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March 22 is observed as Bihar Diwas or Bihar Day to commemorate Bihar’s separation from the Bengal Presidency in 1912. The day was first celebrated in 2010 The demand for separating Bihar from Bengal started in the late 19th century, partly for two reasons: The residents began feeling that the region was becoming a backwater and a place of little …

India decriminalised homosexuality in 2018, while in 2017 the Supreme Court had recognised sexual orientation as protected under right to privacy. However, because financial and social security benefits are only accorded to those who have the legal sanction of a marriage, same-sex couples have trouble accessing some basic relationship rights. …

In his keynote speech at the Lanting Forum in Beijing on February 21, Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang highlighted the recently unveiled Global Security Initiative (GSI) Concept Paper. The GSI is presented as a China-led framework that seeks to restore stability and security, particularly in Asia. Accordingly, Mr. …

Darshan Solanki, an undergraduate student of chemical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, ended his life on February 12, 2023. He was a Dalit. The institute formed a 12-member committee to conduct an investigation, which submitted its report on March 2. The report said, “It appears from …

Since 2006, the Prime Ministers of India and Japan have exchanged visits for their “annual summit”, a meeting that has steered the course of this bilateral relationship. However, it was not the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership that was at the heart of the Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s …

The police action against violent separatists in Punjab is a case of better late than never. Religious fanaticism in the State has been raising its ugly head in recent years, and going out of control in recent months, with open calls for violence and threats to state functionaries including Union …

India is now one of the fastest-growing economies globally. However, this growth has not resulted in a corresponding increase in its Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI is a composite statistical measure created by the United Nations Development Programme to evaluate and compare the level of human development in different …

There is a growing tendency in India to aggrandise Muslim religious organisations for their tokenistic gestures. For instance, the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) is thought to have embraced secular polity because it no longer considers it against Islam to participate in democratic elections, and the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) is praised for …

A day before her appearance in front of the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Kavitha launched a six-hour hunger strike on March 10 seeking early passage of the long-pending Women’s Reservation Bill. The protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi was inaugurated by …

The study is part of a long-term project called the ‘Consortium on Vulnerability to Externalising Disorders and Addictions’ (C-Veda). It aims to follow up those tested over decades, and evaluate the effect of biological and environmental risk on cognitive development. Brain development progresses from childhood to early adulthood with wide-ranging …

Tamil Nadu has pioneered an initiative across the State to reduce the mortality rate among people with tuberculosis. The initiative — TN-KET (Tamil Nadu Kasanoi Erappila Thittam, meaning TB death-free project) — which began in April 2022 in 2,500-odd public healthcare facilities that diagnosed TB in 30 districts, has already …

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Saturday virtually inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline that will bring diesel from Assam’s Numaligarh refinery’s marketing depot in Siliguri to Parbatipur in northern Bangladesh. Welcoming the initiative, Ms. Hasina thanked Mr. Modi and the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta …

In an effort to encourage investors to set up units to produce ethanol for blending with petrol, the State government on Saturday said investors could obtain almost all the requisite standard clearances within 30 days. The Tamil Nadu Ethanol Blending Policy (EBP) 2023, released on Saturday by the Industries Department, …

During a visit to the U.K. last week, WhatsApp’s head Will Cathcart said that WhatsApp would not comply with the country’s proposed Online Safety Bill (OSB) which will in effect outlaw end-to-end (E2E) encryption. Mr. Cathcart said that it was the first time a “liberal democracy” was attempting to block …

The issue of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies has been referred to the Law Commission for further examination. Currently, elections to the state assemblies and the Lok Sabha are held separately. Whenever the incumbent government’s five-year term ends or whenever it is dissolved due to various reasons. The idea of “One Nation, One …

Congress moves privilege motion against Prime Minister Parliamentary privileges are certain rights and immunities enjoyed by members of Parliament, individually and collectively. Without these they cannot discharge their functions efficiently and effectively. When any of these rights and immunities are disregarded, the offence is called a breach of privilege and is punishable under law of Parliament. A notice is moved in the form of …

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for war crimes for Russian  President. The court says Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. Russia has defended the transfers on humanitarian grounds. What is the International Criminal Court? The International Criminal Court is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal. It is the first and only permanent international …

herSTART platform to encourage women entrepreneurs inaugurated recently The ‘herSTART’ platform will boost innovation and start-up efforts of women entrepreneurs and also help them connect with various government and private enterprises. The platform will include: a digital platform to provide resources and training modules free of cost to aspiring women entrepreneurs, a digital community for them, and a digital publication to spread their …

Key provisions: The Bill provides for the prevention of offenses against advocates, such as assault, grievous hurt, criminal force and criminal intimidation, along with damage or loss to their property. The objective of the Bill is to prohibit increasing “violence” and “false implications” against advocates in the state. The Act also deems these offenses as cognizable, …

The President of India recently launched Unnathi programme. The President inaugurated the silver jubilee celebration of ‘Kudumbashree’ – one of the largest women’s self-help networks in the world. She also launched ‘Unnathi’ Programme. It is an umbrella programme to create opportunities for employment and self-employment, among the youth belonging to SC and ST communities. SOURCE: THE HINDU, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, PIB