Must Read News Articles – February 5, 2018

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History:

Alam Beg, martyer of sepoy Mutiny, wants to return home(The Hindu)

Headhunting is usually associated with primitive tribes and contemporary terrorists, but the colonial rulers of India also collected heads of Indian soldiers as war trophies.

Pre-Christian era artefacts unearthed in Odisha(The Hindu)

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered pottery pieces, and tools made of stones and bones believed to be of the pre-Christian era from a mound in Jalalpur village of Cuttack district.

Society related issues:

Mixing work with study(The Hindu Opinion)

A large-scale vocational education system would help raise the productivity of individuals and the economy

Mega health plan may cost Rs 1 lakh cr, a year (The Hindu)

The healthcare plan for the poor announced in the Budget will cost about ₹one lakh crore annually and curtail States’ autonomy in designing their own policies in the sector, said a research paper authored by Assistant Professor Mita Choudhury of economic think tank NIPFP.

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International relations:

Crisis in Male (The Hindu Editorial)

Fresh elections, with the opposition free to contest, are the best option for the Maldives

If that door should shut now(The Hindu Opinion)

India cannot be so opaque to history as to say no refugees will hereafter be allowed to enter its territory

India US air forces to deepen ties in Indo Pacific(The Hindu)

Chief of U.S. Air Force General David L. Goldfein has said Indian and U.S. air forces will significantly ramp up operational cooperation to complement the strategic interests of the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region where China has been expanding its military influence.

Male government remains defiant amid political crisis (The Hindu)

The Maldives government remained defiant on Sunday, with the Attorney-General instructing law enforcement agencies not to obey a recent Supreme Court ruling ordering the release of nine Opposition leaders, including former President Mohamed Nasheed.

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Economy:

Limited succor (The Hindu Opinion)

Budget 2018 does well to focus on senior citizens, but action must be broad based

Easier norms may help Indian firms go global(The Hindu)

The proposed Outward Direct Investment (ODI) policy may contain provisions to make it easy for many Indian firms, envisioning ambitious plans to transform themselves into multi-national companies (MNC), to go global and expand.

Time is ripe for CEZs to propel growth(The Hindu)

Now is the time for Coastal Economic Zones to take India’s growth story forward, according to Rajiv Agarwal, MD and CEO, Essar Ports Ltd.

Agriculture needs more than just quick fixes(The Hindu)

The government’s efforts to focus on the welfare of farmers in the Union Budget is admirable. However, in a zero-sum situation such as budget allocation, the government often finds itself trying to choose between short-term results and long-term benefits. Short term results might come with loan waivers and increase of Minimum Support Price (MSP), but care should be taken to address the sector’s competitiveness in a global scenario.

Deciphering LTCG tax on equit(The Hindu)

LTCG or long-term capital gains refer to the gains made on any class of asset held for a particular period of time. In case of equity shares, it refers to the gains made on stocks held for more than one year. In other words, if the shares are bought and held for more than a year before selling, then the gains, if any, on the said sale are referred to as long term capital gains or LTCG.

Environment:

Odisha ready to welcome olive ridleys(The Hindu)

Fencing along the sea coast to protect the olive ridley turtles during their mass nesting at the Rushikulya rookery in Odisha is being increased by two more kilometres this year.

Science and Technology:

ISRO needs 4 years to catch up with satellite demand(The Hindu)

For over a decade now, ISRO has been facing a serious shortage of satellite transponders because of an unforeseen demand from various users and leasing some capacity on foreign satellites.