Editorial Simplified : 17th May
Editorial Simplified : 17th day of May 2016
This Series of posts covers the essential Editorial from prominent newspapers. The Editorial from the newspapers are compiled by the Subject Teachers form the Academy and provided in notes format so that the aspirants does not waste their precious time in sifting through the newspapers.
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Click on the tab below to read the Editorial Simplified for each newspaper
[accordion_content accordion_label="Business Standard"]
Editorial : Map licence raj?
Geospatial Bill needs to be rewritten from scratch
Initial draft of the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016, has lack of understanding of modern geospatial technology and its applications.
WHAT IS THE NEED OF GEOSPATIAL DATA?
Real-time geospatial data are used to enable a vast range of activities. It has revolutionised the state-of-the-art in security services, emergency and disaster relief, mapping, mining, surveying, weather-prediction, urban architecture, road construction, laying down and maintaining of railway lines, electrical grids, etc.
Draft be entirely re-written, after consulting domain experts and incorporating best practices from legislation on the subject followed in other democracies.
CERTAIN DETAILS OF THE DRAFT
Proposes a licensing authority, a so-called Security Vetting Authority, prescribes penalties for unlicensed acquiring, disseminating, publishing or distributing of all geospatial information.
Authority would vet applications for licences by everybody using geospatial data.
Anybody who possesses such data would also have to apply for a licence to legally retain that data and all data have to be watermarked by the vetting authority.
Using unlicensed geospatial information would be punishable by fines ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 100 crore and jail sentences, as well.
Creation of such a licensing authority would open the door to widespread abuse, since it would have the discretion to grant, or refuse, licenses.
Real-time data would also be illegal since the data would have to be vetted and watermarked. So, even directional instructions to a taxi service would be illegal.
Other common usages include telecom services, taxi-courier services, instant messengers, social media networks, etc.
In addition to outlawing current usages, the draft's restrictive provisions would make innovation impossible.
Programmes such as Digital India, Smart Cities and Start up India would have to be junked because these depend on real-time data freely accessed and updated by multiple stakeholders.
Apart from absurd provisions that would jail millions and cripple entire sectors, the draft is also in conflict with the Information Technology Act.
It is unclear which Act has primacy where there are conflicting provisions (and both the laws would claim primacy in such instances.
WAY FORWARD
It is to be hoped that the bill will be re-drafted.
Editorial : Low-hanging fruit
FM takes realistic view of govt policy agenda
As it nears the completion of two years in office, the Narendra Modi-led central government's record on economic issues looks mixed.
Priorities of the government itself have at times seemed to be not as pro-market as some of its early supporters imagined.
In spite of a welcome recent spurt of energy, much initial promise has been belied.
What is the govt saying?
Reaching 9 to 10 per cent growth is extremely difficult" when the global economy is not expanding at a reasonable rate.
Series of pending legislative changes including GST are under process.
Long-term impact of the "slight tweaking" on the relevant sectors – such as coal mining – would be significantly positive.
Privatisation agenda had not been totally abandoned.
Changes would be brought to the nationalised banking sector.
Non-disruptive easing of regulation & Increasing the ease of doing business is on the cards.
India is one of the few places to benefit from the crude oil and commodity price fall .
Path of fiscal consolidation and continuing subsidy rationalization is being followed
What India needs now?
India needs a firm, sustained and cohesive course of structural reform.
Two years on, it is better perhaps to embrace a realistic conception of what has been and can be achieved, rather than to hype past achievements.
[accordion_content accordion_label="Indian Express"]
Editorial : The Siwan test
Recently there have been murders of two journalists in Bihar pointing towards a possible return of Jungle Raj in Bihar. The editorial examines the situation.
The Two Incidents
Rajdeo Ranjan a journalist was murdered in Siwan last week.
Aditya Sachdeva a young journalist was murdered by a politician's son who is now on the run.
The State government angle
Law and Order has been one of the biggest achievement of Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister of Bihar.
But with these two incidents coinciding with the Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar, the law and order in the state is threatened.
There are allegations that the accused in the two murders are political associates of the ruling government and hence a biased investigation is destined to take place.
Analysis and Comments
The onus of dispelling disbelief lies on the Nitish Kumar led government.
The conduct of the government in these two murder investigations will contribute a lot towards shaping perceptions about the Government in Bihar.
Editorial : Third factor
Assembly elections results are just around the corner in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The editorial studies the prospects and the possible electoral outcomes.
Anti-incumbency has been a critical factor in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu as is shown by change of power after every election in recent history.
The new dynamics
In Kerala the formation of Bharat Dharma Jena Sena and its alliance with Bhartiya Janta Party have introduced uncertainity in the probable results.
In Tamil Nadu the contest has been made multi-cornered by parties such as People's Welfare front , Communists and PMK.
The new entrants are not expected to gain office on their own in any of the two states.
But they are likely to grab crucial votes which may spoil the plans of other major parties and swing the results in unexpected ways.
Competition is good for electoral democracy and the entry of new forces is likely to force established players to shed their complacency.
The heavy polling in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu indicates that voters have also been drawn into the excitement.
[accordion_content accordion_label="The Hindu"]
Editorial : The fee for NSG membership
India has been trying to get the membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for quite some time now. Recently China announced that it intends to oppose India's membership. The editorial studies the scenario.
India had made membership to the 48 member NSG a focus since the Indo-US nuclear deal.
USA, Russia, Germany, U.K. ans Australia have backed India's membership bid despite India not being a signatory to the Non proliferation treaty (NPT), which is otherwise a key criterion for NSG membership.
In October 2015, NSG chairperson Rafael Grossi visited New Delhi and gave positive signals for India's membership to NSG.
The reasons for China's stance seem to be its fraught relation with India and a desire not to disadvantage its all weather friend Pakistan.
Road ahead for India
China's announcement to oppose India's membership is not the end of the road for India's NSG ambitions.
More persuasive diplomacy is needed to bring China in the board as was done in 2008 during Indo-US nuclear deal.
Points that India must review
It is quite possible that India's membership ruling may also benefit other non-NPT countries like Pakistan
There is a possibility of India getting a second class membership and not thereby be considered a nuclear weapons state by NSG.
NSG a body set up in response to India's nuclear test in 1974 May require India to curtail its weapons programme.
India must review the cost and benefit ratio of the situation before pressing for NSG membership.
Editorial : Waiting to exhale
The editorial examines the problem of pollution in india with regards to a recent assessment by World Health Organization (WHO).
In a recent assessment by WHO, the ranking of Delhi has improved in regards to air quality.
The WHO's upgrading of Delhi is a positive news but does not disclose the underlying persistent pollution problem.
The problem of small Particulate Matter(PM) measuring 10 and 2.5 micrometers is still deep rooted in many Indian cities.
While Delhi has improved its air quality but many other cities from north are still high on poor air quality list of WHO.
It is being scientifically proved that long term exposure to PM 2.5 and PM 10 leads increased risk of death from chronic heart and lung problems. The government thus needs to find solutions for mitigation.
Mitigation and it's necessary components
A policy of mitigation should aim to reduce the burning of solid cooking fuels and agricultural biomass.
A coordinated approach is required to improve cooking stoves, solar stoves and provide low cost heating facilities and shelter.
It is important to curb the use of automotive fuel and promote public transport and non-motorised alternatives such as electric vehicles.
Urbanisation also needs to go green by encouraging eco-sensitive administration.
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CategoriesEditorial Simplified TagsEditorial, Indian Express
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