The Editorial summarizes the financial loopholes and burdens with which the food security bill is coming to which the high command is turning a blind eye, largely for political reason:
http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/investment-in-agriculture-is-best-food-security/364154.html
The bill has already been cold shouldered by some of those who may possibly benefit from the scheme, due to its ambiguous clauses of requirements, and here, we see even the ruling class is apprehensive, due to the huge burden to the state exchequer.
The editorials ends with a call for an agricultural investment instead of wild explorations which at most may provide short term political benefits.
17 Feb 2012
In Australia, a memorial to a common humanity
"An effort to give posthumous dignity to 353 refugees who were seeking a better life (in Australia) but were killed in circumstances still not fully explained."
This is a story about compassionate efforts to give posthumous dignity. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : In Australia, a memorial to a common humanity. A leaky and rickety boat where even 150 people would be overcrowded, set sail for Australia's Christmas Island from Indonesia with 421 passengers, mostly refugees from Saddam Hussein's Iraq. It soon sank in stormy seas in the internationally designated Indonesian search and rescue zone but also within an Australian border protection surveillance area.
An estimated 65 men, 142 women and 146 children died. The boat was described by Australian authorities as a Suspected Illegal Entry Vehicle (SIEV).
Some Australians continue to describe the incident as an unsolved crime perpetrated by Indonesian authorities with Australian encouragement or connivance. Some of the survivors testified that a couple of military vessels had approached them with searchlights but sailed off without any attempt to rescue the struggling mass of bodies swimming desperately in the seas.
The true message is how the community was touched by the tragedy and decided to create a memorial on its own initiative, entirely by its own efforts, and totally at its own cost with no government help or handout. The impact of visiting the memorial is surprisingly poignant and moving. There are times when governments do their best to destroy belief in basic human decency but ordinary people respond in a manner to restore faith.
An estimated 65 men, 142 women and 146 children died. The boat was described by Australian authorities as a Suspected Illegal Entry Vehicle (SIEV).
Some Australians continue to describe the incident as an unsolved crime perpetrated by Indonesian authorities with Australian encouragement or connivance. Some of the survivors testified that a couple of military vessels had approached them with searchlights but sailed off without any attempt to rescue the struggling mass of bodies swimming desperately in the seas.
The true message is how the community was touched by the tragedy and decided to create a memorial on its own initiative, entirely by its own efforts, and totally at its own cost with no government help or handout. The impact of visiting the memorial is surprisingly poignant and moving. There are times when governments do their best to destroy belief in basic human decency but ordinary people respond in a manner to restore faith.
Not this kind of closure, CBI
"Asked by the courts to investigate the infamous Hari Masjid incident of the 1993 Mumbai riots, the country's premier investigation agency, CBI, has closed the case saying it can find no 'neutral' witnesses."
Upbraiding the government for its half-hearted approach and demolishing the CBI's reluctance to take up what it described as a "simple" case, the Court remarked that this was a "case that affects the very soul of India." The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Not this kind of closure, CBI
But as Mumbai's riot victims have found out, what judges say matters little to the State and to policemen. The courts haven't failed the victims, the State has!
The parties that rule Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Centre, and their police, must answer one question: how long do they expect Muslim victims, who see their community constantly accused of being terrorists, to keep fighting through courts?
But as Mumbai's riot victims have found out, what judges say matters little to the State and to policemen. The courts haven't failed the victims, the State has!
The parties that rule Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Centre, and their police, must answer one question: how long do they expect Muslim victims, who see their community constantly accused of being terrorists, to keep fighting through courts?
The Iron Laws of the Earth Sciences
"A lesser man's career might have ended long ago. But Vilasrao Deshmukh is not a lesser man. His success mounts in inverse proportion to his achievements."
The Hindu : Columns / Sainath : The Iron Laws of the Earth Sciences: Going by the form book, Union Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is due for a promotion. He's just been mangled by the Mumbai High Court, setting some sort of record for a Minister getting roughed up by the higher judiciary. And every time some amazing act of the former sarpanch of Babalgaon has landed the government in deep trouble, he's been rewarded, even promoted.
He also became the Minister for Earth Sciences (which, as often pointed out, is seen in his home State as jargon for real estate expertise). Jealous detractors say it is his raising this sector to the level of a science that makes him priceless to the Congress.
So where does he head next, now that the Mumbai High Court has added another decoration to his war record?
The Hindu : Columns / Sainath : The Iron Laws of the Earth Sciences: Going by the form book, Union Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is due for a promotion. He's just been mangled by the Mumbai High Court, setting some sort of record for a Minister getting roughed up by the higher judiciary. And every time some amazing act of the former sarpanch of Babalgaon has landed the government in deep trouble, he's been rewarded, even promoted.
He also became the Minister for Earth Sciences (which, as often pointed out, is seen in his home State as jargon for real estate expertise). Jealous detractors say it is his raising this sector to the level of a science that makes him priceless to the Congress.
So where does he head next, now that the Mumbai High Court has added another decoration to his war record?
Encounter at mid-sea
"Nothing can remotely explain, let alone justify, the killing of two Indian fishermen by Italian Navy marines on board a merchant vessel who mistook them for pirates. "
The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Encounter at mid-sea: Although India summoned the Italian Ambassador and registered its protest at the killing, this nasty incident calls for concerted efforts among governments to prevent similar mid-sea misadventures. India is part of the global effort to patrol the piracy-affected sea lanes of the Indian Ocean, but not enough seems to have been done to prevent tragic mix-ups of this kind.
The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Encounter at mid-sea: Although India summoned the Italian Ambassador and registered its protest at the killing, this nasty incident calls for concerted efforts among governments to prevent similar mid-sea misadventures. India is part of the global effort to patrol the piracy-affected sea lanes of the Indian Ocean, but not enough seems to have been done to prevent tragic mix-ups of this kind.
While taking steps at the international level to guard against the killing of innocents on the high seas, India's unsuspecting fishermen also need to be made aware of the different kinds of dangers they might have to face in pursuit of their livelihood.
Paper chase
"The Union government's Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has taken the right initiative — albeit rather belatedly — by floating a Discussion Paper on the collection and recycling of waste paper as a prelude to formulating a national policy. "
The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Paper chase: Such a policy could lay down guidelines and procedures and sensitise citizens and industry-consumers to improve segregation, collection and reuse to evolve a sustainable mechanism to achieve a significant level of recovery.
The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Paper chase: Such a policy could lay down guidelines and procedures and sensitise citizens and industry-consumers to improve segregation, collection and reuse to evolve a sustainable mechanism to achieve a significant level of recovery.
After all, removing as much paper as possible from the garbage cycle and channelling it through organised methods would not only significantly reduce the environmental load on the eco-system but also lower, even eliminate, the import bill.
'The only way we can use sanctions is by unanimity'
Q&A
Vice-president of the European high commission, Catherine Ashton is also the European Union (EU) high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. Recently visiting India before an India-EU summit, Ashton spoke with Sachin Parashar about a free trade agreement in the works, reaching unanimity on policy within the EU, applying sanctions on Iran - and the critical situation in Syria:
Interview - Q&A
-The Times of India, February 17, 2012
Vice-president of the European high commission, Catherine Ashton is also the European Union (EU) high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. Recently visiting India before an India-EU summit, Ashton spoke with Sachin Parashar about a free trade agreement in the works, reaching unanimity on policy within the EU, applying sanctions on Iran - and the critical situation in Syria:
Interview - Q&A
-The Times of India, February 17, 2012
Playing The Gentle Giant
Beijing's attempts to promote Chinese soft power are falling short - even in Hong Kong
Playing The Gentle Giant
Although it is very widely observed that 'soft power' originates in the civil society, China seems to be taking an unusual route of upgrading its soft power despite the civil society being entangled by state-run institutions and press. So much so that Hong Kong itself isn't finding many takers on identifying oneself as Chinese, one survey by the University of Hong Kong reports.
-The Times of India, February 17, 2012
Playing The Gentle Giant
Although it is very widely observed that 'soft power' originates in the civil society, China seems to be taking an unusual route of upgrading its soft power despite the civil society being entangled by state-run institutions and press. So much so that Hong Kong itself isn't finding many takers on identifying oneself as Chinese, one survey by the University of Hong Kong reports.
-The Times of India, February 17, 2012
Press Charges
Why the TOI and The Hindu are taking out TV ads about each other
Press Charges
Dialogue-piece on the recent TV advertisement trends that have The Times of India and The Hindu take pot-shots at each other.
-The Times of India, February 17, 2012
Press Charges
Dialogue-piece on the recent TV advertisement trends that have The Times of India and The Hindu take pot-shots at each other.
-The Times of India, February 17, 2012
Turn The Tide
River pollution has high public health costs
Turn The Tide
In spite of the vast amounts of funds allocated towards the clean-up of rivers, the gross pollution of Indian rivers has been far from corrected. The most prominent example of it in the recent times has been a study investigating the health of children living by Delhi's Yamuna river.
-The Times of India, February 17, 2012
Turn The Tide
In spite of the vast amounts of funds allocated towards the clean-up of rivers, the gross pollution of Indian rivers has been far from corrected. The most prominent example of it in the recent times has been a study investigating the health of children living by Delhi's Yamuna river.
-The Times of India, February 17, 2012
Strangelove's Shadow
As Iran approaches the nuclear threshold, the only way out is to co-opt it
Strangelove's Shadow
The editor suggests New Delhi to make a stand that conveys the proposition of a war being calamitous.
A much better option, the article reads, "is to co-opt Iran into global security and economic order, for which all sides need to be diplomatically flexible."
Strangelove's Shadow
The editor suggests New Delhi to make a stand that conveys the proposition of a war being calamitous.
A much better option, the article reads, "is to co-opt Iran into global security and economic order, for which all sides need to be diplomatically flexible."
"A policy of engagement is bound to yield better results in weaning Iran off its belligerence."-The Times of India, February 17, 2012
The litmus test in Sri Lanka
"If President Rajapaksa is serious about a political solution to the Tamil question, he should outline his vision and a timetable for constitutional change."
The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : The litmus test in Sri Lanka:
The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : The litmus test in Sri Lanka:
The curious case of Vinay Rai
"Before taking social networking sites to court, he should have first invoked the ‘take down' provision in Indian cyber law on objectionable content. That even the government is ignoring this mechanism and instead advocating prior restraint is especially worrisome."
The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : The curious case of Vinay Rai: The government's attempts to impose prior censorship of content on the web is in flagrant disregard of well-established law laid down by the Supreme Court of India in which time and place restraints on free speech may be necessary in certain circumstances, for example, a restriction on shouting “fire” in a crowded theatre.
A blanket prior restraint or censorship of content is squarely in violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech in India as well as in the U.S. and other democratic countries.
A blanket prior restraint or censorship of content is squarely in violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech in India as well as in the U.S. and other democratic countries.
Remembering Damu
A.K. Damodaran belonged to the 1953 batch of the IFS. Brilliant, wise, understanding, Damu was a secular intellectual, not a dogmatic one.
Former diplomat A.K. Damodaran who passed away on January 31, at the age of 90.
The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Remembering Damu: "The nobility and refinement of his character made him a very special person. His dignity and polite reserve impressed one and all. "
The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Remembering Damu: "The nobility and refinement of his character made him a very special person. His dignity and polite reserve impressed one and all. "
A hearing on Balochistan that stirs up new tensions between U.S. and Pakistan
"Pakistan's restive Balochistan province has triggered new diplomatic tensions between Washington D.C. and Islamabad. "
The Pakistan government was using American weapons against the secular Baloch rebellion instead of using them against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Islamabad had manipulated the “war on terror” to commit widespread human rights violations against its Baloch political opponents. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : A hearing on Balochistan that stirs up new tensions between U.S. and Pakistan
Islamabad must be mindful of the fact that it can no longer commit human rights violations, curb basic freedoms and still remain unnoticed in the age of social media!
Balochistan is almost half of Pakistan's territory, but is its most backward province despite vast reservoirs of gas, gold, copper and a port in Gwadar. The Baloch have faced at least five deadly military operations by the Pakistani Army since what they describe as Balochistan's “illegal and forceful occupation” by Pakistan in 1948.
It was an "incontrovertible fact" that Balochistan was an "occupied territory which never acceded to Pakistan and now does not want to be a part of Pakistan. If a plebiscite or referendum is to be held tomorrow, Balochistan would vote to leave Pakistan."
Painting fangs on a lamb
The near-successful assassination of an Israeli diplomat raises an important question about the dysfunction that continues to characterise the country's counter-terrorism infrastructure.
Even though the attack took place less than 500 metres from the Prime Minister's official residence, there was no system in place to cordon off the area. The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Painting fangs on a lamb: "Terrorist groups targeting India, rather than Israel, will be paying close attention to this depressing litany of failures.
Painting fangs on this lamb won't fool anyone — least of all terrorists who mean India harm.
Sen, the moral universalist
"The United States National Medal of Arts and Humanities awarded Monday to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen — the first non-American to be conferred the rare honour — speaks to the universalism of his contributions in economics and philosophy over the past five decades. "
The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Sen, the moral universalist: In the immediate aftermath of the 2008 housing and banking collapse, a policy consensus quickly built up in Europe and the U.S. around the adoption of more or less Keynesian stimulus policies to generate employment and productivity.
Of immense relevance is the point that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was conceived as a metric originally only to monitor cyclical fluctuations of the market, not to measure societal well-being. Hence, his criticism of the Indian elites for chasing GDP targets over more substantial goals such as universal guarantees of basic health care and education.
The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Sen, the moral universalist: In the immediate aftermath of the 2008 housing and banking collapse, a policy consensus quickly built up in Europe and the U.S. around the adoption of more or less Keynesian stimulus policies to generate employment and productivity.
Of immense relevance is the point that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was conceived as a metric originally only to monitor cyclical fluctuations of the market, not to measure societal well-being. Hence, his criticism of the Indian elites for chasing GDP targets over more substantial goals such as universal guarantees of basic health care and education.
Nation in a State: Meals ready, on America's frontline pressure cooker
"Youth from Odaipatti village in Tamil Nadu risk their lives to work as cooks in U.S. forward military bases. Working at a U.S. forward military base, even in the kitchen, is fraught with dangers. "
Their pay did not include medical or life insurance, neither was there any clarity about compensation in case of death. That they could be summarily removed - sometimes with just three hours notice - in case of a health problem or vision difficulty was something the young men did not know about before taking up their jobs. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Nation in a State: Meals ready, on America's frontline pressure cooker
If working in adverse conditions was tough, negotiating a web of contractors to get the job and reach the destination was a challenge in itself. The amount could be as high as Rs.1.15 lakh to be paid to the local recruiting agents.
If working in adverse conditions was tough, negotiating a web of contractors to get the job and reach the destination was a challenge in itself. The amount could be as high as Rs.1.15 lakh to be paid to the local recruiting agents.
These enterprising young men are quitting their jobs halfway in Afghanistan when learnt that their agents and contractors had recruited them for only half the salary of what the main U.S. military contractor pays.
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