SCO Mandate: Shooting Messengers; Education Mischief
Opinion Watch
SCO Mandate
The Economic Times in its Editorial has lauded the Indian efforts to bring issues of global concerns to the centre stage of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), formed in 2001, against the Chinese characteristics of the grouping. The daily accorded limelight to Prime Minister Narendra Modi telling the SCO member’s leaders to not hesitate to criticize countries which export terror as state policies.
The business daily also turned spotlight on Modi’s SECURE proposition to the SCO members encompassing security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and environmental protection. Besides, the daily listed India’s five pillars for cooperation to the grouping consisting of start ups and innovation, traditional medicine, youth, digital inclusion, and Buddhist heritage.
India joined the SCO in 2017, and New Delhi is seeking to yoke the group to efforts against terrorism even while member Pakistan remains a major exporter and China stays its benign patron. Central Asian nations certainly look upon India as a reliable ally against bullies – Russia and China. This calls for India to be agile to give an economic and cultural template to Central Asian nations and expose risks of Chinese Belt and Road Initiative.
Shooting Messengers
The Indian Express in its Editorial has given an account of serious abuse of power by the Kerala Police against the media as a major crackdown appears to have been unleashed against media outlets and journalists. The daily, citing the example of Marunadan Malyali and its Editor Sajjan Skaria.
The Noida-based daily also stated that several media outlets such as Mathrubhumi TV and Asianet have also faced the brunt of the coercive tactics of the ruling Left regime in Kerala. It reasoned that the political endorsement has emboldened the Kerala Police to act against the Press with impunity.
Intolerance to criticism is soaring and the media profession is being counted among the riskiest jobs globally, including in India. Such coercion against the media at the behest of the politicians is detrimental to democracy, which is already seen in the disappearance of investigative journalism, and the people heavy price as executive goes unchecked.
Education Mischief
The Tribune in its Editorial has spotlighted the sorry tale of affairs in education in Haryana – 20 per cent of the teachers’ post in government school lying vacant, 12000 posts filled by guest teachers, and 1200 teachers hired on contracts. The daily opined that students have poor examination records and opt out of schools because of the absence of teachers.
The Chandigarh-based daily also reasoned that Haryana has the worst unemployment rate, at 37.5 per cent per CMIE against national average of 8.3 per cent. It rued that sorry tale of unemployment makes youth with higher education seek Group IV jobs.
Haryana has one of the highest per capital income in the country, and the state ranks in top 10 for the GST collections. It’s baffling which buffalo the Haryana government is playing piano for.
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