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Mint
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Indian people have amazing ability to course correct
Next Story Shashi Shekhar If we can negotiate dark days in the past, we can surely tackle them in the present. We'll face challenges in our journey ahead. All we need to do is take a vow to deal with at least one social vice on Independence Day. Our journey reflects a resolve unmatched by any nation. On 15 August 1947, we gained Independence from the British, and today we have surpassed their economy. Our relentless progress will transform us into the third-largest economy in the world in a few years. (HT) Gift this article Peeking into a common citizen's life opens portals to understanding a nation's resilience and resolve. Peeking into a common citizen's life opens portals to understanding a nation's resilience and resolve. Let's begin with an Indian child in 1966. It was an August afternoon in Mirzapur. The family of a government officer was about to have lunch when his daughter (4) and son (6) started crying. The red chapatis were the culprit. The wheat from the US was meant for poultry feed in that country. Even that was available to the lucky few. We were suffering from a massive drought, turning farmland into dust bowls. Records suggest India produced 72.3 million tonnes (mt) of grain in 1965-66. This was why Indira Gandhi sought food aid from US President Lyndon B. Johnson the moment she became the prime minister. By comparison, in the 2024-25 fiscal year, India produced 353.95 mt of grain. The nation's journey from the begging bowl to agricultural self-reliance is inspiring. Indira's predecessor, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, who led the country during the second Indo-Pak war, gave the slogan 'jai jawan, jai kisan'. But one of his less-discussed clarion calls can inspire even today. He asked people to skip one meal every week as the country faced a grain shortage. My parents immediately made it their routine and told us children not to waste food as many didn't have even a few morsels to survive. The practice became our family tradition. Thousands of families still follow the ritual, proving that leaders do have the power to change society. Let's move ahead to 1988. A girl was born in Varanasi Railway Locomotive Factory hospital while Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi addressed the country from the Red Fort. The father, a young editor, was serving in another city. As all phone lines were either busy or out of order, he received one of the most important news of his life many hours later. When information travels within seconds to any part of the world, that may appear prehistoric. Mobiles and the internet didn't exist then. A fortunate few had landlines. Even they had to book a trunk call and wait for hours to get through to another city. Getting a phone connection meant years of waiting or seeking 'blessings" from a member of parliament or the communications minister. Today, the same country boasts the second highest number of mobile phone users in the world after China. From tech-savvy professionals in metro cities to the tribals in the jungles of Abhujhmad, the impact of the technology has been transformative. Recap from 1978 till date. From the 1970s through the 1980s, everyone felt the country would be torn asunder. The Kashmir insurgency was still a decade away, but Punjab was already on the boil. According to a research paper, the Pakistan-backed reign of terror claimed 11,694 lives between 1980 to 2000. A total of 1,784 personnel from Punjab Police and other central police forces either laid down their lives in the line of duty or were grievously injured. In 1982, Jarnail Singh Bhinderawale and his violent gang took control of the Harminder Sahib. Two years later, 'Operation Bluestar" was initiated to flush them out of the premises. It led to the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her trusted Sikh bodyguards. Our heads still hang in shame when we remember the atrocities meted out to the Sikh community in the aftermath of the 31 October 1984 assassination. In those fateful months, we felt as if the mindless hatred towards Sikhs would snatch this courageous community from our fold. But what unfolded was completely different. Society closed ranks and showed once again that the Indian people have an amazing ability to course correct voluntarily. In those days, many Northeastern states were suffering from insurgency. It seemed the country would break apart. Except for the neighbour-sponsored terror in Kashmir, the scourge of terrorism has been wiped out from the rest of the states. The Maoist insurgency, a clear and present threat a decade ago, is breathing its last. Our journey reflects a resolve unmatched by any nation. On 15 August 1947, we gained Independence from the British, and today we have surpassed their economy. Our relentless progress will transform us into the third-largest economy in the world in a few years. That's the reason I laugh at people who talk of India breaking apart. If we can negotiate dark days in the past, we can surely tackle them in the present. We'll face challenges in our journey ahead. All we need to do is take a vow to deal with at least one social vice on Independence Day. Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal. Topics You May Be Interested In Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
India.com
11-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
Sindoor Part-2: No Missiles Fired, But India Just Pulled A Strategic Trigger
New Delhi: The BrahMos may be on standby. The Akash systems are quiet. But don't be mistaken. India's offensive against Pakistan under Operation Sindoor is far from over. In fact, the next phase has just been activated, not with firepower but with water. In what insiders are calling a strategic masterstroke, the Indian government is moving swiftly to greenlight the massive Sawalkot hydroelectric project – a long-pending Rs 22,700 crore infrastructure behemoth on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir. Many describe it 'water warfare by design'. According to a Hindustan Times report, the government is expediting approvals for the 1,856-MW project – which has been stalled for years thanks to the now-suspended Indus Waters Treaty and red tape. The timing? Uncoincidental. Following the April 22 terror strike in Pahalgam, India made the bold move of freezing its water-sharing pact with Pakistan. The move shook Islamabad's corridors of power. The Silent Blow That Cuts Deep While India's missile systems like BrahMos and Akash remain on standby, it is the activation of long-term strategic infrastructure that has Pakistan worried. Two senior government officials revealed to the daily that construction on the project may begin as early as next year. The Ministry of Power is expected to soon appoint a central agency, most likely NHPC, to take charge of implementation. And make no mistake, this is not just another dam. The Sawalkot project is one of four key hydroelectric ventures in Jammu & Kashmir with a combined capacity of over 3,100 MW. It was previously stalled under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. With that treaty now off the table, India is no longer constrained. The message to Pakistan? We will control our rivers, our rules. A Strategic Nightmare The Chenab River, on which Sawalkot is based, flows directly into Pakistan and is a lifeline for its agricultural belt. By accelerating this project, India is not only generating electricity, it is tightening the tap. Former Water Resources Secretary Shashi Shekhar told the publication that India is now within its rights to pursue full-scale infrastructure on the Indus system within its territory. And Islamabad knows this. As one retired Pakistani diplomat reportedly remarked off-record: 'India has found a new front that does not require firing a single bullet. And we are unprepared for it.' Why It Matters The Sawalkot project also promises significant irrigation benefits across wide agricultural belts in Reasi and Udhampur districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It is being described as a run-of-the-river project, which means it will not store massive volumes of water, but generate consistent hydro power and regulate seasonal flow. It is an economic and ecological win for India and a strategic squeeze on Pakistan. The first phase of the two-stage project is set to receive final central approval soon. In 2021, the J&K Forest Department had already recommended environmental clearance, clearing the decks for fast-track execution. J&K's own government is pushing for a stake either through its state power companies or as a joint venture partner. The promise of massive revenue returns and job creation in the region makes this a politically appealing project too. So, Operation Sindoor just has gotten smarter. And Pakistan, once again, finds itself on the back foot.
Hindustan Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Speedy clearance expected in Sawalkote hydro project
The Union government is looking to give speedy clearance to a ₹22,700-crore hydropower project in Sawalkote on the Chenab so that work can commence by next year and the power ministry is on track to decide which agency should build it, two officials aware of the development said. The Sawalkote project, among four proposed hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir, has been granted the status of a nationally important project and is expected to generate 1,856 megawatts (MW) of electricity, one of the officials said. The four projects, which together can produce 3,119 MW of electricity, have been hobbled by long administrative delays as well as due to restrictions imposed by the Indus Waters Treaty, which India decided to put on hold a day after the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 that claimed 26 lives. Apart from power, the Sawalkote dam, a so-called run-of-the-river project, will also bring irrigation potential to large agricultural tracts, a second official said, adding it will come up in the Ramban, Batote, Mahore and Udhampur forest divisions abutting the Raman, Reasi and Udhampur districts of the Union territory. The detailed project report or DPR for the dam has been prepared by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Ltd, the country's largest state-backed hydropower firm. The government is examining which agency should be tasked with the project. 'The Jammu and Kashmir government has expressed a desire to be involved in the construction of the project and build it either through one of its own power companies or through a joint venture. A decision will be taken soon,' the first official said. India has quickened processes to start work on proposed infrastructure on the Indus River system as well as speed up work on existing ones after pulling out of the 1960 water-sharing pact amid a freeze in ties following the Pahalgam terror attack. In 2021, the forest department of Jammu and Kashmir had recommended environmental clearance along with 'justifications', which had formally rolled out the process of preliminary work for the Sawalkote project, including recommendation of the catchment area plan. The Centre is likely to give a go-ahead soon for the stage I of the two-phased project after issues of picking the agency and reviewing Jammu and Kashmir's demand for a role through a joint venture are settled. The Union territory is keen on getting on board because the project will then create a revenue source for it, the second official said. 'Now that India has put the Indus treaty in abeyance, the country has no obligations under the treaty and it is free to create infrastructure in the Indus rivers on the Indian side,' said Shashi Shekhar, a former Union water resources secretary. Shekhar, as the top water resources bureaucrat then, had recommended the Centre suspend the treaty in 2016, when terrorists had attacked an Indian army base in Kashmir's Uri, killing 18 soldiers. Prior to keeping the water-sharing pact in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack, India had been pressing Pakistan to renegotiate the treaty, citing natural changes in the Indus river basin itself, which had diminished India's share amid a rising population. Under the treaty, the ratio of water shared by Pakistan and India stood at 80:20. India had sought a revision in the terms of the treaty bilaterally. According to the Indian side, Pakistan ignored pleas for bilateral renegotiation, and instead moved the World Bank for appointing a neutral expert to address the issues. India then accepted a neutral expert appointed by the World Bank, which had brokered the six-decade-old treaty by formulating its technical aspects, according to the Indian side. However, Pakistan then moved for international arbitration, a step India considers was a serious escalation by Islamabad, without exhausting all available options, according to Indian officials. Since India's decision to suspend the treaty, Pakistan has written four letters to Indian authorities, offering to discuss specific issues, HT had reported last week. India and Pakistan have fought four wars but the treaty had never been paused before. In letters sent to India, Pakistani authorities are learnt to have said that India didn't have powers to unilaterally suspend the treaty and called for resumption of negotiations. In an international conference on glaciers in Dushanbe on May 30, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had raked up the treaty, accusing India of 'weaponising water'.
Business Standard
09-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
IIT Alumni Council Calls for Industry Collaboration to Manufacture Advanced Sustainable Materials at Global Scale
PNN New Delhi [India], June 9: The IIT Alumni Council has invited leading industrial players to collaborate on the mass production of next-generation materials, designed using principles from the semiconductor industry and accelerated by AI-driven platforms. At the heart of this initiative lies the AMAT AI Platform--a foundational large material model under development. Its goal: to replace scarce, expensive elements like lithium, cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, and indium with earth-abundant alternatives such as coal, thorium, silica, and iron ore. "These projects require significant capital investments--often exceeding Rs10,000 crores," said Ravi Sharma, President and Chief Volunteer, IIT Alumni Council. "They include the design and fabrication of high-throughput process equipment and large-scale manufacturing plants. Our role is to act as a knowledge partner and incubate research startups via our Social Impact Fund. These startups are critical in adapting and refining the core technologies for industrial-scale deployment." Reimagining Materials, Redefining Possibilities: "Materials like carbon and silicon are extremely versatile," explained Mr. Jitendra Singh, Distinguished Fellow, IIT Alumni Council. "Carbon ranges from diamonds to coal, graphene superconductors to carbon insulators--depending on its structure. Silicon, when doped, transforms into a semiconductor. Together, carbon and silicon form silicon carbide, a key candidate for low-cost inverters and devices. We are also exploring zero-gap semiconductors, which could disrupt industries like energy storage, HVAC, and turbine manufacturing through new architectures like high-efficiency thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and Peltier-based cooling systems." A Turning Point in Green Chemistry: "AI's most visible early contribution to materials science is here," added Mr. Shashi Shekhar, environmentalist and former Secretary, Ministry of Water & Ganga Rejuvenation. "When combined with additive manufacturing and Industry 4.0, this opens the door to safe, sustainable, and high-performance materials. These can even replace corroding materials like ToR steel or expensive ones like food-grade stainless steel." Shashi Shekhar, who now serves as Vice Chairman of Acme Group, noted that the Government of India's Green Hydrogen Mission is pushing for decarbonization of the steel industry. "By aligning with the IIT Alumni Council, we plan to develop green steel alloys that are cost-effective, sustainable, and suitable for high-performance applications like additive manufacturing and specialized equipment." Industry Progress and Global Partnerships: Recently, Outokumpu delivered its first batch of specialty powdered stainless steel for 3D printing applications such as heat exchangers and aerospace components. "It's remarkable that the IIT Alumni Council foresaw this trend and began building the ecosystem early--spanning AI-driven material innovation to carbon-free green steel production," said Mr. Y.P.S. Suri, former MD of Outokumpu India and IIT Kharagpur alumnus. "We are entering a new paradigm. I look forward to seeing the world's first process plant built entirely through additive manufacturing." Gratitude to Visionary Contributors: "The development of the AMAT AI Platform wouldn't be possible without the unwavering support of India's top corporations and visionary leaders," said Satish Mehta, Convenor of the IIT Alumni Social Fund. He acknowledged contributions from: Tata Group, Birla Group, Jindal Group, L & T, Reliance, Adani, ArcelorMittal, Ocior, Acme, Coal India, HPCL, among others. He also thanked key members of the National Solar Task Force, including: Padma Shri Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Prof. Juzer Vasi, Prof. Dinesh Kabra, and Prof. Anil Kottanthayil, for their guidance in the context of photovoltaics. A special mention was made for the Distinguished Fellows of the IIT Alumni Council, including: AI Chief Mentor Prof. Jyoti Joglekar and Silicon Valley collaborators Dr. Rohinton Dehmubed and Dr. Milind Kulkarni "Their thousands of hours of effort and deep domain expertise have been instrumental. We thank each one of them." Interested industry partners may write to applications@ on or before June 30, 2025 About IIT Alumni Council IIT Alumni Council is the largest global body of alumni across all the twenty-three IITs. The Council aggregates the technological and philanthropic resources of over 50,000 alumni spread across one hundred city chapters. The IIT Alumni Council aspires to catalyse India's technological renaissance. The Council supported initiatives are funded through the IIT Alumni Social Fund. Council members are aligned with the various mission organisations (social fund, alumni outreach and longevity missions) and mission facilitators (startup incubator, project management & advisory forum and research institute) About IIT Alumni Research Institute IIT Alumni Research Institute is a mission organisation of the IIT Alumni Council. With over 500 distinguished fellows, over 250 industry partners and close to 100 academic partners - the Alumni Research Institute is establishing centres of excellence across twenty identified target industries, covering all the 64 advanced critical technologies.
New Indian Express
11-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Indus Waters Treaty to remain in abeyance, need discussion: India
NEW DELHI: The Indus Water Treaty (IWT) will remain in abeyance despite India and Pakistan agreeing to a military truce. India wants political discussions on the IWT to negotiate terms more favourable to its interests, officials said. The 65-year-old treaty was suspended by India following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. The massacre prompted India to conduct precision strikes deep within Pakistan targeting terror camps. 'Ceasefire is military disengagement; this does not meet our demand to re-discuss and renegotiate the treaty in the current context,' a senior official at the Jal Shakti Ministry said on condition of anonymity. The Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) from India and Pakistan have agreed to halt firings and military actions on land, air, and sea, effective from 5 pm on Saturday. Both countries plan to discuss implementation of the ceasefire on May 12 to establish peace along LoC and International Border. 'However, there will be no discussions regarding IWT,' the official said. Experts say India is expected to push Pakistan to renegotiate the treaty given the current context. It aims to address siltation issues that have reduced the effectiveness of water projects. India seeks to construct water storage facilities as permitted under the IWT to hold at least 3.6 million acre-feet of water allocated to it. However, due to Pakistan's objections, India has been unable to initiate new projects to utilise water for its needs. 'The situation will not remain like before on the Indus Waters Treaty,' said Shashi Shekhar, former secretary, Jal Shakti Ministry.
