The Hindu Editorial News Analysis 27th Nov 2017

Table of Contents

Desert Storm-Egypt

Chaos in the region makes Egypt’s counter-terror task more challenging
Friday- Sufi mosque-killed at least 305
Egypt faces from a stronger and more brutish Islamist militancy
Local arm of the Islamic State
IS’s strategy in Egypt is similar to that in Syria and Iraq.
Group is targeting Christians, who make up about 10%
Egypt’s Sinai- historically neglected
Egyptian Islamists- returned home
The Egyptian government also needs to take steps to address the long-term grievances of the Sinai’s population.

Amendments aim to keep-out such persons
1)-Who have wilfully defaulted,
2)-Non-performing assets
3)-Addition to putting in place restrictions for such persons to participate in
the resolution or liquidation process
Becoming an instrument of blunt force that hurts more than it helps.
Not all bad loans are a result of mala •de intent on the borrower’s part.
In cases, companies have ended up struggling to service debt as a result of unpredictable external factors- adversely impacted operations and financials
Steel companies were among the worst hit in the wake of
• 1-Global downturn in commodity prices
• 2)-Depressed demand
Centre may have ended up, unintentionally, throwing the baby out
with the bathwater(नहानेका पानी).

Law of Geographical Indications (GIs) is linked to the terroir, that is the
quality of a product is essentially attributable to the territory where
product originates from.
GIs support local production and important rural and tribal communities
Unlike Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) which guarantee individual interest
GI is a collective right.
India implemented GI in 1999, a prime reason being its obligation to have
a law on GI as a member of the World Trade Organisation-Trade Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (WTO-TRIPS)
Politics behind the incorporation of GI in TRIPS
United States was not a supporter of GI, it was lobbying by the EU that
ensured its inclusion in TRIPS.
The EU already had its domestic mechanisms in place to protect GIs
and was keen to protect its products in international markets.

Proprietor of GI relating to wines and spirits does not have to prove that
incorrect use of the geographic origin is misleading as well.
India has failed to introspect(आत्मननरीक्षण) on its own domestic legislation.
Important to highlight the shortcomings of the Indian GI Act.
Against this backdrop, proof of origin is a mandatory criterion for registering GIs in India.
This provision is borrowed from the EU’s regulations on GI protection.
Historic proof in the form of documentary evidence (gazetteers, documents,
news articles, advertisement materials).
Including such a provision in our law as there was no mandate under TRIPs
to do so.
Documentary evidence as proof of origin may be a foolproof mechanism
to ensure the link between the product and territory
Northeast where oral history has had far wider convention over
written history, this provision will prove to be a formidable hurdle.

Assam -One such example is a traditional rice wine called ‘Judima’ which is
made by Dimasa tribe of Dima Hasao, one of the autonomous hill districts.
Difficulty in gathering documentary evidence as proof of origin.
It is the same case with many other products from the Northeast
Judima’, word ‘Ju’ stands for drink and ‘Dima’ for Dimasas, but the absenceof any documentary proof makes the case a difficult one to prove.
What is rationality behind including and retaining such provisions in law?
For most products, especially those of tribal communities
India faced difficulties patent case involving turmeric when two scientists
of the University of Mississippi Medical Centre, were granted U.S. patent
for the use of turmeric in wound(घाव) healing.
India Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which opposed this
, was asked by U.S. Patent and Trademark to submit documentary evidence
of usage of turmeric for healing purposes in India in order to revoke patent
CSIR was compelled to launch a project of translating ancient Sanskrit texts
which were later produced as evidence, and accepted
So, what happens in cases such where a written history is rare?
The GI authorities should amend the existing provision.

A team of over 250 scientists and others from around 100 institutions who
are part of the India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative has analysed
and described these trends for every State from 1990 to 2016.
Its report was released by the Vice President of India
Policymakers in India need reliable disease burden data at sub national levels
Planning based on local trends can improve health of populations effectively.
Inequalities among States
Per person disease burden, has dropped in India by 36% from 1990 to 201
But there are major inequalities among States
Worse in the major northern poor States and Assam
air pollution levels in India are among highest world,making it second leading
risk factor in 2016, responsible for 10% of total disease burden in country
1)-Cardiovascular diseases,
2)-Chronic respiratory diseases,
Group of risks that include
1)-Unhealthy diet,
2)-High blood pressure,
3)-High blood sugar,
4)-High cholesterol and overweight,
This new knowledge base and the annual updates planned by
the India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative will provide important inputs
for the data-driven and decentralised health planning and monitoring recom
mended by National Health Policy 2017 and the NITI Aayog Action Agenda
2017-2020.

Page-1- Humanity must unite to fight terrorism, says Modi
‘Country can never forget the sacrifice of 26/11 victims’
Pak. will be isolated: Jaitley
Targeting Pakistan for the release of 26/11 attack mastermind Hafi•z Saeed,
Union Minister Arun Jaitley said in Surat that a nation that supported terror
would not •find a place on the world stage.

Page-10– PM lays stress on balance of power
Paying homage to the members of the Constituent Assembly on the occasion
of National Law Day(26 nov) on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said
the balance of power among the executive, the legislature and
the judiciary had been the backbone of the Constitution.
Nepal’s historic polls see 65% turnout
Digital discount: rise in compliance burden feared
GST Council’s proposal to o•er a 2% discount may spur digital payments but would necessitate changes in the GST returns process
Will help Apple set up facility in India: Centre
Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said Centre would support
iPhone-maker Apple to set up a manufacturing unit in country and is awaiting
a formal proposal from them.
India’s most successful campaign in the World youth women’s boxing championship became even sweeter as all its •five boxers in the •finals bagged gold medals at the
N.C. Bordoloi Indoor Stadium