Better late than never

In what could be seen as a move in the right direction at the time of growing inhumanity with minors, especially girl children, the Haryana  government has cleared the way for a capital punishment for raping a girl child. Last week, the Haryana assembly unanimously passed the bill against the brutalization of minors in the state. 

Though,  the recent step appears to be in line with better late than never, as it should have been taken earlier provided the steep rise in the rape cases in the state. The latest law in Haryana will pave the way for a capital punishment to the convict for raping a girl child with 12 years of age or less. There is also the provision of minimum two years and maximum seven years of imprisonment for molesting or stalking the minors with less than twelve years of age. 

The imprisonment, in special cases, is expandable up to fourteen years or life imprisonment. Haryana, now, has become the third state having such a stern law for rape cases, following Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The central bank with no rights

In the backdrop of high-profile Punjab National Bank Fraud, Reserve Bank of India has become not less than a scapegoat, facing flak from almost every section of the society. After receiving atrocious condemnation, RBI Governor Urjit Patel, finally, broke his mystifying silence and his first statement in the aftermath of the fraud was startling.

RBI Governor publicly described that how RBI has been emasculated and does not enjoy the rights to stop any banking fraud resulting into such high level banking loots. Urjit Patel’s statement points towards a grave situation of Indian Banking System. It points out the fact that how government in the name of bank reform is stripping central bank off its rights and enslaving commercial banks. With this, disagreements between the Government and central bank have come to the fore.

Precisely, RBI is intending to bring about the significant reforms and put some restrictions on the banks as it has done by putting an end to issue of LoUs by the Indian banks- though it will hurt other sincere and honest business men-but RBI’s style of reforms may not fit in the shoes of government. 

A much-needed step to stamp out Tuberculosis

The Government of India’s predominant mission to eradicate Tuberculosis (TB) from India by 2025 is a welcome step. If implemented to the ground level, it may bring about a positive change-in terms of healthcare - to the Indian Society. With an eye to bring back thousands of people from the death's jaws every year, though after years- long subterfuge, Govt. has shown some positive attitude to do away this epidemic from the society.

To weed out the prevalent disease from its roots, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed upon the strategic planning, and has tried to get the states as well on the deck with a view to ensure effective implementation of the mission.  This is unfortunate that even after the seventy years of independence our country is clutched in the jaws of a rampant disease like Tuberculosis. Though, PM Modi conceded that all the measures taken to erase the epidemic from the society so far went in the vain.

However, the policy failure reflects the apparent vacuums in our administration, and that remains flopped in providing access of health care services to common citizens. In this backdrop, the success of the mission to deracinate Tuberculosis remains encircled with the significant question marks.

An attack on dignity

The recent successive attacks on statues of great personalities in tandem across the country are not inglorious and unfortunate, but also do a great disservice to India’s goodwill as a democratic country on the global platform. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rightly, seized the moment and censured the audacious acts and also warned of punitive actions against the culprits. 

PM’s counteraction to the incident was followed by home ministry’s directives to the states, urging them to take punitive action against the attackers, intended to further pre-empt recurring such unacceptable deeds. The government’s stance on the entire episode appears to be obvious and thus, understandable.

A Legitimate Demand

Started a week ago, the students’ protest against the alleged leak of question paper of Staff Selection Commission that is SSC’s competitive exam, has now taken a political turn. Thousands of students from across the country are staging a mammoth protest, opposite to Staff selection Commission office in Delhi, alleging that question paper was leaked on social media before the exam.

Though, the SSC’s chairman, said, he has not received any strong evidence, pertaining to the alleged leak and also asked protestors to furnish the proofs establishing the leak so as to initiate the probe. But, Delhi’s chief Minister and congress leaders’ call for a CBI probe of the matter, gave the incident a political shape.

Thus, Delhi BJP Chief entered the furor and tried resolving the issue by holding talks with Union Home Minister and SSC chairman, but, students remained persistent and signaled for continuing the outcry until they are shown a written order of CBI probe about the leak. 

An unfavorable siege

A government’s congenial relations with its administration reflects its positive attitude, propensity to shape an ideal work culture and to maintain constancy in work proceedings. But, the recent development in Delhi is unfortunate and does not befit a democratic structure. It is significant that Delhi chief secretary Ansh Prakash, during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, was allegedly assaulted by AAP leaders.

The unfavorable siege between the Delhi government and bureaucrats after the incident brought the entire government system to a dogmatic halt. Despite their demands of apologies and legal actions, senior officers attended a meeting of Delhi cabinet and bureaucrats in the last week of February. But, undoubtedly the impasse is intact, so far. Because, this was for the first time, perhaps, the cabinet meeting of a state government was held under the security circle.

Indeed, Chief Secretary Ansh Prakash, coupled with Delhi Home Secretary Manoj Parida and Finance Secretary SN Sahay,  was given a security cover of more than a dozen cops, when he arrived at a meeting to discuss Delhi’s budget format for next fiscal year. 

Pakistan's 'NaPak' acts

Obligated by its profane objectives, our cumbersome neighbor Pakistan is going all out to pump in a spate of its domesticated terrorists into Kashmir, The chief commander of Indian Army confirmed. Pakistan exported terrorists –aided by Pakistan army and Intelligence agency ISI-have been attempting to intrude into the Indian side and targeting civil locations.

Undoubtedly, Indian soldiers are fighting tooth and nail to foil their bid to sneak into Indian border, but still sometimes intruders, making hay while the sun shines, succeed in their endeavor. The ambush on army camps at Uri, Pathankot and Sunjwan, getting the terrorists freed by attacking a hospital in Srinagar and ambuscades on police stations & many residential areas are some of the cowardly attacks carried out by Pakistan exported fear-mongers.

According to Intelligence, a string of Pakistan terrorists is plotting to intrude through the Indian border. The recent rise in unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan, substantiate the fact that the Pakistan’s plans make terrorists pass through the border are in full swing.

The right move!

There is an old saying that goes like “better late than never”, and this perfectly fits the NDA govt’s most recent step towards the institution of special courts to speed up the hearing process of criminal cases against the tainted MLAs and MPs-- though it should’ve been taken much earlier. Significantly, the credit for the recent development does not go to the cognizance of government, but to the Supreme Court’s last year rap on the Modi government. Two of such special courts have been formed in Delhi, which are to start the process from 1 March.

A total of twelve such courts is to be instituted to facilitate the fast-track hearing process of the years-long cases against the tainted lagislators. Aiming to dispose each case within a year, these courts will operate as fast-track courts.

Despite the fact that the govt’s move to set up special courts followed the Supreme Court order; it is significant that the MPs and MLAs who’ve been found indulged in various criminal acts will no longer enjoy the immunity due to tedious judicial proceedings.

A pact that no longer act

Even after a ceasefire pact in 2003 between India and Pakistan, Indian troops, almost every day, has been struggling with the bullets and grenades coming from across the border, unmasking Pakistan’s feigning stand behind its claim of being a peaceful nation. The recent violations do not imply that the pact was an unproductive move, given the fact that the era after the pact witnessed the less exchange of fire than the era before the pact. But, the unprovoked violation of ceasefire from Pakistan in the past few years and heavy shelling on the border villages, that left hundreds of innocent people died unwarrantable, has put all the ceasefire pacts and hopes to rekindle the relationships between the two nations on the shelf.

The relations of the two nations, since partition, has witnessed a spate of drastic turns,  discontents and plots, often, took the shape of wars and resulted into heavy physical and economic loss bore by both the nations, consequently. With this unfortunate history, the sour relationship can’t be described as a surprise. What more piercing is that how could a nation, to pump in the terrorists in another, resort to firing and shelling?

It’s been exposed umpteen times that how Pakistani troops have been, irrelevantly, opening fire at Indian posts and villages, adjacent to the border. But, practically the firing is not irrelevant as it has the relevance to helping out the terrorists and intruders infiltrating into Indian borders.