The Hindu Editorial News Analysis 6th Dec 2017

Table of Contents

New India formula?

15th Finance Commission’s job will be especially tricky in the time of GST
Constitutional body is tasked- recommending a •fiscal road map and a sharing of resources
between the Centre and the States.
Former Revenue Secretary N.K. Singh, who has been appointed chairman of the Commission, held preliminary discussions on its ―wide-ranging‖ terms of reference and decided to hold expeditious consultations with stakeholders at all administrative levels as well as with political parties.
Commission has less than two years – Submit its report by October 2019
Period from April 2020 to March 2025.
14th FC recommendation to raise the States‘ share in the divisible pool of taxes to 42% from
the previous 32% level, PM decided to strengthen the States‘ capacity
To move away from a ‘one-size-•fits-all‘ approach
Centre has urged the Commission to •finalise its tax-devolution formula after factoring in
the impact on the Union‘s •fiscal situation, keeping in mind ―the continuing imperative
of the national development programme including New India – 2022‖.
The rollout of the goods and services tax, which marks a new chapter in tax administration
with both the Centre and States working together through the GST Council, makes the
challenge trickier.
Centre is committed to compensating States for any revenue losses arising out of GST implem entation till June 2022,
Thus covering nearly half the period for which the Commission is to recommend a formula.
Challenge would lie especially when one has to reward a State for showing control or lack of it in incurring expenditure on populist measures‘.

Of crime and punishment

Police reform in India has been concerned with political interference ever since the landmark Supreme Court judgement, in 2006, on the subject.
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), ―Crime in India 2016‖,
Presents a dismal picture of the key performance statistic with only 47% convictions in
Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes at the national level.
Delhi provides an interesting case study, where there is no political interference and the Police Commissioner reports to the Lieutenant Governor, and not the Chief Minister.
With a population smaller than Mumbai, it has two times the number of police stations.
Yet, in Delhi, while 1,90,876 persons were sent to trial last year, there were only 9,837 IPC
convictions in the year.
In Delhi only 58% of those arrested were chargesheeted, while in Mumbai, more persons
were chargesheeted than were arrested for IPC crimes
Delhi, 13,803 crimes against women were reported and no chargesheets •led in 4,371 cases (32%); in Mumbai with 5,128 crimes reported against women, •final reports were •led in only 15%
The key statistic of police performance is not merely correct reporting and recording but
chargesheets and convictions, as this impacts on criminal behaviour.
DNA testing
Delhi, DNA testing, which can secure higher conviction rates, is, inexplicably, a low priority.
Only one forensic testing laboratory, with around 9,000 sample spending for examination
Delhi has a conviction rate of only 21%, 24% and 30% in cases of kidnapping and abduction, rape and murder, respectively
Distinguish between accountability and operational responsibility.
Unresolved issues
a)-Despite the recommendations of a)-Law Commissions and
b)-The Supreme Court,
c)-As well going by experience in the developed world,
We do not have separate wings for investigation of crime and for law and ord
2)-The criminal justice system should be limited to crimes under the IPC,
while enforcement of administrative law and social legislation requires a different approach
involving summary trials, changing societal attitudes and modes of behaviour.
For example, Britain part-time lay judges outnumber full-time judges, leaving the judiciary
to concentrate on the real crime.
3)-Effectiveness of prisons is now being questioned.
Nearly 2/3 of the prison population is awaiting trial and half the number of undertrials
are normally acquitted(बरी कर दिया).
Main purpose of criminal administration should be the prevention of crime, and the police
cannot be an instrument of social change.
Administrative measures and •fines levied by honorary and executive magistrates
will change behaviour better than penal action.

‘GST opens up a lot of data for policymaking’

T.C.A. Anant is the Chief Statistician of India, and Secretary,
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
GST is going to give us a database about the economy which is qualitatively very
different from anything we had in the past
Demonetisation story
Digital transactions has changed.
That has sustained And that is a good 8-10% increase
What more can be done to capture data of the informal sector?

Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis

Page-1-Supreme Court refuses to defer Ayodhya case hearing
Sunni Waqf Board sought to postpone case till the 2019 general election
Bench, fixed the date for •final hearing on February 8, 2018
Delhi court verdict in 2G case on Dec. 21
A Delhi court on Tuesday fixed December 21 for pronouncement of judgment in
the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.
Cyclone Ockhi moved closer to Gujarat- Cyclone Ockhi threatened Gujarat
Govt. announces •8,450 crore package to boost exports
Move to counter impact of GST, likely to create jobs
Mainly from labour-intensive segments and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Page–7- Panchayat certificate no proof of citizenship‘
The Supreme Court Tuesday set aside a Gauhati High Court order which held that residence
certificates issued by Gaon Panchayat secretary cannot be used to support claims for inclusion in the National Register for Citizens (NRC), but made it clear that such certificate alone was no proof of citizenship and can only be relied on to establish a linkage between the holder and the person from whom the legacy is claimed
Supreme Court on Tuesday held that a certificate issued by the Gram Panchayat secretary or executive magistrate by itself was ―no proof of citizenship‖
Merely acknowledged shifting of residence of a married woman from one village to another

Page-10-Pak. textbooks glorifying war: UNESCO
Global Education Monitoring Report 2017-18 of United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), released on Monday, expresses concern over school textbooks in many countries glorifying war and military heroes rather than teaching peace, non-violence and reconciliation
10% of the textbooks across the world include explicit statements on the need for
conflict prevention and resolution.
Textbooks in Pakistan that focus on militarism, wars with India and differences between
Hindus and Muslims.
Pakistani textbooks published after a 2006 curriculum reform still emphasised wars with India and largely ignored peace initiatives
Indian history textbooks from 2002 put the blame on Pakistan and contained clear bias
against Muslim elements in the region‘s history.
Not fraud but business failure, says Mallya
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is the only valid candidate in the fray for the
election to the party president‘s post,
Party to set date for takeover on Dec. 13
China, India vow to protect globalisation
Heads of planning agree to •ght neo-protectionist tendencies across the world
Top economic planners of India and China on Tuesday set the goal of leading a new
wave of globalisation by synchronising their emerging economies.
RBI cautions public again on bitcoin
Single bitcoin, which is not regulated by any monetary authority, had skyrocketed to up to
$11,000 last week in a rally which puzzled watchers

Page-12-UAE and Saudi form new group, separate from GCC
UAE on Tuesday announced it has formed a new economic and partnership group with Saudi Arabia, separate from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a move that
could undermine the council amid a diplomatic crisis with Qatar.