The Hindu Editorial Analysis | 7th July ’21

Table of Contents

NEWS

Govt creates Ministry of Co-operation for strengthening of cooperatives
- Sahkar se Samriddhi
- This Ministry will provide a separate administrative, legal and policy framework for strengthening the cooperative movement in the country.
- It will help deepen co-operatives as a true people based movement reaching upto the grassroots.
- The new Ministry will work to streamline processes for Ease of Doing Business for co-operatives and enable development of Multi-State Co-operatives.
- The Central Government has signaled its deep commitment to community-based developmental partnership.
Legendary Actor Dilip Kumar passes away in Mumbai
Active Caseload of COVID-19 in country declines to around 4 lakh 64 thousand; Recovery rate improves to 97.2 per cent
National vaccination coverage crosses 36 crore mark
Unlock-4 becomes effective with certain restrictions in Bihar
EAM S Jaishankar to embark on three-day official visit to Russia today
- During the visit, External Affairs Minister will meet his counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
- Discussions are expected to cover the entire range of bilateral issues, including cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as well as exchange of views on various regional and international issues.
- Dr. S. Jaishankar will deliver a speech on “India-Russia ties in a Changing World” at the prestigious Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations in Moscow.
- The Russian Foreign Minister had visited New Delhi in April this year. The visit will further strengthen the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ between the two countries.
Dept. of Justice commemorates milestone of crossing 9 lakh beneficiaries under its Tele-Law programme
National Testing Agency to hold 3rd session of JEE (Main)-2021 Examination from 20th to 25th July
Common Eligibility Test for job aspirants to be conducted across country from early 2022
Cannes Film Festival returns to celebrate world’s best cinema between 6th and 17th July
I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar inaugurates Virtual India Pavilion at 74th Cannes Film Festival
28 feared dead in plane crash in Russia’s Far East
First unit of Rampal Maitree Power project to be commissioned in Dec 2021
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla meets Afghan Ambassador to India Farid Mamundzay
Euro Cup: Italy enters final beating Spain; England to take on Denmark in 2nd semi final tonight

Unpacking China’s game plan | TH

Rapid upgradation of aviation infrastructure in Tibet.
It is the speed of upgradation of airfields, construction of hardened aircraft shelters, new runways, aprons, underground storage and tunnelling into mountainsides, all visible in high-resolution satellite photos, that should have alarm bells ringing in New Delhi.

Is there any link between these constructions and the procrastination by China in the talks for reducing tensions in Eastern Ladakh?
What is the tactical aim of the Chinese with these upgradations?
How would these changes affect the balance of air power between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in the medium to long term?

What Beijing discovered to its discomfiture was that India did not yield any ground, and actually occupied vantage points in the south Pangong Tso area to balance out some sectoral disadvantages.
This firmness was backed by deterrent IAF firepower and it was clear to the Chinese that they were on a weak wicket in the air due to three reasons.

The IAF’s high strike potential, with its aircraft having the advantage of a string of airfields all along the foothills of the Himalayas; that they are at low altitudes permit a full armament load to be carried.
Chinese airfields in Tibet were few, widely spaced out and hence not mutually supportive; there were gaps in the air defence structure too that the IAF would utilise to interdict targets in the rear.
Most Tibetan airfields are at altitudes above 10,000 ft, severely restricting the payload of PLAAF aircraft.

The IAF is equipped and trained for offensive action.
In all the previous conflicts the IAF conducted aggressive strikes, besides providing active close support to ground forces.
The odd exception was the 1962 India-China conflict where the IAF’s substantial strike potential was nullified by a political decision to not use it.
For this turnaround to take effect would take China about two years.
If China succeeds in its endeavour, India may lose the trump card of positive air power asymmetry that it now holds.
India’s posture and demands at the talks (which one supposes has an IAF representative too) must reflect its understanding of China’s game plan.

Cultural genocide | TH

The recent discovery of hundreds of graves in Canada
Dark past – indigenous people faced systemic discrimination and violence
Former residential school sites

Between 1882 and 1996, an estimated 150,000 children were sent to residential schools.
Funded by the federal government and run mostly by the Catholic Church
In 1883, Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, defended in Parliament the system of residential schools, saying indigenous students should be kept away from their parents, “who are savages”.
The children were not allowed to speak their languages or practise their culture.
Many were abused.
An estimated 4,000 children died, mainly due to TB, malnutrition and other illnesses resulting from the squalid conditions in the schools.
In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a formal apology.
The Government also set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to document the history and the lasting impact of the school system on the indigenous communities.
In 2015, the commission called the violence against the indigenous students a “cultural genocide”.
It has made 94 “calls to action” to different levels of the government and communities that included independent investigations and steps to protect Aboriginal rights and culture.
It also asked the Catholic Church to apologise and take steps toward reconciliation.
The Vatican is yet to formally apologise for the schools.
Justin Trudeau, who came to power in 2015, had promised that addressing the grievances of the indigenous communities was a core agenda.
Mr. Trudeau has expressed “guilt” over the abuses.
His government should assist indigenous organisations to find unmarked graves.

Vacancies send a wrong signal | TH

Delays in promotions and appointments not only affect the organisations but also tend to demoralise the officials who await promotions after vacancies arise.
The post of the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission was kept vacant until June this year even though the previous Chairman, H. L. Dattu, retired in December 2020.
The post of the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) too was kept vacant until the recent appointment of Subodh Kumar Jaiswal.
The post had been vacant since February after Rishi Kumar Shukla retired.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sunil Arora, retired on April 12 amidst an aggressive election campaign and polling in West Bengal and four other States this year leaving just two members in the Commission.
One of them became CEC by virtue of his seniority in the Election Commission.
In case of a disagreement on any issue between the two of them, a solution would have become difficult.
The Centre appointed Anup Chandra Pandey as the new Election Commissioner in June.
Meanwhile, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court demanding the appointment of Election Commissioners by a committee, as is done in the case of appointment of the Director of the CBI, and not by the Centre as is the case now.
ADR has referred to the 255th Report of Law Commission that had recommended that Election Commissioners be appointed by a high-powered committee.
Though the high-powered committee headed by the Prime Minister has two members – the Chief Justice of India and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha – the Opposition leader has little say in the selection process.
If the Prime Minister decides on a candidate and the CJI consents, the Opposition leader’s dissenting note carries no weight.
There is a need, therefore, to expand the high-powered committee to include at least two more members of eminence with proven integrity for the selection process – preferably a retired police officer and a Chief Minister of a State governed by a party other than that of the party of the Prime Minister.
After Hrushikesh Senapaty’s retirement in November last, the National Council of Educational Research and Training, which is largely responsible for chalking out the education policy of the country, is headless.
Of the 40 Central universities across the country, nearly half are without regular Vice-Chancellors.
Rakesh Asthana assumed additional charge of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) from December 2019. After his appointment as Director-General (DG) of the Border Security Force in August last, he continues to hold charge of the NCB as DG.
Kuldiep Singh, DG of the Central Reserve Police Force, now also heads the National Investigation Agency after the previous incumbent, Y.C. Modi, retired on May 31 last.
Vacancies for such long periods tend to paralyse the backbone of these organisations.
Appointments to higher echelons can be announced well in time.
Delays in important appointments send a wrong signal to the nation.
If the government can announce its chiefs and vice chiefs months in advance, there is no reason why this cannot be done in all other ministries and departments.

An uneven field | Ind Exp

The government has argued that the draft e-commerce rules seek

to protect the interests of consumers
curb unfair trade practices
encourage free and fair competition

It goes without saying that measures designed to elicit greater cooperation from e-commerce firms, ensure greater responsiveness to issues of consumer welfare, are welcome.
As such, rules that require the appointment of a chief compliance officer and a resident grievance officer to ensure that consumer grievances are settled in a timely manner are steps in the right direction.
But the proposed rules also seek to harden considerably the regulatory architecture in the online retail space, restrict the room for manoeuvre that e-commerce companies have, and create more ambiguity over their operations, without imposing similar constraints on their traditional brick and mortar competitors.
There are specific points of concern.
The draft rules call for putting in place a fall-back liability clause.
According to this, e-commerce firms will be held liable in case a seller on their platform “fails to deliver goods or services due to negligent conduct” causing a loss to the consumer.
If an e-commerce firm exerts no sway over the inventory, then can it be held responsible for the actions of the seller?
Similarly, there is also ambiguity over flash sales.
The ministry first noted that “only specific flash sales or back to back sales which limit customer choice, increase prices and prevent a level playing field are not allowed.”
While it later elaborated that it will not regulate flash sales, it is puzzling how sales limit consumer welfare.
Another rule that deals with related party transactions has caused much consternation.
Under this, related parties of an e-commerce platform cannot be sellers on that platform.
Contrary to expectations, doing so would tend to limit, not enhance, consumer choice on the platform.
Considering that such restrictive rules do not apply to the brick and mortar stores, which engage in discounts, end of season sales, and special tie-ups with manufacturers, imposing such restrictive regulations on e-commerce platforms lends credence to the charge that the rules were designed giving greater weightage to the interests of traditional retailers, rather than consumers, or small and medium sellers on the platforms.
Vagueness in some of the terms employed in the rules, which leaves room for discretion in implementation, also raises apprehensions of greater regulatory intervention.
These concerns need to be addressed.
Policy should aim to reduce information asymmetry, facilitate competition, and bring greater transparency in pricing.

ANS

Q.) Hibatullah Akhundzada is the leader of which terror outfit?

Lahkar-e-Taiba
Jaish-e-Mohammad
al-Qaeda
Taliban

Q.) Name the initiative launched by the Union Education Ministry that sets literacy goals for class3 students, such as being able to read and write numbers up to 9,999.