NEW DELHI EST OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 6 TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001434 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/STC, OES/SAT, OES/EGC, AND SCA/INS STATE FOR STAS DOE FOR INTERNATIONAL INTERIOR FOR FWS RILEY STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KSCA KGHG SENV TSPL TSPA ECPS SCUL EAGR IN SUBJECT: NEW DELHI EST OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 6 TO JULY 10, 2009. ¶1. Below is a compilation of environment, science, and technology highlights from Embassy New Delhi for the week of July 06-July 10, 2009, including the following: -- A Plan for Cheetah Reintroduction? -- Insurgency Takes a Toll on Wildlife -- Forest Fires in Jammu and Kashmir -- India Increases Budget for Education and Space -- Indian Defense and Police to Get Dedicated Networks -------------- ENVIRONMENT -------------- A Plan for Cheetah Reintroduction? ¶2. Responding to questions raised in Parliament, Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF,) stated that the cheetah is the only mammal which has become extinct in India in the past 1000 years, and that India will meet with World Conservation Union (IUCN) specialists in September 2009 to discuss reintroduction options. After talks with Iran to relocate two cheetahs to India failed because the Gujarat state government refused to part with two wild Asiatic lions, the MOEF has turned to Namibian cheetahs as a possibility. However the Namibian cheetah is a different subspecies than the Asiatic cheetah originally found in India, and scientists warn that proper genetic and feasibility studies are required before any attempts to relocate them to Rajasthan. Scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India also pointed out that both tigers and the Asiatic lion are already in a critical state in India and India needs to be sure that it can protect the animals before it makes any attempts at relocation. Insurgency Takes a Toll on Wildlife ¶3. As per media reports, the Orissa government continues to struggle to protect endangered wildlife from Maoists in the Simlipal Tiger Reserve (STR). Following the March 2009 Maoist attack in STR, forest officials vacated their posts only to return after two police special strike force units were deployed in the park - although forest officials claim they are still not enough to secure the reserve. Forest officials claim the Maoists are supporting poachers, and that future Maoist strikes will lead to increased poaching activity in STR. Forest Fires in Jammu and Kashmir 
¶4. Since April 2009, the Jammu and Kashmir forest department has reported nearly 600 forest fires that have damaged almost 2200 hectares of pine forest. The department's fire fighting operations are hindered by the presence of landmines in the border regions and a lack of funds - the department was allocated only USD $10,200 of its projected annual requirement of USD $280,000 to protect 12,000 square kilometers of forest. The full impact of the fire on wildlife populations has not yet been determined. -------------- SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY -------------- India Increases Budget for Education and Space ¶5. The annual budget announced on 6 July 2009 provided INR 445.28 billion (USD 9.3 billion) for the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) - nearly 20 percent higher than last year. Higher education gets a lion's share of this budget, over 36 NEW DELHI 00001434 002 OF 002 percent, to augment research facilities in existing institutions, establish new technical institutes and universities, enhance internet connectivity, establish a new scholarship scheme to cover 2 percent of all students starting college education every year, and provide interest free loans for economically disadvantaged students. This stimulus is aimed at doubling enrollment in higher education from 12 percent to 24 percent by 2020. The MHRD also plans to introduce a foreign universities bill in the parliament to enable international institutes of repute to establish campuses in India. ¶6. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) received a 40 percent budget increase over last year, with an overall allocation of INR 49.59 billion (USD 1.03 billion.) The bulk of this funding is for research in cryogenic engines, space capsule recovery, the polar satellite launch vehicle, the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV),and a manned moon mission. Dr. Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO, told the press that India would test its upgraded GSLV Mark 3 by early 2011 and launch the Chandrayaan - II moon mission in 2013. In 2010, ISRO plans to launch "Youthsat" to carry out aerospace experiments planned by students from Indian and Russian universities. ISRO hopes to enhance its revenue by more than 25 percent this year through its satellite services by Direct-To-Home television and telecom services, and its commercial satellite launch activities. Indian Defense and Police to Get Dedicated Networks ¶7. The Department of Telecom and the Ministry of Defense signed an MOU under which the armed forces will get a dedicated optical fiber network in exchange for releasing 45 MHz of spectrum for commercial telecommunication services. The optical fiber network is expected to cost INR 99.7 billion (USD 2.08 billion). The Indian police are also enhancing their network connectivity under the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) project, expected to cost INR 20.0 billion (USD 417 million). The CCTNS is intended to connect all police stations, relevant government offices, the National Crime Records Bureau, passport offices, and immigration counters to a single network. BURLEIGH