Editorials

Under the auspices of the Madras Publicity Board Mr. Young Necker delivered an interesting lecture on the “War” in the Y.M.C.A. Hall last evening [October 8]. Mr. Justice Kumaraswamy Sastry presided. The lecturer traced the development of the German Empire down to the commencement of the present war and said …

Influenza appears to have broken out in parts of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. It is much regretted that this should have come when plague is still virulent and more or less widespread. At Bombay, it is hoped that the corner has been turned with the terrible second influenza epidemic that has …

Researchers find that education levels are an important factor in projecting a country’s population Sometime in 2017, the UN released projections on India’s population. It said that the population would peak at around 1.675 billion people in the 2056-2066 period, and then decline slowly. However, these projections may have been …

Corporates should be virtue warriors and earn the admiration of customers Though the wheels of justice moved slowly and it took more than 150 years to decriminalise homosexuality in India, the Internet dispenses instant justice, as illustrated by the case of a former employee of IT major Tech Mahindra. That …

With Brett Kavanaugh confirmed, Republicans enjoy great power to shape the U.S. agenda The U.S. Senate has confirmed the nomination of conservative-leaning judge Brett Kavanaugh, by a vote of 50-48, and he was sworn in as a ninth justice of the Supreme Court (SCOTUS). The narrow victory of the second …

This round of polls has more than one thread; using them to spin a forecast for 2019 is risky As five States go to the polls with just months left for the Lok Sabha election, the temptation to read the results as pointers will be great. What makes the contest …

We must stop the casual use of terms like‘turning a blind eye’ and ‘paralysed economy’ In our day-to-day interactions, we come across words and phrases like ‘turning a blind eye’; ‘falling on deaf ears’; ‘a paralysed economy’; ‘institutions running on crutches’; and ‘mute leadership’. What is common among these is …

As the Kerala floods have shown, the diaspora can shape political and economic responses Between August 8 and 20, the devastating floods in Kerala claimed nearly 500 lives, displaced over a million people, and directly affected over a sixth of the State’s total population. The State government’s latest report estimates …

Proposed changes in the Electricity Act could leave the poor behind A few months before the next general election, the Central government has proposed a set of changes to the Electricity Act 2003. The amendments seek to enable a market transformation in electricity. The link between political power and electrical …

The Congress and non-NDA regional parties must forge ‘a practical accommodation to reality’ With the Election Commission having announced the schedule for elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana in November-December, the stage has been set for a ‘dress rehearsal’ of the elections to …

The Kaiser presided over the Grand Council yesterday [October 3]. Evidence that the deliberations dealt with the retreat from the west is furnished by inspired articles in the German Press preparing the public for the evacuation of the Belgian coast, notably “Kreuz Zaitung” which says: “The Bulgarian treachery will have …

In India, salt is a necessity of life even to the humblest, and the total quantity consumed is very great. In normal times, large amounts are imported and with the cutting off of foreign supplies, due to shipping shortages, India was at one time faced with serious prospect of salt …

The Konark temple case shows some penal provisions are handy tools of harassment The Supreme Court’s observations, while denying bail to defence analyst Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, to the effect that he incited religious feelings in a video posted on social media, were out of place in what was a bail hearing. …

India needs to stand firm on its deep engagement with Russia in coming months India-Russia summits have traditionally been short on time and ceremony and big on productivity. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 22-hour visit to Delhi last week was no exception. On Friday, the two countries announced a number of …

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has embarked on an all-out caste mobilisation drive in Uttar Pradesh, even though the prospect that it might face a united Opposition in the State in 2019 remains far-fetched. Facing resistance from Dalits and being precariously placed vis-à-vis upper castes, the party is aware that …

The cancellation of Registration Certificate issued to Daily Desher Kathacould have a chilling effect All judicial functionaries, starting from sub-divisional magistrates, should be given a copy of John Milton’s 1644 booklet, Areopagitica . It was a passionate plea to Parliament in England to reject censorship. Milton wrote: “As good almost …

In its choice for Peace Prize this year, the Nobel Committee has empowered the narrative against sexual crimes In conferring the 2018 Peace prize, jointly, to Nadia Murad, a former sex slave of the Islamic State (IS), and Denis Mukwege, a Congolese gynaecological surgeon who helps raped war survivors, the …

Chinese President Xi Jinping is arguably the most powerful leader of his country since Mao Zedong. During the 19th Party Congress last October, the ‘Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era’ was inscribed into the party charter. Earlier, in 2016, the party accorded him special …

The fighter plane now has the capability to take off vertically, giving a shot in the arm for the IAF The Indian Air Force’s beast — MiG-29 — has gained in strength and ferocity after an upgrade, giving the force, battling a shortage of fighter aircraft, a much-needed boost, according …

“Playing violent video games is associated with an increase in physical aggression over time.” — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ( PNAS ). Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/healthline-ritesh-kumar/article25146885.ece