Challenge before parties is to keep voter interest alive
Speaking to The Hindu , Sanjay Kumar, Director of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies said the schedule, despite having fewer phases than 2014, appeared to be one that would not encourage a high turnout. “If you look at the dates carefully, there are two Sundays and Mondays. Generally off days and holidays see a lower turnout. I am not saying there is a causal relationship but this is what is usually observed. Similarly, polling dates on Monday could be taken as extended weekend,” Professor Kumar said.
Three militants killed in Pulwama operation
Security personnel killed three militants holed up in a residential area in Pulwama’s Tral area in Jammu and Kashmir in an operation on Sunday, a Srinagar-based Army spokesman said.
Johnson & Johnson told to pay compensation
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has issued directions to Johnson & Johnson Private Limited (J&J) for the payment of ₹74.5 lakh as compensation to the first patient in the case of faulty ASR (Articular Surface Replacement) hip implants manufactured and imported by M/s DePuy International Limited (now Johnson & Johnson Pvt. Ltd.).
The mysterious disappearance of tigress F03
A Royal Bengal tigress, F03, that strayed out of north-central Assam’s Orang National Park 16 months ago, had set off one of the biggest operations in the State to trap the big cat. For more than a year, the tigress outsmarted some of the country’s best feline experts and made the Assam Forest Department spend a fortune in the effort.
Sukhois hobbled by lack of blast pens near LoC
“Owing to the bureaucratic delays, we could not develop blast pens for Su-30 MKIs near the Line of Control (LoC). The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) sanctioned the project only at the end of 2017,” a source said. Hence, the jets could not be forward-deployed along the LoC, and they were scrambled from behind to intercept the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets that tried to bomb Indian military installations, the official said, explaining why the MiG-21 jets were the first responders during the aerial combat a day after the Balakot air strikes.
Ethiopian Airlines pilot mentioned difficulties, wanted to return: airline CEO
Ethiopian’s new aircraft had no recorded technical problems and the pilot had an “excellent” flying record, airline CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said in a news conference. “We received the airplane on November 15, 2018. It has flown more than 1,200 hours. It had flown from Johannesburg earlier this morning,” he said. “The pilot mentioned that he had difficulties and that he wanted to return.”
North Koreans vote for Parliament with ‘single-minded unity’
North Koreans went to the polls Sunday for an election in which there could be only one winner. Leader Kim Jong-un’s ruling Workers’ Party has an iron grip on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Every five years, it holds an election for the rubber stamp legislature, known as the Supreme People’s Assembly.
Cricket | India blown away by ‘Typhoon’ Turner
As captain, Virat Kohli was in an unenviable position for the better part of the contest after the team posted an imposing 358 for nine. But the way, Man-of-the-Match Ashton Turner turned it around to shape Australia’s four wicket victory with 13 deliveries to spare, all the gains for India were pushed into the background. With the series locked 2-2, Australia will travel to New Delhi for the decider with momentum firmly on its side.
Comment | The flawed unit of academic quotas
In the history of reservations in India, Parliament has sometimes had to resort to even constitutional amendments to overturn some court rulings that have the effect of protecting the interests of ‘general candidates’. The 77th constitutional amendment of 1995, which was recently extended to Kashmir, restored reservation in promotions as a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court in Indra Sawhney (1992) while upholding Other Backward Classes reservation based on Mandal Commission recommendations had prohibited Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) reservation in promotions.
