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Moon diplomacy

Mr. Moon said the time would come when ordinary South Koreans “will come here on tours”, in a message of normalisation of ties.
Goals of visit 1. Revive the talks between the U.S. and North Korea over denuclearization. 2. Infuse fresh warmth into the North-South thaw.
North Korea agreed to shut down the Tongchang-ri missile-testing site in the presence of international observers, and dismantle the Yongbyon nuclear facility if the U.S. takes “corresponding measures”.
The two leaders have also agreed to open a facility in southeastern North Korea where divided families can hold reunions.
Mr. Kim has promised to visit Seoul at “an early date” for further negotiations. When that happens, he will be the first North Korean leader to visit the South since the armistice of 1953.
U.S. has responded optimistically, expressing readiness to immediately engage North Korea.
Pyongyang also wants the U.S. to formally declare an end to the Korean war before it makes any more concessions.
But the heartening message from these engagements is that Mr. Kim appears to be consistent in his pursuit of peace and global recognition.
Both the U.S. and South Korea should reciprocate and take concrete steps for lasting peace.

“Is the NITI Aayog relevant today?”

- The NITI Aayog was formed to bring fresh ideas to the government.
- Its first mandate is to act as a think tank.
- We have regular brainstorming sessions with stakeholders from various industries and sectors.
- Initiatives like Ayushmaan Bharat, our approach towards artificial intelligence and water conservation measures, and the draft bill to establish the National Medical Commission to replace the Medical Council of India have all been conceptualised in NITI Aayog, and are being taken forward by the respective Ministries.
- NITI Aayog as an action tank
- NITI Aayog as an agent of change
- Cut across the silos within the government
- NITI Aayog is also bringing about a greater level of accountability in the system. Earlier, we had 12 Five-Year Plans, but they were mostly evaluated long after the plan period had ended. Hence, there was no real accountability.
- NITI Aayog has established a Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office which collects data on the performance of various Ministries on a real-time basis.
- We identify the best practices in different States in various sectors and then try to replicate them in other States.
- We also play an important role of being the States’ representative in Delhi, and facilitate direct interactions with the line ministries, which can address issues in a relatively shorter time.
- Atal Innovation Mission has already done commendable work in improving the innovation ecosystem in India.

20 Atal Incubation Centres: for encouraging young innovators and start-ups.
With its current mandate that is spread across a range of sectors and activities, and with its unique and vibrant work culture, NITI Aayog remains an integral and relevant component of the government’s plans to put in place an efficient, transparent, innovative and accountable governance system in the country.
It has no role in influencing, let alone directing, public or private investment. It does not seem to have any influence in policymaking with long-term consequences (for instance, demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax).
NITI Aayog is supposed to be a think tank. This implies that while generating new ideas, it maintains a respectable intellectual distance from the government of the day.
Instead, what we see is uncritical praise of governmentsponsored, acronym-infested schemes.
India requires planning that addresses social justice, reduces regional and gender inequalities, and ensures environmental sustainability.
The implication for a complex country like India that became an industrial economy late is that planning would, and should, remain a central function of the state in the medium run.
However, we would contend that the Planning Commission, unfortunately, did not fulfil its function adequately.
NITI Aayog will need to evolve into a much stronger organisation than it is.
Chinese state ensured that after its market-oriented economic reforms began, its State Planning Commission became more powerful in the state apparatus.
The result was growth and poverty reduction on a scale unprecedented in history.
All East Asian and Southeast Asian countries, industrial policy was planned and executed as part of five-year or longer-term plans.
In most of Latin America/Caribbean (LAC) countries and in Subsaharan Africa (SSA), countries abandoned planning and became captives of the Washington Consensus. Planning will have to become more decentralised, but within a five-year plan framework Bureaucracy will need to change from generalist to specialist, and its accountability will have to be based on outcomes achieved, not inputs or funds spent.

For liberty’s sake

The Supreme Court’s intervention following the arrest of five prominent activists by the Pune police last month has been truly extraordinary and raises the bar for protection of personal liberty.
The court has granted them the rare relief of remaining in house arrest while it examines the charges against them.
It has reserved its decision in the case and now must decide on one of the following courses.

To allow the police in Maharashtra to pursue its investigation against the activists for allegedly being members of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) and joining a conspiracy against the government.
To set them at liberty on the ground that this is a trumped-up case.
To order a probe by an independent team.

Two sides: Centre’s contention that it is probing a terrorist conspiracy & the counter-argument that this is a thinly disguised crackdown on political dissent.
The Supreme Court has set the stage for an examination of some fundamental questions at the intersection of criminal procedure and constitutional law.
The procedural question is whether in a criminal matter the court can entertain a petition under Article 32 of the Constitution, under which the Supreme Court enforces fundamental rights, for which the accused are expected to seek their remedy under the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The substantive question is whether the court should intervene when the liberty of citizens and their right to dissent are sought to be denied by arbitrary police action.

Important News

Sushma to meet Pakistan’s Foreign Minister in New York

“On the request of the Pakistani side, a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi will take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly at a mutually decided date and time,”
The MEA spokesperson emphasised that despite agreeing to the meeting, India stuck to its position that talks and terror could not go together. Varsities to observe ‘Surgical Strike Day’ on September 29
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has written to the Vice-Chancellors of all universities to celebrate Surgical Strike Day on September 29 to mark the event along the Line of Control that day in 2016.
The letter also desires that students pledge their support for the armed forces in writing that day. ‘Forgotten switch’ leads to on-flight scare
Nearly 30 passengers on board a Jet Airways plane bound for Jaipur suffered nosebleed and many others complained of headache during takeoff from Mumbai on Thursday after the pilots allegedly forgot to switch on a button that helps maintain cabin air pressure, said the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
SC lets acting DGP in J&K continue for next few weeks
UPSC shall take a decision within four weeks Pak. invites Saudi Arabia to be third partner in CPEC
Saudi Arabia will be the third “strategic partner” of the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a senior Pakistani Minister announced on Thursday, soon after Prime Minister Imran Khan returned from his first foreign trip to the cash-rich kingdom.
A Tiwa woman uses a bamboo dustbin in Bormarjong village in West Karbi Anglong district of Assam on Thursday.
Bormarjong residents have switched to eco – friendly dustbins to make their village plastic -free. Nearly one lakh winged visitors arrive at Bengal sanctuary
Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengal: highest numbers of Openbill stork population not only in India but in Asia and this makes the sanctuary unique.

Financial News

Man Booker Prize Finalists Announced
Three UK authors, two Americans and a Canadian are finalists for the Man Booker Prize for fiction.
The shortlist announced on Thursday includes two first novels:

UK poet Robin Robertson’s verse novel The Long Take and Everything Under by British writer Daisy Johnson.

At 27, Johnson is the youngest Booker finalist. The American finalists are Rachel Kushner’s prison story The Mars Room and Richard Powers’ treeinspired tale The Overstory. Washington Black, the saga of an escaped slave by Canada’s Esi Edugyan, and Troubles-set story Milkman by Northern Ireland writer Anna Burns round out the list.
The winner of the £50,000 ($66,000) prize will be announced on October 16 during a black-tie dinner at London’s Guildhall.