Bharatvaarta

The pandemic has altered the destinies of not just people worldwide but  of entire nations. Many developed countries despite having superior  infrastructure and significant investments in public health haven’t been  able to tackle the onslaught of the pandemic. It was in this backdrop  that India’s ability to rise to the challenge had been written off  entirely by many leading ‘experts’. Doomsday predictions were made which  included mass deaths and anarchy.  However, Prime Minister Modi’s robust grip on the administration changed  India’s fortunes in the fight against the virus. He took absolute  control of the country’s response mechanisms and streamlined systems to  cut red-tape. Led by fact-based scientific advice, the Indian government  galvanized their inheritance of less-than-adequate resources, augmented  capacities rapidly and prudently spent its reserves on the most  effective solutions.  Hence, even after three waves of the pandemic, India has managed to save  more lives than most countries in the world. The country has proved the  cynics wrong with one of the lowest fatality rates. As a testament to  its scientific and technological prowess, the nation has not only  developed multiple indigenous vaccines but is running the world’s  largest vaccination drive supported by superb infrastructure. True to  our nature as a nurturer, our country has been acting as the ‘pharmacy  of the world’ by providing life-saving drugs and medical equipment to  other nations. With a staunch resolve to help all of humanity emerge out  of the pandemic, India has committed over five billion vaccine doses in  2022 for countries in need and intends to provide more until every  human being is secure. A Nation to Protect is a definitive account of India’s pandemic response  from the top echelons of leadership and government.

The Bharatvaarta Weekly is our reaction to the news headlines of the   week that was. If you liked this episode, then don’t forget to subscribe  to our channel and share this content. You can stay updated with  everything at Bharatvaarta by following us on social media: we're  @bharatvaarta on Twitter, facebook.com/bharatvaarta.in on Facebook, and  @bharatvaarta on Instagram).

The Indian Bridge Management System is one of the most advanced public  infrastructure databases in the world. The IBMS creates an inventory of  all bridges in the country and rates their structural condition so that  timely repair and rehabilitation work can be carried out based on the  criticality of the structure. It is the largest platform in the world  owned by a single owner, with a database that could exceed 1,50,000  bridge structures.  The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has inventorized 1,72,517  bridges/structures under this initiative. Under the system, bridges are  given a structural rating number; based on its structure; and a  socio-economic rating number which measures its importance in relation  to it's vicinity.   With an MBA degree under his belt, Vaibhav Dange devoted his knowledge  in management to implementing processes in ensuring speedy redressal of  issues in all spheres of activity. From 2014 to 2019, he was the Private  Secretary to the Hon'ble Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin  Gadkari, and was very closely associated with all development works  related to the national highways. During this tenure, he got involved in  the IBMS project, and his deep knowledge and insight resulted in many  innovations within the IBMS. He is associated with various  infrastructure projects undertaken by the National Highways Authority of  India (NHAI).

The Bharatvaarta Weekly is our reaction to the news headlines of the   week that was. If you liked this episode, then don’t forget to subscribe  to our channel and share this content. You can stay updated with  everything at Bharatvaarta by following us on social media: we're  @bharatvaarta on Twitter, facebook.com/bharatvaarta.in on Facebook, and  @bharatvaarta on Instagram).

India unveiled its first National Hydrogen Policy in January this year  with an aim to boost production and use of cleaner sources of energy.  The 2021-22 budget allocated Rs. 1500 crore for renewable energy  development. Issues faced with current systems include high AT&C  losses, inefficient distribution, and billing, The plan will focus on generation of hydrogen from green power resources  and on linking India’s growing renewable capacity with the hydrogen  economy. It will also effectively integrate renewable energy in the  present energy mix. This will be done by scaling up the gas pipeline  infrastructure across the country and introducing smart grids. Green hydrogen (GH) producers are to be exempt for 25 years from paying  inter-state transmission charges. Bulk consumers will now also be  exempted from paying ISTC till 2045. The MOP policy assures GH producers  open access to renewable energy generators anywhere in the national  grid. Currently, all of India’s hydrogen, about 6 million tonnes  annually, is gray. By 2050, nearly 80% of India’s hydrogen is projected  to be ‘green’. To speak about this emerging topic, we have Rajat Seksaria, CEO at Acme  Solar which is among the largest Renewables company in India. In this  episode, he speaks about topics such as additions that can be made to  the national hydrogen policy, pros and cons of hydrogen as a fuel, how  the hydrogen policy fits within India's push towards green energy, and  more.

In March and April 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the  Russian military to begin massing thousands of military personnel and  equipment near its border with Ukraine and in Crimea, representing the  largest mobilization since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.  This precipitated an international crisis and generated concerns over a  potential invasion. Satellite imagery showed movements of armour,  missiles, and heavy weaponry. The troops were partially removed by June.  The crisis was renewed in October and November 2021, when over 100,000  Russian troops were again massed surrounding Ukraine on three sides by  December.  The ongoing crisis stems from the protracted Russo-Ukrainian War that  began in early 2014. In December 2021, Russia advanced two draft  treaties that contained requests for what it referred to as "security  guarantees", including a legally binding promise that Ukraine would not  join the NATO as well as a reduction in NATO troops and military  hardware stationed in Eastern Europe, and threatened unspecified  military response if those demands were not met in full.   NATO has rejected these requests, and the United States warned Russia of  "swift and severe" economic sanctions should it further invade Ukraine.  Bruno Maçães is a Portuguese politician, consultant and author. He is a  nonresident senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. He is a former  Secretary of State for European Affairs in Portugal. In this livestream,  he will speak on the Russo-Ukraine crisis and more.

The Bharatvaarta Weekly is our reaction to the news headlines of the   week that was. If you liked this episode, then don’t forget to subscribe  to our channel and share this content. You can stay updated with  everything at Bharatvaarta by following us on social media: we're  @bharatvaarta on Twitter, facebook.com/bharatvaarta.in on Facebook, and  @bharatvaarta on Instagram).

Historically, India has depended on West Asian countries for energy  dependency. Moreover, due to budding business in the region, especially  in UAE, around 7 million Indians live here. This has also been a point  of discussion in bilateral talks and agreements in the past. Since the  election of the Modi government, India's discourse with the Middle East  and the rest of West Asia has revolved around topics such as  counterterrorism, security, defense cooperation and non-oil trade.   Dr. Ningthoujam is a strategic researcher, focusing on India-Middle East  relations, Israeli foreign policy, Israel’s ties with the  Southeast/East Asian countries, its military exports, geopolitics of  Middle East, International Terrorism, and Middle East-China relations.  He also holds a Ph. D., from the Centre for West Asian Studies, School  of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi for my  doctoral thesis on Israel’s Arms Exports.  In this deep dive on Indo-West Asia relationships, Dr. Alvite speaks  about topics such as the similarities and differences between various  West Asian countries, the various developmental projects undertaken by  India in the region, and the change towards West Asian relationships  with the election of PM Modi.

The legislative assembly elections are all set to get underway in 4 of  India's biggest states. We will see voting on caste lines, party lines,  and district favorites. From Uttar Pradesh, to Uttarakhand, to Punjab  and Goa, our resident political expert Rohit Jayaraman will take up a  LIVE Q&A to delve deep into the specifics of each of these states  and provide insights on India's complex electoral systems. 

The Bharatvaarta Weekly is our reaction to the news headlines of the   week that was. If you liked this episode, then don’t forget to subscribe  to our channel and share this content. You can stay updated with  everything at Bharatvaarta by following us on social media: we're  @bharatvaarta on Twitter, facebook.com/bharatvaarta.in on Facebook, and  @bharatvaarta on Instagram).