It was seven o'clock of a very warm evening in the Seeonee hills when Father Wolf woke up from his days rest, scratched himself, yawned, and spread out his paws one after the other to get rid of the sleepy feeling in their tips. Mother Wolf lay with her big gray nose dropped across her four tumbling, squealing cubs, and the moon shone into the mouth of the cave where they all lived. "Augrh!" said Father Wolf. "It is time to hunt again". He was going to spring downhill when a little shadow with a bushy tall crossed the threshold and whined: "Good luck go with you, O Chief of the Wolves. And good luck and strong white teeth go with noble children that they may never forget the hungry in this world." |
It was the jackal-Tabaqui, the Dish-licker-and the wolves of India despise Tabaqui because he runs about making mischief, and telling tales, and eating rags and pieces of leather from the village rubbish-heaps. But they are afraid of him too, because Tabaqui, more than anyone else in the jungle, is apt to go mad, and then he forgets that he was ever afraid of anyone, and runs through the forest biting everything in his way. Even the tiger runs and hides when little Tabaqui goes mad, for madness is the most disgraceful thing that can overtake a wild creature. We call it hydrophobia, but they call it dewanee-the madness-and run. |
"Enter, then, and look," said Father Wolf stiffly, "but there is no food here." |
"For a wolf, no," said Tabaqui, "but for so mean a person as myself a dry bone is a good feast. Who are we, the Gidur-log [the jackal people], to pick and choose?" He scuttled to the back of the cave, where he found the bone of a buck with some meat on it, and sat cracking the end merrily. |
"All thanks for this good meal," he said, licking his lips. "How beautiful are the noble children! How large are their eyes! And so young too! Indeed, indeed, I might have remembered that the children of kings are men from the beginning." |
Now, Tabaqui knew as well as anyone else that there is nothing so unlucky as to compliment children to their faces. It pleased him to see Mother and Father Wolf look uncomfortable. |
Tabaqui sat still, rejoicing in the mischief that he had made, and then he said spitefully: |
"Shere Khan, the Big One, has shifted his hunting grounds. He will hunt among these hills for the next moon, so he has told me." |
Shere Khan was the tiger who lived near the Waingunga River, twenty miles away. |
"He has no right!" Father Wolf began angrily-"By the Law of the Jungle he has no right to change his quarters without due warning. He will frighten every head of game within ten miles, and I have to kill for two, these days." |
It was seven o'clock of a very warm evening in the Seeonee hills when Father Wolf woke up from his days rest, scratched himself, yawned, and spread out his paws one after the other to get rid of the sleepy feeling in their tips. Mother Wolf lay with her big gray nose dropped across her four tumbling, squealing cubs, and the moon shone into the mouth of the cave where they all lived. "Augrh!" said Father Wolf. "It is time to hunt again". He was going to spring downhill when a little shadow with a bushy tall crossed the threshold and whined: "Good luck go with you, O Chief of the Wolves. And good luck and strong white teeth go with noble children that they may never forget the hungry in this world." |
It was the jackal-Tabaqui, the Dish-licker-and the wolves of India despise Tabaqui because he runs about making mischief, and telling tales, and eating rags and pieces of leather from the village rubbish-heaps. But they are afraid of him too, because Tabaqui, more than anyone else in the jungle, is apt to go mad, and then he forgets that he was ever afraid of anyone, and runs through the forest biting everything in his way. Even the tiger runs and hides when little Tabaqui goes mad, for madness is the most disgraceful thing that can overtake a wild creature. We call it hydrophobia, but they call it dewanee-the madness-and run. |
"Enter, then, and look," said Father Wolf stiffly, "but there is no food here." |
"For a wolf, no," said Tabaqui, "but for so mean a person as myself a dry bone is a good feast. Who are we, the Gidur-log [the jackal people], to pick and choose?" He scuttled to the back of the cave, where he found the bone of a buck with some meat on it, and sat cracking the end merrily. |
"All thanks for this good meal," he said, licking his lips. "How beautiful are the noble children! How large are their eyes! And so young too! Indeed, indeed, I might have remembered that the children of kings are men from the beginning." |
Now, Tabaqui knew as well as anyone else that there is nothing so unlucky as to compliment children to their faces. It pleased him to see Mother and Father Wolf look uncomfortable. |
Tabaqui sat still, rejoicing in the mischief that he had made, and then he said spitefully: |
"Shere Khan, the Big One, has shifted his hunting grounds. He will hunt among these hills for the next moon, so he has told me." |
Shere Khan was the tiger who lived near the Waingunga River, twenty miles away. |
"He has no right!" Father Wolf began angrily-"By the Law of the Jungle he has no right to change his quarters without due warning. He will frighten every head of game within ten miles, and I have to kill for two, these days." |
It was seven o'clock of a very warm evening in the Seeonee hills when Father Wolf woke up from his days rest, scratched himself, yawned, and spread out his paws one after the other to get rid of the sleepy feeling in their tips. Mother Wolf lay with her big gray nose dropped across her four tumbling, squealing cubs, and the moon shone into the mouth of the cave where they all lived. "Augrh!" said Father Wolf. "It is time to hunt again". He was going to spring downhill when a little shadow with a bushy tall crossed the threshold and whined: "Good luck go with you, O Chief of the Wolves. And good luck and strong white teeth go with noble children that they may never forget the hungry in this world." |
It was the jackal-Tabaqui, the Dish-licker-and the wolves of India despise Tabaqui because he runs about making mischief, and telling tales, and eating rags and pieces of leather from the village rubbish-heaps. But they are afraid of him too, because Tabaqui, more than anyone else in the jungle, is apt to go mad, and then he forgets that he was ever afraid of anyone, and runs through the forest biting everything in his way. Even the tiger runs and hides when little Tabaqui goes mad, for madness is the most disgraceful thing that can overtake a wild creature. We call it hydrophobia, but they call it dewanee-the madness-and run. |
"Enter, then, and look," said Father Wolf stiffly, "but there is no food here." |
"For a wolf, no," said Tabaqui, "but for so mean a person as myself a dry bone is a good feast. Who are we, the Gidur-log [the jackal people], to pick and choose?" He scuttled to the back of the cave, where he found the bone of a buck with some meat on it, and sat cracking the end merrily. |
"All thanks for this good meal," he said, licking his lips. "How beautiful are the noble children! How large are their eyes! And so young too! Indeed, indeed, I might have remembered that the children of kings are men from the beginning." |
Now, Tabaqui knew as well as anyone else that there is nothing so unlucky as to compliment children to their faces. It pleased him to see Mother and Father Wolf look uncomfortable. |
Tabaqui sat still, rejoicing in the mischief that he had made, and then he said spitefully: |
"Shere Khan, the Big One, has shifted his hunting grounds. He will hunt among these hills for the next moon, so he has told me." |
Shere Khan was the tiger who lived near the Waingunga River, twenty miles away. |
"He has no right!" Father Wolf began angrily-"By the Law of the Jungle he has no right to change his quarters without due warning. He will frighten every head of game within ten miles, and I have to kill for two, these days." |
It was seven o'clock of a very warm evening in the Seeonee hills when Father Wolf woke up from his days rest, scratched himself, yawned, and spread out his paws one after the other to get rid of the sleepy feeling in their tips. Mother Wolf lay with her big gray nose dropped across her four tumbling, squealing cubs, and the moon shone into the mouth of the cave where they all lived. "Augrh!" said Father Wolf. "It is time to hunt again". He was going to spring downhill when a little shadow with a bushy tall crossed the threshold and whined: "Good luck go with you, O Chief of the Wolves. And good luck and strong white teeth go with noble children that they may never forget the hungry in this world." |
It was the jackal-Tabaqui, the Dish-licker-and the wolves of India despise Tabaqui because he runs about making mischief, and telling tales, and eating rags and pieces of leather from the village rubbish-heaps. But they are afraid of him too, because Tabaqui, more than anyone else in the jungle, is apt to go mad, and then he forgets that he was ever afraid of anyone, and runs through the forest biting everything in his way. Even the tiger runs and hides when little Tabaqui goes mad, for madness is the most disgraceful thing that can overtake a wild creature. We call it hydrophobia, but they call it dewanee-the madness-and run. |
"Enter, then, and look," said Father Wolf stiffly, "but there is no food here." |
"For a wolf, no," said Tabaqui, "but for so mean a person as myself a dry bone is a good feast. Who are we, the Gidur-log [the jackal people], to pick and choose?" He scuttled to the back of the cave, where he found the bone of a buck with some meat on it, and sat cracking the end merrily. |
"All thanks for this good meal," he said, licking his lips. "How beautiful are the noble children! How large are their eyes! And so young too! Indeed, indeed, I might have remembered that the children of kings are men from the beginning." |
Now, Tabaqui knew as well as anyone else that there is nothing so unlucky as to compliment children to their faces. It pleased him to see Mother and Father Wolf look uncomfortable. |
Tabaqui sat still, rejoicing in the mischief that he had made, and then he said spitefully: |
"Shere Khan, the Big One, has shifted his hunting grounds. He will hunt among these hills for the next moon, so he has told me." |
Shere Khan was the tiger who lived near the Waingunga River, twenty miles away. |
"He has no right!" Father Wolf began angrily-"By the Law of the Jungle he has no right to change his quarters without due warning. He will frighten every head of game within ten miles, and I have to kill for two, these days." |
It was seven o'clock of a very warm evening in the Seeonee hills when Father Wolf woke up from his days rest, scratched himself, yawned, and spread out his paws one after the other to get rid of the sleepy feeling in their tips. Mother Wolf lay with her big gray nose dropped across her four tumbling, squealing cubs, and the moon shone into the mouth of the cave where they all lived. "Augrh!" said Father Wolf. "It is time to hunt again". He was going to spring downhill when a little shadow with a bushy tall crossed the threshold and whined: "Good luck go with you, O Chief of the Wolves. And good luck and strong white teeth go with noble children that they may never forget the hungry in this world." |
It was the jackal-Tabaqui, the Dish-licker-and the wolves of India despise Tabaqui because he runs about making mischief, and telling tales, and eating rags and pieces of leather from the village rubbish-heaps. But they are afraid of him too, because Tabaqui, more than anyone else in the jungle, is apt to go mad, and then he forgets that he was ever afraid of anyone, and runs through the forest biting everything in his way. Even the tiger runs and hides when little Tabaqui goes mad, for madness is the most disgraceful thing that can overtake a wild creature. We call it hydrophobia, but they call it dewanee-the madness-and run. |
"Enter, then, and look," said Father Wolf stiffly, "but there is no food here." |
"For a wolf, no," said Tabaqui, "but for so mean a person as myself a dry bone is a good feast. Who are we, the Gidur-log [the jackal people], to pick and choose?" He scuttled to the back of the cave, where he found the bone of a buck with some meat on it, and sat cracking the end merrily. |
"All thanks for this good meal," he said, licking his lips. "How beautiful are the noble children! How large are their eyes! And so young too! Indeed, indeed, I might have remembered that the children of kings are men from the beginning." |
Now, Tabaqui knew as well as anyone else that there is nothing so unlucky as to compliment children to their faces. It pleased him to see Mother and Father Wolf look uncomfortable. |
Tabaqui sat still, rejoicing in the mischief that he had made, and then he said spitefully: |
"Shere Khan, the Big One, has shifted his hunting grounds. He will hunt among these hills for the next moon, so he has told me." |
Shere Khan was the tiger who lived near the Waingunga River, twenty miles away. |
"He has no right!" Father Wolf began angrily-"By the Law of the Jungle he has no right to change his quarters without due warning. He will frighten every head of game within ten miles, and I have to kill for two, these days." |
In the evening of this day they caught up with the ascetics, the skinny Samanas, and offered them their companionship and-obedience. They were accepted. |
Siddhartha gave his garments to a poor Brahman in the street. He wore nothing more than the loincloth and the earth-coloured, unsown cloak. He ate only once a day, and never something cooked. He fasted for fifteen days. He fasted for twenty-eight days. The flesh waned from his thighs and cheeks. Feverish dreams flickered from his enlarged eyes, long nails grew slowly on his parched fingers and a dry, shaggy beard grew on his chin. His glance turned to ice when he encountered women; his mouth twitched with contempt, when he walked through a city of nicely dressed people. He saw merchants trading, princes hunting, mourners wailing for their dead, whores offering themselves, physicians trying to help the sick, priests determining the most suitable day for seeding, lovers loving, mothers nursing their children-and all of this was not worthy of one look from his eye, it all lied, it all stank, it all stank of lies, it all pretended to be meaningful and joyful and beautiful, and it all was just concealed putrefaction. The world tasted bitter. Life was torture. |
A goal stood before Siddhartha, a single goal: to become empty, empty of thirst, empty of wishing, empty of dreams, empty of joy and sorrow. Dead to himself, not to be a self any more, to find tranquility with an emptied heart, to be open to miracles in unselfish thoughts, that was his goal. Once all of myself was overcome and had died, once every desire and every urge was silent in the heart, then the ultimate part of me had to awake, the innermost of my being, which is no longer myself, the great secret. |
Silently, Siddhartha exposed himself to burning rays of the sun directly above, glowing with pain, glowing with thirst, and stood there, until he neither felt any pain nor thirst any more. Silently, he stood there in the rainy season, from his hair the water was dripping over freezing shoulders, over freezing hips and legs, and the penitent stood there, until he could not feel the cold in his shoulders and legs any more, until they were silent, until they were quiet. Silently, he cowered in the thorny bushes, blood dripped from the burning skin, from festering wounds dripped pus, and Siddhartha stayed rigidly, stayed motionless, until no blood flowed any more, until nothing stung any more, until nothing burned any more. |
Siddhartha sat upright and learned to breathe sparingly, learned to get along with only few breathes, learned to stop breathing. He learned, beginning with the breath, to calm the beat of his heart, leaned to reduce the beats of his heart, until they were only a few and almost none. |
Instructed by the oldest of the Samanas, Siddhartha practised self-denial, practised meditation, according to a new Samana rules. A heron flew over the bamboo forest-and Siddhartha accepted the heron into his soul, flew over forest and mountains, was a heron, ate fish, felt the pangs of a heron's hunger, spoke the herons croak, died a heron's death. A dead jackal was lying on the sandy bank, and Siddhartha's soul slipped inside the body, was the dead jackal, lay on the banks, got bloated, stank, decayed, was dismembered by hyaenas, was skinned by vultures, turned into a skeleton, turned to dust, was blown across the fields. |
In the evening of this day they caught up with the ascetics, the skinny Samanas, and offered them their companionship and-obedience. They were accepted. |
Siddhartha gave his garments to a poor Brahman in the street. He wore nothing more than the loincloth and the earth-coloured, unsown cloak. He ate only once a day, and never something cooked. He fasted for fifteen days. He fasted for twenty-eight days. The flesh waned from his thighs and cheeks. Feverish dreams flickered from his enlarged eyes, long nails grew slowly on his parched fingers and a dry, shaggy beard grew on his chin. His glance turned to ice when he encountered women; his mouth twitched with contempt, when he walked through a city of nicely dressed people. He saw merchants trading, princes hunting, mourners wailing for their dead, whores offering themselves, physicians trying to help the sick, priests determining the most suitable day for seeding, lovers loving, mothers nursing their children-and all of this was not worthy of one look from his eye, it all lied, it all stank, it all stank of lies, it all pretended to be meaningful and joyful and beautiful, and it all was just concealed putrefaction. The world tasted bitter. Life was torture. |
A goal stood before Siddhartha, a single goal: to become empty, empty of thirst, empty of wishing, empty of dreams, empty of joy and sorrow. Dead to himself, not to be a self any more, to find tranquility with an emptied heart, to be open to miracles in unselfish thoughts, that was his goal. Once all of myself was overcome and had died, once every desire and every urge was silent in the heart, then the ultimate part of me had to awake, the innermost of my being, which is no longer myself, the great secret. |
Silently, Siddhartha exposed himself to burning rays of the sun directly above, glowing with pain, glowing with thirst, and stood there, until he neither felt any pain nor thirst any more. Silently, he stood there in the rainy season, from his hair the water was dripping over freezing shoulders, over freezing hips and legs, and the penitent stood there, until he could not feel the cold in his shoulders and legs any more, until they were silent, until they were quiet. Silently, he cowered in the thorny bushes, blood dripped from the burning skin, from festering wounds dripped pus, and Siddhartha stayed rigidly, stayed motionless, until no blood flowed any more, until nothing stung any more, until nothing burned any more. |
Siddhartha sat upright and learned to breathe sparingly, learned to get along with only few breathes, learned to stop breathing. He learned, beginning with the breath, to calm the beat of his heart, leaned to reduce the beats of his heart, until they were only a few and almost none. |
Instructed by the oldest of the Samanas, Siddhartha practised self-denial, practised meditation, according to a new Samana rules. A heron flew over the bamboo forest-and Siddhartha accepted the heron into his soul, flew over forest and mountains, was a heron, ate fish, felt the pangs of a heron's hunger, spoke the herons croak, died a heron's death. A dead jackal was lying on the sandy bank, and Siddhartha's soul slipped inside the body, was the dead jackal, lay on the banks, got bloated, stank, decayed, was dismembered by hyaenas, was skinned by vultures, turned into a skeleton, turned to dust, was blown across the fields. |
In the evening of this day they caught up with the ascetics, the skinny Samanas, and offered them their companionship and-obedience. They were accepted. |
Siddhartha gave his garments to a poor Brahman in the street. He wore nothing more than the loincloth and the earth-coloured, unsown cloak. He ate only once a day, and never something cooked. He fasted for fifteen days. He fasted for twenty-eight days. The flesh waned from his thighs and cheeks. Feverish dreams flickered from his enlarged eyes, long nails grew slowly on his parched fingers and a dry, shaggy beard grew on his chin. His glance turned to ice when he encountered women; his mouth twitched with contempt, when he walked through a city of nicely dressed people. He saw merchants trading, princes hunting, mourners wailing for their dead, whores offering themselves, physicians trying to help the sick, priests determining the most suitable day for seeding, lovers loving, mothers nursing their children-and all of this was not worthy of one look from his eye, it all lied, it all stank, it all stank of lies, it all pretended to be meaningful and joyful and beautiful, and it all was just concealed putrefaction. The world tasted bitter. Life was torture. |
A goal stood before Siddhartha, a single goal: to become empty, empty of thirst, empty of wishing, empty of dreams, empty of joy and sorrow. Dead to himself, not to be a self any more, to find tranquility with an emptied heart, to be open to miracles in unselfish thoughts, that was his goal. Once all of myself was overcome and had died, once every desire and every urge was silent in the heart, then the ultimate part of me had to awake, the innermost of my being, which is no longer myself, the great secret. |
Silently, Siddhartha exposed himself to burning rays of the sun directly above, glowing with pain, glowing with thirst, and stood there, until he neither felt any pain nor thirst any more. Silently, he stood there in the rainy season, from his hair the water was dripping over freezing shoulders, over freezing hips and legs, and the penitent stood there, until he could not feel the cold in his shoulders and legs any more, until they were silent, until they were quiet. Silently, he cowered in the thorny bushes, blood dripped from the burning skin, from festering wounds dripped pus, and Siddhartha stayed rigidly, stayed motionless, until no blood flowed any more, until nothing stung any more, until nothing burned any more. |
Siddhartha sat upright and learned to breathe sparingly, learned to get along with only few breathes, learned to stop breathing. He learned, beginning with the breath, to calm the beat of his heart, leaned to reduce the beats of his heart, until they were only a few and almost none. |
Instructed by the oldest of the Samanas, Siddhartha practised self-denial, practised meditation, according to a new Samana rules. A heron flew over the bamboo forest-and Siddhartha accepted the heron into his soul, flew over forest and mountains, was a heron, ate fish, felt the pangs of a heron's hunger, spoke the herons croak, died a heron's death. A dead jackal was lying on the sandy bank, and Siddhartha's soul slipped inside the body, was the dead jackal, lay on the banks, got bloated, stank, decayed, was dismembered by hyaenas, was skinned by vultures, turned into a skeleton, turned to dust, was blown across the fields. |
In the evening of this day they caught up with the ascetics, the skinny Samanas, and offered them their companionship and-obedience. They were accepted. |
Siddhartha gave his garments to a poor Brahman in the street. He wore nothing more than the loincloth and the earth-coloured, unsown cloak. He ate only once a day, and never something cooked. He fasted for fifteen days. He fasted for twenty-eight days. The flesh waned from his thighs and cheeks. Feverish dreams flickered from his enlarged eyes, long nails grew slowly on his parched fingers and a dry, shaggy beard grew on his chin. His glance turned to ice when he encountered women; his mouth twitched with contempt, when he walked through a city of nicely dressed people. He saw merchants trading, princes hunting, mourners wailing for their dead, whores offering themselves, physicians trying to help the sick, priests determining the most suitable day for seeding, lovers loving, mothers nursing their children-and all of this was not worthy of one look from his eye, it all lied, it all stank, it all stank of lies, it all pretended to be meaningful and joyful and beautiful, and it all was just concealed putrefaction. The world tasted bitter. Life was torture. |
A goal stood before Siddhartha, a single goal: to become empty, empty of thirst, empty of wishing, empty of dreams, empty of joy and sorrow. Dead to himself, not to be a self any more, to find tranquility with an emptied heart, to be open to miracles in unselfish thoughts, that was his goal. Once all of myself was overcome and had died, once every desire and every urge was silent in the heart, then the ultimate part of me had to awake, the innermost of my being, which is no longer myself, the great secret. |
Silently, Siddhartha exposed himself to burning rays of the sun directly above, glowing with pain, glowing with thirst, and stood there, until he neither felt any pain nor thirst any more. Silently, he stood there in the rainy season, from his hair the water was dripping over freezing shoulders, over freezing hips and legs, and the penitent stood there, until he could not feel the cold in his shoulders and legs any more, until they were silent, until they were quiet. Silently, he cowered in the thorny bushes, blood dripped from the burning skin, from festering wounds dripped pus, and Siddhartha stayed rigidly, stayed motionless, until no blood flowed any more, until nothing stung any more, until nothing burned any more. |
Siddhartha sat upright and learned to breathe sparingly, learned to get along with only few breathes, learned to stop breathing. He learned, beginning with the breath, to calm the beat of his heart, leaned to reduce the beats of his heart, until they were only a few and almost none. |
Instructed by the oldest of the Samanas, Siddhartha practised self-denial, practised meditation, according to a new Samana rules. A heron flew over the bamboo forest-and Siddhartha accepted the heron into his soul, flew over forest and mountains, was a heron, ate fish, felt the pangs of a heron's hunger, spoke the herons croak, died a heron's death. A dead jackal was lying on the sandy bank, and Siddhartha's soul slipped inside the body, was the dead jackal, lay on the banks, got bloated, stank, decayed, was dismembered by hyaenas, was skinned by vultures, turned into a skeleton, turned to dust, was blown across the fields. |
In the evening of this day they caught up with the ascetics, the skinny Samanas, and offered them their companionship and-obedience. They were accepted. |
Siddhartha gave his garments to a poor Brahman in the street. He wore nothing more than the loincloth and the earth-coloured, unsown cloak. He ate only once a day, and never something cooked. He fasted for fifteen days. He fasted for twenty-eight days. The flesh waned from his thighs and cheeks. Feverish dreams flickered from his enlarged eyes, long nails grew slowly on his parched fingers and a dry, shaggy beard grew on his chin. His glance turned to ice when he encountered women; his mouth twitched with contempt, when he walked through a city of nicely dressed people. He saw merchants trading, princes hunting, mourners wailing for their dead, whores offering themselves, physicians trying to help the sick, priests determining the most suitable day for seeding, lovers loving, mothers nursing their children-and all of this was not worthy of one look from his eye, it all lied, it all stank, it all stank of lies, it all pretended to be meaningful and joyful and beautiful, and it all was just concealed putrefaction. The world tasted bitter. Life was torture. |
A goal stood before Siddhartha, a single goal: to become empty, empty of thirst, empty of wishing, empty of dreams, empty of joy and sorrow. Dead to himself, not to be a self any more, to find tranquility with an emptied heart, to be open to miracles in unselfish thoughts, that was his goal. Once all of myself was overcome and had died, once every desire and every urge was silent in the heart, then the ultimate part of me had to awake, the innermost of my being, which is no longer myself, the great secret. |
Silently, Siddhartha exposed himself to burning rays of the sun directly above, glowing with pain, glowing with thirst, and stood there, until he neither felt any pain nor thirst any more. Silently, he stood there in the rainy season, from his hair the water was dripping over freezing shoulders, over freezing hips and legs, and the penitent stood there, until he could not feel the cold in his shoulders and legs any more, until they were silent, until they were quiet. Silently, he cowered in the thorny bushes, blood dripped from the burning skin, from festering wounds dripped pus, and Siddhartha stayed rigidly, stayed motionless, until no blood flowed any more, until nothing stung any more, until nothing burned any more. |
Siddhartha sat upright and learned to breathe sparingly, learned to get along with only few breathes, learned to stop breathing. He learned, beginning with the breath, to calm the beat of his heart, leaned to reduce the beats of his heart, until they were only a few and almost none. |
Instructed by the oldest of the Samanas, Siddhartha practised self-denial, practised meditation, according to a new Samana rules. A heron flew over the bamboo forest-and Siddhartha accepted the heron into his soul, flew over forest and mountains, was a heron, ate fish, felt the pangs of a heron's hunger, spoke the herons croak, died a heron's death. A dead jackal was lying on the sandy bank, and Siddhartha's soul slipped inside the body, was the dead jackal, lay on the banks, got bloated, stank, decayed, was dismembered by hyaenas, was skinned by vultures, turned into a skeleton, turned to dust, was blown across the fields. |
Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place. For the present I will only say that this "landowner"-for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate-was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless. But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else. Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men's tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash. At the same time, he was all his life one of the most senseless, fantastical fellows in the whole district. I repeat, it was not stupidity-the majority of these fantastical fellows are shrewd and intelligent enough-but just senselessness, and a peculiar national form of it. |
He was married twice, and had three sons, the eldest, Dmitri, by his first wife, and two, Ivan and Alexey, by his second. Fyodor Pavlovitch's first wife, Adelaida Ivanovna, belonged to a fairly rich and distinguished noble family, also landowners in our district, the Miusovs. How it came to pass that an heiress, who was also a beauty, and moreover one of those vigorous, intelligent girls, so common in this generation, but sometimes also to be found in the last, could have married such a worthless, puny weakling, as we all called him, I won't attempt to explain. I knew a young lady of the last "romantic" generation who after some years of an enigmatic passion for a gentleman, whom she might quite easily have married at any moment, invented insuperable obstacles to their union, and ended by throwing herself one stormy night into a rather deep and rapid river from a high bank, almost a precipice, and so perished, entirely to satisfy her own caprice, and to be like Shakespeare's Ophelia. Indeed, if this precipice, a chosen and favorite spot of hers, had been less picturesque, if there had been a prosaic flat bank in its place, most likely the suicide would never have taken place. This is a fact, and probably there have been not a few similar instances in the last two or three generations. Adelaida Ivanovna Miusov's action was similarly, no doubt, an echo of other peoples ideas, and was due to the irritation caused by lack of mental freedom. She wanted, perhaps, to show her feminine independence, to override class distinctions and the despotism of her family. And a pliable imagination persuaded her, we must suppose, for a brief moment, that Fyodor Pavlovitch, in spite of his parasitic position, was one of the bold and ironical spirits of that progressive epoch, though he was, in fact, an ill-natured buffoon and nothing more. |
Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place. For the present I will only say that this "landowner"-for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate-was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless. But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else. Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men's tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash. At the same time, he was all his life one of the most senseless, fantastical fellows in the whole district. I repeat, it was not stupidity-the majority of these fantastical fellows are shrewd and intelligent enough-but just senselessness, and a peculiar national form of it. |
He was married twice, and had three sons, the eldest, Dmitri, by his first wife, and two, Ivan and Alexey, by his second. Fyodor Pavlovitch's first wife, Adelaida Ivanovna, belonged to a fairly rich and distinguished noble family, also landowners in our district, the Miusovs. How it came to pass that an heiress, who was also a beauty, and moreover one of those vigorous, intelligent girls, so common in this generation, but sometimes also to be found in the last, could have married such a worthless, puny weakling, as we all called him, I won't attempt to explain. I knew a young lady of the last "romantic" generation who after some years of an enigmatic passion for a gentleman, whom she might quite easily have married at any moment, invented insuperable obstacles to their union, and ended by throwing herself one stormy night into a rather deep and rapid river from a high bank, almost a precipice, and so perished, entirely to satisfy her own caprice, and to be like Shakespeare's Ophelia. Indeed, if this precipice, a chosen and favorite spot of hers, had been less picturesque, if there had been a prosaic flat bank in its place, most likely the suicide would never have taken place. This is a fact, and probably there have been not a few similar instances in the last two or three generations. Adelaida Ivanovna Miusov's action was similarly, no doubt, an echo of other peoples ideas, and was due to the irritation caused by lack of mental freedom. She wanted, perhaps, to show her feminine independence, to override class distinctions and the despotism of her family. And a pliable imagination persuaded her, we must suppose, for a brief moment, that Fyodor Pavlovitch, in spite of his parasitic position, was one of the bold and ironical spirits of that progressive epoch, though he was, in fact, an ill-natured buffoon and nothing more. |
Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place. For the present I will only say that this "landowner"-for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate-was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless. But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else. Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men's tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash. At the same time, he was all his life one of the most senseless, fantastical fellows in the whole district. I repeat, it was not stupidity-the majority of these fantastical fellows are shrewd and intelligent enough-but just senselessness, and a peculiar national form of it. |
He was married twice, and had three sons, the eldest, Dmitri, by his first wife, and two, Ivan and Alexey, by his second. Fyodor Pavlovitch's first wife, Adelaida Ivanovna, belonged to a fairly rich and distinguished noble family, also landowners in our district, the Miusovs. How it came to pass that an heiress, who was also a beauty, and moreover one of those vigorous, intelligent girls, so common in this generation, but sometimes also to be found in the last, could have married such a worthless, puny weakling, as we all called him, I won't attempt to explain. I knew a young lady of the last "romantic" generation who after some years of an enigmatic passion for a gentleman, whom she might quite easily have married at any moment, invented insuperable obstacles to their union, and ended by throwing herself one stormy night into a rather deep and rapid river from a high bank, almost a precipice, and so perished, entirely to satisfy her own caprice, and to be like Shakespeare's Ophelia. Indeed, if this precipice, a chosen and favorite spot of hers, had been less picturesque, if there had been a prosaic flat bank in its place, most likely the suicide would never have taken place. This is a fact, and probably there have been not a few similar instances in the last two or three generations. Adelaida Ivanovna Miusov's action was similarly, no doubt, an echo of other peoples ideas, and was due to the irritation caused by lack of mental freedom. She wanted, perhaps, to show her feminine independence, to override class distinctions and the despotism of her family. And a pliable imagination persuaded her, we must suppose, for a brief moment, that Fyodor Pavlovitch, in spite of his parasitic position, was one of the bold and ironical spirits of that progressive epoch, though he was, in fact, an ill-natured buffoon and nothing more. |
Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place. For the present I will only say that this "landowner"-for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate-was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless. But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else. Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men's tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash. At the same time, he was all his life one of the most senseless, fantastical fellows in the whole district. I repeat, it was not stupidity-the majority of these fantastical fellows are shrewd and intelligent enough-but just senselessness, and a peculiar national form of it. |
He was married twice, and had three sons, the eldest, Dmitri, by his first wife, and two, Ivan and Alexey, by his second. Fyodor Pavlovitch's first wife, Adelaida Ivanovna, belonged to a fairly rich and distinguished noble family, also landowners in our district, the Miusovs. How it came to pass that an heiress, who was also a beauty, and moreover one of those vigorous, intelligent girls, so common in this generation, but sometimes also to be found in the last, could have married such a worthless, puny weakling, as we all called him, I won't attempt to explain. I knew a young lady of the last "romantic" generation who after some years of an enigmatic passion for a gentleman, whom she might quite easily have married at any moment, invented insuperable obstacles to their union, and ended by throwing herself one stormy night into a rather deep and rapid river from a high bank, almost a precipice, and so perished, entirely to satisfy her own caprice, and to be like Shakespeare's Ophelia. Indeed, if this precipice, a chosen and favorite spot of hers, had been less picturesque, if there had been a prosaic flat bank in its place, most likely the suicide would never have taken place. This is a fact, and probably there have been not a few similar instances in the last two or three generations. Adelaida Ivanovna Miusov's action was similarly, no doubt, an echo of other peoples ideas, and was due to the irritation caused by lack of mental freedom. She wanted, perhaps, to show her feminine independence, to override class distinctions and the despotism of her family. And a pliable imagination persuaded her, we must suppose, for a brief moment, that Fyodor Pavlovitch, in spite of his parasitic position, was one of the bold and ironical spirits of that progressive epoch, though he was, in fact, an ill-natured buffoon and nothing more. |
Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, and still remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death, which happened thirteen years ago, and which I shall describe in its proper place. For the present I will only say that this "landowner"-for so we used to call him, although he hardly spent a day of his life on his own estate-was a strange type, yet one pretty frequently to be met with, a type abject and vicious and at the same time senseless. But he was one of those senseless persons who are very well capable of looking after their worldly affairs, and, apparently, after nothing else. Fyodor Pavlovitch, for instance, began with next to nothing; his estate was of the smallest; he ran to dine at other men's tables, and fastened on them as a toady, yet at his death it appeared that he had a hundred thousand roubles in hard cash. At the same time, he was all his life one of the most senseless, fantastical fellows in the whole district. I repeat, it was not stupidity-the majority of these fantastical fellows are shrewd and intelligent enough-but just senselessness, and a peculiar national form of it. |
He was married twice, and had three sons, the eldest, Dmitri, by his first wife, and two, Ivan and Alexey, by his second. Fyodor Pavlovitch's first wife, Adelaida Ivanovna, belonged to a fairly rich and distinguished noble family, also landowners in our district, the Miusovs. How it came to pass that an heiress, who was also a beauty, and moreover one of those vigorous, intelligent girls, so common in this generation, but sometimes also to be found in the last, could have married such a worthless, puny weakling, as we all called him, I won't attempt to explain. I knew a young lady of the last "romantic" generation who after some years of an enigmatic passion for a gentleman, whom she might quite easily have married at any moment, invented insuperable obstacles to their union, and ended by throwing herself one stormy night into a rather deep and rapid river from a high bank, almost a precipice, and so perished, entirely to satisfy her own caprice, and to be like Shakespeare's Ophelia. Indeed, if this precipice, a chosen and favorite spot of hers, had been less picturesque, if there had been a prosaic flat bank in its place, most likely the suicide would never have taken place. This is a fact, and probably there have been not a few similar instances in the last two or three generations. Adelaida Ivanovna Miusov's action was similarly, no doubt, an echo of other peoples ideas, and was due to the irritation caused by lack of mental freedom. She wanted, perhaps, to show her feminine independence, to override class distinctions and the despotism of her family. And a pliable imagination persuaded her, we must suppose, for a brief moment, that Fyodor Pavlovitch, in spite of his parasitic position, was one of the bold and ironical spirits of that progressive epoch, though he was, in fact, an ill-natured buffoon and nothing more. |
The Suryavanshis were arranged like a bow. Strong, yet flexible. The recently raised tortoise regiments had been placed at the centre. The light Infantry formed the flanks, while the cavalry, in turn, bordered them. The chariots had been abandoned due to the unseasonal rain the previous night. They couldn't risk the wheels getting stuck in the slush. The newly reared archer regiments remained stationed at the back. Skilfully designed back rests had been fabricated for them, which allowed the archers to lie and guide their feet with an ingenious system of gears. The bows could be stretched across their feet and the strings drawn back up to their chins, releasing powerfully built arrows, almost the size of small spears. As they were at the back of the Suryavanshi infantry, their presence was hidden from the Chandravanshis. |
The Chandravanshis had placed their army as per their strength in a standard offensive formation. |
Their massive infantry was in squads of five thousand. There were fifty such, comprising a full legion in a straight line. They stretched as far as the eye could see. There were three more such legions behind the first one, ready to finish off the job. This formation allowed a direct assault onto a numerically inferior enemy, giving the offence tremendous strength and solidity, but also making it rigid. The squads left spaces in between them, to allow the cavalry to charge through if required. Seeing the Suryavanshi formation, the Chandravanshi cavalry from the rear had been moved to the flanks. This would enable a quicker charge at the flanks of the Suryavanshi formation and disrupt enemy lines. The Chandravanshi general clearly had a copy of the ancient war manuals and was playing it religiously, page by page. It would have been a perfect move against an enemy who also followed standard tactics. Unfortunately, he was up against a Tibetan tribal chief whose innovations had transformed the Suryavanshi attack. |
As Shiva rode towards the hillock at the edge of the main battlefield, the Brahmins picked up the tempo of their shlokas while the war drums pumped the energy to a higher level. Despite being outnumbered on a vast scale, the Suryavanshis did not exhibit even the slightest hint of nervousness. They had buried their fear deep. |
The war cries of the clan-gods of the various brigades rent the air. |
'Indra dev ki jai' 'Agni dev ki jai' 'Jai Shakti devi ki!' 'Varun dev ki jai!' 'Jai Pawan dev ki!' |
But these cries were forgotten in an instant as the soldiers saw a magnificent white steed canter in over the hillock carrying a handsome, muscular figure. A thunderous roar pierced the sky, loud enough to force the gods out of their cloud palaces to peer at the events unfolding below. The Neelkanth raised his hand in acknowledgment. Following him was General Parvateshwar, accompanied by Nandi and Veerbhadra. |
Vraka was off his horse in a flash as Shiva approached him. Parvateshwar dismounted equally rapidly and was next to Vraka before Shiva could reach him. |
The Suryavanshis were arranged like a bow. Strong, yet flexible. The recently raised tortoise regiments had been placed at the centre. The light Infantry formed the flanks, while the cavalry, in turn, bordered them. The chariots had been abandoned due to the unseasonal rain the previous night. They couldn't risk the wheels getting stuck in the slush. The newly reared archer regiments remained stationed at the back. Skilfully designed back rests had been fabricated for them, which allowed the archers to lie and guide their feet with an ingenious system of gears. The bows could be stretched across their feet and the strings drawn back up to their chins, releasing powerfully built arrows, almost the size of small spears. As they were at the back of the Suryavanshi infantry, their presence was hidden from the Chandravanshis. |
The Chandravanshis had placed their army as per their strength in a standard offensive formation. |
Their massive infantry was in squads of five thousand. There were fifty such, comprising a full legion in a straight line. They stretched as far as the eye could see. There were three more such legions behind the first one, ready to finish off the job. This formation allowed a direct assault onto a numerically inferior enemy, giving the offence tremendous strength and solidity, but also making it rigid. The squads left spaces in between them, to allow the cavalry to charge through if required. Seeing the Suryavanshi formation, the Chandravanshi cavalry from the rear had been moved to the flanks. This would enable a quicker charge at the flanks of the Suryavanshi formation and disrupt enemy lines. The Chandravanshi general clearly had a copy of the ancient war manuals and was playing it religiously, page by page. It would have been a perfect move against an enemy who also followed standard tactics. Unfortunately, he was up against a Tibetan tribal chief whose innovations had transformed the Suryavanshi attack. |
As Shiva rode towards the hillock at the edge of the main battlefield, the Brahmins picked up the tempo of their shlokas while the war drums pumped the energy to a higher level. Despite being outnumbered on a vast scale, the Suryavanshis did not exhibit even the slightest hint of nervousness. They had buried their fear deep. |
The war cries of the clan-gods of the various brigades rent the air. |
'Indra dev ki jai' 'Agni dev ki jai' 'Jai Shakti devi ki!' 'Varun dev ki jai!' 'Jai Pawan dev ki!' |
But these cries were forgotten in an instant as the soldiers saw a magnificent white steed canter in over the hillock carrying a handsome, muscular figure. A thunderous roar pierced the sky, loud enough to force the gods out of their cloud palaces to peer at the events unfolding below. The Neelkanth raised his hand in acknowledgment. Following him was General Parvateshwar, accompanied by Nandi and Veerbhadra. |
Vraka was off his horse in a flash as Shiva approached him. Parvateshwar dismounted equally rapidly and was next to Vraka before Shiva could reach him. |
The Suryavanshis were arranged like a bow. Strong, yet flexible. The recently raised tortoise regiments had been placed at the centre. The light Infantry formed the flanks, while the cavalry, in turn, bordered them. The chariots had been abandoned due to the unseasonal rain the previous night. They couldn't risk the wheels getting stuck in the slush. The newly reared archer regiments remained stationed at the back. Skilfully designed back rests had been fabricated for them, which allowed the archers to lie and guide their feet with an ingenious system of gears. The bows could be stretched across their feet and the strings drawn back up to their chins, releasing powerfully built arrows, almost the size of small spears. As they were at the back of the Suryavanshi infantry, their presence was hidden from the Chandravanshis. |
The Chandravanshis had placed their army as per their strength in a standard offensive formation. |
Their massive infantry was in squads of five thousand. There were fifty such, comprising a full legion in a straight line. They stretched as far as the eye could see. There were three more such legions behind the first one, ready to finish off the job. This formation allowed a direct assault onto a numerically inferior enemy, giving the offence tremendous strength and solidity, but also making it rigid. The squads left spaces in between them, to allow the cavalry to charge through if required. Seeing the Suryavanshi formation, the Chandravanshi cavalry from the rear had been moved to the flanks. This would enable a quicker charge at the flanks of the Suryavanshi formation and disrupt enemy lines. The Chandravanshi general clearly had a copy of the ancient war manuals and was playing it religiously, page by page. It would have been a perfect move against an enemy who also followed standard tactics. Unfortunately, he was up against a Tibetan tribal chief whose innovations had transformed the Suryavanshi attack. |
As Shiva rode towards the hillock at the edge of the main battlefield, the Brahmins picked up the tempo of their shlokas while the war drums pumped the energy to a higher level. Despite being outnumbered on a vast scale, the Suryavanshis did not exhibit even the slightest hint of nervousness. They had buried their fear deep. |
The war cries of the clan-gods of the various brigades rent the air. |
'Indra dev ki jai' 'Agni dev ki jai' 'Jai Shakti devi ki!' 'Varun dev ki jai!' 'Jai Pawan dev ki!' |
But these cries were forgotten in an instant as the soldiers saw a magnificent white steed canter in over the hillock carrying a handsome, muscular figure. A thunderous roar pierced the sky, loud enough to force the gods out of their cloud palaces to peer at the events unfolding below. The Neelkanth raised his hand in acknowledgment. Following him was General Parvateshwar, accompanied by Nandi and Veerbhadra. |
Vraka was off his horse in a flash as Shiva approached him. Parvateshwar dismounted equally rapidly and was next to Vraka before Shiva could reach him. |
The Suryavanshis were arranged like a bow. Strong, yet flexible. The recently raised tortoise regiments had been placed at the centre. The light Infantry formed the flanks, while the cavalry, in turn, bordered them. The chariots had been abandoned due to the unseasonal rain the previous night. They couldn't risk the wheels getting stuck in the slush. The newly reared archer regiments remained stationed at the back. Skilfully designed back rests had been fabricated for them, which allowed the archers to lie and guide their feet with an ingenious system of gears. The bows could be stretched across their feet and the strings drawn back up to their chins, releasing powerfully built arrows, almost the size of small spears. As they were at the back of the Suryavanshi infantry, their presence was hidden from the Chandravanshis. |
The Chandravanshis had placed their army as per their strength in a standard offensive formation. |
Their massive infantry was in squads of five thousand. There were fifty such, comprising a full legion in a straight line. They stretched as far as the eye could see. There were three more such legions behind the first one, ready to finish off the job. This formation allowed a direct assault onto a numerically inferior enemy, giving the offence tremendous strength and solidity, but also making it rigid. The squads left spaces in between them, to allow the cavalry to charge through if required. Seeing the Suryavanshi formation, the Chandravanshi cavalry from the rear had been moved to the flanks. This would enable a quicker charge at the flanks of the Suryavanshi formation and disrupt enemy lines. The Chandravanshi general clearly had a copy of the ancient war manuals and was playing it religiously, page by page. It would have been a perfect move against an enemy who also followed standard tactics. Unfortunately, he was up against a Tibetan tribal chief whose innovations had transformed the Suryavanshi attack. |
As Shiva rode towards the hillock at the edge of the main battlefield, the Brahmins picked up the tempo of their shlokas while the war drums pumped the energy to a higher level. Despite being outnumbered on a vast scale, the Suryavanshis did not exhibit even the slightest hint of nervousness. They had buried their fear deep. |
The war cries of the clan-gods of the various brigades rent the air. |
'Indra dev ki jai' 'Agni dev ki jai' 'Jai Shakti devi ki!' 'Varun dev ki jai!' 'Jai Pawan dev ki!' |
But these cries were forgotten in an instant as the soldiers saw a magnificent white steed canter in over the hillock carrying a handsome, muscular figure. A thunderous roar pierced the sky, loud enough to force the gods out of their cloud palaces to peer at the events unfolding below. The Neelkanth raised his hand in acknowledgment. Following him was General Parvateshwar, accompanied by Nandi and Veerbhadra. |
Vraka was off his horse in a flash as Shiva approached him. Parvateshwar dismounted equally rapidly and was next to Vraka before Shiva could reach him. |
The Suryavanshis were arranged like a bow. Strong, yet flexible. The recently raised tortoise regiments had been placed at the centre. The light Infantry formed the flanks, while the cavalry, in turn, bordered them. The chariots had been abandoned due to the unseasonal rain the previous night. They couldn't risk the wheels getting stuck in the slush. The newly reared archer regiments remained stationed at the back. Skilfully designed back rests had been fabricated for them, which allowed the archers to lie and guide their feet with an ingenious system of gears. The bows could be stretched across their feet and the strings drawn back up to their chins, releasing powerfully built arrows, almost the size of small spears. As they were at the back of the Suryavanshi infantry, their presence was hidden from the Chandravanshis. |
The Chandravanshis had placed their army as per their strength in a standard offensive formation. |
Their massive infantry was in squads of five thousand. There were fifty such, comprising a full legion in a straight line. They stretched as far as the eye could see. There were three more such legions behind the first one, ready to finish off the job. This formation allowed a direct assault onto a numerically inferior enemy, giving the offence tremendous strength and solidity, but also making it rigid. The squads left spaces in between them, to allow the cavalry to charge through if required. Seeing the Suryavanshi formation, the Chandravanshi cavalry from the rear had been moved to the flanks. This would enable a quicker charge at the flanks of the Suryavanshi formation and disrupt enemy lines. The Chandravanshi general clearly had a copy of the ancient war manuals and was playing it religiously, page by page. It would have been a perfect move against an enemy who also followed standard tactics. Unfortunately, he was up against a Tibetan tribal chief whose innovations had transformed the Suryavanshi attack. |
As Shiva rode towards the hillock at the edge of the main battlefield, the Brahmins picked up the tempo of their shlokas while the war drums pumped the energy to a higher level. Despite being outnumbered on a vast scale, the Suryavanshis did not exhibit even the slightest hint of nervousness. They had buried their fear deep. |
The war cries of the clan-gods of the various brigades rent the air. |
'Indra dev ki jai' 'Agni dev ki jai' 'Jai Shakti devi ki!' 'Varun dev ki jai!' 'Jai Pawan dev ki!' |
But these cries were forgotten in an instant as the soldiers saw a magnificent white steed canter in over the hillock carrying a handsome, muscular figure. A thunderous roar pierced the sky, loud enough to force the gods out of their cloud palaces to peer at the events unfolding below. The Neelkanth raised his hand in acknowledgment. Following him was General Parvateshwar, accompanied by Nandi and Veerbhadra. |
Vraka was off his horse in a flash as Shiva approached him. Parvateshwar dismounted equally rapidly and was next to Vraka before Shiva could reach him. |
The famous Shiva temple, which made Rameswaram so sacred to pilgrims, was about a ten-minute walk from our house. Our locality was predominantly Muslim, but there were quite a few Hindu families too, living amicably with their Muslim neighbors. |
The high priest of Rameswaram temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, was a very close friend of my father's. One of the most vivid memories of my early childhood is of the two men, each in his traditional attire, discussing spiritual matters. |
One day when I was in the fifth standard at the Rameswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class. I used to wear a cap which marked me as a Muslim, and I always sat in the front row next to Ramanadha Sastry, who wore a sacred thread. The new teacher could not stomach a Hindu priest's son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the new teacher saw it, I was asked to go and sit on the back bench... After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. |
Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologize or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher. |
Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become an Air Force pilot. |
What you are destined to become is not revealed now but it is predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential to lead you to your destined path. Search, instead, for the true purpose of your existence. Become one with yourself, my son! Surrender yourself to the wish of God. |
Here, I saw a painting prominently displayed in the reception lobby. It depicted a battle scene with a few rockets flying in the background. A painting with this theme should be the most commonplace thing at a Flight Facility, but the painting caught my eye because the soldiers on the side launching the rockets were not white, but dark-skinned, with the racial features of people found in South Asia... It turned out to be Tipu Sultan's army fighting the British. The painting depicted a-fact forgotten in Tipu's own country but commemorated here on the other side of the planet. I was happy to see an Indian glorified by NASA as a hero of warfare rocketry. |
The famous Shiva temple, which made Rameswaram so sacred to pilgrims, was about a ten-minute walk from our house. Our locality was predominantly Muslim, but there were quite a few Hindu families too, living amicably with their Muslim neighbors. |
The high priest of Rameswaram temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, was a very close friend of my father's. One of the most vivid memories of my early childhood is of the two men, each in his traditional attire, discussing spiritual matters. |
One day when I was in the fifth standard at the Rameswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class. I used to wear a cap which marked me as a Muslim, and I always sat in the front row next to Ramanadha Sastry, who wore a sacred thread. The new teacher could not stomach a Hindu priest's son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the new teacher saw it, I was asked to go and sit on the back bench... After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. |
Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologize or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher. |
Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become an Air Force pilot. |
What you are destined to become is not revealed now but it is predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential to lead you to your destined path. Search, instead, for the true purpose of your existence. Become one with yourself, my son! Surrender yourself to the wish of God. |
Here, I saw a painting prominently displayed in the reception lobby. It depicted a battle scene with a few rockets flying in the background. A painting with this theme should be the most commonplace thing at a Flight Facility, but the painting caught my eye because the soldiers on the side launching the rockets were not white, but dark-skinned, with the racial features of people found in South Asia... It turned out to be Tipu Sultan's army fighting the British. The painting depicted a-fact forgotten in Tipu's own country but commemorated here on the other side of the planet. I was happy to see an Indian glorified by NASA as a hero of warfare rocketry. |
The famous Shiva temple, which made Rameswaram so sacred to pilgrims, was about a ten-minute walk from our house. Our locality was predominantly Muslim, but there were quite a few Hindu families too, living amicably with their Muslim neighbors. |
The high priest of Rameswaram temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, was a very close friend of my father's. One of the most vivid memories of my early childhood is of the two men, each in his traditional attire, discussing spiritual matters. |
One day when I was in the fifth standard at the Rameswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class. I used to wear a cap which marked me as a Muslim, and I always sat in the front row next to Ramanadha Sastry, who wore a sacred thread. The new teacher could not stomach a Hindu priest's son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the new teacher saw it, I was asked to go and sit on the back bench... After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. |
Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologize or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher. |
Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become an Air Force pilot. |
What you are destined to become is not revealed now but it is predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential to lead you to your destined path. Search, instead, for the true purpose of your existence. Become one with yourself, my son! Surrender yourself to the wish of God. |
Here, I saw a painting prominently displayed in the reception lobby. It depicted a battle scene with a few rockets flying in the background. A painting with this theme should be the most commonplace thing at a Flight Facility, but the painting caught my eye because the soldiers on the side launching the rockets were not white, but dark-skinned, with the racial features of people found in South Asia... It turned out to be Tipu Sultan's army fighting the British. The painting depicted a-fact forgotten in Tipu's own country but commemorated here on the other side of the planet. I was happy to see an Indian glorified by NASA as a hero of warfare rocketry. |
The famous Shiva temple, which made Rameswaram so sacred to pilgrims, was about a ten-minute walk from our house. Our locality was predominantly Muslim, but there were quite a few Hindu families too, living amicably with their Muslim neighbors. |
The high priest of Rameswaram temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, was a very close friend of my father's. One of the most vivid memories of my early childhood is of the two men, each in his traditional attire, discussing spiritual matters. |
One day when I was in the fifth standard at the Rameswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class. I used to wear a cap which marked me as a Muslim, and I always sat in the front row next to Ramanadha Sastry, who wore a sacred thread. The new teacher could not stomach a Hindu priest's son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the new teacher saw it, I was asked to go and sit on the back bench... After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. |
Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologize or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher. |
Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become an Air Force pilot. |
What you are destined to become is not revealed now but it is predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential to lead you to your destined path. Search, instead, for the true purpose of your existence. Become one with yourself, my son! Surrender yourself to the wish of God. |
Here, I saw a painting prominently displayed in the reception lobby. It depicted a battle scene with a few rockets flying in the background. A painting with this theme should be the most commonplace thing at a Flight Facility, but the painting caught my eye because the soldiers on the side launching the rockets were not white, but dark-skinned, with the racial features of people found in South Asia... It turned out to be Tipu Sultan's army fighting the British. The painting depicted a-fact forgotten in Tipu's own country but commemorated here on the other side of the planet. I was happy to see an Indian glorified by NASA as a hero of warfare rocketry. |
The famous Shiva temple, which made Rameswaram so sacred to pilgrims, was about a ten-minute walk from our house. Our locality was predominantly Muslim, but there were quite a few Hindu families too, living amicably with their Muslim neighbors. |
The high priest of Rameswaram temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, was a very close friend of my father's. One of the most vivid memories of my early childhood is of the two men, each in his traditional attire, discussing spiritual matters. |
One day when I was in the fifth standard at the Rameswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class. I used to wear a cap which marked me as a Muslim, and I always sat in the front row next to Ramanadha Sastry, who wore a sacred thread. The new teacher could not stomach a Hindu priest's son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the new teacher saw it, I was asked to go and sit on the back bench... After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. |
Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologize or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher. |
Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become an Air Force pilot. |
What you are destined to become is not revealed now but it is predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential to lead you to your destined path. Search, instead, for the true purpose of your existence. Become one with yourself, my son! Surrender yourself to the wish of God. |
Here, I saw a painting prominently displayed in the reception lobby. It depicted a battle scene with a few rockets flying in the background. A painting with this theme should be the most commonplace thing at a Flight Facility, but the painting caught my eye because the soldiers on the side launching the rockets were not white, but dark-skinned, with the racial features of people found in South Asia... It turned out to be Tipu Sultan's army fighting the British. The painting depicted a-fact forgotten in Tipu's own country but commemorated here on the other side of the planet. I was happy to see an Indian glorified by NASA as a hero of warfare rocketry. |
The issue of bringing women into the armed forces has been contentious for some time, despite Nirmala Sitharaman batting strongly for equality for women, when she was defence minister. Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case for grant of equivalence in allowing posts of commanding officers to women in the armed forces. The government submitted an affidavit, laying out its justification for the alleged unsuitability of women officers to discharge this role: "Psychological limitations", lower physical standards, domestic obligations and absence due to pregnancy. The government argued that the "composition of rank and file being male predominantly drawn from the rural background with prevailing societal norms, troops are not yet mentally schooled to accept women officers in command of units." Stretching the argument even further to exclude women, it argued that "The non-linear battlefield has rendered the erstwhile rear areas as much vulnerable as battlefield. Therefore, the Induction of women officers into the Indian Army, hitherto fore a male bastion, needs to be viewed in the perspective of the changed battlefield environment." |
Needless to say, the arguments are regressive and do not meet the yardstick for progressive and liberal values that any modern society ought to aspire for. The government's arguments reopen a debate which had been closed nearly three decades ago, when the women officers were first inducted into the armed forces. All the arguments put forth against giving women more responsibility have been answered by the armed forces by giving women greater responsibility in uniform - the IAF has allowed women to become fighter pilots, and the Army has sent them to tough UN peacekeeping missions globally. |
The arguments are not only wrong, they are also misplaced: The current case in the Supreme Court is not about granting a role to women in combat arms but about the denial of equal opportunity in their existing roles for promotion to higher commands. Women officers are already commanding platoons and companies successfully, with male soldiers accepting orders from them as part of a professional force. A professional force does not discriminate on the basis of gender, it works because of training, norms and culture. There is no need to give women any special dispensations but the government cannot promote discrimination on the basis of gender. It must move towards gender mainstreaming in the army, and further achieve gender equality by establishing professional standards and adhering to them without any bias. |
The issue of bringing women into the armed forces has been contentious for some time, despite Nirmala Sitharaman batting strongly for equality for women, when she was defence minister. Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case for grant of equivalence in allowing posts of commanding officers to women in the armed forces. The government submitted an affidavit, laying out its justification for the alleged unsuitability of women officers to discharge this role: "Psychological limitations", lower physical standards, domestic obligations and absence due to pregnancy. The government argued that the "composition of rank and file being male predominantly drawn from the rural background with prevailing societal norms, troops are not yet mentally schooled to accept women officers in command of units." Stretching the argument even further to exclude women, it argued that "The non-linear battlefield has rendered the erstwhile rear areas as much vulnerable as battlefield. Therefore, the Induction of women officers into the Indian Army, hitherto fore a male bastion, needs to be viewed in the perspective of the changed battlefield environment." |
Needless to say, the arguments are regressive and do not meet the yardstick for progressive and liberal values that any modern society ought to aspire for. The government's arguments reopen a debate which had been closed nearly three decades ago, when the women officers were first inducted into the armed forces. All the arguments put forth against giving women more responsibility have been answered by the armed forces by giving women greater responsibility in uniform - the IAF has allowed women to become fighter pilots, and the Army has sent them to tough UN peacekeeping missions globally. |
The arguments are not only wrong, they are also misplaced: The current case in the Supreme Court is not about granting a role to women in combat arms but about the denial of equal opportunity in their existing roles for promotion to higher commands. Women officers are already commanding platoons and companies successfully, with male soldiers accepting orders from them as part of a professional force. A professional force does not discriminate on the basis of gender, it works because of training, norms and culture. There is no need to give women any special dispensations but the government cannot promote discrimination on the basis of gender. It must move towards gender mainstreaming in the army, and further achieve gender equality by establishing professional standards and adhering to them without any bias. |
The issue of bringing women into the armed forces has been contentious for some time, despite Nirmala Sitharaman batting strongly for equality for women, when she was defence minister. Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case for grant of equivalence in allowing posts of commanding officers to women in the armed forces. The government submitted an affidavit, laying out its justification for the alleged unsuitability of women officers to discharge this role: "Psychological limitations", lower physical standards, domestic obligations and absence due to pregnancy. The government argued that the "composition of rank and file being male predominantly drawn from the rural background with prevailing societal norms, troops are not yet mentally schooled to accept women officers in command of units." Stretching the argument even further to exclude women, it argued that "The non-linear battlefield has rendered the erstwhile rear areas as much vulnerable as battlefield. Therefore, the Induction of women officers into the Indian Army, hitherto fore a male bastion, needs to be viewed in the perspective of the changed battlefield environment." |
Needless to say, the arguments are regressive and do not meet the yardstick for progressive and liberal values that any modern society ought to aspire for. The government's arguments reopen a debate which had been closed nearly three decades ago, when the women officers were first inducted into the armed forces. All the arguments put forth against giving women more responsibility have been answered by the armed forces by giving women greater responsibility in uniform - the IAF has allowed women to become fighter pilots, and the Army has sent them to tough UN peacekeeping missions globally. |
The arguments are not only wrong, they are also misplaced: The current case in the Supreme Court is not about granting a role to women in combat arms but about the denial of equal opportunity in their existing roles for promotion to higher commands. Women officers are already commanding platoons and companies successfully, with male soldiers accepting orders from them as part of a professional force. A professional force does not discriminate on the basis of gender, it works because of training, norms and culture. There is no need to give women any special dispensations but the government cannot promote discrimination on the basis of gender. It must move towards gender mainstreaming in the army, and further achieve gender equality by establishing professional standards and adhering to them without any bias. |
The issue of bringing women into the armed forces has been contentious for some time, despite Nirmala Sitharaman batting strongly for equality for women, when she was defence minister. Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case for grant of equivalence in allowing posts of commanding officers to women in the armed forces. The government submitted an affidavit, laying out its justification for the alleged unsuitability of women officers to discharge this role: "Psychological limitations", lower physical standards, domestic obligations and absence due to pregnancy. The government argued that the "composition of rank and file being male predominantly drawn from the rural background with prevailing societal norms, troops are not yet mentally schooled to accept women officers in command of units." Stretching the argument even further to exclude women, it argued that "The non-linear battlefield has rendered the erstwhile rear areas as much vulnerable as battlefield. Therefore, the Induction of women officers into the Indian Army, hitherto fore a male bastion, needs to be viewed in the perspective of the changed battlefield environment." |
Needless to say, the arguments are regressive and do not meet the yardstick for progressive and liberal values that any modern society ought to aspire for. The government's arguments reopen a debate which had been closed nearly three decades ago, when the women officers were first inducted into the armed forces. All the arguments put forth against giving women more responsibility have been answered by the armed forces by giving women greater responsibility in uniform - the IAF has allowed women to become fighter pilots, and the Army has sent them to tough UN peacekeeping missions globally. |
The arguments are not only wrong, they are also misplaced: The current case in the Supreme Court is not about granting a role to women in combat arms but about the denial of equal opportunity in their existing roles for promotion to higher commands. Women officers are already commanding platoons and companies successfully, with male soldiers accepting orders from them as part of a professional force. A professional force does not discriminate on the basis of gender, it works because of training, norms and culture. There is no need to give women any special dispensations but the government cannot promote discrimination on the basis of gender. It must move towards gender mainstreaming in the army, and further achieve gender equality by establishing professional standards and adhering to them without any bias. |
The issue of bringing women into the armed forces has been contentious for some time, despite Nirmala Sitharaman batting strongly for equality for women, when she was defence minister. Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case for grant of equivalence in allowing posts of commanding officers to women in the armed forces. The government submitted an affidavit, laying out its justification for the alleged unsuitability of women officers to discharge this role: "Psychological limitations", lower physical standards, domestic obligations and absence due to pregnancy. The government argued that the "composition of rank and file being male predominantly drawn from the rural background with prevailing societal norms, troops are not yet mentally schooled to accept women officers in command of units." Stretching the argument even further to exclude women, it argued that "The non-linear battlefield has rendered the erstwhile rear areas as much vulnerable as battlefield. Therefore, the Induction of women officers into the Indian Army, hitherto fore a male bastion, needs to be viewed in the perspective of the changed battlefield environment." |
Needless to say, the arguments are regressive and do not meet the yardstick for progressive and liberal values that any modern society ought to aspire for. The government's arguments reopen a debate which had been closed nearly three decades ago, when the women officers were first inducted into the armed forces. All the arguments put forth against giving women more responsibility have been answered by the armed forces by giving women greater responsibility in uniform - the IAF has allowed women to become fighter pilots, and the Army has sent them to tough UN peacekeeping missions globally. |
The arguments are not only wrong, they are also misplaced: The current case in the Supreme Court is not about granting a role to women in combat arms but about the denial of equal opportunity in their existing roles for promotion to higher commands. Women officers are already commanding platoons and companies successfully, with male soldiers accepting orders from them as part of a professional force. A professional force does not discriminate on the basis of gender, it works because of training, norms and culture. There is no need to give women any special dispensations but the government cannot promote discrimination on the basis of gender. It must move towards gender mainstreaming in the army, and further achieve gender equality by establishing professional standards and adhering to them without any bias. |
It has become a ritual after every bitterly fought election for armchair pundits to assert that our political culture has plumbed the depths. Thanks to its location as the media capital of India, elections in Delhi tend to be over-scrutinised and over-interpreted - and more out of logistical convenience than political importance. Consequently, the rhetorical excesses of national leaders in a local setting tend to be blown out of proportion. Additionally, What Sapp and social media platforms allow rival camps to circulate particularly spicy clips from what may otherwise be drearily routine campaign speeches. |
After the counting of votes is completed on February 11, the extent to which sharp political interventions played a role in moulding voting preferences will be known. That people vote differently in national and local elections has already become an established feature of Indian politics. To that extent, if Aam Aadmi Party recovers from its 2019 drubbing in the general election, the assembly outcome will not constitute a departure from an established trend. A BJP victory, however, will. To that extent, the significance of the election campaign lay in the attempt by the ruling party at the Centre to overcome its local weakness and give a spirited fight to Arvind Kejriwal's party. |
Of particular importance was the lead role played by home minister Amit Shah in galvanising his troops, grabbing the headlines and forcing national issues to the forefront of a battle that should, ideally, have been confined to local issues. In terms of tactics. Shah carefully focused on a fringe phenomenon - the ongoing dharna by a section of the Muslim community in Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act - to raise larger questions centred on Indian identity. By raising the emotional pitch of the campaign. Shah also sought to shift the focus away from the Kejriwal governments success in subsidizing water and electricity charges. |
As a campaign strategy it was legitimate and certainly galvanised the committed BJP voter. The flashes of anger by the minority community after the CAA was approved by Parliament may have had the endorsement of some middle-class intellectuals and left-wing students, but it didn't have the endorsement of ordinary citizens. Opinion polls indicate that the anti-CAA mood is not as widespread as its advocates believe. Had it been a truly popular movement, Delhi's chief minister would himself have associated with the well-publicised dharna, ostensibly organised by Muslim women. He did not and was careful to keep his distance from Shaheen Bagh. What the BJP craftily tried to do was link AAP and Congress to the protests by a political fringe. The results will reveal the extent to which this gamble - born out of the BJPs weaknesses at the local level - paid dividends. |
It is possible that the aggressive BJP campaign may not yield the necessary returns. If it doesnt, it will not be because there is widespread solidarity with the Shaheen Bagh protesters but because local issues normally prevail in an assembly election. Much will also depend on the remarkable extent to which the Congress has made itself irrelevant in Delhi. |
The BJP's big weakness in this Delhi assembly election was its inability to both connect with local issues and project a candidate who could be the alternative to Kejriwal. These are big failings, but they stem from a political over-dependence on the national leadership. |
It has become a ritual after every bitterly fought election for armchair pundits to assert that our political culture has plumbed the depths. Thanks to its location as the media capital of India, elections in Delhi tend to be over-scrutinised and over-interpreted - and more out of logistical convenience than political importance. Consequently, the rhetorical excesses of national leaders in a local setting tend to be blown out of proportion. Additionally, What Sapp and social media platforms allow rival camps to circulate particularly spicy clips from what may otherwise be drearily routine campaign speeches. |
After the counting of votes is completed on February 11, the extent to which sharp political interventions played a role in moulding voting preferences will be known. That people vote differently in national and local elections has already become an established feature of Indian politics. To that extent, if Aam Aadmi Party recovers from its 2019 drubbing in the general election, the assembly outcome will not constitute a departure from an established trend. A BJP victory, however, will. To that extent, the significance of the election campaign lay in the attempt by the ruling party at the Centre to overcome its local weakness and give a spirited fight to Arvind Kejriwal's party. |
Of particular importance was the lead role played by home minister Amit Shah in galvanising his troops, grabbing the headlines and forcing national issues to the forefront of a battle that should, ideally, have been confined to local issues. In terms of tactics. Shah carefully focused on a fringe phenomenon - the ongoing dharna by a section of the Muslim community in Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act - to raise larger questions centred on Indian identity. By raising the emotional pitch of the campaign. Shah also sought to shift the focus away from the Kejriwal governments success in subsidizing water and electricity charges. |
As a campaign strategy it was legitimate and certainly galvanised the committed BJP voter. The flashes of anger by the minority community after the CAA was approved by Parliament may have had the endorsement of some middle-class intellectuals and left-wing students, but it didn't have the endorsement of ordinary citizens. Opinion polls indicate that the anti-CAA mood is not as widespread as its advocates believe. Had it been a truly popular movement, Delhi's chief minister would himself have associated with the well-publicised dharna, ostensibly organised by Muslim women. He did not and was careful to keep his distance from Shaheen Bagh. What the BJP craftily tried to do was link AAP and Congress to the protests by a political fringe. The results will reveal the extent to which this gamble - born out of the BJPs weaknesses at the local level - paid dividends. |
It is possible that the aggressive BJP campaign may not yield the necessary returns. If it doesnt, it will not be because there is widespread solidarity with the Shaheen Bagh protesters but because local issues normally prevail in an assembly election. Much will also depend on the remarkable extent to which the Congress has made itself irrelevant in Delhi. |
The BJP's big weakness in this Delhi assembly election was its inability to both connect with local issues and project a candidate who could be the alternative to Kejriwal. These are big failings, but they stem from a political over-dependence on the national leadership. |
It has become a ritual after every bitterly fought election for armchair pundits to assert that our political culture has plumbed the depths. Thanks to its location as the media capital of India, elections in Delhi tend to be over-scrutinised and over-interpreted - and more out of logistical convenience than political importance. Consequently, the rhetorical excesses of national leaders in a local setting tend to be blown out of proportion. Additionally, What Sapp and social media platforms allow rival camps to circulate particularly spicy clips from what may otherwise be drearily routine campaign speeches. |
After the counting of votes is completed on February 11, the extent to which sharp political interventions played a role in moulding voting preferences will be known. That people vote differently in national and local elections has already become an established feature of Indian politics. To that extent, if Aam Aadmi Party recovers from its 2019 drubbing in the general election, the assembly outcome will not constitute a departure from an established trend. A BJP victory, however, will. To that extent, the significance of the election campaign lay in the attempt by the ruling party at the Centre to overcome its local weakness and give a spirited fight to Arvind Kejriwal's party. |
Of particular importance was the lead role played by home minister Amit Shah in galvanising his troops, grabbing the headlines and forcing national issues to the forefront of a battle that should, ideally, have been confined to local issues. In terms of tactics. Shah carefully focused on a fringe phenomenon - the ongoing dharna by a section of the Muslim community in Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act - to raise larger questions centred on Indian identity. By raising the emotional pitch of the campaign. Shah also sought to shift the focus away from the Kejriwal governments success in subsidizing water and electricity charges. |
As a campaign strategy it was legitimate and certainly galvanised the committed BJP voter. The flashes of anger by the minority community after the CAA was approved by Parliament may have had the endorsement of some middle-class intellectuals and left-wing students, but it didn't have the endorsement of ordinary citizens. Opinion polls indicate that the anti-CAA mood is not as widespread as its advocates believe. Had it been a truly popular movement, Delhi's chief minister would himself have associated with the well-publicised dharna, ostensibly organised by Muslim women. He did not and was careful to keep his distance from Shaheen Bagh. What the BJP craftily tried to do was link AAP and Congress to the protests by a political fringe. The results will reveal the extent to which this gamble - born out of the BJPs weaknesses at the local level - paid dividends. |
It is possible that the aggressive BJP campaign may not yield the necessary returns. If it doesnt, it will not be because there is widespread solidarity with the Shaheen Bagh protesters but because local issues normally prevail in an assembly election. Much will also depend on the remarkable extent to which the Congress has made itself irrelevant in Delhi. |
The BJP's big weakness in this Delhi assembly election was its inability to both connect with local issues and project a candidate who could be the alternative to Kejriwal. These are big failings, but they stem from a political over-dependence on the national leadership. |
It has become a ritual after every bitterly fought election for armchair pundits to assert that our political culture has plumbed the depths. Thanks to its location as the media capital of India, elections in Delhi tend to be over-scrutinised and over-interpreted - and more out of logistical convenience than political importance. Consequently, the rhetorical excesses of national leaders in a local setting tend to be blown out of proportion. Additionally, What Sapp and social media platforms allow rival camps to circulate particularly spicy clips from what may otherwise be drearily routine campaign speeches. |
After the counting of votes is completed on February 11, the extent to which sharp political interventions played a role in moulding voting preferences will be known. That people vote differently in national and local elections has already become an established feature of Indian politics. To that extent, if Aam Aadmi Party recovers from its 2019 drubbing in the general election, the assembly outcome will not constitute a departure from an established trend. A BJP victory, however, will. To that extent, the significance of the election campaign lay in the attempt by the ruling party at the Centre to overcome its local weakness and give a spirited fight to Arvind Kejriwal's party. |
Of particular importance was the lead role played by home minister Amit Shah in galvanising his troops, grabbing the headlines and forcing national issues to the forefront of a battle that should, ideally, have been confined to local issues. In terms of tactics. Shah carefully focused on a fringe phenomenon - the ongoing dharna by a section of the Muslim community in Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act - to raise larger questions centred on Indian identity. By raising the emotional pitch of the campaign. Shah also sought to shift the focus away from the Kejriwal governments success in subsidizing water and electricity charges. |
As a campaign strategy it was legitimate and certainly galvanised the committed BJP voter. The flashes of anger by the minority community after the CAA was approved by Parliament may have had the endorsement of some middle-class intellectuals and left-wing students, but it didn't have the endorsement of ordinary citizens. Opinion polls indicate that the anti-CAA mood is not as widespread as its advocates believe. Had it been a truly popular movement, Delhi's chief minister would himself have associated with the well-publicised dharna, ostensibly organised by Muslim women. He did not and was careful to keep his distance from Shaheen Bagh. What the BJP craftily tried to do was link AAP and Congress to the protests by a political fringe. The results will reveal the extent to which this gamble - born out of the BJPs weaknesses at the local level - paid dividends. |
It is possible that the aggressive BJP campaign may not yield the necessary returns. If it doesnt, it will not be because there is widespread solidarity with the Shaheen Bagh protesters but because local issues normally prevail in an assembly election. Much will also depend on the remarkable extent to which the Congress has made itself irrelevant in Delhi. |
The BJP's big weakness in this Delhi assembly election was its inability to both connect with local issues and project a candidate who could be the alternative to Kejriwal. These are big failings, but they stem from a political over-dependence on the national leadership. |
It has become a ritual after every bitterly fought election for armchair pundits to assert that our political culture has plumbed the depths. Thanks to its location as the media capital of India, elections in Delhi tend to be over-scrutinised and over-interpreted - and more out of logistical convenience than political importance. Consequently, the rhetorical excesses of national leaders in a local setting tend to be blown out of proportion. Additionally, What Sapp and social media platforms allow rival camps to circulate particularly spicy clips from what may otherwise be drearily routine campaign speeches. |
After the counting of votes is completed on February 11, the extent to which sharp political interventions played a role in moulding voting preferences will be known. That people vote differently in national and local elections has already become an established feature of Indian politics. To that extent, if Aam Aadmi Party recovers from its 2019 drubbing in the general election, the assembly outcome will not constitute a departure from an established trend. A BJP victory, however, will. To that extent, the significance of the election campaign lay in the attempt by the ruling party at the Centre to overcome its local weakness and give a spirited fight to Arvind Kejriwal's party. |
Of particular importance was the lead role played by home minister Amit Shah in galvanising his troops, grabbing the headlines and forcing national issues to the forefront of a battle that should, ideally, have been confined to local issues. In terms of tactics. Shah carefully focused on a fringe phenomenon - the ongoing dharna by a section of the Muslim community in Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act - to raise larger questions centred on Indian identity. By raising the emotional pitch of the campaign. Shah also sought to shift the focus away from the Kejriwal governments success in subsidizing water and electricity charges. |
As a campaign strategy it was legitimate and certainly galvanised the committed BJP voter. The flashes of anger by the minority community after the CAA was approved by Parliament may have had the endorsement of some middle-class intellectuals and left-wing students, but it didn't have the endorsement of ordinary citizens. Opinion polls indicate that the anti-CAA mood is not as widespread as its advocates believe. Had it been a truly popular movement, Delhi's chief minister would himself have associated with the well-publicised dharna, ostensibly organised by Muslim women. He did not and was careful to keep his distance from Shaheen Bagh. What the BJP craftily tried to do was link AAP and Congress to the protests by a political fringe. The results will reveal the extent to which this gamble - born out of the BJPs weaknesses at the local level - paid dividends. |
It is possible that the aggressive BJP campaign may not yield the necessary returns. If it doesnt, it will not be because there is widespread solidarity with the Shaheen Bagh protesters but because local issues normally prevail in an assembly election. Much will also depend on the remarkable extent to which the Congress has made itself irrelevant in Delhi. |
The BJP's big weakness in this Delhi assembly election was its inability to both connect with local issues and project a candidate who could be the alternative to Kejriwal. These are big failings, but they stem from a political over-dependence on the national leadership. |
Yesterday, China officially resumed working following a state Imposed shutdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. Normalcy is yet to return; many technology companies advised employees to work from home. The outbreak has already had an adverse impact on the global economy. For perspective, there have been comparisons with the SARS outbreak 13 years ago which affected China's economy for a short period. But this comparison is misleading. China today is the second largest economy in the world, contributing about 16% of the global GDP. It's also more deeply integrated. |
IMF believes the total economic impact will depend on the behaviour of the virus itself. Till date, a little over 900 deaths have been recorded and Chinese authorities have said there are over 40,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The economic disruptions thus far have shown up in two ways. One, the adverse impact on demand from both the Chinese consumer and outbound tourist. Separately, the movement restrictions within China have affected retail industry, including global brands. |
The more important impact has been on the supply chains, particularly the auto and technology industries. Hubei province, the epidemic's epicentre, is an important geography for supply chains. But the ripple effect of the virus has been such that even coastal zones such as Shenzhen have witnessed shutdowns. India, of course, will be affected by these developments. But one aspect which has been brought into stark focus is the impact on India's pharmaceutical industry. Over the last couple of decades, import dependence on China for active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are the building blocks of medicines, has increased. |
According to Niti Aayog, about 84% of APIs for drugs manufactured in India are imported. The coronavirus fallout shows that India can ill afford this situation, pun fully intended. Medicines are of strategic importance and there is a strong case for government to follow through on Niti Aayog's suggestion to promote industrial clusters for APIs. After all, China has many disputes with India and is known to apply maximum pressure when a dispute blows up. Being in a position where China could potentially hold India's pharma industry hostage won't do. While the endeavour should be to integrate into global value chains for most products, in the case of strategically important ones its necessary to preserve existing manufacturing competencies through smart policy. That's something New Delhi must look into. |
Yesterday, China officially resumed working following a state Imposed shutdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. Normalcy is yet to return; many technology companies advised employees to work from home. The outbreak has already had an adverse impact on the global economy. For perspective, there have been comparisons with the SARS outbreak 13 years ago which affected China's economy for a short period. But this comparison is misleading. China today is the second largest economy in the world, contributing about 16% of the global GDP. It's also more deeply integrated. |
IMF believes the total economic impact will depend on the behaviour of the virus itself. Till date, a little over 900 deaths have been recorded and Chinese authorities have said there are over 40,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The economic disruptions thus far have shown up in two ways. One, the adverse impact on demand from both the Chinese consumer and outbound tourist. Separately, the movement restrictions within China have affected retail industry, including global brands. |
The more important impact has been on the supply chains, particularly the auto and technology industries. Hubei province, the epidemic's epicentre, is an important geography for supply chains. But the ripple effect of the virus has been such that even coastal zones such as Shenzhen have witnessed shutdowns. India, of course, will be affected by these developments. But one aspect which has been brought into stark focus is the impact on India's pharmaceutical industry. Over the last couple of decades, import dependence on China for active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are the building blocks of medicines, has increased. |
According to Niti Aayog, about 84% of APIs for drugs manufactured in India are imported. The coronavirus fallout shows that India can ill afford this situation, pun fully intended. Medicines are of strategic importance and there is a strong case for government to follow through on Niti Aayog's suggestion to promote industrial clusters for APIs. After all, China has many disputes with India and is known to apply maximum pressure when a dispute blows up. Being in a position where China could potentially hold India's pharma industry hostage won't do. While the endeavour should be to integrate into global value chains for most products, in the case of strategically important ones its necessary to preserve existing manufacturing competencies through smart policy. That's something New Delhi must look into. |
Yesterday, China officially resumed working following a state Imposed shutdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. Normalcy is yet to return; many technology companies advised employees to work from home. The outbreak has already had an adverse impact on the global economy. For perspective, there have been comparisons with the SARS outbreak 13 years ago which affected China's economy for a short period. But this comparison is misleading. China today is the second largest economy in the world, contributing about 16% of the global GDP. It's also more deeply integrated. |
IMF believes the total economic impact will depend on the behaviour of the virus itself. Till date, a little over 900 deaths have been recorded and Chinese authorities have said there are over 40,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The economic disruptions thus far have shown up in two ways. One, the adverse impact on demand from both the Chinese consumer and outbound tourist. Separately, the movement restrictions within China have affected retail industry, including global brands. |
The more important impact has been on the supply chains, particularly the auto and technology industries. Hubei province, the epidemic's epicentre, is an important geography for supply chains. But the ripple effect of the virus has been such that even coastal zones such as Shenzhen have witnessed shutdowns. India, of course, will be affected by these developments. But one aspect which has been brought into stark focus is the impact on India's pharmaceutical industry. Over the last couple of decades, import dependence on China for active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are the building blocks of medicines, has increased. |
According to Niti Aayog, about 84% of APIs for drugs manufactured in India are imported. The coronavirus fallout shows that India can ill afford this situation, pun fully intended. Medicines are of strategic importance and there is a strong case for government to follow through on Niti Aayog's suggestion to promote industrial clusters for APIs. After all, China has many disputes with India and is known to apply maximum pressure when a dispute blows up. Being in a position where China could potentially hold India's pharma industry hostage won't do. While the endeavour should be to integrate into global value chains for most products, in the case of strategically important ones its necessary to preserve existing manufacturing competencies through smart policy. That's something New Delhi must look into. |
Yesterday, China officially resumed working following a state Imposed shutdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. Normalcy is yet to return; many technology companies advised employees to work from home. The outbreak has already had an adverse impact on the global economy. For perspective, there have been comparisons with the SARS outbreak 13 years ago which affected China's economy for a short period. But this comparison is misleading. China today is the second largest economy in the world, contributing about 16% of the global GDP. It's also more deeply integrated. |
IMF believes the total economic impact will depend on the behaviour of the virus itself. Till date, a little over 900 deaths have been recorded and Chinese authorities have said there are over 40,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The economic disruptions thus far have shown up in two ways. One, the adverse impact on demand from both the Chinese consumer and outbound tourist. Separately, the movement restrictions within China have affected retail industry, including global brands. |
The more important impact has been on the supply chains, particularly the auto and technology industries. Hubei province, the epidemic's epicentre, is an important geography for supply chains. But the ripple effect of the virus has been such that even coastal zones such as Shenzhen have witnessed shutdowns. India, of course, will be affected by these developments. But one aspect which has been brought into stark focus is the impact on India's pharmaceutical industry. Over the last couple of decades, import dependence on China for active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are the building blocks of medicines, has increased. |
According to Niti Aayog, about 84% of APIs for drugs manufactured in India are imported. The coronavirus fallout shows that India can ill afford this situation, pun fully intended. Medicines are of strategic importance and there is a strong case for government to follow through on Niti Aayog's suggestion to promote industrial clusters for APIs. After all, China has many disputes with India and is known to apply maximum pressure when a dispute blows up. Being in a position where China could potentially hold India's pharma industry hostage won't do. While the endeavour should be to integrate into global value chains for most products, in the case of strategically important ones its necessary to preserve existing manufacturing competencies through smart policy. That's something New Delhi must look into. |
Yesterday, China officially resumed working following a state Imposed shutdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. Normalcy is yet to return; many technology companies advised employees to work from home. The outbreak has already had an adverse impact on the global economy. For perspective, there have been comparisons with the SARS outbreak 13 years ago which affected China's economy for a short period. But this comparison is misleading. China today is the second largest economy in the world, contributing about 16% of the global GDP. It's also more deeply integrated. |
IMF believes the total economic impact will depend on the behaviour of the virus itself. Till date, a little over 900 deaths have been recorded and Chinese authorities have said there are over 40,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The economic disruptions thus far have shown up in two ways. One, the adverse impact on demand from both the Chinese consumer and outbound tourist. Separately, the movement restrictions within China have affected retail industry, including global brands. |
The more important impact has been on the supply chains, particularly the auto and technology industries. Hubei province, the epidemic's epicentre, is an important geography for supply chains. But the ripple effect of the virus has been such that even coastal zones such as Shenzhen have witnessed shutdowns. India, of course, will be affected by these developments. But one aspect which has been brought into stark focus is the impact on India's pharmaceutical industry. Over the last couple of decades, import dependence on China for active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are the building blocks of medicines, has increased. |
According to Niti Aayog, about 84% of APIs for drugs manufactured in India are imported. The coronavirus fallout shows that India can ill afford this situation, pun fully intended. Medicines are of strategic importance and there is a strong case for government to follow through on Niti Aayog's suggestion to promote industrial clusters for APIs. After all, China has many disputes with India and is known to apply maximum pressure when a dispute blows up. Being in a position where China could potentially hold India's pharma industry hostage won't do. While the endeavour should be to integrate into global value chains for most products, in the case of strategically important ones its necessary to preserve existing manufacturing competencies through smart policy. That's something New Delhi must look into. |
From an investment perspective, it's easy to adopt a sanguine view of Asia. The region's growth rate- expected to hit 5.1% this year-continues to incite envy from its peers in the developed world. Equally significant is the fact that the continent occupies the quality end of the emerging-market (EM) universe, making it more appealing to investors. However, thats not to say that the region is immune from the global economic slowdown. |
In our view, the economic downturn in Asia has yet to hit a bottom. Although global risk sentiment has improved in recent weeks, stubbornly low economic growth and low inflation leave markets vulnerable to a reversal in sentiment. We expect a prolonged bottoming-out process and believe subsequent growth will be "L-shaped." |
As the worlds growth engine, the shape of Asia's recovery has enormous relevance to investors. There are two key reasons why we believe that an L-shaped growth path looks most likely: first, there are numerous headwinds to growth; and second, the region's government's ability to revive growth-from a policy perspective-is somewhat constrained. |
Asia's economic growth is typically tied to the global industrial cycle, which has been dampened as a result of deteriorating business investment, itself a consequence of the uncertainty brought about by the U.S.-China trade war. Fixed asset investment growth in the region has already slowed significantly on a year-on-year basis from 5.1% at the start of 2018 to just half a percent in mid-2019. Notably, given that the cumulative impact of the trade dispute has yet to be fully reflected in the economic data so far, it's fair to surmise that Asian exports are likely, to remain sluggish through 2020. |
China isn't coming to the rescue: Over the past decade, the global economy has grown accustomed to relying on Chinese stimulus to rekindle growth. Previous slowdowns, most notably in 2008/09 and 2016, saw China unleash huge lending programs to spur construction, reviving the domestic economy and giving the global economy a nice lift along the way. Interestingly, although growth in China has slowed to its lowest level in nearly three decades, policy response to the current downtown has been limited to measures such as tax reforms, cuts to bank reserve requirements, and tweaks to local government bond issuance. |
We believe Beijing will have to accept that it might miss its 6% GDP growth target for 2020-a development that would mark a critical turning point in the global growth cycle. Of note, we believe the Chinese government's restraint can be traced back to how previous rounds of credit-fueled stimulus aggravated problems in the financials sector. Given the authorities' stated preference to avoid fueling financial instability, the scale of any forthcoming stimulus will likely be limited in scope and insufficient to reflate the global economy. |
From an investment perspective, it's easy to adopt a sanguine view of Asia. The region's growth rate- expected to hit 5.1% this year-continues to incite envy from its peers in the developed world. Equally significant is the fact that the continent occupies the quality end of the emerging-market (EM) universe, making it more appealing to investors. However, thats not to say that the region is immune from the global economic slowdown. |
In our view, the economic downturn in Asia has yet to hit a bottom. Although global risk sentiment has improved in recent weeks, stubbornly low economic growth and low inflation leave markets vulnerable to a reversal in sentiment. We expect a prolonged bottoming-out process and believe subsequent growth will be "L-shaped." |
As the worlds growth engine, the shape of Asia's recovery has enormous relevance to investors. There are two key reasons why we believe that an L-shaped growth path looks most likely: first, there are numerous headwinds to growth; and second, the region's government's ability to revive growth-from a policy perspective-is somewhat constrained. |
Asia's economic growth is typically tied to the global industrial cycle, which has been dampened as a result of deteriorating business investment, itself a consequence of the uncertainty brought about by the U.S.-China trade war. Fixed asset investment growth in the region has already slowed significantly on a year-on-year basis from 5.1% at the start of 2018 to just half a percent in mid-2019. Notably, given that the cumulative impact of the trade dispute has yet to be fully reflected in the economic data so far, it's fair to surmise that Asian exports are likely, to remain sluggish through 2020. |
China isn't coming to the rescue: Over the past decade, the global economy has grown accustomed to relying on Chinese stimulus to rekindle growth. Previous slowdowns, most notably in 2008/09 and 2016, saw China unleash huge lending programs to spur construction, reviving the domestic economy and giving the global economy a nice lift along the way. Interestingly, although growth in China has slowed to its lowest level in nearly three decades, policy response to the current downtown has been limited to measures such as tax reforms, cuts to bank reserve requirements, and tweaks to local government bond issuance. |
We believe Beijing will have to accept that it might miss its 6% GDP growth target for 2020-a development that would mark a critical turning point in the global growth cycle. Of note, we believe the Chinese government's restraint can be traced back to how previous rounds of credit-fueled stimulus aggravated problems in the financials sector. Given the authorities' stated preference to avoid fueling financial instability, the scale of any forthcoming stimulus will likely be limited in scope and insufficient to reflate the global economy. |
From an investment perspective, it's easy to adopt a sanguine view of Asia. The region's growth rate- expected to hit 5.1% this year-continues to incite envy from its peers in the developed world. Equally significant is the fact that the continent occupies the quality end of the emerging-market (EM) universe, making it more appealing to investors. However, thats not to say that the region is immune from the global economic slowdown. |
In our view, the economic downturn in Asia has yet to hit a bottom. Although global risk sentiment has improved in recent weeks, stubbornly low economic growth and low inflation leave markets vulnerable to a reversal in sentiment. We expect a prolonged bottoming-out process and believe subsequent growth will be "L-shaped." |
As the worlds growth engine, the shape of Asia's recovery has enormous relevance to investors. There are two key reasons why we believe that an L-shaped growth path looks most likely: first, there are numerous headwinds to growth; and second, the region's government's ability to revive growth-from a policy perspective-is somewhat constrained. |
Asia's economic growth is typically tied to the global industrial cycle, which has been dampened as a result of deteriorating business investment, itself a consequence of the uncertainty brought about by the U.S.-China trade war. Fixed asset investment growth in the region has already slowed significantly on a year-on-year basis from 5.1% at the start of 2018 to just half a percent in mid-2019. Notably, given that the cumulative impact of the trade dispute has yet to be fully reflected in the economic data so far, it's fair to surmise that Asian exports are likely, to remain sluggish through 2020. |
China isn't coming to the rescue: Over the past decade, the global economy has grown accustomed to relying on Chinese stimulus to rekindle growth. Previous slowdowns, most notably in 2008/09 and 2016, saw China unleash huge lending programs to spur construction, reviving the domestic economy and giving the global economy a nice lift along the way. Interestingly, although growth in China has slowed to its lowest level in nearly three decades, policy response to the current downtown has been limited to measures such as tax reforms, cuts to bank reserve requirements, and tweaks to local government bond issuance. |
We believe Beijing will have to accept that it might miss its 6% GDP growth target for 2020-a development that would mark a critical turning point in the global growth cycle. Of note, we believe the Chinese government's restraint can be traced back to how previous rounds of credit-fueled stimulus aggravated problems in the financials sector. Given the authorities' stated preference to avoid fueling financial instability, the scale of any forthcoming stimulus will likely be limited in scope and insufficient to reflate the global economy. |
From an investment perspective, it's easy to adopt a sanguine view of Asia. The region's growth rate- expected to hit 5.1% this year-continues to incite envy from its peers in the developed world. Equally significant is the fact that the continent occupies the quality end of the emerging-market (EM) universe, making it more appealing to investors. However, thats not to say that the region is immune from the global economic slowdown. |
In our view, the economic downturn in Asia has yet to hit a bottom. Although global risk sentiment has improved in recent weeks, stubbornly low economic growth and low inflation leave markets vulnerable to a reversal in sentiment. We expect a prolonged bottoming-out process and believe subsequent growth will be "L-shaped." |
As the worlds growth engine, the shape of Asia's recovery has enormous relevance to investors. There are two key reasons why we believe that an L-shaped growth path looks most likely: first, there are numerous headwinds to growth; and second, the region's government's ability to revive growth-from a policy perspective-is somewhat constrained. |
Asia's economic growth is typically tied to the global industrial cycle, which has been dampened as a result of deteriorating business investment, itself a consequence of the uncertainty brought about by the U.S.-China trade war. Fixed asset investment growth in the region has already slowed significantly on a year-on-year basis from 5.1% at the start of 2018 to just half a percent in mid-2019. Notably, given that the cumulative impact of the trade dispute has yet to be fully reflected in the economic data so far, it's fair to surmise that Asian exports are likely, to remain sluggish through 2020. |
China isn't coming to the rescue: Over the past decade, the global economy has grown accustomed to relying on Chinese stimulus to rekindle growth. Previous slowdowns, most notably in 2008/09 and 2016, saw China unleash huge lending programs to spur construction, reviving the domestic economy and giving the global economy a nice lift along the way. Interestingly, although growth in China has slowed to its lowest level in nearly three decades, policy response to the current downtown has been limited to measures such as tax reforms, cuts to bank reserve requirements, and tweaks to local government bond issuance. |
We believe Beijing will have to accept that it might miss its 6% GDP growth target for 2020-a development that would mark a critical turning point in the global growth cycle. Of note, we believe the Chinese government's restraint can be traced back to how previous rounds of credit-fueled stimulus aggravated problems in the financials sector. Given the authorities' stated preference to avoid fueling financial instability, the scale of any forthcoming stimulus will likely be limited in scope and insufficient to reflate the global economy. |
From an investment perspective, it's easy to adopt a sanguine view of Asia. The region's growth rate- expected to hit 5.1% this year-continues to incite envy from its peers in the developed world. Equally significant is the fact that the continent occupies the quality end of the emerging-market (EM) universe, making it more appealing to investors. However, thats not to say that the region is immune from the global economic slowdown. |
In our view, the economic downturn in Asia has yet to hit a bottom. Although global risk sentiment has improved in recent weeks, stubbornly low economic growth and low inflation leave markets vulnerable to a reversal in sentiment. We expect a prolonged bottoming-out process and believe subsequent growth will be "L-shaped." |
As the worlds growth engine, the shape of Asia's recovery has enormous relevance to investors. There are two key reasons why we believe that an L-shaped growth path looks most likely: first, there are numerous headwinds to growth; and second, the region's government's ability to revive growth-from a policy perspective-is somewhat constrained. |
Asia's economic growth is typically tied to the global industrial cycle, which has been dampened as a result of deteriorating business investment, itself a consequence of the uncertainty brought about by the U.S.-China trade war. Fixed asset investment growth in the region has already slowed significantly on a year-on-year basis from 5.1% at the start of 2018 to just half a percent in mid-2019. Notably, given that the cumulative impact of the trade dispute has yet to be fully reflected in the economic data so far, it's fair to surmise that Asian exports are likely, to remain sluggish through 2020. |
China isn't coming to the rescue: Over the past decade, the global economy has grown accustomed to relying on Chinese stimulus to rekindle growth. Previous slowdowns, most notably in 2008/09 and 2016, saw China unleash huge lending programs to spur construction, reviving the domestic economy and giving the global economy a nice lift along the way. Interestingly, although growth in China has slowed to its lowest level in nearly three decades, policy response to the current downtown has been limited to measures such as tax reforms, cuts to bank reserve requirements, and tweaks to local government bond issuance. |
We believe Beijing will have to accept that it might miss its 6% GDP growth target for 2020-a development that would mark a critical turning point in the global growth cycle. Of note, we believe the Chinese government's restraint can be traced back to how previous rounds of credit-fueled stimulus aggravated problems in the financials sector. Given the authorities' stated preference to avoid fueling financial instability, the scale of any forthcoming stimulus will likely be limited in scope and insufficient to reflate the global economy. |
Budget 2020 counts education as a part of 'aspirational India', critical to realising India's demographic dividend. The sector's allocation has registered a 5% increase over the current fiscal's, to '99,311crore. Yet, public expenditure. Including the states' spending, as a share of GDP remains stagnant at 3.1%. |
It is unlikely to go up dramatically, given the slow growth in tax revenue. The budget permits external commercial borrowings (ECBs) and foreign direct investment (FDI) to bridge the fund gap. Access to funds is fine, but college fees will be hostage to macroeconomic management and global financial turbulence that make exchange rates and hedging costs volatile. The move would benefit tiny elite capable of bearing the fees necessitated to service external investment. |
This will not automatically help raise the quality of higher education. India needs to fundamentally transform its education sector. Public expenditure must focus on schools and research that would not find private backers. |
India's higher education comprises 993 universities, 39,931 colleges and 10,725 stand-alone institutions. Most of them would require state support, but must be encouraged to augment revenues, via student fees, endowments and industry partnerships. To ensure access, low-cost student loans must supplement scholarships. In the US, state guarantee and securitisation lower the cost of education loans. The UK caps share of income used for servicing such loans. |
More money for the education sector is welcome. But without a plan that improves the quality of education across the entire chain, more money will do little to address the needs of aspirational India. Perhaps, as a first step, government needs to ensure that the available funds are used properly and efficiently so as to maximise outcomes. |
Budget 2020 counts education as a part of 'aspirational India', critical to realising India's demographic dividend. The sector's allocation has registered a 5% increase over the current fiscal's, to '99,311crore. Yet, public expenditure. Including the states' spending, as a share of GDP remains stagnant at 3.1%. |
It is unlikely to go up dramatically, given the slow growth in tax revenue. The budget permits external commercial borrowings (ECBs) and foreign direct investment (FDI) to bridge the fund gap. Access to funds is fine, but college fees will be hostage to macroeconomic management and global financial turbulence that make exchange rates and hedging costs volatile. The move would benefit tiny elite capable of bearing the fees necessitated to service external investment. |
This will not automatically help raise the quality of higher education. India needs to fundamentally transform its education sector. Public expenditure must focus on schools and research that would not find private backers. |
India's higher education comprises 993 universities, 39,931 colleges and 10,725 stand-alone institutions. Most of them would require state support, but must be encouraged to augment revenues, via student fees, endowments and industry partnerships. To ensure access, low-cost student loans must supplement scholarships. In the US, state guarantee and securitisation lower the cost of education loans. The UK caps share of income used for servicing such loans. |
More money for the education sector is welcome. But without a plan that improves the quality of education across the entire chain, more money will do little to address the needs of aspirational India. Perhaps, as a first step, government needs to ensure that the available funds are used properly and efficiently so as to maximise outcomes. |
Budget 2020 counts education as a part of 'aspirational India', critical to realising India's demographic dividend. The sector's allocation has registered a 5% increase over the current fiscal's, to '99,311crore. Yet, public expenditure. Including the states' spending, as a share of GDP remains stagnant at 3.1%. |
It is unlikely to go up dramatically, given the slow growth in tax revenue. The budget permits external commercial borrowings (ECBs) and foreign direct investment (FDI) to bridge the fund gap. Access to funds is fine, but college fees will be hostage to macroeconomic management and global financial turbulence that make exchange rates and hedging costs volatile. The move would benefit tiny elite capable of bearing the fees necessitated to service external investment. |
This will not automatically help raise the quality of higher education. India needs to fundamentally transform its education sector. Public expenditure must focus on schools and research that would not find private backers. |
India's higher education comprises 993 universities, 39,931 colleges and 10,725 stand-alone institutions. Most of them would require state support, but must be encouraged to augment revenues, via student fees, endowments and industry partnerships. To ensure access, low-cost student loans must supplement scholarships. In the US, state guarantee and securitisation lower the cost of education loans. The UK caps share of income used for servicing such loans. |
More money for the education sector is welcome. But without a plan that improves the quality of education across the entire chain, more money will do little to address the needs of aspirational India. Perhaps, as a first step, government needs to ensure that the available funds are used properly and efficiently so as to maximise outcomes. |
Budget 2020 counts education as a part of 'aspirational India', critical to realising India's demographic dividend. The sector's allocation has registered a 5% increase over the current fiscal's, to '99,311crore. Yet, public expenditure. Including the states' spending, as a share of GDP remains stagnant at 3.1%. |
It is unlikely to go up dramatically, given the slow growth in tax revenue. The budget permits external commercial borrowings (ECBs) and foreign direct investment (FDI) to bridge the fund gap. Access to funds is fine, but college fees will be hostage to macroeconomic management and global financial turbulence that make exchange rates and hedging costs volatile. The move would benefit tiny elite capable of bearing the fees necessitated to service external investment. |
This will not automatically help raise the quality of higher education. India needs to fundamentally transform its education sector. Public expenditure must focus on schools and research that would not find private backers. |
India's higher education comprises 993 universities, 39,931 colleges and 10,725 stand-alone institutions. Most of them would require state support, but must be encouraged to augment revenues, via student fees, endowments and industry partnerships. To ensure access, low-cost student loans must supplement scholarships. In the US, state guarantee and securitisation lower the cost of education loans. The UK caps share of income used for servicing such loans. |
More money for the education sector is welcome. But without a plan that improves the quality of education across the entire chain, more money will do little to address the needs of aspirational India. Perhaps, as a first step, government needs to ensure that the available funds are used properly and efficiently so as to maximise outcomes. |
Budget 2020 counts education as a part of 'aspirational India', critical to realising India's demographic dividend. The sector's allocation has registered a 5% increase over the current fiscal's, to '99,311crore. Yet, public expenditure. Including the states' spending, as a share of GDP remains stagnant at 3.1%. |
It is unlikely to go up dramatically, given the slow growth in tax revenue. The budget permits external commercial borrowings (ECBs) and foreign direct investment (FDI) to bridge the fund gap. Access to funds is fine, but college fees will be hostage to macroeconomic management and global financial turbulence that make exchange rates and hedging costs volatile. The move would benefit tiny elite capable of bearing the fees necessitated to service external investment. |
This will not automatically help raise the quality of higher education. India needs to fundamentally transform its education sector. Public expenditure must focus on schools and research that would not find private backers. |
India's higher education comprises 993 universities, 39,931 colleges and 10,725 stand-alone institutions. Most of them would require state support, but must be encouraged to augment revenues, via student fees, endowments and industry partnerships. To ensure access, low-cost student loans must supplement scholarships. In the US, state guarantee and securitisation lower the cost of education loans. The UK caps share of income used for servicing such loans. |
More money for the education sector is welcome. But without a plan that improves the quality of education across the entire chain, more money will do little to address the needs of aspirational India. Perhaps, as a first step, government needs to ensure that the available funds are used properly and efficiently so as to maximise outcomes. |
The increasing reliance of the Centre on small savings to finance the fiscal deficit is a source of concern. |
The fiscal deficit is a little different from the rose, which, poetry tells us, is rose is a rose. An identical level of the fiscal deficit can have variegated impact on the economy, depending on how it is financed and how it is spent. |
The spending part is easy to understand. If the borrowed money is spent on investment in new physical assets, it would have a multiplier effect on new income generation. If the borrowed funds are used to retire past debt, future interest outgo would come down but there would be no additional growth in the current time period. |
If the funds are used to generate consumption, demand, underutilised capacity would be put to use, and, if there is not much underutilised capacity, fresh investment would be induced. The fiscal deficit has to be held in check because it represents the governments claim on the non-government sectors savings. |
If the state borrows only what the nongovernment sector has to spare after meeting its own planned investment, there is no stress, but take away more than that, you end up with higher rates of interest, upward pressure on prices and a wider current account deficit. |
However, all borrowing is not the same. When the government forces banks to lend to it, by mandating banks to hold government bonds as a high proportion of their total assets, the government borrows at a cheap rate but pushes rates sharply up for other borrowers. When the government borrows from the market, competing with other borrowers, the interest rate rise is shared by everyone. |
But when the government borrows more than half its requirement from small savings, as it has this fiscal, it bypasses the market but makes monetary policy lose teeth. To draw savers, small savings offer high rates of interest. |
This not just pushes up the governments Interest costs but makes it difficult for banks to lower their deposit rates. If deposit rates hit a bottom, so do lending rates, whatever the Monetary Policy Committee decides. Then we cry about transmission loss in policy rate cuts. |
The increasing reliance of the Centre on small savings to finance the fiscal deficit is a source of concern. |
The fiscal deficit is a little different from the rose, which, poetry tells us, is rose is a rose. An identical level of the fiscal deficit can have variegated impact on the economy, depending on how it is financed and how it is spent. |
The spending part is easy to understand. If the borrowed money is spent on investment in new physical assets, it would have a multiplier effect on new income generation. If the borrowed funds are used to retire past debt, future interest outgo would come down but there would be no additional growth in the current time period. |
If the funds are used to generate consumption, demand, underutilised capacity would be put to use, and, if there is not much underutilised capacity, fresh investment would be induced. The fiscal deficit has to be held in check because it represents the governments claim on the non-government sectors savings. |
If the state borrows only what the nongovernment sector has to spare after meeting its own planned investment, there is no stress, but take away more than that, you end up with higher rates of interest, upward pressure on prices and a wider current account deficit. |
However, all borrowing is not the same. When the government forces banks to lend to it, by mandating banks to hold government bonds as a high proportion of their total assets, the government borrows at a cheap rate but pushes rates sharply up for other borrowers. When the government borrows from the market, competing with other borrowers, the interest rate rise is shared by everyone. |
But when the government borrows more than half its requirement from small savings, as it has this fiscal, it bypasses the market but makes monetary policy lose teeth. To draw savers, small savings offer high rates of interest. |
This not just pushes up the governments Interest costs but makes it difficult for banks to lower their deposit rates. If deposit rates hit a bottom, so do lending rates, whatever the Monetary Policy Committee decides. Then we cry about transmission loss in policy rate cuts. |
The increasing reliance of the Centre on small savings to finance the fiscal deficit is a source of concern. |
The fiscal deficit is a little different from the rose, which, poetry tells us, is rose is a rose. An identical level of the fiscal deficit can have variegated impact on the economy, depending on how it is financed and how it is spent. |
The spending part is easy to understand. If the borrowed money is spent on investment in new physical assets, it would have a multiplier effect on new income generation. If the borrowed funds are used to retire past debt, future interest outgo would come down but there would be no additional growth in the current time period. |
If the funds are used to generate consumption, demand, underutilised capacity would be put to use, and, if there is not much underutilised capacity, fresh investment would be induced. The fiscal deficit has to be held in check because it represents the governments claim on the non-government sectors savings. |
If the state borrows only what the nongovernment sector has to spare after meeting its own planned investment, there is no stress, but take away more than that, you end up with higher rates of interest, upward pressure on prices and a wider current account deficit. |
However, all borrowing is not the same. When the government forces banks to lend to it, by mandating banks to hold government bonds as a high proportion of their total assets, the government borrows at a cheap rate but pushes rates sharply up for other borrowers. When the government borrows from the market, competing with other borrowers, the interest rate rise is shared by everyone. |
But when the government borrows more than half its requirement from small savings, as it has this fiscal, it bypasses the market but makes monetary policy lose teeth. To draw savers, small savings offer high rates of interest. |
This not just pushes up the governments Interest costs but makes it difficult for banks to lower their deposit rates. If deposit rates hit a bottom, so do lending rates, whatever the Monetary Policy Committee decides. Then we cry about transmission loss in policy rate cuts. |
The increasing reliance of the Centre on small savings to finance the fiscal deficit is a source of concern. |
The fiscal deficit is a little different from the rose, which, poetry tells us, is rose is a rose. An identical level of the fiscal deficit can have variegated impact on the economy, depending on how it is financed and how it is spent. |
The spending part is easy to understand. If the borrowed money is spent on investment in new physical assets, it would have a multiplier effect on new income generation. If the borrowed funds are used to retire past debt, future interest outgo would come down but there would be no additional growth in the current time period. |
If the funds are used to generate consumption, demand, underutilised capacity would be put to use, and, if there is not much underutilised capacity, fresh investment would be induced. The fiscal deficit has to be held in check because it represents the governments claim on the non-government sectors savings. |
If the state borrows only what the nongovernment sector has to spare after meeting its own planned investment, there is no stress, but take away more than that, you end up with higher rates of interest, upward pressure on prices and a wider current account deficit. |
However, all borrowing is not the same. When the government forces banks to lend to it, by mandating banks to hold government bonds as a high proportion of their total assets, the government borrows at a cheap rate but pushes rates sharply up for other borrowers. When the government borrows from the market, competing with other borrowers, the interest rate rise is shared by everyone. |
But when the government borrows more than half its requirement from small savings, as it has this fiscal, it bypasses the market but makes monetary policy lose teeth. To draw savers, small savings offer high rates of interest. |
This not just pushes up the governments Interest costs but makes it difficult for banks to lower their deposit rates. If deposit rates hit a bottom, so do lending rates, whatever the Monetary Policy Committee decides. Then we cry about transmission loss in policy rate cuts. |
The increasing reliance of the Centre on small savings to finance the fiscal deficit is a source of concern. |
The fiscal deficit is a little different from the rose, which, poetry tells us, is rose is a rose. An identical level of the fiscal deficit can have variegated impact on the economy, depending on how it is financed and how it is spent. |
The spending part is easy to understand. If the borrowed money is spent on investment in new physical assets, it would have a multiplier effect on new income generation. If the borrowed funds are used to retire past debt, future interest outgo would come down but there would be no additional growth in the current time period. |
If the funds are used to generate consumption, demand, underutilised capacity would be put to use, and, if there is not much underutilised capacity, fresh investment would be induced. The fiscal deficit has to be held in check because it represents the governments claim on the non-government sectors savings. |
If the state borrows only what the nongovernment sector has to spare after meeting its own planned investment, there is no stress, but take away more than that, you end up with higher rates of interest, upward pressure on prices and a wider current account deficit. |
However, all borrowing is not the same. When the government forces banks to lend to it, by mandating banks to hold government bonds as a high proportion of their total assets, the government borrows at a cheap rate but pushes rates sharply up for other borrowers. When the government borrows from the market, competing with other borrowers, the interest rate rise is shared by everyone. |
But when the government borrows more than half its requirement from small savings, as it has this fiscal, it bypasses the market but makes monetary policy lose teeth. To draw savers, small savings offer high rates of interest. |
This not just pushes up the governments Interest costs but makes it difficult for banks to lower their deposit rates. If deposit rates hit a bottom, so do lending rates, whatever the Monetary Policy Committee decides. Then we cry about transmission loss in policy rate cuts. |
Despite the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments, except in a few states, there has been little progress at decentralisation-to both rural and urban local bodies. Most state governments have been reluctant to devolve the functions, funds and functionaries for delivering public services at the local level. |
The functions assigned are unclear, funds uncertain and inadequate, and decision-making functionaries are mostly drawn from the state bureaucracy. Local bodies do not even have powers to determine the base and rate structure of the taxes assigned to them. |
The states have not cared to create institutions and systems mandated in the Constitution, including the appointment of the State Finance Commissions, and even when they are appointed, states have not found it obligatory to place their reports in the legislature. |
In fact, the local bodies are not clear about delivering local public goods, with the prominent agenda of implementing central schemes obscuring their functions. |
Admittedly, despite the landmark amendments, the effort at decentralisation reform has essentially been top-down. Part IX was inserted into the Constitution with Article 243 (A to O) specifying matters such as the constitution of local bodies, elections and the functions to be devolved under Schedules 11, 12, and 243 (I and Y) mandating the appointment of the State Finance Commissions by the Governor every five years to balance their functions with funds. |
Article 280 was seeded with an additional term of reference to the Union Finance Commission to recommend measures for augmenting the consolidated funds of the states to supplement the resources of local bodies. |
The major 'birth defect' of the entire process is that the ownership and responsibility for local governments rests squarely with the state government ensnarled in Entry 5 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule. Thus, the Constitution vests the responsibility of creating and sustaining local bodies entirely to the discretion of the state governments. |
Article 243 (G and W), relating to the powers, authority and responsibilities to rural and urban local bodies, merely specifies that the state governments, "....may, by law, endow the panchayats and municipalities with powers and authority to enable them as institutions of self-government and such law may contain provisions for the devolution of powers and responsibilities upon these bodies subject to such conditions as may be specified therein, with respect to the preparation of economic development and social justice, performance of functions and implementation of schemes entrusted to them including those specified in the 12th Schedule." |
Thus, it is entirely left for the states to decide, what and how much powers and functions should be devolved to the third level. |
There are no easy mechanisms to ensure compliance of even the provisions prescribed in the Constitution by the states. Most states have not complied with the requirement of appointing Gram Sabhas (243 A), Ward Committees (243), District Planning Committees and Metropolitan Planning Committees. |
There have been several attempts to postpone elections though they are required to hold them well before the expiry of the prevailing elected body or before six months if the body is dissolved for some reason, as required under 243 K and U. |
Although under Article 243 (I) and (Y), the states are required to appoint State Finance Commissions and place the reports received in the legislature, their records show complete violations of the Constitutional provisions. |
Despite the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments, except in a few states, there has been little progress at decentralisation-to both rural and urban local bodies. Most state governments have been reluctant to devolve the functions, funds and functionaries for delivering public services at the local level. |
The functions assigned are unclear, funds uncertain and inadequate, and decision-making functionaries are mostly drawn from the state bureaucracy. Local bodies do not even have powers to determine the base and rate structure of the taxes assigned to them. |
The states have not cared to create institutions and systems mandated in the Constitution, including the appointment of the State Finance Commissions, and even when they are appointed, states have not found it obligatory to place their reports in the legislature. |
In fact, the local bodies are not clear about delivering local public goods, with the prominent agenda of implementing central schemes obscuring their functions. |
Admittedly, despite the landmark amendments, the effort at decentralisation reform has essentially been top-down. Part IX was inserted into the Constitution with Article 243 (A to O) specifying matters such as the constitution of local bodies, elections and the functions to be devolved under Schedules 11, 12, and 243 (I and Y) mandating the appointment of the State Finance Commissions by the Governor every five years to balance their functions with funds. |
Article 280 was seeded with an additional term of reference to the Union Finance Commission to recommend measures for augmenting the consolidated funds of the states to supplement the resources of local bodies. |
The major 'birth defect' of the entire process is that the ownership and responsibility for local governments rests squarely with the state government ensnarled in Entry 5 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule. Thus, the Constitution vests the responsibility of creating and sustaining local bodies entirely to the discretion of the state governments. |
Article 243 (G and W), relating to the powers, authority and responsibilities to rural and urban local bodies, merely specifies that the state governments, "....may, by law, endow the panchayats and municipalities with powers and authority to enable them as institutions of self-government and such law may contain provisions for the devolution of powers and responsibilities upon these bodies subject to such conditions as may be specified therein, with respect to the preparation of economic development and social justice, performance of functions and implementation of schemes entrusted to them including those specified in the 12th Schedule." |
Thus, it is entirely left for the states to decide, what and how much powers and functions should be devolved to the third level. |
There are no easy mechanisms to ensure compliance of even the provisions prescribed in the Constitution by the states. Most states have not complied with the requirement of appointing Gram Sabhas (243 A), Ward Committees (243), District Planning Committees and Metropolitan Planning Committees. |
There have been several attempts to postpone elections though they are required to hold them well before the expiry of the prevailing elected body or before six months if the body is dissolved for some reason, as required under 243 K and U. |
Although under Article 243 (I) and (Y), the states are required to appoint State Finance Commissions and place the reports received in the legislature, their records show complete violations of the Constitutional provisions. |
Despite the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments, except in a few states, there has been little progress at decentralisation-to both rural and urban local bodies. Most state governments have been reluctant to devolve the functions, funds and functionaries for delivering public services at the local level. |
The functions assigned are unclear, funds uncertain and inadequate, and decision-making functionaries are mostly drawn from the state bureaucracy. Local bodies do not even have powers to determine the base and rate structure of the taxes assigned to them. |
The states have not cared to create institutions and systems mandated in the Constitution, including the appointment of the State Finance Commissions, and even when they are appointed, states have not found it obligatory to place their reports in the legislature. |
In fact, the local bodies are not clear about delivering local public goods, with the prominent agenda of implementing central schemes obscuring their functions. |
Admittedly, despite the landmark amendments, the effort at decentralisation reform has essentially been top-down. Part IX was inserted into the Constitution with Article 243 (A to O) specifying matters such as the constitution of local bodies, elections and the functions to be devolved under Schedules 11, 12, and 243 (I and Y) mandating the appointment of the State Finance Commissions by the Governor every five years to balance their functions with funds. |
Article 280 was seeded with an additional term of reference to the Union Finance Commission to recommend measures for augmenting the consolidated funds of the states to supplement the resources of local bodies. |
The major 'birth defect' of the entire process is that the ownership and responsibility for local governments rests squarely with the state government ensnarled in Entry 5 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule. Thus, the Constitution vests the responsibility of creating and sustaining local bodies entirely to the discretion of the state governments. |
Article 243 (G and W), relating to the powers, authority and responsibilities to rural and urban local bodies, merely specifies that the state governments, "....may, by law, endow the panchayats and municipalities with powers and authority to enable them as institutions of self-government and such law may contain provisions for the devolution of powers and responsibilities upon these bodies subject to such conditions as may be specified therein, with respect to the preparation of economic development and social justice, performance of functions and implementation of schemes entrusted to them including those specified in the 12th Schedule." |
Thus, it is entirely left for the states to decide, what and how much powers and functions should be devolved to the third level. |
There are no easy mechanisms to ensure compliance of even the provisions prescribed in the Constitution by the states. Most states have not complied with the requirement of appointing Gram Sabhas (243 A), Ward Committees (243), District Planning Committees and Metropolitan Planning Committees. |
There have been several attempts to postpone elections though they are required to hold them well before the expiry of the prevailing elected body or before six months if the body is dissolved for some reason, as required under 243 K and U. |
Although under Article 243 (I) and (Y), the states are required to appoint State Finance Commissions and place the reports received in the legislature, their records show complete violations of the Constitutional provisions. |
Despite the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments, except in a few states, there has been little progress at decentralisation-to both rural and urban local bodies. Most state governments have been reluctant to devolve the functions, funds and functionaries for delivering public services at the local level. |
The functions assigned are unclear, funds uncertain and inadequate, and decision-making functionaries are mostly drawn from the state bureaucracy. Local bodies do not even have powers to determine the base and rate structure of the taxes assigned to them. |
The states have not cared to create institutions and systems mandated in the Constitution, including the appointment of the State Finance Commissions, and even when they are appointed, states have not found it obligatory to place their reports in the legislature. |
In fact, the local bodies are not clear about delivering local public goods, with the prominent agenda of implementing central schemes obscuring their functions. |
Admittedly, despite the landmark amendments, the effort at decentralisation reform has essentially been top-down. Part IX was inserted into the Constitution with Article 243 (A to O) specifying matters such as the constitution of local bodies, elections and the functions to be devolved under Schedules 11, 12, and 243 (I and Y) mandating the appointment of the State Finance Commissions by the Governor every five years to balance their functions with funds. |
Article 280 was seeded with an additional term of reference to the Union Finance Commission to recommend measures for augmenting the consolidated funds of the states to supplement the resources of local bodies. |
The major 'birth defect' of the entire process is that the ownership and responsibility for local governments rests squarely with the state government ensnarled in Entry 5 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule. Thus, the Constitution vests the responsibility of creating and sustaining local bodies entirely to the discretion of the state governments. |
Article 243 (G and W), relating to the powers, authority and responsibilities to rural and urban local bodies, merely specifies that the state governments, "....may, by law, endow the panchayats and municipalities with powers and authority to enable them as institutions of self-government and such law may contain provisions for the devolution of powers and responsibilities upon these bodies subject to such conditions as may be specified therein, with respect to the preparation of economic development and social justice, performance of functions and implementation of schemes entrusted to them including those specified in the 12th Schedule." |
Thus, it is entirely left for the states to decide, what and how much powers and functions should be devolved to the third level. |
There are no easy mechanisms to ensure compliance of even the provisions prescribed in the Constitution by the states. Most states have not complied with the requirement of appointing Gram Sabhas (243 A), Ward Committees (243), District Planning Committees and Metropolitan Planning Committees. |
There have been several attempts to postpone elections though they are required to hold them well before the expiry of the prevailing elected body or before six months if the body is dissolved for some reason, as required under 243 K and U. |
Although under Article 243 (I) and (Y), the states are required to appoint State Finance Commissions and place the reports received in the legislature, their records show complete violations of the Constitutional provisions. |
Despite the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments, except in a few states, there has been little progress at decentralisation-to both rural and urban local bodies. Most state governments have been reluctant to devolve the functions, funds and functionaries for delivering public services at the local level. |
The functions assigned are unclear, funds uncertain and inadequate, and decision-making functionaries are mostly drawn from the state bureaucracy. Local bodies do not even have powers to determine the base and rate structure of the taxes assigned to them. |
The states have not cared to create institutions and systems mandated in the Constitution, including the appointment of the State Finance Commissions, and even when they are appointed, states have not found it obligatory to place their reports in the legislature. |
In fact, the local bodies are not clear about delivering local public goods, with the prominent agenda of implementing central schemes obscuring their functions. |
Admittedly, despite the landmark amendments, the effort at decentralisation reform has essentially been top-down. Part IX was inserted into the Constitution with Article 243 (A to O) specifying matters such as the constitution of local bodies, elections and the functions to be devolved under Schedules 11, 12, and 243 (I and Y) mandating the appointment of the State Finance Commissions by the Governor every five years to balance their functions with funds. |
Article 280 was seeded with an additional term of reference to the Union Finance Commission to recommend measures for augmenting the consolidated funds of the states to supplement the resources of local bodies. |
The major 'birth defect' of the entire process is that the ownership and responsibility for local governments rests squarely with the state government ensnarled in Entry 5 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule. Thus, the Constitution vests the responsibility of creating and sustaining local bodies entirely to the discretion of the state governments. |
Article 243 (G and W), relating to the powers, authority and responsibilities to rural and urban local bodies, merely specifies that the state governments, "....may, by law, endow the panchayats and municipalities with powers and authority to enable them as institutions of self-government and such law may contain provisions for the devolution of powers and responsibilities upon these bodies subject to such conditions as may be specified therein, with respect to the preparation of economic development and social justice, performance of functions and implementation of schemes entrusted to them including those specified in the 12th Schedule." |
Thus, it is entirely left for the states to decide, what and how much powers and functions should be devolved to the third level. |
There are no easy mechanisms to ensure compliance of even the provisions prescribed in the Constitution by the states. Most states have not complied with the requirement of appointing Gram Sabhas (243 A), Ward Committees (243), District Planning Committees and Metropolitan Planning Committees. |
There have been several attempts to postpone elections though they are required to hold them well before the expiry of the prevailing elected body or before six months if the body is dissolved for some reason, as required under 243 K and U. |
Although under Article 243 (I) and (Y), the states are required to appoint State Finance Commissions and place the reports received in the legislature, their records show complete violations of the Constitutional provisions. |
Recently, DoPT announced lateral entry for 10 identified posts on contract at the level of joint secretary. The Government has also sent as many as 150 civil servants on compulsory leave citing their tainted service record and efficiency. Civil Services Reforms are thus at the core of Government's agenda to improve the overall governance in the country. |
Civil service reforms aim at strengthening administrative capacity to perform core government functions and to raise the quality of service to population. |
Many experts are of the opinion that the bureaucratic system in India has not evolved according to the changing nature of administrative challenges and a growing economy where the activity is shifting towards the private sector. This enhance the need of civil Service reform. |
NITI Aayog in its Three Year Action agenda (2017-18 to 2019-20) suggests these reforms |
Institutionalize goal setting and tracking for each department: Each Ministry and government agency should set outcome-based goals with a clear timeline. |
Longer tenure of Secretaries: Currently, by the time an officer is promoted from Additional Secretary to Secretary, usually she has two years or less left before retirement therefore officer hesitates to take decisions on any major project. This causes inordinate amount of delay in decision-making. One possible solution to this problem is early promotion to the Secretary position. |
Increase specialization and induct lateral entry: Officers may be encouraged to gain expertise in specific areas in the early stages of careers and the current system of rapid rotation of officers across ministries may be replaced by a system of longer postings according to specialization. |
Implement an HR system for government employees: It should be implemented through a unified single online platform that covers employees from the time they are hired to when they leave service. It could also facilitate Massively Open Online Course style capacity building for government employees. |
E-governance and paperless governance: This would permit increased efficiency, better tracking of progress on files and improved interface with citizens. |
Outsource service delivery: This would reduce dependence on government administrative machinery. Identification of such services should be taken up and PPP models to provide those services should be explored. |
Recent development about civil service reform |
· Recently central government has taken two major steps in civil service reform. |
· Proposed change in the service allocation and cadre allocation to successful candidates of the Civil Services Examination. |
· The DoPT has come up with an advertisement of lateral entry of 'talented and motivated Indian nationals' to join the government at the level of joint secretary. |
The proposed cadre policy states that after the foundation course, the cadre allocation and the service allocation may be decided. |
Presently, the service allocation is done right in the beginning when the candidates get selected after the UPSC examination and the cadre allocation is done based on a certain principle laid down by the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) from time to time. |
Recently, DoPT announced lateral entry for 10 identified posts on contract at the level of joint secretary. The Government has also sent as many as 150 civil servants on compulsory leave citing their tainted service record and efficiency. Civil Services Reforms are thus at the core of Government's agenda to improve the overall governance in the country. |
Civil service reforms aim at strengthening administrative capacity to perform core government functions and to raise the quality of service to population. |
Many experts are of the opinion that the bureaucratic system in India has not evolved according to the changing nature of administrative challenges and a growing economy where the activity is shifting towards the private sector. This enhance the need of civil Service reform. |
NITI Aayog in its Three Year Action agenda (2017-18 to 2019-20) suggests these reforms |
Institutionalize goal setting and tracking for each department: Each Ministry and government agency should set outcome-based goals with a clear timeline. |
Longer tenure of Secretaries: Currently, by the time an officer is promoted from Additional Secretary to Secretary, usually she has two years or less left before retirement therefore officer hesitates to take decisions on any major project. This causes inordinate amount of delay in decision-making. One possible solution to this problem is early promotion to the Secretary position. |
Increase specialization and induct lateral entry: Officers may be encouraged to gain expertise in specific areas in the early stages of careers and the current system of rapid rotation of officers across ministries may be replaced by a system of longer postings according to specialization. |
Implement an HR system for government employees: It should be implemented through a unified single online platform that covers employees from the time they are hired to when they leave service. It could also facilitate Massively Open Online Course style capacity building for government employees. |
E-governance and paperless governance: This would permit increased efficiency, better tracking of progress on files and improved interface with citizens. |
Outsource service delivery: This would reduce dependence on government administrative machinery. Identification of such services should be taken up and PPP models to provide those services should be explored. |
Recent development about civil service reform |
· Recently central government has taken two major steps in civil service reform. |
· Proposed change in the service allocation and cadre allocation to successful candidates of the Civil Services Examination. |
· The DoPT has come up with an advertisement of lateral entry of 'talented and motivated Indian nationals' to join the government at the level of joint secretary. |
The proposed cadre policy states that after the foundation course, the cadre allocation and the service allocation may be decided. |
Presently, the service allocation is done right in the beginning when the candidates get selected after the UPSC examination and the cadre allocation is done based on a certain principle laid down by the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) from time to time. |
Recently, DoPT announced lateral entry for 10 identified posts on contract at the level of joint secretary. The Government has also sent as many as 150 civil servants on compulsory leave citing their tainted service record and efficiency. Civil Services Reforms are thus at the core of Government's agenda to improve the overall governance in the country. |
Civil service reforms aim at strengthening administrative capacity to perform core government functions and to raise the quality of service to population. |
Many experts are of the opinion that the bureaucratic system in India has not evolved according to the changing nature of administrative challenges and a growing economy where the activity is shifting towards the private sector. This enhance the need of civil Service reform. |
NITI Aayog in its Three Year Action agenda (2017-18 to 2019-20) suggests these reforms |
Institutionalize goal setting and tracking for each department: Each Ministry and government agency should set outcome-based goals with a clear timeline. |
Longer tenure of Secretaries: Currently, by the time an officer is promoted from Additional Secretary to Secretary, usually she has two years or less left before retirement therefore officer hesitates to take decisions on any major project. This causes inordinate amount of delay in decision-making. One possible solution to this problem is early promotion to the Secretary position. |
Increase specialization and induct lateral entry: Officers may be encouraged to gain expertise in specific areas in the early stages of careers and the current system of rapid rotation of officers across ministries may be replaced by a system of longer postings according to specialization. |
Implement an HR system for government employees: It should be implemented through a unified single online platform that covers employees from the time they are hired to when they leave service. It could also facilitate Massively Open Online Course style capacity building for government employees. |
E-governance and paperless governance: This would permit increased efficiency, better tracking of progress on files and improved interface with citizens. |
Outsource service delivery: This would reduce dependence on government administrative machinery. Identification of such services should be taken up and PPP models to provide those services should be explored. |
Recent development about civil service reform |
· Recently central government has taken two major steps in civil service reform. |
· Proposed change in the service allocation and cadre allocation to successful candidates of the Civil Services Examination. |
· The DoPT has come up with an advertisement of lateral entry of 'talented and motivated Indian nationals' to join the government at the level of joint secretary. |
The proposed cadre policy states that after the foundation course, the cadre allocation and the service allocation may be decided. |
Presently, the service allocation is done right in the beginning when the candidates get selected after the UPSC examination and the cadre allocation is done based on a certain principle laid down by the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) from time to time. |
Recently, DoPT announced lateral entry for 10 identified posts on contract at the level of joint secretary. The Government has also sent as many as 150 civil servants on compulsory leave citing their tainted service record and efficiency. Civil Services Reforms are thus at the core of Government's agenda to improve the overall governance in the country. |
Civil service reforms aim at strengthening administrative capacity to perform core government functions and to raise the quality of service to population. |
Many experts are of the opinion that the bureaucratic system in India has not evolved according to the changing nature of administrative challenges and a growing economy where the activity is shifting towards the private sector. This enhance the need of civil Service reform. |
NITI Aayog in its Three Year Action agenda (2017-18 to 2019-20) suggests these reforms |
Institutionalize goal setting and tracking for each department: Each Ministry and government agency should set outcome-based goals with a clear timeline. |
Longer tenure of Secretaries: Currently, by the time an officer is promoted from Additional Secretary to Secretary, usually she has two years or less left before retirement therefore officer hesitates to take decisions on any major project. This causes inordinate amount of delay in decision-making. One possible solution to this problem is early promotion to the Secretary position. |
Increase specialization and induct lateral entry: Officers may be encouraged to gain expertise in specific areas in the early stages of careers and the current system of rapid rotation of officers across ministries may be replaced by a system of longer postings according to specialization. |
Implement an HR system for government employees: It should be implemented through a unified single online platform that covers employees from the time they are hired to when they leave service. It could also facilitate Massively Open Online Course style capacity building for government employees. |
E-governance and paperless governance: This would permit increased efficiency, better tracking of progress on files and improved interface with citizens. |
Outsource service delivery: This would reduce dependence on government administrative machinery. Identification of such services should be taken up and PPP models to provide those services should be explored. |
Recent development about civil service reform |
· Recently central government has taken two major steps in civil service reform. |
· Proposed change in the service allocation and cadre allocation to successful candidates of the Civil Services Examination. |
· The DoPT has come up with an advertisement of lateral entry of 'talented and motivated Indian nationals' to join the government at the level of joint secretary. |
The proposed cadre policy states that after the foundation course, the cadre allocation and the service allocation may be decided. |
Presently, the service allocation is done right in the beginning when the candidates get selected after the UPSC examination and the cadre allocation is done based on a certain principle laid down by the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) from time to time. |
Recently, DoPT announced lateral entry for 10 identified posts on contract at the level of joint secretary. The Government has also sent as many as 150 civil servants on compulsory leave citing their tainted service record and efficiency. Civil Services Reforms are thus at the core of Government's agenda to improve the overall governance in the country. |
Civil service reforms aim at strengthening administrative capacity to perform core government functions and to raise the quality of service to population. |
Many experts are of the opinion that the bureaucratic system in India has not evolved according to the changing nature of administrative challenges and a growing economy where the activity is shifting towards the private sector. This enhance the need of civil Service reform. |
NITI Aayog in its Three Year Action agenda (2017-18 to 2019-20) suggests these reforms |
Institutionalize goal setting and tracking for each department: Each Ministry and government agency should set outcome-based goals with a clear timeline. |
Longer tenure of Secretaries: Currently, by the time an officer is promoted from Additional Secretary to Secretary, usually she has two years or less left before retirement therefore officer hesitates to take decisions on any major project. This causes inordinate amount of delay in decision-making. One possible solution to this problem is early promotion to the Secretary position. |
Increase specialization and induct lateral entry: Officers may be encouraged to gain expertise in specific areas in the early stages of careers and the current system of rapid rotation of officers across ministries may be replaced by a system of longer postings according to specialization. |
Implement an HR system for government employees: It should be implemented through a unified single online platform that covers employees from the time they are hired to when they leave service. It could also facilitate Massively Open Online Course style capacity building for government employees. |
E-governance and paperless governance: This would permit increased efficiency, better tracking of progress on files and improved interface with citizens. |
Outsource service delivery: This would reduce dependence on government administrative machinery. Identification of such services should be taken up and PPP models to provide those services should be explored. |
Recent development about civil service reform |
· Recently central government has taken two major steps in civil service reform. |
· Proposed change in the service allocation and cadre allocation to successful candidates of the Civil Services Examination. |
· The DoPT has come up with an advertisement of lateral entry of 'talented and motivated Indian nationals' to join the government at the level of joint secretary. |
The proposed cadre policy states that after the foundation course, the cadre allocation and the service allocation may be decided. |
Presently, the service allocation is done right in the beginning when the candidates get selected after the UPSC examination and the cadre allocation is done based on a certain principle laid down by the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) from time to time. |
"So, Arnab Goswami finally met his match?" Bangalore-based advocate KV Dhananjay told us earlier today on WhatsApp, adding: You could be forgiven for taking this video to be some 'Comedy Show'. It isn't, sadly. It is supposed to be a very serious discussion over a matter of national concern. Instead, it is a fitting reminder of 1) the broken and neurotic state of our television media and of 2) the empty defence that scamsters and fraudsters often manufacture through their 'pricey' lawyers. |
Indeed, as Dhananjay points out, the exchange is hilarious but that aside, Aggarwal, court- and TV-craft no doubt schooled by years of dealing with hard-of-hearing judges, demonstrated a textbook defence against the classic Arnab Goswami attack pattern. |
And, after 14 minutes of shouting at each other Aggarwal had worn his opponent down sufficiently to where he managed the unprecedented feat of speaking nearly uninterrupted at Arnab for minutes, after the latter had run out of steam. |
In the Republic TV corner, standing and gesticulating from his TV studio in Mumbai, Arnab Goswami. He needs no introduction of course. In the other corner, Vijay Aggarwal, lawyer to disgraced jewelry playboy baron Nirav Modi, recording via video link presumably from his office in Delhi. |
Aggarwal is not unused to controversy of course. He defended several 2G scam accused, such as Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka of Swan Telecom, as well as winning anticipatory bail for troubled AAP legislator Somnath Bharti. |
In 2011 he faced a complaint from then Bar Council of Delhi member Rajiv Khosla, for allegedly practising chartered accountancy and law at the same time (Aggarwal claimed that while he had a CA degree, the CA website under his name was not his). |
Proceedings start out as usual for Republic TV, with Arnab shouting at his guest (unusually, in a head-on-head split screen without any other guests). Arnab, desperately trying to establish the presence of Modi, shouts repeatedly: "He's in Hong Kong, I know he's in Hong Kong, you know he's in Hong Kong, in whose home is he hiding? You know he's in Hong Kong. Is he a fugitive, is your client a fugitive." |
Aggarwal responds with eloquence, repeating phrases like "you have to stop, then only I reply", or "after asking your question, keep quiet", or "go quiet" dozens of times until Arnab stops shouting, or starts exasperately counting the number of Aggarwal's repetitions. |
In a lull in Arnabs onslaught at around the 1:30 mark, Aggarwal says: "You may be hard of hearing, Arnab, I am not." "You may be hard of basic intelligence, I am not, Arnab rebuts." |
"I never learnt so much in court as I've learned from Arnab," says Aggarwal. "You are spoiling me, I'm learning it from you." |
Desperately, Arnab begins to punt "breaking news", that Nirav Modi is indeed in Hong Kong - you are not denying he's in Hong Kong, says Arnab, which the exclusive headline text ticker dutifully mirrors. "It's your duty to answer on behalf of your client," tries Arnab. |
"So, Arnab Goswami finally met his match?" Bangalore-based advocate KV Dhananjay told us earlier today on WhatsApp, adding: You could be forgiven for taking this video to be some 'Comedy Show'. It isn't, sadly. It is supposed to be a very serious discussion over a matter of national concern. Instead, it is a fitting reminder of 1) the broken and neurotic state of our television media and of 2) the empty defence that scamsters and fraudsters often manufacture through their 'pricey' lawyers. |
Indeed, as Dhananjay points out, the exchange is hilarious but that aside, Aggarwal, court- and TV-craft no doubt schooled by years of dealing with hard-of-hearing judges, demonstrated a textbook defence against the classic Arnab Goswami attack pattern. |
And, after 14 minutes of shouting at each other Aggarwal had worn his opponent down sufficiently to where he managed the unprecedented feat of speaking nearly uninterrupted at Arnab for minutes, after the latter had run out of steam. |
In the Republic TV corner, standing and gesticulating from his TV studio in Mumbai, Arnab Goswami. He needs no introduction of course. In the other corner, Vijay Aggarwal, lawyer to disgraced jewelry playboy baron Nirav Modi, recording via video link presumably from his office in Delhi. |
Aggarwal is not unused to controversy of course. He defended several 2G scam accused, such as Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka of Swan Telecom, as well as winning anticipatory bail for troubled AAP legislator Somnath Bharti. |
In 2011 he faced a complaint from then Bar Council of Delhi member Rajiv Khosla, for allegedly practising chartered accountancy and law at the same time (Aggarwal claimed that while he had a CA degree, the CA website under his name was not his). |
Proceedings start out as usual for Republic TV, with Arnab shouting at his guest (unusually, in a head-on-head split screen without any other guests). Arnab, desperately trying to establish the presence of Modi, shouts repeatedly: "He's in Hong Kong, I know he's in Hong Kong, you know he's in Hong Kong, in whose home is he hiding? You know he's in Hong Kong. Is he a fugitive, is your client a fugitive." |
Aggarwal responds with eloquence, repeating phrases like "you have to stop, then only I reply", or "after asking your question, keep quiet", or "go quiet" dozens of times until Arnab stops shouting, or starts exasperately counting the number of Aggarwal's repetitions. |
In a lull in Arnabs onslaught at around the 1:30 mark, Aggarwal says: "You may be hard of hearing, Arnab, I am not." "You may be hard of basic intelligence, I am not, Arnab rebuts." |
"I never learnt so much in court as I've learned from Arnab," says Aggarwal. "You are spoiling me, I'm learning it from you." |
Desperately, Arnab begins to punt "breaking news", that Nirav Modi is indeed in Hong Kong - you are not denying he's in Hong Kong, says Arnab, which the exclusive headline text ticker dutifully mirrors. "It's your duty to answer on behalf of your client," tries Arnab. |
"So, Arnab Goswami finally met his match?" Bangalore-based advocate KV Dhananjay told us earlier today on WhatsApp, adding: You could be forgiven for taking this video to be some 'Comedy Show'. It isn't, sadly. It is supposed to be a very serious discussion over a matter of national concern. Instead, it is a fitting reminder of 1) the broken and neurotic state of our television media and of 2) the empty defence that scamsters and fraudsters often manufacture through their 'pricey' lawyers. |
Indeed, as Dhananjay points out, the exchange is hilarious but that aside, Aggarwal, court- and TV-craft no doubt schooled by years of dealing with hard-of-hearing judges, demonstrated a textbook defence against the classic Arnab Goswami attack pattern. |
And, after 14 minutes of shouting at each other Aggarwal had worn his opponent down sufficiently to where he managed the unprecedented feat of speaking nearly uninterrupted at Arnab for minutes, after the latter had run out of steam. |
In the Republic TV corner, standing and gesticulating from his TV studio in Mumbai, Arnab Goswami. He needs no introduction of course. In the other corner, Vijay Aggarwal, lawyer to disgraced jewelry playboy baron Nirav Modi, recording via video link presumably from his office in Delhi. |
Aggarwal is not unused to controversy of course. He defended several 2G scam accused, such as Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka of Swan Telecom, as well as winning anticipatory bail for troubled AAP legislator Somnath Bharti. |
In 2011 he faced a complaint from then Bar Council of Delhi member Rajiv Khosla, for allegedly practising chartered accountancy and law at the same time (Aggarwal claimed that while he had a CA degree, the CA website under his name was not his). |
Proceedings start out as usual for Republic TV, with Arnab shouting at his guest (unusually, in a head-on-head split screen without any other guests). Arnab, desperately trying to establish the presence of Modi, shouts repeatedly: "He's in Hong Kong, I know he's in Hong Kong, you know he's in Hong Kong, in whose home is he hiding? You know he's in Hong Kong. Is he a fugitive, is your client a fugitive." |
Aggarwal responds with eloquence, repeating phrases like "you have to stop, then only I reply", or "after asking your question, keep quiet", or "go quiet" dozens of times until Arnab stops shouting, or starts exasperately counting the number of Aggarwal's repetitions. |
In a lull in Arnabs onslaught at around the 1:30 mark, Aggarwal says: "You may be hard of hearing, Arnab, I am not." "You may be hard of basic intelligence, I am not, Arnab rebuts." |
"I never learnt so much in court as I've learned from Arnab," says Aggarwal. "You are spoiling me, I'm learning it from you." |
Desperately, Arnab begins to punt "breaking news", that Nirav Modi is indeed in Hong Kong - you are not denying he's in Hong Kong, says Arnab, which the exclusive headline text ticker dutifully mirrors. "It's your duty to answer on behalf of your client," tries Arnab. |
"So, Arnab Goswami finally met his match?" Bangalore-based advocate KV Dhananjay told us earlier today on WhatsApp, adding: You could be forgiven for taking this video to be some 'Comedy Show'. It isn't, sadly. It is supposed to be a very serious discussion over a matter of national concern. Instead, it is a fitting reminder of 1) the broken and neurotic state of our television media and of 2) the empty defence that scamsters and fraudsters often manufacture through their 'pricey' lawyers. |
Indeed, as Dhananjay points out, the exchange is hilarious but that aside, Aggarwal, court- and TV-craft no doubt schooled by years of dealing with hard-of-hearing judges, demonstrated a textbook defence against the classic Arnab Goswami attack pattern. |
And, after 14 minutes of shouting at each other Aggarwal had worn his opponent down sufficiently to where he managed the unprecedented feat of speaking nearly uninterrupted at Arnab for minutes, after the latter had run out of steam. |
In the Republic TV corner, standing and gesticulating from his TV studio in Mumbai, Arnab Goswami. He needs no introduction of course. In the other corner, Vijay Aggarwal, lawyer to disgraced jewelry playboy baron Nirav Modi, recording via video link presumably from his office in Delhi. |
Aggarwal is not unused to controversy of course. He defended several 2G scam accused, such as Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka of Swan Telecom, as well as winning anticipatory bail for troubled AAP legislator Somnath Bharti. |
In 2011 he faced a complaint from then Bar Council of Delhi member Rajiv Khosla, for allegedly practising chartered accountancy and law at the same time (Aggarwal claimed that while he had a CA degree, the CA website under his name was not his). |
Proceedings start out as usual for Republic TV, with Arnab shouting at his guest (unusually, in a head-on-head split screen without any other guests). Arnab, desperately trying to establish the presence of Modi, shouts repeatedly: "He's in Hong Kong, I know he's in Hong Kong, you know he's in Hong Kong, in whose home is he hiding? You know he's in Hong Kong. Is he a fugitive, is your client a fugitive." |
Aggarwal responds with eloquence, repeating phrases like "you have to stop, then only I reply", or "after asking your question, keep quiet", or "go quiet" dozens of times until Arnab stops shouting, or starts exasperately counting the number of Aggarwal's repetitions. |
In a lull in Arnabs onslaught at around the 1:30 mark, Aggarwal says: "You may be hard of hearing, Arnab, I am not." "You may be hard of basic intelligence, I am not, Arnab rebuts." |
"I never learnt so much in court as I've learned from Arnab," says Aggarwal. "You are spoiling me, I'm learning it from you." |
Desperately, Arnab begins to punt "breaking news", that Nirav Modi is indeed in Hong Kong - you are not denying he's in Hong Kong, says Arnab, which the exclusive headline text ticker dutifully mirrors. "It's your duty to answer on behalf of your client," tries Arnab. |
"So, Arnab Goswami finally met his match?" Bangalore-based advocate KV Dhananjay told us earlier today on WhatsApp, adding: You could be forgiven for taking this video to be some 'Comedy Show'. It isn't, sadly. It is supposed to be a very serious discussion over a matter of national concern. Instead, it is a fitting reminder of 1) the broken and neurotic state of our television media and of 2) the empty defence that scamsters and fraudsters often manufacture through their 'pricey' lawyers. |
Indeed, as Dhananjay points out, the exchange is hilarious but that aside, Aggarwal, court- and TV-craft no doubt schooled by years of dealing with hard-of-hearing judges, demonstrated a textbook defence against the classic Arnab Goswami attack pattern. |
And, after 14 minutes of shouting at each other Aggarwal had worn his opponent down sufficiently to where he managed the unprecedented feat of speaking nearly uninterrupted at Arnab for minutes, after the latter had run out of steam. |
In the Republic TV corner, standing and gesticulating from his TV studio in Mumbai, Arnab Goswami. He needs no introduction of course. In the other corner, Vijay Aggarwal, lawyer to disgraced jewelry playboy baron Nirav Modi, recording via video link presumably from his office in Delhi. |
Aggarwal is not unused to controversy of course. He defended several 2G scam accused, such as Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka of Swan Telecom, as well as winning anticipatory bail for troubled AAP legislator Somnath Bharti. |
In 2011 he faced a complaint from then Bar Council of Delhi member Rajiv Khosla, for allegedly practising chartered accountancy and law at the same time (Aggarwal claimed that while he had a CA degree, the CA website under his name was not his). |
Proceedings start out as usual for Republic TV, with Arnab shouting at his guest (unusually, in a head-on-head split screen without any other guests). Arnab, desperately trying to establish the presence of Modi, shouts repeatedly: "He's in Hong Kong, I know he's in Hong Kong, you know he's in Hong Kong, in whose home is he hiding? You know he's in Hong Kong. Is he a fugitive, is your client a fugitive." |
Aggarwal responds with eloquence, repeating phrases like "you have to stop, then only I reply", or "after asking your question, keep quiet", or "go quiet" dozens of times until Arnab stops shouting, or starts exasperately counting the number of Aggarwal's repetitions. |
In a lull in Arnabs onslaught at around the 1:30 mark, Aggarwal says: "You may be hard of hearing, Arnab, I am not." "You may be hard of basic intelligence, I am not, Arnab rebuts." |
"I never learnt so much in court as I've learned from Arnab," says Aggarwal. "You are spoiling me, I'm learning it from you." |
Desperately, Arnab begins to punt "breaking news", that Nirav Modi is indeed in Hong Kong - you are not denying he's in Hong Kong, says Arnab, which the exclusive headline text ticker dutifully mirrors. "It's your duty to answer on behalf of your client," tries Arnab. |
Ancient Indian law has its roots in Vedas. Starting from Vedas it further developed from time to time and found its place in Smritis, Upanishads, Dharmasutras and Customs. In India the law was not detached and isolated from either morality or philosophy. The texts that told what is the right thing to do were not meant to be strictly legal texts. The prescription of conduct was moral, philosophical and legal at once. At the core of the discussion was never strictly a legal concept or legal question. Thus, law and religion was also mixed. Over a period of many centuries the secular character of law developed and now we have a liberal and vibrant legal system in which the question of law, religion and morality are not mixed. From the time of Vedic prescriptions to the modern ideas of rule of law, India has always been in search for better answers to the existential questions. |
I. HINDU LAW |
Hindu Law has the oldest pedigree of any known system of jurisprudence, and even now it shows no sign of decrepitude. When one uses the terms "Hindu Law" and "Muslim Law", it must be understood that these terms emerged in the colonial era as an attempt at legal pluralism. Legal pluralism means that religion is understood as the basic unit of society and legal obligations are understood in the context of religion. Legal universalism, on the other hand is when individuals are understood as the basic unit of society. Persians called the people settled on the other side of River Sindhu (Indus) as "Hindus". The rules of conduct, practices governing the Hindus were called Hindu Law, but this term "Hindu Law" assumed importance only in the British colonial era. Hindu Law was the expression used to identify those legal obligations that did not bind Muslims and Christians. Historically the expression Hindu Law included to indicate the mandates of Smritis, Upanishads, Dharmasutras and Customs. This is now known as Classical Hindu Law. The Hindu Law that evolved during British period is known as Anglo-Hindu Law. And in the modem India the legislations that are passed by Parliament for Hindus are known as Modern Hindu Law. |
II. CLASSICAL HINDU LAW |
Classical Hindu Law is based on the notion of "dharma" and is mainly found in "Dharmashastras". |
The dharma is explained by the learned scholars. Roughly, the period of Classical Hindu Law begins in the Vedic period and ends in 1772 when Warren Hastings gave "A Plan for the Administration of Justice in Bengal". Classical Hindu Law is an example of amalgamation of moral, religious and philosophical mandates. In various Smritis the right conduct is mentioned. However, the standard of "righteousness" in conduct mentioned in Classical Hindu Law does not always match with the Modern Hindu Law. Presently, in cases of conflict between the Classical Hindu Law and the Modern Hindu Law, it is the Modern Hindu Law that prevail. |
Ancient Indian law has its roots in Vedas. Starting from Vedas it further developed from time to time and found its place in Smritis, Upanishads, Dharmasutras and Customs. In India the law was not detached and isolated from either morality or philosophy. The texts that told what is the right thing to do were not meant to be strictly legal texts. The prescription of conduct was moral, philosophical and legal at once. At the core of the discussion was never strictly a legal concept or legal question. Thus, law and religion was also mixed. Over a period of many centuries the secular character of law developed and now we have a liberal and vibrant legal system in which the question of law, religion and morality are not mixed. From the time of Vedic prescriptions to the modern ideas of rule of law, India has always been in search for better answers to the existential questions. |
I. HINDU LAW |
Hindu Law has the oldest pedigree of any known system of jurisprudence, and even now it shows no sign of decrepitude. When one uses the terms "Hindu Law" and "Muslim Law", it must be understood that these terms emerged in the colonial era as an attempt at legal pluralism. Legal pluralism means that religion is understood as the basic unit of society and legal obligations are understood in the context of religion. Legal universalism, on the other hand is when individuals are understood as the basic unit of society. Persians called the people settled on the other side of River Sindhu (Indus) as "Hindus". The rules of conduct, practices governing the Hindus were called Hindu Law, but this term "Hindu Law" assumed importance only in the British colonial era. Hindu Law was the expression used to identify those legal obligations that did not bind Muslims and Christians. Historically the expression Hindu Law included to indicate the mandates of Smritis, Upanishads, Dharmasutras and Customs. This is now known as Classical Hindu Law. The Hindu Law that evolved during British period is known as Anglo-Hindu Law. And in the modem India the legislations that are passed by Parliament for Hindus are known as Modern Hindu Law. |
II. CLASSICAL HINDU LAW |
Classical Hindu Law is based on the notion of "dharma" and is mainly found in "Dharmashastras". |
The dharma is explained by the learned scholars. Roughly, the period of Classical Hindu Law begins in the Vedic period and ends in 1772 when Warren Hastings gave "A Plan for the Administration of Justice in Bengal". Classical Hindu Law is an example of amalgamation of moral, religious and philosophical mandates. In various Smritis the right conduct is mentioned. However, the standard of "righteousness" in conduct mentioned in Classical Hindu Law does not always match with the Modern Hindu Law. Presently, in cases of conflict between the Classical Hindu Law and the Modern Hindu Law, it is the Modern Hindu Law that prevail. |
Ancient Indian law has its roots in Vedas. Starting from Vedas it further developed from time to time and found its place in Smritis, Upanishads, Dharmasutras and Customs. In India the law was not detached and isolated from either morality or philosophy. The texts that told what is the right thing to do were not meant to be strictly legal texts. The prescription of conduct was moral, philosophical and legal at once. At the core of the discussion was never strictly a legal concept or legal question. Thus, law and religion was also mixed. Over a period of many centuries the secular character of law developed and now we have a liberal and vibrant legal system in which the question of law, religion and morality are not mixed. From the time of Vedic prescriptions to the modern ideas of rule of law, India has always been in search for better answers to the existential questions. |
I. HINDU LAW |
Hindu Law has the oldest pedigree of any known system of jurisprudence, and even now it shows no sign of decrepitude. When one uses the terms "Hindu Law" and "Muslim Law", it must be understood that these terms emerged in the colonial era as an attempt at legal pluralism. Legal pluralism means that religion is understood as the basic unit of society and legal obligations are understood in the context of religion. Legal universalism, on the other hand is when individuals are understood as the basic unit of society. Persians called the people settled on the other side of River Sindhu (Indus) as "Hindus". The rules of conduct, practices governing the Hindus were called Hindu Law, but this term "Hindu Law" assumed importance only in the British colonial era. Hindu Law was the expression used to identify those legal obligations that did not bind Muslims and Christians. Historically the expression Hindu Law included to indicate the mandates of Smritis, Upanishads, Dharmasutras and Customs. This is now known as Classical Hindu Law. The Hindu Law that evolved during British period is known as Anglo-Hindu Law. And in the modem India the legislations that are passed by Parliament for Hindus are known as Modern Hindu Law. |
II. CLASSICAL HINDU LAW |
Classical Hindu Law is based on the notion of "dharma" and is mainly found in "Dharmashastras". |
The dharma is explained by the learned scholars. Roughly, the period of Classical Hindu Law begins in the Vedic period and ends in 1772 when Warren Hastings gave "A Plan for the Administration of Justice in Bengal". Classical Hindu Law is an example of amalgamation of moral, religious and philosophical mandates. In various Smritis the right conduct is mentioned. However, the standard of "righteousness" in conduct mentioned in Classical Hindu Law does not always match with the Modern Hindu Law. Presently, in cases of conflict between the Classical Hindu Law and the Modern Hindu Law, it is the Modern Hindu Law that prevail. |
Ancient Indian law has its roots in Vedas. Starting from Vedas it further developed from time to time and found its place in Smritis, Upanishads, Dharmasutras and Customs. In India the law was not detached and isolated from either morality or philosophy. The texts that told what is the right thing to do were not meant to be strictly legal texts. The prescription of conduct was moral, philosophical and legal at once. At the core of the discussion was never strictly a legal concept or legal question. Thus, law and religion was also mixed. Over a period of many centuries the secular character of law developed and now we have a liberal and vibrant legal system in which the question of law, religion and morality are not mixed. From the time of Vedic prescriptions to the modern ideas of rule of law, India has always been in search for better answers to the existential questions. |
I. HINDU LAW |
Hindu Law has the oldest pedigree of any known system of jurisprudence, and even now it shows no sign of decrepitude. When one uses the terms "Hindu Law" and "Muslim Law", it must be understood that these terms emerged in the colonial era as an attempt at legal pluralism. Legal pluralism means that religion is understood as the basic unit of society and legal obligations are understood in the context of religion. Legal universalism, on the other hand is when individuals are understood as the basic unit of society. Persians called the people settled on the other side of River Sindhu (Indus) as "Hindus". The rules of conduct, practices governing the Hindus were called Hindu Law, but this term "Hindu Law" assumed importance only in the British colonial era. Hindu Law was the expression used to identify those legal obligations that did not bind Muslims and Christians. Historically the expression Hindu Law included to indicate the mandates of Smritis, Upanishads, Dharmasutras and Customs. This is now known as Classical Hindu Law. The Hindu Law that evolved during British period is known as Anglo-Hindu Law. And in the modem India the legislations that are passed by Parliament for Hindus are known as Modern Hindu Law. |
II. CLASSICAL HINDU LAW |
Classical Hindu Law is based on the notion of "dharma" and is mainly found in "Dharmashastras". |
The dharma is explained by the learned scholars. Roughly, the period of Classical Hindu Law begins in the Vedic period and ends in 1772 when Warren Hastings gave "A Plan for the Administration of Justice in Bengal". Classical Hindu Law is an example of amalgamation of moral, religious and philosophical mandates. In various Smritis the right conduct is mentioned. However, the standard of "righteousness" in conduct mentioned in Classical Hindu Law does not always match with the Modern Hindu Law. Presently, in cases of conflict between the Classical Hindu Law and the Modern Hindu Law, it is the Modern Hindu Law that prevail. |
Ancient Indian law has its roots in Vedas. Starting from Vedas it further developed from time to time and found its place in Smritis, Upanishads, Dharmasutras and Customs. In India the law was not detached and isolated from either morality or philosophy. The texts that told what is the right thing to do were not meant to be strictly legal texts. The prescription of conduct was moral, philosophical and legal at once. At the core of the discussion was never strictly a legal concept or legal question. Thus, law and religion was also mixed. Over a period of many centuries the secular character of law developed and now we have a liberal and vibrant legal system in which the question of law, religion and morality are not mixed. From the time of Vedic prescriptions to the modern ideas of rule of law, India has always been in search for better answers to the existential questions. |
I. HINDU LAW |
Hindu Law has the oldest pedigree of any known system of jurisprudence, and even now it shows no sign of decrepitude. When one uses the terms "Hindu Law" and "Muslim Law", it must be understood that these terms emerged in the colonial era as an attempt at legal pluralism. Legal pluralism means that religion is understood as the basic unit of society and legal obligations are understood in the context of religion. Legal universalism, on the other hand is when individuals are understood as the basic unit of society. Persians called the people settled on the other side of River Sindhu (Indus) as "Hindus". The rules of conduct, practices governing the Hindus were called Hindu Law, but this term "Hindu Law" assumed importance only in the British colonial era. Hindu Law was the expression used to identify those legal obligations that did not bind Muslims and Christians. Historically the expression Hindu Law included to indicate the mandates of Smritis, Upanishads, Dharmasutras and Customs. This is now known as Classical Hindu Law. The Hindu Law that evolved during British period is known as Anglo-Hindu Law. And in the modem India the legislations that are passed by Parliament for Hindus are known as Modern Hindu Law. |
II. CLASSICAL HINDU LAW |
Classical Hindu Law is based on the notion of "dharma" and is mainly found in "Dharmashastras". |
The dharma is explained by the learned scholars. Roughly, the period of Classical Hindu Law begins in the Vedic period and ends in 1772 when Warren Hastings gave "A Plan for the Administration of Justice in Bengal". Classical Hindu Law is an example of amalgamation of moral, religious and philosophical mandates. In various Smritis the right conduct is mentioned. However, the standard of "righteousness" in conduct mentioned in Classical Hindu Law does not always match with the Modern Hindu Law. Presently, in cases of conflict between the Classical Hindu Law and the Modern Hindu Law, it is the Modern Hindu Law that prevail. |
How recklessly progressive of the judicial system to venture into the derivatives market for sedition, and to take the dramatic step in the context of an LGBTQ rally. The market is the most appropriate frame of reference for the denial of anticipatory bail to a 22-year-old student of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) charged with sedition. She was one of the 51 protesters against whom an FIR was lodged by the Mumbai police for participating in a rally. Her case drew attention because of a single slogan which, according to her counsel, she raised only once, in which she referred to Sharjeel Imam, a former JNU student, against whom several states have filed sedition cases for speaking against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. This is definitely the first known derivative of sedition, surpassing the charge of sedition by association that people like Binayak Sen have been accused of. |
Perhaps the policemen who filed the FIR were not cognisant of developments in sedition law, but lower Judiciary cannot be ignorant of the substantial case law which has developed thanks to the government's propensity for using sedition as a handy solution for containing people who disagree with it. Most recently, in 2016, a Supreme Court bench had recalled a judgement from 1962 dismissing a sedition matter, to observe that only action taken towards a "violent revolution" could attract the charge. A slogan raised only once about a person accused of sedition fails to tick the requisite box. Sloganeering is an organic activity, widening the ambit of the central message by absorbing current political references, and the students counsel had argued that Imams name had been voiced in the heat of the moment, along with routine points of reference like B R Ambedkar and Rohith Vemula. |
However, the sessions court in Mumbai held that the charges were serious enough to merit custodial interrogation, and has denied anticipatory bail. It has paid scant regard to the case law which has developed on sedition and effectively, the lower court is in contempt of the Supreme Court. The law of sedition is deeply problematic anyway, since it is a device introduced by a colonial power to keep a subject population in check, and does not belong in a democratic nation which is owned by the people. Cases like this one, where the law is applied completely arbitrarily, reaffirms the general conviction that the law should be repealed. |
How recklessly progressive of the judicial system to venture into the derivatives market for sedition, and to take the dramatic step in the context of an LGBTQ rally. The market is the most appropriate frame of reference for the denial of anticipatory bail to a 22-year-old student of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) charged with sedition. She was one of the 51 protesters against whom an FIR was lodged by the Mumbai police for participating in a rally. Her case drew attention because of a single slogan which, according to her counsel, she raised only once, in which she referred to Sharjeel Imam, a former JNU student, against whom several states have filed sedition cases for speaking against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. This is definitely the first known derivative of sedition, surpassing the charge of sedition by association that people like Binayak Sen have been accused of. |
Perhaps the policemen who filed the FIR were not cognisant of developments in sedition law, but lower Judiciary cannot be ignorant of the substantial case law which has developed thanks to the government's propensity for using sedition as a handy solution for containing people who disagree with it. Most recently, in 2016, a Supreme Court bench had recalled a judgement from 1962 dismissing a sedition matter, to observe that only action taken towards a "violent revolution" could attract the charge. A slogan raised only once about a person accused of sedition fails to tick the requisite box. Sloganeering is an organic activity, widening the ambit of the central message by absorbing current political references, and the students counsel had argued that Imams name had been voiced in the heat of the moment, along with routine points of reference like B R Ambedkar and Rohith Vemula. |
However, the sessions court in Mumbai held that the charges were serious enough to merit custodial interrogation, and has denied anticipatory bail. It has paid scant regard to the case law which has developed on sedition and effectively, the lower court is in contempt of the Supreme Court. The law of sedition is deeply problematic anyway, since it is a device introduced by a colonial power to keep a subject population in check, and does not belong in a democratic nation which is owned by the people. Cases like this one, where the law is applied completely arbitrarily, reaffirms the general conviction that the law should be repealed. |
How recklessly progressive of the judicial system to venture into the derivatives market for sedition, and to take the dramatic step in the context of an LGBTQ rally. The market is the most appropriate frame of reference for the denial of anticipatory bail to a 22-year-old student of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) charged with sedition. She was one of the 51 protesters against whom an FIR was lodged by the Mumbai police for participating in a rally. Her case drew attention because of a single slogan which, according to her counsel, she raised only once, in which she referred to Sharjeel Imam, a former JNU student, against whom several states have filed sedition cases for speaking against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. This is definitely the first known derivative of sedition, surpassing the charge of sedition by association that people like Binayak Sen have been accused of. |
Perhaps the policemen who filed the FIR were not cognisant of developments in sedition law, but lower Judiciary cannot be ignorant of the substantial case law which has developed thanks to the government's propensity for using sedition as a handy solution for containing people who disagree with it. Most recently, in 2016, a Supreme Court bench had recalled a judgement from 1962 dismissing a sedition matter, to observe that only action taken towards a "violent revolution" could attract the charge. A slogan raised only once about a person accused of sedition fails to tick the requisite box. Sloganeering is an organic activity, widening the ambit of the central message by absorbing current political references, and the students counsel had argued that Imams name had been voiced in the heat of the moment, along with routine points of reference like B R Ambedkar and Rohith Vemula. |
However, the sessions court in Mumbai held that the charges were serious enough to merit custodial interrogation, and has denied anticipatory bail. It has paid scant regard to the case law which has developed on sedition and effectively, the lower court is in contempt of the Supreme Court. The law of sedition is deeply problematic anyway, since it is a device introduced by a colonial power to keep a subject population in check, and does not belong in a democratic nation which is owned by the people. Cases like this one, where the law is applied completely arbitrarily, reaffirms the general conviction that the law should be repealed. |
How recklessly progressive of the judicial system to venture into the derivatives market for sedition, and to take the dramatic step in the context of an LGBTQ rally. The market is the most appropriate frame of reference for the denial of anticipatory bail to a 22-year-old student of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) charged with sedition. She was one of the 51 protesters against whom an FIR was lodged by the Mumbai police for participating in a rally. Her case drew attention because of a single slogan which, according to her counsel, she raised only once, in which she referred to Sharjeel Imam, a former JNU student, against whom several states have filed sedition cases for speaking against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. This is definitely the first known derivative of sedition, surpassing the charge of sedition by association that people like Binayak Sen have been accused of. |
Perhaps the policemen who filed the FIR were not cognisant of developments in sedition law, but lower Judiciary cannot be ignorant of the substantial case law which has developed thanks to the government's propensity for using sedition as a handy solution for containing people who disagree with it. Most recently, in 2016, a Supreme Court bench had recalled a judgement from 1962 dismissing a sedition matter, to observe that only action taken towards a "violent revolution" could attract the charge. A slogan raised only once about a person accused of sedition fails to tick the requisite box. Sloganeering is an organic activity, widening the ambit of the central message by absorbing current political references, and the students counsel had argued that Imams name had been voiced in the heat of the moment, along with routine points of reference like B R Ambedkar and Rohith Vemula. |
However, the sessions court in Mumbai held that the charges were serious enough to merit custodial interrogation, and has denied anticipatory bail. It has paid scant regard to the case law which has developed on sedition and effectively, the lower court is in contempt of the Supreme Court. The law of sedition is deeply problematic anyway, since it is a device introduced by a colonial power to keep a subject population in check, and does not belong in a democratic nation which is owned by the people. Cases like this one, where the law is applied completely arbitrarily, reaffirms the general conviction that the law should be repealed. |
How recklessly progressive of the judicial system to venture into the derivatives market for sedition, and to take the dramatic step in the context of an LGBTQ rally. The market is the most appropriate frame of reference for the denial of anticipatory bail to a 22-year-old student of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) charged with sedition. She was one of the 51 protesters against whom an FIR was lodged by the Mumbai police for participating in a rally. Her case drew attention because of a single slogan which, according to her counsel, she raised only once, in which she referred to Sharjeel Imam, a former JNU student, against whom several states have filed sedition cases for speaking against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. This is definitely the first known derivative of sedition, surpassing the charge of sedition by association that people like Binayak Sen have been accused of. |
Perhaps the policemen who filed the FIR were not cognisant of developments in sedition law, but lower Judiciary cannot be ignorant of the substantial case law which has developed thanks to the government's propensity for using sedition as a handy solution for containing people who disagree with it. Most recently, in 2016, a Supreme Court bench had recalled a judgement from 1962 dismissing a sedition matter, to observe that only action taken towards a "violent revolution" could attract the charge. A slogan raised only once about a person accused of sedition fails to tick the requisite box. Sloganeering is an organic activity, widening the ambit of the central message by absorbing current political references, and the students counsel had argued that Imams name had been voiced in the heat of the moment, along with routine points of reference like B R Ambedkar and Rohith Vemula. |
However, the sessions court in Mumbai held that the charges were serious enough to merit custodial interrogation, and has denied anticipatory bail. It has paid scant regard to the case law which has developed on sedition and effectively, the lower court is in contempt of the Supreme Court. The law of sedition is deeply problematic anyway, since it is a device introduced by a colonial power to keep a subject population in check, and does not belong in a democratic nation which is owned by the people. Cases like this one, where the law is applied completely arbitrarily, reaffirms the general conviction that the law should be repealed. |
A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi on Friday asked the Chief Justice of India to place a batch of appeals on regularization of workmen before an appropriate larger bench due to apparent inconsistencies in a 2015 judgment of another division bench, which was relied on by the High Courts of Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhand while distinguished by the High Court of Madras, all of which are presently in appeal before the Court. |
In the appeals clubbed under Oil and Natural Gas Corporation v Krishan Gopal & Ors., the Supreme Court observed that the 2015 judgment of the apex court in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited v Petroleum Coal Labour Union (PCLU) needs to be revisited and hence the present batch of appeals be placed before the CJI for listing before an appropriate bench. |
The decision in PCLU holds that the workmen upon completion of 240 days' service in a period of 12 calendar months "are entitled for regularisation of their services into permanent posts of the corporation". Clause 2(ii) of the Certified Standing Orders was construed to confer a right to regularisation on the completion of 240 days of service in a calendar year. It further upheld the jurisdiction of the Industrial Tribunal to adjudicate upon the dispute and had rightly passed an award directing regularisation of the services of the workmen. |
The issues pointed out by the court, with respect to the PCLU judgment are: |
(i) The interpretation placed on the provisions of clause 2(ii) of the Certified Standing Orders; |
(ii) The meaning and content of an unfair labour practice under Section 2(ra) read with Item 10 of the Vth Schedule of the ID Act; and |
(iii) The limitations, if any, on the power of the Labour and Industrial Courts to order regularization in the absence of sanctioned posts. The decision in PCLU would, in our view, require reconsideration in view of the above decisions of this Court and for the reasons which we have noted above. |
Item 10 of Schedule V, which is a list of unfair labour practices, reads as: |
"10. To employ workmen as "badlis", casuals or temporaries and to continue them as such for years, with the object of depriving them of the status and privileges of permanent workmen." |
Justice Chandrachud has observed that an earlier, 2007 decision of a division bench - Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited v Engineering Mazdoor Sangh which set aside the High Court direction to regularize all workmen who had completed 240 days of service - was not brought to the notice of the bench which heard the PCLU case. |
A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi on Friday asked the Chief Justice of India to place a batch of appeals on regularization of workmen before an appropriate larger bench due to apparent inconsistencies in a 2015 judgment of another division bench, which was relied on by the High Courts of Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhand while distinguished by the High Court of Madras, all of which are presently in appeal before the Court. |
In the appeals clubbed under Oil and Natural Gas Corporation v Krishan Gopal & Ors., the Supreme Court observed that the 2015 judgment of the apex court in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited v Petroleum Coal Labour Union (PCLU) needs to be revisited and hence the present batch of appeals be placed before the CJI for listing before an appropriate bench. |
The decision in PCLU holds that the workmen upon completion of 240 days' service in a period of 12 calendar months "are entitled for regularisation of their services into permanent posts of the corporation". Clause 2(ii) of the Certified Standing Orders was construed to confer a right to regularisation on the completion of 240 days of service in a calendar year. It further upheld the jurisdiction of the Industrial Tribunal to adjudicate upon the dispute and had rightly passed an award directing regularisation of the services of the workmen. |
The issues pointed out by the court, with respect to the PCLU judgment are: |
(i) The interpretation placed on the provisions of clause 2(ii) of the Certified Standing Orders; |
(ii) The meaning and content of an unfair labour practice under Section 2(ra) read with Item 10 of the Vth Schedule of the ID Act; and |
(iii) The limitations, if any, on the power of the Labour and Industrial Courts to order regularization in the absence of sanctioned posts. The decision in PCLU would, in our view, require reconsideration in view of the above decisions of this Court and for the reasons which we have noted above. |
Item 10 of Schedule V, which is a list of unfair labour practices, reads as: |
"10. To employ workmen as "badlis", casuals or temporaries and to continue them as such for years, with the object of depriving them of the status and privileges of permanent workmen." |
Justice Chandrachud has observed that an earlier, 2007 decision of a division bench - Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited v Engineering Mazdoor Sangh which set aside the High Court direction to regularize all workmen who had completed 240 days of service - was not brought to the notice of the bench which heard the PCLU case. |
A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi on Friday asked the Chief Justice of India to place a batch of appeals on regularization of workmen before an appropriate larger bench due to apparent inconsistencies in a 2015 judgment of another division bench, which was relied on by the High Courts of Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhand while distinguished by the High Court of Madras, all of which are presently in appeal before the Court. |
In the appeals clubbed under Oil and Natural Gas Corporation v Krishan Gopal & Ors., the Supreme Court observed that the 2015 judgment of the apex court in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited v Petroleum Coal Labour Union (PCLU) needs to be revisited and hence the present batch of appeals be placed before the CJI for listing before an appropriate bench. |
The decision in PCLU holds that the workmen upon completion of 240 days' service in a period of 12 calendar months "are entitled for regularisation of their services into permanent posts of the corporation". Clause 2(ii) of the Certified Standing Orders was construed to confer a right to regularisation on the completion of 240 days of service in a calendar year. It further upheld the jurisdiction of the Industrial Tribunal to adjudicate upon the dispute and had rightly passed an award directing regularisation of the services of the workmen. |
The issues pointed out by the court, with respect to the PCLU judgment are: |
(i) The interpretation placed on the provisions of clause 2(ii) of the Certified Standing Orders; |
(ii) The meaning and content of an unfair labour practice under Section 2(ra) read with Item 10 of the Vth Schedule of the ID Act; and |
(iii) The limitations, if any, on the power of the Labour and Industrial Courts to order regularization in the absence of sanctioned posts. The decision in PCLU would, in our view, require reconsideration in view of the above decisions of this Court and for the reasons which we have noted above. |
Item 10 of Schedule V, which is a list of unfair labour practices, reads as: |
"10. To employ workmen as "badlis", casuals or temporaries and to continue them as such for years, with the object of depriving them of the status and privileges of permanent workmen." |
Justice Chandrachud has observed that an earlier, 2007 decision of a division bench - Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited v Engineering Mazdoor Sangh which set aside the High Court direction to regularize all workmen who had completed 240 days of service - was not brought to the notice of the bench which heard the PCLU case. |
A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi on Friday asked the Chief Justice of India to place a batch of appeals on regularization of workmen before an appropriate larger bench due to apparent inconsistencies in a 2015 judgment of another division bench, which was relied on by the High Courts of Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhand while distinguished by the High Court of Madras, all of which are presently in appeal before the Court. |
In the appeals clubbed under Oil and Natural Gas Corporation v Krishan Gopal & Ors., the Supreme Court observed that the 2015 judgment of the apex court in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited v Petroleum Coal Labour Union (PCLU) needs to be revisited and hence the present batch of appeals be placed before the CJI for listing before an appropriate bench. |
The decision in PCLU holds that the workmen upon completion of 240 days' service in a period of 12 calendar months "are entitled for regularisation of their services into permanent posts of the corporation". Clause 2(ii) of the Certified Standing Orders was construed to confer a right to regularisation on the completion of 240 days of service in a calendar year. It further upheld the jurisdiction of the Industrial Tribunal to adjudicate upon the dispute and had rightly passed an award directing regularisation of the services of the workmen. |
The issues pointed out by the court, with respect to the PCLU judgment are: |
(i) The interpretation placed on the provisions of clause 2(ii) of the Certified Standing Orders; |
(ii) The meaning and content of an unfair labour practice under Section 2(ra) read with Item 10 of the Vth Schedule of the ID Act; and |
(iii) The limitations, if any, on the power of the Labour and Industrial Courts to order regularization in the absence of sanctioned posts. The decision in PCLU would, in our view, require reconsideration in view of the above decisions of this Court and for the reasons which we have noted above. |
Item 10 of Schedule V, which is a list of unfair labour practices, reads as: |
"10. To employ workmen as "badlis", casuals or temporaries and to continue them as such for years, with the object of depriving them of the status and privileges of permanent workmen." |
Justice Chandrachud has observed that an earlier, 2007 decision of a division bench - Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited v Engineering Mazdoor Sangh which set aside the High Court direction to regularize all workmen who had completed 240 days of service - was not brought to the notice of the bench which heard the PCLU case. |
A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi on Friday asked the Chief Justice of India to place a batch of appeals on regularization of workmen before an appropriate larger bench due to apparent inconsistencies in a 2015 judgment of another division bench, which was relied on by the High Courts of Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhand while distinguished by the High Court of Madras, all of which are presently in appeal before the Court. |
In the appeals clubbed under Oil and Natural Gas Corporation v Krishan Gopal & Ors., the Supreme Court observed that the 2015 judgment of the apex court in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited v Petroleum Coal Labour Union (PCLU) needs to be revisited and hence the present batch of appeals be placed before the CJI for listing before an appropriate bench. |
The decision in PCLU holds that the workmen upon completion of 240 days' service in a period of 12 calendar months "are entitled for regularisation of their services into permanent posts of the corporation". Clause 2(ii) of the Certified Standing Orders was construed to confer a right to regularisation on the completion of 240 days of service in a calendar year. It further upheld the jurisdiction of the Industrial Tribunal to adjudicate upon the dispute and had rightly passed an award directing regularisation of the services of the workmen. |
The issues pointed out by the court, with respect to the PCLU judgment are: |
(i) The interpretation placed on the provisions of clause 2(ii) of the Certified Standing Orders; |
(ii) The meaning and content of an unfair labour practice under Section 2(ra) read with Item 10 of the Vth Schedule of the ID Act; and |
(iii) The limitations, if any, on the power of the Labour and Industrial Courts to order regularization in the absence of sanctioned posts. The decision in PCLU would, in our view, require reconsideration in view of the above decisions of this Court and for the reasons which we have noted above. |
Item 10 of Schedule V, which is a list of unfair labour practices, reads as: |
"10. To employ workmen as "badlis", casuals or temporaries and to continue them as such for years, with the object of depriving them of the status and privileges of permanent workmen." |
Justice Chandrachud has observed that an earlier, 2007 decision of a division bench - Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited v Engineering Mazdoor Sangh which set aside the High Court direction to regularize all workmen who had completed 240 days of service - was not brought to the notice of the bench which heard the PCLU case. |
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of a plea filed by the Centre challenging the Delhi High Court's dismissal of its appeal to separately execute the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya case. |
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, asked the court to decide whether authorities be told to wait for all the convicts to exhaust their remedies, especially since Pawan has not filed anything since 2018 when his review was rejected. "The nation's patience is being tested," said Mehta. |
However, the bench comprising Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan & AS Bopanna said that a convict cannot be compelled to exercise their legal remedies. |
The government urged the bench to serve notices to the four convicts, but the bench did not heed to the government's request, saying it would further delay the matter. "Let the one week time be over. Maybe all options will be exhausted by then. We'll consider it then", said Justice Bhushan. |
On February 11, the one week time given by Delhi High Court to convicts to exhaust their legal remedy will expire. |
The pendency of a mercy petition cannot be a reason to defer the executions of other convicts in the same case, whose legal remedies have been exhausted, argued the Solicitor General. |
"The case involves a point of law which is not yet clear. The law must be settled authoritatively", said Mehta. |
The appeal was filed shortly after the high court directed the convicts, waiting on death row, to file any application they want within a week after which authorities should act. |
In his order. Justice Suresh Kait of the high court refused to set aside the trial court's stay on the execution of the death warrant, reiterating that under the law, co-convicts cannot be executed on separate dates. |
In effect, the high court set a week's timeframe for the condemned prisoners - Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta - to exhaust all their legal remedies. |
A Delhi court on Thursday had asked the four Nirbhaya case death-row convicts, to respond by tomorrow on an application filed by the Tihar jail authorities for fixing fresh date and time for their execution. |
The response of the condemned prisoners - Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Thakur (31) - was sought, by Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana. |
The Centre's plea, filed through Special Public Prosecutor Irfan Ahmed, said fresh black warrant be issued in the "interest of justice". |
On January 31, the trial court had postponed till further orders the hanging of the 2012 gangrape and murder case convicts, who are lodged in Tihar jail. |
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of a plea filed by the Centre challenging the Delhi High Court's dismissal of its appeal to separately execute the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya case. |
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, asked the court to decide whether authorities be told to wait for all the convicts to exhaust their remedies, especially since Pawan has not filed anything since 2018 when his review was rejected. "The nation's patience is being tested," said Mehta. |
However, the bench comprising Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan & AS Bopanna said that a convict cannot be compelled to exercise their legal remedies. |
The government urged the bench to serve notices to the four convicts, but the bench did not heed to the government's request, saying it would further delay the matter. "Let the one week time be over. Maybe all options will be exhausted by then. We'll consider it then", said Justice Bhushan. |
On February 11, the one week time given by Delhi High Court to convicts to exhaust their legal remedy will expire. |
The pendency of a mercy petition cannot be a reason to defer the executions of other convicts in the same case, whose legal remedies have been exhausted, argued the Solicitor General. |
"The case involves a point of law which is not yet clear. The law must be settled authoritatively", said Mehta. |
The appeal was filed shortly after the high court directed the convicts, waiting on death row, to file any application they want within a week after which authorities should act. |
In his order. Justice Suresh Kait of the high court refused to set aside the trial court's stay on the execution of the death warrant, reiterating that under the law, co-convicts cannot be executed on separate dates. |
In effect, the high court set a week's timeframe for the condemned prisoners - Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta - to exhaust all their legal remedies. |
A Delhi court on Thursday had asked the four Nirbhaya case death-row convicts, to respond by tomorrow on an application filed by the Tihar jail authorities for fixing fresh date and time for their execution. |
The response of the condemned prisoners - Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Thakur (31) - was sought, by Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana. |
The Centre's plea, filed through Special Public Prosecutor Irfan Ahmed, said fresh black warrant be issued in the "interest of justice". |
On January 31, the trial court had postponed till further orders the hanging of the 2012 gangrape and murder case convicts, who are lodged in Tihar jail. |
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of a plea filed by the Centre challenging the Delhi High Court's dismissal of its appeal to separately execute the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya case. |
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, asked the court to decide whether authorities be told to wait for all the convicts to exhaust their remedies, especially since Pawan has not filed anything since 2018 when his review was rejected. "The nation's patience is being tested," said Mehta. |
However, the bench comprising Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan & AS Bopanna said that a convict cannot be compelled to exercise their legal remedies. |
The government urged the bench to serve notices to the four convicts, but the bench did not heed to the government's request, saying it would further delay the matter. "Let the one week time be over. Maybe all options will be exhausted by then. We'll consider it then", said Justice Bhushan. |
On February 11, the one week time given by Delhi High Court to convicts to exhaust their legal remedy will expire. |
The pendency of a mercy petition cannot be a reason to defer the executions of other convicts in the same case, whose legal remedies have been exhausted, argued the Solicitor General. |
"The case involves a point of law which is not yet clear. The law must be settled authoritatively", said Mehta. |
The appeal was filed shortly after the high court directed the convicts, waiting on death row, to file any application they want within a week after which authorities should act. |
In his order. Justice Suresh Kait of the high court refused to set aside the trial court's stay on the execution of the death warrant, reiterating that under the law, co-convicts cannot be executed on separate dates. |
In effect, the high court set a week's timeframe for the condemned prisoners - Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta - to exhaust all their legal remedies. |
A Delhi court on Thursday had asked the four Nirbhaya case death-row convicts, to respond by tomorrow on an application filed by the Tihar jail authorities for fixing fresh date and time for their execution. |
The response of the condemned prisoners - Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Thakur (31) - was sought, by Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana. |
The Centre's plea, filed through Special Public Prosecutor Irfan Ahmed, said fresh black warrant be issued in the "interest of justice". |
On January 31, the trial court had postponed till further orders the hanging of the 2012 gangrape and murder case convicts, who are lodged in Tihar jail. |
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of a plea filed by the Centre challenging the Delhi High Court's dismissal of its appeal to separately execute the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya case. |
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, asked the court to decide whether authorities be told to wait for all the convicts to exhaust their remedies, especially since Pawan has not filed anything since 2018 when his review was rejected. "The nation's patience is being tested," said Mehta. |
However, the bench comprising Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan & AS Bopanna said that a convict cannot be compelled to exercise their legal remedies. |
The government urged the bench to serve notices to the four convicts, but the bench did not heed to the government's request, saying it would further delay the matter. "Let the one week time be over. Maybe all options will be exhausted by then. We'll consider it then", said Justice Bhushan. |
On February 11, the one week time given by Delhi High Court to convicts to exhaust their legal remedy will expire. |
The pendency of a mercy petition cannot be a reason to defer the executions of other convicts in the same case, whose legal remedies have been exhausted, argued the Solicitor General. |
"The case involves a point of law which is not yet clear. The law must be settled authoritatively", said Mehta. |
The appeal was filed shortly after the high court directed the convicts, waiting on death row, to file any application they want within a week after which authorities should act. |
In his order. Justice Suresh Kait of the high court refused to set aside the trial court's stay on the execution of the death warrant, reiterating that under the law, co-convicts cannot be executed on separate dates. |
In effect, the high court set a week's timeframe for the condemned prisoners - Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta - to exhaust all their legal remedies. |
A Delhi court on Thursday had asked the four Nirbhaya case death-row convicts, to respond by tomorrow on an application filed by the Tihar jail authorities for fixing fresh date and time for their execution. |
The response of the condemned prisoners - Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Thakur (31) - was sought, by Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana. |
The Centre's plea, filed through Special Public Prosecutor Irfan Ahmed, said fresh black warrant be issued in the "interest of justice". |
On January 31, the trial court had postponed till further orders the hanging of the 2012 gangrape and murder case convicts, who are lodged in Tihar jail. |
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of a plea filed by the Centre challenging the Delhi High Court's dismissal of its appeal to separately execute the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya case. |
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, asked the court to decide whether authorities be told to wait for all the convicts to exhaust their remedies, especially since Pawan has not filed anything since 2018 when his review was rejected. "The nation's patience is being tested," said Mehta. |
However, the bench comprising Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan & AS Bopanna said that a convict cannot be compelled to exercise their legal remedies. |
The government urged the bench to serve notices to the four convicts, but the bench did not heed to the government's request, saying it would further delay the matter. "Let the one week time be over. Maybe all options will be exhausted by then. We'll consider it then", said Justice Bhushan. |
On February 11, the one week time given by Delhi High Court to convicts to exhaust their legal remedy will expire. |
The pendency of a mercy petition cannot be a reason to defer the executions of other convicts in the same case, whose legal remedies have been exhausted, argued the Solicitor General. |
"The case involves a point of law which is not yet clear. The law must be settled authoritatively", said Mehta. |
The appeal was filed shortly after the high court directed the convicts, waiting on death row, to file any application they want within a week after which authorities should act. |
In his order. Justice Suresh Kait of the high court refused to set aside the trial court's stay on the execution of the death warrant, reiterating that under the law, co-convicts cannot be executed on separate dates. |
In effect, the high court set a week's timeframe for the condemned prisoners - Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta - to exhaust all their legal remedies. |
A Delhi court on Thursday had asked the four Nirbhaya case death-row convicts, to respond by tomorrow on an application filed by the Tihar jail authorities for fixing fresh date and time for their execution. |
The response of the condemned prisoners - Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Thakur (31) - was sought, by Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana. |
The Centre's plea, filed through Special Public Prosecutor Irfan Ahmed, said fresh black warrant be issued in the "interest of justice". |
On January 31, the trial court had postponed till further orders the hanging of the 2012 gangrape and murder case convicts, who are lodged in Tihar jail. |
Several cities today are observing the Global Climate Strike ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit to be held in New York on 23rd September. The climate strike is kickstarting a massive action plan to show politicians of the world that 'people need to see results, not just words'. |
In India alone, several NGOs and activist groups like the Fridays For Future (FFF India), Extinction Rebellion (XR India), SP-CHETNA etc are participating. Several school and college children today bunked classes, giving massive strength to the movement all over the world. The first day of the global climate strike, 20th September, is witnessing massive participation in Delhi (Lodhi Gardens), Mumbai (Juhu Beach, Bandra Railway Station), Pune (Karve Road), Indore (Indore Zoo), Kathmandu, Calicut, Guwahati, Imphal and so on. Activists in several other cities are organizing the strike over the course of the week, till 28th September. |
"The environment pan India has become so toxic that it is impossible for people especially children to breathe and get their required water to meet their basic needs. The number of trees per person in cities like Mumbai and in fact all over India is very low which is a danger sign and means oxygen levels in our cities are declining. Children are taking the lead and demanding the government to declare CLIMATE EMERGENCY", says Jeevesh Gupta (XR India). Jeevesh is also the founder of Campaign for Differently - Abled. |
"Fridays For Future is a global group started by 16 year old Greta Thunberg to bring about climate change awareness and to highlight the urgent need to take remedial action globally. School & College children, now joined by adults strike for two hours at different locations globally every Friday. In Mumbai we have been striking at different stations in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai & Thane", Cassandra Nazareth (FFF Borivali chapter in Mumbai) informed India Legal. |
Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, has said, "Bring Plans, not Speeches", highlighting the focus-shift of the summit this year from the 'what' to the 'how'. UN is also hosting a young climate summit on 21st September to bring together young activists, entrepreneurs and change-makers to air their concerns and productive ideas. The main summit on 23rd September will witness a combination of presentations from the national plans to coalition initiatives being showcased on stage. |
Greta Thunberg is a young Swedish environmental activist initiated the worldwide strike, after a successful school climate strike movement in 2018, following which she also addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference where she declared, "What I hope we achieve at this conference is that we realise that we are facing an existential threat." |
While the Global Climate Strike is a call for commitment on all leaders and foot soldiers alike, the UN Climate Action Summit 2019 is the ray of hope to this effect. |
Several cities today are observing the Global Climate Strike ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit to be held in New York on 23rd September. The climate strike is kickstarting a massive action plan to show politicians of the world that 'people need to see results, not just words'. |
In India alone, several NGOs and activist groups like the Fridays For Future (FFF India), Extinction Rebellion (XR India), SP-CHETNA etc are participating. Several school and college children today bunked classes, giving massive strength to the movement all over the world. The first day of the global climate strike, 20th September, is witnessing massive participation in Delhi (Lodhi Gardens), Mumbai (Juhu Beach, Bandra Railway Station), Pune (Karve Road), Indore (Indore Zoo), Kathmandu, Calicut, Guwahati, Imphal and so on. Activists in several other cities are organizing the strike over the course of the week, till 28th September. |
"The environment pan India has become so toxic that it is impossible for people especially children to breathe and get their required water to meet their basic needs. The number of trees per person in cities like Mumbai and in fact all over India is very low which is a danger sign and means oxygen levels in our cities are declining. Children are taking the lead and demanding the government to declare CLIMATE EMERGENCY", says Jeevesh Gupta (XR India). Jeevesh is also the founder of Campaign for Differently - Abled. |
"Fridays For Future is a global group started by 16 year old Greta Thunberg to bring about climate change awareness and to highlight the urgent need to take remedial action globally. School & College children, now joined by adults strike for two hours at different locations globally every Friday. In Mumbai we have been striking at different stations in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai & Thane", Cassandra Nazareth (FFF Borivali chapter in Mumbai) informed India Legal. |
Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, has said, "Bring Plans, not Speeches", highlighting the focus-shift of the summit this year from the 'what' to the 'how'. UN is also hosting a young climate summit on 21st September to bring together young activists, entrepreneurs and change-makers to air their concerns and productive ideas. The main summit on 23rd September will witness a combination of presentations from the national plans to coalition initiatives being showcased on stage. |
Greta Thunberg is a young Swedish environmental activist initiated the worldwide strike, after a successful school climate strike movement in 2018, following which she also addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference where she declared, "What I hope we achieve at this conference is that we realise that we are facing an existential threat." |
While the Global Climate Strike is a call for commitment on all leaders and foot soldiers alike, the UN Climate Action Summit 2019 is the ray of hope to this effect. |
Several cities today are observing the Global Climate Strike ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit to be held in New York on 23rd September. The climate strike is kickstarting a massive action plan to show politicians of the world that 'people need to see results, not just words'. |
In India alone, several NGOs and activist groups like the Fridays For Future (FFF India), Extinction Rebellion (XR India), SP-CHETNA etc are participating. Several school and college children today bunked classes, giving massive strength to the movement all over the world. The first day of the global climate strike, 20th September, is witnessing massive participation in Delhi (Lodhi Gardens), Mumbai (Juhu Beach, Bandra Railway Station), Pune (Karve Road), Indore (Indore Zoo), Kathmandu, Calicut, Guwahati, Imphal and so on. Activists in several other cities are organizing the strike over the course of the week, till 28th September. |
"The environment pan India has become so toxic that it is impossible for people especially children to breathe and get their required water to meet their basic needs. The number of trees per person in cities like Mumbai and in fact all over India is very low which is a danger sign and means oxygen levels in our cities are declining. Children are taking the lead and demanding the government to declare CLIMATE EMERGENCY", says Jeevesh Gupta (XR India). Jeevesh is also the founder of Campaign for Differently - Abled. |
"Fridays For Future is a global group started by 16 year old Greta Thunberg to bring about climate change awareness and to highlight the urgent need to take remedial action globally. School & College children, now joined by adults strike for two hours at different locations globally every Friday. In Mumbai we have been striking at different stations in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai & Thane", Cassandra Nazareth (FFF Borivali chapter in Mumbai) informed India Legal. |
Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, has said, "Bring Plans, not Speeches", highlighting the focus-shift of the summit this year from the 'what' to the 'how'. UN is also hosting a young climate summit on 21st September to bring together young activists, entrepreneurs and change-makers to air their concerns and productive ideas. The main summit on 23rd September will witness a combination of presentations from the national plans to coalition initiatives being showcased on stage. |
Greta Thunberg is a young Swedish environmental activist initiated the worldwide strike, after a successful school climate strike movement in 2018, following which she also addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference where she declared, "What I hope we achieve at this conference is that we realise that we are facing an existential threat." |
While the Global Climate Strike is a call for commitment on all leaders and foot soldiers alike, the UN Climate Action Summit 2019 is the ray of hope to this effect. |
Several cities today are observing the Global Climate Strike ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit to be held in New York on 23rd September. The climate strike is kickstarting a massive action plan to show politicians of the world that 'people need to see results, not just words'. |
In India alone, several NGOs and activist groups like the Fridays For Future (FFF India), Extinction Rebellion (XR India), SP-CHETNA etc are participating. Several school and college children today bunked classes, giving massive strength to the movement all over the world. The first day of the global climate strike, 20th September, is witnessing massive participation in Delhi (Lodhi Gardens), Mumbai (Juhu Beach, Bandra Railway Station), Pune (Karve Road), Indore (Indore Zoo), Kathmandu, Calicut, Guwahati, Imphal and so on. Activists in several other cities are organizing the strike over the course of the week, till 28th September. |
"The environment pan India has become so toxic that it is impossible for people especially children to breathe and get their required water to meet their basic needs. The number of trees per person in cities like Mumbai and in fact all over India is very low which is a danger sign and means oxygen levels in our cities are declining. Children are taking the lead and demanding the government to declare CLIMATE EMERGENCY", says Jeevesh Gupta (XR India). Jeevesh is also the founder of Campaign for Differently - Abled. |
"Fridays For Future is a global group started by 16 year old Greta Thunberg to bring about climate change awareness and to highlight the urgent need to take remedial action globally. School & College children, now joined by adults strike for two hours at different locations globally every Friday. In Mumbai we have been striking at different stations in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai & Thane", Cassandra Nazareth (FFF Borivali chapter in Mumbai) informed India Legal. |
Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, has said, "Bring Plans, not Speeches", highlighting the focus-shift of the summit this year from the 'what' to the 'how'. UN is also hosting a young climate summit on 21st September to bring together young activists, entrepreneurs and change-makers to air their concerns and productive ideas. The main summit on 23rd September will witness a combination of presentations from the national plans to coalition initiatives being showcased on stage. |
Greta Thunberg is a young Swedish environmental activist initiated the worldwide strike, after a successful school climate strike movement in 2018, following which she also addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference where she declared, "What I hope we achieve at this conference is that we realise that we are facing an existential threat." |
While the Global Climate Strike is a call for commitment on all leaders and foot soldiers alike, the UN Climate Action Summit 2019 is the ray of hope to this effect. |
Several cities today are observing the Global Climate Strike ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit to be held in New York on 23rd September. The climate strike is kickstarting a massive action plan to show politicians of the world that 'people need to see results, not just words'. |
In India alone, several NGOs and activist groups like the Fridays For Future (FFF India), Extinction Rebellion (XR India), SP-CHETNA etc are participating. Several school and college children today bunked classes, giving massive strength to the movement all over the world. The first day of the global climate strike, 20th September, is witnessing massive participation in Delhi (Lodhi Gardens), Mumbai (Juhu Beach, Bandra Railway Station), Pune (Karve Road), Indore (Indore Zoo), Kathmandu, Calicut, Guwahati, Imphal and so on. Activists in several other cities are organizing the strike over the course of the week, till 28th September. |
"The environment pan India has become so toxic that it is impossible for people especially children to breathe and get their required water to meet their basic needs. The number of trees per person in cities like Mumbai and in fact all over India is very low which is a danger sign and means oxygen levels in our cities are declining. Children are taking the lead and demanding the government to declare CLIMATE EMERGENCY", says Jeevesh Gupta (XR India). Jeevesh is also the founder of Campaign for Differently - Abled. |
"Fridays For Future is a global group started by 16 year old Greta Thunberg to bring about climate change awareness and to highlight the urgent need to take remedial action globally. School & College children, now joined by adults strike for two hours at different locations globally every Friday. In Mumbai we have been striking at different stations in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai & Thane", Cassandra Nazareth (FFF Borivali chapter in Mumbai) informed India Legal. |
Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, has said, "Bring Plans, not Speeches", highlighting the focus-shift of the summit this year from the 'what' to the 'how'. UN is also hosting a young climate summit on 21st September to bring together young activists, entrepreneurs and change-makers to air their concerns and productive ideas. The main summit on 23rd September will witness a combination of presentations from the national plans to coalition initiatives being showcased on stage. |
Greta Thunberg is a young Swedish environmental activist initiated the worldwide strike, after a successful school climate strike movement in 2018, following which she also addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference where she declared, "What I hope we achieve at this conference is that we realise that we are facing an existential threat." |
While the Global Climate Strike is a call for commitment on all leaders and foot soldiers alike, the UN Climate Action Summit 2019 is the ray of hope to this effect. |
It has been almost 20 years since the idea of fast-track courts for quick disposal of certain cases was initiated. The proposal was welcomed in judicial quarters as well as by the people at large. The creation of a new set of courts for specified cases was not meant to be a remedy for the huge pendency in different courts in India, which is believed to be three crore cases. Rather, fast-track courts were to deal with criminal cases involving major offences against women or those belonging to the underprivileged class such as sexual assault and murder. These offences create anger and insecurity in the general public. When cases arising out of such heinous or ghastly offences take years to reach a final verdict, most of the effectiveness of deterrent punishment is lost. Faith in the State in general and judiciary in particular gets weakened. |
When an accused guilty of committing a grave offence is punished, it is not only for the satisfaction of the victim or her family. It also reassures society that the law is effectively implemented. A verdict of guilty after the passage of years loses its incisiveness and importance. Delay in investigation, charge sheet filing, hearings and final judgment inflicts irreparable damage on the system. If the case is heard after two/ three years and witnesses live in the same town or locality, there is every likelihood of them being pressured by the accused. This leads to witnesses becoming hostile and the accused getting the benefit of it. The only exception, perhaps, is near relatives or witnesses having strong inimical relations with the accused. It is vital and necessary for the investigation to be completed within the shortest possible time and for the case to be listed for hearing. But nowadays, such things happen in Perry Mason novels only. In an exceptional departure, I remember a case where a court understood the difficulty of a foreign tourist who was raped in India and directed that the case be disposed of within a short time. It was disposed of in a month. |
As per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, the centre had proposed setting up 1,800 fast-track courts. However, it is believed that 60 percent of proposed fast-track courts are yet to be set up and many states and Union Territories don't have even a single fast-track court. |
If the scheme of fast-track courts is properly implemented, it will help restore people's faith in the criminal justice system. However, 2018 data of the National Crime Records Bureau tells a different story. |
In 2018, 28,000 cases were disposed of in fast-track courts in India. Out of these, only 22 percent were disposed of in less than a year, 42 percent took more than three years and 17 percent more than five years. This can hardly be expected from fast-track courts. |
It has been almost 20 years since the idea of fast-track courts for quick disposal of certain cases was initiated. The proposal was welcomed in judicial quarters as well as by the people at large. The creation of a new set of courts for specified cases was not meant to be a remedy for the huge pendency in different courts in India, which is believed to be three crore cases. Rather, fast-track courts were to deal with criminal cases involving major offences against women or those belonging to the underprivileged class such as sexual assault and murder. These offences create anger and insecurity in the general public. When cases arising out of such heinous or ghastly offences take years to reach a final verdict, most of the effectiveness of deterrent punishment is lost. Faith in the State in general and judiciary in particular gets weakened. |
When an accused guilty of committing a grave offence is punished, it is not only for the satisfaction of the victim or her family. It also reassures society that the law is effectively implemented. A verdict of guilty after the passage of years loses its incisiveness and importance. Delay in investigation, charge sheet filing, hearings and final judgment inflicts irreparable damage on the system. If the case is heard after two/ three years and witnesses live in the same town or locality, there is every likelihood of them being pressured by the accused. This leads to witnesses becoming hostile and the accused getting the benefit of it. The only exception, perhaps, is near relatives or witnesses having strong inimical relations with the accused. It is vital and necessary for the investigation to be completed within the shortest possible time and for the case to be listed for hearing. But nowadays, such things happen in Perry Mason novels only. In an exceptional departure, I remember a case where a court understood the difficulty of a foreign tourist who was raped in India and directed that the case be disposed of within a short time. It was disposed of in a month. |
As per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, the centre had proposed setting up 1,800 fast-track courts. However, it is believed that 60 percent of proposed fast-track courts are yet to be set up and many states and Union Territories don't have even a single fast-track court. |
If the scheme of fast-track courts is properly implemented, it will help restore people's faith in the criminal justice system. However, 2018 data of the National Crime Records Bureau tells a different story. |
In 2018, 28,000 cases were disposed of in fast-track courts in India. Out of these, only 22 percent were disposed of in less than a year, 42 percent took more than three years and 17 percent more than five years. This can hardly be expected from fast-track courts. |
It has been almost 20 years since the idea of fast-track courts for quick disposal of certain cases was initiated. The proposal was welcomed in judicial quarters as well as by the people at large. The creation of a new set of courts for specified cases was not meant to be a remedy for the huge pendency in different courts in India, which is believed to be three crore cases. Rather, fast-track courts were to deal with criminal cases involving major offences against women or those belonging to the underprivileged class such as sexual assault and murder. These offences create anger and insecurity in the general public. When cases arising out of such heinous or ghastly offences take years to reach a final verdict, most of the effectiveness of deterrent punishment is lost. Faith in the State in general and judiciary in particular gets weakened. |
When an accused guilty of committing a grave offence is punished, it is not only for the satisfaction of the victim or her family. It also reassures society that the law is effectively implemented. A verdict of guilty after the passage of years loses its incisiveness and importance. Delay in investigation, charge sheet filing, hearings and final judgment inflicts irreparable damage on the system. If the case is heard after two/ three years and witnesses live in the same town or locality, there is every likelihood of them being pressured by the accused. This leads to witnesses becoming hostile and the accused getting the benefit of it. The only exception, perhaps, is near relatives or witnesses having strong inimical relations with the accused. It is vital and necessary for the investigation to be completed within the shortest possible time and for the case to be listed for hearing. But nowadays, such things happen in Perry Mason novels only. In an exceptional departure, I remember a case where a court understood the difficulty of a foreign tourist who was raped in India and directed that the case be disposed of within a short time. It was disposed of in a month. |
As per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, the centre had proposed setting up 1,800 fast-track courts. However, it is believed that 60 percent of proposed fast-track courts are yet to be set up and many states and Union Territories don't have even a single fast-track court. |
If the scheme of fast-track courts is properly implemented, it will help restore people's faith in the criminal justice system. However, 2018 data of the National Crime Records Bureau tells a different story. |
In 2018, 28,000 cases were disposed of in fast-track courts in India. Out of these, only 22 percent were disposed of in less than a year, 42 percent took more than three years and 17 percent more than five years. This can hardly be expected from fast-track courts. |
It has been almost 20 years since the idea of fast-track courts for quick disposal of certain cases was initiated. The proposal was welcomed in judicial quarters as well as by the people at large. The creation of a new set of courts for specified cases was not meant to be a remedy for the huge pendency in different courts in India, which is believed to be three crore cases. Rather, fast-track courts were to deal with criminal cases involving major offences against women or those belonging to the underprivileged class such as sexual assault and murder. These offences create anger and insecurity in the general public. When cases arising out of such heinous or ghastly offences take years to reach a final verdict, most of the effectiveness of deterrent punishment is lost. Faith in the State in general and judiciary in particular gets weakened. |
When an accused guilty of committing a grave offence is punished, it is not only for the satisfaction of the victim or her family. It also reassures society that the law is effectively implemented. A verdict of guilty after the passage of years loses its incisiveness and importance. Delay in investigation, charge sheet filing, hearings and final judgment inflicts irreparable damage on the system. If the case is heard after two/ three years and witnesses live in the same town or locality, there is every likelihood of them being pressured by the accused. This leads to witnesses becoming hostile and the accused getting the benefit of it. The only exception, perhaps, is near relatives or witnesses having strong inimical relations with the accused. It is vital and necessary for the investigation to be completed within the shortest possible time and for the case to be listed for hearing. But nowadays, such things happen in Perry Mason novels only. In an exceptional departure, I remember a case where a court understood the difficulty of a foreign tourist who was raped in India and directed that the case be disposed of within a short time. It was disposed of in a month. |
As per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, the centre had proposed setting up 1,800 fast-track courts. However, it is believed that 60 percent of proposed fast-track courts are yet to be set up and many states and Union Territories don't have even a single fast-track court. |
If the scheme of fast-track courts is properly implemented, it will help restore people's faith in the criminal justice system. However, 2018 data of the National Crime Records Bureau tells a different story. |
In 2018, 28,000 cases were disposed of in fast-track courts in India. Out of these, only 22 percent were disposed of in less than a year, 42 percent took more than three years and 17 percent more than five years. This can hardly be expected from fast-track courts. |
It has been almost 20 years since the idea of fast-track courts for quick disposal of certain cases was initiated. The proposal was welcomed in judicial quarters as well as by the people at large. The creation of a new set of courts for specified cases was not meant to be a remedy for the huge pendency in different courts in India, which is believed to be three crore cases. Rather, fast-track courts were to deal with criminal cases involving major offences against women or those belonging to the underprivileged class such as sexual assault and murder. These offences create anger and insecurity in the general public. When cases arising out of such heinous or ghastly offences take years to reach a final verdict, most of the effectiveness of deterrent punishment is lost. Faith in the State in general and judiciary in particular gets weakened. |
When an accused guilty of committing a grave offence is punished, it is not only for the satisfaction of the victim or her family. It also reassures society that the law is effectively implemented. A verdict of guilty after the passage of years loses its incisiveness and importance. Delay in investigation, charge sheet filing, hearings and final judgment inflicts irreparable damage on the system. If the case is heard after two/ three years and witnesses live in the same town or locality, there is every likelihood of them being pressured by the accused. This leads to witnesses becoming hostile and the accused getting the benefit of it. The only exception, perhaps, is near relatives or witnesses having strong inimical relations with the accused. It is vital and necessary for the investigation to be completed within the shortest possible time and for the case to be listed for hearing. But nowadays, such things happen in Perry Mason novels only. In an exceptional departure, I remember a case where a court understood the difficulty of a foreign tourist who was raped in India and directed that the case be disposed of within a short time. It was disposed of in a month. |
As per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, the centre had proposed setting up 1,800 fast-track courts. However, it is believed that 60 percent of proposed fast-track courts are yet to be set up and many states and Union Territories don't have even a single fast-track court. |
If the scheme of fast-track courts is properly implemented, it will help restore people's faith in the criminal justice system. However, 2018 data of the National Crime Records Bureau tells a different story. |
In 2018, 28,000 cases were disposed of in fast-track courts in India. Out of these, only 22 percent were disposed of in less than a year, 42 percent took more than three years and 17 percent more than five years. This can hardly be expected from fast-track courts. |
A researcher has found that the aggregate time taken by a regular court to dispose of a case was less than that taken by a fast-track court. It is not proper to blame the scheme and permit the government to scrap it. The reasons behind such a state of affairs should be considered. |
Firstly, there are not enough Judges to man fast-track courts. In addition, to act speedily, a judge needs a suitable temperament and proper assistance. In some states, judges who have recently retired were re-employed and appointed in fast-track courts. When this proved to be inadequate, some judges working in the district judiciary were designated as fast-track court judges. Drafting judges from the existing judiciary is no remedy either for speedy disposal of cases or for lessoning pendency. The district judiciary is also short of judges. Even the sanctioned strength is not filled in many states, saving the government more expenditure. |
Courts also face another practical difficulty in the disposal of cases. Most of the work is concentrated in the hands of a few advocates. It is difficult to compel or seek their presence at the convenience of the court. Judges too have to accommodate them. Sometimes, even sessions cases cannot be heard on a day-to-day basis as required by law. |
After the Introduction of the scheme in 2000, central and state governments provided finances for these courts, particularly the salaries of the judges. Whether the amount disbursed was sufficient or not is a different question. A judge cannot work in isolation. He needs accommodation to sit, clerical assistance and minimum office equipment. To try and get all these done with the existing amenities cannot be a proper approach. |
Fast-track courts are treated as a temporary measure by governments. Considering that all efforts to clear pendency have not been very successful, we will have to bear with the problem for another 20 years. Why not give a semi-permanent status to the fast-track court scheme and make regular appointments? It is true that such a step would increase the allocated budget for law and judiciary. Unfortunately, this is not a priority for political parties. But they should understand that increasing the number of courts and disposal of long-pending cases will have a salutary effect on society. But it will not fetch immediate political gain. Only those who care for long-term benefits and are courageous to stand by measures in this regard can do it. |
If we believe that fast disposal of at least criminal cases will help restore confidence in the people about their safety and ensure peace in society, let a law be framed to provide for fast-track courts and make a permanent arrangement for their survival. It should be uniformly applicable to the whole of India and should depend only on central funding. The law may provide a duration of some 20 years for the existence of fast-track courts as it is hoped that this is sufficient to wipe out the arrears and there would be no need for fast-track courts. They should function under the supervision of relevant High Courts. Public prosecutors should be appointed for a certain period and the appointment should be given to lawyers with experience in conducting criminal cases. |
A researcher has found that the aggregate time taken by a regular court to dispose of a case was less than that taken by a fast-track court. It is not proper to blame the scheme and permit the government to scrap it. The reasons behind such a state of affairs should be considered. |
Firstly, there are not enough Judges to man fast-track courts. In addition, to act speedily, a judge needs a suitable temperament and proper assistance. In some states, judges who have recently retired were re-employed and appointed in fast-track courts. When this proved to be inadequate, some judges working in the district judiciary were designated as fast-track court judges. Drafting judges from the existing judiciary is no remedy either for speedy disposal of cases or for lessoning pendency. The district judiciary is also short of judges. Even the sanctioned strength is not filled in many states, saving the government more expenditure. |
Courts also face another practical difficulty in the disposal of cases. Most of the work is concentrated in the hands of a few advocates. It is difficult to compel or seek their presence at the convenience of the court. Judges too have to accommodate them. Sometimes, even sessions cases cannot be heard on a day-to-day basis as required by law. |
After the Introduction of the scheme in 2000, central and state governments provided finances for these courts, particularly the salaries of the judges. Whether the amount disbursed was sufficient or not is a different question. A judge cannot work in isolation. He needs accommodation to sit, clerical assistance and minimum office equipment. To try and get all these done with the existing amenities cannot be a proper approach. |
Fast-track courts are treated as a temporary measure by governments. Considering that all efforts to clear pendency have not been very successful, we will have to bear with the problem for another 20 years. Why not give a semi-permanent status to the fast-track court scheme and make regular appointments? It is true that such a step would increase the allocated budget for law and judiciary. Unfortunately, this is not a priority for political parties. But they should understand that increasing the number of courts and disposal of long-pending cases will have a salutary effect on society. But it will not fetch immediate political gain. Only those who care for long-term benefits and are courageous to stand by measures in this regard can do it. |
If we believe that fast disposal of at least criminal cases will help restore confidence in the people about their safety and ensure peace in society, let a law be framed to provide for fast-track courts and make a permanent arrangement for their survival. It should be uniformly applicable to the whole of India and should depend only on central funding. The law may provide a duration of some 20 years for the existence of fast-track courts as it is hoped that this is sufficient to wipe out the arrears and there would be no need for fast-track courts. They should function under the supervision of relevant High Courts. Public prosecutors should be appointed for a certain period and the appointment should be given to lawyers with experience in conducting criminal cases. |
A researcher has found that the aggregate time taken by a regular court to dispose of a case was less than that taken by a fast-track court. It is not proper to blame the scheme and permit the government to scrap it. The reasons behind such a state of affairs should be considered. |
Firstly, there are not enough Judges to man fast-track courts. In addition, to act speedily, a judge needs a suitable temperament and proper assistance. In some states, judges who have recently retired were re-employed and appointed in fast-track courts. When this proved to be inadequate, some judges working in the district judiciary were designated as fast-track court judges. Drafting judges from the existing judiciary is no remedy either for speedy disposal of cases or for lessoning pendency. The district judiciary is also short of judges. Even the sanctioned strength is not filled in many states, saving the government more expenditure. |
Courts also face another practical difficulty in the disposal of cases. Most of the work is concentrated in the hands of a few advocates. It is difficult to compel or seek their presence at the convenience of the court. Judges too have to accommodate them. Sometimes, even sessions cases cannot be heard on a day-to-day basis as required by law. |
After the Introduction of the scheme in 2000, central and state governments provided finances for these courts, particularly the salaries of the judges. Whether the amount disbursed was sufficient or not is a different question. A judge cannot work in isolation. He needs accommodation to sit, clerical assistance and minimum office equipment. To try and get all these done with the existing amenities cannot be a proper approach. |
Fast-track courts are treated as a temporary measure by governments. Considering that all efforts to clear pendency have not been very successful, we will have to bear with the problem for another 20 years. Why not give a semi-permanent status to the fast-track court scheme and make regular appointments? It is true that such a step would increase the allocated budget for law and judiciary. Unfortunately, this is not a priority for political parties. But they should understand that increasing the number of courts and disposal of long-pending cases will have a salutary effect on society. But it will not fetch immediate political gain. Only those who care for long-term benefits and are courageous to stand by measures in this regard can do it. |
If we believe that fast disposal of at least criminal cases will help restore confidence in the people about their safety and ensure peace in society, let a law be framed to provide for fast-track courts and make a permanent arrangement for their survival. It should be uniformly applicable to the whole of India and should depend only on central funding. The law may provide a duration of some 20 years for the existence of fast-track courts as it is hoped that this is sufficient to wipe out the arrears and there would be no need for fast-track courts. They should function under the supervision of relevant High Courts. Public prosecutors should be appointed for a certain period and the appointment should be given to lawyers with experience in conducting criminal cases. |
A researcher has found that the aggregate time taken by a regular court to dispose of a case was less than that taken by a fast-track court. It is not proper to blame the scheme and permit the government to scrap it. The reasons behind such a state of affairs should be considered. |
Firstly, there are not enough Judges to man fast-track courts. In addition, to act speedily, a judge needs a suitable temperament and proper assistance. In some states, judges who have recently retired were re-employed and appointed in fast-track courts. When this proved to be inadequate, some judges working in the district judiciary were designated as fast-track court judges. Drafting judges from the existing judiciary is no remedy either for speedy disposal of cases or for lessoning pendency. The district judiciary is also short of judges. Even the sanctioned strength is not filled in many states, saving the government more expenditure. |
Courts also face another practical difficulty in the disposal of cases. Most of the work is concentrated in the hands of a few advocates. It is difficult to compel or seek their presence at the convenience of the court. Judges too have to accommodate them. Sometimes, even sessions cases cannot be heard on a day-to-day basis as required by law. |
After the Introduction of the scheme in 2000, central and state governments provided finances for these courts, particularly the salaries of the judges. Whether the amount disbursed was sufficient or not is a different question. A judge cannot work in isolation. He needs accommodation to sit, clerical assistance and minimum office equipment. To try and get all these done with the existing amenities cannot be a proper approach. |
Fast-track courts are treated as a temporary measure by governments. Considering that all efforts to clear pendency have not been very successful, we will have to bear with the problem for another 20 years. Why not give a semi-permanent status to the fast-track court scheme and make regular appointments? It is true that such a step would increase the allocated budget for law and judiciary. Unfortunately, this is not a priority for political parties. But they should understand that increasing the number of courts and disposal of long-pending cases will have a salutary effect on society. But it will not fetch immediate political gain. Only those who care for long-term benefits and are courageous to stand by measures in this regard can do it. |
If we believe that fast disposal of at least criminal cases will help restore confidence in the people about their safety and ensure peace in society, let a law be framed to provide for fast-track courts and make a permanent arrangement for their survival. It should be uniformly applicable to the whole of India and should depend only on central funding. The law may provide a duration of some 20 years for the existence of fast-track courts as it is hoped that this is sufficient to wipe out the arrears and there would be no need for fast-track courts. They should function under the supervision of relevant High Courts. Public prosecutors should be appointed for a certain period and the appointment should be given to lawyers with experience in conducting criminal cases. |
A researcher has found that the aggregate time taken by a regular court to dispose of a case was less than that taken by a fast-track court. It is not proper to blame the scheme and permit the government to scrap it. The reasons behind such a state of affairs should be considered. |
Firstly, there are not enough Judges to man fast-track courts. In addition, to act speedily, a judge needs a suitable temperament and proper assistance. In some states, judges who have recently retired were re-employed and appointed in fast-track courts. When this proved to be inadequate, some judges working in the district judiciary were designated as fast-track court judges. Drafting judges from the existing judiciary is no remedy either for speedy disposal of cases or for lessoning pendency. The district judiciary is also short of judges. Even the sanctioned strength is not filled in many states, saving the government more expenditure. |
Courts also face another practical difficulty in the disposal of cases. Most of the work is concentrated in the hands of a few advocates. It is difficult to compel or seek their presence at the convenience of the court. Judges too have to accommodate them. Sometimes, even sessions cases cannot be heard on a day-to-day basis as required by law. |
After the Introduction of the scheme in 2000, central and state governments provided finances for these courts, particularly the salaries of the judges. Whether the amount disbursed was sufficient or not is a different question. A judge cannot work in isolation. He needs accommodation to sit, clerical assistance and minimum office equipment. To try and get all these done with the existing amenities cannot be a proper approach. |
Fast-track courts are treated as a temporary measure by governments. Considering that all efforts to clear pendency have not been very successful, we will have to bear with the problem for another 20 years. Why not give a semi-permanent status to the fast-track court scheme and make regular appointments? It is true that such a step would increase the allocated budget for law and judiciary. Unfortunately, this is not a priority for political parties. But they should understand that increasing the number of courts and disposal of long-pending cases will have a salutary effect on society. But it will not fetch immediate political gain. Only those who care for long-term benefits and are courageous to stand by measures in this regard can do it. |
If we believe that fast disposal of at least criminal cases will help restore confidence in the people about their safety and ensure peace in society, let a law be framed to provide for fast-track courts and make a permanent arrangement for their survival. It should be uniformly applicable to the whole of India and should depend only on central funding. The law may provide a duration of some 20 years for the existence of fast-track courts as it is hoped that this is sufficient to wipe out the arrears and there would be no need for fast-track courts. They should function under the supervision of relevant High Courts. Public prosecutors should be appointed for a certain period and the appointment should be given to lawyers with experience in conducting criminal cases. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Open defecation is the human practice of defecating outside or in the open environment rather than into a toilet. People may choose fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals or other open space for defecation. They do so because either they do not have a toilet readily accessible or due to traditional practices. The practice is common where sanitation infrastructure and services are not available. Even if toilets are available, behavior change efforts may still be needed to promote the use of toilets. It is not just the matter of cleanliness but also psychological change. The term "open defecation free" (ODF) is used to describe communities that have shifted to using a toilet instead of open defecation. This can happen for example after community-led total sanitation programs have been implemented. Ending open defecation is an indicator being used to measure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal. Therefore, eliminating open defecation is thought to be an important part of the effort to eliminate poverty. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Open defecation is the human practice of defecating outside or in the open environment rather than into a toilet. People may choose fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals or other open space for defecation. They do so because either they do not have a toilet readily accessible or due to traditional practices. The practice is common where sanitation infrastructure and services are not available. Even if toilets are available, behavior change efforts may still be needed to promote the use of toilets. It is not just the matter of cleanliness but also psychological change. The term "open defecation free" (ODF) is used to describe communities that have shifted to using a toilet instead of open defecation. This can happen for example after community-led total sanitation programs have been implemented. Ending open defecation is an indicator being used to measure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal. Therefore, eliminating open defecation is thought to be an important part of the effort to eliminate poverty. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Open defecation is the human practice of defecating outside or in the open environment rather than into a toilet. People may choose fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals or other open space for defecation. They do so because either they do not have a toilet readily accessible or due to traditional practices. The practice is common where sanitation infrastructure and services are not available. Even if toilets are available, behavior change efforts may still be needed to promote the use of toilets. It is not just the matter of cleanliness but also psychological change. The term "open defecation free" (ODF) is used to describe communities that have shifted to using a toilet instead of open defecation. This can happen for example after community-led total sanitation programs have been implemented. Ending open defecation is an indicator being used to measure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal. Therefore, eliminating open defecation is thought to be an important part of the effort to eliminate poverty. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Open defecation is the human practice of defecating outside or in the open environment rather than into a toilet. People may choose fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals or other open space for defecation. They do so because either they do not have a toilet readily accessible or due to traditional practices. The practice is common where sanitation infrastructure and services are not available. Even if toilets are available, behavior change efforts may still be needed to promote the use of toilets. It is not just the matter of cleanliness but also psychological change. The term "open defecation free" (ODF) is used to describe communities that have shifted to using a toilet instead of open defecation. This can happen for example after community-led total sanitation programs have been implemented. Ending open defecation is an indicator being used to measure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal. Therefore, eliminating open defecation is thought to be an important part of the effort to eliminate poverty. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Divorce of parents has a very emotional impact on children. Kids do not understand why they have two homes, and it becomes exhausting for them to believe in marriages. They additionally feel that their partners might leave them someday. Studies have shown that within the United States, the daughters of divorced parents have a 60% higher divorce rate than those of non-divorced parents. Around 35% children are confused about understanding the dynamic of modified relations; they will have poor performance in academics. If kids are distracted, it is hard for them to focus on their school or daily routine work. Divorce makes children terribly emotionally sensitive. Feelings of loss, anger, confusion, anxiety, are common's sometimes, kids aren't feeling that they are the reason for divorce, ultimately leading to stress and depression in them. Long term effects include social and behavioral problems, troubled in a relationship, the substance of abuse and a depression. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Divorce of parents has a very emotional impact on children. Kids do not understand why they have two homes, and it becomes exhausting for them to believe in marriages. They additionally feel that their partners might leave them someday. Studies have shown that within the United States, the daughters of divorced parents have a 60% higher divorce rate than those of non-divorced parents. Around 35% children are confused about understanding the dynamic of modified relations; they will have poor performance in academics. If kids are distracted, it is hard for them to focus on their school or daily routine work. Divorce makes children terribly emotionally sensitive. Feelings of loss, anger, confusion, anxiety, are common's sometimes, kids aren't feeling that they are the reason for divorce, ultimately leading to stress and depression in them. Long term effects include social and behavioral problems, troubled in a relationship, the substance of abuse and a depression. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Divorce of parents has a very emotional impact on children. Kids do not understand why they have two homes, and it becomes exhausting for them to believe in marriages. They additionally feel that their partners might leave them someday. Studies have shown that within the United States, the daughters of divorced parents have a 60% higher divorce rate than those of non-divorced parents. Around 35% children are confused about understanding the dynamic of modified relations; they will have poor performance in academics. If kids are distracted, it is hard for them to focus on their school or daily routine work. Divorce makes children terribly emotionally sensitive. Feelings of loss, anger, confusion, anxiety, are common's sometimes, kids aren't feeling that they are the reason for divorce, ultimately leading to stress and depression in them. Long term effects include social and behavioral problems, troubled in a relationship, the substance of abuse and a depression. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Divorce of parents has a very emotional impact on children. Kids do not understand why they have two homes, and it becomes exhausting for them to believe in marriages. They additionally feel that their partners might leave them someday. Studies have shown that within the United States, the daughters of divorced parents have a 60% higher divorce rate than those of non-divorced parents. Around 35% children are confused about understanding the dynamic of modified relations; they will have poor performance in academics. If kids are distracted, it is hard for them to focus on their school or daily routine work. Divorce makes children terribly emotionally sensitive. Feelings of loss, anger, confusion, anxiety, are common's sometimes, kids aren't feeling that they are the reason for divorce, ultimately leading to stress and depression in them. Long term effects include social and behavioral problems, troubled in a relationship, the substance of abuse and a depression. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Throughout the duration of the semester, I have learned many valuable pieces of information that will assist me in my future professional endeavors, such as how to become the most effective leader that I am capable of by utilizing my strongest strengths and for traits, being open to constructive feedback from leaders and teammates. I have also learned that every employee or worker will have different needs or requests from their leaders that will greatly differ from person to person, which is why leaders should always try their best to ask their team members what would be the most effective method of assisting them in reaching their goals. I have also learned many new and informative lessons from the case studies that we have reviewed over the course of the semester. For the McDonald's case study, I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I had not given much thought to how the fast food chain has been able to remain so successful since the 1950's until learning that they have used various strategies over the years. Instead, I simply believed the restaurant was able to experience success because they provided consumers fast meals at low prices. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Throughout the duration of the semester, I have learned many valuable pieces of information that will assist me in my future professional endeavors, such as how to become the most effective leader that I am capable of by utilizing my strongest strengths and for traits, being open to constructive feedback from leaders and teammates. I have also learned that every employee or worker will have different needs or requests from their leaders that will greatly differ from person to person, which is why leaders should always try their best to ask their team members what would be the most effective method of assisting them in reaching their goals. I have also learned many new and informative lessons from the case studies that we have reviewed over the course of the semester. For the McDonald's case study, I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I had not given much thought to how the fast food chain has been able to remain so successful since the 1950's until learning that they have used various strategies over the years. Instead, I simply believed the restaurant was able to experience success because they provided consumers fast meals at low prices. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Throughout the duration of the semester, I have learned many valuable pieces of information that will assist me in my future professional endeavors, such as how to become the most effective leader that I am capable of by utilizing my strongest strengths and for traits, being open to constructive feedback from leaders and teammates. I have also learned that every employee or worker will have different needs or requests from their leaders that will greatly differ from person to person, which is why leaders should always try their best to ask their team members what would be the most effective method of assisting them in reaching their goals. I have also learned many new and informative lessons from the case studies that we have reviewed over the course of the semester. For the McDonald's case study, I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I had not given much thought to how the fast food chain has been able to remain so successful since the 1950's until learning that they have used various strategies over the years. Instead, I simply believed the restaurant was able to experience success because they provided consumers fast meals at low prices. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Throughout the duration of the semester, I have learned many valuable pieces of information that will assist me in my future professional endeavors, such as how to become the most effective leader that I am capable of by utilizing my strongest strengths and for traits, being open to constructive feedback from leaders and teammates. I have also learned that every employee or worker will have different needs or requests from their leaders that will greatly differ from person to person, which is why leaders should always try their best to ask their team members what would be the most effective method of assisting them in reaching their goals. I have also learned many new and informative lessons from the case studies that we have reviewed over the course of the semester. For the McDonald's case study, I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I had not given much thought to how the fast food chain has been able to remain so successful since the 1950's until learning that they have used various strategies over the years. Instead, I simply believed the restaurant was able to experience success because they provided consumers fast meals at low prices. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Throughout the duration of the semester, I have learned many valuable pieces of information that will assist me in my future professional endeavors, such as how to become the most effective leader that I am capable of by utilizing my strongest strengths and for traits, being open to constructive feedback from leaders and teammates. I have also learned that every employee or worker will have different needs or requests from their leaders that will greatly differ from person to person, which is why leaders should always try their best to ask their team members what would be the most effective method of assisting them in reaching their goals. I have also learned many new and informative lessons from the case studies that we have reviewed over the course of the semester. For the McDonald's case study, I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I had not given much thought to how the fast food chain has been able to remain so successful since the 1950's until learning that they have used various strategies over the years. Instead, I simply believed the restaurant was able to experience success because they provided consumers fast meals at low prices. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
The first claim Feyerabend presents, is the idea that the scientific innovation cannot be accepted even if we do claim to have evidence. According to him, scientific material and experiences must have a personal interaction with whoever and whatever it comes in contact with to essentially appear objectively as well as give one the belief in science. Similarly, tie notes that the belief in science is not by sight or experience solely because, regardless of what entity we talk about, they may not want to be found. A claim he makes to reinforce this idea is that matter can be captured; however what we can God cannot. In the case of Mathews, she extrapolates that "It is through reason that we make our beliefs accountable to others. When we have reason and proof behind our statements and claims, we are inclined to believe. In contrast to Feyerabend, proof of scientific innovation involves observations and repeated trials regardless of interaction with the individual. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
The first claim Feyerabend presents, is the idea that the scientific innovation cannot be accepted even if we do claim to have evidence. According to him, scientific material and experiences must have a personal interaction with whoever and whatever it comes in contact with to essentially appear objectively as well as give one the belief in science. Similarly, tie notes that the belief in science is not by sight or experience solely because, regardless of what entity we talk about, they may not want to be found. A claim he makes to reinforce this idea is that matter can be captured; however what we can God cannot. In the case of Mathews, she extrapolates that "It is through reason that we make our beliefs accountable to others. When we have reason and proof behind our statements and claims, we are inclined to believe. In contrast to Feyerabend, proof of scientific innovation involves observations and repeated trials regardless of interaction with the individual. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
The first claim Feyerabend presents, is the idea that the scientific innovation cannot be accepted even if we do claim to have evidence. According to him, scientific material and experiences must have a personal interaction with whoever and whatever it comes in contact with to essentially appear objectively as well as give one the belief in science. Similarly, tie notes that the belief in science is not by sight or experience solely because, regardless of what entity we talk about, they may not want to be found. A claim he makes to reinforce this idea is that matter can be captured; however what we can God cannot. In the case of Mathews, she extrapolates that It is through reason that we make our beliefs accountable to others. When we have reason and proof behind our statements and claims, we are inclined to believe. In contrast to Feyerabend, proof of scientific innovation involves observations and repeated trials regardless of interaction with the individual. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
The first claim Feyerabend presents, is the idea that the scientific innovation cannot be accepted even if we do claim to have evidence. According to him, scientific material and experiences must have a personal interaction with whoever and whatever it comes in contact with to essentially appear objectively as well as give one the belief in science. Similarly, tie notes that the belief in science is not by sight or experience solely because, regardless of what entity we talk about, they may not want to be found. A claim he makes to reinforce this idea is that matter can be captured; however what we can God cannot. In the case of Mathews, she extrapolates that "It is through reason that we make our beliefs accountable to others. When we have reason and proof behind our statements and claims, we are inclined to believe. In contrast to Feyerabend, proof of scientific innovation involves observations and repeated trials regardless of interaction with the individual. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
The first claim Feyerabend presents, is the idea that the scientific innovation cannot be accepted even if we do claim to have evidence. According to him, scientific material and experiences must have a personal interaction with whoever and whatever it comes in contact with to essentially appear objectively as well as give one the belief in science. Similarly, tie notes that the belief in science is not by sight or experience solely because, regardless of what entity we talk about, they may not want to be found. A claim he makes to reinforce this idea is that matter can be captured; however what we can God cannot. In the case of Mathews, she extrapolates that "It is through reason that we make our beliefs accountable to others. When we have reason and proof behind our statements and claims, we are inclined to believe. In contrast to Feyerabend, proof of scientific innovation involves observations and repeated trials regardless of interaction with the individual. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Management has moved an extraordinary separation along the continuum of improvement. This gradual development has led to management having a unique position that its influence is felt in all activities of our life. The management process was first witnessed during the period of human civilization and even before that. During this early period, several groups of people such as military personnel utilized discrete practices and experiences, which later culminated to become theories. The Managers utilized these theories by striving to increase organizational efficiency that will lead to an increase in organizational production. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Management has moved an extraordinary separation along the continuum of improvement. This gradual development has led to management having a unique position that its influence is felt in all activities of our life. The management process was first witnessed during the period of human civilization and even before that. During this early period, several groups of people such as military personnel utilized discrete practices and experiences, which later culminated to become theories. The Managers utilized these theories by striving to increase organizational efficiency that will lead to an increase in organizational production. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Management has moved an extraordinary separation along the continuum of improvement. This gradual development has led to management having a unique position that its influence is felt in all activities of our life. The management process was first witnessed during the period of human civilization and even before that. During this early period, several groups of people such as military personnel utilized discrete practices and experiences, which later culminated to become theories. The Managers utilized these theories by striving to increase organizational efficiency that will lead to an increase in organizational production. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
An example of character versus character conflict is coworkers arguing about how to complete a task in the most efficient way. An example of a character versus nature is a hurricane destroying a family's house. Lastly, an example of man versus society is people disregarding stereotypes and doing what makes them happy, causing backlash from others. Internal conflict can be just as hard to deal with as external conflict, if not harder in some circumstances. Internal conflicts can be hard for an individual to recognize, since this type of conflict usually deals with emotions such as fear, love, and issues that the person maybe has not identified. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
An example of character versus character conflict is coworkers arguing about how to complete a task in the most efficient way. An example of a character versus nature is a hurricane destroying a family's house. Lastly, an example of man versus society is people disregarding stereotypes and doing what makes them happy, causing backlash from others. Internal conflict can be just as hard to deal with as external conflict, if not harder in some circumstances. Internal conflicts can be hard for an individual to recognize, since this type of conflict usually deals with emotions such as fear, love, and issues that the person maybe has not identified. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
An example of character versus character conflict is coworkers arguing about how to complete a task in the most efficient way. An example of a character versus nature is a hurricane destroying a family's house. Lastly, an example of man versus society is people disregarding stereotypes and doing what makes them happy, causing backlash from others. Internal conflict can be just as hard to deal with as external conflict, if not harder in some circumstances. Internal conflicts can be hard for an individual to recognize, since this type of conflict usually deals with emotions such as fear, love, and issues that the person maybe has not identified. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Medical law has developed over the years, in the 18th century doctors were considered gods. However in the 21st century, this status has changed, patients and doctors, relationship is seen as a contract. There are a lot of factors that plays a role in the change of the doctor's status over the years, and one of those factors are consent when limiting the doctor to the consent of his or her patient, that the courts have enforced by limiting the doctor's powers to treat the person in the patient's interest. The adults must have the choice to be treated as they wish, which indicates that every adult has a right to choose their own treatment even if it is not in the best interest of the patient. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Medical law has developed over the years, in the 18th century doctors were considered gods. However in the 21st century, this status has changed, patients and doctors, relationship is seen as a contract. There are a lot of factors that plays a role in the change of the doctor's status over the years, and one of those factors are consent when limiting the doctor to the consent of his or her patient, that the courts have enforced by limiting the doctor's powers to treat the person in the patient's interest. The adults must have the choice to be treated as they wish, which indicates that every adult has a right to choose their own treatment even if it is not in the best interest of the patient. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Medical law has developed over the years, in the 18th century doctors were considered gods. However in the 21st century, this status has changed, patients and doctors, relationship is seen as a contract. There are a lot of factors that plays a role in the change of the doctor's status over the years, and one of those factors are consent when limiting the doctor to the consent of his or her patient, that the courts have enforced by limiting the doctor's powers to treat the person in the patient's interest. The adults must have the choice to be treated as they wish, which indicates that every adult has a right to choose their own treatment even if it is not in the best interest of the patient. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Communication is still one of the major problems that are affecting the health care department today. The study puts emphasis on how and what can be done to improve communication in the health care department most especially within the nursing sector. Over the years, organizations looking at enhancing their communication and sharing abilities have used team building tactics to gain the edge. Processes and standards on how team building can lead to quick and easy problem solving in the healthcare sector have set the grade that has seen an increase in performance. While to some entities it turns out to be of merit to institute teams, others find them to be disadvantageous as some departments operate in solitude. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Communication is still one of the major problems that are affecting the health care department today. The study puts emphasis on how and what can be done to improve communication in the health care department most especially within the nursing sector. Over the years, organizations looking at enhancing their communication and sharing abilities have used team building tactics to gain the edge. Processes and standards on how team building can lead to quick and easy problem solving in the healthcare sector have set the grade that has seen an increase in performance. While to some entities it turns out to be of merit to institute teams, others find them to be disadvantageous as some departments operate in solitude. |
Direction: Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below: |
Communication is still one of the major problems that are affecting the health care department today. The study puts emphasis on how and what can be done to improve communication in the health care department most especially within the nursing sector. Over the years, organizations looking at enhancing their communication and sharing abilities have used team building tactics to gain the edge. Processes and standards on how team building can lead to quick and easy problem solving in the healthcare sector have set the grade that has seen an increase in performance. While to some entities it turns out to be of merit to institute teams, others find them to be disadvantageous as some departments operate in solitude. |
Direction: Study the graph carefully to answer the questions that follow: | ||||||||||||||||||
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Note: Mark. - Marketing; Fin. Finance; Prod. Production; Mer. Merchandising |
Direction: Study the graph carefully to answer the questions that follow: | ||||||||||||||||||
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DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF AN ORGANIZATION AND THE RATIO OF MALES TO FEMALES | ||||||||||||||||||
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Note: Mark. - Marketing; Fin. Finance; Prod. Production; Mer. Merchandising |
Direction: Study the graph carefully to answer the questions that follow: | ||||||||||||||||||
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DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF AN ORGANIZATION AND THE RATIO OF MALES TO FEMALES | ||||||||||||||||||
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Note: Mark. - Marketing; Fin. Finance; Prod. Production; Mer. Merchandising |
Direction: Study the graph carefully to answer the questions that follow: | ||||||||||||||||||
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DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF AN ORGANIZATION AND THE RATIO OF MALES TO FEMALES | ||||||||||||||||||
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Note: Mark. - Marketing; Fin. Finance; Prod. Production; Mer. Merchandising |
Direction: Study the graph carefully to answer the questions that follow: | ||||||||||||||||||
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DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF AN ORGANIZATION AND THE RATIO OF MALES TO FEMALES | ||||||||||||||||||
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Note: Mark. - Marketing; Fin. Finance; Prod. Production; Mer. Merchandising |
Direction: Study the following graph carefully to answer the questions that follow: |
Runs scored by three different teams in five different cricket matches |
Direction: Study the following graph carefully to answer the questions that follow: |
Runs scored by three different teams in five different cricket matches |
Direction: Study the following graph carefully to answer the questions that follow: |
Runs scored by three different teams in five different cricket matches |
Directions (141-145): Study the following graph carefully to answer the questions that follow: |
Runs scored by three different teams in five different cricket matches |
Direction: Study the following graph carefully to answer the questions that follow: |
Runs scored by three different teams in five different cricket matches |
Direction: Answer the questions given below based on the following data. |
A total of 250 students of a class play different games viz. Football, Hockey, Chess, Badminton, Table Tennis and Tennis. The ratio of girls to boys in the class of 250 is 13 : 12 respectively. 50% of the girls play Table Tennis and Badminton only. 20% of the boys play Football, Hockey and Tennis only. 15% of the boys play Tennis and Chess only. The ratio of number of girls to boys playing Tennis and Chess only is 2 : 3 respectively. 30% of the girls play Hockey and Chess only. 10% of the girls play Chess, Badminton and Table Tennis only. The remaining girls play only Football. Boys playing Table Tennis and Badminton only is 20% of the girls playing the same. 40% of the boys play only Football. The remaining boys play only Chess. |
Direction: Answer the questions given below based on the following data. |
A total of 250 students of a class play different games viz. Football, Hockey, Chess, Badminton, Table Tennis and Tennis. The ratio of girls to boys in the class of 250 is 13 : 12 respectively. 50% of the girls play Table Tennis and Badminton only. 20% of the boys play Football, Hockey and Tennis only. 15% of the boys play Tennis and Chess only. The ratio of number of girls to boys playing Tennis and Chess only is 2 : 3 respectively. 30% of the girls play Hockey and Chess only. 10% of the girls play Chess, Badminton and Table Tennis only. The remaining girls play only Football. Boys playing Table Tennis and Badminton only is 20% of the girls playing the same. 40% of the boys play only Football. The remaining boys play only Chess. |
Direction: Answer the questions given below based on the following data. |
A total of 250 students of a class play different games viz. Football, Hockey, Chess, Badminton, Table Tennis and Tennis. The ratio of girls to boys in the class of 250 is 13 : 12 respectively. 50% of the girls play Table Tennis and Badminton only. 20% of the boys play Football, Hockey and Tennis only. 15% of the boys play Tennis and Chess only. The ratio of number of girls to boys playing Tennis and Chess only is 2 : 3 respectively. 30% of the girls play Hockey and Chess only. 10% of the girls play Chess, Badminton and Table Tennis only. The remaining girls play only Football. Boys playing Table Tennis and Badminton only is 20% of the girls playing the same. 40% of the boys play only Football. The remaining boys play only Chess. |
Direction: Answer the questions given below based on the following data. |
A total of 250 students of a class play different games viz. Football, Hockey, Chess, Badminton, Table Tennis and Tennis. The ratio of girls to boys in the class of 250 is 13 : 12 respectively. 50% of the girls play Table Tennis and Badminton only. 20% of the boys play Football, Hockey and Tennis only. 15% of the boys play Tennis and Chess only. The ratio of number of girls to boys playing Tennis and Chess only is 2 : 3 respectively. 30% of the girls play Hockey and Chess only. 10% of the girls play Chess, Badminton and Table Tennis only. The remaining girls play only Football. Boys playing Table Tennis and Badminton only is 20% of the girls playing the same. 40% of the boys play only Football. The remaining boys play only Chess. |
Direction: Answer the questions given below based on the following data. |
A total of 250 students of a class play different games viz. Football, Hockey, Chess, Badminton, Table Tennis and Tennis. The ratio of girls to boys in the class of 250 is 13 : 12 respectively. 50% of the girls play Table Tennis and Badminton only. 20% of the boys play Football, Hockey and Tennis only. 15% of the boys play Tennis and Chess only. The ratio of number of girls to boys playing Tennis and Chess only is 2 : 3 respectively. 30% of the girls play Hockey and Chess only. 10% of the girls play Chess, Badminton and Table Tennis only. The remaining girls play only Football. Boys playing Table Tennis and Badminton only is 20% of the girls playing the same. 40% of the boys play only Football. The remaining boys play only Chess. |
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