India's stand reinforced at WTO: Govt

Rejecting the critics' claim that it came back from WTO talks "empty handed", government today asserted in Rajya Sabha that India's stand was "reinforced" and it had ensured protection of farmers' interests without succumbing to pressures from countries like the US and EU.
"It is wrong to say that we came empty handed instead we came with our hands reinforced," Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while making a statement and replying to clarifications.
"This government has not bowed before anybody's pressure. I want to reaffirm that India did not surrender before the US or the European Union and instead in Nairobi what we have ensured is to have a reaffirmation of Bali and General Council meeting of November 2014," she said.

The Minister said the larger coalition was still with India at the talks in Nairobi last week.
She said India sought and succeeded in obtaining a re-affirmative ministerial decision on public stockholding for food security purposes honouring both Bali and General Council decisions and "we will not be pulled to any court of WTO" as few members apprehended.
"India negotiated hard to ensure that the WTO continues to place the interest of developing countries and LDCs at the centre of its agenda," she said, adding that a few developed countries including the US, however, are opposed to the continuation of the Doha Round.

The Nairobi Ministerial Declaration acknowledged that members have different views on how to address the future of the Doha Round negotiations but noted strong commitment of all members to advance negotiations on the remaining Doha issues, she said.

Sitharaman added that a large group of developing countris has been seeking a Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) for agriculture products in future discussions in WTO, India negotiated a ministerial decision which recognises that developing countries will have the right to have recourse to an SSM as envisaged in the mandate.
"We ensured that it be taken up in Nairobi and a ministerial committee recommitted itself to give right to developing countries for protection from import surges," she said

The Minister said in Bali, it was agreed that a permanent solution would be given by 2017 and it will be India's endeavour to obtain it.
On export subsidy, she said that developed countries had agreed to withdraw all subsidies for export promotion and this would result in India competing in international market.
"We are not the people who will go out of the country to compromise on issues," she said, adding that after Doha Round unfulfilled agenda is taken to a conclusion.
As the Chair allowed the Minister to make a statement on
the WTO, opposition members objected, saying they should be allowed to seek clarifications and the House witnessed some noisy scenes.

Attacking the government for its stand in WTO, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) termed it as "a serious let-down" and said "we are afraid this government has buckled under US pressure".
Replying to a other queries, Sitharaman said only three developed nations Switzerland, Canada and Norway have permission to give export subsidy for dairy products and swine meat and the extra time to withdraw subsidy is till 2020.
In her statement, she said all countries agreed to the elimination of agriculture export subsidies subject to preservation of special and differential treatment for developing countries such as a longer phase-out period for transportation and marketing export subsidies for exporting agricultural products.

She said developing countries have committed to removing export subsidies immediately, except for a few agricultural products, and developing countries will do so by 2018.
"Developing countries will keep the flexibility to cover marketing and transport subsidies for aghriculture exports until the end of 2023, and the LDCs and net fodod-importing developing countries would have additional time to cut such export subdisies," she said.
Earlier, Congress leader and former Commerce Minister Anand Sharma attacked the government for not giving enough time to the members to go through India's stand in WTO and said, "Many members have not read it and we are going through it now."

He asked the government to clarify its stand on public stock holding of foodgrains for food security purposes that it has taken at the WTO.
"What has happened to that commitment of a permanent solution on food security? What has happened in Nairobi?," he questioned.
Sharma also asked the government to inform the House if there has been "any new understanding" on the package for Least Developed Countries (LDC) at the Narobi session of WTO.
"Was there any attempts by the developed countries to introduce education and labour related issues"," he asked.
EMS Natchiappan (Cong) sought to know how many countries supported India and by when the export subisidy issue was going to be sorted out.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC) and Bhupinder Singh (BJD) too raised questions regarding what India was doing to protect the interest of farmers.
D Raja (CPI) asked the government to clarify on its stand in the WTO on commercialisation of education.
"Was there any negotiation on the issue of higher education? There are apprehensions that it could be treated as a tradeable commodity under the WTO. Government has so far not clarified India's stand on this," he added.
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Sharing Raja's concerns on the issue of higher education, K C Tyagi (JD-U) asked the government to address the matter raised by members on the interest of the farmers and students.

He added that commercialisation of higher education will affect the interests of weaker sections of society and the government should clarify its stand on this.
Tiruchi Siva (DMK) said that once India agrees to WTO's offer, it cannot back off and if it does the repercussions will be severe.
This will impact domestic education in the country as the government will cut subsidies provided to the universities and educational institutions, he added.
Balchandra Mungekar (Cong) asked the government to come out with its stand at WTO on the agricultural subsidies, including subsidies on fishing, and on commercialisation of higher education.

Government should assure the house that the interest of the weaker sections will not be affected, he said.
A Navaneethakrishnan (AIADMK) asked the government to clarify what steps it has taken to protect the interests of farmers and students in relation to WTO.