Must Read News Articles – January 29, 2018

Archives

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History:

New book claims Netaji died in 1945(The Hindu)

Reports by Japanese and other international authorities have conclusively proved that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose died in an air crash on August 18, 1945, a new book has claimed.

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International relations:

Analysis: could a jail term for Khaleda Zia spell unrest in Bangladesh?(The Hindu)

As the February 8 court verdict in a graft case against the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Khaleda Zia approaches, Bangladesh’s mostly peaceful political environment risks turning volatile. The BNP, backed by its Islamist allies, has warned that it would take to the streets if the verdict goes against their leader.

Indian Constitution and Polity:

Plea to exclude SC/ST creamy layer from quota(The Hindu)

The Supreme Court will hear a petition to exclude the affluent members, or the creamy layer, of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from the benefits of reservation.

A vote for state funding(The Hindu Opinion)(The Hindu)

Indian elections are the world’s biggest exercise in democracy but also among the most expensive. India’s campaign spend is only rivalled by the American presidential race, the world’s most expensive election.

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Economy:

Trans-pacific pact could hurt India(The Hindu)

If India were to join the mega-regional Free Trade Agreement (FTA) called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and adopt its norms, they would severely hurt the country’s agriculture, manufacturing, services and the generic pharma industry, according to a new book.

Banking on good faith: on efforts to recapitalise PSBs (The Hindu Editorial)

More structural reforms are needed to maximise the bank recapitalisation effort

Where intent overrides impact(The Hindu)

The e-way bill, set to be introduced across India from February 1 as part of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, could lead to ‘large scale’ disruption in the transportation of goods, transporters caution.

Conservative banking not bail-in, will bail us out(The Hindu)

Risk is in-built in banking. If, one day, all the customers of any bank turn up demanding their deposits, the bank would be unable to repay them. Banks don’t face a run on their deposits because customers trust banks. Governments often bail out banks, and don’t liquidate them, because they support the business of banking.

EVs: charging infrastructure needs a jolt to meet2030 target(The Hindu)

Achieving the target of all-electric vehicles by 2030 will need a substantial push from the government and the private sector in terms of setting up the charging infrastructure, enabling cheaper availability of raw materials and incentivising mid-way measures such as hybrid vehicles.

Fresh capital, budget proposals to fuel economy: Federal Bank chief Shyam Srinivasan(The Hindu)

Private lender Federal Bank has been growing at more than 20% in the last few quarters.

Govt. may alter insolvency law(The Hindu)

The insolvency law might be amended depending on recommendations of the panel reviewing issues related to the legislation, including those pertaining to home buyers, a senior government official said.

Textiles sector seeks a leg-up from government(The Hindu)

 A couple of major issues have impacted the country’s textile and clothing sector in the past year. Expectedly, the industry’s aspirations for the Union Budget are related to the revival of exports and the GST.

PCA: Ministry to appraise bank heads(The Hindu)

The Finance Ministry would soon initiate a performance review of heads of public sector banks that are under the RBI’s Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) as part of the reform process, official sources said.

Rebuilding our cities (The Hindu Opinion)

Soon after World War II, Americans chose to align their cities not with European ideals but with places that reflected American conditions. That great swathes of cheap land and newer technologies for construction were available meant that the new American city could have denser civic centres, a large component of suburban homes, private cars to access long distances, and a new conception of city life.

Environment:

Red alert on the green index(The Hindu Opinion)

India’s poor ranking in the Environmental Performance Index should force a policy appraisal

Internal security:

All borders to be fenced, says Rijiju

By the end of 2018 or early 2019, smart fencing will be deployed all along the Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Pakistan border to prevent infiltration and illegal migration, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said on Sunday.

Science and Technology:

What are we teaching the robots? (The Hindu Opinion)

Hearing ‘VR, AR, AI, Bitcoin’ in one sentence is like hearing ‘5GB, 512KB and Pentium’ in the late ’90s. It fires up your inner geek. But to the discerning, VR and AR are so 2017 that they are almost retro. And at the moment, Bitcoin is looking bubblier than a bubble bath.

NASA keen on India-made technology for spacecraft(The Hindu)

A new thermal spray coating technology used for gas turbine engine in spacecraft developed by a Rajasthan-based researcher has caught the attention of a NASA scientist, an official said.