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10 ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
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MUMBAI | FRIDAY, 22 DECEMBER 2017 1
Perhaps aliens don’t exist. Or perhaps their signals are still to reach us navy fighters off the California coast. The an even smaller fraction where intelli-
AATI was a low-cost project. It spent just gence may emerge, and finally the prob- Sachin's big miss
Identification Program or AATI . The assumed to be a potential nuclear mis- $22 million over its operational period. ability of a civilisation that has achieved
AATI was an investigation into sile. Many UFOs were sighted by military Apart from debriefing people who radio communications. He was, of
Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). The pilots, either on routine patrols, or while claimed to have seen UFOs, the program course, making guesses about the actual
releases include video footage of encoun- “scrambling” to intercept radar blips. In is also said to have studied metal debris values. After Kepler, we know that there
ters between UFOs and military pilots. most cases, the UFO was identified. But in obtained from such objects. are a very large number of suitable exo-
AATI was operational between 2007 and some cases, there were no explanations So, is alien life possible? The short planets orbiting stars but we’re still guess-
2012. A retired military officer who head- and so, the crackpot theories proliferated. answer is, yes. It might even be ing about the other variables.
ed it has come on record, talking about The US Air Force put together Project humanoid and carbon-based. Earth-like The Drake Equation led to SETI —
the need to continue investigating UFOs. Blue Book, which investigated and col- conditions may exist in many different the Search for Extra-Terrestrial
Reports of UFO sightings have lated UFO sightings. Blue Book began in solar systems. Thousands of exo-planets Intelligence. SETI uses computing
QUANTUM LEAP abounded since the 1940s. All sorts of
people, ranging from civilians on the
1947 and reviewed over 12,000 sightings
between 1947 and 1969. Most sightings
have been discovered, thanks to the
Kepler Observatory. Some may be similar
resources donated by ordinary citizens to
sift through radio signals in the hopes of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was nominated to
DEVANGSHU DATTA ground to experienced pilots, have sight- consisted of stars, oddly-shaped clouds to Earth. Comets also possess the amino discovering messages from aliens. the Rajya Sabha in 2012. He was in the House
ed UFOs in all sorts of conditions, all etc. But 701 of them remain unexplained. acids necessary for life. Indeed, one However, Drake was countered by on Thursday to initiate a short duration
discussion on the right to play and the future
I
s there life elsewhere in the universe? around the world. Quite a few people Britain’s Ministry of Defence con- hypothesis suggests that life on Earth Enrico Fermi. The Nobel winning physi-
More intriguingly, is there intelligent claim, more fantastically, to have been vened a “Flying Saucer Working Party”, may have arisen through the transfer of cist simply asked, “So where are they?” of sports in India. However, he couldn’t as
life and have intelligent aliens visit- abducted by aliens. Area 51, a remote part which despite its tongue-in-cheek name, amino acids during a close encounter There are many possible answers to the Congress disrupted the proceedings to
ed Earth? Conspiracy theorists have of the Nevada desert, which contains an was a dead-serious committee consist- with a comet. Fermi’s paradox. Perhaps, intelligent demand a statement from Prime Minister
long claimed that the answers are “Yes” US Air Force base, is believed by con- ing of bureaucrats and military officers to The famous Drake Equation postu- aliens don’t exist. Perhaps, they’re lying Narendra Modi over his allegations on his
and that various governments have spiracy theorists to be a super-secret facil- investigate UFO reports. As a member of lates that there could be a large number low. There’s also the barrier of interstel- predecessor Manmohan Singh and on the 2G
assiduously suppressed all evidence of ity, built to do research into aliens who the Flying Saucer Working Party later of alien civilisations. In 1961, astronomer lar distance. Electromagnetic signals spectrum allocation case verdict. It was
such visits. have died on Earth/ been captured alive/ said, “We were more worried about Frank Drake listed the variables deter- travel at the speed of light. If a civilisa- Tendulkar's maiden attempt to speak in the
The conspiracy theories got a new come as ambassadors (take your pick). Russians than about Martians”. Again, mining the number of alien civilisations tion a thousand light-years away dis- House, and likely to be his last as his term
lease of life recently. The US government During the Cold War era, air forces there were some unexplained sightings capable of using radio signals in the Milky covered radio at the same time as we ends in 2018. Rajya Sabha Chairman M
has declassified information about the were on constant, hair-trigger alert. Every but the vast majority of British UFOs Way (Akash Ganga) Galaxy. did, their first signals will reach us Venkaiah Naidu admonished the members,
Advanced Aerospace Threat unidentified object on radar screens was could eventually be identified. Drake looked at the rate of formation around 3000 BCE. saying Tendulkar had done a lot for the
country and was a ‘Bharat Ratna' awardee.
But as the protests continued, Naidu asked
Tendulkar to proceed. The cricketer could
Acceptance of any kind of international currency may shift the control over the economy from the government to anonymous players Ignorance is bliss
Unfortunately, our memory is very short. rate, exchange rate and economic
Coming to the case of Bitcoin, anoth- growth, there cannot be a case for any
er bubble appears to be in the making. Its kind of international cryptocurrency
price has surged by a multiple of 18 in a being allowed which may start to
year to touch $17,600. Many are feeling undermine the domestic currency.
‘left out’ and are jumping on the band- This may lead to various undesirable
wagon even at this price as some market consequences, the most worrisome
pundits are predicting Bitcoins to touch being the loosening of the control of
$100,000 before crashing down. It is dif- the central bank and consequently the
ficult to understand the rationale of per- ‘Sovereign’ over the macroeconomic
RAJEEV KUMAR AGARWAL mitting trading in Bitcoin futures on parameters of its own economy and
two renowned global exchanges — the likely erosion of people’s hard A routine annual get-together organised
by Maruti Suzuki was hijacked by reporters
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he debate over Bitcoin across the CBOE and CME — as the credibility of earned wealth kept in the national cur-
world is becoming more and more the underlying is still being heatedly rency or its equivalent. Further, the who began to quiz the firm’s
intense as its price is touching debated. In this regard, Interactive central bank will also find it difficult to representatives present at the event on
new highs. Every day something is being Brokers’ founder Thomas Peterffy’s deal with ‘systemic risks’ because of electric vehicles. Maruti Suzuki Chairman R
said either for or against it. The regula- statement regarding bitcoin on the eve many externalities involved in the C Bhargava took most of the questions in
tors across the world, however, appear to of its trading on CBOE deserves atten- trade of cryptocurrencies. his stride but also added a caveat — since it
be hesitant in taking a clear stand on the tion. He said his concern was that “cryp- Acceptance of any kind of interna- was a relatively untested market and not
issue as Bitcoin and its impact is still not tocurrencies (Bitcoin) could continue tional currency like Bitcoin may shift much information on electric vehicles was
fully understood. The setting up of a to rise to $100,000 or more before crash- the control over the economy from the available he would be relying on his
committee by the Indian government to ing to zero, and could pull down small national government to international ‘ignorance’ rather than 'experience' to
take a look into the issue from a taxation brokerages in the process”. It is feared The price of Bitcoin is thriving on the frenzy created by interested parties anonymous players who may be pow- answer the press queries.
point of view followed by some field that trading in global exchanges may, erful financial wizards or proxies of for-
action by the Income Tax department though unintentionally, give appear- the central bank, whom the people The whole trading appears to be hap- eign governments or even belong to the
and the stern warning from the US ance of credibility and legitimacy to a trust while accepting any money or pening in a ‘black box’ — where nobody underworld. Whether any country will
Securities and Exchange Commission product as controversial as Bitcoin, and currency. In the case of cryptocurren- knows who is managing the show; who welcome this kind of scenario — cer- Adityanath takes up a challenge
to Bitcoin investors are welcome moves bring the cryptocurrency into the main- cy, where is this trust? In whom the is holding what; how concentrated are tainly not. Time has come when the Every time an Uttar Pradesh chief minister
to put some check on the euphoria that stream attracting more and more people should trust. Nobody knows the holdings. This is why the price of above basic issues need to be addressed has visited Noida during his tenure, he has
has gripped the financial markets, more gullible investors to it. who is creating this currency and who Bitcoin is highly speculative and thriv- before international Bitcoin lobby gone on to lose the next election. It started
particularly the younger generation. In the debate on Bitcoin some very is guaranteeing the same. ing only on the mass frenzy created by becomes too strong to be resisted. with Congress’ Veer Bahadur Singh who
Younger investors are relatively less fundamental issues are being ignored. The second issue is relating to ‘price interested parties. In this scenario, the Bitcoin’s market capitalisation is already visited Noida in 1988 and lost the next
aware of the fact that the history of Bitcoin is being promoted as decen- discovery’. The financial markets have beneficiaries of this ‘irrational exuber- $300 billion (~20,00,000 crore approxi- election. Successor Narayan Dutt Tiwari met
financial markets is punctuated by ‘bub- tralised international virtual currency. evolved very fast over the last few ance’ are going to be a few insiders who mately) and is surging. with the same fate in 1989, followed by
bles’ starting from the ‘Mississippi Everyone knows, currency is nothing decades learning from various ‘scams’ are managing the show at various levels There are also serious concerns Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav in
Bubble’ in the 18th century in France to by itself. It is simply a medium of and cycles of ‘booms and busts’. Today, and have substantial holdings created about cryptocurrencies being used for 1995, BJP’s Kalyan Singh in 1999 and BSP’s
the dotcom bubble in the late 1990s in exchange. It is the ‘trust’ which makes removal of ‘information asymmetry’ is or bought at throw away prices in the money laundering and funding of ter- Mayawati in 2012. Current state CM Yogi
the US. The bursting of all these bub- people accept any particular currency — considered imperative by regulators for initial stages. rorism. Hence, international organisa- Adityanath hopes to break the jinx — he will
bles, though not without undesirable trust in a person paying it; trust in the protecting the interest of investors. In The third and the most important tions like Financial Action Take Force visit Noida on December 23 to take a look at
consequences on the economy and soci- person issuing it and trust in the bank the case of Bitcoin, there is a huge infor- is that in modern times when central need to take appropriate action. the arrangements for the inauguration of
ety, has, time and again, reminded the which is honouring it. Money is not met- mation asymmetry existing between the banks are regulating money supply to the Magenta Line of the Delhi Metro by Prime
world of the inviolable law of finance al or paper but ‘trust’ inscribed. In the insiders and lay investors leading to seri- control various vital economic param- The writer is a former whole-time member of Minister Narendra Modi on Christmas.
that ‘trees do not grow to the sky’. modern world it is the government or ous distortions in the price discovery. eters such as interest rate, inflation the Securities and Exchange Board of India
Santa in Finland, where marketing wins over geography thousands of crores to win the elections achieve its over-ambitious target to digitise
just like that, implying that it was time the Indian economy, though it was not one
The base of the one and only true Santa is drawing tourists from far and wide now to make money, paved the way for of the three primary objectives of its
Raja’s appointment as the telecom min- demonetisation idea. But one fails to com-
ROD NORDLAND growing secularisation of Christmas — ister in UPA-II. The verdict of the CBI prehend the rationale behind such a huge
with each year more and more X, and court is out but it remains to be seen financial outgo by both the RBI as well as
Here in Santa Claus Village, near the less and less Christ — they need only whether the higher court looks into the the commercial banks on ~2,000 notes.
Arctic Circle, is the self-anointed “offi- drop in here to confirm some of their circumstantial evidence in the larger pub- The moot question now is: Was no proper
cial Santa,” a Finn who refused to give worst fears. Rumor has it there is a crèche lic and national interest and create histo- home work done at that time?
his real name, insisting he was actual- somewhere in Santa Claus Village, but ry or go strictly by “evidence before it” in S Kumar New Delhi
ly Mr Claus. finding it is a challenge. pronouncing the judgement.
A couple of hundred yards away in a Despite temperatures in the single Naresh Saxena New Delhi A turnaround story
competing venue is Second Santa, digits Fahrenheit — and nights now 22
whose real name is Kari Eskeli, 65, also a hours long — 330,000 people from 180 Currency blues This refers to your report ‘RBI places
Finn. As soon as Christmas is over, he countries, according to current figures, Bank of India under prompt corrective
goes back home to the warmth of the come to visit Santa, purchase $60 photos Startling decision With reference to ‘RBI may be holding back action’ (December 21). There is no doubt
Spanish Canary Islands. “I can’t wait,” he with him and patronise the dozens of ~2,000 notes: SBI Report’ (December 21), if that the huge force of the Bank of India
chuckled at the end of a long recent day Christmas trinket shops. The decision of the CBI special court to set one truly believes this report, it is highly (BOI) has the ability to turn around the
of receiving supplicants. “Ho ho ho.” That nearly equals the combined all the accused in the 2G spectrum case unimaginable to learn that the RBI has not bank. BOI has brought down its corpo-
And then there’s Evil Santa, as he total of reindeer (200,000) and people free, is most startling to say the least. I released the high value notes worth ~2.46 rate loan book from 52 per cent to 48 per
calls himself, an outspoken raconteur (180,000) in Lapland; tourism growth Jolly old Finns who often play the role remember distinctly that Business lakh crore. It also reveals that the RBI may cent (of the overall loan book). Since BOI
holding forth in his son’s busy souvenir this year in Rovaniemi (population to the hilt Standard was the first to raise the issue in either be holding back ~2,000 notes or may has increased its non-performing assets
shop just downstairs from official 50,000) is 25 percent, said Sanna 2008 in its various editorials when there have stopped printing high denomination provision to 65 per cent, the net non-
Santa’s grotto. Karkkainen, the managing director of the idea to attract tourists to remote was no air of the scam in general public. currency. In all fairness, both the RBI and performing assets (ratio) is only 6.4 per
“This place is exploding now, it’s Visit Rovaniemi, the tourist board. “We Lapland and settled on Rovaniemi for The court strictly would have gone by the the government should urgently clarify the cent. The bank’s top managements has
really taking off,” said Wolfgang Kassik, added 1,000 bed places just this its train station and airport. For many evidence produced before it. But in cases of position and thereby put to rest all such initiated reforms and the bank is reviving
an Austrian business consultant with a Christmas season,” she said. years, though, the Santa Claus attrac- scams of this magnitude, the courts would reports. Perhaps, this issue gains more sig- fast. Customer acquisition initiatives,
long gray, all-natural beard, who is mar- Many of the tourists are neither tion jostled for visitors with tours to do well to consider circumstantial evidence nificance as the RBI had incurred huge introduction of new projects, campaigns
ried to a Finn. “Personally, though, I Christians nor even from countries that see the Northern Lights or go on rein- to satisfy itself. The circumstantial evi- expenses in getting ~2,000 denomination and new products and services have
don’t like kids.” celebrate Christmas. The largest single deer safaris; most of those who came dence in the present case would be as fol- notes printed on priority basis to meet the filled the bank with new energy. The
That could be a problem. At this group of visitors are Chinese, who typi- were from countries with a strong lows. Dayanidhi Maran was appointed in demand for high value currency in the huge workforce of BOI has the ability to
time of year around 20 airliners a day, cally come without their children Christmas tradition, bringing children the sensitive ministry as the telecom min- wake of demonetisation. Moreover, the shake off the PCA blues.
chartered and scheduled, land here in because there are no school holidays this along on the ultimate Santa’s Grotto ister at the instance of the DMK party. commercial banks had to spend huge Vinod C Dixit Ahmedabad
the capital of Finnish Lapland, dis- time of year in China. experience. Maran used his position to illegally operate amounts towards recalibrating their ATMs
gorging families from scores of coun- That does not stop them from getting Barry and Leanne Smyth, from a mini exchange for the office of Sun TV, of for dispensing the newly designed notes.
tries, and bringing wide-eyed children in the lines at the Santa grottoes to meet Ireland, brought their daughters, which he was the owner along with his But if the RBI is actually holding back Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:
to a reliably snowy place that is, for the jolly old Finns who often play the Lauren, 9, and Jodie, 4, here last week, brother Kalanithi Maran. When the ~2,000 notes, then such a contrived move The Editor, Business Standard
Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
youngsters at least, a convincing recre- role to the hilt. after a box of presents arrived at their Maran brothers fell out of favour of the could obviously create an imminent
New Delhi 110 002
ation of the North Pole (which is actu- “What’s your real name?” many of house early with a note inside from DMK patriarch, Karunanidhi, Dayanidhi shortage of the high value notes in circu- Fax: (011) 23720201 · E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
ally 1,600 miles north), complete with the adult visitors ask official Santa, and Santy (as they know him in Ireland), Maran was called back by him and A Raja lation. The government may be tempted to All letters must have a postal address and telephone
reindeer-drawn sleighs, staff in elfin he has a stock answer. “It’s Santa Claus.” inviting the girls to visit him in person. was installed in his place. Raja blatantly hold back these notes so as to successfully number
dress and an official Finnish govern- If they still insist, “Your original name?” They found a flight to Helsinki, then all allocating the 2G licences on the first-
ment “Santa’s post office.” The dedi- then he responds, “Originally it was four crammed into a compartment with come-first-serve basis prima facie gave > HAMBONE BY MIKE FLANAGAN
cated Santa postal code of 96930 Joulupukki.” two beds on the overnight train to rise to suspicion. Everything was brushed
attracts half a million letters a year. Joulupukki is the name of Finns’ Rovaniemi, 500 miles to the north. under the carpet in UPA-1 government.
While no more real than the Santa traditional Santa Claus figure, but “We didn’t sleep a wink,” Smyth, an Come 2009 general elections,
impersonators’ beards, Rovaniemi’s therein lies both the rub, and the tri- accountant, said. “But the girls loved it.” Manmohan Singh, aware of the misdeeds
claim to be the base of the one and only umph, of marketing. Literally the The girls thanked Santa for his invitation of Raja, resisted the move to appoint Raja
true Santa is nonetheless a triumph of name means Yule Goat, and the (the parents exchanged a furtive glance) as telecom minister. But it was necessary
marketing, so much so that the town Finnish character historically was a and asked, as many children do these that the ministry remained under the
has trademarked its rubric, “The Official sort of troll who was used to threaten days, for a slime factory. control of DMK ministers so that the
Hometown of Santa Claus. children who were naughty. actions of the previous minister remained
And for those who fret about the Fifty years ago, travel marketers got ©2017 The New York Times News Service suppressed. The statement of
Karunanidhi that DMK had not spent
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OPINION 11
STAY INFORMED THROUGH THE DAY @ WWW.BUSINESS-STANDARD.COM.
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he special court of Justice O P Saini on Thursday announced a remark- not involve immediately identifiable benefit (“cui
bono?” in the words of Cicero) will likely remain
able verdict in what is known as the 2G scam case, which had rocked the unsolved.
telecom sector and played a major role in allegations about massive cor- The highest profile murders of our time – M M
ruption under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance govern- Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare,
ment. The case involved allocation in 2008 of 122 telecom licences, bundled with Gauri Lankesh – remain not only unsolved but actu-
spectrum at prices determined in 2001, on a first-come, first-served basis by for- ally clueless in the sense that the police have no
workable clue. Lankesh was a friend of mine (she
mer telecom minister A Raja. On trial were 16 other individuals, including Dravida
used to bring over people like Kanhaiya Kumar and
Munnetra Kazhagam’s M K Kanimozhi and a host of top bureaucrats and business Jignesh Mewani to build the resistance to our violent
executives of some of the country’s top telecom companies. The scam was held to and damaging religious nationalism). A couple of
never was
faulty and cancelled the 122 licences of nine telecom firms. The Union government controls the Central
Eight years after the scam made national headlines, the case has been Bureau of Investigation, which as the Aarushi trial
thrown out by the court, which acquitted all the accused, raising serious questions shows is an incompetent and malicious body, the
once again about the credibility of the CBI. The judge stated that the prosecution Intelligence Bureau, the Enforcement Directorate,
had failed miserably. More shameful for the CBI is the court’s observation that From terror cases to murder of public intellectuals to scams, the Indian and the National Investigation Agency, which has
shamed India by smearing Kashmiri leaders and
while the prosecution started the case with great enthusiasm and ardour, it lat-
er became “highly cautious and guarded” in its attitude and by the end of the case, state has no capacity to deliver justice then producing no charges.
The state governments control the police. The
“the quality of prosecution totally deteriorated and it became directionless and
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he process of distributing spectrum by former page read: “Also wanted in the case, one Iqbal rot runs through it all. No party is exempt and even
diffident”. In the judgment, the court details how the CBI failed to prove any prime minister Manmohan Singh’s govern- Memon alias Mirchi”. our most lauded chief ministers have failed here,
wrongdoing on the part of the accused as there was little by way of actual proof ment is referred to as the 2G Scam. A judge The case was thrown out of course and Mirchi and even in their most important tests. I’ll close
about the allegations of Mr Raja parking ~200 crore in Kalaignar TV (P) Ltd or who has examined the material presented by the remained in London. The state in India is weak and with an example.
state says there was no scam. lacks capacity as we all can observe but one area On 24 September 2002, six months after the
extending the deadline of applications to suit specific companies. The judge also
The papers will be full of details but a couple of where it is uniformly poor is in matter of investiga- Godhra riots, two men with assault rifles murdered
stated that the prosecution even refrained from signing documents and replies points must be visited. Judge O tion, particularly forensic investi- over 30 Gujaratis and security personnel in
before the court, thus robbing the whole process of any credibility. P Saini says “there is no evi- gation, whether into white-collar Ahmedabad’s Akshardham temple. The two killers,
The reactions by the political parties concerned were on predictable lines, dence on the record produced (i.e., financial) crime, such as the apparently Pakistanis, though we are not sure, were
with Congress leaders saying the party’s reputation had been redeemed and before the court indicating any 2G non-scam (will journalists be shot dead. However six Indian Muslims were picked
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders asking them not to treat the judgment as a certi- criminality in the acts allegedly required to rename it now?) or even up and tried.
committed by the accused per- regular crime. Acquitting all the men, the Supreme Court said:
fication that there was nothing wrong with the 2G allocation policy. The main
sons.” And, also that “the charge We have a very poor conviction “Before parting with the judgment, we intend to
issue, however, is much beyond this political mudslinging. Though the CBI has sheet of the instant case is based ratio, under 50 per cent, and this express our anguish about the incompetence with
stated that it will appeal against the verdict in the Delhi High Court, Wednesday’s mainly on misreading, selective rate collapses when one looks at which the investigating agencies conducted the
damning judgment has done enough damage to its reputation. For the time reading, non-reading and out- appeals and particularly at serious investigation of the case of such a grievous nature,
being, this verdict has left everyone confused about the whole process. That is of-context reading of the offi- crimes and trials where the accused involving the integrity and security of the nation.
cial record”. are not poor. Instead of booking the real culprits responsible for
because accusations such as the pricing of the spectrum as well as the arbitrari-
ness in the process of allocation remain unresolved. Having opened this can of
Was there hanky-panky in REPLY TO ALL The British left behind a polic- taking so many precious lives, the police caught
the distribution? Our instinct ing process that reflected its prior- innocent people and imposed the grievous charges
worms, the CBI risks further damage to its image unless it is able to back its claim before the verdict would have AAKAR PATEL ities, those mainly being law and against them which resulted in their conviction and
with persuasive facts. There is no doubt that the judgment underscores the need been to say that there indeed order, and also reflected the limita- subsequent sentencing” (page 280).
for much greater maturity and case-building capability on the part of the CBI’s was. It is a shame that the acquittal happened on the tions of its budget. Of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role as home
officers than they seem to have at present. The development also highlights the basis of the state’s incompetence. This was a case that A few years after the Mirchi episode, some of us minister (a portfolio he held throughout his stint as
need for the CBI to have genuine independence so that it can acquire the credi- was too important to bungle, but bungle it we have. gathered in Mumbai to discuss the Godhra episode Gujarat’s chief minister, with Amit Shah as minister
A little over 20 years ago, as a sessions court at a round table called by Asghar Ali Engineer (now of state) in approving the charges, the court said the
bility it needs badly for people to trust its actions. reporter, I was approached by an advocate named no longer with us, alas). At that meeting the former case showed “clear non-application of mind by the
Shyam Keswani. He said he was one of the lawyers IAS officer Harsh Mander said that the state in India home minister in granting sanction” (page 109).
representing Iqbal Mirchi, accused of smuggling was designed with the capacity to end public vio- The thing was put together so shoddily that the
narcotics, whom the Indian government was trying lence like riots of any scale inside 24 hours. Gujarat police had a handwriting expert who verified
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he regulatory authorities finally appear to be taking cognisance of the I spent the night reading it and it was a case Police stations carry photographs of the usual crore, the Indian state has no capacity to ensure the
booming trade in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies along with the against a few other individuals: There was no men- suspects in the neighbourhood and investigations delivery of justice. There is no grand plan to change
explosion of various money-laundering schemes and outright fraud tion in it of the man the government was seeking to into household theft begin with a ritual thrashing of this and there is not even recognition of failure. The
that this new phenomenon has enabled. Effective regulation of trade extradite till the absolute last page. One line on that the servants. Of late, we have added rubbish, like bumblers carry on, and often are rewarded.
in cryptocurrencies will require coordinated action by multiple agencies. Last
week, the finance ministry decided to set up a panel for reviewing such deals. The
A
s US President Donald Trump’s administra- kg. (Over the same period, the average height of rienced a rise in obesity, partly because US imports
ulent issues of new virtual currencies. On its part, the Reserve Bank of India has
tion throws sharp elbows in trade negotiations Americans increased by only one inch, or 2.5 cen- have led to a sharp decline in the price of fructose.
cautioned users, holders and traders about the risk of these currencies and has and systematically rescinds regulations intro- timeters.) This same dynamic is playing out world- It is unfortunate that government regulators have
clarified that it has not issued any licence or authorisation to any entity or com- duced by President Barack Obama, one casualty is wide, with obesity rates soaring in Europe, Latin been so slow to try to reverse these trends by, for exam-
pany to operate such schemes or deals. likely to be efforts to fight the global obesity epidemic. America, and even in China. ple, helping to educate the public on the science of
Bitcoin has appreciated by close to 2,000 per cent in the past year. A huge Left unchecked, rapidly rising obesity rates could slow Although it is difficult to gauge the long-run health nutrition. And, for too long, most government anti-obe-
number of new “copycat” currencies – well over a thousand, at last count – have or even reverse the dramatic gains in consequences, there is abundant sity education has focused on mechanically regulating
health and life expectancy that much evidence that obesity contributes calorie intake, without taking into account that differ-
been created. Some of these cryptocurrencies, such as ethereum and litecoin, are of the world has enjoyed over the past significantly to higher rates of type ent foods have dramatically different effects on
generated by complex but transparent mathematical algorithms similar to bit- few decades. And by forcing its food II diabetes, heart attacks, and cer- appetite (as David Ludwig, a professor at Harvard
coin and these virtual currencies apply similar principles of open source verifi- culture on countries such as Mexico tain types of cancer. The health Medical School, emphasises in his excellent new book
cation using blockchains. But many other such “coins” are issued by fly-by- and Canada, the United States is mak- costs are staggering, estimated to Always Hungry).
night operators out to deceive gullible investors who have been sucked into this ing the problem worse. be close to $200 billion per year in Sceptics may point out that nutrition guidelines
bubble by greed. “Initial Coin Offerings” (ICOs), where such fraudulent cryp- One of the paradoxes of modern the US alone. And with rising always seem to be morphing, with last year’s sin food
global capitalism is that whereas more childhood obesity rates worldwide becoming this year’s superfood, and vice-versa.
tocurrencies are launched, have become popular. They have been banned in many than 800 million people in the world portending significantly greater Though there is some truth to this, the fact is that
countries as they attempt to entirely bypass market regulators and break all the do not have enough to eat, an estimat- health problems in the future nutrition research has made significant progress in
rules for raising start-up funding. Quite apart from fraudulent ICOs, bitcoin itself ed 700 million people (including 100 KENNETH ROGOFF adult population, the costs are like- recent decades.
is easily misused for money laundering and illegal cross-currency transactions. million children) are obese. Of course, ly to rise considerably. The government has other tools at its disposal,
It is possible to buy bitcoin for cash in one currency and sell it in another, with lit- the two are not necessarily directly The causes of obesity are man- besides education, for affecting people’s eating habits.
related. A considerable proportion of world hunger ifold and complex. Nevertheless, a growing body of evi- They can and should place greater restrictions on
tle trace of either transaction left in the global banking system. Alternatively, it
occurs in countries suffering from domestic strife or dence suggests that a culture emphasising processed advertising to children, as the UK, France, and sever-
may even be possible to buy bitcoin in rupees, sell for a profit in dollars or yen, severe government dysfunction. food and a generally sedentary lifestyle lies at the cen- al other countries have done; obesity in early years
and claim export benefits on the trade. The obesity epidemic, however, has a much broad- tre of the problem. In emerging markets, rapid urban- can lead to lifelong problems. Beyond that, Ludwig,
Warnings and advisories against trading in these assets issued by the central er footprint, affecting advanced economies and most isation is another important factor, as well as a desire Tufts University’s Dariush Mozaffarian, and I have
bank as well as Sebi have simply not been enough. And it is possible to bypass emerging markets. Although there is some connec- to emulate Western lifestyles. proposed instituting a tax on processed food, much the
restrictions on trading, as China has discovered to its cost. The fact is that these tion between obesity and poverty within countries, it Many governments have launched initiatives to same way that tobacco is taxed. Proceeds from the tax
is notable that obesity rates in rich countries such as the improve nutrition education. Unfortunately, industry could be used to subsidise healthier alternatives.
assets fall into a regulatory black hole. Regulating them first requires recognising
United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada are advertising typically dwarfs these efforts, as do US It is perhaps fantasy to expect the current US
them — something the government has so far been reluctant to do, though the among the world’s highest. trade lobbyists’ own efforts to push processed and fast administration to consider any kind of anti-obesity
income tax department is clear that tax has to be paid on all cryptocurrency trans- Recently, the US Centers for Disease Control esti- food on the rest of the world. strategy while it is still busy dismantling Obama-era
actions. However, it may be time now to bite the bullet. Japan, Australia, Estonia mated that a stunning 40 per cent of all Americans are It is hard to ignore the fact that Mexico’s adult obe- policies. But that is all the more reason why countries
and a few other nations have already recognised bitcoin and a few other cryp- obese (defined as having a body mass index of 30 or sity rate has soared since the adoption in 1993 of the entering new trade agreements with the US (for exam-
tocurrencies as currency. South Korea is considering similar legislation. These higher), a figure that includes 20.6 per cent of adoles- North American Free Trade Agreement. While there ple, the post-Brexit UK, or post-NAFTA Canada) must
cents (12-19 years old). According to the CDC, the aver- are many causes, post-NAFTA direct foreign invest- be wary of any provisions that tie their hands in the war
nations have introduced know-your-client and net worth norms for exchanges
age weight of an American woman today is greater ment in the processed food industry and a surge in against obesity.
dealing in these assets and have strictly defined “valid cryptocurrencies”. This than the average weight of an American man in 1960 advertising are important contributors.
enables their use as a medium of exchange for legitimate purposes while also pro- (166 pounds, or 75 kg). Mexican consumption of sugary beverages nearly The writer, a former chief economist of the IMF, is professor
viding regulators the leverage required to crack down on illegal activities. Back in 1960, the average weight of an American tripled between 1993 and 2014, and a new tax on sug- of economics and public policy at Harvard University.
woman was 140 pounds or 63 kg, while the average ary drinks has muted demand only slightly since then. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017
weight of an American man today is 195 pounds, or 88 The other NAFTA partner, Canada, has similarly expe- www.project-syndicate.org
The only Christmas book Company. It was the time when the
modern secular Christmas was born,
and A Christmas Carol – which has
practically no religion or even religious
no workhouses, Scrooge asks. The
workhouse, which was a laissez-faire
Victorian city’s only concession to
social protection, was a place in which
small alleyways between Lombard
Street and Cornhill in the City of
London, the very place where Dickens
set Scrooge’s office. Now, as then, this
become indelibly associated with the Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol just imagery in it – was a central part of the destitute were concentrated and network of tiny lanes is home to little
season of late — The Simpsons and the about at the time that the Victorians that process. made to work under the worst possible offices, three-man financial firms,
American version of The Office pro- were inventing Christmas. The mid- Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol conditions. Scrooge was written to be accountants and stockbrokers. As the
duced a number of them. nineteenth century was a time of great over the course of a few months in as unpleasant a character as possible – bells rang out – bells were a repeated
What is odd, however, is that there economic and social upheaval in 1843, and with a very specific aim in money-grubbing, tyrannical, selfish – motif in A Christmas Carol – and the
is only one Christmas book that has England; the Industrial Revolution, a mind: To agitate for better treatment of essentially as an embodiment of evening grew more shadowy under the
become a tradition: Charles Dickens’ generation earlier, meant that people the poor, especially poor children. For the principles that Dicken felt dim yellow street lights, you could easi-
A Christmas Carol, the story of the had been uprooted from their commu- much of his life, child labour and social were responsible for having ly imagine you were back in 1843.
redemption of a miserly financier on nities and moved to cities, losing touch protections had been a very personal abandoned England’s poor. Except, of course, for the clear and
Christmas Eve. There are other books with the traditions that had differentiat- cause for Dickens, who had endured Interestingly, Dickens never made breathable air.
with a Christmas theme, or set around ed and marked festivals in those com- appalling conditions as a boy in a shoe- much money from the print copies of A Another movie has been released
PAGE DOWN Christmastime, but nothing comes munities. A new, national form of cele- blacking factory when his father had Christmas Carol; it was pirated almost that hopes to become part of the
close to having Christmas Carol’s pop- bration needed to replace them. Into been sent to debtors’ prison. There’s a as soon as it was out, with some editions Christmas canon — but this one invents
MIHIR S SHARMA ularity or enduring influence. Perhaps this void stepped the fashion for things lot of this concern visible in David promising to cut out all the superfluous a story about Dickens himself at
O Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi”, Germanic that came across the channel Copperfield, some in Oliver Twist — but description and just give you the story Christmastime, a sort of retelling of A
Christmas has produced many classic which generations of ICSE students with Victoria’s husband, Albert, in 1840. more than all of these, A Christmas in an even more digestible format. A Christmas Carol in which the writer
movies, the watching of which have read in school, has a smidgen of the Christmas trees – essentially a German Carol was born of Dickens’ devotion to pity that, because the descriptions of a himself serves as the agent of Scrooge’s
slowly become traditions — most same impact – I certainly can remem- tradition – proliferated, as did carol the issue. The crucial scene, as far as A smog-bound London here are irre- redemption. There’s some truth to the
recently, perhaps, Love Actually, the ber entire passages from it, in spite of singers. German Christmas traditions Christmas Carol’s characterisation of sistible, and enormously familiar to notion that Dickens invented a modern
Richard Curtis paean to Yuletide soppi- having the worst memory in the world fused with a very Anglo-Saxon commer- the old miser Ebenezer Scrooge is con- anyone suffering in the brown haze that Christmas, or at least the emotions with
ness that everyone publicly hates and – but it’s just a short story and not cialism to produce Christmas as we cerned, is the one in which he turns envelops North India at the moment. which it is supposed to be invested. But
privately watches whenever it’s on. even a novella like A Christmas Carol, know it today — with the addition, in down some men collecting for the poor He also managed to provide a terrific I don’t suppose anything will ever sup-
There are even Christmas-themed and can’t quite aspire to the latter’s time, of the modern Santa Claus, an residents of London who were freezing sense of place. A week or so ago, I was plant the book itself. It is still a joyful,
episodes of television shows that have ubiquity. invention of course of the Coca-Cola during a very cold Yuletide: Are there walking at dusk around the maze of funny and cathartic read.
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20 THE ECONOMIC TIMES The Edit Page THE ECONOMIC TIMES | NEW DELHI / GURGAON | FRIDAY | 22 DECEMBER 2017
2G Scam is Dead, With the 2G verdict, the BJP will find it hard to convince people that every accusation it makes is true
FILE PHOTO
However, the judgement fails to explain why compani- ever’ because of a telecom scam that moral high ground as it reaches out rets to the penetrating rays of
was said to have cost the exchequer a to the smaller parties to cobble to- light. We can then perceive soul
es associated with Swan Telecom, one of the companies mindboggling presumptive loss of gether an anti-Modi front for 2019. truths, whether life exists for
that got licences, transferred .̀ 200 crore to Kalaignar TV, .̀ 1.76 lakh crore now stands under se- The acquittal has the potential of The law looks down on public perception five minutes or for eternity, and
controlled by DMK chief Karunanidhi’s family, includ- rious contestation after a special CBI knocking the bottom out of the BJP’s whether there is a God. To go be-
court acquitted all the accused in the anti-corruption plank that it crafted drag not just the Congress, but a host strong language — must be sweet mu- yond the mind and our present
ing daughter Kanimozhi. This will call for a separate in- 2G spectrum allocation case. using the ‘2G scam’ as the spearhead. of opposition leaders, into corrup- sic to the ears of an embattled Con- reality, we need to use the mind
vestigation and sustain lingering suspicion that a scam Three-and-a-half years after Na- The plank won the party one parlia- tion cases. Every case must be found- gress that had completely lost the itself as a tool. Patanjali, in his
did take place but could not be nailed. rendra Modi and the BJP swept to mentary election and was being but- ed on firm ground and foolproof evi- perception battle to the BJP. The rul- Hatha Yoga Pradipika, stated,
power riding a wave of disgust trig- tressed for the next one, with regular dence to stand the test of judicial ing party’s obvious discomfort in “Yoga is the cessation of the
2G scam, in other words, will live on. gered by allegedly the biggest cor- reminders of the Congress’ mis- scrutiny. Tweets, social media posts Gujarat, where the Congress gave it modifications of the mind.”
The Supreme Court had scrapped 122 ruption scandal to hit the political es- deeds over the past decades. and selective leaks by maverick BJP some heart-stopping moments on Yoga is the practice of aware-
telecom licences, on the assumption it tablishment since Bofors, the court This plank now lies damaged, and leaders at the forefront of the campa- Modi’s home turf, has been a shot in ness of mind and yoga never
threw the case out of the window say- unless the BJP can piece it together, it ign against Opposition parties stand the arm. The 2G judgement is anoth- asks what our faith or belief is.
was a scam, even as the lower court ing that “not a single soul turned up” will have to search for another weap- exposed for what they are: without er morale booster. All the different steps in yoga
was investigating if one existed. The with “legally admissible evidence”. on to fire at the Congress. It can no the necessary evidence required by The challenge for the Congress are intended to bring us closer
assumption turns out to have been longer openly holler that the Grand the special court, rumours and spec- and its newly anointed president Ra- to the superconscious state.
A Million Trials Now Old Party has ‘looted the country for ulation in a perception battle earlier hul Gandhi is to turn these boosts in- Meditation techniques help us
presumption. Can companies whose It’s not only a damning indictment of 70 years’ and hope to get away with it. won by BJP. to pivotal moments, which can turn observe the truth of suffering
licences were cancelled now seek compensation, besides the CBI that investigated the case — More than the acquittal, what sh- their fortunes around. within the nature of agitation,
restoration of licences? Will the court be more circum- and of the media, which conducted ould worry the BJP is the harsh lan- Back in the Battle There are many corruption charg- irritation or misery, none of
its own trial based on selective leaks guage used by the judge as he handed The judgement will also be seen in es flying around against Congress which is possible without the
spect in future scam allegations and forestall action that and half-baked conclusions that ulti- out his ‘not guilty’ verdict. He lashed the context of the current controver- leaders, some possibly true, some pos- mind’s involvement.
causes immense economic stress? What of the CAG, whi- mately proved to be legally untenable out at the manner in which public sy that’s raging as the BJP and Con- sibly unfounded. Does Rahul have the As you start observing, the
— Thursday’s judgement has the po- perception was created “by rumour, gress lock horns over Prime Minister necessary mojo to make something cause of misery becomes clear.
ch had estimated a loss to the exchequer of .̀ 1.76 lakh cro-
tential of altering the political land- gossip and speculation” and sternly Narendra Modi’s election rhetoric of the breaks Lady Luck has sudden- Because you reacted with nega-
re, based on the assumption that each MHz of the allocat- scape as radically as the alleged scan- reprimanded the prosecution that hinting at former Prime Minister ly decided to hand him? tivity, with craving or aversion,
ed 2G spectrum in 2008 would have been worth the 3G sp- dal itself did when it broke seven “public perception has no place in ju- Manmohan Singh’s involvement in a While the BJP versus Congress po- you are now experiencing an un-
years ago. dicial proceedings”. Pakistan-driven conspiracy to influ- litical battle will rage on, the 2G jud- pleasant sensation in the body.
ectrum price discovered in the 2010 auction, without tak-
The timing of the verdict is cruci- The judge’s warning has serious ence the outcome of the state poll. gement itself must serve as a wake- But as you keep observing that
ing into account the additional tax revenue skimmed from al. It has come just days after a nar- implications for current efforts to It will take some innovation for the up call for the institutions that are sensation, it loses its strength
faster growth arising from telecom spread? BJP to wriggle out of the Congress’ supposed to protect and defend Ind- and passes away. And the nega-
demand for an apology after this, ia’s democracy. These include suppo- tivity passes with it. Thus, me-
This is not the first time the courts have held that not
considering what they had drummed sedly autonomous investigative agen- ditation reveals deeper truths
holding auctions for allocating natural resources is not a The 2G verdict — and the judge’s strong language — home earlier as ‘truth’ about 2G has cies like the CBI and the media. Pub- about yourself.
scam. The Supreme Court’s response to the President’s must be sweet music to the ears of an embattled now been established by the court not lic perception, as the judge reminded Pay attention to your breath
to be so. us on Thursday, has no room in a sys- and follow its inflow and out-
reference on 2G had said as much. Hype is no guide for Congress that had lost the perception battle to the BJP The 2G verdict — and the judge’s tem guided by laws. flow. Or chant a simple mantra
the criminal justice system. and give your entire attention to
the sound and meaning of the
words. The ideal time to medi-
that by phasing out diesel buses, state transport corporations to be seen. The main Oppositi-
Italy 65,886
would be able to bring down their cost of on needed an individual who
operations by almost 50%. The govern- S Korea 45,212 his party says is the best man
Illustration: ANIRBAN BORA to become PM! Why this sorry
ment needs to leverage resources from state of affairs? Because back
the Clean Energy Fund, and also tap mul- in 1969, the then-PM — who em-
tilateral funding for the express purpose erged from hereditary inherit-
ance, later applicable to her son
of making the planned transition smooth
and cost effective. The change to e-buses
LOUD THINKING Citings and now her grandson — was
insecure because she did not
would doubtless have substantial macro- have a political base of her own
If the BJP record of winning Gujarat for the sixth consecuti- The RSS, however, is aware of what
happened in the course of the Gujarat
The strategy infuriated BJP leaders
significantly, as their monopoly on
state. While warding off charges of
appeasing Muslims, Gandhi must not
Then it’s about moving to
adopt that recipe as quickly as Disruption is the
ve time has proved annoying to some, it is rivalled only by
“whatever” taking top spot as the most annoying word of the
election. In the assessment of the org-
anisation that doesn’t change evalua-
‘milking Hinduism’ was challenged.
The ploy, however, prevented the BJP
succumb to playing the communal ball
alongside the BJP.
possible, addressing the mind-
sets that will drive new forms
New Normal
year in the US for the ninth time in a row, in an annual poll tions of adversaries easily, ‘Pappu ban from polarising the electorate on The Congress must draw its Laksh- of behaviour, building a com- This refers to the Edit, ‘Vulner-
conducted by a US university. Curiously, “whatever”’s mar- gaya praudh’ (Pappu has turned ma- religious lines and enabled Muslims, man rekha, never cross it, and protest mitted team of people at all le- able World of Tech Business’
ture). This enhanced status coincided except in certain constituencies, to when others transgress it. vels to get involved, and, final- (Dec 21). We are living in a total-
gin of victory has been narrowing each year — down this ye- with Rahul Gandhi’s ascendance to decide on class lines. A dramatic resurrection of the Neh- ly, developing fast feedback lo- ly disruptive business environ-
ar to 33% from 38% — which presumably means growing ac- Congress presidency. In contrast to 2002 and 2007 in Guja- ruvian secular template may be cur- ops to monitor progress and ment and any tech company
ceptability; the same conclusion, however, cannot be drawn BJP leaders may not accept this pub- rat, and even to Uttar Pradesh earlier rently electorally counterproductive. course correct if necessary. with deep pockets or willing
from the reduced margins in Gujarat. That “whatever” licly. But the campaign has shown that this year, the BJP found no opportuni- But the Congress should ensure These actions will help com- investors will enter uncharter-
Gandhi can also be combative. As ty to resurrect the image of the ‘Other’ minorities — even Hindus who do not panies target resources on the ed domain today as they want
trumped “fake news” is significant given the high irritation eventually demonstrated, the timing back the BJP — are not constantly right priorities, move swiftly, to leverage their existing infra-
quotient of the American personality who uses the phrase of his elevation couldn’t have been forced to take the ‘loyalty test’. True, and make the new habits structure and platform to scale
liberally both on social media and verbally. Clearly, there are sweeter. On Monday afternoon, BJP the Hindutva idea appeals to more stick. It’s clear that there is no up other businesses.
more approvers of the phrase — if not its implication — workers in New Delhi and Ahmeda- Indians than before. But its reversal is such thing as a single winning Ensuring fair play is not easy
bad had to be goaded by TV reporters not an impossibility even though the performance culture.… To as the government could be
than generally presumed. to open sweets boxes, play the drums process shall be arduous. create rapid and lasting pro- seen to be favouring one over
“No offence, but” is a perennial candidate, so its third spot and burst crackers. The BJP underplayed three issues — gress on the set of practices the other. We have to accept that
indicates a moderate offence level. “Literally” is a word that No such prompt was needed in the the construction of the Ram mandir, that will drive health, compa- new dynamics evolve over a
has changed meaning dramatically in our times, so its fourth Congress office, even though volun- the abrogation of Article 370, and the nies have to identify and add- period of time in any sector, be
teers knew that the wait for power will introduction of the Uniform Civil ress the deep-rooted mindsets it online or offline, but the con-
place in the annoyance scale could reflect the view of the be longer than the 27 years and 10 mon- Code —when leading coalitions under influencing employee beha- sumer remains the true king.
language purists still left in our midst. And “you know what ths already spent without it. Unmis- Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Yet, it never viour and then define new
I mean”, placed fifth, should actually face stiff competition takably, the Congress and Gandhi are abandoned its core agenda, waiting for ones to replace them. BAL GOVIND
no longer presumptions, but have the opportune moment. The Congress, Noida
from “Um”, a word that seems to be the preface of far too ma-
become real challengers to the BJP too, must not deviate from its roots. If it From “Organisational Health:
ny sentences these days. A survey among Indians to identify Letters to the editor may be addressed to
PTI
and Narendra Modi. does, it will become the BJP’s B-team. A Fast Track to Performance
the most annoying words and phrases would also be useful. The emergence of Gandhi, however, So pray, what now? And duplicates never succeed. Improvement” editet@timesgroup.com
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18 hindustantimes HINDUSTAN T IMES, NEW DEL H I
F RIDAY, D EC EMBER 22, 2017
§
e sta b l i s h e d i n 1 9 24
comment
§
beyondthebite
ruling on cancelling licences the Congress. But can it sustain the momentum? the unemployment epidemic or the plight of
SMEs?Istherea‘nationalistic’spirit thatthe
CongressofferstochallengetheBJP’smonop-
T
oly over the ‘India First’ rhetoric? And does
he vindication that some political parties, and some
I
namovie-crazycountry,electionvicto- mati riverfront? the Congress have enough committed foot-
of the accused, are expressing in the wake of the 2G ries too are often projected in ‘filmi’ By contrast, Rahul Gandhi and the Con- soldierstocombattheBJP’spannapramukhs
terms. When I referred to the narrow gress were down and out after their UP deba- and party workers on the ground?
judgment acquitting all accused should not be con- BJP victory in Gujarat as ‘jo jeeta woh cle. Rahul was seen as a non-serious politi- In Gujarat, the Congress could get away
flated with the Supreme Court’s 2012 decision, can- sikandar’, aCongressleaderresponded cian,flittinginandoutofthecountry,typecast with asking all the questions because it was
with a dialogue from Baazigar: ‘Kabhi as a non-meritocratic dynast, the party was theBJPthathadtodealwithanti-incumbency
celling all 122 telecom licences at the centre of the kabhi jeetne ke liye kuch haarna bhi padta dismissedas a patientin ICU with its Gujarat after a long stint in power. But if it wants to
scam. The special court’s judgment on hai, aur haar kar jeetne wale ko baazigar unit in disarray. Most political observers position itself as a national alternative to the
I
n his last speech to the Constituent male/femalebinary. But, as Indian history
This system has been in place for a few years now. But irregulari- Assembly, B.R.Ambedkar called upon shows, gender fluidity in our culture went
the newly-born Indian nation to hold farbeyondtheclosedconfinesof“male”and
ties and ad-hocism do not a scam make, which is why Justice n Pollutants flowing into the Ganga, Varanasi. In February, the NGT had rapped the State for fast to the value of fraternity, without “female”, including (as the Trans commu-
Saini’s order has to be taken at face value. It is now up to the CBI ‘wasting public money’ in the name of the river cleaning project RAJESH KUMAR/HT which “equality and liberty will be no nity has itself pointed out) “socio-cultural
deeper than coats of paint.” Ambedkar’s identities” like “kinnars, hijras, aravanis
pollution may be futile 2009.Initsjudgmentdecriminalisinghomo- other: “female, male, two spirit female, two
§
sexuality, the Court noted that “if there is spirit male and transgendered.”
complement Google and cleaning the tributaries that feed the mighty river
KUMKUM
problem at hand: the State has even lost the
allyineveryaspectoflife,ismanifestinrec-
ognisingaroleinsocietyforeveryone.”And
four years after that, the Supreme Court
ingcommittee”thatconsists,amongothers,
of a medical officer and a psychiatrist. Not
only does this recall the outmoded theory
capacity to plan and spend the money meant took up the baton when it recognised that that gender identity is a medical condition,
V-PNaiduiscorrect:Searchenginescan’t DASGUPTA to rid the river of pollutants. In a report, the transgenderpersonsinIndiahadbeensub- but it also sends a message to the transgen-
Comptroller and Auditor General has said jected to a history of oppression and vio- der community that if you want to be
replacegurus.Butwherearetheteachers? The National Mission for Clean Ganga lence, and affirmed their constitutional accepted into Indian society on your own
“could not utilise any amount out of the rights to equality, dignity, freedom terms,youmustfirstproveittooursatisfac-
E
mphasising on the importance of teachers and edu- Clean Ganga Fund”, which meant that the of expression, non-discrimination and tion.Onceagain,howdemeaningthisiscan
entire amount of Rs198.14 crore (March 31, reparative justice. be understood by reversing the situation:
cation, vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu recently 2017) was lying in banks. Slamming the Cen- Butifthearcofhistorybendstowardsjus- whatifyou–thereader–hadtocomebefore
A
said Google can never replace a ‘guru’ because a few years ago, I was in Varanasi for tre for inaction, the CAG said the mission tice,thenthegovernment’sproposedTrans- a medical officer to prove that you were
a short visit with a set of friends who “could not finalise the long-term action plans gender Persons Bill, due to be introduced actually a man or a woman, before society
“guru gives not mere” academic knowledge but swear by the place. After “soaking even after more than six-and-a-half years of this winter session in Parliament – ostensi- recognisedyouassuch?AConstitutionand
up the city”, as a friend loves to put signing of agreement with the consortium of blytorecogniseandprotecttherightsofthe a society that celebrates pluralism must
“insights as well”. What the V-P said is worth
it dramatically, we decided to do a touristy Indian Institutes of Technology”. In Febru- transgender community – looks like an acceptidentitiesontheirownterms,andnot
thinking about, especially at a time when search engines and thing: A boat ride along the Ganga. As we ary, the National Green Tribunal had rapped unwanteddetourthatbendselsewhere.Far impose upon them in the language and
slowly moved from one ghat to another — State agencies for “only wasting public from the Constitutional promise of plural- vocabulary of the dominant culture.
social media have a vice-like grip on our lives these days. How- stinking refuse of the city floating past us and money” in the name of the cleaning project. ism, and of accepting every Indian on their There are other problems with the trans
ever, blaming technology is unfair. It has its positives: Technol- children swimming next to them, noncha- To clean the river, spending on Sewage own terms as part of “a common brother- bill – such as the absence of affirmative
lantly — another boat with three Japanese Treatment Plants (STP) won’t be enough; the hood”, the trans bill sends out a message of action, and the criminalisation of begging
ogy today allows access to information to more people than ever tourists and their guide went past ours. Soon State has to ensure that the flow of the river subordination and exclusion to the very withoutanalternative–thathavebeeniden-
before in history. Sitting in India, one can now access courses enough, the tourists took out their fancy is intact. According to the Namami Gange community that it seeks to emancipate. tifiedandcritiquedbythetransgendercom-
pocket cameras and started clicking furi- Mission, rejuvenation implies restoring the Among the more glaring flaws with the munity, and at the very least, the govern-
taught by the top-class faculty at the best universities in the ously: Not the sunset, not the ghats, but the “wholesomeness” of the river and that trans bill are the following. First, it defines mentcanmakeastartbylisteningtothevoi-
world. Or re-skill oneself by doing a short course offered by filth in the river and the two open cremations includes three things: Aviral dhara (continu- a transgender person as someone who is ces of the very people that it claims it wants
on the riverbank. The guide was undaunted ous flow), nirmal dhara (unpolluted flow) “neitherwhollyfemalenorwhollymale”,“a tohelp.Atitsheart,however,theproblemis
platforms such as Coursera. by all this: He continued to regale them with and ecological and geological integrity. Yet combination of female and male” or “nei- this: our history of social violence against
stories of what the Ganga means to Indians the State it seems is overly focused on ‘nirmal ther female nor male.” Instead of taking certain groups and communities has been
But yes, as Mr Naidu said Google cannot replace a guru
and so on , but I think it was all lost on them: dhara’ but not ‘aviral dhara’, forgetting that transgenderpersonsontheirownterms,the conditionednotsimplybyactiveprejudice,
because a teacher brings something extra to a class. Like a par- the tourists were more moved by the present nirmal dhara is only a subset of aviral dhara, bill instead defines them in terms of what butbyunconsciouswaysofthinkingandthe
condition of the river than its historicity. not the other way round. To ensure that there structures of our language. Until the law
ent, a good teacher is a guiding force for children, mentoring It’s really surprising that a country that is aviral dhara, the focus cannot be only on makes an active effort to engage with – and
them to negotiate not just their careers but life. Unfortunately, views the Ganga as a some kind of a religious the main river but also on the smaller rivers,
INSTEAD OF TAKING THEM ultimatelydismantle–thesestructures,jus-
this is where Indian children, especially those who go to State-
entity, has failed so spectacularly to keep it which feed it. The main problem with the ON THEIR OWN TERMS, THE tice will remain an illusion. With the trans
clean. There is no point blaming successive
governments only; citizens are equally to
STPs was not only that they could not cope
with increasing pressure, but also bad main-
BILL DEFINES THEM IN bill, we have a great opportunity to take a
steptowardsAmbedkar’sdreamofconstitu-
run schools, are losing out: Of the six million teaching positions
blame. There has been no dearth of plans and tenance. Is it surprising then that we areback TERMS OF WHAT THEY tional fraternity. Let us not squander it.
in government schools nationwide, about 900,000 elementary funding to clean up the river.
But now it seems we have a new (strange)
tosquareone on the Gangacleaning mission?
kumkum.dasgupta@hindustantimes
ARE NOT — FEMALE OR MALE Gautam Bhatia is an advocate in the Supreme Court
The views expressed are personal
school teaching positions and 100,000 in secondary school are n
priority programmes such as Skilling India. It is imperative we TO HEAL AND HELP YOU tem. Is it possible to be totally free of it?
Indian spirituality offers an affirmative
so, while requisite action matters, stress is
of no avail. Our performance is obstructed
succumbing to cynicism and negativity.
(Inner Voice comprises contributions from our
find gurus who can complement Google. GET RID OF STRESS answer. According to the Bhagvad Gita,
“You are only entitled to make endeavours.
by anxiety and the fear of failure.
The best course, therefore, is to do our
readers.)
The views expressed are personal
You can’t demand or crave for outcomes.” best and surrender the outcome to the n Innervoice@hindustantimes.com
R. N. I. No. 503/57, ● Postal Reg. No. DL(ND)-11/6058/2015-16-17 ‘Licensed to post without prepayment’ LICENCE No. U(C)-113/2006-08, AIR SURCHARGE: Raipur and beyond by Rail or Road - Re 5/-, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Hyderabad, Khajuraho, Mumbai, Trivandrum, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and beyond by Rail or Road - Rs. 10/-;
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F
OR all the imperfections of generally the poorer states. The
our democracy, one of our problem, however, is that it is going
2G verdict has massive political ramifications strengths has been that we to be exceedingly tough for the FFC
have been able to create and to determine the taxable capacity of
I
N acquitting former Telecom minister, A Raja, Ms Kanimozhi and all nurture institutions such as the Elec- different States in a fluid, post-GST
other accused in the “2G scam”, the Special CBI court at Patiala tion Commission, the Comptroller tax regime. Yet this is an exercise
House has introduced a spicy flavour to the national political curry. and Auditor General (CAG), the from which it cannot escape. This is
To the extent, 2G had become emblematic of a supposedly corrupt gov- Reserve Bank of India, the Finance because traditionally, commissions
ernment and a broken down political economy, the Special CBI court ver- Commission, to name a few. While have adopted a normative approach
dict is bound to energise the discredited UPA crowd, as also take the bite each of these is important in itself, to determine States’ ‘taxable capac-
out of PM Modi’s messianic proclamations against the corrupt. Coming there is no gainsaying that when it ity’. The latter (i.e. taxable capacity),
close on the heels of an honourable electoral draw in Gujarat, the politi- comes to fiscal relations between the rather than actual tax collections, is
cal equations are poised to be redefined. Suddenly, the sinners are look- constituent parts of the Union, none then to determine the inter se trans-
ing less than sinners and the saints no longer come across so saintly. can match the importance of the fer between States in order to over-
The CBI has done a shoddy job but it will find its institutional arm Finance Commission (FC). come the free-rider problem of some
twisted to ensure that an appeal got filed against the Special Court’s Why? It is the FC that decides how states, opting to tax less so as to get
tax revenues are to be shared MONEY-SPINNER: Will the new FC replicate the independence of its predecessors? more from the general kitty.
judgment. Judge Saini’s magisterial dismissal of the prosecution case
between the Union and States and As the first FC to be set up after the
as nothing more than “rumour, gossip and speculation” goes to the very
among the States, inter se. Article 280 the interests of sound finance — and ernment of substantially enhanced Planning Commission was replaced
heart of the infirmities that have come to overload our public institu- (1) of the Constitution mandates the over the years the terms of reference tax devolution to States following rec- by Niti Aayog, which is a think-tank
tions. His elaboration that “public perception has no place in judicial setting up of an FC every five years. have widened considerably — in ommendations of the 14th Finance sans the financial powers of the Plan-
proceedings” is a bracing slap across the face of many in superior judi- ‘The President shall, within two practice it is the FC’s recommenda- Commission, coupled with the con- ning Commission, the FFC will have
ciary who tend to work “national conscience” and similar perceptual years from the commencement of tions on sharing of tax revenues that tinuing imperative of the national to look at funds transfer in totality.
constructs into their judicial reasoning. this Constitution and thereafter at assumes prime importance. Given development programme, including Agreed, the 14th FC also considered
A war of words has predictably broken out between the UPA and the the expiration of every fifth year or at how contentious this is bound to be, ‘New India-2022’. both plan and non-plan transfers, but
NDA partisans and practitioners over the verdict and its political ram- such earlier time as the President one might expect a great deal of con- Diehard federalists will object to the the difference is that the distinction
ifications. That war among politicians will continue and only intensify considers necessary, by order consti- troversy over FC recommendations. suggestion that the Union govern- has been done away altogether.
till 2019. But there are significant lessons for all those who preside over tute a Finance Commission’ to make But here’s the surprise! Though its ment is the best arbiter of what consti- Another notable change in the
our institutions. The former CAG, Vinod Rai, ought to be the most chas- recommendations regarding the ‘dis- members are appointed by the Union tutes a ‘national development pro- terms of reference of the FFC is the
tened man in India. His twisted logic produced a figure of Rs 1.76 tril- tribution between the Union and the government, over the years, commis- gramme’, let alone ‘New India-2022’. directive to use the numbers from the
lion loss to the national exchequer. This was only a notional loss but it States of the net proceeds of taxes sions have shown a remarkable Institutions, that in the words of dis- 2011 Census rather than the 1971 Cen-
which are to be, or may be, divided degree of independence in their rec- tinguished former civil servant and sus as the basis for its recommenda-
lodged itself in the national imagination as an act of ethical wrong-
between them... and the allocation ommendations. In all fairness, it must economist S Guhan, ‘bark at the Cen- tions. Given that the central and east-
doing on a gigantic scale. Arguably, the process was abused by the
between the States of the respective ern states have witnessed much faster
politician-bureaucratic axis, but Vinod Rai too did not play by the book. shares of such proceeds’. population growth, compared to the
He subjected the polity to great convulsions; in the process, the nation This is necessary because, as in all
In a fluid, post-GST tax regime, it is going to be challenging for the 15th southern and western states, this is
got a bad name globally, resulting in huge — unquantifiable — losses federations, we do not have a one-to- Finance Commission to determine the taxable capacity of States. The likely to skew the inter-state distribu-
in terms of businesses and investment withheld. Many more reputa- one relationship between the respon- tion of taxes, even more in favour of
tions and myths would come unravelling. sibilities and resources of the Union fact that it will be the first Finance Commission to be set up after Niti the poorer states. And, possibly,
and state governments (in technical Aayog replaced the Planning Commission won’t make it any easier. aggravate simmering resentment in
terms, there is a vertical imbalance). . the richer states.
The ability of different states to raise In another first, the FFC has been
M
AHARASHTRA has it. So does Karnataka. Punjab, after suf- The cardinal principle of every feder- States was increased dramatically. the dramatic transformation in fiscal under Article 275 (1). Many of the poor-
fering the ravages of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities ation is that all citizens, regardless of Given that, of late, we have been balance, both between the Union and er states will not take kindly to this.
(Prevention) Act (TADA), is understandably circumspect, where they live, should have access seeing murmurs from the Union gov- the States and also inter se among All in all, the FFC has its task cut out
though its police is an ardent believer in a special gangster control to comparable levels of services at ernment about progressively higher the States, post GST. For one, the for it. As with all FC awards, there will
law. But UP may be the first among several eager states to introduce comparable tax rates. Hence, the devolution to States, it will be inter- GST expands the tax mandate of both be some ‘discontents’ among the
a legislation that will make it easy for the police to secure convictions underlying rationale for a body that esting to see if the Fifteenth Finance the Union and the States: of the States. The difference is: this time
and imprison gangsters for long periods. A subdued civil society and will examine (and correct) both the Commission (FFC) continues in the Union, to tax goods beyond the pro- round, the ‘discontents’ will, quite
vertical and horizontal imbalance is tradition of past commissions and duction stage, and of States, to tax possibly, be, well, different!
the visible impunity with which gangsters continue to straddle the
beyond dispute. hikes the States’ share. Especially services. For another, consuming
worlds of crime and politics in UP might pave the way for uncontest-
Though the Constitution, Article 280 since one of the terms of reference of states are expected to gain at the The writer is a senior consultant at
ed passage of the law; former UP CMs Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav (2) (c) says the President may refer the FFC is to examine ‘the impact on expense of the producing states. National Council of Applied
though have drawn attention to the vulnerability and defenceless- any other matter to the commission in the fiscal situation of the Union gov- The latter is, undoubtedly, a shot in Economic Research
ness of the aam aadmi caught in the whirlpool of such laws.
Police all over the country face pressure because of the low con-
viction rate. Politicians succumb to the lure of such laws because the
offer of speedy trials through special courts helps position them as
tough on crime. Past experience shows that soon enough, the law
begins targeting petty criminals and small-time swindlers. The temp-
tation for overreach is also overwhelming. The Maharashtra Control
of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) has been invoked for the first time
Choose smart, junk phone
in an electricity theft case because an accused was a repeat offender. Rishabh Kochhar stories, Snapchat with its hilarious could be. I found myself focusing on haggling with drivers for loose
Regardless of recurring injunctions over the misuse of special laws, filters, and most of all Whatsapp, things which would help me improve change. But friends and family often
it remains the politician’s favourite.
There is by now enough evidence across the nation to suggest that
special laws invariably end up promoting rogue policing and invading
an individual’s liberties and civil rights. But there is complete bias
I T was a bad day for me when I
broke my foot, but what made it
worse was that my phone just
stopped charging. As I clutched my
foot, writhing in pain, I felt ashamed
with its power to connect me to
friends from afar.
But not a week had gone by when I
realised what a beautiful turn my life
had taken without my smartphone.
— reading, writing, photography and
finance. I found more time to read
books, finally acting on my resolu-
tion to read at least one book every
month. My efficiency and output at
came to the rescue, and I realised who
my true friends were — the ones who
would wake up in the middle of the
night just to book a cab for me.
No doubt, smartphones have made
among politicians who fall for these unconstitutional shortcuts of thinking about the impending The very applications which I had my workplace increased, and I found our lives extremely easy, but they
because the regular processes are inadequate. MCOCA was extended doom my iPhone was to face. There called my ‘pals’ became anathema myself completing my tasks at a pace have numbed our minds, and sup-
to Delhi during the UPA government while the Congress government were only a few more hours of battery for me — Instagram with its artifi- which I could not have imagined a pressed the basic human nature of
improved upon a similar law in Karnataka. The debate on a model life and I shuddered to even think cially coloured photographs; Face- few weeks ago. survival which has helped us scale
anti-terror law is unlikely to conclude and not much hope should be about it. Bereft of a spare smart- book with irrelevant posts about peo- There were times, however, when I new heights in the past. It is a pity
put on police reforms and expansion of the judiciary. The common phone, I painstakingly resorted to ple I had no interest in staying in dearly missed my smartphone, espe- that humankind grew dumber as
political desire for deterrence in the changed societal circumstances using a phone from yesteryear, the touch with; and Snapchat with its cially when it came to booking cabs phones got smarter. My journey with
could be bridged by more stringent provisions in the existing laws. one without even a camera. The only ridiculous filters. No longer do I for my daily commute. I even went as my ‘dabba’ phone began when my
saving grace was the FM radio. enter my friends’ houses and ask for far as to stick out my thumb to hitch- smartphone left me, but maintaining
Lamenting my loss, I could virtual- a charger and their Wi-Fi passwords hike a ride in the absence of Ola and this status quo has been a conscious
Thought for the Day ly hear my ‘old friends’ calling for before greeting them. Uber. On the rare occasion when I did decision on my part and I intend to
me — Instagram with artistic photo- A week without a smartphone manage to find an auto-rickshaw, my keep it that way as I feel myself grow-
People who don’t like scandals shouldn’t be in finance. Christina Stead graphs, Facebook with my friends’ helped me realise how productive I dependency on digital wallets left me ing smarter every day.
Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit. These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribuneindia.com
THE TRIBUNE
CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 22 DECEMBER 2017 OPED 09
W
ITHOUT waiting to see the clusively be the case if the coal scam case imately raised today.
full judgment, it's clear that ends with similar acquittals, as some, at Second, in 2012 the SC judgment finding
the acquittal of all 17 least, believe it could. Mr Modi can't recant first-come-first-serve to be fundamentally
accused in the 2G scam on what he has already said but this will flawed and violative of constitutional prin-
case by the CBI court is a make further accusations difficult which, in
huge embarrassment for the Modi govern- turn, will certainly curb his rhetoric.
ment and, conversely, a belated but ringing However, the CBI verdict could also
How it is embarrassing for BJP
vindication of the position taken by the for- raise questions about the Supreme ■ Now that the CBI has been unable to prove its case
mer UPA government and Kapil Sibal, in Court's decision of 2012 scrapping all 2G that's likely to suggest that its efforts under this gov-
particular, when the allegations of corrup- allocations made on a first-come-first- ernment were inadequate and, therefore, the BJP
tion first surfaced. This is bound to have a serve basis since January 2008. Even has not improved its performance.
serious and lasting impact on Indian poli- though the top court was only looking at ■ This acquittal removes one of the two key pillars sup-
tics. Not just on the Congress versus BJP the legitimacy and constitutionality of the porting Mr Modi's claim that the UPA was the most
relationship but also on the fortunes of the first-come-first-serve procedure and not corrupt government ever.
DMK in Tamil Nadu and its rivalry with the whether any criminality was involved, ■ The verdict is also a huge embarrassment for the
presently ruling AIADMK. nonetheless the sharp contrast with the Office of the CAG as it alleged a presumptive loss of
The words of special CBI judge OP Saini ACQUITTED OF 2G SCAM: A. Raja (L) and Kanimozhi. FILE PHOTOS CBI verdict may raise questions about the 1.76 lakh crore in the coal scam case.
are an embarrassment for the CBI, which stand the top court took. Two matters, in
brought the case, and the Modi govern- ment were inadequate and insufficient and, tor-General and, specifically, Vinod Rai, the particular, could attract fresh attention. ciples added "when it comes to alienation of
ment, under whom it has functioned for therefore, the BJP has not improved its per- incumbent when the CAG alleged a pre- First, although the Supreme Court judg- scarce natural resources … the state must
over three and a half years. "I have absolute- formance as it repeatedly claims. sumptive loss of 1.76 lakh crore in the coal ment of 2012 explicitly stated it does not "in always adopt a method of auction."
ly no hesitation in holding that (the) prose- Equally importantly, this acquittal scam case. Conversely, the position taken by any manner prejudice the defence of those Although that statement was amended by a
cution has miserably failed to prove any removes one of the two key pillars support- Kapil Sibal, that there was no loss, seems to who are facing prosecution", nonetheless, later Bench, today that injunction could
charge against any accused," the judge said. ing Mr Modi's claim that the UPA was the have been upheld. The CBI court, it would it found Mr A. Raja guilty of "wholly arbi- have been rendered even less valid. If a gov-
For Mr Modi and the BJP this is damaging most corrupt government ever. The other appear, has accepted the argument, most trary and unconstitutional action". Now ernment does not wish to sell resources at a
at two levels. First, even though the CBI pillar is the coal scam case which could now forcefully put forward by Mr Raja, that he that the CBI court has found he is not profit, for good and justified social reasons,
brought the case under the previous UPA end with similar acquittals. Indeed, social did not intend to make a profit through the guilty of any criminality whatsoever where and there is no criminality involved in the
government, what people will remember is media is already questioning whether the sale of spectrum. His intention was to pro- does that verdict on his behaviour stand? procedure it adopts, it cannot be forced to
that most of the prosecution happened Modi government won the 2014 election on vide a facility, at the cheapest price, so that it Presumably, if you read the two judgments resort to an auction. The court was wrong to
under the BJP and now that the CBI has false accusations of corruption. was availed off by the largest number. In this together, it means Mr Raja's behaviour was do so. This also means the pride the BJP
been unable to prove its case that's likely to The verdict is also a huge embarrassment context, the concept of presumptive loss is unconstitutional but not corrupt. He flout- takes in boasting of its spectrum auctions is
suggest that its efforts under this govern- for the Office of the Comptroller and Audi- purely an academic calculation which does ed procedures but did not act criminally. now questionable or, at least, less justified.
IF there is one measure which is unpopular among all sections of the Flimsy, 13 Chancy,
educated Indian community it is the Press Act. It has been con- 15 Astuteness, 18 7 3 2 Chandigarh 22
New Delhi 23
10
11
Normally, 19 Oval,
demned by the Press; it has been condemned by our Congress, Con-
ferences and Leagues and by hundreds of public meetings. But the
20 Lapse, 21
Novelty.
2 5 1 PUNJAB
Amritsar 24 07
bureaucracy will not yield. Even the presence of the Secretary of Bathinda 23 06
State will not deter them from exercising their powers under this Down 4 6 Jalandhar 24 06
1 Comma, 2 Ludhiana 22 06
extraordinary measure. The demand of security from the Bombay
Chronicle and the forfeiture of the security deposited by the New Era
Economic, 3 Policy,
4 Far-sighted, 5
8 2 6 Patiala 22 10
are measures which should open the eyes of Mr. Montagu to the true HARYANA
Nigh, 6 Liturgy, 9
nature of this Act. We have nothing to say about the merits of either Close shave, 11 1 5 7 Ambala 22 11
case. In one case the matter will presently be, if it is not already, Interval, 12 Flannel, Bhiwani 23 06
before the High Court.
14 Muslin, 16 Silly,
17 Grip.
8 Hisar 23 06
Karnal 22 10
Women and Constitutional Reforms. 3 7 4 9 Sirsa
HIMACHAL PRADESH
23 07
IT will have been seen from a telegram published in these columns Dharamsala 20 08
yesterday that a deputation which waited upon Mr. Montagu at Yesterday’s solution calendar Manali 16 03
Madras, on behalf of the women of India, expressed perfect agree- Nahan 22 08
3 8 7 4 6 1 2 9 5 December 22, 2017, Friday
ment with the Congress-League scheme. In one respect it went even Shimla 18 08
ACROSS 20 Wanting food (6) 5 Fastened (4,2) 9 1 2 7 3 5 4 6 8 ■ Vikrami Samvat 2074 Solan 24 05
further. It claimed that women should be allowed the same opportu- ■
1 Unsentimental (4-5) 21 Old hand (7) 6 Rejection of belief in deity (7) Shaka Samvat 1939 JAMMU & KASHMIR
nity of representation as men and asked for a pronouncement in 5 6 4 8 2 9 1 3 7 ■ Posh Shaka 1
8 Surpass (5) 22 Passage between rows (5) 7 Make a full confession (4,5) ■ Jammu 26 09
favour of compulsory primary education for girls as well as for boys 1 2 6 5 9 8 3 7 4 Posh Parvishte 8
and the immediate provision of an equal number of schools for girls
9 Repartee (7) 23 Non-alcoholic beverage (4,5)11 At a very low price (4-5) ■ Hijari 1439 Leh 03 --10
7 5 8 1 4 3 9 2 6 ■ Srinagar 10 01
and for boys. Those who want India to proceed at snail’s pace and
10 Unruffled (6) 13 Grounds (8) Shukla Paksha Tithi 4,
11 To slander (6) DOWN 14 Indisposition (7) 4 9 3 2 7 6 8 5 1 up to 10.23 pm UTTARAKHAND
who urge in support of their view that other countries have in the past 6 7 1 9 8 2 5 4 3 ■ Harsh Yog up to 7.14 pm Dehradun 24 08
done the same thing will find something in these demands made by 12 Sale (8) 2 Tolerate (5) 16 Anxiety (6) ■ Shravan Nakshatra
15 Having special ability (8) 3 Czech composer (6) 17 Seem (6) 8 3 9 6 5 4 7 1 2 Mussoorie 18 06
the women of India that should give them furiously to think. up to 7.11 pm Nainital 18 09
18 Call in question (6) 4 Exactly at agreed time (2,3,4) 19 Tiny hard particle (5) 2 4 5 3 1 7 6 8 9 ■ Moon in Capricorn sign. TEMPERATURE IN OC
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8 EDITORIAL NOIDA/DELHI
W
hat is illegal from the point of view of admi C. Rangarajan
create problems of classication, Steps ahead
nistrative law may not necessarily be an of and M. Govinda Rao
inverted duty structure and large There is some concern that the re
fence from a criminal court’s perspective. scale lobbying. It enormously venues from GST in the past few
sweeping dismissal of the CBI’s contentions, so sweep Ownership of modest homes is transformative for Sri Lanka’s hill-country Tamils
ing that it dismisses, arguably a tad too breezily, what
day, most of them live in colonial here, they have been invisible not has no easy access to the main
the prosecution said were suspicious quid pro quo tran era line rooms — closely packed just to the Sri Lankan state, but al road,” says M. Vamadevan, an ad
sactions. It is said that the folklore about corruption is matchbox like dwellings on the so to New Delhi and Tamil Nadu viser to the Minister.
bigger than the actual incidence of corruption. Could hills — and many still work in the for most part. Without doubt, they The gap between required re
this be true of the 2G ‘scam’ as well? estates in dicult working condi feel some anity towards Tamil sources and the actual allocations
tions and with poor wages. Their Nadu and India, through ancestral is also glaring. While the national
Meera Srinivasan story is better known as the global and cultural links. “My father gave action plan points to an estimated
Austrian shift . Indira Gandhi owns a brand
rise of the famed Ceylon Tea, a
product that fetches precious fo
me that name because I was born
the day Indira Gandhi died,” says
15 billion Sri Lankan rupees invest
ment in 2018 needed for the pro
The presence of the far-right in the governing S new house now. She is one of
the rst few from Sri Lanka’s hill
reign revenue, about $1.2 billion in
2016.
her namesake, smiling brightly.
All the same, many in her gener
ject – it will cost 70 billion rupees
over ve years – the annual alloca
MERA SRINIVASAN
A
ustria’s new coalition government of the conser
vative People’s Party and the extreme right Free land – who can call this home, and zens in 2003, the ongoing change distant. “Even my national ID de Housing is only one of the many
the piece of land beneath it, her from being landless to owning a nes me as a ‘Sri Lankan estate longignored demands of the
dom Party is a sobering reminder of the persis
own. modest house on a small plot worker’,” says her husband, K. Vi workers, who face historic neglect
tent danger of the populist upsurge across Europe. The A fulltime worker in a tea es marks another signicant shift for jayakumar. “We are people of this For pensioner E. Sellappan, his and exploitation. From education,
deeply eurosceptic and antiimmigrant Freedom Party tate, the 33yearold, along with the community. Neither was an country.” That is how they would new home in Hauteville Puram, to health to fair wages, many of
registered its best performance in nearly two decades her husband, is busy giving nish outcome of state benevolence. In like to frame their demands to the built by the Minister of Upcountry their concerns remain unad
in the October general election, polling about 26% of ing touches to her cementwalled fact, both followed persistent state – in the unmistakable voice of New Villages, Estate Infrastructure dressed.
the vote. Such a showing may in eect have ruled out a home in Dayagama, in Nuwara Eli struggles by the nearly million a rightful citizens, without tags and Community Development, is “Even if wasps attack us, we
repeat of the outgoing coalition between the Social De ya district in the Central Province. strong community and larger pol that bear the baggage of uneasy the only asset for his children. have to put in our own money and
They have recently cut a path lead itical dynamics. histories. “This sonda veedu (own home) is get treated. Our struggle for a mi
mocrats, which came second, and the conservatives led
ing to the entrance of their home, Houses such as Indira Gandhi’s In an apparent recognition of the rst recognition of my labour nimum wage of 1,000 (Sri Lankan)
by the new Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz. Moreover, re where saplings bearing sprightly have been built by the Indian go that emphatic voice, the Maithri for my 36 years’ work at the es rupees earlier this year also failed
ecting a continentwide erosion of the political mid pink owers pop up from either vernment as part of an initiative to pala SirisenaRanil Wickremes tate,” he says. after our political leaders signed a
dleground, Mr. Kurz had openly embraced the Islamo side. For the young couple, the construct 14,000 dwellings for Hill inghe government put out an am collective agreement with the
phobic and antiimmigrant stance of the farright in an home is much more than a secure Country Tamils, to supplement bitious National Plan of Action for The road ahead companies. We are now stuck with
attempt to shore up popular support in the runup to place of residence, or a permanent the Sri Lankan government’s own the social development of the The government points to its share 630 rupees a day,” says estate
the polls. A further demonstration of the inroads the dwelling. eorts towards providing housing plantation community, spanning of challenges. Despite a wides worker R. Pushparani, squinting
in the region. In an earlier project, ve years beginning 2016. Among pread campaign from workers for her eyes against the glaring sun,
Freedom Party has made is the key ministerial portfo
Longstanding demands India built 46,000 homes in the is other initiatives, the plan envi 20 perches land each, the govern while she rapidly plucks tea leaves
lios it has bagged, besides the vital position of Vice From the time the British brought land’s Tamilmajority North and sions building 1,60,000 homes, ment could manage only seven with both hands.
Chancellor that its leader HeinzChristian Strache has down hundreds of thousands of East for the wardisplaced. nanced partly with a government (about 2,000 square ft). “Finding In pointing out their current
assumed. The interior ministry, which holds the levers Tamils from south India in the 19th Malayaha (Hill Country) Tamils grant and the remaining with a land is our main challenge. The reality, she highlights the die
of immigration control, is in its hands, rattling nerves in century to Sri Lanka, successive are quick to appreciate India’s at 7.5% interestloan. About 30,000 plantation companies are rather rence between a few workers own
Europe. A similar concern arises from the charge of de generations have been toiling in tention to their community. As Ta homes have been constructed so reluctant to part with productive ing homes, and all of them feeling
fence and foreign aairs, in view of the Freedom Party’s the country’s plantations. Even to mils of most recent Indian origin far. land, or end up giving land that at home.
strong anities with farright parties in Hungary and
Poland and close ties with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
When the Freedom Party under Jörg Haider went in
for a powersharing arrangement with the conserva Acquitted in 2G Mr. Raja, which caused an Chennai, it triggered proceedings on the basis of party’s victory. Mr. Modi’s dangerous precedent as the
tives around the turn of the century, Austria was briey Former Telecom Minister enormous loss to the public speculation that the BJP a presumptive loss to the campaigning is a case in 16yearold boy, according
ostracised by the European Union. But the political A. Raja and Dravida exchequer, are glaring. The would align with the DMK tune of a staggering 1.76 point. The BJP released its to the CBI, killed
realities in 2017 are dierent. Following the populist Munnetra Kazhagam Rajya Comptroller and Auditor for the 2019 Lok Sabha lakh crore was itself grossly manifesto just a day before Pradhyuman Thakur
tide that led Britain to vote to leave the EU last year, and Sabha member Kanimozhi’s General estimated the elections. Since all is not awed. the rst phase of polling because he wanted to delay
acquittal is a big victory for losses to be more than 1 well in the AIADMK, Mr. S.K. Choudhury, began, but Mr. Modi the school examination
the extreme right Alternative for Germany’s 13% vote to Bengaluru
the DMK (“2G scam verdict: lakh crore. If all the accused Modi has no other option campaigned tirelessly (“Ryan student to be tried
enter the Bundestag in September for the rst time un Big day for us all, Rahul come clean, what explains but to strike an alliance (“Why leaders matter?” as an adult”, December 21).
der the 1949 constitution, unsurprisingly Brussels has Gandhi tells Kanimozhi”, the losses to the public with the DMK if he wants a The verdict has given the December 21). Issues like This reveals the boy’s
been more muted in its response to the emergence of December 21). The verdict exchequer? If there is foothold in Tamil Nadu. accused an opportunity to demonetisation, GST, and highly immature mindset. It
the new coalition in Austria. It has sought to emphasise may lead to a change in the daylight plunder and not a The question is, will the cloak themselves in piety antiincumbency could not appears as though he had
the proEU features in the governance agreement, even DMK’s alliance partners. single culprit is traced, is verdict work in the DMK’s and claim to be exemplars make much of an impact in no idea about the
as the government’s explicit rejection of a referendum There is no hurdle now for this not a mockery of the favour in the R.K. Nagar of probity and justice. Like Gujarat compared to Mr. heinousness of the crime
the Bharatiya Janata Party justice system? The judge’s bypoll too? in the disproportionate Modi’s charisma. From and its consequences.
on Vienna’s EU membership comes as a relief. The sup
in aligning with the DMK comment, that the Shefa Rafi, assets case against former Indira Gandhi to Jyoti Basu There was plenty of
posedly proEuropean stance of an overtly antiimmi for the 2019 general prosecutors had become Coimbatore Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and from Jayalalithaa to N.T. opposition to the Bill that
grant platform is an obvious contradiction, as freedom election as the DMK is free directionless, speaks Jayalalithaa and Sasikala, Rama Rao, the roots of the was passed by the Rajya
of movement is one of the EU’s four founding princi of corruption charges. volumes about the case and Former Prime Minister we must wait for the verdict personality cult in India run Sabha to treat 16yearold
ples. Similar issues intended to strike at the root of G. Purushothaman, shows the weakness of the Manmohan Singh must be from the higher courts. long and deep. There is a accused as adults, for good
Tirunelveli system. feeling vindicated as he was saying that ‘no individual is reason. This decision
deeper integration are bound to surface when Austria S. Vasudevan,
THE HINDU
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2017
NOIDA/DELHI
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OPED 9
YES, NO, IT’S COMPLICATED
Should adultery be a crime?
YES
Critics of Section 497 are those who dene Critics of Section 497
allege that the law is sex
penal code. The Commis
sion rendered liable only
ter the adulterer from committing
such a crime again. One may argue
preme Court were to decriminalise
adultery, it would still remain intact
morality according to their whims and fancies ist in nature, for it only the male oender, keep that the law has failed to prevent in various personal laws, eventually
criminalises the conduct ing in mind “the condi the act of adultery. Such failure can leading to harrowing
Indian criminal law explicitly crimi Sex is a sound classication and of the man while excus tion of the women in this not be attributed to the law itself inconsistencies.
nalises acts that deceive a person. although there can be no discrimi ing the woman. They say country” and the law’s but to its enforcement. If such rea
However, it is surprising that the nation on such account, the Consti that in making the hus duty to protect it. soning is to be taken into account, it Need for amendment
criminalisation of an act that tution itself provides for special band the only person While critics of Section would apply similarly to laws There is no denying that there exist
breaches the sanctity of a pure so provisions with regard to women who can prosecute for adultery, the 497 argue that the adultery law against rape, murder, tracking, ambiguities within Section 497 of
cial institution such as marriage, by and children. Thus, Articles 14 and law is founded upon the idea that tries to dictate and intervene in the etc., but we do not talk about decri the IPC. First, it only regulates the
way of deceit and lies, is facing chal Article 15 read together validate the status of the wife in a marriage lives of two consenting adults, they minalising them, do we? If we were seemingly sordid conduct of the
Sudhir Mishra lenges in the past few decades. Section 497 of the IPC. is akin to that of the property of the forget how adultery wrecks the life to bring down a single brick, the man who commits such a crime, all
is managing partner in The constitutionality of Section Criminal law everywhere in the husband. of another. Generally, the people whole house would collapse. the while exonerating the voluntary
Trust Legal, and 497 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) world serves as a guardian of the who advocate the decriminalisa A welfareoriented and inclusive conduct of the wife involved. Se
advocate, Supreme was previously challenged before moral principles of society, protect Legislative intent tion of adultery are those who de country like India, while demand cond, the benet of such a law has
Court of India the Supreme Court in Yusuf Abdul ing a society’s historical roots while However, the legislative intent be ne morality according to their ing that a marriage be registered in not been extended to the wife
Aziz v. The State of Bombay (1954). leading it towards a progressive so hind the enactment of Section 497 whims and fancies. order to acknowledge and protect whose husband engages in such an
A constitutional bench held then cial order. If we start subjecting is quite dierent from what is per the rights of the parties involved, oence with another woman. Ho
that Section 497 did not violate the laws to our personal rationale, it ceived by these critics. In 1847, the The law deters the adulterer cannot do away with a crime which wever, such a plight can be resolved
right to equality as enshrined in Ar would lead to chaos, as a counter Law Commission of India was given The intention behind criminalising undermines the same legally recog eventually by way of an amend
ticles 14 and 15 of the Constitution. narrative would always exist. the responsibility of drafting a new adultery in the present day is to de nised institution. Even if the Su ment.
NO
Section 497 will have to be struck down to claim to her body. A wo
man cannot bring this
ship with another man. If
it is so obviously discrim
surprising that apologists often qu
ote the argument of the sanctity of
tithetical to the notion of human
rights and dignity?
uphold human life and dignity particular charge inatory, why does it still marriage to support the criminali
against a man as she is exist in the statute book? sation of adultery. The laws lend Right over one’s body
Even within the narrow connes of fundamental right to equality. an object of possession The answer lies in the ov themselves well to bring about the No marriage or alliance can take
the heteronormative denition of in this entire awed dis erarching patriarchal submission of women, with the pa away one’s right over one’s own bo
marriage as recognised under In Power equation in marriage course. She has no say structure of society and triarchal structures prevalent in dy. Therefore, while the law on
dian law, the provisions of the IPC Under Section 497, what stands out not only over her own the state. That any wo marriage as an institution. adultery as it is today in the IPC is
regarding adultery seem particular is that only a man can prosecute body but even the body of the man man may choose to have a sexual Technology has unleashed a discriminatory on the ground of
ly medieval. The Constitution gua another man for adultery. The pow to whom she is legally wedded. This relationship disregarding the insti freedom unknown to civilisation ev sex, the very existence of adultery
rantees the fundamental right to er is vested in a husband to control itself is an archaic provision. It rein tution of marriage does not lend it er before. The same technology has in the criminal statute is violative of
Talish Ray equality and that is inconsequential the sexuality of his lawfully wedded forces the submissiveness of wo self well to patriarchy or our laws. also enabled surveillance. The pow the fundamental right to life and to
is a partner at TRS
of gender. It also gives right to life wife. Monoandry, therefore, seems men within the marriage. Patriarchy is about controlling the er in the hand of a disgruntled live with dignity. These issues will
Law Oces and project
and liberty. Life means dignied ex the basic premise in the power eq Even the apex court in its recent behaviour of women so that they spouse exercised through the might therefore remain unaddressed even
director of Girls Gotta
istence. It has been widely inter uation of a marriage. The wife be observation opined that this provi do not demand equality, and sexual of state machinery is immense and if the court reads down Section 497
Know India, a website
oering legal
preted. From it ow many rights to ing the sole and exclusive property sion treats women as personal pro equality is a particularly sensitive so is its potential for abuse and mis and gives women also the right to
information secure the principle of human dig of a man must be protected from perty. It observed that the fulcrum area. Marriage remains a strong use. How can a society which calls send their husbands to court. This
nity. any other man. Her sexuality must of oence within the Section is des bastion of patriarchy. At its core, itself civilised use its power and Section will have to be struck down
The law on adultery, as it exists be controlled by the husband in or troyed if the husband were to con marriage builds a power hierarchy might to enforce a certain notion of to do justice to the very notion of
today, prima facie is violative of the der to assert this sole and exclusive sent to the wife having a relation that is unequal for women. It isn’t puritanical behaviour, which is an human life and dignity.
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For a wider food basket FIFTY YEARS AGO DECEMBER 22, 1967
tures of the transplant operation. They also said both lungs of
is good news.
the patient were affected by patches of pneumonia caused, in
However, despite hunger (as measured by undernutrition)
spite of every possible precaution, by a virulent form of germ.
decreasing, the level of undernutrition remains unacceptably
Treatment with massive doses of penicillin failed to improve
high in the country. India ranks 114th out of 132 countries in
the lung condition, which was followed by a drastic slump in
stunting among children aged less than ve and 120th out of
the number of his white blood cells. Doctors tried to arrest
130 countries in under5 wasting, as per the Global Nutrition
the fall in the white blood count with immense injections of
Report, 2016. The burden of vitamin and mineral deciencies
white blood corpuscles. Yesterday Mr. Washkansky relapsed
(‘hidden hunger’) is also considerable. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC to a point where he was said to be worse than ever and his
This is because a vast majority of Indians eat cerealbased
CONCEPTUAL ACT ONE lungs were kept going with “artificial ventilation”.
food, mainly wheat and rice. There is an insucient intake of
food such as milk, pulses, and fruits and vegetables, which are Paradigm shift
rich sources of micronutrients. Women and children are the
most vulnerable to micronutrient deciencies. This has ad
Philosophy Overseas votes A HUNDRED YEARS AGO DECEMBER 22, 1917.
verse aects on their health. Deciency of iron in women not This refers to any revolu An amendment to allow NRIs to vote by proxy Russian Situation: Peace Negotiations.
only reduces physical work capacity and causes fatigue, but tionary change in the fun
could lead to depression and postpartum maternal haemor damental intellectual Krishnadas Rajagopal for Voting by Overseas tion of the original pass Herr Kuehlmann and Herr Czernin telegraph that they will ar
rhage. In children, it impairs growth and cognitive develop framework that has tradi Electors’ and presented it port at the time of voting rive at Brest Litovsk tomorrow [December 19] and invite M.
ment. tionally been adopted by The Representation of the in the apex court. The EC at the specified polling Trotzky to join them in order to initiate a general peace. The
What is ironic is that overnutrition is emerging as an emer practitioners of a subject. People (Amendment) Bill said NRI voters could be booth. Maximalist newspaper ‘Pravda’ announces that the Maximal
gency in India. As per the recent ndings of the National Fam The idea was proposed by of 2017, introduced by the empowered better if the Thus, the rules demand ist Commissioners have sent Ukraine Rada fortyeight hours’
ily Health Survey4 (201516), the Body Mass Index (BMI) of American philosopher government during the law was amended. for the physical presence ultimatum, declaring that, unless the Rada renounces all fur
15.5% of urban women was found to be less than 18.5 kg/m2, Thomas Kuhn in The Struc winter session of Parlia In the statement of ob of overseas electors in ther attempts to support General Kaledin, the Maximalists
whereas 31.3% of urban women were in the category of over ture of Scientific Revolu ment, proposes to allow jects and reasons for the their respective polling will declare war on Ukraine.
weight or obese (BMI of or more than 25.0 kg/m2). Around 15% tions. Kuhn believed that nonresident Indians 2017 Amendment Bill, the stations in India on the day The Ukrainian Rada is proclaiming Ukraine a democratic
of urban men were underweight, while 26.3% belonged to the the central ideas of a dis (NRIs) to emerge as a de government explains that of polling. “This causes republic forming part of the new allRussian Federal Republic
category of overweight and obese. Dramatic changes in life cipline generally do not cisive force in the coun the original Representa hardship to the overseas and including Kieff, Pedolia, Volhynia, Gherningoff, Peltava,
style and dietary patterns in recent decades have contributed change within a short span try’s electoral politics on tion of the People Act was electors,” the statement Kharkoff, Ekaterinoslav, Kherson, and Taurdia without
to an increasing prevalence of noncommunicable diseases. If of time or because the cur their own terms. The enacted as an allencom said. This amendment pro Crimea and also Kursk, Holm and Voroness, if the inhabitants
this double burden of undernutrition and growing percentage rent practitioners readily amendment paves the way passing law for the con poses facilitating an ex so decide. The Cossacks have occupied the eastern part of
of obesity and associated noncommunicable diseases is not change their minds when to remove an “unreason duct of elections, delimita ternal mode of voting, that Voroness Government.
controlled, it can have serious implications for the economy. they are introduced to new able restriction” posed by tion of constituencies, is, voting by proxy,
How has this happened? While the Green Revolution phase and better ideas. Instead, Section 20A of the Repres allocation of seats in Par whereby such electors can CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
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saw new, fastgrowing varieties of staples, especially wheat he argued, paradigm shifts entation of the People Act, liament and State Legis exercise their franchise
and rice, the following decades saw a steady decline in the happen when people of which requires overseas latures, corrupt electoral from their places of resid DATA POINT
food basket diversity, especially of traditional grains such as the older generation die electors to be physically practices, and so on. ence abroad.
bajra and millet, which have high nutritional value. The 1990s, and are replaced by present in their electoral Section 20A of the Act If the Bill is passed,
though, saw a focus on the role of micronutrients. Deciencies younger people who are constituencies to cast their provides for registration overseas voters can ap
of micronutrients such as zinc, folic acid, magnesium, selen more receptive to newer votes. and inclusion of overseas point a proxy to cast their
ium and vitamin D started receiving more attention. ideas. The effort to empower electors in the electoral votes on their behalf, sub
The Sustainable Development Goal2, which aims to “end CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC NRI voters began with two rolls. The Registration of ject to certain conditions
hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and PILs filed by V.P. Sham Electors Rules, 1960 to be laid down in the Con
MORE ON
3
promote sustainable agriculture”, is a priority area for India. sheer, a U.A.E.based doc provide for overseas elect duct of Election Rules,
To ensure food and nutrition security, there is a growing need THE WEB tor, and Nagender ors to register themselves 1961.
for a multisectoral approach. The policies and programmes of Chindam, chairman of in the electoral rolls of “This would consider
various ministries should be converged for better results. This Interactive: the countries Pravasi Bharat in London, their respective constitu ably mitigate the diffi
will not only transform India’s agricultural practices, but also that have legalised same- in the Supreme Court. encies on the basis of self culties presently faced by
spread awareness about nutritious food among key target sex marriages The Election Commis attested copies of their overseas electors in exer
groups, including tribals, women and children. sion prepared a report passport and valid visa, cising their franchise,” the
http://bit.ly/legalgaymarriage titled ‘Exploring Feasibil and exercise their fran statement in the Bill
Shyam Khadka is FAO Representative in India ity of Alternative Options chise in person on produc reasoned.
CM A ND-NDE
YK