Explained: What is the NIA Act, and why is Chhattisgarh challenging it?

The Chhattisgarh state govt. moved the Supreme Court against the 2008 National Investigative Agency (NIA) Act, stating it is violative of the Constitution. In its civil suit, the government told the apex court the NIA should have no power over state policing matters. What is the NIA Act, 2008? The NIA Act, 2008 governs the… Continue reading

[op-ed of the day] GST may not have been revenue-neutral

Context In theory, the shift to GST made eminent sense, yet in practice, some of these expectations have been belied. Why have GST collections not measured up to expectations? This could be due to a combination of three factors: First: The tax rates under GST are lower than in the earlier regime-GST was not revenue… Continue reading

[op-ed snap] A rough patch

Context High inflation has reduced the fiscal space available for a rate cut. RBI target of 6% breached. CPI at 7.35 %: Retail inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), has surged to 7.35 per cent in December 2019. Latest inflation data seems to corroborate fears articulated by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)… Continue reading

Explained: Article 131, on which Kerala has based its challenge to the CAA

The Kerala government moved the Supreme Court against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act becoming the first state to challenge the law. It filed a petition under Article 131 of the Constitution and asked for the law to be declared unconstitutional and in violation of Articles 14 (equality before law), 21 (protection of life and personal liberty)… Continue reading

National Policy for the treatment of 450 ‘Rare Diseases’

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has published a national policy for the treatment of 450 ‘rare diseases’. About the Policy The Centre first prepared such a policy in 2017 and appointed a committee in 2018 to review it. It was created on the direction of the Delhi High Court to the Ministry… Continue reading

Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2019

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2019 (rural) was recently released by NGO Pratham. Highlights of the report Only 16% of children in Class 1 in 26 surveyed rural districts can read text at the prescribed level, while almost 40% cannot even recognise letters. Only 41% of these children could recognise two digit numbers.… Continue reading

[pib] BIS Gold Hallmarking

Gold hallmarking is being made mandatory to ensure consumers are not cheated, are better informed about purity and corruption is removed. Gold Hallmarking Bureau of Indian Standards (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2018 were notified w.e.f. 14.06.2018. BIS is running a hallmarking scheme for gold jewelry since April 2000. The BIS Act 2016 has enabling provisions under Section… Continue reading

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

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

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

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

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

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

Explained: Voting at the GST Council

Breaking the tradition of consensus-based decisions in its 37 earlier meetings, the GST Council voted for the first time in its 38th meeting held on December 18. GST Council voting rules As per The Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016, in case of a voting, every decision of the GST Council has to… Continue reading

Explained: First Advance Estimates (FAE)

The First Advance Estimates (FAE) were recently released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). The First Advance Estimates and their significance The First Advance Estimates (FAE) extrapolate a variety of data, such as the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), the financial performance of listed companies, first advance estimates of crop production etc.,… Continue reading

State can regulate minority institutions, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has held that the state is well within its rights to introduce a regulatory regime in the “national interest” to provide minority educational institutions with well-qualified teachers in order for them to “achieve excellence in education.” Article 30 is not absolute The verdict said that Article 30(1) (right of minorities to establish… Continue reading

Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS)

India plans to ring in its own era of space-to-space tracking and communication of its space assets this year by putting up a new satellite series called the Indian Data Relay Satellite System. Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS) The IDRSS is planned to track and be constantly in touch with Indian satellites, in particular… Continue reading

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