Centre eases CRZ rules for ‘Blue Flag’ beaches

The MoEFCC has relaxed Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules that restrict construction near beaches to help States construct infrastructure and enable them to receive ‘Blue Flag’ certification. Why such move? The Blue Flag certification, however, requires beaches to create certain infrastructure — portable toilet blocks, grey water treatment plants, a solar power plant, seating facilities,… Continue reading

[op-ed of the day] Economic reforms are best done brick by boring brick

Context Rather than big bang measures or a stealthy agenda, India can count on small but significant improvements. Reforms only in crisis or by stealth The accepted conventional wisdom is that economic reforms in India happen only in a crisis or by stealth. Reforms in the crisis Reforms of 1991 : The big example of… Continue reading

Police Commissionerate System

The UP Cabinet has approved the Commissionerate system of policing for state capital Lucknow, and Noida. The Police Commissionerate System The system gives more responsibilities, including magisterial powers, to IPS officers of Inspector General of Police (IG) rank posted as commissioners. Under the 7th Schedule of the Constitution, ‘Police’ is under the State list, meaning… Continue reading

Fastest growing cities in India

The Economist has put Malappuram at the top of the “Top ten fastest-growing cities” in the world. Anomalies in the data The total fertility rate (TFR, the number of children a woman is likely to have in the childbearing age of 15-49) in Kerala is 1.8 as per NITI Aayog data from 2016 — below… Continue reading

Virtual human’ NEON

NEONs are being called the world’s first artificial humans. They look and behave like real humans, and could develop memories and emotions — though from behind a 4K display. NEON Star Labs is headed by India-born scientist Pranav Mistry who underlines that what was showcased at CES was the product of just four months’ work.… Continue reading

Explained: Doctrine of ‘Presumption of Constitutionality’

Recently the Supreme Court declined urgent hearing on a plea seeking to declare the CAA as constitutional and said that there was already a “presumption of constitutionality” to a law passed by Parliament. CJI has said that the court’s role was to examine the validity, and not declare a law constitutional. Doctrine of Presumption of… Continue reading

Private Property is a Human Right: Supreme Court

The right to property is a human right, the Supreme Court has recently ruled. What did the court say? A citizen’s right to own private property is a human right. The state cannot take possession of it without following due procedure and authority of law, the Supreme Court has held in a recent judgment. The… Continue reading

Artemis Mission

NASA wants to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon by the year 2024, which it plans on doing through the Artemis lunar exploration program. An Indian American astronaut named Raja Chari is set to accompany the crew in this mission. Artemis Mission In 2011, NASA began the ARTEMIS (Acceleration, Reconnection,… Continue reading

Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga, home of the world’s most one-horned rhinos, has 96 species of wetland birds — one of the highest for wildlife preserves in India. Kaziranga National Park It is a protected area in the northeast state of Assam. Spread across the floodplains of the Brahmaputra River, its forests, wetlands and grasslands are home to tigers,… Continue reading

Person in news: Swami Vivekananda

January 12 is the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the famous spiritual leader and intellectual from the late 19th century. In his honour, the government of India in 1984 declared his birthday as National Youth Day. Swami Vivekananda early life Vivekananda was born in Kolkata on January 12, 1863, as Narendra Nath Datta. From an… Continue reading

[op-ed of the day] Human rights are not solely an ‘internal matter’

Context The human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir following the dilution of Article 370 and the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) have brought renewed international focus on India’s human rights practice. Evolution of the modern Human Rights Classical approach: Countries made agreements on the premise that a sovereign state had the exclusive… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] Farmers’ suicide in India

Context The national catastrophe of farmers committing suicide since the 1990s, often by drinking pesticides is attributed to their inability to repay loans mostly taken from landlords and banks. The recent data released by NCRB show a very marginal decline in the suicide rate compared to last year signifying the sorry state of Indian… Continue reading

[op-ed snap] Taking a holistic approach to dengue

Context The advent of a new tetravalent vaccine against the dengue virus has thrown new light into the evidence-based management of dengue. Why the holistic approach is needed Apart from promoting the use of the vaccine, gaining control over dengue will also require a holistic approach that has to include within its ambit vector control… Continue reading

SC underlines restrictions on use of Sec 144

In its order on Jammu and Kashmir the Supreme Court made the following points with regard to the use of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973. Key takeaways of the order Sec 144 cannot be used to suppress the legitimate expression of opinion or grievance, or the exercise of democratic rights… Continue reading

SC order on Internet Shutdowns

Directing the government to mandatorily publish all orders permitting Internet shutdowns, the Supreme Court has for the first time set the stage for challenging suspension orders before courts. What triggered the SC? India tops the list of Internet shutdowns globally. According to Software Freedom Law Center’s tracker, there have been 381 shutdowns since 2012, 106… Continue reading

In news: Dept. of Military Affairs’

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved the Rules of Business for the newly created Department of Military Affairs (DMA) headed by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Department of Military Affairs (DMA) The DMA headed by Gen Bipin Rawat will have two Joint Secretaries, 13 Deputy Secretaries, 25 Under Secretaries and 22 Section officers.… Continue reading

[pib] Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)

Union Minister for Home Affairs has inaugurated the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and also dedicated National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to the Nation. I4C The scheme to setup I4C was approved in October 2018 to deal with all types of cybercrimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. At the initiative of Union Ministry… Continue reading

Species in news: Chinese paddlefish

One of the largest freshwater species, Chinese paddlefish has been declared extinct. Chinese paddlefish The Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) was an iconic species, measuring up to 7 m in length, dating back from 200 million years ago, and therefore swimming the rivers when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Its ancestral home was the Yangtze River. It… Continue reading

[op-ed of the day] The age of ubiquitous drones and the challenges overhead

Context Increasing the use of drones in warfare and other areas has brought into focus the potential the use of drones hold and the other issues related to its misuse. Recent events featuring drones A drone was used by the U.S. to fire the missile at Qassem Soleimani to assassinate him. A few days before that,… Continue reading

Green Credit Scheme

The Forest Advisory Committee has approved a scheme that could allow “forests” to be traded as a commodity. FAC is an apex body tasked with adjudicating requests by the industry to raze forest land for commercial ends. Green Credit Scheme The proposed ‘Green Credit Scheme’, as it is called, allows agencies — they could be… Continue reading

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