Times of India | Un-fare policy

Why it may take a Bangalorean 37 tries to book a cab

Traffic rules are seen as mere suggestions for drivers and riders in Bangalore. In the same vein, principles of economics are considered as an optional extra while formulating policies. Both are more honoured in the breach than observance.

A recent doozy is the Karnataka govt decision to fix the prices for taxis in Bangalore based on the cost of the vehicle. What is idiotic about this? For one thing, we have centuries of literature on govts trying to meddle with prices and fix them. And for centuries, govts have failed in doing so. Read the full article here.

ASPI - The Strategist | India-Australia collaboration on digital public infrastructure in the Pacific

The deployment of population-scale digital public infrastructure (DPI) is gaining traction worldwide and is acknowledged as a necessary and cost-effective intervention to fast-track sustainable development. The G20 also endorsed the ‘Framework for Systems of Digital Public Infrastructure’, a voluntary plan for the development, deployment, and governance of DPI. India has developed state-of-the-art DPI for various purposes, and Australia is the biggest development partner for Pacific Island countries. Together, they are well positioned to make state-of-the-art DPI accessible to small island developing states (PSIDS) there to help fast-track developmental outcomes. Read the full article here.

Lowy Institute - The Interpreter | What binds the Quad

Last month, the US House of Representatives passed Strengthening the Quad Act with an overwhelming majority, indicating the critical role the Quad will play in American efforts to engage with the Indo-Pacific. Along with India, Australia and Japan, the four-country grouping has pledged ongoing cooperation. Understanding how the Quad evolves in the future and navigates tumultuous times requires understanding what binds the Quad today, and how the present iteration of the Quad, which has elevated to a leaders’ summit, differs from its earlier incarnation almost two decades ago, which never rose beyond officials-level meetings. Read the full article here.

The Diplomat | China’s Shuttle Diplomacy With Ukraine and Russia: All Symbol, No Substance

“Starting from March 2, Special Representative of the Chinese Government for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will visit Russia, the EU headquarters, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and France for the second round of shuttle diplomacy on seeking a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced at a press conference this week. As anticipation mounts for the outcomes of this tour, pressing questions arise: Will the results diverge from those of the first round of China’s shuttle diplomacy? If the West is draining its resources and attention on Ukraine and Russia is becoming more dependent on China, why would China want this war to end? Read the full article here.

The Hindu | Why sustainable funding matters for India’s ‘science power’ ambition

The 2024 theme for National Science Day, which India celebrates every year on February 28, is “Science for Sustainable Development”. Science and technological developments are key drivers of India’s journey towards becoming a developed country by 2047. India is committed to making this progress through sustainable means, as evidenced by its commitments under the Paris Agreement, participation in global fora for sustainable development, and reinforced in this year’s theme for Science Day. The role of science in driving sustainable development doesn’t need emphasis, but any conversation on science is incomplete without setting one key expectation: for science to transform India, it has to be sustainably and consistently funded. Read the full article here.

Times of India | In final frontier, 4 is the first number

For the first time in 40 years, a small group of Indians is set to venture into the perilous and untamed wilderness that lies beyond our atmosphere. Yesterday, Modi feted four test pilots – Prasanth Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap and Shubhanshu Shukla – who are to become the first Indians in outer space since Rakesh Sharma’s historic journey on Soyuz T-11 in 1984.

Unveiling the fab four | Yesterday’s event was a ceremonial milestone for the ambitious Gaganyaan programme, which aims to make India one of only four countries that can independently carry out human spaceflight. Read the full article here.

The Free Press Journal | Analysis: For Both Biden And Trump, It Ain't Gonna Be Easy

On Wednesday, February 28, the results of the Democratic and Republican primaries from Michigan state in the US were declared. Expectedly, both current President Joe Biden of the Democratic Party and former President Donald Trump, a Republican, won easily. Their victories, though, had a scratch card feel to them — you’d think you won a ₹100 cashback, but all you got was a 20% discount to a product you will never buy or is cheaper on Amazon. Read the full article here.

Firstpost | Implications of Chinese fishing boats in Taiwan’s ‘prohibited’ waters

Any plans China and Taiwan had for Valentine’s Day were derailed when, on 14 February, 2024, a Chinese fishing boat with four fishermen on board capsized near the Kinmen Islands, leading to the deaths of two of the fishermen. The incident occurred when the fishing boat became embroiled in a high-speed chase to evade patrol vessel CP-1051 of the 12th Patrol District of the Taiwanese Coast Guard Administration’s (TGCA) Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu branch. The chase reportedly lasted only five minutes but has highlighted the structural lack of meaningful communication in cross-Straits relations on basic issues such as fishing rights. Read the full article here.

CASI | Building the Yard: Policy Considerations for AI in India

Artificial intelligence (AI) has immense potential to enhance human capabilities and drive growth in several industries. It is projected to greatly improve governance, healthcare, and education outcomes. However, this potential may not be realized if the building blocks of AI remain concentrated in the hands of a few dominant companies or the countries in which they are located. Read the full article here.

Mint | Lessons on hyper-diversity from the people of Papua New Guinea

There are so many crises raging around the world that you can ask why I have chosen to bring the one in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to your attention this fortnight. So let me tell you the reason upfront: It is an example of why hyper-diverse societies can end up in deep trouble unless they develop the necessary social capital needed to govern themselves. The post-colonial state was carved out of an arbitrary chunk of the Melanesian archipelago (the region comprising the easternmost stretches of Indonesia and islands northeast of Australia). Its claim to fame is that it has the most diverse population on the planet, with over 850 languages and thousands of bands and tribes, in a population of over 10 million living in a country the size of Maharashtra and Gujarat combined. Read the full article here.

Moneycontrol | Multi-Contributor Social Security: Time to reimagine social security contributions

It was recently in the news that the Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is considering extending its coverage to unorganised and gig sector workers. On July 24, 2023, Rajasthan became the first Indian state to pass a legislation aimed at providing social security benefits to gig workers. These are part of various attempts that governments have been making to extend social security beyond just the formal sector. Social security in India faces two main problems – coverage and financing. It covers mainly the organised sector, leaving out gig workers, unorganised sector workers, etc. Even within the organised sector, around 53 percent do not have any social security benefits, as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report. In fact, more than 90 percent of India’s workforce is engaged in informal employment. Even the National Pension System (NPS), theoretically open to all, has very poor coverage – only around 6.2 crore subscribers as of March 2023.

By Arindam Goswami

Read the full article here.

ThePrint | Why some Navy veterans are opposed to the introduction of kurta-pyjama in the dress code

The kurta and pyjama, Central Asian in origin, have for centuries been popular in South Asia. It made its entry this month as an add-on to the list of the existing informal dresses in the Indian Naval officers’ messes and sailors’ institutes. Earlier in December, the Navy introduced new epaulettes which was publicised as being part of PM Modi’s political call for virasat par garv, pride in our heritage, and shedding ghulami ki mansikta, slave mentality. This article attempts to examine the military’s cultural value chain and identify the reasons for adverse reactions, especially on WhatsApp groups, the change in attire received from veterans in particular and civilians in general. Read the full article here.

Deccan Herald | States and tax shares: The fight for fiscal space

As southern states demand higher share in devolution of taxes, what can work in Karnataka's favour. Read the full article here.

Times of India | Why resource distribution is creating a North-South divide

Over the last few days, there have been calls to form an economic alliance of southern states for equal resource distribution. Chief ministers from states such as Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu held demonstrations in New Delhi to express their discontent. The Karnataka chief minister claimed that the current system for distributing resources among states puts states like Karnataka at a disadvantage while favouring states in the North with uncontrolled population growth. While the states’ concerns are valid, this focus on the horizontal distribution of tax resources is misplaced. Instead, the states should advocate for an enlargement of the divisible pool by calling for a curtailment in Union cesses and surcharges. Here’s why: Read the full article here.

Economic & Political Weekly | On Regulating AI

The article titled “India’s Approach towards Regulation of Artificial Intelligence: Utilising the International Experience” by Jawahar Bhagwat and S Y Boldyreva (EPW, 30 December 2023)identifies three primary concerns regarding the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in India: job displacement, proliferation of misinformation, and preservation of research integrity. While legitimate, these are not necessarily the top concerns with respect to AI. The article lacks comprehensiveness and portrays AI in a predominantly negative light. The proposed recommendations are likely to substantially impede India’s contributions to the development of AI and severely restrict its ability to use AI for its benefit. Read the full article here.

The Free Press Journal | Analysis: America Can’t Rein In Trump, And The World May Have To Pay

Last weekend, America’s 21st century version of pre-1933 Adolf Hitler (minus the military service) — Donald Trump — said at an election rally that he once told a NATO leader that he will let Russian President Vladimir Putin “do whatever the hell he wants” to any NATO member that does not pay its full dues to the Americans. You know, protection money. Trump, by his own admission, told the president of a NATO ally, “No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them (the Russians) to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.” Read the full article here.

ThePrint | India can be a major drone hub—if it learns to take risks, accept losses

The multiplicity of roles that drones can undertake has been battle-tested and their utility has been convincingly established. Depending on the role, drones come in various sizes. At the higher end of lethality are the American MQ 9-Reaper and at the lower end of surveillance is the Black Hornet weighing less than 1.2 ounces. India is in the process of acquiring 31 higher-end MQ9B Predator armed drones from the United States at an approximate cost of Rs 2.5 lakh crore. The deal was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in 2023. The Navy already operates two unarmed Predator drones, which are on lease, at the Rajali naval air station in Tamil Nadu. The new acquisitions will be apportioned to the three Services with the Navy getting the majority share. Apart from the political message of reliance on the US for major weapon systems, it also signals that Atmanirbharta is not currently feasible in this class of weapon systems. Read the full article here.

Defence & Security Alert | Navigating Personnel Costs and Capital Expenditure in the Indian Defence Budget

A year ago, in an article for the DSA magazine, Rakshith Shetty conducted a thorough analysis of the defence pension systems in India and the United States. This inquiry led to the identification of four crucial insights extracted from the intricate framework of the U.S. defence pension system. In the present discussion, he pivots towards a deeper exploration, shedding light on the challenges hindering the modernisation efforts of the Indian Armed Forces. Read the full article here.

The New Indian Express | Toll Plazas: Where FASTags have fallen short and why India's new dream might prove harder to realise

There was once a toll to driving through toll roads on highways. To help ease it came the pan-India rollout of a FASTag based system in December 2019. More than four years later, we are now talking of a next-gen Global Navigation Satellite System based toll plazas. But how much of a difference have we seen? I was wondering about this while being stuck at Mahasamudram Toll Plaza (MTS) on National Highway 4 (now renumbered as 69) in Andhra Pradesh. This is a key stop, located around 170 km east of the Karnataka capital on the Bengaluru-Chennai highway. With an ocean of vehicles waiting to pass, there was total chaos on January 13 during the Makar Sankranti weekend. Read the full article here.

South Asian Voices | Navigating the India-Maldives Diplomatic Spat

The Maldives, often depicted in the news as a tropical paradise, recently had a less idyllic appearance in the headlines. President Mohamed Muizzu’s government ruffled feathers in New Delhi by asking India to withdraw its military personnel by March 15, 2024, using their recent high-level core group meeting to deliberate upon a “mutually workable solution.” To persuade voters, Muizzu built on the “India Out” campaign, which portrayed the presence of Indian personnel as a threat to Maldivian sovereignty. He promised to remove Indian troops from the Maldives shores and balance trade relations with India, which he claimed were heavily tilted toward India’s favor. Muizzu’s new “Pro Maldives” strategy led to him win the elections with 54 percent of the votes in September 2023. Malé recently scrapped a key pact involving a water survey, and Muizzu chose China for one of his first overseas visits in January after becoming president. There, he signed 20 agreements, including one on tourism cooperation. Read the full article here.