Land pact rollout in next 11 months

13 June 2015

  1. The land boundary agreement of 1974 and protocol of 1991 will be implemented over 11 months.
  2. Appointed day - July 31, 2015 will be the appointed day. It mean that both sides of the land stand transferred from this day. Both the countries will exchange the strip maps of the demarcated sectors by the appointed day.,
  3. Safe, secure passage to the dwellers along with their personal belongings and movable property.
  4. On immovable property - The concerned governments will facilitate remittance of sales proceeds of the property.
  5. The right to retain the nationality - residents can choose the nationality they hold prior to the actual transfer of territory.

Ukraine

Saturday, June 13, 2015

8:42 PM

  1. It is going through a phase of destabilization with growing violence between separatists and pro governance forces in its east.
  2. West has reacted to Russian involvements and posed sanctions on it. It shows that sanctions are not working. They failed to show any significant impact on Russia and further hardened its stand.
  3. Russia is still a formidable power in central Asia and east Europe. Its cooperation is necessary on various international issues such as Syria, Iran.so, diplomatic engagement in a mutually conducive environment can me a better solution to the Ukraine crisis.

Railways

Saturday, June 13, 2015

9:07 PM

Debroy panel recommendations

  1. Railways shall confine to the core function of transport.
  2. Regulatory authority need to be appointed on determining prices.

Srilanka increases the parliament size

  1. Size is increased to 237 and the 145 members will be elected through the first pass the post system and remaining through proportional representation.

Hot pursuit on Rebels across India and Myanmar border

  1. Army has conducted a covert operation across India - Myanmar border , to eliminate the insurgents operating from across the border.
  2. The post event detailing of the operation and releasing the sensitive information related to operation did not go well with Myanmar. It has denied any such operation on it soil.
  3. The pakistan also strongly reacted to the statements from Indian side.
  4. So, in a nutshell, it has decreased the space for conducting future covert operations and trying to gain a political mileage out of it may lead to an imbalance in our bilateral relations. It also proides an oppourtunity to project India as a hegemonic power in the region.
  5. State if uses the words such as revenge , it fails to distinguish between actions of the state and terror groups. Violence of the state cannot be projected as a solution to non state violence. It can be rather projected as protection of our sovergnity.
  6. If the long term strategy is to erode the militant strength, silence and tact may help better.

Total ban on child labour

  1. The child labour prohibition act, 1986 imposes the ban of employment in Hazardous industries only. It is deficit on the following three grounds a) It is against to Art 21A of constitution that guarantees free and compulsory education to children up to 14 years b) It do not regulate adolescent labour as mandated by ILO conventions 138 and 182.
  2. The present amendment prohibits the employment of children below 14 years in all forms except family enterprises and farmlands, where children can help family after school hours and in holidays.
  3. It also aims to prohibit employment of children between 14-18 years in hazardous industries.

Criticism

  1. Child right activists argue that, definition of family enterprises has to be clear to avoid employment in fore works, matchboxes etc. It is also argued that new norms may deny education to the girl child in the country ridden with poverty in the name of helping family.
  2. It may create many loop holes in implementation and Family enterprises fall in unorganised category that is hard to govern

Suggestion

  1. The 1986 act need to be completely overhauled to interlink rescue, rehabilitation and schooling. It need s a greater coordination among the ministries and organisations and the interlocking of provisions of the acts such as RTE act, Bonded Labour system(abolition) act 1976, Factories act, 1948, Bedi and cigar workers act 1996 etc.

Have we asked the children

  1. The children right to be heard has validate by the UN convention on the rights of children.
  2. In India, existing amendments to exclude family business, entertainment industry from child labour prohibition and regulation act , makes the monitoring and implementation of the act difficult.
  3. The major problem of child labour is in the informal sector. Instead of providing for exemptions under child labour prohibition and regulation act, the apprenticeship act can be used to bring a system of earn as you learn as like in Norway. Under this, Government can identify few safe and strongly protected occupations in formal sector , which are part time and can be easily monitored.
  4. Kandapur resolution of the international movement of working children adopted that, they need to be consulted by the state in making laws in their name for their protection.

For a smart city with a heart

  1. The major crisis of the cities is related to - improper planning which is often disjointed and irregular. Cultural affinities , humane interaction is decreasing in the present pattern of growth.
  2. The general urban indifference is growing to various neighborhood problems, crime. The migration, economic inequalities makes it much difficult.
  3. Third world urbanism is filled with crumbling infrastructure, absence of civic amenities, and insecurity all around.
  4. The new smart cities shall not confine themselves to automation, digitization the city living. It shall give consideration to the humane interactions rather than privatization of social life in the Indian cities - ex - growing gated communities
  5. The space is a major constraint. So, upward vertical and development of infrastructure in underground can be thought about. New models of infrastructure development with better utilization of existing spaces can reduce the costs. The Government if necessary shall take a strong regulatory measures to achieve this.