Life several feet under
Crores of people have welcomed 2012 with both delight and fear in their minds as prophecies about the doomsday have been doing the rounds.
Right to selective education?
It’s not only India’s lethargic approach which is under scanner but also the conflicts, contradictions and anomalies in the Indian laws which are creating a buzz over and over again. And one such instance is the Right to Education Act (RTE)
China is losing its grip on African
A number of recent incidents show that China's amiable image in Africa has taken a beating and is fast withering away. With its vast pool of foreign reserves, China has been intervening in underdeveloped economies
Mending the way we mine
With the government pitching hard for sustainable growth on the back of industrialisation, it is apparently giving a hideout to the bunch of natural resources which the country is ignoring for the last couple of decades. Dictating the country's economy, these resources can either be a bane or a boon for the nation.
What after Kim Jong Il?
During the last one month, about 40 political leaders around the world have died, creating a leadership vacuum all across. Of them all, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il's death has had the most powerful impact as it has sparked not only a fear of instability for North Korea but also for its neighbours in East Asia and the world at large.
MNREGA and social service
MNREGA in its present form is confined to the work of bricks and mud only. The ambit of the scheme involves construction of roads and digging ponds and lakes.
The west is wrong!
The controversy over banning of Bhagavad Gita by Russia came as a shock especially when this scripture has never been used as a tool, globally, to instigate any feeling of hatred or violence. Consequently, it was followed by a series of protests in India.
Criminalise Unsafe Sex, Now!
April 23, 2008: in Chennai, a minor girl was infected with HIV when a 48 year-old HIV-positive man raped her. In December 2007, Bombay High Court ordered an investigation after a woman filed a case against her husband who didn’t disclose his HIV status before marriage despite undergoing a treatment.
Politics of development
Haiti and Dominican Republic are two Caribbean neighbours prone to natural calamities. But when hurricane struck both of them in 2004, Haiti lost 5422 lives while Dominican Republic lost only 773. Dominican Republic was more efficient in managing the crisis due to the presence of stronger institutions.
Bereft of skills
A similar survey by the National Association of Software and Services Companies revealed that while India has 1.5 million seats to produce engineers and about 75 per cent of them and above 85 per cent of the general graduates are not employable in organised sectors.
The return of Putin
Much before Putin announced his candidature for the 2012 Presidential election, a lot of politcal observers had guessed as much and also knew that his victory is inevitable.
What after retirement?
As of 2011, the total number of cases pending across India is more than 3.50 crores with around 55,000 cases pending in the Supreme Court itself. The total shortage of judges at high court level crosses a mark of 250.
The invisible hand
Competition has turned out to be the most precious gift of a forward looking economic system. It not only brings efficiency in production and cost-competitiveness in pricing, but also enhances productivity and innovation.
Is public really the king?
The ongoing Winter Session of Parliament would witness the introduction of as many as four important bills including the National Food Security Bill 2011, Lokpal Bill 2011, Prevention of Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill, 2011 and most importantly, the Grievance Redress Bill (GRB) which is intended to give more power to people.
Obama's visit lacks purpose
US President Barack Obama's recent nine-day visit to Hawaii, Australia and Indonesia was marked by back to back summits, high profile procurements (including posting US marines in the northern Australia mainly to counter the growing presence of China in the South China Sea), advocating a new free-trade between the US and eight other countries that included South Korea, and sending Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to one of China’s long time allies, Mayanmar.
Issue Dated: Feb 5, 2017
