The Hindu Editorial Analysis | 4th March ’21 | PDF Download

• Zhao Zongqi
• Recorded Future
• Muammar Gaddafi
• St George’s Orthodox Church, Cheppad
• Chloe Zhao

 
Q.) Sri Lanka will develop the West Container Terminal (WCT) at the Colombo Port, along with which two nations?

1. India and Japan
2. India and Australia
3. India and USA
4. India and China

Q.) Central Government received bid worth ₹77,814.8 crore in the recently concluded 4G telecom spectrum auctions. Which company was the highest bidder?

1. VI
2. Jio
3. Bharti Airtel
4. BSNL

Q.) Which Indian state launched country’s maiden Engineering Research & Development (ER&D) Policy?

1. Gujarat
2. Tamil Nadu
3. Karnataka
4. Uttar Pradesh

Q.) Himalayan serow, a mammal somewhere between a goat and an antelope was spotted for the first time in which state?

1. West Bengal
2. Assam
3. Arunachal Pradesh
4. Uttarakhand

Q.) Name the capital of Nigeria

1. Abuja
2. Niamey
3. Ouagadougou
4. Bamako

Scorcher ahead! | Pioneer

• Most of the northern, western and eastern parts of India breached the 30˚C-mark nearly two to three weeks before they usually do.
• Hotter than usual summer ahead
• IMD: day temperatures are likely to be 0.86˚C higher than normal in the north, northeast, parts of east and west India between March and May
• Last week, Bhubaneswar was the first region to record 40˚C anywhere in the country this year
• India’s average temperature rose by around 0.7˚C during 1901–2018
• Between 2070 and 2099, temperature will rise by approximately 4.4˚C relative to the recent past (1976–2005 average)
• The high GHG emissions would increase the heat on Earth’s surface by 8.5 watts per square metre.
• Called RCP8.5, this is the worst-case scenario used by climate modellers worldwide.
• In a medium GHG emissions scenario, called RCP4.5, the average temperature in India would rise by 2.7 ˚C in the last 30 years of this century.
• Before that, during 2040-2069, India’s average temperature would rise by 2˚C in a medium emissions scenario, and by 2.4˚C in a high emissions scenario.

Consumer undurables | IndExp

• The problem with consumer durables is that they aren’t all that durable.
• The warranty runs out in a year
• In Europe — and much of the First World — these options are not as readily available.
• Discarded appliances are adding to the growing problem of e-waste
• The European Union has enacted, for this reason, a “right to repair” under which companies will be required to ensure that spare parts are available for their products for at least 10 years.
• The EU law hits at “planned obsolescence” — companies ensure that their products are made from components that don’t last long, to get repeat customers.
•  Apple is already facing a lawsuit from Deco Proteste, a private consumer organisation from Portugal, over the planned obsolescence of the iPhone 6.
• But the other problem with a culture of consumerism is the consumer.

The right path | Pioneer

• Thousands of farmers in India die by suicide every year as they see no option to get out of the debt trap.
• The poor and marginal farmers depend upon loans for purchasing seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, irrigation and even harvesting.
• However, these deaths, as recorded by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), fail to shake the collective conscience of society and are just another figure for most of us.
• Ironically, there is no outcry, no borders are sealed, no tractor rallies organised, no national monuments sieged, no violence.
• This is because these deaths don’t affect the interests of the politically connected and powerful “arhatiya” community that drives the Agricultural Produce Marketing Community (APMC) in Punjab, Haryana and parts of Western Uttar Pradesh.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently endorsed the provisions made for the agriculture sector in Budget 2021-22 and reiterated that the Government is working for small and medium-level farmers.
• One might argue that Modi is not concerned about the farmers camping at Delhi’s borders and project him as “anti-farmer” and “pro-corporate”, but his plans and policies speak volumes about his intention to empower the “real” farmers at the grassroots.
• The Prime Minister has said that India needs to expand its agriculture sector to the global market for processed food.
• He also emphasised that the number of agro-industry clusters near villages should be increased so that the rural populace gets farm-related employment in the vicinity.
• If the Government succeeds in providing market access to these farmers (small and marginal) beyond mandis, it would prove to be a milestone.
• Further, the Government has increased the agriculture credit target to Rs 16.50 lakh crore and infrastructure fund to Rs 40,000 crore, besides doubling the micro-irrigation fund.

Rape and marriage

• A relationship between two individuals, including marriage, is built around love, respect, trust and consent.
• Within that civilised framework, a violent and exploitative act like rape has no place.
• The Supreme Court’s latest query to a Maharashtra government employee asking whether he would marry a girl he was accused of raping repeatedly while she was a minor is insensitive to the core.
• Instead of meting out harsh punishment, the Court asked the lawyer representing the accused to find out whether his client would be willing to marry the victim or risk going to jail.
• In his petition, the accused recounted the allegations that he sexually abused the girl since she was in high school, and also that he had threatened the minor.
• In another case, the Bench stayed the arrest of a man accused of rape after falsely promising marriage.
• The victim said she was promised marriage and was “brutally and sexually abused”.
• The CJI asked the girl’s lawyer: “When two people are living as husband and wife, however brutal the husband is, can you call sexual intercourse between them ‘rape’?”
• The Justice J.S. Verma Committee was clear the law ought to specify that a marital or another relationship between the perpetrator and victim cannot be a defence against sexual violation.
• Citing the judgment of the European Commission of Human Rights in C.R. vs U.K., it endorsed the conclusion that “a rapist remains a rapist regardless of his relationship with the victim”.
• The law should deliver justice, not blatantly tilt the scales against women’s rights.

Financial NEWS

• Large Chinese FDI Only in Sectors Critical for India
  • Chinese investments in sectors critical for India or where local companies don’t have adequate capacity will be considered for approval but the country is unlikely to adopt an open-door policy any time soon
  • This is part of a three-pronged standard operating guideline the administrative ministries will follow for vetting Chinese investments in India.
  • The other two types of proposals that will get a green light will be those from companies or investors headquartered elsewhere but routing funds via Hong Kong
  • Those that entail small investments by Chinese investors.
  • Security clearance would continue to be mandatory in all the three cases.
  • This comes amid discussions about setting a cap for Chinese investment, below which prior approval for sectors that are on the automatic approval route would be waived.
• India to Export Defence Equipment to Philippines
  • Philippines has been at the receiving end of China’s expansionist plans in the South China Sea.
  • The Philippines will be the first country to receive Brah-Mos missiles jointly developed by India and Russia.
  • New Delhi had extended a $100 million defence-related line of credit to Manila.
  • The Philippines had recently expressed concerns over China’s new coast guard law.
  • It’s also a claimant in the South China Sea region and is the only country to approach the UN tribunal on the issue.
  • The Philippines, which plans to purchase Scorpene submarines from France, may also gather familiarity from the Indian Navy on Scorpenes.
• Asset Monetisation Push to Start with MTNL
  • To start with the sale of real estate and land assets of MTNL
  • MTNL’s assets identified for sale will be auctioned through the online e-bidding platform set up by MSTC
  • MTNL had identified assets including 36 acres in areas like Vasai Hill, Mulund and Simpholi in Mumbai, shop-cum-office complexes in Delhi and residential quarters in Noida, which will be monetised in the first phase.
  • The government is developing a platform through MSTC for selling non-core assets of public sector enterprises, which will be coordinated by the department of investment and public asset management (DIPAM).

• India to Invest $82 Billion in Port Projects by 2035: PM
  • Maritime India Summit 2021
  • India is extremely keen on growing in the maritime sector and emerging as a leading Blue economy of the world
  • As many as 400 projects with investment potential to the tune of $31 billion are ready for investors
  • More than 574 projects at a cost of $82 billion or Rs 6 lakh crore have been identified under the Sagarmala project for implementation during 2030 and 2035
  • “Domestic waterways are found to be cost effective and environment friendly ways of transporting freight. We aim to operationalise 23 waterways by 2030,”

NEWS

• PM Modi says education must lift language barrier and let talent flourish
• Government allows round clock Covid -19 vaccination to speed up immunisation
• EAM S. Jaishankar to arrive in Bangladesh tomorrow
• UK to receive 10 Million AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine doses from India
• India to commemorate Chabahar Day tomorrow
• Vice President urges everyone to put in dedicated efforts to save, preserve wildlife
• Mary Kom appointed as Chairperson of AIBA’s champions & veterans committee
• India, Norway to jointly work in marine spatial planning for next 5 yrs
• Railways accords permission to Zonal Railways to decide on reopening of retiring rooms at Stations
• Big cat will be reality soon as the govt will bring Cheetah back from extinction: Javadekar
• Entire rail network in the country will be fully electrified by 2023: Piyush Goyal

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