The Assam Tribune Analysis

25-12-2020

ARTICLE CONTENTS

Tagore’s vision essence of Atmanirbhar Bharat: PM

12-yr-old Indian in Guinness Book of World Records

UN at 75 faces worst crisis since WW-II

Trump vetoes annual Defence Bill

COVID dampens Christmas joy

‘We are struggling’: A bleak Christmas for America’s jobless

India-Myanmar project under threat from militants

FASTag

Govt again invites farmer unions for talks

Airtel, Vodafone Idea submit details to TRAI

India challenges Vodafone arbitration ruling in Singapore court

DoT asks e-commerce sites to remove listings of mobile signal boosters

Economy pulling out of COVID’s deep abyss: RBI

BHEL extends support to indigenous suppliers

Award

NE’s indigenous rice beer all set to go global

Veerangana Sati Sadhani Award presented to Prof Minati Borthakur

EDITORIAL DISCUSSION

The essence of Christmas

Resolution needed

Social aversion to vocational education

Messi magic

GENERAL STUDIES 1: SOCIETY

1. Tagore’s vision essence of Atmanirbhar Bharat: PM

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s vision is the essence of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ mission of his

government for empowerment of India and the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on

Thursday, as he took forward his outreach to premier educational institutions.

Addressing a function to mark the centenary celebrations of Visva-Bharati, the country’s oldest

Central University founded by Rabindranath Tagore, he extolled the pivotal role it played in India’s

freedom movement and in furthering the cause of universal brotherhood.

‘Visva-Bharati’ was declared a Central University and an Institution of National Importance by an

Act of Parliament in 1951.

The event, however, got mired in a controversy with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying she

was not invited.

“Gurudev’s vision for Visva-Bharati is the essence of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Atmanirbhar Bharat is the

path to India’s development for the development of the world. It’s a campaign for India’s

empowerment and prosperity, and through it, the prosperity of the word,” he told the gathering

through video conferencing from New Delhi.

Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee said she was not extended any invitation,

written or verbal, to attend the function at the university whose chancellor the prime minister is.

“No, can’t recall having been invited to the function. On my own, I posted on Twitter about the

sense of pride for Visva Bharati having completed 100 years,” she said.

In his address, the Prime Minister said Tagore and the institution he founded not only strengthened

the spirit of nationalism but also promoted inclusiveness that strengthened “vishva bandhutva”

(universital brotherhood).

The Prime Minister, who addressed the convocations and centenary celebrations of four

universities – the Mysore University, Lucknow University, Aligarh Muslim University and Visva-

Bharati – within a span of little over two months, dwelt on the role played by educational

institutions in driving the freedom movement.

He said from the “Vedas to Vivekananda”, Tagore’s thoughts reflected the collective thought of

India, which was never introverted or exclusive. “His vision was that what is best in India the world

should benefit from it, and India should learn from the good things they have. Now look the very

name of your university – Visva-Bharati. It encapsulates this linkage between India and the world,”

he said.

Modi also spoke about the inclusive culture that was inherent in India’s ethos while referring to

Tagore. It came at a time when West Bengal is witnessing political violence in the run-up to the

assembly elections, and chief minister Banerjee and the ruling Trinamool Congress have often

dubbed his BJP a “party of outsiders”.

GENERAL STUDIES 1: CULTURE

1. 12-yr-old Indian in Guinness Book of World Records

IDENTIFYING MOST AEROPLANE TAILS IN UAE

A 12-yearold Indian boy in the UAE has entered into the Guinness Book of World Records by

identifying the most aeroplane tails in a minute, media reports said on Thursday.

Siddhant Gumber, an Abu Dhabi-based homeschooled boy who identified 39 aeroplane tails in 60

seconds, is also the youngest Indian to identify top 100 tallest buildings, Gulf News reported.

Gumber, who hails from Haryana, was earlier recognised by theIndia Book of World Records.

His name also features in the India Book for being the youngest to identify the top 100 tallest

buildings of the world with their respective heights and locations, it said.

“I have been a Lego buff since I was a toddler, and my father and I spent a lot of time creating a

variety of models – rockets, air planes, buildings and vehicles. I was able to recognise a lot of the air

plane tails, and my mother helped me compile them in PowerPoint slides so I could identify them

(very quickly),” Gumber told Gulf News. His mother Monisha said that her son has always been

interested in signs, symbols and logos.

“He has an exceptional picture memory and usually never forgets an image once he has seen it. He

does have a variety of interests and likes to know about things into detail, just like air planes.

Although he loves country flags, we focused on aeroplane tails for the Guinness record because

they too are unique,” she said.

GENERAL STUDIES 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. UN at 75 faces worst crisis since WW-II

INDIA REACHES OUT TO VIRUS-HIT PLANET

Confronted with its worst crisis since World War-II, the UN – which marked 75 years of its existence

in 2020 – mounted a comprehensive global response to combat the pandemic that saw India, ‘the

pharmacy of the world’, leading from the front as it extended a helping hand to over 150 nations to

fight the invisible enemy.

As nations across the world began closing their borders and shutting down businesses in early 2020

to control the spread of COVID-19, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the pandemic was

the “fifth horsemen” that added to the fury of the other four horsemen – highest global geo-

strategic tensions in years, existential climate crisis, deep and growing global mistrust and the dark

side of the digital world.

He described the COVID- 19 pandemic as “the greatest crisis of our age” that plunged the world

into an acute health and economic crisis, “the severity of which has not been seen in nearly a

century”. “We face simultaneously an epochal health crisis, the biggest economic calamity and job

losses since the Great Depression, and dangerous new threats to human rights. COVID-19 has laid

bare the world’s fragilities,” Guterres said, adding that the pandemic wiped away the progress of

decades.

The UN mounted a comprehensive global response to combat the pandemic. In this unprecedented

moment of crisis, India led from the front with Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving a strong

assurance to the global community in his address to the first-ever virtual high-level session of the

General Assembly in September that as the largest vaccine-producing country of the world, India’s

vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis.

“To tackle the health fallout during COVID, India has reached out to the world in real time and

assisted more than 150 countries. We continue to do so in myriad ways,” India’s Permanent

Representative to the UN, T S Tirumurti, told PTI. India, recognised as a world leader in vaccines,

produces 60 per cent of vaccines globally. With a reputation as the “pharmacy of the world”, the

country is gearing up to tackle the pandemic on a war footing with a pipeline of several COVID- 19

vaccines under different stages of development.

Vaccine candidates COVAXIN and ZyCoV-D are under phase 3 and phase 2 trials, while vaccine

manufacturer Serum Institute of India is conducting final testing of the Oxford University-

AstraZeneca COVISHIELD vaccine. In the early months of the pandemic, India supplied antimalarial

drug hydroxychloroquine, identified as a possible treatment for COVID-19, to several countries,

including the US. India also pledged USD 15 million to GAVI and operationalised the SAARC COVID-

19 Emergency Fund with an initial contribution of USD 10 million.

2. Trump vetoes annual Defence Bill

DESPITE PASSAGE IN CONGRESS

Unfortunately, the Act fails to include critical national security measures, includes provisions that

fail to respect our veterans and our military’s history, and contradicts efforts by my Administration

to put America first in our national security and foreign policy actions “ – Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year

2021, despite the Bill’s passage in Congress by a veto-proof majority.

The presidential action followed through on Trump’s threat to block the US $741- billion annual

national security legislation, which now depends on both the House and the Senate overriding the

veto for the Bill to be enacted, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

The Bill had passed the Senate in an 84-13 vote and the House in a 355-78 vote, both reaching the

two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto. The veto is so rare in history that it hasn’t

happened to the NDAA for nearly six consecutive decades. “I am returning, without my approval,

HR 6395 ... My Administration recognises the importance of the Act to our national security,”

Trump wrote in a statement to Congress notifying lawmakers of his decision.

“Unfortunately, the Act fails to include critical national security measures, includes provisions that

fail to respect our veterans and our military’s history, and contradicts efforts by my Administration

to put America first in our national security and foreign policy actions,” said the President.

Trump objected the Bill, which will fund the US military portfolio through September 2021, because

it didn’t include a provision to repeal or “make any meaningful changes” to Section 230 of the

Communications Decency Act, a law that provides a legal shield to social media giants like Twitter

and Facebook, which the President claimed used that section of the law to suppress conservative

voices.

Trump’s refusal to sign the Bill into law also derived from the inclusion of a provision that requires

Confederate military bases to be renamed within three years. The President, in his statement, also

purported that the Bill “restricts the President’s ability to preserve our Nation’s security by

arbitrarily limiting the amount of military construction funds that can be used to respond to a

national emergency.”

3. COVID dampens Christmas joy

BETHLEHEM, ELSEWHERE

A stream of marching bands joyously paraded through Bethlehem on Thursday, but few people

were there to greet them as the coronavirus pandemic and a strict lockdown dampened Christmas

Eve celebrations in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

Similar subdued scenes were repeated across the world as the festive family gatherings and packed

prayers that typically mark the holiday were scaled back or cancelled altogether.

In Australia, worshippers had to book tickets online to attend socially-distanced church services.

Pope Francis was set to celebrate Mass in a near-empty Vatican service early in the evening, hours

before a curfew went into effect in Italy.

Celebrations elsewhere in Europe were cancelled or greatly scaled back as virus infections surge

across the continent and a new variant that may be more contagious has been detected.

Thousands of truck drivers and travellers were trapped in mass gridlock at Britain’s Dover port on

Christmas Eve, held up from crossing to France by the slow delivery of coronavirus tests demanded

by French authorities.

In Bethlehem, officials tried to make the most out of a bad situation. “Christmas is a holiday that

renews hope in the souls,” said Mayor Anton Salman.

“Despite all the obstacles and challenges due to corona and due to the lack of tourism, the city of

Bethlehem is still looking forward to the future with optimism and will celebrate Christmas in all its

human and religious meanings.” Raw, rainy weather added to the gloomy atmosphere, as dozens

of people gathered in the central Manger Square to greet the Latin Patriarch, the top Catholic

clergyman in the Holy Land. Youth marching bands playing Christmas carols on bagpipes,

accompanied by pounding drummers, led a procession ahead of the patriarch’s arrival early in the

afternoon.

Thousands of foreign pilgrims usually flock to Bethlehem for the celebrations. But the closure of

Israel’s international airport to foreign visitors kept tourists away this year. The Palestinian

Authority last week banned intercity travel in the areas it administers in the Israeli-occupied West

Bank, keeping even Palestinian visitors away.

4. ‘We are struggling’: A bleak Christmas for America’s jobless

We’re not really doing Christmas – I guess you can say it that way “ – Shanita Matthews

Last Christmas, Shanita Matthews cooked up a feast for her family of three: Roast chicken,

barbecue spareribs, spinach, macaroni and cheese. This year?

They’ll stick with tuna fish and crackers, among the few items she can afford at the supermarket.

“We’re not really doing Christmas – I guess you can say it that way,” said Matthews, who lives in

Suwanee, Georgia. “We are struggling. We are tired, and all I have is my faith.”

Like nearly 10 million other Americans, Matthews has been jobless since the viral pandemic ripped

through the US economy in March, triggering a devastating recession and widespread

unemployment. Now, many months later, they face a holiday season they hardly could have

foreseen a year ago: Too little money to buy gifts, cook proper meals or pay all their bills.

Nearly 8 million people have sunk into poverty since June after having spent USD 1,200 checks that

the government gave most Americans in the spring and a USD 600-aweek supplement jobless

benefit expired in July, according to research by Bruce Meyer at the University of Chicago and two

other colleagues.

And finding a job is getting even harder: Hiring in November slowed for a fifth straight month, with

US employers adding the fewest jobs since April. Some relief may – potentially – be on the way.

This week, Congress approved a USD 900-billion pandemic rescue package that includes a USD 300-

a-week unemployment benefit, cash payments of up to USD 600 for most individuals and a renewal

of extended jobless aid programmes that are about to expire. On Tuesday night, though, President

Donald Trump injected doubts about that urgently-needed federal aid by attacking the rescue

package as inadequate and suggesting that he might not sign it into law.

5. India-Myanmar project under threat from militants

An ambitious India-Myanmar joint project aimed at enhancing connectivity and infrastructure is

under threat from an insurgent group based in Myanmar.

The development programme – Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport (KMTT) project – which will

connect Sittwe Port in Myanmar to Kolkata in India, is under threat from insurgent group Arakan

Army, suspected to be backed by China. The project is expected to reduce the disIndia-Myanmar

project under threat from militants tance from Kolkata to Sittwe by approximately 1,328 km.

The Ministry of Home Affairs recently stated that the project has been delayed due to the “adverse

security situation”. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs expressed displeasure

on the slow progress of the KMTT project that is being piloted and funded by the Ministry of

External Affairs.

The Ministry of Home Affairs observed that the security situation in the region and lack of access

from the India-Myanmar border in Mizoram were the main reasons for the delay. “The adverse

security situation at the project site has further deteriorated in the recent past.

Access to the project site from the Indian side has been permitted by the Government of Myanmar

after much effort and construction activities are currently under way from this end. The project is

being closely monitored,” the Home ministry stated. It also stated that the “acute financial crisis”

faced by the construction companies has also resulted in delays.

Earlier, the Intelligence Bureau had alerted the government that supply of weapons from China was

reaching insurgent group Arakan Army and it was posing a threat to the Kaladan project by setting

up camps bordering the southern tip of Mizoram in India.

GENERAL STUDIES 3: ECONOMY

1. FASTag

FASTags which facilitate electronic payment of fee at toll plazas will be mandatory for vehicles from

January 1, 2021, Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs Nitin Gadkari said on

Thursday.

2. Govt again invites farmer unions for talks

The Union government on Thursday again invited protesting farmer unions for talks, but made it

clear that it would not be “logical” to include in the agenda any new demand related to minimum

support price (MSP), which is out of the purview of three new farm laws.

In a three-page letter written to 40 farmer leaders, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture

and Farmers’ Welfare Vivek Aggarwal said, “I again request you that the government has been

discussing all issues with open heart and good intention to end the protest, and will continue to do

so. Kindly suggest a date and time (for the next round of talks).”

The previous five rounds of talks between the government and the unions failed to break the

deadlock, with the farmers insisting on repeal of the three laws and camping at various border

points of Delhi for nearly a month now.

Aggarwal asked the union leaders to provide details of other issues they want to discuss. The talks

will be held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi at a ministerial level, he said. On the MSP issue,

Aggarwal said the farm laws have no connection with the price regime nor would have any impact

on the procurement of farm produce at the fixed rates.

This has been told to the unions in every discussion and it has also been made clear that the

government is ready to give written assurance on MSP, he said. “Any new demand related to MSP,

which is out of the ambit of farm laws, is not logical to include in the talks. As informed earlier, the

government is ready to discuss all the issues raised by farmer unions,” he noted.

Aggarwal’s letter has come in response to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s December 23 letter,

through which it had informed the government that the farmer unions are ready for talks, but

asked it to send a “concrete proposal in writing instead, repeating rejected proposals around

meaningless amendments.”

In the December 24 letter, the government reiterated that it is ready to find a “logical solution” on

the issues raised by protesting farmer unions. Aggarwal said it is important to keep all doors open

for discussion for the government.

It is the responsibility of the government to listen to farmer organisations and farmers and the

government cannot deny this. The government with open heart has held several rounds of

discussion with farmer unions under the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and urged them to choose a date

as per their convenience for the next round of talks, he added.

3. Airtel, Vodafone Idea submit details to TRAI

Telecom operators Airtel and Vodafone Idea have submitted to TRAI the details of segmented or

concessional offers that were made to subscribers, and the regulator is in the process of examining

the information, according to sources.

The move assumes significance as TRAI, in early December, had directed the telcos to submit

various details of ‘segmented’ offers made to users, after the Supreme Court asked the operators

to disclose details of such special tariffs to the sector regulator.

The sources said Airtel and Vodafone Idea (VIL) have now submitted the requisite details to the

regulator, which is in the process of examining the information. Responding to an e-mail query by

PTI, Vodafone Idea said, “We remain fully compliant to regulatory requirements. All our offerings

have been duly reported to TRAI.” In its directive on December 4, Telecom Regulatory Authority of

India (TRAI) asked the operators to “provide within 15 days of the date of issue of this direction” on

a monthly basis, for each service area, details of segmented offers – from January 2020 till

November 2020.

This included “details of rates and related terms and conditions, quantum of services, name of tariff

plan and validity period of subscription and benefits available to the subscribers in the tariff plan in

which the segmented offer has been given”.

TRAI had also sought details on the number of segmented offers to existing subscribers under the

respective tariff plan at the end of the month. It also asked operators to submit details of rates and

terms and conditions, the quantum of service, the validity of subscription, and benefits available to

the subscribers in each of the said segmented offer.

Segmented offers are the promotions and discounts dished out to customers showing an

inclination towards shifting to other telecom operators; so far details of these customised offers

were not being disclosed in filings on standard package or plan.

4. India challenges Vodafone arbitration ruling in Singapore court

India has challenged in a Singapore court a verdict of an international arbitration tribunal that

overturned its demand for Rs 22,100 crore in back taxes from Vodafone Group Plc, sources said

today.

An international arbitration court had on September 25 rejected tax authorities’ demand for Rs

22,100 crore in back taxes and penalties relating to the British telecom giant’s 2007 acquisition of

an Indian operator.

Two sources privy to the development said India had 90 days to file an appeal against the tribunal

award, and the same was done in a Singapore court earlier this week. This appeal also sets the

stage for the government to challenge the order of a three-member tribunal at the Permanent

Court of Arbitration in The Hague that asked India to return $1.4 billion to British oil and gas

company Cairn Energy plc.

The government had used a 2012 law, that gave tax authorities the power to reopen past cases, to

seek taxes from Vodafone and Cairn over alleged capital gains made several years ago.

Both Vodafone and Cairn had challenged the tax demands under bilateral investment protection

treaties and initiated the arbitration.

Sources said the government believes that taxation is not covered under investment protection

treaties with various countries and the law on taxation is a sovereign right of the country. Vodafone

Group declined to comment on the issue. Vodafone had challenged before the arbitration tribunal

the demand for Rs 7,990 crore in capital gains taxes (Rs 22,100 crore after including interest and

penalty) under the Netherlands-India Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT).

The demand pertained to Vodafone’s $11-billion acquisition of 67 per cent stake in the mobile

phone business owned by Hutchison Whampoa in 2007. In the separate case of Cairn, India has

been asked to pay with interest the value of shares it sold, the dividend it seized, and tax refunds it

withheld to recover part of tax demand from the British firm. The government, the sources said, is

expected to challenge this ruling too given the size of the award.

5. DoT asks e-commerce sites to remove listings of mobile signal boosters

With mobile network boosters becoming a major reason for poor service quality, the Department

of Telecom has asked online sellers to pull down listings of such equipment, an official statement

said today.

The DoT has also carried out raids across multiple locations in South Mumbai over the last two days

which led to the removal of 68 illegal boosters (or repeaters), it added.

The action comes amid frequent complaints of poor network quality in various parts of the country.

“Online platforms have also been issued notices to remove listing of illegal repeaters from their

website and such companies have responded positively,” Amit Gautam, who is part of DoT’s

Wireless Monitoring Organisation, was quoted as saying in the statement.

“We started bringing down the illegal repeaters in November. Raids were conducted on December

22 and 23 as well. Total 68 illegal mobile signal boosters were brought down. We could see they

were all China-made devices with no safety standard mark...,” Gautam said.

He added the department will file FIR against vendors selling these network repeaters. Installation,

possession or selling of illegal repeater is a punishable offence as per the Indian Wireless

Telegraphy Act, 1933 and Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the statement said.

“Our department has taken a very serious view on installation of illegal repeaters as it has become

a major obstruction in providing quality telecom services and clean spectrum,” Gautam said. He

explained that the practice of using mobile signal boosters is similar to having illegal water

connection from the main supply line, leading to shortage for all others.

The signal boosters lead to higher incidents of call drops and lower data surfing speeds on telecom

networks. The two-day drive was conducted across residential and commercial establishments in

South Mumbai areas.

6. Economy pulling out of COVID’s deep abyss: RBI

India’s economy is pulling out of COVID-19’s deep abyss at a faster pace than most predictions,

Reserve Bank of India said in its monthly bulletin for December.

“Since the assessment presented in the last month’s article, more evidence has been turned in to

show that the Indian economy is pulling out of COVID-19’s deep abyss and is reflating at a pace that

beats most predictions,” the bulletin said.

“Although headwinds blow, steadfast efforts by all stakeholders could put India on a faster growth

trajectory.” The bulletin cited the pandemic-imposed retrenchment of Q1FY21 turned out to be

much shallower in Q2 and the economy is reflating at a pace that beats most predictions.

“Second, the update of the economic activity index (EAI) in the nowcasting assessment presented

in last month’s bulletin indicates that the real GDP growth is expected to break out into positive

territory in Q3 – albeit to a slender 0.1 per cent.” “Third, the fourth bi-monthly resolution of the

Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) did maintain status quo on the policy rate and stance; but a

powerful message was conveyed: growth projections – the intermediate target under a flexible

inflation targeting framework and the most potent communication tool – were revised upwards by

200 basis points from October and if they hold, the Indian economy will clock a growth rate of 14.2

per cent in the first half of 2021-22 on top of 0.4 per cent in the second half of 2020-21.”

According to the bulletin, two important forces are ‘conspiring to bless’ this turning of the page on

the virus. “First, India is bending the COVID infection curve: since mid-September, barring localised

surges, infections are slanting downwards week after week, and the recovery rate is nudging 95 per

cent.” “Second, it is now getting clearer that there is a system to the fiscal stimulus, a ‘method’ if

you will. Starting out with liquidity or guarantee and cash or kind support to the economy – the

need of the hour when the pandemic struck and displaced crores from their lives and livelihoods –

it is transiting in a calibrated fashion to supporting investment and consumption demand,” the

bulletin said.

7. BHEL extends support to indigenous suppliers

State-run engineering firm BHEL has said it is interested in indigenisation of more than 300 items

across nine categories with an intent to getting imported items manufactured in India.

BHEL has been spearheading the ‘Make in India’ movement with a special focus on contributing to

the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, a BHEL statement said.

The company has taken the lead in reaching out to local industry including MSME (Micro, Small &

Medium Enterprises) vendors as potential partners, it added.

“BHEL is interested in indigenisation of more than 300 items across 9 categories currently imported

by our 16 manufacturing units, valued at over Rs 3,000 crore per annum, and the company is

looking forward to their active participation for mutual growth,” BHEL Chairman and Managing

Director Nalin Shinghal said.

The company is also organising a series of interactive workshops, titled BHEL Samvaad’, aimed at

fostering better utilisation of assets for development of technologies and products, under the

guidance of the Department of Heavy Industries (DHI).

The first in the series of online workshops on collaborative manufacturing, conducted recently ,

saw a cross-section of Indian industries, industrial houses and MSMEs coming together to dwell

upon the next steps for increased cooperation in indigenous manufacturing.

GENERAL STUDIES 5: ASSAM POLITY

1. Award

The Pratima Barua Pandey Award 2020, instituted by AASU, would be conferred on Udalguri-based

theatre artiste Pabitra Rabha at a ceremony on December 27 near the life-size statue of Pratima

Barua Pandey at Chandmari.

2. NE’s indigenous rice beer all set to go global

The indigenous rice beer of the North East produced and consumed by the region’s ethnic

communities is set to hit global supermarkets, thanks to a first-of-its-kind technology transfer on

traditional beverage effected by the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST),

Guwahati.

IASST has signed a technology transfer MoU with Golden Beverages for producing red wine from

the aromatic black rice of Manipur.

“Beyond basic nutrition, the traditional rice beer is known to confer health benefits like immune

modulation, improved digestion and reduce the risk of metabolic disorders. However, the lack of

scientific intervention and commercialisation has confined the availability of the beverage with

ethnic flavour and taste to a smaller segment of the population,” Dr Mojibur Khan of IASST, who

led a group of researchers in experimenting how the traditional beverage affects overall health of

the consumers, told The Assam Tribune.

The results from the experimentation that used different research models indicated that the

beverage modulates the microbes residing in the intestinal tract and the fermentation process

brings biochemical changes in the beverage resulting in a composite of nutraceuticals and healthy

bacteria known as probiotics.

“As the process of preparing the beverage remains a traditional culinary practice and a quality-

controlled uniform product is away from the market, and also considering the commercial aspects

of such beverages in countries like Japan, China, Korea, Indonesia, etc., we tried to optimise the

fermentation process using several indigenous rice varieties under hygienic laboratory conditions,”

Khan said.

Interestingly, the beverage prepared using the aromatic black rice of Manipur showed promising

biochemical properties and a patent was filed for the process by Khan and his PhD student Bhuwan

Bhaskar. The research was funded by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)

under the Promoting Academic Research Conversion to Enterprise (PACE) scheme.

Under the research, a pilot-scale fermentation process was optimised for the production of a

beverage. “The anthocyanins in the wine give the attractive colour and the fermentation process

brings appealing taste and aroma.

Also, it is rich in antioxidant content (Cyanidin and Delphinidin) and is organoleptically identical to

red wine,” Khan said, adding that several biochemical properties were analysed in IASST as well as

in other laboratories, including FSSAI. The beverage was also subjected to sensory analysis with

volunteers to evaluate the consumer choices as well as market accountability. “The results

indicated a considerable demand and commercialisation of the beverage was of utmost need.

Through the MoU, it will enable pilot-scale production of the beverage. We expect such artisanal

drinks to reach the supermarkets,” Khan said.

The MoU was signed on Wednesday in the presence of IASST Director Prof Ashis K Mukherjee and

Hamendra Chandra Das and Dr Rahul Deori of Golden Beverages. Also present was Dr D Chaudhury

of BioNEST where the pilot-scale production of the traditional beverage will be initiated.

GENERAL STUDIES 5: ASSAM POLITY

1. Veerangana Sati Sadhani Award presented to Prof Minati Borthakur

The Veerangana Sati Sadhani Award-2020 was presented to noted social worker and motivational

speaker Prof Minati Borthakur in Dhakuakhana, Lakhimpur. The award was presented at a mega

function held at the playground of Dhakuakhana public playground by Chief Minister Sarbananda

Sonowal. The award carries a cheque of Rs 2 lakh, a memento, a sarai and several other presents.

Receiving the award, Prof Minati Borthakur, a cancer fighter for the last 27 years and a crusader of

cancer awareness appealed to everyone to enjoy the work they do. She said, “We must take care of

our health and our body and the same for our people and the country. We should not sit idle and

expect everything from our government.

Enjoyment does not mean singing, dancing and picnicking. Enjoyment comes through work. We

must work and enjoy doing it.” Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, in his address, thanked Prof

Borthakur for her inspirational words and spoke about various efforts of the State government to

bring development of all ethnic communities of Assam so that they can coexist peacefully.

Highlighting the State Government’s decision to constitute th Veerangana Sati Sadhani Award and

set up Sati Sadhani University at Golaghat to spread the message of valour and bravery of Sati

Sadhini, Sonowal stressed on the need for the younger generation to build their personalities

through academics and educational pursuits. He also dwelt at length on the importance of

imparting moral values to students and called on the Chutia community members to shape the

future generations through education.

Organized by the Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam, in association of Lakhimpur

district administration, the award ceremony was attended by State Agriculture Minister Atul Bora,

P&RD and Cultural Affairs Minister and local MLA Naba Kumar Doley, Lakhimpur MP Pradan

Baruah, Dhemaji MLA Dr Ranoj Pegu, Batadrava MLA Angoorlata Deka, Lakhimpur Deputy

Commissioner Dr Jeevan B and leaders of various Chutia organizations.

EDITORIAL DISCUSSION

GENERAL STUDIES 1: SOCIETY

1. The essence of Christmas

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “I like your Christ, but I hate your Christianity.” It’s no secret that those

who claim to follow Jesus Christ consistently fall short of living up to the way of life of him who

lived about 2,000 years ago. However, Christmas is about Christ, not how the Christianity

celebrates with great pomp and fervour. Jesus Christ is a person, not a philosophy or a set of rules.

The very purpose of his birth was to die as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus Christ. There are many traditions about Christmas.

However, the Bible is the reliable source of information for this birth narrative. It was written long

before the birth of Jesus. There had been prophecies about the details of his birth including the

place, the nature and the purpose.

Accordingly, in due time, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary in a town called Bethlehem, also known

as the City of David, in Palestine. Jesus was named before he was born. An angel appearing in a

dream told Joseph to whom Mary was betrothed, “She will bear a son and you will call his name

Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Therefore, the name Jesus means the Saviour, the

one who would save mankind from the clutches of sin and its power. Therefore, Christmas has

universal significance because Jesus was born to be the Saviour of the world.

Jesus was born in an unusual way. He was born in a stable for cattle because there was no place for

Mary in any house in Bethlehem where she had gone with Joseph from Nazareth, their home town

for a census enrolment. On the night when Jesus was born, some shepherds were watching over

their flock in a field. An angel appeared to them saying, “I bring you good news of great joy for all

people, for unto you is born this day in the City of David your Saviour, who is Christ the Lord,” after

which the angel was joined by many others singing, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth

peace among men.”

The shepherds went to Bethlehem and saw the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a

manger. The Bible also says that Jesus existed with God throughout eternity. Therefore, God could

give or send him into the world. This means Jesus is preexistent. In other words, he is unborn and

uncreated because he is eternal or sanatana. Only about 2,000 years ago, the one who was already

with God, incarnated and became the avatar.

Therefore, the message of Christmas is a message of joy and peace for everybody. About 700 years

before the birth of Jesus, prophet Isaiah prophesied that God would send his Anointed One (means

the Christ), who would be born of a virgin, and he would be called the Prince of Peace. The Biblical

understanding of the Hebrew term shalom which has been translated as ‘peace’ is not just the

absence of war, conflict or strife: it also means wholeness, completeness, well-being, prosperity

and harmonious relationship between man and God the nature.

This peace of mind and exceeding joy of Christmas can be experienced by believing in Jesus as

one’s personal Lord and Saviour. The purpose of Christmas or the coming of Jesus Christ was not to

establish a formal religion but to bring salvation and new life to humanity by his sacrificial death on

the cross. Because the Bible says, “God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that

whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God sent his son into the world,

not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

Jesus is completely divine and human. The essence of Jesus is important for understanding his two

natures to prevent diminishing Christ’s deity or overly exalting his humanity. Jesus is the mediator,

as a bridge, he connects humans with God. One might have expected that Jesus would have been

born in a palace or a mansion. A story tells about a king who worried his court by often

disappearing and walking incognito amongst his people. When his chieftain requested him not to

do so for security’s sake, he answered, “I cannot rule my people unless I know how they live.”

It is a great thought that we have a God who knows the life we live because he too lived it and

claimed no special advantage over common men. That is why Jesus said that he came not to be

served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. The core of teachings of Jesus was to

love God and to love one another as we love ourselves. In order to have peace in our society, this

divine and selfless love must be taught and practised. Therefore, Mother Teresa said, “What can

you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”

Mahatma Gandhi reflecting on the life of Jesus Christ said, “A man who was completely innocent,

offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom

of the world. It was a perfect act.” Jesus was born to die for the sins of the world. Therefore,

Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection and application of its message. Our

world is increasingly a world of conflict that is in need of peace and reconciliation.

Violence assaults our world on every hand. Personal violence, domestic violence, religious violence,

ethnic violence and national violence has escalated to unprecedented proportions. Today, in a

world full of strife, anarchy, communalism, terrorism, separatism, regionalism and apartheid, the

birth festival of Jesus, or Christmas, summons us to be tolerant, forgiving, selfless and

compassionate and to spread the message of peace and love in our society. Therefore, it is not

proper to romanticize Christmas so as to forget its essence of bringing about peace and

reconciliation in a hostile world.

GENERAL STUDIES 2: POLITY

1. Resolution needed

Thousands of farmers have been protesting the three contentious farm Bills since November 26,

braving the intense north Indian cold. Some farmers have even died due to the inimical conditions,

but there appears to be no immediate resolution in sight. So far it has been a case of an

irrepressible force acting upon an immovable object, the farmers being determined that nothing

less than total scrapping of the Bills would satisfy them, and the Narendra Modi Government bent

on sticking to its guns.

Though the Centre on Sunday sent out another invitation to the farmers’ unions to renew

discussions with the Government, and asked them to fix the date of the meeting at Vigyan Bhawan

according to their convenience, the farmers are in no mood to respond positively and have instead

announced agitation programmes which include relay hunger strikes and blocking of toll collection

on the national highways.

The strategy of the Government seems to be to wear the farmers down, even as a section of the

pro-BJP media demonizes them by hinting that anti-national elements have hijacked the protests.

The farmer leaders have made explicit their stance that so far the Government has merely offered

unacceptable amendments and they would not re-engage in talks unless something more concrete

is on offer. Meanwhile, the economy continues to suffer due to the protests, thereby aggravating a

situation already rendered bad by the pandemic.

It is time that the NDA Government softens its rigid stance and makes a serious effort to resolve

the impasse.

It needs to introspect and acknowledge that such important bills, affecting the most important

societal segment in India, should not have been passed in such haste and without the discussions

they merited. It may be recalled that the Bills were passed in both Houses of Parliament in record

time through voice votes, while the demand by the Opposition for discussion was turned down.

Equally pertinent, the stakeholders, the farmers’ organizations, were not consulted.

The Government now must realize that these Bills show a signal departure from the existing system

of selling agricultural produce to which the farmers are accustomed, thus more discussions and

debates should have been undertaken before enacting them into law. Thus the Modi Government

needs to climb down from the high horse no matter how unpalatable it might be, and try and take

pragmatic steps to bring about the required resolution to the impasse.

Even the Supreme Court of India has acknowledged the right of farmers to hold non-violent

protests and asked the Central Government to consider putting the farm laws on hold as long as

negotiations with protesting farmers were on. Perhaps the Centre can take a cue from the Court’s

suggestion and embark on a course correction in the manner in which it has been handling the

protests, and break the deadlock.

GENERAL STUDIES 2: GOVERANCE

1. Social aversion to vocational education

The farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country have been protesting against

three recently-enacted parliamentary laws that attempt to reform agricultural trade. Beyond these

trade reforms, agriculture in India also requires technology infusion through farm mechanization

without which it is likely to hit a stagnancy in growth. Farm mechanization still stands around 40-

45% and is set to increase further creating a space for skilled manpower in agriculture, a largely

low-skill-driven industry. Practical and specific training thus becomes essential for the future of

India.

The AICTE defines vocational education or vocational education and training (VET) as one which

prepares the learners for jobs that are based in manual or practical activities, traditionally non-

academic and related to a specific trade, occupation or vocation. It builds on a participatory hands-

on approach.

A distinction must be made between vocational education and technical training. While the former

is generally part of the school education with greater emphasis on theories, the latter is an

advanced mode of training through a diploma or certificate courses in specialized institutions.

As per the NSSO report on Status of Education and Vocational Training (68th round; 2011-12),

about 2.2% received formal vocational training and 8.6% received non-formal training. There is also

a glaring difference between the proportion of males and females who have received formal and

non-formal vocational training. Even though the exact quantum of the challenge is debated, it can

be concluded with ease that India has a large skill deficit with only less than 5% formally skilled

workers in the total workforce.

The Government of India in participation with the State governments and multilateral organizations

has rolled out various schemes for skill enhancements that aim to bridge the skill gap in India. The

National Skill Quality Framework and popular schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana

are more oriented towards skilling youth who either dropped out of school or acquired informal

traditional knowledge which would be recognized under priorlearning certificates.

Vocational education, although part of the equation, lacks the required push with only a minimal

success so far. There are other challenges partly due to inadequate training facilities and their

access and partly due to low premium placed on vocational education and training as opposed to

higher education and professional education.

An informal enquiry into a prominent higher secondary school of Jorhat district revealed that only

19 out of 290 odd students in the 12th standard opted to join a course of vocational education

despite it being open for all streams of study. According to the 7th All India School Education

Survey (AISES), 12.39% of higher secondary schools in the country are with vocational

streams/courses with 5.42% total enrolment and 22.56% of degree colleges with Classes XI and XII

attached to them are with vocational streams/courses with 12.22% total enrolment. Low adoption

of vocational courses in secondary and higher secondary levels in schools and colleges of India is

thus quite evident.

Students are confronted with a skill deficit at a later stage of life where they are forced to join skill

development programmes or specialised institutions.

Research has proven without a doubt that technical training and vocational education increases

employability and wages but there are still disparities between employment through academic

qualification and VET. Low demand for courses might also force the government to vacate the

allocation of resources to VET or substantially reduce it in the future.

Currently, the centrally sponsored scheme of vocationalization of school education under the

umbrella of ‘Samagra Shiksha’ is being implemented in all the States and Union Territories to

‘enhance individual employability, reduce the mismatch between demand and supply of skilled

manpower and provide an alternative for those pursuing higher education’.

The National Education Policy 2020 also intends to remove the hard separation between

‘vocational and academic streams’ and further states that at least 50% of students going through

school and higher education shall have exposure to vocational education. Assam has about 154

schools which are presently covered under the scheme for vocationalization of education.

In India, a concerted effort is therefore being made towards imparting professional training

through re-evaluating pedagogy and curriculum. To enhance employability, cross-sectoral and

inter-ministerial plans are being drawn to roll out new frameworks and sector-specific professional

courses. To bring about parity between VET and other graduation degrees, BVoc courses are being

restructured and professional Bachelor’s degree in science, arts and commerce is being introduced.

But all of this falls short of addressing the core issue at hand. At the heart of low desirability of

vocational education is the low premium attached to it. There is a complex interplay between

psychological, cognitive, emotional and social factors that affect economic decisions, an idea which

is the foundation of behavioural economics. Aversion to opting for VET can be understood through

the dynamics of society and individual behaviour.

The societal notion on pursuing a course in ITIs for trade certification or a diploma through

polytechnic colleges is that it is only for those who either dropped out of schools or failed to qualify

for higher education in academic streams. Entering higher education in general streams, by itself,

does not guarantee the best outcome for a student.

A knowledge paper by FICCI-EY acknowledged that even though India has made considerable

strides in higher education in terms of capacity creation and enrolment, it lacks behind in global

relevance and competitiveness, and graduates suffer from low employability. The Government

must identify deficiencies beyond capacity creation and curricular changes which lies in behavioural

dynamics of the society in India and specifically, in the stigma attached to vocational education.

Understanding parental dissuasion and peer pressure when it comes to low acceptance of VET are

essential to target the root of the issue. Social responsibility also falls on the industry and the

government to bridge not only the skill gap but also to close the wage gap for those employed

through formal training and vocational education and academic education, which would then

create new demand and hopefully, diversion of more resources into the former.

A viable solution is continuous career counselling that invites both students and parents, and that

which stops seeing both in isolation. Being employed with reasonable rewards is a better position

for a student in an intensely competitive environment than to opt for an academic qualification

with no certainty. Social prejudice against VET even at a significant financial cost is neither

beneficial for the student nor the nation or the society.

GENERAL STUDIES 3: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

1. Messi magic

The inimitable Lionel Messi who has enthralled soccer fans for over a decade has added one more

feather to his illustrious cap, breaking Brazilian great Pele’s all-time scoring milestone for their

clubs by netting his 644th career goal in Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Valladolid on Tuesday.

While Messi was his usual humble self after the feat saying that he never thought he would be

breaking any record when he had started his career, the Argentine dazzler has scaled dizzying

heights in the course of his remarkable career. His accomplishments and the consistency which has

been his hallmark for all these years make him arguably the greatest player of his generation and

obviously among the greatest of all time.

Pele was quick to congratulate Messi after his record was broken and praised him on Instagram.

The Brazilian legend also referred to Messi’s long association with Barcelona, saying “Stories like

ours, of loving the same club for so long, unfortunately will be increasingly rare in football. I admire

you very much, Leo Messi.”

Pele, now 80, had made his debut at Santos at the age of 15 in 1956 and played for the club until

1974, featuring in a total of 665 competitive games. The 33-year-old Messi made his debut for FC

Barcelona at the age of 16 in the 2003-2004 season, but had to wait till 2005 for his first goal in the

Blaugrana. Messi who also holds the record for most Ballon d’Or wins, claiming his sixth in 2019,

has always been praised for his natural talent and is considered by many as the most gifted player

in history. The superstar’s longevity is unique in football history and this – aside his flair for scoring

and amazing dribbling and ball control skills – adds a different dimension to his career.

Many players have talent, skill, speed or a goal-scoring instinct, but a prolonged career would

always entail the right frame of mind to sustain it. With success comes fame and money and the

associated pitfalls but a steadfast Messi has remained mentally very strong and been able to root

his feet to the ground.

The Argentine has naturally been compared to several other giants from different generations such

as Pele and Maradona. While it is difficult to compare players from different generations, it can

safely be said that Messi alone had it in him to control everything on and off the pitch for such a

long time – something that makes him different from the others.

Messi’s Achilles Heel, as critics invariably point out to, has been his failure to be a part of a FIFA

World Cup-winning national team. Pele and Maradona on the other hand had played stellar roles in

winning the biggest soccer honour for their nations and leave an indelible mark on the highest

platform. But then, at the Qatar World Cup 2022, Messi still has a chance to have one last shot at

the most coveted feat that has so far eluded him.