Mystery envelops the origin of life on earth. Science has done much to unravel the mysteries of nature, but the riddle of life still remains unsolved. No answer has been given so the question, how did life come into this once lifeless earth? But if the origin of life is shrouded in darkness, not so is its character. Its essential feature is struggle. If there is any common element among all forms of life, high and low, it is this continuous struggle. If there is any common element among all forms of life, high and low, it is this continuous struggle. Pain and suffering born of this struggle permeate life, and rightly has Francis Thomson said,

We are born in other’s pain,
And perish in our own.

The cause has alighted not only on man but on the entire animate and inanimate creation. The slender struggles with thousand impediments on its forward course and the planets roll round fighting with innumerable attractions. The same cruel struggle goes on in the animal world, and so fierce it is there that sometimes a whole species becomes, extinct. The survival of the fittest is the law of nature, so struggle goes on not only on this earth, but in the sky above and in the ocean below.

In the life of man is seen the same struggle from the cradle to the grave, the fetus in the mother’s womb grows by struggling with adverse conditions. The cry of the newborn baby announces the coming fight of life. The child’s fretting, crying, crawling and stumbling are but maneuvers in a long campaign. When it grows into a man, there begins another phase of its fight.

Man has diverse enemies to struggle with. First begins his lifelong struggle with the forces of nature. As he grows up, there comes his struggle with himself with his own passions and prejudices. These are sometimes the most dangerous enemies of man and the most difficult of all kinds of knowledge, so self conquest is the most arduous of all conquests. We may conquer the whole and yet remain a slave to ourselves, to just, greed, avarice, anger and jealously. The first and the foremost duty of a man, therefore, is to fight and conquer these internal foes.

But man is also a social being, living in a society and drawing nourishment from it. To live peacefully in a society requires conscious effort. He must adjust himself to the social environment and derive benefit from its benign aspects. Sometimes the social environment is not healthy, and therefore, inimical to his growth and development. In such cases he has got to fight with that society, its prejudices and harmful rites and customs. If he is strong, he triumphs, dragging the society tied to his triumphal chariot. But if he is week, he succumbs and is crushed by the social environment. How bitter can this struggle be will be evident from the life history of any great social reformer.

If man is a social being, he has a political existence. He lives in a state and is either a citizen or a subject. He struggles for political status, power and privileges. Those who are independent and those who are dependent, fight alike, only in different ways and perhaps with different weapons, but fight there is. In the modern world, there is going on a continuous warfare against autocratic powers, against vested interests, against the innate selfishness and avarice of the rich and the powerful. The cry for socialism is rending the air.

But the present day man has come to realize that political power alone will not bring him comfort. So he fights for economic well being. This economic problem has, of late begun to usurp men’s whole attention. The struggle is keenest in this field. Here ruthless competition is driving the poor and the weak to the wall. But the struggle of human life is not confined to the sphere of social, political and economic problems, it is also seen in man’s search for truth and religion. Here the dictum, “no pain, no gain,” is awfully true.

So all through life, in the high and the low spheres, there is present this struggle. The struggle arises in man from his desire to improve his condition. There is in him an element of abiding discontent which is never satisfied and which drives him from sphere to sphere. His greatness as well as his misery are alike born of this discontent. So long as this will remain in man, the essence of life will be struggle. As the whole creation is trying to realize itself, this struggle is present in all the spheres and permeates life from the highest to the lowest. Truly has Emerson said,

Striving to be man, the worm
Mounts through all the spires of form.
Man must know to swim along the nature.

The invention of printing is an epoch making achievement in the history of human civilization. The modern age owes three fourths of its progress to printing. It has brought many blessings in its train and one of these is the newspaper which has deeply and widely influenced modern life in many ways.

A newspaper at first was nothing more than a paper which gave news. In its infancy, it had no other aim. But as it developed, it began to be used for various other purposes and served several ends. Today, it has become a tremendous force for good and evil in the world. It not only continues, as before, to give news but also comments on them, criticizes the people and the government, deals with social, political, industrial and religious questions, reviews books and periodicals, ventilates grievances and does many other things, In fact there is hardly any public activity of man which does not come within the purview of the modern newspaper. The press, of course, has now become an organ of public opinion.

But unfortunately, sometimes the press is stifled. It is prevented from carrying out its legitimate work either by the unfitness of those who manage it or by the unnecessary interference of the powers that be. It is sometimes seen that passion and not reason guides its action. A wrong cause is championed, truth is suppressed and morbid tastes are pandered by it. Dangerous as these evils are, a greater danger comes from the attempt of some irresponsible government to gag or subsidies newspapers. Often, without sufficient cause, newspapers are gagged simply because they had the guts of criticizing plainly the unjust action of government.

But when it runs or is allowed to run in a normal and rational course, a newspaper is a great public educator. More than what can be done in schools and colleges is done by it. It supplies necessary information on the burning topics of the day, tackles the principal social and political problem of a country, criticizes books and brings to light the epoch making discoveries and inventions. It benefits every class of people. But it is not only a public educator and fearless critic of a government, it is also a great social reformer. It is in the columns of the newspapers that social abuse, are ruthlessly exposed and criticized and attention of the public is drawn to the inherent evils of some customs and practices.

The press is also an effective check on the vagaries of men in power. So it is a great mentor and stands against the misuse of power and the miscarriage of justice. It brings all the questions of the day before the bar of public opinion to be approved or condemned by it, in this way it serves the nation. The press is also a very great force in the field of politics. It teaches citizens their rights and responsibilities and make them fit for citizenship. It educates public opinion and teaches people how to vote, what taxes to pay and for what purposes, it explains the significance’ of the municipal laws and bylaws comments on the proceeding of the legislative council and other public’ bodies and helps men to develop their civic sense.

The press is a public organ, the voice of the people and therefore the freedom of the press means the freedom of the people. In a country where there is no free press the people may be independent, but they are not free in the true sense of the word. The press in self defense, if not for any higher motive has ever the champion of political freedom. Whenever a newspaper lights for the freedom of the press, it indirectly fights for the freedom of the people. The test of a country’s freedom is determined by the amount of freedom its press enjoys. To stifle the press is to stifle the nation. Milton said “as good almost kill a man as kill a good book”, and the remark is also applicable to the newspapers.

Newspapers also wield a tremendous influence to break down barriers between nations and help in forming themselves into a great brotherhood of nations. It knits up the different parts of a vast continent and teaches them to feel for one another. But it not only fosters international feelings, it teaches us to embrace the whole world as out kith and kin. A sense of fraternity is fostered by the spread of knowledge through the columns of the newspaper.

As a cheap and public educator, holding up the torch in the midst of darkness, as a trenchant and impartial critic of public administration of law and justice, as a social reformer patiently reforming the abuses of a society, as the champion of freedom in a country, as the destroyer of the barriers which separate man from man, nations from nations, and lastly as a pointer to the prospect of universal liberty, equality and fraternity, the newspaper in modern times has come to exercise a tremendous influence on the public and private life of man. There is no end to its potentiality for good if it can steer clear of greed, partiality, meanness and arrogance.

That is why, it is appropriately called the ‘Forth Estate’.

Children form the first priority of the National Agenda not because they are the most vulnerable but because the foundations for life-long learning and human development are laid in the most crucial years of early childhood. This is the time when even a small positive change yields long-term social benefits whereas a temporary deprivation inflicts lifelong damage. Thus, the opportunities of early childhood development determines the present and the future of a nation. Realizing the vulnerability of the tender age of children, the Constitution of India laid down certain specific safeguards to ensure their survival, protection and development. The most crucial among them are Articles 14, 15 (3), 21, 23, 24, 39, 42, 45 and 47. In the Directive Principles of State Policy it is made imperative for the state to strive to convert the principles into fundamental rights whereby the rights of the child can be legally protected. The 83rd Constitutional Amendment seeking to make elementary education a fundamental right is a step in this direction.

While ordering to strike down Corporal Punishment for children under Rule 37 of Delhi school Education Act, 1973, the High Court upheld the child’s right to life and defined the rights of the child in its widest sense of the term “encompassing all that which gives, meaning to life and made it wholesome and worth living still more than mere survival of animal existence”.

In the initial years, the responsibility of child care services had primarily rested with Central Social Welfare Board, set up in 1953. During the second to fourth five year plans ( 1953-1978 ), the services were linked to various sectors like health, family, welfare, nutrition, education, rural and urban development and led to improved material and child health services, supplementary feeding of both the child and the mother.

The fifth plan ( 1974-78 ) proved to be the landmark with the adoption of National Policy for children ( 1974 ) and launching of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) with a shift from welfare to development of the child. ICDS was launched in 33 experimental blocks in 1975 aiming to provide health checkup, immunization, referral services, supplementary feeding, non-formal pre-school education and health and nutrition along with education for children below 6 years and expectant and nursing mothers in ‘Anganwadi Centre’.

The sixth plan ( 1980-85) adopted the National Policy of Health in 1983 which targeted to bring down infant and child mortality rate by 2002 A.D. The national policy on education of 1986 emphasized universal enrolment and retention in schools, especially the girl children. Non formal education, preschool centers were encouraged particularly with the cooperation of voluntary organizations.

During the seventh plan ( 1958-90), the Government continued its major strategy of promoting early childhood survival and development through ICDS, Ministry of Health and family welfare. The Juvenile Justice Act was enacted in 1986 to deal with the problem of neglected or juvenile delinquents. The Child Labor Prohibition and Regulation Act, 1986, and the National Policy on Child Labor 1987, were formulated leading to various projects of voluntary organizations for the welfare of working children.

The Eighth Five Year plan (1992-97) focused on human resources development. Child survival, protection and development were accorded high priority. The Government of India ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child” in 1992 and formulated two National Plans of Action for children and girl children. Both the plans have adopted an inter-sectored approach in close uniformity with the major goals of ‘Health for All’, ‘Education for All’, etc.

The Ninth Five Year plan (1997-2002), reaffirmed its priority for the development of early childhood as an investment in the country’s human resource development through various strategies. The Tenth five Year Plan ( 2002-2007)views development of children not only as the most desirable societal involvement for country’s future, but as the right of every child to achieve full development potential. Thus the major challenge in the Tenth Plan will not only be reaching every young child in the country, but also to ensure their survival, protection and development. In this context, the plan also identifies the urgent need to review and synthesize all the existing policies and programs. In the end, it all melts down to one problem the problem of human relationship in the context of a patriarchal society. The interventions of the Government in this area of human relations can at best be catalytic in achieving the desired goals of a positive environment for children – particularly the girl who has been the worst sufferer all the way.

By ensuring the all-round development of a child, the future of the nation can be made bright.

The progress made in the field of Science and Technology in India today is enviable. The architect, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru had a vision, not merely of scientists and of laboratories, but of the broader horizons and its social relevance; of the unity between the community of scientists and scientific needs of the community and of the transformation functions of science in society.

We have laid much emphasis on the development of science and technology as a major instrument for achieving national goals of self-reliance and socioeconomic progress. The Scientific Policy Resolution adopted by our Parliament on March 4, 1958 laid stress on Government responsibility to secure for the people, the benefits from acquisition of scientific knowledge and practical application of research. The policy of the Government, is to encourage individuals and collective initiative for dissemination of knowledge and faster programmed to train scientific personnel to fulfill country’s needs in the diverse fields of agriculture, industry defense, education, space, information technology oceanography etc.

The contributions in scientific and technological research have induced a phenomenal transformation in Indian agriculture from subsistence level into commercial farming. India occupies a premier position amongst the oilseed producing countries of the world. Research efforts have been intensified to bring out crop varieties tolerant to drought conditions, resistant to pests and diseased and responsive to the use of agriculture, its capacity to withstand droughts and natural calamities and the near attainment of the goal of food self sufficiency by the country are the tributes to the untiring efforts of the agricultural scientists as well as millions of farmers with progressing thought.

Over the years, a strong science and technology infrastructure base has been established in our country. This covers a chain of national laboratories, specialized centers, various research and development and academic institutions training centers, etc., which continuously provide expertise, technically trained man power and technological support to industry. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research with its network of laboratories and research institutions is a major instrument of scientific and industrial research under state auspices and supports research in universities and other centers of learning.

Telecommunications is a critical part of infrastructure and one that is becoming important, given the trend of globalization and the shift to a knowledge based economy. Until 1994, telecommunication services under government monopoly made tardy progress. Although telecommunication expanded fairly rapidly, under this arrangement, it was recognized that capacities must expand much more rapidly and competition also be introduced to improve the quality of services and encourage induction of new technology. Telecommunication has become especially important in recent years because of the enormous growth of information technology and its potential impact on rest of the economy. India is perceived to have a special comparative advantage in information technology or in IT enabled services, both of which depend critically on high quality. Telecommunication has also become extremely important for a wide range of rural activities and this importance will only increase as the process of diversification of rural economic opportunities gains momentum. Universal service obligation must therefore, be insisted upon for all providers of telecom services.

India has joined a select club of six advanced countries with the Pune based Center for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) developing the country’s first super compute “Param”. The indigenous built 64 NODEC super computer is capable of reaching peak power of 100 mega flops. Param promises the creating of a seamless computing platform for super computing at an affordable price in the international context.

India recognized the importance of atomic energy quite early and the Atomic Energy Commission was set up in August 1948 to look after atomic energy activities in the country. India today is the seventh country in the world and the first developing nation to have the distinction of mastering fast breeder technology.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is responsible for the planning, execution and management of space research activities. The ISRO, which has its head quarters in Bangalore, provides rockets and laboratory facilities to scientists belonging to different organizations in India for conducting approved space science experiments. The Indian Remote Sensing Satellites have helped in extensive mapping of our natural resources and voluminous data generated through these are used in a variety of fields. Even the developed countries including the U.S. have started buying the data collected by the IRS. It is a matter of pride that India became the 14th nation in the world on April 3, 1984 to have sent a man into space. Rakesh Sharma, was India’s first man in space. Similarly, Dr. Kalpana Chawla, an Indian American woman became the first Indian woman to go into the space on November 19, 1997 on a 16 day mission on NASA, Columbia shuttle as a Mission Specialist of study the outer atmosphere of the Sun. Unfortunately, she died on a latter mission on her return to earth.

Technology is used as a tool to give India a competitive position in the new global economy. For example, Indian exports today derive their comparative advantage through resources and labor rather than differentiation and, technology. Therefore, major thrust is being given to increasing India’s share in high-tech products, deriving value from technology – led exports and export of technology. Full articulation of research is being given into various policies and programmed covering economics, energy and other socioeconomic sectors.

APRIL 19, 1975 was a red letter day in the history of India’s space program. It was on this day that the Indian Satellite Aryabhatta was successfully launched into the space. This diamond shaped, 26 faced, blue and violet space craft weighing 360kg, was shot into a near circular orbit at an inclination of 510 to the equator, from a Soviet cosmodrome near Moscow. Designed and developed by Indian Scientists and Engineers at its Space Research Centre, Bangalore, with 90% Indian made components this first satellite is named after the fifth century Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhatta. Its aim is to explore the atmosphere of the outer space. Monitored by the SHAR centre, Sriharikota, it transmits important information which is received by three tracking stations – located in Russia, France and India. (Shriharikotta)

Then came Bhaskara, the second Indian satellite. It was launched on June 7, 1979, also from Russia. This 44-kg experimental satellite, named Bhaskara – I after another ancient Indian mathematician, is meant for earth observations. Carrying radiometers, infra red TV cameras, it transmit data about hydrology, forestry, oceanography and meteorology. Again on November 20, 1981 bhaskara – II an improved version of Bhaskara – I was launched. With two TV cameras and 3 frequency microwave radiometer system, it has a wider scanning range.

But it is the Rohini Satellite (RSI) that was first launched from India. It was put into orbit by the indigenously made Satellite Launch Vehicle SLV-3 on July 18, 1980. this 4 – stage solid propellant rocket was designed and developed by the Indian scientists and engineers of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram. It also placed another satellite of 38 kg – Rohini (RSDI) into orbit, with the fundamental objective of evaluating the vertical performance for future programs. The launching was successful, but the satellite’s orbital life ended abruptly in 9 days instead of 90days as planned. Again another 41.5kg. Rohini – 2 (RSD 2) was put into Low – Earth – Orbit on April 17, 1983, with the help of 23 meter SLV – 3 weighing 17 tons, also built by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. The successful launching of RSD 2 completed the planned development of its SLV – 3 series and set the stage for Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicles (ASLV’S), capable of hurling into space, satellites weighing 150kg and PSLV’S capable of placing satellites in geo-synchronous orbit.

The Indian Space Application Centre (ISAC) Ahmedabad, developed a 657.5kg 3 axis, stabilized geo-station-ary satellite called APPLE. This was launched on June 19, 1981, from Kourou’s in French Guyana, by the European Space Agency’s Arian rocket, thus demonstrating again that India can accomplish great technological feats and scientific marvels. APPLE was India’s first 3-axis stabilized geo-stationary communication satellite and India is the fifth nation to obtain the distinction of developing such a satellite. USA, USSR, France and Canada alone had this distinction earlier. Though the tracking stations at Sriharikota, Ahmedabad, Fuji and Kourou, started receiving information about the altitude, temperature, etc., it is on 27th June, 8 days after its take off that the Indian scientists could successfully complete all the maneuvers to put the APPLE on its planned course. Tense moments ended and India won the applause.

But APPLE is only a take off point of a series for INSAT satellite to be launched for the purpose of telecommunication, TV and meteorological net work.

The program received a set back when its first multipurpose satellite INSAT – IA failed, 5 months after its launch on April 10, 1982. Built for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) by the Ford Aerospace of USA and launched by NASA it was, to be the first step towards the implementation of ‘Operation Space System’ for identifying social economic objectives and national requirements, combining the services of telecommunication, meteorology, TV relay and Radio broadcasting. The satellite which journeyed through 37,000km in space passing over Indonesia upset the telecommunication, TV and Radio net work programs.

Under STEP ( Satellite Telecommunication Experiment Project ), ISRO has conducted experiments in remote area communications, using transportable terminals, radio net working integration of satellite circuits, in territorial net work and multiple audio – video, transmission.

The indigenous IRS-IA, which was launched by Vostok vehicle on March 17, 1988 form USSR has a variety of uses to assess the amount of mulberry growth, or the growth of cotton, rice, groundnut and wheat. It would be possible to estimate the output well in advance, before the harvest is made.

And now, the INSAT – D series of satellites are to be launched with its own technology. With this India has joined the select band of countries that have lanunched satellites. On April 3,1989, the Soviet Rocket Souyuz zoomed into the space. It was significant to India because, on its crew was an Indian – Squadron Leader Rakhesh Sharma. And now we can proudly say, we too have a Neil Armstrong amongst us.

Thus the primary aim of Indian space program is the application of space science and technology to develop mass communication and education programs and conduct survey of natural resources through the launching of satellites, with maximum self reliance.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is responsible for planning, execution and management of Space Research. The major establishments it has are: The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thiruvanathapuram; the ISRO satellite centre at Bangalore; the SHAR launching centre at Sriharikota and the Space Application Centre (SAC) at Ahmedabad. While VSSC is the main research and development centre, SHAR is its Launching Station.

CHINA is now a world power, a power to reckon with. Where to place it, before Britain or after it, may be argued and disputed upon. But it is one of the big five. In population it is number one. A few decades ago, even the doors of the UNO were not open to it. But now it is a permanent member of the Security Council. How did this miracle happen? Like India, China too had been subjected to a number of foreign invasions. The great Chinese wall, which is now one of the wonders of the world stands as an everlasting testimony to the supreme effort the Chinese put for the to thwart the waves of foreign invasions, while the great Himalayas, to a certain extent served this purpose for India. Again though not for a long period, the Chinese had to face internal strife – two decades of blood bath and civil war from 1927 to 1949. The people of china like the Indians are peace loving, poor and illiterate. While India became free in 1947, China emerged out of its civil war and became independent in 1949 and a sovereign republic in 1954 while India in 1950. But the paths the two nations have chosen tread upon differ. India decided to remain as a free and open nation treading upon the path of democracy. But China voted for communism. Their leaders perhaps thought that food, not freedom was the immediate need of the hungry man. Nobody has a right to question their judgment.

When China was torn with civil war, America threw its weight behind the unpopular ruling Kuo Min Tang. It had no doubt, tried at first to bridge the gap between the fighting camps and bring them to an understanding. But the communists who did not like the ruling Nationalists would not swallow the bitter American pill. The country had a taste of all the bitterness that a bad administration would offer. The government was corrupted to the core, inefficiency, favoritism, red tape were rampant. The revolting communists did not like to give up the cause they were fighting for. Thus, after two long years of futile attempts at reconciliation General Marshall went back to America in 1947. He was convinced that the suspicion with which each looked at the other was indelible.

When the war intensified, Chang Kai Sheik ran away form the main land China to Formosa and from there he continued to exercise his rule. America continued with its support and assistance to him, as the real ruler of China.

Things moved very fast and in January 1949, Peking fell and by August the North East People’s Government had been formed; in September a political conference was convened to adopt the law of the Central People’s Government. On 1 October the People’s Republic of China was proclaimed Mao Tse Tung became the first Chairman.

Like the India of 47, the China of 49 was an underdeveloped country, besides being torn by the tyrannies of a civil war. The problems that the country faced were many and varied with 60 cores of people, of whom 80% illiterate, feeding the poor and hungry was the greatest challenge. No wonder China turned toward the Communist Russia for inspiration and emulation.

Industrial laws were enacted to introduce labor insurance schemes, whenever their strength exceeded 100.

Culture and education did not suffer from want of attention. New colleges and Universities were established, sincere efforts were made to remove illiteracy. Prostitution was abolished and women became free. New libraries, museums and cultural centers sprang up. Art and literature underwent revolutionary changes.

The first five-year plan introduced in 1953 brought out a miraculous change. Agriculture, industries both large scale and small scale, transport and communications systems, water conservancy and co-operative farming received proper attention and thus progressing in all directions, before the end of the plan period, the country emerged out from an old underdeveloped feudal state into a giant modern power. It has now become an atom power. With its satellite systems, launching pad, modern weapons of warfare and missile systems, it has entered into most of the third world countries successfully competing with every European state.

The late starter has gone far beyond and the forerunner lags behind. A few may have the satisfaction that we have not mortgaged human dignity. But can a man who receives charity packets keep his head up, in dignity? But this is another question. But the Chinese social order was based on the Russian model, though long back they had shaken hands with them and parted company. They now have their own brand of communism, to practice and to export as well.

If you come, with you; if you do not come, without you, and if you oppose, in spite of you, we go ahead; said Veer Savarkar once. And exactly that is India’s nuclear policy now. “If you help, with your help, if you do not help without your help and if you oppose, in spite of you, we shall go ahead with our policy” says India to the advanced nations of the world. It was with their help that India had launched its nuclear program. Soon it had to pass through the second stage and now, it is in spite of their opposition, that India goes ahead, with its policies and programs of ‘atoms for peace’.

Nobody knew that a tiny atom could be a store house of tremendous energy, until the early forties. Only when America dropped its ‘crude; atom bomb on Japan, the world could realize its huge power of destruction. Apart from wiping out vast areas around and killing every living being that breathes-even plant life is not spared – its immediate and long term effects are stupefying. Even small doses of nuclear radiation, such as – rays, – particles, – particles and neutrons can result in skin disorders loss of hair and the like which are recoverable, while greater doses, in irreparable losses leading to leukemia and malignant tumors. Its long term effects are more baffling. It is their offspring that suffer-their mental efficiency decreases, and their reproductive capacity deteriorates.

No wonder Japan had surrounded unconditionally and with in days the second world war ended. But this should have acted as a deterrent and the world should have stayed away from this forbidden front. But human greed knows no limits and the temptation to acquire power, even if it is destructive, is irresistible. Soon nations found themselves running in the race, to make atom bombs. Russia, England, France and China devised and developed the atom bomb. And now they realized that it had very great powers of destruction and its production therefore should be restricted. While they produced and stock piled them, devising newer and newer ones, they wanted that no other nation should produce them and started compelling non-nuclear nations to give an undertaking to that effect and enter into the non proliferation treaty – NPT in short.

India could not understand the rationale behind such a partisan attitude. Yet it was ready to sigh the treaty provided the nuclear power were prepared to give up their destructive ambitions. It was not palatable to them, they wanted to continue with their nuclear experimentation’s, production and stock piling of the arsenal as they devised ways and means of coercing India.

It was in July 1974 they got a chance to pursue their discriminatory policies with renewed vigor; on this day India tested a modest atom bomb at Pokharan and became un-welcome member of the nuclear club. But at the same time, in spite of its capabilities to make and store atom bombs, it once again declared in clear unequivocal terms, its commitment to use the atom-power for peace and prosperity of the nation. Ignoring its unambiguous professions and suspecting its integrity and honesty they applied pressure after pressure to coerce India and bring it round to sign the NPT which “attempted to lock up all the law abiding citizens while allowing the criminals complete freedom to roam about and continue with their criminal deeds”.

With the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom and France, going back on their promises and refusing to help India in pursuing its nuclear peace program, India began to experience the pinch of neglect and non-co-operation. Without Uranium 235 or heavy water, or other essential components, there came a virtual break down in its program. Even our trusted friend, Russia, withdrew its hand of assistance and refused to supply the heavy water. India has learned the virtue of self help of course, in the hard way. It is indeed ironical that the very force that tried to subdue and humiliate India, had finally become a blessing in disguise.

In 1972, India obtained a design for the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) from France. After 1974 when India test fired its atomic device France refused to honor its treaty obligation and part with its know – how or supply enriched uranium fuel. India had therefore to deviate form the French design, make alterations, modification and adaptations, produce the essential components-reactor vessel fuel and reflector sub-assemblies, rotating plus, control and drive mechanisms, heat exchanges, steam generators, pumping systems and finally a new fuel that could be used but at the same time abundantly available in the country itself. Getting over the hurdles one after another, India’s first FBTR became critical in 1985 and now, India proudly takes the seventh place in the exclusive 7 member club of countries with FBTRS, the United Stated, the Soviet Union, France, the United Kingdom, West Germany and Japan being the other countries in that order. In this regard, one may recall what out eminent nuclear physicist Dr. Raja Ramanna said “That takes us with the very few, an elite group-the same countries are still thinking whether they should, or should not go into expect that we would finish the FBTR by ourselves.”

Not only did our scientists successfully finish it, but also hit upon a new fuel thorium which is available is plenty in India and specifically designed for Indian conditions. Also, the higher fissile content of the plutonium helps the engineers to dispense with the heavy water. Again to quote Raja Ramanna, “We would be the first in the world to use carbide’. Now with Madras Atomic Power Stations I and II, apart from the FBTR, all the three located at Kalpakkam, near Madras and Dhruva Research Reactor at Bombay, India can now be proud of the new technology it has developed in this area, unaided, all by itself. A country that could not once produce quality bolts and nuts can now produce metal cooled, carbide fuelled highly sophisticated, Fast Breeder Reactors. A giant leap indeed. “The rigidity with which our scientists struck to specifications and commissioned them, comparable in quality to any in the world, showed that given the drive, our scientists are capable of reaching great heights” said Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, while dedicating the FBTR at Kalpakkam to the nation.

The purpose of FBTR which uses a mixed carbide of uranium and plutonium as fuel (for driving the reactor ) developed and produced indigenously at the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre, Bombay, is two fold; to offer research facilities and training for our young scientists and then produce electricity at a comparatively cheap rate. Their purpose electricity at a comparatively cheap rate. Their purpose is certainly not for making atom bombs. “By splitting the atom, we have released boundless energy. It must be our task to see that this energy is used for the furtherance of our civilisation and not misused for the destruction of human kind. Our abhorrence to nuclear weapons is total” said Rajiv Gandhi.

In spite of such honest declarations, the USA, not only arms Pakistan to its very teeth in the name of regional balance, but also pressurizes India time and again, through its camp follower, to sign the NPT, in a shrewd and veiled manner. Pakistan proposes that India and Pakistan -

1. Jointly sigh the NPT
2. Agree to mutual inspection of each other’s nuclear facilities
3. Together submit all their installations and facilities to international safeguards
4. Convert South Asia into a nuclear free zone and
5. Agree to a mutual renunciation of weapons;

Which clearly and conclusively state that Pakistan has clandestine atom bombs. And in spite of such unambiguous situations, America goes on with its billions of dollars of help and assistance to Pakistan. Does it mean that America is genuinely afraid of India’s nuclear policies and programs? Does its pronouncement look so empty and hypothetic to the American mind? Can India become a threat, in spite of its great eastern neighbor equipped with atomic teeth, to a country thousands of miles away from its shores? It is for the politician and the policy maker to find answers to such questions.

When we say that man is a social animal, we only mean that he cannot live in isolation. But can we, without fear of contradiction, say that he has learnt to live in harmony with his fellow beings? In spite of his social habits, he is not able to get over the fear and suspicion he harbors in his mind about his neighbor, more so, if he happens to be a little aloof and retiring type. If the two could get together get over their fear and suspicion and try to get on well with real neighborly feelings, what a great relief would it be, for both indeed! Unfortunately we have not yet mastered the art of living together, though we have been living together fro uncountable ages.

What is true of men, is also true of countries. The same kind of fear and suspicion exists between country and country. If they could live in mutual trust and understanding the world would have certainly been a real paradise. Unfortunately it is not to be so, sinners that we are. And each country has its own defense structure.

Our armed forces are the guardians of our extensive borders, the protectors of our hard own freedom and the joy and pride of the nation. We have no quarrel with others, China or Pakistan. We are ready to talk, understand and adjust. But it must be a two way traffic. Our foreign policy is based on Panch Sheel and China which subscribed to the doctrine and signed an agreement with India, attacked it. India had to learn the bitter truth that there can be no peace without strength.

The supreme commander of the Armed Forces is the a President of India. But the responsibility for the nation’s defense rests with the cabinet, all the important questions having a bearing on defense are decided by the cabinet committee on political affairs which is presided by the Prime Minister. The defense minister is answerable to the parliament in all matters related to the defense; the administrative and operational control of the armed forces is exercised by the defence ministry and the three services Head Quarters of the Army, Navy and Air Force, each one being headed by a chief of staff.

The armed forces are the symbol of India’s honor and integrity. From 1947 when they came into existence till this very day they have been playing a key role in the defense of the land. Their sense of self sacrifice and devotion to duty are really commendable. Going hand in hand with these three wings, are the Para military forces like the Border Security Forces, the Home Guards, etc.

Inspire of its manifold problems of illiteracy, poverty and disease, India has kept itself abreast with the recent technological developments. We are proud to develop many weapons indigenous. Agni is an intermediate Range Ballistic Missile that can reach objects from 2500 to 3500 am away and what is more, apart from improving its range further, it can carry a nuclear war head. Agni is the pride of India. Designed more or less on the same pattern, are Nag, a third generation anti tank missile rocket, Akash a medium range surface to air missile with a range of 25 km, Trisul, another short range missile, Anurag the super computer and a hoard of other weapons like Ajanta an electronic warfare system, Arjun main battle tank, fully capable of meeting a threat from tanks such as M-15 so much for technology for the Army.

In Air Force, we have ASWACS-Air borne Surveillance and Warning Control System the LCAS, the Light Combat Aircrafts, and a series of MIGSch -the MIG 21 interceptors, the MIG 29 supersonic planes built in India with the Soviet assistance, and the French Mirage 2000s. As for the Navy, besides a machine propelled vessel we have INS Vikrant, INS Virat, aircraft carriers, many cruisers, destroyers and frigates like INS Mysore, INS Ranjit, INS Talwar and many more. A soviet submarine INS Sindhughose, Inida’s Kanderi, INS Kurang besides coastal mine sweepers like INS Cuddalore, in shore mine sweepers like INS Balsar and the APSOH Advanced Panoramic Sonar Hull mounted – INS Sharada the third offshore patrol vessel which is the one hundred and fifth vessel to slide out of the Ship ways of HSL are the proud possessions of the Navy. There is also the first of Indian Hydro graphic Ship INS Nirdeshak which is the Fourth arm of the Navy after the surface, the naval air, and the submarine. Still, a developing country cannot be completely self sufficient.

In the wake of India’s independence, when the Pakistani tribal invasion took place in 1948, the officers and Jawans displayed remarkable courage in the freezing mountains and valleys and drove them away inflicting a crushing defeat. Fourteen years after wards in 1962, our army had to retreat, beaten and humbled in the war with China. No doubt in a war when one side emerges out victorious, the other should suffer humiliation but that does not speak well about the valor of the winner or ill about the cowardice of the vanquished. After all the outcome of war-success or defeat-depends upon so many factors as in the case of the Indo-China war. It was more to do with the political leadership than with the courage of the armed forces. In a hostile terrain with sub zero temperature, it is more with the unkind nature than with the aggressive foe that one has to fight. Such defeats as this, therefore, turn out to be the portals to final victory. The government of India realized its mistake and embarked upon a massive program of replenishing the Armed Forces with arms and ammunition and with special equipment needed for the mountain warfare.

Thus three years later, the Indian armed forces now reorganized, enlarged and equipped got a chance to display tremendous skill, courage and bravery in the war with Pakistan. It was a war attrition. Platoons were shattered like toys, Sabres shot like pigeons and amour dashed to pieces like cups of china. Their dreams shattered, the Pakistanis beat a grand retreat, beaten and humiliated. The fourteen day war in December 1971 is a mile stone in India’s history. The army displayed extreme valor and captured large tracts of West Pakistan’s territory. The greatest achievement was the liberation of Bangladesh from the clutches of the West Pakistani tyranny in just over 12 days. The foreign commentators and military experts were surprised at the consummate planning of tactics and strategy and the wonderful way it was executed by the army commanders in the Eastern Sector. As for the Air force, it destroyed the Pakistani pretensions of air supremacy in the Eastern sector and in the western sector, the strategic centers of Pakistani amour, communication systems and fuel dumps, while the Navy completely blockaded Pakistani shores, sinking its warships and destroying submarines.

The armed forces have proved themselves tune and again as the mighty bulwark of India’s independence and integrity. The country is more or less sufficient in weaponry. But still the experiment to make newer and stronger ones goes on Vijayanta tanks, Shaktiman army trucks, MIG fighter aircraft, helicopters. Leander class frigates are some of the new additions and efforts to keep them afresh with the latest equipment continue. The future of our country is safe in the hands of the great gallant and glorious men of our Armed Forces who have become synonyms with courage and confidence.

India is a vast country – a subcontinent with a medley of colorful people, languages, cultures, traditions and customs. Before the advent of western Government, it was not even known as a single nation and the popular saying was the 56 kingdoms ruled by 56 dynasties. Despite the seeming kaleidoscopic differences there was a spiritual and religious thread that made the string called India. As a nation, we have diversified interests and “Unity in Diversity” has been acclaimed as the greatness of India. Before independence there was only single cause-the liberation of the mother land from foreign yoke. And this expediency necessitated the growth of a Single National Party with a single goal.

Mahatma Gandhi said that after Independence the party should be disbanded and fresh parties should be formed for ruling the country. But the advice of the Father of the Nation was not needed to and freedom fighters who enjoyed the trust of the masses became rulers of the country. The opportunity for a Multi National Party Democracy was thus thwarted and during the Nehru era, the congress was the unquestioned single ruling party. A few national leaders who participated in the Freedom struggle, could not establish an equally popular party like the Congress. Since there was no national cause but for the brief Chinese invasion, rural interests and local type of narrow nationalism thrived and rural and local parties came to power in a few states. The advent of India Gandhi’s rule caused concern among senior leaders and the split of Congress gave place to a semi-national party which alone could not sweep the polls and needed a tactful seat adjustments in the election.

Since people tasted the bitterness of emergency, losing their fundamental rights, the Congress could not get majority and the first coalition government of Morarji Desai was put on the saddle which could not survive the stipulated period could not give a stable government. Congress was voted to power once again and till Rajiv was Prime Minister, the Congress rule existed by poll adjustments in the States dividing the constituencies with local parties. Afterwards India has seen only hung parliaments with no single party majority and coalition government became the order of the day. The credit of successfully running a hung parliament to its full period goes to Mr. Narashima Rao, who despite sarcastic and vitriolic criticism patiently bore the brunt.

The coalitions of Mr.V.P.Singh, Mr. Chandrasekhar, Mr.Gowda, Mr.I.K.Gujral and Mr. Vajpayee could not survive the full period, because of the partners pulling in different directions. Every partner of the coalition has some axe to grind and if it proves futile, the support is withdrawn with the result, the government precariously aborts. Though a common minimum policy, a national agenda, a common program is charted, the implementation brings certain differences of opinion and endangers the government.

In certain cases the partner or the outside supporter brings certain constraints to the government to dismiss the rival party rule in the States. The DMK and the AIADMK governments used to be toppled successively in the past like this. If the coalition government demurs, it is axed and the government falls. Sometimes there may be ulterior motives in the disguise of petty causes to topple the government. The partners in coalition have different narrow political interests, they are egoistic and want to escape from the clutches of the law of the land. The original demand is always clandestine and the toppling is done under masked flimsy reasons. The irony in the fall of the last government was due to a single vote majority. The party which toppled the government do not form a fresh government as it too did not posses unequivocal support of others.

What would be the future of India? No party other than the congress is national party having grass roots in all the States. The States are governed by local parties. Therefore coalition has become an inevitable feature of Indian politics somehow or other, India is learning by trial and error to survive a coalition government to its full term. Already debate has smartest on the formation of national government of a Presidential Form of Democracy. Political parties have started rethinking on their behavior patterns and there is a broad-based give and take policy. Even parties having different ideals and ambitions bury their differences and join hands for a common cause in establishing a stable government at the Centre. Some parties even urge to have twin policy one suitable to the State and another suitable to the nation as a whole. Coalition, though at present looks odd is emerging as the successful type of government suited to the Kaleidoscopic nature of our country, surely it will be successful in future and this will also be a needed model for other developing countries to follow suit.

The sex composition in a society has direct bearing on the social and economic conditions of a country. Both the sexes have equal importance in the society. The uneven distribution of any one of the sexes can disturb the basic equilibrium within the society. The Indian society is highly masculine and continues to remain like that with minor changes in the percentage of females. The net deficit of females was 9,9 million in 1951 , which has now widened to 35 million.

The sex ratio of the population has shown a declining trend in India except some marginal increase in the censuses of 1951, 1981 and now in 2001. It remains to be seen whether the observed increases in ratio of sex between 1991 and 2001 constitutes phenomenon like the 4 point increase between 1971 and 1981 which was followed by a 7 point decline between 1981 and 1991.

According to the census 2001, of India’s population the number of females per thousand males has increased from 927 to 933. It means ratio of males to females in a population has grown up by six points. This has resulted to narrow down the gender disparity prevailing in India.

The proportion of females to males is unevenly distributed throughout India. There is variation form one State to another and within a State from one district to another. In some States it is more than unity whereas is some states it is less than unity. Eighteen States/Union territories showed sex ratio higher than the national level of 927 during 1991 census. Kerala, chhatisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orrisa, Karnataka, Uttaranchal, Gujarat and Maharashtra were the major States showing women per 100 men is higher than the national average. Kerala was the only State, Goa, Manipur, Megalaya and Tripura had more female population. Pondichery, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep were the Union territories which recorded sex ratio higher than 927 of the nation.

During 2001, the number of State/Union territories having sex ratio above the national level of population came down to seventeen. It is a matter of concern that whereas the ratio of males to females in a population showed an improvement, the number of States/Union territories is declining. Seventeen State/Union territories recorded sex ratio higher than national average of 933. Kerala remained to occupy the first rank Kerala is the only State, which is recording ratio of males to females in a population more than unity for the last who decades. Pondichery had emerged as the only Union territory having sex ratio more than unity in the 2001 census. Gujarat, Maharastra, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have shifted from the group 1, having sex ratio higher that national average to the second group having sex ratio lower than national average whereas West Bengal, Mizoram and Jharkand have shown acceleration in sex ratio and moved to first group.

The distribution of women per 100 men of the population at district level reveals a diverse pattern. Only 324 districts have shown sex ratio above the national average that accounts around 55 percent of the total districts. Four districts are having the ratio of males to females in a population exactly equal to national average and remaining 265 districts are recording sex ratio below national average.

The Mahe district of Pondichery recorded highest sex ratio at, 1148 followed closely by Almora in Uttaranchal in 2001 census. Ratnagiri district, which recorded highest the ratio of males to females in a population during 1991 has slipped down to third place. Kerala at State level is at the top whereas only one of its district.

Pathanamthitta occupies the tenth position. The Daman district figures the lowest sex ratio at 591. it is followed by West Kameng district with sex ratio at 749 and North district of Sikkim at 752. it is heartening to observe that even metropolitan areas like Delhi and Mumbai are occupying place in the bottom ten districts list. If we compare district-wise data of 1991 and 2001 censuses then we observe that majority of States/Union territories register an overall increase in their sex ratio. It is noteworthy that none of the districts in the Southern part of the country have recorded a the ratio of males to females in a population less than 900 during the census of India 2001.

It is interesting to observe that the sex ratio has accelerated in census 2001 of India. The sex disparity has reduces in a large number of the districts, Government is realizing the importance of sex ratio. Several efforts have been done to decrease the gap of male and female ratio. More efforts have to be done to narrow down the gap of sex disparity.

But the humanity need not be unnecessarily alarmed of the the ratio of males to females in a population, as nature has the natural capability of bridging the gap.