The Hindu Editorial Daily Free PDF Analysis

Table of Contents

Towards an endgame?

Turkey makes a decisive move against Kurdish •fighters on the border with Syria
January 20,Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdo•an announced thatTurkish forces alongside the Free Syrian Army
Turkey has long threatened to enter Syria and clear out the forces of the U.S.-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF).
The SDF was created in 2015 by the various Syrian Kurdish political forces and their military
wing, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ)
The SDF was created as a platform for the Syrian Kurds to join with these other groups into
an anti-IS military alliance.
But, to the Turks, it has always been clear that the SDF is dominated by Syrian Kurds, and
is therefore essentially a Kurdish project.
Heart of the conflict The war to defeat the IS at Raqqa, the major city in northern Syria

Getting back on the democratic path

India gave itself a great system but now does not seem to know how to keep it up to
standard
India remains woefully short of its potential.
Whatever our excuses-The whole essence of… Parliamentary Government lies in the
intention to make the thing work… [its] strength… is exactly measured by the unity of political parties upon its fundamental objects.
Our social tensions need sensitive healing.
Our administrative machinery desperately needs efficiency
Countries worldwide •find existing governmental systems unable to cope with contemporary challenges or people’s expectations, some even with basic needs
Democracy depends on the Enlightenment’s ideals
offering no vision, no version of our future, which could possibly inspire anybody
China’s record over the last century is hardly edifying revolutions, civil war, famines
, warlords, etc.
Corruption is rampant, sloth and incompetence hardly unknown,
but things get done because there is a directing force
Which devises and executes forward – looking plans for national greatness.
We gave ourselves a great system but have not known how to keep it up to standard.
A government must be •fitted to a nation as much as a coat to the Individual
Power between executive, legislature and judiciary is undermined
Our political executives are self-seeking while the permanent branches are dysfunctional;
Our legislatures hardly meet and when they do there is bedlam;
Our judiciary, the last remaining estate to retain some public respect,
Some problems have no solutions-We never grew out of our old ways.
Khap panchayats, disgraceful dowry systems, blatant practice of untouchability
The road map ahead
We need a planned, determined push to make our system work and modernise.
Only an organised body with such a purpose can do anything
We the people are ultimately responsible but political leaders have to lead

Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis

Page-1– Loya death will be examined objectively, says CJI Bench
Circumstances surrounding the death of CBI judge B.H. Loya

Page-1-The Hindu is the undisputed #1 English daily in South India
The Hindu has retained its undisputed leadership amongst English language newspapers in South India, based on the recently released Indian Readership
Survey (IRS) 2017, with a total readership of 38.5 lakhs
in South India.
The Times of India’s 29.6 lakhs,
Deccan Chronicle’s readership (13.8 lakhs) and
Deccan Herald’s readership (9.7 lakhs)
Page-7– Now, an app to report roadkill in wildlife habitats
Users can upload geotagged photos to a public forum
Mobile-based application,‘Roadkills’, launched on Jan 21 by theWildlife Conservation Trust, will help citizens report such wildlife deaths by uploading geotagged photographs to a public forum.
Data generated can be used to identify crucial road or rail stretches that urgently require mitigation measures-Help identify crucial sections of roads or railway lines where animal deaths are high to pinpoint regions
Two States call for SC rethink on Padmaavat
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments
Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) announced that it is acquiring a 51.11% stake of
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL)
Former Maldives President accuses China of ‘land grab’- Mohamed Nasheed
‘Chinese interests are building ports and other infrastructure
Jerusalem Embassy to open in 2019- U.S. Embassy will be
moved fromTelAviv to Jerusalem by the end of 2019
IMF raises global growth forecast, sees U.S. tax boost
world economy expanding by 3.9% in 2018 and 2019