Mid-Day chicken meal; Deciding Jallikattu fate; Sweats of Kevin McCarthy
Opinion Watch
Mid-Day chicken meal
West Bengal is among the states which had reported rise in cases of stunting among children in the National Family Health Survey 5. West Bengal is also among a few states which has been cold to implementing some of the welfare schemes of the Central government, including Poshan Abhiyan. Now, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in the state has announced to include chicken in the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme.
The Indian Express in an Editorial has welcomed the move of the state government, while the daily stated that “on paper the MDM seek to provide 450 calories and at least 12 grams of protein, while it’s 700 calories and 20 grams of protein for children in the higher classes. The Noida-based daily has also mentioned the upcoming Panchayat elections in West Bengal. It has also stated that MDM has suffered from fund constraints in several states.
India spends over Rs 2 lakh crore for the national food security scheme, which had been topped up with free foodgrains since 2020. Yet, malnutrition remains a challenge. This should call for a relook at the approach, and the state may explore the possibility of directly transferring the money to vulnerable sections or rejig the MDM menu to include superfood such as millets, pulses and others for tangible outcome.
Deciding Jallikattu fate
Jallikattu is known to be a traditional Pongal sports of Tamil Nadu wherein bulls are tamed by enthusiasts in the presence of cheering crowds. This tradition has been in prevalence for ages, but also marred with controversy, for cruelty against animals. Taming bills has been a sporting festival in India for centuries.
The Hindu in an Editorial has said that the Supreme Court would give its verdict on the Jallikattu before the commencement of the festival this year, which coincides with Pongal and goes on for four months. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu) Amendment Act excludes taming bulls from its purview, and the apex court may give its verdict on the legality of the state law, opined the Chennai-based daily. The daily has called for the strict enforcement of the Central law and a larger sensitization of the people, arguing that each tradition undergoes changes with the passage of time, while also stressing that no loss of human life should be allowed.
In some quarters, violence in Jallikattu is rationalized by referring to prevalence of other cultural practices in other religions. The state should not yield to crowd, and the law should not be at the mercy of kangaroo courts. Time has come to ensure that any sport remains harmless to both the subjects and objects – sportspersons and animals in the case of Jallikattu.
Sweats of Kevin McCarthy
The significance of the US House Speaker post is next only to that of the President. Nancy Pelosi, the previous Speaker, had shown her clouts within the country and also on the international stage, as her visit to Taiwan last year nearly brought China to a war with Taipei.
Kevin McCarthy after 15 rounds of voting finally managed to become the Speaker of the US Congress with a narrow margin. The Asian Age in an Editorial has opined that McCarthy may have given too many leverages to the far right within the Republican Party, which may set the stage for passage of some of the uncomfortable legislations. The daily has stated that the government may suffer as the House could be blocking the funding legislations, as the American politics gain sharp polarization.
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