2019: A Year Of Extreme Hot , Dangerously Cold Weather

The 2019 has witnessed extreme weather in many parts of the world including India. The year started with dangerous and extreme cold in North America and heavy snowfall in the Alps and Himalayas.The year has also witnessed record heat, wildfires and rainfall in South America and Australasia.Its ending with The bitterly cold temperatures the world over.Indian capital Delhi has is going through the second-coldest December since 1901.

The metrological experts say the extreme cold weather is caused by the influence of the Polar Vortex- a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding the North Pole. Globally, temperatures were a little over 0.4°C warmer than the average January from 1981-2010, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Australia continued to experience exceptionally hot conditions. Middle East and eastern Siberia, Mongolia and northeastern also experienced above than normal temperatures. Europe saw temperatures close to or just below average.

All scientific organizations agree that human activities are primarily responsible for global warming. Two years back in 201, the European Environment Agency in its report, had warned of the threat of rising sea levels and more extreme weather, such as more frequent and more intense heatwaves, flooding, droughts, and storms due to climate change.

The report — updated every four years — said climate-related extreme events in EEA member countries have accounted for more than 400 billion euros in economic losses since 1980.

One of the important new findings of the report was that there was no global warming pause between 1998 and 2012. The Alps experienced much above average snowfall. Along the northern parts of eastern Mediterranean and the northwest of Spain rainfall was much above average, leading to several rivers overflowing and a number of fatalities.

Australia, southern Africa and eastern Brazil saw very dry conditions. Madagascar and northern Argentina saw much wetter than average conditions. The latter was severely affected by flooding, according to Copernicus Climate Change Service.In between there was a period of unusually frigid weather witnessed in December 2017, when parts of the United States were 15 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit colder than average, but the world as a whole was about 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 1979-2000 average.

Some recent cold spells have been caused by a dreaded weather system called the polar vortex. There’s growing evidence to suggest that the polar vortex is appearing outside the Arctic more frequently, because of changes in the jet stream that are attributed to the warming atmosphere.

Now the big question is: How can the temperature still tumble so low? The answer lies the difference between local weather and climate, according to NYT.

"Climate refers to how the atmosphere acts over a long period of time, while weather describes what’s happening on a much shorter time scale. The climate can be thought of, in a way, as the sum of long periods of weather.Or, to use an analogy, weather is how much money you have in your pocket today, whereas climate is your net worth. Sp What matters is what happens over the long term.

A period of unusually frigid weather was witnessed in December 2017, when parts of the United States were 15 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit colder than average, On the contrary. the world as a whole was about 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 1979-2000 average.

While climate scientists expect that the world could warm, on average, roughly two to seven degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century — depending on how quickly greenhouse-gas emissions rise. Record low temperatures will occur; they’ll just become rarer over time.

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Two Years Of Jairam: Just Ram... Raam, No Solid Kaam

No government on the earth can serve its people wholeheartedly and purposefully unless and until it ensures every pie of the state exchequer is fully spent on the well being of the common man. And in the process there is no place for extravagant and reckless spending of public money on royal living, particularly when the state is severely cash-starved.

So I feel Jairam Thakur, the incumbent Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh has done no service to the people of the state by holding a grand function at the sinking Ridge to celebrate his two-year in power. If, at all, it had to celebrate, the function should have been billed as party event or financed by ministers (including CM) and lawmakers. After all they get fat salary and perks for serving people. By all means, why should public hard-earned money be wasted on extravaganzas. Earlier, his oath taking ceremony held at historic Ridge and attended by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, several Union Ministers and Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states had cost the state exchequer a whopping amount. If good sense ever prevails on our publicity hunger leaders, then money wasted on such functions should be saved and spend on the welfare of poorest.

One can justify the Investors Meet at Dharamsala, held in first week of November as it brought some investment, but an grand event to celebrate two-years of a govt in power with big advertisements in media is just a sheer wastage of public money, for it brings hardly any benefit to the people.

Two years of a popular mandate is not a short period. By this time the tangible benefits of government's policies and programs should be clearly visible. But two years of Jairam Thakur's rule haven't brought any perceptible change in the life of people. I asked BJP ardent supporters to list some concrete achievements of Jairam Thakur govt but none could point out a single one. The cryptic stock reply is that this govt is better than Congress govt. And for Congress supporters, its worst than Virbhadra Singh govt.

There can't be any drastic change as long same govt apparatus and machinery is at the helms of the affairs. A cosmic change at the top can hardly bring fast results. So except that Virbhadra Singh and co are out and Jairam Thakur and co are in, nothing has changed. Corruption is there and so is red tapism. Babus continue to serve as masters not as public servants. The heavy bureaucracy and high cost of severance continue to burden the scare resources of the state. No change in govt's royal style of functioning is visible . Every successive govt is putting huge additional financial burden on state exchequer. With no additional source of income, Jairam Thakur govt has also relied heavily on borrowing. Earlier BJP used to curse Congress govt for this and now Congress is blaming Jairam Thakur for the wrong doings it had committed while in power.

Its a very sad state of affairs. The biggest challenge before Jairam Thakur govt or for that matter any govt is "how to cut its coat to suit the cloth". No family, institution, state or nation can survive for long on borrowings. There is a limit to it. State has already reached the danger line with debt crossing 50,000 crore and its interest and pensions liabilities increasing year by year. The uncovered budget deficit has reached 7500 crore.The time is not far off when govt will find it difficult even to serve the interests on debt.

What is worrisome is that our leadership is not concerned over the day-by-day deteriorating financial health of the state. There is an urgent need to downsize bureaucracy and govt sectors. The financial position of the state doesn't allow high cost of governance. At the same time, govt will have to generate adequate employment avenues. For this, our technical courses should be tailor made to the employment generation. All wasteful expenditure like political appointments in state-owned undertakings have to be shunned. Such appointments including Chief Whip have added more burden on state limited finance resources. Big question is : Can Jairam Thakur do it in next three years?

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Cong's Comedy Of Errors

Its a great comedy of error that power-starved Congress has promised free or subsidized power to the people of Delhi, but its government in Punjab has hiked the power tariff 11 times since it came to power in the state three years back. Who will trust the Grand Old Party? Delhi Congress party chief Subhash Chopra has promised free electricity up to 600 units per consumer (later he clarified subsidized) if Congress is elected to power. In Delhi AAP government headed by Arvind Kejriwal has been providing 200 units of electricity free to every consumer. As a run up to assembly elections, Congress has gone step ahead of AAP.

Congress had also promised Rs 5 per unit to industry and cheap power to consumers in Punjab. But it has gone back on its electoral promises. Instead, it has burdened the consumers with hike at regular intervals power . In its latest hike domestic consumers and commercial electricity will be costlier from new year. .It will be Rs 0.30 costlier for domestic consumers and Rs 0.29 for commercial users. . The hike will also cost Rs 20/horsepower more to farmers. With latest hike the domestic consumers will have to pay Rs 8.37 per unit, the highest in the region.

State govt is already providing free power to farmers and subsidized power to Dalits and Industry. It costs more than 10,000 crore to cash-starved state. Nearly 14.5 lakh agriculture tubewells are provided free power in the state, acccording to state government’s data. It has been a bone of contention since long that big farmers, several political families of the state, income tax payees, MLAs, MPs are also given the free power undeservedly. The burden is increasing year by year. It was just Rs. 690 crore when sop of free power was extended to farmers in 1997-98. State's finance health was much better than.

What is worse is that consumers have to pay for the mismanagement and inefficiencies of the govt. Unlike other states which acquire power plants from the private sector, Punjab has allowed the private players to build three super-critical thermal plants in the past few years. As such the government passes on to the consumer the PSPCL’s bill of fixed charges paid to the private companies even for power that is not utilized. This mismanagement puts an extra burden of Rs 1,300 crore annually to the consumers. Then there are transmission and distribution losses estimated around 17 per cent in the state.

Its bad luck for people of this country that every now and then we have to pay for the misdoings of our rulers. They represent us but care too little to our plight. Congress or Akalis or BJP, all are chips of the same block. Corruption is there at peak as was there in SAD-BJP rule and so are poor financial health (almost bankruptcy).But splurging financial resources continue unabated. The latest example was the appointment of disgruntled Congress MLAs as advisers. Its very sordid state of affairs. God save this country!

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"Once Mistrust, Always Distrust"

"Once mistrust, always distrust", is an old adage. It aptly applies on BJP. The saffron party anti-Muslim face and its eagerness to enforce Hindutva agenda have made people to suspect even its well-intentioned move. The latest is union govt's decision to update the National Population Register. The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to update the National Population Register (NPR), linked to the Census.

Costing the nation around Rs 3,941 crore,the objective of the NPR is to create a comprehensive identity database containing demographic details of every "usual resident" of the country. But opposition parties suspect that the move is part of Modi govt's move to enforce National Register of Citizens (NRC). Home Minister, Amit Shah has clarified "There is no link between NPR and NRC (National Register of Citizens). The NPR has nothing to do with NRC".

However, there are some actions of the Modi govt which raise eyebrows from time to time. In a latest case , a German exchange student studying at IIT Madras has been sent back allegedly for participating in protests on campus and elsewhere in Chennai against the citizenship law and the police crackdown on students in Delhi.

Indian Express reports that Jakob Lindenthal, a post-graduate student of physics at the IIT or Indian Institute of Technology, reportedly left for Amsterdam on Monday. He was quoted by the newspaper as saying he had received oral directions to leave India from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Chennai. In images from last week, the 24-year-old student was spotted in several protests. In one, he was seen holding a placard that read: "Uniformed Criminals = Criminals".

And what is happening in Uttar Pradesh is more disturbing. The police there have let loose a rein of terror against those protesting against Citizenship Act. The family of arrested noted theater artist Deepak Kabir has alleged that the police have not provided them even a certified copy of a first information report or even the arrest memo in the case. The renowned artist was arrested on Friday when he had gone to a police station in Lucknow to inquire about the whereabouts of his friends a day after taking part in the protest.

Earlier, actor-politician Sadaf Jafar was arrested and her family has alleged that she was beaten with batons, kicked in belly. As many as 18 people have died in Uttar Pradesh in protests against the Citizenship Act, 705 arrested and over 5,000 under custody. A total of 5,400 people have been taken under custody and around 705 have been sent to jail.

The Citizenship Amendment Act allows the naturalization of immigrants of Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Afghanistan living in India from (or before) 31 December 2014, belonging to six communities: Hindus, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christians but excludes Muslims. This is the bone of contention. The explanation for excluding Muslims is that they are not 'persecuted minorities' in the countries relevant to CAA. It is not true that Muslims are not persecuted in Muslim-dominated countries. It has been accepted time and again that people are not only persecuted on religious basis but for political, ethnic, and many other reasons.

Despite govt assurance, the announcement by Home Minister in parliament for a nation-wise NRC has raised eyebrows. The CAA, in conjunction with NRC (National Register for Citizens), is seen as a 'Muslim filter'act.

The CAA requires the beneficiaries to prove that they came from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan to India before 2015. It depends on how exactly the rules are framed in future. In case the government decides to make it as simple as self-declaration, then it could allow (almost) everyone - Hindus, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christians - except Muslims who fail to prove their citizenship in the NRC exercise to 'get back their citizenship' through CAA.

Its totally absurd to say that Muslims should go to 'Muslim countries' - while (almost) everyone else is welcome. It goes against the spirit of the Indian constitution. The makers of the constitutions rejected the logic of the two-nation theory but the CAA implicitly legitimizes the logic of two-nation theory.

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Stop Protests. India Need Growth

The country-wide protests against Citizen Amendment Bill (CAA) reminds me the strong opposition to reservation in government jobs to certain castes on basis of birth rather than merit of the candidate as recommended by the Mandal Commission in early nineties.

The protests against Mandal Commission reservation were so loud and wide-spread that roads and highways were blocked; transportation and public services were paralyzed and schools, colleges and businesses remained closed for many days in India. Angry students even attempted self-immolation.

Rajiv Goswami a student at Deshbandhu College, Delhi University was the first student to attempt self-immolation protest against reservation. His action sparked a series of self-immolation by college students.

Surinder Singh Chauhan was the first student to perform self-immolation while an evening student of Deshbandhu College (Delhi University) on September 24, 1990. He left a suicide note stating that "The responsibility f my death lies with those people who consider reservation a vote bank."

The political cost of the such protests are too high as these escalate to paralyze the economic activities. The distressing features of these protests are bandhs, destruction of public property, looting, and intimidation. Unfortunately, in India nation has to pay for the misdoings of ruling class time and again. And our politicians haven't learnt any lessons from dark days of emergency in 1975, high cost of protests against Mandal Commission reservation (Now almost every state and union govt have given reservation on the basis of caste) and similar protests thereafter.

With 4 fresh deaths in protesters-clashes with police, the death toll has reached 14 within a week of unrest triggered by a contentious citizenship law.The there are fear that protests may further escalate unless govt sits down with the protesters and address their concerns. The democratic way of dealing with public anger is to address the opposition , not use force to quell the protests. Please stop all this and let India walk on fast-track of growth.

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Next: Uniform Civil Code

With a favorable Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Temple,law on Triple Talaq, abrogation of Article 370, Citizenship Amendment Bill and the National Register of Citizens Bill all done under Modi rule, now the stage set for passing the another contagious issue-the Uniform civil code. It is also part of saffron party Hindutva agenda.

In India instead of a Uniform Civil Code, personal laws based on the scriptures and customs of each major religious community govern every citizen. Article 44 expects the state to apply these while formulating policies for the country. Apart from being an important issue regarding secularism in India & fundamental right to practice religion freedom as contained in Article 25 is an important fabric of secularism an fundamental right.Article 44 of the Constitution guarantees Uniform Civil Code to all citizens.

It became most controversial topic during Shah Bano case in 1985. The row erupted over making certain laws applicable to all citizens without abridging the fundamental right of right to practice religious functions. The debate was focused on the Muslim Personal Law, partially based on the Sharia law. It permits unilateral divorce, polygamy and putting it among the legally applying the Sharia law. After abolishing the practice of Triple Talaq by law, stage was already set for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).Interestingly, Goa is the only Indian state to have a uniform civil code.

Personal laws are quite distinguished from public law covering marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption and maintenance. The Special Marriage Act, 1954 permits any citizen to have a civil marriage outside the realm of any specific religious personal law.

Personal laws were framed during the British Raj, mainly for Hindu and Muslim citizens. The demand for a uniform civil code was first put forward by women activists in the beginning of the 20th century. Until 1947, a few law reforms were carried out to improve the condition of women. In 1956, the Parliament passed Hindu Code Bill amidst significant opposition. India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was for UCC but women activists and Muslim leaders opposed. Finally, a compromise was worked out to add it to the Directive Principles.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and The Sangh Parivar have been gunning for Uniform Civil Code since long. The BJP was the first party in the country to promise it if elected into power, a uniform civil code will be enforced. UCC is defined in our Constitution under Article 44 of Directive Principles of State Policy. It is the duty of the state to secure for the citizens a Uniform Civil Code throughout the territory of India. So, Modi govt next move will be to pass a law and enforce the UCC. Wait and Watch.

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Focus On Growth

The reasons for unabated slowdown of Indian economy aren't far-fetched. Fast or speedy growth warrants optimum utilization of country's men power as every hand matters to hasten the growth. But if a nation is rocked by one controversy after another and general atmosphere remains surcharged with high tempers, its economy is bound hasten to suffer.

This is what has been happening in India ever since saffron party came to power at New Delhi. Hatred, intolerance, mob lynching and saffronization of the institutional framework have been the order of the day in India. The end result is that economy, which was in fast-track mode till 2014 has backtracked.

From demonetization and Ram mandir (temple) to latest controversial issue of amendment to Citizenship Act, has, by and large, been sensitized to issues which were growth-inelastic. In other words, these issues have nothing to do with fast growth. For fast growth, what India need is to address the issues associated with employment generation, more and more focus on education, health and care and women empowerment (not increasing cases of rape), rural indebtedness which has paralyzed agriculture growth and so on. Alas! these issues were overpowered by saffron party's obsession with Hindutva agenda.

All the developed nations the world over during their transition period have addressed these issues on priority.The economist Prime Minister, Dr. Mammohan Singh tried to address these issues but the inherent contradictions of hotch-potch alliance and prevalence of one family hierarchy in Congress didn't allow the Dr. Singh the freedom, a fast-track mode of growth wanted. I feel, there is hardly any change in the autocratic style of functioning as all decisions under present dispensation are solely monopolized by Prime Minister and his office.

As if scrapping of India's only Muslim population majority state-Jammu & Kashmir was not enough Modi govt has now gone ahead with amendment of the Citizenship Bill. The Bill amends the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal migrants of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who entered India on or before 31 December 2014, eligible for Indian citizenship. However, Muslims from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan are excluded. This is a catch.

India recognizes a person as its citizen on the basis of birth, descent, registration and naturalization in accordance with the Citizenship Act of 1955, not by religion. The 1955 bill draws validity from Part-II of the Constitution, namely, Articles 5 to 9. This Act has been amended five times before in 1986, 1992, 2003, 2005 and 2015 . There were no controversy over earlier amendments. But the latest amendment by the Modi government (Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019) has run into a controversy.

Under the existing laws, an illegal migrant is not eligible to apply for acquiring citizenship - that is, barred from becoming an Indian citizen through registration or naturalization. The Foreigners Act and the Passport Act debar such a person and provide for putting an illegal migrant into jail or deportation.

A person can become an Indian citizen through registration if she has ordinarily lived in the country for six of last eight years in India and continuously for 12 months before submitting an application for citizenship. In the case of acquiring citizenship through naturalization, the person should be living in India for 14 years, 12 years of which should have been her cumulative stay in the country.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 seeks to make changes in the Citizenship Act, the Passport Act and the Foreigners Act if the illegal migrants belong to religious minority communities from three neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill, if and when passed by Parliament, will neutralize the provisions that call for jailing and deporting illegal migrants provided they are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis or Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan - all three Muslim majority countries.

Another key change that the Citizenship Amendment Bill aims to make is to reduce the period of stay in India before illegal non-Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan from 14 years to six years.

The Amended Bill is being opposed on the ground that it discriminates against Muslims. The discrimination runs contrary to Article 14. the corner stone of India's constitution. The article states, "The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India."Rights under Article 14 are absolute. These two fundamental rights are not exclusive to the citizens of India but to "any person". In this backdrop, the Opposition parties and activists have accused the BJP of signaling out the Muslims to further its "hidden agenda".

According to experts "Article 14 is not confined to the citizens. It gives benefits of equality to any person within the territory of India even to a foreigner," he said adding, "The Bill wants to create a class of refugees. In order to pass the test of permissible classification two conditions must be satisfied: (a) the classification must be founded on an intelligible differential which distinguishes person or thing that are grouped together from other left out (b) and the differential must have a direct nexus to the object sought to be achieved by the statute in question.

There is no denying that the latest amendment to the Citizenship Bill is in line of Muhammad Ali Jinnah that led to the Partition of India in 1947. So if bill becomes law as there is a chance, it may not pass the scrutiny of jurisprudence. It may also lead to alienation of 201 million Muslims more intensely. Further more, it may balkanize the country. And all this will only hamper the fast-tracked growth.

(Chander Sharma)

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Wither Kashmir Amid Anti-Repressive Measures

Even after nearly five months of stripping the Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, Kashmir valley continues to be cut-off from the outside world. Internet services remain suspended. Hundreds of politicians, activists including state’s three former Chief Ministers and top elected leaders have been under detentions.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had claimed after govt move on Kashmir, that "it was a prelude to a new era of economic development and expanded civil liberties for a region that for decades has been torn by sectarian violence. The harsh, repressive measures that were imposed were only temporary". However, civil liberties haven't been restored as yet. And no progress and economic development can take place in highly charged atmosphere.

India has lost much of goodwill of the international community it enjoyed earlier because of cross-border terrorism. No country can justify and support repressive measures that too to fulfill a sectarian political agenda. After scrapping special status and down-grading the status from state to union territory, Modi govt has only strengthened the hands of separatists and 'fast-tracked' the alienation of Kashmiris. Pakistan is bursting at the seams.

Seemingly,the situation in the Kashmir valley is like a lull before the storm. As the internet services remain shut up and phone lines are highly disturbed, we don't know what is the ground situation. All we hear and read from foreign media is that all is not well. This darkness has enveloped the entire nation and country stand to lose more than it gains.

A bipartisan resolution has been introduced in the US House of Representatives asking Modi govt to end the restrictions on communication and mass detentions in Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution was introduced on Friday by Indian-American Democrat lawmaker Pramila Jayapal, along with Republican lawmaker Steve Watkins.The resolution urges Modi govt "to lift the remaining restrictions on communication and to restore internet access across all of Jammu and Kashmir as swiftly as possible; swiftly release arbitrarily detained people in Jammu and Kashmir; refrain from conditioning the release of detained people on their willingness to sign bonds prohibiting any political activities and speeches; allow international human rights observers and journalists to access Jammu and Kashmir and operate freely throughout India, without threats, and condemn, at the highest levels, all religiously motivated violence, including that violence which targets against religious minorities."

The US lawmakers say they reject arbitrary detention, use of excessive force against civilians, and suppression of peaceful expression of dissent as proportional responses to security challenges.The US House is Representatives is dominated by Democrats who have been extremely critical of India's restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir. India has been lobbying hard to counter this, and has hired a lobbying firm close to the Democratic Party to get its message across.y

History tells us that repressive measures can't suppress popular sentiments for long and when explode, they swarms even the mightiest. BJP was a great votaries of democratic rights and bitter critics of anti-repressive measures. But when in power, its functioning is worst than Congress. Its human weakness that he refuses to learn from history.

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Onion-Ing India

The sky-rocketing prices of onion in Indian markets these days have activated rookie "netas". They offer no solutions, just shed crocodile tears on the plight of common man without knowing what the ground realities are . Ever time whenever there is a onion crisis, even govt keep watching. Onion's prices, this time, have surpassed the 2013 level, when it was being sold as high as Rs. 100 Kg. Six years on in 2019, its selling as high as Rs. 130 per kg yet no relief. In almost all states across India, onion is now fetching Rs 90-100 minimum for a kilo. The price is even higher in south Indian states, where prices have even shot to Rs 130 per kilo. In Delhi and Chandigarh, onion prices are retailing at Rs 70-90 per kilo.

Onion is the archetypal of Indian cooking and some of our favorite dishes can't be relished without it. Its important can be seen from the fact that high prices of onion saw governments crashing in year 1980, 1998 and 2010.

Not only its kitchen value, Onion has many healthy qualities. Its rich in sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for many of health-promoting effects. It is rich in chromium, a trace mineral that helps cells respond to insulin, plus vitamin C, and numerous flavonoids, like quercetin. Onions is effective against the common cold, heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.It contains anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol, anticancer, and antioxidant components such as quercetin.

Despite repeated onion crisis, governments and policy makers haven't scratched their head to find a permanent solution to prevent the shortages. Its a mismatch of demand and supply and can be managed easily. Look at production and consumption data:

India is the world’s second largest producer of onions-China being first followed by US, Turkey and Pakistan. Country produces nearly 23.5 million tonnes of onion (2018 figure) annually, but consumes only about 14 million tonnes. Around 2 million tonnes of onion is exported leaving around 7 million as surplus. So India produces much more onion than it consumes. Its a problem of managing the plenty. The shortage of onion can be easily averted if govt stocks at least 1.5 to 2 lkah tonnes of onion. There are always early signs of imminent onion crisis. The crisis is caused mainly by errant rainfall in the onion producing regions and can be foreseen.

Both union and states have vast govt machinery to monitor the mismatch between demand and supply. There is Agriculture ministry, Food and Supply ministry, ICAR, hosts of agriculture universities and state agriculture bodies. yet all of these can't foresee the impending crisis. Then what for are they meant? Its a total mismanagement and people have to suffer for their misdoings.

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