Must Read News Articles – June 15

GS 2

India and neighbors

CPEC: the need for a second look by India: (Live Mint, Editorial)

• New Delhi should open negotiations with the Chinese to explore if CPEC can be extended west to Afghanistan and east to India.
• Would China buy into this narrative? And could it persuade Pakistan to comply?

Effects of developed and developing countries policies

Qatar’s isolation: (The Hindu, Editorial)

• The recent diplomatic rift between Qatar and other Arab states, like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and Egypt has again highlighted the geopolitical significance of the region beyond the oil factor.
• It emerged as a result of an allegation that the small gas-rich country supports and funds terror through its support of Iran and Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist political group outlawed by both Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Musings on London Bridge: (The Hindu, Editorial)

Combating the new range of threats posed by the IS will also require political settlements in Syria and Iraq.

Issues related to governance

Unwise proposal: (The Hindu, Editorial)

The Election Commission of India’s proposal to the Law Ministry that it be armed with the power to punish for contempt is an unwarranted and poorly thought-out response to some strident accusations of partisan functioning, mainly from political parties that had lost in the electoral arena.

GS 3

Indian Economy. Planning, Growth and Employment

Put off GST rollout to Sept. 1, Aviation Ministry: (The Hindu)

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has asked the Ministry of Finance to postpone the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from July 1 to September 1 as some domestic airlines, including national carrier Air India, have expressed their inability to switch to a new tax regime soon.

GST storm brews in services sector: (The Hindu)

With just 15 days remaining for the rollout of the new tax regime, experts have raised a red flag over challenges faced by the services sector in moving to the Goods and Services Tax system.

Nod for Insolvency Bill for financial entities: (The Hindu)

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the introduction of a new Bill to resolve bankruptcy cases affecting financial sector entities, including banks and insurance companies.

India aims to lift ‘doing business’ ranking: (The Hindu)

India is banking on major reforms it carried out in areas such as ‘starting a business’ and ‘dealing with construction permits’ to significantly improve its ranking in the next edition of the World Bank’s (ease of) Doing Business report.

Cropping pattern, Agriculture, e-technology

Cabinet clears 5% interest subvention for crop loans: (The Hindu)

• Amid growing protests over farm sector distress, the Cabinet has approved the extension of the interest subvention scheme for farmers to 2017-18.
• Short-term crop loans up to Rs. 3 lakh will receive a subvention of 5%, effectively reducing the rate for farmers to 4%.

The seeds of discontent: (Indian Express, Editorial)

• India faces not just a farmers’ crisis, but a serious meltdown of farming families.
• We need a multi-pronged strategy to help both resource-poor farmers and the educated better-off ones.

Issues related to subsidies

Now, subsidy for weavers’ education in open schools: (The Hindu)

In a bid to offer affordable educational opportunities to weaving communities, the Ministry of Textiles (MoT) will subsidise the education of all weavers enrolled in the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

Cyber security

Big data, big dangers: (The Hindu, Editorial)

India needs to negotiate the world of big data technology with adequate safeguards.

PDS and food processing

Leaning On The Law: (Indian Express, Editorial)

• Rules regulating animal livestock markets are legally and constitutionally sound.
• Parliament enacted the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, Section 38 whereof empowers the Central Government alone to make rules.

Prelims Related News

Ray of hope for Thar’s endangered wildlife:

• With an average of nearly 1,000 injuries a year, the wildlife in Thar desert has witnessed 60% mortality because of lack of transport to the main rescue centre at the Jodhpur zoo.
• This has led to the depletion of wildlife, mainly chinkaras (Indian gazelles).

Time is money, insists official clock keeper:

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL), part of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, is host of the most accurate clocks in the country, and the only agency in India authorised to maintain Indian Standard Time (IST).

What’s up with Bosphorus?:

Phytoplanktons change the sober blue waters of the strait into a bright turquoise.