China's Mega Dam Project at the Roof of the World
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Takshashila Dispatch.
In this edition, we cover our work and analysis on China’s mega dam projects near the Indian border, how China plans to reshape the world through its global development, security and civilisation initiatives, a proposal for G20 to push for a space situational awareness sharing agreement, traffic police policy in India, reforming human capital at India’s defence PSUs, and the effectiveness of tobacco warnings on OTT platforms.
China's Mega Dam Project at the Roof of the World
The second edition of Takshashila Geospatial Bulletin analyses China’s dam construction activities in the Himalayas near the Indo-China border, using available satellite imagery:
Out of five major “Modern energy System Construction projects”, the hydropower plant in the lower region of Yarlung Tsang Po (also known as the River Brahmaputra in India) is the most ambitious. It is anticipated to produce 60,000 MW, making it a giant hydropower plant. This is three times the current capacity of the world's largest power generation plant, Three Gorges Dam, located on the Yangtze River, which has a capacity of 22,500 MW.
Prof. Nithiyanandam writes that China’s ambitious plans have created significant strategic, security and environmental concerns for India:
Based on our satellite imagery analysis, China is steadily progressing towards constructing massive dams in Medog, as seen through the rapid development of quality mountain roads, border villages, and smaller dams along the river. From a strategic perspective, monitoring these periodic developments closely is imperative. Despite China's utilisation of the latest technology and extreme precautions to safeguard the environment during the construction of the Medog dam, there is no guarantee that it will not lead to disastrous consequences, given the region's susceptibility and unpredictable nature.
Such developments will predominantly affect the Indian side, as the proposed dam site is only a few kilometres from India's Arunachal Pradesh. The rich ecosystem and cultural heritage of the people in north-eastern India and Bangladesh would inevitably suffer, as there are no stringent international regulations or effective treaties governing transboundary rivers. The dam's construction in Medog can be likened to playing with fire in the sensitive Himalayan ecosystem.
Read the Takshashila Geospatial Bulletin and subscribe here:
If you are interested in knowing more about how geospatial data can be applied to public policy in health planning, listen to this episode of All Things Policy where Prof. Nithiyanandam and Sanjay Sinha (distinguished senior consultant, RTGS, Govt of Andhra Pradesh):
How China Plans to Reshape the World Order
China has recently launched the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative. What are China’s objectives with these and how should they be interpreted by the world?
Listen to Manoj Kewalramani, Fellow-China Studies and the Chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Studies Programme at the Takshashila Institution, offer his perspective on the Puliyabaazi podcast.
SSA Data-Sharing Arrangement for the G20
With the increase in space debris, the threat to the security of satellites and space operations has gone up. In a Policy Brief authored for T20, the engagement group for G20, Pranav R Satyanath argues that space orbit sustainability is an important concern for the G20 and this can be achieved through space situational awareness (SSA) data sharing agreement between the space-faring nations and agencies:
This Policy Brief makes the case for the G20 to treat the Earth’s orbits as an extension of the Earth’s environment and thus, bring outer space into the fold of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The Brief also posits that the G20 must pursue a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) data-sharing arrangement to be taken under the auspices of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
The proposed arrangement will leverage the capabilities of the G20 member states to provide a near-complete picture of the activities in Earth’s orbits. The collective SSA capabilities of the G20 members, along with commercially available technologies, gives rise to an opportunity to create a multilateral SSA network that makes operating in space safer for both orbiting spacecrafts as well as spacefaring humans.
Traffic Police in India: Order Amidst Chaos
Traffic management and road safety can be analysed within a triangular framework of road design, enforcement organisation, and user behaviour.
In the latest episode of Police Chowki, Shrikrishna Upadhyaya hosts two former top cops Javeed Ahmad (ex-IPS & DGP) and M. N. Reddi (ex-IPS, DGP & CP, Bengaluru City), in a conversation on policies around traffic management, enforcement of traffic laws and incentivising better road behaviour and safety.
Job Security Doesn’t Help National Security
In continuation of his writings on reforming India’s defence public sector units (PSUs), Lt. Gen. Prakash Menon argues that a new performance appraisal system is needed for defence PSU employees and offers suggestions on how it can be put in place:
Due to the national security implications of the performance of the DPSUs, there is perhaps a case for the government to bring about a reform that to some degree dilutes the assurance of a permanent job by linking it to individual performance. This ought to be followed by opening identified posts in the DPSUs that should also be thrown open to persons who are outside the government and possess the required basic qualifications.
This suggestion may sound politically impracticable for any government to undertake, especially in the face of demanding labour unions and recurring elections. Be that as it may, it should not prevent the political leadership from processing the idea and taking it forward wherever/whenever possible. The core argument is strong as long as one admits that there is a human capital problem that urgently needs to be addressed.
The human capital problem is not only confined to the DPSUs, it is a larger malaise that pervades the whole of government. But since national security is involved, it must in particular encompass the Ministry of Defence and all its departments. It is also necessary to start at the top echelons where there is absence of labour union resistance.
Are Tobacco Disclaimers on OTT Platforms Effective?
In May 2023, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare brought in the regulation requiring OTT platforms to add a 30-second long tobacco warning, along with a prominent health disclaimer on online curated content.
In an episode of All Things Policy, Carl Jaison spoke to Tamanna Sharma, Associate at Koan Advisory Group, to discuss the key findings & results from their research on mandatory health warnings during smoking scenes in OTT content, and key recommendations on alternate strategies for an industry-led response by OTT platforms.
Applications for the September ‘23 Cohort of GCPP are Now Open
The GCPP is offered over 12 weeks and is the ideal introductory course to public policy and governance for working professionals. It will help you master the fundamentals of economics, policy evaluation, ethical reasoning, effective communication and public persuasion. All classes are online and held on weekends.
That’s all from this week. Take care!