Newspaper Editorials With English Vocab 22/4/2016

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THE HINDU: A misguided ban in Delhi

The Delhi government’s decision to ban surge pricing by taxi service aggregators, which follows a similar ban imposed by Karnataka, is misguided.

In Delhi’s case, the surge pricing ban has flowed from the imposition of the odd-even licence plate rule, which has increased the demand for taxis. The odd-even scheme may be a welcome intervention to reduce traffic congestion in the Union Territory, but the decision to clamp down on surge pricing by aggregators such as Uber and Ola, which is set to continue even after Phase Two of the odd-even scheme ends on April 30, is counterproductive. As expected, after the ban, the number of taxis plying on Delhi’s roads has dropped. Arbitrary interventions in the demand-supply market are pointless in the absence of alternative solutions. If Uber and Ola are charging their customers unscrupulous sums, the only long-term solution for the Delhi government is to provide its residents with cheaper and better public transport. The rapid growth and popularity of taxis ‘managed’ by aggregators across India is a testimony to the fact that public transport and transit facilities remain hopelessly inadequate. Surge pricing, essentially an algorithm-based mechanism that determines fares based on supply and demand, exists in slightly dissimilar forms in other areas, including that of transport. Airlines have the flexibility to raise fares depending on demand, subject to a cap. And the Railways sets aside some seats for those willing to pay more, based on the knowledge that demand generally outdoes supply when it comes to train tickets.

In general, aggregators have helped customers — with more taxi options and reduced prices. There is evidence to suggest that drivers of taxis and autorickshaws who ply under an aggregator’s brand earn more on an average than they would otherwise. There has also been substantial competition from domestic players in the aggregator market, allaying fears about monopoly operations by multinational players. Some regulations of course are both necessary and welcome. For instance, guidelines have been released by the Ministry of Road Transport to ensure that taxi commutes are safe and that aggregators cannot be owners of fleets unless registered as operators. Aggregators are part of the new economy; they use modern technology to disrupt the traditional, and often moribund, market. They have succeeded by bringing in efficiencies in both cost and convenience, which have been central to their popularity. Obtrusive regulation of these new players would work against the interests of both the commuter and the driver. Instead, governments can do more in the medium term to enhance options in terms of better modes of public transport, greater frequency of bus and metro services during rush hour and perhaps even adoption by mass transport of applications using similar algorithms to allow passengers to plan their commute better. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has invested significant political capital in the odd-even scheme. Tilting at windmills will not help. A more useful intervention would have been to enhance public awareness about how these algorithms work in commuters’ favour, and at the most cap surge pricing to a predetermined multiple of the regular rate.

clamp down on sth

› to take ​strong ​action to ​stop or ​limit a ​harmful or ​unwanted ​activity:

The ​government is ​clamping down on ​teenage ​drinking.

unscrupulous

>​behaving in a way that is ​dishonest or ​unfair in ​order to get what you ​want:

an unscrupulous ​financial ​adviser

moribund

› (​especially of an ​organization or ​business) not ​active or ​successful:

How can the ​department be ​revived from ​its ​present moribund ​state?

obtrusive

› too ​noticeable:

The ​logo was still ​visible but less obtrusive this ​time in ​beige.

The ​soldiers were in ​civilian ​clothes, to make ​their ​presence less obtrusive.

THE HINDU: Reasons and excuses for violence

The provocation for violence is often very different from the underlying cause. After days of unrest in Jammu and Kashmir’s Handwara town, in which five civilians died, it now emerges that the trigger for all the moral outrage and protests — the report of a molestation bid on a young woman by a soldier — may not have had any basis in fact. She submitted before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Handwara, that she was assaulted by a local youth, and not by any of the Army personnel stationed in Handwara. The facts of what actually happened are still contested, but the manner in which the rumour of the involvement of an Army man in the attack spread through the town points to the widespread distrust of the armed forces in the area. The dismantling of four Army bunkers at the town square was thus a necessary, and welcome, response to bring the situation under control and to restore normalcy in the area. The larger reason for the protests was precisely that: the high level of resentment in the town against the obtrusive presence of the Army. Reports, factual or rumoured, of the assault on the young woman provided a spark to draw attention to what is locally perceived as the larger problem: the repressive force of the Army against civilians. The deaths of young people in subsequent protests further aggravated the local population’s anxiety about failing to keep young men and women out of harm’s way. The dispiriting takeaway is that if it had not been the assault on the young woman, it would have been some other issue.

The response from the locals, including government servants, holds out a lesson for the Centre. It is that such incidents will tend to recur as long as a deeper political engagement eludes Kashmir. However much the Centre may defend the deployment of the Army citing strategic reasons, it remains an inescapable fact that its obtrusive presence adds to the political alienation of the people as well as sporadic human rights violations and harm to civilians caught in the crossfire. In fact, Handwara is one of the areas relatively free of militancy, one that witnesses good turnouts in elections. That the Army demolished four bunkers instead of asking for reinforcements in Handwara following the violence is partly on account of this reading of the situation. Street protests, and violence against the armed forces on some emotive issue or the other, have unfortunately become a part of everyday life in Kashmir. Given the persisting militant activity in the Valley, reducing the Army presence in any substantive manner is not an immediate possibility. But steps such as reducing the Army deployment in densely populated areas, and ensuring accountability for the actions of the security forces, should help keep the fragile peace in the Valley.

dismantle

› to take a ​machine ​apart or to come ​apart into ​separate ​pieces:

She dismantled the ​washing ​machine to ​see what the ​problem was, but couldn't put it back together again.

The good thing about the ​bike is that it dismantles if you ​want to put it in the back of the ​car.

› to get ​rid of a ​system or ​organization, usually over a ​period of ​time:

Over the next three ​years, we will be ​gradually dismantling the ​company and ​selling off the ​profitable ​units.

resent

> to ​feel ​angry because you have been ​forced to ​accept someone or something that you do not like:

She ​bitterly resented her father's new ​wife.

obtrusive

› too ​noticeable:

The ​logo was still ​visible but less obtrusive this ​time in ​beige.

The ​soldiers were in ​civilian ​clothes, to make ​their ​presence less obtrusive.

elude (NOT ACHIEVE)

› formal If something that you ​want eludes you, you do not ​succeed in ​achieving it:

The ​gold ​medal ​continues to elude her.

They had ​minor ​breakthroughs but ​real ​success eluded them.

sporadic

› ​happening sometimes; not ​regular or ​continuous:

sporadic ​gunfire

a sporadic ​electricity ​supply

fragile

> ​easily ​damaged, ​broken, or ​harmed:

Be ​careful with that ​vase - it's very fragile.

The ​assassination could do ​serious ​damage to the fragile ​peace ​agreement that was ​signed last ​month.

INDIAN EXPRESS: More or less

Forty years after headlines about an extraordinary correlation between transistor radios and vasectomies were censored out of the press, population control again fires the political imagination. Going with the flow, it demands the demographic dividend this time. Motormouth minister Giriraj Singh wants population policy altered to enforce a two-child norm on the entire population, across faiths. This, he reckons, would both reduce the rape rate and assure Hindus of numerical parity with other faiths.

Aryabhata and Varahamihira would have been baffled by such calculating policy, but Singh has an unexpected fellow traveller in Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who feels that India must go forth and multiply if it does not wish to become an aged country. He proposes that national population policy should pivot smartly from Indira-era population control to population promotion, following the lead of Japan and China. Now, the nation wants to know if cash incentives or free colour TVs are proposed for prodigious breeders. Policy details are awaited, hopefully forever.

Japan and China are indeed greying, but India presents a different picture. The incumbent government was voted to office partly because it fired the imagination of the youth, which it proposed to leverage as the “demographic dividend”. It has since learned that the youth are not productive economic units alone. They also have social and political dimensions. And animal spirits. These facets of the demographic dividend have baffled the government and exercised the police forces in the course of ugly campus confrontations. Intriguingly, two prominent leaders want more of the same. What is it about the issue of population which sets off politicians on such surprising quests, whether for the deviously forcible vasectomy of the poor, or the generation of ever-larger generations?

vasectomy

› the ​medical ​operation of ​cutting the ​tubes through which a man's ​sperm ​move, in ​order to ​stop his ​partner getting ​pregnant

baffle

› to ​cause someone to be ​completely ​unable to ​understand or ​explain something:

She was ​completely baffled by his ​strange ​behaviour.

prodigious

› ​extremely ​great in ​ability, ​amount, or ​strength:

She ​wrote a ​truly prodigious ​number of ​novels.

She was a prodigious ​musician.

incumbent

› [before noun] ​officially having the ​named ​position:

The incumbent ​president ​faces ​problems which ​began many ​years before he took ​office.

intriguing

> very ​interesting because of being ​unusual or ​mysterious:

an intriguing ​possibility/​question

devious adjective (DISHONEST)

› Devious ​people or ​plans and ​methods are ​dishonest, often in a ​complicated way, but often also ​clever and ​successful:

You have to be devious if you're going to ​succeed in ​business.

a devious ​scheme

BUSINESS STANDARD: The jobs question

The Indian Labour Bureau recently released its quarterly newsletter which showed a reduction in employment in the third quarter of 2015-16. Of the eight sectors covered, all but one saw a reduction in employment. In other words, the Bureau’s sample survey showed that employment went down in information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services, transport, jewellery, leather, metals, automobiles and the handloom and powerloom sectors. Only textiles and apparel showed positive growth during the quarter. This is a worrisome trend. However, the data set is from a quick survey undertaken of fewer than 2,000 establishments across the country. It does not cover many important industries, and more importantly excludes the informal sector. It is also dated, being released months after the data are collected, and conditions may have changed in the intervening period. Indeed, this exercise was intended, right from its very inception in the late 2000s, to be a quick survey with results that are essentially indicative. Even so it has been deteriorating over time. Since 2009, the coverage of establishments has fallen from 3,192 to 1,936 in the third quarter of the year 2015-16.

The larger issue is the obvious need for employment data. India needs an employment survey that includes the whole economy, including the unorganised sector, released within weeks after collection. This is not an easy task, but it is not impossible. Employment is by far the most important metric for policy, and arguably political imperatives are all driven by employment considerations. Whether it is monetary or fiscal policy or welfare measures, timely and quality data on employment are critical; their absence forces decision-making towards the domains of speculation and conjecture.

There is enough institutional and intellectual ability in the country for such data to be collected and made available. Further, data collection is not that expensive an exercise that India cannot afford it. It is fortunate, therefore, that the survey is reportedly being expanded to cover 18 sectors instead of just eight, and 10,000 establishments instead of 2,000. The release lag is also supposed to be reduced. If this new and improved survey is still not good enough, further adjustments must be made. Investing in employment data will enable more appropriate policy, fiscal decisions, and monetary policy. Several reports have been written by many committees arguing as such, and any progress would be welcome.

imperative adjective (URGENT)

> extremely ​important or ​urgent:

[+ that] The ​president said it was imperative that the ​release of all ​hostages be ​secured.

DNA: Primed to win

The big victories notched up by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the New York primaries appear to be a turning point for their respective campaigns. Democratic challenger Bernie Sanders headed to New York after seven wins in eight states amid doubts over Clinton’s ability to sustain a gruelling campaign and carry young voters. But Clinton has now about 1,900 delegates, widened her lead against Sanders by over 600, and is closing in on the 2,383 delegates she needs to clinch the nomination. Trump, though leading, is on a weaker wicket and must win at least seven more states, to ensure that the Republican leadership cannot overlook his candidature. Each time, Trump has suffered defeat, be it recently in Wisconsin and Wyoming, or in Texas, he has struggled to assuage concerns that even registered Republican voters may not back him in a Clinton-Trump showdown.

With the primaries threatening to go down to the wire, a strong showing at New York was crucial for all the challengers. Moreover, the eponymous New York city, with its status as the United States’ most populous city, and its reputation for being a melting pot of cultures and a den of liberalism, offered an opportunity for the candidates to test their credentials against a diverse electorate. In sharp contrast to the city, upstate New York is heavily industrialised region, which has witnessed heavy job losses in recent decades. With Trump bagging 60 per cent of the votes and Clinton, an equally impressive 58 per cent, in New York, there are some trends that are emerging, which could hold steady through the entire campaign. Trump has repeatedly done well among white male voters, and especially among the middle and working classes. Hillary has counted on older men and women, African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians. However, Trump has alienated the Republican party honchos and the supporters of his main challenger, Ted Cruz, who have the backing of the neo-conservative Tea Party grouping. In contrast, the democratic campaign has been civil and Hilary has made courteous overtures repeatedly to Sanders, though the latter has doggedly persisted.

In the end, the primaries represent just a section of the American electorate, who are among the country’s most politicised citizens. There is a discernible current of disillusionment with establishment and centrist politicians among registered party voters, evident in the strong showing by the Trump and Sanders campaigns. It is extremely likely that this cynicism towards the political class also extends to lay voters. Hillary has overcome this groundswell in the primaries with the support of minorities who have not been swayed by the Sanders’ socialist rhetoric and by asserting that she stands for stability and continuity. Sanders may also want to blame Barack Obama and his promise of change ending in a whimper.

Trump, already playing the outsider to the hilt, can be expected to show up Hillary in the unflattering light of the archetypal Washington politician, something that Sanders excelled at. Trump’s controversial statements on minorities, women, and his rivals hardly befit someone aspiring to run for President. For Trump, the rough edges in his character have been the strengths that have resonated with voters who see themselves in his loud, brash and indecorous statements. Nevertheless, the fluid loyalties in the primary campaigns are something of a novelty. The possibility of Sanders’ supporters gravitating towards the populist Trump and centre-right Republicans voting for Clinton, an avowed enemy at one time, is very real. With New York’s rich demographic diversity pitching for Clinton and Trump, it sends out a clear message that they are the most acceptable candidates in their parties.

notch sth up

› to ​achieve something:

She has ​recently ​notched up her third ​win at a ​major ​ski ​event.

gruelling

› ​extremely ​tiring and ​difficult, and ​demanding ​great ​effort and ​determination:

Junior ​doctors often have to ​work a gruelling 100-hour ​week.

He ​eventually ​won the ​match after five gruelling sets.

assuage

› to make ​unpleasant ​feelings less ​strong:

The ​government has ​tried to assuage the public's ​fears.

down to the wire

› until the last ​moment that it is ​possible to do something:

I ​think the ​election will go ​right down to the wire (= be ​won at the last ​moment).

eponymous

› An eponymous ​character in a ​play, ​book, etc. has the same ​name as the ​title.

honcho

› the ​person in ​charge:

Who's the ​head honcho around here?

courteous

> ​polite and ​showing ​respect:

Although she often ​disagreed with me, she was always courteous.

overture noun (MUSIC)

› a ​piece of ​music that is an ​introduction to a ​longer ​piece, ​especially an ​opera:

the overture to "The Magic Flute"

dogged

› very ​determined to do something, ​even if it is very ​difficult:

Her ​ambition and dogged ​determination ​ensured that she ​rose to the ​top of her ​profession.

discernible

› ​able to be ​seen or ​understood:

The ​influence of Rodin is discernible in the ​younger ​artist.

There is no discernible ​reason why this should be the ​case.

disillusion

› to ​disappoint someone by ​telling them the ​unpleasant ​truth about something or someone that they had a good ​opinion of or ​respected:

I ​hate to/I'm ​sorry to disillusion you, but ​pregnancy is not always ​wonderful - I was ​sick every ​day for six ​months.

cynical

> ​believing that ​people are only ​interested in themselves and are not ​sincere:

She has a ​pretty cynical ​view of men.

sway verb (MOVE)

› [to ​move ​slowly from ​side to ​side:

The ​trees were swaying in the ​wind.

to the hilt

› as much as ​possible:

We’re already being ​taxed to the hilt.

unflattering

› making someone ​look less ​attractive or ​seem ​worse than ​usual:

an unflattering ​photo/​dress/​colour

indecorous

› ​behaving ​badly or ​rudely

avowed

› ​stated:

The government's avowed ​intent/​purpose/​aim is to ​reduce ​tax.

An avowed ​traditionalist, he is against ​reform of any ​kind.

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