China’s capacity to manage its economic transition has implications the world over The Chinese growth juggernaut is slowing down. The world’s second-largest economy has reported that its exports for December fell by 4.4%, the sharpest fall in two years amidst rising trade tensions with the United States and fears of …

It should have never come to this on the Lokpal. That it requires a Supreme Court order to nudge the government to make any progress towards establishing the anti-graft institution is a poor commentary on its functioning. The court has asked the eight-member Search Committee under the Lokpal Act to …

Independence, impartiality and fearlessness of judges are not private rights of judges but citizen’s rights. Ultimately judicial legitimacy/ power rests on people’s confidence in courts. We have yet another controversy surrounding the Supreme Court, with the collegium revisiting decisions made at an earlier meeting and recommending the elevation of two …

Sedition and conspiracy charges have been filed against three former students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and seven others. If these charges are established, 10 young Indians could be sentenced to life-term imprisonment. A great deal has been said and written about the need to banish a 19th century law, …

The recent discovery of a mass grave in Mannar town in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province has raised fresh questions about the island nation’s history of violence. It has also re-opened old wounds and triggered traumatic memories among the survivors of the deadly conflict that ended barely 10 years ago. Meera …

A rocket carrying a satellite on a mission to deliver the world’s first artificial meteor shower blasted into space on Friday, Japanese scientists said. A start-up based in Tokyo developed the micro-satellite for the celestial show over Hiroshima early next year as the initial experiment for what it calls a …

India ranks third in the world in terms of high quality research publications in artificial intelligence (AI) but is at a significant distance from world leader China, according to an analysis by research agency Itihaasa, which was founded by Kris Gopalakrishnan, former CEO and co-founder of Infosys. The agency computed …

They developed in roughly the final 2% of the planet’s current age, say scientists Saturn’s rings are one of our solar system’s magnificent sights, but may be a relatively recent addition, according to data obtained from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft before the robotic explorer’s 2017 death plunge into the giant gas …

Policy action is required on corporate governance in banks, cyber risk a major challenge: Das Amid a growing demand for a reduction in interest rate in the upcoming monetary policy review scheduled for February 7, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das said wide divergences and volatility in inflation …

Flagging concerns about increasing data colonisation by global corporations, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps against the way some global corporations were ‘colonising data’ of Indian users in the rapidly growing digital economy in the country. He also insisted that Indian …

President denied the House Speaker a military plane to visit American troops in Afghanistan She imperiled his State of the Union address. He denied her a plane to visit troops abroad. The shutdown battle between President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is playing out as a surreal game …

British Prime Minister Theresa May scrambled to put together a new Brexit strategy after MPs rejected her EU divorce deal, and insisted she could not rule out a potentially damaging “no-deal” split. The world’s fifth-largest economy is in political turmoil and grasping for solutions that could smooth its planned departure …

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday that the mode of access for Indian devotees headed for Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan was yet to be decided by the two countries. “Whether access will be given to them by passport or Visa will be applied, are issues that are to …

A conglomerate of major civil societies and student bodies on Friday demanded that revision of voters’ list among the Bru refugees living in Tripura be conducted only after they return to Mizoram, the State they originally belong to. Leaders of the NGO Coordination Committee placed the demand at a meeting …

The Meghalaya government on Friday issued a modified order for allowing transportation of coal that “originated outside the State”. This followed an alleged misinterpretation of the Supreme Court’s January 15 order by Customs officials in Meghalaya, owing to which 28 coal trucks from Bhutan were prevented from delivering the consignment …

upta, Sanjay Vashisth, Jasdeep Singh Gill, Mansur Ali, Sunil Kumar Singh Panwar, Deepinder Singh Nalwa and Harsh Bunger — considered for appointment as judges to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Recalls recommendation The Collegium bowed to the wishes of the government and recalled its recommendation of advocate Amit Negi …

Chilika Lake is claimed to have 20% of India’s seagrass distribution, which plays a vital role in oxygen production and absorption of carbon dioxide and acts as a purifier in aquatic ecology. According to the Chilika Development Authority, the apex body for the Lake’s management, seagrass species such as Holodule …

States are delaying allotment of land for landless beneficiaries, says Centre With two and a half months to go for the end of this financial year, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Grameen) scheme to provide housing for the rural poor has achieved only 66% of its target to complete one …

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Friday sought regulated mining with “utmost care on safety of miners and environment” to help the State tide over revenue loss and provide relief to people dependent on coal. “There is a need to have regulated mining in Meghalaya with utmost care on …

NATIONAL Gaganyaan top priority: ISRO SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, JANUARY 19, 2019 00:00 IST UPDATED: JANUARY 19, 2019 05:37 IST SHARE ARTICLE PRINT A A A Spreading out:ISRO Chairman K. Sivan, right, addressing the media in New Delhi on Friday.R.V. Moorthy Spreading out:ISRO Chairman K. Sivan, right, addressing the media …