SEP-21 BOUDHIK YOJANA
Sep-05-2021 Samachar Sameeksha: Clash at Assam-Mizoram border
Ø We are used to listening clashes on borders but it is rarely a sight to see clashes on state borders and that too between police force of 2 states
Ø However this happened at Assam-Mizoram borders when clashes erupted between police force of 2 states
Ø In a well co-ordinated movement, trends like #Shame on Assam, #Shame on Mizoram, or targeting Himanta Sharma, CM of Assam started trending on twitter and social media
Ø Liberals jumped on the scene to highlight deteriorating law and order situation and how clashes are erupting
Ø The clash happened in Cachar district of Assam and 4 policemen and 2 civilians died
Ø However the background of this clash is much deeper, it is a well known fact that drug cartels operate out of Myanmar forests and govern with a law of their own. They have close ties with government or military junta.
Ø Mizoram bordering Myanmar has become the gateway for narcotics from Myanmar, and is also a hub for illicit betel nut, timber, fertilizer, cigarette smuggling from Myanmar
Ø Assam has launched major crackdown on drug cartels and betel nut mafia. Recently Assam destroyed narcotics worth 163 crore on 18th July. It has rattled the cartels who enjoyed administrative support.
Ø Mizo groups like YMA (Young Mizo Association) and MZP (Mizo Zirlai Pawl) are part of illegal syndicate and smuggling rings. Baptist Church of Mizoram supports these 2 organizations.
Ø Encroaching into Assam’s forest is a tactical move by these elements who have made fortunes through illicit cutting and selling of timber and use land for broom stick and betel nut cultivation.
Ø These elements have support of Mizoram admin and police which is more disturbing
Ø At the same time an orchestrated campaign was launched to defame Assam, Himanta Sharma and create enmity between people
Ø 43.3% of twitter handles sharing #ShameonAssam were from USA, which indicates international conspiracy to foment trouble and destabilize the region
Ø Rampant conversions have already turned Mizoram into Christian dominated state and demand for Mizo nation has been for past 40-50 years.
2) https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/assam-burns-in-public-drugs-worth-rs-170-crore-720096
3) https://www.guwahatiplus.com/exclusive-news/guwahati-timber-smuggling-still-prevalent-in-the-city
Sep 12-2021 Boudhik: Sangh and Swarajya
Content will be provided to Vakta
Sep 19-2021 Charcha: National Asset Monetization
India’s National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) envisages an infrastructure investment of Rs 111 lakh crore over a period of five years (2020-25).
In the wake of Chinese virus in 2019 an innovative approach was needed to finance infrastructure at such a large scale.
Pursuant to this, Union Budget 2021-22 identified a three-pronged strategy to keep investments under NIP on track. One of the strategies among them is ‘asset monetisation’ and the government has paved the way for preparation of a National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) of potential brownfield infrastructure assets to provide a medium-term roadmap for monetisation and give potential investors a ready list of assets to generate investment interest.
Asset monetisation consists of limited period transfer of unutilised or underutilised public assets to a private sector entity to unlock idle capital and reinvest it in other assets or projects for improved and additional benefits.
It must be noted that this does not include a transfer of ownership. A structured contractual partnership under this plan, on the other hand, involves a return of asset to the owner at the end of the transaction period. Asset monetisation or recycling is thus a two-part process where the first part is monetisation of existing assets through sale or lease to the private sector followed by reinvestment in new infrastructure using the proceeds received through asset monetisation.
It is important to execute NMP to boost infrastructure growth, which in turn requires long-term capital that banks are normally not keen to finance. It must be noted that the long-term concession of core operational assets, which garners upfront funds that can be invested in other infrastructure assets, has been occasional or sector-specific.
NMP is, thus, an initiative by the government to strategise the asset monetisation of brownfield public sector assets by tapping institutional and long-term capital, which can thereafter be leveraged for further public investments. NMP has adopted a bottom-up approach where the existing core infrastructure asset base managed under central sector agencies is identified and mapped.
Category of assets covered under the plan include de-risked brownfield core assets. De-risked assets without any pending issues of land acquisition, financial constraints or other clearance requirements, will be considered.
The top five sectors (by estimated value) capture ~83 per cent of the aggregate pipeline value. These top five sectors include: Roads (27 per cent) followed by Railways (25 per cent), Power (15 per cent), Oil & Gas pipelines (8 per cent) and Telecom (6 per cent).
It is imperative that the government not just monetizes assets but also ensures that the monetization is successful. In order to do this, the government will have to take specific measures.
The first of these has to include a white paper with specific examples that the government has considered from past experience as successful as well as unsuccessful. This would go a long way in showing that the government has in fact done its homework. By acknowledging past instances of corruption or incompetence, the government would show that it is well seized of the problem at hand and has taken steps to mitigate these issues.
The second step the government must commit to is coming up with a clear framework to reduce regulatory unpredictability. This would simultaneously provide buyers with some security and more significantly incentivize them to maintain the property well and not be rapacious in their costing for the general public.
Finally, we must have set failure standards and a constant auditing process through the lifetime of this monetization plan. The failure standards should include tangible timeframes and outcomes that each bureaucrat negotiating these deals is held up to. The audit should be a constant monitoring of said infrastructure or property, its maintenance and upkeep as well as a dynamic ballpark figure for what income the operator is making as well as cost to the public.
Reference:
Sep-26-2021 Katha: Babasaheb Purandare
Babasaheb Purandare might not be well known outside Maharashtra, but he is a living legend. He just entered his hundredth year in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ex Lok Sabha Speaker and his countless fans and followers.
His complete name is Balwant Moreshwar Purandare and he was born 29th July 1922 and is based out of Pune. He is a Swayamsevak since childhood and still attends Vijayadashmi Route March in full uniform.
Historian
He started his career as a Researcher in Bhartiya Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal, Pune. He got noted historian G H Khare as his mentor and continued his research there. He was a participant in Mandal’s research on Maratha History from 1740 to 1761. He was a close associate of noted Marathi author G N Dandekar and took many sojourns on numerous forts of Shivaji Maharaj together. He learnt Urdu, Persian and even “Modi” script of Marathi to study original documents of Shivaji Maharaj and Peshwa’s era.,
Although an ardent devotee of Shivaji Maharaj, he has always remained steadfast on facts and maintained an objective and rational view of things. His lectures or claims are always based on facts and backed by references and not hearsay or emotions.
Talking to Masses
History has been taught as a dry subject in schools and people revile studying it. Even noted historians have made it a jumble of facts devoid of emotions. It is here that Babasaheb Purandare comes out with a difference. He always studied history with a passion but did not just keep it to himself.
He has delivered over 12000 lectures across India and Globe on Shivaji Maharaj. The lectures are not just an agglomeration of dry facts but laced with emotions and passion presenting the epochal work of Shivaji Maharaj and Marathas in all glory. The listener not only gets to know glorious history but is inspired by it. Our current Prime Minister is one such listener who attended his lectures 40 years ago in Ahmedabad and still cherishes it.
In 1974, when tri-centenary celebrations of Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation happened, he had arranged a beautiful depiction at Mumbai. People were so thrilled by it that he was asked not to destroy the arrangement. It triggered in him an idea to present Shivaji Maharaj’s life on a grand scale. Thus was born his magnum opus play “Janata Raja”.
This drama is performed by more than 200 artists as well as 20+ horses, 2 elephants also participate in it. It is generally organized on a ground and it has been staged more than 1000 times across Maharashtra, Agra, Delhi, Bhopal and even USA. It is an experience the spectator never forgets.
Even at this advanced age he is enthusiastic to study any new historical document and is on look out to collect such documents so that unknown facets of history are published.
Freedom Fighter
He was a part of the group of freedom fighters who liberated Dadra-Nagar Haveli from oppressive Portuguese role and achieved independence. Most of his income generated from his literature, plays has been donated to philanthropic activities. Currently he is engaged in building ‘Shiv Srishti’ a theme park based on Shivaji Maharaj’s life.
He has been awarded Padma Vibhushan, Maharashtra Gaurav and numerous other awards. Raja Shivchatrapati is his biographical work on Shivaji Maharaj in 2 volumes and has been translated into English as well.
Katha on Balasaheb Purandare Ji is very nicely explained
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