Newspaper Must Read Articles of The Day– 18 May 2015

The Hindu

National

• SIT cites report of agency funded by Ford Foundation – Global Financial Integrity report has put India among the top five exporters of illicit capital over the past decade.

• Mongolia gets $1-bn credit gift – India will provide a Line of Credit of $1 billion to support expansion of Mongolia’s economic capacity and infrastructure.

• Stalemate on FTA should end soon, says Cravinho– ‘The EU countries are keen on partnering India in Smart City, Swachh Bharat and “Make in India” projects.’

• TV channels flout rules under garb of media freedom: activist – The EMM Centre of the I&B Ministry has reported 13,000 instances of violations of regulatory norms by television channels in 2013-14.

• From July, people can monitor highly polluting industries online – The traditional analysis techniques such as sample collection preservation and sample analysis are automated in the online analysers.

• Undertrials languishing in jails can be released on personal bonds – Large number of prisoners are continuing in custody only because of their poverty. This is not in the spirit of the law and poverty cannot be a ground for incarcerating a person, says SC.

• ‘The Dress’ explains the many hues of perception – Differences in perception of ‘ the dress’ ‘ colours may correspond to the type of light that individuals’ brains expect to be in their environment.

International

• Ties with Mongolia based on spiritual links, ideals: Modi – Its a relationship of immeasurable positive energy that comes from our spiritual links and shared ideals, says PM.

• Malaysia launches high-level talks – No country wants to take in the refugees from Myanmar, fearing that accepting a few would result in an unstoppable flow.

• French Church blesses gay marriage –  France’s Protestant Church  has given the nod to bless same-sex couples.

Business

• Mounting NPAs of public sector banks – Six PSBs have reported gross NPAs at an alarming level of more than six per cent.

• Defending India’s IPR – India’s IPR regime has come under sharp focus recently for a variety of reasons.

• The building of the BRICS bank – The article by Sanjay Vijayakumar is an explainer on the BRICS bank.

Opinion-Editorial

• Up in the air – Unless Prasar Bharati wakes up to the challenge of offering the right kind of programming and technology, the threat to its existence will continue to loom large, argues the editorial.

• Caution and optimism – PM’s China visit has generated much good news but the strategic distance between India and China remains, says the editorial.

• Learning skills from Seoul – India and South Korea need to take bold steps for a deeper partnership. India can study the Korean experience of rapid skill development, writes Skand Tayal.

• Taking a comprehensive view of quakes – India’s close proximity to an active plate boundary makes rapid dissemination of seismic data necessary.

Indian Express

Editorials & Columns

• Frankly, Beijing – PM’s visit to China marked a reset in ties — less soaring rhetoric, more pragmatic engagement, opines the editorial.

• Featherweight issue – On SC verdict on Gandhi abuse case: The courts have underestimated Gandhi’s power to bear adversity.

• Eye on China, India and Japan look at rare earth minerals – India and Japan are collaborating for the production of rare earths, to counter the Chinese hegemony in this sector.

LiveMint

• Saving agriculture from weather woes – The agriculture sector continues to be at risk from climate variability, be it drought or excessive rainfall, writes Divya Pandey & Avinash Kishore.

• Internet companies shouldn’t try censorship – Facebook or Google’s ability to make value judgments are as limited as a water company’s power to shut off service on a whim, argues Leonid Bershidsky.

• Five charts on the case for an RBI rate cut – Manas Chakravarty presents five charts to consider the case for a rate cut by RBI.