Pakistan is no stranger to crises, In fact, any reading of Pakistan’s history will inform the reader that right from 1947, it was the ‘refugee crisis’ that came into the picture immediately following Partition and Independence. As many as 14 million people crossed the West Pakistan/India border, with Pakistan having …
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FORCED VIRGINITY TEST IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL: HC
The Delhi high court on Tuesday held that forced virginity test on persons in police or judicial custody is unconstitutional stating that strangely, though the word “virginity” may not have a definite scientific and medical definition, it has become a mark of purity of a woman. It is declared that …
Read More »BALLOONING OPTIONS TO SPY
The saga of the alleged Chinese spy balloon over the United States ended in an anticlimactic puff of smoke on February 4 after an American F-22 shot down the airship over coastal waters in the Atlantic Ocean. News of the Chinese airship went public on February 3. This was not …
Read More »PRADHAN MANTRI KRISHI SINCHAYEE YOJANA
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched during the year 2015-16 to enhance physical access of water on farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency, introduce sustainable water conservation practices, etc. PMKSY is an umbrella scheme, consisting of two major components being implemented …
Read More »THE STATE OF ETHNIC DEMOCRACY IN MALAYSIA
Malaysia held its 15th general election (GE) in November 2022 to put an end to the volatile political situation in the region — the fallout of two ruling coalitions in quick succession. Given the tectonic political landscape of Malaysia, the election delivered, unsurprisingly, the first hung Parliament of the country …
Read More »ADOLESCENT INDIA
The freedom of speech is one of the most cherished freedoms. The Constitution of India, too, declares that Indians possess this freedom, but makes it subject to the interest of public order, or the sovereignty and integrity of India. We believe that the framers of the Constitution accepted this watering …
Read More »ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVES’
When the Supreme Court granted legal status to the concept of ‘advance medical directives’ in 2018 and allowed passive euthanasia, subject to stringent safeguards, it was seen as a vital recognition of both patient autonomy over end-of-life decisions and the right to a dignified death. However, doctors later found that …
Read More »SHOOTING DOWN OF A CHINESE SURVEILLANCE BALLOON
The shooting down of a Chinese surveillance balloon by the U.S. military has served as a stark reminder of the deep distrust that characterises relations between the world’s two biggest powers. The detection of the balloon last week over Montana sparked a diplomatic crisis, leading to U.S. Secretary of State …
Read More »PANEL TO REVIEW WORKING OF HOMES UNDER JUVENILE JUSTICE BOARD
In the wake of the death of a juvenile in a State-run home in Chengalpattu district, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday announced that a high-level committee would be constituted to review and improve the functioning of observation homes, special homes and places of safety under the Juvenile Justice Board. …
Read More »EU PLEDGES SUPPORT AHEAD OF KYIV SUMMIT
The EU on Friday pledged to support Ukraine “every step of the way” in its quest for bloc membership as top officials gathered in Kyiv for a highly symbolic summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is hosting the meeting, is pressing the bloc for speedy membership as it battles to …
Read More »ARCHAEOLOGICAL TOURISM AT G-20 MEETING
The Ladpura Khas village of Madhya Pradesh, Khonoma village of Nagaland and heritage sites like Dholavira will be showcased as success stories of rural and archaeological tourism by India during the first tourism working group meeting of the G-20 nations to be held at the Rann of Kutch. Rural tourism …
Read More »AID OF TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS BY SC
A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has removed “insurmountable obstacles” for the implementation of advance medical directives given by terminally ill patients, who are beyond cure or hope, to withdraw medical treatment and die with dignity. The five-member Bench led by Justice K.M. Joseph had broadly outlined the order …
Read More »CHARGE SHEET SCRUTINY
The highest court of India reached the almost last frontier of transparency in its agreeing to the live telecast of some of its hearings — a move warmly welcomed by activists clamouring for more openness in judicial proceedings. The Chief Justice of India’s statement, that Supreme Court of India judgments …
Read More »LITTLE TO CELEBRATE IN SRI LANKA AT 75
Controversy looms over Sri Lanka’s celebration of the 75th anniversary of its Independence (February 4, 1948), with a question having been raised on whether it is worth wasting Sri Lankan rupees 300 million on this event. The country is facing ruinous economic collapse and thousands of poor citizens could be …
Read More »SILENT STRIKE TO RELEASE AUNG SAN SUU KYI
Two years after it captured power through a coup, Myanmar’s military is struggling to maintain its grip on power in a country that has become a land of many mutinies. On February 1, the second anniversary of the coup that toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, thousands …
Read More »WELFARE SCHEMES FOR LABOURERS
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment,informed the details of the welfare schemes for the workers/labourers formulated by the Government. The Life and Disability cover is provided through Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY). PMJJBY is available to the people in the …
Read More »DIGI YATRA
Digi Yatra policy is an initiative launched by Ministry of Civil Aviation for biometric boarding system using Facial Recognition Technology. It aims at providing seamless and hassle-free experience for passengers at airports. Its main objective is to enhance passenger experience by eliminating the need for verification of ticket and ID …
Read More »ENHANCED DEFENCE COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN U.S. PHILIPPINES
The United States and the Philippines announced a deal on Thursday to give U.S. troops access to another four bases in the Southeast Asian nation, as the long-time allies seek to counter China’s military rise. The agreement to expand cooperation in “strategic areas of the country” Beijing’s growing assertiveness on …
Read More »SOUTH ASIA’S PATH TO RESILIENT GROWTH
South Asia should now have a re-look at regional trade across Asia after the warning by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on January 31, 2023, that global trade would slow down from 5.4% in 2022 to 2.4% in 2023. This forecast is optimistic with polycrisis risks such as an escalating …
Read More »ALL INDIA SURVEY ON HIGHER EDUCATION (AISHE)
Tamil Nadu’s Gross Enrolment Ratio dropped by 2.1 percentage points to 46.9% in 2020-21 from the year before, the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) released on Sunday showed. India recorded a marginal increase in GER from 25.6% to 27.3%. Tamil Nadu was among very few States that recorded …
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