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Business Recorder
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Ministry warns: India not authorised to construct dams or structures
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Water Resources has issued a stern warning, declaring that India is not authorized to construct dams or structures that obstruct the flow of water on the western rivers. Any such action, it warned, will be regarded as an act of war and met with an appropriate response. During a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources presided over by Senator Shahdat Awan on Thursday, a team of Water Resources Ministry—led by Federal Minister Muhammad Mueen Wattoo, Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza, and Pakistan's Commissioner for Indus Waters, Syed Mehar Ali Shah—provided detailed insight into India's recent moves to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance. The Pakistani officials asserted that India cannot unilaterally suspend the treaty. 'India has already constructed dams on the eastern rivers, which fall under its share, and diverted their water. Now, it is attempting to violate the agreement regarding the western rivers,' said Commissioner Mehar Ali Shah. 'India may build hydroelectric projects on the western rivers under certain conditions, but it is not authorized to construct dams or any structure that blocks the natural flow of these rivers.' He emphasized that if India lacks the legal authority to terminate the agreement unilaterally, then such actions are unacceptable and illegal. Shah further explained that while India has expressed a desire to modify the treaty, Pakistan has never refused dialogue. 'Under Article XII of the IWT, modifications are possible through mutual consent. However, there is no clause that obligates one party to accept the other's proposed changes,' he noted, adding that discussions have been ongoing since January 2023. The committee was also informed that water flow in the Chenab River showed a temporary variation lasting only four days, after which normal inflows resumed. Responding to a question from Senator Humayun Mohmand, Secretary Water Resources Syed Ali Murtaza stressed that Pakistan will not legitimize India's illegal actions under any circumstances. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Indian Express
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In times of climate change, India and Pakistan need to update the Indus Waters Treaty
On April 24, Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Jal Shakti Ministry, formally informed her Pakistani counterpart, Syed Ali Murtaza, that the Government of India had sent several notices to the Pakistani Government to seek modifications to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960. This is because fundamental changes have taken place since the pact was inked some 65 years ago, which 'require a reassessment of obligations under the various articles of the Treaty'. She went on to point out that there have been 'sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan,' targeting Jammu and Kashmir, and these events 'have directly impeded India's full utilisation of rights under the Treaty'. The Government of India, therefore, decided to keep the Treaty 'in abeyance with immediate effect'. The decision was a direct result of terrorists killing 26 innocent tourists in Pahalgam. The terrorists selectively targeted Hindus. Following this attack, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to 'identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers.' The more than three-day-long hostilities between the neighbours ended with a ceasefire on May 17. There has been much rhetoric in both countries about what may happen to the flows of the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab and their tributaries, which were allocated to Pakistan under the Treaty. Rhetoric aside, the simple fact is that if it decides to stop water flowing to Pakistan, India does not have the infrastructure to store the flows for a few days — let alone, a long period. Construction of such an infrastructure will take at least a decade, if not more. It's a miracle that IWT has lasted some 65 years, even though, over the past three decades, there have been increasing signs that the pact was becoming less and less relevant to both countries. During the last decade, it was evident to any objective observer that the Treaty needed major modifications to become relevant to both countries in the post-2025 period. This is due to many reasons. India and Pakistan were very different countries in 1960, compared to now. In 1960, India's population was 445 million. It is now 1.46 billion, an increase of nearly 3.25 times. In 1960, 17.94 per cent of Indians lived in urban areas. Today, urban areas are home 36 per cent of the population – and this proportion is increasing rapidly. Similarly, Pakistan's population in 1960 was 45.7 million. It is now 255 million, an increase of nearly 5.5 times. In 1960, well under 20 per cent of Pakistanis lived in urban areas. Now it is nearly double that figure. In 1960, India's per capita GDP was significantly lower than Pakistan's — $312.78 to $411.16, almost 31 per cent less. Sixty-four years later, in 2024, India's per capita GDP was $2,698, against Pakistan's $1,647, almost 40 per cent higher. India's economic performance during the past 65 years has been significantly better than Pakistan's. Increases in population, urbanisation and economic activities and improvement in living standards have led to a very significant escalation in water demands. Poor management practices have exacerbated the water problems of both countries. Neither country has given much attention to managing demand and maintaining water quality. The main focus has been to increase supply availability, which is no longer possible in an arid dry region. In addition, the Green Revolution started in Punjab, both in India and Pakistan, after the Treaty was signed. One of the main impacts of this Revolution was that while food production increased significantly, water demands in Indian and Pakistani Punjab went up concomitantly. Water tables in both Indian and Pakistani Punjab have been declining by over 50 cm per year. In many areas of Punjab in both countries, water levels have been declining by over one metre each year. Such unsustainable practices cannot continue, especially as around 85 per cent of water requirements in India, and 90 per cent in Pakistan, are accounted for by the agricultural sector. Not only in the Indus Basin, but all over India and Pakistan, water and farm practices have to be re-imagined. Water use in the agricultural sector needs to be significantly reduced but at the same time, food production needs to be substantially increased. China has achieved similar objectives. Between 1975 and 2005, it reduced irrigation water use per hectare by 40 per cent, and increased agricultural production 12 times. During this period, agricultural water use in China declined from 84 per cent of total water use to 61 per cent. Since 2005, it has made more progress. India and Pakistan, too, do not have much choice. The Indus treaty addressed only surface water. It ignored critical issues like groundwater, water quality, and water demand management. IWT was signed in 1960, when threats like climate change, heatwaves, glacier melt, and sea level rise were not recognised. The water management practices of that time have become outdated. There was little understanding of the complex linkages between water, food, energy, and environmental securities. Himalayan glaciers, which feed the Indus River system, have been melting for several years, leading to increased river flows during spring and summer. This trend could reverse after 2050, when most glaciers are likely to have melted. Droughts and floods in the Basin are becoming more frequent and intense. Meanwhile, the northern Indian Subcontinent is experiencing unprecedented heat waves. This year, Jaipur has already touched 44 degrees Celsius, while Shaheed Benazirabad in Sindh, Pakistan, recorded 50 degrees Celsius, 8.5 degrees above the April average. From May 1 to June 10, 2024, Delhi experienced 32 days when temperatures were above 40 degrees, with 28 consecutive days of temperatures above 40 degrees from May 14 to June 10. Extreme temperatures have caused a surge in electricity demand to run air conditioners and fans. Since thermal and nuclear power plants require significant quantities of water for cooling, water demand for electricity generation has also increased. This situation is expected to worsen after 2030, as global warming continues to intensify. The IWT does not include such important considerations. The Treaty was on the sickbed by 2000. Both countries must decide how to negotiate a treaty which should have built-in mechanisms for adjustments when they become necessary. Unfortunately, not a single institution in either country is conducting serious research as to how such a living treaty could be negotiated. Now, Pakistan has belatedly indicated that it's open to re-discussing India's concern about the IWT. Irrespective of what happens to the treaty, both countries will need to address serious water problems. They have to re-imagine the management of water needs, including in the Indus River Basin. Biswas is a leading international authority on water. He is a winner of the Stockholm Water Prize. Tortajada is honorary professor at the University of Glasgow. Both are Visiting Research Professors at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
No plans for talks with Pakistan on suspended Indus treaty: India
India has no plans to hold talks with Pakistani authorities on the Indus Waters Treaty, which will remain suspended, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday in the wake of a letter from the Pakistani side seeking a review of the matter. And India will continue to take independent actions on the Indus rivers on its side based on professional assessments of the country's needs by its engineers and is unlikely to respond to Pakistan's offer for talks on the now-suspended water-sharing treaty, a third person said. Holding the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance was among a raft of punitive measures announced by the Cabinet Committee on Security a day after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that killed 26 civilians. Even after India and Pakistan reached an understanding on stopping military actions on May 10 following four days of strikes and counterstrikes, Indian officials made it clear the punitive measures would remain in force. Also Read | Pakistan asks India to reconsider decision to suspend Indus Waters Treaty After Debashree Mukherjee, secretary in the Jal Shakti ministry, conveyed the decision on the Indus Waters Treaty to Pakistan's secretary for water resources, Syed Ali Murtaza, in an official letter despatched on April 24, the Pakistani side sent a response that laid out its position. Murtaza is understood to have said in the response that Pakistan considers India's decision to hold the treaty in abeyance as unilateral and a violation of the provisions of the pact, which doesn't allow for the exit of a party. The response is believed to have come in before the launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7. The Indian side has no plans to engage with Pakistan on the Indus Waters Treaty despite the receipt of the response from the Pakistani side and this status will continue till Pakistan stops backing cross-border terrorism, the two people cited above said on condition of anonymity. Also Read | India's water will be used for India: Modi 'India's position was clearly outlined by the foreign secretary at the media briefing on April 23 when he said the Indus Waters Treaty will be held in abeyance 'until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism',' one of the two people cited in the first instance said. Since suspending the Indus Waters Treaty on April 23, India has held back all gauge and discharge data of the rivers from Pakistan's Indus commissionerate , which it historically shared under the pact, according to the third person 'These inputs are used by the neighbouring country to verify if India has adhered to the treaty but the treaty is now under suspension, which we have already intimated to Pakistan,' the third person said, confirming India is in receipt of a communication sent by Pakistan more than a week ago, in which it offered to start negotiations to revive the treaty. In its letter, Pakistan urged India to nominate representatives to participate in proposed negotiations on the treaty, the official said, adding that India is unlikely to respond to it as an official communication on India's reasons for suspending the treaty had already been sent last month. This position was also reiterated by external affairs minister S Jaishankar during a brief interaction with TV channels on the margins of an event to mark the opening of the embassy of Honduras in New Delhi on Thursday. Jaishankar said the treaty will continue to in abeyance 'until cross-border terrorism by Pakistan is credibly and irrevocably stopped', and that India is willing to hold talks with Pakistan only on the issue of terrorism. The people further noted that the Pakistani side had virtually rendered the treaty dysfunctional by routinely objecting to India's plans to build dams and hydropower plants and by not dealing with disputes in keeping with the methods laid down in the pact. 'Several provisions of the treaty signed in 1960 are obsolete because of developments and advances in the design and engineering of dams and hydropower projects but the Pakistani side has adopted a negative and obstructionist attitude by objecting to or questioning technical aspects of Indian projects with the intention of delaying them,' the second person said. The Indian side has sent formal notices to Pakistan on four occasions since January 2023 seeking the review and modification of the treaty through government-to-government negotiations as outlined in Article XII (3) of the pact, but the Pakistani side has sought to stall this by contending that the negotiations should be handled by the Indus Waters Commissioners of the two countries, the people said. In August 2024, India had served a formal notice on Pakistan for the review and modification of the treaty, largely because of Islamabad's intransigent approach towards handling disputes related to cross-border rivers. This notice was served under Article XII (3) of the treaty, which states that provisions of the pact may be modified by a duly ratified treaty concluded between the two governments. The people also said the role of the World Bank, which had brokered the treaty in 1960, is limited to appointing either a neutral expert or a court of arbitration for deciding on disputes related to cross-border rivers, and it cannot decide on larger issues such as keeping the pact in abeyance or proposed negotiations to amend the pact. The Indus Waters Treaty has not been amended since it was signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960, by then Pakistan president Mohammad Ayub Khan, then Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and WAB Illif of the World Bank. At the time of independence in 1947, the India-Pakistan boundary was drawn across the Indus Basin, leaving Pakistan as the lower riparian state. The Indus Waters Treaty allocated the western rivers – Indus, Jhelum, Chenab – to Pakistan, and the eastern rivers – Ravi, Beas and Sutlej – to India. It allowed each country certain uses on the rivers allocated to the other. On May 5, India released water to the Indus basin 'outside the scope of treaty' to maintain safety of Indian dams, a second official said. Waters from the Baglihar and Salal dams on the Chenab river in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir were released as per professional assessments, a fourth official said Under the treaty's rules, India is allowed to carry out flushing operations only in the month of August but the two dams were flushed early this month based on safety requirements, according to this person. India will not share surplus/deficit flow data on the Indus rivers from July 1 to October 10 — mandatory under the pact — as there are no plans to resume communications between the Indus commissioners, the fourth official said. Since the treaty was kept in abeyance, India has not been transferring district and tehsil (sub-district)-level irrigated-crop area statistics for the western rivers for the ensuing kharif (monsoon crop) season, which India was required to do under the treaty. If India releases water during what are expected to be heavy monsoon months this summer, Pakistan could witness large-scale flooding, experts say. 'The flushing of Baglihar and Salal dam gates didn't have a very big impact downstream in Pakistan just yet, but there could be serious consequences in the coming months. India is well within its rights to suspend the treaty because of the disadvantages it was creating for India,' said Shashi Shekhar, former Union water resources secretary. On April 23, Union Jal Shakti minister CR Paatil had said India won't give a drop of water' to Pakistan, while PM Narendra Modi has said 'water and blood can't flow together'. Baglihar is a 900 MW hydropower project with a reservoir capacity of 475 million cubic metres. Electricity produced from its turbines feeds the grid in Haryana, which purchases the power through two distributors — Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam and Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam. Nearly 80% of irrigated land in Pakistan's breadbasket, including Punjab, depends on water from the Indus river system, which is also important for drinking and power. India is set to expedite work on six dams in the Kashmir region. These include Kishenganga, Ratle, Miyar Nallah, Lower Kalnai and Pakal Dul power projects aside from the Tulbul navigation project.
Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
UPSC Key: International Atomic Energy Agency, Lunar Polar Exploration mission and Indigenous Missile Systems
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for May 15, 2025. If you missed the May 14, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here FRONT PAGE First time, Pak says willing to discuss Indus terms Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations. What's the ongoing story: Days after India notified Pakistan that it was placing the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance with 'immediate effect' following the Pahalgam terror attack, Islamabad has — for the first time — signalled its willingness to discuss Delhi's concerns about the treaty, The Indian Express has learned. Key Points to Ponder: • 'India notified Pakistan that it was placing the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance'-what does this mean? • 'To keep in abeyance' and 'to suspend'-what is the main difference between the two? • What is the Indus Waters Treaty, and why does it matter? • How vulnerable is Pakistan? • How Pakistan depends critically on the Indus? • Can India block the Indus River flows to Pakistan? Key Takeaways: • Pakistan's Water Resources Secretary, Syed Ali Murtaza, is understood to have recently responded to India's formal intimation of the Union Cabinet's decision to keep the treaty in abeyance, and offered to, on behalf of his government, discuss the specific terms India objects to. • Sources aware of the development said, Murtaza, however, questioned the basis of the decision, pointing out that the treaty itself did not have any exit clause. • Murtaza's offer to discuss India's objections is especially significant because despite two prior notices — in January 2023 and again in September 2024 —requesting a 'review and modification' of the IWT, Pakistan had not expressed its explicit willingness so far. It is only after India placed the treaty in abeyance with immediate effect after the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, that Pakistan seems to have signalled its willingness. • Pakistan's willingness to engage on the Indus Waters Treaty is being discussed within the government now that hostilities have paused after four days of military confrontation. • India is keen to utilise the water in the river, by building dams and reservoirs to store water, and utilise it for power generation too. Islamabad's engagement is aimed at stalling such plans, since any construction would change the status quo on the ground. • Since then, Operation Sindoor, a counter-strike launched by India hitting terror sites in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan, and air bases in the country, has come to a pause after the two countries agreed to cease all military action by land, air and sea from 5 p.m. on May 10. But New Delhi has remained firm on maintaining all coercive diplomatic measures, the most important being the suspension of the IWT. Do You Know: • It is understood that if and when negotiations begin on modifications to the treaty, India will insist that these be a completely bilateral exercise with no involvement of any third party. Accordingly, it is unlikely that India would agree to the World Bank's — or anyone else's — assistance in brokering revisions. • Among the clauses that India is keen to modify is the dispute-resolution mechanism under the IWT. Currently, both countries and the World Bank seem to have different understanding or interpretation of how treaty disputes should be resolved. India would like this to be laid out in black and white — preferably as a graded resolution system — rather than having two forums (a court of arbitration and a neutral expert) address the same issue, as has happened with the Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects. • The Indus Waters Treaty was signed on September 19, 1960, after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan. It has 12 Articles and eight Annexures (from A to H). As per its provisions, all the water of the 'Eastern Rivers' — Sutlej, Beas and Ravi — shall be available for the 'unrestricted use' of India; Pakistan, meanwhile, shall receive water from the 'Western Rivers' — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Encourage direct India, Pak communication: US walks back on mediation Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 1. With reference to the Indus river system, of the following four rivers, three of them pour into one of them which joins the Indus directly. Among the following, which one is such a river that joins the Indus direct? (2021) (a) Chenab (b) Jhelum (c) Ravi (d) Sutlej IAEA: No radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pak Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. What's the ongoing story: The global nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said that there has been 'no radiation leak' from any nuclear facility in Pakistan after the escalated military engagement with India. Key Points to Ponder: • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—Know about the same • What does the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) do? • Is India an IAEA member? • Nuclear power in Pakistan-what you know about the same? • What is the India Pakistan agreement 1988? • How IAEA ensures nuclear safety globally? • What is misinformation and disinformation? • Misinformation and disinformation—Compare • How do misinformation and disinformation during military operations pose a challenge to international peace and security? Key Takeaways: • The Vienna-based global nuclear watchdog's reply, to a query from The Indian Express, ties in with the earlier response by the Indian Air Force that India has not hit any target in Pakistan's Kirana Hills, which is reported to house some nuclear installations. • 'We are aware of the reports you are referring to. Based on information available to the IAEA, there has been no radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pakistan,' an IAEA spokesperson told The Indian Express on Tuesday in response to a query on whether any nuclear incident or spill has been brought to the notice of the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre. • Incidentally, at a US State Department press briefing in Washington DC on May 13, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Thomas Pigott, too, was asked a specific question on this subject. • 'Has (the) US sent a team to Islamabad or Pakistan following reports that there have been leaks of nuclear radiation in some of the secure Pakistani sites?' To this question at the briefing, Pigott said: 'I have nothing to preview on that at this time.' • On Monday, Air Marshal A K Bharti, DG Air Operations, had said that India has not hit any target in Pakistan's Kirana Hills. • In response to a specific question at a press briefing, Air Marshal Bharti said, 'Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installations. We did not know about it. We have not hit Kirana Hills. I did not brief in my briefing yesterday.' • The Mushaf air base in Sargodha was targeted by India during Operation Sindoor. Sargodha, one of Pakistan's biggest air bases, is near Kirana Hills. The Sargodha air base is also said to be strategically important given that it is used by F-16 fighter jets. • Director-General of Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had told a media briefing in Rawalpindi on May 10 that India had carried out airstrikes on three Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases: Nur Khan, Murid, and Shorkot. Do You Know: • Established in 2005, the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre is the focal point for coordination of international assistance in emergency preparedness and response to radiation incidents and emergencies — regardless of their cause or severity. • As is customary, on January 1, 2025, too, India and Pakistan had exchanged, through diplomatic channels, the list of 'nuclear installations and facilities', covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installation and Facilities between the two countries. • This Agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988, and entered into force on January 27, 1991, provides that India and Pakistan inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under this Agreement on January 1 of every calendar year. This was the 34th consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992. • Misinformation is false or inaccurate information getting the facts wrong. Disinformation is false information which is deliberately intended to mislead intentionally misstating the facts. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍What India said on 'nuclear leakage' in Pakistan after Operation Sindoor Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 2. In India, why are some nuclear reactors kept under 'IAEA safeguards' while others are not? (2020) (a) Some use uranium and others use thorium (b) Some use imported uranium and others use domestic supplies (c) Some are operated by foreign enterprises and others are operated by domestic enterprises (d) Some are State-owned and others are privately owned 3. In the Indian context, what is the implication of ratifying the 'Additional Protocol' with the 'International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'? (2018) (a) The civilian nuclear reactors come under IAEA safeguards. (b) The military nuclear installations come under the inspection of IAEA. (c) The country will have the privilege to buy uranium from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). (d) The country automatically becomes a member of the NSG. `3,706-cr chip assembly plant near Noida cleared Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: • General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. • General Studies III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life. What's the ongoing story: The Union Cabinet has approved a joint venture between HCL and Foxconn to set up a chip assembly and packaging unit in Uttar Pradesh, making it the sixth project to receive approval under the government's ambitious Rs 76,000 crore India Semiconductor Mission. Key Points to Ponder: • What is India Semiconductor Mission 2025? • Why is India focusing on semiconductor manufacturing? • What factors may contribute to potential challenges in the domestic semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem? • What makes Semiconductors the most important commodities in the global market right now? • What is the supply chain for semiconductors? • What are the steps in the semiconductor supply chain? • Which nation holds the distinction of being the primary source of semiconductors on a global scale? • What is semiconductor? • What is the most basic component of a semiconductor chip? • Where does India stand in the semiconductor industry? • The Government of India has undertaken several initiatives to promote electronics manufacturing-Know the important schemes • What are the current challenges of the semiconductor industry in India? Key Takeaways: • The plant will attract an investment of Rs 3,706 crore, with around Rs 1,500 crore coming from the government's kitty as part of incentives under the chip manufacturing scheme. This plant will manufacture display driver chips for mobile phones, laptops, automobiles, PCs, and other devices which include a display. The facility will be designed for 20,000 wafers per month, and will have an output capacity of 36 million units each month. • This is Foxconn's second attempt at making a foray into India's local chip production push. In 2022, the company had applied for a semiconductor manufacturing plant along with Vedanta, however, that joint venture fell apart a year later in 2023 after the two could not find a viable technology partner. • The plant will be set up near Jewar airport at the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority in Uttar Pradesh. This is the first chip plant that will come up in the state under the centre's India Semiconductor Mission. Four plants – including a fab and three assembly units – are coming up in Gujarat and one assembly and packaging plant is under construction in Assam. • Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the plant will start rolling out chips in 2027. It will be able to meet around 40 per cent of India's local demand for such chips, and the rest would be used by Foxconn in its foreign manufacturing facilities as well. • When Foxconn, which also assembled Apple iPhones in India, had first applied to build a fabrication plant in the country nearly three years ago along with Vedanta, it was hailed as a major marker of initial success for the Centre's chip push. • However, since that initial hiccup, the government has managed to attract five chip manufacturing and assembly facilities in the country. The country has so far attracted investment worth $18 billion under the first phase of the India Semiconductor Mission. Do You Know: • In December 2021, the government had rolled out a Rs 76,000 crore chip incentive scheme, under which the Centre offered half the amount of a plant's capital expenditure costs as subsidy. The proposals cleared on Thursday will all receive 50% of their capex costs from the Centre. Then there are schemes like the production linked incentive (PLI) plan for smartphone and laptop manufacturing, where again, the government is offering a subsidy to companies on the basis of their sales bills. • India's chip incentive plans are focused on boosting all three aspects of the semiconductor ecosystem – packaging units called ATMP facilities; assembly and testing projects called OSAT plants; and full-scale foundries that can manufacture chips. • Semiconductors are highly complex products to design and manufacture, that provide the essential functionality for electronic devices to process, store and transmit data. No other industry has a similar level of investment in both R&D (22% of annual semiconductor sales to electronic device makers) and capital expenditure (26%), according to a report commissioned by the Semiconductor Industry Association, thereby making semiconductor fabrication an extremely capital intensive business with high entry barriers. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍How India's first semiconductor fabrication plant can help plug in to global value chain Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 4. Which one of the following laser types is used in a laser printer? (2008) (a) Dye laser (b) Gas laser (c) Semiconductor laser (d) Excimer laser EXPRESS NETWORK Top court seeks expert opinion on blood donation bar on trans persons Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. What's the ongoing story: The Supreme Court Wednesday asked the Centre to seek expert opinion on the bar on transgender people and gay persons from donating blood, pointing out that it could lead to stigma. Key Points to Ponder: • Which guidelines are being challenged in the Supreme Court for banning certain groups from donating blood? • What is National Blood Transfusion Council's Guidelines, 2017? • Why transgender people and gay persons are barred from donating blood? • What are the constitutional implications of the 2017 blood donation guidelines that ban transgender persons and other groups from donating blood? • The balance between public health concerns and individual rights in the context of blood donation policies-Discuss • What did the Apex Court say in NALSA & Navtej rulings? • What are the international rules that govern blood donation by gay and transgender people? Key Takeaways: • The National Blood Transfusion Council's guidelines say that trans people, gay persons and sex workers, among others, are 'at risk' for HIV and Hepatitis B or C infections. • The bench of Justices Surya Kant and N K Singh was hearing a plea challenging the guidelines. • 'Aren't we creating a kind of segregated group? By these methods, stigma, biases and prejudices are all enhanced,' Justice Singh told Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, who was appearing for the government. • Justice Singh said: 'What is worrying me… are we going to brand all transgenders as risky and thus indirectly stigmatise these communities? Unless you can show with some medical evidence there is some kind of link between transgenders and these diseases. You can't say all transgenders are involved in these kinds of activities, even normal persons engage in such activities…' ASG Bhati said: 'If such donations are on a one to one basis, there's no difficulty. For example, relative, family member or a friend. This is blood that will go to the blood bank.' • The law officer said there is an application for intervention by Thalassemia patients. 'They are completely dependent on donated blood. If your lordships look at it from the perspective of the public health requirement of the nation and the reality of the nation, you will appreciate that the purpose is not to identify or stigmatise anyone in any manner, it is to take the best possible scientific and medical evidence that is available today…'. She added that the decision was borne out of scientific temper. Do You Know: • The governing body of NBTC, in its 26th meeting on June 1, 2017, approved the Guidelines to bring in a Blood Transfusion Service which offers a 'safe, sufficient and timely supply of blood and blood components to those in need.' The guidelines were designed to promote best practices in Blood Transfusion Sercives to ensure donations from the 'lowest risk donors possible'. • In the present case, clauses 12 and 51 of the Guidelines are being challenged as 'violative of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India to the extent they exclude transgender persons, men having sex with men and female sex workers from being blood donors'. • Clause 12 of the Guidelines is titled 'Risk Behavior' falls under the 'Blood Donor Selection Criteria', and mandates that the donor be free from any determinable disease transmissible by blood transfusion and 'not be a person considered at risk for HIV, Hepatitis B or C infections', such as transgender and gay people, female sex workers, injecting drug users, persons with multiple sexual partners or any other high risk, determined by the medical officer deciding their fitness for blood donation. • Further, Clause 15 permanently defers those 'at risk for HIV infection', including gay and transgender people, from donating blood. Permanent deferral refers to blood donors who will never be allowed to donate blood Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Trans and gay people, women sex workers can't donate blood: What the Centre said in SC Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 📍Examine the scope of Fundamental Rights in the light of the latest judgement of the Supreme Court on Right to Privacy. (2017) Chandrayaan-5 mission: India, Japan to enter design phase Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. What's the ongoing story: Indian and Japanese space agencies working on the Chandrayaan-5 mission, aimed at deeper exploration of the Moon's surface, mainly for water, will soon commence the preliminary design phase of the lander and the rover. Key Points to Ponder: • What is LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration) mission? • What is the main objective of India's Chandrayaan 5 mission? • Why Chandrayaan-5/LUPEX mission is significant? • What are the scientific objectives of the LUPEX mission? • What are technological challenges associated with lunar polar exploration? • Discuss the contributions of ISRO and JAXA in the Chandrayaan-5 mission. Key Takeaways: • 'The instrument selections have been done, the engineering model testing is almost done and both India and Japan are entering the preliminary design phase,' according to Asoh Dai, Project Manager, LUPEX, at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). • Chandrayaan-5, also known as LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration), is a joint project between ISRO and JAXA to study water and water-ice both on the lunar surface and the subsurface. Weighing 6.5 tonnes, it is proposed to lift off on a Japanese rocket, H3, sometime in 2027-28. • Using the rover, JAXA teams plan to trace areas on the Moon with presence of water, sample the nearby soil or regolith by drilling into the surface. The onboard instruments will measure the water content and its quality and perform other in-situ observations. • The Cabinet approved Chandrayaan-5 in March this year, more than a year after India became the first country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon's south pole with Chandrayaan-3. The proposed Chandrayaan-4 mission will be a return sample mission: samples dug from the Moon will be brought to Earth for ISRO to study the mineral composition of the lunar surface. Do You Know: • ISRO is developing Chandrayaan-5's lander whereas JAXA is building the 350-kg rover. There will be seven scientific instruments onboard, some contributed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. ESA is developing the mass spectrometer and NASA the neutron spectrometers — both are currently in the design phase. • Spectrometers are specialised scientific instruments that aid in performing in-situ (at the site) experiments requiring calculation of the energy and mass of samples. These experiments help understand the evolution of the composition of hydrogen and other elements. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍ISRO & JAXA Forge a Lunar Partnership: LUPEX Mission set to soar Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 📍What is India's plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space programme? (2019) EXPRESS NETWORK Former Defence Secy Ajay Kumar made chairman of UPSC Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance Mains Examination: General Studies II: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies. What's the ongoing story: The government on Tuesday appointed former defence secretary Dr Ajay Kumar as the chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), filling the vacancy caused by former chairperson Preeti Sudan's retirement on April 29. Key Points to Ponder: • Who appoints the chairman of Union Public Service Commission? • What is Article 316 of the Constitution of India? • Articles 315 to 323 in Part XIV of the Constitution says what? • What are the functions performed by UPSC? • 'The Constitution visualises the UPSC to be the 'watch-dog of merit system' in India'-Discuss • What are the provisions to safeguard and ensure the independent and impartial functioning of the UPSC? Key Takeaways: • An order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training said, 'The President is pleased to appoint Dr Ajay Kumar as Chairman, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) under Article 316 (1) of the Constitution of India. The tenure of Dr Ajay Kumar will commence from the date he enters upon the office of Chairman, UPSC.' • Members of the commission have a term of six years or till they attain the age of 65 years. • Kumar, a 1985 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, retired as defence secretary in 2022. His term as UPSC chairman would be till October 2027, when he turns 65. • During his tenure as defence secretary, the government created the Chief of Defence Staff post in 2020 and launched the Agniveer scheme in 2022. • An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kumar went on to complete his PhD in business administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. • The profile adds that Kumar is credited with implementing key Digital India initiatives under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, including UPI, the world's largest digital payment system; Aadhaar, the world's largest biometric digital identity system; myGov, a government e-marketplace; Jeevan Pramaan; and several others. Do You Know: • Appointment and term of office of members (Article-316)-The Chairman and other members of a Public Service Commission shall be appointed, in the case of the Union Commission or a Joint Commission, by the President, and in the case of a State Commission, by the Governor of the State: • A member of a Public Service Commission shall hold office for a term of six years from the date on which he enters upon his office or until he attains, in the case of the Union Commission, the age of sixty-five years. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Article-316. Appointment and term of office of members CJI Gavai takes charge Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. Main Examination: General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary What's the ongoing story: Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai was sworn in as the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Wednesday. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to him at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Key Points to Ponder: • How the Chief Justice of India is appointed? • Who appoints the Chief Justice of India? • A person to be appointed as a Chief Justice of India should have certain qualifications-what are those qualifications? • The Constitution has prescribed a minimum age for appointment as a Chief Justice of India-True or False? • What is the system followed for recommending and appointing Chief Justice of India? • The Constitution has made certain provisions to safeguard and ensure the independent and impartial functioning of a Judges-Know in detail • Jurisdiction And Powers Of Chief Justice of India-Know in detail • Executive Vs Judiciary for appointment of judges in higher judiciary-Know in detail • What is the role of the government in the decision-making process for the shortlisting of judges? • What happened to the Supreme Court of India after independence in 1947? • The Supreme Court of India and Constitutional Provisions-Know in detail • Articles 124 to 147 in Part V of the Constitution says what? Key Takeaways: • CJI Gavai succeeds Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who demitted office on May 13, and will hold office till November 23, 2025. He is the 52nd Chief Justice of India. • Born on November 24, 1960, at Amravati in Maharashtra, Justice Gavai was elevated as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003. He became a permanent judge of the high court on November 12, 2005. • Justice Gavai became a Supreme Court judge on May 24, 2019, and has been a part of several Constitution benches that delivered landmark rulings. • He is the first practising Buddhist to be Chief Justice of India. • The SC collegium in its recommendation elevating Justice Gavai to the Supreme Court had said, 'His recommendation, in no way, is to be misconstrued to mean that three senior-most Judges from Bombay High Court (two of whom are serving as Chief Justices) are less suitable than Justice Gavai. On his appointment, the Supreme Court Bench will have a Judge belonging to the Scheduled Caste category after about a decade.' • In an informal interaction with journalists on Sunday, Justice Gavai said that the Constitution is supreme and all organs of state are supposed to work within its parameters. 'All three wings of our democracy are supposed to act within the constitutional parameters,' he said. Do You Know: • Apart from being an Indian citizen, the person must (a) have been for at least five years a Judge of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession or (b) have been for at least ten years an advocate of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession, or (c) be, in the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist. • The Chief Justice of India and the other judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Indian Constitution. It is mentioned in Article 124 that appointment by the President is to be done 'after consultation' with judges of the Supreme Court, as the President may 'deem necessary'. • Article 217, which deals with the appointment of High Court judges, says the President should consult the CJI, Governor, and Chief Justice of the High Court concerned. Further, the tenure of a CJI is until they attain the age of 65 years, while High Court judges retire at 62 years. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍How is seniority decided in the SC? Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 5. With reference to the Indian judiciary, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, GS1, 2020) 1. Any retired judge of the Supreme Court of India can be called back to sit and act as a Supreme Court judge by the Chief Justice of India with the prior permission of the President of India. 2. A High Court in India has the power to review its own judgement as the Supreme Court does. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 ECONOMY New monthly PLFS: Additional info on rent income, land possession, remittances Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. What's the ongoing story: As the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) sets out to release Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) on a monthly basis starting May along with quarterly reports for both rural and urban areas, the revamped survey will have additional details about education; land possessed and land leased out; and households' usual monthly income from rent, pension, interest and remittances. Key Points to Ponder: • What is Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)? • Who publishes Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)? • What is the Significance of PLFS reports? • What are the key employment and unemployment indicators used in Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)? • What latest findings says about Labour Force Participation Rate? • What do you understand by Labour Force and Labour Force participation rate (LFPR)? Key Takeaways: • The revamped PLFS will also see the reporting period being tweaked to a calendar year basis, beginning January 2025 instead of July-June earlier, the Ministry said on Wednesday. • 'As a part of this continuous endeavour aimed at enhancing the surveys of NSS, the sampling design of PLFS has been revamped from January 2025 to address the requirement of high frequency labour market indicators with enhanced coverage from PLFS,' the Ministry said. • The first monthly bulletin of PLFS for April is scheduled to be released in May, while the first quarterly bulletin of PLFS covering both rural and urban areas for April-June is slated to be released in August. • Four additional details regarding usual monthly income of the household from renting of land or building, from interest on savings and investment, from pension received and from remittances received have been incorporated in the revamped PLFS. • Additionally, two additional questions on land possessed and land leased out as on the date of the survey by the surveyed household, one item of information on the nature of the certifying body from which vocational/technical training received, and five additional education-related items of information have been incorporated. • The additional education-related details in the new survey include queries on the years of education completed, number of months attended in the last year of education, and secondary education. Do You Know: • The Ministry said the annual PLFS results will be brought out based on the calendar year from 2025 onwards, that is, survey period of January–December of a specific year. 'This change in disseminating the PLFS annual results and unit level data will facilitate comprehensive analysis of labour market performance through review of key employment, unemployment indicators and also assist in timely updation of India's labour market statistics in the databases maintained by the international agencies,' it said. • The revamped PLFS will have a total sample size of 22,692 first stage units (FSUs) (12,504 FSUs in the rural areas and 10,188 in the urban areas) in each year of the two-year panel compared with 12,800 FSUs surveyed in PLFS upto December 2024. Each selected household will be visited four times in four consecutive months – one with first visit schedule and other three with the revisit schedule in the following three months, the Ministry said. • The PLFS will cover key employment and unemployment indicators (labour force participation rate, worker population ratio, unemployment rate) on a monthly basis for rural and urban areas at all-India level in the current weekly status (CWS) and thereby produce quarterly estimates in both usual status (ps+ss) and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually. • Usual status (ps+ss) and current weekly status (CWS) measure activity status of persons surveyed based on reference periods of last 365 days and last seven days preceding the date of survey, respectively. • The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under MoSPI had launched PLFS in April 2017. Quarterly bulletins provided details of labour force indicators such as LFPR, WPR, unemployment rate. At present, the MoSPI releases rural PLFS data on an annual basis and urban PLFS data on a quarterly basis along with an annual report which combines data for both urban and rural on an annual basis. Other employment surveys such as the survey by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) comes out on a weekly and monthly basis. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍ExplainSpeaking: How to read India's latest employment data Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 6. Increase in absolute and per capita real GNP do not connote a higher level of economic development, if(2018) (a) industrial output fails to keep pace with agricultural output. (b) agricultural output fails to keep pace with industrial output. (c) poverty and unemployment increase. (d) imports grow faster than exports. EXPLAINED Indian tech in Operation Sindoor Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. What's the ongoing story: Besides achieving its immediate military objectives, Operation Sindoor gave a convincing demonstration of the superiority of India's defence capabilities over Pakistan. Key Points to Ponder: • How Operation Sindoor exemplifies India's strides towards self-reliance in defence technology? • What are the strategic significance of deploying indigenous missile systems like Akash and BrahMos during Operation Sindoor? • How India's satellite navigation and surveillance systems enhanced the precision of military operations? • How does Operation Sindoor reflect the success of the 'Make in India' initiative in the defence sector? • What are the challenges and opportunities in scaling up indigenous defence technologies for future military operations? Key Takeaways: • While the spectacular success of India's multi-layered air defence system, which neutralised almost every incoming missile and drone, has been the most-talked about, an array of other systems and technologies, many of them home-grown, have performed admirably to provide a decisive edge to the Indian military. • Thus far, India has not disclosed the details of the platforms, weapons, sensors, and radars used during Op Sindoor. The Indian Express spoke to a few serving and retired officials and scientists to identify some technological elements that stood out during the four-day operation. • These experts, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity, attributed the success of Op Sindoor to years of investment and research in space technologies, aeronautics, avionics, missile development, and weaponry. • A remarkable feature of Op Sindoor was the precision with which India hit its targets, many of which lay deep inside Pakistan. Not only was this crucial to achieve the military objective of destroying terrorist bases, it also established to the world that India was behaving responsibly, with every effort made to minimise collateral damage. • 'The impeccable guidance and navigation technologies were one of the key highlights (of Op Sindoor) The level of precision that was achieved is the best that anyone elsewhere can get,' said a retired director of a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) facility who has worked extensively on missile technologies. He added: 'This kind of capability is the result of years of indigenous research in the DRDO, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), and other institutions. We have had our share of failures and setbacks during this time'. For instance, the Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles that were likely used, 'have state of the art guidance systems that have been developed over the years,' the retired official said. Do You Know: • India's indigenous navigation and guidance system depends on the NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) system of satellites, which is complemented by an array of very high-resolution earth observation satellites. • The Cartosat, RISAT, and EOS series of satellites keep a round-the-clock watch on the subcontinent, and provide vital information and imagery that are useful to the military. Some of these satellites can identify or differentiate between objects as small as 25 to 30 cm in size. NavIC is said to achieve positional accuracy of 10 to 20 cm. • As a result, these assets make it possible for Indian weapons to achieve a sub-metre targeting precision, which was seemingly achieved during Op Sindoor. And Indian scientists are constantly working to further improve these capabilities. 'Guidance and navigation' was one of the 75 technology priority areas identified after DRDO's Anusandhan Chintan Shivir (research deliberation conclave) in June 2023. • The Russian S-400 system has come in for a lot of praise in recent days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself acknowledged its importance by posing next to an • Indian air defence system included newly-inducted SAMAR (Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation) systems that can intercept a range of low-flying aerial targets up to a range of 12 km, and the Akash short-to-medium range surface-to-air missile systems. • This was the first India-Pakistan conflict in which drones and other unmanned systems played such an important role. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Indigenous Akash missiles, pivotal to India's air defence For any queries and feedback, contact Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Priya Kumari Shukla is a Senior Copy Editor in the Indian Express (digital). She contributes to the UPSC Section of Indian Express (digital) and started niche initiatives such as UPSC Key, UPSC Ethics Simplified, and The 360° UPSC Debate. The UPSC Key aims to assist students and aspirants in their preparation for the Civil Services and other competitive examinations. It provides valuable guidance on effective strategies for reading and comprehending newspaper content. The 360° UPSC Debate tackles a topic from all perspectives after sorting through various publications. The chosen framework for the discussion is structured in a manner that encompasses both the arguments in favour and against the topic, ensuring comprehensive coverage of many perspectives. Prior to her involvement with the Indian Express, she had affiliations with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) as well as several coaching and edutech enterprises. In her prior professional experience, she was responsible for creating and refining material in various domains, including article composition and voiceover video production. She has written in-house books on many subjects, including modern India, ancient Indian history, internal security, international relations, and the Indian economy. She has more than eight years of expertise in the field of content writing. Priya holds a Master's degree in Electronic Science from the University of Pune as well as an Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, widely recognised as one of the most prestigious business schools in India. She is also an alumni of Jamia Milia Islamia University Residential Coaching Academy (RCA). Priya has made diligent efforts to engage in research endeavours, acquiring the necessary skills to effectively examine and synthesise facts and empirical evidence prior to presenting their perspective. Priya demonstrates a strong passion for reading, particularly in the genres of classical Hindi, English, Maithili, and Marathi novels and novellas. Additionally, she possessed the distinction of being a cricket player at the national level. Qualification, Degrees / other achievements: Master's degree in Electronic Science from University of Pune and Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta ... Read More
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Willing to restart talks on Indus Waters Treaty: Pakistan ‘wrote' to India
Pakistan has said it is willing to restart talks with India regarding the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) which India has kept in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attacks, government sources, on condition of anonymity, confirmed to The Hindu on Thursday (May 15, 2025). A letter from Pakistan's Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Syed Ali Murtaza, received 'a week ago,' - sources said, to India's Water Secretary, Debashree Mukherkjee, asked for India to nominate representatives who could engage in talks with Pakistan's Indus Commissioner. The Hindu couldn't independently confirm the contents of this letter as well as whether it was sent following the May 8 Operation Sindoor-strike.|' It was amidst all the happenings,' a source said but declined to share a finite date. India's Ministry of External Affairs declined comment. The Hindu has written to Mr Murtaza but hasn't received a comment. Per the IWT, both India and Pakistan have Indus Commissioners who lead delegations for talks regarding water-sharing aspects governing the Treaty which has been in force since 1960. India had however said, last September, that no more meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) would be held till the governments of India and Pakistan meet and discuss the renegotiation of the IWT. The last meeting reportedly happened in Delhi in May 2022. Since January 2023, India has written four times to Pakistan to initiate talks on revising the treaty but, according to sources, not received a 'satisfactory response.' 'India's position is that re-negotiation of the treaty could be done only government-government and not by Indus Commission representatives. Pakistan offered to meet at a neutral venue but we proposed that we meet in Islamabad. Following this there was a silence for 4-5 months and now they have sent us this letter,' a person, familiar with the contents of Mr. Murtaza's latest letter, told The Hindu. The letter, sources said, has Pakistan's objecting to India's action of keeping the IWT in abeyance and violative of the terms of the treaty. However it says Pakisan is willing to meet and would like to begin the process for arranging the necessary logistics. The letter makes no mention of India's surprise-water releases from the Baglihar and Salal dams on the May 5. 'It was polite letter,' the person added. India hasn't taken a call on the response to the letter. Following the Pahalgam attacks, India decided to stall the treaty as well as declared its intent to 'not give a drop of water' to Pakistan. Under the terms of the IWT, India cannot create significant hydropower storage on the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, Chenab — and must maintain water levels at prescribed levels, to ensure that no untoward flooding or disruption of Pakistan's agriculture happens. Its prominent hydropower projects on these rivers, such as the Kishenganga and Baglihar projects, are run-of-the-river, meaning they divert the river's flow to generate electricity. These projects do not halt the flow by creating storage structures, though in nearly all the disputes over the years regarding hydel projects, Pakistan has accused India of modifying the design of structures to be able to perniciously control the flow of the rivers. India had then clarified that its intentions were purely to keep the projects running in optimal conditions
