Must Read News Articles – January 1, 2018

Archives

GS – 1

Social Justice:

On another New Year Day: A century ago, an agenda was spelt out for India — it is as valid today as it was then.

For a wider pool: clinical trials and the burden of volunteering for them: (The Hindu, editorial) The burden of volunteering for clinical trials must not fall only on the poor and vulnerable.

GS – 2

Polity:

No looking back: (Indian Express, editorial) 2018 promises to be a long poll season, leading up to the 2019 election.

International Relations:

Reality bites Britain: With phase one of negotiations over, the most crucial questions of Brexit will have to be addressed in 2018.

The liberation of Goa: While Jawaharlal Nehru advised the U.S., the then Soviet Union, and other big powers to abjure force and work towards disarmament, he was himself faced with a dilemma in 1961

We can count on India for support to two- state solution: There is a sense that India-Jordanian ties have not kept their promise from a decade ago.

GS – 3

Security and Defence:

Incidents of Maoist violence reduce in 2017, govt. data show: For the first time in more than a decade, in 2017 the incidents in left-wing extremism (LWE) affected States remained below the 1,000 mark.

Science and Technology:

Mission to touch sun on NASA’s 2018 list: NASA is turning 60 in 2018 and the agency is looking forward to launching a slew of important missions in the coming year, including one to “touch” the sun.

Economy:

FinMin asks PSBs to consider selling, swapping loan assets: The Finance Ministry has asked public sector banks (PSBs) to explore options for selling and swapping of loan assets with other lenders with a view to strengthen their balance sheets.

Participation of wilful defaulters may weaken IBC: The Lok Sabha passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017 last Friday; likely to witness a wave of demands seeking to allow failed promoters to participate in the bidding and resolution process of their respective firms.

Corporatisation of food: The ‘World Food India’ conference in Delhi in November informed us as much about the urban bias in development in India as about the disregard for public health and natural agriculture.

Why is the fiscal deficit widening: The government’s fiscal deficit up to November came in at 112% of the amount budgeted for the entire financial year ending in March, prompting a number of commentators to predict that the government would miss its target for the year.