Prices pain less, RBI will bring the scalpel out

Prices pain less, RBI will bring the scalpel out, believes Arjun Parthasarthy , editor of inverstorsareidiots.com

Bulls need local cues to keep the tempo up...

Bulls need local cues to keep the tempo up..., believes Lachman Ramchand

Driving our rupee

What drives the Indian rupee?

The rise of the Indian rupee can be driven by the rise in Euro rates, RBI and of course, risks, believes Gaurav Kapur...

RBI, US data and risk to drive rupee

Mars on Boil, may push weak to risky zone

Mars on Boil, may push weak to risky zone, by Christopher Kevil

Governor's double standards...

The governor of Karnataka, HR Bharadwaj, outrightly rejected Justice Bannurmath as Lokayukta chief on the grounds of lack of impeccable integrity.

However he has accepted Justice Chandrashekariah for the post of Upa-Lokayukta though his integrity has been questioned by many...

Why these double standards , asks Hemanth Kumar from DNA

Muslim votes: Which party will take it...

There are close to 20% of Muslims in India and where they cast their vote can decide the fate of 2012 state UP elections...

Did BJP do a mistake by oppressing Muslim reservation? As all the other castes's votes are informally decided and the Muslims distancing themselves from SP and Rahul Gandhi's heroics towards them contrasting with a weak foothold for the congress and the BSP, the entire seat matrix is totally confusing...

How a weak BJP has fired UP's Muslims

Barrack-room surgery in Bihar's backwaters

"The Kaparfora sterilisations expose the State administration's tenuous hold over NGOs contracted for conducting family planning camps."

This appalling barrack-room surgical procedure, bereft of prescribed operating theatre (OT) facilities, started unravelling in the wee hours, when three women started haemorrhaging profusely. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Barrack-room surgery in Bihar's backwaters

At the root of the problem is the State's all-round lack of capacity in the health sector, including family planning. Bihar's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 3.9 - the average number of children a woman will bear in her lifetime - is the highest in the country and vastly outstrips the national average of 2.6.

Though NGOs can and do play an important role in augmenting the efforts of the State government, the Kaparfora sterilisations expose the tenuous hold of the Nitish Kumar-run administration over NGOs contracted for conducting family planning camps.

In an indication of cover-up, the State Health Department hurriedly circulated a prima facie report on the incident to the media, contradicting police investigations and seeking to assure the public that events had transpired quite differently.

The great leap backward

"In six months, we have gone from a plausible model for the Lokpal to one that lacks the teeth needed to fight corruption at the highest levels."

Unfortunately, the new Lokpal-Lokayukta Bill of the government is a great leap backward. The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : The great leap backward.

The Bill is retrograde on the relationship between the Lokpal and the CBI. Investigation is the foundation of any case, and its independence makes all the difference. There is no shortage of critical comment by the Supreme Court about the CBI being under the umbrella of the executive. The portions of the Bill relating to investigation are counter productive.

The inclusion of Lokayuktas in the Bill is said to violate the federal principle. This claim can be trumped by Article 253, which says that where Parliament makes a law to implement an international treaty, such law will hold good even if it transgresses the federal division. The Lokpal-Lokayukta Act is expressly made in pursuance of the UN Convention on Corruption, which India ratified. One wonders whether the objectors are acting from lofty constitutional principles or simply resisting tough anti-corruption bodies in their respective States.

Another concern is skewed composition of the Selection Committee and 50% reservation. What is the rationale between corruption and caste, gender or religion? And why bring NGOs under scrutiny when action can be taken against them under other statutes? Will this not dissipate the resources of the Lokpal?

Civil society should put down the non-negotiable demand of a tough and fully empowered Lokpal with full control over investigation and prosecution of the top-rung of governance, and for one Act to operate nationally. The fundamental adage in negotiation is that the best is the enemy of the good — an insistence on all or nothing usually results in getting the latter. 

'My trip to Pakistan was a high point in my life'

Q&A


with L K Advani, deputy prime minister in the Vajpayee government, who missed his chance to occupy the top slot, when the NDA lost the general elections in 2009, on coalition politics, smaller states, corruption, religious intolerance and cultural nationalism

Interview - Q&A

-The Times of India January 23, 2012

Playing With Fire

The Congress is repeating old mistakes by exploiting the Rushdie issue for electoral purposes

Playing With Fire

-The Times of India, January 23, 2012

The Rushdie affair might have set grave precedents for further public restrictions, fears the writer.

"Like in 1986-88, the Congress is sedulously promoting the idea of Muslim distinctiveness - institutionalising into permanency a legal separateness (in 1986) and a political separateness (now)"

Lots in a name

How the world addresses you is of grave importance

Lots in a name

-The Times of India, January 23, 2012

Taxing Question

Transparent laws will boost investments


Taxing Question

-The Times of India, January 23, 2012

"The Supreme Court ruling in favour of Vodafone in its tax dispute with the government - the whopping amount of Rs 11, 800 crore is at stake - should bring cheer to foreign investors as it sends a reassuring signal about the prevalence of the rule of law in India."

The recent landmark case will instill hope and courage in making investments in India. Transparent laws are needed, and so are predictable rules and regulations, which together make investors aware of "what they are in for when they choose to operate in India."

Close Shave

India must make ties with Bangladesh irreversible 


Close Shave

-The Times of India, January 23, 2012

The Sheikh Hasina-led Government, after being a firm stand for the ideals of democracy in her country, was suddenly aware of a probable-coup if it were not foiled by the Bangladeshi army. The instilling, and strengthening of, a powerful democracy - which saw the banning of many Islamist Anti-India groups - was most warmly welcome. However, if it were to happen that the Awami League government is not in power after the election, suggested by the history of alternate election since 1990, the opposition in Bangladesh Nationalist Party could reverse the gains of the last three years. 

Saleh gets immunity

"Yemen's Parliament approved immunity to free President Ali Abdullah Saleh from prosecution, following through on a requirement in a deal for him to give up power. The lawmakers extended the legislation to grant immunity for politically motivated crimes committed by all officials working under Mr. Saleh"

The agreement, remained controversial with critics who say he should be punished for acts during his 33 years as President, including what anti-government protesters and Human Rights Watch say was the killing of hundreds of demonstrators by his security forces. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Saleh gets immunity: The immunity law cannot be cancelled or appealed. However, Mr. Saleh can still be prosecuted outside Yemen — by the International Criminal Court, for instance.

Even if he does leave office, Mr. Saleh has many family members and loyalists still in influential positions in the government and armed forces, through whom, analysts say, he will still be able to wield influence.

Yemeni officials recently expressed concern that elections could be postponed because of the chaotic state of the country.

Zabadani: still a besieged city

"A growing number of residents are joining a band of defecting soldiers, some of whom claim to be part of the Free Syrian Army."

Zabadani, a small city, has become famous as a surprise stronghold for President Bashar Assad's opponents. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Zabadani: still a besieged city: Residents talk about their moment of independence in Zabadani as a respite, rather than a sign of the Syrian uprising's changing tide. In fact, the presence of resistance fighters there may signal a more violent phase to come.

The role of armed defectors has grown, with attacks on troops, including killings and kidnappings, that at times have overshadowed the demonstrations. At the same time, many protesters defend the defectors, saying they are grateful for protection against a government that has resorted to violence against peaceful opponents.

"The protesters called for the government's fall, but also for unity, in a plea to save Zabadani from the fate of other restive Syrian cities."

Karzai underscores Afghanistan's right to decide its future

Taliban has stepped up a campaign of assassinations, creating a sense of siege that has made Mr. Karzai a virtual prisoner of his own palace. It has hit back with targeted attacks intended to undermine public confidence by demonstrating the government's inability to protect even its most senior officials. Adding to this, increasing violence by Afghan soldiers toward U.S. and other coalition forces has raised tensions among the allies.

The Karzai government has expressed concern that it is not being fully included in the U.S.-led efforts to reopen direct negotiations with the insurgents, complaining that the Afghan government should lead any talks. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Karzai underscores Afghanistan's right to decide its future: Afghanistan is not a place for foreigners to do their political experiments or a laboratory that every few years they test a new political system.

"Pakistan, where much of the Taliban leadership resides, could use the insurgents as a stalking-horse to strike a deal with Washington and, in the process, secure its own position in Afghanistan."

Good news at last

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for November released recently showed the output rebounding sharply. The rupee, which fell drastically, appears to have stabilised. The domestic stock markets have not declined as much as many expected they would.

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Good news at last: "These are certainly welcome news, but it would be premature to conclude that the worst is over and economic recovery is round the corner. "

A national shame

"A ‘plot' to kill the eminent author Salman Rushdie had been invented by the Rajasthan Police in a pathetic but successful attempt to dissuade him from participating in the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival. Far too many Indians have lost their lives to terrorists for security to be made a plaything to serve a political agenda. "

"After the hounding of M.F. Husain and Taslima Nasreen by Hindu and Muslim fanatics, India has again betrayed its heritage of providing sanctuary to persecuted individuals and ideas, not to speak of its Constitution." The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : A national shame: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, fearful of being made a scapegoat within the Congress if the party does poorly in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, betrayed his constitutional obligations.

Mr. Rushdie is entitled to a full apology for this shameful episode and to an unconditional assurance that he is welcome in India.