Hey,
These are the summaries of the Hindu Editorials for today, 5th November 2022. You can get access to the full Hindu e-paper in our Telegram channel and it's recommended that you go through the full article for an indepth review. Let's hope you find these useful =)
Important keywords in the article
1. India-Pakistan relations 2. Reservation policy 3. POCSO Act 4. G20 summit 5. Black Sea Grain deal
1. The age of minimalism in IndiaPakistan ties
The article discusses the age of minimalism in India-Pakistan relations. It describes how the relationship has been reduced to a backchannel conversation between the Indian NSA and the Pakistan Army establishment. The article lists five reasons why the present age of minimalism has come to characterise India-Pakistan relations. These reasons are: (1) the relationship is the history of missed opportunities, failed attempts at conflict resolution, political inability to resolve conflicts due to the dual power centre in Pakistan, and the lack of political will on either side; (2) there is a recognition on both sides that for all the talk about conflict resolution, there is no easy way to resolve their complicated conflicts and that, going forward, bilateral conflict resolution may get harder due to rising populism fuelled by online hate; (3) New Delhi also realises that the traditional logic in India that it should first settle its conflicts with Pakistan and then move on to addressing the bigger challenges may take New Delhi nowhere for, after all, none of the key bilateral conflicts between them has been resolved since the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960; (4) there is also a certain confidence in New Delhi today that it does not need to talk to Pakistan to ensure peace inside Kashmir; and (5) both sides today are preoccupied with other geopolitical challenges - Pakistan with the Taliban-led Afghanistan, and India with an aggressive China on its borders - thereby keeping them busy elsewhere than with each other.
2. Economics, exclusion
Use of sole income criterion for quotas is questionable, but it should be made to work in a non-exclusionary way
The article discusses the recent Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of the government's new reservations policy for economically weaker sections. The policy provides for reservations in education and jobs solely based on economic criteria, and excludes those from the three existing categories of beneficiaries (SCs, STs, and OBCs). The Court has ruled that the policy does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution, but that it does violate the equality norm. The government should consider opening up the EWS quota to all communities and keeping the income criterion much lower than the current ceiling.
3. The frontliners of the first 1000 day window of life
The article discusses the importance of evidence-based interventions in addressing the high burden of malnutrition in India. It highlights the role of frontline health workers in delivering these interventions to the last mile.
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4. Supreme Court, in a majority verdict, upholds the EWS quota
The article discusses the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the validity of the 103rd Constitutional Amendment, which provides 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of society. The amendment excludes the "poorest of poor" among Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) from its scope. The majority of the judges held that reservation on economic criterion alone did not violate the Basic Structure of the Constitution.
5. Cooperate or perish, United Nations SecretaryGeneral cautions at COP27
The article discusses the COP-27 summit in Egypt and the speeches given by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahya. Guterres spoke about the need for countries to work together to reduce emissions, while al-Nahya said that his country would continue to produce fossil fuels as long as there is a need.
6. Centre opposes petition in HC against provisions of surrogacy law
Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021.
The article discusses a challenge to the surrogacy laws in India. The main arguments of the petitioners are that the ban on commercial surrogacy robs them of the option, and that the personal decision of a single person about the birth of a baby through surrogacy is a facet of the right to privacy. The surrogacy laws in India only allow married couples to opt for surrogacy on medical grounds, and only allow single women to resort to surrogacy if they are widows or divorcees. The law does not allow single men to go for surrogacy.
7. POCSO Act forces Adivasis in Nilgiris into conflict with law, say activists
The article discusses the plight of Adivasi youth who are facing long prison terms for allegedly breaking child protection laws. The youths are accused of sexually assaulting their girlfriend, whom they have been living with for the past year and a half. However, the youths claim they were not aware of the laws protecting young girls from being unlawfully married off prior to the age of 18. The article highlights the strictness of the POCSO Act, which puts the onus on the accused to prove his innocence, and the impact that a long prison term can have on a young person's life.
8. Law panel must rethink age criterion for consensual sexual intercourse: Karnataka HC
The High Court of Karnataka has said that the Law Commission of India will have to rethink the age criterion in law for having consensual sexual intercourse to address the issue of such instances as a result of love affairs between minor girls and boys who are aged above 16 but are below 18. The court also directed the Principal Secretary, State Education Department, to set up a committee to evolve a mechanism for educating students, at least from Class I9 onwards about the acts, which are criminalised under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 and the similar provisions under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the consequences of such acts.
8. India’s G20 presidency and food security
The article discusses India's opportunity to lead the conversation on food security at the G20 summit. India has made progress in food security in recent years and has a lot to share with other countries. The article lists five action points for India to focus on.
9. The Black Sea Grain Initiative
Who facilitated the deal between Russia and Ukraine? How has it helped global food chain supplies? Did it have a role in reducing inflation and foodgrain prices? What would have happened if the initiative was suspended by Moscow?
The article discusses the Black Sea Grain deal, which is a deal between the UN and Turkey to provide a safe maritime humanitarian corridor for Ukrainian exports from three of its key ports. The deal was signed in Istanbul on July 22 this year, and was initially stipulated for a period of 120 days, with an option to extend or terminate after November. The deal was to provide for a safe maritime humanitarian corridor for Ukrainian exports (particularly for food grains) from three of its key ports, namely, Chornomorsk, Odesa and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi.
The central idea was to calm markets by ensuring an adequate supply of grains, thereby limiting food price inflation. Russia had initially withdrawn from the deal, but later rejoined after the UN and Turkey provided guarantees. As per the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, approximately 10.1 million tonnes of grains have been shipped since the initiative commenced. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation’s (FAO) Food Price Index, which assesses the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities, fell for the sixth consecutive month in a row during the September assessment period. The initiative has been credited for having made a “huge difference”
10. Reservation policy cannot continue indefinitely says SC
Justice P.B. Pardiwala says real solution lies in eliminating the causes that have led to the social, educational and economic backwardness of the weaker sections of the community
The article discusses the Supreme Court's verdict to uphold the 10% reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of society. The Congress party welcomes the verdict and claims that the process was initiated by the Manmohan Singh government. The Opposition party also said the Narendra Modi government was yet to clarify its position on an updated caste census.
That's all folks =)
