Real estate business needs a regulatory body

A critical view of how the real estate business looks like an unorganized sector, even though it generates a lot of revenue. The editorial calls for a regulatory body to ensure that this sector too gets its fair share of limelight and recognition, especially in the recent problems of loan repayment as the financial year approaching an end.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/real-estate-business-needs-a-regulatory-body/370804.html

Stop playing politics over crimes against women

Incidents in India are being increasingly mixed up to some top level agenda and they are just forgotten in blame game. The recent incident of Bengal chief minister blaming politics over a rape incident is only the most popular, and not an exception. The editorial calls for not playing politics on such issues by pointing to the terrible consequences that will happen on those who are being victimized.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/stop-playing-politics-over-crimes-against-women/368908.html

"When our approach to rape becomes circumcised by imperatives of politics and power, every woman, not just the rape survivor, has reasons to be afraid. Challenging the credentials of the rape victims, under such dispensations, becomes part of a callous routine to evade responsibility. Every time a rape is reported the public gaze is shifted more on the woman who has been brutalised and not on the acts of omission and commission of those who are supposed to prevent crimes against women and punish their perpetrators."

Centre must not stall state legislations

The editorial calls for the central government to expedite the review/approvals of the various state legislature bills passed, especially by the opposition ruled states. The government-governor disputes in many states (especially Karnataka, Gujarat) has added to this enormous delay in passing the bills. Neither does this put good light on the federal structure of the country, nor does the government send signals to the people of those states about the intent of the center.

The editorial also points to the cases where the center and states have collaborated well (Tamilnadu and Meghalaya with their governor appointments) and calls for such healthy exchanges.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/centre-must-not-stall-state-legislations/368279.html

"The Supreme Court has in fixing three months as the period within which the Centre will have to decide on applications seeking sanction for prosecution of officials has set an example which may have to be followed in this case too."

Callous delay by govt in recognising new IITs

The Editorial calls for the government to expedite the call for giving the necessary parliamentary recognition for the newly created IITs. While there have been numerous descent in the way new IITs were created, and concern for the quality of them, the new IITs are taking shape slowly anyways. In this juncture, not giving them the necessary parliamentary recognition will create doubts on the minds of students who are studying there.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/callous-delay-by-govt-in-recognising-new-iits/368281.html

Government must link rivers without any delay

The editorial urges the government to take affirmative action based on the Supreme Court decision to interlink rivers.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/government-must-link-rivers-without-any-delay/367607.html

The UPA’s Committee Raj

In India, the best way of procrastination today is to form committees. The government, in its second stint in the center has been plagued by various problems and has found an ideal way to come out of this: form committees and let people forget it. In this column, Shankkar Aiyar exposes this brilliant 'problem camouflage tool' the government has developed, by pointing out to the various committees created during the UPA regime and their ineffectiveness to do anything towards the problem. And it is not just the government, but also the President's office, with its own committee exposing how much the country is being swamped by 'Committee Raj'.


http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/columnists/the-upa%E2%80%99s-committee-raj/367052.html

"When the UPA first came to power, I had studied this phenomenon of Committee Raj and discovered that in its first 11 months of existence, it had created 56 committees, roughly one a week."

"It is a spectacle. The government waits for committees to recommend, and committees wait for the government to act. It makes you wonder if the committees are a means to an end or an end in itself."

Resurrecting past raises questions about future

The news of Russian scientists cultivating a plant using seeds that are 30000 years old is creating new possibilities for recreating extinct flora and fauna. The editorial discusses the limitless possibilities this could lead to as well as the ethical questions this poses, along with the awkward consequences like, "Can our overcrowded planet handle the reappearance of woolly mammoths and antediluvian behemoths made to come alive from frozen tissues?"

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/resurrecting-past-raises-questions-about-future/366403.html

Healthcare is a right government cannot ignore

The editorial takes a critical view of the planning commission picking holes in the Srinath Reddy committee report on the healthcare needs of the people. Stressing for the need of healthcare to be as much public controlled as possible, the editorial notes that scams in ill-conceived projects like NHRM cannot be held as a reason for privatizing health sector, which doesn't happen even in many developed countries.
http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/healthcare-is-a-right-government-cannot-ignore/366402.html

Public money is not to save private ventures

The editorial asks the government to take a tough stand on the Kingfisher airline debacle.
http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/public-money-is-not-to-save-private-ventures/366010.html
Pointing out to the operational troubles of Kingfisher the editorial notes, "Having cheated fliers by its unscheduled cancellation of flights and defrauded the government by deducting tax from its employees and not depositing it with authorities, the airlines has lost all ground for sympathetic consideration of its current plight."

And concludes with a simple summary of the perspective government should take, "It is not the job of a government to bail out private enterprises and their survival should be left to market forces. Since they do not share profits with the government there is no justification for wasting public money to enable them to cover their losses."

Undermining the EC is undermining democracy

Former AGI Soli Sorabjee takes a dig at the recent spat between EC and Congress ministers (Mr.Khursheed and Mr.Verma), who have taken EC for a ride by making and then regretting the statements violating model code of conduct.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/columnists/undermining-the-ec-is-undermining-democracy/364734.html

The Chief Election Commissioner is given the status of a Supreme Court judge regarding his tenure and conditions of service. The Model Code of Conduct for elections is not a useless advisory parchment. It has to be observed strictly in letter and spirit and its violation can be punished.

Did Bharata build Bharat varsha in vain?

India is a model to the world in the management of free and fair elections. But in terms of what comes out of this massive exercise, India is an argument against adult franchise. The author takes the example of candidates with criminal records contesting in UP elections, especially some in jails in various parts of the country.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/columnists/did-bharata-build-bharat-varsha-in-vain/364730.html

The other aspect of pain area the author touches upon is the D-word: Dynasty politics, exposing the Badal family overwhelming Punjab and the double standards Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray employs while claiming to be against it.

Centre cannot ignore states on policy issues

The editorial discusses yet another slip in the UPA's equations, this time on the policy of National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC). With the West Bengal joining the leagues of Odisha, Tamilnadu and Bihar is protesting the centralization of power, the claims of the government to have consulted states stands exposed, once again.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/editorials/centre-cannot-ignore-states-on-policy-issues/364513.html

Investment in agriculture is best food security

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.