GS-II

It allows regulated use of genetic information to establish identity of persons The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a bill that allows regulated use of DNA technology to establish the identity of certain defined categories of persons, including offenders, suspects, and undertrials. The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill …

Allows U.S. firm to pursue patent suit on Bt cotton variants The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside a Delhi High Court Division Bench decision that held that U.S. agro major Monsanto did not have patent for its genetically modified BT cotton seed variants and had allowed it to claim …

Protects investigative agency from political interference The Alok Verma divestment case has led the Supreme Court to further protect the tenure of the CBI Director and the independence of the country’s premier investigative agency from interference by political higher-ups. The judgment by the three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of …

If the Supreme Court rejects the idea, the reservation can be provided only by eating into the SC, ST and OBC quota share Who will the new 10% quota apply to? To all those who are not covered in existing quotas and have a family income below Rs. 8 lakh …

Shutdown called by several organisations against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill Violence marked Tuesday’s 11-hour shutdown across States in the northeast, called by several organisations against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. In Tripura, at least six tribal protesters were injured, two critically, as violence erupted near Agartala during a highway blockade called …

Descibes decision as a ‘political illusion’ and an ‘election stunt’ Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday welcomed the 10% reservation announced for economically weaker sections of the general category but questioned the timing of the decision by the Narendra Modi government months before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. She …

The Supreme Court on Tuesday notified that a five-judge Bench, consisting of the incumbent Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and the next four future Chief Justices of India in line of seniority, will hear the Ayodhya title dispute appeals on January 10. The Bench, besides Chief Justice Gogoi, will …

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday accused the Janata Dal (S)-Congress coalition government in the State of “indirectly” supporting the bandh by declaring holiday for schools and colleges. Addressing a press conference here, BJP State general secretary N. Ravi Kumar questioned the need for declaring holiday for schools and putting …

Will continue legal battle, says CM The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to stay the decision of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to process the reopening of the Sterlite copper plant at Thoothukudi, which was ordered to be closed down due to environmental pollution. The Supreme Court Bench also stayed …

Rajnath stresses need to shelter persecuted minorities The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, that seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha, said the six communities — Hindus, Jains, …

‘We will send further details once joint survey is completed’ The State government has sought Rs. 2,400 crore from the Centre as drought relief, Revenue Minister R.V. Deshpande told presspersons in Chandaragi village in Belagavi district on Tuesday. He said that the State government had identified 156 taluks as drought-hit …

Court asks the PM-led panel to consider the question of his divestment in a week The Supreme Court on Tuesday “reinstated” exiled CBI Director Alok Verma, but ordered him to “cease and desist” from taking any major policy decisions till a high-power committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decides …

On a mountain slope overlooking Hong Kong, Giovanni Lam waits for the right gust of wind to send him soaring skywards, one of a growing number of paragliders using flight to escape the dense urban sprawl below.f Patience is rewarded in paragliding, explained Mr. Lam, a university lecturer and youth …

Drug maker Lupin said it had received approval from the U.S. health regulator to market Lurasidone Hydrochloride tablets in the U.S. The firm can sell its product, which is a generic version of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s Latuda tablets, in strengths of 20 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg and …

President Donald Trump will visit the U.S.-Mexican border this week, his spokeswoman said on Monday, in the latest bid to pressure Congress over border wall negotiations that have led to a partial government shutdown. He will “travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet with those on the frontlines …

Malaysia’s royals prepared on Monday to pick a new king to replace Sultan Muhammad V, who abdicated in a historic first after reportedly marrying a Russian former beauty queen, holding a special gathering at the national palace. As the country reacted with shock to the news, Malaysia’s Islamic royal families …

President Donald Trump on Monday sought to end fears of an abrupt U.S. pullout from Syria, saying the fight against the Islamic State group was not over and that withdrawal would be done in a “prudent” manner. “We will be leaving at a proper pace while at the same time …

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim announced on Monday that he would step down next month, more than three years before his current term was due to expire. The decision ends Mr. Kim’s six-year tenure and may give U.S. President Donald Trump decisive influence over the future leadership of the …

Sheikh Hasina was sworn in as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister for a record fourth term on Monday after her Awami League registered a landslide victory in the recent election that was marred by deadly violence and allegations of vote rigging. President Md. Abdul Hamid administered the oath of office to the …

Chinese and American officials began talks on Monday aimed at ending a bruising trade battle between the world’s two biggest economies, as Beijing complained over the sighting of a U.S. warship in what it said were Chinese waters. It was unclear if the ruckus over the warship might disrupt the …