The need for shadow cabinets

The shadow ministers neither have powers nor any extra payment, but they serve an important purpose. They get trained in governance while in the Opposition. Each minister will have an in-depth knowledge of the portfolio she may be handling when her party gets power. The debates in the Parliament or Legislative Assemblies will become more informed instead of the cacophony Indian elected Houses are notorious for. This would make the life of the ruling party difficult in an informed and civilised way. The crux of democracy is that no government, whatever be the size of majority in the Parliament, can get away with autocratic and arbitrary decisions at the whims of its leader. Every act will have to be debated in the Parliament or Legislative Assembly. It is the debate that informs the public about the various aspects of any law that is being enacted. In India, a cabinet minister is at an advantage when it comes to a parliamentary debate. He has a vast number of bureaucrats assisting him to prepare his side. Without a shadow minister handling a shadow portfolio with his own teams of experts, the Opposition is at a disadvantage. Its members would not know who would be tackling the cabinet minister concerned in the debate. The result is blind stalling of parliamentary process and vapid sloganeering, often culminating in a walk-out. Sometimes, the people are entertained with some hurling of projectiles like files, slippers and even chairs at each other peppered with swearing that would make a drunkard blush. This helps a government to get away with anything through the ordinance route or by virtue of brute majority it may sometimes enjoy in the elected House. The Parliament sitting has drastically declined over the years. The state Assemblies are no better. One can observe a pattern in how the increasingly rare Parliament sessions are conducted. A random bill is introduced. The bureaucrat can afford to do a shoddy job as he knows nothing much is going to be debated anyway. The opposition parties have neither time nor expertise to study the bill. No one is given responsibility and every opposition MP, in order to please his leader, would resort to screaming and thumping the desk without having a clue on what the bill is all about. This is matched by the ruling benches. The Speaker suspends the House for the day. One more session is wasted. Irrespective of the party in power, this has been the pattern for the last few decades. The agenda of the Opposition have been to blindly oppose anything and somehow stall the government from functioning. India is a complex country to rule. One cannot take any action without hurting one group or another. There will never be a dearth of issues that could hijack a Parliament session. The precious Parliament time is wasted on issues that should be ideally solved at Panchayat level. Since nothing important happens in Parliament or Assemblies except mutual accusations and theatrics, the ministers and the Prime Minister can afford to skip the sessions and concentrate on their next election. This creates a cascading effect. The senior opposition leaders also would find it a waste of time to attend the Parliament and would concentrate more on countering the ruling party leaders by being in a constant campaigning mood. The floor of the Parliament is left to the minions whose only job is to create enough cacophony so that no one understands anything. One of the major problems of Indian media is the lack of research and pressing deadlines. The media relies mainly on government handouts and thus becomes its mouthpiece. All media houses call a set of spokespersons for the television debate. These spokespersons imitate their colleagues in the elected houses—shout, scream, confuse and confound until the anchor concludes the debate in a way that would suit the agenda of whichever political party his media house supports. Irrespective of whether the debate is about nuclear technology or cotton farming, the same set of spokespersons would come to defend their party. Only expertise needed is a throat capable of making high decibel screams and a thick skin. If there is a shadow minister and an expert in each party, the media would know who to invite to present an opposing view. A shadow cabinet would help each party to develop capable leaders who could conduct an informed debate. They would be able to corner the government with their expertise and not allow the ruling party to get away with empty slogans. It would take away the load off the Opposition Leader and the people would know who they would be getting as their ministers and how they are compared with the incumbent. This would keep the ministers and bureaucrats in their toes. Whenever the power changes hands, these shadow ministers already would have gained enough capability to run the ministry with an independent mind. Another advantage of a shadow cabinet is that it would change the comparison of the PM with the Leader of the Opposition. It would change to comparison of the government's cabinet versus the shadow. In the Westminster style of democracy that we follow, forming a shadow cabinet would only strengthen the democracy. This would put an end to the incongruous presidential style poll campaign that relies on the personality cult or the family lineage. Anand Neelakantan mail@asura.co.in Author, columnist, speaker Dailyhunthttp://echometer.com/UserProfile/tabid/61/userId/462734/Default.aspx

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Congress a 'Lollipop Company', has no concern for farmers: PM Modi

"These people are trying to lure you by short-term benefit announcements and promises but all this will not help" he said in an apparent dig at the Congress which has rolled out loan waivers for farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan after its victory in the assembly elections that dislodged the ruling BJP. "Taatkalik fayde ke liye ki gayi ghosnanyein kabhi sarthak nahin ho sakte (Announcements made for instant benefits won't be successful in the long run)," he said as the people applauded. "All these announcements are being done to fool the people," the Prime Minister said.Referring to the long queues of farmers for urea in Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress recently came to power after 15 years, Modi said this was an example of what hasty promises with an eye on votes can lead to. He alleged that the black-marketeers have come into play in Madhya Pradesh, and the people were paying the price of voting for those who make false and hollow promises. Modi also tore into the Congress-supported JD-S government in Karnataka. He said while Congress had promised a farm loan waiver in the state and had made a "government through back door", the state's farmers had been cheated. "They gave the lollipop of a farm loan waiver, votes were stolen but so far only... the loans of 800 farmers have been waived off," Modi said while exhorting people to understand "such games"."What are these promises, and what are these games..." the Prime Minister chuckled as the crowd cheered. Dailyhunthttps://foretagslanns.blogspot.com/2018/11/what-natural-health-products-should-be.html

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Revival plan for AI

utlining the revival plan, Sinha said a comprehensive financial package, including transferring non-core debt and assets to a special purpose vehicle would be introduced as part of the plan. The airline would also try and achieve "higher levels of operational efficiency by strengthening management and implementing best practice business processes, organisational and governance reforms and differentiated business strategies for each of Air India's core businesses".He indicated that divestment in Air India's arms would also form a part of the package. In a separate written reply, Sinha said the government remains committed to the divestment of Air India."The contours of the mode of disposal of the subsidiaries - Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL), Air India Air Transport Services Ltd (AIATSL) and Airline Allied Services Ltd (AASL) - will be decided separately," he said.Last week, the government had sought the approval of Parliament for equity infusion worth Rs 2,345 crore into debt- laden Air India. Dailyhunthttps://wanelo.co/sreengreens

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arat Gold Mine employees seek Centre's intervention to resolve issues

Bh However, the Cabinet decision could not be implemented due to litigation. Finally, in 2013, the Supreme Court allowed the government to go ahead with the tender. Since then, the matter of disposal of assets of BGML is pending with the mines ministry. "The smooth closure of BGM was mandated to the Ministry of Mines and they were expected . for the revival and rehabilitation of the gold mines as directed by all including the Union Cabinet in 2006 . But the Ministry of Mines has failed to implement the above orders," BGM Employees, Supervisors and Officers United Forum said in a letter to the central government. "The delay in the settlement of BGML issue is seriously affecting the lives of thousands of its employees and their families . It is also further hurting India's exploitation of gold from BGM mines," the letter said. The mines ministry in its annual report had said it is exploring the possibility to revive BGML in view of the preliminary estimates of MECL on gold reserves in the Kolar Gold Fields. MECL has been engaged for carrying out detailed exploration for fair estimation of gold in the previously unextracted part of the mineralised portion in the lease area at Kolar Gold Fields including the 13 tailing dumps. "We are even agreeable for running of BGML by MoM (Ministry of Mines) on payment of our due wages from the year 2001 till date as the closure was imposed on us," the letter said. "We fondly await your proactive and rightful intervention. We hope the Ministry of Mines shall open a new chapter and pave the way forward to settle BGM issue," it said. Dailyhunthttp://www.penninetroutfarmandfishery.co.uk/UserProfile/tabid/61/userId/1761486/Default.aspx

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Donald Trump Christmas call

If he felt superior to a seven-year-old, he is obviously at least a year older. And all those cruel people who published memes of him as an intransigent child with a bowl of pasta upturned on his head at the G7 summit, were unfair and wrong, exactly like the New York Times. Trump also complained in a tweet to being "all alone (poor me) in the White House" while the rest of the world made whoopee. Does he not know that he who would build a wall must know solitude? The American government is shut down because funding for nine departments and several agencies has dried up. And that's because lawmakers don't have time for small change when they are fighting Trump over funding for his wall. "Or fence; I'll call it anything they want me to call it," he clarified in a press statement, as if this were a concession. Anything that would stop people from "pouring into our company. country." Oh, oh. The American president thinks he's running a firm. That was the other big takeaway. The human race is merciless. Ho, ho, ho, it went. Trump was scragged for undermining a myth dear to children and parents. Even if, in the process, he had established that he is at least eight years old, and not an infant as the world suspects. Dailyhunthttp://www.tripntale.com/profile/132710

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OnePlus 6T is the company's most minor update

OxygenOS 9 is as snappy and refined as ever, with an improved Game Mode and a new Smart Boost feature that keeps games permanently in the phone RAM (memory) for faster load times. Most of the stuff you loved about using the OnePlus 6 on a daily basis is still there - the uncompromised performance, the bright, vibrant screen and frequently updated software.An in-screen fingerprint scanner, a smaller notch and a larger battery - the OnePlus 6T is perhaps the company's most minor update, particularly if you consider the benefits in functionality or usability. About that in-screen fingerprint scanner - it's a nice novelty, particularly with that insanely cool unlocking animation, but beyond that, it requires a whole lot more attention to place your finger just right. It takes that extra beat longer than I prefer and you're likely unlocking the phone faster with the face unlock anyway!The design changes mean that the 6T loses the 3.5mm jack and the notification LED in front. Camera performance remains largely unchanged, and the new Nightscape mode needs a bit more work. Nokia 3.1 PlusPrice: Rs 11,499The latest addition to a now long lineup of Nokia phones, the Nokia 3.1 Plus is a competent offering at a somewhat questionable price, with competition even from within the house offering a better alternative.With its 6-inch HD+ display curving around the edges and a smooth-to-the-touch metal rear panel, the 3.1 Plus looks far classier than its price would suggest and feels solid, durable and comfortable in the hand.The display is mated to a large 3,500mAh battery, a combination which gives the phone enough juice to last the better part of two days, even while you enjoy movies and streaming content on the big, bright screen. The dual cameras work well in daylight and capture good detail despite a rather slow shutter speed. But low-light photos are grainy and lacking in detail.Powering the device is the Helio P22 chip, which has been used in entry level devices like the Redmi 6, but the 3.1 Plus is priced to compete against the likes of the ZenFone Max Pro M1 and the Redmi 6 Pro, both of which offer significantly higher performance for the price - even the similarly priced 5.1 Plus performs better. The stock Android 8.1 interface, courtesy the Android One program, does help its case - the UI is responsive despite the processor in use. Sony WH-1000XM3Price: Rs 29,990While Bose's QuietComfort series has been the gold standard in noise-cancelling headphones for a while, Sony's been quietly mounting a formidable challenge in that space, originally with the MDR-1000X and, more recently, the WH-1000XM3. With its rich feature set and audio quality, the Sony is an easy-to-recommend all-round package and well worth the price.The changes in design from previous generations are minor, but mostly positive - the move from metal to plastic in the headband saves weight. That, when combined with the new, thicker and softer cushions, renders the headphones almost weightless on the head. What you lose slightly in terms of premium looks you gain discernably in terms of comfort.Touch controls on the right earcup, including those to change volume or tracks, are arguably still a tad gimmicky, but work more reliably than before. The 'Quick Attention' (quickly mutes audio and lets in outside noise) mode is super handy in flights and during commutes. Audio quality is rich and detailed, bass is deep and satisfying and the soundstage is open and spacious (incredibly so for a closed-back design). The headphones also support a range of high-resolution audio codecs, and are best enjoyed on an Android device that supports the aptX HD sonic standard.Crucially, in one of the key metrics that count - noise cancellation - Sony inches ahead of Bose, cutting out ambient noise better across different situations (flights, coffee shops and metro commutes) and even offering multiple profiles to dial up/down the cancellation, including one that is based on your current altitude. You also get a USB Type-C port, which allows for fast charging (five hours of use with 10 minutes of charging) and reduces the hassle of carrying along one more cable. Battery life remains an unchanged yet stellar 30 hours!You get only one button for noise-cancellation control as well as for invoking Siri or Google Assistant. Dedicated buttons for each would have been handier. The headphones can remember eight paired devices, but streams content from only one device at a time; you need to disconnect the audio source to, say, take a call on the other. Dyson Pure CoolPrice: Rs 36,900/ Rs 43,900As winter sets in, the pall of gloom that is the winter smog engulfs most of our big cities. And if you haven't already, it's time to settle on an air purifier, possibly the Dyson Pure Cool. A full-featured air purifier with a bevy of sensors and smart app control, the Pure Cool demands a princely sum to cleanse the air you breathe.Air purifiers are popping up in homes and offices, with many a third the price of the Dyson. True to Dyson form, however, it casts aside the industrial design of the competition and delivers a product that you wouldn't mind flaunting in your living room. The filters around the base suck in air around the Pure Cool and push it out through the futuristic loop on the top via the bladeless fans popularised by Dyson over the years.The base itself rotates nearly a full circle to push out clean air around the room, no matter where you place it, and you can choose from either direct airflow for cooling or a diffused airflow mode for the winters, where cooling isn't a priority.Control is via the magnetically attached remote or the Dyson app, which provides real-time updates of the air quality index and indoor air quality. The Pure Cool is best used in Auto mode, where during the Diwali week, it was able to bring down the PM2.5 levels from over 140 to sub-50 in about half an hour. Samsung Galaxy A7Price: Rs 23,990 onwardsFor its first device with a triple camera setup, Samsung chose not the flagship Note or the 'S' series but the mid-range A series. The extra shooter adds a fair bit of versatility to your shots, but performance and specs nerds may prefer the alternatives at this price point.The A7 takes a lot of inspiration from A-series phones that came before it - an all-glass design with a 6-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 4/6GB of RAM, 64/128GB of storage and the Samsung Exynos 7885 octa-core processor powering the experience. The screen is typical Samsung - colours are punchy, viewing angles are good and the Always-On mode is useful.The highlight is the triple camera setup - a 24MP f/1.7 primary camera, a 5MP f/2.2 depth sensor and an 8MP f/2.4 with a 120-degree field of view ultra-wide lens. The ultra-wide setup is excellent for getting more of the scene in without resorting to taking a panorama shot, but the lower resolution sensor does limit the amount of detail as compared to the main 24MP shooter, so you end up using it sparingly. The primary shooter manages good photos in daylight with the help of a scene optimiser mode which identifies the view and applies appropriate settings for a better image. But detail levels drop in low light.Samsung refers to it as an Infinity Display, but the A7 packs in significantly thicker bezels than its Note/S brethren. No Type-C port and the fingerprint scanner on the right edge is convenient only for right-handed folks. The package on the A7 is no slouch - everyday tasks are achieved without any lag, and I multitasked between multiple heavy apps and games without any issues - but folks looking for better absolute gaming performance should look elsewhere. Syska Smart Table LampPrice: Rs 3,699Amazon's Alexa digital assistant is finding its way into all manners of home appliances, and the latest is Syska's Wi-Fi enabled Smart Table Lamp.The Smart Table Lamp hides its smarts behind its deceptively normal exterior - it features a flexible rubberised body that can be bent in any direction for your convenience, and the feather-touch controls allow you to change brightness (three levels) and the warmth of the light (yellow, warm white and white). There's an app to control the lamp as well, but you can go completely hands-free and operate the lamp using Alexa. Overall, a neat addition to a growing list of smart home tech.Feather-touch controls are a little sticky and oftentimes need an additional tap.Lacks a built-in battery for true portability. Tushar Kanwar is a tech columnist and commentator. Follow him on Twitter at 2shar Dailyhunthttps://foretagslanns.blogspot.com/2018/12/no-fax-payday-loans-idiot-proof-method.html

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15 hilarious tweets from 2018 that only a parent will relate to

10 lakh bank workers on strike nationwide today, services likely to be affected The government wants banks to grow in size through this amalgamation but even if all public sector banks are bundled into one, the merged entity cannot find a place among the top 10 globally, said United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which has called for the one-day strike. 'This merger will see a large number of branches getting closed and customers will have to face hardships as already banks are burdened with the implementation of various government schemes such as Jan Dhan Yojana, Mudra, social security insurance, and Prime Minister's housing scheme, among others,' the union said. UFBU is an umbrella organisation of nine unions, including the All-India Bank Officers Confederation, the All- India Bank Employees Association and the National Organisation of Bank Workers, among others. Last week, public sector lender Bank of Baroda said the 'alternative mechanism' of the finance ministry had accorded in-principle approval for its merger with Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank. The 'alternative mechanism' headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had decided to merge the three banks with a view to create a lender with considerable size, which will be stronger and sustainable. The merger comes after the largest lender SBI merging its five subsidiary banks and taking over the Bharatiya Mahila Bank last year, which catapulted it to be among top 50 global lenders. Last week, around 3.20 lakh bank officers from various state-run banks were on a one-day strike opposing the proposed merge and also seeking immediate wage revision. Bank managements have mandated the industry lobby Indian Bank Association (IBA) to negotiate the wages for employees in the scales 1-3 but the unions want this to be raised up to scale 7. The wage talks are on for the past 13 months between the unions and IBA, the latter has offered a wage revision of 8 per cent. In the past wage settlement, which was for the period from November 1, 2012 to October 31, 2017, the employees got a 15 per cent hike. Dailyhunthttps://www.avitop.com/cs/members/wreengreens.aspx And you are not the only parent who has to deal with this. As the year 2018 comes to a close, we bring you 15 hilarious tweets from this year on the ordeals of raising a child that every parent will relate to: Dailyhunthttps://www.vox.com/users/meekneekitto