Editorial Words Articles Vocabular Collection

The arc to Tokyo: on India-Japan ties
SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 00:15 IST
India and Japan are infusing bilateral ties with a sharper

geopolitical agenda
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes visit to India, part of annual summits
between the two countries, has set strategic ties on a fast track. This is best
symbolised by the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project that was launched
by Mr. Abe and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Indias decision to partner
with Japan for the 508-km, 1.1 lakh-crore project is as much about politics
as it is about infrastructure: Japan has been keen to export its high-speed train
technology along with rolling stock, and Indias move to confirm the
Japanese contracts while China wins projects along its Belt and Road railway
line is significant. The joint statement and comments by the two Prime
Ministers in Gandhinagar also sent out a similar message that will be read
closely in China on several counts. For example, Mr. Abe said North Korea
was a joint challenge for India and Japan, and the statement contained a
phrase about holding countries that have supported North Koreas nuclear
and missile programmes accountable, obviously aimed at Pyongyangs
benefactors in Beijing. The clause calling for zero tolerance on terrorism
referenced Chinas veto on the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief being put on the list
of UN-designated terrorists. Both the title of the joint statement, Toward a
free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific, and substantive paragraphs on
cooperation in the region, indicate a much closer alignment between India and
Japan in countering Chinas influence in the South China Sea, its forays into
the Indian Ocean, and investments in South Asia and Africa. The coming into
force of the India-Japan nuclear deal and more military and maritime
exercises will buttress such efforts. India has also extended to Japan an offer
denied to any other country, which is to assist in infrastructure development
in the Northeast.
It is clear that the Modi government has set India-Japan ties on an accelerated
geopolitical course that will be a major factor in its dealings with the rest of
the world, especially China, at a time when the U.S. is perceived to be
retreating from the region. Having made this leap, it is imperative that India
and Japan also look beyond their lofty geopolitical aims, at the more basic
aspects of bilateral engagement. While Japan is Indias largest donor and the
third largest provider of FDI, bilateral trade has steadily declined since 2013,
and is down to $13.61 billion in 2016-17 from $14.51 billion the year before.
The contrast with India-China trade, at $71 billion a year, and Japan-China
trade, at $279 billion, is stark, and the decision to finalise four new locations
for special Japanese industrial townships may be only one way of addressing
the difficulties businessmen face in India. With the opulent pageantry and 8-
km roadshow in Gujarat over, it is time to get down to brass tacks and address
some of the issues in order to facilitate closer ties between India and Japan,
even as the two leaders and militaries forge closer bonds.
1. infuse (verb) instil, impart, inculcate/introduce.
2. rolling stock (noun) trains, carriages, wagons.
3. benefactor (noun) patron, sponsor, supporter/promoter.
4. zero tolerance (noun) a complete refusal to accept certain behavior (Courtesy: VOA
Learning English).
5. veto (noun) prohibition, ban/bar, embargo.
6. prosperous (adjective) thriving, booming/successful, strong.
7. substantive (adjective) important & meaningful.
8. foray (noun) a brief attempt to get involved in a new activity/sphere; attack, incursion.
9. coming (noun) approach, arrival, emergence.
10. maritime (adjective) of or related to the sea.
11. buttress (verb) support, strengthen, reinforce/fortify.
12. retreat (verb) withdraw, retire, pull back.
13. leap (noun) change, transformation, adjustment.
14. imperative (adjective) vitally important, crucial, necessary.
15. lofty (adjective) high, grand, tall/giant.
16. stark (adjective) clear, simple, straightforward.
17. opulent (adjective) luxurious, costly, lavish.
18. pageantry (noun) spectacle, display, ceremony.
19. get down to brass tacks (phrase) begin to think the basic aspects or practical details.
20. facilitate (verb) enable, assist, help.
21. forge (verb) build, create, establish.
A peculiar order: on the T.N Assembly floor

test
In staying a floor test in the House, the Madras HC has adopted a

less-than-reasonable course
The rationale for the Madras High Courts interim order that there be no floor
test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly until September 20 is hard to fathom. The
order stalling a trust vote came on a writ petition seeking an early test on the
floor of the House to ascertain whether Chief Minister Edappadi K.
Palaniswami enjoys its confidence. The introduction of a motion in the
Assembly is essentially an internal matter of the legislature, and is ordinarily
outside the jurisdiction of the courts. The ostensible reason for the interim
order is the apprehension voiced by the petitioner, the Dravida Munnetra
Kazhagam, that 19 MLAs in the rebel AIADMK camp headed by T.T.V.
Dhinakaran may be disqualified just ahead of a trust vote so that the ruling
party can convert its minority into a majority. Two different issues appear to
be conflated here. One is the Governors unexplained delay in ordering a vote
of confidence even after it has become clear that Mr. Palaniswami is short of
a majority in the House; the other is the possible disqualification, under the
anti-defection law, of dissident MLAs. The stay has been imposed mainly
because the Advocate General declined to give an undertaking that they
would not be disqualified before the floor test. It is a moot question whether
delaying the trust vote itself is the correct way of protecting a dissenters right
to vote against a government. After all, if some MLAs are indeed barred from
voting, and the regime clears a floor test as a result, the courts can still set
aside the disqualification and, thereby, necessitate a fresh test on the basis of
the original strength.
Between preventing a regime-saving disqualification and delaying an urgently
required floor test, the High Court has preferred the less reasonable option.
The court chose to be restrained on the issue of disqualification, over which
judicial review is available, but proactive on the timing of the floor test, an
issue on which courts are normally reticent. It must be conceded that in the
event of flagrant violations of the Constitution or complete disregard for
constitutional norms, a superior court has a right to intervene. For instance, it
may be lawful for the court to even question the Governors silence when it
becomes glaringly obvious that the incumbent regime does not have a
majority. It is also empowered to ensure that no member is disqualified solely
to alter the outcome of a trust vote. Last year, the Supreme Court did stay a
floor test in Uttarakhand. But in this case, a direction that none should be
disqualified before a floor test could have taken care of the petitioners fears
without interfering with its timing. A stay on the vote, in fact, would only
give more time for horse-trading and further scope for a regime to remain in
office without an apparent majority.
1. peculiar (adjective) strange, unusual/odd, unexpected.
2. rationale (noun) reason/basis; principle; motivation.
3. fathom (verb) understand, comprehend, perceive.
4. stall (verb) stop, obstruct, impede/hinder.
5. ascertain (verb) confirm, verify, discover/find out.
6. ostensible (adjective) apparent, seeming, alleged/purported.
7. apprehension (noun) anxiety, concern; understanding/perception.
8. conflate (verb) combine, condense, shorten.
9. Anti-defection law The 10th Schedule to the Constitution, popularly referred to as the
Anti-Defection Law, was inserted by the 52nd Amendment in 1985. The grounds of
disqualification are specified in Paragraph 2 of the 10th Schedule. A member would incur a
disqualification under paragraph 2 (1) (a) when he voluntarily gives up his membership of a
party and under 2 (1) (b) when he/she votes (or abstains from voting) contrary to the
directive issued by the party. (Courtesy: The Hindu).
10. dissident (adjective) opposing disagreeing, objecting/protesting.
11. undertaking (noun) pledge, agreement, promise.
12. moot (adjective) disputed, problematic, unsettled/unresolved.
13. set aside (phrasal verb) annul, overrule, nullify/cancel.
14. bar (verb) prohibit, prevent/forbid, ban.
15. reticent (adjective) reserved, withdrawn, introverted/restrained.
16. flagrant (adjective) blatant, glaring, obvious.
17. disregard (noun) indifference, non-observance/lack of notice, negligence.
18. glaringly (adverb) obviously, blatantly, openly.
19. incumbent (adjective) current, existing/present, in office.
20. apparent (adjective) evident, obvious, clear.
Will Angela Merkel be fourth time lucky?

Angela Merkels re-election as German Chancellor seems all but

certain
Elections to the German Bundestag on September 24 come down to a simple
question: will Angela Merkel, Europes most influential politician, win her
bid for a fourth term as Chancellor? The question appears to be a no-brainer.
Except for leads in opinion polls early in his campaign, her challenger from
the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Martin Schulz, has never looked a serious
contender. Conversely, Ms. Merkel, of the Christian Democratic Union, has
recovered much of the political ground she lost in the wake of her policy to
open the doorsto over a million, mostly Syrian, migrants in 2015. When the
SPD announced his candidature in January, there was an element of novelty
about Mr. Schulz, who had been out of German politics for long. His
relatively clean record from the coalition compromises between the SPD and
the CDU also may have worked in his favour. But whatever advantages may
have accrued to this former president of the European Parliament were lost
when the SDP was defeated in May in regional elections in North-Rhine
Westphalia, its traditional stronghold. Moreover, there are few areas of major
political divergence between the rival candidates. Not only do both leaders
share a common vision for a closer Europe, they even advocate a multi-speed
process of eurozone integration. Blurring whatever political divisions that
remain, in her 12 years as Chancellor Ms. Merkel assiduously incorporated in
her political plank several of the SPDs welfare policies. Her leadership of
Europe and the broader Western alliance has become a critical factor after
Britains vote to leave the European Union and Donald Trumps pursuit of an
isolationist course. Given this scenario, Germanys ever-cautious electorate is
more likely to stay with experience rather than go in for an experiment. Thus,
another grand coalition between Germanys two largest parties is not an
unlikely prospect, should the CDU and its Bavarian partner, the Christian
Social Union, fail to secure a majority. In the event an alliance between them
does not materialise, the Greens and the much-weakened Free Democratic
Party would be in the reckoning.
There has been considerable anxiety about the eurosceptic, far-right
Alternative for Germany party (AfD) making significant inroads, which
would put the countrys anodyne post-War centrist politics on notice. The
AfDs rise bears close similarities to the increase in the popular vote of anti-
immigrant xenophobic parties in other European countries. Although Ms.
Merkel and the CDU have notched up consistently impressive leads in recent
months, opinion polls point to a sizeable proportion of undecided voters. The
coming week will see the contest move to a decisive phase, although it may
be hard to speculate on who would gain from a strong turnout. Nonetheless,
there appears to be little danger of erosion of the political centre in Germany
yet, and the verdict could finally see off the populist upsurge that has
threatened Europe this year.
1. all but (phrase) nearly, almost/just about, practically.

2. Bundestag (proper noun) The lower house of Parliament in Germany.
3. no-brainer (noun) something which demands little/no effort mentally.
4. conversely (adverb) inversely, the other way round, oppositely/reciprocally.
5. in the wake of (phrase) aftermath, as a consequence of, as a result of.
6. novelty (noun) originality, newness, unusualness.
7. accrue (verb) result, arise, follow, accompany.
8. advocate (verb) recommend, prescribe, uphold/support.
9. blur (verb) make indistinct/unclear, make vague, unfocus.
10. assiduously (adverb) diligently, carefully, meticulously.
11. plank (noun) a fundamental point.
12. pursuit (noun) aspiration for, quest for, search for.
13. electorate (noun) all the people who entitled to vote in an election.
14. the reckoning (noun) contest, contention, fighting, competition.
15. eurosceptic (noun) a person who is opposing to increase the powers of the European
Union.
16. the far right (noun) the extreme right wing of a political party.
17. anodyne (noun) painkiller, analgesic, pain reliever.
18. xenophobic (adjective) racist, nationalist, jingoistic.
19. notch (up) (verb) score, achieve, attain.
20. speculate (verb) conjecture, theorize, postulate.
21. nonetheless (adverb) in spite of that, however, regardless/anyway.
22. erosion (noun) destruction, dissolution, wearing away.
23. see off (phrasal verb) repel, defeat/stop, deal with.
24. populist (adjective) related to politicians who claim that they are representing the
common/ordinary people.
25. upsurge (noun) growth, sudden increase, rise.
Good and simple tax: on the GST regime

A course correction is essential to fix the glitches in the GST

regime
Indias goods and services tax regime is nearing the end of its first full quarter
since roll-out this July. Revenue collections from the first month appear
robust, with just 70% of eligible taxpayers bringing in 95,000 crore. At this
rate, the total tally could well surge close to 1.2 lakh crore. This would be
significantly higher than the 91,000 crore indirect tax target for the Centre
and the States on an overall basis. This initial trend will need to be
corroborated by inflows for subsequent months, but with many more
taxpayers registering in August, the GST appears to have begun well as far as
the exchequer is concerned. If revenues remain healthy, the government
would, over time, get the necessary fiscal room to rationalise multiple GST
rates into fewer slabs and possibly lower levies as a stimulus. However, for
businesses the going has been far from smooth, with firms of all sizes across
sectors struggling to file their first set of returns under the GST due to
significant glitches in the GST Network, its information technology
backbone, and issues of connectivity. The government has extended the
deadline for GST returns for the first month twice, with GSTR-3 now
required to be submitted as late as November 10. A group of Central and
State ministers has been tasked with resolving the GSTNs challenges. To
inspire confidence, this group must act not only expeditiously but also
transparently especially with regard to the GSTNs operational capacity.
However, as it stands now the delay in filing returns for the first, and
therefore subsequent, months means that taxpayers expecting a refund from
the authorities on taxes already paid (for example, by exporters) will end up
waiting for almost four months (for the period of July alone). This is bound to
crimp their working capital availability and create an unjust burden on their
finances, impacting their ability to scale up production ahead of the high-
turnover festive season. The problem is most acute for exporters, for whom
the Council has now formed a special committee under the Revenue
Secretary. Provided there are no further setbacks on these timelines, these
procedural problems need to be resolved as soon as possible for industry to be
comfortable with this switch-over. Amid all this, the GST Council has already
changed the announced tax rates on over 100 products and services within
about 75 days of the roll-out. An ever-changing policy landscape is hardly
conducive for attracting investment. The fact that industrial output grew just
1.2% in July may not be a coincidence. Clearly, a lot of things were not
thought through or tested (such as the GSTN) when the government opted for
a July 1 launch for GST instead of the September 16 date that the
constitutional changes made last year allowed. Admitting to the errors of
judgment so far is essential for a genuine course correction.
1. glitch (noun) problem, difficulty, issue/complication.

2. roll-out (noun) official launch / introduction.
3. corroborate (verb) confirm, verify, validate.
4. exchequer (noun) funds, resources/finances, treasury.
5. fiscal room/space (noun) the flexibility of a government in its spending choices, and, more
generally, to the financial well-being of a government (Courtesy: Wikipedia).
6. rationalise (verb) streamline, make more efficient, hone/simplify.
7. stimulus (noun) spur/encouragement, impetus, boost.
8. expeditiously (adverb) quickly and efficiently.
9. bound to (adjective) certain, sure, very likely, guaranteed.
10. crimp (verb) compress, limit.
11. unjust (adjective) wrong, unfair, undue.
12. scale up (phrasal verb) increase.
13. setback (noun) problem/issue, difficulty, misfortune.
14. switchover (noun) an instant change of one (system/method) to another.
15. ever-changing (adjective) developing, continuously changing.
16. landscape (noun) the distinctive features of a field of activity.
17. conducive (adjective) good for, helpful to, instrumental in.
18. coincidence (noun) co-occurrence, coexistence; concurrence.
A formal break: on Sasikala's ouster
V.K. Sasikalas removal as general secretary may be at the cost

of the partys government
Finally, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is without its deeply
polarising figure, the interim general secretary, V.K. Sasikala. As a close
friend of Jayalalithaa, she had played a major role in the partys affairs for
more than 25 years, evoking both fear and loyalty among the partys second
line of leaders. Her removal was the precondition set by the O.
Panneerselvam faction of the party for a merger, a first step before the party
could reclaim its original identity and flag and election symbol. Whether the
faction led by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami adopted this course
out of political necessity or out of a genuine desire to keep Sasikala out of the
partys affairs is now immaterial: the break with the Sasikala family is real.
The consequences of her removal at the meeting of the general council of the
party will be immediate: greater political legitimacy for the ruling factions
claim to be truly representative of the partys organisational support base and
increased isolation of the Sasikala clan from the party. While there are many
in the party, including ministers, who still sympathise with Sasikala, or feel a
sense of gratitude towards her, the party will no longer be remote-controlled
by the Mannargudi clan. The newly evolved collective leadership in the
party, with Mr. Panneerselvam as the coordinator and Mr. Palaniswami as the
co-coordinator, and the abolition of the powerful post of general secretary,
will be resistant to the influence of Sasikala and her nephew T.T.V.
Dhinakaran.
However, the Sasikala group under the leadership of Mr. Dhinakaran
commands the overt support of at least 18 members of the Assembly, enough
to pull down the government. They have been hesitant to form themselves as
a breakaway group either for fear of being disqualified for defection or in the
hope that they might be able to capture the leadership of the parent party. The
general council meeting could only have accentuated the differences with the
Dhinakaran group. A reconciliation is close to impossible now, although
Sasikala has not been expelled from the party. The changed equations within
the ruling party, which no longer appears to enjoy the confidence of a
majority in the House, should force Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao out of his
inaction. Mr. Palaniswami should seek another vote of confidence as, even by
the admission of his own camp he is well short of an absolute majority in the
Assembly. The political gains from the merger of the two camps
notwithstanding, Mr. Palaniswami might have risked the stability of his own
government by patching up with Mr. Panneerselvam. Just as he ties up one
end, things are beginning to unravel at the other.
1. cost (noun) penalty, sacrifice, loss.

2. polarize (verb) to divide into different groups/beliefs, etc,.
3. evoke (verb) bring to mind, elicit, induce/invoke.
4. faction (noun) a small group, section, division (of dissenter within a large group).
5. immaterial (adjective) irrelevant, unimportant, insignificant.
6. clan (noun) group, set, community.
7. sympathise (verb) agree, support, favour/approve of.
8. gratitude (noun) thankfulness,respect, recognition/acknowledgement.
9. overt (adjective) unmistakable, obvious, visible.
10. pull down (phrasal verb) demolish, dismantle, destroy.
11. breakaway group (noun) separatist, secessionist, dissenting group.
12. defection (noun) desertion, changing sides, decamping.
13. accentuate (verb) highlight, underline, focus attention on.
14. reconciliation (noun) reunion, appeasement, settlement/compromise.
15. inaction (noun) inactivity, apathy/negligence; inertia.
16. notwithstanding (adverb) nevertheless, despite that, in spite of that.
17. unravel (verb) fall apart, come apart, collapse/go wrong.
Shattered dreams: on Trump's crack down

on undocumented immigration
U.S. President Donald Trump has put another category of

immigrants in legal limbo
Nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. now face the possibility of losing their
jobs, drivers licences and university seats and even of being deported to a
country that was not their home. The looming legal limbo for this sizeable
cohort, which includes around 8,000 Indian nationals, is a direct result of
President Donald Trumps decision on September 5 to rescind the Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. This is a major Obama-era
executive action designed to protect those who arrived in the U.S. as children
accompanying their undocumented migrant parents. The logic of the Obama
administration was that so long as such childhood arrivals integrated lawfully
and productively into American society, not committing any crimes, paying
their taxes and being upstanding members of the broader community, there
could be no reasonable argument to uproot their lives and send them to their
parents country of origin. Now Mr. Trump has turned that logic on its head
in an apparent effort to deliver on his campaign promise to crack down on all
forms of undocumented immigration. While he previously appeared
sympathetic toward DACA, Mr. Trump has effectively passed the buck to
Congress by calling on it to come up with legislation for a lasting solution to
the problem through the lawful democratic process. No new applications
are being processed. Existing beneficiaries requiring renewal of permits for a
further two-year period have until March 5, 2018 to get it done.
Beyond that deadline, their continuance in the U.S. would require lawmakers
to come up with a bill similar to the Development, Relief and Education for
Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, a legislative proposal that went beyond
piecemeal benefits, granting its recipients residency and setting out a path to
citizenship. Such a bill, encapsulating widely acceptable principles
underpinning a path to citizenship for deserving migrants, has eluded Capitol
Hill for decades. During Barack Obamas presidency, the comprehensive
immigration reform package proposed by the Gang of Eight bipartisan
Senators came close to resolving this gaping hole in the immigration policy.
Had it been passed, the 11 million undocumented workers in the U.S. may
have found a modicum of solace in the knowledge that one day they could
emerge from the shadows into the mainstream. Painful questions surrounding
visa issues, including the political soft target that the H-1B visa is, could have
been laid to rest and this would have, for example, fostered a climate of
greater predictability for manpower planning at tech companies. Yet that bill
never did pass into law, owing to the partisan bickering that Americans have
come to despise of their representatives in Washington. Given the hostile
political climate and bitter polarisation of the U.S. electorate along party
lines, there is a real risk that short-term point-scoring on specific aspects of
immigration reform could trump the need for a more robust, sustainable
remedy.
1. shattered (adjective) shell-shocked, distressed; heartbroken.

2. crack down on (phrasal verb) get tough on, take severe measures against, clampdown on.
3. limbo (noun) void; unfinished, incomplete.
4. deport (verb) expel, banish, exile.
5. looming (adjective) threatening, imminent, impending.
6. cohort (noun) group, generation, category/section.
7. rescind (verb) revoke, repeal, cancel/reverse.
8. uproot (verb) eradicate, eliminate, abolish.
9. sympathetic (adjective) in favour of, approving of, supportive of.
10. pass the buck (phrase) transfer/move the responsibility for something to someone else.
11. lasting (adjective) enduring, long-lasting, long-lived.
12. come up with (phrasal verb) produce, devise, propose/put forward.
13. piecemeal (adjective & adverb) a little at a time, bit by bit, in stages.
14. encapsulate (verb) summarize, sum up, precis.
15. underpin (verb) support, buttress, form (a basis).
16. elude (verb) evade, avoid/dodge, escape.
17. comprehensive (adjective) wide-ranging/all-inclusive, complete.
18. bipartisan (adjective) involving cooperation between two (opposite & big) political parties.
19. gaping (adjective) vast/huge, wide, broad.
20. modicum (noun) little bit, small amount, particle.
21. solace (noun) comfort, consolation/relief, support.
22. foster (verb) encourage, promote, support.
23. partisan (adjective) biased, prejudiced, one-sided.
24. bicker (verb) squabble, argue; quarrel/disagree.
25. despise (verb) detest, hate, deplore/dislike.
26. hostile (adjective) antagonistic/aggressive, confrontational.
27. polarisation (noun) two contrasting groups (by division).
28. electorate (noun) all the people who entitled to vote in an election.
29. sustainable (adjective) maintainable, valid, reliable/dependable.
30. remedy (noun) solution, answer, antidote/panacea.
Slow creep: on petrol and diesel prices

Taxes need to be eased to make petrol and diesel more

affordable to consumers
Petrol and diesel prices have crept up slowly over the last three months, but
without inviting the kind of anger and criticism usually directed at such fuel
price hikes. The price of petrol in Delhi, for instance, has cumulatively
increased by almost 5 since the introduction of the daily pricing policy on
June 16 this year. Daily pricing is now being seen by many as a ploy to
increase prices while allowing the government to escape any political
backlash. The government, for now, has ruled out any change to the current
pricing policyarguing that it, in fact, ensures that the benefit of lower
international crude oil prices is passed on to domestic consumers. A
comparison of crude oil prices with domestic petrol and diesel prices,
however, suggests that this argument is far from convincing. In 2012, when
India purchased a barrel of crude for around $120, a litre of petrol was sold at
around 65 in retail fuel stations. Today, when the Indian crude basket price
has dropped to around $50, the retail price of petrol is well over the 70 mark.
This does not come as much of a surprise. The deregulation of petrol and
diesel pricing, in 2010 and 2014 respectively, caused fuel prices to be
determined primarily by the forces of supply and demand rather than input
costs. Traditionally, fuel prices were determined on a cost-plus basis, which
led domestic prices to fall in line with the cost of inputs like crude oil.
Still, lower international crude oil prices should have led to lower domestic
fuel prices even under the free pricing regime, if not for the heavy taxes
imposed on domestic fuels. Excise duty and value added tax are the main
culprits in this regard. In fact, about half the price paid by the Indian end-
consumer for petrol goes towards paying these taxes. The governments
excise duty collection, for instance, has more than doubled during the period
2014-17, from 99,184 crore to 2,42,691 crore. This suggests quite clearly
that the government, not the consumer, has been the biggest beneficiary of
lower crude oil prices since 2014. These taxes impose an artificial limit on the
amount of supply that can be profitably sold to the Indian consumer, which in
turn leads to consumers paying higher prices for petrol and diesel. In fact, an
alternative tax such as the goods and services tax (GST), even at its highest
slab of 28%, would substantially lower the current tax burden on fuels. Apart
from making petrol and diesel more affordable to many more people in the
lower rungs of the economy, it will also decrease the economic distortions
caused by extraordinarily high taxes imposed on automobile fuels that are
widely used. Along with lower taxes, greater competition in the fuel retailing
market will allow further cost efficiencies to kick in and lead to lower prices
for consumers.
1. creep (noun) unnoticeable increase in something (slowly and steadily).

2. creep up (phrasal verb) increase slowly but steadily in amount.
3. cumulatively (adverb) in a way something increases by successive additions.
4. ploy (noun) plan, scheme, tactic.
5. backlash (noun) adverse reaction/response, retaliation/fallout.
6. rule out (phrasal verb) eliminate, reject, dismiss.
7. far from (phrase) not/not at all, nowhere near, the opposite of.
8. cost plus basis (noun) a pricing strategy in which the selling price is determined by adding
a specific (dollar) amount markup to a products unit cost (Courtesy: Wikipedia).
9. fall in line with (phrase) conform (tally with) with others.
10. regime (noun) system, arrangement, scheme.
11. in this regard (phrase) in connection with aspect, consideration, point mentioned earlier.
12. rung (noun) level, rank, position/grade.
13. distortion (noun) misrepresentation, misreporting, misstatement.
14. extraordinarily (adverb) extremely, unusually, remarkably.
15. kick in (phrasal verb) come into effect.
Back to the future: on the Nadal-Federer

resurgence
Rafael Nadal closes a phenomenal year for himself and Roger

Federer in the Majors
Mens tennis appears to have been transported into the past this year. No one
saw Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal splitting the Majors in 2017, but that is
precisely what they have done. In winning the Australian Open and
the Wimbledon in his 36th year, Federer showed he is that rare great one
who marries a handsome, timeless style and a clinical, ruthless mind to
transcend what is thought possible. Nadal has been stretching the limits of
possibility himself. From the time he won his first ATP match as a 15-year-
old in 2002, he has been told that his frenetic, physical method would not last
into his 20s. He was also told that his monotone game would find little
success outside the familiar comforts of clay. And yet, as he soaked in the
applause of a boisterous New York crowd on Sunday, he had not merely
lasted, he had also won a third U.S. Open title, his 16th Major overall. The
Spaniard had debunked the theory that he was a one-surface wonder in 2010,
when he first triumphed at Flushing Meadows and completed the career
Grand Slam. But before this Sunday, the 31-year-old had not won a Slam
outside of Roland Garros since 2013. In ending that wait and closing the gap
to Federers record 19 Majors, Nadal bullet-proofed his legacy as an all-court
champion and kept the race to No. 20 alive.
Sunday night also marked the end of the most successful player-coach
relationshipin tennis. Toni Nadal, who has coached his nephew since he was
four, had said that the U.S. Open would be his last Grand Slam on the road.
Through 27 years and 16 Major titles, Toni has challenged and cultivated
Nadals innate relentlessness. The addition of former World No. 1 Carlos
Moya to the coaching team has played a part in the resurgence, but none of
this would have been possible without Toni. In both the semi-final against
Juan Martin del Potro, Federers conqueror, and the final against Kevin
Anderson, the 68 South African on an impressive, heart-warming run,
Nadal showcased the tactical mastery and technical advancement that he and
Toni have so painstakingly worked towards. I know were the same age,
Anderson told Nadal during the trophy ceremony, but I feel like Ive been
watching you my whole life. It was a measure of the impact Nadal has had
on the sport and also a tribute to his longevity, his incredible ability to
overcome injury setbacks and return to a high level, as he has this year after a
gloomy 2016. Another remarkable recovery story played out in the womens
draw: Sloane Stephens, who walked for the first time in April after foot
surgery earlier in the year, put mind over matter to break through at her home
Slam. The 24-year-old American has been picked out for great things; on
Saturday, she delivered a popular, courageous triumph, the first, it would
appear, of many.
1. resurgence (noun) revival, recovery, comeback.
2. ruthless (adjective) cruel, heartless; severe/uncaring.
3. transcend (verb) excel, surpass/outshine.
4. frenetic (adjective) hyperactive, energetic, intense.
5. monotone (adjective) without variety; unchanging, dull.
6. comfort (noun) something that contributes to physical ease.
7. boisterous (adjective) lively, active, cheerful.
8. debunk (verb) explode, discredit, invalidate.
9. cultivated (adjective) educated, well read, well informed.
10. innate (adjective) inherent, natural, inborn.
11. relentlessness (noun) an act of persistent, constant, continuous one.
12. longevity (noun) continuation, lasting power, durability.
14. gloomy (adjective) dismal, cheerless, depressing.
15. mind over matter (phrase) the use of willpower to overcome physical problems.
In the air: on the no-fly list

The no-fly list is a welcome innovation to keep unruly passengers

in check
The Centres decision to put unruly air passengers on a no-fly list ranging
from three months to a lifetime, depending upon the gravity of the offence, is
stringent but welcome. The list will be maintained by the Directorate General
of Civil Aviation, and be put in the public domain. The quantum of
punishment is to be decided by an internal committee of the airline in
question based on evidence produced by both the airline and the passenger
within 30 days, during which time the passenger would not be allowed to fly.
No compensation will be offered to the passenger in case the allegations of
the airline are proven wrong. Aggrieved passengers can appeal within 60 days
to an appellate committee. Other airlines will not, however, be bound by one
airlines no-fly ban. The no-fly list provisions look stringent, empowering
airlines to impose strict penalties in case of alleged misbehaviour or graver
offences by passengers. But in the case of India, these appear necessary in
particular because of a widespread culture of entitlement, especially among
VIPs, and growing incidents of air rage. The new rules are, specifically, a
response to the recent case of unruly and violent behaviour by Shiv Sena MP
Ravindra Gaikwad on board an Air India plane six months ago. There have
been other recent incidents of VIP misbehaviour with airline staff both in
the air and on the ground. In Mr. Gaikwads case, Air India had imposed a
temporary no-fly ban, which was subsequently withdrawn after a grudging
apology from him. Existing guidelines and rules on unruly behaviour did not
have provisions for a no-fly ban, necessitating these rules.
The no-fly list system, which has been adopted by other countries too, is a
relatively new development in civil aviation. Care must be taken by the
airlines to ensure that the imposition of the no-fly ban is used as the last
resort; ideally, it should remain in the books as a deterrent. While incidents of
egregious behaviour by VIPs and unruly passengers have not been isolated
events, passenger anger has also been a consequence of airline inefficiencies.
The record of some airlines in ensuring service on time and avoiding over-
booking of tickets that result in last-minute cancellation of tickets is not
satisfactory. Airlines must be careful not to hold out the threat of the no-fly
list to keep passenger frustration in check, and thereby evade giving a full
explanation for their mistakes. Thanks to lower fuel prices and profitability,
the civil aviation industry in India is in a phase of recovery and stability
following a shakeout. This is a good time for airlines to enhance their reach
and service and keep prices competitive as more Indians take to air travel.
While this is a guaranteed way to keep both passenger angst and air rage in
check, preventive measures such as a no-fly list should be enforced only for
the most egregious of cases.
1. no-fly list (noun) a list of passengers who prohibited from traveling on flight for their
unruly behaviour.
2. unruly (adjective) disorderly, rowdy/wild, undisciplined.
3. gravity (noun) seriousness, importance, significance.
4. stringent (adjective) strict, firm, tough/rigorous.
5. quantum (noun) amount, proportion/quantity; portion/division.
6. aggrieved (adjective) resentful, distressed/disturbed, angry.
7. appellate (adjective) (of a court) dealing with cases on appeal to review the decision of a
lower court.
8. bound (verb) limit, restrict, confine.
9. graver (adjective) (comparative form of grave) more serious/important/critical.
10. entitlement (noun) privilege, right, licence/grant.
11. rage (noun) fury, violent anger, temper.
12. grudging (adjective) reluctant, unwilling, disinclined.
13. as the last resort (phrase) a final course of action when all else has failed.
14. deterrent (adjective) relating to something which is aimed/intended to deter
(stop/prevent) something else.
15. egregious (adjective) extremely bad; shocking.
16. hold out (phrasal verb) resist, withstand; survive (in tough circumstances).
17. evade (verb) elude, avoid/dodge, escape.
18. shake-out (noun) a disturbance/turbulence in fundamental reorganisation of an industry.
19. angst (noun) anxiety, fear, apprehension.
Spanish steps: on the Catalan secession

referendum
Madrid will have to calibrate its reaction to the Catalan secession

referendum
The long-standing conflict in Spain over independence for Catalonia has
escalated into a full-blown political crisis. The legislature of Spains north-
eastern region last week passed a law to back the October 1 vote for
secession, consistent with the narrow electoral mandate it received on a
promise of self-determination. Under its terms, a declaration of independence
would follow within hours of the announcement of a yes vote, no matter
how low the turnout. In turn, the Spanish constitutional court, which had until
now cautioned that a plebiscite would be unconstitutional, has swiftly
declared the law illegal. A political confrontation is thus imminent, whatever
the outcome of the referendum. The conservative government of Prime
Minister Mariano Rajoy had so far merely threatened to invoke Article 155,
which confers extraordinary powers on Madrid, with a view to preventing the
referendum. It is now gearing itself to suspend self-governance in the
province, an approach that could raise awkward questions in a European
democracy. In June, Mr. Rajoy had warned of dire consequences if authorities
in Catalonia utilised regional development funding for expenditure connected
with the plebiscite. But the separatists hope that Madrids hardline stance will
further stoke a defiant sentiment against the national government. Such
consolidation is critical for them since their support base has reportedly
shrunk since the years of the Spanish credit crisis earlier in the decade,
despite the enthusiasm for a vote on secession.
Although the constitutional court has invalidated the plebiscite, the prospects
for the conduct of the poll appear more realistic, whatever its legal and
political implications. Conversely, the confiscation of ballot boxes by the
police, or their refusal to allow polling booths to be opened, seem to be more
a theoretical possibility given the broader regional context. The European
Union would undoubtedly distance itself from any secessionist demand in
Spain; it was careful not to offer a carte blanche to Scotland on membership
in the bloc during its 2014 independence referendum. It may nevertheless
cause Brussels some embarrassment to remain silent on any overt obstruction
of a popular vote by Madrid, especially as it has come out strongly against
attacks on democratic freedoms in Hungary and Poland. A more likely
scenario is that the Catalonian referendum would be treated as an informal
exercise. The roots of the separatist conflict in this relatively affluent area are
linked to a tribunals overturning of a statute for greater regional autonomy,
as well as an effort to apportion the blame for the austerity of the eurozone
debt crisis to Madrid. With some imagination, it should not be hard to tap into
the currently improved economic prospects for Madrid to strike strategic
compromises with Barcelona. Such a conciliatory stance is imperative
considering the risk of a populist upsurge in a region where separatism
remains a live issue.
1. Catalan (adjective) relating to Catalonia, its people, or its language.

2. secession (noun) the withdrawal of a group from a larger federation/organisation, from a
political state.
3. referendum (noun) public vote; a direct vote in which people cast ballots to decide on a
specific issue or policy (Courtesy: VOA Learning English).
4. calibrate (verb) carefully assess/modify/regulate.
5. escalate (verb) accelerate, increase/intensify, make serious.
6. full-blown (adjective) fully developed, complete, thorough/entire.
7. back (verb) support, endorse, sanction.
8. plebiscite (noun) vote, referendum, poll.
9. swiftly (adverb) quickly, rapidly, fast.
10. imminent (adjective) impending, approaching, about to happen.
11. invoke (verb) call for, cite/appeal to, adduce.
12. confer (verb) grant to, give to, bestow on.
13. gear (verb) prepare, get ready.
14. dire (adjective) terrible, dreadful, bad.
15. hardline (adjective) uncompromising, strict/tough, inflexible.
16. stoke (verb) (of emotional activity/tendency) encourage, incite, increase.
17. defiant (adjective) uncooperative/non-compliant, confrontational, challenging.
18. consolidation (noun) the process of strengthening something or the act of making
something stronger.
19. shrink (verb) get smaller, lessen, reduce.
20. implication (noun) consequence, result, ramification/repercussion.
21. confiscation (noun) seizure, taking away, appropriation.
22. conversely (adverb) inversely, the other way round, oppositely/reciprocally.
23. carte blanche (noun) (French word) freedom, scope, leeway.
24. bloc (noun) alliance, association, coalition.
25. nevertheless (adverb) in spite of that, however, notwithstanding.
26. overt (adjective) clear, apparent, noticeable.
27. affluent (adjective) wealthy, rich, well to do.
28. overturn (verb) cancel, reverse, repeal.
29. statute (noun) law, regulation, enactment/act.
30. apportion (verb) share out, divide out, allocate/distribute.
31. Austerity (noun) difficult economic crisis/financial distress, privation; severity.
32. eurozone crisis (noun) a multi-year debt crisis that has been taking place in
the European Union since the end of 2009. (Courtesy: Wikipedia).
33. tap (into) (verb) draw on/exploit, make use of/utilize.
34. conciliatory (adjective) propitiatory, appeasing, pacifying/peacemaking.
36. populist (adjective) related to politicians who claim that they are representing the
common/ordinary people.
37. upsurge (noun) growth, sudden increase, rise.
Search for quality: on credit rating agencies

SEBIs proposed rules may not necessarily improve the quality of

credit rating services
Credit rating agencies may be in for a tough ride as the Securities and
Exchange Board of India continues to tighten the screws on them. The market
regulator has released a consultation paper seeking feedback on a new set of
rules drafted to improve market efficiency and enhance the governance,
accountability and functioning of credit rating agencies. Among them are
provisions to restrict cross-shareholding between rating agencies without
regulatory approval to 10%, and increase the minimum net worth requirement
for existing and new agencies from 5 crore to 50 crore. Another mandates
at least five years experience for promoters of rating agencies. SEBI has
proposed disclosure norms to improve investor awareness about the
operations of rating agencies. The spin-off of non-core operations of rating
agencies will allow SEBI to focus on regulating just their credit rating
operations. SEBI has spelt out its rationale for proposing each of the rules.
SEBIs predominant concern, apart from improving the information available
to investors, seems to be to prevent rating agencies from resorting to collusion
in reaching decisions. This effort is in line with SEBIs crackdown on the
agencies after the default in 2015 of a highly-rated debt issued by Amtek
Auto.
The new rules, if they come into force, may not have any substantial impact
on the quality of credit rating in India. Prima facie, the intended effects of the
rules sound convincing. What is unclear are their unintended effects on
competition in the rating space. Also, how the rules will address the problem
of rating shopping that plagues the business of credit rating in the country is
unknown. The present business model of rating agencies is seen to allow
considerable room for issuers of securities to shop for a favourable rating or
avoid negative ratings by severing their ties with these agencies. Prudential
regulation is thus justified to tackle this problem. This criticism, however,
ignores the reputational damage these agencies suffer after each corporate
default. Repeated failures have not affected the business of rating agencies,
primarily due to the lack of alternative service providers who can help out
investors. Individual creditors have thus had to trust the ratings of the existing
rating agencies at their own peril, even after repeated crises. As is well-known
today, the Indian credit rating market is an oligopolistic one due to the high
barriers to entry. SEBIs proposed move to impose further quality
requirements on rating agencies is unlikely to change things for the better, or
raise further barriers. The way forward lies in making it easier for new players
to enter the credit rating space and compete against incumbents. This will go
a long way towards making credit rating agencies actually serve creditors
rather than borrowers.
1. provision (noun) term, clause; condition.
2. spin-off (noun) outcome, result, by-product.
3. spell out (phrasal verb) explain, make clear, elucidate/clarify.
5. predominant (adjective) primary, main, most important.
6. resort (verb) use, utilize, employ.
7. collusion (noun) conspiracy, complicity, collaboration.
9. default (noun) non-payment, failure to pay.
10. prima facie (adverb/adjective) something (first impression) considered as right until
proved.
11. plague (verb) afflict, torment, trouble.
12. sever (verb) break off, discontinue, suspend.
13. prudential (adjective) showing care and forethought, especially in business.
14. peril (noun) risks/difficulties (of a particular activity).
15. oligopolistic (adjective) the market condition that exists when there are only a few sellers.
16. incumbent (noun) a person who is in office and holds power; functionary, official.
Nowhere people: the Rohingya crisis

The Rohingya are a stateless people; India must factor this in

when dealing with them
India took extraordinary care to stay on Myanmars right side this week by
resisting any show of sympathy to the Rohingya people. On his first bilateral
visit to the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he shared the
Myanmar governments concerns about extremist violence in Rakhine
state, which has seen unprecedented violence over the past fortnight.
Meanwhile, at the World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development,
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan abstained from the Bali
Declaration because of a reference to violence in Rakhine state. New Delhi
has traditionally been wary of internationalising the internal affairs of its
neighbours; on Myanmar, it has concerns about keeping the country from
spinning back into the Chinese orbit. But India must adopt a humane position
when dealing with a refugee population that is stateless and has no place to
call home. This week, when the matter of Rohingya refugees now in India
came up for hearing in the Supreme Court, government counsel refused to
guarantee they would not be deported. This was in line with the governments
indication to Parliament last month that all illegal immigrants, including the
Rohingya, who number around 40,000, will be deported. The insensitivity of
this plan is exposed by the unfolding crisis in Rakhine, where the Rohingya
people had been living for generations.
The Rohingya have been fleeing, mostly on rickety boats, for years now. But
this exodus has picked up pace since August 25, when an attack on police
posts by an extremist Rohingya group invited sustained reprisal from the
army and local Buddhist mobs. The UN estimates that about 270,000 people,
more than a quarter of the entire Muslim Rohingya population in Rakhine,
have fled since then, mostly to Bangladesh. The Rohingya have been the
ultimate nowhere people since 1982, when a Burmese law rendered them
stateless, with the government arguing that they are Bengali. Violence has
targeted them in phases, most notably beginning in 2012 when inter-religious
conflict forced them out in the thousands. In 2014, the Burmese census
refused to enumerate the Rohingya, giving them only the option to identify
themselves as Bengali. It is an irony that the period of Myanmars transition
to democracy, that too on Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyis
watch, has coincided with the most heartless alienation of the Rohingya. A
UN report has called them victims of crimes against humanity, while
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has referred to the violence as ethnic
cleansing. This backdrop should worry Delhi, not just because its official
stance is casting it on the wrong side of the humane position, but also because
its deportation plans are perceived as being drawn by the sectarian pulls of
domestic politics. And as a regional power, India must answer the question: if
it is driving out a stateless people, where does it hope to send them?
1. unprecedented (adjective) not done or experienced before.
2. fortnight (noun) a period of two weeks.
3. abstain (verb) refrain, desist, hold back.
4. wary (adjective) cautious, careful; doubtful.
5. humane (adjective) compassionate, kind-hearted, civilised.
6. deport (verb) expel, banish, exile.
7. unfold (verb) happen, take place, occur.
8. flee (verb) run, run away, leave/escape.
9. rickety (adjective) shaky, unsteady, unsafe/broken-down.
10. exodus (noun) mass departure, evacuation, leaving.
11. sustained (adjective) continuous, uninterrupted, non stop.
12. reprisal (noun) retaliation, counterattack; revenge/retribution.
13. enumerate (verb) calculate, compute, count.
14. irony (noun) paradox, incongruity, peculiarity.
15. alienation (noun) isolation, detachment, estrangement/separation.
16. sectarian (adjective) denoting a sect (group of people).
Episodic justice: on the Mumbai blasts
sentencing
There can be no closure for Mumbai blasts victims as long as

Dawood is out of laws reach
The serial blasts that rocked Mumbai on March 12, 1993, occupy a special
place in the history of terrorism in India. Planned abroad and executed with
chilling precision in a dozen chosen spots, the crime altered the countrys
understanding and perceptions of security; it inflicted near-permanent damage
to inter-community relations in society; and more importantly, it warranted
resolute action to render justice to the 257 people who died and over 700
people injured in the blasts. But then, justice in India is slow and episodic.
More so when it involves the logistical challenge of trying a large number of
suspects and apprehending conspirators living abroad. The trial that began
with the accused available at that time took about 14 years to end, with a
hundred suspects being convicted. One of them was hanged in 2015, while 28
are serving life terms. With Abu Salem being extradited from Portugal in
2005 and a few others subsequently arrested, a second trial began in 2007.
This week two more have been sentenced to hang, subject to the Supreme
Courts confirmation, and two sentenced to spend their life in jail. One has
been acquitted, another given a 10-year term, while a third, a key conspirator,
died a few days after being found guilty in June. Few would disagree when
the trial court says punishment must be proportionate to the depravity and
gravity of the crime and taking a lenient view would weaken the fight against
terrorism. Misgivings, if any, may turn around the fact that the trial took place
under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, which allows
confessions made to senior police officers to be admissible evidence.
The outcome of the second trial has few surprises. With the conditions of his
extradition prohibiting the death penalty, Salem has been handed down a life
sentence despite playing a major role in the conspiracy by facilitating the
transportation of arms and ammunition. In the normal course, the prosecution
would have asked for the death penalty for him too. There seems to be some
controversy over Salem getting a life term, which is for the duration of ones
remaining life, as India had assured Portuguese authorities that he would not
be sentenced to a jail term beyond 25 years. Such a condition is binding on
the executive, and at some stage the government may have to commute the
life term and ensure that his imprisonment does not exceed this limit.
Convictions at the end of the trial in heinous crimes usually leave one with a
sense of satisfaction that the justice process has been successfully completed.
In this case, the end of the trial may mean only a sense of partial closure to
the families of the victims. As long as Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon,
the main brains behind the serial explosions, remain out of the laws reach,
they have a right to expect a third trial.
1. episodic (adjective) intermittent, periodic, uneven/patchy.

2. chilling (adjective) frightening, terrifying, disturbing/horrifying.
3. inflict (verb) impose, force, thrust.
4. warrant (verb) justify, vindicate, validate (a course of action).
5. resolute (adjective) determined, purposeful, unwavering.
6. logistical (adjective) relating to organization and planning.
7. apprehend (verb) arrest, catch, capture.
8. conspirator (noun) conspirer, plotter/schemer, intriguer.
9. extradite (verb) deport, hand over, repatriate/expel.
10. acquit (verb) discharge, release, declare innocent.
11. depravity (noun) perversion, wickedness, immorality.
12. lenient (adjective) merciful, forgiving, kind/humane.
13. misgivings (noun) qualm, doubt, reservation.
14. confession (noun) admission, acknowledgement, revelation.
15. binding on (adjective) compulsory, imperative, statutory (a legal obligation).
16. commute (verb) (a judicial sentence) reduce, lessen, mitigate.
17. conviction (noun) declaration/pronouncement of guilt, sentence, judgement.
18. heinous (adjective) wicked, horrible, terrible.
The next supercycle?

A weakening American dollar stokes a rebound in commodities

prices
Global commodities have witnessed a bull run over the last 12 months,
reviving hopes of the beginning of the next supercycle in commodity prices.
It is too premature to predict massive price inflation, reminiscent of the
commodities boom of the 2000s. But the present rally seems driven more by
easy money than anything else. The current price rise began with the election
of Donald Trump as U.S. President, which led to hopes of increased public
investment in infrastructure projects. Signs of a revival of the global economy
and curbs on production imposed by the Chinese government to tackle
pollution also led speculators to bid up commodities in anticipation of
inadequate supply. Aluminium prices hit a record six-year high last month,
while commodities such as copper, zinc and nickel recorded multi-year highs
recently. Many of these commodities have risen in the range of 30% to 40%
over the last year. It is notable that the end of the previous commodities
supercycle in 2014, followed by a steep fall in prices in the next two years,
coincided with the slowdown in the Chinese economy. Signs of economic
recovery, driven substantially by stimulus investment in Chinese
infrastructure, have thus had a significantly favourable impact on commodity
prices for now. Oil alone has been an outlier to the recent trend, with the U.S.
shale industry having destroyed OPECs strong control over supply. The
recent run-up in commodity prices, however, can only be partially explained
by structural changes in demand and supply.
A vital clue to the rest of the story lies in how commodity prices have
performed vis-a-vis the U.S. dollar. The dollar strengthened in the last quarter
of 2016 even as commodity prices shot up due to market euphoria after the
election of Mr. Trump. This was in direct contrast to the historical
relationship between the dollar and commodity prices, which saw a stronger
dollar associated with weaker commodity prices. The new relationship
between the dollar and commodities continued into the first half of 2017; this
time around, however, the dollar weakened by as much as 5% while
commodity prices dropped in tandem. The earlier market euphoria around a
recovery in commodities demand backed by a stronger economy had died out
pretty fast. In fact, the first half of 2017 turned out to be a particularly ugly
one for commodities with a sharp drop in prices. Consequently, even after the
recent boost in prices, the Bloomberg Commodity Index currently continues
to trade lower year-to-date. The last few months, however, have witnessed a
recovery in the commodity index, along with the historic relationship between
the dollar and commodities being restored. In fact, the U.S. dollar index has
now dropped by almost 10% since the beginning of the year. This might
suggest that the current rally in commodities may be largely driven by a
weakening dollar rather than any substantial change in global economic
outlook.
1. ( commodities) super cycle (noun) it is the longest period in the growth/ rising of
commodity prices in the global economy and financial markets before the prices of many
commodities have also fallen to attractive levels.
2. stoke (verb) (of emotional activity/tendency) encourage, incite, increase.
3. rebound (verb) recover, pick-up, rally (increase in something (value, amount) after a
decline).
4. bull run (noun) a period of time when prices rise on a financial market.
5. revive (verb) reintroduce, re-establish, restore.
6. inflation (noun) increase of price level of goods & services & vice versa decrease of
currency value.
7. reminiscent (adjective) similar to, comparable with, bearing comparison with.
8. curb (noun) limitation, restriction, control.
9. rally (noun) recovery, upturn, improvement (after decline).
10. anticipation (noun) expectation, prediction.
11. steep (adjective) (of a rise or fall in an amount) sharp, sudden, rapid.
12. outlier (noun) it is an observation/data point that is distant/different in value from other
observation/data points.
13. shale industry (noun) an industry of mining and processing of oil shale. shale is a fine-
grained sedimentary rock in which natural gas is trapped underground.
14. run-up (noun) a significant rise in the value of something.
15. vis-a-vis (preposition) in relation to, with regard to.
16. euphoria (noun) elation, excitement, delight/happiness.
17. in tandem (phrase) along side each other.
18. outlook (noun) prospects/expectations, lookout, future.
Vigil on vigilantes: on the Supreme Court's

reminder
The Supreme Courts stern message about checking aggressive

gau rakshaks is welcome
It is a telling commentary on our times that it needs the Supreme Court to
remind those in power that they cannot remain silent while vigilantes take the
law into their own hands in the name of cow protection. Sending out a stern
message that the time has come to end the activities of aggressive gau
rakshaks, the court has asked the States and Union Territories to appoint
nodal police officers in each district to crack down on such mobs. The order
came after the counsel for Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan
offered to appoint such district nodal officers to check vigilante groups and
act promptly whenever offences take place. For over a year now, instances of
groups beating up and even killing persons allegedly suspected of
transporting cattle or bovine meat have become commonplace. The court had
issued notices to the Centre and some States in April on a writ petition that
demanded action against such cow protection groups. In the few months since
then, more incidents of lynching have taken place. Villagers killed two
persons transporting cattle in West Bengal less than two weeks ago. Three
persons were killed in the same State in June after they were accused of cattle
theft. Three persons were beaten up last month in Bihar. In more than one
State, cow protectors have legal recognition as local laws provide immunity
to them if they were acting in good faith. The validity of such provisions in
laws aimed at banning or regulating slaughter of animals and protecting the
cow may be decided in the course of these proceedings.
Curbing cow vigilantism requires an obvious change in the polices approach
to these incidents. In most cases, they register cases against the victims for
slaughter or theft of cattle. Typically, the administration seems eager to
determine if they were engaged in cow slaughter or transportation of bovine
meat than in arresting the culprits involved in murder and violence. A related
question is whether the Centre ought to take recourse to Article 256, which
empowers it to issue directions to the States, to put an end to the activities of
vigilantes, instead of shirking its responsibility on the ground that this is
essentially a law and order issue to be addressed by the States. The Centre can
no more ignore its credibility deficit because of the ruling dispensations
ideological commitment to cow protection. It has to respond meaningfully to
the charge that it is soft on vigilantism and is keen on pushing animal
slaughter rules aimed at making life difficult for those engaged in the cattle
trade for their livelihood. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a few
months agothat killing people in the name of cow worship is unacceptable.
The law and the way it is administered must demonstrate that these are not
empty words.
1. vigilante (noun) a member of the self-appointed group which officially punishing crimes.
2. telling (adjective) striking/strong, significant, important.
3. commentary (noun) explanation, interpretation, analysis.
5. bovine (adjective) cow-like, cattle-like, buffalo-like.
6. lynch (verb) punish/kill by hanging someone for claimed offence without legal trail by the
group of people.
7. immunity (noun) exemption, exception, freedom.
8. curb (verb) restrain, control, repress.
9. ought to (modal verb) must, should.
10. recourse to (verb) resort to, utilize, employ/utilize.
11. shirk (verb) dodge/avoid, run away from; neglect.
12. deficit (noun) shortfall, deficiency, shortage, under-supply.
13. dispensation (noun) system/regime; administration/government.
14. livelihood (noun) income, source of income, means of support.
Mountains of garbage: India's neglected

waste management crisis
Waste management rules continue to be ignored even a year after

they were notified
The collapse of a great wall of garbage in east Delhis Ghazipur area,
sweeping people and vehicles into a nearby canal, is a stark reminder that
Indias neglected waste management crisis can have deadly consequences.
More than a year after the notification of the much-delayed Solid Waste
Management Rules, cities and towns are in no position to comply with its
stipulations, beginning with the segregation of different kinds of waste at
source and their scientific processing. Neither are urban local governments
treating the 62 million tonnes of waste generated annually in the country as a
potential resource. They have left the task of value extraction mostly to the
informal system of garbage collectors and recyclers. Improving on the
national record of collecting only 80% of waste generated and being able to
process just 28% of that quantum, requires behaviour modification among
citizens and institutions. But what is more important is that the municipal
bodies put in place an integrated system to transport and process what has
been segregated at source. The Swachh Bharat programme of the Centre has
focused too narrowly on individual action to keep streets clean, without
concurrent pressure on State and municipal authorities to move closer to
scientific management by the deadline of April 2018 set for most places, and
arrest the spread of pollution from trash.
In the absence of stakeholders at the local body level, recoverable resources
embedded in discarded materials are lost due to dumping. Organic refuse,
which forms about 50% of all garbage, readily lends itself to the generation of
compost or production of methane for household use or power generation.
But it is a major opportunity lost. Organic waste that could help green cities
and feed small and affordable household biogas plants is simply being thrown
away. It is also ironic that while some countries such as Rwanda and Kenya
have introduced stiff penalties for the use of flimsy plastic bags, India is
doing little to prevent them from drifting into suburban garbage mountains,
rivers, lakes and the sea, and being ingested by cattle feeding on dumped
refuse. A new paradigm is needed, in which bulk waste generators take the
lead and city managers show demonstrable change in the way it is processed.
There has to be a shift away from large budgets for collection and transport
by private contractors, to the processing of segregated garbage. As the nodal
body for the implementation of the new rules, the Central Pollution Control
Board should put out periodic assessments of the preparedness of urban local
bodies in the run-up to the deadline. Without a rigorous approach, the national
problem of merely shifting city trash to the suburbs, out of sight of those who
generate it, will fester and choke the landscape. Considering that waste
volumes are officially estimated to grow to 165 million tonnes a year by
2030, many more suburbs are bound to be threatened by collapsing or burning
trash mountains.

2. stipulation (noun) condition, requirement, provision.
3. segregation (noun) separation, setting apart, sorting out.
4. quantum (noun) amount, proportion/quantity; portion/division.
5. concurrent (adjective) simultaneous, coinciding, synchronous.
6. stakeholder (noun) a person with an interest in something.
7. discarded (adjective) disposed, thrown out.
8. refuse (verb) waste, litter, garbage.
9. compost (noun) organic matter, vegetable waste, fertilizer.
10. ironic (adjective) odd, strange, weird.
11. drift (verb) heap up, accumulate, gather.
12. paradigm (noun) model, pattern, example.
13. run-up to (noun) a period/time before an important event.
14. fester (verb) rot, spoil, decay/decompose.
15. choke (verb) prevent, inhibit, curb/restraint/suppress.
Death of an activist: on Gauri Lankesh

Gauri Lankeshs killers must be found; or itll embolden those

who stifle dissent
The murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru has set off
a wave of protests across the country; the chill that has set in is difficult to
miss. It is a fools game right now to hazard guesses about the identity of the
killers, but the manner in which she was brutally murdered raises extremely
worrying questions. Her killers caught her outside her home, alone and with
her guard down as she got out of her car they fired at point-blank range,
hitting her on the chest and the temple. They appear to have fled without even
once getting off their motorbike, leaving no finger or shoe prints, as clean a
murder as can be. This has the hallmark of a professional hit-job, a pre-
meditated assassination. It is the polices remit to identify and nab the killers,
but Lankeshs killing cannot but draw attention to the various constituencies
that she kept on notice. Lankesh, the publisher and editor of the Kannada
weekly Gauri Lankesh Patrike, wore her activism on her sleeve. She came up
against the establishment in multiple ways, as she sought to bring naxalites to
the mainstream, take up the cause of Dalits and farmers, raise consciousness
on the creeping influence of Hindutva groups, give moral support to
progressive campaigns, and basically bear scrutiny on those in power.
Journalism, especially that of Kannadas uniquely tabloid-driven activism,
has suffered a loss, and her death must be intensely mourned. But as in the
cases of Safdar Hashmi decades ago and rationalists M.M. Kalburgi, Govind
Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar in recent years, the high-profile death of an
activist is a notice to society in ways that transcend the individuals specific
life story. It is a confirmation of how formidable are the forces, howsoever
invisible they may be to the arm of the law, that individual activism is up
against. These brutal attacks have the power to potentially scare off others
activists, journalists, complainants from sniffing around too much. Just last
month, the eventual conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhon the charge of
rape was a reminder of the high cost that defenceless individuals pay to bring
the powerful to book in this case, the murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram
Chandra Chhatrapati, in 2002 for first publishing news of the crime. This is
why Lankeshs murderers must be expeditiously traced and punished
another unsolved crime will only embolden those who believe that dissent
and opposition must be met with violence. Her murder has taken place in a
year that India dropped three places in the World Press Freedom Index
compiled by Reporters Without Borders, from an already bleak 133 to 136. It
demands words and also acts of reassurance from the Karnataka and Central
governments.
1. embolden (verb) give courage, make brave, encourage.

2. set off (phrasal verb) cause, prompt, trigger.
3. chill (noun) a sudden and strong feeling of fear.
4. point-blank (adjective) at very close range.
5. temple (noun) the part between the forehead and the ear.
6. hallmark (noun) mark, indication, sure sign.
7. premeditated (adjective) deliberate, pre-planned, intended.
8. assassination (noun) murder, killing.
9. remit (noun) area of responsibility, area of activity, scope.
10. nab (verb) catch, arrest, take into custody.
11. constituency (noun) a group of people with shared (political) interests/opinions.
12. wear ones heart on ones sleeve (phrase) make ones feelings/activities apparent.
13. come up against (phrasal verb) be faced with, confront, encounter.
14. establishment (noun) an influential group; the system, the authorities.
15. creep (verb) increase slowly and steadily.
16. progressive (adjective) continuing, increasing, intensifying.
17. bear on (verb) be relevant to; be a burden on something/someone for
probing/investigating something.
18. tabloid (noun) a newspaper with a compact page (1/2) size smaller than the normal
newspaper.
19. mourn (verb) feel or show sorrow for the death.
20. rationalist (noun) someone who actions based on knowledge & reason rather than on
beliefs & emotions.
21. transcend (verb) go beyond, rise above: surpass/outshine.
22. formidable (adjective) terrifying, intimidating, forbidding.
23. scare (verb) frighten, intimidate, threaten.
24. sniff around (phrasal verb) investigate secretly.
26. expeditiously (adverb) quickly and efficiently.
27. bleak (adjective) unpromising, unfavourable, dismal.
Breaking the bank: on the bid for IPL telecast

rights
The mega bid for IPL media rights further shifts the centre of
gravity towards the BCCI
The Indian Premier League is the high point in the international cricket
calendar. Since 2008 the annual summer staple has dished out gargantuan pay
cheques, nail-biting contests and massive sixes. The player auctions often
witness franchises breaking their respective banks. Despite the initial squeak
of the former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist that he felt like
cattle up for sale to the highest bidder, or the 2013 spot-fixing scandal, the
IPL is here to stay. For a brand which in its formative years Rahul Dravid
succinctly described as a domestic tournament with an international
flavour, the IPL has quadrupled its growth and in the future could perhaps
challenge the International Cricket Councils global events, be it the World
Cup or the World Twenty20. The league features the worlds leading
cricketers, with the unfortunate exception of Pakistani players, and it gained a
further financial fillip this week whenStar India offered 16,347.5 crore to
acquire the media rights for the next five years. It dwarfed the 8,200 crore
Sony paid for the TV rights in the previous 10-year contract. That a
broadcaster is willing to stake so much is confirmation of the traction the IPL
has gained among television audiences, and the lodestone it remains for
corporates and advertisers.
The successful bid also reiterates the plain truth that India is crickets
commercial hub. The trend of staggering money on offer for anything that is
cricket-related in India has been evident over the last few years. The
enormous bids Chinese phone manufacturers Vivo (2,199 crore) and Oppo
(1,079 crore) made for the IPL title sponsorship and the Indian teams
sponsorship, respectively, earlier this year drive home the point. The new
media rights deal will considerably bolster the annual income of the Board of
Control for Cricket in India, 15.4% of which came from the IPL according to
its annual report for 2015-16. The cash flow reinforces the BCCIs
uncontested status as the wealthiest and most powerful governing body in
world cricket. Star Indias winning bid also highlights the rapid growth of the
games shortest version. It translates, approximately, to 54.5 crore a match,
greater than the 43 crore currently paid for an India home international
(Test, ODI and T20I). The club versus country debate will rage again,
specifically when the player auction takes place in February 2018 and the
league runs its course in April and May. Cricketers arent complaining,
though. Tests remain the acme of cricket but with venues largely sporting
empty stands, the five-day game needs its conveyor belt to be oiled by the
commerce that the IPL and by extension the BCCI gifts to the game at large.
More importantly, the confirmation of the commercial and administrative
clout of the BCCI must underline yet again the need to continue the reform
and clean-up of the way cricket is managed in India.
1. break the bank (phrase) cost more than one can afford; cost too much/expensive.
2. staple (noun) main or important item/element.
3. dish out (phrasal verb) distribute, dispense, issue.
4. gargantuan (adjective) enormous, extremely large, huge/massive.
5. squeak (noun) a single remark.
6. succinctly (adverb) in a brief and clearly expressed manner.
7. quadruple (verb) be increased fourfold.
8. fillip (noun) stimulus, boost, impetus.
9. stake (verb) put on, risk, pledge.
10. dwarf (noun) overshadow, outshine, outclass.
11. traction (noun) an idea or a product gains popularity/acceptance.
12. lodestone (noun) a thing that is the focus of attraction.
13. reiterate (verb) repeat, say again, restate.
14. staggering (adjective) astonishing, shocking, surprising.
15. drive home (phrase) draw/focus attention to/on, underline, highlight/emphasis.
16. bolster (verb) strengthen, support, reinforce/fortify.
17. conveyor belt (noun) carrying medium.
18. clout (noun) influence, power, control.
Back on track: on India and China's united

front at BRICS
India and China must address bilateral issues in a sustainable

way, pursuing the BRICS spirit
By putting up a united front at the BRICS summit, and proposing a revival of
the Panchsheel principles of peaceful cooperation, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have signalled they are trying to put
the bitterness of the past few months behind them. The tenor of the meetings
between the two leaders was particularly remarkable given that the long
Doklam military stand-off was resolved just a week ago. In fact, their
agreement that Doklam-like situations must not recur is an indication that
India and China are looking for new mechanisms to strengthen the border
defence agreements that have held in the past. It is also significant that both
countries expressed similar views about resisting economic protectionism of
the kind that the Trump administration in the U.S. has been espousing; the
BRICS countries have together committed to an open and inclusive
multilateral trading system. Another area of welcome consonance was the
North Korean nuclear tests. All five countries, Brazil, Russia and South
Africa being the other three, condemned them unequivocally, while
advocating dialogue and not the use of force. The messaging that emanated
from both the Indian and Chinese delegations at Xiamen smoothed the
interactions between Mr. Modi and Mr. Xi, and allowed for a productive
BRICS declaration that belied fears that bilateral tensions would overtake
multilateral concerns. The governments determination to hush any
triumphalism over the Doklam outcome certainly helped. Chinas nod to the
inclusion of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed among the
terrorist groups threatening regional stability, and its choosing not to speak of
the contentious Belt and Road Initiative at the summit suggested it was
heeding Indias concerns.
With the BRICS meet concluded, it is doubly important that Indian and
Chinese officials re-engage in a sustained manner to address all areas of
discord which led to the charged situation at Doklam. They must, for starters,
review where the border defence standard operating procedures failed.
Second, the two countries must convene the delayed meeting of the Special
Representatives, and add the latest claims and counter-claims over the Sikkim
boundary and the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction to the agenda for
discussions. It is necessary to see that the much-acclaimed BRICS language
on terrorist groups like the LeT and JeM is translated into actionable points as
a show of good faith. Beijing will have an early opportunity to do so in
October when the issue of designating JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global
terrorist comes up at the UN Security Council and when the UNs Financial
Action Task Force takes stock of Pakistans actions against the LeT. It is
imperative that the gains of the BRICS summit in terms of the India-China
bilateral atmospherics are optimised.
1. pursue (verb) undertake, prosecute, follow.
2. put up (phrasal verb) build, set up; propose/present.
3. revival (noun) improvement, betterment; re-establishment.
4. tenor (noun) the general meaning, content, character of something.
5. stand-off (noun) deadlock, stalemate, impasse (in a dispute/conflict).
6. recur (verb) happen again, occur again, repeat.
7. espouse (verb) adopt, embrace; support/endorse.
8. multilateral (adjective) involving many different countries or groups.
9. consonance (noun) agreement, concord, accordance.
10. unequivocally (adverb) unambiguously, without any doubt, clearly/explicitly.
12. emanate (verb) come out, arise; originate from.
13. belie (verb) contradict, prove to be false, falsify.
14. hush (verb) silence, quieten, stop talking.
15. triumphalism (noun) an attitude or a belief that a particular doctrine, religion, culture,
social system is superior to and should triumph all over others.
16. nod (noun) gesture, signal/cue, acknowledgement.
17. contentious (adjective) controversial, debatable, disputed.
19. discord (noun) strife, conflict, hostility.
21. atmospherics (noun) actions aimed to create a particular atmosphere/situation.
Down but not out: on the failed PSLV launch

attempt
The failed PSLV attempt to launch a navigation satellite is

unlikely to affect future missions
After 39 consecutive successful launches, the Indian Space Research
Organisation had almost made it appear that launching satellites was indeed
childs play when it used its workhorse rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle. But the PSLV, which has been placing satellites in their respective
orbits for the past 24 years, faced a setback on August 31. The PSLV-C39
rocket carrying the eighth satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite
System (IRNSS) had a normal lift-off and flight events but ended in an
unsuccessful mission. The heat-shield failed to separate, resulting in the
satellite separation occurring within the shield. This is just the second
instance when the PSLV has had an unsuccessful mission in all of its 41
launches; the first setback was back in 1993. Over the years, the PSLV has
played a pivotal role in ISROs programme, and this February it set a world
record by launching 104 satellites in one go. With such an enviable track
record, the failure of the mission this time almost comes as a surprise. This is
especially so as the lift-off and the stage separation of the first and second
stages, which are the most challenging parts of the mission, went off
smoothly. In comparison, the heat-shield separation is a relatively minor
operation which takes place once the rocket crosses an altitude of 100-110
km, and the temperature in the absence of the heat-shield will no longer
damage the satellite. The failed mission serves as a reminder that utmost care
and scrutiny are required before every single launch. While scientists are
working to identify the cause of the anomaly in the heat-shield separation
event, the failed mission should have no impact on future launches involving
the vehicle.
The failure of the mission is particularly disheartening as the IRNSS-1H
satellite was jointly assembled and tested by ISRO and a Bengaluru-based
private company, the first time a single private company, rather than a
consortium, was involved in building a satellite. The satellite was in no way
to blame for the failure of the mission. The space organisation has thrown
open its doors to private companies to build as many as 18 spacecraft a year
beginning mid or end-2018. The IRNSS-1H satellite was launched as a
replacement for the IRNSS-1A satellite, which became inoperational in terms
of surveillance following the failure of all three atomic clocks. As only six of
the seven satellites are operational, there are gaps in the navigation data sent
by the IRNSS. With the failure of this mission, India will have to wait for
some more time before the next mission to send a replacement for the IRNSS-
1A satellite is ready. The IRNSS was created so that the country would not
need to rely on American-based GPS data the encrypted, accurate
positioning and navigation information provided by the system will make
Indian military operations self-reliant.
1. childs play (phrase) easily accomplished task/work.

2. workhorse (noun) a machine which works dependably for a long period of time.
4. lift-off (noun) a vertical take off (of a rocket/helicopter/spacecraft).
5. heat shield (noun) heat-dissipating materials on the surface of a spacecraft that can be
sacrificed vaporized) during re-entry into earths atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.
6. pivotal (adjective) central, crucial, vital/critical.
7. enviable (adjective) excellent, attractive, admirable.
8. altitude (noun) height, elevation, distance above the ground/sea.
9. utmost (adjective) greatest, maximum, most extreme.
10. scrutiny (noun) observation, examination, inspection/surveillance.
11. anomaly (noun) abnormality/irregularity, oddity, deviation.
12. disheartening (adjective) disappointed, discouraged, saddened.
13. consortium (noun) union, league, syndicate/corporation.
14. throw open (phrasal verb) make something accessible.
15. atomic clocks (noun) the most accurate clocks in the world.
16. rely on (verb) depend on; resort to.
17. encrypt (verb) convert data/information into code; encode.
18. self-reliant (adjective) self-sufficient, self-supporting, self-sustaining.
Sabre-rattling: on the crisis in the Korean
peninsula
Direct talks are the only way out to de-escalate the crisis in the
Korean peninsula
North Koreas adventurism continues unabated. On Sunday, it tested what it
claims was a hydrogen bomb, its sixth nuclear weapons test, cocking a
snook at non-proliferation and international test ban laws, as well as at U.S.
President Donald Trump. Even as the tests drew global condemnation, this
was clearly a response to Mr. Trumps sabre-rattling rhetoric claiming that
the U.S. would rain fire and fury over the country and implying that its
nuclear weapons were locked and loaded to respond to any threat from
North Korea. Mr. Trumps response to Sundays development was to ratchet
up threats, besides calling out U.S. ally South Korea for appeasement and
threatening to cut trade ties with countries that conduct any form of business
with the North Koreans. Clearly the tough talk is not working it is only
pushing North Koreas totalitarian regime to take even more provocative
steps in a quest to attain the status of a de facto nuclear power. In response to
the exacerbated tensions in the region, South Korea and Japan have
significantly enhanced their defence capabilities, including spending on
missile defence. South Koreas new President Moon Jae-in, who is in favour
of talks, has now accepted the U.S.s missile defence system, THAAD, which
is opposed locally by many South Koreans.
North Korea relies on increasing militarisation and show of missile and
nuclear prowess for various reasons. Part of its ploy is to convince its
impoverished and isolated citizenry of the need for the country to attain
military parity in light of the presence of the U.S. military shield in South
Korea and Japan. Another part of it is to justify the years of the Kim family
rule, as these tests add to the myth of strong leadership by its 33-year-old,
third-generation dictator, Kim Jong-un. The unpalatable prospect of the
escalation of a possible military conflict into a nuclear war is also a way to
stave off any external intervention against the dictatorship, the likes of which
were seen in Iraq and Libya. Mr. Trumps latest Twitter threat against nations
doing business with North Korea is clearly targeted at China, the only regime
with some degree of influence though it is not clear exactly how much
over the North Korean regime. The Chinese, however, seem to be willing to
live with a nuclear North Korea as opposed to applying drastic trade sanctions
that could lead to a crippled economy and a refugee crisis besides other
unpredictable responses by a beleaguered regime. In light of all this, it is
important to de-escalate the conflict by having direct talks involving the U.S.,
China, South Korea and North Korea. Multilateral talks are, in fact, by far the
best option, given the trigger- and Twitter-happy supreme leaders in
Pyongyang and in Washington DC.
1. sabre-rattling (noun) the display of military force; aggressive/belligerent, warmongering.

2. de-escalate (verb) reduce, diminish, decrease.
3. adventurism (noun) the inclination/readiness to take risks in business or politics.
4. unabated (adjective) persistent, non-stop, unending.
5. cock a snook (phrase) showing contempt/lack of respect for someone.
6. non-proliferation (noun) the action of stopping something (particularly of nuclear
weapons by the countries).
7. rhetoric (noun) heroics, hyperbole/extravagant language.
8. fury (noun) rage, anger, wrath.
9. imply (verb) suggest, hint, say indirectly.
10. ratchet up (verb) to increase something by a series of small amounts.
11. call out (phrasal verb) summon, order or advise.
12. appeasement (noun) conciliation, pacification, reconciliation.
13. totalitarian (adjective) authoritarian, autocratic, dictatorial/one-party.
14. provocative (adjective) annoying, provoking, inflaming/arousing.
15. quest (noun) search, pursuit.
16. de facto (adjective) Latin word; actual, real, effective.
17. exacerbate (verb) aggravate, make worse/worsen.
18. prowess (noun) courage, bravery, boldness/audacity.
19. ploy (noun) a cunning plan, course of action, tactic.
20. citizenry (noun) all the people/citizens (of a place/country considered as a whole).
21. parity (noun) equality, unity, evenness.
22. in (the) light of (phrase) taking into consideration/account, keeping in mind, in view of.
23. unpalatable (adjective) uninviting, unappealing, unsavoury.
24. prospect (noun) probability, odds, chance.
25. escalation (noun) rapid increase, rise; intensification.
26. stave off (verb) avert, prevent, avoid (something dangerous or from serious situations).
27. sanctions (noun) action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international
laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that
country, etc (Courtesy: VOA Learning English).
28. crippled (adjective) severely damaged.
29. beleaguered (adjective) troubled, hard-pressed, under-stressed.
30. multilateral (adjective) involving many different countries or groups.
Back to the ballot: on the annulled Kenyan

presidential vote
With the Kenyan presidential vote annulled, the election body

must fix processes quickly
The Kenyan Supreme Courts annulment of the presidential vote is a bitter-
sweet victory for an ethnically divided country exasperated by the brutal
violence that has marred successive polls. Fridays decision is a challenge to
the election commission, which needs to repair its tarnished reputation. It is
also a challenge to the political parties, which need to find a dignified way of
settling election disputes. President Uhuru Kenyattas opponent, Raila
Odinga, a three-time contender, alleged that the integrity of the polls was
compromised during the cumbersome data transformation process, from
ballot boxes to computers. The violence that followed the declaration of the
results exacerbated tribal divisions, and left at least 20 people dead. It was not
of the order of the post-poll violence in 2007, when more than 1,000 people
were killed and for which several politicians faced trial at the International
Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity. The 2013 campaign, held
under a new constitution, was equally chaotic and controversial and the final
verdict was challenged by Mr. Odinga. Despite an overhaul of the poll
mechanism, this year there was increased scepticism over the prospects for
free and fair polls following the murder of a top official from the electoral
body. Given the absence of the institutional prerequisites of a functioning
modern democracy, there is the real danger of a steady erosion of popular
legitimacy for any form of representative government. But there is a positive
dimension to Kenyan politics. Governments have deferred to the principle of
periodic renewal of the popular mandate ever since the country returned to
multi-party democracy in the 1990s. This is in stark contrast to the practice in
some African nations where incumbents resort to constitutional fiat to stay in
office almost indefinitely.
For all these reasons, the Kenyan courts decision for a repeat election
appeals to common sense, despite its characterisation by some as relatively
peaceful. The rerun, to be held within 60 days, is of course bound to raise
genuine doubts about the efficacy of the electoral mechanism to undertake
another mammoth and expensive operation, with no guarantee of a clear
result. Mr. Odingas supporters are naturally enthused about another chance at
the hustings; but there would be few takers for any more outcries of foul play,
whatever the outcome. In an assertion of judicial independence, the court has
taken a calculated gamble on the countrys democratic future. Politics should
commensurately evolve to a level of accountability where the habit of
exploiting traditional loyalties gives way to respect for human rights and
observance of the rule of law. Kenya is in the midst of a prolonged drought,
and many face the risk of starvation. Kenyans need, above all, a stable
government committed to mitigating their sufferings.
1. annul (verb) nullify, invalidate, cancel.

2. bittersweet (adjective) pleasure/joy mixed with little sadness/pain.
3. exasperate (verb) incense, annoy, irritate.
4. mar (verb) spoil, ruin, impair/damage.
5. tarnish (verb) spoil, ruin, damage.
6. compromise (verb) undermine, weaken, damage.
7. cumbersome (adjective) complicated, complex; awkward/hard to deal with.
8. exacerbate (verb) aggravate, make worse/worsen.
9. chaotic (adjective) messy, confused, in disorder/disorganized.
10. overhaul (noun) a thorough examination, revamp, recondition.
11. scepticism (noun) doubt, doubtfulness, lack of conviction.
12. prospects (noun) chances, opportunities, expectations.
13. prerequisite (noun) necessary condition, essential, requirement.
14. defer (verb) postpone, put off, delay.
16. incumbent (noun) a person who is in office and holds power; functionary, official.
17. resort to (verb) use, utilize, employ.
18. fiat (noun) order, decree, ordinance.
20. efficacy (noun) effectiveness, efficiency, power/ability to give estimated results.
21. undertake (verb) -tackle/manage; guarantee, affirm.
22. enthuse (verb) motivate, excite, arouse.
23. hustings (noun) the political campaigns and speeches before an election.
24. outcry (noun) protest, complaints, clamour.
25. foul play (noun) crime/violence; unfair or dishonest actions.
26. assertion (noun) affirmation, declaration, statement.
27. commensurately (adverb) appropriately, relatively, proportionately.
28. evolve (verb) develop, progress, advance.
29. give way (phrase) be replaced with; be superseded by.
30. midst (preposition) in the middle of.
31. prolonged (adjective) continuous, ongoing, persistent/protracted.
32. drought (noun) dry spell/period, lack of rain, shortage of water.
33. starvation (noun) extreme hunger, lack of food, famine.
34. mitigate (verb) alleviate, reduce, lessen.
Perform or perish: on the Cabinet reshuffle

Cabinet reshuffle that was unusually free from political

considerations
For a change, performance, and not political expedience, seems to have
dictated the nature and extent of the shuffle in the Council of Ministers. A
few of the poor performers have been shown the door, notably Ministers of
State Bandaru Dattatreya and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, and some of the better
performers among the Ministers of State have been elevated to Cabinet rank,
including Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal and Dharmendra Pradhan.
Kalraj Mishra probably lost out because of the age factor, an indication that
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is serious about the 75-year-rule. Four of the
entrants are former civil servants, and two of them, Hardeep Singh Puri
and Alphons Kannanthanam, are not even MPs. As Ministers with
independent charge, their mandate will be to single-mindedly focus on results
without having to worry about nurturing a constituency or reporting to a
career politician. After her eventful stint in the Commerce Ministry, Ms.
Sitharaman was rewarded with the Defence Ministry, making her only the
second woman after Indira Gandhi to hold the portfolio. But the choices are
also an indication of the small talent pool before Mr. Modi. At the time he
was sworn in, he included in his team Arun Jaitley and Smriti Irani despite
their having lost in the Lok Sabha election. Manohar Parrikar was asked to
resign as Chief Minister of Goa to assume responsibility as Defence Minister,
only to be sent back after the BJP all but lost Goa in the Assembly election
this year. V.K. Singh, a former Army Chief who joined the BJP just before he
was given the party ticket, was made Minister of State for External Affairs.
Suresh Prabhu, who was sidelined in the Shiv Sena, was persuaded to join the
BJP and given the important portfolio of Railways. And now, despite his offer
to resign after a series of rail accidents, he was asked to wait and then made
Minister for Commerce and Industry.
Of course, it will be far from the truth to say that nothing but performance has
mattered. Ms. Irani, who was moved out of the Human Resource
Development Ministry after a string of controversies, retains the key
Information and Broadcasting portfolio. Uma Bharti was divested of her pet
portfolio of River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation but got Drinking
Water and Sanitation instead. The mercurial Ms. Bharti would have been a
difficult person to keep out, and the change of portfolios is a political
compromise. However, by choosing to ignore the claims of the BJPs allies,
and by making no attempt to correct imbalances in regional representation,
Mr. Modi succeeded in creating the impression that he had nothing in mind
other than picking the best person for each job. In neglecting political claims
he actually sent the political signal he wanted to: that he is his own man and
that he will have the team he wants.
1. perish (verb) disappear, vanish, fade.
2. reshuffle (noun) reorganization, rearrangement, upheaval/change.
3. expedience (noun) measure, tactic, method.
4. show the door (phrase) dismiss, remove, expel.
5. entrant (noun) new member, beginner, newcomer.
6. nurture (verb) encourage, promote, foster/raise.
7. stint (noun) time, term, session/spell.
8. portfolio (noun) the position/duties of a minister/secretary of state.
9. swear in (phrase) admit someone to a particular office (after taking oath).
10. persuade (verb) convince, influence, prompt.
11. string of (noun) series, succession, chain.
12. divest (verb) deprive, strip, dispossess/relieve of (power).
13. mercurial (adjective) unpredictable, volatile/moody, changeable.
14. compromise (noun) agreement, understanding, settlement.
15. imbalance (noun) disparity, lack of harmony, unevenness.
A blind eye: on Rohingya issue
Myanmars refusal to address the Rohingya issue diminishes its

democratic transition
The continuing failure of the Myanmar government to act decisively and
urgently to protect civilians from the raging crossfire between the security
forces and insurgents is shocking. The recent clashes in the western State of
Rakhine have claimed over 70 lives and forced thousands of Rohingya to flee
across the border into Bangladesh, in a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian
crisis. Most of the victims are women and children, according to the UNs
International Organisation for Migration, which has called for additional aid
to cope with Dhakas refugee situation. The latest flare-up began last Friday
when militants suspected to be from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army
attacked military and police outposts. That should have served as a caution
against an excessive counter-insurgency operation, a real possibility given the
history of systematic persecution of the Muslim minorities in Rakhine. The
military crackdown that followed has been widely condemned as
disproportionate and the government accused of being an onlooker. The UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights has even rebuked Aung San Suu Kyis
office for what he described as irresponsible statements that could disrupt aid
and relief activity. Ms. Suu Kyi is not just the foreign minister; as a Nobel
peace prize winner she has also failed to exert any moral pressure to secure
humane treatment and humanitarian assistance for the systematically
persecuted Rohingya. She has rightly come under criticism for her continued
silence over the army brutalities.
In fact, the UN agencys report in February, based on a study of the military
crackdown, had described the slaughter of thousands and displacement of
even larger numbers as crimes against humanity. But the reactions of the
radical Buddhist nationalists, who have traditionally resisted recognition of
the Rohingya as citizens of Myanmar, have been predictable. They have
demanded even tougher action from the government in the wake of the terror
unleashed over the past week, and rubbished the findings of the officially
appointed Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, headed by former UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan. The Myanmar government has an obligation
to act on the recommendations of the Commission, on the guarantee of
citizenship rights to the Rohingya, freedom of movement and enforcement of
the rule of law. It is inconceivable that the countrys yearning for peace and
normal life could be fulfilled in the absence of these minimum prerequisites.
The ruling National League for Democracy, which takes legitimate pride in
its heroic defiance of the military junta, has a largely unfinished agenda on
democratic transition. Enormous powers are vested in the military. The
further consolidation of the hard-won freedoms from dictatorship will remain
an arduous task so long as a large minority of the population is systematically
excluded from the political process.
1. diminish (verb) decrease, lessen, reduce.
2. raging (adjective) stormy, violent, strong, wild.
3. insurgent (noun) agitator, rebel, revolutionary.
4. deteriorate (verb) worsen, get worse, decline.
5. flare-up (noun) eruption, outbreak, outburst.
6. outpost (noun) territory, possession; a small (military) camp.
7. crackdown (noun) clampdown, getting tough/severe measures, suppression.
8. onlooker (noun) eyewitness, witness, observer.
9. rebuke (verb) reproach, disapprove, criticise.
10. exert (verb) apply, employ, exercise.
11. humane (adjective) compassionate, kind-hearted, civilised.
12. persecute (verb) oppress, victimize; trouble.
14. unleash (verb) to allow or cause something (strong/violent) to happen (suddenly).
15. yearning (noun) longing, craving, desire.
16. prerequisite (noun) necessary condition, essential, requirement.
17. defiance (noun) non-compliance, disobedience; resistance.
18. vest in (verb) confer on, grant to, give to.
something stronger.
20. arduous (adjective) difficult, hard/tough, challenging.
Unending slowdown: Indian economy

Momentum must be restored before low inflation and energy
prices reverse direction
Indias economy continues to decelerate with the governments estimatefor
first-quarter gross domestic product pegging growth at a 13-quarter low of
5.7% in April-June. The reasons for the protracted slowdown a slide of
five straight quarters from 9.1% in March 2016 are many and varied. But
there is little doubt that the demonetisation exercise combined with the
uncertainty around the July 1 adoption of the new indirect tax regime served
to significantly dampen economic activity. While the GST-related inventory
deaccumulation that Chief Statistician T.C.A. Anant referred to may well be
reversed in the current quarter as companies across sectors gain comfort with
the new tax regime, it is still doubtful whether demand for industrial output is
going to attain any meaningful strength. The Reserve Bank of India last
month said that its industrial outlook survey had revealed a waning of
optimism in Q2 about demand conditions across parameters and especially on
capacity utilisation, profit margins and employment. A look at the sector-
specific trends shows that manufacturing expansion in gross value added
(GVA) terms has slackened to a near stall at 1.2%. This, from 5.3% in Q4 of
the last fiscal and 10.7% a year earlier, is a far from heartening sign. With
capacity utilisation expected to weaken this quarter, according to the RBI, and
with surveys suggesting that consumer sentiment has deteriorated steadily in
August, the auguries for a demand rebound are far from promising.
While expressing concern about the slower-than-expected expansion, the
Finance Minister has acknowledged that the challenge before the government
now is to work out both policy and investment measures to boost momentum.
One option would be to suspend the fiscal road map for a limited period in
order to pump prime the economy through increased capital spending by the
government. The risks of fiscal loosening are of course manifold, especially
at a juncture when several State governments have either announced or are
contemplating large-scale farm loan waivers, which would push up interest
rates and crowd out fresh lending. Still, there is a thin sliver of a silver lining
in the GDP data. The services sector continues to remain buoyant. Quarterly
GVA across this broad swathe that encompasses trade, hotels, transport,
communication and broadcasting accelerated to 11.1%, from 6.5% in the
fourth quarter, faster than the 8.9% posted in the corresponding period last
year. The civil aviation sector saw passenger traffic soaring by 15.6%, and
construction activity, a provider of jobs, also ticked up by 2%. The Finance
Minister has his task cut out: to find ways to restore momentum before the
tailwinds of low inflation and affordable energy prices start reversing
direction.
1. inflation (noun) increase of price level of goods & services & vice versa decrease of
currency value.
2. decelerate (verb) slow down, reduce speed, slack up.
3. peg at (verb) fix, set/hold down, limit (price, rate and etc at a level).
4. protracted (adjective) very long, prolonged, extended/extensive.
5. slide (noun) fall, drop, decline.
6. dampen (verb) decrease, reduce, lower.
7. inventory (noun) an unsold supply of a product that are stored in a place.
8. wane (verb) decline, decrease, disappear.
9. slacken (verb) decrease, lessen, subside.
10. heartening (adjective) encouraging, boosting, reassuring.
11. deteriorate (verb) worsen, get worse, decline.
12. augury (noun) omen, sign, indication.
13. contemplate (verb) consider, think, look at.
14. crowd out (phrasal verb) oust, overthrow, remove.
15. sliver (noun) a small/thin piece of something.
16. silver lining (phrase) identifying a good thing in a bad situation.
17. buoyant (adjective) booming, strong, growing/developing.
18. swathe (noun) a broad area of something.
19. encompass (verb) include, subsume, incorporate.
20. have ones task cut out (phrase) be faced with a tough task/work.
21. tailwinds (noun) (in business) it describes a situation or condition that will move growth,
revenues, or profits higher. Headwinds is a situations or conditions that make growth
harder/difficult.
Understanding the Chinese mind

Any belief that China has been deterred by Indias firm riposte at
Doklam could be misplaced
Just when the stand-off between India and China over the Doklam
plateauthreatened to go the way of the 1986-1987 Sumdorong Chu incident
(Arunachal Pradesh), the two sides agreed to step back and disengage, thus
avoiding a confrontation. The Indian side has pulled back its personnel and
equipment to the Indian side of the boundary, while China has agreed to make
necessary adjustments and deployment on its part. It is unclear, however,
whether China will patrol the region, which it claims to have been doing
earlier. Road construction will not continue for the present.
Behind the scenes, quiet diplomacy by the two sides, no doubt, led to the
defusing of what could have been a serious crisis. Chinas interest in Doklam
is not of recent origin and has a long history. Those on either side of the
divide currently claiming victory must, hence, pause to think what the future
holds. Jumping to conclusions at this point could amount to missing the
wood for the trees.
Indias actions in Doklam are easy to discern, viz. going to the help of a treaty
partner in its time of need, a decision which incidentally has security
ramifications for India. Chinas reasons are more complex and labyrinthine
but, nevertheless, cannot be easily wished away.
To savour victory without understanding the factors at work would be a
serious mistake. Going into the entire gamut of Sino-Indian relations to try to
decipher what prompted China to moderate its stand after weeks of high
decibel propaganda may not provide all the answers we seek.
To begin with, China and India have a kind of competitive coexistence. While
professing friendship, both sides nurse a mutual suspicion of each other at
times prompting several degrees of alienation. Both countries remain wary of
each others intentions and actions. Yet, and despite the long-time rivalry
between the two countries, we may need to look elsewhere for an explanation.
Understanding the way the Chinese mind works is, hence, important. The
Chinese mind tends to be relational, i.e. dictated by context and relationship,
and its methodology tends to be obtuse. When the Chinese state that they
have halted road building in the disputed Doklam area, while adding that they
may reconsider the decision after taking into account different factors, what
China means is that it is willing to wait to implement its decision, but at a
time of its choosing when an opportunity exists for a settlement suited to its
plans. Little finality can, therefore, be attached to any of Chinas actions.
Conflict avoidance
Any belief, hence, that China has been deterred by Indias firm riposte at
Doklam could be misplaced. Since the China-Vietnam conflict in 1980, China
has avoided getting into any outright conflict. It has preferred attrition a
protracted campaign to secure a relative advantage to forceful intervention.
By stepping back from a confrontation with India over a minor issue at this
time, what it had in mind were two significant events, viz. the BRICS summit
in China in September and the forthcoming 19th Congress of the Chinese
Communist Party. Also, it possibly believes that this would help China dilute
global perceptions about its aggressive designs.
This may not be as far-fetched as it may seem. China is playing for higher
stakes in a globalised world. For instance, on the South China Sea, it has
preferred to employ confidence-building measures to deal with the U.S. while
awaiting a more opportune moment to assert its claims.
China is even seeking more opportunities for cooperation, rather than
confrontation, with the U.S. on trade matters. In the case of the U.S., China
believes that relations between the two are adequately multilayered, providing
scope for mitigating areas of mutual benefit.
The BRICS summit and the 19th Party Congress both have high priority for
China today. Nothing will be permitted to disrupt either event. Extraneous
factors would not be allowed to affect this situation. For President Xi Jinping,
presiding over the BRICS Summit at this juncture will help consolidate his
informal leadership of the group. As the undisputed leader of BRICS, China
believes it can take a signal step towards global leadership.
China is currently seeking to reshape the regional and international order, and
is keen to fine-tune its Great Power diplomacy. It, hence, needs to be seen
as preferring peace over conflict. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a
potent instrument in this direction, but needs a peaceful environment to
succeed. Limited wars or conflicts, even with the possibility of successful
outcomes, would damage Chinas peaceful image globally. Active power
projection could at best provide a pyrrhic victory when the goal China has set
is much higher.
The 19th Party Congress is even more important from President Xis point of
view. It is intended to sustain his legacy and leave his stamp on the Party in
the mould of Chairman Mao. To achieve comprehensive success, he needs
peace to achieve his target. Till then everything else will need to wait.
This is again a delicate moment for China on the economic planes. It needs to
redress the economic imbalance between its coastal regions and the hinterland
States. One stated objective of the BRI is linking these regions with Chinas
land neighbours. Chinas growth rate is actually declining, debt levels are
dangerously high, and labour is getting more expensive. At this moment,
hence, it is more than ever dependent on international trade and global
production chains to sustain higher levels of GDP growth. It can ill-afford to
be seen as a disruptor rather than a pillar of the existing economic global
order. For the present, development, therefore, is the cardinal objective.
The Achilles heel of the Chinese economy is the lack of resources, specially
oil. Oil from the Gulf region is critical for Chinas growth. Peace in Asia is
thus vital to ensure uninterrupted supplies of oil. Uncertainties and
disruptions across the Asian region would hamper Chinas economic
progress.
Apart from this, China also faces several cross-border security challenges, in
addition to unrest in Tibet and Xinjiang. Embarking on military engagement
outside the countrys borders could aggravate Chinas problems. At a time
when China is intent on sustained economic growth at one level, and aspiring
to be a Great Power at another level, this could prove to be a dampener.
For all the above reasons, China currently leans towards the pragmatic when
it comes to relations with countries other than those in its immediate
periphery in East Asia. It is not keen to follow a policy adopted by its new-
found strategic ally viz. Russia which has paid a high cost for its
interventionist policies. China tends to take a longer term view of its future
and, despite the rising crescendo of nationalism in China today, is anxious not
to upset the international political or economic order. For this reason alone, it
would shun a conflict with India in the Doklam area.
Not a status quoist power

China is not a status quoist power, and aspires to be a Great Power. It is well-
positioned to achieve this if it maintains its present course. Any interruption,
by indulging in a conflict with nations small or big, would not only damage
but derail the levels of progress that are essential to achieve this objective.
President Xis China dream seems predicated on this belief. It implies support
for a rule-based international system, linked to Tianxia, in the belief that this
would help China overtake the U.S. as the dominant world power. When
China talks of a new type of Great Power relations it already envisages itself
as Great Power in the making. It is unlikely to do anything to deviate from
this goal.
While this attitude cannot be taken for granted for all time, the current
Chinese leadership seems comfortable in following this prescription. It
appears to believe in the aphorism that the longer you can look back, the
farther you can look forward.
1. riposte (verb) answer/reply/respond, retort, counter.

2. discern (verb) understand, fathom, perceive.
3. viz. (adverb) namely, specifically, in other words.
4. ramifications (noun) consequence, result, issue.
5. labyrinthine (adjective) complicated, intricate, confusing.
6. savour (verb) relish, enjoy,, appreciate.
7. gamut (noun) range, spectrum, scope.
8. decipher (verb) make out, interpret, understand/comprehend.
9. nurse (verb) foster, have (a belief/feeling); encourage/nurture.
10. alienation (noun) isolation, detachment, estrangement/separation.
11. obtuse (adjective) stupid, dull, unintelligent.
12. attrition (noun) wearing away, weakening, debilitation.
14. opportune (adjective) favourable, advantageous, right.
16. extraneous (adjective) irrelevant, immaterial, inappropriate/pointless.
17. pyrrhic (adjective) (of a victory) meaningless, valueless/worthless, useless.
18. redress (verb) remedy/fix, compensate, rectify.
19. hinterland (noun) remote areas of a country away from the coastal areas/the banks of
major rivers.
20. achilles heel (noun) weak spot/point, weakness, vulnerable spot.
21. embark on (verb) begin, start, commence (a course of action).
22. aggravate (verb) worsen, exacerbate, increase.
23. dampener (noun) discontent, complainer, fault-finder.
24. pragmatic (adjective) empirical, realistic/actual, practical.
25. crescendo (noun) peak, top, high point.
26. shun (verb) avoid, evade, reject (through antipathy or caution).
27. status quo (noun) the present situation, the current state, the existing state of affairs. A
supporter of the status quo is called as status quoist.
28. indulge in (verb) involve (in an undesirable action).
30. tianxia (Chinese word) literally meansunder heaven (the concept/belief of the Chinese
empire).
31. envisage (verb) foresee, predict, forecast.
32. aphorism (noun) proverb, maxim/adage; saying.
Shifting goal posts: Demonetisation has

totally failed to curb black money
Its official. Demonetisation has totally failed to curb black money

its professed objective
On November 8, 2016, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to
the nation that 500 and 1,000 currency notes would cease to be legal tender
from midnight, he was unequivocal in asserting that the measure was aimed at
breaking the grip of corruption and black money. Explaining how the shock
move would work, he said: The... notes hoarded by anti-national and anti-
social elements will become just worthless pieces of paper. The premise then
was that a sizeable part of the 15.44 lakh crore of the two high-value
banknotes would remain in the hands of the holders and would not be
tendered back into the banking system due to fear of punitive government
action. There were hints that the windfall gains made from the scrapped
currency notes that couldnt be deposited in banks, estimated at anything
between 3 lakh crore to 5 lakh crore, would be deployed for larger purposes
social welfare schemes and infrastructure projects, for example. This
would be effected with the Reserve Bank of India, which bears the liability to
honour the value of the countrys currency, paying as dividend to the
government the majority, if not all, of its extinguished liabilities. But with the
RBIs annual report, released on August 30, showing that as much as 98.96%
of the demonetised currency had returned to the central bank as of June 30,
the gains in the form of cancelled liability from the note ban have been
piffling.
For the Finance Minister to now claim that the confiscation of money had
not been an objective, and for his Ministry to say that the government had
expected all the SBNs [specified bank notes] to come back to the banking
system to become effectively usable currency, is disingenuous. If that were
indeed the case, the rationale behind the various stop-go announcements that
followed in the wake of the November 8 decision are hard to fathom. For
instance, the RBI circular setting a 5,000 limit on deposits of withdrawn
notes unless done under the governments amnesty scheme, tendered for the
first time or explained otherwise was clearly a measure intended to dissuade
bank customers from returning the demonetised currency. True,
demonetisation has had some beneficial spin-offs such as arguably fostering
greater compliance with the tax laws and reducing the economys reliance on
cash through increased adoption of digital payments. But such gains could
have been achieved by other and less self-defeating ways. As things stand, it
is unclear how many of those who have laundered their black money will be
punished. Despite the large amounts that were deposited in banks post-
demonetisation, it is doubtful whether the Income Tax authorities have the
necessary resources to track down and penalise the corrupt. All in all, the
costs of demonetisation, which has resulted in robbing the country of its
economic momentum, are far greater than the benefits it has bestowed.
1. profess (verb) declare/announce, proclaim/claim, assert.

2. cease (verb) stop, terminate, bring to an end.
3. legal tender (noun) cash, money.
4. unequivocal (adjective) unambiguous, unmistakable, indisputable.
5. hoard (verb) accumulate/amass, store up, stockpile.
6. premise (noun) proposition, assumption, belief/thought.
7. punitive (adjective) disciplinary, corrective; harsh/severe.
8. scrap (verb) abandon, cancel, abolish (a plan/policy).
9. liability (noun) hindrance, burden, inconvenience.
10. windfall (noun) bonanza, a large amount of money received unexpectedly, jackpot.
11. dividend (noun) benefit, advantage, gain.
12. extinguish (verb) cancel, wipe out, remove (debt).
13. liability (noun) financial obligation, debt, indebtedness.
14. piffling (adjective) trivial, insufficient/unimportant; negligible.
15. confiscation (noun) seizure, taking away, appropriation.
16. disingenuous (adjective) dishonest, deceitful, double-dealing.
18. stop-go (adjective) used to explain the plan of first restricting and then encouraging
economic activity and growth.
20. fathom (verb) understand, comprehend, perceive.
21. amnesty scheme (noun) a scheme by which black money holders can declare their black
income and pay income tax only without any penalties.
22. dissuade (verb) discourage, deter, prevent/divert.
23. spin-off (noun) outcome, result, by-product.
24. foster (verb) encourage, promote, support.
25. self-defeating (adjective) futile, pointless.
26. launder (verb) hide the origins of (money obtained illegally) by transferring it through
foreign banks/legal businesses.
27. rob (verb) deprive/strip of someone; deny.
28. bestow (verb) give, present/award, grant.
Ray of hope: bandh suspended in the

Darjeeling hills
With the bandh suspended in the Darjeeling hills, Kolkata must

reciprocate suitably
Almost three months since the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and other hill-based
parties announced an indefinite strike that paralysed Darjeeling and the
adjoining hill areas, they have agreed to suspend the bandh temporarily. The
impasse was broken following a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee, which proved to be more than an ice-breaker. While the
hill parties reiterated the demand for a separate state, Ms. Banerjee kept the
dialogue open, even as she refused the demand, by calling for further talks in
Siliguri on September 12. It is heartening, therefore, that on Thursday the
GJM has withdrawn the bandh until the talks take place. This breakthrough
has come not a day too soon. A degree of solidarity and cooperation among
the residents has mitigated the crisis in the hills, but there is no doubt that
normal life has been severely affected. There are other political
considerations that must bother the GJM. Far from hurting its political
standing, the crisis in the hills has in fact helped the Trinamool Congress
consolidate political support in the rest of West Bengal. It has successfully
managed to tap into a vein of Bengali chauvinism following the unrest,
something that helped it bag the lions share of seats in the recently concluded
municipal polls in the State. With the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government
at the Centre balking at the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state, despite
having sympathised with it in the past, the hill parties must now realise that a
maximalist position will not earn them any dividends notwithstanding the
popular appeal in the Darjeeling hills.
The demand for a separate state has been a longstanding one, a reflection of
some legitimate grievances of the ethnic Gorkha population in the hills. The
statehood option, however, is not going to be easily granted despite the recent
success of a similar demand in Telangana. Geopolitical concerns and the fact
that the district contributes a major chunk to West Bengals revenues will be
factors in considering any federal reorganisation. Previous agitations for
statehood had led to the creation of a semi-autonomous Hill Council, and later
the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in 2011. The lack of substantive
decentralisation of promised powers and a lackadaisical administration
rendered both these institutions the Hill Council and the succeeding GTA
weak. The thaw between the hill parties and the State government should
be used for substantive talks to ensure genuine empowerment of the GTA.
They should address the concerns of both the parties and the people. The
State government must continue to engage with the hill parties and
demonstrate that it is genuine about greater devolution.
1. reciprocate (verb) do the same, return/give back; equal.

2. paralyse (verb) immobilize, bring to a halt, stop.
3. impasse (noun) stalemate, deadlock, stand-off.
4. icebreaker (noun) a thing which reduces uneasiness between people.
5. reiterate (verb) repeat, say again, restate.
6. heartening (adjective) encouraging, boosting, reassuring.
7. solidarity (noun) unanimity, unity, like-mindedness.
9. consolidate (verb) strengthen, secure, reinforce/fortify.
10. tap (verb) use, utilize, make use of.
11. vein (noun) rich source, repository, store/treasury.
12. chauvinism (noun) excessive support, excessive loyalty (for a particular group/cause/sex).
13. unrest (noun) disruption, disorder, trouble.
14. sympathise (verb) agree, support, favour, approve of.
15. maximalist (adjective) denoting an extreme view.
17. notwithstanding (adverb) in spite of, despite, regardless of.
18. grievance (noun) complaint, criticism, objection/protest.
19. ethnic (adjective) ancestral, traditional.
20. chunk (noun) a significant amount of.
22. lackadaisical (adjective) careless, casual, lazy.
23. thaw (noun) an increase in friendliness.
24. devolution (noun) decentralization, delegation, distribution.
BRICS off the wall AUGUST 31, 2017 00:15 IST
How India and China repair ties at the Xiamen summit will
determine the future of BRICS itself
At Copenhagen in 2009, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, then Chinese
Premier Wen Jiabao and other leaders of the newly formed BASIC group
(with Brazil and South Africa) were sitting in a conference room, negotiating
a statement on the failure of the climate change summit. The group of
emerging economies had been bolstered by the formation of the BRIC group
(Brazil, Russia, India and China, South Africa joined in 2010) with a declared
objective of battling Western hegemony. The BASIC group had decided
they would walk away from Copenhagen without a deal, unless the demands
of emerging economies, which couldnt afford the same emission cuts, were
reflected. The scene, as described by Shyam Saran (then Indias chief climate
negotiator) in a new book on Indian foreign policy, turned dramatic: with a
knock on the conference room door, the U.S. team, led by then President
Barack Obama and then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, barged into the
meeting. After much back and forth, Mr. Wen and Dr. Singh accepted an
American compromise on the wording of the drafts, and the Copenhagen
accord went ahead.
The power of five

The event didnt just change the course of international negotiations on global
warming at the time, it heralded the arrival of emerging economies as a
political force, and particularly the potential of the combined political clout of
India and China. BRICS (BASIC was later disbanded) went from a modest
16-paragraph joint statement at Yekaterinburg in June 2009 to the more
substantive 110 paragraphs that the five countries agreed upon in the Goa
Declaration of October 2016, developing common positions not just on
climate change but also on terrorism, energy, and world politics.
Over time, it no longer met with sneers and references, like being called the
Bloody Ridiculous Investment Concept by one investment banker, or the
group of paper tigers, a reference to the fact that the term BRIC was coined
in a paper by Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim ONeill in 2001. The
valuation of the BRICS grouping, that represents 40% of the worlds
population and a quarter of its growth at $17 trillion, also did well, with more
and more investment being driven into the five economies, mainly led by
India and China. Not only did the BRICS countries better their positions in
the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, they also struck a small
blow against Bretton Woods institutions, and the BRICS New Development
Bank set up in 2015 has already given out about $6 billion in loans for 23
projects across BRICS countries. This is no mean feat given the vast
differences in size and political systems, and internal turmoil in BRICS
countries.
From Doklam to Xiamen

Despite all of these gains, the truth is that BRICS now faces its most
challenging summit, not because of the West or the developed world, but
because of growing differences between its two biggest members, India and
China. And as Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to travel to Xiamen
for the September 3-5 summit, it is important to see how the bilateral
relationship and several other changes in geopolitics are now going to change
the course of the BRICS engagement as well.
The Xiamen summit follows a gruelling two and a half months during which
the rhetoric between India and China especially the latters has been
quite sharp. While diplomats smoothed out a victory over more hawkish
elements by disengaging the troops at Doklam and obtaining a Chinese
assurance that it would not continue its road construction at the tri-junction
area, more heavy lifting will have to be done to restore the situation to pre-
June terms. The bilateral tensions will no doubt spill over to the multilateral
negotiations at Xiamen, especially given the negative atmosphere built up by
state-run Chinese media these past few weeks.
Beyond the bilateral issues over the boundary, Nuclear Suppliers Group
membership for India, terrorism, the Dalai Lama and others, the rift over
Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is also likely to dominate discussions
at BRICS, as it now underpins all of Chinas other policies. Indias refusal to
be a part of the BRI over sovereignty issues, coupled with its broader
objections to the transparency and agenda of the project, was a cause for
tensions before the Doklam stand-off, with some commentators even arguing
that it precipitated the crisis. There is little doubt that China will aim to bring
the BRI on the table for negotiations at BRICS, to win a statement of
endorsement as it did at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation last year.
India will have to use considerable leverage with other members to ensure
that its concerns prevail. However, it must be remembered that Russia and
South Africa are important parts of BRI, and while Brazil is not, it is no less a
recipient of Chinese investment, with a $20 billion Brazil-China infrastructure
fund inaugurated this May.
Multiple challenges
Another challenge for India is likely to arise from Chinas plan for a BRICS-
Plus or Friends of BRICS grouping, with Foreign Minister Wang Yis plan
to include Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Mexico to an expanded version of BRICS.
The suggestion of including Pakistan is something India has baulked at and
wont pass quite yet, but it wouldnt want to be seen to be opposing Chinas
rationale of promoting south-south cooperation further.
Meanwhile Russia, which was the prime mover for the grouping, has moved
closer to China and away from India; this could affect the language of the
joint statement, especially on issues like Afghanistan, on which BRICS
members had previously been on the same page. Russias estrangement from
the U.S. and Europe post-2014 and the Ukraine crisis in particular have
increased its dependence on its east and south, mainly in the direction of the
$300 billion Russia-China oil pipeline that China is funding. Russias shift on
dealing with the Taliban is a strong signal of which way it is headed.
The U.S.s new Afghanistan-Pakistan-India policy, that builds Indias
economic assistance into its own strategy for Afghanistan, will crystallise
battle lines in the latest round of this age-old battle, with Russia, China, Iran
and Pakistan ranged on one side, and India, the U.S. and NATO allies now on
the other. In keeping with this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has
called the U.S.s Afghanistan policy a futile course, while President
Vladimir Putins Afghanistan envoy Zamir Kabulov has warned against
putting too much pressure on Pakistan. At both the BRICS conference in
Goa last October, as well as the Heart of Asia summit in December, Russian
officials cavilled at backing Indias strong language on terrorism emanating
from Pakistan.
The road ahead

Nevertheless, it is an indicator of the importance of BRICS that both Mr.
Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to have exerted enough
pressure on officials to bring about the disengagement in Doklam a week
before the summit at Xiamen. The Modi government must be credited for
ensuring that it won peace at Doklam without building the outcome up as a
defeat of China, which would have made their rivalry at BRICS that much
more intense. In this, BRICS has fared better than two other groupings,
SAARC and the Non-Aligned Movement, whose last summits India skipped,
and appears to have abandoned. It remains to be seen how the two leaders use
next weeks bilateral encounter to chart a road map to repair ties. This could
provide a realistic understanding of where the road ahead leads for BRICS as
well, and whether post-Xiamen it can still bear out the potential that was
promised a decade ago in Yekaterinburg and Copenhagen.
1. off the wall (phrase) eccentric, unconventional, uncommon/strange.

2. bolster (verb) strengthen, support, reinforce.
3. hegemony (noun) leadership, dominance/supremacy, authority.
4. barge (verb) move forcefully; interrupt, intervene.
5. herald (verb) signal, indicate, announce/portend.
6. clout (noun) influence, power, control.
8. sneer (noun) contemptuous remark, jibe, insult.
9. no mean (adjective) excellent/good, great, difficult.
10. feat (noun) achievement, accomplishment.
11. turmoil (noun) confusion, disturbance, chaos/disorder.
12. gruelling (adjective) exhausting, tiring, taxing/demanding.
14. hawkish (adjective) aggressive, belligerent, warring.
15. rift (noun) disagreement, dispute, conflict.
16. underpin (verb) support, buttress, form (a basis).
17. sovereignty (noun) authority, supremacy/domination; autonomy.
19. precipitate (verb) expedite, advance, accelerate.
20. leverage (noun) influence, power, authority.
21. prevail (verb) win through, triumph, succeed.
22. baulk (verb) eschew, resist, refuse ( to accept).
24. estrangement (noun) alienation, isolation, separation.
25. futile (adjective) pointless, useless, ineffective.
26. cavil (verb) complain, grumble/moan, find fault with.
27. emanate (verb) come out, arise; originate from.
28. exert (verb) apply, employ, exercise.
Pragmatic in London: on Brexit

AUGUST 31, 2017 00:15 IST
The government and main opposition in the U.K. are finally

coming around to a soft Brexit
The Labour Partys surprise announcement that Britain should continue in the
European single market, at least for some time after the March 2019 Brexit
deadline, reflects the late dawning of realism over disengaging with the
European Union. It implies an acceptance of the principle of free movement
of people from the bloc, a contentious issue that had alienated the opposition
partys core support base during the 2016 referendum. Equally significant is
the ruling Conservative Partys sudden acceptance of the possibility that the
European Court of Justice may still have a role after Britains exit from the
EU. Independence from the jurisdiction of the Luxembourg court had all
along been equated with the assertion of national sovereignty by the Leave
campaign. This hard line was also the centrepiece of Prime Minister Theresa
Mays Lancaster House address in January. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson,
a staunch Brexiter, has also made a striking departure. Last month he made
news with his go whistle comment to European leaders over Londons
outstanding dues, but has since said that as a law-abiding country Britain
would indeed pay its bills. There are thus good chances that Eurosceptics in
both the parties will be further isolated within and outside Parliament,
allowing divisions between the U.K. and EU negotiating positions to be
narrowed. The bottomline for Brussels is to ensure that Britains exit does not
set a precedent. A necessary implication of this premise is that the terms of a
future partnership would be vastly inferior in comparison with the benefits of
full membership. Conversely for Britain, to conform to a set of rules and
regulations without a real voice in their formulation would be far from an
ideal arrangement.
This late pragmatism does not detract from the contentious round of
negotiations between the U.K. and the rest of the bloc. Brussels has, ever
since the June 2016 referendum, insisted upon adherence to a sequential
process of unwinding the long partnership. The withdrawal agreement
deduced from Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union entails three
distinct elements. It includes a decision on the status of British and EU
migrants resident in their respective territories, the financial settlement of
60-100 billion, and reconfiguration of the border between Northern Ireland
and the Republic of Ireland. Any meaningful negotiations on a future trade
agreement between the two parties hinges on a resolution of these outstanding
issues. Little progress has been achieved so far on many of these critical
matters. The European Commission and some EU member-states have
expressed concern that London is not doing enough to hasten the process. The
emerging shifts in the U.K.s negotiating stance vis-a-vis the EU should be
read against this overall backdrop.
1. pragmatic (adjective) empirical, realistic/actual, practical.

2. come round (phrasal verb) agree with, change ones mind, give way to.
3. dawning (noun) beginning, unfolding, development.
4. disengage (verb) remove, separate, disconnect.
6. bloc (noun) alliance, association, coalition.
7. contentious (adjective) controversial, debatable, disputed.
8. alienate (verb) estrange, set/drive apart, divide/separate.
9. referendum (noun) public vote; a direct vote in which people cast ballots to decide on a
specific issue or policy (Courtesy: VOA Learning English).
10. assertion (noun) affirmation, declaration, statement.
11. sovereignty (noun) autonomy/independence, self-government/rule; non-alignment.
12. hard line (noun) uncompromising & strict attachment/commitment to a policy.
13. staunch (adjective) loyal/faithful, trusty, committed.
14. striking (adjective) noticeable, prominent; significant.
15. go whistle (phrase) to inform someone to get lost, and that you have no intention of doing
whatever he wants.
16. law-abiding (adjective) lawful, righteous, honest.
17. eurosceptic (noun) a person who is opposing to increase the powers of the European
Union.
18. precedent (noun) model, example, previous case.
20. premise (noun) proposition, assumption, belief/thought.
21. inferior (adjective) subservient, not important, lower in status/quality.
22. conform (verb) comply with, abide by; agree with.
23. pragmatism (noun) realism, practicability, logical thinking; a pragmatic
(practical/logical/realistic) way.
24. detract (verb) belittle, take away from, diminish.
25. unwind (verb) untwist, undo; ease up.
26. deduce (verb) conclude, work out, infer.
27. entail (verb) cause/produce, generate, prompt.
28. hinge on (verb) be dependent, be contingent, be based.
29. hasten (verb) speed up, accelerate, expedite.
Aprs le dluge: Mumbai flood

AUGUST 31, 2017 00:15 IST
Mumbais flood shows the need to improve infrastructure and
protocols in urban centres
The return of the deluge to Mumbai and the paralysis suffered by the city
bring up the question of why Indian cities are unable to improve their
resilience to extreme weather events. As the nucleus of financial activity,
Mumbais losses naturally have national implications. The flooding reduced
trading volumes in the stock market, and thousands had to stay on in their
offices after the workday. All this brings back memories of the disaster of
2005 caused by over 99 cm of rainfall in a 24-hour period leaving hundreds
dead. There has been distressing loss of life this time too, but on a lower
scale. Beyond the political wrangling on bad management, such extreme
weather events trigger valuable research and analysis on developing better
prediction and management systems. Researchers at the Indian Institute of
Technology in Mumbai have, for instance, provided pathways for nearly 450
sq. km of the city to better prepare for monsoonal floods, using the worst-case
scenario of a dozen years ago as the baseline. There should naturally be an
inquiry into whether the reforms proposed over time, ranging from clearing of
drainage channels and removal of encroachments to the creation of holding
ponds to temporarily store large volumes of water, gained any traction. Over
time, mangrove wetlands in the eastern fringes and drain paths in the north-
west of the city have lost much of their capacity owing to unplanned
development. The latest downpour underlines why loss of urban wetlands
should be halted and compensatory lakes created.
Learnings from Mumbai are important for other cities as well, to prepare for a
future in which scientists think there will be more days of short but intense
rain spells. Numerical weather prediction has consistently improved.
Researchers from IIT Gandhinagar published a forecast on social media
warning of 100 mm-plus rainfall for the region on August 29, four days
ahead. These remarkably accurate models open up possibilities for authorities
to evacuate vulnerable sections early, residents to stock up on essential
supplies and disaster management authorities to review options. Indian cities
are poorly planned and managed, exposing them to cyclical weather havoc; it
is imperative that civic bodies produce flood risk maps and restrict
development in the areas. Given that monsoon flooding is inescapable,
citizens and communities need to prepare. Putting new constructions on stilts,
retrofitting houses to locate electrical installations high above, and creating a
first response protocol are all important. Introduction of insurance cover for
householder losses will provide financial protection and, crucially, require
city administrations to provide professional management. If there is a single
priority that every city needs, it is to reopen the veins of natural drainage that
have been callously built over. Mumbai this year and Chennais disastrous
flood of 2015 underscore that lesson.
1. Apres le deluge (phrase in French) after the flood.

2. deluge (noun) severe flood, torrent; downpour, torrential rain.
3. paralysis (noun) shutdown, immobilization, stoppage.
4. resilience (noun) strength, toughness; the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.
5. nucleus (noun) core, most important part, focus/focal point.
7. distressing (adjective) upsetting, painful, traumatic.
8. wrangle (verb) argue, quarrel, debate/disagree.
9. scenario (noun) course of events, situation.
10. encroachment (noun) taking away (gradually) of others areas (beyond acceptable limits).
11. traction (noun) an idea or a product gains popularity/acceptance.
12. fringe (noun) perimeter, periphery, border.
13. underline (verb) emphasize, highlight, focus on.
14. compensatory (adjective) compensating, redemptive, offsetting.
15. stock up (verb) fill, store up, collect/accumulate.
16. cyclical (adjective) recurrent, recurring, regular.
17. havoc (noun) devastation, destruction, damage/catastrophe.
18. imperative (noun) vitally important, crucial, necessary.
19. stilts (noun) a set of posts/piles supporting a building above the ground.
20. retrofit (verb) adding something to the one already constructed/manufactured.
21. vein (noun) layer, channel, passage.
22. callously (adverb) unfeelingly; heartlessly, insensitively.
23. underscore (verb) call attention to, emphasize, highlight.
India must engage China a lot more. The BRICS meet is a good
occasion to initiate a dedicated backchannel
The resolution of the Sino-Indian military stand-off at Doklam, that lasted
close to two and a half months, is a much-awaited and welcome development
where patient statecraft and deft diplomacy seem to have paid off. Even as
several significant questions remain unanswered about the terms and
conditions of the resolution, it provides New Delhi and Beijing an opportunity
to reflect over what went wrong and rejig this important bilateral relationship.
The upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China to attend the
BRICS summit will provide the two sides such an opportunity.
War is the continuation of politics by other means, observed the Prussian
military theorist Carl von Clausewitz in his classic work, On War. In other
words, military strategy should flow from carefully considered political
thinking. Now that we have arrived at a peaceful resolution at Doklam, we
need to examine the political strategy guiding Indias military deployment at
Doklam. Moreover, are there any lessons we can learn from this military
stand-off with China?
Self-help world
The most self-evident lesson from the Doklam stand-off is that we inhabit a
self-help world wherein China is a world power India is on its own and
would have to fend for itself in case of a clash with China, a country with
which every major state in the international system has a robust economic
relationship. It is important to note that none of the major powers
unambiguously and unreservedly supported Indias position on Doklam. In
fact, even Bhutan kept a studied silence through the latter part of the stand-
off. New Delhi, therefore, must carefully review the scenarios and consider its
options before upping the ante. Moreover, regarding Doklam, instead of
inviting military attention to itself and trapping itself in a conflict with
Beijing, New Delhi could have convinced Thimphu to be more vocal about
Bhutans territorial rights.
The second lesson from the Doklam stand-off is that China is unlikely to
respect Indias special relationships with its neighbours. India has long
enjoyed a special status in the South Asian region and often treated it as its
exclusive backyard. With China expanding its influence in the region and
competing for status and influence, the middle kingdom considers South
Asia, with India in it, as its periphery. China uses economic incentives and
military pressure to do so. Nepal is an example of the former, and Bhutan of
the latter. Recall Bhutan, besides India, is the only country from the region
that did not attend Chinas recent Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. Indias
traditional policy towards South Asia, of limited economic assistance topped
with a big brother attitude, will need to undergo fundamental transformation
to retain its influence.
Midway through the stand-off there had been concerns in New Delhi about
how the Doklam stand-off would eventually pan out. It is pertinent to ask
whether Doklam is so fundamental to Indian interests that we were willing to
risk a possible military skirmish with China based on the sketchy clauses of
the India-Bhutan friendship treaty. The lesson for us is clear: we should
consider all odds and evaluate the merit of the cause before making military
commitments.
Four, hyper-nationalism does not pay when it comes to dealing with China.
China, simply put, is not Pakistan, and Indian political parties cannot make
any domestic gains by whipping up nationalist passions against China. India
needs to engage China diplomatically to resolve outstanding conflicts rather
than engage in a war of words, or worse, threaten to use force. For sure, it is
not 1962, and thats true for both parties.
Five, the Doklam stand-off is a direct fallout of the Indian and Bhutanese
refusal to be part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). While this round may
have concluded without any of the three sides getting hurt, this is unlikely to
be the last of Chinese designs against India or Bhutan. Surely India cannot,
and should not, acquiesce to the BRI just because of Chinese pressure. And
yet, at the end of the day, Indian abstention would only frustrate BRI, it will
not derail it. Moreover, down the road, Indian unwillingness to be part of this
mega-project will hurt its own long-term economic interests. Therefore, it
needs to realise the importance of cooperating with China on the BRI while
getting China to do so on various India-led regional projects. It cannot be a
zero-sum game.
Next steps
What is also becoming abundantly clear is that the snail-paced Special
Representatives talks on the India-China boundary question have not yielded
much so far, and it is perhaps the appropriate occasion to revamp the dialogue
process. The 19 rounds of talks held till last year have hardly anything
substantive to show for them in terms of the resolution of the boundary
dispute. Indeed, the focus is increasingly shifting from conflict resolution to
conflict management. It is high time, therefore, that the two countries
appointed dedicated high-ranking officials to discuss the boundary issues in a
more sustained and result-oriented manner.
Lets briefly revisit the Doklam facts for the sake of clarity and future policy
direction. The Indian Army was deployed on the soil of another country
against a third country without proper treaty mandate or unambiguous official
invitation to intervene on behalf of the Bhutanese government. The 2007
India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty states that the two countries shall cooperate
closely with each other on issues relating to their national interests. And that:
Neither Government shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful
to the national security and interest of the other. Notwithstanding the special
security relationship that India and Bhutan have shared over the past several
decades, nothing in the 2007 treaty binds India to send troops to help Bhutan.
Nor did Bhutan explicitly request military assistance from India during the
stand-off even though the MEA statement of June 30, 2017 refers to
coordination between the two countries during the stand-off.
The argument here is not that India does not have legitimate security and
strategic interests in Bhutan which would be undermined by the Chinese
territorial aggression, but that there is a need to engage in careful scenario-
building before India decides to take China on militarily.
The Xiamen opportunity

But finally, it all comes down to devising a strategy to engage a resurgent
China, also a significant neighbour, in the days ahead. While Doklam may
now be a thing of the past, Sino-Indian ties are never likely to be the same
again there will be skirmishes, war of words and attempts to outmanoeuvre
each other in the neighbourhood and beyond. While New Delhi needs to
constantly look over its shoulders for potential Chinese surprises, there is also
an urgent need to adopt a multi-pronged strategy to deal with Beijing, for,
after all, statecraft is not as black and white as some would like it to be. India,
for one, needs to engage China a lot more at several levels: diplomatically,
politically, multilaterally and economically. The upcoming BRICS summit in
the Chinese city of Xiamen is a good occasion to initiate a dedicated
backchannel with Beijing given the high potential for future disagreements.
The two sides also need to conduct bilateral consultations on various issues
ranging from Afghan reconciliation to regional economic development. The
more diplomacy the better.

2. statecraft (noun) statesmanship; the skilful management of a countrys external affairs.
3. deft (adjective) flexible, skilful, efficient/impressive.
4. inhabit (verb) live in, dwell in, reside in.
5. fend for (verb) take care, look after, manage/ support.
6. unambiguously (adverb) undeniably, unquestionably, undebatably.
7. up the ante (phrase) to increase demands (in a tough condition) even though it has risks.
8. pan out (phrasal verb) turn out, conclude, result.
9. pertinent (adjective) relevant, to the point, appropriate.
10. skirmish (noun) argument, quarrel/squabble; disagreement.
11. sketchy (adjective) incomplete, inadequate; disreputable.
12. whip up (phrasal verb) encourage, stimulate, excite/provoke.
13. fallout (noun) adverse results; repercussions, after-effects.
14. acquiesce (verb) permit, agree, accept.
15. abstention (noun) abstinence, sobriety; holding back.
16. zero-sum game (phrase) zero-sum game is one in which no wealth is created or destroyed.
So, in a two-player zero-sum game, whatever one player wins, the other loses.
17. revamp (verb) recondition/rework, rebuild; renew.
19. bind (verb) require, compel, force.
20. explicitly (adverb) clearly, without doubt, definitely.
21. outmanoeuvre (verb) outwit, outsmart, outplay.
22. look over ones shoulders (phrase) to concern/nervous about a possible danger.
23. multi-pronged (adjective) having different aspects/elements.
24. black and white (adjective) categorical, unequivocal, straightforward/definite.
Two medals strong: Sindhu, Saina continue

Indian badmintons dream run
AUGUST 30, 2017 00:15 IST
P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal continue Indian badmintons
dream run
It was an epic final at badmintons biggest stage, and it stood out as the finest
advertisement for the womens game. Two young title aspirants battled for
110 minutes before the gold at the World Badminton Championships in
Glasgow was decided by the narrowest of margins. P.V. Sindhu may not have
come out victorious against the eventual champion, Nozomi Okuhara of
Japan, but she won more hearts for her gallant display of endurance. In doing
so, she further raised the profile of badminton and of womens sport itself in
India. A silver medal for Sindhu and a bronze for Saina Nehwal make this the
most rewarding Indian campaign in the premier championship. It was a
formidable challenge that they offered going into the Glasgow
championships, and both had been seen to be in the reckoning for the gold.
That challenge is made sharper by the fact that Nehwal, the silver medallist in
2015, and Sindhu, the bronze medallist in 2013 and 2014, have been engaged
in a silent battle of their own. This rivalry is proving to be extremely
beneficial for Indian badminton, providing the nucleus for a cluster of
excellence that is vital for any sport to flourish. Sindhus latest medal, to go
with the Rio Olympics silver last year, has clearly taken her past Nehwal in
terms of achievement in badmintons two premier competitions the
Olympics and the World Championships. Given Nehwals famed never-say-
die credo, she is sure to try to reclaim her status. She had carried an injury to
Rio and returned for an unavoidable knee surgery, and makes it a point to
remind everyone that her recovery is still incomplete, and that she would be
back at her best in upcoming competitions.
There is, in fact, potential for further improvement in the womens game.
This past week, both Sindhu and Nehwal were tamed by the far-fitter
Okuhara. The Japanese shuttler rallied from a game down to stop Nehwal in
the semi-final, and her resurgence from 17-19 in the deciding game ended
Sindhus quest for the title. This explains why Nehwal and Sindhu dwelled
regretfully on missed opportunities instead of celebrating their unprecedented
show of strength on the finals podium. Interestingly, the two women are very
different personalities. If Nehwal is driven by a wounded pride to establish
her credentials, Sindhu, at just 22, is a sunny character looking to make the
most of the time on her side, and both owe a lot to their respective coaches,
U. Vimal Kumar and Pullela Gopi Chand. Yet, their combined achievements
also bring into focus the fact that the next best woman shuttler in India is
nowhere close to them in potential. Their heroics will, hopefully, in time draw
more talent to the sport, but currently the lack of other women badminton
players in their class deprives India of a fighting chance at team titles. For
now, however, it is time to celebrate these two exceptional women who have
enriched the game.
1. stand out (phrasal verb) be better/notable/significant than (others).

2. eventual (adjective) final, ultimate.
3. gallant (adjective) brave/courageous, heroic, fearless.
4. endurance (noun) stamina, persistence, tirelessness.
5. profile (noun) outline, description, portrayal.
6. formidable (adjective) terrifying, difficult, awesome.
7. the reckoning (noun) contention, contest, competition.
8. nucleus (noun) core, most important part, focus/focal point.
9. cluster (noun) collection, group, bunch.
10. excellence (noun) quality, brilliance, merit, talent.
11. flourish (verb) develop, thrive, prosper.
12. credo (noun) attitude; morality,belief/idea.
13. tame (verb) subdue, control, master.
14. rally (verb) recover, improve, get better.
15. resurgence (noun) revival, recovery, comeback.
16. dwell on (phrasal verb) linger over, think about, mull over.
17. unprecedented (adjective) not done or experienced before.
18. credentials (noun) experience, record/achievement, quality.
19. sunny (adjective) bright, cheerful, happy.
20. enrich (verb) enhance, improve, augment
Rallying together: a viable alternative must

be found to the BJP
AUGUST 30, 2017 00:15 IST
A viable alternative must be founded on more than just a shared

antipathy to the BJP
Not all political alliances increase the winning chances of the constituent
parties. At the Patna rally on Sunday called by Rashtriya Janata Dal chief
Lalu Prasad, 18 Opposition parties came together on a platform against the
Bharatiya Janata Party, but not all of them can make meaningful alliances.
The vote banks of many of them are in different States, and there is little
chance of their being able to help improve the prospects of one another. The
Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata
Banerjee, will gain nothing by joining hands with the RJD, which has
negligible presence outside Bihar, or the Samajwadi Party, whose base does
not extend much beyond Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, neither Mr. Prasad nor
Akhilesh Yadav of the SP has much to gain from teaming up with the
Trinamool. Only the Congress, with a nationwide presence, can hope to
benefit from this coming together of different regional parties. The Congress
is a small player in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, but its national-
level ambitions will get a big boost if the Trinamool, the SP and the RJD
come together on the same platform. In the present circumstances, the
Congress can emerge as an alternative to the BJP only at the head of a
coalition of regional parties. But it will have to do a lot more than bring
different parties from different regions together; it will need to stitch together
viable alliances in each State. In West Bengal, for instance, the Congress
cannot hope to tie up with both the Trinamool and the Left Front. The party
might have to walk a fine political line to keep disparate elements together at
the national level.
For Mr. Prasad, the rally was an opportunity to make a political statement
after being dumped by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. It was also an
occasion to share the stage with Janata Dal (United) dissident leader Sharad
Yadav, who defied Mr. Kumar and chose to stay with the grand alliance. But
the fact remains that without Mr. Kumar, the grand alliance is not the same in
size or shape, and cannot be expected to take on the combined might of the
BJP and the ruling faction of the JD(U). The situation is not very different in
Uttar Pradesh where the Congresss alliance with the SP is not enough to best
the BJP. Without Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party on board, the alliance
would not gain the critical mass to fight the BJP. Whether the Congress can
indeed bring together at the national level parties opposed to one another at
the State level is doubtful. But even if it manages that feat, the real challenge
will be to present a viable national alternative to the BJP as the head of a
cohesive coalition with well-defined policies and programmes. For that, a
shared antipathy to the BJP is not enough.
1. rally (verb) come together, get together, work/act together.

2. viable (adjective) workable, feasible, practicable.
3. antipathy (noun) hostility, aversion, opposition.
4. constituent (adjective) a part of a whole; integral.
5. prospect (noun) chance, hope, anticipation.
6. stitch (verb) make, join/combine, mend.
7. disparate (adjective) contrasting, different, dissimilar.
8. dump (verb) abandon, desert, leave.
9. dissident (adjective) opposing disagreeing, objecting/protesting.
10. defy (verb) resist, take a stand against, confront/challenge.
11. might (noun) strength, force, power.
13. on board (phrase) as a member (on to a team).
14. feat (noun) achievement, accomplishment, coup.
15. cohesive (adjective) united, integrated, cooperated.
Diary of an unusual year: Urjit Patels

continued silence on demonetisation
Urjit Patels continued silence on demonetisation is affecting the
image of the RBI
When Urjit Patel was elevated to the post of Governor of the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) a year ago, among the qualities that recommended him were his
orthodoxy, technical competence and evident indifference to the limelight. He
trained in macroeconomics at highbrow campuses, picking up BSc, MPhil
and PhD degrees from the London School of Economics, University of
Oxford, and Yale University, respectively. His expertise on India goes back to
the 1991 reforms that he had, as the International Monetary Funds deputy
resident representative in New Delhi, monitored up close.
An impressive CV
A deputy governor of the RBI since 2013, he was disposed well towards
maximum convergence with Delhi. Those acquainted with Mr. Patels
economic philosophy were somewhat surprised at the choice, for he has never
once throughout his career demonstrated an inclination for adventurism, and
enjoys a reputation for conservatism. He is a firm believer in institutional
checks that force governments even the myopic and opportunistic regimes
to pick economically sound policies over those influenced by electoral
calculations.
On out-of-turn interest rate cuts and other wild expectations, it was thought
hed be no more likely to yield to Delhi than his high-profile predecessor,
Raghuram Rajan, was. A lot of his time in the RBI had been spent reshaping
and retooling monetary policy, to insulate it from precisely such pressures.
The manner of Mr. Rajans exit from the RBI, after a high-pitch campaign
questioning his integrity, suggested the replacement would be someone
pliable, a trait Mr. Patel did not seem to possess.
Living up to expectations, he has not toed Delhis line on interest rates. On
the rare occasion, he has spoken plainly, coldly and publicly to powerful
politicians, advising against an ill-informed policy: his denouncement of loan
waivers came barely hours after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath announced he was going ahead with his partys poll promise to
farmers. But the first year of this governorship is an unusual one, and cannot
be judged on the usual metrics. Demonetisation puts Mr. Patel into sharp
focus.
Mr. Rajan had established his voice as one that could be relied upon to tell us
if something was amiss. He would let us know what the situation was, and
what it ought to be for instance, he got bank books combed for hidden bad
loans that would have otherwise gone undetected. Mr. Patel has kept his
public utterances to the minimum. We dont know whether he too saw
demonetisation as an ineffective policy tool for controlling black money and
corruption, if he too found it unkind and unjust to the honest and vulnerable,
and if it was bound to inflict undue economic hardships on people. In this,
Mr. Patel's silence is puzzling. Demonetisation does appear to be just the sort
of policy tool he tends to be disapproving of.
The power to say no to government over demonetisation may not be
available to the RBI, as it is bound legally to manage currency. But did the
Governor try to buy time to arrange some supplies of the new notes? It is
unclear what the RBIs role in demonetisation was: of a bystander or a
participant. All information related to demonetisation is being withheld on
grounds of national security. The government has blocked all queries related
to demonetisation, including from the press, RTIs and parliamentary
committees. Initially, the RBI had been transparent. Details of banned notes
tendered were published daily at the end of the day on its website. It even
gave a few replies to RTIs. But opacity soon set in; and now it continues to
adhere to the gag orders from Delhi.
The window for turning in the demonetised notes closed on December 30.
Months later, the central bank is still not done counting, and is unable to say
how many were turned in. Not only is the delay tardy, it is holding up
evidence-based assessment of the extent of success or failure of the note ban.
Without the data, how much black money was extinguished, if any at all,
cannot be estimated.
Stuck with the blame

Trouble is, with the RBI taking full blame for demonetisations messy
execution and the missing numbers, its public standing has suffered. Mr.
Patels own reputation too has taken a beating; even senior parliamentarians
cant resist making fun of the Governor publicly. Meanwhile, the ruling
Bharatiya Janata Party has picked rich electoral dividends on the issue of
demonetisation, riding on its putative successes in penalising the corrupt. The
rise in political popularity has come alongside an erosion in institutional
credibility. It must be asked: if the idea of demonetisation originated in
government, then why is the RBI getting the flak for it?
This is the context in which Mr. Patels continuing silence has put the RBI,
one of Indias most respected institutions, at the centre of a political issue.
Puja Mehra is a Delhi-based journalist
1. orthodoxy (noun) properness, traditionalism, correctness.

2. indifference (noun) lack of concern/interest, disregard, carelessness.
3. limelight (noun) the focus of attention, public attention, public notice.
4. highbrow (adjective) intellectual, scholarly, well informed/sophisticated.
5. dispose (verb) incline, move, inspire.
6. convergence (noun) junction/ meeting point, intersection, interchange.
7. acquaint (with) known to, familiarize, inform of.
8. adventurism (noun) the inclination/readiness to take risks in business or politics.
9. conservatism (noun) an act of following traditional values and ideas.
10. myopic (adjective) lacking foresight, small-minded, short-term.
11. opportunistic (adjective) opportunist, selfish, time-serving.
12. yield (verb) relinquish, surrender, hand over.
13. predecessor (noun) forerunner, precursor, antecedent.
14. pliable (adjective) flexible, adaptable, easily influenced.
15. trait (noun) characteristic, feature, quality.
16. toe the line (phrase) conform, follow convention, adapt/adjust (specially unwillingly).
17. denouncement (noun) the act of condemning, criticizing, censuring.
18. amiss (adjective) wrong, incorrect, improper/inappropriate.
19. comb (verb) search, probe carefully, look through.
20. utterance (noun) voicing/speaking, expression, delivery.
22. inflict (verb) impose, force, thrust.
23. undue (adjective) excessive, extreme, immoderate.
24. hardship (noun) financial distress, suffering, affliction/trouble.
25. puzzling (adjective) perplexing, confusing, bewildering.
26. buy time (phrase) linger, dally, take ones time/waste time.
27. bystander (noun) onlooker, passer-by, spectator, eyewitness.
28. opacity (noun) lack of transparency; lack of clarity, obscurity/unclearness.
29. gag order (noun) gagging order; it is an order, typically a legal order by a court or
government, restricting information or comment from being made public or passed onto any
unauthorized third party (Courtesy: Wikipedia).
30. tardy (adjective) slow, sluggish, not to be done on time, delayed.
31. hold up (phrasal verb) delay, detain; obstruct/hinder.
32. extinguish (verb) destroy, wipe out, remove.
33. take a beating (phrase) suffer damage.
35. putative (adjective) claimed, purported; supposed.
36. flak (noun) criticism, censure, disapproval.
Nandyal for Naidu: Andhra CM should now
focus on governance
AUGUST 29, 2017 00:15 IST
Having won a hotly contested by-election, the Andhra CM should

now focus on governance
In the absence of a driving issue, by-elections tend to favour ruling parties.
The results of the current set of elections in Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Delhi
thus held no big surprises. While the Telugu Desam Party won in Nandyal,
the Bharatiya Janata Party won both Panaji and Valpoi in Goa, and the Aam
Aadmi Party won in Bawana. In terms of political stakes, Panaji ranked quite
high with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar among the contestants. But the
verdict was all too predictable with the voters evidently keen on giving the
BJP some breathing space in the Assembly after a tightly fought State
election earlier this year. In Delhi, the AAP made a comeback of sorts after
having lost its deposit in a by-election in April. The jump from a third-place
finish to the winners slot must have provided some satisfaction for Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is yet to reconcile himself to his partys
inability to expand beyond Delhi. Clearly, the setback in Punjab in March,
where the party nursed an ambition to come to power, does not appear to have
totally sapped the AAPs enthusiasm in Delhi.
However, the most keenly fought by-election was in Nandyal, where the main
Opposition party, the YSR Congress Party, raised the stakes considerably by
calling it a referendum on the policies of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu
Naidu. Indeed, the election was seen as a contest by proxy between Mr. Naidu
and YSRCP leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy. A loss thus would have
considerably eroded the moral authority of Mr. Naidu, who still has close to
two years before he faces the Assembly election. Nandyal, in the
Rayalaseema region, was considered a stronghold of the YSRCP. To add to
the importance of the seat, there is a bitter history of defection and betrayal.
Nandyal was won by Bhuma Nagi Reddy on the YSRCP ticket in 2014, but
he crossed over to the TDP shortly before his death. Shilpa Mohan Reddy, the
YSRCP candidate in the by-election, had switched loyalties from the TDP.
Quite expectedly, the constituency saw a high-voltage campaign with Mr.
Reddy going to the extent of saying there was nothing wrong in shooting or
hanging Mr. Naidu for his failure to keep his election promises. The personal
attacks, coming close to incitement of violence, forced the Election
Commission to intervene and rap Mr. Reddy for violation of the Model Code
of Conduct. The TDP thereafter made it a must-win fight, deploying a whole
team of ministers to camp in the constituency, as a loss would have been
interpreted as a slide in its popular appeal. With the by-election out of the
way, Mr. Naidu should be able to look ahead and focus on his development
agenda without being distracted by the vitriol of his younger, relatively
inexperienced political rival.
1. driving (adjective) strong, powerful, effective.
2. thus (adverb) therefore, hence, consequently/as a result.
3. breathing space (noun) elbow room, clearance; intermission/interval.
4. of sorts (phrase) similar to/in a way, somewhat unusual.
5. reconcile (verb) adjust, balance, attune.
6. nurse (verb) foster, have (a belief/feeling); encourage/nurture.
7. sap (verb) erode, weaken, destroy (gradually).
8. stakes (noun) competition, contest, battle.
9. referendum (noun) public vote/popular vote; a direct vote in which people cast ballots to
decide on a specific issue or policy (Courtesy: VOA Learning English).
10. proxy (noun) deputy, representative, delegate.
11. stronghold (noun) bastion, centre; fortress/fort.
12. defection (noun) desertion, changing sides, decamping.
13. betrayal (noun) disloyalty, faithlessness, falseness.
14. switch (verb) change, swap/exchange, replace.
15. incitement (noun) provocation, prompting, inducement.
16. rap (verb) criticize, reprimand, reproach severely.
17. interpret (verb) understand, construe, take.
18. slide (noun) fall, drop, decline.
19. out of the way (phrase) dealt with, finished, completed.
20. vitriol (noun) (bitter) condemnation, criticism, flak/fault-finding.
Agreeing to disagree: ending the Doklam
stand-off
AUGUST 29, 2017 00:15 IST
Diplomacy has paid off in ending the Doklam stand-off, but India
and China must repair ties
The separate announcements by India and China that the Doklam military
stand-off has ended are a welcome sign that diplomacy has prevailed over the
harsh rhetoric of the past 10 weeks. The measured tone of the statement from
New Delhi, referring to the expeditious disengagement of border personnel
as part of the understanding between the two countries, shows that the
governments policy of pursuing diplomatic measures in the face of Chinas
angry rhetoric was wise. In turn, Chinas statement, which said that Indian
troops had withdrawn from the disputed Doklam plateau while Chinese troops
continue to patrol the area, gives Beijing the latitude it requires to end the
stand-off peacefully. The differing versions and the lack of further
information leave several questions unanswered about the terms of the
disengagement. But the very fact that both countries have been able to issue
statements even if they were designed to satisfy their domestic audiences
suggests that in diplomatic negotiations, each took into account the others
constraints. In issuing statements that were inconsistent with each other, both
sides seem to have agreed to disagree. To that end, the importance lies less in
the detail but in the dtente itself, in the decision by the leaderships of both
countries to pull back from what some feared could escalate into a full-blown
conflict. In this, it must be noted that New Delhi and Beijing have respected
the wishes of the Bhutanese government, which wanted an early end to the
crisis before the bitter winter set in.
One hopes the decision on Doklam, which comes a week before Prime
Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to go to China, will guide the bilateral
spirit beyond the September 3-5 BRICS summit to be held in Xiamen. Once
Mr. Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have met, diplomats must begin
the heavy lifting required to repair the rupture in ties over the past few
months, beginning with the cancellation of the Nathu La route for Kailash-
Mansarovar pilgrims. Statements from China during the stand-off indicate
that it no longer recognises the gains made in the Special Representative talks
in 2012. Nor does it regard the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction near Batang-
La to have been settled. India has made it clear that it does not consider the
Sikkim boundary settled either, and both sides will have to walk swiftly to
come back to some semblance of an accord on such basic issues before they
can move further. India and China must revert to the spirit of the Border
Defence Cooperation Agreement of 2013, which laid down specific
guidelines on tackling future developments along the 3,488-km boundary the
two countries share. The past two and a half months are also a lesson that
India cannot be unprepared for another Doklam, as Chief of the Army Staff
Bipin Rawat said on Sunday. India must necessarily hope for the best, and
prepare for the worst, when it comes to tensions with its northern neighbour.
2. pay off (phrasal verb) succeed, be effective, get results.
3. prevail (verb) win through, triumph, be victorious.
5. expeditious (adjective) speedy, swift, quick/fast-track.
6. disengagement (noun) withdrawal, departure, retreat (troops from an area).
7. personnel (noun) staff, employees, workforce.
8. pursue (verb) undertake, prosecute, follow.
9. in the face of (phrase) despite, in spite of, notwithstanding, regardless of.
10. in turn (phrase) in succession, successively, sequentially.
11. latitude (noun) freedom, scope, leeway/flexibility.
12. design (verb) aim/intend; purpose/devise, plan.
13. constraint (noun) restriction, limitation, restraint.
14. detente (noun) restoration of harmony, agreement, compromise/understanding.
15. pull back (phrasal verb) withdraw, retreat, draw back/disengage (troops from an area).
16. full-blown (adjective) fully developed, complete, thorough/entire.
17. set in (phrasal verb) (of something unpleasant) begin, start, arrive.
18. rupture (noun) rift, estrangement, split/division.
19. semblance (noun) appearance; resemblance; similarity (archaic).
20. accord (noun) agreement, consensus, harmony.
21. revert (to) (verb) return, go back, come back.
That old spark: Nepal Prime Ministers visit
brings bilateral hope
AUGUST 28, 2017 00:02 IST
The Nepal Prime Ministers visit sparks hope that bilateral ties
will find a new equilibrium
At a time when the Doklam stand-off had focussed attention on Himalayan
geopolitics, it was impossible to miss the significance of the visit of Nepals
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to India. This was his first foreign visit
as Prime Minister, and it confirmed Kathmandus abiding interest in strong
ties with India. The recovery of bilateral warmth has taken some doing on
both sides. Mr. Deuba is Nepals 10th Prime Minister in a decade, and its
fourth since its Constitution was promulgated in 2015. India had mounted
strong opposition to the Constitution with demands that it be made more
inclusive, especially vis--vis the Madhesis in the Terai area, sending ties
with Kathmandus ruling establishment on a downward spiral. Even as Nepal
struggled to cope with rehabilitation work after the massive earthquake of
2015, many in Kathmandu held India responsible for the three-month-long
great blockade of goods and fuel supplies that followed sustained protests
by Madhesi groups. To that end, Mr. Deubas visit was another opportunity,
as were the visits of his predecessors K.P. Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal
Dahal Prachanda, to repair the India-Nepal relationship. The joint statement
at the end of the Delhi leg of his visit refers to the deep, comprehensive and
multi-faceted ties between the neighbours as it listed projects being
developed in Nepal under lines of credit provided by India. These include
$200 million for irrigation projects, $330 million for road development and
$250 million for power infrastructure in Nepal. India made the obligatory
appeal to Kathmandu to take all sections of society on board while
implementing its Constitution, but the tenor was notably softer this time. No
mention was made of a key amendment to the Constitution to accommodate
Madhesi demands that had been defeated just last Monday.
Yet, it would be a mistake to presume that ties can so easily return to their
pre-2015 strength, as the ground has shifted in too many ways since then. To
begin with, memories of the blockade still rankle in Nepal. And while South
Block and Singha Durbar have been keen to move ahead with trade linkages
and complete the integrated check-posts at Raxaul-Birgunj and Jogbani-
Biratnagar, the land-locked country has actively sought to break its
dependence on India for fuel and connectivity. Since 2015, Nepal and China
have cooperated on infrastructure plans, including a big hydroelectric project
and a rail link to Tibet. Nepal is also part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative.
India is struggling to leverage the historical closeness with Nepal, the open
border the two share and the special status Nepalis working in India have
enjoyed. The India-China stand-off in Doklam will add to the awkwardness in
the trilateral relationship. Mr. Deubas visit will need a sustained follow-up.
1. spark (noun) liveliness/life, sparkle, spirit/initiative.

2. spark (verb) start/initiate, prompt, stimulate.
3. equilibrium (noun) balance, symmetry/equality; calmness.
5. abiding (adjective) long-lasting, permanent, stable.
6. promulgate (verb) put into effect, enact, implement.
8. spiral (noun) increase, rise, enlargement/expansion.
9. blockade (noun) disruption of the economic activities (e.g: supply of essential goods and
others) of an area; siege; barrier, roadblock.
11. predecessor (noun) forerunner, precursor, antecedent.
12. leg (noun) part, stage, portion/phase.
13. comprehensive (adjective) wide-ranging/all-inclusive, complete.
14. multifaceted (adjective) having many aspects/features.
15. underline (verb) emphasize, highlight, focus on.
16. irrigation (noun) supply of water to farm land to grow crops & plants.
17. obligatory (adjective) compulsory, mandatory; irrevocable.
18. tenor (noun) the general meaning, content, character of something.
19. presume (verb) assume, expect, believe.
20. rankle (verb) annoy, upset/irritate; continue to be painful/fester.
21. leverage (verb) use (something) to max. advantage.
22. awkwardness (noun) discomfort/uneasiness; clumsiness/ineptness.
Anarchy in Panchkula: Gurmeet Ram
Rahim Singh's conviction AUGUST 28, 2017 00:02 IST
In failing to control the violence, the Haryana government

abdicated its responsibility
Nothing shows up the ineptness of the state more than unpreparedness in the
face of predictable events. In allowing tens of thousands of followers of the
Dera Sacha Sauda sect to gather for a show of strength when their leader,
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, was awaiting a judicial verdict in a rape case, the
Haryana government abdicated its responsibility of maintaining law and
order, and protecting life and property. Prohibitory orders were not enforced,
with the government evidently viewing the looming protests as pressure relief
valves instead of as trigger points for violence. In the absence of preventive
detention where appropriate, and of restriction on movement and assembly in
public spaces, matters spiralled out of control once the court pronounced the
cult leader guilty of rape. True, mob violence is difficult to control without
resort to extreme force, but in this case the government seemed to rely
entirely on the good sense of the sects followers. It failed to foresee violence
on such a large scale, and no viable security plan was in place until after
several hours of lawlessness. Despite intelligence inputs about the Dera
followers storing fuel, and knives and stones, the government machinery was
woefully slow to react. Neighbouring Punjab and Delhi also witnessed
violence, but the preparedness of the law enforcers were of a higher order in
both those areas. Punjab saw better coordination between the Army and the
police, with action being taken at least ten days in advance. Of course, the
supporters had gathered in greater numbers in Panchkula and Sirsa, the
headquarters of the sect, in Haryana; even so, nothing remotely credible can
explain the inadequateness of Haryanas response to Fridays mayhem.
Religious sects such as the Dera Sacha Sauda that command a huge following
are often handled with kid gloves by governments as they can deliver votes in
blocks. Senior BJP leaders, including ministers, have often been seen seeking
the blessings of the Dera leader. This is what must have prompted the Punjab
and Haryana High Court to come down hard on the Manohar Lal Khattar
government for its political surrender to the Dera vote bank. Although the
remarks are political in nature, and quite unusual coming from a court, they
reflect the growing perception that politicians are often in nexus with
religious leaders and cult figures. Three years ago, in Hisar, another godman,
self-styled jagat guru Sant Rampal, defied the police for several days,
evading arrest in a contempt case. In that instance, his followers countered the
police with Molotov cocktails and acid pouches. Clearly, godmen and cult
leaders believe they are above the law. It is for the government and law
enforcement agencies to disabuse them of that notion, especially when, as in
the case of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, they face charges of rape and murder.
1. anarchy (noun) lawlessness, absence of government, disorder.

3. abdicate (verb) disown, reject, avoid/relinquish.
4. ineptness (noun) clumsiness, awkwardness, unskillfulness.
5. in the face of (phrase) when confronted with.
6. sect (noun) cult, religious cult, religious group.
7. enforce (verb) force, compel, demand/insist on.
8. evidently (adverb) obviously, clearly, visibly/transparently.
9. looming (adjective) threatening, imminent, impending.
10. detention (noun) custody, restraint, arrest.
11. spiral (verb) increase, rise rapidly, escalate.
12. rely on (verb) depend on, lean, hinge; resort to.
13. resort to (verb) use, utilize, employ.
14. foresee (verb) anticipate, predict, expect.
15. viable (adjective) workable, feasible, practicable.
16. credible (adjective) convincing, acceptable; reasonable.
17. mayhem (noun) chaos, disorder, turmoil.
18. come down on (phrasal verb) reprimand, rebuke, criticize harshly.
19. nexus (noun) junction/juncture, link; central point.
20. evade (verb) elude, avoid/dodge, escape.
21. disabuse (verb) undeceive, correct/set right, wake up/enlighten.
22. notion (noun) idea/thought, belief, concept.
Lessons not learnt: On swine flu

AUGUST 26, 2017 00:02 IST
The high H1N1 flu toll points to a failure to put necessary
systems and precautions in place
The number of influenza A (H1N1) virus cases and deaths reported from
across India this year has already crossed 19,000 and 900, respectively. These
are lower than the 2015 toll of 32,000 cases and 2,000 deaths, but the revived
spread is alarming. In the last month or so there has been a sharp increase in
the number of cases and deaths over 6,000 and 300. Gujarat is the worst-
affected, with about 250 deaths recorded so far: Rajasthan, Punjab and
Maharashtra and Delhi too have been badly hit. The number of H1N1 cases in
the southern States is also high compared with last year, with Tamil Nadu
reporting nearly 3,000 cases about a month ago. According to the Pune-based
National Institute of Virology, the virus has not undergone any significant
mutation and the virulence has remained nearly unchanged. It has however
undergone point mutations which resulted in a new strain the Michigan
strain replacing the California strain that has been prevalent since the 2009
pandemic. While both strains were co-circulating last year, as per surveillance
data only the Michigan strain has been circulating this year. The increased
caseload and mortality this year compared with last year could be because
pre-existing immunity through exposure to the California strain is no longer
effective, and people are therefore not immune to the new strain. More
research is needed to fully understand the epidemiology of H1N1 caused by
the Michigan strain, and who may be more vulnerable.
Despite the high numbers, there is no system in place to release data
periodically and frequently. Compare this with the regular updates provided
by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, especially during an
epidemic. There has also been a near-complete failure on the part of
governments to spread awareness about prevention strategies. Uptake of
influenza vaccination by people, especially by those belonging to the high-
risk category, has been extremely poor, with only about 10,000-12,000 doses
of H1N1 vaccine sold in the last six months by the Pune-based vaccine
manufacturer. Since the 2009 pandemic, H1N1 has become a seasonal flu
virus strain in India even when the temperature soars during the summer
months. Vaccination of health-care workers and people in high-risk categories
is the only way to reduce the toll. That guidelines for H1N1 vaccination of
people belonging to high-risk categories such as pregnant women, very young
and old people and those with certain underlying illnesses were released only
last month by the Health Ministry is evidence that India has not learnt any
lessons from the 2015 H1N1 epidemic. Urgent measures are needed to ramp
up preparedness in dealing with epidemics.
1. alarming (adjective) worrying, disturbing, troubling.

2. undergo (verb) go through, experience, encounter/ be subjected to.
3. mutation (noun) a significant and basic alteration; mutant, variant.
4. virulence (noun) severity, harmful.
5. strain (noun) a variety of a microorganism (like bacteria) with different (mostly harmful)
characteristics.
6. prevalent (adjective) widespread, prevailing, frequent, usual.
7. pandemic (noun) an outbreak of a disease.
8. caseload (noun) the number of cases with which a doctor is concerned at one time.
9. mortality (noun) (in a particular time/for a cause) the rate of death.
10. epidemiology (noun) the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related
states or events (including disease), and the application of this study to the control of
diseases and other health problems (Courtesy: WHO).
11. epidemic (noun) outbreak; a situation in which a disease spreads quickly and affects many
people (Courtesy: VOA Learning English).
12. uptake (noun) the action of taking up or absorbing something given.
13. vaccination (noun) treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease.
14. seasonal (adjective) repeated, recurring, chronic.
15. toll (noun) number, count, total/sum (of deaths or casualties due to an accident, natural
calamity & etc).
16. underlying (adjective) fundamental, basic, essential.
17. ramp up (phrasal verb) increase something.
Target Section 377: On decriminalising gay

sex
AUGUST 26, 2017 00:02 IST
The SC has laid the foundation to decriminalise consensual gay

sex
Same-gender sex remains a crime in the country due to a flagrant judicial
mistake committed by the Supreme Court in 2013. The time has come to undo
it. Ever since the constitutional validity of Section 377 of the Indian Penal
Code was upheld in Suresh Kumar Koushal (2013), the correctness of the
retrograde verdict has come under doubt twice. The latest criticism from the
court is strident and explicit. While declaring that the right to privacy is a
fundamental right and an inherent component of human liberty and dignity,
the nine-judge Bench has observed that the rationale behind
the Koushaljudgment is flawed and unsustainable. It has said the rights of
LGBT persons are real rights founded on sound constitutional doctrine and
not so-called rights as the earlier Bench had described them disdainfully.
The astounding claim made in Koushal that there was no need to challenge
Section 377 because the LGBT community constitutes only a minuscule
minority has been completely discredited. It was unreasonable to advance the
view that constitutional protection is available to a group based on its size.
Yet, in a show of uncharacteristic reticence and contrary to the history of the
evolution of constitutional jurisprudence, the earlier Bench had suggested that
the provision can be diluted only through the legislative route. This weeks
ruling on privacy rights contains a clear enunciation of the constitutional basis
for protection of rights based on sexual orientation.
Transgenders, even though insignificant in numbers, are entitled to human
rights, another Bench had observed in National Legal Services
Authority (2014), in a subtle hit at the minuscule minority formulation
in Koushal. At another point, it said Section 377 had been an instrument of
harassment and abuse, something the earlier judgment had refused to accept.
Significantly, it advocated the adoption of the Yogyakarta Principles
norms on gender identity and sexual orientation adopted by human rights
experts in 2006 in Indonesia. A key principle is that discrimination based on
sexual orientation and gender identity must end. By commending this norm,
the court has located sexual orientation not only as a freedom flowing from
the right to privacy, but as demanding of non-discriminatory treatment. Both
these verdicts correctly refrained from ruling on the validity of Section 377,
as it was not the primary question before them. However, it is quite apparent
that a strong body of constitutional jurisprudence is now available to target
Section 377, as and when a five-judge Bench takes up the reconsideration
of Koushal. By the latest verdict, sexual orientation is an aspect of the right to
privacy and an inalienable part of human dignity, freedom, and personal
liberty. Under the 2014 reasoning, it is relatable to both dignity and equality.
Read together, they have laid the foundation for restoring the Delhi High
Court judgment of 2010 in Naz Foundation, which read down Section 377 to
decriminalise consensual sex among adults irrespective of gender.
1. decriminalize (verb) make legal, legitimize, validate/permit.

2. consensual (adjective) relating to consensus/consent; in agreement with those who
involved.
3. flagrant (adjective) blatant, glaring, obvious.
4. uphold (verb) confirm/justify; maintain, continue (a custom/practice).
5. retrograde (adjective) regressive/unprogressive, negative, unwelcome.
6. strident (adjective) (of opinions/comments) harsh/rough, loud, grating.
7. explicit (adjective) clear/direct, obvious, straightforward.
8. inherent (adjective) essential, fundamental, ingrained/permanent.
10. flawed (adjective) defective, wrong, incorrect.
11. unsustainable (adjective) undefendable, insupportable, unjustified.
12. doctrine (noun) principle, rule/law/ordinance, tenet/belief.
13. disdainfully (adverb) contemptuously, scornfully, dismissively.
14. astounding (adjective) surprising, stunning, impressive.
15. minuscule (adjective) very small, little, minute.
16. LGBT Community lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Community.
17. discredit (verb) disgrace/dishonour; disprove, invalidate.
18. reticence (noun) silence, reserve, introversion, inhibition.
19. jurisprudence (noun) body of laws/rules, regulations, constitution.
20. enunciation (noun) (clear) expression, pronouncement, statement, declaration.
21. insignificant (adjective) unimportant, trivial, negligible/paltry.
22. entitle (verb) qualify, make eligible, authorize,/sanction.
23. subtle (adjective) ingenious, clever, skilful.
25. discrimination (noun) prejudice, bias/bigotry, inequity.
26. refrain (verb) stop, desist/abstain, withhold.
27. inalienable (adjective) inviolable, absolute, unchallengeable/unalterable.
Caste and class: On OBC sub-categorisation

AUGUST 25, 2017 00:15 IST
Sub-categorisation of OBCs feeds the BJPs recent attempts at

caste-based mobilisation
There are inequalities and then there are inequalities within unequal entities.
That reservation in jobs and education did address socio-economic disparities
in India to some degree is true. But, equally, the benefits of reservation have
not been distributed equitably, and large segments of the weaker sections and
backward classes continue to have no access to quality education or
meaningful employment. The relatively rich and dominant sections among the
backward castes have tended to take up a disproportionately larger share of
the reservation pie. The introduction of the concept of creamy layer to
isolate the well-off among those eligible for reservation was initially
perceived as an attempt to limit the benefits of reservation, and to politically
divide the beneficiaries of reservation. But, properly implemented, it could
have had the effect of allowing a more equitable spread of the benefits of
reservation. The Union Cabinets decision to set up a commission to examine
the issue of sub-categorisation of the Other Backward Classes speaks to the
long years of failure in effectively preventing large sections of the creamy
layer from taking advantage of the quota system to the detriment of the poorer
sections among their own caste groups. In effect, the Union government is
now seeking to ensure a more equitable distribution of reservation benefits by
further differentiating caste groups coming under backward classes on the
basis of their levels of social and economic backwardness. If the
categorisation of the creamy layer had been done consistently and uniformly,
there would not have been any felt need to differentiate among the caste
groups. The decision on sub-categorisation came on the same day the Cabinet
decided to raise the ceiling for deciding who remains outside the creamy layer
to those earning 8 lakh annually, an increase of 2 lakh. This is at cross-
purposes with the move toward sub-categorisation, allowing as it does those
with higher earnings to enjoy reservation benefits. The reservation pie is
limited, and no group, whether rich or poor, dominant or subservient, can
hope to gain except at the expense of another socio-economic category.
Vote-bank politics has a lot to do with the prioritising of caste-based
categorisation over income-based differentiation to identify reservation
beneficiaries. Political mobilisation on the basis of caste is far easier than on
the basis of income, and the BJP is clearly trying to splinter the vote banks of
the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The effort is to make other caste groups see dominant castes such as Yadavs
as competitors for education and employment. Evidently, this kind of political
mobilisation is not at odds with the BJPs greater stratagem of Hindu
religious consolidation. But it may still result in leaving out the truly
deserving from reservation benefits.
1. mobilisation (noun) the act of bringing people together for a particular cause.
2. inequality (noun) inequity, disparity, prejudice/discrimination.
3. equitably (adverb) fairly, impartially, unbiasedly.
4. creamy layer (noun) a term used in Indian politics to refer to the relatively wealthier and
better educated members of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) who are not eligible for
government sponsored educational and professional benefit programs (Courtesy:
Wikipedia).
5. well off (adjective) wealthy, rich, affluent.
6. equitable (adjective) impartial, unbiased, egalitarian.
7. detriment (noun) harm/damage, prejudice, disadvantage.
8. ceiling (noun) upper limit, cap, maximum.
9. at cross-purposes (phrase) in conflict, contrasting, in opposition.
10. subservient (adjective) submissive, accommodating, obedient.
11. splinter (verb) smash, split/crack, disintegrate.
12. at odds (phrase) in conflict, in disagreement, at loggerheads.
13. stratagem (noun) plan, scheme, tactic/manoeuvre.
something stronger.
Citizen vs State: On right to privacy verdict

AUGUST 25, 2017 00:15 IST
The unanimous verdict on privacy is a restatement of core

constitutional principles
In a rare unanimous verdict pronounced by nine judges, the Supreme Court
has ruled that privacy is a fundamental right that requires constitutional
protection. It was always known or assumed to be a common law right.
Occasionally, and somewhat grudgingly, it was recognised in some verdicts
as a fundamental right. In concluding that the right to be left alone is an
inalienable part of being human, the court has restated a fundamental
principle, namely that some rights are natural and inherent; constitutions only
recognise them and make them explicit. This restatement of first principles
became necessary mainly due to a strange and perverse argument by the
Union government in the course of the hearings on the validity of its
Aadhaar-based unique identity scheme that privacy is not a fundamental right.
The fact that all the judges unanimously came down on this argument shows
how much the government misunderstood the constitutional underpinnings of
privacy as a value in itself and as an ineluctable facet of human dignity. The
government argued that privacy is so amorphous as to defy description, that
it is needless to call it a fundamental right as it is one in common law, and
that it has been given statutory protection in different forms. There was even a
suggestion that privacy is an imported value and that it is elitist. All these
arguments fell by the wayside.
The outcome was not entirely unexpected. Not many would have seriously
believed a constitutional court would rule that privacy is not a cherished right
in a democracy. What implications the ruling would have on state policy and
citizens rights will be the core issues in future. A welcome aspect of the
judgment is that it makes it clear that sexual orientation is part of privacy and
constitutionally protected, and that the 2014 verdict upholding Section 377 of
the Indian Penal Code is flawed. This opens up the case for a much-needed
reconsideration. As for Aadhaar, it is pertinent to note that the judges have
referred to the restrictions and limitations that privacy would be subject to.
The test to decide the validity of any such restriction is that it is reasonable,
based on fair procedure and free from arbitrariness or selective targeting or
profiling. It can also be based on compelling state interest. This is where a
cautionary note is in order. Courts exercising writ jurisdiction should be
cautious about the nature of the relief they grant based on wide and open-
ended claims of breach of privacy. The verdict has advanced and revivified
core constitutional principles in an era in which privacy is pitted against state
interest. Somehow, privacy as a value finds itself at loggerheads with notions
of national security, the needs of a knowledge society and even socio-
economic policy. Hopefully, this judgment will set many such concerns at
rest and bring about a more equitable relationship between citizen and state.
1. unanimous (adjective) uniform, united, undivided.
2. grudgingly (adverb) in a reluctant or in a manner resentful manner.
3. inalienable (adjective) inviolable, absolute, unchallengeable/unalterable.
4. inherent (adjective) essential, fundamental, deep-rooted/permanent.
5. explicit (adjective) clear/direct, obvious, straightforward.
6. perverse (adjective) awkward, contrary; illogical, irrational.
7. come down on (phrasal verb) reprimand, rebuke, criticize harshly.
8. underpinning (noun) nucleus, kernel, basis/fundamental, core (ideas/motives).
9. ineluctable (adjective) inescapable, inevitable, unpreventable.
10. facet (noun) aspect, feature, characteristic.
11. amorphous (adjective) shapeless, formless, structureless.
12. defy description (phrase) something which is unusual/remarkable and so it is not possible
to describe it.
13. statutory (adjective) mandatory, necessary, essential.
14. elitist (adjective) relating to /associated with elite (most powerful and influential) group.
15. fall by the wayside (phrase) fail to persist/continue in an activity.
16. cherish (verb) revere/esteem; nurture, protect/treasure.
18. ruling (noun) decision, decree; verdict/judgement.
19. uphold (verb) confirm/justify; maintain, continue (a custom/practice).
20. flawed (adjective) defective, wrong, incorrect.
21. pertinent (adjective) relevant, apposite, appropriate/suitable.
22. arbitrariness (noun) the quality of being determined by chance, whim, or impulse, and
not by necessity, reason, or principle (Courtesy: Wikipedia).
23. compelling (adjective) irresistible, forceful, overwhelming.
24. cautionary (adjective) warning, intimidating, forbidding.
25. in order (phrase) appropriate, proper, right.
26. writ (noun) a formal written order of an authority; Court order.
27. open-ended (adjective) permanent/fixed, perpetual, everlasting.
28. revivify (verb) re-energize, fortify, strengthen.
29. pit against (phrasal verb) compete against/with, contend with, grapple with.
30. at loggerheads (phrase) in disagreement, at variance, in opposition.
31. notion (noun) idea/thought, belief, concept.
32. at rest (phrase) not agitated, troubled.
33. equitable (adjective) fair/impartial, unbiased, egalitarian.
Can India Stop Its Children From Dying?

. 24, 2017
Bengaluru, India Two children younger than 5 die every minute in India.
Even by Indias easy acceptance of child mortality, the death of 70 children
within five days at a hospital in the northern city of Gorakhpur was hard to
accept.
A majority of the children who died had been struck by Japanese encephalitis, a
mosquito-borne, potentially fatal viral brain infection that periodically ravages
the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. But the immediate reason for at least half the
deaths appeared to be the cessation of piped oxygen into the intensive care
ward. Japanese encephalitis has no known cure, and as it progresses, patients
require oxygen to survive.
Despite 11 reminders over six months, the Uttar Pradesh government did not
pay the company that supplied oxygen to the Baba Raghav Das Medical College
hospital. The company acknowledged it had threatened to stop supplies
but denied it had actually done so. The state administration, with its own role in
question, vaguely promised stringent action against the guilty.
In a country chronically short of medical facilities, the Baba Raghav Das

hospital is the largest and most important referral hospital in a poor, populous
region, serving a population of more than 50 million in hundreds of nearby
towns and villages. Stunned parents carpenters, construction workers,
security guards, homemakers and others from poor families streamed out of
the hospital with the bodies of their dead children.
Many said the police had removed them from the hospital after their children
died. Some who sought autopsies were told to bring masks and gloves for
coroners, suggesting the breadth and depth of the states health care crisis.
Gorakhpur, a city of nearly 700,000, is home to Yogi Adityanath, a

controversial monk and Hindu nationalist politician who was chosen by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to be chief minister of this, Indias most populous
state, in March. Mr. Adityanath, who has a penchant for hate speech against
Muslims and faces accusations of rioting and attempted murder, has politically
dominated Gorakhpur and the adjacent region and represented it in the Indian
parliament from 1998 to 2014.
Although disregard for human life is common in India, the images of dead
children from the Gorakhpur hospital were followed by intense criticism. This
is not just a tragedy, it is a massacre, Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian Nobel
laureate, tweeted.
Indian politicians are expected to look after their home constituencies, but Mr.
Adityanath defended his record and dismissed allegations that his government
was criminally negligent at worst and incompetent at best. One reason for the
deaths, he said, is that we do not lead a clean and hygienic life.
Several leaders from Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party played down the
tragedy. Amit Shah, the powerful B.J.P. president and Mr. Modis confidante,
said, In such a big country, many incidents happen; this isnt the first time an
incident like this has happened. Irrespective of the local governments political
ideologies, Gorakhpur and Uttar Pradesh have repeatedly witnessed mass death
from disease, grim reminders of the state of its public-health system. The Baba
Raghav Das hospitals recordsreveal that 3,000 children have died within its
walls since 2012.
Indias crumbling health care system heaps repeated indignities on its people. A
husband walked for miles with his wifes body slung over his shoulder because
ambulances refused help. Rats gnawed at a newborn in a hospital. Patients
traveled across the country to seek health care in big cities, living on sidewalks
for weeks, waiting and sometimes dying before they got an appointment.
Unlike in the United States, where health policies can hold the political stage,
health care in India has never been an electoral issue. In the spring, in the run-
up to the election that brought Mr. Adityanath to power, only 1 percent of voters
in Uttar Pradesh identified health care as a priority.
Indians rarely debate health policy, and the attitude may have something to do
with an Indian fatalism in matters of life and death. It allows the government to
get away with repeated public-health scandals. A major reason for Indias
health care crisis is that it spends about 1.3 percent of its gross domestic
product on health (the global average is 5.99 percent), and while an extensive
annual survey meticulously analyzes economic progress, its health data are
released only once a decade.
Indias infant mortality rate has fallen 76 percent over the past half-century, but
it is still higher than 150 middle- and low-income countries, many poorer than
India, including neighbors Nepal and Bangladesh.
India is part of the BRICS grouping of nations because of its economic and
military power. On health care, however, it has largely fallen behind fellow
BRICS members Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. China reducedstunting
from 32.3 percent in 1990 to 9.4 percent in 2010. India lags behind, having
reduced stunting from 62.7 percent in 1990 to 38.4 percent in 2015.
And Uttar Pradesh, home to about 200 million, sits at the bottom of the health
rankings of Indias 36 provinces. The states infant mortality rate the number
of children who die for every 1,000 born is 47, the third highest in India. The
state government spends $7 a person every year in health care, 70 percent less
than the Indian average.
Over 15 years, as the states population surged 15 percent, the number of village
health centers, the front line of the public health care system, decreased 8
percent because many fell into disuse or were not staffed. Successive state
governments are responsible for the withering of the public-health system.
Indias better-governed southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra

Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Goa have invested in their health systems
and have healthier people. Poorer, northern Indian states, such as Uttar
Pradesh, have lower standards of governance and tend not to make public
health a priority. Uttar Pradesh must invest in its health system and hire more
medical staff. But it needs to do more than that.
Days after the tragedy in Gorakhpur, an Indian Medical Association inquiry
team found dogs and rats in the wards of the Baba Raghav Das hospital, a sight
that doctors and patients accept as normal. Uttar Pradesh needs a new normal
1. mortality (noun) (in a particular time/for a cause) the rate of death.

2. ravage (verb) devastate, ruin, destroy.
3. cessation (noun) end/termination, stopping, discontinuation/interruption.
4. stringent (adjective) strict, firm, tough/rigorous.
5. chronically (adverb) in a persistent way, long-standingly, constantly.
6. populous (adjective) densely populated, crowded, congested.
7. stream (out) (verb) run with tears.
8. autopsy (noun) post-mortem, necropsy.
9. coroner (noun) an official who investigates into violent, sudden, or suspicious deaths.
10. the length and breadth of (phrase) the whole extend of.
11. penchant (noun) liking, fondness, inclination.
12. disregard (noun) indifference; heedlessness, carelessness/lack of attention.
13. laureate (noun) a person who is honoured with an award for outstanding achievement.
14. look after (phrasal verb) take care of, take charge of, attend to/protect.
15. negligent (adjective) careless, remiss, irresponsible.
16. at worst (phrase) in the most serious case.
17. incompetent (adjective) unskilful, inexpert, amateurish/unprofessional.
18. at best (phrase) taking the most positive view with best possible results.
19. play down (phrasal verb) underemphasize, downplay, understate.
20. confidante (noun) close friend, best friend, companion.
21. grim (adjective) dreadful, horrible, terrible.
22. crumbling (adjective) disintegrating, falling down, collapsing/decaying.
23. heap (verb) pile up, stack up, make a pile of.
24. indignity (noun) shame/humiliation, loss of self-respect, loss of pride.
25. sling (verb) hang, suspend, swing.
26. gnaw (verb) bite persistently.
27. run-up to (noun) a period/time before an important event.
28. fatalism (noun) acceptance; belief that all events are unpredictable/unavoidable as fated.
29. get away with (phrasal verb) escape blame for, escape punishment for.
30. meticulously (adverb) thoroughly, assiduously, diligently/carefully.
31. front line (noun) most important position in a movement.
32. disuse (noun) non-use, lack of use; neglect.
33. wither (verb) diminish, dwindle, shrink/lessen.
And the war goes on: On Trumps South Asia

policy
AUGUST 24, 2017 00:02 IST
Donald Trumps plan for Afghanistan is still too short on

specifics
U.S. President Donald Trumps decision to deepen the countrys military
engagement in war-torn Afghanistan signals a significant shift in the position
he has held for years. Mr. Trump had campaigned to end American
involvement in foreign conflicts and was particularly critical of the Afghan
war, which he said was wasting American money. His announcement on
Monday of the decision to send more troops to the country reflects a
realisation that the U.S. does not have many options in dealing with its
longest military conflict. This is also a grim reminder of the precarious
security situation in Afghanistan. Sixteen years since George W. Bush
ordered the American invasion of Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban
regime, the insurgents are on the ascendent again. More than half the
countrys territory, mostly in rural, mountainous areas, is now controlled by
the Taliban, while the Islamic State has set up base in eastern Afghanistan. In
recent years, both the Taliban and the IS have carried out a number of terror
attacks in the country, including at highly fortified military locations, raising
questions about the very survival of the government in Kabul. This is a worry
point for Mr. Trumps generals, who want to avoid the kind of vacuum left
behind by the Soviet withdrawal in the late 1980s that plunged Afghanistan
into a protracted civil war; the Taliban eventually took over.
But it is not going to be easy for Mr. Trump. He is the third consecutive
American President to send troops to Afghanistan. Mr. Bush and Barack
Obama failed to swing the situation sufficiently to ensure a long-lasting
difference in Afghanistans battleground. It is not clear if Mr. Trump can win
a war they lost. His strategy can be summed up as Obama-plus it builds on
the premises of the Obama plan of additional troops and regional diplomacy.
But unlike Mr. Obama, who set a timetable for the withdrawal of troops, Mr.
Trump is ready for an open-ended engagement. He also said the focus of the
American mission should narrow down to fighting terrorists, not rebuilding
Afghanistan in our own image. Third, Mr. Trump minced no words while
calling Pakistan a country that shelters terrorists. He also wants India to play a
greater role in providing economic and developmental assistance to
Afghanistan. India has welcomed Mr. Trumps strategy, as the U.S.s
objectives in building a stable Afghanistan and ending Pakistans sponsorship
of terrorism are exactly in line with Indias own goals for the region. It has,
however, correctly reminded Mr. Trump that it does not need his request,
never mind his coarse reference to billions of dollars made in bilateral trade
with the U.S., in order to fulfil its commitment to Afghanistans economic
development. Such open transactionalism will not serve the U.S.s efforts in
winning allies for its new Afghanistan policy, nor indeed will it further its
mission in a country that is not unfairly called the graveyard of empires.
1. go on (verb) continue, proceed.
2. specifics (noun) precise details, niceties, finer points.
3. war-torn (adjective) (of a place) devastated, ruined, wrecked (by war).
4. grim (adjective) dreadful, horrible, terrible.
5. precarious (adjective) uncertain/unsure, insecure, unreliable/risky.
6. invasion (noun) attack, incursion, assailing.
7. topple (verb) overthrow, oust, dethrone.
8. regime (noun) government, rule, leadership.
9. insurgent (adjective) rebellious, rebel, revolutionary.
10. ascendant (noun) on the rise, growing, rising in power.
11. fortify (verb) strengthen, improve, reinforce.
12. vacuum (noun) gap, space/blank, lacuna.
13. plunge (verb) fall, tumble, plummet (suddenly).
15. take over (phrasal verb) assume control of, take control of, take charge of.
16. swing (verb) change, alter, shift.
17. long-lasting (adjective) enduring, lasting; strong/reliable.
18. open-ended (adjective) permanent/fixed, perpetual, everlasting.
19. narrow down (phrasal verb) reduce the number of.
20. not mince words (idiom) talk/speak straight; call a spade a spade.
21. coarse (adjective) common, rough, uncultured, offensive/improper.
22. fulfil (verb) accomplish, execute, perform.
23. graveyard (noun) cemetery, burial ground/place.
Fusion and fission: On AIADMK merger

AUGUST 23, 2017 00:02 IST
The merger of the two AIADMK factions has led to the emergence
of another
New fault lines have formed in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra
Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu. When the factions led by Chief Minister Edappadi
K. Palaniswami and former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam agreed on the
merger, they must have hoped it would lead to a period of political stability
and an unrivalled claim to power. Instead, they are now faced with a new
pressure group led by T.T.V. Dhinakaran, nephew of the polarising figure that
is V.K. Sasikala, who is serving a four-year sentence in the disproportionate
assets case. By making the isolation of the Sasikala family a pre-condition for
the merger, the Panneerselvam faction appears to have left Mr. Palaniswami
on shaky ground. While Mr. Dhinakaran was not against the merger per se,
he and his kin have not taken kindly to the depiction of the political
reunion as a logical outcome of popular aversion to the Sasikala family. The
merger and the retrieval of the election symbol of Two Leaves were seen as
political necessities, but not the insistence of the Panneerselvam faction on
carrying on a political campaign almost entirely on an anti-Sasikala
platform. Though Mr. Palaniswami managed to defer a decision on
expelling Sasikala until after the convening of a general council meeting, in
the popular imagination the merger was made possible only by the sidelining
of the Sasikala family. To retain their relevance, Mr. Dhinakaran and other
members of the family were forced to coalesce into an opposing group.
With the support of 19 legislators, Mr. Dhinakaran is in a position to bring
down the government. However, rather than project his opposition as another
split in the party, he is keen to fight the battle from within. The proposal to
pitch the Speaker, P. Dhanapal, as the groups choice of Chief Minister to
replace Mr. Palaniswami is part of an attempt to reassert control over the
party and the government. Even now, many ministers in the Palaniswami
cabinet are Sasikala loyalists; they are held together only by their desire to
avoid a snap election just one year into the term of the Assembly. Given the
mood of the government at the Centre and the interests of the Bharatiya
Janata Party, Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao might not act in a hurry on the plea
by the MLAs supporting Mr. Dhinakaran and order Mr. Palaniswami to go
through a floor test. Indeed, the best course in the current muddled
circumstances would be to let matters take their own course and allow any
oppositional group to move a motion of no confidence against the
government. The Dhinakaran group would like a change at the helm, but
would not like to be seen as joining hands with the Opposition Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam and forcing a snap election. In such a situation, the
proper forum for a change of leadership is a meeting of the AIADMKs
legislature party, not the Raj Bhavan, and not the floor of the Assembly. At
least, not yet.
1. fusion (noun) joining, merging, integration.

2. fission (noun) division, breaking, separation.
4. unrivalled (adjective) unequalled, unparalleled, matchless/peerless.
5. disproportionate (adjective) out of proportion to; inordinate, excessive.
6. per se (adverb) by and of itself; intrinsically, in a natural/ essential way.
7. depiction (noun) portrayal, representation, presentation.
8. aversion (noun) dislike, disinclination, hatred.
9. retrieval (noun) repossession, getting back, recapture/reclamation.
10. insistence (noun) demand, announcement, statement/declaration.
11. defer (verb) postpone, put off, delay.
12. expel (verb) oust, remove, bar.
13. relevance (noun) the quality of being relevant/closely connected.
14. coalesce (verb) combine, merge/unite, come together.
15. snap (adjective) spontaneous, unarranged, unplanned.
16. in a hurry (phrase) in a rushed manner, rushing about, readily.
17. muddled (adjective) confused, bewildered, perplexed.
18. helm (noun) in charge, in command/in control, responsible.
Undoing injustice: On instant triple talaq

verdict
AUGUST 23, 2017 00:02 IST
The Supreme Court invokes constitutional norms and Islamic

canon to bar instant talaq
By declaring the discriminatory practice of instant triple talaq as
unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has sent out a clear message that
personal law can no longer be privileged over fundamental rights. Three of
the five judges on the Constitution Bench have not accepted the argument that
instant talaq, or talaq-e-biddat, is essential to Islam and, therefore, deserves
constitutional protection under Article 25. The biggest virtue of the two
opinions constituting the majority judgment is that they do not have to
undermine any religious tenet to make their point. On the contrary, as Justice
Kurian Joseph says, the forbidden nature of triple talaq can be gleaned from
the Koran itself. Justice Rohinton Nariman, writing the main judgment,
locates the practice in the fourth degree of obedience required by Islamic
tenets, namely, makruh, or that which is reprobated as unworthy. The main
ground on which the practice has been struck down is a simple formulation:
that this form of talaq is manifestly arbitrary in the sense that the marital tie
can be broken capriciously and whimsically by a Muslim man without any
attempt at reconciliation so as to save it. In fact, the final summation is so
simple that the court did not even have to elaborate on how triple talaq
violates gender equality. On the contrary, Justice Nariman says that having
held the practice to be arbitrary, there is really no need to go into the element
of discrimination. The court deserves commendation for undoing the gender
injustice implicit in the practice so effortlessly, within constitutional
parameters as well as the Islamic canon.
The present case was initiated suo motu by the court, but opinion against
triple talaq could not have gathered critical mass and the case against it
significantly bolstered if it werent for afew women standing up to the
communitys conservative elements and challenging it. Any other outcome
would have been a great injustice to them. Even the judges in the minority
have had to concede that their reasoning is based mainly on the fact that this
form of talaq is a matter of personal law, and therefore entitled to
constitutional protection. It is not open to a court to accept an egalitarian
approach over a practice which constitutes an integral part of religion, writes
Chief Justice J.S. Khehar in his minority opinion. Interestingly, even his view
segues into a somewhat egalitarian position, restraining Muslim men from
pronouncing triple talaq until Parliament enacts a law to regulate it. The All
India Muslim Personal Law Board, and all those who supported its regressive
opinion that even an unworthy practice should not be dislodged by judicial
verdict, should now accept the verdict in the interests of a modern social
order. And there is no reason to contend that their faith has been unduly
secularised. For, as Justice Joseph concludes, what is bad in theology is bad
in law as well.
1. invoke (verb) call for, cite/appeal to, adduce.

2. canon (noun) principle, rule/law, tenet.
3. discriminatory (adjective) biased, unfair, prejudiced.
4. unconstitutional (adjective) autocratic, arbitrary, undemocratic.
5. privilege (verb) protect(ed), exempt, except(ed).
6. virtue (noun) morality; strong point; advantage.
7. undermine (verb) weaken, compromise, diminish/reduce.
8. forbidden (noun) prohibited, banned, unauthorized/disallowed.
9. glean (verb) obtain, get, take (with difficulty).
10. makruh (adjective) (Arabic word) abominable, hateful, detestable.
11. reprobate (verb) criticize, condemn, censure.
12. strike down (phrasal verb) abolish, annul, nullify (a law or regulation).
13. manifestly (adverb) clearly, obviously, apparently.
14. arbitrary (adjective) irrational, illogical, unjustified (personal
whim/choice); (capricious/whimsical/unpredictable/impulsive).
15. capriciously (adverb) whimsically; casually, suddenly,
unpredictably/inconsistently/impulsively.
16. reconciliation (noun) reuniting, reunion, bringing together (again).
17. summation (noun) decision, comment, statement.
18. discrimination (noun) prejudice, bias/bigotry, inequity.
19. implicit in (adjective) inherent, incorporated, inbuilt.
20. suo motu (phrase) Latin term means on its own motion. it is used where a government
agency acts on its own knowledge.
21. bolster (verb) strengthen, support, reinforce.
22. stand up to (phrasal verb) survive, withstand, come through (defy/oppose).
23. conservative (adjective) traditionalist, conventional, orthodox/old-fashioned.
24. concede (verb) admit, acknowledge, accept.
25. entitle (verb) authorize, sanction, allow/permit.
26. egalitarian (adjective) common, equal; fair.
27. segue (verb) follow, move without interruption.
28. restrain (verb) prevent, prohibit, ban.
29. regressive (adjective) retrograde, unprogressive, negative.
30. dislodge (verb) remove, force out, oust.
31. contend (verb) compete, grapple with, deal with.
32. unduly (adverb) excessively, disproportionately; unnecessarily.
Derailed priorities: On Utkal Express

derailment
AUGUST 22, 2017 00:02 IST
There must be a quick inquiry into the Khatauli accident, and a
larger safety upgrade
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu took several Rail Bhawan mandarins to task
within hours of the latest tragedy on the tracks. Thirteen coaches of the Puri-
Haridwar Utkal Express derailed at Khatauli, near Muzaffarnagar in Uttar
Pradesh, killing at least 23 people. A portion of the track had been disjointed
and was being welded in order to be put back in place as part of routine
maintenance. But no one bothered to put a traffic blockade in place, as
required, and the welding could not be completed before the train passed
through. A probe by the Commissioner of Railway Safety may reveal whether
this was a systemic communication failure or an instance of a casual approach
to a task that needed to be done but could have waited if traffic blocks were
not feasible that day. Reposing confidence in the inquiry process may appear
difficult as the CRS is yet to conclude its investigation into one of the
deadliest railway mishaps in the past decade: the Indore-Patna Express crash
near Kanpur last November, that killed 152 passengers. That process may
have been muddied by suggestions of sabotage, from the highest levels of
government, and accountability is yet to be fixed. But in Khatauli, evidence is
available of serious lapses, including an audio recording of railway officers
conceding bungling over the maintenance work.
Two engineers have been suspended, another has been transferred, and three
top officials, including a Railway Board member in charge of engineering and
tracks, have been asked to go on leave as exemplary punishment. Action
against Railway Board members is rare, and this sends out a strong signal.
However, it is no substitute for a larger course correction. Nearly 70% of the
303 rail accidents reported between 2012-13 and 2015-16 were caused by
carelessness of railway staff, which includes shortcuts in maintenance work
and failure to heed safety norms. Derailments often caused by defects in
the tracks or the rolling stock have been the second biggest reason for
accidents and casualties over the past decade. The Railways has over 1.14
lakh km of tracks, but their renewal, the Ministry told the Parliamentary
Committee on Railways, depends on the financial resources allotted in a
given year rather than the length of tracks that need refreshing. The induction
of coaches with anti-climbing features, that could minimise fatalities in
incidents like Khatauli, remains far too sluggish. A five-year corporate safety
plan, first announced in the Rail Budget for 2015-16, has been drafted, but is
yet to be approved. Humans err, but when the system turns a blind eye to the
obvious needs of a public utility, the wake-up call needs to go beyond rapping
a few officers. As the Railways itself has said, unless operations are safe,
there are no operations.
1. mandarin (noun) a powerful officer, civil servant, functionary, bureaucrat.

2. take someone to task (phrase) rebuke, reprimand, censure, criticize.
3. blockade (noun) barricade, barrier, roadblock.
4. feasible (adjective) practical, viable, realistic.
5. mishap (noun) accident, trouble, problem, difficulty.
6. muddy (verb) confuse, make unclear, obfuscate/mix up.
7. sabotage (noun) damage, destruction, impairment.
8. lapse (verb) failure, error, mistake.
9. concede (verb) admit, acknowledge, accept.
10. bungling (adjective) incompetent, unskilful, inexpert.
11. exemplary (adjective) perfect, faultless, impeccable/consummate.
12. heed (noun) attention, notice, consideration.
13. rolling stock (noun) trains, carriages, wagons.
14. sluggish (adjective) lethargic, inertia, inactivity.
15. err (verb) make a mistake, be wrong, be incorrect.
16. turn a blind eye (phrase) overlook, disregard, neglect, ignore.
17. wake-up call (noun) something which alerts a person to a problem and makes him/her to
do some remedial action.
18. rap (verb) rebuke, reprimand, scold/criticize severely.
Prison and privilege: On favourable

exemptions to Sasikala in jail
AUGUST 22, 2017 00:02 IST
If illegal facilities are allowed to select prisoners, jails will lose

their deterrent value
It is not uncommon for some influential prisoners to get concessions or
privileges from obliging officials. The privileges and favourable exemptions
that V.K. Sasikala seems to enjoy in the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison
in Bengaluru appear to confirm what one hears only in corruption folklore.
Initially, it was rumoured she had a makeshift kitchen and been provided with
an inmate as a cook; it was said she had a special visitors room with enough
chairs for political confabulations. Now, dramatic footage has
emerged showing her and her relative and fellow convict, J. Ilavarasi,
entering by the prisons main door, suggesting that she may be returning from
a trip outside the prisons precincts. It appears, in the video, that she has been
exempted from wearing a convicts uniform. These are not fanciful charges
emerging from unreliable quarters. These are part of purported evidence
submitted to investigators by former Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) D.
Roopa, who blew the whistle on Sasikalas special privileges weeks ago. Ms.
Roopa has submitted the footage, presumably taken from a surveillance
camera focussed on the prisons entry point, to the Anti-Corruption Bureau,
which wanted proof of her earlier charges about rampant corruption among
prison officials. Ms. Roopa had been transferred out from the post after she
made the sensational allegation that the Director General (Prisons) and other
top officials had taken a 2-crore bribe to extend these privileges to Sasikala.
The former DG (Prisons), H.N. Satyanarayana Rao, who rejected the charges
as baseless, has since retired.
The Karnataka government has ordered an inquiry headed by Vinay Kumar, a
retired bureaucrat, into irregularities in the prison, while the Anti-Corruption
Bureau is examining the corruption charges. These investigations should not
be mere formalities as prison corruption poses a great danger to society. It is
not only influential politicians but also offenders jailed for serious charges,
such as Abdul Karim Telgi, the kingpin of the stamp paper racket that rocked
the country over a decade ago, who are the beneficiaries of a suborned
system. Overcrowding, ill-treatment, lack of infrastructure and inadequate
facilities are some of the problems that the countrys prison system has been
facing for years. In recent years, newer vices have been added to the list of
problems: availability of drugs, for instance, and access to mobile phones to
prisoners to beat the communication protocol. Any inquiry into Ms. Roopas
charges cannot be limited to the facilities that one or two prisoners may enjoy,
but should comprehensively address all these issues. Failure to curb the illegal
facilities allowed to some prisoners will ultimately lead to the loss of
whatever deterrent value a jail term has. To paraphrase Shakespeare, one
must not make a scarecrow of the law that is set up to scare away birds, but
lets custom make it their perch and not their terror.
1. privilege (noun) (birth) right, prerogative, entitlement/advantage.

2. deterrent (adjective) relating to something which is aimed/intended to deter
(stop/prevent) something else.
3. obliging (adjective) helpful, accommodating/willing, cooperative.
4. folklore (noun) story/myth/tale, history, tradition.
5. makeshift (adjective) temporary, make-do, provisional/substitute.
6. confabulation (noun) discussion, discourse, conversation.
7. precincts (noun) bounds, boundaries, limits.
8. exempt (verb) excuse, free from, not subject to.
9. convict (noun) prisoner, inmate.
10. purported (adjective) claimed, professed/pretended; alleged.
11. blow the whistle on (phrase) detect, discover, find out/unearth.
12. presumably (adverb) probably, in all likelihood, undoubtedly.
13. rampant (adjective) uncontrolled, unrestrained, widespread.
14. kingpin (noun) gang leader, the most important person in a group/organisation.
15. racket (noun) criminal activity, illegal scheme/enterprise.
16. suborn (verb) bribe, corrupt, buy off.
17. vice (noun) wrongdoing, badness, misconduct.
18. comprehensively (adverb) completely, thoroughly, fully.
19. curb (verb) check, restraint, control.
20. paraphrase (verb) reword, rephrase, express in other words, express differently, restate.
21. scarecrow (noun) an object with human figure set up to scare birds away from crops
(growing) field.
22. perch (noun) position, vantage point, viewpoint/standpoint (perch- sitting on tip/edge of
something).
Missing investors: on Sahara case

AUGUST 21, 2017 00:02 IST
The Sahara case calls for a thorough probe to reveal all its money
laundering dimensions
It has been about five years since the Supreme Court ordered the Sahara
Group, led by Subrata Roy, to refund money that it borrowed from investors
without sufficient regulatory clearance. But the Securities and Exchange
Board of India, which was tasked by the Supreme Court to oversee the actual
transfer of money from the Sahara Group to investors, is clueless about where
to find those investors. The total amount, including interest on the initial
principal, that needs to be refunded to investors has bulged to about 40,000
crore now. Of this, SEBI has received an aggregate amount, including interest
earned on deposits, of about 14,487 crore from the Sahara Group. But
according to SEBIs latest annual report, as on March 31, 2017 only about
85.02 crore, including interest of about 38.05 crore, of this amount has
actually been returned to investors. As a background to the case, it is notable
that Sahara India Real Estate Corporation Ltd. and Sahara Housing
Investment Corporation Ltd., entities that come under the Sahara Group, were
directed by SEBI in 2011 to return about 24,000 crore that they had raised
through the issue of optional fully convertible debentures. The entities had
collected the money without seeking SEBIs approval, which led the regulator
to order the money to be returned to investors with appropriate interest. The
Sahara Group argued that it had sufficient approvals from the Ministry of
Corporate Affairs for the issue. But the Supreme Court, on August 31, 2012,
upheld the 2011 SEBI order.
The fact that very few investors have come forward to reclaim their money is
bizarre. SEBI has been requesting genuine investors in Sahara to step forward
and claim their money since at least May 2013. This obviously raises
questions about the authenticity of Saharas investor base, which needs to be
investigated thoroughly. The Sahara Group earlier claimed that it had already
returned 95% of the capital that it borrowed from investors even before the
Supreme Courts 2012 decision it says this is the reason much of the
refund money remains unclaimed. But the Group failed to satisfy the Supreme
Courts request to provide evidence of the source of funds used to make the
claimed return payments. It was always clear that the Sahara case was hardly
about investor protection, one that could be handled by SEBI. Yet, even as
crores of rupees remain unclaimed from SEBI, investigations into the case
from the angle of possible money laundering have been slow. The
Enforcement Directorate began proceedings in 2014 against the Sahara Group
under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, but has had very little to
show for its efforts. The government must step in to expedite a probe into
what could be a massive money laundering exercise. This will yield better
results than waiting for millions of missing investors to turn up. Finally, the
Ministrys rationale for approving Saharas initial fund-raising efforts should
not be left uninvestigated either.
1. call for (phrasal verb) demand, necessitate, publically ask.

2. money-laundering (noun) A secret act of moving illegally acquired funds into legal bank
accounts or investments.
3. oversee (verb) supervise, administer, manage.
4. bulge (verb) expand, inflate, enlarge.
5. aggregate (adjective) total, whole, overall.
6. debenture (noun) credit, advance, security.
7. uphold (verb) maintain, sustain, continue.
8. bizarre (adjective) strange, peculiar, odd.
9. authenticity (noun) reliability, truth, faithfulness.
10. proceedings (noun) (legal case/suit) activities, affairs, happenings.
11. expedite (verb) speed up, accelerate, quicken.
12. yield (verb) produce, give, provide.
13. turn up (phrasal verb) appear, arrive/come, be present.
Separate ways: on JD(U) split

AUGUST 21, 2017 00:02 IST
Sharad Yadav has adopted a long-term view in deciding to part

with Nitish Kumar
On the credit side of his long political ledger, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar has been able to carry with him most of his partys State legislators
through his flip-flops. Whether he made or broke alliances, whether with the
Bharatiya Janata Party or the Rashtriya Janata Dal, a majority of the Bihar
unit of the Janata Dal (United) stayed with him. The only blot in his drama-
filled copybook so far is the revolt of senior leader Sharad Yadav, who took
some of the moral sheen away from the attempt to portray the break-up of the
grand alliance with the RJD and the Congress as a principled stand against
corruption. Indeed, Mr. Yadav, in describing the dissolution of the alliance as
a betrayal of the peoples mandate of 2015, has pressured Mr. Kumar into
dropping all pretence and formally joining the National Democratic Alliance
of the BJP. The prospect of ministerial berths at the Centre might have
persuaded some of the JD(U)s Members of Parliament to go along with Mr.
Kumar, but Mr. Yadav appears to have generated some political momentum
on his own. With the formalisation of the split, the JD(U) could be in danger
of losing its election symbol, the Arrow. Mr. Yadav has made it clear he is
not leaving the party he helped found, and led for some time.
A BJP-JD(U) electoral alliance is formidable, but if the 2015 Assembly
election proved anything, it was that the RJD retained its core support base.
Mr. Yadav knows he can retain his relevance in Bihars politics by siding
with the RJDs Lalu Prasad. The series of corruption cases against him and
his family members notwithstanding, Mr. Prasad, with his own brand of
backward class identity politics and wooing of the minority community vote-
bank, remains a vote-catcher in Bihar. The present turn in the States politics
presents an opportunity for Mr. Yadav to strike out on his own, and find a
niche for himself. To go along with Mr. Kumar at every turn would have
cramped the political space for Mr. Yadav at the national level. Also, in spite
of what he likes to believe, Mr. Kumar might have played into the hands of
the BJP. At the time of the next Lok Sabha election, the BJP will most likely
call the shots in seat apportioning and constituency selection. Mr. Kumar
needs the BJP more than the BJP needs him. Without an alliance partner, Mr.
Kumar might just sink; the RJD-Congress combine is sure to take the anti-
BJP political space. Thus, in making his decision Mr. Yadav seems to have
factored in a possible souring of Mr. Kumars relations with the Narendra
Modi-Amit Shah duo. The prospect of an immediate ministerial berth was
probably weighed against the possibility of long-term political
marginalisation.
1. part with (verb) give up, relinquish, forgo/abandon.

2. on the credit side (phrase) as a good thing of the situation/condition.
3. ledger (noun) book, registry, log.
4. flip-flop (noun) a sudden reversal of something, particularly a policy/plan.
5. blot in ones copybook (phrase) flaw/fault, defect/imperfection in someones action/deed
(which would have been a perfect one without it (blot)).
6. sheen (noun) shine, polish, lustre.
7. dissolution (noun) cessation, conclusion, end/breakup.
8. betrayal (noun) disloyalty, faithlessness, falseness.
9. pretence (noun) (false) appearance, impression/image; display.
10. prospect (noun) chance, hope, anticipation.
11. persuade (verb) convince, tempt/prompt, induce.
12. formidable (adjective) terrifying, disturbing; awesome.
13. relevance (noun) the quality of being relevant/closely connected.
14. notwithstanding (adverb) nevertheless, despite that, even so, however.
15. identity politics (noun) it is also called as identitarian politics, refers to political positions
based on the interests and perspectives of social groups with which people identify
(Courtesy: Wikipedia).
16. woo (verb) try to attract, seek the support of, pursue.
17. strike (out) (verb) start out a new/independant course/endeavour.
18. (ones) niche (noun) ideal position, place, calling/opportunity.
19. cramp (verb) hinder, impede, inhibit.
20. play into someones hands (phrase) do something in way without knowing that will
help someone else (or damage the one who does it).
21. call the shots (phrase) be in command, be the boss, be in the driving seat.
22. apportion (verb) share out, divide out, allocate/distribute.
23. sink (verb) fail, go down, collapse.
24. factor in (phrase) included/added as a factor/point when making a decision.
25. sour (verb) dissatisfy, frustrate; spoil, damage.
26. weigh against (verb) balance; evaluate, juxtapose with/place side by side.
Inquiry into Jayalalithaa's death: Politics of

probe
AUGUST 19, 2017 00:02 IST
The inquiry into Jayalalithaas death is another set piece in Tamil

Nadus political theatre
In ordering a judicial inquiry into the circumstances leading to the death of
former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K.
Palaniswami has adopted a political response to a political demand. There is
little doubt that Jayalalithaa received the best possible medical treatment
when hospitalised. However, the purpose of ordering an inquiry is to satisfy
one of the three conditions put forward by the faction of the All India Anna
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the AIADMK (PTA) led by O. Panneerselvam,
for a merger. Having first removed V.K. Sasikalas nephew, T.T.V.
Dhinakaran, as the partys deputy general secretary, Mr. Palaniswami fulfilled
another condition set by the faction, by declaring Jayalalithaas residence a
public memorial. These demands were a cover for backroom bargaining on
ministerial berths and party posts. But by acceding to them, Mr. Palaniswami
seems to have put the pressure back on Mr. Panneerselvam to move towards a
merger. The larger purpose behind the AIADMK (PTA)s demands was to
force the ruling AIADMK faction, the AIADMK (Amma), to distance itself
from the Sasikala family. Now, at least for public consumption the AIADMK
(Amma) seems to have done so in the interest of the merger (to pave the way
for the retrieval of the Two Leaves election symbol), and to maintain good
relations with the BJP-led government at the Centre.
By all accounts, the BJP wants the two factions to merge, and it can be
expected to put added pressure on the AIADMK (PTA) to do so. In any case,
Mr. Panneerselvam no longer can hope to be recognised as the sole inheritor
of Jayalalithaas political legacy. MLAs in his camp are tired of waiting it out
without the benefits of being in office. If his demand for a judicial inquiry
into Jayalalithaas death is to yield real political dividends, then the inquiry
would have to point to some shortcomings on the part of Sasikala in
administering good care during the days immediately before hospitalisation.
Some of the leaders in his faction have been asking for an inquiry by the
Central Bureau of Investigation, perhaps in the hope that the agency would do
the bidding of the Centre. The BJP seems to have opted for a strategy that
allows it to deal with a united AIADMK that is beaten into submission as an
ally, instead of pushing for a high-risk scenario that would have meant aiding
the AIADMK factions to self-destruct and waiting to take up the political
space vacated by them. Any other course would have amounted to
surrendering the political advantage to the main Opposition party, the Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam, which lost the Assembly election narrowly last year.
Clearly, the BJP is unwilling to sacrifice its short-term political interests in
Tamil Nadu in the implementation of a long-term vision.
1. set piece (noun) a part/section of the play/story arranged/elaborated for

maximum effect.
3. put forward (phrasal verb) propose,, suggest, recommend.
4. fulfil (verb) accomplish, execute, perform.
5. accede (verb) agree to, accept/endorse, surrender to.
6. distance from (verb) denounce, remove/detach, separate.
7. consumption (noun) the reception of information by the people.
8. pave the way for (phrase) prepare for, clear/open the way for, usher in,.
9. retrieval (noun) repossession, getting back, recapture/reclamation.
10. by all accounts (phrase) reputedly, apparently/seemingly, ostensibly.
11. no longer (phrase) not now as formerly; not any more.
12. inheritor (noun) heir, successor, next-in-line.
13. legacy (noun) something given by a predecessor (to his/her successor).
14. yield (verb) generate, produce, earn.
16. shortcomings (noun) fault, flaw, imperfection/defect.
17. bidding (noun) command, order,/demand, instruction.
18. submission (noun) yielding, capitulation, agreement/compliance.
19. ally (noun) associate, colleague, supporter/partner.
20. scenario (noun) course of events, situation.
21. aid (verb) help, assist, abet
Barcelona horror
AUGUST 19, 2017 00:02 IST
Spain suffers a terrible terror strike, raising questions about

counter-IS strategies
A vehicular attack to maximise casualties and spread panic is now a well-
tested terrorist strategy in European cities. Barcelona became the latest urban
centre to be so hit when a van ploughed into pedestrians on a busy street,
leaving at least 14 dead and more than 100 injured. This is Spains worst
terrorist incident since the Madrid train bombings of 2004. The Islamic State
has, expectedly, claimed responsibility. The plot appeared to be multi-site and
involved numerous actors, not just a lone wolf. This hints at meticulous
planning. The police have linked the van attack in Barcelonas Las Ramblas
area to an explosion the previous evening that ripped through a home and
killed one person in a town 200 km south of Barcelona. Authorities also saw
connections to a second vehicle attack that occurred in the resort town of
Cambrils, south of Barcelona. With at least one attacker, the driver of the van,
said to be at large, the Spanish government is likely to be grappling with the
same question as its counterparts elsewhere in Europe: what options are
available to law enforcement to thwart attacks using easy-to-obtain vehicles
to grab the headlines? Over the past year, the weaponisation of vehicles has
increasingly become the tactic of choice for extremists: it was used in London
(March and June 2017, at least 12 killed), Stockholm (April 2017, five killed),
Berlin (December 2016, 12 killed), and Nice (July 2016, 86 killed).
If indeed it is established that the IS was behind the Barcelona attack, even if
only as an inspiration and not in terms of planning or execution, this would
call for a renewed focus on containing the jihadist groups recruitment agenda
in Europe. There is a real risk that with the steady erosion of the ISs
territorial control in Iraq and Syria, recently highlighted by its defeat in
Mosul, foreign fighters may return from those battlefields to their home
countries and focus on carrying out attacks there. European intelligence and
security services that were beefed up after a multitude of al-Qaeda-linked
attacks through the decade of the 2000s are still fumbling to gain control of
this new paradigm of individualised, low-tech terror. Until now it was
believed that Spanish intelligence had performed better on this score than
France, and perhaps even the U.K. Strained by a lack of resources and
suboptimal intra-Europe coordination, Frances intelligence seemed no match
for the 2015 IS terror campaign on its soil, which culminated in the death of
130 people in the Paris attacks in November. Spanish authorities, on the other
hand, are said to have foiled several major plots in 2008, and at least 10
separate conspiracies in 2016, not to mention additional networks reportedly
uncovered this year. Notwithstanding these variations, law enforcement
agencies across the continent, and elsewhere, now face the unenviable
challenge of adapting to the evolving terror tactics of a dispersed, determined
enemy.
1. plough (into) (verb) ram, crash into, smash into, collide with.
2. lone wolf (noun) a person who likes to do to things on his/her own.
3. meticulous (adjective) careful, precise, scrupulous.
4. rip (through) (verb) move quickly/rapidly.
5. at large (phrase) escaped, free, on the run.
6. grapple with (verb) struggle, deal with, tackle.
7. counterpart (noun) a person who serves the same job/function but in a different location;
equivalent.
8. thwart (verb) block, prevent, stop.
9. jihadist (adjective) (in Islam) relating to a person who supports jihad (holy war).
10. beef up (phrasal verb) strengthen, reinforce, consolidate.
11. multitude (noun) a lot, a large/great number, a host of.
12. fumble (verb) move awkwardly; make efforts to do something.
13. paradigm (noun) model, pattern, example.
14. on this score (phrase) on that subject/matter, so far as that is concerned, in this respect.
15. strain (verb) struggle, labour, try very hard/strive.
16. suboptimal (adjective) below the highest standard/level/quality.
17. intra- (prefix added to adjectives) within.
18. culminate (verb) come to a climax; come to an end with, terminate with.
19. foil (verb) thwart, prevent, obstruct.
20. notwithstanding (preposition) in spite of, despite, regardless of.
21. unenviable (adjective) difficult, undesirable, unpleasant.
22. disperse (verb) scatter, disseminate, spread.
23. determined (adjective) resolute, single-minded, unwavering.

Editorial Words Articles Vocabular Collection

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Editorial Words Articles Vocabular Collection

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The arc to Tokyo: on India-Japan ties

SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 00:15 IST

India and Japan are infusing bilateral ties with a sharper

A peculiar order: on the T.N Assembly floor

In staying a floor test in the House, the Madras HC has adopted a

Will Angela Merkel be fourth time lucky?

Angela Merkels re-election as German Chancellor seems all but

1. all but (phrase) nearly, almost/just about, practically.

Good and simple tax: on the GST regime

A course correction is essential to fix the glitches in the GST

1. glitch (noun) problem, difficulty, issue/complication.

V.K. Sasikalas removal as general secretary may be at the cost

1. cost (noun) penalty, sacrifice, loss.

Shattered dreams: on Trump's crack down

U.S. President Donald Trump has put another category of

1. shattered (adjective) shell-shocked, distressed; heartbroken.

Slow creep: on petrol and diesel prices

Taxes need to be eased to make petrol and diesel more

1. creep (noun) unnoticeable increase in something (slowly and steadily).

Back to the future: on the Nadal-Federer

Rafael Nadal closes a phenomenal year for himself and Roger

In the air: on the no-fly list

The no-fly list is a welcome innovation to keep unruly passengers

Spanish steps: on the Catalan secession

Madrid will have to calibrate its reaction to the Catalan secession

1. Catalan (adjective) relating to Catalonia, its people, or its language.

Search for quality: on credit rating agencies

SEBIs proposed rules may not necessarily improve the quality of

Nowhere people: the Rohingya crisis

The Rohingya are a stateless people; India must factor this in

There can be no closure for Mumbai blasts victims as long as

1. episodic (adjective) intermittent, periodic, uneven/patchy.

The next supercycle?

A weakening American dollar stokes a rebound in commodities

Vigil on vigilantes: on the Supreme Court's

The Supreme Courts stern message about checking aggressive

Mountains of garbage: India's neglected

Waste management rules continue to be ignored even a year after

1. stark (adjective) clear, simple, straightforward.

Death of an activist: on Gauri Lankesh

Gauri Lankeshs killers must be found; or itll embolden those

1. embolden (verb) give courage, make brave, encourage.

Breaking the bank: on the bid for IPL telecast

Back on track: on India and China's united

India and China must address bilateral issues in a sustainable

Down but not out: on the failed PSLV launch

The failed PSLV attempt to launch a navigation satellite is

1. childs play (phrase) easily accomplished task/work.

1. sabre-rattling (noun) the display of military force; aggressive/belligerent, warmongering.

Back to the ballot: on the annulled Kenyan

With the Kenyan presidential vote annulled, the election body

1. annul (verb) nullify, invalidate, cancel.

Perform or perish: on the Cabinet reshuffle

Cabinet reshuffle that was unusually free from political

Myanmars refusal to address the Rohingya issue diminishes its

Unending slowdown: Indian economy

Understanding the Chinese mind

Not a status quoist power

1. riposte (verb) answer/reply/respond, retort, counter.

Shifting goal posts: Demonetisation has

Its official. Demonetisation has totally failed to curb black money

1. profess (verb) declare/announce, proclaim/claim, assert.

Ray of hope: bandh suspended in the

With the bandh suspended in the Darjeeling hills, Kolkata must