The Hindu Editorial Newspaper Analysis Free PDF Download

Table of Contents

Indo-French harmony

 Deepen ties to work around global uncertainties
 International Solar Alliance,
 Ensure cheaper solar energy
 $1 trillion is needed to reach the ISA goals by 2030–?
 Recommitment to starting the Jaitapur nuclear power plant,
 Joint ventures on climate change cooperation
 U.S. pullout from the Paris accord
 “Golden Step” in defence cooperation- Signal to Russia and to the U.S
 India and France- $1.4 billion and $1.3 billion, respectively
 Bilateral cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region
 Contradictions
 India‟s solar power tariffs stand- per unit
 Nuclear power – negotiations
 Inaugural International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit underlines India’s place in the
new world order.
 In the new world order, India should give primacy to rules that will chart a path for
its own sustainable prosperity
 India’s call for ‘climate justice’,- Environmental damage characterising the current
U.S. and China-led models
 Challenge for India is to take advantage of global trends and push
 Infrastructure
 E-commerce,
 Human capital and
 Technology development to
 Position itself in the emerging global economic
 India should not reject collaboration in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),
 Which is the framework for a new order.
 Rather, it should work with China to jointly set the new multilateral rules
 Along with other BRICS members, set up the BRICS Development Bank
 In 2015, China launched the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank of which India is the second largest shareholder.
 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)- dominated by China and India-„Asian Century’
 Emerging clash in United Nations,World Trade Organisation, and the climate treaty with the U.S
 New opportunities are emerging with Beijing
 In 2018, India will have to make hard choices.
 Quad and partnering with Russia and China,considered the biggest threat by the U.S.

Not by fear alone- GST e-way billing

 GST e-way billing set for April 1, firm timelines and simplification will be key
 GST (goods and services tax) Council chaired FM decided- GST e-way billing
 All inter-State movement of goods above the value of ₹5•0,000 will require the generation of an e-way bill to help track their movement.
 Original rollout plan for February 1 had to be aborted as the IT system couldn’t handle
 e-way bill system for tracking intra State movement will be launched in
 a phased manner, with all States to be on board by June 1.
 April 1 onwards, every week a few States will start the system for internal trade.
 For GST to become truly simple for taxpayers, certainty of timelines is as critical as the fear of the taxman.

The cost of education

 Lack of clarity on the fees charged by private schools
 Regulating school fees is one of the most significant legal and political challenges policymakers in India face
 School vs Home Tuition
 Hike in tuition fees along with additional costs such as fees for transport, extra-curricular activities and sports
 T.M.A. Pai Foundation v. State of Karnataka (2002)
 Islamic Academy of Education and Anr. v. State of Karnataka and Ors (2003)
 Not much clarity on what terms “surplus”,“reasonable surplus” or “commercialisation of education”
 States such as Tamil Nadu follow the fee fixation model whereby a government committee is empowered to verify and approve fee structures proposed by private schools.
 Karnataka is for a formula that caps fees for school
 Some states are working on it but not upto the mark
 In 2010, the CAG slammed 25 well-known private schools in Delhi for arbitrary fee hikes.
 While at the same time, teachers were being underpaid, and accounts misrepresented
 In Modern School v. Union of India (2004), the Supreme Court recommended accounting standards for private schools.
 Further, measures such as regular government supervised audits, regular inspections, and stricter sanctions for fraudulent reporting could be considered.
 Legislative and executive efforts

Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis

Page-1-49 killed in Nepal plane crash
Forty-nine people were killed when a Bangladeshi plane crashed and burst into flames near the Tribhuvan airport here on Monday.
Page-1-Maharashtra CM bows to demands of farmers
Gives assurance to address issues in six months
Page-1-One spoon less of salt, sugar, oil: Doctor’s orders
Bengal cancels transport agreement with Sikkim
West Bengal government has cancelled a transport agreement with Sikkim which allowed free movement of commercial vehicles between the two neighbouring States
Sccused the Sikkim government of not abiding by the agreement and imposing several restrictions on vehicles entering the State from Bengal. Relations between the two States got strained during the Gorkhaland agitation last year.
India’s arms imports from U.S. up by 550%: report
U.S. recorded a blazing growth in its arms exports to India, recording over 550% growth in 2013-17 compared with the previous five years.
Contrast, Pakistan‟s imports from the U.S. dropped by 76% in 2013-17
while it emerged as the largest recipient of Chinese arms exports,
According to the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Russia continued to be India‟s largest arms supplier, accounting for 62% of India‟s arms imports between 2013 and 2017.
U.S. has become India‟s second largest supplier.
Banks need better governance: IMF
‘Passenger vehicle sales to rise 9% in FY18