The Hindu Editorial Newspaper Analysis Free PDF

Table of Contents

Chasing the monsoon

 The forecast has enhanced the economic outlook, but India must conduct a water audit
 Will be 97% of the 50-year average of 89 cm, is bound to raise fresh expectations
 Third year in a row that they can look forward to a high output for a variety of crops
 Centre has been supportive of higher returns through the Minimum Support Price
 Additional bonuses have been announced by States such as Madhya Pradesh
 But these have helped mainly rice and wheat.
 Now that another year of good cropping is expected
 Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Ground Water drawn up by the Centre should
be pursued scientifically, to help States with the most water-stressed blocks get adequate
funds to build artificial recharge structures
 Some of the worst El Niño years
 What is well known is that a good monsoon raises agriculture‟s contribution
to GDP growth, while a drought year depresses it.
 Clearly, governments need to invest consistently to harvest the monsoon, both on the
surface and underground, with community participation

Clamour for death

 The anger is justified, but not the proposal to grant capital punishment for rape of minors
 Gang-rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir
 Union Minister for Women & Child Development Maneka Gandhi has said her ministry will
seek an amendment to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, to provide
for death as the maximum punishment for the rape of those below 12.
 Gang rape and murder of a woman in Delhi in December 2012.
 2013 report, the committee, headed by former Chief Justice of India J.S. Verma, decided
against recommending the death penalty for rape, despite demands
 Possibility of awarding life sentences without remission for aggravated sexual assault,
as well as “the current thinking in favour of the abolition of the death penalty”
 In recent months, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh have sought
to amend the law to prescribe the death penalty for the rape of a minor below the age of 12
 It should not be forgotten- death penalty has never been a deterrent against any sort of crime
 Law Commission, while recommending abolition of death penalty, except in terrorism-related
cases, observed that it is difficult to operate the „rarest of rare cases

Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis

 Page-1- Law Commission favours simultaneous elections

 Page-2-IAF conducts drill close to China border
 Part of nationwide mega-combat exercise named „Gagan Shakti‟
 Uttarakhand‟s Uttarkashi district to examine the strategic preparedness of
its infrastructure in the area.

 NGT asks Ministry to finalise national policy on forest fires
 Panic button on phones set for another round of trial in May
 „U.P. police responded to calls in less than 15 minutes during first test run‟
 India, Sweden agree upon „win-win‟ joint action plan
 Modi underlines new defence production opportunities
 „India expected to grow at 7.4% in 2018‟
 India is expected to grow at 7.4% in 2018 and 7.8% in
2019, leaving its nearest rival China behind respectively at
6.6% and 6.4% in the two years, the IMF