Beijing’s military build-up in the South China Sea

ON JUNE 3, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

New hotspots develop after the dragon drastically make an sweeping statement without a pinch of statesmanship and takes the powering state to head collision with its wings of economy and military spread across the region but US make a revealing statement.

Noting that the country’s armed forces are able and ready to defend all of its territorial claims, disputed or not, including those in the East China Sea, He expressed hope that all of the governments and militaries involved “act in a manner that preserves regional and global peace.”

Beijing will never allow a third country “separate any piece of Chinese territory from China at any time in any form,” General He said. “The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has the determination, confidence and ability to safeguard China’s sovereignty, security, unity and development interest.”

Chinese general Saturday lashed out at “irresponsible comments” on Beijing’s military build-up in the South China Sea after the US defence chief accused China of intimidation and coercion in the disputed waters. “Any irresponsible comments from other countries cannot be accepted,” Lieutenant General He Lei said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

It came just hours after US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told the security summit that China’s military build-up and deployment of weapon systems in the contested sea was aimed at intimidating its neighbours.

China’s policy in the South China Sea stands in stark contrast to the openness our strategy promises, it calls into question China’s broader goals,” the US Defense Secretary claimed on Friday, accusing Beijing of “intimidation and coercion.”

His broadside at a security summit in Singapore drew a sharp rebuke from a Chinese general, who lashed out at “irresponsible comments” on the contested sea and insisted Bejing was simply defending its territory.

Speaking just 10 days before President Donald Trump is due to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Mattis also said the US military continues to support diplomats pushing for the “complete, verifiable and irreversible” denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

China has also landed heavy bombers on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands.

“Despite China’s claims to the contrary, the placement of these weapon systems is tied directly to military use for the purposes of intimidation and coercion,” Mattis told the Shangri-La Dialogue.

He also blasted Chinese President Xi Jinping for reneging on a 2015 promise made at the White House that Beijing would not militarise the island features in the South China Sea.

General He, who is deputy president at the People’s Liberation Army’s Academy of Military Science, made it clear that all the islands in question are “part of China’s territories,” noting that China has historical records proving its claim.

“It is undeniable that… there are soldiers that are stationed there and there are weapons that are deployed there. It is a symbol of China’s sovereignty,” the officer said. “The weapons have been deployed for national defense.”

The general further slammed Washington’s abuse of the freedom of navigation principle, noting that it is the “true root of the militarization of the South China Sea.”

“It is those that are shouting about ‘the militarization of the South China Sea’ who are militarizing the South China Sea,”He added. US military patrols and fly-bys “jeopardize China’s security and challenges China’s sovereignty,” the general explained.Chinese officer also slammed Washington’s pursuit of closer ties with Taiwan, which Beijing views as the violation of the One-China Policy. After Trump signed the Taiwan Travel Act (HR 535) to extend ties between Washington and Taipei“at all levels,” Mattis, in his speech in Singapore, noted that the US commitment is to “provide articles and services needed for its self-defense.” Taipei has expressed interest in American M1A2 Abrams tanks, to serve as the island’s last line of defense against a hypothetical intervention by Beijing.

Beijing has deployed a range of military hardware including anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles and electronic jammers across the South China Sea, where it has built islets and other maritime features into hardened military facilities. China has also landed heavy bombers on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands. The Chinese general, however, said Beijing´s actions were aimed at “national defence”. “They are for the purpose of avoiding being invaded by others… As long as it is on your own territory you can deploy the army and you can deploy weapons,” he said.

China claims most of the resource-rich sea, through which $5 trillion in shipping trade passes annually, with competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Union Steel Minister interacts with stakeholders

ON JUNE 3, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

New Delhi, 1st June 2018

Minister of Steel interacting with stakeholders

Union Minister of Steel, Birender Singh interacted with a group of stakeholders in New Delhi. In the freewheeling and open deliberation session, the Minister shared with them various initiatives, schemes and achievements of the Ministry. The participants included people from diverse backgrounds and age-mix, with interests, experience or expertise in steel and related industries. There were professors, engineers, former CMDs, students, social workers, and entrepreneurs in the round-table discussions.

Shri Singh spoke briefly about India’s rapid rise in the world steel scenario, polices rolled out by the Ministry and various projects of national importance where steel has been used. He also pointed out how the Ministry is taking concrete actions to ensure that steel used in India is cleaner, safer and healthier for every Indian. The Minster highlighted the progress made by India in different spheres of economy.

The address by the Minister was followed by a lively interaction. The participants sought answers to their queries about future roadmap, resource management and linkage of steel with the economy. They also shared their ideas and innovative suggestions on what more could be done to further improve contribution of steel sector to the society and the nation.

Shri Singh thanked the participants for taking out time and contributing their best to enable the Government in enhancing citizen engagement and participation in its plans and policies. They expressed their happiness in being given this opportunity to be apprised of the Government’s initiatives and efforts.

The session was part of the ongoing series of interactions being coordinated by MyGov, (Citizen Engagement Platform of GoI) named “FridayAtMyGov”.

Policy Boot Camp 2018

ON JUNE 3, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Policy Boot Camp 2018, the annual conclave on policy and governance by Vision India Foundation ( a policy think-tank and a nation-building movement founded by faculty and alumni of various IIT’s). Being the foremost of its kind in India, Policy BootCamp is known for its wide-ranging speaker’s profile and high-performing and aspiring delegation of young change makers. Now in its 4th edition, it will be held from 4th to 24th June 2018 in Delhi / NCR.

Also, for further details please feel free to contact me on +91 7000537085, +91 7587168737 (Suyash Pande).

Here are some of the key highlights about the Policy BootCamp :

About the Program:

Policy BootCamp is a 21-day immersive residential program focused on public policy, governance, leadership and nation-building. The Program is designed to provide a panoramic understanding to the delegates. It includes:

Engaging with politicians, bureaucrats, academicians, social workers, thinkers, policy entrepreneurs and more.Experiencing the spirit of India with workshops, community interactions, group exercises, ideation workshops, and fieldwork.Learning from India’s leading minds through seminars, interactive discussions, one-to-one interactions and implementation modeling.Connecting with future co-workers, peers, ground workers, policymakers, and various stakeholders of democracy.

You can get a sneak peek into the 2017 edition here.

About the Speakers :

Program is graced by 50+ Speakers including union ministers, parliamentarians, grassroots reformers, social leaders, academicians, impact investors, and young achievers. Policy BootCamp provides a platform for the brightest young minds to learn from and interact with the best and the most influential people in this space.

Here are some of the Speakers for Policy BootCamp 2018 :

Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Hon. Speaker, Lok SabhaSh. Piyush Goyal, Hon. Minister for RailwaysSh. Jayant Sinha, Hon. Minister of State for Civil AviationSh. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon. Minister of State, AgricultureSh. Vinay Sahastrabuddhe, President, ICCR, MP, Rajya SabhaSh. Anil Swarup, Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource DevelopmentPadma Shree Phoolbasan Bai Yadav, Maa Bamleshwari Janhit Kare SamitiDr. SY Qureshi, Former Chief Election Commissioner, Election CommissionLt. General Syed Ata Hasnain, Retd. Military Secretary, Indian ArmySh. Jayesh Ranjan, IT Secretary, Government of TelanganaKunal Kapoor, Actor, BollywoodDr. Rajeev Gowda, MP (Rajya Sabha) and Professor, IIM BengaluruSh. R Jagannathan, Chief Editor, SwarajyaDr. Madhu Purnima Kishwar, National Professor, ICSSRDr. R Balasubramanium, Professor, Cornell UniversitySh. Shrikanth Vishwanathan, Founder, JanagrahaDr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, Former Chief, ISRODr. Jayaprakash Narayan, Founder, Loksatta PartySh. Vikramjit Banerjee, Additional Solicitor General, Supreme Court of India Shri Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI

About the Delegates:

150 Delegates from all across the nation and abroad are selected through a 3-tier interview process to come together and stay on one campus for all 21 days. The delegation is a cohort of young thinkers and future leaders from diverse backgrounds including Civil Services aspirants, entrepreneurs, economists, engineers, public policy enthusiasts, social activists and many more.

Exclusive in-house events during Policy Bootcamp 2018

Antaram – a two-day education conference to be hosted at IIT Delhi on the 9th and 10th June 2018, Antaram features leading educationists, thinkers, practitioners, representatives of visionary schools across India, grass-roots leaders – teachers, principals, civil society representatives, education-entrepreneurs. Shri K Kasturirangan, Shri Anil Swaroop and Dr. Nomesh Bolia will be among the prominent speakers here.

Gearing Up Governance- a one day workshop with top-notch stakeholders exclusively for bootcamp participants to held at Nehru Memorial, Teen Murti Bhavan, New Delhi on 19th June 2018. Shri Jayant Sinha, Shri Gajendra Shekhawat, Shri Dilip Chenoy and Shri Dinesh Arora will be interacting with the youngsters in a row of various brainstorming sessions.

Deepening Democracy – a one day workshop to deliberate on nuts and bolts of governance at Nehru Memorial, Teen Murti Bhavan, New Delhi on 22nd June, 2018 will facilitate the young participants to understand the affairs and functioning system governance delivering offices. Shri Piyush Goyal will be explaining about the governance delivering mechanisms and will be answering the queries. Another panel comprising of OSDs (Officers on Special Duty) to different Chief Ministers will be sharing their experience with the system.

Looking forward to hosting you

Regards,

Gurdwaras under attack in Shillong

ON JUNE 3, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

URGENT !!!!
Around 200 Sikh families are facing immediate threat to their lives as their houses, shops and Gurdwaras are being attacked by the local mob in Shillong city of Meghalaya. Currently 40-50 Sikh boys are guarding their families in Bada Bazar Punjabi line colony since last three days as the administration failed to protect them from the rowdy crowd. These families need help urgently. For more information, you can contact these numbers: 088374-63157 and 087310-98019. Please carry this story in your newspaper/channel to save innocent lives.

How digital technology help start-up culture

ON JUNE 3, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Jun

NITI Aayog, India International Centre and Centre for Policy Research are pleased to invite you to a special talk as part of the Metamorphoses: Talking Technology series on
Leading Digital Transformation and Innovation
Speaker:
Prof Soumitra Dutta – Professor of Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and Chair, Board of Directors Global Business School Network (GBSN), Washington DCChair: Prof Ambuj Sagar – Vipula and Mahesh Chaturvedi Professor of Policy Studies, IIT Delhi

Friday, 8 June 2018, 6:00 p.m.

Seminar Room I to III, Kamla Devi Complex, India International Centre

Metamorphoses Website

The aim of this talk is to analyse how digital technology has enabled a more widespread start-up culture with reference to India and the US, their impact on public goods like health, education and micro-finance, the viable business models in this space and digital technology as an enabling and empowering instrument for women.

Opening remarks by Air Marshal (Retd.) Naresh Verma – Director, IIC

Speaker:
Prof Soumitra Dutta – Professor of Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and Chair, Board of Directors Global Business School Network (GBSN), Washington DC

Chair: Prof. Ambuj Sagar – Vipula and Mahesh Chaturvedi Professor of Policy Studies, IIT Delhi

The talk will be livestreamed on the IIC website; available on Facebook-live on the Metamorphoses Facebook page; and video recordings will be available on YouTube, as well as disseminated through social media channels hosted on the Metamorphoses website. The promotional video for Metamorphoses can be accessed here.

Questions will be taken on a special number through SMS, provided at the venue, and selected ones will be answered given time constraints.

Soumitra Dutta is an authority on innovation in the knowledge economy, with a refreshing global perspective. Throughout his distinguished career, he has focused on how to drive business innovation and growth through the right combination of innovative people and technology. Soumitra Dutta is currently a Professor of Operations, Technology and Information Management at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, New York. Previously he was the founding Dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (April ’16 till Jan ’18) and the 11th Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean and Professor of Management of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management (July ’12 till June ’16). Prior to July 2012, he was the Roland Berger Chaired Professor of Business and Technology at INSEAD and the founding director of eLab, a center of excellence in the digital economy. Professor Dutta obtained his Ph.D. in computer science and his M.Sc. in business administration from the University of California at Berkeley.

His current research is on artificial intelligence, technology strategy and innovation policies at both corporate and national levels. He has won several awards for research and pedagogy and is actively involved in strategy and policy consulting.His research has been showcased in the global media and he has received several awards including the Light of India Award ‘12 (from Times of India media group), the Global Innovation Award ’13 (from INNOVEX in Israel) and the Distinguished Alumnus award from his alma mater IIT Delhi. He is one of the very few faculty members around the world and across all disciplines who has been invited to Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos for more than 14 years. He has been a member of the privileged “Davos Circle” group of participants.

Ambuj Sagar is the Vipula and Mahesh Chaturvedi Professor of Policy Studies at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Prof. Sagar’s interests broadly lie in science & technology policy, environmental policy, and development policy, with a particular focus on the interactions between technology and society. While his current research focuses mainly on energy innovation and climate policy, he also studies, more broadly, various facets of technology innovation, environmental politics and processes, and engineering education and research. His recent papers have dealt with energy innovation policy and strategies (in areas such as biofuels, clean cookstoves, coal-power, and automobiles and institutional mechanisms such as climate innovation centers), climate change policy, and capacity development for the environment. He currently is advising/interacting with various agencies of the Indian Government and several multilateral and bilateral organizations; while in the US, he worked with a range of private and public-sector organizations in the US (including as a staff researcher for a major study on energy R&D for the White House). He currently is a member of the Indian Government’s Expert Committee on Low-Carbon Strategies for Inclusive Growth, the US-India Track-II Dialogue on Climate Change, as well as other advisory groups in the Indian Government.

Metamorphoses is a modest effort to try and bridge the gap between digital technologies, which are transforming our lives, and our understanding of their multiple dimensions. It will unfold in a series of nine interactions covering different aspects of the digital revolution.

This series will examine the impacts of digital technologies on the human psyche and on societies – exploring ways in which some of the negative elements may be mitigated. There will be a peep into the future – of what machine learning and artificial intelligence may bring to human experience – and the moral and ethical dilemma associated with these. It will also delve into issues relating to data privacy and cyber security as well as the emerging legal regime to regulate this critical domain.