My Notes - 09 December 2017
India gets admission in to WassenaarArrangement :Wassenaar arrangement is an elite club of countries subscribing to arms export controls, similar to NSG and Missile technology control regime. It aims to regulate trade and use of dual use technology. It will boost India’s chances of entering in to NSG.
Adultery law weighed in favour of men:SC - section 497 of IPC deals with Adultery. It mandates that if a man has sexual intercourse with another’s wife with out the husbands consent or connivance, he is guilty of the offence of adultery and shall be punished.
IPC itself has its origins in victorian ethos that treat women as a property of a man. If carefully analysed, following important points can be deduced
Section 497 punishes Adultery of a man not that of woman. Married women is seen as a victim.
Adultery ceases the moment it is established that husband gave his consent to the act. It treats woman as a property of a man.
Editorial
A Stab in the heart of the peace process : Recent announcement of president Trump to shift USA embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem goes against to the spirit of two nation solution. Important take outs from this development are s follows.
Many of the past presidents of USA have never took the decision inspite of having approval from the congress through Jerusalem embassy act. Major reason was an understanding that Jerusalem is the major issue to resolve Israel - Palestine conflict.
Historically, Jerusalem was never under the control of Israel - Israel has taken the control over Jerusalem after 1948 and 1967 wars. Originally, Jerusalem was supposed to be an international city.
UN also rejected the claim of Israel that - Jerusalem is complete and united as its capital.
International community from time to time has objected to the Israeli settlements in Jerusalem.
The only country that can put an effective pressure on Israel is USA. Jimmy Carter’s pressure on Israel has lead to Camp David agreement. an unconditional support to Israel from an USA president can make it bold.
Living in world of emerging microbial resistance - Till date, Microbial resistance in India is spoken from an Hospital setting and through over consumption and Irregular use of antibiotics. But 2017 National action plan on Antimicrobial resistance talks about limiting antibiotics in effluents being dumped by drug makers. It raises concerns over environment- Pathogen link.
Many of the hymn pathogens today picked up their resistance genes form the environment though horizontal gene transfers.
Countering hate
Countering hate in a multi cultural society such as India needs a peaceful negotiations and respect for divergent interests and ways of life. Hate and violence is a vicious cycle and system shall deal with them firmly.
Rights & Wrongs
NALSA Judgement of Supreme court recognised a community of transgenders as a third gender and recommended for constitutional protection. It also recommended to government to accord them an educationally and socially backward status so that they could benefit from affirmative action.
They shall enjoy a right against discrimination and a positive right to make a decision about themselves. But, transgender bill proposed by the govt is not in this spirit. Major problems of the bill are
definition of the bill is not in conformity with global norms.
definition violated the principle that transgender persons have a right to self identification of their gender.
Statement to remember : social legislations should not be merely benevolent, rather it should be imbued with an approach that extends to the marginalised sections the freedom, dignity, and autonomy that other citizens enjoy.
When every breath kills
Organ phosphorus poisoning is becoming a major killer on rural side. it is due to exposure to farm pesticides. lack of regulation, govt apathy, farmers desperation continues to claim lives.