Back to school
- Andhra Pradesh and Assam, have allowed pupils back on campus from November 2, many others are waiting until Deepavali to resume classes.
- Centre’s guidelines – parents can decide what their wards should do
- Attendance at schools remains voluntary
- Existing regulations allow research scholars and students who have to take up practical work to resume from October 15, but colleges remain understandably cautious and want to adopt a staggered approach to reopening.
- The belief that India has crossed peak infections and reduced its transmission rate could well prompt citizens to become lax about safe behaviour — proper, universal use of face coverings, personal hygiene and distancing norms.
- Israel – after school reopening – many kids brought virus as home – affecting elderly
- We need unwavering adherence to safety protocols, and additional vigilance on the part of State health authorities who must monitor the situation in educational institutions.
- Lockdowns have been reimposed in Europe due to a fresh wave of cases.
- Children represented less than 5% of all infections in 27 European countries.
- Teachers’ unions in Britain are calling for limited classes to help disadvantaged children and those with parental commitments
- Public schools in many U.S. States remain closed while some private institutions have reopened
- France is asking even small children to wear masks along with teachers.
End of the tunnel?
- Any prognosis of a full-fledged economic recovery could still prove to be premature and illusory.
- Economists have reservations about reading too much into the September-October data as a sustainable trend, for it partly represents pent-up demand brewing over the months of lockdown finding expression, and partly India’s fabled festive season effect.
- North Block mandarins recently critiqued these ‘experts’ for their changing opinions, swinging from a doomsday scenario in June to a cynical ‘pent-up demand’ surmise when economic indicators improve.
- Talking up the economy is perhaps a necessary policy device at times, but equally critical is a realistic assessment of ground realities so as to prepare better for what lies ahead.
- One such parameter that needs attention is employment.
- The government has not ruled out more stimulus measures in the coming months.
- Much depends on the sensitivity of its evolving worldview, be it about the pandemic’s spread and control, or the most challenged sectors in the economy that still need support.
Outside the Quad | IndExp
- Australia’s participation in the annual Malabar exercises, kicking off this week in the Bay of Bengal, marks the emergence of the Quad as a new feature of the Indo-Pacific geopolitics.
- The Quad is likely to endure, thanks to the strong institutional commitment in all four capitals — Canberra, Delhi, Tokyo and Washington.
- The question is – India’s ability to take full advantage of the possibilities after the US elections to construct a wide range of new international coalitions.
- Five Eyes — the Anglo-American alliance for sharing intelligence
- G-7 grouping that coordinates Western policies on global economic management.
- Creation of a new League of Democracies that will address a wide range of issues, including the defence of shared values, commerce, corruption, taxation, climate change and digital governance.
- The post-Quad era opens a new phase in which India, for the first time, can help shape global institutions.
- Changing the world was indeed a major theme of newly independent India’s aspiration in the middle of the 20th century. But the gap between Delhi’s ambition and impact was large.
- The results were meagre.
- The third phase began with the end of the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the emergence of the unipolar moment and the Washington Consensus in favour of globalisation.
- The BRICS forum with Russia, China, Brazil and South Africa became emblematic of this strategy.
- Delhi soon found that differences with the US on Kashmir and nuclear issues were easing, thanks to George W Bush’s policies.
- Delhi also figured out that it was not possible for BRICS to constrain Beijing, since China was so much bigger than the other four members put together.
- As India’s focus inevitably shifted to the construction of a “multipolar Asia”, the Quad and its central role in constructing a stable balance of power in Asia became apparent.
- That brings us into the fourth phase in India’s multilateralism that is marked by three features — the relative rise in Delhi’s international standing, the breakdown of the great power consensus on economic globalisation, and the breakout of the US-China rivalry.
- The “Quad Plus” dialogue, which began this spring at the initiative of the Trump Administration, has variously drawn in Brazil, Israel, New Zealand, South Korea, and Vietnam for consultations with the Quad members on coordinating the responses to the pandemic.
- India is also engaged with Japan and Australia in developing resilient supply chains to reduce the reliance on China.
- The last few months has seen the Trump administration promote a “Clean Network” that eliminates untrustworthy vendors from telecom systems, digital apps, trans-oceanic cables and cloud infrastructure.
- Britain is said to be developing plans to convene a coalition of 10 democracies, including India, that can contribute to the construction of secure 5G networks and reduce the current dependence on China.
- France and Canada have invited India to join the Global Partnership on artificial intelligence that now includes 15 countries.
- Looking ahead to the next US administration, the Quad could soon become routine and boring.
- The real excitement will be about Delhi’s participation in the sweeping rearrangement of the global structures that will have major consequences for India’s economic prosperity and technological future.
- Unlike in the past, Delhi now has the resources, leverage and political will to make a difference to the global order.
The killings in France must be condemned by Muslims without equivocation | ToI
- The killings have evoked horror and outrage the world over.
- The French president has understandably reacted sharply, saying that his government will do everything necessary to uphold the ideals of liberty and freedom of expression which are at the heart of the modern French republic.
- As in the case of other religions, Islam too has multiple versions.
- The biggest price for extremist political Islam is paid by Muslims themselves.
- Historically, all religions have evolved and reformed with changing times.
- This has led to discarding of problematic ideas such as apostasy (स्वधर्मत्याग), blasphemy and violence in the name of God.
- The history of Christianity is as much marked by the Crusades as by Renaissance and industrial revolution.
- Hindus no more uphold practices like Sati and widow ostracisation.
- Scholars have highlighted that Islam encourages Muslims to evolve and adapt with changing context and developments.
- They tell us that justice, kindness, compassion, peace and wisdom are intrinsic to Islam.
- But these voices are marginalised in the cacophony of politicians and conservative clerics out to guard their narrow interests.
- Prime Minister Imran Khan has attacked Macron for fuelling Islamophobia.
- Leaders of Turkey and Malaysia have criticised the French president for his views defending free speech.
- Such posturing gives out the signal that killing in the name of Islam is OK.
- Concepts such as blasphemy and apostasy being punishable by death are deeply problematic not just in multi-cultural societies but in Muslim majority societies as well.
- Laws ostensibly based on these are often used against political dissidents and to wipe out critical thinking in some Muslim countries.
- There need to be frank conversations in Muslim societies on democracy, religious freedom, human rights, women’s equality, peaceful coexistence and other such relevant issues.
- The Arab Spring of 2011 was against dictatorship, injustice and misgoverance in the Muslim world.
- Unfortunately, moderate voices remain a minority in Muslim societies.
- Muslims have a right to be offended by the cartoons.
- But beheading and killing is not acceptable.
- Values of pluralism, inclusiveness, equality and religious freedom are enshrined in our Constitution.
- Indian Muslims are best placed to bring in social reform and lead the change.
- But this can be possible only if we shun the politics of religious polarisation and communal hate.
NEWS
- Terrorism knows no boundaries: Shringla
- Referring to the recent violent attacks in France, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla took a tough line on “radicalism in Europe” during his official meetings in Germany on Monday.
- Satellites to detect drug cultivation in Odisha
- Odisha Space Application Centre (OSAC) has proposed to help law enforcement agencies detect the activity using remote sensing and artificial intelligence technologies.
- As cases soar, ventilator beds go scarce in Delhi
- Trump, Biden search for last-minute support
- Chennai-born Priyanca is New Zealand’s new Minister
- IS attack on Kabul University leaves 25 dead, 22 wounded
- Most of the casualties were students and there were fears the death toll could climb further with some of the wounded said to be in critical condition.
- US Secy of State condemns arrest of 8 pan-democratic politicians in Hong Kong
- Centre releases Rs 2,200 cr as first installment to 15 states for improvement of air quality
- Indian Naval Ship Airavat reaches Port Sudan as part of ‘Mission Sagar-II’
- Chief of Defence Forces of Kenya interacts with Army Chief General Manoj Naravane
- Centre extends Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme till Nov 30
- The ECLGS was announced as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Package to provide fully guaranteed and collateral free additional credit to MSMEs, business enterprises, individual loans for business purposes and MUDRA borrowers.
- Borrowers with credit outstanding up to Rs. 50 crore as on 29th of February 2020 and with an annual turnover of up to Rs. 250 crore are eligible under the scheme.
- Interest rates under the scheme are capped at 9.25 per cent for Banks and FIs and 14 per cent for NBFCs.
- Tenure of loans provided under the scheme is four years, including a moratorium of one year on principle repayment.
- An amount of Rs. 2.03 lakh crore has been sanctioned under the scheme to 60.67 lakh borrowers so far, while an amount of Rs. 1.48 lakh crore has been disbursed.
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