IASstuffDially: January 2017

Sunday, 29 January 2017

Newspaper articles- 29th January,2017

The Hindu

Front Page / NATIONAL

EC: Ministries, departments cannot bypass us: Noting that the Ministries of Defence and Finance, besides NITI Aayog, had taken certain decisions that disturbed the level playing field in the poll-bound States, the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday requested the Cabinet Secretariat to issue instructions to all government departments for strict adherence to its guidelines.

Stealth frigates deal with Russia stumbles on costs: The multi-billion dollar deal between India and Russia for four stealth frigates has run into trouble over pricing and local construction with Transfer of Technology (ToT).

Odisha rejects panel on Mahanadi: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday that the Odisha government has rejected the Centre’s negotiation committee on Mahanadi river water dispute with Chhattisgarh.

Editorial/OPINION

A stomach for gut research: If Indian science doesn’t wake up, it could lose out in the revving, global race to understand the mysteries of the gut.

Why India needs to step up its fight: In 2015, the country accounted for 60% of new cases of leprosy globally.

ECONOMY

Bilateral trade hit by banks’ reluctance to transact with Iran: India’s trade with Iran is yet to be fully normalised even a year after the lifting of international sanctions on Tehran.

India Post gets payments bank licence to start services: India Post has received payments bank licence from the Reserve Bank of India to start rollout of banking operations commercially under the permit.

Newspaper articles- 28th January,2017

The Hindu

Front Page / NATIONAL

SC to hear pleas on TN jallikattu law on Jan. 31: The Supreme Court on Friday said all applications filed to challenge Tamil Nadu’s amendment of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960, allowing jallikattu to be held in the State, will be heard on January 31, 2017.\

Farmers’ deaths a human rights issue: Supreme Court: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre and the States to explain whether there was a lifeline, including a comprehensive insurance plan, for farmers to end the vicious circle plaguing the agriculture sector.

No one law on cattle slaughter: SC: The Supreme Court on Friday declined a plea to direct States to frame a uniform policy banning cattle slaughter and prevent the illegal inter-State transportation of cattle.

Navy rejects Tejas, begins global search: After declaring the naval version of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas unfit for operating from aircraft carriers in its “present form,” the Indian Navy has launched a global hunt for a carrier-based multi-role fighter aircraft.

Editorial/OPINION

The politics of demonetisation: As Parliament prepares to convene again after a winter session washed out due to the Opposition’s protest on demonetisation, it is worth asking why political mobilisation against the exercise is proving to be so difficult.

Getting ties with UAE on track: India’s interest in the UAE rests on several pillars: trade ties of about $50 billion, energy and oil supplies from the world’s fifth largest exporter, the welfare of 2.6 million Indians who remit billions of dollars home annually, and defence and security.

ECONOMY

Centre says GAAR effective April 1, industry demurs: The new rules give tax authorities the right to scrutinise and tax transactions which they believe are structured solely to avoid taxes.

WTO pact set to lift world trade by $1 tn. in Trump era: The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) will have a major impact on poorer countries, because it standardises and simplifies customs procedures, slashing the time, cost and complexity of taking goods over borders.

Indian Express

Between Local And National: Anger at the marginalisation of the regional fuelled Jallikattu protests.

An inconvenient truth: India is one of the most unequal countries in the world — the richest 1 per cent own 60 per cent of its wealth.

Live Mint

The painful evolution of India’s telecom industry: It might be at an inflection point with the ongoing data wars—but it won’t be a smooth transition.

Digital payments don’t need fiscal intervention: There is no compelling need to give tax refunds to consumers.

Newspaper articles- 27th January,2017

The Hindu

Front Page / NATIONAL

Soon, group housing scheme with PF funds: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has mooted a group housing scheme which will enable members to form cooperative housing societies and use their entire provident fund savings towards buying land, constructing homes or paying housing loan instalments.

Ukraine lauds India for support over Crimea: The First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Stepan Kubiv, said that his government appreciated India’s neutrality.

Editorial/OPINION

Rolling back Ordinance Raj: The Supreme Court’s verdict that ordinances are subject to judicial review, and do not automatically create enduring effects, places a timely check on a power rampantly abused by governments.

Case for targeted basic income: The idea of a basic income is not new.

Peace is a process: The absentees at the Astana talks on the Syrian conflict hold the cards for the next steps.

ECONOMY

Situation on inter-connection better, says TRAI: Terming the overall Points of Interconnect situation as “better” than before, regulator TRAI has said Vodafone and Idea Cellular are meeting norms in all circles, while for Bharti Airtel the congestion level is beyond the permissible limit in eight circles.

Science and Technology

‘Smart glasses’ that automatically focus on what you see: The days of wearing bifocals or constantly swapping reading glasses may soon be over, thanks to the new ‘smart glasses’ developed by scientists, including one of Indian origin.

Indian Express

Zero sum game is up: As its friends befriend India, Pakistan’s ruling elites must come to terms with new regional, global realities.

After the quake: Bhuj shows that disaster management practice remains technical, instrumental.

Live Mint

Digital payments don’t need fiscal intervention: There is no compelling need to give tax refunds to consumers.

Newspaper articles-26th January,2017

The Hindu

Front Page / NATIONAL

T.N.’s new jallikattu law faces challenge in Supreme Court: The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea by the Animal Welfare Board of India, Compassion Unlimited Plus Action and animal rights activists to stay the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Bill, 2017 passed by the State Assembly.

Transparency puts India on list for failing to curb corruption: The annual index of Transparency International issued on Wednesday for 2016 placed India with Brazil and China in the 40th position. India’s condition showed growth with inequality, it said.

India, UAE sign strategic partnership pact: India on Wednesday sealed 14 agreements, including a comprehensive strategic partnership, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Editorial/OPINION

Marching with a clear message: The global resonance of the Women’s March on Washington sent out the signal that the silent majority will register its resistance against rising intolerance and prejudice.

ECONOMY

Centre yet to decide on digital payments report: The Finance Ministry is yet to take a final view on the suggestions made by a panel of Chief Ministers on encouraging digital payments, which include a recommendation to levy a handling charge on cash transactions over Rs. 50,000.

Indian Express

The republic’s paradox: India celebrates both democracy and elections. But is the latter dominating the former today?

Shot in the arm: Mission Indradhanush marks the Centre’s commitment to building a healthy India.

Live Mint

The case against universal basic income: At this stage of development, there is no reason why the government should transfer cash to the entire population.

Newspaper article s- 25th January,2017

The Hindu

Front Page / NATIONAL

Centre seeks to withdraw its jallikattu notification: Informs SC that it will move an application in view of T.N. Bill.

NHRC notice to Maharashtra over student deaths at govt-run school: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday issued a notice to the Maharasthra government over the reported deaths of more than 500 girls at State-run schools for tribal students.

India to ratify amended version of Kyoto Protocol: In a token measure to put pressure on developed countries to deliver on climate change commitments, India will soon ratify an amended version of the Kyoto Protocol. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval to ratify the deal that is set to expire in 2020 and was shunned by several developed countries, most prominently the United States.

Improved Pinaka rockets test-fired: Pinaka rockets, with a guidance system and an enhanced range, were successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha on Tuesday.

‘69% of political funds from unknown sources’: Association for Democratic Reforms says the income of national parties from unknown sources increased by 313%.

EC tells parties to uphold SC order: The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday issued an order to all political parties to strictly adhere to the recent Supreme Court judgment that soliciting of votes on the ground of religion, caste, race, community or language is a “corrupt practice” and calls for disqualification of the candidate.

Editorial/OPINION

The end of a protest: What began as a people’s protest on Chennai’s Marina beach against the ban on jallikattu quickly descended into chaos and confusion when the protesters stood their ground even after the government came up with a practical, legislative solution to the judiciary-imposed prohibition of the annual bull-taming ritual.

Budgeting for the elections: The suspense over the timing of the Union Budget for 2017-18 finally ended on Monday with the Election Commission and the Supreme Court scotching calls, in the light of upcoming elections for five State Assemblies, to defer the February 1 date proposed by the Centre.

Navigating a Trumpian world: The past is no longer a guide to the future. In the coming years, Indian foreign policy will need less red lines and greater agility and pragmatism as the country seeks to find its place in this Age of Uncertainty.

Flirting with chauvinism: In Tamil Nadu right now, the danger lies in the possibility that political elites within the Dravidian parties may empower the more intolerant strand of Tamil identity politics.

Lift the veil of secrecy: The primary aim of the demonetisation exercise was to tap black money.

Bridging the Gulf: India-UAE ties are an exemplar for the changing Indian approach towards the wider region.

ECONOMY

Tax guidelines to target shell companies notified: The Finance Ministry made public the final guidelines on the Place of Effective Management (POEM), underlining the government’s intent to target shell companies created to keep income out of India even when real management is taking place within the country.

Centre defers move to cut EPF administrative charges: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation’s (EPFO) long-pending proposal to reduce administrative charges for employers may face further delays till March due to the model code of conduct coming into force in various states going for polls beginning next month.\

Cabinet clears interest waiver for farm loans: The Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for an interest waiver for the two months of November and December, 2016 for farmers accessing short-term crop loans from cooperative banks.

Indian Express

Disrespecting heritage: The ministry of culture’s proposal to allow construction near historical monuments betrays a lack of understanding of their value.

Live Mint

Subhas Chandra Bose: The leading nationalist: His nationalist credentials largely explain Bose’s continued popularity.

Loan for tenants: small reform, big gain: The experience of states like Andhra Pradesh is encouraging and some other states are already experimenting with empowering tenant farmers.

Newspaper article s- 24th January,2017

The Hindu

Front Page / NATIONAL

Budget before polls gets green light from SC: Presentation of the Central budget has nothing to do with State Assembly elections.

Private schools need govt nod before hiking fees: SC: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal filed by the committee of private unaided schools against a Delhi High Court order that schools located on land allotted by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) should take prior permission from the government before raising their fee structure.

SC for daily drug dosage regimen for TB patients: The Supreme Court on Monday gave the government nine months to replace the thrice-a-week dosage norm of tuberculosis drugs with a daily dosage regimen recently approved by the World Health Organisation to curb relapse and deaths during treatment.

UAE signals a ‘Look East’ policy: Its troops will march in the Republic Day parade as an indicator of its power in the Indian Ocean.

Editorial/OPINION

The price of fiscal folly: Borrowing to distribute for consumption is to be guarded against. When — as now — the government has debt outstanding, launching the universal basic income would amount precisely to that.

Our democratic deficit: The Oxfam report shows that wealth is a good proxy for the ability to influence politics via pieces of legislation or campaign contributions.

ECONOMY

N.K. Singh panel submits report on FRBM Act: With a little more than a week before Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presents the Budget, the N.K. Singh panel submitted its report on revising the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act to Mr. Jaitley.

India rejects attempts by EU, Canada for global investment agreement: India had asked all nations, with which it has BITs, to re-negotiate those agreements on the basis of the new draft text of BIT.

‘Use Aadhaar e-KYC to verify mobile users’: TRAI has also recommended that the use of Aadhaar-based e-KYC be permitted for outstation customers.

Science and Technology

What mackerel and a volcano can tell us about climate change: Researchers assert that bit of history gives clues about what food security could be like in a world that is fast accepting the reality of global warming.

Indian Express

Reclaiming the Gulf: The region is eager to see India return to its traditional role as a major economic and security partner.

Live Mint

The right processes for a good budget: A transparent policymaking process is necessary for taking the right decision and obtaining a buy-in from stakeholders.

Newspaper articles- 23rd January,2017

The Hindu

Front Page / NATIONAL

Jallikattu verdict spurred a flood of animal right cases in SC: The Supreme Court has declared that animals have a right to protect their life and dignity from human excesses.

Derailments rise but safety reports gather dust: Parliamentary panel pulls up Railways for lack of urgency on track renewal, safety measures.

Editorial/OPINION

The nowhere people next door: New Delhi should use creative diplomacy to persuade Myanmar to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

In fruitless pursuit of permanence: Tamil Nadu government may have had few political options but to go in for an ordinance to facilitate the conduct of jallikattu once the surge in popular sentiment in favour of the traditional bull-taming sport gathered an enormous, unstoppable momentum.

Dealing with the deadwood: It has taken more than 40 years for the Centre to administer a shock to a complacent civil service.

From Jellicut to jallikattu: Only science can ensure commercial viability and protection of indigenous breeds.

ECONOMY

Curbs on outsourcing may hit U.S. economy: Nasscom: India’s IT industry has warned about the adverse impact that curbs on outsourcing will have on the U.S. economy, which lacks high-skilled workers.

Indian Express

Justice, more sensitive: Bihar government’s decision to put in place 50 per cent reservations in judicial services is a step long overdue.

Live Mint

Connecting India’s states with good logistics: To reap the full benefits of GST on inter-state trade, both hard and soft logistics infrastructure need to improve.

Sunday, 22 January 2017

Impose Ban on "Chinese Manja"(Nylon kite thread)- Brief

In Ahmedabad, Uttarayan 2011 claimed eight lives, one of which was a four-year old girl whose throat was slit with Chinese dori despite a 2009 ban (never put into practice) on its use for kite-flying. Nearly 300 more humans were injured. But no one counted how many (thousands) birds got injured or died. Similarly, in Jaipur 250 kite flying accidents occurred in 2011 – 30 of which were children. 81 birds were rescued whereas 16 died due to manja injuries.

(Source: http://bwcindia.org/Web/Awareness/Campaigns/KillerManja.html)

Chinese manja used by millions for kite fighting has resulted in hundreds of human and bird death. In addition, it is non-biodegradable, that is, it does not get decomposed and sustains in environment for a long time. Even after the festivities are over, lumps of these dangerous threads (manja) remain, effectively entangling and killing innocent birds.

These kites are tied to the sky using a thread called manja. Courtesy the rising competitive spirit, this manja is turning more and more lethal in a drive to win. Chinese manja is made of metallic/nylon yarn with an abrasive coat of crushed glass gummed on to it making it razor sharp and non-biodegradable.

What started as a re-creational activity ages back evolved into a sport called kite fighting. These fighter kites compete voraciously to cut the fine threads of the other in a rampage to win. Indians celebrate Makar Sankranti (harvest festival), Republic Day, Independence Day, Raksha Bandhan, every year at various times throughout the length and breadth of the country by flying of the colorful kites (patang).

Over the last 2-3 years, many states have unsuccessfully tried to ban the use of this deadly Chinese manja. In 2009-10 it was banned in cities like Chennai and Mumbai. In 2011 Manja for flying kites was banned in Ludhiana, Jagraon and Khanna rural districts of Punjab. However, such sporadic and regional action has not lead to any positive results so far and both bird and human lives continue to remain in danger.

It’s about time, our Environment and Forest Ministry headed by Mr. Veerappa Moily declares a strict nation-wide ban on the use and sell of Chinese manja and end this massacre of bird, human life and the environment.

Newspaper articles- 22nd January,2017

The Hindu

Front Page / NATIONAL

How ISRO plans to launch 103 satellites on a single rocket: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will set a record when it launches 103 satellites in one go on a single rocket in the first week of February.

Editorial/OPINION

Will the superbug scare hit home?: The suspected Indian superbug link to an American woman’s death underscores the urgent need for a national action plan to execute the existing framework for combating antimicrobial resistance.

ECONOMY

‘Budget will be crucial for housing’: The housing sector was provided with plenty of impetus last year. From a Budget tailored to increase benefits for builders and home buyers to multiple initiatives to boost the efforts for ‘Housing For All by 2022,’ the ecosystem found itself in an abundance of favourable factors.

Tax-free withdrawal limit for PF may rise: The Labour Ministry has sought a fourfold increase in the threshold limit for tax deduction on provident fund withdrawals, from the existing ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh, in the coming Budget.

Science & Technology

‘Massive Antarctic ice shelf ready to break’: A gigantic chunk of ice that is breaking away from West Antarctica is now attached to its parent ice shelf just by a thread, scientists reported on Friday.

New technique for faster diagnosis of HIV: Scientists have developed a new method for medical testing that may lead to faster diagnosis of HIV, Lyme disease, syphilis and rota-virus infections.

Indian Express

Fifth column: India’s eternal time warp: There were as many Indian participants at this year’s annual meeting of the World Economic Forum as there were Chinese, but nobody noticed India at all.

It is a balloon, it is a kite!: The Chief Economic Adviser has promised a detailed analysis of the subject in the Economic Survey that will be presented to Parliament on the eve of the Budget.

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