EU member states agrees on Digital Services Act (DSA)

The European Parliament and European Union (EU) Member States announced that they had reached a political agreement on the Digital Services Act (DSA). What is DSA? DSA is a landmark legislation to force big Internet companies to act against disinformation and illegal and harmful content, and to “provide better protection for Internet users and their… Continue reading

India is now 3rd highest military spender

World military spending continued to grow in 2021, reaching a record $2.1 trillion despite the economic fallout of the pandemic, according to new data on global military spending published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Top defence spenders in 2021 The five largest spenders in 2021 were the U.S., China, India, the U.K.… Continue reading

Places in news: Kuril Islands

Japan has recently described the Kuril Islands (which Japan calls the Northern Territories and Russia as the South Kurils) as being under Russia’s “illegal occupation”. Note the Islands of Japan in North to South Direction: Hokkaido, Honshu , Shikoku, and Kyushu What are the Kuril Islands/ Northern Territories? These are a set of four islands… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] Demolition of Encroachments

UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here) Context The recent anti-encroachment drive in northwest Delhi’s violence-hit Jahangirpuri has become the latest flashpoint between political parties in the national capital. The matter also reached the Supreme Court, which ordered a stay on the drive. However, dissidents has now put questions… Continue reading

Settling India’s COVID-19 mortality data

Context Over the last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been busy, in an unprecedented effort, to calculate the global death toll from COVID-19. Revision of Covid-19 death toll by WHO Globally from an estimated six million reported deaths, WHO now estimates these deaths to be closer to almost triple the number. The new estimates… Continue reading

Finding workable solutions to India-Sri Lanka fisheries issue

Context After a gap of 15 months, the India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group (JWG) on fisheries held its much-awaited deliberations (in virtual format) on March 25. Background of the issue As sections of fishermen from the Palk Bay bordering districts of Tamil Nadu continue to transgress the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), cases of many… Continue reading

Why reforming the system of free food is necessary

Context The release of two new working papers, one from the World Bank and the other from the IMF, has led to a renewed debate on poverty in India. A substantial decline in extreme poverty in India Both papers claim that extreme poverty in the country, based on the international definition of $1.90 per capita… Continue reading

Understanding the Olga Tellis Judgment

A 37-year-old Constitution Bench judgment of the Supreme Court which held that pavement dwellers are different from trespassers. This may become a game-changer in the Jahangirpuri case. What is the Olga Tellis judgment? The judgment, Olga Tellis vs. Bombay Municipal Corporation, was given in 1985 by a five-judge Bench led by then Chief Justice of… Continue reading

Anti-Defection Law

Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu said that there was a need to amend the anti-defection legislation in the country to plug existing loopholes. What did VP notice now? Stating that there was no clarity in the law about the time frame for the action of the House Chairperson or Speaker in anti-defection cases. Some cases are… Continue reading

Anatomy of communal violence in India

Context Communal violence, a complex phenomenon, has been over-simplified to suit a convenient political narrative. India’s syncretic traditions and impact of invasions For aeons, India has had syncretic traditions inspired by the Vedic aphorism, “Ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti” (there is only one truth and learned persons call it by many names). Because of this… Continue reading

Rape laws are being misused today: Justice BN Srikrishna

Retired Supreme Court judge Justice BN Srikrishna has said that there is a blatant misuse of rape laws in the country. What did Justice BN Srikrishna say? Lesser convictions: Statistics show that even after the amendment of rape laws, there have been less number of convictions. Need for objective analysis: It is time that rape… Continue reading

What is the Five Eyes (FYEY) Alliance?

The annual Raisina Dialogue in Delhi held this year by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will host intelligence agency chiefs of several countries. What is the conference about? The conference is modelled on the lines of the annual Munich Security Conference and Singapore’s Shangri-La dialogue. It is expected to bring together heads and deputy heads… Continue reading

All-India Household Consumer Expenditure Survey

The All-India Household Consumer Expenditure Survey, usually conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) every five years, is set to resume this year after a prolonged break. What is the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES)? The CES is traditionally a quinquennial (recurring every five years) survey conducted by the government’s National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). It… Continue reading

Strontium: A Cyber-Espionage Group

Recently, Microsoft said that it had disrupted cyberattacks from a Russian nation-state hacking group called ‘Strontium’. What is Strontium? Strontium, also known as Fancy Bear, Tsar Team, Pawn Storm, Sofacy, Sednit or Advanced Persistent Threat 28 (APT28) group, is a highly active and prolific cyber-espionage group. It is one of the most active APT groups… Continue reading

Palli in Jammu becomes India’s First Carbon-Neutral Panchayat

Palli village in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir has become the first panchayat in the country to become carbon-neutral, fully powered by solar energy. Various feats achieved All its records have been digitised and the benefits of all the Central schemes are available in this village around 17 km from Jammu. Palli village, with… Continue reading

What is different now in communal violence in India

Context India has a long history of communal violence. Just how similar or different are the recent episodes? And what kind of dangers do they pose to the polity and society? What is different this time? Religious processions: It should first be noted that such processions have historically been some of the largest triggers for… Continue reading

[Sansad TV] Mudda Aapka: India–Mauritius Relations

UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here) Context Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth is on an eight-day visit to India. The purpose of this visit is to further strengthen the relations between the two countries. Mauritius is becoming an integral part of the goals of India’s maritime diplomacy.… Continue reading

Digital Service Tax

Context Over the past four years, 137 countries have engaged intensively with the OECD to find a solution to the tax challenges arising from digitalisation. Like any international agreement, finding a middle ground has been difficult and a series of compromises have been made. What makes it difficult to tax the digital economy? Operation across… Continue reading

NITI Aayog gets a new Vice-Chairman

The government has appointed Suman K. Bery as the vice-chairman of the NITI Aayog following the resignation of Rajiv Kumar. What is NITI Aayog? The NITI Aayog serves as the apex public policy think tank of the GoI. It was established in 2015, by the NDA government, to replace the Planning Commission which followed a… Continue reading

Postal ballot for NRIs being contemplated

Chief Election Commissioner, during a recent visit to South Africa and Mauritius, urged Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to register as overseas electors and told them that a proposal on postal ballots for NRIs was being contemplated by the Election Commission of India. Why in news now? CECs interactions with NRIs came after Union Law Minister informed… Continue reading

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