Morning Brief: Factory Output At 42-Month High; China Flexes Muscles In South China Sea Again

Positive Sign

Indian factory activity grew at its fastest pace in 42 months in August on the back of strong growth in new orders in both manufacturing and services sector. The Nikkei India Composite Output Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 54.6 in August.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion from the previous month, while a one below it indicates contraction.

Black Money

The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money has asked the Reserve Bank of India to share black money data with other government agencies such as Enforcement Directorate, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the Central Board of Direct Taxes.

SIT feels the need for creating a data warehouse from where various agencies can gather relevant information for taking early appropriate action. Currently, the RBI holds the information with respect to all types of foreign exchange transactions.

GM Mustard

The Environment ministry has put in public a report by a technical agency which has termed the consumption of genetically modified (GM) mustard safe for human and animal health.

The agency conducted the toxicity and allergenicity studies and found that it does not raise any public health and safety concern for with respect to overall nutritional characteristics.

A group of Delhi scientists has developed the mustard variety. Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) will take the final call whether to allow it for cultivation in India.

Flexing Muscles

Just when China was hosting the world’s top leaders in Hangzhou for G20 summit, It sent an an unusually large number of vessels to Scarborough Shoal, near the coast of the Philippines in the South China sea, despite US president Obama’s repeated warnings.

Earlier, the Chinese humiliated Obama and did not provide a rolling staircase for Obama to disembark from the main door of Air Force One on his arrival. He got off the plane by using Air Force One’s staircase.

The Philippines president, Rodrigo Duterte, termed the Chinese presence near Scarborough Shoal “unsettling”. But he doesn’t seem to have any plan to counter this.

Americans could have been an ally but Duterte is hellbent on worsening relations with the US. He called Obama “Son of a bitch” in a press conference. The White House has cancelled the meeting between the two which was scheduled to take place on the sidelines of ASEAN summit.

For A Transparent Process

The Supreme Court may soon hear a plea by the National Lawyers Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms, which has made an urgent petition highlighting the “nepotism and favouritism” prevalent in the Collegium system of judges appointing judges. In a strong critique of the NJAC verdict, the lawyers’ body has said that Judicial reform was killed even before it was allowed to take birth.

The body has also thanked Justice Chelameswar for his principled stand against the opacity of the Collegium system.

MUST READ OP-EDS

Did We Help Rajan? [V. Anantha Nageswaran]: Public policy and public causes would be better served if intellectuals subjected fellow intellectuals to the same rigorous scrutiny that they subject politicians to.

Myth Of Military Neutrality [C. Raja Mohan]: With Chinese influence growing in the subcontinent, India needs greater engagement with the big powers.

Realising Energy Sector Targets [Kirit S. Parikh]: A reasonable aim of 1,500 MT of coal production by 2022 and a calibrated renewable energy push should enable reaching ambitious targets.

SWARAJYA SPECIAL

SC Collegium Sucks, Even Judges Agree: The nation owes a vote of thanks to Justice Chelameswar, who said not once, but twice, that the collegium is not the best way to select and appoint judges to the upper judiciary.

We hope you enjoyed reading our morning brief. Have a great day ahead!

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