Daily Hindu Editorials

💥 Daily Word Bytes - 2  from editorial  -Ireland's vote for choice 💥 rid (something) of (verb) – make free, cleanse, purge. Hindu Editorial usage  :  Ireland votes in numbers to rid itself of inhumane restrictions on abortions inhumane (adjective) – severe , harsh, vicious/cruel. Hindu Editorial usage  :  Ireland votes in numbers to rid itself of inhumane restrictions on abortions pull oneself (verb) – effortful advance/move in a particular direction. Hindu Editorial usage  :  Ireland has firmly pulled itself into the 21st century by voting overwhelmingly (66.4% vs 33.6%) to repeal the constitutional block on abortions. overwhelmingly (adverb) – with a great majority. Hindu Editorial usage  :  Ireland has firmly pulled itself into the 21st century by voting overwhelmingly (66.4% vs 33.6%) to repeal the constitutional block on abortions. repeal (verb) – reverse, overturn, nullify/cancel. Hindu Editorial usage  ...

💥 Daily Word Bytes - 1  from editorial  -Stress test: the need for water management reforms 💥 stress test (noun) – a test to analyse the function of a system when it is subjected to more pressure. Hindu Editorial usage  :  Stress test: the need for water management reforms avert (verb) – prevent, stop, avoid. Hindu Editorial usage  :  Water management reforms are needed to avert public hardship and economic loss on the cusp (phrase) – a point where something will change. Hindu Editorial usage  :  On the cusp of the southwest monsoon, several arid States are hoping to revive their rivers and reservoirs with bountiful rain arid (adjective) – dry, water-less, parched. Hindu Editorial usage  :  On the cusp of the southwest monsoon, several arid States are hoping to revive their rivers and reservoirs with bountiful rain revive (verb) – fortify, strengthen, regenerate/reinvigorate. Hindu Editorial usage  :  On ...

👉The government’s proposal for the allocation of services and cadres is legally and administratively unsound👈 India’s Civil Services Examination (CSE) is said to be one of the toughest of its kind in the world, so much so that Professor Lant Pritchett, from Harvard University, said in 2010: “The Indian Administrative Service is full of officers who have passed an entrance examination and selection process that makes getting into Harvard look like a walk in the park.” The CSE for recruitments to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and about 20 other services of the government is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). It is conducted every year in two stages: a preliminary examination and then the main examination. The UPSC has been doing a commendable job by insulating recruitments from political patronage and selecting the best candidates through transparent procedures. At present, succes...

👉The implementation of Ayushman Bharat requires a strong reform agenda👈 The launch of Ayushman Bharat, a national health protection scheme (NHPS), in the last stretch of this government’s tenure comes as no surprise. Social policies in the areas of education, health and the welfare of the disadvantaged or farmers almost always get announced before elections. No political party is an exception to this rule since such ‘feel good’ welfare policies are useful in conferring a sense of legitimacy and caring on the government seeking another term. Despite these political motivations, those working in these neglected sectors welcome such policy announcements as the crisis is acute in these sectors. Health policies have two objectives: to enhance the health of the population and reduce the financial risk for those accessing treatment. Success in the first is measured by a reduction in the disease burden and subsequent increase in people’s longevity. Reduced spending or getting...

👉The Korean imbroglio reflects America’s fear of any meaningful adjustment to the global balance of power👈 The whirlwind U.S.-North Korean bromance hit a temporary roadblock last week. If American President Donald Trump’s decision to open direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a few months ago came as a surprise, last Thursday’s dramatic somersault to pull the plug on a summit that could have ushered in a transformed Northeast Asia will not leave too many scratching their heads. After all, Mr. Trump’s foreign policy since the outset of his administration has swayed erratically between his own pragmatism and the hawkish elements in the larger security establishment. At almost every stage, we have seen Mr. Trump succumb to the default worldview inside his administration and across the broader political spectrum. If we accept the proposition that Mr. Trump remains stifled in a national security system still largely dominated by the traditionalists, the question then...

👉Water management reforms are needed to avert public hardship and economic loss👈 On the cusp of the southwest monsoon, several arid States are hoping to revive their rivers and reservoirs with bountiful rain. One of them is Gujarat, which is roiled by the long-tail effect of a deficit monsoon between August and November last year. The State government has embarked on a labour-intensive programme to desilt rivers and waterbodies ahead of the rains. Its predicament reflects the larger reality of drought in India, aggravated by heat waves and significant rain deficits in different regions. This year’s fall in reservoir storage levels to below-average levels has affected farmers who depend on the Sardar Sarovar dam, and 27 other reservoirs including those in Madhya Pradesh. A reinvigorated Congress in the opposition has turned the heat on the BJP government in Gujarat, which is hard put to defend itself against the charge that dam waters were depleted merely to fill the Sabarmati riv...

👉Ireland votes in numbers to rid itself of inhumane restrictions on abortions👈 Ireland has firmly pulled itself into the 21st century by voting overwhelmingly (66.4% vs 33.6%) to repeal the constitutional block on abortions. In a referendum, the Irish voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment that practically prohibits abortions. The amendment, introduced in 1983 to strengthen an older law outlawing abortions, grants an unborn child and the woman carrying it an equal right to life. Consequently, abortions in Ireland have been only permitted when the life of the woman is at risk, including from suicide. This exception too was introduced as late as 2013, after 31-year-old Savita Halappanavar, a dentist from Karnataka, died of sepsis in a hospital after being denied an abortion while miscarrying at 17 weeks. The couple made multiple requests for a termination but were told it was not possible because Ireland was a Catholic country, her husband said during the inquest that followed. The i...

👉India must help the development of Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern provinces👈 The discourse on fundamental issues concerning Sri Lankan Tamils continues to revolve around political settlement, the two key components of which are greater devolution of powers to provinces and the merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces. These two aspects featured in the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka peace accord and continue to resonate with Tamil leaders of different political hues. R. Sampanthan, Leader of Opposition and Tamil National Alliance chief, and Suresh Preamachandran, leader of the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front, are emphatic that the 1987 Accord remains valid. In their view, India was duty-bound to ensure full and proper implementation of some provisions of the agreement, which had been incorporated into the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution. Their observations are pertinent given that Sri Lanka is contemplating drafting a new Constitution. Days after these ...