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Cold and powerless
EC on right path |
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Over the moon
Uranium from Canberra
Fading Haryanvi humour
Paving path to parenthood
IVF process: how it works
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Cold and powerless
Power disruptions have hit normal life in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, while the usually power surplus state of Himachal Pradesh faces problems of its own making. Punjab’s politicians ruined the financial health of the power board by giving free electricity first to farmers and then to poorer sections of society without adequately compensating the board, which has piled up such heavy losses that banks have refused to extend further loans to it. Populist policies followed byAkali and Congress leaders over the years along with power theft, heavy transmission and distribution losses and a non-professional management have almost bankrupted the board. Lack of quality power has crippled industrial and agricultural production. Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd now has no money to buy sufficient power despite a good monsoon providing relief in summer. Haryana is better placed but Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is not letting the state utilities raise the tariffs. His plight is understandable as he finds it hard to make power costlier for farmers, his vote bank, when their counterparts in Punjab get it free. Unlike Punjab, the government in Haryana has enough money to subsidise or buy more electricity since its economy, and consequently the tax revenue, is growing fast. The state has to complete the power reforms, started by the late Bansi Lal and abandoned mid-way by the subsequent chief ministers. Power supply in Chandigarh is, by and large, satisfactory. This winter, however, there is a cut in its entitlements from Central power plants, which are working below capacity. Himachal Pradesh got a boost earlier this year with the Supreme Court enhancing its share from the Bhakra project at the cost of Punjab, whose quota got reduced accordingly. The state has hydel resources to generate cheap power but its troubles are largely of mismanagement. Dwindling supplies of coal along with a rise in its prices have hit thermal plants countrywide. High interest rates and the depreciating rupee have raised the cost of imported coal. The whole power sector is in serious trouble and needs more reforms and investment. Tapping nuclear and renewable energy sources alone can help ease the crisis in the long run.
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EC on right path
The
Election Commission’s decision to step in and ban stalls, traditionally put up on the polling day by political parties outside polling booths, may have come as a surprise but nevertheless needs to be commended. The move is one more step to reduce overt and covert attempts to influence or intimidate the voter. While political parties traditionally set up the stalls to facilitate voters, the Commission has boldly decided to take over that responsibility on its own shoulders. Although political parties may argue that the stalls fulfilled a useful purpose, the EC has apparently been more concerned over the alleged misuse of the stalls. The larger parties with access to more men, muscle and money have naturally been better placed in setting up and managing the stalls. This may have deprived the smaller parties of a level playing field. There are also allegations that some stalls were used in the past to lure the voters with cash or kind, or to intimidate them. The decision, therefore, is welcome as long as voters do not face any inconvenience. The EC has also come down heavily on the movement of unaccounted money in elections. Teams comprising officials from the Income Tax department, police and representatives of the EC had successfully clamped down on the use of black money in Assembly elections held earlier this year. A similar strategy has already led to the seizure of Rs 73 crore in the five states including Punjab, where the model code of conduct has come into force and where elections are due in the next two months. Protests by traders at this point appear misplaced because the EC has merely mandated that cash above two lakhs of rupees should be accompanied by proper documents. Objections to such reasonable restrictions lead one to suspect that there is more to it than meets the eye in the movement of such large sums of money before the elections. The Election Commission has been doing a thankless job with great fortitude, skill and ingenuity. Adoption of new technology, use of social media and better management have gone a long way to make our elections more free and fair. It is once again being tested but the institution is more than likely to prove its critics wrong.
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Over the moon
We
all know that there is one moon that is orbiting around the Earth. Was there another one too? Did they collide and merge into what is now the Moon as we know it? Scientists may find more data to evaluate various theories about the Moon that have been postulated from time to time. It was Nasa that first landed man on the Moon, and it is only befitting that Nasa should be back to fuelling research about the fascinating place that has captured man’s imagination for thousands of years. The New Year will begin for Nasa by the scientists positioning two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory spacecraft, slipping into the Moon’s orbit — Grail-A on New Year’s Eve, and Grail-B on New Year’s Day. They will then study the uneven lunar gravity field. Moon’s gravity influences the earth most notably in ocean tides. The spacecraft have travelled more than 2.5 million miles since they were launched in September. Positioned at opposite ends of the Moon, they will study the Moon in far greater detail than ever before, taking a close look at both sides of the moon, the one that faces the Earth and the more hilly terrain which is on the far side of the moon. Recent space launches have been plagued by failures, most notably that of the Russian Phobos-Grunt mission a few months ago. The first Russian Mars-bound spacecraft in decades could not leave the Earth’s orbit because of a rocket failure. Even as scientists plan to study Mars, the Moon continues to have a hold on the collective imagination of humankind. We are fascinated by the Moon and thus for a cash-strapped Nasa, the success of this mission could well ignite interest in space travel, and thus get it the funding and direction that it desperately needs. As for the rest of the world, the data provided by the twin satellites will, no doubt, create headlines and feed the need to know more about the Moon, the only celestial body on which man has ever set foot.
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Nothing is easy to the unwilling. — Thomas Fuller
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Uranium from Canberra
Within a fortnight since Canberra took the landmark decision on yellowcake supply to New Delhi, Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith paid a three-day visit to India. Smith, Foreign Minister under the Rudd government, and a long-time India supporter on the uranium issue, arrived in New Delhi earlier this month. The Julia Gillard government’s most frequent flyer to India, Smith is the first minister to have visited India since the decision was taken. He has been to India thrice before and is considered one of the key role players in shaping Australia’s renewed policy stand regarding nuclear matters on India. Earlier, citing domestic political and policy reasons, the ruling Australian Labor Party (ALP) had forced the Rudd government to reverse the John Howard-led Conservative government’s 2007 decision to supply uranium. However, after mulling over the decision for years and considering India’s case as sui- generic (unique), Prime Minister Gillard made a powerful case for India at the ALP conference in Sydney. She pleaded that apart from India’s commendable record on nuclear non-proliferation, doing business with India was good for the Australian economy as also in improving relations with the emerging economic superpower. She further assured the party members that her government would put in place stringent safeguard measures to make sure that New Delhi uses the material for agreed projects. Interestingly, Australia already has such an agreement with China, backed by powerful safeguard measures and inspection regimes. Canberra is likely to put in place a similar deal with New Delhi as well. India and Australia will start the negotiations on uranium supply in 2012. That India’s case is considered as a ‘stand alone’ and exceptional is also evident from the fact that Australia turned down Pakistan’s demand for a similar deal. Steering clear of any further debate on Pakistan’s claims, Smith has said that there have been serious concerns about Pakistan’s nuclear proliferation record. Additionally, it has not voluntarily placed itself under the authority of the International Atomic Energy Agency or the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The decision on uranium supply has helped remove a major stumbling block in India’s relationship with its antipodean neighbour. Though the two countries have consistently been denying it, the issue did prevent the relationship from graduating to a more mature level, to say the least. Business calculations and the feeling that overlooking New Delhi’s energy concerns wouldn’t do any good to Canberra motivated it to take a decision in India’s favour. The country with biggest uranium reserves in the world doesn’t want to lag behind in benefiting from India’s rapidly growing nuclear energy market. Smith’s visit adds substance to the diplomatic developments happening lately on the bilateral front. His itinerary included the Defence Ministers’ dialogue in New Delhi. First held in December 2010, the dialogue involved deliberations on matters strategic and security, including maritime and regional security. It was in consonance with the 2009 Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation. He also held meetings with the armed forces officials and other senior political leaders and visited the Western Naval Command and the Victoria Dockyard in Mumbai. The visit was aimed at setting the middle to long-term agenda for bilateral ties, a kind of groundwork to broaden the horizon of relationship. This is evident from the fact that not only was there a talk of follow-up stages in nuclear cooperation but also setting up of broad-based naval cooperation and exchanges. The two sides also agreed to convene a track 1.5 strategic dialogue in Australia in 2012. Smith conveyed to his Indian counterpart that Canberra was keen on conducting joint naval exercises with New Delhi, even offering to join in the Malabar exercise again from which it had opted out in 2009 to keep China in good humour. Both India and Australia realise it very well that the Indian Ocean offers them umpteen opportunities to cooperate on the maritime front. Realising the growing strategic significance of the Indian Ocean region, Australia has started attaching importance to its western neighbours in general and India in particular. However, a concrete roadmap for long-term naval cooperation is very much needed in this respect. Perhaps, the Indian Ocean Rim Association of Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) could offer a lot in that regard. The IONS is an India initiated group of which Australia is an active member. Australia is hosting the IONS Conclave of Chiefs in Perth in 2014. Attempts at revitalising the IOR-ARC and working on the IONS clearly demonstrate India and Australia’s willingness to understand each other better and cooperate on maritime matters in making the region prosperous and peaceful. The relationship is moving on to a higher level is apparent from the fact that India was one of the few countries briefed on a 2,500 US mariner strong joint US-Australia base in Darwin. Signed on November 16, 2011, the agreement is widely seen as a response to China’s growing assertiveness in the region. Rumours also floated in the media about the possibility of an Australia-US-India alliance, which was wrongly attributed to Kevin Rudd. In order to clear the haze, a media statement from the Australian High Commission in New Delhi was issued on December 2, 2011. In fact, the study regarding the possibility of such an alliance was conducted jointly by an Indian and Australian think tank, which published its report in late 2011. To be sure, at the official level Australia has not expressed any interested in a military alliance with India. In the past, India had refused to get into any kind of military alliance with any country, a manifestation of India’s long-standing foreign policy position. In any case, considering the rapidly changing economic and strategic dynamics of the region, it is too early to predict how the emerging alliances in the region will unfold and what they mean for India’s national security interests. All in all, the recent developments on this set of relationship demonstrate that Australia is keen to invest in India’s rise in all possible aspects, including energy, educational, economic and strategic, to ensure that it is not caught napping when the whole world is jockeying to harness benefits from India’s rise.n The writer is associated with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi.
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Fading Haryanvi humour
The
rustic Haryanvis had developed a very high sense of humour to face the economic hardships that they had to consistently face during the colonial period due to frequent droughts, famines and indebtedness. This is evident from some of the popular anecdotes. An old illiterate peasant would go religiously every evening to the house of a retired Subedar living in his neighborhood for hearing news on All India Radio. After some days they had a quarrel over a minor issue. And the old peasant stopped visiting the house of Subedar. But he could not resist the urge of hearing news to which he had become almost an addict. So he decided to go to the residence of a retired Captain living in the adjoining street. To flatter the Captain, he said, “Kaptan sahib, radio asli to bas apka sey. Sachhi khabbar sunavey. Subedar ka radio to neeri jhuth boley” (Captain sahib, only your radio is a genuine one. It broadcasts true news. That of the Subedar tells only white lies) Another story goes like this. A young peasant appeared before a Magistrate as a witness in a criminal case. When asked about his name, he answered: “Maru”. When told to give his father’s name. He disclosed it as Bhartu. But he soon realised his mistake and tried to rectify it. He apologised for giving a wrong name of his father because his biological father was Ram Kumar. He had come to Bhartu’s family as a gallad (companion). The Magistrate could not understand the meaning of this term as he was not familiar with the local dialect and traditions. Therefore, he asked the witness to explain it. Maru gave the following illustration; “Magistrate sahib suppose your father dies and your mother decides to accept my father as her husband by accepting his latta (the ceremonial cloth offered by the younger brother or some other persons from the enlarged family of the deceased for accepting her as his wife under the Kareva tradition), you will come as gallad to my family”. The Magistrate felt very angry and hurt. But somehow kept his cool and did not react. Hence, he directed the witness to continue his statement. But other people in the court found it difficult to control their laughter. The Green Revolution has drastically changed the rural society. Now every household has a TV. No one visits others’ house for hearing news. The practice of Kareva has also become rare. Consequently, the practice of galled too has virtually disappeared and so has the sense of
humour.
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Paving path to parenthood IVF and its component surrogacy could not have got a better mascot than Aamir and Kiran. A number of infertile couples need the surrogacy route for babies but social acceptability was preventing them from going for it. According to estimates in India, there are more than 30 million infertile couples in the country, out of which, at least 20 per cent need the IVF method to conceive. Out of these IVF hopefuls, in about 2 per cent couples, women face frequent miscarriages and/or have undeveloped and faulty wombs. This infertile population can now come out of the closet and scout for surrogate mothers without the fear of social stigma, as that is the only option available left to them. Surrogacy is advisable for those couples/women, who face the following problems:
India as a surrogacy hub
Medical procedures in India are estimated to be 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than in the West. Surrogates in India are relatively easy to find, and the cost of the procedure, including the total expenditure on travel, accommodation and medical bills for the entire period, are approximately one-third of what it costs in the US, the UK or Canada. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines are followed in India regarding surrogacy. The surrogacy clinics in India are equipped with specialised doctors, cutting-edge technology and all amenities to make the entire procedure as comfortable as possible. Most doctors and physicians in India, involved in this process, are a highly skilled group with many of them having global experience. English as a medium of communication ensures that there is complete understanding between both the parties, and that the entire process is conducted as smoothly as possible. India, with its reduced cost of surrogate mothers, provides world-class service without compromising on the quality of care administered. Indian women are particularly known for their strict abhorrence for drugs, smoking, and alcohol, leading to their increased acceptance of people opting for surrogacy in India.
Surrogacy problems
Although a large number of surrogacy success stories are reported every month; there are some problems associated with surrogate motherhood in India: Ethnic factors: Pregnancy is fraught with risks at all stages and puts a huge mental and physical strain on the surrogate mother. The surrogacy laws of western countries may not be compatible with those in India. Negligence of the health of the mother and child by fertility clinics can lead to the complete wastage of the entire procedure. Surrogacy laws: Commercial surrogacy in India was made legal by the Supreme Court in 2002. Following this, surrogate motherhood in India is fast growing into a robust industry.
ICMR guidelines
Tips for biological couples
Couples must get in touch with reliable surrogate mother centres in India to make the entire process as smooth as possible. A suitable surrogate mother in India must be located prior to arrival in the country. Legal contracts must be properly drawn up and valid in the court of law.
Surrogate mother agencies
There are a number of organisations in India, which handle the logistics right from locating a surrogate mother in India to arrangements for travel, accommodation and medical care for the surrogate mother and child. A simplified version of the procedure is explained below: After the infertile couple gets in touch with fertility centres, based on their requirements, a search for the surrogate mother is carried out. Only those surrogates, who successfully clear the stringent medical checkups, and are in perfect physical and mental health are considered in the programme. A legal contract between the
surrogate and the intended parents is then drawn up and signed by both the parties. The surrogate mother selected is put on hormones to regulate her menstrual cycle and then impregnated with the embryo. During the nine months, the surrogate is carrying the child; all steps are taken to ensure that mother and child remain as healthy as possible. Regular checkups, tests and a balanced diet rich in nutrients are provided to the mother. The couple is kept posted on the growth of the child and ultrasound photographs are sent at different stages of growth.
(The writer is a consultant, obstetrics and gynaecologist and IVF Expert, The Nurture Clinic, New Delhi)
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Renting a womb is what surrogacy means in simple words. Intended parents, where a women cannot carry her baby to full term, opts for surrogacy. Once a couple chooses the surrogacy option, an IVF is done with the intended parents, and the embryo is transferred into the chosen surrogate. Surrogates undergo a screening process. A proven pregnancy medical record is also required with uncomplicated pregnancies, as this helps to discern that the surrogate can successfully carry the pregnancy to completion. Their medical, personal and family history is also gauged to decipher the mental and the physical wellbeing of the surrogate and to-be-borne child. After the preliminary screening of the surrogate, a well-detailed contract as per the ICMR guidelines is signed between the surrogate and the couple in question. The clauses are comprehensive so as to guard all the three main parties involves — the parent, child and the surrogate. According to the ICMR guidelines, doctors need to be involved in the IVF process and clinically support the pregnancy. When it comes to providing legal aid, there is an independent lawyer who advises parents. Intended parents from Nigeria, Australia, the Middle East, Jakarta, and Africa all in their late thirties or early forties are coming to India in huge numbers.
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