hai frds iam Bollepalli anu
iam providing the hindu editorial page and vocabularyhappy reading................
TOPIC:1 :Towards
a law on euthanasia
The
time for legislation to deal with euthanasia has come. The Union government has
now informed a Constitution Bench of the
Supreme Court that its experts are examining a draft
Bill proposed by the Law Commission in its 241st report. However, it has
been advised by the Law Ministry to hold back its enactment
now, as the matter is pending before the court. Over a decade ago, the
government felt that legislation on euthanasia would amount to doctors
violating the Hippocratic Oath and that they should not yield to a
patient’s “fleeting desire out of transient depression” to die. The
government’s latest stand represents forward movement in the quest for a legislative framework to deal with the
question whether patients who are terminally ill and possibly beyond the scope of medical revival
can be allowed to die with dignity. The
question was raised with a great deal of passion
in the case of Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse who lay in a vegetative
state in a Mumbai hospital between 1973 and 2015. In a landmark 2011 verdict that was notable for its progressive,
humane and sensitive treatment of the complex interplay of individual dignity
and social ethics, the Supreme Court laid
down a broad legal framework. It ruled out any backing for active euthanasia,
or the taking of a specific step such as injecting the patient with a lethal
substance, to put an end to a patient’s suffering, as that would be clearly
illegal. It allowed ‘passive euthanasia’, or the withdrawal of life support, subject
to safeguards and fair procedure. It made it mandatory that every instance
should get the approval of a High Court Bench, based on consultation with a
panel of medical experts.
The
question now before a Constitution Bench on a petition by the NGO Common Cause
is whether the right to live with dignity under Article 21 includes the right
to die with dignity, and whether it is time to allow ‘living wills’, or written
authorisations containing instructions
given by persons in a healthy state of mind to doctors that they need not be
put on life-support systems or ventilators in the event of their going into a persistent vegetative state or state of terminal
illness. The government’s reply shows that the Directorate-General of Health
Services has proposed legislation based on the recommendations of an Experts’
Committee. The experts have not agreed to active euthanasia because of its
potential for misuse and have proposed changes to a draft Bill suggested by the
Law Commission. However, there seems to be no support for the idea of a ‘living
will’, as the draft says any such document will be ‘void’ and not binding on
any medical practitioner. It is logical
that it should be so, as the law will be designed specifically to deal with
patients not competent to decide for
themselves because of their medical condition. This has to be tested against
the argument that giving those likely to drift
into terminal illness an advance opportunity to make an informed choice will
help them avoid “cruel and unwanted treatment” to prolong their lifespan. To
resolve this conflict between pain and
death, the sooner that a comprehensive law on the subject is enacted, the
better it will be for society.
VOCABULARY:
1.Bench : a long seat for several people, typically made of wood or stone.
2.draft : a preliminary version of a piece of writing.
3.enactment : the process of passing legislation.
4.Hippocratic Oath : an oath stating the obligations and proper conduct
of doctors, formerly taken by those beginning medical practice. Parts of the
oath are still used in some medical schools
5.quest : search for something.
6. scope : the extent of the area or subject matter that something deals with or to
which it is relevant.
7. revival : an improvement in the condition, strength, or fortunes of someone or
something.
8.dignity : the state or quality of being worthy of honour or respect.
9.passion : strong and barely controllable emotion.
11.verdict : a decision on an issue of fact in a civil or criminal case or an inquest.
12.ethics : moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an
activity.
13.authorisations : a document giving official permission.
14.persistent : continuing to exist or occur over a prolonged
period.
15.binding : fabric cut or woven in a strip, used for binding the edges of a piece of
material.
16.practitioner : a person actively engaged in an art, discipline,
or profession, especially medicine.
17.competent : (of a person) efficient and capable.
18.drift :
(especially of snow or leaves) be blown into heaps by the wind.
19.conflict : a serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one.
TOPIC: 2:
Djokovic’s dominance
For
a sport reeling from
allegations of fixing, tennis needed the
restoration of a semblance of normalcy.
And few things have been as normal these last few years as Novak Djokovic
holding a trophy aloft. So the Australian
Open received the finish it so desperately
wanted after its start was hit by the BBC and BuzzFeed exposé. Djokovic never
let his focus waver in sweeping to his sixth title in Melbourne
Sport advances in iteration, but perhaps never before in men’s
tennis have three of the finest, most dominant champions succeeded each other
so quickly. Djokovic now stands where only a few, Federer and Nadal among them,
have stood before. A sense of how difficult it is to maintain such superiority
may be had from the women’s game. Serena Williams has appeared just as peerless
over a similar period, but one match in which anxiety reduced her level and a
brave, inspired opponent elevated hers
proved the difference between a Major won and one lost. Angelique Kerber’s
triumph will conveniently be classed as a fairy-tale run. But 28-year-olds who
have never before reached Slam finals don’t do it on a wing and a prayer. They do it because they finally
realise failure’s transformative potential; because they are willing then to
stake every last bit of their being on what looks to others a long shot. In
defeating Serena — still one short of Steffi Graf’s Open Era record of 22
Majors, but with at least as strong a case for being considered the greatest
ever — and the formidable Victoria Azarenka, Kerber pulled off an extraordinary
coup under
severe pressure. Another variation of the theme of dominance came in the
women’s doubles. Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis claimed their third successive
Grand Slam title together, extending their winning streak on tour to 36 matches. Like Djokovic and Serena, they
will look at the remainder of 2016 covetously
— as an opportunity to enhance their legacy.
VOCABULARY:
1.reeling : lose one's balance and stagger or lurch
violently.
2.allegations : a claim or assertion that someone has done
something illegal or wrong, typically one made without proof.
3.semblance : the outward appearance or apparent form of
something, especially when the reality is different.
5.desperately : in a way that shows despair.
6.waver : become weaker; falter.
7.sweeping : extending or performed in a long, continuous
curve.
8.crowns : an award or distinction gained by a victory or
achievement, especially in sport.
9.peer : look with difficulty or concentration at someone
or something.
10.merely : just; only.
11.consistent : acting or done in the same way over time,
especially so as to be fair or accurate.
12.surpassed : exceed; be greater than.
13.tactical : relating to or constituting actions carefully
planned to gain a specific military end.
14.iteration : the repetition of a process or utterance.
15.elevated : situated or placed higher than the surrounding area.
16.wing : a rigid
horizontal structure that projects from both sides of an aircraft and supports
it in the air.
17.coup : an instance of successfully achieving something
difficult.
18.streak : a long, thin line or mark of a different substance or colour from its
surroundings
19.covetously:
having or
showing a great desire to possess something belonging to someone else.
20.legacy: an amount of money or property left to someone
in a will.
