Political tussle over Podu Cultivation and Forest Lands in Telangana

Activists have taken up the issue of Podu cultivation of adivasis and tribals in forest areas in Telangana. What one means by Podu? Podu is a traditional system of cultivation used by tribes in India, whereby different areas of jungle forest are cleared by burning each year to provide land for crops. It is a… Continue reading

Draft disability policy

Context The Department of Empowerment of Person with Disabilities (DoEPwD) recently released the draft of the national policy for persons with disabilities. Why new policy? Signing of UN convention: The necessity for a new policy which replaces the 2006 policy was felt because of multiple factors such as India’s signing of the United Nations Convention… Continue reading

Kerala reports India’s first Monkeypox Case

The first known lab-confirmed case of monkeypox in India has been reported in a 35-year-old man in Kerala. What is Monkeypox? The monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus, which is a genus of viruses that also includes the variola virus, which causes smallpox, and vaccinia virus, which was used in the smallpox vaccine. It causes symptoms… Continue reading

India-South Korea Relations

Context During the past five years, India and South Korea have experienced considerable divergence in their respective national objectives. Background Bilateral relations between India and South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea, were established in 1962 and upgraded to Ambassador-level in 1973. South Korea’s open market policies found resonance with India’s economic liberalization,… Continue reading

Assessing Juvenility a ‘Delicate Task’: SC

The Supreme Court has given some guidelines for the delicate task of deciding whether juveniles aged between 16 and 18, accused of heinous offences such as murder can be tried like adults as per the JJ Act, 2005. Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 The JJ Act, 2015 replaced the Indian juvenile delinquency law, Juvenile Justice (Care… Continue reading

India ranks 135 out of 146 in Gender Gap Index

India ranks 135 among a total of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index, 2022, released by the World Economic Forum. What is Global Gender Gap Index? The report is annually published by the World Economic Forum (WEF). It benchmarks gender parity across four key dimensions or sub-indices — economic participation and opportunity, educational… Continue reading

Places in news: Paracel Islands

A US destroyer sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, drawing an angry reaction from Beijing, which said its military had “driven away” the ship. About Paracel Islands The Paracel Islands, also known as the Xisha Islands and the Hoang Sa Archipelago are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea.… Continue reading

India & FTA

Context In recent months, India has signed trade agreements with Australia and UAE. n the last week of June, New Delhi began talks for a similar agreement with the EU. How FTA with EU could help India India’s successful sectors like textiles, pharmaceuticals and leather could benefit from these deliberations, which would also be keenly… Continue reading

Bonn meet

Context From June 6-16, representatives from more than 100 countries descended on Bonn to hold preliminary discussions on what could be the final communiqué at the conclusion of COP27, to be held at Sharm-el-Sheikh later this year. Key takeaways from the discussion Centred on climate finance: Discussions were centred around climate finance and there was… Continue reading

Bail Law and Supreme Court call for Reform

The Supreme Court underlined the pressing need for reform in the law related to bail and called on the government to consider framing a special legislation on the lines of the law in the United Kingdom. What is Bail? Bail is the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when… Continue reading

Child labour in India

The Centre does not have any data on child labour in the country and a reason for this is the drying up of budgetary provisions meant for the National Child Labour Project (NCLP). What is Child Labour? The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and… Continue reading

In news: National Emblem of India

A day after the National Emblem cast on top of the under-construction Parliament unveiled, controversy has erupted over its aggressive posture. National Emblem of India On 26 January 1950, a representation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka placed above the motto, Satyameva Jayate, was adopted as the State Emblem of India. The emblem is an… Continue reading

James Webb Space Telescope

NASA has unveiled images from the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most powerful orbital observatory ever launched. What is the image about? NASA released a deep field photo of a distant galaxy cluster, SMACS 0723, revealing the most detailed glimpse of the early universe recorded to date. The collection also included fresh images… Continue reading

Species in news: Kannimara Teak

The legendary Kannimara teak of the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is still growing in height and girth. What is the news? Over the last five years, the centuries-old teak has grown by 1.85 metres in height and 9 cm in girth. This might be one of the largest and oldest teak tree in the world. Kannimara… Continue reading

Parliamentary Committee opposes Mediation Bill

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice has recommended substantial changes to the Mediation Bill. Mediation Bill, 2021 Mediation is a voluntary dispute resolution process. It is an informal, confidential, flexible, and non-binding process in which an impartial person called a “mediator” helps the parties to understand the interests of everyone involved, and their… Continue reading

In news: Pardoning Power of the President

The Supreme Court has held that the Centre was “bound to advise” the President to remit the life sentence of gangster Abu Salem in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case on his completion of 25 years of his jail term. What did the SC say? On the appellant completing 25 years of his sentence, the Central… Continue reading

United Nations’ World Population Prospects (WPP)

The 2022 edition of the United Nations’ World Population Prospects (WPP) was released. Why in news? India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023. What is the World Population Prospects? The Population Division of the UN has been publishing the WPP in a biennial cycle since 1951. Each revision… Continue reading

What is the Nord Stream 1 Gas Link?

The Nord Stream 1, Germany’s main source of gas from Russia, was recently shut down for scheduled maintenance work. Why in news? There are growing concerns in European countries that Russia would shut down its gas supplies in retaliation against the current sanctions against Moscow. What is Nord Stream 1? It is a system of… Continue reading

The West has a chance to wean India off Russian weaponry

Context Perturbed by India’s reluctance to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and keen to bind the country closer in confronting China, Western governments have launched a fresh push to wean India, the world’s biggest importer of arms, off its long dependence on Russian weaponry. India’s concerns after Ukraine war India has grown increasingly alarmed about China,… Continue reading

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