Must Read News Articles – April 23, 2018

Archives

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Society and Women related issues:

Limits to maximal rhetoric(The Hindu Opinion)

The World Health Organisation has made this difference clear: “‘Sex’ refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women. ‘Gender’ refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. Aspects of sex will not vary substantially between different human societies, while aspects of gender may vary greatly.”

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Indian Constitution and Polity:

Minorities’ commission to seek constitutional status(The Hindu)

The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has decided to approach the government for granting it Constitutional status to protect the rights of minority communities more effectively.

Death penalty is not the answer(The Hindu Opinion)

The huge difficulty rape survivors face in police stations and hospitals where medical examinations are carried out is another pertinent issue which is continually sidestepped.

Unprecedented crisis(The Hindu Opinion)

The accountability and independence of the judiciary must not be compromised.

Fiddling with a WMD(The Hindu)

The immense power of the Chair of the Rajya Sabha to disallow the motion becomes significant. Section 3 of the Judges (Enquiry) Act, 1968, endows the presiding officers with absolute discretion to allow or disallow the motion, though, in many situations, the courts have ruled that the authorities must give reasons for their actions

International relations:

Modi-Xi summit expected to give a strategic push to ties(The Hindu)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a two-day informal summit from April 27 in Wuhan, to impart firm strategic direction to Beijing-New Delhi ties, amid profound changes in the global system.

Common wealth?(The Hindu Opinion)

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in London came with hopes of a “re-energised Commonwealth”.

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Economy:

Replanting Indian cotton(The Hindu Opinion)

Pink bollworm infestation in Bt cotton in India has turned the spotlight on an important question: has hybrid cotton lived up to its promise? India was a pioneer in this technology in the 1970s; today, it is the only country that exclusively grows cotton hybrids.

‘Mega SEZs to spur electronics exports’(The Hindu)

In a bid to make India an export hub for electronics, the government plans to set up at least one SEZ or special economic zone in every State under the proposed electronic policy.

Use of blockchain beyond cryptocurrencies(The Hindu)

With India’s digital footsteps gaining significant stride in recent years, blockchain technology has caught the imagination of many. While most of us identify blockchain with cryptocurrencies, bitcoins in particular, tech designers are yet to fully realise its disruptive potential in numerous other sectors. In today’s rapidly evolving interconnected digital ecosystem, blockchain can emerge the biggest disrupter.

Environment and Ecology:

Tigers face the ire of humans in U.P.’s terai(The Hindu)

The Dudhwa-Pilibhit tiger landscape is where the paths of tigers, leopards and humans cross, often with fatal consequences for both sides. Around 180 cases of conflicts leading to human deaths and injuries were recorded here between 2000 and 2018, data from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), which works with the State Wildlife Department, show. Of these, 98 pertain to tigers.

All trees are not woods(The Hindu Opinion)

The latest Forest Survey of India report has changed the calculation method for India’s forest cover to include plantations on private lands. It is common knowledge that private plantations of teak, eucalyptus and poplar are undertaken to earn incomes. Such plantations can’t be substitutes for natural forests with their wildlife and immense biodiversity. Natural forests have multiple ecosystem functions, none of which can be provided by commercial plantations.

What the new Coastal Regulation Zone draft says, how it differs from the earlier version(Indian Express)

The new draft if implemented will not only have an effect on how common areas used by fisherfolk are managed, but also bifurcate coastal zones along rural areas based on population density.