In reference to Mr. Gandhi’s fresh resolve to renew the Satyagraha campaign, Sir Narayan Chandravarkar, ex-Judge, Bombay High Court, and a Moderate Leader, through the medium of the press, makes a strong and earnest appeal to Mr. Gandhi [from Bombay, on July 11] to desist from starting the campaign. He …
Read More »Daily Archives: July 12, 2019
Forecasts with aid of computer
A fresh weather map of India will be prepared every six hours with the help of a modern electronic computer to be installed in the Meteorological Office in Delhi. An agreement for the acquisition of the computer was signed to-day [July 11] between Dr. P. K. Koteswaram, Director-General of Observatories, …
Read More »Why access to officials is so important for reporters
Every bit of information, whether crucial or trivial, is a piece of a large puzzle The Finance Ministry has decided not to let journalists, even those with Press Information Bureau (PIB) accredited cards, enter its premises without prior appointment. The Ministry has benevolently arranged an “air-conditioned waiting room” for reporters …
Read More »Picking out plastic
Recycling is integral to addressing the problems posed by plastic packaging material The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has put 52 producers, brand owners and importers, including big online retailers such as Amazon and Flipkart, and companies such as Patanjali Ayurved and Britannia, on notice, for failing to take responsibility …
Read More »Tread with caution
The consolidated codes on labour laws need a thorough vetting and discussion in Parliament As part of its commitment to simplify and consolidate labour rules and laws under four codes, the Union Cabinet has cleared the Occupational, Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, a week after it approved the Code …
Read More »Majoritarian here, secular there
Modi has been able to bring about a paradigmatic shift to India’s foreign policy in one regard Some argue that Narendra Modi as Prime Minister has brought dynamism to India’s foreign policy, evident by his frequent visits abroad. However, no theory in foreign policy research suggests that the higher the …
Read More »Jobless growth becomes more systemic
Earlier confined largely to the organised sector, it has now spread to other areas, as revealed by the latest survey results The findings of the latest employment survey, called the Periodic Labour Force Survey (2017-18), are a cause for concern as the scenario is still far from anything that would …
Read More »A welcome debate on electoral reforms
A number of practical and constructive proposals were raised by Opposition parties in Parliament last week On July 3, a short-duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha on electoral reforms attracted my attention. It was initiated by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’Brien, with the backing of as many as 14 …
Read More »Can India make the transition to electric vehicles?
India has taken some baby steps but more needs to be done to improve demand and supply Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an additional income tax exemption of Rs. 1.5 lakh for purchasers of electric vehicles in Budget 2019-2020. She also said that the GST rate on electric vehicles would …
Read More »Leak found in nuclear Soviet sub
Small leak found in Soviet nuclear sub A small radiation leak from a Soviet nuclear submarine that sank 30 years ago has been found, Norwegian researchers said on Thursday, but it poses no risk to people or fish. The institute said that findings were around 100 Becquerel (Bq) per litre …
Read More »Greek find called earliest sign of our species out of Africa
Greek find resets human migration clock A 2,10,000-year-old skull (image shows computer-generated model) discovered in a cave in Greece has been identified as the earliest modern human remains found outside Africa, putting the clock back on mankind’s arrival in Europe by more than 1,50,000 years. The remains are 16,000 years …
Read More »France passes legislation taxing digital giants
Move may lead to dispute with U.S. France on Thursday became the first major economy to impose a tax on digital giants, with its Parliament passing the legislation in defiance of a probe ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump that could trigger reprisal tariffs The new law aims at plugging …
Read More »Language no barrier: Mumbai team set on popularising regional films
Every week, volunteers collect information from theatres that play movies with subtitles and share the list with fans of cinema through Twitter Four Mumbaikars have come together on Twitter to start Mumbai Subtitles Database. On their Twitter handle, they draw up a list of theatres screening regional movies with subtitles …
Read More »Assam temple turtles set free in the wild
The rare reptiles were living in a tiny pool with a concrete base not conducive for nesting Five species of rare turtles crammed in a small pool and fountain within the complex of a Shiva temple in central Assam’s Nagaon have been rehabilitated in a wildlife sanctuary about 45 km …
Read More »Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe touches down on asteroid
It will collect samples from beneath the surface of Ryugu as part of an effort to understand the origins of the solar system Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe made a “perfect” touchdown on Thursday on a distant asteroid, collecting samples from beneath the surface in an unprecedented mission that could shed light …
Read More »Re-admit Maldives into Commonwealth: India
It withdrew during Yameen’s tenure India has urged the Commonwealth to expedite readmission of the Maldives as a member country. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar conveyed India’s stand at the 19th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting in London. “The External Affairs Minister… congratulated the member countries on the 70th anniversary …
Read More »North Korea warns of military action against South’s F-35A jets
‘We’ll have to test weapons to shoot them down’ North Korea on Thursday said South Korea’s planned deployment of new U.S. stealth fighter jets was an “extremely dangerous action” that would compel it to use “special armaments” to shoot them down. South Korea, a major U.S. ally, received its first …
Read More »Bangladesh charges former Chief Justice with corruption
Surendra Kumar Sinha fled Bangladesh in 2017 Bangladesh’s anti-graft office has charged the former Chief Justice with corruption nearly two years after he fled the country saying he was forced to resign, an official said on Thursday. Surendra Kumar Sinha, who had led the South Asian nation’s Supreme Court to …
Read More »No-confidence motion against Sri Lanka govt. defeated
JVP moved the vote, saying it failed to stop terror attacks A trust vote on the government presented by the Opposition Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in Sri Lankan Parliament was defeated on Thursday with a majority of 119 legislators in the 225-member House voting against it. The leftist JVP or …
Read More »Bill to relax green card cap passed
House removes country-wise cap, increases annual limit of family-based cards The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed (365-65) the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019, which increases the annual limit of family-based green cards offered to citizens of each country and eliminates the country-wise cap on employment-based green …
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