| VOLUME 36 Issue 422 (April 2022) |
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| EDITORIAL |
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Global Defence Spending
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Recently-released data by Stockholm-based SIPRI show that total worldwide military expenditure increased by 0.7 per cent in real terms in 2021, to reach a whopping figure of $ 2213 billion. Record level increase in world military expenditure in the second year of the pandemic demonstrates that global military expenditure has continued to grow in 2021, reaching an all-time high of $2.1 trillion, and this was the seventh consecutive year showing increased spending.
The United States, China, India, the UK, and Russia were the largest spenders in 2021 and they together accounted for 62 per cent of total global defence spending. This phenomenal increase in defence spending even amid the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with a slowdown in the rate of real-terms growth owing to inflation has puzzled many defence experts. Some defence critics have opined that as a sequel to a sharp economic recovery in 2021, the global defence spending as a share of world gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 0.1 percentage point, from 2.3 per cent in 2020 to 2.2 per cent in 2021.
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Menace of Air Pollution
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Air pollution has come to be reckoned with to be the largest global environmental health threat, accounting for seven million deaths worldwide every year. Many diseases, ranging from asthma to cancer, lung illness, and heart diseases are either caused or aggravated by air pollution. According to estimates, daily economic cost incurred on account of air pollution has been estimated at $ 8 billion, or 3 to 4% of the gross world product (GWP). Affecting primarily the most vulnerable segments of the population, air pollution claimed deaths of 40, 000 children under the age of five years, and these children were directly linked to PM 2.5 air pollution. And at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is still around us, scientists have found that exposure to PM 2.5 enhances both the risk of contracting the virus and of suffering more severe symptoms when infected, including death.
The World Health Organization (WHO) released in September 2021 a timely and ambitious update to its global air quality guidelines, after a hiatus of 15 years since the last WHO update was released in 2006, and while acknowledging the important impact of air pollution on global health, the WHO cut the recommended annual PM 2.5 concentration to half from 10 µg/m³ down to 5 µg/m³, with the ultimate goal of preventing millions of deaths.
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Economics of Ukrainian Crisis
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The world is still striving hard to recover from the ravages wreaked by COVID-19 and its variants like Omicron for over two years now, and the Russian armed incursions into its neighbouring country Ukraine from February 24 onwards entail the potential of pushing the global economy further down the drain. Initially, the global stock markets, especially in the US, recorded an upsurge at the very first day of the outbreak of hostilities with the hope that this conflict would slow down the willingness of the US Federal Reserve and other central banks to raise policy rates; nonetheless, the ongoing Ukraine war is not just another minor conflict because it entails the potential of emerging into a major global conflict fraught with long-term consequences in multiple realms.
Many analysts rule out the possibility of the US Fed and other central banks achieving a soft landing from this crisis and its fallout because the ongoing developments are likely to spur a major negative supply shock in a global economy that is still struggling to wriggle out of the shocks of COVID-19 and a year-long build-up of inflationary pressures. The short-term financial market impact of the war is already evident; however, the more long-term implications are subject to the manner in which NATO member countries, especially the US react to Russia’s invasion and the situation in Ukraine itself because Ukraine is a big transit point for trading important goods.
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Turmoil in Kazakhstan
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Kazakhstan has recently been rocked by internal turmoil that is characterized by a wave of protests and riots. And these uneasy developments have brought this former Soviet Republic into the international media spotlight. The sudden occurrence of violent incidents on the streets of a country on the eve of the inauguration of 2022 - in a country that has almost remained a huge terra incognito or an unknown region for many decades – such uneasy developments were bound to arouse curiosity around the world to know as to what brought the people on the streets of Kazakhstan, a relatively well-off country economically as compared to other Central Asian Republics.
What triggered these protests was the fact of the sharp increase in the prices of liquefied gas – from 60 to 120 tenge (Kazakh currency) – on the eve of the inauguration of 2022 and the paucity of any official measure to assuage the ire of the people. On 2 January this year, people thronged the streets of Zhanaozen, a city in the southwest of Kazakhstan, protesting against the hike in gas prices. Instead of addressing the grievances of the protesting public, local authorities resorted to clamping down the protest by force that reportedly claimed the lives of dozens of people and over 80 people sustaining injuries. The rapid spread of protests to other towns forced the authorities to promise a reduction in gas prices.
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Salvaging Afghanistan
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Recent political developments in Afghanistan have pushed Afghan economy in an unprecedented turmoil. In the wake of seizure of power by the Taliban in a rapid manner in the aftermath of withdrawal of America-led Allied forces from the soil of Afghanistan,
there ensued immediate repercussions across economy that was already confronted with daunting development challenges. Rapid pace of diminution in international grant support, loss of access
to offshore assets and disruption to financial linkages have been factors, as pointed out by World Bank recently that have led to a major contraction of Afghan economy, increasing poverty
and macroeconomic instability. Even prior to the Taliban takeover, Afghan economy was moving at a slow pace, letting weak confidence amid a rapidly deteriorating security situation, and severe
drought conditions negatively affecting agriculture production. Furthermore, the prevalence of CVID-19 along with less than five per cent of the population, also proved instrumental in adversely
impacting multiple economic sectors. The Post-Taliban Afghanistan has seemingly witnessed a sharp contraction in output as a sequel to cumulative impacts of a sudden stop in donor and government
expenditure, disruption to trade and dysfunction of the banking sector.
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COP26: Success or Failure?
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With the two-week long 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) coming to a close on November 12, there have been mixed reactions to the outcomes of this climate summit, and these outcomes are characterized
by both successes and failures. While welcoming the Glasgow Climate Pact, reached at by consensus of all delegates from around the globe, some experts raise the question as to whether did
the Glasgow Pact text along with many agreements forged on the sidelines of the summit, mean the world is now closer to averting climate catastrophe or not. Major positive outcome of COP26
can be construed in terms of reference to fossil fuels, with the emphasis on phasing down coal and phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, a reference that had never been named directly
in the past COPs. Undoubtedly, 2015 Paris Agreement envisages 1.50 C as the target for the reduction of emissions, and interestingly this target came at a time when the narrative was hovering
around 20 C; nonetheless, currently, we are at about 2.70 C of warming.
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Privatization: Bane or Boon!
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In recent months, privatization has fast become a buzzword in India's ongoing economic discourse, especially after Modi government's emphasis that government has no business to be in business and a clear push for disinvestment and privatization of public
sector undertakings (PSUs). Undoubtedly, the avowed objective of the government may seemingly be to steer stuttering economy towards a more productive path through privatization-led economic
reforms with a view to bolster resources or plug the yawning budgetary deficit; nevertheless, the past economic measures like demonetization and implementation of flawed GST have played pivotal
role in pushing the economy into a mess. Most of the measures taken by Modi government in recent years have been taken in a hurry without much groundwork and now it is contemplating of privatizing
the PSUs-airlines to oil refineries, coal mines to shipping lines and railway freight with a view to shore up the economy, and even dispassionate observers of Indian economy are not optimistic
about positive outcomes of this over emphasis on privatization and their skepticism is based on the existing global realities and internal political dynamics, and in the wake of shifting
global business landscape, the possibility of Modi government missing the woods for trees again cannot be ruled out.
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Challenging Times!
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| Currently, Indiais passing through one of the most crucial phases of its post-independencehistory, especially in the wake of havocwreaked by twowaves of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of loss
of humanlives and economiclosses and the thirdwaveisstaringat us to happen, alarming rate of youthunemployment, failure of governancealmostat all levels, economywitnessingunprecedenteddecline,
controversy over Pegasus snooping and itsresultant impact on national security, agrarianunrestwithfarmersprotesting over eightmonthsalongwith host of other socio-cultural issues assumingserious
proportions. The cumulative impact of all thesedevelopments has renderedIndia to bepushedinto the throes of the mostchallenging times Callousness, inefficiency, poorhealth infrastructure
to becoupledwithlack of vision and any long-termhealthpolicy have proven to be major chinks in the armoury of India’shealth system that have been unraveled by the twowaves of the COVID-19
pandemicduring 2020 and first half of 2021. The havocwreaked by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in April-May 2021 thatclaimedlives of over twolakh people, and even by the end of
July 2021 media reports indicatethatnumber of personsdailyinfected has exceeded 30, 000 with over 500 deathsreporteddaily, and withprobability of thirdwavestaringat us, we have not seemingly
not learnedanylessons. Union and State governments are courageousenough to declarethat no deathswerereported due to lack of oxygen. What a wonderfulexample of governance!
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Is Climate Change Real?
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| Recent incidents of unprecedent heat waves in Canada and the United States, frequent occurrence of extreme weather events, wildfires, and faster pace of rising sea-levels along with immense loss
of biodiversity attest to the fact that climate change no more remains confined to the pages of imaginary fiction, rather it has emerged as a stark reality with which we are made to live
with like the new normal of COVID-19 pandemic. The quantum of havoc wreaked, in terms of loss of human lives and loss of property, by climate change is proved to be far greater than that
of natural disasters. Every now and then, worrisome reports appear that portray a dismal picture of deteriorating climatic conditions in different parts of globe, and very recently UNESCO
has issued a draft decision recommending that the Great Barrier Reef be placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, and this does not seem to be surprising recommendation because scientific
evidence explicitly demonstrates that the Great Barrier Reef, the largest living structure and continuous coral system, is really in danger. Undoubtedly, the Australian government has been
publishing the most exhaustive assessment of the Great Barrier Reef, and in its most recent report, published in 2019, downgraded the long-term outlook to �very poor�, and stated that the
greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef is climate change. |
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| Global Health Order!
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| Global outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic since early 2020 and its continued manifestation in varied forms of variants in different parts of the world, apart from wreaking havoc with the lives of
the people and causing immense economic loss, has also unraveled chinks in the armoury of global healthcare system, especially in developing countries including India. Apart from its negative
impacts, COVID-19 has been instrumental in enabling global healthcare system garner a political visibility and status that has been termed by some experts as a sort of political revolution.
With health-related issues becoming a centre-piece of the global agenda in the pandemic period, there arises a dire need for allocating a major chunk of resources n development aid to address
issues pertaining to healthcare. |
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| Alarming Signals!
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| Warning signals have been sounded by the latest report of the SBI that points out that India is under the grip of the second wave of COVID-19 infections in the wake of rising cases being reported
since February this year. According to this report, taking into account the number of days from the current level of daily new cases of victims falling prey to the pandemic to the peak level
during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, India may peak in the second half of April this year, with the possibility of total cases reaching around 2.5 million by that period. It is
further reported that the entire duration of the second wave could last up to 100 days beginning February 15. |
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| Fueling the Fuel
Prices! |
| At a time when international price of crude oil is currently pegged at $ 60 per barrel and India’s economy has just started looking up after a severe downslide of more than two years coupled
with devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the continued hike in petrol and diesel prices cannot be said to be a wise step to tone up the ailing health of country’s economy. It is
rather a wrong step in wrong direction. There has been an unprecedented hike in petrol and diesel prices in recent months. Unprecedented hike in fuel prices on the plea that the Government
has to continue with itsdevelopment agenda at a time when the state coffers are empty and the only source of revenue to meet these exigencies is through the revenue income from hiking fuel
prices is not an acceptable |
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| Goodwill Gesture!
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| Undeniably, the spread of COVID-19 pandemic has thus far afflicted around 100 million people globally, with the toll crossing over two million; nevertheless, it is also equally acknowledged that
strenuous efforts have been put in to deal with this pandemic responsibly, maturely and wisely in many parts of the globe, including India. Along with laying emphasis on observing precautionary
measures like washing hands regularly, use of face-mask and maintaining social distancing, the scientific community worldwide has also been engaged in finding a vaccine to deal with the pandemic.
With the efforts of the scientific community ripening into fruition in the wake of production of new vaccine to deal with the virus, prospects for containing the virus and then eliminating
it have brightened |
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| Farmers Agitation!
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| If the next round of talks between the Central Government and farmers representatives scheduled for 30th December proves a damp squib once again like previous five rounds recently-held of
talks then by the time of going to press, farmers agitation would have entered 40 days since it began on 26 November 2020 surrounding Delhi Singhu border, Tikri border and Ghazipur border
along with many other places that are not fully reported by a the mainstream media for reasons best known to them. a Undeniably farmers have been agitating against the three farm Acts
The Farmers Produce a Trade and Commerce high-profile (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020; The Farmers |
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| Bihar Shows the Way!
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| Bihar has once again demonstrated that the state is capable of guiding the political destiny of India by setting exemplary role to be emulated and practiced by other states. In the recently-held
elections to the Bihar State Assembly, unity of non-NDA parties under the banner of RJD has given the BJP-led NDA a tough run for its money and proved that a young leader just at the
cusp of 30s can mobilize the masses and pose a tough challenge to BJP�s high-profile leaders as well as garner support of the mases on issues like unemployment.
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| COVID-19 & Climate
Change |
| Currently, the entire globe is confronted with two most dangerous enemies of humankind-climate change and COVID-19 � and of these, climate change has been with humankind for so many decades
and wreaking havoc through anthropogenic-induced and climate -induced disasters frequently in terms of loss of human lives and loss of property and COVID-19 has already proved its destructive
potential by claiming over 1.16 human lives, bringing economy of many countries to almost standstill and causing immense damage to livelihoods of millions of the people along with pushing
millions of the people down the poverty line. Even after the discovery of the vaccine for the pandemic, its socioeconomic impacts will continue to loom large. |
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| Burden of Poverty
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| A large portion of the global population is buckling under the burden of poverty, especially in the aftermath of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Broad estimates show that most people of
the world live in poverty, with two-thirds of the global population living on less than $10 per day and every tenth person has been living on less than $1.90 per day. The International
Poverty Line (IPL) worked out by the World Bank was revised in 2015, and since then a person is thought to be in extreme poverty if he lives on less than $1.90 per day. This IPL, a poverty
measurement, is based on the monetary value of a person�s consumption and income measures, on the other hand, are used only for countries about which authentic consumption data are not
available. In 2015, approximately 10 percent of the global population or 734 million people, lived on less than $1.90 per day. Nevertheless, this poverty trend entails every likelihood
to get reversed by the close of 2020 because the COVID-19 pandemic will cast a disproportionate impact on the world�s poor in terms of the loss of livelihoods, loss of remittances, spike
in prices and disruptions in essential services and supply chains. With the global economy falling into recession along with sharp decline in GDP per capita, poverty rates are likely
to go up for the first time since 1998. The pandemic is likely to erase all the progress made by all countries in recent years. According to World Bank estimates, 40 to 60 million people
are likely to fall into extreme poverty in 2020, as a consequence of COVID-19. Besides, the people living on less than $3.20 a day could increase to some 40 million to 150 million people
and the number of people living less than $5.50 a day could rise to 70-180 million people.
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| Salvaging Economy
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| India, like other countries worldwide, is in the midst of a severe crisis � on the one hand, it is grappling with the human tragedy, and on the other, it is straining every nerve to bring
its derailed economy back on track � in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. One is inclined to agree with the experts who have opined that India�s response to these twin crises of
healthcare and economy is prone to determine India�s economic future in the short to medium term. In the realm of economy, India�s most critical challenge is to restore strong GDP growth
with a view to generate plentiful gainful jobs for those who are already jobless and for those as well who will join the labour force between 2020 and 2030. If current dispensation at
the helm is lucky enough to catapult India back to a fast growth trajectory that is certainly bound to envisage vast and expanded broad-based prosperity for 1.38 billion people of India.
Nevertheless, inability of this dispensation to restore high growth entails risks ahead that can probably encompass at least a decade of economic stagnation and burgeoning joblessness.
Currently, India is at the cusp of a critical juncture of its onwards march towards prosperity, and it is seemingly a high time for the policy-makers to provide further impetus to the
pace of reforms. Worsening of the already deteriorating economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 offers an opportunity of restoring the economy to a high trajectory of growth and generate
gainful jobs for the people, otherwise missing this opportunity could risk ensuing decades of economic stagnation.
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| Global Economy in flux
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| Almost all countries of the world have been plunged into severe economic crisis in the aftermath of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and consequential lockdown since March this year bringing
almost all economic activities worldwide to a standstill. It is for the first time since the Great Depression of the 1930s that advanced economies, emerging economies and developing economies
are in recession. While approaching the mid-2020, International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected growth at � 6.1 per cent and for emerging market and developing economies with normal
growth levels well above advanced economies with negative growth rates of � 1.2 per cent in the remaining part of this year. According to IMF projections, income per capita is likely
to shrink for over 120 countries and partial recovery is projected in 2021. |
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| New Cold War! |
| Amidst media reports pouring in daily about almost ubiquitous spread of COVID-19 that has made the world awfully staggering from the shattering effects of this global pandemic by the closing
part of April this year, reports are also pouring in about the commencement of a new Cold War with United States, China and Russia as leading protagonists of this new game. While Russia
and the US are engaged in a mad race for acquiring nuclear superiority over each other, especially in the aftermath of unilateral withdrawal of Trump Administration from INF Treaty and
American accusations against Moscow for the possibility of Russian interference in the ensuing presidential elections in November 2020. |
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| Nation Under Lockdown!
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| In the wake of upsurge in the coronavirus pandemic, also known as Covid-19, in different parts of globe in general and India in particular, and the pernicious consequences attendant to this
global pandemic that had puzzled the medical and scientific community in terms of its rapid proliferation and absence of any available immediate remedy, this pandemic started claiming
a heavy toll of human lives. Testing, tracing, treatment and social distancing were suggested immediate measures by World Health Organization (WHO) to limit the impact of this unforeseen
pandemic that had swept almost the entire world within its fold with number of infected persons rapidly increasing every day. |
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| Trump�s trumping tactics
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| American president Donald Trump�s much-touted two-day India visit on 24-25 February has been high on optics. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Ahmedabad city in Gujarat, to
greet President Trump and he along with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi later addressed a crowd of more than 100,000 people at the Motera cricket stadium where the program was designated
as Namaste Trump on the lines of Howdy Modi in September 2019 at Houston. While President Trump along with PM Modi hogged media headlines, with plenty of fanfare and botched speeches
that seemed like songs sung in each other�s praise with least tinge of diplomacy or statesmanship on either side.
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| Trump�s Iran Conundrum
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| Tensions brewing between Washington and Teheran, especially in recent weeks in the aftermath of assassination of Maj. Gen. QassemSoleimani, by the US, had commenced with President Trump�s
action of withdrawing the United States from Iran-US Nuclear deal soon after his coming to office in 2016. Subsequently, Iran also walked away from the agreement � the Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action (JCPOA) that Iran had signed with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, along with the European Union (EU). Many experts have opined that
despite its some flaws, the JCPOA could have helped Israel and the rest of the world, a hiatus of at least a decade from facing the prospects of a nuclear Iran. |
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| La Viva Democracy
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| Installation of HemantSoren as the new chief minister of Jharkhand has been welcomed by all non-BJP parties and hailed as a victory of democratic forces. Spectacular electoral victory registered
by the JMM-led alliance in partnership with Congress and RashtriyaJanata Dal (RJD) served an electoral blow to the BhartiyaJanata Party (BJP) which had been in power in the state until
recently. Undoubtedly, the BJP had registered a stunning electoral victory in the LokSabha general election, including its number of seats won in Jharkhand, held in the recent past; nevertheless,
it literally conceded defeat in the state assembly elections in Maharashtra and could save its government by aligning with JJP in Haryana. However. |
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| Political Twists &
Turns |
| Current political developments obtaining in some states of India demonstrate that an array of new twists and turns is taking place in different forms in these states and these entail the
potential of impacting national political narrative in a big way. Parting of ways of old allies and coming together of ideologically poles apart groups against the present dispensation
at the helm at the Centre is a new development. Widening of chasm between Shiv Sena and the BJP in Maharashtra after a hiatus of three decades over the issue of sharing power in the state
has brought Shiv Sena in alliance with Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), with both these latter parties having been arch rivals of Shiv Sena. Perhaps it is the issue
of sharing of power in Maharashtra and the objective of keeping the BJP at bay that has spurred these ideologically poles apart parties to join hands in Maharashtra.
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| People�s Verdict
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The verdict handed out by the people in the recently-held state assembly elections of Haryana and Maharashtra has demonstrated some defining characteristics that entail the likelihood of
delineating patterns of future electoral outcomes of state assembly polls in the near future. In the first place, it is the people and not political parties that have halted the unstoppable
electoral juggernaut of the BJP and has also exploded the myth of this party�s so-called invincibility in just a few months after the general elections of May 2019. Secondly, the electorate
have deftly sifted the chaff of �virtual� off the grain of �real�. Besides, the regional satraps have been able to reassert their relevance in challenging the dominance of the BJP such
as the NCP in Maharashtra.
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| Climate Armageddon
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Planet Earth is being frequently visited by the vagaries of climate change in the form of extreme weather events like floods, erratic rainfall, droughts, hurricanes, wildfires etc., that
claim heavy toll of human and animal lives, causing irreparable damage to property and infrastructure. We humans have failed to hark the warning signals being sounded by the UN�s Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) through its Assessment Reports from time to time and especially the Fifth Assessment Report of 2014, Special Report on Global Report on Global Warming released
in October 2018, Special Report on Climate Change and Land released in August 2019 and the latest Special Report on Climate Change and Oceans released on September 25, 2019.
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| Economic Blues |
Economic blues that have come to visit India�s growth story for the past several months have triggered the debate among experts as to whether the ongoing slowdown is structural or cyclical.
Almost all major sectors of the Indian economy � whether automobile, real estate and housing, textiles, steel industry or any other sector � this process of deceleration has afflicted
them very badly in terms of stockpiling of stocks, absence of consumers, lack of further investments, laying off of workforce and decrease in exports. Cumulative effect of these developments
has been that nation�s economy is slipping into recession. A decreasing trend in the real GDP growth is apparently discernible.
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Perform or Perish! |
Global peace is severely imperiled in the wake of ongoing trade spar between China and United States, ongoing stand-off between Teheran and Washington, uncertainty over nuclear weapons of North
Korea along with host of other factors like new asymmetrical warfare, increasingly easy access to powerful weapons, violent extremism, cybersecurity and adverse impacts of the vagaries of
climate change. These and other related developments have led to the emergence of a new security paradigm wherein the diversification of threats and actors portend new challenges to the defence
and security of almost all countries. Geopolitical shifts in tandem with globalization and migration in the wake of changing nature and balance of power along with increasing access of individuals
to technological and social resources have proved instrumental in catapulting the world�s vulnerabilities to new levels and casting adverse impact on global peace and security.
Perform
or perish has seemingly been the defining mantra entailing ubiquitous pertinence to almost very field across the spectrum � from politics to sports � since ages; nevertheless, it seems to
have gained added salience in the present age of cut-throat competition. At a time when India is at the cusp of entering the third decade of the 21st century that is characterized by mass
spread of social media, an informed public opinion cannot be expected to be swayed by mere slogans. Political parties can no more take the electorate for a ride to garner electoral support
to wrest power, even with the help of fake news or blitzkrieg of disinformation. Even if a particular political entity succeeds in doing so, it can ill-afford to replicate the same next time.
Lucrative, enticing and tempting promises are often made by political parties in manifestoes to garner the support of the masses who are either swayed by those promises or scrutinize the
past performance of those parties to determine as to what extent those parties have walked the talk. Undoubtedly, electoral politics in India has its own nuances that seldom follow text-book
rule and this has been true of the elections held prior to 2014.
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| Price of Laxity! |
| Sri Lanka has seemingly paid a very heavy price for laxity in national security despite forewarning on what was going to happen. Though it is an internal affair of Sri Lanka to enquire into what,
why, how of what has happened; concurrently, it also sounds warning signals for other democratic countries, including India, which have already been victims of terrorist violence to disallow
any kind of laxity in national security, defence preparedness and vigilance. Having been named recently Lonely Planet�s numerouno travel destination for 2019, and this image of Sri Lanka
built over the past decade as a stable, relaxed island was shattered in the aftermath of suicide bomb blasts occurring on Easter Sunday on April 21. The end of a bloody, protracted civil
war in 2009 had inaugurated an era of peace, prosperity and stability returning to the Sri Lanka and this decade-long spell of peace and stability has been severely jolted by the Sunday Easter
suicide bombings sending shock waves throughout the globe. International media has termed this tragic occurrence to be the biggest terror attack in the history of Sri Lanka |
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| Garibi Hatao Redux! |
| The recent poll-eve announcement of Nyuntam Aay Yojana�, (NYAY),or minimum income guarantee scheme by Congress president Rahul Gandhi entailing the provision of making available Rs 72,000 per
year to the poorest 20% families in the country, if voted to power, is reminiscent of the Garibi Hatao scheme launched by the then prime minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi in the 1970s and concomitantly
it also raises the question as to whether it is going to be redux of the Garibi Hatao or a mere election rhetoric. |
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| Wither Hanoi Summit! |
| Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital is witnessing a two-day summit on 27-28 February between US?President Donald Trump North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This is the second summit being held after a
gap of eight months after the historic first summit held in Singapore where both the leaders had pledged to work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. On the eve of
his departure for Hanoi, President Trump said that he believed he saw �eye to eye� with North Korean leader and that they had developed very �good relationship.� Describing outcome of the
Singapore summit as a �vaguely worded agreement� that has produced few results, some US Democratic senators and security officials have warned Trump against cutting a deal that would do little
to curb North Korea�s nuclear ambitions. In the post-Singapore summit period, the Trump administration has reportedly pressed the North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programme, which
combined with its missile capabilities, pose a threat to the United States, before it can expect any concessions. Concurrently, President Trump is also said to have signaled a possible softening,
saying he would love to be able to remove sanctions if there is meaningful progress on denuclearization. |
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| Institutional declension |
| Parliamentary democratic institutions constitute the raison d'�tre of democracy. Strong institutions serve as main bulwark for safeguarding democratic norms and practices thereby providing
the framework for individuals and systems to function. Collapse or breakdown of such institutions leads to the cessation of societal functioning, weakening of democracy, erosion of justice
and enfeeblement of the polity. For the smooth functioning of parliamentary democracy in India, framers of the Indian Constitution have envisaged institutions like Parliament, judiciary,
Central investigating agencies like CBI, NIA, IB, CVC, Election Commission and other institutional mechanism to maintain an equilibrium between executive, legislature and judiciary under
the instrumentality of checks and balances. |
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| Farmers� Plight! |
| It is saddening for us in India as a nation to claim ourselves as the fifth largest economy in the world when our Anna-data (food-provider) is forced to leave his farm and march frequently in
protest in the national capital and state capitals to get his genuine grievances redressed without any fruitful outcome. Bulk of the farming community, especially the small and marginal farmers,
is faced with multiple problems like indebtedness, inability to get proper price for the produce and an array of related problems. The apathy of any dispensation at the helm towards farm
sector woes is deplorable. Declining trends in farm sector growth from 5.2 percentage point growth during the years of UPA-II to 2.5% under the present dispensation is worrisome. Neglect
of key relief measure providers like MGNREGA and Food Security Act coupled with the bleak employment prospects in non-farm sectors in the wake of mounting debt problem has not only made farming
in itself an unsuccessful proposition for the majority of farmers, but led many farmers commit suicides. Broad estimates show that between 1995 and 2015, a total of 3, 18, 528 farmers committed
suicides. It does not bode well with fast growing economy like India. |
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| New Trade Order |
| In the wake of ongoing trade spat between the United States and China and President Trump�s withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Washington�s repeated warnings to EU countries
of imposing additional tariffs, there arises a question whether a new trade order is taking shape or not. Optimism for such a surmise gets engendered in the wake of the reported move by non-US
members of the TPP to resurrect the erstwhile TPP as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The proposed exit of the UK from the European Union
(EU) on March 29, 2019 is also likely to impact the pattern of global trade. Increasing global investment in cleantech, which currently exceeds $1 trillion and will reach $2.5 trillion by
2020, is another emerging decisive factor impacting the pattern of global trade. Blockchain technology that permits multiple players to have access to a live, irreversible digital ledger,
entails the potential of offering game-changing prospects for international trade finance. This fintech is gradually moving into the mainstream world of global financial institutions. |
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| Rupee�s Free Fall |
| Continuous free fall of the rupee in recent days does not bode well with the growing economy, both in short-term and long-term, especially at a time when the pace of growth is gathering momentum.
Rupee�s declining value vis-�-vis US dollar is undoubtedly not a new phenomenon, but the steep fall being recorded by it in recent days should be a cause of serious concern. Government�s
plea that depreciation of the rupee vis-�-vis US dollar is less as compared to other currencies is no solace because fall in rupee has been worse among the Asian currencies. Some experts
opine that at the time India attained independence, the value of one rupee was said to be equivalent to one dollar and over the decades, the rupee has been on a roller coaster ride and by
September this year it has plunged to an all-time low of around 72 against one US dollar. Devaluation of rupee in 1966 recorded a depreciation of about 57 per cent, and again in 1991, rupee
was devalued to 25.95 against a dollar in the wake of foreign exchange crisis. Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s further contributed to rupee depreciation when it reached a low of
about 43 per US dollar. |
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| Perils of OBOR |
| Euphoria over China�s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative is seemingly on the wane in the wake of growing skepticism in some host countries. Launched with great fanfare in 2013 by the Chinese
president Xi, this initiative entails a web of �New Silk Road superhighways� linking China with 68 countries and 4.4 billion people across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe in
a labyrinth of multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure projects. Reports appearing in the Chinese state-run media make it discernible that China has invested more than US$60 billion in countries
along the OBOR route, while trade volume has reached 5 trillion yuan ($734.29 billion), along with creation of about 200,000 �local jobs�. Nevertheless, there are also concurrent reports
in the international media about growing skepticism over the Chinese investments in the wake of rising debt burden in the host countries. In March 2018, a report published by the Center
for Global Development, a Washington-based think tank, claimed that China was proving a grave risk to the finances of a number of countries as a result of its aid activities and excessive
lending. The report listed seven specific countries whose finances were at serious risk: Mongolia, Laos, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, the Maldives, Djibouti and Montenegro. A study by some
Harvard scholars in May 2018 had highlighted dangers when it cautioned the US State Department about what were perceived to be cheap loans, calling it �debt book diplomacy.� There is
a growing feeling that China is using OBOR initiative to enhance its politico-military clout in Southeast Asia and beyond. While rummaging through the vast array of media reports, it
can be discerned that there is no dearth of skeptics of China�s OOR initiative and these reports often refer to the evocation of �debt traps� and �vassal states.� |
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| Helsinki Summit |
| In the absence of authentic details as to what transpired between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at recently concluded one-to-one summit in Helsinki (Finland),
media is abuzz with speculative reports. Finland has the distinction of hosting summits between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union in 1975, 1988 and 1990 and as a member of the
European Union, Finland kept its role as bridge-builder between the West and the East. It hosted two other summits, in 1992 and 1997 � the latter brought together Bill Clinton and
Boris Yeltsin. The Trump-Putin summit was held without any prior published agenda for discussion and no communique was issued after the summit was over. However, some issues came
to the fore at the post-Summit press conference jointly addressed by President Trump and his Russian counterpart, which inter alia included: the question of Syrian civil war, Russian
annexation of Crimea and resumption of U.S.-Russian talks on nuclear arms control. |
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| Singapore Summit & After |
| Much hyped summit between the US President Donald Trump and the North Korean supremo Kim Jong-un on June 12 held in Singapore has evoked mixed reactions. Apart from Washington and
Pyongyang, Seoul and Beijing which behind the scene facilitators for arranging this summit are interpreting the summit outcome from their respective perspectives. While the Trump
Administration looks upon this summit as adding a new feather in President Trump�s cap at a time when Trump�s graph of popularity is on decline in the wake of spat over tariffs
with Beijing and European Union; nevertheless, Trump�s critics have more negatives about the anticipated outcome of the summit. While terming the summit �woefully short on substance
and undermining American national security� by asserting that an agreement to complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) between American and North Korean
officials was nothing but �a pipe dream.� |
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| Unite or Perish! |
| The recent swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, heading the Congress-JD(S) alliance government, had brought together opposition leaders in an unprecedented
show of strength against the BJP-led Centre in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This gathering is touted to covey the message that non-BJP opposition is one and
in 2019 the country will witness a major change in national political situation. The ceremony was attended by national leaders and regional satraps, including Congress president
Rahul Gandhi, his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu
Naidu, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, BSP supremo Mayawati and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram
Yechury, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and NCP chief Sharad Pawar. |
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| Sino-Indian Bonhomie |
| Much-hyped two-day visit of Prime Minister Modi on April 27-28 to China and his exchange of views with Chinese President Xi Jinping in an informal summit at Wuhan, to be seen
beyond the paroxysms of ecstasy in the media, entails two significant outcomes for India: developing a joint economic project in Afghanistan and issuing strategic guidance
to their respective militaries to strengthen communication in order to build trust and mutual understanding and enhance predictability and effectiveness in the management
of border affairs. |
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| Trump�s Trade War |
| The US President Donald Trump�s recent move to impose tariffs on up to $60 billion of Chinese imports has virtually stirred up a hornet�s nest globally. Media reports indicate
that while driving fears about the impact on global economy, this move has reportedly fueled the biggest percentage declines in Wall Street�s three leading indexes along
with slump in US stocks. The presidential memorandum signed by President Trump aims at targeting the Chinese imports only after a consultation period and China will have
space to respond, reducing the risk of immediate retaliation from Beijing.
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| Carte Blanche for Scams |
| Unveiling of host of banking scams recently amounting to billions of rupees amply reflects on present dispensation�s �ease of doing business� in India and �ease of living�
abroad. The tone and tenor of unveiling of banking scams every now and then smells a rot in the prevalent banking system and reinforces the skepticism of the official
carte blanche authorization of carrying out these scams. Scams seldom occur in isolation. Sequence of events culminating in occurrence of scams of such magnitude indicate
prevalence of well-orchestrated nexus between the politicians, banking officials and the scamsters. |
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| Worrisome Indicators |
| Undoubtedly, Prime Minister NarendraModi tried to project a rosy picture of India in his recent debut address at Davos to garner investment from the foreign investors on the
strength of burgeoning economy, commitment to the process of globalization and climate change in accordance with the Paris accord; nevertheless, ground realities within
the country and recent indicators released by international organizations hardly support prime minister�s claims. Perhaps encouraged by the optimism relayed by World Bank
and IMF in their recent estimates that India�s economy would be the fastest growing economy in coming years, the PM declared that Indian economy would reach to five trillion
US dollar economy by 2025. |
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| Deliberate Pretermit |
| The victory of BJP in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, where BJP retained power in Gujarat and wrested Himachal from Congress, sets a mixed trend and an alarming signal for both
the national parties. While BJP claims that it has scored a record sixth straight win in Gujarat, the Congress argues that it has restricted the BJP tallyin two digits,
the lowest ever since BJP came to power in the stateHimachal. On the other hand has always alternated between Congress and BJP, without exception, a trend that continued
this time as well.Presently,themoot question is whether this kind of identification with BJP is peculiar to Gujarat, or can be replicated in other states too. Some trends
like substantial rural discontent can be seen, but this alone will not able to create a crescendo large enough to unseat BJP from its urban base that held intact and propelled
them to power. |
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| Deliberate Pretermit |
| Despite agriculture being the major mainstay of Indian economy and the only means of livelihood of the major chunk of rural population, this sector is seemingly falling a
prey to deliberate pretermit on the part of the present dispensation at the helm. Farmers� suicides, their protests and their miserable plight throughout the country have
failed to bear fruitful results. Constitution of high-powered committees and their recommendations from time to time to ameliorate the conditions of the farming community
have also conked out in their efforts. In March 2015, the Ramesh Chand Committee in its report suggested a new formula to calculate the Minimum Support Price (MSP), which
if implemented, could help the MSP to rise by over 50 per cent. The government was also called upon by the Committee to While calling upon the government to modify all
instances where the MSP was found to be lower than the cost of production, the Committee also drew attention to the recommendations of the Swaminathan National Farmers
Commission that had made analogous recommendation decades ago. No concrete action has thus far seemingly been taken on these recommendations and media reports indicate
that farmers are often forced to sell their produce below the MSP across the country. |
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| New Foe! |
| Environmental pollution, in the form of filthy air and contaminated water, has emerged as humankind�s new foe that is killing more people every year than all war, violence
or disaster in the world. According to a recently released study by UK-based Lancet medical journal, environmental pollution claimed about nine million deaths in the world
in 2015. The study further discloses whopping financial cost, some $4.6 trillion in annual losses � or about 6.2% of the global economy. Findings of this study puts India
on the top of list of individual countries where one out of every four premature deaths in 2015 or some 2.5 million deaths occurred in India, followed by China, with more
than 1.8 million deaths. Various other countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, North Korea, South Sudan and Haiti also see nearly a fifth of their premature deaths caused
by pollution. |
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| Economy in Dire Straits |
| Decline of the GDP growth rate to a three-year low at 5.7 per cent in the June quarter of this year has pushed the Indian economy in dire straits. Many experts hold ill-advised
demonetization and hasty implementation of GST as major factors contributing to this economic slowdown. Undoubtedly, the adverse impact of economic slowdown is now being
experienced by almost all segments of the society across the county because of shrinking job market and soaring prices of commodities, including petrol and diesel; nevertheless,
government officials and BJP spokespersons continue to remain in denial mode by insisting on justifying before the government�s demonetization misadventure. |
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| Extolling R2P |
| R2P or Right to Privacy has been held as a fundamental right by a recent unanimous judgment of 9 Judges of the Supreme Court. While asserting that R2P inheres to every human
being regardless of his caste, creed, gender or orientation, the Apex Court held that it is a natural, inalienable right that is inseparable from human existence and an
intrinsic part of the human element. It has been unequivocally held by the Supreme Court that the right to privacy is a sine qua non for the enjoyment of other rights
under Part III of the Constitution of India and thereby recognises the overlapping of fundamental rights under our Constitutional scheme.
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| Drug Menace |
| Drug menace is assuming serious proportions in the wake of recent reports of drug-related suicides in many states of the Indian Union. Media reports indicate that in the wake
of recent drug-related suicides in Telangana, the state officials have launched the massive crackdown on junkies. Undoubtedly, state authorities claim Telangana’s
place is much lower than the other states in the numbers’ game and as far as the drug menace is concerned in India; nonetheless, the possibility of a strong
presence of narcotic drugs, from marijuana to cocaine, especially in a few sections of the society, cannot be ruled out by some experts.
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| India & Gulf Kerfuffle |
| The Gulf kerfuffle that has obtained in the wake of Saudi Arabia, along with some other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) cutting off ties with Qatar on June
5, over Qatar�s alleged support to Islamists and Iran; the regional power play in the Arab Gulf region has put India in a spot from geostrategic and geo-economic perspectives.
India imports bulk of its oil and gas supplies from the GCC countries and the region is also significant for India from trade and investment aspects. Besides, over 8 million
Indians are working the Gulf and their remittances constitute an important part of national economy. In other words, any toward development in the Gulf region entails
potential of jeopardizing India�s geopolitical and geo-economic stakes in the region. |
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| Jobless Growth |
| Present dispensation led by Prime Minister NarendraModi at the Centre has completed three years in office in May this year. Modi, then the prime ministerial candidate of the
BJP, in his election speeches in 2014, would pointedly tell new voters among the youth to give the BJP a chance to improve their lives as they finished their education
and entered the labour market. After having been in power for three years, the Modi government has proved to be an utter failure on this metric alone. Under the Modi-led
NDA government, there has been a sheer decline in organized sector. Under the UPA-II, during the three years from 2009 to 2011, when India�s GDP was still growing at an
average 8.5%, the organised sector was opening avenues on average 9.5 lakh for new jobs every year; and even this was seen relatively as �jobless growth� by the economists.
The past two years, 2015 and 2016, have witnessed the average employment generation plummeting to less than 2 lakh jobs a year, which is less than 25% of the annual employment
generated before 2011. |
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| Curbing Maoist Violence |
| Brutal killing of 26 police personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on 24 April by the militants of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) in an ambush
in Sukma district, apart from sending shock waves throughout the nation, also raises many questions about capabilities of the central government as well as states of the
Red Corridor in dealing with mounting Maoist menace. Media reports indicate that this was the worst attack on security forces in the region since the April 2010 attack
when Maoists killed 74 men of the CRPF in the nearby Dantewada district.
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| New Health Policy |
| Union Government has unveiled New Health Policy 2017 (NHP 2017), which seems to be high on promises and it is to be seen whether it will be able to fulfill those promises
or will remain low on delivery. Some of the tangible promises envisaged in NHP 2017, inter alia, include: raising the allocation for health to 2.5 per cent of GDP, improving
hospital bed availability, reforms in medical and paramedic education, strategic purchasing of private care for poor families/underserved areas through public-private-partnerships
(PPPs), management of determinants, control/elimination of communicable and non-communicable diseases. |
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| Declining Electoral Ethos |
| Electoral ethos is witnessing a high rate of decline after each election � either General Elections or state assembly polls. The recently held polls to five state assemblies,
apart from vast array of other issues, will also be remembered for the low and steadily deteriorating standards of electioneering. The terms of discourse and debate in
these assembly polls, especially in Uttar Pradesh (UP) have been foul, even abusive, more often than not. All parties are guilty, but the Congress, the BJP, SP and BSP
must share the bulk of the blame in the context of UP. Unless the rot is stemmed and reversed, what is going on today might magnify manifold in April-May 2019 LokSabha
elections. |
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| Imperiled World! |
| We inhabit an imperiled world, where apart from the vast devastating potential of nuclear weapons, vagaries of climate change and growing inequalities between the rich and
the poor, along with associated events, have pushed the entire humankind on the threshold of catastrophe. Climate change has emerged as the major threat to the very existence
of humankind after nuclear weapons. In the absence of a continuum of policies designed to reduce people's exposure and vulnerability to climate change, poverty and inequality
would only increase. The impacts of climate change are prone to worsen the conditions of low-income people, who already face inequality, thereby making it a double burden
for them. According to a recently released UN report, a total of 6,457 weather-related disasters occurred during 1995-2015, which claimed more than 600,000 lives and affected
another 4.2 billion people. Combating the menace of climate change, especially in developing countries, requires international resources.
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| Wither Democracy! |
| Parliamentary democracy in India is hailed as the largest democracy in the world. This may deem theoretically sound, yet functionally this system is being permeated with many
ills that are eating into the very vital foundations of this democracy. Democracy implies norms and values, which are enshrined in our Constitution; however, these are
being eroded day by day. Saddest aspect of this erosion is the systematic weakening of democratic institutions, especially the Parliament.
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Wither Opposition! |
| The recent demonetization move by the NDA government provided a golden opportunity for the non-BJP Opposition parties, including the Congress, to put a united front against
the Modi government and mobilize mass support. In RajyaSabha, the Opposition unity was visible in attacking the Modi government on its demonetization drive and NDA ally
Shiv Sena participating in the protest march to RashtrapatiBhawan. However, on ground zero, the Opposition gave a semblance of disunity when a call for Bharat bandh was
given. The BJP is drawing comfort from the apparent �disunity� in the Opposition parties and the fact that their criticism has largely been regarding the implementation
of the demonetization drive. |
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| Menace of Air Pollution |
| Air pollution has been described by WHO as the world�s biggest environmental risk, which is killing nearly one million people annually in the South East Asian Region with
India alone accounting for over 75 per cent of the casualties caused by cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. Findings from a recent WHO study that adverse effects
of air pollution may linger on in Delhi for generations to come have unsettled pollution experts and doctors. |
| More... |
| SDGs-One Year After |
| September 25 this year has marked the first anniversary of the launching of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On this day in 2015, the 193-Member United Nations General
Assembly formally adopted the 2030 Agenda with a new set of SDGs, also known as Global Goals. Participating global leaders pledged to the 17 SDGs to overcome poverty and
restore human dignity by 2030 and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hailed the Global Goals as "a universal, integrated and transformative vision for a better world".
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| Rio Olympics Fiasco |
| By contributing just two medals to the total medal tally of India at the recently concluded 2016 Rio Olympics, despite the fact that India had sent its largest contingent
ever this time, the Indian contingent has kept the past tradition of its dismal performance at the Olympics. Of the total members of the Indian contingent, around 84 per
cent performed below their qualifying marks. Of the 85 individual participants - excluding the 32 in men and women's hockey - just 13 matched their personal best, justified
their world ranking or advanced past the opening round. |
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| Price Rise Conundrum |
| Price rise has seemingly emerged as a recurring phenomenon that visits every regime, be it NDA regime or UPA regime. The government of the day is well-equipped with technical
and intelligence wherewithal to monitor the prices, hoarding of the essential commodities and marketing strategies of creating artificial scarcity on one pretext or the
other. Drought and floods are frequently used as commonly pliable excuses responsible for price hike. During the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament, Congress seized
the opportunity provided by price rise to target the government in Parliament with the 'Arhar Modi' slogan, much to the dislike of the ruling party. However, there were
sufficient indications available of a likely spike in prices which the government perhaps chose to ignore. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), during its last monetary policy
review, had cautioned on upside risks, including "firming international commodity prices, particularly of crude oil; and the implementation of the 7th Central Pay Commission
awards, which will have to be factored into projections as soon as clarity on implementation emerges". |
| More... |
| NSG Fiasco |
| Recent scuttling of India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) points towards many chinks in the Indian armour of nuclear diplomacy and foreign policy.
This fiasco is serious enough to warrant a serious review of India's diplomatic and foreign policy strategy. Undoubtedly, China played a prominent role in scuttling India's
NSG bid; nevertheless, Beijing played its cards openly and at this juncture, merely laying blame at China's door-step without a serious introspection of our own failures
is unlikely to serve any useful purpose. |
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| Wither Opposition! |
| Political discourse in contemporary India is missing a sound and effective Opposition. Divested of the accurate characteristics of an opposition, the present Opposition in
India is in disarray and can be described as a conglomeration of heterogeneous groups which are fundamentally and ideologically opposed to each other. |
| More... |
| Paris Agreement! |
| The signing of the historic agreement on climate change on 22 April at Paris is being hailed as a milestone, with a record 175 countries along with European Union, including
India, having signed it. The agreement will come into force once 55 countries representing at least 55 per cent of global emissions formally join it, a process initially
expected to take until 2020. |
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| National Interest! |
| Almost all political parties swear by safeguarding India's national interest. Preservation of national interests in the realms of defence and foreign affairs are governed
and nurtured by the well-defined and set norms established over the years since the attainment of India's independence and all political parties are almost unanimous on
it. However, domestic parameters of national interest are defined by each political party according to its own whims and fancies. Recent developments in country's prestigious
institutions and the response of the ruling dispensation to these developments has given new perspectives to the national interest which has come to be construed in terms
of 'national versus anti-national' and it has given rise to the debate on nationalism. |
| More... |
| Boom or Gloom! |
| Efforts have been made by the ruling dispensation at the Centre to present a rosy picture of nation's economy in its Economic Survey for 2016-2017 presented in Parliament
a couple of days before the actual presentation of the budget. The Survey broadly reaffirms the positive growth numbers that have been projected by many global agencies,
including the International Monetary Fund and this can be construed to provide a measure of confidence to the Union Finance Minister to show the business-friendly side
of his government with a reform-oriented road map. |
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| Financing the SDGs? |
| With the inauguration of the process of implementation of the 17 SDGs along with its 169 targets since January 2016 having been set in motion, the big question that is puzzling
minds, especially in developing countries, is the significant ramp-up in resources required to achieve these ambitious goals. It is generally agreed that 'business as
usual' is not going to get world where it needs to be by 2030. |
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| Politics of Climate Change |
| Recently concluded climate change deal at Paris, after 13 days of intense bargaining, demonstrated a rare show of near-universal accord, as poor and wealthy nations from across
the political and geographic spectrum expressed support for measures that require all to take steps to battle climate change. The agreement binds together pledges by individual
nations to cut or limit emissions from fossil-fuel burning. Sincere implementation of the agreement entails the potential of putting nations on a course that could fundamentally
change the way energy is produced and consumed, gradually reducing reliance on fossil fuels in favor of cleaner forms of energy. The Paris agreement has evoked mixed reactions
expressed through the opinions of leaders which reveal both high praise and harsh condemnation of the global accord. |
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| Renascent Bihar |
| The recent landslide stunning victory of Mahagathbandhan, comprising Janata Dal-United or JD (U), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress, in Bihar under the leadership of
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has manifested the political maturity of the people of Bihar and rejection of attempts to polarize society on communal lines. The massive support
for Mahagathbandhan had cut across communities, without which it would not have been possible for it to garner gigantic victory by winning an impressive 178 seats in a
house of 243 seats. |
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| From Bad to Worse |
| Global geopolitics is seemingly undergoing massive transformation and the emerging scenario is more chaotic in the wake of vast array of problems that have come to engulf
the forces of peace, stability and prosperity, especially the growing financial crisis, problem of refugees and the unabated adverse impact of ongoing process of climate
change. Another financial crisis is seemingly in the offing as can be discerned from the recent report of International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has warned of $3.3 trillion
worth of "over borrowing" in emerging markets. In 2004, the level of emerging market corporate debt, outside the banking sector, was $4 trillion. |
| More... |
| Sustainable Development Goals |
| The 193 U.N. member nations on 25 September formally adopted the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and called for shared peace and prosperity. Described by the United Nations
secretary-general as "a to-do list for people and planet," The 17 SDGs, are to be implemented over the next 15 years with a big global push to win public and political
support. The document, titled "Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," not only outlines 17 broad goals but sets 169 specific targets. |
| More... |
| Electoral Slugfest |
| The 'Swabhiman Rally' held on 30 August at Patna's Gandhi Maidan, which brought the Congress, the JD (U), RJD and SP on a single platform, has seemingly unfolded the contours
of the electoral battle in the run-up to the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar. |
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| Independence Day |
| Observance of Independence Day on 15 August each year has seemingly become an annual ritual for most of us who celebrate it like any other national holiday without understanding
its real significance. Our political leaders |
| More... |
| Impending Financial Crunch! |
| The ongoing debt crisis in Greece has made the world going bonkers over the development and some developing countries fear an impending financial crunch of greater magnitude
than that of 2008. |
| More... |
| Government of U-Turns |
| The BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has completed one year in office. The government came to power amid much fanfare and the tall promises made by its leadership had
aroused huge expectations amongst the gullible masses. |
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| Nepal's Tragedy |
| The earthquake that devastated Nepal on April 25 has left behind an untold and terrifying story. The quake that hit Nepal on past Sunday had a magnitude of 7.8 at Richter
scale. The quake that was followed by aftershocks has wreaked havoc in terms of immense loss of human lives and by causing tremendous damage to property and infrastructure
in Nepal and northern states of India, especially those bordering Nepal. Bangladesh and China have also been affected by it. |
| More... |
| Palestinian Conundrum |
| For about seven decades now, the question of Palestine has almost become a conundrum for the international comity of nations owing to Israeli intransigence to vacate the occupied
Palestinian territories. However, some ray of hope is there in the wake of reported move of France to start discussions in the coming weeks on a U.N. Security Council
resolution that would set out the steps for a negotiated end of Israel's occupation of Palestinian land and a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. |
| More... |
| BJP's Predicament |
| Whether at the helm of affairs or in the opposition, the BJP is often found at the horns of dilemma when it comes to delivering the promises. Populist slogans aided by the
social media campaigns, bizarre rhetoric and media blitzkrieg indulged in by the BJP proved instrumental in hoodwinking the gullible masses to translate their disenchantment
with the UPA into so-called electoral victory. |
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| Common Man's Plight |
| The common man, hailing from all genders, has always been on the forefront of regime changes, revolutions, social movements and electoral campaigns and his wretched plight
has been passed on from posterity to posterity despite tall promises. |
| More... |
| Wrong Move |
| A recent media report on a major shift being considered in India's Palestine policy is both alarming and unwarranted at this juncture. The reported move of the NDA government
to alter |
| More... |
| Whither SAARC! |
| The trends emerging from the recently concluded 18th SAARC summit in Nepal have presented a mix bag of hope and despair, with despair outweighing the hope. The Indian Prime
Minister's 'invitation diplomacy' to the SAARC |
| More... |
| Politics of Black Money |
| Recent media blitzkrieg over black money in India has transformed an economic offence into a political game which is being tossed by political parties against each other to
score points without knowing the ground realities. |
| More... |
| Scourge of Ebola |
| As the world leaders converged in New York this week-end for the United Nations General Assembly meeting, an annual ritual, the agenda was hijacked on 26 September by a virus
called Ebola that was barely even on the world's radar when the General Assembly met this same time last year. |
| More... |
| Uneasy Calm |
| Uneasy calm pervades the Middle East, especially in Gaza Strip, Libya and Iraq, Ukraine, North-East Asia, South Asia, especially in the Indian Subcontinent and some parts
of Africa. This entails the potential of endangering international peace and security and as such calls for |
| More... |
| India and Turbulent Gaza |
| The situation in the Gaza Strip has assumed serious proportions in the wake of exchange of armed hostilities between the Hamas and Israeli forces. More than one thousand people,
including both Palestinians and Israelis, have been killed since the fighting began in early July this year. |
| More... |
| Drug Abuse |
| Drug abuse not only causes immense human distress but also is an important factor leading to crimes and violence all over the globe. Drug abuse and trafficking has become
so rampant that almost every part of the globe is seemingly affected it. |
| More... |
| Recalibrating Economy |
| Recent years have witnessed India's economic growth falling into a tailspin. According to some experts, factors like bureaucratic gridlock, internal party bickering and renegade
ministers of the outgoing government were responsible for dragging the economy down. |
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| Existential Crisis Dilemma |
| With the 2014 general elections nearing the end, the tone and tenor of the election campaign is slipping to a new low with each passing day. With electioneering at its peak,
insalubrious political sparring and nasty remarks by the leaders of almost political parties have become the order of the day. |
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| Ukraine: History's Nightmare |
| James Joyce's famous statement that "history is a nightmare", from which we should try to awake, pertinently describes current spate of events obtaining in the Ukraine. Major
events like chaos in Maidan Square, new dispensation at the helm of power in Kiev, |
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| Deliver or Perish! |
| The political discourse in contemporary India is taking a dramatic turn towards new horizons where the old and hackneyed style of bizarre politics may yield place to more
transparent, accountable and proactive politics that would survive on the mantra of deliver or perish. |
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| Craving for Stability |
| The past couple of decades have been characterized by the striking transformation of India's politics and the defining feature of that transformation is what is termed as
'party proliferation.' India's politics has been transformed since 1989 by the relentless rise of regional parties across the country. |
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| AAP Phenomenon |
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The spectacular emergence of Aam Adami Party (AAP) as victorious in the recently held elections to the Delhi State Assembly marks the rise of a new phenomenon in party
politics in contemporary Indian polity.
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| Nuclear Deal with Iran |
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The historic nuclear agreement between Iran and the six Western powers that constitute the so-called P-5+1 Group, inclusive of the United States, signed on 24 November
this year has evoked considerable euphoria of optimism on both sides.
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| The NOTA Option |
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Supreme Court's recent landmark order on installing an additional provision for voters to record a ‘none-of-the-above’ (NOTA) option to reject all candidates
in the fray is acclaimed by some as a step towards ushering in a key electoral reform in India, which has seemingly found favour in the past with the Election Commission
of India and even the Law Commission.
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| Currency Crunch |
| India's current currency crisis is indicative of yet another major emerging market economy, along with Brazil, China, and Russia, that is already slowing markedly. In recent
weeks the Indian rupee has plunged by over 14 percent bringing its total decline over the past two years to almost 30 percent. |
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| Mideast Peace Talks |
| Approval accorded by the Israeli cabinet on 28 July this year for the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners who had been in jail since before the signing of the Oslo Accords
in 1993 has paved way the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Washington from 29 July. |
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| BJP's Predicament |
| BJP - nation's principal opposition party - is confronted with an existential dilemma - to keep chugging along on the Centrist-Right path or revert to the original communal
and unambiguously Rightwing road with Narendra Modi in the driving seat to sail through the 2014 general election. |
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| Morass of Sleaze |
Sports and politics attract large horde of people because of money and power combination. Besides, sports and politics have historically been bonded like Siamese twins since before
the great city states of ancient Greece engaged in inter-city athletic competitions when they weren't engaged in destructive wars against one another. Over the centuries this
combination between politics and sports has become inseparable. |
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| Parliamentary Gravitas |
India prides itself being world's largest democracy; nevertheless this sense of pride is undermined by the erosion of credibility of the Parliament. Our Constitution represents
the societal consensus on the philosophy, direction and instrumentalities of governance of the Indian Republic and Parliament is the pre-eminent institution created by this
Constitution which symbolises the will and aspirations of the Indian people. |
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| Economy Imperiled |
| The pre-Budget Economic Survey for 2012-13, tabled in Parliament on 27 February has exuded confidence that the Indian economy would bounce back to achieve higher growth of around
6.1 to 6.7%, up from the advance estimates of 5% economic growth in the current financial year. |
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| Taxing the Super Rich |
| Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's reported statement on 24 January this year that "there is an argument that when the government requires more resources, the very rich should
willingly pay a little more," has set in motion a debate on taxing the 'super rich' and evoked mixed reactions. |
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| Overcoming Diplomatic Lassitude |
| India's diplomacy can be said to have been characterized by lassitude, especially in the past couple of years. Some analysts have argued that recent developments in India's own
backyard prominently manifest the limits of India's influence and still weak diplomatic force. |
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| Viva Palestine |
| On 28 November this year the 193-nation UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution to upgrade the Palestinian Authority's observer status at the United Nations from
"entity" to "non- member state," the same status as the Vatican, by an overwhelming majority of 138 Yes votes to nine No votes and 41 abstentions. |
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| Needed New Political Order |
| Prevailing political order in India is dominated by two major national political parties, namely the Congress and the BJP. The other parties, especially the Left parties are lying
low and in the past two decades regional satraps have come to dictate terms at the Centre.
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| Reforms for Whom? |
| The latest dose of so-called economic reforms is designed to benefit one per cent at the cost of remaining 99 per cent, which are better known as Aam Adami. Similar discriminatory
approach is being followed in the United States and in a way present ruling dispensation is stepping into the shoes of Uncle Sam by Americanizing the Indian economy. |
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| Strength of NAM |
| The successful conclusion of the NAM Summit in Tehran recently proves the inherent strength of the movement which has not lost its relevance in the rapidly changing geopolitical
and geo-economic complexities pervading the contemporary world. After the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is the most important world body. |
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| Unlocking the Impasse |
| Turbulence pervades some countries of the Middle East, especially Libya, Syria, Lebanon and some other Arab countries. In the wake of the so-called 'Arab Spring', these countries
are afflicted by turmoil, political instability and deterioration in socio-economic conditions. |
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| Unabated 25 years |
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April 06, 2012. Third Concept completes its 25 years of uninterrupted publication. To mark the occasion of Third Concept's Silver Jubilee Celebrations, a book titled "Perspectives
on Women" edited by me, was released by Smt Meira Kumar, Honourable Speaker of Lok Sabha at the India International Centre, New Delhi.
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| Emancipating The Women |
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Women's present status in India is determined by the indicators like women's household decision making power, financial autonomy, freedom of movement, women's acceptance of
unequal gender roles, exposure to media, access to education, women's experience of domestic violence etc.
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| Another Independence Day |
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Another Independence Day Mother Independence Day is fast approaching and the Prime Minister will unfurl the National Flag and address the nation from the ramparts
of historic Red Fort.
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| UPA-II in Focus |
| On 22 May UPA-II government has completed one year in power and there have bee' mixed reactions to achievements of the go\'emment. It is an acknowledged tact that the sntallercJnstituent |
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| Turbulent Legacy |
| Even on the eve of departure of 2009, we are still in turbulent times. A year after shameful Gazamassacre by Israel, the Palestinians are still nursing their wounds and there
seems no let up in store for them. |
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| India and Nuclear Tests |
| Ast the next NPT Review is approaching near, the pressure is being built on those countries like india and others which have not sighned the NPT to sighn the treaty. On the other
hand, some members of the scientific community in India have called for conducting further nuclear tests. |
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| Nonnuclear World |
| The U.N.Security Council unanimously approved a historic U.S.-sponsored resolution on 24 September. with US President Barack Obama presiding over the session committing all nations
to work for a Russia. China and developing nations supporting the measure. |
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UPA Again
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The electoral verdict in the recently-held elections to the Lok Sabha has gone in favour of UPA with Congress as the major leading partner. However, this time the composition
of the constituents of the UPA is slightly different from what it was in 2004. The RJO has been replaced by Trinamool Congress led by Ms Mamta Bannerji...........
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ORIGINAL ARTICLES |
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India-Egypt Relations (p 7 - 10)
India and Egypt, two ancient civilizations, share friendly relations, dating back to three millennia
B.C., and the recent visit of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to India has proved instrumental in further concretizing.......
Full Text: HTML , PDF (Size: 434K) Article
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Corruption in India’s Water Sector (p 11 -
13)
Corruption seems to have a ubiquitous phenomenon which has eneveloped water also in its fold. While citing the findings of TI’s Global Corruption Report 2008 dealin.......
Full Text: HTML , PDF (Size: 434K) Article
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Zimbabwe’s Mounting Inflation: New Paradigms
(p 15 - 27)
An appraisal of the status, causes and consequences of mounting inflation in Zimbabwe is attempted in this article, which also reviews the
long term impact of globalization.........
Full Text: HTML , PDF (Size: 434K) Article
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