Context: Despite impressive economic growth in the last two decades, inequalities and injustices are prevalent in the country. Social Justice: Social Justice is ideally justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. Here, the justice assigns rights and duties in the institutions of society, which enables people to receive… Continue reading 70 years of independence: Social injustice still envelopes the country
Category: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL & SOCIAL
Immunity falling into the wrong hands
Context: The Centre on 9th August, 2017 defended in the Supreme Court a provision in the Indian Penal Code that grants immunity to a person from the rape charge provided the victim is his wife and aged between 15 and 17 years. Explanation: The Centre on 9th August, 2017 told the Supreme Court that a… Continue reading Immunity falling into the wrong hands
Hassan Rouhani second term as Iran’s President
Context Hassan Rouhani has formally begun his second term as Iran’s President in especially challenging circumstances. Pressures on Rouhani Conservatives at Iran are pushing for a hard-line agenda, Sunni states in the Gulf are consolidating a regional alliance against Shia-majority Iran, and the U.S. is turning up the heat on the Iran’s missile programme. Rouhani,… Continue reading Hassan Rouhani second term as Iran’s President
A microscopic view of Nationalism in India
Context: In the present day context, enforced cultural nationalism by the government will harm India in the long run. Nationalism: Nationalism is a range of political, social, and economic systems characterised by promoting the interests of a particular nation or ethnic group, particularly with the aim of gaining and maintaining self-governance, or full sovereignty, over the group’s homeland. Nationalism and… Continue reading A microscopic view of Nationalism in India
Stalking is a felony, not mere annoyance
Context: Stalking is not a mere annoyance. On the contrary, it is a crime that requires strict legal punishment. What is Stalking? Stalkingis unwanted or obsessive attention by an individual or group towards another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring them. Stalking is a violation of privacy; it… Continue reading Stalking is a felony, not mere annoyance
Putting an end to racism
Context: The Union home ministry, considers to make changes to the Indian Penal Code to make attacks which are racial in nature and are likely to cause fear or alarm or a feeling of insecurity amongst members of religious or racial groups as “non-bailable’’ offences with a minimum three year jail term. Ethnic relations in… Continue reading Putting an end to racism
The purpose behind Educational institutions need special protection
Context The government’s change of stance on whether Jamia Millia Islamia is a minority institution reawakens the festering disputes in Indian constitutionalism. The two visions of Indian constitutionalism The two visions of Indian constitutionalism that are articulated in relation to Article 30 (1), that gives religious and linguistic minorities the right to establish and administer… Continue reading The purpose behind Educational institutions need special protection
Supreme Court suggests out-of-court rapprochement among rival parties in Ayodhya case
Context A Supreme Court Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra is scheduled to hear on August 11 a batch of appeals in the volatile Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi title dispute. The Volatile case The court recently indicated that it would start hearing the long-pending appeals shortly. On March 21, Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar, had on… Continue reading Supreme Court suggests out-of-court rapprochement among rival parties in Ayodhya case
Parliamentary Budget Office helping Indian Parliamentarians
Context A Parliamentary Budget Office would help MPs provide effective oversight. Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) A Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) is an independent and impartial body linked directly to Parliament that provides technical and objective analysis of Budgets and public finance to the House and its committees. Main Functions Its core functions include Budget approval,… Continue reading Parliamentary Budget Office helping Indian Parliamentarians
India pushes for private companies in defence equipment production
Context: India pitches to private companies for help in defence industry Introduction: India’s first private sector missile sub-systems manufacturing facility, a joint venture between the $ 2.5 billion Kalyani Group and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd, was inaugurated near Hyderabad The Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS) plant will make anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) Spike… Continue reading India pushes for private companies in defence equipment production
NOTA to stay as an option for Rajya Sabha elections
Context The ‘None Of The Above’ (NOTA) option will remain on the ballot paper in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Plea to get rid of NOTA A Bench of Justices Dipak Misra, Amitava Roy and A.M. Khanwilkar rejected the Gujarat Congress’s plea to freeze the NOTA option for elections to the three Rajya Sabha seats… Continue reading NOTA to stay as an option for Rajya Sabha elections
The ambiguous sugar coating of caste system
Context: Even after sixty years of independence, the hierarchical view of society in India holds their opinions in the defence of caste and reassertion of categories like pure and impure. Historical background of Caste system: Origin of the caste system: Earlier, the caste of a person in India used to define his or her occupation… Continue reading The ambiguous sugar coating of caste system
Illegal mining in India draws headlines
Context: Supreme Court on 2nd August, 2017 directed that mining companies and leaseholders, who have engaged in mining activities without forest or environmental clearance, will have to pay the public exchequer a compensation equivalent to 100% value of the minerals they extracted illegally. Illegal mining in various states of India: Statistical Data: Himachal: During 2016-17… Continue reading Illegal mining in India draws headlines
A sensitive dimension of domestic violence on women
Context: Before coming to the conclusion that women misuse the law, the court ought to have called for expert evidence and requisitioned the services of women’s studies centres which exist in all universities. Instead, the Supreme Court relied on (National Crime Records Bureau) NCRB data. Explanation: The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, which is… Continue reading A sensitive dimension of domestic violence on women
To live in a Nuclear free world
Context The adoption of the historic United Nations pact to ban nuclear weapons underscores a paradigm shift in the discourse on global disarmament. The pact The universal goal of total elimination of these weapons of mass destruction has been disentangled from the narrow focus on the maintenance of a deterrent by the nuclear weapons states… Continue reading To live in a Nuclear free world
India’s stand on Anti-Piracy remains strong
Context Opening a new front for collaboration in anti-piracy operation in Eastern Africa, India and Somalia signed an agreement for transfer of sentenced convicts. The visit of the Foreign Minister of Somalia The entire scope of India-Somalia bilateral relations, including the issue of piracy and maritime security, were discussed between the two sides during the… Continue reading India’s stand on Anti-Piracy remains strong
The power gap between India and China is worrisome for India
Context In the middle of India’s standoff with China, Sri Lanka, after much internal wrangling, handed over the Hambantota port, sitting astride the sea lines of communication of the Indian Ocean, to a Chinese consortium. India-Sri Lanka relations The changing contours of Bay of Bengal Similarly, in Myanmar, despite many political anxieties about economic over-dependence… Continue reading The power gap between India and China is worrisome for India
The government aims to end all subsidies by March 2018
Context: The Union government has ordered State-run oil companies to raise the prices of subsidized cooking gas(LPG) by Rs 4 a cylinder every month to eliminate all subsidies by March next year. Background: The government had previously asked Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum to raise rates of subsidized domestic LPG by Rs 2… Continue reading The government aims to end all subsidies by March 2018
The menace of drug trafficking
Context: As observed by the intelligence agencies, in the recent times, drug runners have been using the vast seas off India and Pakistan for running their rackets. Routes across the seas: For the past many years there have been several confrontation, occasional seizures and significant suspicious boat movements to reaffirm the intelligence assessment about the… Continue reading The menace of drug trafficking
Changing Contours of India – Thailand relations
Introduction India and Thailand have historical and cultural roots that reach back much beyond our 70 years of diplomatic relations. Both countries have been shaped and remain linked by the great forces of history and culture that span thousands of years. Thai academics have found that our close historical and cultural ties somehow seem to… Continue reading Changing Contours of India – Thailand relations
Half way through for a Swachh Bharat
Context: After two and a half years, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has witnessed several notable achievements in reducing open defecation but it still has a long way to go to make it a grand success by October 2,2019 Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Movement), implemented from October 2nd, 2014, is a campaign by the Government of India to… Continue reading Half way through for a Swachh Bharat
SC points out ambiguous impact of explosives used in firecrackers
Context The Supreme Court pointed out a lack of clarity on the pollutive impact of explosive substances used in firecrackers and ordered officials from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Firework Research and Development Centre at Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu to be present in court. Concerns The concerns are reiterated with respect to air… Continue reading SC points out ambiguous impact of explosives used in firecrackers
Doklam conflict might be much more than a mere territorial issue
Context The recent faceoff at Doklam is a message about China’s ire at India building alliances with its adversaries in Asia, and with the US. Background India China Bhutan standoff over Doklam Plateau A change of mindset is vital Ever since the Doklam crisis began this summer, strategists in India have been hostage to what… Continue reading Doklam conflict might be much more than a mere territorial issue
Structure of dowry in India
Context: To curb the misuse of anti-dowry law the Supreme Court ordered the setting up of family-welfare-committees in all districts under the supervision of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). Explanation: The Dowry system in India refers to the durable goods, cash, and real or movable property that the bride’s family gives to the bridegroom,… Continue reading Structure of dowry in India
Public Health in India
Context: NITI Aayog has unveiled a program in which the private providers will take charge of any tier1 and tier2 district. Explanation: The public health system in India comprises a set of state-owned health care facilities funded and controlled by the government of India. Some of these are controlled by agencies of the central government… Continue reading Public Health in India
Hydropower Projects in India
Context Hydropower projects needs attention as territorial disputes may affect the functioning. Hydropower Generation Hydropower is a renewable energy resource because it uses the Earth’s water cycle to generate electricity. Water evaporates from the Earth’s surface, forms clouds, precipitates back to earth, and flows toward the ocean. The movement of water as it flows downstream… Continue reading Hydropower Projects in India
India forced to open up its Public Procurement
Context Pressure is mounting on India to open up its more than $300 billion-worth public procurement market under the proposed mega Free Trade Agreement (FTA) called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Opening up of Public Procurement Public procurement in India needs to be opened up to ensure greater competition. While privatization of public assets… Continue reading India forced to open up its Public Procurement
Right to Privacy in the present day context
Context: There is an urgent need to reconsider the denotation of privacy as a term. Since Aadhaar and many of the contemporary discussions on privacy are related to deep technological developments, the question of privacy should be rethought in the context of these technologies. Introduction: Very often when we worry about questions of privacy that… Continue reading Right to Privacy in the present day context
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO)
Context: The Supreme Court has shown due restraint in declining to apply the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act to mentally retarded adults whose mental age may be that of a child. Why the SC restrained the provision? POCSO is meant to protect children from sexual offences. To extend it to… Continue reading Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO)
India-UK Relations
India-UK relation (Historical Background) East India Company (1600–1857): Trade was established between Tudor England and Mughal India in 1600 when Elizabeth I granted the newly formed East India Company a royal charter. Following the Indian Mutiny of 1857, where Indian sepoys rebelled against their British officers, the East India Company was dissolved the following year.… Continue reading India-UK Relations
Indian Railway needs an update
Context The dire need to bring management in Indian Railway system. The new CAG reports smashes the catering service and services to passengers of Indian Railways. Why railway is preferred? Among the most affordable transport systems in the world, India’s railway network carries millions of people every day, the remotest destinations. Significance of Indian Railways Railways… Continue reading Indian Railway needs an update
Plight of Urban Local Government of India
Context: India is in such a pathetic state that urban local governments have to rely on state governments to fund even basic operational expenditure. Introduction: About 814 million people are expected to live in the cities of India by 2050. Just in terms of scale, the task of effectively managing cities in India will potentially… Continue reading Plight of Urban Local Government of India
Indian Slums: An alarming concern
Context: Political broker operate in the informal space between the state and the citizen. Recent analysis points out that they can make a strong positive impact on the developmental challenges of the slums. Introduction: In the last few decades, Dont’a Hightower Jersey India has seen an increasing number of people migrating from rural areas to… Continue reading Indian Slums: An alarming concern
Challenge for small scale farmers
Context: Government procurement at the minimum support prices is supposed to protect the farmers. But it mainly benefits the large traders. Introduction: The rising frequency of farmer’s agitations in different parts of the country like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere and the high incidence of farmer’s suicides are symptoms of deep malaise in… Continue reading Challenge for small scale farmers
Trump recognizes Indian contribution to American Economy
Context Prime Minister Narendra Modi succeeded in making President Donald Trump recognize the contributions of Indian skilled professionals to the American economy. The discussion on H-1B Modi had an extensive discussion with President Trump on the spirit behind the visa. President Trump applauded the entrepreneurship and innovation of Indians and Indian-Americans that have directly benefited… Continue reading Trump recognizes Indian contribution to American Economy
India- Japan on Nuclear Energy Cooperation
Context The India-Japan Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy entered into force on July 20, 2017 with the exchange of diplomatic notes between Dr. S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary and H.E. Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India. The agreement Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar exchanged the diplomatic notes with the Japanese… Continue reading India- Japan on Nuclear Energy Cooperation
Conservation or destruction?
Context: In a significant move which could facilitate infrastructure projects within prohibited areas around protected monuments, the government on 18th July, 2017, introduced a bill in Lok Sabha seeking to allow the Centre to take up projects in such zones. Introduction: The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the… Continue reading Conservation or destruction?
Universal Social Security to get implemented
Context The universal social security will cover loss of income; death and disability; illness and medical bills; and unemployment benefits for all. The scheme The Union government plans to introduce a universal social security network for workers in both the informal and formal sectors. The scheme will be rolled out in a phased manner. The… Continue reading Universal Social Security to get implemented
The debate on Right to Privacy
Context Right to privacy is not absolute and cannot prevent the state from making laws imposing reasonable restrictions on citizens, the Supreme Court observed on Wednesday. The court’s decision The court said ‘right to privacy’ is in fact too ‘amorphous’ a term. To recognize privacy as a definite right, it has to first define it.… Continue reading The debate on Right to Privacy
U.S sanctions against Iran
Context: The U.S administration will target Iran through sanctions and will eventually try to undermine the nuclear deal in the long term. U.S. sanctions against Iran US sanctions against Iran refer to economic, trade, scientific and military sanctions against Iran, which have been imposed by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control, or by the… Continue reading U.S sanctions against Iran
India and Australia: Partners in regional security
Context Australia and India share converging interests and similar outlooks on the strategic changes taking place in the Indo-Pacific region and globally. Building ties Building on our historic ties, cultural links and extensive people-to-people connections, our bilateral relationship is strengthening. India is Australia’s ninth largest trading partner, with boundless potential for growth. Our Indian-origin residents… Continue reading India and Australia: Partners in regional security
Miles to go for a Swachh Bharat
Context: The Center much rest strict responsibilities on State governments to end manual scavenging. Manual scavenging is a contravention of human rights and the right to live with dignity as per the Constitution. Introduction: Between January 1, 2014, and March 20, 2017, as many as 30 persons engaged for manual scavenging in Chennai, Thiruvallur, Cuddalore,… Continue reading Miles to go for a Swachh Bharat
Public Investment in India
Context: Sluggish global growth should prompt India to look inward at augmenting public investment to spur demand. Introduction: Hyperglabalisation has been used to describe the dramatic increase in international trade witnessed for about a decade and a half from early 1990s up to the global financial crisis of 2008. What is Public Investment? Public investment… Continue reading Public Investment in India
Debate over Jammu and Kashmir special status
Context The Centre on Monday requested the Supreme Court to debate on the special status granted to the State of Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was both a sensitive and constitutional matter. The case A PIL plea filed by a Delhi-based NGO, We the Citizens, challenging that the J&K government, given the State’s special independent… Continue reading Debate over Jammu and Kashmir special status
The Presidential election 2017
Context The Election Commission has allowed 14 Rajya Sabha and 41 Lok Sabha members to vote in the Assemblies for the presidential election, while five MLAs will vote in Parliament on 17th Among the Rajya Sabha members 12 are from the Trinamool Congress Why do we need the President? Article 52 states that there shall… Continue reading The Presidential election 2017
Food Wastage in India
Context: Food wastage is fast assuming serious dimensions; it needs to be fully understood, so that an effective strategy can be drawn up. Introduction: Even though the world produces enough food to feed twice the world’s present population, food wastage is ironically behind the billions of people who are malnourished. According to the Food and… Continue reading Food Wastage in India
India-Myanmar’s relations
Context: The commander-in-chief of Myanmar defence forces, senior general Min Aung Hlaing, is currently on an eight-day visit to India. Introduction: He will visit numerous cities such as Gaya, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, and Vishakhapatnam and will meet several military and civilian leaders. Significance of visit to India: His visit to India is part of the effort… Continue reading India-Myanmar’s relations
The need for CBI to become an autonomous body
Context The Central Bureau of Investigation acts chiefly at the command of the government of the day, the efficacy of CBI operations largely depends on the political will of the sovereign authority. CBI: General Introduction CBI is the domestic security agency of India. The CBI is administered by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and… Continue reading The need for CBI to become an autonomous body
When both the ends meet – big retailers and small farmers
Context The growing effects of the Indian grocery store brings with it golden opportunity for the small farmers. From strengthening infrastructure in the farm sector to a more organized food supply, the farmers stand to benefit the most. Introduction With rapid urbanization, population growth, and rising incomes, is the increased demand for food in cities… Continue reading When both the ends meet – big retailers and small farmers
India’s join naval exercise at Malabar with US and Japan commences
Context India join naval exercise at Malabar makes China insecure. History In the year 1992, Malabar exercise kicked off which was 23 years ago, a bilateral drill between India and U.S. In the year 2015, Japan became the permanent member of the Malabar exercise. The main aim of the exercise remained to address the shared… Continue reading India’s join naval exercise at Malabar with US and Japan commences