GS-II

India gains little by engaging the Taliban directly at this stage, says Amar Sinha , former Ambassador to Afghanistan and member of the National Security Advisory Board, countering Army chief General B.P. Rawat’s call for India to ‘join the bandwagon’ in talks. On Wednesday, a two-day ‘intra-Afghan’ dialogue of Afghan …

The Union Home Ministry has banned the Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for promoting terrorism and radicalising and recruiting youth for terrorist activities in India. Set up in the 1990s, TuM claims to be fighting for the “liberation of Kashmir,” the Ministry said in a notification announcing …

Protests by Opposition parties on issues such as the National Register for Citizens and a cut in faculty positions for SC/ST and OBC candidates ensured that the Rajya Sabha functioned only for a total 11 minutes on Wednesday. Soon after official papers were tabled in the morning, Rajya Sabha Chairman …

An expert committee of the Union Environment Ministry has “deferred” clearance to a Rs. 100 crore proposal by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCL) to develop an island resort, as well as put up “premium tents” and “tree houses”, on the grounds that it doesn’t take …

The TDP government on Wednesday introduced two Bills for 5% reservation each to the Kapu sub-castes and the other Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in the general category (upper castes) in the Assembly on Wednesday in the wake of the 103rd amendment to the Constitution. Minister for BC Welfare and Empowerment …

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the State to respond to a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to restrict the working hours of retail alcohol outlets, bars and pubs. The petitioner, advocate B. Ramkumar Adityan, pointed out that even minors were getting …

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to examine the possibility of imposing curbs on advocates airing their views in the media about pending cases and the judges handling them, during a hearing on contempt petitions filed by the government and the Attorney General of India against civil rights lawyer Prashant …

A Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, on Wednesday reserved for orders a series of petitions seeking re-consideration of a Supreme Court judgment that lifted the bar on menstruating women from worshipping at the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. A total of 65 petitions challenged the authority …

The Taliban demanded a new Constitution for Afghanistan and promised an “inclusive Islamic system” to govern the war-torn country at a rare gathering with senior Afghan politicians in Russia on Tuesday that excluded the Kabul government. The manifesto, outlined in Moscow, comes a week after the Taliban held unprecedented six-day …

Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday said the country must develop new types of missile systems in the next two years after Washington and Moscow ripped up a key arms control treaty. The United States has repeatedly accused Russia of violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) agreement and on …