TOPIC-1:After
New Hampshire, Sanders in focus.
In what is being hailed as a “victory for outsiders”, Bernie
Sanders, the underdog in the U.S. Democratic nomination race, stole a
march on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the first primary
elections of the season, in New Hampshire, and controversial
property billionaire Donald Trump captured the most Republican votes. Mr.
Sanders, a Senator from Vermont, won 60.4
per cent of the primary vote in the State, leading Ms. Clinton by nearly 22
points. In doing so, he scooped up 15
delegates to her nine and almost instantly attracted a wave of donor funding to his campaign, to the tune
of $6.4 million. Although New Hampshire is preponderantly
white, the self-proclaimed
“Democratic Socialist” won a thumping majority across a variety of
demographic cohorts, except for those
over 65 years of age and for households earning more than $200,000. While he
may have benefited from New Hampshire sharing a border with Vermont, this early
upset in Ms. Clinton’s presumed-unassailable
lead has thrust Mr. Sanders’s campaign into fourth gear and energised his
supporters across the U.S. Importantly, his victory has put the Democratic
Party establishment, which until now has thrown its weight behind Ms. Clinton,
on notice. Although the party’s “super-delegates” are supporting Ms. Clinton
over Mr. Sanders by a margin of 355-14, they may well switch their support to
Mr. Sanders if he continues to snatch
victories in other States.
Yet, by no means is it obvious that Mr. Sanders’s call for a “revolution” will thus sway every State. At the national level Ms.
Clinton outperforms Mr. Sanders in the support she enjoys with minorities by 71
to 20 per cent. She has vigorously courted
the African-American demographic, with a recent visit to Flint, Michigan, to
discuss its water-poisoning crisis; she has announced joint campaigns with the
families of unarmed African-Americans who died in controversial encounters with
law enforcement; and post-New Hampshire she will likely focus her campaign on
systemic racism, criminal justice reform,
voting rights and gun violence. Mr. Sanders, who will face his first big test
with the African-American vote in the mixed demographics of South Carolina and
is possibly aware of the weak link in his campaign strategy, met this week with
civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton
to amplify his message of support to this community. It is unclear what
dividends such late manoeuvres could yield. The other critical factor is the rise
and rise of Mr. Trump. Although he is the philosophical antithesis of Mr. Sanders, they share certain
similarities: their attacks on dark pools of campaign finance dominating U.S.
elections; their rejection, albeit for
different reasons, of the notion of
American exceptionalism; and their
anti-establishment positions, including distrust of the mainstream media. If
these two men float to the top through the primary races, that must reflect
Americans’ frustration with the jaded
politics of Washington. But equally they must know that each man holds firm
to a radically different vision for
reshaping their country.
VOCABULARY:
1.hailed: (of a
large number of objects) fall or be hurled forcefully.
2.stole : a
priest's silk vestment worn over the shoulders and hanging down to the knee or
below.
3.controversial :
giving rise or likely to give rise to controversy or public disagreement.
4.Senator : a Lord
of Session.
5.scooped : publish a news story before (a rival
reporter, newspaper, or broadcaster).
6.wave :move one's
hand to and fro in greeting or as a signal.
7.preponderantly :
a greater amount or number of something.
8.self-proclaimed : described as or proclaimed to be such by
oneself, without endorsement by others.
9.cohorts : an
ancient Roman military unit, comprising six centuries, equal to one tenth of a
legion.
10.presumed:
suppose that something is the case on the basis of probability.
11.unassailable:
unable to be attacked, questioned, or defeated.
12.snatch: quickly
seize (something) in a rude or eager way.
13.obvious :
easily perceived or understood; clear, self-evident, or apparent.
14.revolution : a
forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favour of a new system.
15.vigorously : in
a way that involves physical strength, effort, or energy; strenuously.
16.racism : the
belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or
qualities specific to that race.
17.Reverend : used
as a title or form of address to members of the clergy.
18.manoeuvres : a
movement or series of moves requiring skill and care.
19.antithesis : a
person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else.
20.albeit : Even
though; although; notwithstanding.
21.notion : an
impulse or desire, especially one of a whimsical kind.
22.exceptionalism
: the belief that something is exceptional, especially the theory that the
peaceful capitalism of the US constitutes an exception to the general economic
laws governing national historical development.
23.jaded : bored
or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something.
24.radically :
believing or expressing the belief that there should be great .
TOPIC-2:TERI’s disgraceful appointment
It is a matter of disgrace that an eminent
man who leaves his position under a cloud
of serious charges of sexual harassment is able to return to an executive
position in the same organisation without any compunction.
The appointment of climate scientist R.K. Pachauri as executive vice-chairman
of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in a position apparently created
for him, is contrary to the spirit of Indian
law that now accords great importance to
the safety of women and the special enactment
to deal with sexual harassment at the workplace. Dr. Pachauri went on leave in
February 2015 from TERI and quit the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate
Change. However, even after an Internal Complaints Committee found him guilty
of misconduct on a complaint by a woman researcher, he returned to TERI last
July on the strength of an interim order
by an industrial tribunal staying the
complaints panel’s report. With a new Director-General taking over at TERI, Dr.
Pachauri has been accommodated in a
position from which he can wield power
and influence over employees and researchers in an organisation that is
partially funded by the government. His continuance in this organisation is untenable. It is apparent from the emergence of a
second complaint and reports that his return has caused dismay among many women employees that the charge
is not related to one incident or a rare lapse in behaviour, but a repeatedly
displayed propensity. Second, his being around in the face of an ongoing
criminal investigation against him is wholly inappropriate
and against the spirit of the Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace
(Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
In many ways, TERI as an employer
appears to have ignored its obligations
under the Act. The complainant is not in the organisation anymore, indicating
that conditions for her continuance were not facilitated by the management. It
did not act immediately on the internal committee’s report, as can be discerned from the fact that there was no
follow-up disciplinary action. The jurisdiction of an industrial tribunal to stay the findings of an internal panel
under the special law is a legal question that may be decided in ongoing
proceedings before the Delhi High Court. As an organisation, TERI has a global
profile as well as a considerable body of achievement behind it in the field of
energy efficiency and climate science. Its Governing Council has eminent people
of impeccable credentials.
Not unexpectedly, Dr. Pachauri denies any
wrong doing and doggedly seeks to retain his position. However, it is incomprehensible why the organisation and the
eminent people on its governing body should support him. In fact, it is the
management of TERI that ought to be assisting
the complainants in pursuing legal remedies. It should now act to ensure that
Dr. Pachauri does not play a role in TERI any more. As for the 75-year-old
scientist who headed an organisation that shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007,
it is time for him to rest on his tainted laurels.
VOCABULARY:
1.disgrace : loss
of reputation or respect as the result of a dishonourable action.
2.eminent : (of a
person) famous and respected within a particular sphere.
3.cloud : used to refer to a state or cause of
gloom, suspicion, trouble, or worry.
4.compunction : a
feeling of guilt or moral scruple that prevents or follows the doing of
something bad.
5.contrary :
opposite in nature, direction, or meaning.
6.spirit : the prevailing or typical quality, mood,
or attitude of a person, group, or period of time.
7.accords : give
or grant someone (power, status, or recognition).
8.enactment : the
process of passing legislation.
9.interim :
relating to less than a full year's business activity.
10.tribunal : a
body established to settle certain types of dispute.
11.accommodated :
fit in with the wishes or needs of.
12.wield: have and
be able to use (power or influence).
13.untenable:
(especially of a position or view) not able to be maintained or defended
against attack or objection.
14.dismay: concern
and distress caused by something unexpected.
15.obligations :
an act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a
duty or commitment.
16.discerned :
distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other
senses.
17.tribunal : a
body established to settle certain types of dispute.
18.impeccable : in accordance with the highest
standards; faultless.
19.credentials: a
qualification, achievement, quality, or aspect of a person's background,
especially when used to indicate their suitability for something.
20.denies: state
that one refuses to admit the truth or existence of.
21.doggedly:
persistent in effort; stubbornly tenacious.
22.seeks: attempt
or desire to obtain or achieve (something).
23.incomprehensible : not able to be understood; not intelligible.
24.assisting :
help by providing money or information.
25.tainted: affect
with a bad or undesirable quality.
26.laurels: any of
a number of shrubs and other plants with dark green glossy leaves, in
particular:
