12 March 2018
News
India commits $1.4bn for solar energy world wide
Prime Minister Modi at the founding conference of international solar alliance in Delhi has pledged $1.4bn to provide financial cover to 27 projects in 15 countries. He also stated that India will start a solar technology mission with international focus which will cover all Government technical and educational institutions.
10 point action plan is announced to make solar power more affordable and to raise the share of solar power.
Note
India has a target to generate 175 GW of energy from renewable sources. In this 100Gw is supposed to be solar energy.
Limits on Xis tenure goes as NPC backs statue changes
China entered in to a new era of transition with Xi becoming a leader for life time in China.
Communist party of China has accepted for removing term limits on Xi’s presidency.
Why Xi is a powerful leader?
- He is the general secretary of communist party of China.
- He is the head of central military commission
- He is expected to be the head of National supervisory commission - soon to be established institution to fight corruption.
Mr xi jingping though on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era is introduced in to the constitution. It is xi who got the respect after Mao and Deng.
1,765 lawmakers face criminal charges
Centre has submitted list of legislators facing criminal charges. Supreme Court has already suggested for special courts to trial politicians with criminal charges.
The Acharya Envoys who propagate Indian culture
Govt of India has appointed spiritual Guru’s to Indian missions abroad. Their job is to propagate Indian culture abroad.
M&A rebound is a good sign for Indo-Japan ties
The previous two mega investments of Japan in india are disasters. They are diachii sankyo investment in Ranbaxy Laboratories and Docomo in Tata communications. Now, Nippon Steel is coming in to India with Arcelor Mittal to take over Essar steel. As free and open Indo-Pacific is core of Japan’s foreign policy India shall look at Japanese investments more carefully.
Editorial
A welcome quietus
Freedom of religion is an undisputed fundamental right. Similar is the case with Individual choice on marriage. Supreme court of india finally ends unjustified restrictions on Hadiya’s personal freedoms.
Under a humane constitution
Supreme Court judgement on Passive euthanasia must compel more debate on technological self determination.
Judgement of supreme court of India in common cause case on passive Euthanasia is an extension of its judgement on right to privacy. It centres around human dignity, choice, personal autonomy and bodily integrity.
As per the above, a citizen has a preference to go through a treatment he prefer to have. Forcing a treatment on an individual is depriving of his choice, right to autonomy and bodily integrity. Unaccepted physical interference also goes against human dignity. so, an individual can not be subjected to technological intervention with out their consent.
This logic can be extended to all technological interventions a citizen is experiencing. There has to be a self determination to individuals on to what extent one can allow technology in his/her life. It means
- Individuals shall have a right to engage technology on their own terms.
- Right to opt in to or opt out of such systems with out suffering for it.
- Right not to be subjected to technological intervention with out being given meaningful choice.
On Judicial legislation
Supreme Court of India has laid out clear guidelines on how Euthanasia shall be put in to practice. It can be criticised as a judicial overreach in to legislative sphere. In this context, south African constitutional device of suspended declaration of invalidity can be followed. According to this, constitutional court of South Africa is empowered to declare a legal provision unconstitutional, but also give the legislature some breathing space to remedy the defect before the Judgement actually comes in to force.
Similarly, supreme court of India in matters of legislative Vaccum can issue Guidelines and suspend their operation for few days allowing the legislature to make a law. If it do not, judicial Guidelines comes in to force.
A breakthrough and a Gamble
Though North Korea has offered itself to talks it has one price condition - regime security. so, what does it mean a security Guarantee is not yet defined. Does it include just Non aggression and a peace agreement with South Korea or does it extend to US withdrawal from peninsula/ break of an alliance between South Korea and USA is a question.
Added to this, China and Japan has huge stakes in Korean peace process. China is the largest trade partner of North Korea. Its involvement is essential in the event of fall out of talks to enforce sanctions.
Bifurcation and blame
- 14th finance commission did not recommend any abolition of special category status to states. It is not with in its scope of recommendations.
- Finance commission do not make any distinction between special category and other states in its allocations.
- Finance commissions job is to assess the revenue and cost liabilities of the states and make recommendations to offset these liabilities through tax devolutions and grants.
- Asymmetric arrangements in financial devolution will weaken federalism in the long run.