GS-II

The Centre on Monday contended before the Madras High Court that a recent amendment to the Constitution providing 10% reservation in jobs and higher education to ‘economically weaker sections (EWS)’ in the open competition category, was “not a communal reservation” aimed at the so called “forward castes.” Appearing before a …

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has joined his Assam counterpart Sarbananda Sonowal in defending the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and said “people with vested interests” have been misinterpreting it to create confusion. Mr. Khandu heads a Bharatiya Janata Party government in Arunachal Pradesh, while Mr. Sonowal leads a coalition …

The Centre on Monday dismissed the charge made in the Supreme Court that it had “abandoned” the operations to rescue the miners trapped in a flooded Meghalaya rat-hole mine since December 13, even as the State said the “bodies of the remaining miners are behind the body detected on January …

As the general elections are fast approaching, the State Cabinet is likely to roll out Rythu Raksha scheme, on the lines of Rythu Bandhu being implemented in Telangana, for providing input assistance to farmers at the rate of Rs. 10,000 per acre. It was discussing the modalities till late in …

In a move that will have far-reaching political implications, the State Cabinet decided to give 5% quota for Kapus and another 5% to the economically backward classes among the forward castes, at its meeting held on Monday. However, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu favoured further deliberations and then tabling it …

Ahead of the 2019 election, the Rural Development Ministry has proposed that the monthly pensions of the elderly poor, disabled and widows be increased from the current Rs. 200 to Rs. 800. For those above the age of 80, the proposal is to increase the pension from Rs. 500 to …

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Monday recused himself from hearing a petition challenging the appointment of M. Nageswara Rao as interim CBI Director and ordered the plea to be placed before a Bench led by the number two Supreme Court judge, Justice A.K. Sikri, on January 24. Justice …

Folk artists from Gujarat performing Maniyaro, a version of dandiya, at a cultural event on the sidelines of Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2019 in Ahmedabad.Vijay Soneji Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/dandiya-moves/article26046012.ece

Omega-3 is an important fatty acid with immense health benefits for the body and brain. It is found in abundance in fish oil and many pharmaceutical companies extract the oil to develop it into a pill for daily dosage.While the health benefits of Omega-3 cannot be disputed, many — especially …

More than 100 African migrants who set off in a rickety, inflatable dingy have died in a wreck off the Libyan coast, humanitarian workers said on Saturday, in what was the deadliest such episode in recent months. The scale of the catastrophe became clear after three survivors, two Sudanese and …

Manipur Chief Minister and BJP leader N. Biren Singh on Sunday assured the representatives of the North East Students Organisation (NESO) that unless a clause was inserted in the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, on the protection of the indigenous peoples, his government would object to the proposed legislation. Source : …

The Union government has directed all educational institutions and universities to implement the 10% quota for the poor in the general category from the coming academic year, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Sunday. “The government has already issued an official memorandum… We issued directives a couple of days ago …

Accusing the Congress of trying to secure votes of Dalits in the name of B.R. Ambedkar, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said the new law guaranteeing 10% quota for the poor among the general category was introduced in tune with Modi government’s commitment to ensure development of all …

The Indian Railways has one of the world’s largest public WiFi networks in RailWire WiFi. With around 2.6 crore users logins in a month, and over 9,491 Tetra Byte (TB) of aggregated data consumption, RailWire WiFi at 746 railway stations across the country is only getting stronger. The network, provided …

Aadhaar cards are now valid travel documents for Indians under 15 and over 65 travelling to Nepal and Bhutan, according to a Home Ministry communique. Indians other than those in the two age brackets will not be able to use Aadhaar to travel to the two neighbouring countries, for which …

Only a small number Bangladeshi nationals are likely to benefit from the Citizenship Amendment Bill, as fewer than 200 people from the neighbouring country have so far availed the long-term visas (LTVs), a senior Home Ministry official said. The number of LTVs issued by the Union Home Ministry to Bangladeshi …

Only 230 Hindus from Pakistan and four Sikhs from Afghanistan had been given long-term visas (LTVs) till September 2018, the Union Home Ministry has said in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by The Hindu . However, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told the …

A cyclothon was organised by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), in association with The Hindu , here on Sunday to create awareness about conservation of fuel and the need to protecting environment. A large number of students, representing various schools, including Nandi, Jawahar, Jain Vidyalaya, Pupil Tree, Vienna Vidyalaya, along …

New book quotes former commanders on ‘Operation Kabaddi,’ aimed at preventing cross-border infiltration, in the post-Kargil scenario Had it not been for the 9/11 terror attacks, the Indian Army may have carried out its largest operation to end cross-LoC infiltration by capturing at least 25 selected Pakistani posts along the …

The race for tech ascendancy between China and the U.S. is climbing new heights. The Americans want the Chinese to be dragged backwards, trying to keep them away from the crown jewels of digital technology — the tools for a new age of smart industrialisation, driven as much by data …