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Three decades after it was enacted, significant amendments have been proposed to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, bringing contradictions between the Central and Delhi governments to the fore once again. Contrary to the spirit of the constitution: Some experts were of the opinion that the new Bill …

A week after a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court said it will consider whether the 1992 verdict in the Indira Sawhney case (popularly known as Mandal Commission case) — capping reservation at 50 per cent — by a nine-judge bench needs to be sent to a larger bench for a relook, petitioners against …

The Supreme Court recently asked the Centre and the Election Commission of India to respond to a plea that fresh elections should be conducted in constituencies where the highest number of votes polled are NOTA (None Of The Above). The petition said candidates ‘rejected’ by voters should not be fielded again in the …

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) moved a Bill in the Lok Sabha recently in which it proposed that the “government” in the National Capital Territory of Delhi meant the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi. The Bill gives discretionary powers to the L-G even in matters where the Legislative Assembly of Delhi is empowered to make …

More than half of the faculty positions reserved for the OBCs in Central institutions of higher education are vacant while about 40% of those reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Tribes also remain unfilled. Lacuna: The situation is particularly acute in the elite Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), where more than 60% of …

The Supreme Court ruled that serving bureaucrats must not be appointed as election commissioners to ensure that the independence of the office of the election commissioner is not compromised. Important points: A Bench of the Supreme Court was hearing an appeal by the Goa government against an order of the Bombay High Court. The Bombay High Court …

Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh to check illegal influx from Myanmar into India. The instructions have also been given to Border Guarding Force (BGF), i.e. Assam rifles. India already has a lot of Rohingya migrated from Myanmar. India, treats all refugees entering the country as illegal immigrants. In 2020, …

THE INDUS Indus Commissioners of India and Pakistan are set to meet on March 23-24 in New Delhi. Indians are committed towards full utilisation of India’s rights under the treaty and believe in amicable solution of issues through discussion. This will be the first meeting of Indus Commissioners after a gap of two and …

The Supreme Court held that independent persons and not bureaucrats should be appointed State Election Commissioners. Important points: It said that giving government employees the additional charge of State Election Commissioners is a “mockery of the Constitution”. The top court directed that the States should appoint independent persons as Election …

The foreign secretary of India stated on March 12, 2020 that the Leaders of the United States, India, Australia and Japan have agreed to pool finance, manufacture and distribute the capacity in order to send 1 billion coronavirus vaccines across Asia and in the Indo-Pacific region to assist them by …

Indian and Japanese space agencies recently reviewed cooperation in earth observation, lunar cooperation and satellite navigation, and also agreed to explore opportunities for cooperation in “space situational awareness and professional exchange programme”. Space collaboration: This was agreed during a bilateral meeting between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japan …

Recently, India has been classified as an “electoral autocracy” in the annual report named Autocratisation Goes Viral of Sweden-based Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute. This report comes just after the US watchdog Freedom House downgraded India’s status to “partly free” in its ‘Freedom in the World 2021’ report. About V-Dem: The V-Dem Institute, an independent research organisation founded in 2014 …

In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment stated that a Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNCs) was constituted for development and welfare of Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities in 2019. The welfare board was constituted for a period of three years …

About: The scheduling of the first-ever Quad leaders’ summit-level meeting within 50 days of the Biden administration signified the importance the administration places on the Indo-Pacific, the White House said recently. President Biden has made this one of his earliest multilateral engagements speaks to the importance we place on close cooperation with our allies …

Close on the heels of U.S. plans for a United Nations regional conference on Afghanistan, Russia has announced it will hold a conference of special envoys from the U.S., China, and Pakistan, along with representatives of the Afghanistan government, Taliban and other senior Afghan leaders next week. Advancing intra-afgahn talks: Unlike the …

The Lok Sabha recently passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2021 that seeks to regularise unauthorised colonies that existed in the National Capital Territory of Delhi as on June 1, 2014, and had seen development up to 50% as on January 1, 2015. Urban Development Minister said …

About: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education has recommended that all government schools start providing free breakfast in the coming academic year as part of an expansion of the mid-day meal scheme envisaged by the National Education Policy. However, Education Ministry officials say a severe funding crunch is likely to delay the initiative. Fund …

The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi (PMSSN) as a single non-lapsable reserve fund for share of Health from the proceeds of Health and Education Cess levied under Section 136-b of Finance Act, 2007. Salient features of the PMSSN A non-lapsable reserve fund for Health in …

Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises inaugurated two technology centres at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, three extension centres of big technological centres and seven mobile Udyam Express. Important points: The Ministry of MSME has rolled out the Technology Centres Systems Programme to develop the …

The Parliament gave its nod to the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 with Rajya Sabha passing it. The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill last month. About: The legislation seeks to amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The Act contains provisions to deal with domestic and international …