Careul! Apes can guess what you are thinking...

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/oct/06/apes-can-guess-what-others-are-thinking-just-like-humans

A death knell for the National Military

Govt policies are increasing the the tension in civil-military relations. distancing the armed forces by lowering their status and salaries in comparison to other  depts of the state. ...this would replace patriotism with profiteering....to hand over many of the armed forces roles and  missions to (private military) corporations is an attack on the very idea of the nation state.

Economic & Political Weekly, July 30, 2016.
Defence Analyst Atul Bhardwaj

Make sure you are hired, not fired

Several Cos are applying Predictive Index (an Anaytical tool to predict employee behaviour). Make sure you know how it works!

Times of India Business Page, 17

Govt cuts Army's Disability Pensions just after surgical strikes

Just After Surgical Strikes, Indian Govt Made Huge Cuts In Army's Disability Pensions For Injured Soldiers: Report
A notification was issued by the Ministry Of Defence a day after India's surgical strikes,
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/…/just-after-surgical-strikes…/

Perpetrators and victims of Gujarat's 2002 carnage both badly affected

Ref the Gujarat 2002 carnage, Rakesh Sharma refers to a booklet brought out by Gujarat’s Jati Nirmoolan Samiti (Society for the Eradication of Caste) that shed light on a more arresting dimension. “It contained a few tables on the caste composition of the detainees in Sabarmati Jail booked on 2002-related charges. There were just two Brahmins, four Banias, some 17 Patels and 27 or 37 from other upper castes — hardly 100 in all. On the other hand, there were 746 OBCs and 797 Dalits.” He goes on to outline their present plight.

“Clearly, the ring leaders who plotted and conducted the large-scale violence got away except for a few...

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/chronicling-the-cost-of-carnage/article9202797.ece

Not the Govt but the Army calls the shots in Pakistan

The credibility of the govt in Pakistan has gone down so badly that US Vice President  calls on the Pak general when he visits the country and the Afghan President starts his visit with the General HQ in Rawalpindi...

Deccan Chronicle Page 9 Interview with Pakistan watcher Gopalaswami Parthasarathy

Superbug in India

The cost of cheap drugs? Toxic Indian lake is superbug hotspot http://reut.rs/2dEFJiF 

UN Sec General's resolve to fight injustice

UN Secretary General designate says he will serve victims of conflict, terrorism and injustice:


http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31809&articlexml=Guterres-Will-serve-victims-of-conflicts-terrorism-injustice-08102016016040

Police not following laid down procedures in Haryana

Which sections of the penal code and Criminal Procedure Code allow the police to enter kitchens of private citizens on information given by other private citizens? What if the complaint is found to be false? .......Where are the laws and standard operating procedures to make the erring police officials accountable for their crimes?

NB - We owe thanks to this serving IPS officer for reminding citizens at large and his fellow officers in particular that gazetted officials of the GoI are not servants of the government of the day, nor obliged to act as promoters of any ideology. They are servants of the constitution,


http://thewire.in/70485/indian-police-service/

Land Acquisition not helping farmers

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is keen on rolling back some of the benefits that the central law  ( Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013 (LARR Act)    offers (to people..mostly farmers whose land is being acquired for 'public purpose)  Several States — Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Gujarat, among others — have already either amended the new law or enacted legislation of their own, creating sui generis processes that permit takings even in the absence of a direct public purpose. In other States such as Telangana, plans are afoot to amend the land law in such a manner as to do away with the requirement of consent when acquiring property for private companies so long as the acquisition is for a public purpose.

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-salience-of-the-singur-verdict/article9193546.ece?homepage=true

India to take up blocking of Brahmaputra tributary with China

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Blocking-of-Brahmaputra-tributary-India-to-take-it-up-with-China/articleshow/54721874.cms

US says it does not support declaring Pakistan a 'terrorist state'

PTI | Updated: Oct 7, 2016, 11.02 AM IST     
The US today said it does not support declaringPakistan a 'terrorist state' but will continue to work with the governments in the region to eliminate safe havens which also pose a threat to India.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-says-does-not-support-declaring-Pakistan-a-terrorist-state/articleshow/54729952.cms

Harmful matter in leading soft drink bottles

A government study has found five different toxins — heavy metals antimony, lead, chromium and cadmium and the compound DEHP or Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate — in cold drinks produced by two major multinational companies, PepsiCo and Coca Cola.
The Indian Express.

"You don't bother when kids die" SC to governments

Drought Relief measures directed by Supreme Court ignored by governments.

Supreme  Court showed displeasure both to the centre as well as state governments for not  seriously tackling the drought fall out . “You don’t bother when kids die” Supreme Court tells Maharasthra

Deccan Chronicle. P 8, Oct 6,2016

Uri affects Make in India initiative aimed at SAARC biz leaders

Ind-Pakistan relations took a toll on PM's Make in India project and have pushed back India's Make in India special incentives to SAARC leaders
The Hindu. Oct 5, 2016.p 13

Pakistan's Road to Doom

CTimes of India  p 14.2016
Chidanand.Rajhatta
Conflict with a failed state that has no future will not be in New Delhi's interest

Pakistan is spreading false propaganda:befitting reply needed

Times of India. P 1. Oct 5, 2016
According to Arvind Kejriwal, CM of Delhi, Pakistan is claiming that no surgical strike took. The PM should give it a befitting reply.

India faces heavy job cuts in future

WASHINGTON: Automation threatens 69 per cent of the jobs in India, while 77 per cent in China, according to a World Bank research which has said that technology could fundamentally disrupt the pattern of traditional economic path in developing countries. 
Read more at:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/54687904.cms?utm_source=ETnotifications&utm_medium=autopush&utm_campaign=Jobs&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Poverty has nothing to do with manual scavenging

Magsaysay award winner Bezwada Wilson:Crores of rupees have been allocated for Swacch Bharat but manual scavengers deprived of promised amount. http://epaper.deccanchronicle.com/epaper_main.aspx#page1246883

. 

Cross border strikes have happened before

The Times of India Sept 30,2016:Political commentator Jyoti Malhotra
Cross border strikes have happened before, declaring  it this time was a political act

US defence firms may benefit from Pak tension

The Hindu, Oct 1
An expected increase in India's Defence spending due to the current tension has presented US companies with a 'tremendous opportunity' according to the US India Business Council President.

China blocks tributary of Brahmaputra in Tibet

As India mulls scrapping of Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan..Details: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/as-India-mulls-scrapping-of-Indus-Water-Treaty-with-Pakistan-China-blocks-tributary-of-Brahmaputra-in-Tibet-to-build-dam/articleshow/54622469.cms

Investors don't like geo-political risks

The Telegraph
 India may experience a drop in the inflow of foreign funds, a spike in inflation and a moderation in growth if the military tension with Pakistan escalates into a Kargil-like conflict or a full-blown war similar to 1965, market experts and economists have warned
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160930/jsp/business/story_111065.jsp#.V-6uTPB97IU

China in touch with India and Pakistan to reduce tension

China says it is in touch with India and Pakistan to reduce tensions between the two countries.
http://www.pressreader.com/india/the-hindu/textview

The New Maratha youth..see an enemy in Dalits

Instead of accusing their own top leadership..for details
http://www.pressreader.com/india/the-hindu/textview

Indus water flow cannot be stopped

India will find it very difficult to go back on the Indus Waters Treaty as there is no clause in it for any one party to back out of it.
Mohan Guruswamy, Deccan Chronicle. For full details:
http://www.pressreader.com/india/deccan-chronicle/textview

Joblessness rising

With economic growth...joblessness also growing!. The country's unemployment rate has risen to a 5 year high of 5% in 2015-2016 according to the latest annual household survey on employment conducted by Labour Bureau.The worst affected are women.

India china join hands on security

India and China agreed to strenthen efforts to combat terrorism
http://www.pressreader.com/india/deccan-chronicle/textview

No sweets on Eid or Azaan in Dadri one year after Akhlaq lynching

(Akhlaq was killed and his younger son seriously injured by fellow villagers for supposedly eating and storing beef in their house)
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/one-year-on-dadri-lapses-into-silence/article9155827.ece

Attack from the newsroom

The news media's coverage of Pakistan is becoming increasingly shrill, say experts.
Pritish Nandy, former Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP says that  war is a subject that governments should talk about, not something that media can try to provoke.

SP infighting affecting campaign in UP

http://onlineepaper.asianage.com/articledetailpage.aspx?id=6415536

The Presidential debate in US:Poll

 A CNN/ORC snap poll said 62 percent of respondents felt Clinton won and 27 per cent believed Trump was the winner. According to the poll, 68-year-old Clinton was able to express her views more clearly than 70-year-old Trump.
Indian Express sept 27,2016

4 of India's 6 largest beef exporting co.s are owned by Hindu Brahmins

While Brahmins are doing this business and  raking in profits from the pink revolution Dalits and Muslims who only get fringe benefits are being thrashed.
Also CEO Indira Krishnamurthy Nooyi, a Tamil Brahmin leads thw world's largest cow -meat supplier company in US.
For full story:
http:www.siasat.acom/news/indira-nooyi-tamil-brahmin-heads-worlds-largest-cow-meat-supplier-company-99801/

Govt Defying Supreme Court orders on Aadhar

The Hindu Sept 26,2016. Page 11
Students are made to submit Aadhaar for applying for scholarship schemes which is against the SC ruling that no citizen will be denied benefits under a govt scheme for want of an  Aadhaar card. 

Managing waste is a critical challenge for India’s cities

Dilip Simeon's Blog: Posted: 23 Sep 2016 09:27 AM PDT  India alone generates 5.6 million metric tons of plastic waste every year, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). 80% of this waste is ‘potentially’ recyclable but 40% of it isn’t even collected Waste generated by modern society is one of the greatest problems of the 21st century....

China will support Pak in case of foreign aggression

Times of India Sept 25,2016. P 11
China has assured Pakistan of its support in the event of any foreign 'aggression' and also supported the country's position on the Kashmir dispute according to the paper Dawn,

Shuffling Top IAS officers in Haryana

Deccan Chronicle Sunday Sept 25. P 11
Op-ed Dilip Cherian
Ref: Haryana riots earlier this year has reshuffled 26 IAS officers with immediate effect..holding key departments.  The state govt has overlooked the minimum tenure policy by transferring several officers much before completion of  the 2 year tenure.

ANGELLICA ARIBAM - At BHU, Women are Being Restricted by RSS’s Chains

ANGELLICA ARIBAM - At BHU, Women are Being Restricted by RSS’s Chains

Posted: 22 Sep 2016 12:24 AM PDT . Dilip Simeon's Blog

The Sangh’s stranglehold over the university has subsumed democratic representation and heightened gender discrimination on campus.

 The vice chancellor has said that “girls who study in the night are immoral,” as a consequence of which, girls have been disallowed from using the 24×7 library at night. Despite the bus facility being a service provided to all students, as per the prospectus of the university, women are not allowed to avail it. 

Pakistan Yes.But China?

"Pakistan we can handle. Pakistan we can muscle our way, but China, no way we can handle," said Defence expert Luthra
http://ecoti.in/4LAFQZ via @economictimes

NIKHIL M. BABU - Rs 2.8 Lakh Crore Allocated For Dalits, Adivasis Not Spent By Government

Posted: 20 Sep 2016 08:08 AM PDT

The unspent amount is eight times larger than India’s agriculture budget and enough to fund India’s rural road construction projects for the next 15 years.

Tackle Annoying trolls

Times of India. Page 11. Sept 22, 2016
Conversation A1 of Jiggsaw better than any other to spot the language of abuse and harassment by tracking it, assigning an 'attack'score.Eventually it is to become open source to protect users..

Rajasthan Top Cop questions AP Governor: sent back

Deccan Chronicle: Sept 21,2016

AP Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan stated that a few RTI activists were threatening the administration and acting like a mafia. The top cop from Rajasthan questioned how he could describe them as mafia...they were just information seekers. 

Cyberwarfare should be used against Pakistan

The Hindu Sept 21, 2016
India's best option would be to engage in cyber sabotage and cyberware...Our capacity is considerable here...instead of adoptiing 'tit for tat' methods with a 'rogue' nation"
Opinion piece by M.K.Narayanan a former National Security Adviser and former Gov of West Bengal.

Gujarat Govt planning law to arrest on suspicion

Times of India Ssept 21, 2016
The Gujarat govt is all set to table the Gujarat Protection of Internal Security Act (GPISA) ..which will allow police to arrest people just on the basis of suspicion. 

Increasing dangers for all

Deccan Chronicle.Sept 20,2016:
This was said by Secretary General of the United Nations: " Humanity is together in one boat . Stoking fear, blaming the 'other' or scapegoating minorities will only increase the dangers for all'

1/3 of total maternal deaths in 2015 happened in India

Lancet report: The Hindu Sept 20.2016

Also, over medication is increasing in low and middle income countries increassing health costs and the risk of harm. 

..`A dead cow matters more than a human life'

The Hindu: Opinion piece by Uday Balakrishnan,
Visiting Faculty at Indian Institute of science, Bangalore.

Says it saddens him that the kind of fanaticism that is being injected into us...leaving most of us who belong to a religion that neither has a centre nor a periphery lost in a  land of immense listless intolerence where a dead cow matters more than a human life. 

Trump gets roasted at Emmy Awards

Times of India. Sept 20,2016
TV stars didn't hold back on their opinions ..some taking jabs at Donald Trump, US Republican nominee for President

Feast of Vultures: The hidden business of democracy in India

Book Review : Financial Express

By: Rishi Raj | Published: September 18, 2016 6:06 AM

(India) While in the socialist days, powerful businessmen grabbed all permits and licences to check any competitors from entering the market, in the current era, competitors are kept in check by putting in a clause in policies or tenders that may suit the favoured party. 

Police must upload FIR:SC

Last week the Supreme Court of India made it mandatory for the police to upload within 48 hours a First Information Report (FIR) drawn up by it suo motu or on a complaint. Aimed principally at protecting the accused who may come to know that he figures in an FIR, but has no idea of the allegations which formed its basis, this order is also a shot in the arm for activists who want to protect citizens from State harassment on flimsy grounds.

R.K. Raghavan is a former CBI Director. D. Sivanandhan is a former Commissioner of Police, Mumbai and a former DGP Maharashtra.

Aadhaar data must be protected

Deccan Chronicle: editorial Sept 17, 2016
(summary)
Unique Identification Authority of India has been trying to urge global players like Facebook,  Twitter and WhatsApp to set up servers in India to control access to databank. They are reluctant.
The Unique Identification Authority of India must ensure the security of a precious database since sharing it entails a huge security risk.

Cow slaughter not helping farmers

Indian Express Sept 17,2016
 Sagari  R Ramdass: (Veterinary Scientist)

Rather than protecting the animals, slaughter bans are an economic disincentive for farmers to rear cattle. 

No Bandhs against court orders:Supreme Court

'"...there cannot be any agitation when it relates to an order passed by the court"(says Supreme Court)
Times of India newspaper: Sept 16, 2016

Indian salaries: Almost no growth

GDP grew at 63.8% over an 8 year period.....but Indian salaries registered a 0.2% real growth (adjusted for inflation).China registered 10.6%.Indian wage rates were the most unequal in the world. Source: Deccan Chronicle newspaper. Sept 16, 2016

US: The Trump Org has real estate interest in India

IT has generated controversy to the election scene as Newsweek mag questioned his ability to hold American national interest above his business interests
Source; The Hindu, Sept 16, 2016.

If not wealthy, better be healthy..

The Hindu Sept 13, 20016: Amit Kapoor (Institute of Competetiveness and Editor of Thinkers)
 Around 80% doctors and 75% dispensaries serve 28% of India's population

Not a happy Eid

The Times of India Sept 13,2016: Saba Naqvi:
Do we really imagine that the actions of the state in Haryana and reports of women being raped over beef would not fuel the narrative of Muslims being targeted in secular India?

Deccan Chronicle newspaper: Friday sept 9, 2016:

 Nasscom says only 3% of start-ups are successful and 3 % are doing not bad. 4% are making lesser profits. 

(underline added) 

Source: The Hindu newspaper. Sept 8,2016:
The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Union ...seeking regulation of...Pokeman Go, on the  grounds that it offends the religious sentiments of Hindus and Jains, and threatens national security.

Source: The Hindu, Sept 8, 2016
A host of scholars from India and abroad have come out against the National Book Trust's decision not to reprint the Hindi version of Bipan Chandra's book Communalism, a primer.
(The statement reads)..NBT's decision amounts to the  assumption that communalism is official doctrine. 

Source: Hindu Sept 5, 16

The Gap Between Rich and Poor states

 by Praveen Chakravarty and Vivek Deheja, senior fellows in Pol Economy at IDFC Institute, a Mumbai think tank.

In 1960 the top 3 states were 1.7 times richer than the bottom states. By 2014 this gap almost doubled, with the top 3 states being 3 times richer than the bottom 3. India is the only large country in the world today that is experiencing an economic divergence among its states and not convergence, as economic  theory would posit.

Among such economic disparity among states, a Delhi based one size fits all policy regime for all of India is entirely anachronistic.

Source: The Hindu (Newspaper), September 5, 2016

India Ranks Second in Unequal Wealth: 

    Millionaires with net assets of $1 million or more, control over half of its total wealth, according to a wealth research firm called, 'New World Wealth.' Russia leads, as India comes second with 54% of its wealth in the hand of millionaires. It is the 10th richest country of the world with total individual wealth of $5,600 billion, though the average Indian is quite poor.