VZCZCXRO3599
RR RUEHAST RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM
DE RUEHNE #2599/01 2730722
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290722Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3603
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 2819
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 3576
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 2636
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUCPDC/NOAA NMFS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NEW DELHI 002599 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/STC, OES/SAT, OES/EGC, AND SCA/INS 
STATE FOR STAS 
STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS 
HHS PASS TO NIH 
STATE PASS TO USAID 
STATE FOR SCA, OES (STAS FEDOROFF), OES/PCI STEWART; OES/IHB MURPHY 
PASS TO HHS/OGHA (STEIGER/ABDOO/VALDEZ), CDC (BLOUNT/FARRELL), 
NIH/FIC (GLASS/MAMPILLY/HANDLEY), FDA (LUMPKIN/WELSCH, GENEVA FOR 
HOFMAN) 
PASS TO MAS/DAS/JESTRADA 
PASS TO MAC/DAS/HVINEYARD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO SENV AMED CASC KSCA ECON ETRD BEXP EINV PGOV
TSPL, TRGY, TNGD, EIND, ENRG, KGHG, IN 
SUBJECT: NEW DELHI BI-WEEKLY ESTH REPORT SEPTEMBER (II) 2008 
 
REF: NEW DELHI 1086 
 
NEW DELHI 00002599  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY: This edition of the New Delhi ESTH biweekly includes an 
update on the new Biofuel policy released by the Government of India 
(GOI) on September 11, and the recent visit of senior US Environment 
Protection Agency (EPA) officials to explore areas of technical 
assistance.  The report includes Department of State Global AI 
Action Group (G/AIAG) Foreign Affairs Advisor Dr. Helen Reed-Rowe's 
visit to New Delhi and her familiarization of Avian Influenza (AI) 
issues with relevant government authorities.  Completion of an 
HHS/NIH Workshop on Fundamentals of Biostatistics in Clinical 
Research and the commencement of a CDC-led collaborative study on 
disease burden related to the influenza virus infection in India, 
are reported.  The cable also provides details on GOI's response to 
the USFDA ban on the import of 30 locally manufactured drugs.  Other 
updates from the health section include the next steps to the 
National Reference Laboratory Assessment conducted by CDC, the 
organization of a counter terrorism training with CDC and the 
Department of State (DOS) support for the first time in Asia, the 
visit of staff from CDC/Atlanta to provide support in the 
preparation of the PEPFAR Annual Country Operational Plan, and the 
PEPFAR Strategic Information (SI) Officer's planned 3 day visit to 
Hanoi for an Office of Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC)-driven 
regional SI consultation. 
 
END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
GOI ANNOUNCES NEW BIOFUEL POLICY 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
¶2.  The GOI on September 11, 2008 approved the implementation of the 
National Biofuel Policy (NBP) by 2017.  The NBP envisages the use of 
petrol with a 20 percent blend of ethanol (current blend is 5 
percent) and diesel with a blend of non-edible oil from plants such 
as Jatropha Curcas (botanical name).  The percentage of ethanol in 
petrol is also expected to be doubled to 10 from the present 5 
subject to availability of sugarcane based ethanol.   It is also 
proposed to scrap additional state taxes and duties on bio- diesel 
and confer "declared goods" status.  Declared goods status would 
mean that the two would attract a uniform central sales tax or Value 
Added Tax (VAT) rate rather than varied sales tax rates prevalent in 
states and thus help ease commerce within and outside the states. 
Further, a National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) headed by 
the Prime Minister of India has been constituted to oversee the 
implementation of the NBP. 
 
¶3.  The GOI plans to give preference to homegrown biodiesels, 
mandating they come from non-edible oil seeds and be grown on waste, 
degraded or marginal lands. Biodiesel crops will not be allowed to 
grow on fertile, irrigated land, and the government plans to ban the 
import of free fatty acids, such as palm oil.  Further GOI plans to 
undertake purchase of biodiesel as a rural business hub activity 
through the local government bodies (Panchayat Raj) in the villages. 
 The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has already identified 20 
biodiesel procurement centers in nine states.  The NBP also calls 
for the GOI to encourage research and development besides aiding 
plantations, processing and production technologies including 
cellulosic biofuels.  Some of the new research initiatives include 
focused study of ethanol extraction from Cashew fruit which is 
otherwise discarded as waste and extraction of biodiesel from 
Moringa Oleifera (botanical name) or drumsticks seed which can be 
grown even in dry land regions. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
USEPA ENGAGES WITH INDIAN INTERLOCUTORS 
 
NEW DELHI 00002599  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶4.  In a series of meetings with the GOI ministries as well as 
Indian NGOs and multilateral institutions from Sept 15-18, 2008, 
senior US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) officials scoped their 
engagement possibilities with India and discussed areas where 
existing EPA expertise could benefit India as it grapples with air 
and water pollution, toxic waste and environmental governance 
issues.   One common theme expressed in all meetings, including with 
the GOI, was India's failure in promoting good environmental 
governance and institution building over the last few decades. 
Clearly India is willing to work closely with the EPA and is in the 
process of reviewing its governance structure, with suggestion to 
have an environmental governance structure modeled over the EPA.  A 
more detailed cable will follow. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
AI ISSUES FAMILIARIZATION VISIT TO INDIA 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶5.  Department of State (DOS) Global Avian Influenza Action Group 
(G/AIAG) Foreign Affairs Advisor Dr. Helen Reed-Rowe was on a 
familiarization of Avian Influenza (AI) issues visit to India last 
week.  Dr. Reed-Rowe has taken over the portfolio from Mr. Hollis 
Summers.  While in New Delhi, Dr. Reed-Rowe met with senior 
officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Indian Council of 
Medical Research, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, 
the World Health Organization to familiarize herself with avian 
influenza issues and the challenges faced.  At Mission, she received 
briefing on seasonal and avian influenza from HHS, FAS, USAID, and 
ESTH section 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
CLINICAL RESEARCH WORKSHOP SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶6.  The HHS/NIH Workshop on Fundamentals of Biostatistics in 
Clinical Research, held from 15-17 September, 2008 was successfully 
completed.  The series of workshops help to train academia in the 
area of good clinical research practices mainly early and mid-career 
medical faculty members/researchers, as well as postgraduate 
students with interest in clinical research.  This was seventh 
workshop by HHS/NIH on clinical research in the last 2 years. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
CDC COLLABORATIVE INFLUENZA DISEASE BURDEN STUDY 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶7.  HHS/CDC scientists came to assist in the collaborative project 
"Infectious Disease Burden in rural communities in India."  The 
project will obtain accurate information on the burden of disease 
related to influenza virus infection in India so as to make 
decisions regarding selection of strategies for its prevention and 
control including use of available vaccines.  This study aims to 
quantify the burden of severe illnesses attributable to Influenza 
virus in different parts of the country.  This study is being done 
in collaboration with National Institute of Virology, Pune, Indian 
Council of Medical Research and Centers for Diseases Control and 
prevention, USA 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
INDIA'S RESPONSE TO THE USFDA BAN 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶8.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) last week Qnned 
 
NEW DELHI 00002599  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
the import of 30 drugs manufactured at Indian pharmaceutical company 
Ranbaxy's plants in Paonta Sahib and Dewas.  The ban, imposed after 
the detection of certain procedural problems in the manufacturing 
process, will once again raise question marks about the quality of 
drugs being produced by Indian manufacturers.  Ranbaxy officials 
were "disappointed" with the ban.  India may take up the issue in 
case the ban is not revoked following corrective actions taken by 
the company.  Ranbaxy has informed India's Ministry of Commerce that 
it has made procedural corrections at its manufacturing facilities 
in conformity with USFDA rules and is in the process of informing 
the USFDA.  According to a press report, the Ministry of Commerce 
stated "There is nothing wrong with the quality of the drugs banned 
by the US.  There were small procedural violations pointed out by 
the USFDA.  Ranbaxy has informed us that those violations have been 
corrected and it would now invite the USFDA to come and inspect its 
facilities."  The Commerce officials added "We have no objections 
when genuine concerns are addressed.  But if quality issues are 
unnecessarily raked up as non-tariff barriers, we will surely 
discuss the matter with the U.S." 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
CDC AND STATE ORGANIZE COUNTER-TERRORISM TRAINING 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶9.  HHS/CDC and the DOS along with the FBI and other law enforcement 
agencies in Asia, conducted a week-long training on 
counter-terrorism.  This is in line with the priorities identified 
by Indo-USG JWG on Counter-terrorism. Held at the TRC (TB Research 
Center) and NIE (National Institute of Epidemiology) in Chennai from 
September 16- 19, this was the first ever meeting of its kind in 
Asia.  NIE/Field Epidemiologists Training Program (FETP) faculty 
facilitated the training, as did CDC.  CDC also helped DOS in 
customizing case studies for India and in locating local 
participants.  The training had representation from the GOI, and 
about 30 participants (public health experts in surveillance, law 
enforcement agencies' officials and some DOD personnel) attended. 
The newly arrived Consul General in Chennai Mr. Andrew Simkin 
provided closing remarks and handed out certificates to 
participants. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
NACO, CDC AND WHO TO ORGANIZE CONSULTATION ON LABORATORY 
STRENGTHENING 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶10.  The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) is holding a 
follow-up consultation to the CDC-conducted laboratory assessment of 
the 13 National Reference Laboratories in India.  This consultation 
will be held from September 23-25 and will be attended by all 
participating laboratories, to discuss next steps and develop a 
roadmap for quality improvements and strengthening.  This is in 
response to the assessment report.  CDC, along with the World Health 
Organization, will facilitate this consultation.  The meeting will 
be held at the National Institute of Biologicals in New Delhi. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
CDC/ATLANTA ASSISTANCE IN PREPARATION OF COUNTRY OPERATIONAL PLAN 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶11.  PEPFAR SI Adviser Sadhna Patel and India Backstop officer in 
Atlanta, Dr. Richard Keenlyside are on TDY to India.  Ms. Patel and 
Dr. Keenlyside are in-country to provide assistance on the 
preparation of the annual Country Operational Plan. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
NEW DELHI 00002599  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
CDC PEPFAR SI OFFICER TO ATTEND SI REGIONAL CONSULTATION 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶12.  CDC's PEPFAR SI Officer will attend a regional SI consultation 
at Hanoi, Vietnam being organized by the Office of Global AIDS 
Coordinator (OGAC) from September 24-26.  This meeting will bring 
together about 22 strategic information experts from 7 countries in 
the region to discuss common issues that are faced in the management 
and organization of strategic and program data and for sharing best 
practices in data quality assessments, adherence to common reporting 
frameworks with the host country government and use of program data 
in decision-making. 
 
MULFORD