The Hindu Editorial Analysis In English | Free PDF Download

Table of Contents

Restoring dignity

• Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious (संक्रामक) disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae.

• Leprosy is known to occur at all ages ranging from early infancy to very old age.

• Leprosy is curable and early treatment averts most disabilities.

• The exact mechanism of transmission of leprosy is not known.

• Indian society and stigma attached to leprosy

• Even more shocking is that colonial laws remain on the statute book.

• The Lepers Act of 1898 was repealed only two years ago.

1. Introduction of a Bill in Parliament to remove leprosy as a ground for seeking divorce or legal separation from one’s spouse.

2. Supreme Court asking the Centre whether it would bring in a positive law conferring rights and benefits on persons with leprosy and deeming as repealed all Acts and rules that perpetuated the stigma associated with it.

• The 256th Report of the Law Commission came up with a number of suggestions, including the repeal of discriminatory legal provisions.

• It listed for abolition personal laws and Acts on beggary.

• The report cited the UN General Assembly resolution of 2010 on the elimination of discrimination against persons with leprosy.

• The resolution sought the abolition of laws, rules, regulations, customs and practices that amounted to discrimination, and wanted countries to promote the understanding that leprosy is not easily communicable.

• Most imp thing is that it is curable.

• While governments may have to handle the legislative part, society has an even larger role to play.

The big squeeze

• Strains between the moderate and hardline sections

• Rial has lost over 50% of its value this year

• With mounting public anger over high inflation and alleged corruption, any additional squeeze could worsen domestic tensions.

• Thanks to the relief from punitive sanction

• In an effort to mitigate their impact, Abdolnaser Hemmati, the new central bank chief, has announced a relaxation of foreign exchange rules, creating access to subsidised hard money for purchase of essential commodities.

• The global community must weigh in to ease U.S.-Iran tensions.

• Strait of Hormuz: the passage for about a 3rd of global seaborne oil shipments.

• Mixed signals from USA: hawkish tone and unconditional talks

Toxic silence

• On August 20 and 21, the Indian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, jointly held a discussion meeting for scientists and science journalists.

• Among the topics discussed were reports on sexual harassment within labs and research institutes.

• The issue is shrouded in silence not just within the scientific establishment but in several other sectors as well.

• There is a clause in the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, which says that the numbers must be reported in the annual report of institutions and handed over to the district officer.

• Without more discussion, the backlash on victims is likely to continue, and this distinctly favours the perpetrator.

Ways to read the Constitution

• Sabarimala temple: raise issues about religious freedom, gender equality and the right of women to worship.

• It was also urged that matters such as who can or cannot enter the temple are covered under the rights to administer and manage religious institutions, under Article 26.

• It was argued that the exclusion is a form of ‘untouchability’ since the exclusion is solely based on notions of purity and impurity.

• Two approaches to reading the Constitution.

1. ‘original intent’: based on the intent of the framers of the Constitution

2. ‘living tree’ doctrine

• In Canadian law, the living tree doctrine (French: théorie de l’arbre vivant) is a doctrine of constitutional interpretation that says that a constitution is organic and must be read in a broad and progressive manner so as to adapt it to the changing times.

• What matters the most is how the Constitution can be interpreted to contain rights in their broadest realm.

• V.I. Muniswamy Pillai said in the Constituent Assembly that “the great thing that this Constitution brings to notice, not only to this country but to the whole world is the abolition of untouchability.”

• Therefore, in essence, the Sabarimala case is a test case not only for freedom of religion and women’s rights but also for constitutional interpretation.

How dams can control floods?

• The world over, dams are constructed mainly for the purposes of irrigation, power generation, and flood control.

• It is time for the government and the public to formulate water management policies for reservoirs in such a manner that dams are used to control floods, not cause them.

• In 2015, hydropower generation was only 16.6% of the world’s total electricity production.

• At present, the task of dam and water management is vested with the Public Works Department, the Electricity Board, and the Irrigation Department.

• Even in normal conditions, given contradictory opinions from various departments, it is difficult to implement decisions.

• The State government, the State Dam Security Authority and the National Water Commission should all be prepared to take bold decisions together on water management so that there are no such devastating floods in the future.

• Authorities always look to store the maximum amount of water in reservoirs during the monsoon season, which is then used for irrigation and generation of electricity during the summer months.

• Thailand, for instance, wisely brought down the water level in the dams in the country to below 60% of the storing capacity before the rainy season.

Important News

• Protocol will not stop me meeting leaders, says Malik

• New Governor of Jammu & Kashmir stresses the need for dialogue at all levels

• Major Gogoi may be court-martialled

• “Orders have been issued to initiate disciplinary action. The CoI has held him accountable for fraternising with a local in spite of instructions to the contrary and being away from the place of duty while in an operational area,” an Army source said on Monday.

• Godhra case: two more get life term

• Jatropha powers India’s first biofuel flight

• Sushma opens foot camp in Vietnam

• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj inaugurated the ‘Jaipur Foot’ camp here on Monday and met with 500 Vietnamese beneficiaries of the free India-made prosthetic limb.

• Indus treaty talks to begin tomorrow

• India and Pakistan will resume their talks on various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty in Lahore on Wednesday, the first bilateral engagement since Imran Khan took office as Prime Minister.

• The last meeting of the Pakistan-India Permanent Indus Commission was held in New Delhi in March, during which both sides had shared details of the water flow and the quantum of water being used under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

• The official said Pakistan would raise its concerns over the 1000-MW Pakal Dul and the 48-MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects on the Chenab river.