✌✌✌✌ THE HINDU ✌✌✌✌
✌✌ Fire in the sky ✌✌
The successful test-firing of the long-range ballistic missile Agni-V for the fourth time is a significant step towards building a credible nuclear deterrence. With this test and the recent commissioning of the indigenously built nuclear submarine INS Arihant, India is inching towards creating a robust and world-class second-strike capability. For a nation sworn to no-first-use of nuclear weapons, a reliable second-strike capability is an absolute necessity. In the worst-case scenario, the country should have the ability to withstand an enemy nuclear strike on its key locations and launch a successful second strike. Agni-V rose up from a canister mounted on a truck stationed at Dr. Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha, and went up a few hundred kilometres before following a ballistic trajectory and splashing down near Australian waters, some 20 minutes after the launch. This was the fourth test of the Agni-V missile, but the second from a canister mounted on a road mobile launcher. With the four tests, Agni-V is now ready for induction into the Strategic Forces Command, which already operates other Agni missiles with a target range from 700 km to 4,000 km, besides Prithvi-II.
However, despite the impressive strides made by the security establishment in developing nuclear weapons and delivery platforms, there is still a long way to go before the nuclear triad is complete and competent. Just a few days ago, the Nirbhay land attack cruise missile meant to carry nuclear warheads failed for the fourth time during a test. On December 21, it veered off its designated flight path within a couple of minutes of launch, and it had to be destroyed mid-air. There are several such gaps to be filled to ensure a foolproof nuclear triad. A credible second-strike capability should also be complemented by a modern, powerful military. The Indian military is in crying need of modernisation across its three arms. The Air Force has a huge shortage of fighters; the Navy’s submarine arm is far from meeting multiple challenges; and the Army needs an array of new platforms. Most importantly, India also needs to consistently showcase itself as a responsible nuclear power, and not just through a no-first-strike policy. India has a mature political and military leadership today. In a complex global strategic environment, where nations issue nuclear threats based on fake news and global powers threaten to add to their already bulky arsenal, it is important to be recognised as a responsible democracy.
✌✌ Congo’s political battles ✌✌
The ongoing political crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a reminder of the country’s turbulent past. Since it became independent in 1960, no head of state has left office peacefully after an election. By refusing to hold an election, which was due in November, and clinging to power even after his term officially came to an end on December 19, Joseph Kabila, the President of the DRC, risks repeating the mistakes of his predecessors. Congo’s Constitution, which Mr. Kabila himself helped write after his 2006 election, bars the President from seeking a third term. But Mr. Kabila later changed his mind and sought to amend the rules to stay on in power. After failing in such attempts, he simply refused to hold elections, citing “logistical problems”. A court has allowed him to remain President until the next elections are held, which the ruling party says will only be in 2018. It is now evident that the President wants to delay the process for as long as possible. But the going is not easy for Mr. Kabila, who was seen in his early years in power as a young and energetic leader who could democratise the polity, offer stability and lift the living standards of millions of its citizens. Not any longer.
Mr. Kabila’s decision to delay the elections has triggered massive protests across the country, in particular turning Kinshasa, the capital, into a battleground between security personnel and protesters. Dozens of opposition activists have been shot dead and hundreds arrested since September. The President is so unpopular in the capital that the ruling party’s headquarters in the city was burned down during Christmas week. As of now, the army and the police stand behind the President and show no qualms in shooting down protesters. But the question now is how long Mr. Kabila can stay on in power by suppressing mass protests. Significantly, the weeks-long violent repression has not turned the protesters away from the streets. Besides, the opposition has rejected outright any bid by Mr. Kabila to stand for another term. If this stalemate continues, Congo will plunge into a greater crisis, at a time it faces several other economic and security challenges, including frequent cross-border attacks on civilians by Uganda-based rebels. Mr. Kabila should draw lessons from the country’s past. After the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko was ousted in 1997, Congo was plunged into a deadly civil war, leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead. Mr. Kabila’s father, Laurent Kabila, who spearheaded the protests against Mobutu, was assassinated. President Kabila should call early elections and hand over power peacefully, thereby setting a precedent for his successors.
✌✌✌✌ THE ECONOMIC TIMES ✌✌✌✌
✌✌ Outsiders are not to blame for Karnataka’s employment problems ✌✌
The Karnataka state government’s decision to institute mandatory 100 per cent reservation in the private sector for Kannadigas, the state’s native Kannada-speaking population, is unconstitutional, retrogressive and dangerous. Rather than take real steps to improve employability and employment options, the state’s Congress government is taking the easy way out: blame the outsider as the source of the problem. Stoking nativist sentiment is a dangerous Plan B.
Private enterprises that fail to implement the reservation provision will forfeit all concessions under the state’s industrial policy. The aim is to boost blue-collar employment among sons of the soil. When it comes to hiring decisions, the key consideration is getting the best-qualified person. The Karnataka government is making the case that private enterprises are discriminating against Kannadigas, it needs to back up their claim with data.
All companies prefer to hire locally, and if they are not, it is likely because of a skills gap. Rather than issue a fiat, the government needs to consider ways to improve the employability and the employment opportunity of the local populace. The state government needs to focus on ensuring skills and relevant education, and increasing employment opportunities by attracting more industries. The 100 per cent reservation policy will only succeed in driving out companies, resulting in a further reduction in job opportunities.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah is playing a dangerous, cynical political game. He knows that the Supreme Court will strike down this provision, and is pandering to nativist sentiments. In doing so, he paints a bull’s-eye on non-Kannadigas in the state. This could lead to retaliatory action by other states, resulting in deep social unrest and economic disruptions.
✌✌ Fire in the sky ✌✌
The successful test-firing of the long-range ballistic missile Agni-V for the fourth time is a significant step towards building a credible nuclear deterrence. With this test and the recent commissioning of the indigenously built nuclear submarine INS Arihant, India is inching towards creating a robust and world-class second-strike capability. For a nation sworn to no-first-use of nuclear weapons, a reliable second-strike capability is an absolute necessity. In the worst-case scenario, the country should have the ability to withstand an enemy nuclear strike on its key locations and launch a successful second strike. Agni-V rose up from a canister mounted on a truck stationed at Dr. Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha, and went up a few hundred kilometres before following a ballistic trajectory and splashing down near Australian waters, some 20 minutes after the launch. This was the fourth test of the Agni-V missile, but the second from a canister mounted on a road mobile launcher. With the four tests, Agni-V is now ready for induction into the Strategic Forces Command, which already operates other Agni missiles with a target range from 700 km to 4,000 km, besides Prithvi-II.
However, despite the impressive strides made by the security establishment in developing nuclear weapons and delivery platforms, there is still a long way to go before the nuclear triad is complete and competent. Just a few days ago, the Nirbhay land attack cruise missile meant to carry nuclear warheads failed for the fourth time during a test. On December 21, it veered off its designated flight path within a couple of minutes of launch, and it had to be destroyed mid-air. There are several such gaps to be filled to ensure a foolproof nuclear triad. A credible second-strike capability should also be complemented by a modern, powerful military. The Indian military is in crying need of modernisation across its three arms. The Air Force has a huge shortage of fighters; the Navy’s submarine arm is far from meeting multiple challenges; and the Army needs an array of new platforms. Most importantly, India also needs to consistently showcase itself as a responsible nuclear power, and not just through a no-first-strike policy. India has a mature political and military leadership today. In a complex global strategic environment, where nations issue nuclear threats based on fake news and global powers threaten to add to their already bulky arsenal, it is important to be recognised as a responsible democracy.
✌✌ Congo’s political battles ✌✌
The ongoing political crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a reminder of the country’s turbulent past. Since it became independent in 1960, no head of state has left office peacefully after an election. By refusing to hold an election, which was due in November, and clinging to power even after his term officially came to an end on December 19, Joseph Kabila, the President of the DRC, risks repeating the mistakes of his predecessors. Congo’s Constitution, which Mr. Kabila himself helped write after his 2006 election, bars the President from seeking a third term. But Mr. Kabila later changed his mind and sought to amend the rules to stay on in power. After failing in such attempts, he simply refused to hold elections, citing “logistical problems”. A court has allowed him to remain President until the next elections are held, which the ruling party says will only be in 2018. It is now evident that the President wants to delay the process for as long as possible. But the going is not easy for Mr. Kabila, who was seen in his early years in power as a young and energetic leader who could democratise the polity, offer stability and lift the living standards of millions of its citizens. Not any longer.
Mr. Kabila’s decision to delay the elections has triggered massive protests across the country, in particular turning Kinshasa, the capital, into a battleground between security personnel and protesters. Dozens of opposition activists have been shot dead and hundreds arrested since September. The President is so unpopular in the capital that the ruling party’s headquarters in the city was burned down during Christmas week. As of now, the army and the police stand behind the President and show no qualms in shooting down protesters. But the question now is how long Mr. Kabila can stay on in power by suppressing mass protests. Significantly, the weeks-long violent repression has not turned the protesters away from the streets. Besides, the opposition has rejected outright any bid by Mr. Kabila to stand for another term. If this stalemate continues, Congo will plunge into a greater crisis, at a time it faces several other economic and security challenges, including frequent cross-border attacks on civilians by Uganda-based rebels. Mr. Kabila should draw lessons from the country’s past. After the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko was ousted in 1997, Congo was plunged into a deadly civil war, leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead. Mr. Kabila’s father, Laurent Kabila, who spearheaded the protests against Mobutu, was assassinated. President Kabila should call early elections and hand over power peacefully, thereby setting a precedent for his successors.
✌✌✌✌ THE ECONOMIC TIMES ✌✌✌✌
✌✌ Outsiders are not to blame for Karnataka’s employment problems ✌✌
The Karnataka state government’s decision to institute mandatory 100 per cent reservation in the private sector for Kannadigas, the state’s native Kannada-speaking population, is unconstitutional, retrogressive and dangerous. Rather than take real steps to improve employability and employment options, the state’s Congress government is taking the easy way out: blame the outsider as the source of the problem. Stoking nativist sentiment is a dangerous Plan B.
Private enterprises that fail to implement the reservation provision will forfeit all concessions under the state’s industrial policy. The aim is to boost blue-collar employment among sons of the soil. When it comes to hiring decisions, the key consideration is getting the best-qualified person. The Karnataka government is making the case that private enterprises are discriminating against Kannadigas, it needs to back up their claim with data.
All companies prefer to hire locally, and if they are not, it is likely because of a skills gap. Rather than issue a fiat, the government needs to consider ways to improve the employability and the employment opportunity of the local populace. The state government needs to focus on ensuring skills and relevant education, and increasing employment opportunities by attracting more industries. The 100 per cent reservation policy will only succeed in driving out companies, resulting in a further reduction in job opportunities.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah is playing a dangerous, cynical political game. He knows that the Supreme Court will strike down this provision, and is pandering to nativist sentiments. In doing so, he paints a bull’s-eye on non-Kannadigas in the state. This could lead to retaliatory action by other states, resulting in deep social unrest and economic disruptions.
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