01 September 2015

 

 

Railways on a zero-accident mission   (Economics)

• The Railways will launch a zero-accident mission envisaging renewal of tracks, more railway bridges, better signalling and rolling out of accident-proof coaches and engines.
• The plan has come at a time when accidents on the tracks are on the rise.

 

Supreme Court lifts stay on Santhara ritual of Jains  –   (Social Issues)

• The Supreme Court on Monday restored the Jain religious practice of a ritualistic fast unto death by staying an order of the Rajasthan High Court, which compared it to an act of suicide.
• They complained that the High Court, based on incorrect observations on Jainism, criminalised the philosophy and “essential” practice of Sallekhana/Santhara, a fundamental component of the Jain principle of ahimsa (non-violence).

 

No death except for terror crimes: Law Commission  –   (Indian Polity)

• The Law Commission of India has recommended abolition of the death penalty for all crimes except terrorism-related offences and waging war against the state.
• Noting that the ultimate goal is absolute abolition which could be brought about through a moratorium or law, the commission has suggested that a debate on death for terror be left to Parliament.

 

‘Deterrence assumptions need a relook in terror cases’   –   (Indian Polity)

• Despite building a case for the abolition of the death penalty in all cases, including terrorism, the Law Commission in its final recommendations decided to leave out terror-related offences from the list of crimes for which death should be abolished.
• Among the manifold repercussions of death penalty discussed, the report repeatedly returns to the subject of death penalty and terrorism to conclude that “there is no evidence of a link between fighting insurgency, terror or violent crime, and the need for the death penalty.”

 

Deterrence is a myth, says Law Commission   –   (Indian Polity)

• The Law Commission of India has recommended the abolition of the death penalty for all crimes except terrorism-related offences and waging war. Noting that the ultimate goal is absolute abolition which could be brought about through a moratorium or law, the Commission has however suggested that a debate on death for terror be left to Parliament.

 

India’s walkout from UNSC was a turning point: Natwar   –   (International Relation)

• Even as the government celebrates India’s “forgotten war” with Pakistan in 1965, India’s former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh says India’s “silent diplomatic victory” at the end of the war must not be forgotten either.
• According to Mr. Singh, posted at India’s permanent mission at the U.N. then, 1965 was a “turning point” for the U.N. on Kashmir, and a well-planned “walkout” from the U.N. Security Council by the Indian delegation as a protest against Pakistani Foreign Minister (and later PM) Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s speech ensured Kashmir was dropped from the UNSC agenda for all practical purposes.

 

At 7 per cent, India remains fastest growing major economy  –   (Economics)

• India remained the fastest growing major economy of the world for a second straight quarter, with GDP growing at 7 per cent during April-June 2015 against 6.7 per cent in April-June 2014. Growth in the previous quarter, January-March 2015, was, however, higher at 7.5 per cent.

 

Indian banks adopt Basel-III norms in a phased manner   –   (Economics)

• Shyamala Gopinath, former Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday said that Indian banks are already adopting Basel-III norms in a phased manner and are steadily progressing towards this global standard.
• While talking at an Assocham event here, Ms. Gopinath said that a higher ratio under Basel II and III were not strictly comparable.
• In addition to the minimum capital ratio of 8 per cent, Basel-II stipulates capital buffers to be maintained by banks towards capital conservation (2.5 per cent), counter cyclicality (upto 2.5 per cent) and systematic importance (global upto 2.5 per cent domestic up to 1 per cent).

 

Core sector growth slows to 1.1 % in July  –   (Economics)

• The index of eight core industries again saw a fall in its rate of growth, falling to 1.1 per cent in July compared to 3 per cent in the previous month.
• These numbers come on the back of a strong performance in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) in June. The IIP for June was at 3.78 per cent, up from 2.5 per cent in May. This improvement was mostly driven by manufacturing, which grew 4.6 per cent in June.

 

Charting a new Asian history  –   (International Relation)

• With the likely thaw in Iran-U.S. relations after the Iran-P5+1 nuclear deal, and with China in a position to exert pressure on Islamabad, the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline can become a reality.
• Rich dividends in terms of peace and development can be reaped if India and China work together to synergise the proposed regional cooperation projects that interconnect Bangladesh, Pakistan and other neighbouring countries.

India is a key partner in Indo-Pacific region   –   (International Relation)

 

• Australia recognises India’s critical role in supporting the security in the Indian Ocean. This is why it views India as a key strategic partner — and there is scope for the to cooperate further on broader global issues.
• Both Australia and India border the Indian Ocean and have a shared interest in the maintenance of freedom of navigation and trade.
• As two prominent Indian Ocean states, India and Australia are cooperating closely in the region. Building cooperation helps to provide for a more secure maritime environment.

 

Time to move from posturing to dialogue   –   (International Relation)

• The Pakistani leadership and its establishment need to realise that with the arrival of Prime Minister Modi on the scene,they need to revise their foreign policy template towards India.
• For a dialogue to succeed between two sovereign states, the only formulation, which will normally work, is a win-win outcome based on compromise in the spirit of give and take.