The Supreme Court’s timely intervention has halted the forcible eviction of some 50,000 people from Haldwani in Uttarakhand, where the occupants are accused of squatting on railway property for decades. The Uttarakhand High Court had taken a tough stand against the residents, and passed a slew of directions that would …
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INDIA’S FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (FTA) WITH THE UAE
Negotiations for bilateral free trade agreements with several countries are “well on track” and India is also looking at some multilateral pacts that are fair and equitable for all member countries, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday. India had implemented a free trade agreement (FTA) with the …
Read More »POVERTY, CASTE DISCRIMINATION AT THE ROOT OF MANUAL SCAVENGING
They know it is an inhuman and demeaning job rooted in caste-based discrimination and passed on to successive generations, but the sanitary workers continue to undertake manual scavenging as employers exploit them, and at times are cruel as well. The workers, the women especially, continue to do so to sustain …
Read More »Y20 SUMMIT
For the next 8 months, there will be Pre summits on the five Y20(Youth 20) themes along with various discussions and seminars at different Universities across states in India in a run up to the final Youth-20 Summit India’s key focus is to bring young leaders from all across the …
Read More »PERMANENT DEPLOYMENT OF U.K. SHIP IN INDO-PACIFIC REGION
The Royal Navy’s offshore patrol vessel, HMS Tamar, sailed to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Friday as part of its permanent deployment in the Indo-Pacific. India is the first port of call for the ship and underlines the United Kingdom and India’s intent to collaborate in the Indian Ocean Region …
Read More »TIMELINES FIXED BY SC FOR JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS
Attorney-General R. Venkataramani told the Supreme Court on Friday that the Union government will adhere to the timelines fixed by the court to process recommendations for judicial appointments. The government’s statement seems to be a step down from its earlier view that it was not a “post office” to clear …
Read More »CRISIS IN INTERNATIONAL LAW
In an influential essay written more than two decades ago, Professor Hilary Charlesworth, who is now a judge at the International Court of Justice, described international law as “a discipline of crisis”. Not much has changed since then. Just when the world was recovering from the pain induced by COVID-19, …
Read More »KUKI-CHIN REFUGEES FROM BANGLADESH
As another round of refugee crisis brews on the Mizoram-Bangladesh border, several members of the Kuki-Chin community were “pushed back” by the Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday, according to K. Vanlalvena, a Rajya Sabha member from Mizoram. He said not allowing the “ethnic Mizo” from Bangladesh to enter India …
Read More »SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN INDIA
The Supreme Court on Friday transferred to itself petitions pending in various High Courts seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage. A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said there was broad consensus among the petitioners to shift the cases to the Supreme Court for an authoritative …
Read More »JAPAN OFFERING MONEY TO MOVE OUT OF TOKYO
According to local media reports, Japan will pay up to one million yen (approximately ₹6 lakh) per child to families if they move out of the Tokyo metropolitan area. This amount was previously set at 3,00,000 yen and has been raised to reduce population concentration in the capital area. The …
Read More »DRAFT NORMS TO ALLOW FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES TO SET UP CAMPUSES IN INDIA
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced draft norms for facilitating foreign universities and educational institutions to set up campuses in India which allow them autonomy in determining fees, as well as a 90-day approval process. The final norms will be notified by the end of the month after feedback …
Read More »STRATEGIC DIALOGUE OF INDIA AND FRANCE
National Security Adviser (NSA) AjitDoval on Thursday held the 36th round of the Indo-French Strategic Dialogue with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Bonne. Mr. Bonne’s visit was the first major diplomatic visit of the New Year, and according to a statement from the Embassy of France in India, both participants agreed …
Read More »FREEDOM IN AUTHORITY- MISUSE OF FREE SPEECH
In a recent verdict, the Supreme Court has shown sound restraint while examining the issue of misuse of free speech, especially by political functionaries holding public office. It is to the credit of the Constitution Bench that it did not make any adventurous attempt to expand the scope of the …
Read More »‘NO CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTION FOR STAFF TAKING PART IN STRIKE’
The Kerala High Court has reiterated that no State government employee, worker, or association has the legal right to call for a general strike or instigate the employees to strike, in the guise of the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by the Constitution. A Division Bench …
Read More »COLOUR OF THE YEAR FOR 2023
The defining global authority for all things colour-related chose Viva Magenta (Pantone 18-1750) as its shade for the year, saying it “acknowledges our gravitational pull towards natural colours as movements swell around climate change, sustainability, and land protection”. Viva Magenta is described by Pantone as a “nuanced crimson red tone” …
Read More »CABINET APPROVES NATIONAL GREEN HYDROGEN MISSION
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved National Green Hydrogen Mission. The initial outlay for the Mission will be Rs.19,744 crore, including an outlay of Rs.17,490 crore for the SIGHT programme, Rs.1,466 crore for pilot projects, Rs.400 crore for R&D, and Rs. 388 …
Read More »HIGH-POWER LADAKH COMMITTEE
On January 2, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) constituted a high-powered committee chaired by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai for the Union Territory of Ladakh. The committee will discuss measures to protect the region’s unique culture and language taking into consideration its geographical location and strategic importance; …
Read More »VALUES OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNANCE
In December 1992, Parliament passed the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments, which instituted panchayats and municipalities, respectively. These amendments mandated that State governments constitute panchayats (at the village, block and district levels) and municipalities (in the form of municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats) in every region. They sought …
Read More »GAMING AND GAMBLING
The Union government’s proposed measures for regulating online gaming in a draft amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Liability and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 leave several questions unanswered. Some of these proposed measures, such as the establishment of a self-regulatory body, collection of know-your-customer (KYC) information from players, …
Read More »KRISHNA WATER DISPUTE
Poondi reservoir, which is a major storage point for the city’s drinking water, is filled to the brim with copious inflow of Krishna water and run-off from catchment areas. Water is now being diverted to fill the three other reservoirs that feed Chennai’s needs. Chennai’s daily water supply at the …
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