How different things work
Drones are back in the news, with the killing of Abu Yahya al-Libbi - Al
Qaeda's No.2 since the death of Osama bin Laden in May last year - in a
drone attack in Pakistan's North Waziristan region on June 6. How
drones function and why are they controversial:
HOW THINGS WORK
Relentless Droning
Drones are back in the news, with the killing of Abu Yahya al-Libbi - Al Qaeda's No.2 since the death of Osama bin Laden in May last year - in a drone attack in Pakistan's North Waziristan region on June 6. How drones function and why are they controversial:
What it is: Drones are pilotless planes either controlled from the ground or pre-programmed to carry out missions. Also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), they are used for reconnaissance and surveillance, as well as for bombings. When started: They were developed by the US air force in the 1960s, and first used during the Vietnam war.
Who owns them: Today many countries do, including India, whose air force inducted drones, called 'Lakshya', in 2000.
Current use: They are being extensively used in the US's 'war on terror' - not only in Afghanistan and Pakistan's tribal regions, but also in places like Yemen and Somalia. Around 2,000 to 3,000 people have been killed in these attacks since 2004.
Why controversial: Their targeting often lacks precision and results in innocents being killed. Pakistan also objects to the US's current strikes because they are carried out within Pakistan's territory without its consent.
Better than jail
A Delhi sessions court recently sentenced a man convicted of drink driving to social work instead of jail. He has to help the police regulate traffic at busy junctions apart from helping out at a temple. But the judge took care to suspend his driving licence as well.
Roads to nowhere
The Ministry of Road Transport has been alarmed to find that 87 national highway projects are running behind schedule - in some cases, more than seven years behind. Minister C.P. Joshi has begun an urgent review of the progress - or rather, the lack of it - in each state. The government's goal of constructing 20 km of highways a day is nowhere in sight.
Compiled by Basudha Das
Relentless Droning
Drones are back in the news, with the killing of Abu Yahya al-Libbi - Al Qaeda's No.2 since the death of Osama bin Laden in May last year - in a drone attack in Pakistan's North Waziristan region on June 6. How drones function and why are they controversial:
What it is: Drones are pilotless planes either controlled from the ground or pre-programmed to carry out missions. Also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), they are used for reconnaissance and surveillance, as well as for bombings. When started: They were developed by the US air force in the 1960s, and first used during the Vietnam war.
Who owns them: Today many countries do, including India, whose air force inducted drones, called 'Lakshya', in 2000.
Current use: They are being extensively used in the US's 'war on terror' - not only in Afghanistan and Pakistan's tribal regions, but also in places like Yemen and Somalia. Around 2,000 to 3,000 people have been killed in these attacks since 2004.
Why controversial: Their targeting often lacks precision and results in innocents being killed. Pakistan also objects to the US's current strikes because they are carried out within Pakistan's territory without its consent.
Better than jail
A Delhi sessions court recently sentenced a man convicted of drink driving to social work instead of jail. He has to help the police regulate traffic at busy junctions apart from helping out at a temple. But the judge took care to suspend his driving licence as well.
Roads to nowhere
The Ministry of Road Transport has been alarmed to find that 87 national highway projects are running behind schedule - in some cases, more than seven years behind. Minister C.P. Joshi has begun an urgent review of the progress - or rather, the lack of it - in each state. The government's goal of constructing 20 km of highways a day is nowhere in sight.
Compiled by Basudha Das
