2015-16 General Permission Form: Fill & Download for Free

I've received an A2A for this but I must admit, I'm not someone who can make any valid conclusions on this issue.What I can contribute is the articles I had read and collected overtime so people can skim through the headlines or read and make up their own mind.There are a few things I believe:1. This controversy partly has its roots in history even before these two joined office, they were bound to clash because both of their existence depends on eliminating the other.2. The history is more important than the present events.3. Its a long story and not the whole of it is really relevant, so I've divided the answer in following sections:- A little bit of history (Who is Najeeb Jung, Who is Kejriwal plus whats happening in Delhi) - Up to 2013- A little more of history, laying the ground for Kejriwal vs. Jung (There have always been differences in the ways in which Kejriwal works and the ways in which Jung works, its evident from the time Kejriwal was first elected, to Kejriwal's resignation. BJP coming to power and threatening Jung's position while starting a major Reshuffle in Delhi's administration and weakening it in the process) - 2014- This year before the official Kejriwal vs. Jung (What is interesting about this year is the hidden role of the center to retain control and the work of the elected government in improving administration. For example: it is ironic how Modi was elevated to a top position in the party surpassing many old experienced leaders but Home Ministry finds it difficult to surpass senior IAS officers to appoint a junior officer that Kejriwal recommended to the post of his Chief Secretary) - 2015- Kejriwal vs. Jung is now official (What is relevant here is the timeline of events that are discussed about in April that lead up to the events of May and June causing the famous tussle between the LG & CM)- Conclusion - While Najeeb Jung is clearly upset over the fact that a CM who he does not report to should take an interest in what comes under his jurisdiction, AAP is upset because it needs to have more control over issues to fulfill the promises it made and ensure Delhi is not reverted to a full fledged UT as the Narendra Modi government seems to want.Details:A little bit of history1. Who is Najeeb Jung?For those of you who may not know him, he was born in 1951 and has done his post graduation in History from Delhi University and later did MA in Social Policy and Planning from London School of Economics, UK. He had joined Indian Administrative Services (IAS) in 1973 and served in Madhya Pradesh government and at several key positions for 22 years.Jung's real break came in 1984 when Madhavrao Scindia became the railway minister in the Rajiv Gandhi government. Scindia asked Jung and another officer, Asif Ibrahim (director, Intelligence Bureau), to become part of his immediate personal staff.Scindia did a lot of modernization of the railways but it was Jung who ran his office.In early 1990s, When Scindia became minister for civil aviation in PV Narasimha Rao's tenure, Jung was no longer available: he had become joint secretary (exploration) in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas. This is when the privatization of the Panna-Mukta oil fields (The Second Enron Scam: The Saga of Mukta-Panna Oil Fields By Prabir Purkayastha) took place and the contracts were given to a consortium. It was here that Jung came into contact with business houses.He then quit the civil services and went on to work with one of the private companies part of the same consortium.He also did a stint at the Asian Development Bank in the mid-1990s. His interest in energy took him to Oxford where he did a PhD in energy research.A corporate outlook helped: he worked as director (energy research) with the Reliance India-funded Observer Research Foundation, having worked in London earlier with Reliance Global Management Services.He returned in 2008-09 and, after doing this and that, was appointed vice-chancellor of the Jamia Millia University by then human resources minister, Kapil Sibal, overlooking the claim of Mushir ul Hasan, already in situ.Jung ran the university with an iron hand, sacked many students and also some teachers. To friends he said new ideas were needed on how to run universities and make them more productive. Jung also faced immense criticism from the University’s students and teachers for removing tenured professors, making senior positions contractual in an attempt to curb dissent and granting a minority status to a University famed for its non-denominational character.2. Who is Kejriwal? (Plus what is happening in Delhi)We all know him so I'll be very brief hereWhat exactly happened between the years 2010 - 2011In 2010, Kejriwal was protesting against corruption in the Commonwealth Games.Meanwhile in Delhi, Tejendra Khanna had completed three years as L-G Delhi when the CWG ended. Many were wanting him out including Sheila Dikshit and P. Chidambaram among the politicians.In 2011, Kejriwal joined several other activists, including Anna Hazare and Kiran Bedi, to form the India Against Corruption (IAC) group.Meanwhile in Delhi, March 2011 the then L-G had sent a nine-page report to the President on allegations of financial irregularities in the CWG scam against him.2011 also saw the discussion of the controversial splitting of MCD, a move supported by both Congress and BJP. The idea here was of course to weaken the administration and question the need for an elected government in Delhi.In Mar 2011, BJP to boycott meet on plan to split MCD - The Times of India. We had sought a change in the terms of reference. Why should it only look at MCD? There should be simultaneous dialogue on DDA, police and law and order. But since the terms of reference have not been amended, we have decided not to join the committee.In May 2011, Sheila Dixit's Delhi govt decides to split MCD into three parts, this was perceived as a smart manoeuvre to negate the BJP influence by ‘helping’ the Congress to get control of some part of the old municipality.In Nov 2011, Delhi Mayor Writes to Sonia Against MCD Split Opposing the proposed MCD split, Delhi Mayor Rajni Abbi shot off a letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi appealing to her to rise above party politics and "help realise the dreams of Rajiv Gandhi" by not supporting the demand of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. In her letter to Gandhi, the BJP leader said the demand for trifurcation will not only weaken the local self government but will also be harmful in the long run for Delhiites.In April 2012, BJP strikes gold in MCD elections, Cong stunned - The Times of IndiaIn November 2012, Kejriwal formally launched the Aam Aadmi Party.2013At the beginning of the year 2013, one thing was clear. Sheila Dixit's image was ruined already and Congress had realized they were going to have to let go of Delhi. Then LG Khanna had also come under criticism following the December 16 gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl, he also did not have a very cordial relationship with the Chief Minister as both were at loggerheads on range of issues.So, just five months before the national capital goes to assembly polls, probably as the last attempt by Congress to save their position in Delhi:On July 1, 2013 Dr. Najeeb Jung was named the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi by President of India. The first muslim to become Delhi's Governor. A lesser known newbie with a so called passion for service and no family connections in politics (kind of person Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was looking for), Jung had said he had no apprehensions about his new job, "I have no thoughts. Life is a flowing river and it continues to flow" when he was appointed. In the media though, he was hailed Najeeb Jung: The man who may run Delhi.In November 2013 Sheila Dikshit failed to get full statehood for Delhi, says Harsh VardhanIn December 2013 the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections were also held.Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has recommended the imposition of President's rule in Delhi among other options to break the deadlock over formation of a new government after assembly polls returned a hung verdict in the state.But in the same month, The Congress party had offered unconditional support to the AAP to form a government and Kejriwal formed government in Delhi.A Little more of History, laying the ground for Kejriwal vs. JungJan 2014: Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi CM demanded the suspension of three police personnel and sat on dharna outside Rail Bhawan. Jung then played a somewhat constructive role, holding dialogues and appealing to Kejriwal to call off the protest. During the dharna, the LG also sent home-cooked parathas for Kejriwal.(We don't know for sure if Kejriwal ate the parathas - Pun intended!)Next month..Feb 3: Chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi cabinet cleared the draft of the Jan Lokpal bill.Feb 6: Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran writes to Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung terming the Jan Lokpal Bill “unconstitutional”.Feb 7: Unfazed by solicitor general’s opinion, Kejriwal said he will write to Jung on plans to enact the Jan Lokpal bill without the centre’s concurrence.Feb 10: Kejriwal met Jung and discussed various issues relating to the Jan Lokpal bill. In a statement, the Lt. Governor’s office said to avoid any dispute in the matter and to obtain full clarity, Jung has referred the issue to the law ministry for a “final opinion”.Feb 12: Union law ministry upheld Jung’s stance that centre’s nod is mandatory for introducing the Jan Lokpal bill.Feb 13: Despite law ministry’s ruling, Kejriwal decides to introduce the bill in the assembly on the first day of the special session. However, the bill could not be introduced because of repeated disruptions in the house, which finally had to be adjourned.Feb 14: Kejriwal and his cabinet ministers resigned after the bill could not be introduced. While 42 legislators - including from the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress, the JD-U and an Independent - voted against its introduction, 27 AAP lawmakers were for it.Feb 17: Based on the report of the Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and the recommendation of the Union Cabinet on April 15, the President has accepted the resignation of Mr. Kejriwal and also approved the imposition of President’s rule while keeping the Legislative Assembly in suspended animation.Mar 14: Addressing the 91st Annual Convocation of University of Delhi, Jung noted that the country had been blessed with great leaders and thinkers, it was now a task of the youth to build the future of the country and for that they should not only dream big but achieve them as well.Apr 14: Hold election in Delhi, Prashant Bhushan urges Lt Governor Najeeb Jung | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & AnalysisMay 14: BJP wins Lok Sabha elections. Some news reports stated Sheila Dikshit and Najeeb Jung among 18 state governors who may lose post | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis and Kejriwal Meets Najeeb JungHarsh Vardhan demands full statehood for Delhi, from the new Prime Minister | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & AnalysisJune 14: Delhi saw power cuts while Piyush Goyal asks Najeeb Jung for plan to permanently end Delhi's power woes | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysisand Arvind Kejriwal meets Lt Governor Najeeb Jung over over e-rickshaw issuesJuly 14: The LG, who is in charge of administration of the Capital since February 14, said in an interview to a daily newspaper that he would call for elections the moment he was convinced that there was no possibility of any government being formed. Stating that elections were an expensive process, Jung had said that the city had been through two elections in the past six months and another election would stop the normal administration from functioning. A state can be under President's rule for up to two years, with extensions every six months.Meanwhile at Delhi administration, IAS Officers in Delhi government reshuffled | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis23 July 2014: Meanwhile at the center, Home Ministry and Centre issued a notification which favors to minimize the power of ACB of Delhi government.Aug 14: Govt formation efforts not over yet: Najeeb Jungand AAP accuses Central Government of minimising ACB's powersMeanwhile in Delhi's Admin departments, over 200 IAS officers get reshuffled.Chief Secretary D M Spolia, who was removed from the post when the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in the capital and was reappointed to the post in August replacing S K Srivastava. Of the 30 important departments, 12 departments have remained without their heads for more than a month now—Finance, Home, General Administration, Tourism, Planning, IT, Power, Social Welfare, Revenue, Higher Education, New Delhi Municipal Council and Chief Electoral Office.Such transfers have increased in frequency over the last six months and have just created confusion in the mind of the officer.Sep 14: Delhi L-G Najeeb Jung seeks permission from President to invite BJP to form government in DelhiOct 14: Meanwhile Delhi Administration sees a major reshuffle of IAS officers:Principal Secretary (Services) Shakuntala Gamlin has been given the additional charge of New Delhi Municipal Council Chairperson as current Chairman Jalaj Srivastava is going abroad for special training. Srivastava has been empanelled to the rank of Additional Secretary.Gamlin is likely to take charge on October 25. She has also been given the additional responsibility of General Administration after 1983-batch IAS officer Lalmalsawma, who was heading General Administration besides being the Principal Secretary of Social Welfare and Women and Child Development Department has been transferred to Mizoram.Environment Department Secretary Sanjiv Kumar will hold additional charge of Social Welfare and Women and Child Development Department.A 1984-batch officer, Arvind Ray has been holding the additional charge of Home Department after its head Archna Arora, a 1983 batch IAS officer, retired on September 30. Ray is the Principal Secretary (SC/ST/OBC/Minorities), and Chairman and MD of Delhi State Financial Development Corporation.S S Yadav, who heads Food and Supply Department as well as Directorate of Information and Publicity, holds the additional charge of the Tourism Department.While an IAS officer has been assigned to head two or three departments in Delhi administration, many officers serving outside the city are reluctant to join the administration that is witnessing “political uncertainty”.Nov 14: Delhi set for fresh polls, Union Cabinet approves dissolution of assembly | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & AnalysisHarsh Vardhan shunted to a low profile ministry, may not be BJP CM candidate for Delhi elections (remember he was the BJP guy publicly asking for full statehood!)As far as state administration is concerned:Nearly 60 per cent of the total budgetary allocation of Rs.16,700 crore, under the Plan head, remains un-utilised with only about a quarter of the current fiscal remaining. This while the expenditure under the non-Plan budget had crossed 60 per cent.Revenue collections declined by `3,000 crore in the current fiscal between April 14 and November 14.Of the 30 important departments, 12 were lying headless for the last three months which has led to the reshuffle of 14 IAS officers and eight Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) officers.The finance department was left lying almost headless after IAS officer MM Kutty joined Ministry of Environment and Forests.Shakuntala Gamlin, a 1984 batch IAS officer, who was already heading four departments, was temporarily given charge of the finance department.This year, before the official Kejriwal vs. JungJan 2015: Delhi sees more shuffles (Page on newindianexpress.com)Till Dec 2014, Shakuntala Gamlin was holding the charge of five departments. Now, Gamlin has been transferred to Power and Industries departments to replace IAS officer Arun Goyal was transferred to Mizoram in Oct 2014.Feb 2015: Exactly an year after he had resigned as Delhi Chief Minister, AAP Arvind Kejriwal took an oath as the CM again on February 14 at Ramlila Maidan after winning Delhi Elections.Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia had met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and requested him to appoint 1984 batch IAS officer Ramesh Negi as the chief secretary.The Home ministry rejected kejriwal's plea and appointed Sanjeev Nandan Sahai as the acting Chief Secretary of Delhi on February 28. (Sahai appointed as interim CS, Delhi after MHA's ‘No’ on Negi)March 2015: Home Minister Rajnath Singh approved the appointment of KK Sharma, currently serving as Chief Secretary of Delhi, to be the Delhi government’s top bureaucrat.April 2015:1 Apr 2015: Garbage piles up on Delhi roads, AAP-BJP continue fight2 Apr 2015: NGT orders Arvind Kejriwal-led govt to clean up garbage from Delhi streets04 Apr 2015: Page on dailypioneer.com5 Apr 2015: AAP to Relaunch Anti-Corruption Helpline in Delhi Today5 Apr 2015: Delhi Chief Secretary directs city administration to submit compliance of NGT orders | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis10 Apr 2015: Delhi farmers appeal to CM Arvind Kejriwal for conducting crop loss survey10 Apr 2015: Determined to make Delhi world-class city: Arvind Kejriwal11 Apr 2015: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announces compensation for farmers11 Apr 2015: AAP-Led Delhi Government Now Wants CCTVs in Police Stations11 Apr 2015: CM Arvind Kejriwal writes to Bassi, demands a say in policing matters13 Apr 2015: Truckers seek Kejriwal's intervention over NGT ban17 Apr 2015: BJP asks Delhi LG Najeeb Jung to probe AAP govt's Delhi Dialogue Commission | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis18 Apr 2015: AAP govt's new anti-corruption branch makes first arrests20 Apr 2015: Janta Ka Budget: AAP begins experiment in direct democracy20 Apr 2015: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal suspends two NDMC employees for dereliction of duty23 Apr 2015: Farmer hangs himself at AAP rally28 Apr 2015: NGT Bans Burning of Waste in the Open in Delhi-NCR30 Apr 2015: Not obliged to send files to CM: JungMay 2015: This year, Kejriwal vs. Jung is now official01 May 2015: Arvind Kejriwal led AAP govt to enhance punishment for denial of minimum wages02 May 2015: Jung-Kejriwal faceoff: Don’t bother LG with all files, orders CM04 May 2015: Media conspiring to finish off Aam Aadmi Party, claims Kejriwal04 May 2015: Delhi L-G asserts his authority after Chief Minister order, launches Najeeb Jung against Arvind Kejriwal15 May 2015: Delhi Chief Secretary K K Sharma goes for 10-day leave.16 May 2015: Shakuntala Gamlin takes charge as Delhi chief secretary despite CM Arvind Kejriwal's directive19 May 2015: Delhi govt. replaces Principal Secretary Anindo Majumdar- Mr. Majumdar had cleared the appointment of Shakuntala Gamlin as acting CS for 10 days during the absence of K.K. Sharma25 May 2015: Delhi Chief Secretary K K Sharma resumes charge26 May 2015: Kejriwal vs Jung: Lt Governor must respect people’s mandate, says Delhi High Court- Anti-Corruption Bureau can act agianst Delhi Police: Arvind KejriwalJune 2015:1 Jun 2015: Shakuntala Gamlin writes to L-G Najeeb Jung: Minister Satyendra Jain putting pressure on me2 Jun 2015: Kejriwal-Jung Power Tussle Intensifies- Three inspectors and two sub-inspectors of Bihar Police have joined Delhi government's ACB after a request in this regard by the AAP government to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's office. Reacting strongly to the decision, Jung's office virtually rejected the appointment of the five police officials from Bihar and reaffirmed that the ACB functions under his direct authority and control.8 Jun 2015: L-G Najeeb Jung appoints new chief of Delhi's Anti-Corruption Branch; AAP fumes9 Jun 2015: Kejriwal government rejects police commissioner appointed by L-G JungKejriwal government rejects police commissioner appointed by L-G Jung10 Jun 2015: Delhi govt moves to clip ACB chief MK Meena’s wings- This effectively means that MK Meena, who was appointed as joint commissioner in the ACB by lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung, will not able to take any key decisions on his own.19 Jun 2015: Complaint filed against Delhi ACB Chief Meena for alleged involvement in "20 lakh curtain purchase scam". - Janta Ka Reporter21 Jun 2015: Yogendra Yadav backs Arvind Kejriwal, says LG Najeeb Jung an agent of Centre for long - The Economic TimesConclusion: - Some of the politics behind Kejriwal vs. Jung has its roots in the age-old BJP vs. Congress battle and Delhi's age old status controversy, should Delhi be reverted to a UT or given full statehood?And some of it is an inevitable struggle between two different philosophies rather than a power-struggle that needs to be sorted by shifting the capital.On one side we have the bureaucrat trying to maintain Center's control over Delhi's administration, to save his own position (the point here is there will always be difference in opinion and there will always be a bureaucrat who has a job to save). He has worked in a certain manner for a considerable time and is used to seeing the big picture only (which today looks prettier than it did a few years back) and on the other side we have a young man, wanting to move at a very fast pace to clean up the debris that creates chaos in his immediate neighborhood, besides trying to save democracy in the state.Sources:Profile: Najeeb Jung, first Muslim to become Delhi’s Lt. GovernorNajeeb Jung's forefathers held positions of great powerArvind Kejriwal to form govt in Delhi, but can he deliver? - FirstpostSheila Dikshit and Najeeb Jung among 18 state governors who may lose post | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysishttp://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?section=international&xfile=data/international/2014/February/international_February373.xmlYouth should ensure that poorest find a voice in society: Lt Governor Najeeb Jung | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & AnalysisA case to dismiss Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & AnalysisAAP-Jung tussle started a year ago - The Times of IndiaHeadless at Helm in Delhi AdministrationPage on newindianexpress.comDeadlock over Delhi chief secretary as Kejriwal stands by Ramesh NegiPage on indianexpress.comChallenges for a Mega CityDelhi doesn’t need StatehoodOther Quora answers about the issues:Rohit Nigam (रोहित निगम)'s answer to Has Delhi developed under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal?Vanita Ashar's answer to Why do people still support Arvind Kejriwal even when we can see clearly how inefficient he is in running a good government?Vanita Ashar's answer to What makes Arvind Kejriwal think that without paying lakh corporation employees civil amenities will improve in Delhi?Vanita Ashar's answer to What is the complete story behind the turmoil going on in the Aam Aadmi Party centering around Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan?Gourav Pathak's answer to Why are the IAS officers applying to be transferred from Delhi?Rohit Nigam (रोहित निगम)'s answer to New Delhi: Is it true that the municipal corporation of Delhi (MCD) is a very corrupt body? Are there any proofs or experiences to justify it?Rohit Nigam (रोहित निगम)'s answer to According to the AAP, Najeeb Jung was initially a congress agent and then a BJP agent. Is this true?***********************************

There have been many arguments both for and against the World Culture Festival 2016 being conducted on the Yamuna plains. The National Green Tribunal alleges that the event has destroyed the river and the environment.Let us go through a detailed analysis of the various important claims put out by the National Green Tribunal’s (to be referred as NGT hereafter) Expert Committee alleging damage to the Yamuna Floodplains post the World Culture Festival, 2016 conducted by the Art of Living Foundation.I would like to present before the readers a statistically unbiased and scientifically backed representation of this case which is currently sub-judice.Land Description:Before we go further, it is essential that we first geographically define the area over which the World Culture Festival was conducted (From 11th March –13th March 2016)The land parcel is a finite piece of land over the Yamuna floodplain bound by the DND Flyover to its South; Barapulla Drain to its North;River Yamuna to its East and Ring Road to its West.Area ~ 25 hectaresCan be located on WGS (World Geodetic System) 84 coordinates 24 deg 34’55’’N and 77 deg 16’43’’EHere is the detailed image categorically bifurcating the various land sites w.r.t it’s usage for the event(Source: Google Earth, 15th of March ,2016)2. It is very essential to draw the following conclusions from the above satellite images:3-Permanently ramps existed since 2008 (Having bituminous pavement,with potholes and degenerating bituminous overlay).7-Area marked by the purple region previously had mounts of construction waste (malba) solid waste,which has been cleared for the WCF 2016 event by the Art of Living foundation at its own expense.8-Unpaved earthen road running parallel to the Barapullah drain,which is in existence at least since the year 2000,used for vehicles and earth-movers engaged in drain cleaning and slit removal in this section of Barapullah drain.The temporary installations and the make-shift stage are also clearly visible from the satellite imagery.Fig 1:Permanent Ramp 1 having bituminous pavement existed at least since Jan 2008Fig 2:Permanent Ramp 2 having bituminous pavement existed at least since Jan 2008Now, let us go and categorically visit each claim made by the NGTClaim 1: No permission sought from the NGT by the Art of Living Foundation before the eventFacts:The entire site belongs to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)Firstly,the NGT is a court,a tribunal and an autonomous institute, not a government agency to give permissions.Here is the official permission letter sought by the Art of Living (Vyakti Vikas Kendra India-Trust of the foundation) to use the land site for the event and it no where states that prior permission from the NGT needs to be sought.As you can see, the permission letter is approved by the Honorable L.G. of Delhi and duly signed by the Office of the Chief Engineer (E.P.)Mr.D.P.Singh of the DDA on 15th of December 2015.Apart from this, the Art of Living organization had taken permission from 20 various organizations and competent authorities (Government Bodies)The entire list of the government bodies is elucidated below:Central Public Works DepartmentDelhi Development AuthorityDelhi Fire ServiceDelhi Jal BoardDelhi PoliceDelhi Pollution Control CommitteeDelhi Traffic PoliceDepartment of Irrigation and Flood ControlDistrict Disaster Management AuthorityEast Delhi Municipal CorporationIndian ArmyIrrigation DepartmentMinistry of Environment and ForestsMinistry of External AffairsMinistry of Home AffairsNew Okhla Industrial Development AuthorityPublic Works Department-DelhiPublic Works Department-UPSouth Delhi Municipal CorporationUttar Pradesh Government2. Claim 2: Alleging the presence of wetlands on the eventFacts:To understand this point, we need to first comprehend the difference between a wetland and a floodplain.According to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands ,signed in 1971 (Iran) wetlands are defined as: "areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres"(The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Number of Contracting Parties: 169)There are currently 26 Ramar sites in India which are enlisted below:Ashtamudi Wetland,KeralaBhoj Wetland,Madhya ParadeshChandertal Wetland,Himachal PradeshChilika Lake,OrissaDeepor Beel,AssamEast Calcutta Wetlands,West BengalHarike Lake,PunjabHokera Wetland,Jammu and KashmirKanjili,PunjabKeoladeo National Park,RajasthanKolleru Lake,Andhra PradeshLoktak Lake,ManipurNalsarovar,GujaratPoint Calimere Wildlife and Bird Santuary,Tamil NaduPong Dam Lake,Himachal PradeshRenuka Wetland,Himachal PradeshRopar,PunjabRudrasagar Lake,West Tripura DistrictSambhar Lake,RajasthanSasthamkotta Lake,KeralaSurinsar-Mansar Lake,Jammu and KashmirTsomoriri,Jammu and KashmirUpper Ganga River,Uttar PradeshVembanad-Kol Wetland,KeralaWular Lake,Jammu and KashmirBhitarkanika Mangroves,OrissaSo, according to the Ramsar sites (India being a signatory of the Ramsar convention) , the World Culture Festival venue does not come under the wetland category.Wetlands come under Ecologically Sensitive Zones are are protected areas by the government.Now,let us analyse the land area with respect to the Survey of India (The Survey of India is India's central engineering agency in charge of mapping and surveying) mapsHere is the Annexure -1B Portion of 1:25000 Scale Detailed Map of Delhi, published by the Survey of India in the year 1985,Under the direction of Major General Girish Chandra Aggarwal, Surveyor General of India; Titled-’Delhi Guide Map,Third Edition 1985′The map clearly depicts the WCF 2016 event site as an extremely flat “Point Bar” (floodplain deposit) without existence of any wetland or enclosed waterbody. The flatness of this land parcel is to the extent that contour indicating difference in height of the order of 100cm is also non-existent throughout the area.Another important point for record in this map is the existence of natural path of ‘Kushak River – Barapullah Drain’ prior to straightening of its channel traversing straight into River Yamuna and filling of its original channel. The map also depicts the situation prior to construction of Guide Bank and DND Flyway.Looking at the National Wetland Atlas (Published in March 2011 by the Space Application Centre,ISRO,Ahmedabad),it fails to indentify a single wetland on the event site.According to the National Geographic Society, floodplains are defined as “A flood plain (or floodplain) is a generally flat area of land next to a river or stream. It stretches from the banks of the river to the outer edges of the valley”A Floodplain does not require jurisdictions of the environmental authorities that a wetland does.Floodplains have a rich history of interacting with the society for civilizations to flourish.The first great civilizations all grew up in river valleys. The oldest, 3300 to 2500 BCE, was along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Middle East; the name given to that civilization, Mesopotamia, means "land between the rivers". The Nile valley in Egypt had been home to agricultural settlements as early as 5500 BCE, but the growth of Egypt as a civilization began around 3100 BCE. A third civilization grew up along the Indus River around 2600 BCE, in parts of what are now India and Pakistan. The fourth great river civilization emerged around 1700 BCE along the Yellow River in China, also known as the Huang-He River Civilization.Many towns have been built across floodplains because of easy access to fresh water,the fertility of floodplain land for farming,cheap transportation, via rivers and railroads, which often followed rivers and ease of development of flat land.Large cultural and religious gatherings taking place on various floodplains across India like the Kumbh Mela and the Maramon Convention.The World Culture Festival venue was thus a floodplain and not a wetland as claimed by the Expert Committee of the NGT.3. Claim 3: Destroying the natural flow of the river YamunaFacts:A comparison of river morphology has been conducted on satellite images for the period between 22nd of December 2000 till 10th of May 2016.Fluvial Geo-morphology of the river (i.e. land form related to the river) and its floodplain (over which the event was organized) indicates continuity of a pattern in channel dimension, sedimentation,bank deposition,bank erosion and flow of the river.On a careful examinations of images between 26th August 2015(month of monsoon in Delhi) to 10th May 2016(Pre-Monsoon Dry Summer Season) no abnormality in the pattern of flow;channel dimension;riverbed;or morphology of both the banks has been noticed.Further,examination by ground verification in a series of field studies found no scientific acceptance of the above mentioned claim by the NGTHere are the satellite images taken that show the continuity of pattern of the river flow:Pic 1: 26th August 2015 (Post-monsoon)Pic 2: 29th October 2015 (Post-monsoon)Pic 3: 23rd November 2015 (Post-monsoon)Pic 4: 15th of December 2015 (Post-monsoon)Pic 5: 27th of February 2016 (Preparation for the event in progress;stage scaffoldings under construction)Pic 6: 15th of March 2016 (Post WCF, Pre-Monsoon)Pic 7: 25th of May 2016 (Depicting the entire area utilized by the World Culture Festival 2016,now evacuated,cleared and all the temporary installations removed)And as I write this answer now (13 th of May 2017, 15:39 hr), I have taken the snapshots from Google Earth of the venue and it is as it was before the event.The above images tell us that there is no change whatsoever in the natural river course of the Yamuna. This again proves the Expert Committee’s claims as false and unscientific.Selection Bias by the Expert Committee members?In the report,the expert committee have replied upon a singular satellite image for the event as opposed to a larger sample size covering pre-monsoon and post monsoon images for 15–20 years despite its availability to the public on Google Earth.The Expert Committee compared the satellite images of the venue dated 5th of Sept 2015 (Peak monsoon season) with that of a mid summer picture of March 2016, post the event (Summer pre-monsoon)It doesn’t take an Einstein to realize that such a comparison cannot be done in the first place.The Expert Committee is basically trying to attribute the negative effect of the lack of rain to the World Culture Festival !4. Claim 4: Destroying the reeds,grasses,natural vegetation on the river bed and the venueFacts:High pollution in the River Yamuna has led to a situation where dissolved oxygen tends to zero (often less than 1), high load of suspended particulate matter, high turbidity almost blocks the sunlight penetration in the water within few centimeters of vertical depth etc.All of the above factors collectively create a situation where no macro flora could grow or anchored within the riverbed of the Yamuna.Reeds and grasses could only grow beyond the riverbed in the riparian zone of the floodplain.The images of the last 15 years,indicate that the floodplain around the venue had some strips and patches of reeds. Those patches have been compared with the images after the event and on a comparison of images, no change in area covered by reeds has been observed.Riparian reeds along the Barapullah drain and small patches behind and in front of the guide bank (near the bridge of DND flyway) are unaltered before , during and the period post the event.Also the number of trees before and after the event were counted using high risk satellite images and they were found to be the same.Pic 1: Regrowth of grasses on over the location where once the stage was raised (17th of April 2016)Pic 2: State of grasses on the event venue (17th of April 2016)Pic 3: Undisturbed riparian reeds along the abandoned channel in front of the Guide Bank (17th of April 2016)Pic 4: Undisturbed riparian reeds along the Barapullah Drain (17th of April 2016)Also, another important to note that the Expert Committee of the NGT accused the Art of Living Foundation for bringing in and dumping the malba (construction debris) and flattening the malba thereby destroying the flood plain.Firstly, as shown by the satellite images of the land parcel furnished earlier, the purple area indicates the unsolicited construction debris that existed since the year 2000.Trucks were seen emptying tonnes of malba on a daily basis when the Art of Living began preparation for the event (circa December 2015)Once the land was allotted to the foundation, the Art of Living sent out a letter the the DDA citing these concerns about the existing construction dump.To which, the DDA didn’t remove the debris whereas told the Art of Living Foundation to remove the malba at its own cost !Here, is the invoice of the contractor ,who was given the duty to remove the debris from the venue site ,under the instructions the Art of Living Foundation (Cost borne by the Art of Living Foundation !)This is how the site appeared before the event:So, why did the NGT falsely accuse the foundation wherein no cementing/foundation work of any sort was undertaken for the event?5. Claim 5: Disturbed the aquatic life of the riverFacts:The river Yamuna (Delhi stretch) is nearly devoid of fish species due to extremely low level ( ~0) dissolved oxygen in the river water.Let us analyze the water quality of the river Yamuna first.Referring to the “Water Quality Status of Yamuna River” report by the Central Pollution and Control Board (erstwhile Ministry of Environment and Forests,Government of India),here is the longitudinal profile of the dissolved oxygen.(Report foreword by V. Rajagopalan, Chairman-CPCB)(Notice the graph points near Nizamuddin Bridge ,Agra Canal)The report goes out further to state that“ In Yamuna River low BOD and low DO was observed more oftenly may be due to consumption of oxygen by settled sludge in the riverbed.”(Ref 3.13, page No.42)Other key notations from the report are listed below:“The sources contributing pollution are both point & non-point type. Urban agglomeration at NCT – Delhi is the major contributor of pollution in the Yamuna River followed by Agra and Mathura. About 85% of the total pollution in the river is contributed by domestic sources. The condition of river deteriorate further due to abstraction of significant amount of river water, leaving almost no fresh water in the river, which is essential to maintain the assimilation capacity of the river.”“In the critically, polluted stretch of Yamuna river from Delhi to Chambal confluence, there was significant fluctuations in dissolved oxygen level from Nil to well above saturation level. This reflects presence of organic pollution load and persistence of eutrophic conditions in the river.”“Bacteriological contamination is significantly high in the entire Yamuna River stretch. Total Coliforms are generally well above the prescribed water quality standard even sometimes at Yamunotri also. The microbiological analysis confirms that the bacteriological contamination was predominantly contributed by human beings.”Here are the longitudinal profiles of the Total and Faecal Coliforms in Yamuna River :Not to forget the drains opening up in the Delhi stretch.“Najafgarh drain of NCT – Delhi is the biggest polluter of River Yamuna, which contributes about 26% (year 2001) to 33% 22 (year 2000) of total BOD load and 48% (year 2003) to 52% (year 2001) of total discharge that joins Yamuna river and canal at Delhi by various drains. There are 70 sub drains that join main Najafgarh Drain. The study indicated that the total BOD load received by Najafgarh Drain through sub-drains was 136 TPD, whereas the BOD load at the terminal end of the Najafgarh Drain was 83 TPD only. This reduction may be contributed by biodegradation, deposition of setllable material at the bottom and diversion of drain water for irrigation etc”.“ River Yamuna receives significantly high amount of organic matter, which is generally, originates from domestic sources. For biodegradation, this organic waste requires oxygen, causing significant depletion of dissolved oxygen in river water. The oxygen depletion not only affects biotic community of the river but also affects its self-purification capacity. This problem is critical in the river stretch between Delhi and confluences of river with Chambal. In Delhi stretch, the load of organic matter is so high that it consumes the entire dissolved oxygen available in river water.”Presenting another latest report by the Central Pollution Control Board titled “Water quality status of in Delhi stretch of Yamuna River”Exhibit 1: Water quality of river Yamuna river in terms of Dissolved Oxygen (DO)The above graph clearly shows that the standard DO should be~4–5 whereas near the Nizamuddin bridge and Okhla region it below 1.Exhibit 2: Water quality of river Yamuna in terms of Total ColiformThe report also throws light on the discharge of various drains in the river Yamuna.“There are twenty one major wastewater drains in NCT-Delhi, out of which 18 drains join Yamuna River and rest joins Agra/Gurgaon canal.All the drains join Yamuna River downstream of Wazirabad barrage.These drains are being monitored regularly on monthly basis.The range of total BOD Load of 18 drains join Yamuna river was 105 TPD (August, 2015) to 229 TPD (January, 2016).Total discharge of these drains was varied from 29 m3/s (May, 2016 to 43 m3/s (August, 2014).The collective average of these drains for the year 2015 and 2016 in terms of discharge was about 34.8 m3/s and 34.3 m3/s respectively whereas, BOD load average for these two years was 164 Tons/day (TPD) and 178 Tons/day respectively.Based on the Discharge and BOD load of 18 drains Najafgarh drain was the biggest polluter of Yamuna River followed by Shahdara drain. These two drains alone contributes about 74% of total Bod load and 82% of total discharge of the 18 major drains that join Yamuna river at Delhi.”Exhibit 3: Discharge of major drains joins Yamuna River at DelhiLastly, I wish to produce a report titled “ Restoration and Conservation of River Yamuna” authored by the NGT Expert Committee members itself in the year 2012–13(Authors Prof. C.R.Babu, Prof.A.K.Gosain, Prof.Brij Gopal-All being expert members of the NGT)The report categorically states that“the loss of life supporting potential of the river is the major concern to the public, the Government and the courts”“the flowing water, the river bed, the floodplain forest and grassland ecosystems are locally extinct”Here is a snapshot of the same :The report also states that:“The Delhi urban stretch of 22 km in the downstream of Wazirabad barrage upto Okhla barrage (Section III) is critically polluted and dry weather flow is almost the treated and untreated sewage from 22 drains and the fresh water flow from upstream or lateral connection and it is perhaps one of the most polluted river stretches in the country with zero DO and over 30 mg/l BOD levels”Whereas, the same committee members in its final report slamming the Art of Living state the following:How could the World Culture Festival destroy something that according to the same committee members didn’t even exist in the first place.Why is the Art of Living blamed selectively for the pollution of the river Yamuna over the past decades?Isn’t this nothing but sheer hypocrisy?From the above data, following points to be noted:Yamuna river (Delhi stretch)is a dead river with almost zero dissolved oxygen, high amounts of pollutants and no fresh water. How can aquatic life survive under these chemically harsh conditions?The discharge of major drains in the Delhi stretch of the river along with industrial effluents and the pollution levels of Yamuna is alarming.Why does the NGT put the blame on the Art of Living Foundation which has done zero damage to the floodplains and the river?What has NGT done to curb the industrial and human pollution which are harming the river Yamuna?There is a strong judgmental bias in the current NGT report Vs the Art of Living and Others6. Claim 6: Alleging compaction and leveling of the floodplainFacts:Before going to analyse the charges of compaction, it is quintessential that we first define the nature of the land where the event was conducted.According to the report “Environmental flow for monsoon rivers in India-The Yamuna river as a case study”, the Yamuna floodplains has alluvial sandy soil (Reference: Rao, S.V.N., Kumar, S., Shekhar, S., Sinha, S.K. & Manju, S. 2007. Optimal pumping from Skimming Wells from the Yamuna river flood plain in north India. Hydrogeology Journal 15: 1157-1167)According to one of the Expert Committee member-Prof.A.K.Gosain’s earlier published research paper titled- “A new scheme for large-scale natural water storage in the floodplains: the Delhi Yamuna floodplains as a case study”, the author says “the river has been bringing sand from the mountains and depositing it along its basin, forming the floodplains. This accumulated sandy layer exists to an average of depth of 40 m”The report earlier furnished in claim 5 by the expert committee members itself (Can be found here) states that the floodplain near the river Yamuna has “sand and gravel”.Hence, it is a well established fact that the floodplain has sandy soil ! So, can sandy soil be compacted ?Now,given the above data, let us go through some scientific studies about sand compaction and verify the allegations by the NGT.For a confirmatory statement on the extent and exact reason of consolidation and/ or compaction in qualitative and quantitative terms, laboratory test of undisturbed soil samples from the land parcel will be required.By comparing the current soil density with the previous records of soil density over the land parcel,the difference could be worked out.But conducting such a test of unconfined sand/sandy soil appears almost impossible due to the established principles of soil mechanics.Referring to the established principles of soil mechanics and geo-technical engineering from the widely accepted and used textbook for soil mechanics by Prof.V.N.S.Murthy tiled “A Text Book of Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering” let us go through the pressure-void ratio curves of sandIn the above curve, it is clearly evident that “ more than 90 % of the compression has taken place within a period of less than 2 minutes. The time lag is largely frictional. The compression is about the same whether the sand is dry or saturated”.“The amount of compression even under high load intensity is not quite significant as can be seen from the curves.”It is obvious that the natural consolidation of this land parcel would have taken place in the geological past immediately after the deposition with some movement of animals and humans over it.It appears from the final report that the expert committee didn’t conduct any geo-technical analysis and not a single report was attached as an annexure to their claim.Verbally saying that they went there and saw the top soil layer become a thick crust is not evidence. There are tests that are legally permitted in the courts of law which the expert committee doesn’t seem to have done.The WCF area occupied ~ 25 hectares of land out of the total 9300 hectares of the floodplain (Approximately 0.26 %)So to exert the high pressure for land compaction it would require numerous heavy weight rollers (which apparently weren’t used by the organizers).Furthermore, the curve for dense sand in ‘Void ratio v/s pressure in kg/sq.cm’ indicates that dense sand (as deposited by the Yamuna and Ganga) does not show noticeable changes with increase in pressure.It is an undeniable fact that this land parcel has been under agricultural practices since decades (if not centuries).Agricultural practices; tilling (harrowing); movement of farms equipment and agricultural machinery; movement of dumpers for unabated dumping of construction waste for years and then the movement for trucks and dumpers for removal of the same has already shaped the consolidation and /or compaction of this land parcel ages before the event of the World Culture Festival 2016 was organized.Moreover, it is important to note that the entire stage for the event was supported by a series of iron scaffolding with raft footing (shown in the figure below)An Engineering Marvel ?Nothing was anchored in the natural stratum to hold the stage, overall the stage had a floating foundation. Can’t believe? have a look at this :Pics: The stage was made of thousands of such scaffolding rods in lattice structure spread across 7.5 acre (stage area)Pic: Scaffolding structure (showing the highest level) used for construction of the stage ; photographed during the removal of the stage.Pic: Steel plate rod used for distribution of the load, without any anchorage in the ground; photographed during the removal of the stage.The stage had negligible impact on the ground. Overall the stage was a floating stage and the impact of a floating stage on sandy soil is insignificant. For the record, no cement foundation was done as can be seen from the pictures.Trivia: The physics behind this stage bears a strong visual analogy with a yogi sleeping on a bed of nails. As a matter of fact, this ancient technique used by hathayogis in India has been a source of inspiration for the design of this stage !Pic: The concept of “Yogi Nail Bed” used as an inspiration for the WCF stage is based on the principle of uniform distribution of weight over a large surface area, therefore the overall impact is extremely low or negligible.Finally, the only court permissible test to determine compaction of soil is the CBR Test (California Bearing Ratio Test). It involves taking soil samples before and after the event and then applying the test. Since the expert committee did not collect any soil samples before and after the event to come up with the alleged 13 cr damage,the Art of Living Foundation themselves requested the NGT to conduct the CBR test at the venue, and the application was duly rejected !Here is the permission letter made by the Art of Living Foundation to the NGT (which was disposed off by the NGT !)The Chairman of the Expert Committee of the NGT Mrs.Shashi Shekhar (IAS) (Ministry of Water Resouces, Govt. of India)even goes out to the extent of saying the compensation of 120 cr put forth on the Art of Living foundation as ad-hoc and unscientific and not based on any scientific assessments. The Chairman does not even endorse the compensation.Also, it is important to see whether the NGT conducted any scientific studies before quantifying the damage if any ?It would be very astounding for the reader to realize that no such thing was done. Only a mere “visual inspection” was conducted by the Expert Committee members of the NGT at the venue on the 6th of June 2016(Singular visit).And no scientific evidence and data samples have been provided by the NGT Expert Committee in the Court of Law.That’s like going to a doctor who after just glancing at your direction hands you a list of ailments he assesses that you suffer from and proceeds to slap you with a fat bill for your future treatments !It is surprising to believe that the Chairman of the Expert Committee Mr.Shashi Shekhar has distanced himself from the committee’s recommendations. The Chairman’s signature is also missing from the final report. And only 4 out the 7 Expert Committee members have signed the final report !7. Claim 7: Going from ecological “restoration” to ecological “rehabilitation” of the floodplainFacts:Throughout the first report, the Expert Committee members of the NGT have used the term “restoration” and in the final report they use the word “rehablitation”Why the sudden switch?Because, the NGT Expert Committee cannot prove any damage that was done to the floodplain and the environment by the event.In their final report this is what they state:It is not possible for the ‘Expert Committee’ to assess the ecological status of the site before and after the event? This was their primary job in the first place !Also, the committee points out that it is extremely difficult to assess the costs of environment damage and degradation accurately because“it requires substantial time, human and other resources to collect detailed quantitative information on the nature, extend and magnitude of various activities listed earlier for restoration”That’s a clever way of saying that they cannot prove the damage quantitatively and qualitatively and hence the question of restoration is redundant.They also go on to state that “estimation of the costs of restoration requires the preparation of a Detailed Project Report that may take several months to a year besides financial resources.”Who can buy that argument? Why was the Expert Panel commissioned in the first place?Moreover, the Expert Committee states that it has now decided to “REHABILITATE THE IMPACTED SITE”.The NGT’s proposed plan includes creating a bio diversity park, two large water bodies, three tier planting of vegetation,and establishing new sewage treatment plants,etcLet’s put things into perspective, firstly, the Committee says that it cannot prove any damage scientifically. Consequently they cannot assign costs to restore damage. Hence, they wish to switch the narrative from being a “restoration cost” to “rehabilitation cost”. And moreover, they wish to build a utopian biodiversity park for which the Art of Living should bear the cost ! (Slow claps !) Wait, I am not yet done !In order to build this dream park, the Expert Committee has submitted a ‘Budget’ for building this park. The budget lists ‘Salaries and Consultancies’ as a cost component to monitor and supervise the construction. This cost component totals up to 7 CRORE RUPEES ! Here is their estimations !That’s not all friends. The NGT Expert Committee even goes on record to state that “rehabilitation” will take a period of 10 years and the expert committee members have nominated themselves to undertake this project as “Consultants”(Indeed a very sly way of pocketing the 7 crore!)In the final analysis,the expert committee members in their final report state that they are unable to differentiate the activities required to restore the floodplain and the activities to undo the alleged damage due to the event. That is a very clever way of saying that they cannot differentiate the damage done to the floodplain before the event and the damage done by the event.As this article says,“The Art of Living case will go down as a test for environment activism in the country. The nation expects the NGT will gather enough courage to call the bluff of the committee and go by the merits of the case”.References:http://delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/55a9380047b2199a9155d5bdc775c0fb/Final_Report_NGT-Yamuna_Restoration%2B(11-4-2014).pdf?MOD=AJPERES&lmod=-287594179https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1306/1306.2709.pdfhttp://www.cpcb.nic.in/newitems/11.pdfDelhi Development AuthorityTextbook of Soil Mechanics and Foundation EngineeringGoogle Earth – Google EarthNational Green TribunalHomepage | Ramsarflood plainCentral Pollution Control Board :::https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/newsroom/press-statement/independent-environmentalist-statement-ngt-reporthttp://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/2edvol3d.pdfWill NGT call the Yamuna expert panel's bluff?Written by:Soham D’SouzaBachelors in Chemical Technology-Institute of Chemical Technology (former UDCT) , MumbaiMumbai

The ‘Make in India’ programme aims to turn India into a manufacturing, design, and innovation hub in order to get big investments. This initiative is undoubtedly an inspiring initiative, which has reduced the risk factors of investing in India for many foreign companies. The Indian government has set an ambitious target of enhancing the manufacturing output contribution to 25% of GDP by 2025 along with creating 90 million domestic jobs. The availability of skilled labour, a business friendly environment, good infrastructure and low manufacturing cost are some conditions required for the success of the Make in India campaign.Labour lawsWith emerging youth population, India has the capability of becoming a super economy. But the biggest hindrance is the labour laws and reforms in the country. The Global Rights Index (2016), published annually by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), ranked India as one of the 10 worst countries for working people. Large-scale exclusions of workers from labour law, violence and arrests are the reasons for India’s poor performance. There are eight core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) against forced labour. India has sanctioned only four, and refuses to consent to the following four: Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention, Minimum Age Convention, Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention.Economists have criticized the rigidity of labour laws in the country. They believe that these inflexible laws are the reason behind reduced employment opportunities, and can even be an obstacle to the Make in India initiative. Companies like Maruti, Nokia, Ford and Hyundai have had strikes and protests in India at their manufacturing plants almost every year.Solution: The government needs to hurry up on labour reform. Disciplining the workforce has become too challenging an effort for the industry, impacting India’s manufacturing competitiveness. The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, mandates companies employing 100 or more workers to seek prior permission of the government to lay off even a single worker. Chapter V B of the Act bars companies from exiting or downsizing quickly. To make ‘Make in India’ successful, the new government needs to address out-dated labour laws urgently.Taxation RegimeThe complex taxation system, a huge amount of paperwork and corruption may be the main cause of worries among the investors. India started out with an overly complex, poorly-designed GST, which has dampened investor sentiment and created tremendous compliance burdens on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The administration for its part has found administering the GST a challenge, and ad hoc changes in the tax slabs applicable to commodities have not helped. The government must also figure out how to help states build capacity to improve recovery and reduce the administrative burden on taxpayers. This will not only help improve the business climate but also lead to higher revenues.SolutionTo revive the investment climate, the finance minister needs to do only one thing – act on his own promise made in his very first budget of 2015-16, that he will eliminate most tax incentives and put in place a flat 25% tax rate. Government has come up with the e-way bill system by which goods worth more than Rs 50,000 have to be pre-registered online before they can be moved from one state to another. This is expected to curb evasion as such movement would be recorded in the GSTN database.Land acquisitionSome economists believe stringent land acquisition laws and inflexible labour regulations make it difficult for India to attract investors in the manufacturing sector. India’s benchmark land acquisition law must be amended to make it easier to buy land for defence and development projects in the fast-growing economy, while also ensuring the rights of farmers. “The biggest issue we are facing is the pace of land acquisitions - on average, it takes 59 months to acquire land under this law,” said Hukum Singh Meena, a joint secretary of the department of land resources.Conflicts related to land and resources are the main reason behind stalled industrial and development projects in India, affecting millions of people and jeopardizing billions of dollars of investment, a recent study showed.SolutionThe land to be acquired from the land owners should be acquired either on a long lease or in the form of equity for the proposed business. In either event ownership of the land would not be alienated. The same format should apply even to public funded schemes. This option will ensure a steady income for the affected families. In order to help the land owners to make an informed choice it should be mandatory to educate the concerned individuals about the details of the proposed project(s). Such education should be conducted by a group of suitable but independent experts. Further, the process should remain under judicial scrutiny.Political hold-upsThe biggest concern of policy makers, analysts, and investors related to the success of the ‘Make in India’ initiative is around political hold-ups. In every session, the working of Parliament is interrupted which delays the approval of important bills. Therefore, the economy and the mind-sets of the investors suffer setbacks. Red tape can stifle the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. Important bills and reforms related to land acquisition and labour are some examples.Important economic reforms that are required for the implementation of ‘Make in India’ programme are still being held up in Parliament. Investors, who were attracted by ambitious promises, may opt for other options due to this prolonged political stalemate. Global rating agencies are also worried about the slow pace of reforms in India. The political impasse may lead to uncertainties and low interest of the overseas investors.Solution: The government has to act as the central pivot of aligning industries, private companies, public sectors and all stakeholders in realising this vision. The government has to put realistic policies in place and concentrate on eliminating business barriers.Infrastructure and powerIndia needs funds to build industries, which in turn need infrastructure. Economists believe that stringent land acquisition laws and inflexible labour regulations make it difficult for India to attract investors to the manufacturing sector. Industrial zones equipped with basic needs of modern and high-speed communication technologies, integrated logistic arrangements, regular power supplies, enhanced connectivity and ease of availability of raw materials are needed. Availability of land is required for better infrastructure. This requires a new, transparent, effective and equitable land acquisition law. The approval of such laws is interrupted due to political interferences in India.Greater availability of power is needed to realise the dream of Make in India. India is running short of power with a deficit of 5.1%. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has also recently claimed a loss of $37 billion due to lack of transparency in the allocation of the coal blocks.Solution: The government should develop infrastructure to bring industry and not vice versa. It should allocate 25% of the land available at all industrial corridors for MSMEs at different rate slabs and for acquiring models. It should also implement a realistic policy to reduce the nationwide deficit in power.Skilled manpowerA report by consulting firm Ernst & Young said in 2012 that India lags far behind other nations in imparting skill training. Not too much has changed since then. Over the years, industry experts have argued that ‘lack of opportunities’ is a concern. But, it seems ‘lack of skills’ is a greater concern. According to the National Sample Survey, out of the 470 million people of working age in India, only 10% receive any kind of training or access to skilled employment opportunities.Solution: Government should improve access to education with higher enrolment coupled with better quality of education. Course contents should be revised to be in line with global trends. Use of technology enabled solutions and adoption of the ‘PPP model school’ format should be brought in. Also the number of Industrial Training Institutes needs to be increased.Role of statesIndian states play a very crucial role in the implementation and success of the Make in India initiative. India has a versatile geographical and demographical distribution with a federal political system. The involvement and cooperation of state-level decision-makers, political leaders and authorities in a positive way is the basic requirement for the initiative to work. But different political parties ruling different states differ and can never be brought on the same page. To make the concept of Make in India a success, a common consensus among the states need to be achieved.Solution: There is lack of coordination between the state and the central government. Public agencies which are mostly involved in the project execution have to set practices and processes to execute and monitor investments in order to avoid project delays. PPI (Private Participation in Infrastructure) should be high. The government and the financial institutions must help to create MSME-oriented SEZs, hubs, clusters in rural areas.