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The lack of any established principles or credible data prompts demands for reservation such as those of the Patels and Jats.The solution lies in shuffling reserved categories.It is only when Jats, Gujjars or Muslims demand reservation, and particularly when these demands become aggressive, that our political system suddenly wakes up and takes notice. However, this notice is simply confined to ascertaining whether the specific group demanding reservation is worthy of it or not. Little attention is paid to re-examining the global picture or viewing the conundrum of reservation holistically. Neither any established principles of positive discrimination nor the required data are available to tell us who deserves preferential policies and why.The proportion of individuals identifying themselves as Other Backward Classes (OBCs) has steadily grown over the years. The National Sample Survey Office data show that in 1999-2000, about 36 per cent of the population fell in the self-identified OBC category; by 2011-12, this proportion had grown to 44 per cent. If combined with about 9 per cent of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) and 20 per cent of the Scheduled Caste (SC) population, the total proportion eligible for reservation comprises 73 per cent of the Indian population. If new claimants to the OBC category are added to this group, easily 80 per cent of Indians would be eligible for reservation of some kind. It would be impossible to provide effective benefits to this large a group. Thus, some choices within these categories will inevitably need to be made.The shrinking pieThe external conditions which initially led to reservations have changed tremendously. Economic growth has resulted in a decline in poverty numbers from 37 per cent of the population to 22 per cent, which, in principle, should bring down the number of people seeking reservations, but over the same period, rewards to government jobs have grown sharply. Wage increases associated with the Sixth Pay Commission and the expected implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission have made government jobs highly attractive. Not surprisingly, many groups historically tied to the land are now seeking favourable treatment while seeking entry into non-farm work. Simultaneously, access to government jobs has been declining for all groups. The India Human Development Survey (IHDS) by University of Maryland and National Council of Applied Economic Research shows that although in 2004-05 15.3 per cent of men aged 22-39 with education level of class 12 or more had a regular salaried job in the government or public sector, this proportion fell to 11.7 per cent by 2011-12. This is because government jobs have stagnated while educational attainment has increased rapidly. Thus, it is not surprising that more claimants for these scarce jobs are aggressively staking their claims.If India can conduct a full Below Poverty Line Census, providing data for a caste group should be feasible.First, we must try to identify the contours of the problem. Since the First Backward Classes Commission headed by Kaka Kalelkar submitted its report in 1955, several attempts have been made to identify backward castes, resulting in frequent discordance between these lists. Lack of consistency and clarity lead to ambiguity in the entire process of reservation, leaving communities like the Jats dissatisfied. This is exacerbated by the lack of credible recent data. Since the 1931 Census, the only effort at collecting data on different castes and their socio-economic circumstances was undertaken by the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), 2011. The National Commission for Backward Classes claimed, in a report dated February 2015, that these data are neither available nor usable for the purpose of establishing the economic condition of various castes. I am inclined to think that this is a correct assessment. If we cannot use the SECC data, then how can we access more accurate data?Revising the numbersJust before 2001 and 2011 Censuses were conducted, there were vociferous demands for including data on caste in them, demands that were, however, not met due to the lack of a preparation period. The present phase in the planning cycle of the 2021 Census is the ideal time for ensuring that comprehensive data about caste and religion for all the groups, including forward castes, backward castes, and SCs and STs, are included in this Census. Surely 90 years is a long enough period for India to have changed, and we may want to rely on more recent data while developing our preferential policies.Second, these data should allow us to re-evaluate the eligibility of groups for inclusion in reserved categories every 10 or at least every 20 years. Much of the social stratification in India is linked to the occupational status of the various castes. With the changes in the economy, we can expect both the link between caste and occupation to weaken and the economic fortunes of various occupations to change considerably. Some of the unrest among the Jat and Patel communities is associated with the poor performance of agriculture in the country. It may well be that they are economically worse off than individuals engaged in other occupations. The opportunity for re-examination of the caste-wise economic status would facilitate the setting up of a structure for the redressal of grievances. However, since this is likely to be a massive exercise, simple criteria based on the housing census combined with the caste data from population enumeration could easily be used. If India can conduct a full Below Poverty Line (BPL) Census where each household is identified as ‘poor’ or ‘non-poor’, providing data for a caste group should be feasible.Third, we must find a way of ensuring a churn in the number of individuals eligible for benefits to ensure that these benefits reach the widest segment of society. Albeit the creamy layer criteria exist, they are almost impossible to implement. With the advent of the Aadhar card, one way of ensuring that the same families do not capture all the benefits is to ensure that each time someone uses their reserved category certificate, their Aadhar number is noted down and linked with the certificate. Further, it may be stipulated that the reserved category certificate can be used only once in 20 years, thus allowing for the benefits to reach even the sections that have hitherto been excluded from their ambit. This would ensure that the same individual is not permitted to obtain both college education as well as a government job by using the same eligibility criterion, nor can one obtain an initial posting as well as promotion using the same criterion.The key to dealing with the quota quagmire lies in shuffling people in and out of the eligibility criteria and ensuring that the benefits are not concentrated among certain groups and/or individuals. All these principles are consistent with the democratic ideals and vision of social justice envisaged in India’s Constitution. It may be possible to achieve a consensus across the political spectrum for adopting a non-political and pragmatic approach to reservations. If we expect to phase out the reservation policy 100 years after Independence, the time for finding a long-term solution is clearly upon us, and we need to act now.Source:The Hindu.Further:Reservations are not just about quotasJat quota protests: What is it all about?

Indian Army is the world's largest Standing army in the world with a strength of around 1.4 million. Not only this, but India is also the world's largest importer of defence-related equipment such as arms and ammunition. India spends billions in the defence sector to strengthen its Armed Forces and safeguard its territory. Below we have mentioned the latest defence deals of India:1- Fleet Vessel Ship AgreementIn October 2019, India put the FVS (Fleet Vessel Ship) Agreement on hold after questions were raised on Turkey’s links with Pakistan and the recent diplomatic tiff with the Recep Tayyip Erdogan government. Turkish shipyards are major suppliers of warships to the Navy of Pakistan. This raised serious security concerns as the Turkish company was to manufacture ships at HSL. However, in February 2020, the Government of India has given a nod to go ahead with the $2.3 billion deal after reviewing the concerns as mentioned above.Under this agreement, the Turkish company will manufacture 5 Fleet Vessel Ship of 45,000 tonnes at HSL (Hindustan Shipyard Limited), Vishakhapatnam. Turkey's TIAS emerged as the lowest bidder for the FVS contract and was given a green signal in the year 2016. These ships will be used by the Indian Navy to carry fuel and other supplies to refuel its warships at sea.2- India-US Apache ContractIndia and the US have signed $930 million agreement for 6 Apache Helicopters for Indian Army. The contract was made in the year 2015 by the Indian Air Force for 22 Apache helicopters. Out of 22 helicopters, 17 have already been delivered to India and the rest will be delivered in the year 2023. These helicopters will be deployed on Rajasthan border with Pakistan on western sector.The contract includes munitions, training, aircraft certification, and components include engines, EO sensors and the radar. Indian Army will get the AH-64E Apache configuration. This is the world's most advanced multi-role helicopter and was inducted in the US Army in November 2011.The Apache sale is a hybrid procurement – Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) between Boeing and Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Foreign Military Sale (FMS) between the Government of India and the US Government.The Apache helicopters are produced in Mesa, Arizona and more than 400 Apache helicopters (AH-64E) have been delivered worldwide to date.The Apache helicopters have advanced digital connectivity, joint tactical information distribution system, more powerful T700-GE-701D engines with upgraded face gear transmission to accommodate more power, the capability to control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and new composite main rotor blade.3- MH-60 Romeo Helicopters DealIn 2018, after the dialogue between India and the United States in New Delhi, the South Block gave a nod to the Indian Navy to pursue the acquisition of 24 Sikorsky MH-60R helicopters. The contract was finally sealed in February 2020, during President Trump's visit to India.The $2.6 billion deal between India and the US includes helicopter, communication systems, weapons systems, eight anti-surface Hellfire Missiles which can be used to hit at ships, MK 54 Lightweight Torpedoes, 50 cannons and precision rocket systems.MH-60 helicopters are manufactured by Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky Aircraft and will be procured by India via government-to-government route. The delivery of these helicopters will start in the year 2021. The helicopters will be inducted onboard Delhi and Kolkata class destroyers and 15B destroyers (currently under construction).The said helicopter is US Navy's primary anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter. It is capable enough to do search, rescue and supply missions.These helicopters will replace Sea King anti-submarine warfare helicopters of the Indian Navy. The Sea King helicopter was de-inducted from the service in 1991 and the Indian Navy is currently using an outdated helicopter. In 1971, India acquired these helicopters from the United Kingdom to detect and engage the warships and submarines lurking in the Indian Ocean from Pakistan and China.4- India-Israel Defence PactThe Government of India has signed Rs 800 crore deal with the Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) to procure 16,479 Negev 7.62x51 mm light machine guns (gas-operated) for the Indian Armed Forces. These machine guns are used as squad automatic weapons and will enhance the lethal power of a soldier along with his range. The light machine guns have improved lethality and range over the one currently used by the Indian soldiers.LMG (light machine guns) were first used in World War II and were later introduced by IWI in the year 2012. The Negev LMG is inducted by Israel as well as several other Defence Forces around the globe.The weight of the said LMG is 7.95 kg without the magazine and other accessories have a length of 1,100 mm, retracted length of 1,030 mm. The LMG can fire 600 rounds in the semi-automatic mode and 750 in the fully automatic mode. The magazines used can either be 100 or 125-round assault drum or an ammunition belt.5- Air Force One Deal with the USThe Government of India has signed a $ 190 million deal with the US Government to procure two self-protection suites (SPS). The deal was signed during President Trump's visit to India in February 2020. These suites will be retrofitted on the two custom-built Boeing-777 aircraft earlier acquired for long-haul VVIP travel.The aircraft will have two wide-bodied B-777s, fully-integrated advanced missile approach warning sensors, defensive electronic warfare systems, infra-red counter-measures, digital radio frequency jammers and other such contraptions under the overall SPS. This will similar to President Trump's Air Force One or the Flying Oval Office.After Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine last year and similar other incidents, Prime Minister Modi will soon be able to fly in a secure aircraft after the clearance of Desi Air Force One. The aircraft will be used by Prime Minister of India, President of India and more VVIPs for extra-long-haul overseas travel.The B-777s will be under IAF control rather than earlier decided Air India. Also, IAF pilots have been trained to fly the VVIP aircraft.6- India-US Guardian Drones DealThe US and the Indian Government signed a $ 2-3 billion deal for the Guardian drones. The US Government has cleared the sale of 22 predator Guardian drones to India. The drones are manufactured by General Atomics.The Guardian drone can be used for wide-area, long-endurance maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It can stay put for 27 hours in the air and can fly at 50,000 feet. The Indian Navy made the request for ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) in 2017.7- India's Defence Deal with ArmeniaOn March 1, 2020, India signed a $ 40 million deal with Armenia, Europe to supply 4 SWATHI weapon locating radars. The radars are capable of locating weapons and are developed by DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) and manufactured by BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited).Armenia conducted trials of the radar systems offered by Russia and Poland but gave a nod to India's SWATHI weapon. India's radar system provides fast, automatic and accurate location of enemy weapons like shells, mortars, and rockets in its 50-km range. It includes 81mm or higher calibre mortars, 105mm or higher calibre shells and 120mm or higher calibre free flying rockets.This deal will strengthen the 'Make in India' initiative by the Government of India and will brace the Indian Defence System.8- India-Russia Defence DealDuring DefExpo 2020, India and Russia signed 14 MoUs (memorandums of understanding). The MoUs consist of development and production of land, air and naval systems and hi-tech civilian products. This set the defence deals between India and Russia to cross $16 billion.Russia is committed to implementing a contract within the promised time frame. This includes the supply of S-400 air defence systems and the production of Kalashnikov rifles and Kamov helicopters.Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-run organization has signed deals with DRDO for advanced pyrotechnic ignition systems, HAL for the export of spares and services to allies, and BHEL for land systems.Another deal was signed between Russian Helicopters and Indo-Russian Helicopters Ltd to localise the components used in Kamov Ka-226 helicopters. India is planning to purchase 200 Ka-226 helicopters.India has already made the payment of the first tranche in 2019 for five S-400 systems. The deal is approximately $5.4 billion.Despite the pressure from the US, India signed strong defence deals with Russia. Also, Russia was the largest foreign contributor at DefExpo 2020.9- India-Russia air-to-air Missiles DealThe Government of India has signed Rs 1,500 crore deal with Russia to procure R-27 air-to-air missiles to be equipped on the Su-30MKI combat aircraft. This deal will boost India's capabilities in beyond visual range warfare.The missile is developed by Russia and is a medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile for MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets.After the Pulwama attack, emergency powers were granted by the Centre to all the three services to buy types of equipment of their choice up to Rs 300 crore per case within 3 months to safeguard the borders with Pakistan.10- India-US Defence Deal of Naval GunsIndia signed a deal of $1.0210 billion with the US to obtain 13 MK45 Naval guns and related equipment.The MK-45 Gun System will help India to conduct anti-surface warfare and anti-air defence missions while enhancing its interoperability with the U.S. and other allied forces. India will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and strengthen the defence system.The contractor of India-US defence deal is BAE Systems Land and Armaments, Minneapolis, Minnesota with gun manufacturing in Louisville, Kentucky.India is one of the few nations in the world that is granted to procure the latest version of naval guns (Mod 4) by the US. The other countries include-- Australia, South Korea, Japan and Thailand.The photos are taken from Google Images. Only for information purposes.Join this Space Defence News for Daily Top Defence News and Interesting Defence Knowledge Base ArticlesThanks

Ladylene:The challenges I encountered in learning occupational health and safety practices can best be broken down into two areas:a) Understanding the human part which involved getting up to speed (and staying up to speed) with the various challenges of learning how to be most effective within the boundaries of your level of authority and responsibility. Safety professionals get a lot of responsibility but most organization give them very little if any authority. You will find yourself unemployed very fast if you try and project that you have authority to “crack the whip” on departments when in fact all you are is a consultant and people can (and will) ignore you. Since you have no authority (in most cases) you have to put your ideas in ways which people will accept them out of their own self interest.I work in a state college with 500 plus employees and a dozen different departments. Once a year, the college is audited for fire safety and liability hazards by an individual who is both our insurance company and the fire marshal. He has both titles because he has a Fire Inspector I certification plus the state as of 201 has mandated that colleges only have to have one annual fire safety inspection (not two as prior to 2011). Getting five campuses and 500 plus workers to accept what the fire safety inspector wants means I have to come up sales pitches which put my requests in terms people I am dealing with will accept. Sometimes I use humor (more often than not) and sometimes I point out that unless the potential fire hazard is alleviated, the department would be the only fire safety violation that the Board of Trustees would know about in the last 14 years. No one wants that distinction.b) the other part is technical. On the wall of my bedroom are certificates of two dozen classes (each of 40 hours or more) that I have completed in the last 10 years. They include Fire Inspector I classes, SREF classes (state requirements for education) Occupational Safety and Heath class, teacher credentialing, FEMA courses (federal emergency management agency) online instructor certification and much more.The start of every year should have an agenda of courses to be completed - like getting my CHST (construction health and safety technician) certification in 2021, fire safety hazards to alleviate, liability issues to address, people who need training, ETC.