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Portal:Andhra Pradesh

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

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The Andhra Pradesh Portal

Andhra Pradesh (Telugu: ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్ Andhra.ogg (help·info)) or AP, the “Rice Bowl of India”, is a state in southern India. It lies between 12°41′ and 22°N latitude and 77° and 84°40′E longitude, and is bordered by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa in the north, the Bay of Bengal in the East, Tamil Nadu to the south and Karnataka to the west. Andhra Pradesh is the 4th largest state in India by area and population. It is the largest and most populous state in Southern India. The state is crossed by two major rivers, the Godavari and the Krishna. Historically this land was known as Andhrapatha, Andhra Desa, Andhra-avani, Andhra-mandalamu, Andhra-vishaya, etc.

An Andhra Kingdom was mentioned in the Sanskrit epics such as Aitareya Brahmana and Mahabharata. Inscriptional evidence showed that there was a kingdom in coastal Andhra ruled by Kuberaka with Pratipalapura (Bhattiprolu) as his capital in 5th century BCE. This probably was the oldest known kingdom in Southern India. Around the same time Dhanyakatakam/Dharanikota (present day Amaravati) seemed to be a very important place. According to Taranatha: On the full moon of the month Chaitra in the year following his enlightenment, at the great stupa of Dhanyakataka, the Buddha emanated the mandala of “The Glorious Lunar Mansions” (Kalachakra). The Mauryans extended their rule over Andhra in 4th century BCE. With the fall of the Mauryan Empire Andhra Satavahanas became independent in 3rd century BCE. After the decline of the Satavahanas in 220 CE, Ikshvaku dynasty, Pallavas, Vishnukundinas, Ananda Gotrikas and Cholas ruled the Telugu land.

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Ganesha also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh and known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most-worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon; his image is found throughout India. Hindu sects worship him regardless of other affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.

Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha’s elephant head makes him easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles (Vighnesha, Vighneshvara), patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom. He is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies and invoked as Patron of Letters during writing sessions. Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.

Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity in clearly-recognizable form in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, during the Gupta Period, although he inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors. His popularity rose quickly, and he was formally included among the five primary deities of Smartism (a Hindu denomination) in the 9th century. A sect of devotees called the Ganapatya, who identified Ganesha as the supreme deity, arose during this period. The principal scriptures dedicated to Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa. (more…)

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Idols of Lord Rama (center), his wife Sita (left) and brother Lakshmana (right) during the Vasanthotsavam festival in Tirumala Venkateswara Temple.

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WikiProject Andhra Pradesh

WikiProject Andhra Pradesh

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Did you know…

  • … that Andhra Pradesh receives the highest amount of money remitted by NRIs ?
  • … that Telugu is the second most largest language spoken from India?

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Andhra Pradesh news

  • July 07: A week after it sank off the Chitrakonda reservoir in Orissa leading to the death of several Greyhounds constables after an ambush by Maoists, the police and naval authorities retrieved the launch by using imported balloon technology on Sunday evening.
  • July 07: An unexpected heavy power shortage has forced the AP Transco to implement an undeclared supply cut for four hours daily from Sunday in all cities and towns and for two hours for industries.The rural areas were already facing more than a six-hour cut in power supply for the past few days.
  • July 06: T. R. Manjunath, an Assistant Manager at State Bank of Mysore,Hyderabad has set a new world record for recalling 250 random objects in their serial order, here on Sunday. The effort has been notified to Guinness Book of World Records authorities and necessary documentation was being taken up.

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India news

  • July 26: A series of serial blasts rocked Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008 at 6:40 evening.
  • July 25: A series of blasts rocks Bangalore, killing two and injuring 12.
  • July 13: India on Saturday confirmed that Pakistan’s infamous ISI had a definite role in the Kabul bomb attack on the Indian embassy. (Gulfnews)
  • July 12: Wholesale prices in India grew by 11.89% in the year to the end of June, the fastest rate since the measure began in 1995. Inflation has tripled over the last six months, driven by the soaring cost of food and fuel. (BBC News)
  • July 11: The UPA government has announced that the vote of confidence will take place on July 22. A two-day special session of Parliament will be called on July 21. (NDTV.com)
  • July 05: Tension prevailed in curfew-bound Indore city on Saturday, a day after escalated communal violence over the Amarnath shrine row left two more people killed taking the death toll in Madhya Pradesh to seven. (Times of India)
  • July 04: Around eight lakh people witness the Rath Yatra in Puri during which a stampede occurred. (Kalinga Times)
  • July 03: Seeking to revive the Nehru-Nasser era, India and Egypt today said they were committed to revitalising the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) launched by the illustrious leaders of the two countries. (Press Trust of India)

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India and weapons of mass destruction

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

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India is believed to possess an arsenal of nuclear weapons and maintains intermediate-range ballistic missiles to deliver them. Though India has not made any official statements about the size of its nuclear arsenal, different estimates indicate that India has anywhere between 50 to 250 nuclear weapons. Weapons-grade plutonium production is believed to be taking place at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, which is home to the CIRUS reactor acquired from Canada, to the indigenous Dhruva reactor, and to a plutonium separation facility.

According to a January 2001 Department of Defense report, “India probably has a small stockpile of nuclear weapon components and could assemble and deploy a few nuclear weapons within a few days to a week.” A 2001 RAND study by Ashley Tellis asserts that India does not have or seek to deploy a ready nuclear arsenal.

According to a report in Jane’s Intelligence Review (4), India’s objective is to have a nuclear arsenal that is “strategically active but operationally dormant”, which would allow India to maintain its retaliatory capability “within a matter of hours to weeks, while simultaneously exhibiting restraint.” However, the report also maintains that, in the future, India may face increasing institutional pressure to shift its nuclear arsenal to a fully deployed status.. Most experts are of the opinion that India has the third largest nuclear arsenal after Russia and the U.S.A.

Contents

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Nuclear Weapons

Brief Historical Overview


The AGNI III in 2003

As early as June 26, 1946, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, soon to be India’s first Prime Minister, announced:


As long as the world is constituted as it is, every country will have to devise and use the latest devices for its protection. I have no doubt India will develop her scientific researches and I hope Indian scientists will use the atomic force for constructive purposes. But if India is threatened, she will inevitably try to defend herself by all means at her disposal.

India’s first Nuclear test occurred on 18 May 1974. Since then India has conducted another series of test at the Pokhran test range in the state of Rajasthan in 1998. India has an extensive civil and military nuclear program, which includes at least 10 nuclear reactors, uranium mining and milling sites, heavy water production facilities, a uranium enrichment plant, fuel fabrication facilities, and extensive nuclear research capabilities.

Current Arsenal and Estimates of Force Inventory


Nuclear capable Agni-III missile

  • It is widely estimated that India currently has approximately 200 warheads..
  • David Albright’s report published by Institute for Science and International Security on 2000 estimates that india at end of 1999 had 310 kilograms of weapon grade plutonium which is enough for 65 nuclear weapons. He also estimates that India has 4200 kg of reactor grade unsafeguarded plutonium which is enough to build 1000 nuclear weapons.
  • Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) believes that India has a stockpile of about 30 to 35 nuclear warheads and claims that India is producing additional nuclear materials.
  • Former RAW official J.K. Sinha claimed that India has capability to produce 130 kilograms of weapon grade plutonium from six unsafeguarded reactors not included in nuclear deal between India and United States.
  • Joseph Cirincione at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (3) estimates that India has produced enough weapons-grade plutonium for 50-90 nuclear weapons and a smaller but unknown quantity of weapons-grade uranium

Doctrine


Agni-III range, with 1800kg load with a usual 1000kg load its range is 8000km load

India has a declared nuclear no-first-use policy and is in the process of developing a nuclear doctrine based on “credible minimum deterrence.” In August 1999, the Indian government released a draft of the doctrine which asserts that nuclear weapons are solely for deterrence and that India will pursue a policy of “retaliation only.” The document also maintains that India “will not be the first to initiate a nuclear first strike, but will respond with punitive retaliation should deterrence fail” and that decisions to authorize the use of nuclear weapons would be made by the Prime Minister or his ‘designated successor(s).’”

According to the NRDC, despite the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan in 2001-2002, India remains committed to its nuclear no-first-use policy. But an Indian foreign ministry official told Defense News in 2000 that a “‘no-first-use’ policy does not mean India will not have a first-strike capability.”

Command and Control

India’s Strategic Nuclear Command was formally established in 2003, with an Air Force officer, Air Marshall Asthana, as the Commander-in-Chief. The joint services SNC is the custodian of all of India’s nuclear weapons, missiles and assets. It is also responsible for executing all aspects of India’s nuclear policy. However, the civil leadership, in the form of the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) is the only body authorized to order a nuclear strike against another offending strike: In effect, it is the Prime Minister who has his finger “on the button”.

International Treaties

India is not a signatory to either the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), but did accede to the Partial Test Ban Treaty in October 1963. India is a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and four of its 13 nuclear reactors are subject to IAEA safeguards.

India announced its lack of intention to accede to the NPT as late as 1997 by voting against the paragraph of a General Assembly Resolution

India voted against the UN General Assembly resolution endorsing the CTBT, which was adopted on September 10, 1996. India objected to the lack of provision for universal nuclear disarmament “within a time-bound framework.” India also demanded that the treaty ban laboratory simulations. In addition, India opposed the provision in Article XIV of the CTBT that requires India’s ratification for the treaty to enter into force, which India argued was a violation of its sovereign right to choose whether it would sign the treaty. In early February 1997, Foreign Minister Gujral reiterated India’s opposition to the treaty, saying that “India favors any step aimed at destroying nuclear weapons, but considers that the treaty in its current form is not comprehensive and bans only certain types of tests.”

Controversially the United States is now willing to provide India access to civilian nuclear technology through the 2006 United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act, despite India not being a member of the NPT which normally precludes such international cooperation. This is the direct result of the fact that India is recognized by the US and many other developed regions of the world as an important ally in the war on terror and further testifies to the fact that the West believes that the nuclear technology is intended for peaceful purposes.

Delivery Systems

Ballistic Missiles

India is only the fourth country that has Anti Ballistic capability called in India as the Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Program or the AAD. The Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) was an Indian Ministry of Defence program for the development of a comprehensive range of missiles, including the intermediate range Agni missile (Surface to Surface), and short range missiles such as the Prithvi ballistic missile (Surface to Surface), Akash missile (Surface to Air), Trishul missile (Surface to Air) and Nag Missile (Anti Tank). The program was headed by Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), with former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, being one of the chief engineers involved in the project.

India has methodically built an indigenous missile production capability, using its commercial space-launch program to develop the skills and infrastructure needed to support an offensive ballistic missile program. For example, during the 1980s, India conducted a series of space launches using the solid-fueled SLV-3 booster. Most of these launches put light satellites into near-earth orbit. Elements of the SLV-3 were subsequently incorporated into two new programs. In the first, the new polar-space launch vehicle (PSLV) was equipped with six SLV-3 motors strapped to the PSLV’s first stage. The Agni IRBM technology demonstrator uses the SLV-3 booster as its first stage.

The key missile applications and types are given below:

  • Prithvi.


Prithvi-1 Test Flight

The Prithvi I is mobile liquid-fueled 150 kilometer tactical missile currently deployed with army units. It is claimed that this missile is equipped only with various conventional warheads (which stay attached to the missile over the entire flight path). The missile is of particular interest to the United States (and potential buyers) in that has the capability of maneuvering in flight so as to follow one of several different preprogrammed trajectories. Based on the same design, a modified Prithvi, the Prithvi II, is essentially a longer-ranged version of the Prithvi I except that it has a 250-kilometer range and a lighter payload. It is suspected that any nuclear missions will be executed by the Prithvi II. Currently, the Prithvi II has completed development and is now in production. When fielded, it will be deployed with air force units for the purpose of deep target attacking manoeuvres against objectives such as air fields. For the Indian Navy, a 350-kilometer version of the Prithvi is under development. The new system is being called the Dhanush, testing is planned to begin in December 1998. It is unclear whether or not this system will be deployed on India’s new nuclear missile submarine (under construction).

The Prithvi missile project encompassed developing 3 variants for use by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. The initial project framework of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program outlines the variants in the following manner.

  • Prithvi I - Army Version (150 km range with a payload of 1,000kg)
  • Prithvi II - Air Force Version (250 km range with a payload of 500kg)
  • Prithvi III - Naval Version (350 km range with a payload of 500kg)
  • Dhanush- Dhanush is reportedly a naval version of Prithvi which can be launched from Ships.. Some sources claim that Dhanush is

a System consisting of stabilization platform and missiles, which has the capability to launch both Prithvi II and Prithvi III from Ships while others report that Dhanush is a variant of Prithvi-II Ballistic Missile.

Over the years these specifications underwent a number of changes. While the codename Prithvi stands for any missile inducted by India into its armed forces in this category, the later developmental versions are codenamed as Prithvi II and Prithvi III.

  • Agni.


Agni Missile on Display

The 1500-kilometer Agni I technology demonstrator uses the SLV-3 booster for its first stage and a liquid-fueled Prithvi for its second stage. Three test shots were conducted before the U.S. successfully pressured India into suspending testing (1994). Of particular interest, the Agni tests demonstrated that India can develop a maneuvering warhead that incorporates endo-atmospheric evasive maneuvers and terminal guidance in the reentry vehicle. India has also developed the carbon-carbon composite materials needed for long-range missile components and reentry vehicle ablative coatings. India has also inducted Agni II misiles that have a range of the 2500 to 3500-kilometers. Unlike the Agni I, the Agni II will have a solid-fueled second stage. It is believed that the Agni can only be equipped with a conventional warhead. India recently tested the Agni III IRBM with a range between 5000 and 18000 kilometers

  • Surya.

The Surya ICBM is an ICBM program that has been discussed repeatedly in the Indian press. Surya (meaning The Sun in Sanskrit and Many Indian Languages) is the codename for the first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile that India is reported to be developing. The DRDO is believed to have begun the project in 1994. Officials of the Indian government have repeatedly denied the existence of the project. According to news reports, the Surya-1 is an intercontinental-range, surface-based, solid and liquid propellant ballistic missile. The Surya-1 and -2 will be classified as strategic weapons, extending the Indian nuclear deterrent force to targets around the world. India currently is limited by the range of the Agni-3 missile. The development of a true ICBM would make strikes against almost any strategic target around the world possible and reduce India’s relative weakness. This would develop a credible global deterrent for India. The Surya-1 will have an expected range of 10,000 km. It reportedly has a length of 40 m and a launch weight of 80,000 kg (some reports indicate as much as 275,000 kg. As the missile has yet to be developed, the payload and warhead are as yet unknown. It is believed to be a three-stage design, with the first two stages using solid propellants and the third-stage using liquid. The Surya-2 is a longer-ranged variant of the Surya-1. It has a reported range of 20,000 km. The first test flight is expected in 2008, and it is expected to be operationally ready by 2015.

  • Sagarika.


Sagarika

Sagarika is a nuclear capable submarine-launched ballistic missile with a range of 750 km. This missile has a length of 8.5 meters, weighs seven tonnes and can carry a pay load of up to 500 kg.

The defence scientists are also near breakthrough in test firing the Sagarika, the country’s first underwater launch ballistic missile. Sagarika has already been test-fired from a pontoon, but now DRDO is planning a full-fledged test of the missile from a sub-marine and for this purpose may use the services of a Russian Amur class sub-marine which is expected to happen in September, which is in the same period as the Anti Ballistic Missile test which is jointly developed by Israel and India.

Cruise Missiles

  • BrahMos


BrahMos on Display

BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. The acronym BrahMos is perceived as the confluence of the two nations represented by two great rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia. It is a joint venture between India’s Defense Research and Development Organization and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroeyenia who have together formed the BrahMos Corp. Propulsion is based on the Russian Yakhont missile, and guidance has been developed by BrahMos Corp. At speeds of Mach 2.5 to 2.8, is the world’s fastest cruise missile. At about three and a half times faster than the American subsonic Harpoon cruise missile

Air to Air Missiles

  • Astra

Astra(Sanskrit: अस्त्रा, Astrā “Weapon”) is an active radar homing Beyond visual range air to air missile (BVRAAM) or a Beyond Visual Range missile being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India. This is the first air-to-air nuclear capable missile developed by India. Most other air-to-air missiles of India are bought from Russia.

The range of Astra is 80 km in head-on chase and 15 km in tail chase. The missile’s onboard radio-frequency seeker has been designed in India. It will have an active homing range of 15 km. The missile has a pre-fragmented warhead and is fitted with a proximity fuze. A radar fuze already exists for the Astra, but the DRDO is currently working on a new laser fuze.The first test to happen with a nuclear warhead on board the missile is to take place in 2008.A successful test flight of ASTRA will plunge India into a select group of nations to have such a technology. Only US, France, Russia and China have so far produced such advance missiles, which enables fighter pilots to lock-on and shoot down enemy aircraft almost 90-120 km away.

Nuclear Submarines


Brahmos Missiles on display in Moscow


the leased former cruise missile Submarine INS Chakra

According to some accounts India plans to have as many as five nuclear submarines capable of carrying missiles with nuclear warheads. Currently, India is building 3 nuclear submarines under the Advanced Technology Vessel plan. The Indian nuclear powered attack submarine design is said to have a 6,000-ton displacement and a single-shaft nuclear power plant of Indian origin. Once the vessel is completed, it may be equipped with nuclear capable Dhanush or Sagarika missiles and an advanced sonar system. However, according to some analysts the most probable missile for the Indian submarine would be the nuclear capable Brahmos anti-ship cruise missile designed jointly by India and Russia, based on the Yakhont missile by NPO Mashinostroyeniya.

Advanced Technology Vessel

The Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) is a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine being constructed for the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam, India. As of July 2007, the Sagarika/K-15 missile was reported to have undergone three successful tests.

Leasing of Soviet/Russian submarines

In 1988 INS Chakra, a Charlie-class submarine was leased by the Indian Navy for three years from the Soviet Union, until 1991. From 2000, negotiations between India and Russia were conducted into the leasing of two uncomplete Akula class. The Akulas are to be delivered to the Indian Navy in 2008 on a lease of at least seven years, and up to ten years. The acquisition is to help the Indian Navy prepare for the induction of the ATV. The cost to India of acquiring two Akula submarines and their support infrastructure along with training of the crews had been estimated at $2 billion.

Defensive Missiles

Air Defense

  • Akash


An Akash missile being test fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR).

Akash is a surface-to-air missile with an intercept range of 30 km. It has a launch weight of 720 kg, a diameter of 35 cm and a length of 5.78 metres. Akash flies at supersonic speed, reaching around Mach 2.5. It can reach an altitude of 18 km. An on-board guidance system coupled with actuator system makes the missile maneuverable up to 15g loads and a tail chase capability for end game engagement. A digital proximity fuse is coupled with a 55kg pre-fragmented warhead, while the safety arming and detonation mechanism enables a controlled detonation sequence. A self-destruct device is also integrated. It is propelled by Integrated Ramjet Rocket Engine. The use of ramjet propulsion system that enables sustained speeds without deceleration throughout its flight.

The design of the missile is somewhat similar to that of SA-6 with four long tube ramjet inlet ducts mounted mid-body between wings. For pitch/yaw control four clipped triangular moving wings are mounted on mid-body. For roll control four inline clipped delta fins with ailerons are mounted before the tail. However, the internal schema shows a different layout with an onboard digitial computer, no Semi-active seeker, different propellant, different actuators and command guidance datalinks. The Akash carries an onboard radio-proximity fuse.

Anti Ballistic Missiles

  • PAD and AAD


India is only the fourth country that has Anti Ballistic capability


The testing of an AAD

The Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Program is an initiative to develop and deploy a multi-layered Ballistic missile defense system to protect India from missile attacks.

Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) is an anti-ballistic missile developed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles outside atmosphere (Exoatmosphere). Based on the Prithvi missile, PAD is a two stage missile with a maximum interception altitude of 80 km. The first stage is a liquid fuelled motor that uses two propellants and oxidizers while second stage is solid fuelled.. It has divert thrusters which can generate a lateral acceleration at more than 5 Gs at 50 km altitude. Guidance is provided by intertial navigation system, mid-course updates from long range tracking radar (LRTR) and active radar homing in the terminal phase.PAD has capability to engage 300 to 2,000 km class of ballistic missiles at a speed of Mach 5.

Long Range Tracking Radar is the target acquisition and fire control Radar for PAD Missile. It is an active phased array radar having capability to track 200 targets at a range of 600 km.

PADE (Prithvi Air Defence Exercise) was conducted on November 2006 in which PAD Missile successfully intercepted a modified Prithvi-II Missile at an altitude of 50 km. Prithvi-II Ballistic Missile was modified to mimic the trajectory of M-9 and M-11 missiles.

Advanced Air Defence (AAD) is an anti-ballistic missile designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles in endoatmosphere at an altitude of 30 km. AAD is single stage, solid fuelled missile. Guidance is similar to that of PAD: Inertial Navigation System, midcourse updates from ground based radar and active radar homing in terminal phase. It is 7.5 metres tall, weighs around 1.2 tonnes and a diameter of less than 0.5 metres.Long Range Tracking Radar is the target acquisition and fire control Radar for PAD Missile. It is an active phased array radar having capability to track 200 targets at a range of 600 km.

PAD was tested in November 2006, followed by AAD in December 2007. With the test of the PAD missile, India became the fourth country to have successfully developed an Anti-ballistic missile system, after United States, Russia and Israel.

Foreign assistance

  • India’s nuclear program has said to have received significant assistance and contribution by the Soviet Union according to CIA reports.

Chemical Weapons

This section does not cite any references or sources.
Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007)

India has an advanced commercial chemical industry, and produces the bulk of its own chemicals for domestic consumption. In 1992 India signed the Chemical Weapons Convention, stating that it did not have chemical weapons and the capacity or capability to manufacture chemical weapons. India became one of the original signatories of the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1993, and ratified it on 2 September 1996. Since, unlike the nuclear non- proliferation treaty and the comprehensive test ban treaty, this treaty’s provisions were equally applicable to all countries, including the powerful countries, India had readily accepted it. The treaty came into force on April 29, 1997. The full destruction of the weapons grade chemicals will take place only at the end of a 10-year period. As India has one of the largest chemical industries in the world, this industry will benefit from unrestricted trade and technology access which would be denied to non-members of the treaty. Although India had endorsed the treaty in September 1996, becoming the 62nd country to do so, when it appeared as though the United States might not approve it, India too declared that it might review its earlier decision endorsing the treaty. Indian observers were of the view that, should America itself fail to approve the treaty, there would be diminished pressure on China and Pakistan against producing chemical weapons. According to India’s ex-Army Chief General Sunderji, a country having the capability of making nuclear weapons does not need to have chemical weapons, since the dread of chemical weapons could be created only in those countries that do not have nuclear weapons. Others suggested that the fact that India has found chemical weapons dispensable highlighted its confidence in the conventional weapons system at its command.

When the Third UN Disarmament Conference, held in 1988, decided that the next logical step in the disarmament process would be measures to halt production of chemical weapons, Indian diplomats responded by claiming that India had no chemical weapons. Foreign Minister K Natwar Singh repeated this claim in 1989 in the Paris Conference of the State Parties to the Geneva Protocol of 1925, as did Minister of State Eduardo Faleiro repeated at the January 1993 Paris Conference CWC signing ceremony. However, India declared its stockpile of chemical weapons to the Chemical Weapons Convention in Geneva on 26 June 1997, the deadline for all signatories to the pact. New Delhi publicly declared that, in keeping with the stipulations arising from the ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention, India had filed initial declarations on “testing and development of chemical weapons and their related facilities which were developed only to deal with the situation arising out of possible use of chemical warfare against India.”

In its required declarations under the CWC, India acknowledged the existence of a chemical warfare program. and disclosed the details of its stockpiles and the availability of manufacturing facilities on a very small scale. New Delhi has pledged that all facilities related to its CW program would be open for inspection. The declaration kept India’s chemical armory under wraps, since the CWC Secretariat maintains the confidentiality of the declaration. citation needed

The published literature detailing India’s chemical weapons capabilities is extremely sparse. According to one published report, India’s stockpile of chemical weapons consists of mustard gas shells left by the British of World War II vintage. These shells, fired from a 25 pounder gun, are said to be in storage and not under the operational control of the Indian Army. India is also reported to have manufacturing facilities for production of agents in small quantities.

The Indian government has set up Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare directorates in the Services, besides an inter-Services coordination committee to monitor the programme. The Indian Army established a Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) cell at Army HQ to study the effects of NBC warfare. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also participating in the program. Research on chemical weapons has continued in various establishments of the military and DRDO research labs. In addition, work is carried out by DRDO to design and fabricate protective clothing and equipment for troops on the battlefield in case of a chemical weapons attack. The Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE) at Gwalior is the primary establishment for studies in toxicology and biochemical pharmacology and development of antibodies against several bacterial and viral agents. In addition, research is carried out on antibodies against chemical agent poisoning and heavy metal toxicology. Chemical agents such as Sarin and nerve gas are produced in small quantities to test on protective equipment.

Protective clothing and equipment are designed and manufactured amongst other places at the Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment at Kanpur. India has developed five types of protective systems and equipment for its troops as a safeguard against nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) hazards. The development of all five types of protective systems and equipment has been completed and their induction into the service has been formally approved. The five types of protective systems and equipment are: NBC individual protective equipment, NBC collective protection system, NBC medical protection equipment, NBC detection equipment and the NBC decontamination system.

It is reported that even after India ratified the Chemical Weapons Treaty in September 1996, efforts continued for manufacturing and stockpiling chemical weapons for use against Pakistan. India’s Prithvi surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs) can carry five different types of warheads. Two types of warheads have already been deployed, and three other warheads, presumably nuclear, chemical and biological, are under development. On 25 June 1997, the Indian government stated that “India will disclose to Pakistan stocks of its chemical weapons”. The decision was taken to make a unilateral disclosure on the instruction of Prime Minister I.K. Gujral.

Biological Warfare

This section does not cite any references or sources.
Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)

v • d • e

Indian missiles

Anti-ballistic

Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) · Advanced Air Defence (AAD)

Ballistic missiles

Prithvi

I · II · III · Dhanush

Agni

I · II · III · V

SLBM

Sagarika K-15

Cruise missiles

BrahMos*  · Nirbhay  ·

Surface-to-air

Akash · Trishul · Barak-2*  · Maitri*  

Air-to-air

Astra BVRAAM

Anti-tank guided

Nag · CLGM

* = Joint Venture
List of Indian missiles

India is a signatory to the BWC of 1972. India has a well-developed biotechnology infrastructure that includes numerous pharmaceutical production facilities bio-containment laboratories (including BSL-3 and BSL-4) for working with lethal pathogens. It also has highly qualified scientists with expertise in infectious diseases. Some of India’s facilities are being used to support research and development for BW defense purposes. The Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE) at Gwalior is the primary establishment for studies in toxicology and biochemical pharmacology and development of antibodies against several bacterial and viral agents. Work is in progress to prepare responses to threats like Anthrax, Brucellosis, cholera and plague, viral threats like smallpox and viral haemorrhage fever and biotoxic threats like botulism. Researchers have developed chemical/biological protective gear, including masks, suits, detectors and suitable drugs. India has a ‘no first use’ policy.

Gallery

BrahMos at the Indian Republic Day Parade

Nuclear capable Agni-III missile

Nuclear Submarine Missile Sagarika

An Akash missile being test fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Orissa. The launch platform is a BMP-2 vehicle

List of missiles

References

  1. ^ Norris, Robert S. and Hans M. Kristensen. “India’s nuclear forces, 2005″, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 61:5 (September/October 2005): 73–75,
  2. ^ Nuclear Weapons - India Nuclear Forces
  3. ^ India’s and Pakistan’s Fissile Material and Nuclear Weapons Inventories, end of 1999
  4. ^ India’s Nuclear Weapons Program - Present Capabilities
  5. ^ Nuclear Weapons - India Nuclear Forces
  6. ^ Nuclear Weapons - India Nuclear Forces
  7. ^ B. M. Udgaonkar, India’s nuclear capability, her security concerns and the recent tests, Indian Academy of Sciences, January 1999.
  8. ^ Norris, Robert S. and Hans M. Kristensen. “India’s nuclear forces, 2005″, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 61:5 (September/October 2005): 73–75,
  9. ^ Nuclear Weapons - India Nuclear Forces
  10. ^ India’s and Pakistan’s Fissile Material and Nuclear Weapons Inventories, end of 1999
  11. ^ India’s Nuclear Weapons Program - Present Capabilities
  12. ^ India’s Military Plutonium Inventory, End 2004
  13. ^ The Consequences of Nuclear Conflict between India and Pakistan
  14. ^ India can make 50 nuclear warheads a year
  15. ^ United Nations General Assembly Verbatim meeting 67 session 52 on 9 December 1997 (retrieved 2007-08-22)
  16. ^ United Nations General Assembly Resolution session 52 page 16 (retrieved 2007-08-22)
  17. ^
  18. ^ DRDO working on 5,500 Km Agni
  19. ^ Agni-III test-fired successfully
  20. ^ Sagarika missile test-fired successfully
  21. ^ India ready for new missile test
  22. ^ India gets sub-marine missile power
  23. ^
  24. ^
  25. ^ Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) on GlobalSecurity.org
  26. ^ The secret undersea weapon
  27. ^ a b “Indian nuclear submarine”, India Today, August 2007 edition
  28. ^ Project 971 Shuka-B Akula class www.globalsecurity.com
  29. ^ The Hindu article dated 11 December 2005, accessed 18 October 2006.
  30. ^ AKASH AIR DEFENCE WEAPON SYSTEM
  31. ^ India expects to use missile interception system as a weapon, top scientist says
  32. ^ India developing new missiles Towards destroying hostile missiles
  33. ^ Ministry of Defence (India) (28 December 2007). “Development of Ballistic Missile Defence System: Year End Review”. Press release. Retrieved on 2008-01-26.
  34. ^ India Plans Second Anti-Ballistic-Missile Test in JuneThe interceptor rocket has a liquid-fueled first stage that uses two propellants and oxidizers, and a solid-fuel second stage with a gas thruster that can turn the rocket at more than five Gs. The missile carries sensors to guide it to its target.
  35. ^ Interceptor missile scores ‘direct hit’
  36. ^ http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=18265

External links

  • Nuclear Notebook: India’s nuclear forces, 2005, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Sept/Oct 2005.
  • Indian Nuclear Weapons program A good article with very detailed information
  • Nuclear Files.org India’s nuclear conflict with Pakistan- background and the current situation
  • Nuclear Files.org Current information on nuclear stockpiles in India
  • Missile testing ranges of India
  • Video interviews taken at the 2008 NPT PrepCom on the United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act

v • d • e

Military of India

Branches

Indian Army
Indian Navy
Indian Air Force
Indian Coast Guard

History · Academies · Ranks and insignia (Army · Air Force · Navy) · Special Forces · Indian Peace Keeping Force · Paramilitary forces · Strategic Forces Command · Strategic Nuclear Command · Ballistic missiles · Weapons of mass destruction

Wars and
conflicts

Indo-Pakistani wars of 1947 / 1965 / 1971 · Operation Polo · Operation Vijay · Sino-Indian War · Chola incident · Siachen conflict · 1987 Sino-Indian skirmish · Operation Cactus · Kargil War

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction
Categories: Independent India | Military of India | Nuclear technology in India | Weapons of mass destructionHidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since July 2008 | Articles with unsourced statements since December 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since July 2007 | Articles needing additional references from December 2007 | Articles needing additional references from April 2008

Ror

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Castes of India

ROR

Classification
Kshatriya

Subdivisions
Chaurāsi, Bānggar, Khāddar, Nardak

Significant populations in
Haryana, Sindh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand

Languages
Hindi, Haryanvi, Khariboli

Religions
Hinduism

The Ror (Hindi: रोड़) community hails primarily from a few small pockets in the Indo-Gangetic plains, in the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand in North India. It would be rather optimistic to put the total population of the Ror at one million and it would be fairer to assign a total head count of 750,000 to the community. The community is fairly small and well-knit; as of today, they hold nearly 270 villages in Haryana and 52 more in Western Uttar Pradesh and the Haridwar district of Uttaranchal.

In his famed work, “A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of Punjab and North-West Frontier Provinces”, H.A. Rose says that the Ror are fine, stalwart men. Quoting from the third volume, Rose says:

The real seat of the Ror is the great Dhak jungles of Thanesar. They hold 84 villages and Amin is the “Tika” or head village. They also hold 12 villages south of Kaithal and the gotra there is Turan. Again, there are 12 more villages of the Ror beyond the Ganges. The immediate place of origin of the Rors seems to be Badli in Jhajjar tehsil of Rohtak district and all of them unanimously claim to have come from there.

In the Archaeological Survey of India Report for the year 1871-72, A.C.L. Carlleyle says about the image of a Ror warrior found at the site of Kaga Ror or Kagarol:

The features of the face are fine and manly, of the handsomest Hindu type. The warrior has his right knee raised; on his right arm he presents a shield in defense and in the left hand he brandishes a straight sword of huge dimensions over his head. In a belt round his waist he wears a dagger with a cross-shaped hilt at his left side. The hair of the head is full but drawn back in straight lines on the head. Evidently, its a figure of a warrior of great strength.

Contents

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History

The Ror are a people from the solar race of the Ikshvaku Kul. The three sons of Devaneek were called Ahinag (Aneeh), Roop and Ruru. Ruru is remembered by all Rors as their eponymous ancestor and the lineage from there on is well-preserved by their bards right upto King Dadror, whose descendants later started the fight with Aibak in 1207 by refusing to gift him any women.


Sri Rama - Father of the Ror race

Ror Capitals

Ror clans historically ruled from Rori, the capital of Sind for a long time. Rori has been known by names such as Roruka and Rorik since antiquity. Buddhist Jataka stories talk about exchanges of gifts between King Rudrayan of Roruka and King Bimbisara of Magadh

Roruka was founded and established for the first time by King Ruruk, who was the fifth Ikshvaku dynasty ruler in the lineage after Raja Harishchandra of Kashi Thus, it can be seen that Roruka in the historical Sindhu-Sauvira area is quite an ancient seat of civilization dating back to the third millennium BC certainly.

The ancient city of Rori was also a major pilgrimage center where famous personalities like “Sant” Bhrithari, elder brother of the great King Vikramaditya, came to pay their respects to Shankar Bhagwan. After the Arab conquest of Sind, the invaders pulled down the ancient temple of Shiva but Rori still remains very important as a religious destination for the Sindhis.

Bards’ Version

According to bardic accounts, Rors had two more capitals in India. King Mukund Dev of the Rors, who originally ruled from Palanpur in Gujarat, later extended his rule in the north of the country and established a second capital close to present-day Delhi in Badli, Jhajjar. The bards go on to say that Dewaji followed in the same bloodline and based his rule primarily from the city of Rori Shankar, present-day Rohri and Sukkur in Sindh; now two separate towns as a result of a shift in the course of the Indus river that has put them on opposite banks.

In terms of evidence we have from inscriptions, the bards are definitely referring to Rudradaman I and his 150 A.D. campaign against the Yaudheya Kshatriyas when they say that the Ror king came from Gujarat and established his rule in Haryana.

(L. 9.) ………..he who, because from the womb he was distinguished by the possession of undisturbed consummate Royal Fortune, was resorted to by all castes and chosen their lord to protect them; who made, and is true to, the vow to the latest breath of his life to abstain from slaying men, except in battles; who . . . . . . (and so) had (this lake) made (even) more beautiful to look at.

Golden Age

The first few centuries of the Christian Era and a couple of centuries prior to that constitute the golden age of Ror history. Not only did Rors have ruling seats of power in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Sindh; during the times of Rai Dewaji in the 5th century AD, they consolidated their influence in the entire region from Afghanistan to Kanauj in India.

The fort at BhainsRor in Southern Rajasthan is supposed to have come up in the 2nd century B.C. and the Kagarol (Kaga Ror)

Ror Rai Kings of Sindh

Wink reports on the possibility of the corruption of the Sanskrit names and renders them as related in parenthesis in the following chronology of the Ror Rai rulers (489 - 632 AD) of Rori or Alor in Sindh:

  • Rai Diwaji (Devaditya)

He was a powerful chief who forged alliances and extended his rule east of Makran and west of Kashmir and Kannauj, south to the port of Surat and north to Kandahar

  • Rai Sahiras (Shri Harsha)
  • Rai Sahasi (Sinhasena)
  • Rai Sahiras II

Died battling the King of Nimroz

  • Rai Sahasi II (Brother of Rana Maharath of Chittor)

Loss of Sindh

Rors continued to hold several big forts in Sindh till the Arab invasion of AD 711 and some of the longest battles between the Arabs and Indians were fought at the three forts of Rori (Raor), BahRor After the occupation of Sind by the Arabs, the surviving Ror warriors came away and a few joined the army of Chittor and their experience played a major role in defeating the Arabs during the Battle of Rajasthan.

8th century - 12th century

Excavations at a small village about 18 miles from Agra led to the discovery of a Ror seat of power there. The place is now called Kagarol but Alexander Cunningham and his assistant A.C.L. Carlleyle are of the view that it was originally Kaga Ror or Khangar Ror (after the name of Ror King Khangar) and later got corrupted to the present Kagarol. This princely state based at Kaga Ror had 52 forts in the Agra area and was lost to the Turks in the times of Qutbuddin Aibak. Prithvi Raj Chauhan became the ruler of Delhi with the support of the Rors and he gave big chunks of Haryana and North Rajasthan to Balda gotra Rors as well as Mehla gotra Rors. In the Battle of Tarain, there were as many as seven Ror generals in Chauhan’s army and it does not come as a surprise that they claim Rai Pithora to be one of their own blood. Rai Hari Ram Kadian, Bhup Singh Mehla, Pulhan Rai from Jhansi were all Ror generals in Chauhan’s army and another notable person from this community was a lady called Kirpi, who led a battalion of women in the very same fashion as the Rani of Jhansi much later. A huge portion of the Indian Army, which was caught unawares by deceit in the wee hours of the morning by invaders who did not respect the Hindu code of war that does not allow for attack before sunrise, was made of Ror warriors.

The Ror connection with Chittor is very old and an eternal monument to the Ror-Mewar relationship is the “thikana” of BhainsRor, which is named after Rors. This is a lasting proof of the ascendancy of Rors around Mewar as scholars believe BhainsRor has been inhabited and fortified since the second century B.C. at least. Raja Gandharv Sen, the father of “Samrat” Vikramaditya I and the King of Malwa, was the person who built the fort back then. Gandharv Sen is also called Gardabharupa as well as Gardabhilla as also Raja Gaj in the local tongue at different places. In the golden era of their history, the Rors had built many forts and a few of them still maintain their names like Behror near Alwar, Dadror, Kahror near Multan and Kaga Ror, a name that has got corrupted to Kagarol and is located near present-day Fatehpur Sikri.

Battle of Badli

In 1207 A.D. Chanda Rawal (name in a similar tradition as that of Bappa Rawal) was the King in Badli, Jhajjar. Rors had been ruling from this seat for more than a thousand years since Rudradaman I and his 150 A.D. campaign against the Yaudheya Kshatriyas. But times had suddenly turned hostile with the Turks having got the better of Prithviraj Chauhan and the Hindu army by deceitfully attacking in the early hours of dawn when the Indian army was still sleeping on the banks of the Ghaggar. The Turks under the slave Qutbuddin Aibak were particularly nasty and demanded ‘dola’ from all the kings around Delhi in order to rub salt into the festering wounds left by an undeserving defeat. They demanded the Rawal’s daughter and the Rors refused stoutly.

The Turks immediately laid a siege to Badli and the battle started in Samvat 1265 (A.D. 1207). It was a long siege and the Rors did not give ground to the forces of Aibak. All the Ror clans poured into Badli from their nearby seats of Dadror, Behror and Kaga Ror to fight against the Turks and Kachhwaha king Malaya Si, son of Pajjuna, sent 31 sons of his own to help defeat the invaders. After a year of unending warfare, the Turks scored a break as the “Raj-Purohit” defected and told them to attack on Govardhan Puja just before the festival of Diwali. The Turks attacked on Govardhan Puja when all the warriors were worshipping their weapons after collecting them in the center of the fort. The invaders massacred the unarmed Kshatriyas by staying true to their deceitful nature yet again..

Bardic as well as vernacular records indicate that 84 men had been smuggled out by Ror elders to ensure that some people survived to call themselves Ror even after this holocaust. These 84 Rors, who were thus made to leave the scene of the carnage at Badli, settled down in the dense Dhak Jungles of present-day Karnal and Kurukshetra districts in the 84 villages, which still comprise the nucleus of the entire Ror population. The rest of them embraced martyrdom following their traditional customs of Jauhar and Saka. Such a sanguine move to save a small nucleus has many parallels in our history. Maharana Hammir’s father with other relatives was smuggled out during the first siege of Chittor when the Jauhar of Rani Padmini took place. Eighty four Ror clan names are derived from the names of these survivors of the “Battle of Badli” directly.

Mewar - Maharana Pratap

In the 13th century, the Rors’ ancestral fort of BhainsRor was captured by the Turks. This was a big issue and it was compounded further by the sacking of the Chittor fort by the invaders in 1303. All this was reversed in the reign of Rana Hamir when Banbir, son of Maldeo re-captured BhainsRor fort from the invaders around AD 1330. Later, when Shakti Singh saved Maharana Pratap’s life in the Battle of Haldighati, Pratap gave BhainsRor to his issue as their own “jagir”.

Some of the most staunch loyalists of the great Maharana, who had fought in all his battles against Akbar and also in the 17 battles fought by Amar Singh against the Mughals, were disgusted when Rana Amar Singh signed a truce with Jehangir around AD 1620. Twenty four clan heads are said to have left Mewar at this point of time to join the Rors in the Dhak Jungles of Haryana in and around Thanesar.

Revolt of 1857

In the Rebellion of 1857, the Rors fought heroically along with the Sainis in the districts of Karnal and Kurukshetra. This was the ancient warrior blood speaking yet again even though the population of Rors was recorded as no more than 50,000 in the Census of 1881, nearly 24 years later.

By this time, the Rors had lost all their seats of power with the final straw being the loss of Badli in the fight with the Turks under their slave general Qutbuddin Aibak. This was in stark contrast to those of the Kshatriya who had acceded to the invaders’ demands for hospitality and women. The Rajput were still powerful and the Jat had gained stature during Mughal rule as shown by the examples of the Akbari Jats and Darbari Jats. Finally, when Blunt compiled his famous work on the caste system in North India, he classified Rors with Rajputs and Brahmins in a hierarchy prepared according to the severity of rules regarding the eating of cooked and uncooked food with other castes.

Today, Rors find themselves at the crossroads of history and they are fast making a transition from a tranquil and contended life to one that is highly affected by the rigors and competition of the modern industrial age. The feudal sense of pride and haughtiness remains but the youth of the community is excelling in education and sports. Quite a few Rors can now be found in various towns across Australia as well where they have gone to study and make a name for themselves and their community.

Character

Rors are the only Kshatriya group in India who did not give daughters to either Turks or mughals and there is not a single recorded case of a Ror ever converting to Islam. Furthermore, there is also no record of any Ror ever serving a mughal in the history of India. It has been recorded that Rajputs, Jats and Gujjars are big communities among Muslims and they also gave daughters to Mughals. In similar situations, the Ror decided to fight to the last instead of giving in to the invaders’ demands. For this reason, the Ror consider themselves the foremost Vedic Kshatriyas and do not intermarry with Rajputs. Rors uphold and cherish the ideals of Maharana Pratap, who in his time had banned intermarriages with those Rajputs who had given their daughters to mughals.

In Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, the author has mentioned Pratap’s stopping marriages between Rajputs who gave their daughters to Mughals and his supporting Rajputs:

With such examples as Marwar and Amber (of giving their daughters to Mughals), and with less power to resist the temptation, the minor chiefs of Rajasthan, with a brave and numerous vassalage, were transformed into satraps of Delhi.

But these were fearful odds against Pratap. The arms of his country turned upon him, derived additional force from their self-degradation, which kindled into jealousy and hatred against the magnanimous resolution they lacked the virtue to imitate. When Hindu prejudice was thus violated by every prince in Rajasthan, the Rana renounced all matrimonial alliance with those who were thus degraded. To the eternal honour of Pratap and his issue be it told that, to the very close of the monarchy of the Moguls, they refused such alliances not only with the throne, but even with their brother princes of Marwar and Amber. It is a proud triumph of virtue to be able to record from the autograph letters of the most powerful of the Rajput princes, Bukhet Singh and Sawai Jai Singh, that whilst they had risen to greatness by the surrender of principle, as Mewar had decayed from her adherence to it, they should solicit, and that humbly, to be readmitted to the honour of matrimonial intercourse and “to be purified,” ” to be regenerated,” ” to be made Rajputs” and that this favour was granted only on condition of their abjuring the contaminating practice (of giving daughters to Mughals) which, for more than a century, had disunited them.

In his book “Ror Itihaas ki Jhalak” (Hindi) (English translation - “Ror history: A glimpse”), the author Dr. Raj Pal Singh clearly says:

The Ror came from Badli in Jhajjar tehsil of Rohtak district after having fought with the Turks, who were led by their slave general Qutbuddin Aibak, upon refusing their demand for ‘dola’ (women).

Ror elders were considered excellent judges by not just their own brethren but even by the people of other castes. Usually, the problems related to any particular caste were arbitrated upon by its own senior people (the “Panch”), but if they failed to do so, the elderly Ror in that village played the role of arbitrators and these decisions were accepted as binding.Umri, a village on the GT Road right before Kurukshetra as you approach from the direction of Delhi, is the perfect place to check this out. The Ror are in a minority in this village and a different land-owning caste resides in bigger numbers but the “Sarpanch” (Headman) is mostly a Ror.

Social Customs

Religious Beliefs

Rors are staunch Hindus. Some Rors did join the Sikh Panth to fight the Mughals on the request of Guru Gobind Singh. Most of the Sikh Rors are to be found in Kurukshetra and Karnal districts of Haryana. But it is hard to separate the two groups and there is no practical distinction as they intermarry freely. A few Rors are also followers of Swami Dayanand’s Arya Samaj and believe in Yajna and Gayatri. Because of Swami Dayanand Saraswati’s influence, Rors stopped eating meat.

Child Birth

Dashauthan ceremony is held after child birth.

Marriage

A mare was given in dowry in marriage. Married Ror women still follow Purdah, which amongst Hindus is only followed by Royal families.

Ror women wear Gold jewellery on their feet as a tradition. Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur explains:

Because they respected Gold, ordinary (Rajput) women did not wear gold on their feet. Only if you were of royal blood did you wear gold on your feet and if you were that class you never put on silver.

Ordinarily, Rajput women and women of all other Kshatriya groups use silver jewelery on their feet.

In considering proposals for marriage, four gotras are excluded by Ror families:

  • Own Gotra
  • Mother’s Gotra
  • Grandmother’s Gotra
  • Maternal Grandmother’s Gotra

Sati

Ror women were known to perform Sati till late 19th century. Only two Kshatriya groups had this custom, Ror and Rajput. In the 19th century a girl from Amin village, who was married to a man of village Bastara performed Sati. A shrine has been erected at that spot and it can still be seen (being worshipped every year on the eve of Deepawali) right on the G T Road passing by the village.Katlaheri, a village on the Karnal-Jind road between Jundla and Pyont, has a shrine dedicated to Sati as well and it is venerated by all Ror families of the village.

Dress and Appearance

Ror men wore “Angrakha” and parted their beards in the middle.

Descent

The descent of the Ror from Ikshvaku, the Suryavanshi is as follows:-

Ikshvaku - The Suryavanshi

  • Kuksi
  • Vikuksi
  • Paranjaya
  • Anena
  • Prthu
  • Vishvagasya
  • Ardra
  • Yuvanashva
  • Shravasta
  • Brhadashva
  • Kuvalayashva
  • Drdhashva
  • Varyashva
  • Nikumbha
  • Samhatashva
  • Krshashva
  • Prasenjit
  • Yauvanasva
  • Mandhatr
  • Durgaha
  • Giriksit
  • Purukutsa
  • Trasadasyu
  • Sambhut
  • Vishnuvrddha
  • Anaranya
  • Trasadashva
  • Haryashva II
  • Hasta
  • Rohidashva
  • Vasumanas
  • Trivrshan
  • Tryaruna
  • Trishanku
  • Harishchandra
  • Rohit
  • Harita
  • Chanchu
  • Vijay
  • Ruruk
  • Virk
  • Bahu
  • Sagar
  • Asamanjasa
  • Anshuman
  • Dilip
  • Bhagiratha
  • Suhotra
  • Shruta
  • Nabhaga
  • Ambarisha
  • Sindhudvipa
  • Ayutashva
  • Rituparna
  • Sarvakama
  • Sudasa
  • Mitrasaha
  • Ashmaka
  • Mulaka
  • Dasharatha I
  • Ilivila
  • Krtasharma
  • Vishvasaha
  • Dilipa
  • Dirghavahu
  • Raghu
  • Aja
  • Dasrath II
  • Sri Ramchandra
  • Luv/Kush
  • Atithi (from Kush)
  • Nishadha
  • Nala
  • Nabha
  • Pundreek
  • Kshemadhanva
  • Devaneek
  • Ruru

Recent Personalities

Rajarishi

  • Guru Brahmanand (1915-1969), a Ror ascetic born in the Samdhyan Gotra, who had followers all over Haryana

Armed Forces

  • Martyr “Amar Shaheed” Wing Commander Chander Singh, Village Dadupur
  • Colonel Sunehara Singh, Vir Chakra, 1971 Indo-Pak War
  • Major Amit Prakash Kadian, Shaurya Chakra 2001, Anti-insurgency operations in the North-East

Politics

  • Ishwar Singh, Ex-Speaker of Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Village Staundi
  • Chambel Singh Chauhan, MLA, Haryana, Village Amin
  • Chanda Singh, MLA, Haryana, Village Butana
  • Babu Anant Ram, a member of the legislative assembly of United Punjab before 1947, Village Kaul
  • Shiv Ram Verma, MLA, Haryana, Village Jhinjari
  • Multan Singh, MLA Haryana, Village Kutel
  • Makhan Singh, MLA Haryana, Village Kaul
  • Tejbir Singh, MLA Haryana, Village Staundi
  • Dharampal Seedhpur, MLA Haryana, Village Seedhpur

Administrators

  • Zaildar Parshu Ram Singh Deora, Village Aaun, Collector of over 200 villages in British times
  • Maha Singh, IAS, Haryana
  • Gulab Singh, PCS, Gujarat
  • Balkar Singh, IAS, Village Munnarehri
  • Vijay Singh, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Haryana Civil Services, Village Umri
  • Devendra Singh Kalyan, Additional Commissioner Income Tax, Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Village Kutel
  • Dr. Surat Singh, Director, Haryana Rural Development Board
  • Randhir Singh, Haryana Civil Services, Village Aher, District Panipat
  • Narender, IAS, Haryana Cadre, Village Kunjpura
  • Satpal Singh, Haryana Civil Services, Village Sherda, District Jind
  • Krishan Kumar, IAS, Karnal
  • Balwaan Singh, IAS, Village Kurana, District Panipat

Police

  • Badan Singh , IPS, Village Kunjpura
  • Ramnish Geer, IPS
  • Raj Singh, Superintendent of Customs, Central Excise and Service tax, New Delhi
  • Ishwar Singh, Superintendent of Customs, Central Excise and Service tax, New Delhi
  • Late Ramji Lal - DSP
  • Bishan Singh Kadian, DSP Retired, Haryana Police, In-charge of CM security on several occasions on account of being the best officer in the State
  • Ashok Kumar Chauhan - DSP, Haryana Police

Sports

  • Balwant Singh “Ballu”, Arjuna Award winner, Captain, Indian Volleyball Team, Village Kaul
  • Ajmer Singh, Arjuna Award winner, Captain, Indian Basketball Team. Currently Head Coach of Indian Railways
  • Dalel Singh Ror, Arjuna Award winner, Captain, Indian Volleyball Team, Village Amin
  • Mehar Singh, Captain, Indian Volleyball team
  • Balkar Singh, Member, Indian Volleyball team, Village Amin
  • Raj Singh, Member, Indian Volleyball team
  • Darshan Singh, Member, Indian Volleyball team
  • Ram Pal Singh, Member, Indian Volleyball team
  • Sunil Kumar Singh, Member, Indian Volleyball team
  • Surjeet Singh, Member, Indian Volleyball team
  • Ankit Chaudhary, Member, Indian Volleyball team
  • Sher Singh Ror, International level Kabaddi player in the 1950s and ’60s, Village Khedi Ramnagar

Research and Academia

  • Dr. Dharam Pal Kadian (Prof. Agronomy), Director, Regional Research Station, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Uchani, Karnal
  • Dr. Mohinder Singh Sagwal - Director, Defence Research and Development Organization, Delhi
  • Dr. (Mrs.) Shanti Balda (Ph.D. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia), Professor and Head, Department of Human Development and Family Studies (Child Development), I. C. College of Home Science, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar
  • Dr. Mewa Singh Turan (Ex Dean, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar), Additional Director, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Delhi
  • Dr. Randhir Singh (Retired Prof. Biochemistry & Ex Dean, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar), Principal, Seth Jai Parkash Mukand Lal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Radaur, Yamunanagar
  • Dr. Devi Singh, Dean, SVBP University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
  • Dr. Jai Pal Singh (Ph.D. University of Saskatchewan, Canada), Professor (Soil Science), Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar
  • Dr. Pala Ram (Ph.D. Moscow State University, Moscow), Professor (Entomology), Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar
  • Dr. Chandgi Ram (Ph.D. USA), Professor (Plant Breeding), Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar
  • Dr. Devender Kumar, Scientist, National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad
  • Dr. Jai Pal Singh Ror, Ph.D, IIT Roorkee
  • Dr. Varnik Kumar, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Delhi
  • Major Ashok Kumar, Manager, Indian Oil Corporation, Panipat
  • Dr. Seema Rani, Ph.D, Meerut University
  • Dr. Balkar Singh Arya, Head, Department of Botany, Arya P.G. College, Panipat
  • Surender Singh, Scientist, Division of Microbiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (PUSA), New Delhi

Ror Gotra/Clan Names

Ror villages are predominantly occupied by just one gotra. Major Ror gotra or clans are as follows:-

  • Atri
  • Badsar
  • Bakoru
  • Balda
  • Ballan (Guhil, Bappa Rawal’s ancestor, was from this race)
  • Battan
  • Bhakla (Branch of Parmar and Raja Bhoj of Malwa belonged to this race)
  • Bhawaniwal/Beniwal (A Chauhan sept)
  • Bhimainiya
  • Bhookna
  • Bhuran
  • Boda (A Chauhan clan)
  • Bodla
  • Chauhan (Prithviraj Chauhan (Rai Pithora Chahaman) was from this race)
  • Chhachhra (A branch of Chauhan)
  • Chhakdan
  • Chopra
  • Chuchayan
  • Chuhlan/Chulyan (Branch of Parihar)
  • Dabra/Devra (Sept of Chauhan)
  • Dahiya (Listed as one of the thirty six ruling clans of India by James Tod)
  • Dahlan
  • Dhandul/Deendal (Listed as a branch of Rathore by James Tod)
  • Dhadhan
  • Dhakla (Branch of Parmar)
  • Dhankar/Dhankhad (A Tomar clan)
  • Dhanyan
  • Dheemar
  • Domiyan/Domyan
  • Doodan
  • Dudhiyan (Listed as a ruling clan of India in the Kumarpal Charitra)
  • Ghartan/Ghadtan (Branch of Parihar)
  • Ghiar/Geed
  • Ghoochan
  • Gogayan (A Kachhwaha sept)
  • Golia/Gulia (Corrupted from original Gohila or Guhila, meaning descendant of Sri Guhil)
  • Gollen
  • Gora (The kings of this clan ruled from ‘Chhoti Sadari’ near Chittor)
  • Graak
  • Guchhla
  • Hurda (A Chauhan Sept)
  • Jaglan/Jogran (A Chauhan Sept)
  • Jandslaar
  • Jhakla/Jhankla (Branch of Parmar)
  • Jharotiya (Sept of Kacchwaha)
  • Jhojhan
  • Jhojhroo
  • Jood
  • Kadian (Descended from Kshatriya Brahmarshi Vishvamitra)
  • Kahanwal/Kainwal
  • Kaindal
  • Kainsha
  • Kaira (Listed as a ruling clan of India in the Kumarpal Charitra)
  • Kalantagdiya/Kaltagra (Branch of Parmar and the clan of the great Vikramaditya of Ujjain)
  • Kalyan (Sept of Kacchwaha)
  • Kandhol
  • Kangar/Khangar (A Kachhwaha sept)
  • Kanyan
  • Kaanyara
  • Kapsa
  • Keshwar/Khasbar
  • Khainchi/Khichi (A branch of Chauhan)
  • Kharanghar (Descendants of Raja Kharanghar of Khagror)
  • Khokra/Khokher (Listed as a branch of Rathore by James Tod)
  • Kunkan
  • Ladkyan (A Kacchwaha Sept)
  • Laharwal
  • Lamba
  • Lather
  • Loham
  • Lorkan
  • Machhran
  • Madhotra
  • Malgas
  • Maniyal
  • Masaaniya (Listed as a ruling clan of India in the Kumarpal Charitra)
  • Mehla/Mahla (A Tomar clan)
  • Memain
  • Mepla
  • Mokkal (Listed in the Kumarpal Charitra as a ruling clan of India)
  • Mola (Listed in Srimad Bhagavatam as a clan that will provide 11 kings to India post-Mahabharat)
  • Moman
  • Nadan
  • Nausraan
  • Nimainiya
  • Raitan
  • Rana (Sept of Sisodiya)
  • Rai/Raya (This clan was ruling Sind till some years before the Arab invasion under Bin Qasim)
  • Rojera
  • Ruhlan/Ruhlyan (Branch of Parihar)
  • Sagwal
  • Samdhyan
  • Sandyan
  • Shera/Sehra (Descendants of Rai Sahiras or Siharas or Shri Harsh of Rori)
  • Singhariya/Singhra (A branch of Kachhwaha from Singha Ji)
  • Surha (Listed as a branch of Chauhan by James Tod)
  • Tamak
  • Taya
  • Thardak
  • Tholla
  • Tuarka/Turka (A Tomar clan)
  • Turan (Listed as a ruling clan of India in the Kumarpal Charitra)


Note

Ror Tomar Kul is Suryavanshi; the Nishan is same as that of Arjun but that is a pure coincidence. The specifics of the Ror House of Tomar are as follows,

* Lineage: Suryavansha
* Colour of throne, sign and canopy: Green *Colour of horse: Yellow
* Heraldic sign (Nishan): Hanuman on flagpole *Clan Goddess (Kuladaivat): Shakumbari
* Devak (Clan object): Umbar (Ficus racemosa tree)
* Guru: Parashar *Gotra: Nikam *Veda: Yajurveda *Mantra: Gayatri

Related Articles

  • Kaul
  • Amin
  • Katlaheri
  • Kadian
  • Gora
  • Bhrithari
  • Chaudhary Ishwar Singh
  • Balwant Singh “Ballu”
  • Ajmer Singh
  • Dalel Singh Ror
  • BhainsRor
  • Ikshwaku

References

  1. ^ Pages 834-835, A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Provinces, By H A Rose, Sir Denzil Ibbetson, Sir Edward Douglas Maclagan, Published 1990, Asian Educational Services, ISBN 8120605055
  2. ^ Pages 210-212, Archaeological Survey of India, Report for the year 1871-72, Volume IV, Agra circle covered by A.C.L. Carlleyle, Under the supervision of Alexander Cunningham
  3. ^ “Lord Rama had two sons- Lava and Kusha. Lineage of Kusha grew as follows- Kusha, Atithi, Nishadh, Anal, Nabh, Pundareek, Kshemdhanwa, Devaneek, Ahinaka, Ruru, Pariyatrak, Deval, Vanchal, Ulka, Vajranabha, Shankhan, Yushhitashva, Vishvasaha, Hiranyanam, Pushya, Dhruvasandhi, Sudarshan, Agnivarn, Shighrag, Maru, Prasushrut, Susandhi, Amarsh, Sahaswan and Vishvabhav. Vishvabhav had a son Brihdal who was killed by Abhimanyu in the battle of Mahabharata.” From Chapter four “Description of Suryavansh”, Index of 16 Hindu Puranas
  4. ^ “The Divyavadana (Tibetan version) reports: ‘The Buddha is in Rajgriha. At this time there were two great cities in Jambudvipa: Pataliputra and Roruka. When Roruka rises, Pataliputra declines; when Pataliputra rises, Roruka declines.’ Here was Roruka of Sindh competing with the capital of the Magadha empire.” Chapter ‘Sindhu is divine’, The Sindh Story, by K. R. Malkani from Karachi, Publisher: Sindhi Academy (1997), ISBN-10 8187096012
  5. ^ Page 317, Lord Mahavira and His Times, by Kailash Chand Jain, Published 1992 by Motilal Banarsidass Publications, ISBN 8120808053
  6. ^ In a paper published in the journal of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research. 2000, pp. 1-24, “On the Chronological Framework for Indian Culture”, Subhash Kak of Louisiana State University fixes a date of 1924 BC for the Mahabharat war. Using this date and taking thirty generations (20 years per generation) between the Mahabharat war and Sri Ram as suggested by Pargiter’s list, we get a time of 2524 BC for Dasrathi Ram. Going 29 generations before Sri Ram, we reach the time of 3104 BC for Raja Ruruk and thus, we can safely conclude that Roruka (Ruruka) was established around 3100-3000 BC
  7. ^ Junagadh Rock Inscription of Rudradaman
  8. ^ Elliot, Henry Miers, The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period. Volume 1, Adamant Media Corporation, ISBN 0-543-94726-2, Page 405
  9. ^ “The ancient fort buried under this place (village Khangar Ror or Kaga Ror) was founded by a Ror Raja, son of Raja Khangar”, Pages 210-212, Archaeological Survey of India, Report for the year 1871-72, Volume IV, Agra circle covered by A.C.L. Carlleyle, Under the supervision of Alexander Cunningham
  10. ^ Page 96, Archaeological Survey of India, Report for the year 1871-72, Volume IV, Agra circle covered by A.C.L. Carlleyle, Under the supervision of Alexander Cunningham
  11. ^ Wink, Andre, Al Hind the Making of the Indo Islamic World, Brill Academic Publishers, Jan 1, 1996, ISBN 90-04-09249-8, pg.152
  12. ^ Elliot, Henry Miers, The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period. Volume 1, Adamant Media Corporation, ISBN 0-543-94726-2, pg. 405
  13. ^ Khusru Naushirwan and Khusru Parvis have both been postulated (Elliot, pg. 405)
  14. ^ Pages 20 - 22, The Chachnamah, Volume I, Translated from Persian by Mirza Kalichbeg Fredunbeg, Printed in 1900 at the Commissioner’s Press, Karachi
  15. ^ Page 156, Volume I, The Chachnamah, Translated from Persian by Mirza Kalichbeg Fredunbeg, Printed in 1900 at the Commissioner’s Press, Karachi
  16. ^ Page 133, Volume I, The Chachnamah, Translated from Persian by Mirza Kalichbeg Fredunbeg, Printed in 1900 at the Commissioner’s Press, Karachi
  17. ^ Pages 209-210, Volume IV, Archaeological Survey of India, Report for the year 1871-72, Agra circle covered by A.C.L. Carlleyle, Under the supervision of Alexander Cunningham
  18. ^ “Ror Itihaas ki Jhalak” (Hindi) by Dr. Raj Pal Singh, Pages 36-37, Pal Publications, Yamunanagar
  19. ^ Page 28, Tod’s Annals of Rajasthan: The Annals of Mewar, By Tod Payne C. H, James Tod, C H Payne, Published 1994 by Asian Educational Services, ISBN 8120603508
  20. ^ Page 93, The Caste System of Northern India, By E.A.H. Blunt, 1931, Re-published 1964, S.Chand, Delhi
  21. ^ Pages 282-283, Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan: Or, The Central and Western Rajpoot Provinces, By James Tod, Published 2001, Asian Educational Services, ISBN 8120612892
  22. ^ People of India: Haryana, Volume XXIII, General Editor K.S.Singh (Part of Anthropological survey of India Series), ISBN 81-7304-091-5, Page: 427
  23. ^ Lives of the Indian Princes, by Charles Allen and Sharada Dwivedi. ISBN 81-86982-05-1, Pub: Business Publications Inc, Page 168.
  24. ^ People of India: Haryana, Volume XXIII, General Editor K.S.Singh (Part of Anthropological survey of India Series), ISBN 81-7304-091-5, Pages 425-426

Books

  • Tod, James & William (Editor) Crooke (1994), Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan (2 vols.)., Trans-Atl, ISBN 81-7069-128-1.
  • Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province By H.A. Rose, Published 1990 by Asian Educational Services, 2076 pages, ISBN 8120605055
  • The Sindh Story, by K. R. Malkani Karachi, Publisher: Sindhi Academy (1997), ISBN-10 8187096012
  • Lord Mahavira and His Times, by Kailash Chand Jain, Motilal Banarsidass Publications, ISBN 8120808053
  • Charles Allen & Sharada Dwivedi, Lives of the Indian Princes, ISBN 81-86982-05-1, Pub: Business Publications Inc.


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Indian Squad for 2008 Olympics

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

India is feilding 57 athletes, including 17 from track for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, down from 75 in Athens.

  • Archery: Dola Banerjee, Pranitha Devi, Bombayala Devi, Mangal Singh Champia.
  • Athletics: Anju Bobby George, Krishna Poonia, Harwant Kaur, Preeja Sreedharan, Manjeet Kaur, Chitra K. Soman, Sini Jose, M.R. Poovamma, Mandeep Kaur, J.J. Shoba, Susmita Singha Roy, G.G. Pramila, Vikas Gowda, Renjith Maheshwary, Surendra Singh, K. Mridula, S. Geetha.
  • Badminton: Anup Sridhar, Saina Nehwal.
  • Boxing: Jitender, Akhil Kumar, A.L. Lakra, Vijender Vijender, Dinesh Kumar.
  • Judo: Khumujam Tombi Devi, Divya.
  • Rowing: Bajranglal Takhar, Devender Kumar Khandwal, Manjeet Singh.
  • Shooting: Manavjit Singh Sandhu, Mansher Singh, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Gagan Narang, Abhinav Bindra, Samaresh Jung, Sanjeev Rajput, Anjali Ved Pathak Bhagwat, Avneet Kaur Sidhu.
  • Swimming: Virdhawal Khade, Ankur Poseria, Sandeep Sejwal, Rehan Poncha.
  • Table tennis: Sharath Kamal, Neha Agarwal.
  • Tennis: Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza, Sunitha Rao.
  • Wrestling: Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Rajeev Tomar.
  • Weightlifting: L. Monika Devi.
  • Yachting: N.S. Johal.

Reference

  • http://news.oneindia.in/2008/07/29/indian-squadt-for-beijing-games.html

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Squad_for_2008_Olympics
Categories: Sport in India | 2008 in India

Creamy layer

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

The creamy layer is a term used in Indian politics to refer to the relatively wealthier and better educated members of the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) who will not be eligible for social/ educational benefit programme by the government from now onwards. The term was introduced by the Sattanathan Commission in 1971, which directed that the “creamy layer” should be excluded from the reservations (quotas) of civil posts and services granted to the OBCs.

Contents

//

Present definition of “creamy layer”

The Supreme Court defines ‘creamy layer’ by quoting a office memorandum dated September 8, 1993.

“creamy layer” differentiation applies to whom?

The “creamy layer” concept is meant ONLY for the obcs. This concept is not applied to the unreserved category, scheduled castes category & scheduled tribes category. Therefore, all non-OBCs will be allowed to compete for their quota of heavily subsidised govt. seats/ jobs in their respective category without any consideration of “creamy layer” concept.

Justice K G Balakrishnan, who is the first SC to become the Chief Justice of india (without any benefit due to any reservation) stated: “by excluding those who have already attained economic well-being or educational advancement, the special benefits cannot be further extended to them and, if done so, it would be unreasonable, discriminatory or arbitrary resulting in reverse discrimination.”. But this logic is applied EXCLUSIVELY for OBCs & the logic is not applied for SCs , STs & the unreserved category seats. The criterion is also not applicable to minority institutions.

The supreme court also indirectly reserves at least 50 % of seats for the unreserved category (which includes creamy layer from OBCs & all forward communities) & any reservation to any other (BC/MBC/SC/ST) category shall be such that the total reserved seats never exceed 50% of total. The forward community form around 12% to 46% of population in the big states of india. No official creamy layer percentage census is available at present.

Exclusion of creamy layer concept “only” from OBCs - Constitutional validity

There is no mention about the concept of “creamy layer” in the Constitution & nowhere does it proscribe any directive to exclusively discriminate OBCs. Health minister of india said : “All the leaders who work for social justice should work together to defeat the creamy layer concept” . The exclusion leads to undermining the constitution itself since “socially backward” and “educationally backward” were the key words enshrined after thorough delibrations & “economic criterion(cream concept)” can never be a criterion in determining reservation policy. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court of india & its constitutional bench have decided to give sanctity to a concept that thay themselves invented during the course of mandal commission implementation. Thus india now faces a legislature vs judiciary war whereby the will of the legislature is undermined by the utopian concepts/ perception of the supreme court. It is another debate if the judiciary can impose any policy upon the govt./ the legislature since Judiciary has no constitutional mandate to initiate policy decisions which are the sole prerogative of the legislature. Whether a socially & educationally backward child can be denied the constitutional upliftment (guaranteed by the constitution) by a bench interpreting the constitution for the reason that his/ her parents managed to get a combined yearly income of 2.5 lakh is another pandora’s box since the ‘exclusion concept’ is used to discriminate within OBCs only.

Reaction

All parties welcomed the 27% reservation to socially & educationally backward communities (OBC) But the creamy layer exclusion has varied responses from various political formations..Most political parties are uncomfortable with the rigid criterion for creamy layer concept although everyone is pleased that 27% quota has got legal sanctity. “The net result of job reservation for the Other Backward Classes over the last 15 years and more is that their total representation has declined to less than 5 per cent. A major factor is the “creamy layer” concept, which has become an excuse for keeping the backward castes out.History now repeats itself with the Supreme Court verdict in favour of denying reservation in higher education institutions to the creamy layer among the OBCs, he said. The court tried to take away what Parliament tried to give the OBCs”- mr. sharad yadav, JD(U).

Creamy Layer office memorandum full details

Persons/Sections Excluded from Reservation which constitute Creamy Layer of the Society

Description of category To whom rule of exclusion will apply to son(s) & daughter(s) of

I. Constitutional Posts President, Vice-President, Judges of the Supreme & High Courts,Chairman and Members of UPSC and the state PSC, Chief Election Commissioner, Comptroller and Auditor-General of India & all persons holding constitutional positions of like nature.

II. Service Category

A. Group ‘A’/Class I Officers of the All India Central and State Services (Direct Recruits)– (a)if both/ any one of the parents are/ were Class I officers (for at least 5 years if dead); (b) parents, either of whom is a Class I officer and such parents dies or suffers permanent incapacitation and before such death or such incapacitation has had the benefit of employment in any International Organisation like UN, IMF, World bank, etc., for a period of not less than 5 years; (c) A lady belonging to OBC category has got married to a Class I officer, and may herself like to apply for job.

B. Group ‘B’/Class II Officers of the Central and State Services (Direct Recruitment) Son(s) and daughter(s) of – (a) parents, both of whom are Class II officers; (b) parents of whom only the husband is a Class II officer and he gets into Class I at the age of 40 or earlier; (c) parents, both of whom are Class II officers and one of them dies or suffers permanent incapacitation and either one of them has had the benefit of employment in any International Organisation UN, IMF, World Bank, etc., for a period of not less than 5 years before such death or permanent incapacitation; (d) parents of whom the husband is a Class I officer (direct recruitment or pre-forty promoted) and the wife is a Class II officer and the wife dies; or suffers permanent incapacitation; and (e) Parents, of whom the wife is a Class I officer (Direct Recruit or pre-forty promoted) and the husband is a Class II officer and the husband dies or suffers permanent incapacitation; Provided that the rule of exclusion shall not apply in the following cases:-

Sons and daughters of –

(a) Parents both of whom are Class II officers and one of them dies or suffers permanent incapacitation. (b) Parents, both of whom are Class II officers and both of them die or suffer permanent incapacitation, even though either of them has had the benefit of employment in any International Organisation like UN, IMF, World Bank, etc, for a period of not less than 5 years before their death or permanent incapacitation.

C. Employees in Public Sector Undertakings, etc. The criteria enumerated in A and B above in this category will apply mutatis mutandis to officers holding equivalent or comparable posts in PSUs, Banks, Insurance Organisations, Universities, etc., and also to equivalent or comparable posts and positions under private employment, pending the evaluation of the posts on equivalent or comparable basis in these institutions, the criteria specified in Category VI below will apply to the officers in these Institutions. III. Armed forces including Paramilitary Forces (Persons holding civil posts are not included). Son(s) and daughter(s) of parents either or both of whom is or are in the rank of Colonel and above in the Army and to equivalent posts in the Navy and the Air Force and the Paramilitary Forces; Provided that – (i) If the wife of an armed forces officer is herself in the armed forces (i.e., the category under consideration) the rule of exclusion will apply only when she herself has reached the rank of Colonel; (ii) the service ranks below Colonel of husband and wife shall not be clubbed together; (iii) if the wife of an officer in the armed forces is in civil employment, this will not be taken into account for applying the rule of exclusion unless she falls in the service category under item No. II in which case the criteria and conditions enumerated therein will apply to her independently.

IV. Professional class and those engaged in Trade and Industry

(i) Persons engaged in profession as a doctor,lawyer, chartered accountant, income tax consultant, financial or management consultant, dental surgeon, engineer, architect, computer specialist, film artists and other film professional, author, playwright, sports person, sports professional, media professional or any other vocations of like status.

Criteria specified against Category VI will apply (ii) Persons engaged in trade, business and industry. Criteria specified against Category VI will apply. EXPLANATION – (i) Where the husband is in some profession and the wife is in a Class II or lower grade employment, the income/wealth test will apply only on the basis of the husband’s income. (ii) If the wife is in any profession and the husband is in employment in a Class II or lower rank post, then the income/wealth criterion will apply only on the basis of the wife’s income and the husband’s income will not be clubbed with it.

V. Property Owners

A. Agricultural holding. Son(s) and daughter(s) of persons belonging to a family (father, mother and minor children) which owns- (a) only irrigated land which is equal to or more than 85% of the statutory ceiling area, or (b) both irrigated and unirrigated land, as follows:- (i) The rule of exclusion will apply where the pre-condition exists that the irrigated area (having been brought to a single type under a common denominator) 40% or more of the statutory ceiling limit for irrigated land (this being calculated by excluding the unirrigated portion). If this pre-condition of not less than 40% exists, then only the area of unirrigated land will be taken into account. This will be done by converting, the unirrigated land on the basis of the conversion formula existing, into the irrigated type. The irrigated area so computed from unirrigated land shall be added to the actual area of irrigated land and if after such clubbing together the total area in terms of irrigated land is 85% or more of the statutory ceiling limit for irrigated land, then the rule of exclusion will apply and disentitlement will occur.) (ii) The rule of exclusion will not apply if the land holding of a family is exclusively unirrigated.

B. Plantations

(i) Coffee, tea, rubber, etc.

(ii) Mango, citrus, apple plantations, etc. Criteria of income/wealth specified in Category VI below will apply. Deemed as agricultural holding and hence criteria at A above under this category will apply. Criteria specified in Category VI below will apply. C. Vacant land and/or buildings in urban Agglomerations. EXPLANATION:- Building may be used for residential, industrial or commercial purpose and the like two or more such purposes.

VI. Income/Wealth Test Son(s) daughter(s) – (a) Persons having gross annual income of Rs. 1 lakh or above or possessing wealth above the exemption limit as prescribed in the Wealth Act for a period of three consecutive years. (b) Persons in Categories I, II, III and V-A who are not disentitled to the benefit of reservation but have income from other sources of wealth which will bring them within the income/wealth criteria mentioned in (a) above.

EXPLANATION:- (i) Income from salaries or agricultural land shall not be clubbed; (ii) The income criteria in terms of rupee will be modified taking into account the change in its value every three years. If the situation, however, so demands, the interregnum may be less.

EXPLANATION—Wherever the expression “permanent incapacitation” occur in this schedule, it shall mean incapacitation which results in putting an officer out of service.

See also

  • Socialism
  • Social Justice
  • Economic Justice
  • Political Justice
  • Nationalization

External links

  • Reservations: Towards a larger perspective - D.Parthasarathy, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.
  • Open Letter to The Supreme Court of India : PILs on OBC Reservations
  • OBC Culture.
  • What is Mandal Commission?.
  • Availing Reservation.
  • Creamy layer criteria
  • Reservation for creamy layer?, The Hindu Business Line, May 12, 2006

v • d • e

Reservation in India

Indian caste system · Scheduled castes and tribes · Other Backward Classes · Forward castes · Kalelkar Commission · Mandal Commission · 2006 anti-reservation protests · Youth for Equality · IIT reservation policy · Poona Pact


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Black and red ware culture

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

The black and red ware culture (BRW) is an early Iron Age archaeological culture of the northern Indian subcontinent. It is dated to roughly the 12th – 9th centuries BC, and associated with the post-Rigvedic Vedic civilization.

In some sites, BRW pottery is associated with Late Harappan pottery, and according to some scholars like Tribhuan N. Roy, the BRW may have directly influenced the Painted Grey Ware and Northern Black Polished cultures.

It is reaches from the upper Gangetic plain in Uttar Pradesh to the eastern Vindhya range and West Bengal.

Researches and findings suggest that the Black-and-Red pottery flourished in Bengal around 1500 BC and continued to evolve, well past the Chalcolithic age, into the historical period around the 3rd century BC.

Use of Iron, although sparse at first, is relatively early, postdating the beginning of the Iron Age in Anatolia (Hittites) by only two or three centuries, and predating the European (Celts) Iron Age by another two to three hundred years. Recent findings in Northern India show Iron working since 1800 BC. According to Shaffer, the “nature and context of the iron objects involved

It is succeeded by the Painted Grey Ware culture.

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Notes

  1. ^ Shaffer, Jim. 1993, Reurbanization: The eastern Punjab and beyond. In Urban Form and Meaning in South Asia: The Shaping of Cities from Prehistoric to Precolonial Times, ed. H. Spodek and D.M. Srinivasan.
  2. ^ Shaffer, Jim. Mathura: A protohistoric Perspective in D.M. Srinivasan (ed.), Mathura, the Cultural Heritage, 1989, pp. 171-180. Delhi. cited in Chakrabarti 1992
  3. ^ Shaffer 1989, cited in Chakrabarti 1992:171

References

  • Shaffer, Jim. Mathura: A protohistoric Perspective in D.M. Srinivasan (ed.), Mathura, the Cultural Heritage, 1989, pp. 171-180. Delhi.

See also

  • Kuru (India)

External links

  • The origins of iron-working in India: new evidence from the Central Ganga Plain and the Eastern Vindhyas by Rakesh Tewari (PDF)
  • India Heritage - Earthenware and Pottery

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Categories: Archaeological cultures | Iron Age | History of India | Culture stubs

Budalur

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Budalur (pronounced as ‘boodhaloor’) is a small town in Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located at 22 km to the west of Thanjavur and around 45 km to the east of Thiruchirapalli (called as Trichy). There are 3 rivers passing through Budalur namely Vennaaru, Anandha Cauvery and Grand Anaicut Canal (also called Pudhaaru).

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Culture

Budalur stands as a witness for Tamilian Culture. Jallikattu is a very famous event conducted with the cooperation of people from the surrounding villages during Pongal festival. Also many specialists in Silambaatam(Tamilian Martial Art), Karakaatam(Rural Dance Method) are available in the nearby villages. Another special festival here is Aadi Perukku. People used to go to river on that day and spend the evening there with their families and friends.

Transport

The most significant landmark of Budalur is its Railway Station that was built by the British people some 160 years ago. Except Jan Sataapthi, all other trains that pass through the station will stop there for passengers. Some 30 years ago, this was a small village with much less population and the major occupation was agriculture. But now lot of other businesses are available and the life style of people has also changed. The major change is due to the easiness to travel provided by Railway Station.

There are lot of roadways from Budalur to reach the mai