02 March 2018

Assets of fugitive economic offenders will be seized

Govt of India has approved fugitive economic offenders bill, 2018 to be introduced in parliament. The Bill allows for seizure of all domestic assets of a person deemed to be a fugitive economic offender. It also provides for seizure of foreign assets.

The cabinet also approved the creation of a national financial reporting authority to ensure better auditing of financial entities in India.

Voters do not tolerate aberrations, says Pranab

Former president of India PranabMukherjee stated that people vigilance always have kept India away from aberrations.

Putin Unveils new nuclear weapons

Russian president Putin unveiled new nuclear weapons that can not be countered by any missile defence system. In his address to political elite in the country he further added that NATO missile defence system becomes ineffective.

Mapping the Chinese century

  1. India and china both declare to adhere to a rule based international order. But there is a wide gap in their perception of international order.
  2. In Aisa, USA has vacated its position as a net security provider and china is assertive in the space vacated by USA.
  3. China wants to set rules in accordance with its values, interests and ambitions. Belt and road initiative is only one manifestation of its growing ambitions. It is trying to use the existing confusion and chaos in the international order to its advantage.
  4. Removing the term limits for presidency is like taking back china to Mao era with clear expansionist ambitions. President Xi also expressed them in his address to national congress in the form of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Moto make red Army world class and that capable of wining wars. It is a clear departure from the peaceful rise of china doctrine.
  5. Chinese presence in Indian Ocean region is visible. Its claims in South China sea are going unchallenged.
  6. China presence in south Aisa and shifting of tables by small countries like Nepal and Maldives pose new challenges to India. China is currently seeking to establish a joint ocean observation station in Maldives. It helps china to oversee main shipping lanes in the western Indian ocean.
  7. Provision of economic benefits, infrastructure development and unseen incentives are pulling south Asian countries to the fold of China. This is a Chinese determined bid to enlarge its strategic space. Added to this, naval bases in Dijbouti, Gwadar and increased movement of Chinese submarines in Indian Ocean is a challenge for Indian security.
  8. India need to devise a preemptive to strategy to counter chinas assertiveness in its backyard.

Reducing the carbon foot print

To Join war on climate change, India must establish an emission trading system. It shall incentivise indian companies to shift to a more carbon sensitive growth.

War and peace

Taliban’s presence in Afghan rural belt is growing. Added to this, ISIS is also on rise. In this scenario, President AshrafGhani has offered a peace deal for Taliban. It is allowed to be a political party and offered no pre conditions for the same. No time limit is also set for Taliban to respond. It clearly shows that Afghan govt is desperate to achieve peace.

Buoyant again

Latest economic data from the central statistical organisation Indian GDP has expanded in the last quarter of this financial year. But, growth can not be taken for granted for following reasons.

  1. Base effect can era reason for higher growth.
  2. GST collections did not become buoyant yet. System is not yet settled,
  3. Private final consumption expenditure still need to get traction.
  4. Pump priming chances are limited for the reason that Government fiscal deficit is already on the higher side.

Is AI a danger to humanity?

  1. AI is trying to glorify one dimension of human life - intelligence. Purely intelligent creatures , whether people or machines are bad for humanity.
  2. Intelligence is been built in to machines on logic of profit. Technology allows have widened differences among the people.
  3. Machines are no more stuck to the rule of master slave relation. Machines are expected to become master and humans as slaves to super intelligent machines.

on there other side,

  1. Technology always improved quality of life. It is the responsibility of humans to make it useful for them.
  2. Humans can make AI inclusive for the benefit of everyone.

so, it is the time to have a debate on AI ethics and regulation.