Caste Census: Last month, the Supreme Court upheld the 27% quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the All-India Quota seats for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test and reiterated that reservations for backward classes were not an exception but an extension of the principle of equality under Article 15(1) of the Constitution. This is seen […]
Tag: 19th Feb 2022
Russia – Ukraine Issue: Update
North Atlantic Treaty Organization: Russia has said it is pulling out its forces surrounding Ukraine. But, NATO and the U.S. have said that they are yet to be convinced the pullout was real. Fears have been mounting of a major escalation of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where government forces have battled separatists in […]
Green Hydrogen in India
Green Hydrogen: India, being a tropical country, has a significant edge in green hydrogen production due to its favourable geographic conditions and abundant natural resources. Producing hydrogen from renewables in India is likely to be cheaper than producing it from natural gas. The vast majority of industrial hydrogen, about 70 metric tonnes (MT), is […]
AUKUS (Australia, U.K., U.S.) Defence Pact
AUKUS (Australia, U.K., U.S.): China has equated the India, U.S., Australia, Japan Quad grouping with the AUKUS (Australia, U.K., U.S.) defence pact, calling both “exclusive cliques” part of the Biden administration’s “ill-intentioned” Indo-Pacific strategy. It said, this ‘strategy’ resurrects the Cold War mentality and will only bring division and turbulence to the Asia-Pacific. The […]
Ban on Chinese Apps
Banning Chinese Apps: The Ministry of Home Affairs has recommended a ban on 54 Chinese mobile applications, including the popular game Garena Free Fire over concerns related to privacy and national security. In 2020, the government also banned TikTok and other popular short video apps from China. The decision to ban such apps in […]
Climate Change Study by the University of California
Climate Change: A new study by the University of California, Davis published in the journal Nature suggests that the difference between a scenario where the Earth will be warmed by upto 1.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century and a scenario where the Earth will be warmed by upto 3.6 degrees […]
Issue of Vacancies In Tribunals
Vacancies In Tribunals: The Supreme Court assured lawyers that it will take up the issue of vacancies in key tribunals soon, while indicating that it is a problem that cannot be simplistically resolved by sending those responsible for the appointments to jail for contempt. In September last year, a Special Bench of the Supreme […]
New Biotechnology Policy 2022-27: Gujarat
New Biotechnology Policy: Gujarat Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has announced New Biotechnology Policy for the year 2022-27. Under this policy, the strategic projects and mega and large projects are eligible for special packages. This will attract new investment through anchor units and existing industries and create new employment opportunities in the state. to […]
Model Laws on Asylum and Refugees
Refugee: Model laws on asylum and refugees that were drafted by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) decades ago but not implemented by the government could be revised by an expert committee, according to Commission member Justice M.M. Kumar’s suggestion at a recent meeting. Though India has not signed the United Nations Refugee Convention, […]
Declining Conviction Rate of Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking: The conviction rate in cases of human trafficking has been on the decline, government data show. Details of cases shared in Parliament earlier this month showed that the conviction rate has been declining over the past four years although the number of anti-human-trafficking units (AHTU) in the country has increased to 696. […]
