1. Beef Murder Bid to Stir Hatred Ahead of Polls?
The murder of an old man in Greater Noida after rumours that his family had slaughtered a cow, appears to have been a well-planned attack aimed at creating a sharp divide among communities ahead of panchayat elections in UP, reports The Times of India.
The priest, who announced over the temple loudspeaker that the family had beef in the house, has told police that he was forced to do so by two youths from Bisada, the village where Akhlaq lived.
Also read:
- Did an innocent man deserve to die, even if he consumed beef? - The Quint’s ground report.
- “How can we trust anyone now? We have to move out of here” say relatives of the victim. - The Indian Express
2. India and China in Touch Over Nepal Situation
In the wake of continuing unrest in Nepal after the constitution’s promulgation, India and China have ‘engaged at various levels’, according to a report in Hindustan Times.
India feels the key issue is the strategic balance. China may want to use certain constituencies in Nepal but would not like the balance to be disturbed beyond a point. Even if there are few symbolic gestures, China, said an official, is aware that it cannot be a substitute for India in Nepal.
3. Reverse Sweeps, Switch Hits and Doosras: Thrilling Power Games at BCCI
Election of a new BCCI president to replace the late Jagmohan Dalmiya has turned “into a thriller which would have had even Alfred Hitchcock on the edge of his seat” writes cricket columnist Ayaz Memon for The Times of India.
This plot has all the right elements – Pawar’s quest for relevance, West Bengal elections, old foes turning convenient friends and a union minister’s ambitions.
True, there is no murder in this mystery that the master of suspense coveted. Metaphorically speaking however there will be a few corpses around: Some whose ambitions have been killed and some who have become dead weights in the power matrix of BCCI. The period since Dalmiya’s death has seen frenzied behind-the-scenes action between BCCI officials, replete with reverse sweeps, switch hits and doosras.
4. India to Hold G20 Chair in 2018, Delhi May Play Host
India is set to be the G20 Chair in 2018, and New Delhi could host the prestigious annual G20 summit, reports The Hindu.
Each member of G20 is represented by its head of state at the Leaders’ Summit. Leaders are assisted by their Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, and Sherpas. India recently announced the appointment of NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya as G20 Sherpa.
5. India, US, Japan Take on China at First Trilateral Ministerial Meet
India, Japan and the US have sought freedom of navigation, overflights and commerce including in the South China Sea, which is claimed by China.
“The three ministers highlighted the growing convergence of their respective countries’ interests in the Indo-Pacific region. They also underscored the importance of international law and peaceful settlement of disputes; freedom of navigation and overflight; and unimpeded lawful commerce, including in the South China Sea,” the joint statement issued after the meeting on Tuesday said.
Read The Economic Times’ report here.
6. Nirbhaya Teen Radicalised in Juvenile Home?
Concerns over possible radicalisation and indoctrination of the then minor involved in Nirbhaya gang-rape case have been raised by the central intelligence agencies. The Times of India reports that he was seen interacting with another inmate convicted in the 2011 Delhi High Court blast.
The two are now being kept separately in the special home for juveniles so that they cannot meet each other, after sleuths recently alerted the Juvenile Justice Board and the Union home ministry.
7. Tales From Resurgent Bihar
In an optimistic column for The Times of India, Pavan K. Varma, former diplomat and a Rajya Sabha MP representing the Janata Dal, enlists reasons for Bihar’s greatness – historically and culturally – and presents a picture of a resurgent state.
Without taking names, Varma makes a case against identity politics ahead of the crucial Bihar assembly elections.
Any electoral campaign that is socially divisive will be suicidal for Bihar. Centuries ago the story of India’s civilisation began from Bihar. In modern times many revolutions, including that of Jayaprakash Narayan, began from here. The people of Bihar are proud of this heritage. Perhaps this coming election will make Bihar the fulcrum of change again in the best interests of India as a whole.
8. India, US and a New Moment
India will have to step up its game to create a conducive business environment to take the Indo-US relations forward, suggests Meera Shankar, India’s former ambassador to the US. In a column for The Indian Express, Shankar writes that Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US was at a significant time – keeping in mind the now mortal nature of China’s economy.
The unpredictability of the tax regime has been a major concern of foreign investors and this is still a work in progress. India needs to step up its game to create a conducive business environment. Equally, high US visa fees for Indian software engineers deployed there for short periods, numerical quotas and the absence of a totalisation agreement constrain the business of Indian IT companies in America. These issues need to be addressed if businesses are to build on their synergies.
9. Scripting Clean Polls, via Aadhaar
Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, N Gopalaswami, makes a case for the incorporation of Aadhaar numbers into the electoral rolls, in a column in The Hindu. Goplasaswami enlists the reasons he feels inclusion of Aadhar number would bring about a significant positive change in the electoral process and asks the Election Commission to move the Supreme Court to facilitate this.
Since Aadhaar has a reliable backing by way of fingerprint and iris scan for identification, the scope for duplication is next to nil. Further, and more importantly, to verify for duplication, election officials will require nothing more than an Aadhaar number — not even the fingerprint or iris scan — and, where necessary, will have to query the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) website for just a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer for the authenticity of the number.
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