26 DECEMBER 2014: Asia Pivot or China Containment fuels arm race in asia

Ø  Prime Minister Narendra Modi nominated Sourav Ganguly, Kiran Bedi and comedian Kapil Sharma as brand ambassadors for the “Clean India” campaign.

Ø  None Of The Above (NOTA) votes continue to be cast disproportionately in reserved constituencies, data from the recent elections show, raising questions about the use of this electoral reform tool. As in the Lok Sabha elections, significantly more NOTA votes were cast in reserved seats than in general seats in the States — Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and Jharkhand — that have had the Assembly elections after May. In Jharkhand, for instance, which has more general seats than reserved seats, 2.3 lakh NOTA votes were cast, accounting for 1.7 per cent of the total vote share. But these votes were disproportionately cast in reserved seats. Just two of the 20 seats with the highest proportion of NOTA votes are general, and the rest are reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. In Maharashtra, the highest NOTA votes were cast in Gadchiroli, reserved for the ST. On an average across the State, NOTA votes were significantly more likely to be cast in reserved than in general seats.

Ø  With China reinforcing its nuclear second-strike capability through sea-based deterrent, a cluster of 12 JL-2 missiles, with a strike range of around 7,350 km, are being mounted on its JIN class of submarines. China has three JIN-class nuclear-powered submarines, which began entering service in 2007. Despite their fairly high noise level, their lethality has now multiplied, following the integration of the new missiles, giving China a credible second-strike capability. The JL-2 missiles will have an array of strike options, depending on whether the submarine chooses to fire its weapons close to Chinese shores or from areas deeper in the sea. Alaska will fall within their ambit if the missiles are fired from waters near China. Hawaii can be targeted if these weapons are launched from waters south of Japan. Western continental U.S. and all the 50 U.S. states are endangered if waters west or east of Hawaii are chosen as the launch pads. The impending addition of a third dimension of deterrence by China is a vast improvement over the past. The Chinese deterrent had so far depended on the liquid-fuelled DF-5A missiles, which can be fired from fixed silos. However, China’s nuclear armoury was beefed up in 2007, when the mobile, solid-fuelled D-31A missiles were inducted into its arsenal. But both these weapons have their limitations. The DF-5A is vulnerable in its pre-launch phase because it takes a lot of time to fuel its liquid engines, giving ample scope for detection and consequent destruction. The induction of the D-31A was a significant improvement over its predecessor, but with breakthroughs in surveillance, including the arrival of RQ-4 Global Hawk drones, hiding them has become more difficult, notwithstanding their mobility. China’s anxieties are fuelled by the presence of 3,60,000 personnel in the theatre under the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM). Besides, PACOM has positioned 200 ships, which include five aircraft carrier strike groups, concentrating enormous capacity to project power in the region, with China and North Korea as the prime concerns. Nearly 60 per cent of U.S. forces will deploy under the PACOM’s wings, as the “Asia Pivot” unfolds. In 2010, China became the first country to develop an anti-ship ballistic missile. The DF-21D’s range of 1,500 km and enhanced lethality imparted by its manoeuvrable warhead makes it ideal for attacking U.S. aircraft carriers east of Taiwan. The Chinese have also invested heavily in the CJ-10 land attack cruise missiles, capable of striking U.S. forces in South Korea and Japan. But the Americans can still block the sea lanes radiating towards the Strait of Malacca, which are China’s economic and energy lifelines. Consequently, the Chinese, under President Xi Jinping, are relentlessly pursuing the development of the Silk Road Economic Belt — a land corridor that would establish trade linkages with Europe — to lessen dependence on the more vulnerable sea routes. Many Chinese scholars are of the view that the acquisition of a sea-based deterrent has finally insulated China from a U.S. nuclear strike. Despite going up the nuclear ladder, analysts point out, the Chinese doctrinal orientation remains essentially defensive, and its accelerated weaponisation is largely a response to Washington’s “Asia Pivot” strategy — a move that Beijing resents and interprets as an expression of Washington’s China-containment policy.

Ø  Even as the solar power industry is expecting more favourable policy and funding support in the upcoming Union Budget, Central Government’s proposed spend to the tune of Rs.5,800 crore in solar sector is expected to give a much-need fillip to the industry. It has been proposed to establish 1,000 MW of grid-connected solar PV power projects by Central Public Sector units (CPSUs) and other government organisations. These projects are to be established with VGF (viability gap fund) support of Rs.1,000 crore over a period of three years (2015-18). Organisations such as NTPC, NHPC, CIL, IREDA and Indian Railways, among others have agreed to set up solar plants. In addition to central PSUs, Defence organisations will also be joining the solar bandwagon. With Rs.750 crore support through VGF under the National Solar Mission, Defence establishments under Ministry of Defence and Para Military Force under Ministry of Home Affairs will set up over 300 MW of grid-connected and off-grid solar PV power projects during 2014-2019. . These two schemes will have to use only locally made PV cells and modules, a move aimed at helping the domestic manufacturers. Meanwhile, Centre has also proposed to establish 25 Solar Parks, each with a capacity of 500 MW and above with a target of over 20,000 MW of solar power installed capacity over a period of 5 years (2014-19). This scheme is expected to entail an investment of Rs.4,050 crore. 12 States — Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Odisha — have so far given consent for building Solar Parks. Industry experts point out a wave of optimism in the industry and expect 2015 would be an eventful year for the sector. Pashupathy Gopalan, Head of Indian operations and President-Asia Pacific, SunEdison, feels that India has developed enough talent pool over the past 5 years to execute solar projects rapidly. So, solar is not a new technology anymore and the concept of mega solar plants is very much happening.