The Hindu – 06 June 14 – Opinion

1) Endless Wait for Justice

TAKEAWAY – social justice for discriminated sections – CAN READ to add a more dimension to the incident.

In which topic of the CS Mains syllabi, can this article fit in? –

• Paper -2 Developmental Issues, Vulnerable sections
• Paper -4  Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration, Moral and Political Attitudes

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2) Hanging from a Tree

TAKEAWAY – The Hanging Act as a power play- CAN READ  to add a more dimension to the incident.

In which topic of the CS Mains syllabi, can this article fit in? –

• Paper –1 Salient Features of Indian Society
• Paper -4  Attitude; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions

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3) Let’s Debate secularism, not rubbish it

TAKEAWAY – Communalism vs Secularism – CAN READ for understanding the concept of secularism.

In which topic of the CS Mains syllabi, can this article fit in? –

• Paper -1, Secularism
• Paper -2 Developmental Issues
• Paper -4 Moral and political attitudes, laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance

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4) There’s a kind of hush

TAKEAWAY – Aung San Su Kyi and her policy towards Rohingyas. – CAN READ the current domestic crisis in Myanmaar.

In which topic of the CS Mains syllabi, can this article fit in? –

• Paper -2 Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests
• Paper -4 Moral and political attitudes

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5) 300 new species found in Greater Mekong

TAKEAWAY – CAN READ   to know the Greater Mekong area.

In which topic of the CS Mains syllabi, can this article fit in? –

• Paper -1, Salient features of world’s physical geography, Distribution of key natural resources across the world
• Paper -3, Biodiversity

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The Hindu – 06 June 14 – End Labour Informality

The World of Work Report 2014 catalogues the impressive strides developing countries are making to catch up with advanced nations. But the International Labour Organisation study also contains important caveats on the cost from continuing sharp inequalities. << The topic is growth vs. equity> <Stats>> Per capita income has grown on average by 3.3 per cent per annum in 140 countries over the past three decades, as against 1.8 per cent in the advanced economies. But this process of global convergence has by no means been uniform, as some least developed countries have performed well below the advanced economies. Such sharp variations are accounted for in terms of the presence or absence of quality jobs, the report contends. Vulnerable employment presents a formidable challenge, as more than half the workforce in the developing world — numbering 1.45 billion — is either self-employed or undertakes unpaid economic activity. That is to say, such a large population goes without a guaranteed income, social protection or adequate investments in the health and education of families, putting in jeopardy the future of coming generations.

<Growth + Equity examples>> Senegal, Peru and Vietnam are instances cited in the report where there has been an increase in the proportion of wage and salaried workers over the past two decades, leading to significant reductions in working poverty and higher productivity. Better wages did not merely cushion these countries from the impact of the global meltdown. Working in tandem with other determinants, they in fact enabled these economies to grow one percentage point faster than other emerging economies since 2007. Instructive is the finding that a sizeable proportion of wage-earners in a society help to reduce income inequality and under-employment in the workforce. <However>>The obverse is also true. Widening inequalities also produce adverse effects on economic growth in terms of low consumption, not to mention the detrimental effects on social cohesion and stability. <What about India??> A significant increase in regular wage employment in both rural and urban India over the two-year period ending in 2012, as reported by the latest round of the National Sample Survey Organisation, is indeed encouraging. The findings also point to faster growth in employment in the manufacturing and services sectors. It is critical for State governments to consolidate on this momentum. Not in the least because the developing world is set to account for 90 per cent of the total jobs to be generated in the next five years and India’s share in it may not be insignificant. <Conclusive Comment>> Enforcement of statutory minimum wages across different economic sectors would be critical to strengthening the workforce as well as to raising overall productivity.

Q: Bring out the growth vs. equity debate as brought out by the World of Work  Report 2014 and the contemporary ILO study. Also explain the case where both growth and equity happened together. Also, discuss the Indian conditions in this context.

In which topic of the CS Mains syllabi, can this article fit in? –

• Paper –1 Salient Features of Indian Society
• Paper -2 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
• Paper -2 Development processes and the development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
• Paper -3, Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment; Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
• Paper -4 Empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections, Emotional Intelligence; Determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics

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Indian Express – 06 June 14 – Way to go

SUMMARY – India must urgently invest in a comprehensive road safety mission to prevent accidents.

BJP leader Gopinath Munde’s death in a road accident has abruptly awoken those in power to this quiet crisis. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has spoken of making rear seatbelts mandatory — but the fact that even this patently necessary precaution has not been enforced so far is a telling example of India’s attitude to road safety. Each accident is an isolated tragedy, but collectively, they are a public health emergency crying for policy attention. Indian roads are among the most dangerous in the world, responsible for one out of every 10 traffic-related deaths, and these have been rising steadily every year. Cars race with bullying trucks, motorcycles lurch and weave, pedestrians and drivers seem unaware of the rules, and insensitive civic design can pose its own dangers.<<Notice the Introduction, the attitude, statistic, ignorance!>

<So, what are the deeper aspects??>> The crush of traffic is only going to worsen and public safety interventions are essential to keep up with the growing pressure. Accidents on the road are disproportionately harmful to the poor — cyclists, pedestrians, and the homeless are most vulnerable.<How can we control this??>> Small changes in transport management can bring about enormous drops in fatalities —  clear signs and road delineations, accessible thoroughways, overbridges and underpasses. A comprehensive road safety plan must focus on public awareness, as well as a strict enforcement and penalty regime. Apart from changes in physical infrastructure, safety features on cars and bikes, helmets and tail-lights, reflecting surfaces, and better fencing, quality human monitoring is crucial. When drivers are perfunctorily trained and licences can be bought, there is little likelihood we can be made more secure.

<Who have already taken the steps in this direction??>> While India still lacks a country-wide road safety regime, there have been improvements when policymakers see the need for an overhaul. Tamil Nadu was the first state to announce a road safety policy in 2007, and uses a GIS-aided accident data management system. This data has been analysed to identify high-frequency points on the road, and crash types — for instance, whether drunk driving is the cause at certain times. This information is then used to decide on specific interventions.<Conclusive Comment>> Road deaths are rarely seen as the responsibility of any one agency, but we need a dedicated, large-scale policy response to make our towns safer.

Q: Comment on the attitude of Indian public towards road safety.What steps can be taken up to ensure road safety. Explain with the Tamil Nadu Model of Road Safety 

In which topic of the CS Mains syllabi, can this article fit in? –

• Paper -1, Salient Features of Indian Society
• Paper -2, Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
• Paper -3, Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights
• Paper -4 Accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance;

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Indian Express – 06 June 14 – A poll foretold

SUMMARY – Farce of Syrian presidential elections follows the tragedy of its civil war.

The Syrian presidential election held on Tuesday, which incumbent Bashar al-Assad won by an overwhelming majority, is another testament to how intractable the country’s crisis has become. <What points substantiate this comment??>> The results of this election were a foregone conclusion, given that the ragtag coalition of Syrian rebels had boycotted it, and polling was held only in government-controlled areas. Without any serious international effort to mediate the civil war, or nudge its principal actors towards a power-sharing agreement, this election will merely encourage Assad and his foes to dig their heels in.

<The problem with the international order, or even the background>>Just as Iran and Russia continue to back the Assad regime, the US has been tacitly supporting its allies, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as they funnel money and arms to the rebels. If there has been some handwringing in the West recently over supporting the Syrian opposition, it is a belated realisation of the folly of letting weapons end up in the hands of the jihadist groups that are part of it, like the Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The progressive militarisation of this crisis over three years has relegated the possibilities of a political solution. Lakhdar Brahimi, the latest international diplomat to throw in the towel after serving 19 months as the UN Secretary General’s special representative to Syria, has said that his “greatest fear” was the world simply becoming “accustomed to the stream of bad news emanating from Syria”.

<What can still be done is..>> But it is still not too late for the international community to broker a peace deal between Assad and the rebels. The UN’s immediate priority must be to remove the last remaining consignments of chemical weapons from the country. The freeze that has set in between Russia and the US over Crimea must not spill over to Syria: the civil war has killed and displaced far too many for political calculations to continue ignoring this humanitarian catastrophe.

Q: In light of the recent Syrian Presidential Elections, comment on the role of ongoing international efforts to contain the Syrian war. 

In which topic of the CS Mains syllabi, can this article fit in? –

• Paper -2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
• Paper -4 Ethical issues in international relations and funding, Moral and political attitudes

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Indian Express – 06 June 14 – Opinion

1) MODI, LIKE INDIRA

TAKEAWAY – How both converted a poll into a plebiscite.  – CAN READ for a good comparitive analysis.

In which topic of the CS Mains syllabi, can this article fit in?  

• Paper –1 Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
• Paper -4 Attitude, Aptitude

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2) IN NEED OF STIMULUS

TAKEAWAY – An investment stimulus to counter inflation and slow growth. – CAN READ  for a suggested policy measure to revive the Indian Economy.

In which topic of the CS Mains syllabi, can this article fit in? –

• Paper –1 Salient features of Indian Society
• Paper -2 Developmental Issues
• Paper -3, Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
• Paper -4 Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance;

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