Hey,
These are the summaries of the Hindu Editorials for today, 5th November 2022. You can get access to the full Hindu E paper here and it's recommended that you go through the full article for an indepth review. Let's hope you find these useful =)
Here's the list of keywords for all the following summaries
- Keywords: Remote voting, overseas citizens, election commission, India, postal ballot, service voters, electronically transmitted postal ballot system, NRIs, longer term migrants, residency, time spent away from country.
- Keywords: COP27, UNFCCC, developing countries, energy poverty, global inequalities, energy access, developed countries, net-zero emissions, 2050, decarbonization, hypocrisy, leadership, effective discussions, equity, common but differentiated responsibilities, respective capabilities.
- Keywords: GST, revenue, growth rate, collections, domestic transactions, public, economy, state.
- Keywords: Abandoning, relatives, physical health, mental health, Ganagapura, India, temple, natural cure, mental illnesses, authorities, pack of dogs, woman, old age home, surveys, abandoned people, chains, pillars, trees, mental well-being.
- Keywords: Supreme Court of India, EPFO, Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, EPS-1995, amendments, controversial, pension scheme, regular establishments, cut-off date, retirement, benefit.
- Keywords: Mathura-Vrindavan, carbon neutral, four clusters, small circuits, Parikrama Paths, tourists, water kiosks, prasad distribution centers, dining halls, resting spaces.
- Keywords: Elaben Bhatt, social activist, Self Employed Women's Association, SEWA, empowering women, cooperative production, consumption, marketing, textiles, accolades, awards, Padma Bhushan, Magsaysay Award, Indira Gandhi Sadbhavna Award, Planning Commission.
- Keywords: China, Beidou satellite navigation system, GPS, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, accuracy, overseas services.
In Pakistan, a state of war with much drama ahead
The article discusses the recent failed assassination attempt on Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, and the events leading up to it. It explains how Khan has been a long-time ally of the Pakistani military, but the relationship has soured in recent months. The article argues that the current conflict between Khan and the military is unprecedented and could have far-reaching consequences.
1. Remote Voting
The article discusses the issue of allowing shorter term overseas migrants to vote via postal ballot. Currently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) allows enrolled overseas citizens to vote in person at the polling station in the constituency where the person is registered as an overseas elector. The necessity to vote in person and the costs have, for overseas citizens, acted as a disincentive for their wanting to exercise their mandate. In 2020, the ECI approached the Government to permit NRIs to vote via postal ballots, similar to the system already used by service voters, i.e., the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS), which allows registering their mandate on a downloaded ETPB and sending it to the returning officer of the constituency.
The article raises the question of whether longer term migrants should also be allowed to register their mandate as the idea behind limiting voters to specific constituencies on account of their residency will become infructuous. Therefore, if the postal ballot system is indeed instituted, rules must be clearly framed for voters’ eligibility on the basis of their time spent away from the country.
2. The real issue at COP27 is energy equity
The article discusses the upcoming 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and argues that developing countries must put the question of its energy poverty and the severe global inequalities in energy access squarely at the centre of all discussions. It notes that while developed countries have made commitments to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, they have not made commensurate progress on decarbonization, and argues that this hypocrisy must be called out. The article concludes by calling for a developing country leadership at COP27 that can ensure effective discussions, based on equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
3. Hazy signals
The article discusses the government's decision to not release certain information about the GST revenue for the month of October. Some information that is not being released includes the year-on-year growth rate for overall collections and an explicit break-up of the growth in revenues from domestic transactions. The article argues that the government should release this information so that the public can better understand the state of the economy.
4. No place to die
The article discusses the practice of people abandoning relatives with physical or mental health concerns in Ganagapura, India. The town is known for its temple, which is said to provide a “natural cure” for those with mental illnesses. The practice has continued for many years, with little intervention from the authorities. However, the recent incident of a pack of dogs devouring the body of an abandoned woman has brought attention to the issue. Officials have now begun to take action, including shifting some abandoned people to an old age home and conducting surveys to identify all abandoned people in the town. There is also a need to address the mental well-being of those who have been abandoned, as some are tied in chains to pillars and trees.
Other News from the Hindu important for CLAT 2023
5. ‘All employees can join EPFO pension scheme’
The article discusses a judgment by the Supreme Court of India regarding the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). The court held that the amendments to the pension scheme notified in August 22, 2014, would apply to the employees of "exempted establishments" in the list of the EPFO, which number over 1,300 companies and entities, in the same manner as for the staff of regular establishments. The legal dispute primarily concerned the controversial amendments made to clause 11 of the EPS-1995. The amendments included changes in Clause 11(3) and insertion of paragraph 11(4), which raised the cap from ₹6,500 to ₹15,000. Paragraph 11(4) said only employees, who were existing EPS members as on September 1, 2014, could continue to contribute to the pension fund in accordance with their actual salaries. The court removed the cut-off date in the 2014 amendments. Employees who retired prior to September 1, 2014, without exercising any option would not be entitled to benefit of this judgment.
6. Mathura-Vrindavan to become carbon neutral
The article discusses a plan to make the Mathura-Vrindavan region net zero carbon by dividing it into four clusters and creating small circuits called Parikrama Paths for tourists to travel on foot or by electric vehicle. The plan includes water kiosks, prasad distribution centers, dining halls, and resting spaces for tourists.
7. ‘SEWA pioneered by Elaben was innovative experiment’
Elaben Bhatt, a social activist and pioneer of the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA), passed away on November 2. Bhatt was known for her work in empowering women and promoting cooperative production, consumption, and marketing of textiles. She also received numerous accolades and awards, including the Padma Bhushan, Magsaysay Award, and the Indira Gandhi Sadbhavna Award. Bhatt was also a member of the Planning Commission of the Government of India.
8. China’s home-grown Beidou satellite system eyes global footprint
The article discusses China's plans to expand the global reach of its Beidou satellite navigation system. The system is billed as an alternative to the U.S.'s GPS system. Beijing is working with a number of countries in the region, including Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, over adopting the Beidou satellite navigation system. The next focus is to improve Beidou's capabilities, which have, in China, closed the gap with GPS in terms of accuracy, although its overseas services still lag behind.
That's all folks =)