To put an end to abuse of children, HC suggests castration of rapists – (Indian Polity)
- In yet another strongly worded judgment from the Madras High Court, a judge has suggested that the Central government consider castration as an additional form of punishment for child sex abusers.
- “When law is ineffective and incapable of addressing the menace, this court cannot keep its hands folded and remain a silent spectator, unmoved and oblivious of the recent happenings of horrible blood-curdling gang rapes of children in various parts of India,” Justice N. Kirubakaran said in a recent order. He said castration for child rapists would fetch “magical” results in preventing child abuse.
Non-NET fellowships will not be discontinued: Irani – (Indian Polity)
- Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on Sunday ended the anxiety among Ph.D aspirants by announcing that the non-NET fellowships will not be discontinued.
- The Minister made it clear on her Twitter account after a delegation of students from Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University met her. “Not being discontinued. Need to include state university students and direct benefit transfer (DBT) so that students accrue benefit directly,” she tweeted.
Tony Blair offers guarded apology for Iraq – (International Relation)
- The former Prime Minister, Tony Blair’s qualified apology for his role in Britain’s military intervention in Iraq in 2003 might well be a case of too little, too late.
- CNN’s Fareed Zakaria asked Mr. Blair in a televised interview on Sunday whether in hindsight, the invasion of Iraq by western powers was a mistake given that the country had never possessed weapons of mass destruction.
Make sex education must for students – (Indian Polity)
- Justice N. Kirubakaran of the Madras High Court, who suggested castration as additional form of punishment for child sex abusers, directed the Union government to decide on introducing compulsory sex education for high school students.
- “Denying youngsters correct and scientific information would lead [them] to acquire half-baked and incorrect knowledge from other sources, like Internet, friends and movies, creating misconception and doubts.”
Prior to Africa forum meet, India polishes its UNSC pitch – (International Relation)
- India and Africa must work together to ensure U.N. Security Council reforms, says External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, calling this a “major issue” for them as the U.N. celebrates its 70th anniversary.
- Addressing the Editors’ forum ahead of the India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) in the capital from October 26-29, Ms. Swaraj said it was necessary to remove the “anomaly” that neither had a permanent place at the UNSC.
Apex court Judge bats for inducting CEOs in Cabinet – (Indian Polity)
- Supreme Court Judge Shiva Kirti Singh on Sunday advocated for a constitutional amendment, whereby the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers have the power to induct Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) as ministers in their cabinet for an organised and fast-paced growth of the country.
- Addressing the 56th All India Political Science Conference at Banaras Hindu University here, the Justice Singh asked the political scientists as well as students to brainstorm on the idea and come out with valuable suggestions.
The other oppressed minority – (International Relation)
- It is when debates on reconciliation begin by addressing the sections of the society living on the margins — like the Jaffna Muslims, the Upcountry Tamils and the landless labourers — that solutions will be meaningful and long-lasting.
- 25 years since the eviction of 75,000 Muslims by the Tamil Tigers from Sri Lanka’s North, the livelihood concerns of this marginalised section remain neglected. It is time for the political elite — both Sinhala and Tamil — to probe their own consciences and evolve a more inclusive resettlement framework.
Factoring in Pakistan – (International Relation)
- Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to the United States has not led to any ‘diplomatic blockbuster’ as was being speculated in a section of the American media. But it has left enough for Indian strategic thinkers and policymakers to mull over.
- The joint statement by Mr. Sharif and Mr. Obama indicates a broad continuity in U.S. policy in South Asia, especially compared with the 2013 joint statement by them. At the same time, it demonstrates a higher degree of U.S. sensitivity to Pakistani concerns, which has direct implications for India.
Needed, a more credible mechanism – (International Relation)
- The recent findings of two inquiry commissions in Sri Lanka underscore the need for a formal process to investigate and prosecute those responsible for grave crimes during the armed conflict that spanned three decades. The submission of the reports in Parliament should be welcomed, although it could also be interpreted as a signal to the international community that the domestic mechanisms are strong enough.
- The Maxwell Paranagama Commission, mandated to probe cases of missing persons and allegations of war crimes, has established that there were significant civilian casualties caused by Sri Lankan Army shelling in 2009 and that there may have been many individual acts of war crimes.
When clean tech spawns a hunter state – (International Relation)
- The drone killing systems exist in an ideological belief system where the rhetoric of precision technology helps justify the violence of the state.
- The technological fetishisation of the drone buries the fact that these are extra judicial weapons of state terror.
Growing forests in the air – (Environment)
- In its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDCs), announced last month ahead of the 12th Climate Conference of Parties (COP) in Paris, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) made a commitment to create an additional forest cover to hold 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2030 (pg 29).
- This is to be achieved through existing programmes and schemes such as the National Afforestation Programme (NAP), Joint Forest Management (JFM), the Green India Mission (GIM) and compensatory afforestation (CA).
Arrested VP a threat to national security: Yameen – (International Relation)
- In a televised speech on Sunday, President Abdullah Yameen of the Maldives said that the arrested Vice-President, Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor, is a “national security threat”. The arrest was necessary to ensure that Mr. Adheeb would not influence the police investigation into his alleged role behind the boat-blast of September 28 that targeted the President and his family, Mr. Yameen said.
- The President, who belongs to the important political dynasty of the Gayooms, accused Mr. Adheeb of plotting to dislodge him and said that he had not followed the desired equidistance from the police and the military.
Bangladesh dismisses IS role in blast – (International Relation)
- After two recent killings of foreigners and Saturday’s blasts in a Shia Muslim shrine in Dhaka, all reportedly claimed by the Islamic State, the Bangladesh government on Sunday said the terror group does not have an organisational presence in the country.
- The reported claims of the IS that they were behind the attacks can be “a propaganda or have different motive,” said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.