What is the history of death penalty in India? After Independence, India retained several laws put in place by the British colonial government including the Code of Criminal Procedure (1898) and the Indian Penal Code, IPC (1860). The IPC prescribed six punishments that could be imposed including death. The Code of Criminal Procedure was again enacted in 1973 and many notable changes were made to the then existing colonial law including the one to Section 354(3), that now required reasons to be stated whenever death penalty is imposed in cases where imprisonment fo... Read More...
Why in the News? Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the first-ever virtual summit of SAARC leaders on March 15 2020. The deliberations reflected on the recognition of the serious menace posed by COVID-19 and the need for the robust regional cooperation to overcome it. Why was the meeting unprecedented? The virtual summit is the first high level SAARC meet since 2014, and comes after India’s ... Read More...
News: Utilise ICWF for COVID-19 emergencies, says an MP from Kerala to Government in Loksabha What is the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF)? The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF), set up in 2009, is aimed at assisting Overseas Indian nationals in times of distress and emergency in the ‘most deserving cases’ on a ‘means-tested basis’. ICWF has also been a critical support in the emergency evacuation of Indian nationals from conflic... Read More...
What is the ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ mission about? ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ will see the operation of 64 flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad amid the Covid-19lockdown. Once completed, it may turn out to be the largest evacuation operation ever since the 1990 airlift of 1.7 lakh people from Kuwait. To which countries will the flights be sent? India will operate 10 flights to the UAE, seven flights each to the US and the UK, five flights to Sau... Read More...
Early Phase: Ambedkar’s labour activism was carried out through his association with the Bombay Textile Labour Union, which was formed in 1925 by the moderates such as N.M. Joshi and R.R. Bakhale. In the textile mill weaving departments that paid the highest wages, Dalits were excluded from working due to “pollution”. Ambedkar highlighted this issue during the famous 1928 Bombay Textile strike. His demands were accepted. What Ambedkar learned from the strike? Read More...
The pollution of Groundwater by Uranium in India is one of the causes of worry. What is the situation of Groundwater pollution by uranium in India? Explain with giving examples. According to the findings published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, there is uranium contamination in groundwater in the aquifers across 16 states in India. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a provisional safe drinking water standard of 30 micrograms of uranium per litre for India, but many of the states have ura... Read More...
Fundamental Rights A. Basic Right 1. National Legal Services Authority Vs Union Of India & Ors. (2014) [Transgender Right]- Gender identity is integral to the dignity of an individual and is at the core of “personal autonomy” and “self-determination” and Article 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution within their sweep include transgender and are not as such limited to male or female gender. 2. Justice K.S. Puttaswamy(retd.) Vs Union of India and ors., (2017) [Right to Privacy]- privacy is a const... Read More...
What is the current status? Three Indian cities are ranked in the top five among 416 cities across 57 countries, for having the worst traffic gridlocks as per TomTom Traffic Index for 2019. Bengaluru topping the list with Mumbai and Pune in fourth and fifth positions respectively. Why is such status ? According to NITI Aayog, By 2040 more than 50% of India will be urbanised. Urbanisation is happening at the fast pace without commensurable urban planning. This gridlock is the result of poor urban planni... Read More...
Role of NBFCs How do the NBFCs contribute to the economy? NBFCs, like banks, contribute in the following manner 1. Enable converting saving into investments and thus helps in the mobilisation of funds/resources in the economy 2. Sustain consumption demand 3. Lend for capital formation 4. Unlike the regular banks, NBFCs extend long-term credits to infrastructure companies. The traditional ... Read More...
What is an aquifer? Groundwater is the water that seeps through rocks and soil and is stored below the ground. The rocks in which ground water is stored are called aquifers. Aquifers are typically made up of gravel, sand, sandstone or limestone. Why does India extract so much ground water? India is the world’s largest user of groundwater, Since the 1980s the groundwater tables have been continuously dropping. Ninety percent of the groundwater extracted is used for irrigation that covers 60 percent ... Read More...
Is methane a greenhouse gas? Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 32 times more potent than CO2 over a 100-year time period. Methane emissions from agriculture have increased. What are the major sources of methane emissions from land? The major sources of methane emissions from land are currently “ruminants and the expansion of rice cultivation”. “Ruminants” are animals that have specialised stomach bacteria capable of digesting tough and fibrous... Read More...
What is desalination? Desalination refers to the removal of salts and minerals from a target substance Saltwater is desalinated to produce water suitable for human consumption or irrigation. Desalination is used on many seagoing ships and submarines. Why do we need it? Most of the modern interest in desalination is focused on cost-effective provision of fresh water for human use. Is it c... Read More...
POCSO (Amendment) Act 2019 Highlights: • It will make punishment more stringent for committing sexual crimes against children including death penalty. • The amendments also provide for levy of higher fines and imprisonment to curb child pornography. • Amendments are also proposed to protect children from sexual offences in times of natural calamities and in other situations where children are administered, in any way, an... Read More...
What are the challenges in conducting tests for higher levels of education in India? To assess competence of candidates for admissions and recruitment has always been a challenge in terms of matching with research based international standards, efficiency, transparency and error free delivery. Why is National Testing Agency set up in 2017? The National Testing Agency is entrusted to address all such issues using best in every field, from test preparation, to test delivery and to test marking. Read More...
Why is it in news? Government will be holding auction for spectrum, which includes airwaves that will be used to offer 5G or fifth-generation services, in the current calendar year. While some countries such as South Korea and the U.S. have begun rolling out commercial 5G services, India is yet to begin trial for these even as the government is targeting 2020 as the launch year for 5G in the country. What is 5G? It is the next generation cellular technology that will provide faster and more reliabl... Read More...
How did they begin? The protests began over plans - later set aside - that would have allowed extradition from Hong Kong to mainland China. But they've now spread to reflect wider demands for democratic reform. How is Hong Kong different from other Chinese cities? Hong Kong is significantly different from other Chinese cities. It was a British colony for more than 150 years - part of it, Hong Kong island, was ceded to the UK after a war in 1842. Later, China also leased the ... Read More...
What is draft Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF)? The draft Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), part of a World Bank-funded project, lays down guidelines for coastal States to adopt when they approve and regulate projects in coastal zones. Why is it being brought in? The project aims at enhancing coastal resource efficiency and resilience, by building collective capacity (including communities and decentralised governance) for adopting and implementing integrated coastal mana... Read More...
The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) is an initiative by six countries – India and five ASEAN countries, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam for cooperation in many areas. It was launched in 2000 at Vientiane, Lao PDR. Both the Ganga and the Mekong are civilizational rivers, and the MGC initiative aims to facilitate closer contacts among the people inhabiting these two major river basins. The MGC is also indicative of the cultural and commercial linkages among the member countries of the MGC down the centuries. The new MGC Plan of Action 2019-2022 envisages project-based cooperation in the sev... Read More...
What was the Mussoorie Resolution? Conclave of the Himalayan States held in Mussoorie recently passed the Mussoorie Resolution. What are the contents? The Mussoorie Resolution signed by the Himalayan States saw them pledging to make endeavours to protect and conserve the rich Himalayan heritage and ethos for the prosperity and well-being of the nation; cherish and nurture the wealth of biodiversity- the glaciers, rivers, lakes, forests and wildlife; preserve the vibrant folk arts and crafts, the culture and fo... Read More...
Why the Mission? India will launch 5 years ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ by October 2019 to enter hitherto untapped 75,000 sq km of area in international waters to tap vast marine resources. It will help India harness various living and non-living (water, mineral and energy) resources from the seabed and deep water. Focussing on blue economy in terms of sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth is crucial for country’s overall economic growth. What are the components of the Mission? Underw... Read More...