“Blow the boat off…We don’t want to serve them biryani…”
Directly contradicting the government’s position, a Deputy Inspector General of theCoast Guard said Monday that it was the Coast Guard which blew up the Pakistani boat on the night of December 31, 2014. And that he was the one who ordered: “Blow the boat off…We don’t want to serve them biryani…” Read the Indian Express story here.
Risky call? Modi’s Pak gambit could embolden sponsors of terror
Modi’s dynamism and motivation in diplomacy in the past months has spurred hope of Indian foreign policy finally gaining a distinct geostrategic imprint and direction. His recent actions, however, highlight what has long blighted foreign policy — ad hoc and personality-driven actions that confound tactics with strategy. Read geo-strategist Brahma Chellaney’s op-ed in Hindustan Times here.
No such thing as free water
Economist Surjit S Bhalla& Prasanthi Ramakrishnanfeel that the AAP policy is a “reverse Robin Hood” strategy. In their opinion, instead of reducing corruption, this policy will lead to greater corruption — households will have an incentive to tamper with meters to ensure that they show less consumption than the infinite tax level. Read more here.
A look at India’s last five annual budgets
Reuters takes a look at India’s budgets between 2010 and 2014 — the hits, the misses, and how they affected the common man.
Modi has done well to uphold religious freedom and the right to choose
Development and communal polarisation cannot go hand in hand.Modi’s slogan of `sabka saath, sabka vikas’ can only be realised if communal harmony prevails and the government is seen to be upholding the law. Read Times of India’s edit piece here.
No more a déjà vu, but a new war
Director, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, D. Suba Chandran says the ongoing sectarian war in Pakistan is different from its earlier avatars, and more difficult to combat. She opines that sectarian groups in Pakistan no longer need the establishment, with funding support coming from outside and with their TTP linkages. Read more.
The road to safety
Head, World Resources Institute’s Cities & Transport programme, Madhav Pai, writes that building safer motor vehicles and re-engineered road geometry does not necessarily translate into a better road safety record. He feels things will probably get worse before they get better. Traffic fatalities increased by about 5 % per year from 1980 to 2000, and since then have increased by about 8 % per year. Read more.
Fundraiser for Alabama cop who assaulted Sureshbhai
An online fundraiser for Madison police officer Eric Parker, who is facing charges of third-degree assault after brutally attacking 57-year-old Sureshbhai Patel, has raised over $3,000 in only three days. The campaign- that has currently been shared nearly 600 times on Facebook, has a goal of $10,000 and 28 days left to reach it. Read the story here.
Meditation booms as people seek a way to slow down
The unrelenting siege on our attention can take a good share of the credit; stress has bombarded people from executives on 24/7 schedules to kids who feel the pressure to succeed even before puberty. Meditation has been lauded as a way to reduce stress, ease physical ailments like headaches and increase compassion and productivity. From the LA Times: Meditation booms as people seek a way to slow down.
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