October 2011

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Prime Minister calls for UN reform

Indian Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh, in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, on September 24, sought key reforms at the United Nations and global challengers, from economic downturn to terrorism.

"Allow me at the outset to congratulate you on assuming the presidency of the General Assembly. I wish to assure you of India's full cooperation in the conduct of the sixty-sixth seesion of the assembly. It is also my great pleasure to welcome in out midst the new State of South Sudan. Mr.President, we meet at this seesion of the United Nations General Assembly at a time of great uncertainty and profound change. Until a few years ago, the world had taken for granted the benefits of globalisation and global interdependance.

Today we are being called upon to cope with the negative dimensions of those very phenomena. Economic, social and political events in different parts of the world have coalesced together and their adverse impact is now being felt across countries and continents. The world economy is in trouble.

The shoots of recovery which were visible after the economic and financial cirsis of 2008 have yet to blossom. In many respects the crisis has deepened even further. The traditional engines of the global economy such as the United States, Europe and Japan, which are also the sources of global economic slowdown.

Recessionary trends in these countries are affecting confidence in the world financial and capital markets. These developments are bound to have a negative impact on developing countrieswhcih also have to bear the additional burden of inflationary pressures. Declining global demand and availability of capital, increasing barriers to free trade and mounting debt to pose a threat to the international monetary and financial systems. Questions are being asked about the efficacy of the Bretton Woods institutions.

There has been unprecedented social and political upheaval in West Asia, the Gulf and North Africa. People of these refions are demanding the right to shape their own future. Energy and food prices are once again spiralling and introducing fresh insatbility, especially for developing countries. The Palestinian question still remains unresolved and a source of Great instability and violence.

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India, UK join hands for defence R&D

India and the United Kingdom centred into a letter of arrangement to pursue collaborative Defence R&D Cooperation with United Kingdom's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and facilitate making the best use of respective research and technology development capability through joint projects, collaborative research and industry and academia participation

The agreement was signed in London by Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defenve Minister, Secretary Defence Minister, Secretary, Defence R&D, and Director General, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India, and Professor Sir Mark Welland, Chief Scientific Adviser, Ministry of Defence, the United Kingdom. Dr.Saraswat was on a visit to the U.K. on the inivitation of the U.K. on the invitation of the U.K. Ministry of Defence. the agreement marks a milestone in the technical collaboration between the two countries and a number of projects are being planned in the coming months

Sir Mark Welland thanked Dr.Saraswat for his efforts. "I have seen the exceptional dedication, expertise and skill in DRDO personnel and know that the U.K. can look forward to a productive and valuable cooperation with our great allies in India for many years to come," he said.

“India and the U.K. have a history of Cooperation and have thriving science and engineering communities. India is a powerhouse of technology, Indian and british defence scientists will be working together on technologies to face their country's defence and security challenges, thanks to the new agreement"

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India Successfully Tests Agni II Ballisti Missile

India on September 30 successfully test-fired the Agni-II strategic ballistic missile from a test range in Oriss. The missile is nuclear capable and ia aimed at enhancing the nation's deterrance. This is the third Indian missle test after this week, a hat-trick of sorts, after the successful launches of Shourya and Prithvi-II missiles on September 24 and 26 respectively.

The surface-to-surface missile, with a range of over 2,000km, was test fired in Bhadrak district, said S.P.Dash, Director of Intefrated Test Rnge at Wheeler's Island, 200km from Bhubaneswar. The Agni-II is part of India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

"The medium-range missile, already inducted and part of Strategivc Forces arsenal for nuclear detterance, was launched as a training excersize by the armed forces," a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) release said. The two-stange missile, equipped with an advanced high-accurance navigation systems and guided by a novel state-of-the-art command and control system is powered by a solid rocket propellant system.

"The missile reaches an pogee (peak altitude) of 220km and hit the target. All the radar, telementart systems and ectopic system tracked and monitored all parameters throughout the missile's tajectory. Two ships near the target point tracked it in the final stage.

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