The Hindu Editorial Newspaper Analysis Free PDF

Table of Contents

 Reform pushed through this month
Prime Minister Li Keqiang has closed six ministries, two ministry-level agencies and seven vice ministry-level departments.
Beijing has also created a powerful anti-corruption agency, while the Vice President, till now
holding a ceremonial post, is expected to play an active role in policy making.
The stamp of Xi Jinping, re-elected President for five more years with no term limit , is visible in these reforms.
A big decision is the empowerment of the Environment Ministry, which will fight air, water and soil pollution
Engagement with the U.S
 Recently created Financial Stability and Development Commission, which will coordinate between the banking and securities regulators
National Supervision Commission, which is ranked above the judiciary, will have sweeping
powers to fight corruption, including power to detain suspects for up to six months without access to lawyers
Strengthening of Mr. Xi‟s full-blown control over party and government
Earlier this month, by amending the Constitution to remove the two-term limit

Read the distress signals

 Farming must be treated as a market – based enterprise
 Week-long farmers‟ march which reached Mumbai earlier this month, on the anniversary of Gandhi’s Dandi March of 1930
 It was mostly
 1)- Silent and disciplined,
 2)- Mostly leaderless,
 3)- Non – disruptive and non-violent,
 4)- Well organised
 It received sympathy of middle class city dwellers, food and water from bystanders, free medical services from volunteer doctors.
 State government agreed to all the demands, including pending transfer of forest land to Adivasis, expanding the scope of loan waiver and ensuring higher prices for farm produce
“Farm problem” of India is a huge mountain, but it is surmountable.
Biggest priority is to reduce the workforce which depends on agriculture for its livelihood
Solution to the farm crisis lies largely outside the farm sector.
Farming is to be treated as a business
Intermediation- Remove
Foreign direct investment in farm
Contract farming, Soil cards ensure appropriate
Loan waiving, aim to double farm income
Neem-coated fertilizer has reduced leakage, direct benefit transfer to farmer-buyer will reduce subsidy further
Connect farmers to the value chain of farm to fork, including agribusiness

Conserve every drop

Before water crisis situation turns more alarming, we have to collectively act now and here
SamuelTaylor Coleridge foretelling the impending water crisis in the 21st century when he penned “Water, water, every where,/ Nor any drop to drink”
A wake-up call
Grave water situation in Cape Town South Africa is a wake-up call to everybody across the globe from policymakers
Similar crisis is looming large in other cities in world as people continue to be reckless in their use of water
Need to make “every drop count”
Achieve the water-related goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
“Water needs to be allocated in ways- Maximize overall benefits to our societies,”
Place policies that will allow for at least a doubling of water infrastructure investment in
the next five years.
It called for governments,communities, the private sector, and researchers to collaborate.
The Indian context
Growing population,
Lack of adequate planning,
Crumbling(ढहती) infrastructure,
Using water carelessly are causing water shortages.
Already, water is being supplied on alternate days in certain cities, and for a limited
duration in some places.
Demand for water in urban areas is projected to increase by 50-70% in the next 3 decades
India‟s current water requirement is estimated to be around 1,100 billion cubic metres per year, which is projected to touch 1,447 billion cubic metres by 2050.
According to Asian Development Bank, India will have a water deficit of 50% by 2030
 India‟s water needs are basically met by rivers and groundwater.
Water scarcity can lead to disastrous impacting food production .
With ground water catering to about
60% of the country’s irrigation,
85% of rural water drinking requirements, and
50% of urban water needs,
Replenishing the aquifers has to be accorded top priority.
The oceans make up for about 97% of the Earth‟s water.
Less than 3% of Earth‟s water is freshwater and most of it is not accessible.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, over 68% of the freshwater on Earth is found in icecaps and glaciers, while just over 30% is found in groundwater.
According to the United Nations, 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services; water scarcity already affects four out of every 10 people;
90% of all natural disasters are water related; 3.4 lakh children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases; agriculture accounts for 70% of global water withdrawal and 80% of wastewater flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused
Government- come up with a ₹6•000-croreWorld Bank-aided Atal BhujalYojana with community participation to ensure sustained groundwater management in overexploited and ground water stressed areas in seven State
Reduce, reuse, and recycle

Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis

Page-1-BJP, Cong. trade charges over use of data analytics firm
Cambridge Analytica has been accused of using personal data of Facebook users
Raje to go on „VikasYatra‟
Beginning from Udaipur on April 15; to cover all 200 Assembly constituencies
Darjeeling toy train to get a facelift
Here is something to cheer for those who pine for a ride on the world famous toy train of Darjeeling.All the 14 steam engines of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways
(DHR) — which runs toy train services between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling — will be revived and the coaches will be air conditioned
Nod for Ayushman Bharat health scheme
Oppn. pushes for no-trust motion against PM Ranil
Early general election possible in 2018
U.S. Federal Reserve raises key interest rate by a quarter-point Step shows confidence that nation‟s economy remains sturdy nine years after the Great Recession ended