Day 15 Reading Material

Opinion | A-SAT tech gives India diplomatic bargaining power2 min read . Updated: 28 Mar 2019, 12:24 AM ISTThis govt took the decision and in two years, DRDO managed to develop the capabilityWe have reached the pinnacle of missile technology to intercept a satellite that is orbiting at about 7,000-8,000 metres per second in a lower orbit with the precision of less than one millisecond. If we can intercept a satellite, it means we can intercept any object approaching us this fast. Such objects are intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). We can engage these weapons at altitudes of 300 kilometres above ground.Such a capability gives the nation strength and sends the message of deterrence against anyone messing with our space assets. Nations use tools of deterrence only when they are driven to the wall. Today Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has demonstrated that we have the capability that only a few among the best have.If you have a nuclear bomb, the adversary will think twice before using a nuclear weapon. If tomorrow there is a war in space, which we do not subscribe to, this gives us the defence preparedness.Over the last ten years, major building blocks were under development. This government took the decision and in two years, DRDO has been able to build the necessary technology for interception of a satellite in lower orbit. This consists of a very agile kill vehicle with infrared seeker, excellent command control and communications network and long-range radar systems on ground, all working in unison in an automated manner to enable this interception.India today has long range missiles like Agni-V, we have underwater missiles, we have nuclear-powered submarines, and we have our own tactical missiles. On land, sea, and air, we have all the capabilities in addition to a nuclear deterrent.The only missing deterrence was the ability to destroy satellites in space. Having achieved this capability on Wednesday, we have completed the missing link. In case any adversary tries to destroy our space assets, we have an answer to that. Strength respects strength.It has increased our bargaining power on the diplomatic front as well. This capability is not against any nation. Space is to be used for peaceful purposes.In 2013, I had made a statement when I was the director general of DRDO and secretary in department of defence R&D, that India has the capability to carry out an anti-satellite programme. But the then government did not have the political will.

Now with the necessary push coming from the present government, DRDO has filled up those missing building blocks, integrated the existing building blocks and created an anti-satellite missile today. That filling up the missing blocks has made all the difference.These are decisions which are taken because they are strategic in nature, and they cannot be taken by the scientists. They have to be taken by the government and the present leadership under Prime Minister Narendra Modi took that decision.This A-SAT technology is a combination of two technologies in the missile field. One is a long-range missile capability which has been demonstrated by India many times. The second capability is the ballistic missile defence capability. That means intercepting a missile with another missile. This has also been demonstrated many times by India. Integrating these two technologies, the A-SAT system has been created.What we have achieved is very precise and agile which can be used for engaging what we call intermediate-range ballistic missiles and ICBMs which are likely to come in that segment. So the same vehicle which we have used today for engaging a satellite can also engage incoming ballistic missiles also.

Opinion | Naga peace: Flag, Constitution and other obstacles3 min read . Updated: 27 Mar 2019, 11:58 PM ISTSudeep ChakravartiThe real challenge is to bring together various rebel groups on one platformLast week we discussed the content of interactions that the government’s interlocutor for the Naga peace talks, deputy national security adviser R.N. Ravi, had with a joint legislators’ forum of Nagaland in late February. Ravi returned on 25 March for a two-day visit to Dimapur during which he met key politicians and leaders of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), or NSCN (I-M), the largest Naga rebel group. The meetings were held in Chumukedima, south of the state’s commercial capital.There remains the necessary but vexed matter to get all Naga rebel groups on the same page, and to sign on it—especially as issues and rhetoric are by and large common, and the issues are mostly resolved.The biggest question, of course, is why a final peace deal to transform ceasefire to formal peace isn’t being signed. It goes beyond the fact that the so-called framework agreement for peace in 2015 was impracticably signed only with NSCN (I-M). During my discussions with some insiders earlier this month on a visit to Nagaland, and in subsequent interactions, a few things were made clear.Foremost of these: the government will not negotiate on the matter of sovereignty and independence. That old stance has evolved to the more nuanced position of “shared sovereignty". And it remains there.As a state since 1963, Nagaland has its own constitutionally mandated freedoms including an independent legislature, freedom from taxation—Nagaland’s budget is massively supported by central funds: India’s taxpayers—and the freedom to

practice customary laws, including the ownership of land and resources. In several ways the Naga people have moved on, within Nagaland and other contiguous Naga homelands in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.Now the question of integrating Naga homelands remains ticklish. There is agreement that integration of the Naga people is a “legitimate aspiration" but it cannot be brought about by decree or deal. The Naga political issue can’t be resolved in isolation. There are neighbouring states, all with resolute positions on territoriality, in the equation. So, any integration will need to be approached as a natural democratic process. Otherwise, as an insider put it, “it will be disastrous".Other aspects include NSCN (I-M)’s insistence on a separate constitution and flag. As far as the constitution is concerned, for the government it’s unworkable: such acquiescence could also open a Pandora’s box in more restive parts of India. It could instead be called “Yehzabo"—what the undivided Naga National Council (NNC) adopted as a constitution in 1956, a time when India was fighting a war in Naga homelands.As far as the Naga flag is concerned, it could be hoisted in the premises of a pan-Naga cultural body, an agency that, for all practical purposes, would be a symbol of emotional integration over the incendiary aspect of territorial integration. These remain sticking points with NSCN (I-M). Resolving these matters would serve the rebels’ face-saving need for an “honourable" solution.The real sticking points lie elsewhere.One, as Ravi stressed on a previous visit during a closed-door deliberations with local legislators, was the matter of bringing both NSCN (I-M) and other rebel groups, including a present-day version of NNC and a breakaway of the NSCN’s Khaplang faction, together for a meeting. There’s in-principle agreement but no firm date for such a meeting between long-time antagonists.Such a meeting would signal agreement on the future. Relatively young cadres could be rehabilitated in police or paramilitary units or provided funds and training for employment or entrepreneurship.Many leaders could “retire" or become leading lights in several autonomous councils in various Naga homelands, practical for a society that largely lives and votes along tribal lines. Their place in future Naga politics would depend on their own acumen and application.What if key leaders disagree? If they press for status quo they run the risk of Naga society rejecting them. If rebel elements break away and seek refuge across the border, they will find former sanctuaries in Bangladesh and Myanmar evaporated. Fighting is no longer a viable option.

Internet intermediaries must be held accountable for contentTwo developments, on March 26, in two corners of the world, could finally force technology giants which reap the benefits of being media companies but do not want to handle the responsibilities that come with being one, to change their waysEDITORIALS Updated: Mar 27, 2019 18:21 ISTHindustan Times

Technology companies have so far been protected as intermediaries. Their liability is limited, and they have got away with such interventions as taking down copyrighted or offensive content when this is pointed out, or when asked to by a court(INFOPHOTO)Two developments, on March 26, in two corners of the world, could finally force technology giants which reap the benefits of being media companies but do not want to handle the responsibilities that come with being one, to change their ways. The first is in Australia, which has warned companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google, that they need to prevent their platforms from being “weaponised” by extremists and terrorists. The country’s move comes as a response to the New Zealand terror attack. Ahead of a meeting between the government and the companies, AFP reported that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrisson spoke about the speed of response of such companies when it came to commercial matters — “They can get an ad to you in half a second” — and that “they should be able to pull down this sort of terrorist material and other types of very dangerous material in the same sort of time frame.”As the report pointed out, while Facebook said it removed the livestream of the New Zealand terror attack quickly, the fact is that the video was still available online well after the attack. The second development was in Europe where the European Parliament said technology platforms will have to check the content being posted online by their users for copyright violation. The rule is part of copyright reforms that have generated a lot of debate with opponents (including technology giants that lobbied heavily against them) claiming that this marks the end of “Internet freedom”. For the record, content publishers have supported the changes, motivated by two reasons: maintaining standards in journalism; and

protecting their earnings, which have been eroded. In both cases, technology companies have so far been protected as intermediaries. Their liability is limited, and they have got away with such interventions as taking down copyrighted or offensive content when this is pointed out, or when asked to by a court. These are not the kind of safe harbours media companies enjoy, even in countries with absolute freedom of speech and expression protections. Technology companies have an interest in portraying themselves as mere intermediaries — when they start aggressively monitoring and moderating content, they stop being intermediaries, and lose the protection granted them. Not surprisingly, Australia’s Attorney General was quoted by AFP as saying after the meeting that their response was “thoroughly underwhelming”.Countries around the world, including India, should consider doing away with safe harbours for Internet intermediaries.

Can we all chill out about cannabis? Not quite yetJudith Grisel

Regulation has been unscientific and too restrictive. But the spectre of psychosis means some will always have to be wary

 ‘Cannabis can be a threat to those with a susceptibility to schizophrenia.’ Photograph: Cj Gunther/EPAOccasionally during my love affair with marijuana I would experience perceptual disruptions profound enough to freak me out. One time I was driving along a crowded road when my car seemed a little wobbly and then listed towards the centre, an alarming thud-thud emanating from the back end. In the middle of a densely populated spot without a hard shoulder, I crept slowly across a few lanes of traffic and pulled to a stop. Concentrating very hard, I got out of the car to assess and hopefully change the flat tyre. I rarely got paranoid from smoking weed; neither did it typically make me sleepy. Instead, I was among the lucky ones, as the drug made everyday activities such as gardening, waiting on tables and talking to my family bearable if not interesting. So I was shocked and embarrassed to find, after a few minutes of close inspection amid the honking horns, that there was nothing wrong with the car.

At the time I took hallucinations as evidence of a good score. Now, as an ex-smoker and neuroscientist whose focus is addictive drugs, I know that my resilient response to this stressful experience was contingent on having a neurotypical brain. Neural pathways are forged by finely orchestrated signals for synapse growth and pruning; disruptions can result in atypical neural connections that increase the risk of psychosis. The liability may be unmasked by environmental conditions that can essentially be reduced to an ambiguous but well-recognised bogeyman: stress.

High-strength cannabis increases risk of mental health problems A new study in the Lancet Psychiatry journal has attempted to shed light on the relationship between cannabis and psychosis. The authors assessed symptoms such as trouble telling the difference between real and unreal experiences, having false ideas about what is taking place, or who one is, nonsense speech, lack of emotion, and social withdrawal – all core features of the debilitating disorder schizophrenia. Replicating and extending earlier studies, the authors were able to connect cannabis use to increased risk for psychosis.As anyone who has ever taken a general psychology course well knows, correlation does not mean causation. We would need an experiment to prove this link unequivocally – for example, taking a large group of people and randomly assigning them to using and non-using groups, following them for a number of years and then assessing them for psychotic symptoms. Obviously, that would be unethical. Nevertheless, this study strongly supports the notion that schizophrenia can be precipitated by consuming weed, with high-potency strains a particular concern.This drug is an increasingly ubiquitous part of modern, socially liberal life. A majority of Americans think it is at least harmless, if not beneficial. The plant contains more than 100 pharmacologically active compounds, called cannabinoids. Of these, the two of primary interest to researchers and consumers are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

In 1964 we learned that THC is responsible for the drug’s recreational high. Two key discoveries followed. First, THC produces its effects (perceptual distortions, changes in thinking and euphoria, for example) by interacting with a particular class of cell receptors. These CB1 receptors are present in virtually every synapse – the point at which brain cells convey information to each other. Such wide distribution indicates that they play a critical role in most, if not all, brain activity. That’s not because we evolved to enjoy smoking weed. It’s because those plants happen to mimic signalling molecules found in our bodies – endocannabinoids – just like morphine mimics our endorphins. It seems that one role of endocannabinoids is to help highlight especially important communication. When something meaningful happens, the release of these molecules helps ensure that relevant circuits in the brain take note.

‘Starbucks on steroids’: can America’s new weed cafes make smoking social? Read moreThe primary difference between THC and our brain’s own cannabinoids is dosing. Neurotransmission occurs in a targeted, local manner appropriate to specific demands. After using cannabis, all brain circuits are flooded with THC, so the process of sorting meaning from the mundane is disrupted. Everyday occurrences such as eating a meal, listening to music, watching television or driving a car become soaked with import. For someone with hearty neural connections who is resilient to stress, this can be a real treat, but for those whose ability to cope and sort is naturally less robust, including those with a susceptibility schizophrenia, it can be a threat.Well designed, placebo-controlled studies on cannabis are still lacking. In particular, we need more research to distinguish between the effects of THC and those of CBD. The latter compound counteracts the effects of THC and has therapeutic promise for a number of health conditions. There seems no reason therefore not to make CBD widely available, but plenty to suggest careful consideration before embracing THC.

We are swept up in a backlash against overly restrictive and unscientific regulation of cannabis. While it is well past time to loosen restrictions, promote research and consider the data that emerges, the Lancet study provides evidentiary warning about the inherent dangers – to some – of our quest to mitigate reality.Most societies take it upon themselves to provide appropriate assistance for those with disability; they ought also to take reasonable measures to prevent those disabilities occurring, when possible. Addiction and psychosis are similar in that they are the result of biological vulnerability combined with a stressful environment. Some are more predisposed than others, and this should provoke ethical and moral obligation – particularly from those of us who are not at risk – to protect the unlucky ones for whom the use of cannabis may be permanently detrimental.• Judith Grisel is a behavioural neuroscientist and author of Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction

Take a boughIt is that time of the year when trees are electric with colour — simul, rudra palash, krishnachura, amaltashBy Paromita Kar

SimulPicture by Rajib BasuThere is something inherently beautiful about trees standing tall amidst the highs and lows of daily life. We may miss them but they’re there, watching over the fuming traffic, men and women going about their work, youthful faces, wooden faces, evil faces, collapsing bridges, and often the raucous chores of democracy.Calcutta has long left winter behind and the simul, palash, jarul, tecoma and jacaranda are responding gorgeously to the early vibes of summer. “This transformation is most dramatic,” says Supatra Sen, for whom observing the boughs and blooms is but a way of life. “When I was small, I would hear someone say, ‘the rudra palash has begun to flower, which means the cold will soon vanish,’” exuberates Sen, a lecturer in Botany at a city college.

The bright reddish-orange corolla of rudra palash, or African tulip — a tall, dark and handsome tree — has indeed put up a spectacular show, with at least one player on every street or in each neighbourhood. This huge tree, which also goes by the name nandi flame, was not such a common sight a decade ago. Foliage experts in distant lands consider it to be one of the worst invaders — they say it invades natural ecosystems and crowds out native vegetation.Saurabh Chaudhuri doesn’t think so. “The tree hasn’t got a bad reputation in India; on the contrary it is quite useful to the hummingbird, shalik and haanrichacha, which feed on the flowers, fruits and the honey, of course.” Chaudhuri, who is with the state’s forest department, also points out that rudra palash does not spread on its own. “All the trees have been planted; it is a popular species for avenue plantation.”As its other name suggests, rudra palash has its origins in Africa. In fact, many of the showy flowering trees commonly seen in India were brought in by British colonisers, all the way from Africa. “That includes krishnachura (gulmohar), radhachura, poinsettia,” says Chaudhuri. “These were brought via the sea. To this day, a few of those planted by the side of very old roads near the ports of Calcutta and Chennai remain.”The bounty of krishnachura and radhachura are still some time and temperature away. In the meantime, the fern-like young leaves of the flamboyant gulmohar appear to be trembling in the wind as though playing a prelude. The simul — or red silk cotton tree — however, is calling it a day, not the entire population but in phases. Its palm-size pulpy red flowers sit on bare boughs, most ostentatious against the blue sky, and if you accidentally step on a soggy one that has decided to grace the ground, you may be sent flying. A few weeks later though, the silken fibres will be seen floating in the breeze, and a few inquisitive children running after them.“There is a fine simul on my way to college. I took a picture of it in full bloom only last week. But yesterday, when I stopped by, the flowers were all gone. There were instead a few young leaves shining in the sun,” says Nishi Pulugurtha, who has a keen eye for all things fine. And when she isn’t delivering lectures, she is busy travelling and taking notes. “VIP Road would be a riot of colours around this time. I do see a bit of violet and yellow still, but nothing like what it was earlier,” she rues. Why the colour has vanished from this stretch is, of course, anybody’s guess.

Rudra palashPicture by Subhendu ChakiThere’s a definite yearning to stand beneath the spreading branches on a sunny day in the hot weather, and look, and listen, and smell. Or at least be satisfied with the knowledge that the branches are thronged by birds, the barks by insects, and all’s well with the world.The sight of huge flowering trees can be quite overpowering, as also the quest for such a sight. The palash — known by several names such as flame of the forest, sacred tree, bastard teak, and carrying with it as many associations — is perhaps best felt around the red soils of Birbhum and Purulia. It grows in red and yellow there; in Calcutta though the latter is rare.“Someone had told me of a thick palash grove in Belur, near the ESI Hospital there,” says Sen, recounting her moment of flower feeling. “So one fine day, I drove in search of it, and there it was — a riot of red and yellow, thick on the branches and thick on the ground.” A Good Samaritan had planted the garden some decades ago, the fruits of which continue to gladden and cleanse. As she describes it, there is an instant change in mood; one seems to be at peace with oneself. The wise had deciphered it long, long ago as the quintessence of happiness, of beauty, plenty and animation.And that is exactly what Jayashree Chakravarty wishes to hold on to, in the face of depletion. “In our childhood, we derived our fantasy from our natural surroundings, something that today’s generations in the big cities is missing.” Chakravarty is an artist — she fills her canvasses with dried leaves, twigs and flowers which she collects from the ground. “I know what it means to pick up a

sweet-smelling chaanpa, at the break of day,” she says. “I try to recreate that feeling of comfort.”A mood changer here. The amaltash or Indian laburnum will probably have the last word in this clamour of colours. It would do us well to beware of those bunches of shimmering gold, swinging and laughing in the 40-degree heat right next to the melting asphalt.

To eat or not to eatDon’t give up cucumbers, tomatoes and spinach to fight high uric acid. Instead avoid sugar, chocolate and alcohol

What we eat, especially fruits, vegetables and even pulses, have little to do with rising or lowering of uric acid levels.(Shutterstock)It is a common belief that the level of uric acid in the blood depends on the kind of vegetables and proteins we consume in our daily life. And higher levels of it lead to aches and pains. So when your feet swell up or your back starts hurting, it is the tomato in the fish curry that gets the blame or the cucumber and onion in the salad or the pomegranate in the raita. If your uric acid levels are really high, it may actually be the alcohol you consumed or even that half-a-bar of chocolate.Uric acid is a chemical in our body, high levels of which might cause chronic problems such as gout or arthritis. Excessive amounts in the body may result in an accumulation of urate crystals in the joints, resulting in acute pain. High uric acid levels in the urine might result in kidney stones and may even be a sign of something as grave as nephropathy or kidney malfunction.In fact, says orthopaedic surgeon Dr Tanmay Datta, “In cases where patients suffer from nephropathy, uric acid might get accumulated in the body, resulting in joint pains.”But it turns out what we eat, especially fruits, vegetables and even pulses, have little to do with rising or lowering of uric acid levels.Ranjini Datta, dietician and head of the department of clinical dietetics and community nutrition, KPC Medical College and Hospital, Calcutta, has come across many people with high uric acid levels who have given up eating leafy greens, all kinds of seeded vegetables and fruits (cucumber, tomato, brinjal, lady’s finger, pomegranate, watermelon) and also all kinds of pulses because they think that consumption of these lead to the increase of uric acid levels. “It is a misconception,” she explains. “Strangely, people also believe that any plant in the category of nightshade plants (that grow in shady places and have the chemical, solanine, which apparently aggravates uric acid) will increase one’s level of uric acid,” she continues.Dr Datta, an associate professor at the Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGMER) in Calcutta, clarifies, “Rise in uric acid levels in not directly proportional to the food we eat. The chemical also increases if there

is an overproduction of it in the body or under-excretion of it from the body [such as in nephropathy].”Says Dr Bastab Ghosh, senior consultant urologist and uro-oncosurgeon at AMRI Hospital in Dhakuria, Calcutta, “In a few cases, the uric acid levels fluctuate due to a genetic syndrome. There are two enzymes in our body whose deficiency might result in a high range of uric acid.” Drugs used to treat cancer or thalassemia can also make uric acid levels shoot up. “Some chemotherapy drugs and thiazide diuretics (commonly used as anti-hypertensives) can cause hyperuricemia or high serum uric acid,” Dr Ghosh says.Dr Datta believes that although fruits and vegetables cause no harm, some foods should be avoided by those with high levels of uric acid. “It is essential to control a few things that are high in purine such as beer, red meat and shellfish,” he says.What exactly is purine? “Purine is formed by breaking down the protein that we consume,” explains dietitian Datta. “The higher the amount of purine in the body, the higher the chances of increase in serum uric acid. But purine is formed from not only what we eat, it is also produced in the body.” While the purine produced from the breakdown of food is naturally excreted, it is controlling the endogenous purine that is the problem. Chocolates and alcohol activate the production of endogenous purine metabolism and disturb the blood uric acid level. Simple carbohydrates such as sugar also increase endogenous purine metabolism. Therefore it is best to avoid them, especially if your uric acid level tends to be high.To the list of foods to avoid, Dr Ghosh adds liver, crabs, beans, peas, asparagus, spinach and mushrooms. “But that does not mean that you should reduce all kind of protein intake. Milk and eggs are low in purine. Plant protein is good; dairy products and lean fishes can be had,” he says.The other thing you ought to have is coffee. “Coffee helps keep uric acid levels in control and so does Vitamin C,” says Dr Datta.But all these precautions are to be followed only if you have borderline levels of uric acid — 7mg per decilitre for men and 6mg per decilitre for women. Otherwise there is no reason to ban anything whatsoever from your diet. In fact, it might be a bad idea to drop pulses and vegetables from your diet “to avoid getting uric acid”.Not having enough pulses or vegetables may lead to deficiencies in Vitamin B, niacin or Vitamin B3 and folic acid. Niacin deficiency might result in pellagra —which leads to dementia, diarrhoea and dermatitis, also known as “the three Ds”. Low folic acid levels might make one anaemic. It is therefore best to follow a balanced diet and eat a little of everything unless your doctor specifically forbids it.