The Hindu Editorial Newspaper Analysis Free PDF Download

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Directing reforms

 It is only logical that the sources of income of candidates be disclosed
 It has asked the Centre to amend the rules as well as disclosure form •led by candidates along with their nomination papers, to include the sources of their income, and those of their
spouses and dependants.
 Also asked for the establishment of a permanent mechanism to investigate any unexplained or disproportionate increase in the assets of legislators during their tenure.
 Two-judge Bench on a petition from the NGO, Lok Prahari
 Significant verdicts aimed at preserving the purity of the electoral process
 Include the direction to provide the „NOTA‟ option in voting machines, and another striking down a clause that saved sitting legislators from immediate disqualification upon conviction
 Act of voting is an expression of free speech, and that it is part of this fundamental right
 Voters are required to be informed of all relevant details about a contestant
 Candidates should furnish details of any criminal antecedents, educational qualifications and assets- If disclosure of assets is mandatory,
 it is only logical that the sources of income are also revealed
 Seen that there is a dramatic increase in the assets of candidates at every election over what was disclosed in previous affidavits
 It stands to reason that any rise should be explained
 To give teeth to its order, the court has made it clear that non-disclosure of assets and their
sources would amount to a “corrupt practice” under Section 123 of the Representation of
the People Act, 1951.
 The idea of a permanent mechanism to collect data about the assets of legislators and periodically examine them is laudable, but it is not clear which authority will run it Centre and the Election Commission will have to jointly address the issue
 The larger message from the verdict is that a fully informed electorate and transparent candidature will be key components of future elections in India.

For India, it should be neighborhood first

 While other geopolitical issues are important,
 New Delhi must give South Asia its fullest attention
 10 leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)- Republic Day
 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to India, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi‟s latest forays to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and Palestine
 East, South-east Asia, or West Asia, it is India‟s immediate neighbourhood that directly impacts it geopolitically
 Quadrilateral (Australia, Japan, the United States and India), even as most of them back China‟s Belt and Road Initiative.
 Israeli vs Palestine- Palestine would soon emerge as a sovereign independent country in a peaceful manner
 With the UAE and Oman- things have been easier.
 UAE, trade and economic ties as also counter-terror aspects have been on a growth curve.
 Oman, an established friend, the option of closer naval co-operation and of reaching an agreement to give the Indian Navy access to Duqm port did not prove difficult.
 Deal with a new government in Nepal (comprising the Left Alliance)
 Unrest and possibly violence, both communal and terror related, in Bangladesh, prior to scheduled elections in 2019.
 Dealing with both Nepal and Bangladesh will need far more closer monitoring
 Imbroglio(उलझन) in the Maldives- Free trade agreement that the Maldives- with China
 Relations between India and the Maldives have undergone significant changes
 Maldives today occupies a crucial position in the Indian Ocean
 China has begun to display a great deal of interest in the area; ongoing plans to take control of Gwadar port (Pakistan) and establish a naval base in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa
 India cannot, hence, afford to remain idle(बेकार)
 Two other issues, viz., Pakistan and Afghanistan, similarly demand our focussed attention, And that India acts with a sense of responsibility expected of a regional superpower
 Cross border •ring and terrorist violence
 Trump‟s fusillade threatening Pakistan with dire consequences if it failed to amend its ways, Pakistan shows no sign of altering its anti-India trajectory.
 Collapse of the Pakistan & Afghan state does have severe consequences for India
 India has significant stakes in Afghanistan.
 Apart from human cost and the fact that New Delhi has spent over $2 billion in providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan
 India‟s true stake lies in sustaining the future of the Afghan state.
 Bhutan vs China
 If India is not seen to be actively involved in ensuring that region is at peace and functions in conformity with its world view, any claims to leadership would amount to little more
than treading water.

Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis

 Page-1- No scam in Rafale deal, says Nirmala Sitharaman

 Page-1- 79% vote in Tripura where LF faces challenge from BJP

 Khajuraho Dance Festival begins tomorrow

 Farmers told not to use polluted Hindon water to grow vegetables
 Banks to knock at RBI’s door on PNB impasse- •11,500-crore scam
 Slowly, but surely, AI use is rising across industries