Reservation as right: on Supreme Court judgment

Context The recent Supreme Court judgment, that there is no fundamental right to claim reservation in promotions, has caused some political alarm. Received wisdom in affirmative action jurisprudence Presence of sound legal framework for a reservation: The received wisdom in affirmative action jurisprudence is that a series of Constitution amendments and judgments have created a sound… Continue reading

A mix Indian health care can do without

Context In India, multiple policy pronouncements over the last few years have expressed an implicit intent to emulate certain features of the U.S. health system which is one of the most prodigal health systems, and it is a well-known reality that it is infamously poor-performing. Emulating the U.S. health system in India and problems in… Continue reading

Explained: Uniform Civil Code — the debate, the status

Last week, while hearing a matter relating to properties of a Goan, the Supreme Court described Goa as a “shining example” with a Uniform Civil Code, observed that the founders of the Constitution had “hoped and expected” a UCC for India but there has been no attempt at framing one. What is a Uniform Civil… Continue reading

Fine-tuning the Surrogacy Bill

Context In a recent report, a Select Committee of Parliament has recommended that the contentious clause limiting surrogacy only to “close relatives” to be removed from the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019. These recommendations aim to make the benefits of modern technology more easily available to infertile couples. A look at the genesis of the Bill,… Continue reading

[pib] 13th COP of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is going to be hosted by India at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. 13th COP of CMS The theme of CMS COP13 in India is, “Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome them home. The CMS… Continue reading

[pib] National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) is preparing the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage SNA is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture is the nodal agency for the Scheme for ‘Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India’. As of now, SNA is collaborating with… Continue reading

[pib] Godavari and Cauvery River Linking Project

The draft Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Godavari and Cauvery River Linking Project has been completed by National Water Development Agency (NWDA). Godavari– Cauvery Link Project The project consists of 3 links viz., Godavari (Inchampalli/Janampet) – Krishna (Nagarjunasagar), Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) – Pennar (Somasila) and Pennar (Somasila) – Cauvery (Grand Anicut). This proposal to… Continue reading

[pib] Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-2020

Fifth edition of Joint Military Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-2020 between India and United Kingdom will be conducted at Salisbury Plains, United Kingdom. Ex. AJEYA WARRIOR Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR with United Kingdom is an important exercise in terms of the security challenges faced by both the nations in the realm of changing facets of global terrorism. The… Continue reading

India’s rerun of its protectionist folly mars the liberalization era

Context The latest budget’s import tariff hikes signal that a three-decade commitment to trade openness has been all but abandoned. Detrimental effects of protectionism In brief, both economic theory and a vast weight of evidence point to the detrimental effects of protectionism. These are- Fostering inefficiency: Far from jump-starting the domestic industry, tariffs, quotas and… Continue reading

Seeking a more progressive abortion law

Context The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill doesn’t do enough to secure women’s choices and interests. Deaths due to unsafe abortion and previous attempts to legislate Deaths due to unsafe abortions: Recent reports have shown that more than 10 women die every day due to unsafe abortions in India. And backward abortion laws only contribute to women… Continue reading

Indian nationals living abroad

There are over 1.36 crore Indian nationals living abroad, according to data tabled by the Ministry of External Affairs in Lok Sabha. Indians abroad The highest number of Indians abroad are living in the United Arab Emirates, where the 34,20,000 Indians comprise about one-fourth of all Indians abroad. The UAE is followed by Saudi Arabia… Continue reading

Genome India Project

The Union Govt. has given clearance to an ambitious gene-mapping project, estimated to be worth Rs 238 crore. Genome India Project The Genome India Project has been described by those involved as the “first scratching of the surface of the vast genetic diversity of India”. It involves over 20 scientists from institutions including the… Continue reading

Thwaites Glacier

In the Antarctic floats a massive glacier, roughly the size of Britain, whose melting has been a cause of alarm for scientists over the years. Now, a new study has pinned the cause of the melting to the presence of warm water at a vital point beneath the glacier. Thwaites Glacier The Thwaites Glacier… Continue reading

The high cost of raising trade walls

Context India’s international trade posture appeared to turn protectionist in the past week, with two indicators the government sent out. What were the two indicators? The first-Signal sent out in the Budget: The first indicator, which played out live on television was contained in the Union Budget. Laying out the Budget for the year, the… Continue reading

A weak rebuke: It’s unfortunate EC didn’t punish hate speech in Delhi campaign

Context Campaign for the Delhi Assembly election in which the development debate was overshadowed by hate-mongering and outpouring of communal vitriol underscores need to do more. Understanding the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) Behavioural guidelines: It is a set of behavioural guidelines for political parties and candidates for- The peaceful conduct of elections. To prevent… Continue reading

Explained: Regulation of Parliamentary Speech and Conduct

Two days of heated exchanges in Parliament have brought back recurring questions around “unparliamentarily” speech and conduct. No absolute privilege Article 105(2) of the Constitution lays down that “no Member of Parliament shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in Parliament… Continue reading

Cancer Gene Mapping

A series of new papers in the journal Nature has revealed the most comprehensive gene map ever of the genes causing cancer. It shows departures from normal behaviour i.e. mutations trigger a cascade of genetic misbehaviours that eventually lead to cancer. What is Mutation? A mutation is a change that occurs in our DNA… Continue reading

[pib] Regulation of Bio-Medical Waste

The State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) / Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) have recently published the details of State/UT-wise quantum of bio-medical waste generation (during 2016-18) in the country. Bio-Medical Waste Biomedical waste/hospital waste is any kind of waste containing infectious materials. It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical waste that… Continue reading

[pib] Ease of Living Index and Municipal Performance Index 2019

The surveys to determine the Ease of Living Index (EoLI) and Municipal Performance Index (MPI) 2019 has been initiated by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. Both these indices are designed to assess the quality of life of citizens in 100 Smart Cities and 14 other Million Plus Cities. Municipal Performance Index With the… Continue reading

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