Recommendation 1 from ‘The Times of India’
Article Name:‘Life and debt’
By: ‘Jug Suraiya’
The article is talking about a report that was published in TOI, which said that if the total amount of money borrowed by the government to run the country is divided among every citizen, irrespective of age, then the amount of money that every citizen owes is Rs 33,000. However, the irony is that no one has spent this much money all by themselves, in fact the government has done nothing on their behalf. At the same time the writer states that if we multiply 30,000 with the number of population, then the amount of money would be huge. Consequently, writer asks a question that what the government spends so much money on.
Summary:
Of course, as very valid question, as if we look at the state of affairs in some aspects is still terrible and the recent hike in prices is still something that is unexplainable. Where has this much money gone? Before we actually sit down and assess that how each of us are going to give this money back to the system, government should tell us where this money has gone.
Learn Words from the article:
Fanatical: Obsessive
Inhabitants: People
Recommendation 2 from ‘Foreign Policy’
Article Name:‘The dictators are smarter than you think’
By: ‘Christian Caryl’
The article is talking about a fascinating book The Dictator’s Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy written by Will Dobson. In the book, the writer has made many observations according to which the conclusion that comes out is that the modern dictators are not fools, they have been smart enough to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors and they know that it is only for their own good to favour the appearance of democracy while at the same time they undermine it. And it is also worth taking into consideration that many dictators were in power for more than the expected period of time. And we need to take this into consideration if by the slightest of chance we want elements of freedom to rule the world.
Summary:
Of course, the dictators have never been, never are and will never be idiots. If they have the mettle of taking over a country, it means that there are things or two that we need to learn from them about administration. For instance, I had read somewhere that during the regime of Qaddafi there were many reforms that were introduced that modern world cannot even imagine of. So, yes we can probably learn something from them too.
Learn Words from the article:
Penchant: Liking
Authoritarian: Strict
Recommendation 3 from ‘Foreign Policy’
Article Name:‘A megaproject transforms Kenya—but not everyone is thrilled’
By: ‘Jeremy Flattau’
The article is talking about a project called the LAPSSET that is being built on the island of Lamu, Kenya with the collaboration of Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia. The project will consist of rail networks, super highways etc. Article states that despite the fact the government is stating that this project will boost the regional trade, there have been protests about the project, like fishermen saying that population of the fish will plummet and many other things. Further the article states that instead of being tolerant to the protests and taking into consideration that essentials of democracy in development do clash with the transitional economies, authorities are busy quelling down the protest with force.
Summary:
Well, the development in the transitional economies is important, so that it doesn’t crash under the pressure of transition. So, perhaps the move to develop this mega project is right. But, taking into consideration that everyday many such projects are developed without proper environment clearance, puts not only our atmosphere at risk, but also people, who in the end sue money.
Learn Words from the article:
Concrete: Real
