Front Page / NATIONAL [The Hindu]
[1]25 CRPF men killed in Maoist attack
[2]Goldman Prize for Niyamgiri hero
[3]SC for broad anti-torture legislation
[4]Sukhois join frontline squadron in Punjab
Editorial/OPINION [The Hindu]
[1] The best laid plans
[2]The climate fight is global
Economy [The Hindu]
[1]Only six of top 20 H-1B recipients are Indian firms
[2]India aims to cut oil products imports as it spurs alternatives
Indian Express
[1]Three decades of mistrust
[2]A strategic encirclement
Live Mint
[1]Improving policymaking with Big Data
The Hindu
Front Page / NATIONAL
[1]25 CRPF men killed in Maoist attack
Context
Maoist Attack
What has happened?
- Extremists target 74th battalion in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma districtJawans were sanitizing the area for a road construction project10-12 Maoists were shot deadin retaliatory firing by security men
- The attack took place when a team of around 100 men, belonging to the 74th battalion of the CRPF, based at the Burkapal camp on the Dornapal-Jagargunda road in south Sukma, was out to provide protection for road construction work in the area
[2]Goldman Prize for Niyamgiri hero
Context
Prafulla Samantara led a 12-year battle to stall Vedanta’s bauxite mining
What has happened?
One of the six winners of the Goldman Environmental Prizefor 2017
Mr. Samantara was one of the key leaders responsible for rallying tribes, indigenous to Odisha’s Niyamgiri region, and using legal provisions to thwart mining-to-metals conglomerate, Vedanta
The Prize
- The annual prize awarded by the Goldman Environmental Foundation honours grassroots environmentalists, who risk their lives to protect the environment and empower those who have the most to lose from industrial projects
- Other prize-winners this year include mark! (sic) Lopez, U.S.; UrošMacerl, Slovenia; Rodrigo Tot, Guatemala; RodrigueKatembo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Wendy Bowman, Australia.
- Five other Indians — MedhaPatkar, M.C. Mehta, Rasheeda Bi, Champaran Shukla, Ramesh Agrawal — have won the award since it was instituted in 1990.
- Apart from a medal and citation, winners receive a substantial cash award though the exact amount is not revealed. Reuters reported in 2014 that individuals won $175,000 (Rs. 1.13 crore approx) as prize money
[3]SC for broad anti-torture legislation
Context
Extraditions difficult due to no anti torture law
What has happened?
Says India being denied extraditions because countries fear the accused would be treated inhumanely
SC Observed
India may be finding it tough to secure extraditions because there is a fear within the international community that the accused persons would be subject to torture here
An Example Case
The court referred to the setback suffered by the CBI in its efforts to get Kim Davy — a Danish citizen and prime accused in the Purulia arms drop case of 1995 — extradited from Denmark. A Danish court had rejected the plea on the ground that he would risk “torture or other inhuman treatment” in India
Tackling torture
India had signed the UN Convention against torture way back in 1997, had still not ratified it. The Convention defines torture as a criminal offence
No steps had been taken to implement the Prevention of Torture Bill 2010 even six years after it was passed by the Lok Sabha on May 6, 2010 and recommended by a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha
Support from States
- 90% of the States had no objection for a special law on torture and the NHRC itself had strongly supported the need for such a law
- The petition pointed out that the Indian Penal Code did not specifically and comprehensively address the various aspects of custodial torture and was “grossly inadequate in addressing the spiralling situation of custodial violence across the country
[4]Sukhois join frontline squadron in Punjab
Context
Major force accretion as the ‘Valiants’ are near the border
What Has happened?
- The Halwara-based 221 Squadron of the Indian Air Force, “Valiants”, has inducted the frontline Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft. The squadron used to fly MiG-23s till they were phased out in 2009
- The Su-30MKI is the most modern multi-role fighter in the Indian Air Force
The Valiants
- The “Valiants” were formed as an offensive fighter squadron on February 14, 1963 at Barrackpore and was equipped with the Vampires, Spitfire, Hurricane and Su-7 aircraft
- The “Valiants” were the first to carry out strikes during the Kargil war
Editorial/OPINION
[1] The best laid plans
Context
NITI Aayog’s shift away from five-year plans requires more substance
What has happened?
The Five Year Plans — the last one ended on March 31 — were relegated to history, to be replaced by a three-year action plan
Long term Vision
This was to be part of a seven-year strategy that would in turn help realise a 15-year long-term vision
Expected more buy only Draft Agenda yet: No Detailed Planning
- A draft action agenda for the three years till 2019-20, with 300 specific action point
- This agenda is meant to be the first step towards attaining the envisioned outcomes by 2031-32
- This will ensure housing for all, with toilets, LPG, power and digital connections; access to a personal vehicle, air conditioner and white goods for ‘nearly all’; and a fully literate population with universal health care
Conclusion
Without the larger strategy and vision in place, the three-year action plan is likely to be more of an abstract wish list that Chief Ministers will now evaluate and revert on
[2]The climate fight is global
Context
The Paris accord requires vigilance by all global actors in view of the U.S.’s changed stance on climate change
What has happened?
Several recent extreme events such as wildfires, droughts, severe heatwaves and cyclones in other places have a clear signature of a changing climate, but in many cases these are exacerbated by other institutional failures
US still in denial
- None of this has, however, persuaded the present U.S. government that anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) are responsible for climate change
- The U.S. is still the world’s second largest annual emitter of GHGs and has generated more than a quarter of the total anthropogenic GHGs in the atmosphere since 1850
- Attempts by Mr. Trump to eliminate Clean Power Plan (CPP)
That a major emitter is retreating from its former commitments is a danger to the world’s climate, but this may not be a big step back if other countries persist with their efforts and if renewables continue to get more affordable as they have recently
Role of sub-national actors
Global agreements are often tenuous and need support and pressure from other actors within and across countries who function at many levels: states, territories or provinces within a country, cities, policy think tanks, scientists, philanthropists, local communities, civil society organisations, investors, transnational groups and multinational industries.
For example, the now global movement created by 350.org and other climate protection advocacy groups in Europe and elsewhere has made impressive progress on many fronts
Conclusion
- Thus, whether it is Mr. Trump or a Democrat in the White House, the work for these non-state players is quite important
- Climate change, like democracy itself, requires vigilance and participation by both state and non-state actors
Economy
[1]Only six of top 20 H-1B recipients are Indian firms
Context
Nasscom refutes U.S. comment on ‘lion’s share’ of visas
What has happened?
Refuting the U.S. government’s comment on H-1B visa lottery misuse by Indian companies, IT industry body Nasscom said that only 6 of the top 20 H-1B recipients were Indian
NASSCOM
- TCS and Infosys, together received only 7,504 approved H-1B visas in FY 2015; that is about 8.8% of the total approved H-1B visas
- All the Indian IT companies cumulatively accounted for less than 20% of the total approved H-1B visas
- The annual number of Indian IT specialists working on temporary visas for Indian IT service companies is about 0.009% of the 158-million-member U.S. workforce
- Indian nationals get about 71% of H-1B visas
[2]India aims to cut oil products imports as it spurs alternatives
Context
What has happened?
India is aiming to cut its oil products imports to zero as it turns to alternative fuels such as methanol in its transport sector
15 factories
India also plans to start 15 factories to produce second-generation ethanol from biomass, bamboo and cotton straw as it aims to develop its mandate to blend ethanol into 5% of its gasoline
High Import
India imported about 33 million tonnes of oil products over April 2016 to February 2017, up almost 24% from the same period a year earlier, government data showed. The majority of the imports comprise petroleum coke and LPG
Measures to pare (trim) Carbon Footprint
- To cut the carbon footprint, New Delhi wants to raise the use of natural gas in its energy mix to 15% in 3-4 years from 6.5% now
- India is developing LNG bunker ports and plans to develop its electric vehicle fleet
Indian Express
[1]Three decades of mistrust
Context
India-Sri Lanka Relations
What has happened?
Pragmatic approach and sustained border diplomacy could help Delhi remove apprehensions in Sri Lanka about economic cooperation with India
Diplomacy
- The Sri Lankan prime minister, RanilWickremesinghe, is travelling to India this week and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will head to Sri Lanka next month to join the special international celebrations of the Buddha Jayanti in Colombo
Proposals to be discussed according to the reports
- Development of the Trincomalee area as a regional hydrocarbon hub in the Bay of Bengal and the eastern Indian Ocean
- Construction of a new LNG terminal and the renewal of the Second World War-era oil tank farms in Trincomalee in partnership with India
Resistance in Sri Lanka remains deep
- Protesting the modernisation of the Trincomalee oil tank farms, the workers of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation have announced a strike this week
- Deep political reservations in Sri Lanka, in fact, held up the implementation of a 2003 agreement with India on the development of tank farms
The politicisation of economic projects
- A Problem with South Asian Countries
- East Asia, for example, have learnt to separate political differences from mutually beneficial economic engagement
e.g. China and Taiwan
A Balancing Act
- Sri Lanka has given port projects in Colombo and Hambantota to China
- Now trying to compensate an unhappy India with infrastructure projects elsewhere in the emerald island
Questions arises
- How come Delhi, despite its size and proximity, has to “compete with Beijing” in the Subcontinent?
- India is not the preferred economic partner to all of its neighbours
- Answer:Delhi deliberately chose to discard economic regionalism — in the name of self-reliance
Conclusion
- Delhi’s current challenge is not about undoing Beijing’s new economic weight in the region
- It is about building on its own natural geo-economic advantages in the region
[2]A strategic encirclement
Context
India’s political and security establishment needs a strategy in light of China’s naval expansion.
China’s Expansion
People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN’s) second aircraft carrier, referred to as “Type 001A” is nearing completion and that another carrier, dubbed “Type 002”, is also under construction
The Type 002 represents not only a much bigger class of ship but will incorporate modern design and operational features, including a catapult and early-warning aircraft
Fortified SCS
Built runways and fortified seven artificial islands created in the Spratly group in the South China Sea (SCS)
Nepal
The Xining-Lhasa rail link is progressing towards Nepal, where China has made significant political inroads
CPEC
A parallel endeavour on India’s western flank, dubbed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), will create access to the Arabian Sea from Xinjiang to the Pakistani port of Gwadar via Gilgit-Baltistan
Overseas military base
First overseas military base at Djibouti on the Bab el-Mandeb
Sale of Diesel Submarines
The recent Chinese sale of eight diesel submarines to Pakistan and two to Bangladesh provides conclusive evidence of India’s “strategic encirclement”
Issues Now
These bases can be used to forward-deploy ships, aircraft and missiles to threaten US or other naval forces, and such deployments could extend the operational range of PLAN surface and air forces by as much as 600-900 miles
Chinese Proximity to Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- While Port Blair is 900 miles from Chennai, it happens to be 1,900 miles from the Fiery Cross reef, via the Malacca Strait
- In the near future, when PLAN is the world’s second most powerful navy, it may feel confident enough to contemplate a re-enactment of 1962 in the Bay of Bengal to cut India down to size again
India needs to be Vigilant
How prepared would our political leadership and the armed forces be to react against a PLAN amphibious assault, on the Andamans, supported by one or more aircraft carriers?
Conclusion
We too will soon have a robust and modern navy at sea, but without a national security doctrine or strategy, will we know how to use it as an instrument of state policy?
Live Mint
[1]Improving policymaking with Big Data
Context
Big Data analytics can fuel the move to the evidence-based policymaking that NITI Aayog is pushing
What is Big Data?
Big data is a term that describes the large volume of data – both structured and unstructured – that inundates a business on a day-to-day basis
How Big Data can be utilised in better policy-making?
- Predicting disease outbreaks: Online searches can be mined for data that helps predict disease outbreaks
- Helping Relief efforts: Cellphone data can help direct relief efforts in the aftermath of a natural disaster
- Optimizing energy grids: Power-usage data can be analysed to optimize energy grids and plant power generation; discoms in India are already using data from last-mile sensors to implement measures for cutting down aggregated technical and commercial losses
- Revamping health system: Healthcare data can be used to revamp the public health system
- Improving infrastructure and transport: Massive amounts of data generated by cities, from traffic signals to public transport usage, can be used to improve infrastructure and transport systems as Singapore has done
Effective implementation
Points of consideration for effective implementation of Big Data,
- Infrastructure in India for efficient data collection and management is lacking; this must be strengthened
- Policies should be revamped based on proper feedback
- Ethical dimensions of Big data should be addressed like anonymization of data to what data should be collected and what use it should be put to
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