GS-III

The Supreme Court on Tuesday prohibited the media from publishing or airing the names or any material which may even remotely reveal the identity of victims of sexual crimes. “No person can print or publish in print, electronic, social media, etc. the name of the victim or even in a …

Nobel laureates Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad called on the world to protect victims of wartime sexual violence in their Peace Prize acceptance speeches on Monday, slamming indifference to the plight of women and children in conflict. Congolese gynecologist Mukwege, whose work has made him a global expert on rape …

Urjit Patel’s resignation as the RBI Governor will cause jitters in the stock market and uncertainty over the central bank’s policies regarding non-monetary policy issues such as Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) norms, and diluting the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code rules for power sector companies, economists have cautioned. “This [the resignation] …

Gross direct tax collections surged 15.7% to Rs. 6.75 lakh crore for April-November, the finance ministry said in a statement on Monday. Refunds worth Rs. 1.23 lakh crore have been issued in the eight months of the current fiscal, which is 20.8% higher than refunds issued in the same period …

Urjit Patel, who quit as the RBI Governor on Monday, had spoken strongly about the need for the central bank’s autonomy when he deposed in front of the Parliamentary Panel on Finance two weeks ago. The former Governor had also pointed out that non-performing assets had been reducing since their …

The government had appointed Urjit Patel as Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor after his predecessor Raghuram Rajan’s tenure ended. With Dr. Patel’s appointment in September 2016, it was believed that the ties between the Centre and the RBI would improve. However, the relationship showed signs of stress just after …

The Bombay High Court on Monday questioned the Maharashtra government on the advertisements issued by the State to fill jobs under reservation granted to the Maratha community A Division Bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice MS Karnik was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations and petitions opposing …

A petition has been moved before the Delhi High Court seeking entry of women into the sanctum sanctorum of the Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah here. The move comes two months after the Supreme Court lifted the centuries-old practice of prohibiting women from entering the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. Plea by …

Study raises safety, efficacy concerns; calls for ban on irrational formulations Of the 110 anti-TB (tuberculosis) Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs) available in India, only 32 (less than 30%) have been approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the country’s drug regulator. In the case of malaria FDCs, only …

Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot on Monday ordered businessman Vijay Mallya to be extradited to India, and referred the case to British Home Secretary Sajid Javid for signing the extradition order. Mr. Mallya will now have 14 days to lodge an appeal. In ruling against Mr. Mallya, the judge at Westminster …

In a surprising move, Reserve Bank of India’s Governor Urjit Patel resigned on Monday, citing personal reasons, amid tensions between the government and the central bank on various issues. In a statement, Dr. Patel, who was appointed the Governor in September 2016, thanked RBI employees and the board of directors …

A translocated tiger, the carcass of which was found in an Odisha sanctuary on November 14, died after falling into a trap laid by poachers, says the report of a joint inspection team of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India. The report is at …

Ensures presence of at least one major ship at choke points Against the backdrop of increasing responsibilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) with the rising Chinese presence, the Indian Navy has embarked on a major capability upgrade. A Navy officer said that this year, on an average, 35 Navy …

Amid a raging controversy over the revised economic growth numbers, former Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian has called for an investigation by experts to clear doubts and build confidence, while noting that the “puzzle” about the data needs to be explained. In an interview to PTI, Dr. Subramanian stressed that …

Self-guided, internet-based platforms can help people cope with depression Scientists have found that a series of self-guided, internet-based therapy platforms effectively reduce depression. Researchers from Indiana University (IU) in the U.S. reviewed 21 pre-existing studies with a total of 4,781 participants. In the past several years, many internet-based apps and …

It may trigger cropland expansion, which will further increase greenhouse gas emissions Bioplastics — often promoted as a climate-friendly alternative to petroleum-based plastics — may lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, according to a study. According to the study by researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany, …

At the press conference post the fifth monetary policy review on December 5, Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel brushed aside a question on reduction in cash reserve ratio (CRR) saying that it is not in the ambit of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). On the face of it, …

Amendments to key laws needed before the suggestion can become reality The world is flat is an international best-seller by three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman. The title of the 2005 book was a smart take on the concept that the world should be a level-playing field, with all companies …

‘Puzzle’ about data needs explanation: Arvind Subramanian Amid raging controversy over the revised economic growth numbers, Former Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian has called for an investigation by experts to clear doubts and build confidence while noting that the “puzzle” about the data needs to be explained. He stressed that …

GST collections are yet to show a stable trend which means projections for 2020-25 are difficult, says the Chairman of the Fifteenth Finance Commission The Chairman of the Fifteenth Finance Commission, N.K. Singh, says that though the Commission will have to take the 2011 census as the base year for …