Dear students

Please follow my notes and my video - date 16 May 2017.

https://youtu.be/L4Fu9bebw54

16 May2017

Article: Triple Talaq is not fundamental to Islam.

Context: status of Triple talaq

Notes:

1. 1.        Priorities of development for women are being distorted with an excess focus on Triple Talaq. If percentage of divorced women among Muslims are observed, they are just .25% but uneducated are close to 48.1%.
2. 2.       Triple Talaq has no basis in Koran and it draws legitimacy form Hanafi Jurisprudence.  Concepts not sanctified by Muslim law, can not be declared as essential part of Islam. Supreme Court of India in Shamim area vs state of UP case invalidated Triple talaq not preceded by arbitration or reconciliation attempts between the husband and wife. And as per the Koran, only after four serious attempts at reconciliation (which includes arbitration)is a Muslim husband permitted to utter the first divorce, which is followed by a three-month waiting period called iddah. If within iddahthe marital dispute gets resolved,conjugal relations may be resumed without undergoing the procedure remarriage. But after the expiry ofiddahthe husband can either re-contract the existing marriage on fresh and mutually agreeable terms or irrevocably divorce his wife — in the presence of two witnesses.
3. 3.       It is well with in the rights under Art 141 and 142 of Indian constitution to give a new interpretation to the terms Talaq and Shariat mentioned in section 2 of Muslim personal law(Shariat) application act, 1937.

Other Arguments in Supreme Court

1. 1.       Islamic law is anglicized and does not have sanctity of pure, original islamic law.
2. 2.       Counter view – Inequality suffered by Muslim women is not triple Talaq but patriarchy found dominant in society.
3. 4.       To Remember:Muslim personal law(Shariat) application act, 1937.

Carry home points: Triple Talaq has many variants that gets sanctity from different sources.

Article: Putting global price on carbon

Context: climate change mitigation

Notes: carbon tax imposition can be a potential mitigation policy and it is easy to administer. The reasons are

1. 1.       A Carbon tax regime needs no baseline which is essential for carbon reduction.
2. 2.       Quantity limits on GHGs are related to stocks and taxation is related to flow of carbon.
3. 3.       Quantity limiting policies often are accompanied by administrative arbitrariness and rent seeking.

So, a general tax on energy consumption and incentivisation of low energy intensive products can be a good starting point.

To Remember: carbon Tax

Carry home points: Carbon Tax can disincentives use of carbon intensive practices.

Article: Off the road

Context: India’s abstinence from Belt and road forum in Beijing.

Notes: There are tree well placed objection of India on Belt and road initiative. They are

1. 1.       As CPEC is going through GilgitBaltistan region, it is ignoring India’s sovereign and territorial integrity.
2. 2.       The project is a structure smacks of Chinese neo colonialism. It could cause unsustained debt burden for communities.
3. 3.       There is a lack of transparency on chinese agenda.

To Remember: BRF and Belt and Road Initiative

Carry home points: India have closed diplomatic door by not sending a delegation to BRF. Countries like Vietnam and Japan that have serious territorial differences with China have sent their delegation.

Article: Timely refresh

Context: change in Base year for IIP and WPI

Notes: Base year was changed for IIP and WPI from 2004-05 to 2011-12. change in Base year has lead to proper reflection of Inflation and industrial output. As number of reporting factories and basket of items have increased it has become more representative.

To Remember: WPI and IIP

Carry home points: all data will finally need to stand the scrutiny of consistency and credibility against the conditions prevailing on the ground.

Article: The Modi paradigm

Context: achievements of Modi Government in 3 years

Notes: At the macro level, achievements can be reduced to following two points

1. 1.       Cooperative and competitive federalism
2. 2.       Minimal Government and maximal governance.

Cooperative and competitive Federalism : abolition of planning commission, involvement of chief ministers NITI Aayog governing council, increased transfers to states as per 14^th finance commission reflects cooperative federalism. States are allowed to compete with each other by developing indices for comparison. An explicit measurement allows people to make their Governments accountable.

Minimal Government and Maximal governance : over regulation of state is giving way for ease of doing business. State is confining itself to provision of security,law and order and provision of public goods and critical infrastructure.

Added to this, Government is also investing in the poorest in a sustainable and targeted manner through Ujjwala scheme, Aadhar , direct benefits transfer.

To Remember: governance, cooperative and competitive federalism.

Carry home points: India is taking a shift towards competitive and cooperative federalism, minimal Government and maximum governance.

Article: The Public in Public health

Context: challenges to Public health insurance programs

Notes: Public health insurance programs are not creating much impact on ground for following reasons.

1. 1.       RashtriyaswasthyaBimaYojana is the worlds largest publicly funded health insurance scheme. But budget allocations are decreasing.
2. 2.       Poor targeting of beneficiaries.
3. 3.       Lack of education to people on how to access services through program.
4. 4.       Absence of oversight by Government agencies on excess treatments offered. There is an increased hospitalization and out of pocket expenditure after launch of the scheme.

To Remember:RashtriyaswasthBimaYojana

Carry home points: Health insurance programs are failing to create impact on ground.

Article: When being clever isn’t enough

Context:Baumol theory

Notes: as per theory quality of institutions will determine allocation of resources. If instituions reward productive entrepreneurship, wealth and prosperity will follow. Other wise, it leads to economic stagnation.economic rise of India and a china is an example.

To Remember: Institutions.

Carry home points: Institutions will determine strength of economy.

News

1. 1.       Will enact divorce laws for Muslims – Government
2. 2.       We want India in peace process – Abbas
3. 3.       Malware continues to create Havoc
4. 4.       New Silk Road can spur India – china – Pak partnership.
5. 5.       Cash is back as digital payments dip on costs.

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