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Article link - https://www.civilsprep.com/upsc-ias-the-hindu-and-indian-express-current-affairs10th-may-2016

CivilsPrep The Hindu Editorials and perspective Analysis

Saudi Arabia Crisis

Deputy crown prince Mohammed unveiled a economic revival plan centered around
1.
2.
3.
4.

Decreasing the oil dependency of the nation in the next 4 years

Disinvestment in Aramco largest oil company for Saudi Arabia.
Rising the sovereign wealth fund to $2trillion
Building research infrastructure for self-reliance in Defense.

But the challenges for this include
1. Falling oil prices
2. Get political situation in west Asia.

Challenges to crown prince

1. low oil prices - economically saudi decreasing
2. decreased welfare/liberal measures- arab
spring; unemployment is increasing.
3.Geo political situation of west asia saudi didnt yield results in syria, yemen
4. Relations with USA are low; demands in USA
to sue Saudis for 9/11 attacks for indirect
support to terror elements
5. Increasing role of Iran post n deal

In spite of the falling oil prices Saudi is not interested in limiting its oil production. It sees impact on the
other countries, its rivals Iran and Russia is much worse. USA Shale companies are also bleeding due to
low oil prices. In this situation, Saudi Arabia is not interested to lose its market to the competitors.
Geo politically, Saudi Arabian involvement in Yemen and Syria did not yield any results. It's relations with
the USA are at historic low. Domestically, Unemployment is at the peak with 29.5%. All these challenges
put Saudi Arabian Monarchy at cross roads.

Crisis in Nepal
Discussed in 09 May 2016 newspaper.

Tobacco regulation All up in smoke ?

Steps taken till date to control the smoking in other parts of the world
1. Ban on suggestive branding. Australia is a successful example in clamping down the suggestive
branding. It is selling the cigarettes in a logo free packets.
2. Mandatory disclosure of contents on the cigarette packs. EU court of Justice rule in its favour
and prohibited the use of mild and light to differentiate among the cigarettes.
3. Clamping down on E cigarettes in US and EU. It is proven that e-cigarattes will soon lure the
consumers in to formal smoking.
4. Smoking ban in public spaces
5. Pictorials to the size of 85% of the pack size sc gave a judgement in favour to this.

Geo spatial information bill

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If every map and any updation on the maps need the permissions of the Government agency as per the
bill, it will lead to red tape and it can kill the innovation. The existing system of sharing data is complex
and is inter wined between different companies. So, the work itself can be a gigantic task and so,
registration rather than prior approval can be a better idea.

Everydayness of violence
As per the Hobbes Leviathan sovereignty to the ruler is contracted to him by the people in return for his
maintains their physical safety.
In India, all the institutions are functioning and giving access to the educated, urban middle class. On the
other side, in Tribal belts, police stations have become the functional units of tyranny.
The mindless violence in tribal areas are the early warnings of a deeper crisis. India is deeply violent but,
it does not want to analyse such events. If we take the history, Eichmann responsible for holocaust of the
Jews in Second World War was a very ordinary man. But the society made his very ordinariness create a
genocidal script.( Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. Arendt)

CivilsPrep The Hindu News Analysis

Terrorism 26/11
Former Pakistani ambassador to USA, Husain Haqqani revealed to the world that rogue ISI elements are
behind the 26/11 attacks.
Added to this, whenever India and Pakistan have come close to end the enmity between them, Pakistan
military has reacted. That is from the first coup against Prime Minister Noon in 1958 after his successful
visit to India, against Gen. Ayub Khan after the Tashkent agreement, to Prime Minister Sharif after the
Lahore accord and even President Musharraf after the Kashmir talks in 2007.

Battle against ISIS

A group of Islamic scholars based in USA and Europe developing a narrative to counter the ISIS through a
series of lectures. The major focus is the rightful interpretation of the Islamic sacred texts.
These scholars ridicule the ISs claim to have created a caliphate. Instead, in a highly effective bit of
rebranding, they call the IS Kharijites, a reviled group of Muslims who killed women and children and
rebelled against the caliphs in the seventh century.

CivilsPrep Indian Express News Analysis

Reserve bank of India
GS 3 - Indian Economy - Commercial Banking System - Bank and Non-Bank institutions
Reserve bank of India guidelines for the new bank licenses an analysis

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1. The stipulations are too stringent for the existing business to enter. In terms of total assets or
gross income. They shall have assets of Rs 500 crores or more and the non financial business shall
not be more than the 40%. The big business can invest upto 10% in the equity of the bank. This is
only investment and doesn't mean promoting a bank. It eliminates all the industrial houses
2. Competition is hotting up already 11 payments banks and 10 small finance banks, Bandhan, IDFC
as full time banks are given permissions.
3. Cost of the banking operations has substantially increased.
4. Raising stressed assets and dipping profits are giving nightmares to existing banks.
5. Operational conditions are very stringent ex The minimum capital adequacy ratio required to
be maintained is at 13% for a minimum period of three years and the bank need to be listed with
in 6 years.

To Better health
GS 2 - Governance - - Issues related to Health, education, Skill development, Health and Nutrition
Supreme Court directives to make NEET compulsory for medical college entrance admissions and
appointment of the 3 member committee headed by Justice Lodha are remarkable steps in restructuring
health care sector in India.
Already, the draft National commission for Human resources for Health is pending in parliament. Ranjit
Roy Chaudhary committee also made recommendations for re-structuring of the MCI.
As per the recommendations of the committee an Exit exam need to be conducted for all
The doctors to get an MCI certification. It ensures the basic skills and competency on the part of the
practitioner of the medicine in India.

Message from the Mahakumbh religion as part of Indian

diplomacy ICCR - Indian council for cultural relations
From the days of Jawaharlal Nehru, all the Prime ministers are conscious not to bring religion in to
diplomacy. However, PM Modi as a departure from the past intends to integrate Indias spiritual
knowledge and history of religion in to diplomacy. culture , civilization and religion are used to project India's Soft
Number of steps are taken in this direction -
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

power/diplomacy

Worship of Pashupathinath temple in Nepal, visit to Buddhist temple in Kyoto.

Inviting the PM of Japan Shinzo Abe to the Ganga worship in Varanasi
Invitations to the presidents of Nepal and Srilanka to join the Maha kumbh celebrations in Ujjain.
Diplomatic campaign to get the United Nations to declare June 21 as the International Yoga day.
There is also a conscious strategy to build on the Hindu-Buddhist links between India and a large
number of Asian countries. An Hindu-Buddhist conference held in Delhi and Bodhgaya. Added to
this, world Sufi forum brought the Islamic scholars Delhi.

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Degree of Exclusion
Haryana and Rajasthan has prescribed the educational qualifications for contesting Panchayat elections.
SC of India also upheld the law. The Basic premise is education is seen as a precondition for efficiency and
it will enable candidates to discriminate between right and wrong. Both of the above arguments were
refuted by the Dr.B.R Ambedkar.
Death Penalty India Report by National Law University discussed yesterday
Explained - Insolvency and Bankruptcy code, 2015. discussed in a separate video.


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