The Hindu Editorial Newspaper Analysis Free PDF Download – 20th Feb’18

Indices of a decent society

 Earlier, Bengaluru used to be known for its gardens and greenery
 We drank water – taps and had no fans in our houses. – Today, become a developed city.
 We boast of the world’s •first burning lake, of increasing incidences of diseases related to
the low quality of air, and a falling public health pro•le.
 These problems are part of every town and city in India.
 Recent report that ranks India 177 out of 180 countries in Environmental Performance Index
 But how did we arrive here? It is not just about pollution of nature but also of our society
 Every day at so many traffic junctions?
 Very limited awareness of the impact of the pollution of the social sphere
 Like air quality index or the water quality index, there should be indices of a decent society.
 Can gauge social pollution -shouldn’t be surprised if India ranks among bottom – category
 I wonder what our ‘hate index’ and ‘inequality index’ will be.
 Our air or water quality index will improve when we attack social pollution in conjunction
with natural pollution
 Swachh Bharat needs to be as much about cleaning socially polluted ideas and practices
as it is about cleaning our streets and toilets

A Nepal – India win – win

 Nepal – India -Ensure mutually beneficial stability and growth
 Nepal, country where friendship with India comes naturally even more than being a necessity
due to cultural, social and economic linkages over the open border
 New Delhi seems to constantly under-estimate Kathmandu
 Legacy of ‘big brother’ started with Jawaharlal Nehru
 More recently, India became progressively interventionist as Nepal got mired in internal crisis
 Indian analysts fail to appreciate how political stability in Nepal can deliver
 Great Blockade of 2015
 Nepal as one of the larger sources of remittances to India.
 India is understandably apprehensive as the Chinese geoeconomic
 Nepal, the arrival of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway at the northern border point in 2020 will
be a game-changer, and the Indian market too is set to benefi•t
 With KP Sharma Oli sworn in as PM on Feb 15, there is now opportunity to start afresh
 Connectivity northward through a set of 10 agreements with Chinese
 Tagging Mr. Oli as ‘anti-Indian’ is not sensible
 Kathmandu will never act against India’s security interests, while insisting that in all
areas Nepal will take its own decisions
 Art of balancing India vs China is not outside of Mr. Oli’s personal skill-set.
 Nepal is now a federal and secular republic, experimenting with three levels of fully
empowered government — central, provincial and local.
 UN Human Rights Council, there is opportunity to raise Nepal’s international pro•le

Old friends

 India must maintain its steady course of strengthening ties with Iran
 India Allow Indian investment in Iran to be done in rupee terms
 Which has so far been extended only to Bhutan and Nepal
 U.S. sanctions on Iranian entities

 i. Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with
Respect to Taxes on Income
 ii. MoU on Exemption from Visa requirement for holders of Diplomatic Passports
 iii. Instrument of Ratification of Extradition Treat
 iv. MoU on Cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine
 v. MoU on the establishment of an Expert Group on Trade Remedy Measures to promote
cooperation in areas of mutual interest
 vi. MoU on Cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Allied Sectors
 vii. MoU on Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine
 viii. Farzad-B gas •field
 ix. Lease Contract for Shahid Beheshti Port-Phase 1 of Chabahar during Interim Period
between Port and Maritime Organization (PMO), Iran and India Ports Global Limited (IPGL)

Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis

 Page-1,10,11- CBI books head of Rotomac pens for •3,695 crore default
 Page-1- Raje drops Bill shielding public servants
 Takes it back from select panel; Ordinance had lapsed in Dec.
 Which aimed at giving protection to public servants and imposed restrictions on the media
 New Zealand seeks clarity on India’s military ambitions
 Nirav Modi blames PNB- much lower than the amount stated by the bank
 ‘Intolerance in India a•ects Bangladesh’- Minister of Information
 Bank bureau stares at uncertain future- ‘Reforming PSBs’
 The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) is facing an uncertain future with the tenure of its
members coming to an end on March 31, 2018.
 

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