The Goods and Services Tax (GST), implemented in July 2017, marked a significant change from the traditional tax linked to production to a tax based on consumption. The new regime included public levies such as VAT, sales tax, entry / subsidy tax, as well as central levies such as central consumption and service tax.
The states have waived some of their tax rights in lieu of the Center transferring their revenue share under the GST regime and also compensating them for potential revenue losses in the first five years.
The struggle between the Center and the States, which has intensified in recent weeks, involves the transfer of this participation and payments under the heading of compensation.
What does the GST include?
GST consists of a tax collected by the Center on the intrastate supply of goods and / or services called Central GST (CGST), and a corresponding tax collected by States / UT called State GST (SGST / UTGST) on these products and services.
CGST and SGST are simultaneously taxed on each purchase of goods and services, with the exception of the exempt ones.
The consumer pays a general rate under one of the main tax brackets (5%, 12%, 18% and 28%), half of which corresponds to the Center and the other half to the state where the consumption is made.
Integrated GST (IGST) is the GST that taxes interstate transactions and exports / imports of goods and services.
IGST is a combination of SGST and CGST and is first collected and managed by the Center, which then distributes it between the consumer state and itself.
In addition, a compensation rate, ranging from 1% to 200%, is applied to sinful and luxury items such as cigarettes, masala bread and certain categories of cars, above the higher 28%.
How does it work?
Take spoons and forks, for which the GST is 12%. A consumer will pay 12% of the price for spoons and forks if they buy from a manufacturer in the same state (intrastate transaction). Then, 6% will be the participation of the Center as CGST and 6% the participation of the State as SGST.
For a wholesale transaction (B2B), the GST allows the seller to claim the input tax credit (ITC) by offsetting the tax payable with the tax already paid.
For example, a manufacturer in Andhra Pradesh sells spoons and forks to a shop in Andhra Pradesh (intrastate transaction). The store owner pays 12% to the manufacturer.
When a customer buys them from your store, they pay 12% GST on the final price. Then, the store owner takes the ITC for the 12% that he has already paid and presents the GST of 12% to the authorities, thus eliminating the cascading effect of taxes.
Throughout the transaction, 12% GST is only applied once after using the ITC.
However, if the spoons and forks are made in Andhra Pradesh and sold to a merchant in Maharashtra, the interstate transaction attracts 12% IGST (6% CGST, 6% SGST). IGST is compiled and compiled by the Center, and sharing with the consumer’s state occurs later.
Now if a consumer buys from the Maharashtra store, they pay 12% GST (6% CGST, 6% GST Maharashtra). The store owner already paid IGST for the entrance.
Since the GST is a destination-based tax, the state’s share in the IGST of the transaction should go to the consuming state, Maharashtra, and not to the exporting state, Andhra Pradesh.
Therefore, the store owner can use the IGST as a credit to pay the CGST and the GST of Maharashtra.
The final distribution of IGST is therefore between the consuming state (Maharashtra) and the Center, after offsetting the credit of the IGST payment previously made in the exporting state.
How are States compensated?
Under the GST (Compensation to States) Act 2017, states are guaranteed compensation for lost revenue due to the implementation of the GST during a five-year transition period (2017-2022).
Compensation is calculated based on the difference between current state GST income and safe income after estimating an annualized growth rate of 14% from the 2015-2016 base year. The high rate of 14%, which has worsened since 2015-2016, was seen as unrelated to economic realities.
While chairing the first GST Council meetings, then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley proposed a revenue growth rate of 10.6% (the average growth rate for the entire India in the three years prior to 2015. -16).
The minutes of the board meetings show that the suggestion of 14% revenue growth was accepted “in a spirit of compromise”.
How did compensation become a problem?
Compensation payments to states have started to lag since October of last year, when GST revenues started to decline. The Covid-19 pandemic widened the gap, with GST revenue declining 41% in the April-June quarter.
Although the 14% growth rate in tax revenue was worsened in the 2015-16 base year, revenue remained roughly the same for two years. As a result, the states protected monthly income, which was Rs 49,020 crore for 2018-19 and Rs 55,882 crore for 2019-20, has increased to Rs 63,706 crore in 2020-2021.
During the current fiscal year, SGST income for July was Rs 40,256 crore, while the monthly protected income is Rs 63,706 crore, leaving a gap of Rs 23,450 crore (taking into account IGST regulation ).
For April-July, only Rs 21,940 crore was collected as compensation, including Rs 7,265 crore in July. On July 27, the Center released Rs 13,806 crore to States for March 2020, closing the full payment for FY20 at Rs 1.65 crore. Compensation remains outstanding for the four months of that fiscal year ( April to July).
How is the dispute settled now?
New tensions arose after it emerged that senior finance ministry officials reported the Center’s inability to compensate states in the near future, which was followed by the Indian Attorney General’s legal opinion according to which the Center you are not obligated to pay for a shortfall.
It is known that the GA suggested that the GST Council may recommend that the Center authorize states to “borrow on the basis of future income from the compensation fund” and that the Center should take the “final decision on importation”.
States like Punjab, Kerala and Bihar are not in favor of being asked for a loan to bridge the income gap, which will then be paid back by the compensation fund.
They consider that the income of the compensation fund is probably too low to cover the shortfall, let alone to repay the states on loans. They suggested raising tax rates or termination rates, or bringing more items below the 28% bracket and compensating for termination.
The remainder of the income gap, the Punjab suggested, can be bridged with market loans by the Center which can then compensate states. On August 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Attorney General’s opinion on GST compensation had been sought after consultation with states and that a GST Council meeting would now be held to discuss legal advice. A GST Compensation Board meeting was scheduled for July, but it did not. It should take place soon.
The first phase of the census and the exercise to update the National Population Register (NPR), scheduled for this year but postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic, could be delayed by a year because it does not there is no sign of the pandemic slowing down.
The Indian census is one of the largest administrative and statistical exercises in the world, with the participation of over 30 lakhs of officials who would visit every household across the country.
“The census is not an essential exercise at the moment. Even if it is delayed for a year, there would be no harm, ”
a senior official told PTI.
The official said a final decision has not been made on when the first phase of the 2021 census and the NPR update will take place, but it will almost certainly not take place in 2020 in due to the increase in coronavirus cases.
The house census phase and the NPR update exercise were scheduled to take place across the country from April 1 to September 30, 2020, but were postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“As the whole exercise requires the participation of thousands of officials and visits to every family, we cannot undermine the health risk involved,”
the official said.
With a record single-day increase of 78,761 cases, the total number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 35,423,733, while the death toll rose to 63,498 as on Sunday.
According to the above timeline, the census would have its reference date of March 1, 2021 and in the snow-covered areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand it would be October 1, 2020.
“The COVID-19 threat is still looming. The census and the NPR are not on the government’s priority list at the moment, ”
said another official.
In March, when the coronavirus-induced lockdown was announced, India’s secretary general and census commissioner was ready for the first phase of the census and the NPR update which was due to begin on April 1.
Although some state governments opposed updating the NPR, all offered full support for the census.
The census is the most important source of a variety of statistical information on the Indian population that helps the state shape various policies.
With a history of over 130 years, this reliable and proven exercise has yielded a veritable wealth of statistics every 10 years, including the rich diversity of people, and has become one of the tools for understanding and studying India.
The goal of the NPR is to create a comprehensive database of the identities of all usual residents of the country. The database would contain demographic and biometric data.
The NPR is a register of usual residents of the country. It is prepared at local (village and sub-city), sub-district, district, state and national levels in accordance with the provisions of the 1955 Citizenship Act and citizenship rules (registration of citizens and issuance of identity cards national) of 2003.
NPR data was last collected in 2010, in conjunction with the housing registration phase of the 2011 Census. These data were updated in 2015 through a door-to-door survey.
When updating the register in 2015, the government asked for details like Aadhaar and people’s mobile phone number.
This time, information related to his driver’s license and voter ID card may also be collected, officials said.
Although information on the parents’ place of birth is sought, it is up to the residents to answer the question, as it is voluntary.
For NPR, a usual resident is defined as a person who has resided in a local area for the past six months or more or a person who intends to reside in that region for the next six months.
The law is mandated to register all Indian citizens and issue a national identity card.
Demographic details required for each habitual resident are name, relationship to head of household, name of father, name of mother, name of spouse (if married), gender, date of birth, marital status, place of birth, nationality (as indicated), address of current habitual residence, length of stay at current address, address of permanent residence, occupation and degree of study.
Around 55 million years ago, when the Indian subcontinent collided with Asia, many plants and animals migrated from India to other parts of Asia. Now, studying the evolutionary history of a spider family, researchers have attempted to map the dispersal event from India to the islands of Southeast Asia 55-38 million years ago.
The team from the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted extensive field studies in Tibet, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and genetic studies were conducted on more than 100 species of spiders in worldwide.
Based on the climate and the current distribution of these spiders, they were concentrated in 12 regions, including South and Central America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Sumatra, Fiji and Borneo.
Common ancestor
The constructed stories show that a subfamily of spiders called Theotiminae may have originated from Africa, while a sister family called Ochyroceratinae was of South American descent. This means that they had more than one common evolutionary ancestor, and the taxonomy might even need revisions.
Why not East Asia?
One question the researchers were trying to answer was: why didn’t the spiders migrate from India to East Asia? They note that unlike the humid tropics of Southeast Asia, East Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea and Mongolia had an arid climate with less than 800mm of annual precipitation during this period.
“Although there is no obvious geographic barrier, this dry or seasonal climate acted as barriers to the colonization of East Asia by theothymines,” explains the article published in Systematic Biology.
Role of climate
Also, during this period, the Tibetan plateau became a mountain belt nearly 4000 m high and the colder and drier climate was also unsuitable for spiders.
“Our analyzes suggest that climate plays a more important role than geology in the biological migration from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia, providing new insights into the Indo-Asian biogeographic link,”
the document notes.
During the field study, the team noted that in some areas spiders were found in the forest litter, while in others they were in caves.
Habitat changes
The researchers write that these habitat changes also occur depending on the climate of the region. “Most caves have an almost constant temperature and high humidity throughout the year, which provides suitable shelters for theotimines in environments that vary according to the season. Species in a humid environment can live in garbage or in caves, while species in an environment with little rainfall are more frequently found in caves, ”the document adds.
The team writes that an “integrative approach that combines different sources of evidence, such as biogeography and ecology,” can provide a more realistic reconstruction of the history of evolution. They predict that other organisms distributed in the tropics may also exhibit similar migration mechanisms.
India climbed two positions to rank 74 on a global “energy transition index” with improvements in all key parameters of economic growth, energy security and environmental sustainability. In its report, the WEF said its study measuring readiness for the transition to clean energy in 115 economies showed that 94 have made progress since 2015, but environmental sustainability still lags behind.
Sweden has passed the Energy Transition Index (ETI) for the third consecutive year, followed by Switzerland and Finland in the top three.
France (in eighth place) and the United Kingdom (in seventh place) are the only G20 countries in the top ten.
“Emerging demand centers” such as India (74) and China (78) have made constant efforts to improve the enabling environment, which refers to political commitments, participation and consumer investment, innovation and infrastructure, among others.
In the case of China, air pollution problems have resulted in policies to control emissions, electrify vehicles, and develop the world’s largest capacity for onshore and photovoltaic (PV) wind turbines.
For India, result comes out from a government-mandated renewable energy expansion program, which will now expand to 275 GW by 2027. India has also made significant progress in energy efficiency through Bulk purchase of LED bulbs, smart meters and labeling programs for household appliances. Similar measures are underway to reduce the costs of electric vehicles,
The WEF said the coronavirus pandemic is at risk of reversing recent progress in the clean energy transition, with unprecedented declines in demand, price volatility and pressure to quickly ease socioeconomic costs, questioning the trajectory short-term transition. Policies, roadmaps and governance frameworks for energy transition at national, regional and global levels need to be more robust and resilient against external shocks,
Covid-19 has forced companies from all sectors to adapt to business disruption, changing demand and new ways of working, and governments have introduced economic stimulus packages to help mitigate these effects. If implemented with long-term strategies in mind, they could also accelerate the transition to clean energy, helping countries to step up their efforts towards sustainable and inclusive energy systems.
Global findings of this report
The index compares 115 economies in the current performance of their energy systems in the areas of economic development and growth, environmental sustainability and energy security and access indicators, and their readiness for the transition to safe, sustainable, affordable and inclusive energy systems.
The results for 2020 show that 75 per cent of countries have improved their environmental sustainability. This progress is a result of multifaceted, incremental approaches, including pricing carbon, retiring coal plants ahead of schedule and redesigning electricity markets to integrate renewable energy sources.
The most significant overall progress is observed in emerging economies, with the average ETI score for the top 10% countries which has remained constant since 2015, indicating an urgent need for innovative solutions, threatened by COVID-19.
The report indicates that the scores for the United States (32), Canada (28), Brazil (47) and Australia (36) were stagnant or declining. In the United States, headwinds have been linked primarily to the political environment, while in Canada and Australia, the challenges lie in balancing the energy transition and economic growth, given the role of the energy sector in their economy.
The fact that only 11 out of 115 countries have constantly improved the ETI scores since 2015 shows the complexity of the energy transition. Argentina, China, India and Italy are among the main countries with constant annual improvements. Others, such as Bangladesh, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kenya and Oman have also made significant progress over time.
On the other hand, scores for Canada, Chile, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nigeria and Turkey have declined since 2015. The US ranks outside the top 25 per cent for the first time, primarily due to the uncertain regulatory outlook for energy transition.
India’s growth in the first quarter of 2020-2021 at (-) 23.9% showed one of the highest contractions in the world. Global growth prospects for 2020 have been projected by various multilateral institutions and rating agencies, including that of India.
India’s real GDP growth for 2020-2021 is expected to be between (-) 5.8% (Reserve Bank of India’s survey of professional forecasters) and (-) 14.8% (Goldman Sachs).
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in its Interim Economic Outlook for September 2020, forecast a contraction of (-) 10.2% in FY21 for India.
Annual projections also indicate a high likelihood that even nominal GDP growth will contract for 2020-2021.
The latest data released by the Ministry of Statistics shows a consumer price index (CPI) inflation rate of 6.7% for August 2020.
Average CPI inflation over the first five months of 2020-2021 is estimated at 6.6%.
Given the periodic injection of liquidity into the system and inflation trends, the year as a whole could show CPI inflation close to 7%. Since inflation based on the deflator tends to be lower than the CPI, it can be around 5% or less.
In fact, in the first quarter of 2020-2021, the GDP-based deflator was only 1.8%.
If we take the OECD real GDP growth projection at (-) 10.2% and deflator-based inflation of around 5%, the implicit nominal GDP contraction is around (- ) 5.0% for 2020-21.
It is true that some of us feel that at some point the economy might not be so bad because some key sectors such as agriculture and allied sectors, public administration, defense services and other services may work normally or better than normal considering the demand for health, rescue and reactivation costs.
We even hoped that a small positive growth was possible. The recently released national income figures for the first quarter of 2020-2021 do not hold such hope.
Most surprisingly in the data for the first quarter is that the sector “Public administration, defense and other services” contracted by (-) 10.3%.
This means that there has been no fiscal stimulus. Independent estimates show that the state’s capital expenditure fell by 43.5%.
The worsening budget deficit appears to be due to lower revenues rather than higher spending.
Erosion of income
The political challenge for the remainder of the year is to minimize this strong dynamic of contraction in real and nominal growth. A sharp contraction in nominal GDP growth has very negative consequences on the prospects for central and state tax revenues, which may contract.
In the first quarter of 2020-2021, the Centre’s gross tax revenue contracted by (-) 32.6% and data based on the CAG for 19 states shows a contraction of (-) 45% per se tax revenue.
This implies a negative momentum of about 1.65 in the combined tax revenues of central and state governments in the first quarter.
Given the negative impact of foreclosure, it is likely that even budgeted non-tax revenue will not be realized. The budget revenue calculations were made on the assumption that the country’s nominal income would increase by 10%.
In view of a contraction in nominal growth, the fiscal revenues of the Center would show a considerable deficit compared to the budgeted amounts.
Some estimates indicate that tax and non-tax income and non-debt capital income in the current fiscal year could be well below budget estimates by more than 5 lakh crore rupees.
The combined budget deficit of the Center and the States must compensate for the deficit in fiscal and non-fiscal revenue, if the level of budgeted expenditure is to be maintained.
Fiscal deficit
For the central government to maintain the level of budgeted spending and also provide additional stimulus measures, its budget deficit may need to increase to around 8.8 percent of GDP.
This is a revised budget deficit estimated at around 4% of GDP due to a lower denominator value of GDP, plus 2.5% to compensate for the fiscal and non-fiscal revenue deficit plus 2.3% for additionality relative to budgeted expenditures in the already announced stimulus plan (including recently announced first batch of additional grant applications).
If we add the central and state budget deficits, the combined budget deficit amounts to 13.8% of GDP. If nominal GDP actually contracts in 2020-2021, the budget deficit as a percentage of GDP would increase further.
It also does not take into account any additionality to the loan for the compensation of the goods and services tax (GST). It should be noted that the relationship between the budget deficit and the Center’s GDP for the first quarter of 2021 was 17.4%. The Center’s fiscal year for the first four months of 2020-2021, as a percentage of the annual budget target, was 103.1%.
Limits to deficit
How far can the budget deficit go?
The International Monetary Fund, in its June 2020 World Economic Outlook update, estimated the budget deficits for India and China at 12.1% of GDP.
All other countries except the United States and some others have a deficit smaller than this. The dollar as a reserve currency has its own advantages and this benefits the United States.
Going back to India’s budget deficit, there are insufficient resources to support a budget deficit of almost 14% of GDP. All this, therefore, will require substantial support from the Reserve Bank of India, which will have to assume, directly or indirectly, part of the central government debt.
In direct mode, the RBI takes debt directly from the government at an agreed rate. India has been a long time moving away from automatic debt monetization.
This happened in the early 1990s. Even if the RBI wants to support loan programs, it shouldn’t do so directly. The indirect method is preferable because the market always sends signals about the interest rate.
In both cases, the RBI is the provider of liquidity. The indirect route is not new. Ultimately, the question relates to the degree of debt monetization that can be undertaken. The country must also protect itself against high inflation.
This Fisc is caught in a serious dilemma. The economic situation justifies an increase in public spending. The budget deficit will go well beyond the prescribed level, more than double the prescribed level. It must be accepted.
It seems that governments are holding back spending. This is not the correct approach. At the same time, there is a limit to the monetization of debt.
Perhaps the best solution would be to keep the combined budget deficit at around 14% of GDP for the current year and find ways to finance it. This will have to be gradually reduced. It can take several years of standardization.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has proposed transformative changes in the structure and admission processes for undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programs under the Draft UGC (Minimum Standards of Instructions in the Award of UG and PG Degrees) Regulations 2024. These sweeping reforms aim to align Indian higher education with global standards while promoting inclusivity, flexibility, and multidisciplinary learning.
Key Highlights of the Proposed Regulations
Biannual Admissions: For the first time, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) may offer **admissions twice a year**, typically in **July/August** and **January/February**. This aligns with global practices, such as those in the United States, and ensures greater flexibility for students.
Decoupling of Disciplines for Admissions: Students can pursue any UG or PG program regardless of their prior disciplinary background. Admission eligibility will be determined through **national-level or university-level entrance examinations** relevant to the chosen discipline. This decoupling promotes interdisciplinary education and caters to diverse learner interests.
Multiple Entry and Exit Options: Students can earn certificates, diplomas, or degrees based on the number of credits earned at various stages. For instance:
A **certificate** after completing one year.
A **diploma** after two years.
A **degree** after three years.
The option to rejoin later for a **fourth-year honours program** or **research component**.
4. Multidisciplinary and Skill Development Focus: Students are required to earn **50% of their credits in their major discipline**, with the remaining 50% allocated to:
Skill development courses.
Apprenticeships.
Multidisciplinary subjects.
5. Flexible Program Durations: The duration of UG and PG programs has been made adaptable:
UG programs: **3 or 4 years**, with options for accelerated or extended completion.
PG programs: **1 or 2 years**, depending on the UG degree completed.
6. Accelerated Degree Program (ADP) and Extended Degree Program (EDP): These programs allow students to shorten or extend their UG course duration based on their performance and preferences. Key provisions include:
HEIs may allocate up to **10% of seats** for ADP students, with no cap for EDP.
Students can opt for ADP/EDP after their **first or second semester**, based on recommendations from an institutional committee.
The curriculum content and total credits remain the same, with adjustments only to the duration.
Degree certificates will indicate whether the program was completed in a shorter or longer timeframe.
7. Continuous Evaluation and Credit System: The regulations emphasize **continuous formative assessments** alongside semester or year-end examinations. Each course’s credits will be determined by the respective academic body and communicated to students in advance.
8. Autonomy for HEIs: HEIs have been granted autonomy to:
Determine minimum attendance requirements.
Develop institution-specific policies for implementing the proposed regulations, subject to approval by their statutory bodies.
Additional Provisions and Benefits
Multidisciplinary Learning: The regulations promote the **National Education Policy (NEP) 2020**’s vision of multidisciplinary education. Students can customize their learning paths, integrating diverse subjects and practical skills into their academic journey.
Recognition of Prior Learning: The draft regulations acknowledge and reward prior learning modes, ensuring that students from non-traditional or diverse educational backgrounds are not left behind.
Improved Global Competitiveness: According to UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar: “These reforms ensure Indian higher education evolves to meet global standards while staying rooted in inclusivity and adaptability.” The flexibility in program durations and the multidisciplinary approach prepare students for dynamic global job markets.
Disciplinary and Honours Pathways: Students completing a **4-year UG degree with honours** in a specific discipline or a **4-year UG degree in engineering** will be eligible for relevant **2-year PG programs** such as M.Tech or M.E., ensuring streamlined academic progression.
Proposed Consequences for Non-Compliance:
To maintain academic integrity, the draft regulations propose penalties for HEIs that fail to adhere to UGC norms. These measures aim to uphold the quality and credibility of Indian higher education.
Conclusion
The Draft UGC (Minimum Standards of Instructions in the Award of UG and PG Degrees) Regulations 2024 marks a significant step toward transforming Indian higher education. By introducing biannual admissions, promoting multidisciplinary learning, and offering flexible program durations, these reforms aim to make education more inclusive and globally competitive. Once implemented, these changes are expected to enhance the accessibility, adaptability, and quality of higher education in India.
Bihar regiment bravely fought in the recent clash with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh, losing 12 soldiers, including the commander of his 16th battalion, Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu. The regiment has several achievements and victories on the battlefield against its name and has been at the forefront of many successful military operations.
The crest of the Bihar regiment contains three-headed Ashoka lions, which was chosen by the commander of the 1st Battalion of Commander Bihar, Captain M Habibullah Khan Khattak in 1941. This regiment made an important contribution to the protection of India against its enemy, its acts of immense courage and courage have Glory added to the pages of the Indian army.
An overview of the history of the Bihar regiment
The Bihar regiment was created by the British East India Company under the name of “Native Bengal Infantry”. In fact, the British were so impressed by the courage and tenacity of the Bihari soldiers that in 1758, when Lord Robert Clive became the first British governor of the Bengal presidency, the 34th Sepoy Battalion was raised in its entirety with soldiers recruited from the Bhojpur district of Bihar.
The other areas in which the soldiers were recruited mainly included the Shahabad and Munger districts of present-day Bihar. These troops won spectacular victories during the Buxar, Karnatic and Maratha wars.
They have even proven themselves abroad in Malaysia, Sumatra and Egypt. But Bihari’s troops also showed their fearless attitude and their strict principles by being the first to rebel against the introduction of greased cartridges and to prefer to be exploited by pistols rather than to lose confidence during the first war of independence of India (1857).
Fearing their war capabilities and the damages they caused during the First War of Independence in 1857, the British disbanded the 18 Bihar battalions and all state recruitment was halted.
Babu Kunwar Singh and Birsa Munda are the two legendary figures in the struggle for independence. While Babu Kunwar Singh was one of the heroes of 1857, Birsa Munda, from the Munda tribe of present-day Jharkhand, had a bad time for the British.
Large-scale recruitment of Bihar soldiers started again during the Second World War and they joined the 19th Hyderabad Regiment 1. The Bihar Regiment was created on September 15, 1941 and owes its origin to 11/19 of the Hyderabad Regiment.
The battalion received two “battle honors” during World War II, namely “Haka” and “Gangaw” and also received Burma’s “theater of honor 2”.
Bihar also fought with distinction in Malaysia as part of the “LIGHT CLOSING FORCE” under Lieutenant Colonel (later Lieutenant General) Sant Singh.
The regiment also participated in the Indo-Pakistan Wars of 1965 and 1971 and performed the assigned tasks commendably. The 1st Bihar Regiment Battalion participated in Operation Vijay during the Kargil War on Pakistan in 1999.
The Bihar regiment took over Jubar Hill and Tharu from the Pakistanis and received the head of the military personnel unit. Citation, Honor Battle “Batalik” and Honor “Kargil”.
Several battalions of the Bihar Regiment participated in United Nations peacekeeping missions, including 1 Bihar in Somalia (1993-1994).
Troops of 10 Bihar, 5 Bihar and 14 Bihar were part of United Nations peacekeeping operations in the Congo in 2004, 2009 and 2014, respectively.
The Bihar Regiment also has four Rashtriya Rifle Battalions (4RR, 24RR, 47RR, 63RR), which is among the largest units of all Indian Army regiments.
One of the highly decorated Indian Army regiments, the Bihar Regiment soldiers have won the following awards to date (June 22, 2020):
The Atal tunnel in Rohtang, near Manali, is almost complete in all respects and was finalized before Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened it at the end of September.
The 9 km long tunnel under the Pir Panjal mountain range, named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will be the longest road tunnel in the world at over 10,000 feet (3,000 meters).
It was due to end in May 2020, according to a revised estimate, but the Covid-19 pandemic has delayed its completion by a few months due to lockdown conditions.
Rohtang tunnel: What is the genesis of the project?
A feasibility study for the Rohtang tunnel project was carried out in May 1990, after which the geological report was submitted in June 2004. This was followed by a design and specification report which was prepared and finalized in December 2006.
Officials from the Border Roads Organization (BRO) said the project received final technical approval in 2003.
Following approval by the Cabinet Security Committee in 2005, the tenders were was launched in 2007 and the foundation stone was laid in July 2010 by UPA President Sonia Gandhi.
The project was scheduled to end in February 2015, but was delayed due to unexpected issues. It was originally designed to be 8.8 km long, but GPS readings taken at the end show it to be 9 km long.
What were the problems encountered by the Rohtang tunnel project?
Construction crews were faced with the rapid flow of water from Seri Nullah, which flowed over the route of the tunnel and hampered construction efforts.
The large volume of water prevented construction for several months as project engineers struggled to find a way to fix the problem. Rock structures encountered by engineers also caused obstacles.
A BRO official said the tunnel’s south portal contained shale, migmatites and phyllitic rocks, while the north portal inconsistently bent gneiss and biotite shale which were brittle and ductile in nature.
What is the strategic advantage of the Rohtang tunnel?
Crossing the Pir Panjal mountain range, the tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km. The Rohtang Pass, to which the tunnel offers an alternative, is at an elevation of 13,050 feet, and a journey from the Manali Valley to the Lahaul and Spiti Valley, which normally takes around five hours to negotiate, is now reportedly completed in a little over ten minutes.
While the tunnel will be a boon to residents of Lahaul and Spiti Valley, who remain cut off from the rest of the country in winters for nearly six months due to heavy snowfall, the tunnel will provide near-all-weather connectivity. to stationed troops in Ladakh.
However, for full connectivity in all weathers, additional tunnels will need to be built on the Manali-Leh road so that the high passes on the axis do not hamper movement due to snowfall.
A 13.2 km-long tunnel will need to be constructed to bypass the 16,040-foot-high Baralacha Pass, and another 14.78-km-long tunnel will be required in the Lachung La Pass at 16,800 feet.
A third 7.32 km tunnel will be required at Tanglang La Pass at 17,480 feet.
What are the strengths of the Rohtang tunnel?
The unique features of this tunnel start quite far from it on the access roads to the north and south portals. The bridges over the rivers to the tunnel access from the two portals have also been completed and are being painted.
Snow drifts have also been constructed on the tunnel access road on the Manali side, which will ensure connectivity in all weather conditions.
Other features include an emergency escape tunnel under the main tunnel. This would provide an escape route in the event of an unwanted incident that could render the main tunnel unusable.
The tunnel also has a telephone every 150 meters, a fire hydrant every 60 meters, an emergency exit every 500 meters, a rotating cave every 2.2 km, air quality control every kilometer, a diffusion system and an automatic detection system. incidents with CCTV cameras every 250 meters.
BRO officials say the vehicles will travel at a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour. Up to 1,500 trucks and 3,000 cars are expected to use it per day when the situation reaches normal post-Covid-19 restrictions.
The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers agreed to meet in Moscow to negotiate on Friday, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an invitation to host peace talks between the two warring nations, AFP reported.
“Baku and Yerevan have confirmed their participation in the consultations in Moscow,” “Active preparations are underway.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told AFP.
Putin has called for an end to the dispute on “humanitarian grounds” after hundreds of lives were killed following a recent resurgence of bitter fighting between neighboring nations in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
“The president of Russia calls for an end to the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh for humanitarian reasons in order to exchange corpses and prisoners,” a previous Kremlin statement read.
On September 27, clashes broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan around the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian Defense Ministry announced that two Azerbaijani helicopters had been shot down.
While the United States, France and Russia jointly condemned the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh and called for a ceasefire, Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, rejected the demands for a ceasefire.
Here are the main updates on the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia
“Armenia and Azerbaijan will soon reach a truce,” says France.
Armenia and Azerbaijan are heading for a truce to end the recent resumption of fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the French presidency told AFP on Friday. A peace agreement is expected to be negotiated in the coming days.
“We are heading towards a truce tonight or tomorrow, but it is still fragile,” a spokesman for President Emmanuel Macron told AFP.
Macron spoke by phone with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday night and with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Friday. France should preside over the truce negotiations, along with Russia and the United States.
Iran warns of regional war as Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict escalates
In calling for a ceasefire, Iran warned that the resumption of fighting between its neighbors, Azerbaijan and Armenia, could turn into a full-blown regional war, the BBC reported.
“We must be careful that the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan does not turn into a regional war,” “Peace is the basis of our work and we hope to restore stability in the region in a peaceful manner.”
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told reporters on Wednesday.
President Rouhani added that it was “totally unacceptable” for the lost projectiles or missiles to land on Iranian soil, the BBC reported. Previous reports claimed that the shells had landed in some Iranian villages, located near its northern border with Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Nagorno-Karabakh says 26 soldiers died; the military toll is 376
The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Ministry said on Friday that another 26 soldiers had been killed, raising the figure to 376 since clashes with Azerbaijani forces broke out nearly two weeks ago, Reuters reported.
According to Reuters, the conflict reached its worst level since the 1990s, when around 30,000 people died.
Armenia claims that the historic cathedral was affected by the bombings in Azerbaijan; Azerbaijan denies the accusation
Armenian authorities accused Azerbaijan of bombing the historic Cathedral of the Holy Savior in Nagorno-Karabakh on Thursday, DW reported. However, rejecting these accusations, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry stated that its army “does not target historical, cultural and, in particular, religious buildings and monuments.”
According to Armenia, the shelling severely damaged the dome and interior of the century-old church, also known as Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. Local reports claimed that several children and adults were present in the cathedral at the time of the attack, but no one was killed or injured.
The cathedral was attacked again several hours later, this time seriously wounding two Russian journalists, Armenian authorities said. The country’s Foreign Ministry called the attack a “monstrous crime and a challenge to civilized humanity,” DW reported. The ministry said that an attempt to destroy a religious building should constitute a war crime.
The status quo must be changed, says Turkey’s foreign minister
Commenting on the ongoing conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that “the status quo must be changed,” the Palestinian Authority reported. Until now, Turkey has openly supported Azerbaijan in the conflict and has offered to provide military assistance.
Speaking at the annual Globsec forum in Bratislava, Cavusoglu added that Turkey respects the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Half of Nagorno-Karabakh’s population displaced by fighting, rebels say
At least half the population of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region has been displaced since clashes broke out between Armenian separatists and Azerbaijan, rebel officials told AFP.
“According to our preliminary estimates, around 50% of Karabakh’s population and 90% of women and children, between 70,000 and 75,000 people, have been displaced,”
said Karabakh mediator Artak Beglaryan.
Almost 300 people have died since the recent clashes between the two countries broke out last week. The death toll includes at least 47 civilians, DW reported.
