the agriculture provides employment to around 52 per cent of our workforce. Around half of all those engaged in agriculture are illiterate and a miniscule 5 per cent of them have completed higher secondary education. It thus has a disproportionately important role in achieving a higher and inclusive GDP growth, food security, employment expansion and poverty alleviation.

 

Following is the text of the Vice President's convocation address -

"I am happy to visit Orissa on my first visit, in my current capacity, and take part in the 30th Convocation of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology. As the second oldest agricultural university in the country, the university has been a pioneer in educating generations of graduates in agricultural science and technology, animal husbandry and veterinary science, promoting extension programmes and in fostering agricultural research.

Convocation is a special day in the life of every student. For professionals like you, it marks the entry into a select group of those who have made notable contribution to their profession and to the specific requirements of the farmers of Orissa.

I also take this opportunity to heartily congratulate the distinguished scientists who have been conferred with Honoris Causa for their outstanding achievement and services rendered. I also congratulate all the graduating students, especially those who have been awarded medals and prizes for their academic excellence.

The first Prime Minister of India, Shri Jawaharlal Nehru had said that "Everything else can wait but agriculture cannot wait". Agriculture continues to be the lifeline of the Indian economy and central to our economic development in the long term. Indeed, the last six decades have seen the dramatic transformation of Indian agriculture from shortages to surpluses. This has happened simultaneously with a decrease in the share of agriculture in the GDP from over 50 per cent at the time of independence to around 15 per cent today.

The nation has achieved food grain self sufficiency by enhancing production from around 50 million tonnes in 1950 to over 230 million tonnes today. This was achieved through the Green Revolution that brought about through strong political will and environment of favourable infrastructure, new technology induction, policy support and energized agricultural extension system.

Yet, recent trends of the last fifteen years are a cause of concern. After improving steadily from 1980 to 1997, the terms of trade turned against agriculture since 1999. The Eleventh Five Year Plan documents the problems as:

 

Ø             A deceleration in agricultural growth and widening economic disparities between irrigated and rain-fed areas;

Ø             Increased vulnerability to world commodity price volatility following trade liberalization;

Ø             Uneven and slow development of technology, and inefficient use of available technology and inputs;

Ø             Lack of adequate incentives and appropriate institutions;

Ø             Degradation of available natural resource base, including decline in ground water table with adverse impact on small farmers;

Ø             Increased non-agricultural demand for land and water due to urbanization and economic growth; and

Ø             Aggravated social distress due to cumulative impact of all these factors leading to upsurge in farmer suicides.

 

To counter this trend, the Eleventh Five Year Plan has suggested measures for a "more efficient, sustainable and inclusive" growth in Indian agriculture that addresses the 'technology fatigue', sustainability question and the 'yield gap', with a sharp focus on rain-fed areas and 85 per cent of farmers who are small and marginal farmers, and increasingly, women. It also recommended increasing systems support while rationalizing subsidies, encouraging diversification while protecting against food security concerns, and fostering a group approach to ensure that the poor are able to access land, credit, skills and scale.

The Plan targeted a 4 per cent growth per annum in GDP from Agriculture and Allied Sectors, in the knowledge that agriculture-related GDP growth is twice as effective in alleviating poverty as compared to GDP growth from other sectors. The Government of India had also announced a "New Deal to Rural India" focused on reversing the declining trend in public investment in agriculture with a special emphasis on irrigation, waste-land development, agricultural research and extension.

 

The Mid Term Appraisal of the Eleventh Five Year Plan has some disturbing facts and conclusions:

 

1.            It notes that "it would be safer to assume that agricultural growth in the Eleventh Plan may fall short of the 4 per cent per annum target" in view of the severe drought in 2009.

2.            Not all aspects of the Plan strategy are doing well and much more needs to be done on the supply side. The current high GDP growth is increasing demand for agricultural products and putting pressure on food prices, especially in the 'hottest and driest decade'.

3.            Farm income variability rose after agricultural trade was opened up under WTO since this ended the negative correlation between output and prices, and existing price stabilization measures were inadequate to cope with volatile global prices of agri-commodities.

 

These results must be seen in a larger socio-economic context that is characterized by the following:

First, according to FAO, over 250 million Indians are chronically undernourished, constituting 22 per cent of our population. This is anomalous looking at record food grain production in recent years. What is becoming clear is that food security and self-sufficiency should be measured not just in terms of production, but in terms of access to, and actual consumption of, food grains.

Second, agriculture provides employment to around 52 per cent of our workforce. Around half of all those engaged in agriculture are illiterate and a miniscule 5 per cent of them have completed higher secondary education. It thus has a disproportionately important role in achieving a higher and inclusive GDP growth, food security, employment expansion and poverty alleviation.

Third, it is now well recognized that the Indian growth story is driven by the strong, entrepreneurial and innovative private sector. Private sector investment in agriculture in the last decade in real terms has only increased by 48 per cent, in comparison to public sector investment which has witnessed 180 percent increase. As the Economic Survey 2009-10 notes: "Consistent decline in the share of private sector investment in the agriculture sector is a matter of concern."

The broad policy and implementation challenges that we need to face to transform Indian agriculture are well etched. State Agricultural Universities have an important role to play in agricultural research. The Eleventh Plan speaks of these State Universities as "the key to regionally relevant research and for generating quality human resources". It calls upon state governments to substantially fund their research expenses, in addition to salary and establishment costs, to bring their work in line with local agricultural concerns and needs.

Orissa is blessed with a diverse range of agro-climatic conditions, flora and fauna. At the same time, the state is also vulnerable to natural calamities such as drought, floods and cyclones, which have had an adverse impact on agricultural productivity. The role of this University in developing viable adaptation and mitigation measures to deal with this and to capitalize on the rich bio-diversity is thus of prime importance.

University's role in the areas of crop improvement, crop production, natural resource management, crop protection, post-harvest technology and extension education would always be remembered. It is particularly notable that it has developed 127 high yielding crop varieties including 50 rice varieties suitable for different agro-ecological situations of the State.  It has also developed technologies related to livestock, fish, mechanized farming and management of land and water.

I am confident that the students graduating today would follow in the footsteps of the distinguished teachers and alumni of the University, and I sincerely hope that at least some of you would choose unconventional paths to become agricultural entrepreneurs and innovators.

I once again congratulate all of you and especially those conferred with Honoris Causa and those who received prizes and medals. I thank the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of the University for inviting me to this Convocation."

 

sk/rs/dk/kol/13:40 hrs.

 

Press Information Bureau

Government of India

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Ministry of Information & Broadcasting

National Film Awards Function to be held tomorrow

President of India to Give Away the awards

Function to Feature New Awards in Certain Categories

Veteran Film Producer Dr. D.Ramanaidu to be Honoured with Dada Saheb Phalke award for the year 2009

New Delhi: October 21, 2010.

 

The 57th National Film Awards function will be held tomorrow at Vigyan Bhawan. The awards will be given away by the Hon'ble President of India. Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Smt. Ambika Soni will also be present on the occasion.

The highlight of the 57th National Film Awards has been the institution of New Award Categories based on the recommendations of the Expert Committee set up under Shri Shyam Benegal and other eminent film personalities and experts. The mandate given to the Committee, constituted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was to re-invent the National Film Awards with a view to making them more contemporary. The changes have been brought about in the following award categories:-

 

(i)            Audiography - The following new awards have been introduced in this category

(a)          Location Sound Recordist (Rs.50,000)

(b)          Sound Designer (Rs.50,000)

 

These awards according to the Expert Committee recommendations reflected the emerging realities of cinema.

(ii)           Music Direction   : An award for background Score has been introduced, in addition to an existing award for Best Music Direction (Songs)

(iii)          Best screenplay and Dialogues: Three Awards have been instituted in place of the current award, namely, award for Adapted Screenplay award for Original Screenplay and award for Dialogues. Each of these awards carry a cash prize of Rs.50,000 each.

 

The cash prize for several awards in both feature films and non-feature films categories have been increased from the previous years. The Special Jury Award for Feature Films has been raised from Rs.1,25,000 to Rs.2,00,000.

The 57th National Film Awards for the Year – 2009 have been announced in three categories Best Feature Film Category under the Chairpersonship of Shri Ramesh Sippy, Non Feature Film Category under the Chairpersonship of Shri Mike Pandey, and Best Writing on Cinema under the Chairpersonship of Shri Samik Bandhopadhyay. Under the Feature Film Category.

The selection process for selecting the films returned to a Two Tier System of Selection. The format followed is stated below:

 

(i)            5 Regional Panels were constituted for pre selection of films in different language categories according to different regions namely-

(a)          North- English, Punjabi, Dogri, Urdu, Bhojpuri, Rajasthani and Central Indian Languages

(b)          West- Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati & Konkani

(c)           South I- Tamil and Malayalam

                South II - Kannada, Telugu and Tulu

(d)          East- Bengali, Assamese, Oriya and dialects spoken in Northeast

 

Each Regional Panel comprised of a Chairperson and one member (both of whom would be from outside the region) and 3 other members from with the region. The screenings of the Regional panel as well as the Central jury were held in Delhi. The Central jury comprised of a Chairperson plus ten Members, of whom five were the Chairpersons of the five regional juries. The Chairperson for the Northern Region was Ms. Sushma Seth, for the Western Region, Shri M.S. Sathyu, for South –I Region, Mr. T.S. Nagabharna, for the Eastern Region, Shri B. Lenin and for South- II Region, Shri Pinaki Choudhry.

 

cp/st/dk/kol/13:41 hrs.

 

--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/