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A Seminar on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, under the aegis of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), was conducted by the Indian Navy at Goa on 02 November 2022. As the third largest ocean, the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is a lifeline for nearly 35% of global population. Fish and Fisheries comprise …

The number of children entering pre-primary classes in 2021-2022 saw a further decline, resulting in 30% fewer students in this school section as compared to pre-Covid as younger students with less access to remote learning Continue to bear the biggest brunt of learning loss during the pandemic, according to a …

China’s 20th Party Congress concluded with hardly any surprises, and a predetermined script was implemented without any hitch. Xi Jinping was anointed President for an unprecedented third term, and all six of his acolytes made it to the powerful Politburo Standing Committee. Li Qiang is widely expected to take over …

The proposals on intellectual property (IP) rights in the draft India-U.K. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will hurt the global supply of generic medicines, Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières or MSF) warned on Wednesday. In a press note, the international organisation said the intellectual property chapter of the India-U.K. FTA …

The five-member team formed to frame the draft for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand is currently struggling to read and analyse over three lakh handwritten letters, 60,000 e-mails, and 22,000 suggestions uploaded on its website by residents of the hill State sharing their view and recommendations on “One law for all”. Among …

Apart from the upcoming Universal Periodic Review of India at the Human Rights Council (HRC), Indian diplomacy is faced with an additional challenge as Germany’s Foreign Minister AnnalenaBaerbock has demanded a special session of the council on Iran’s crackdown on peaceful protesters. In a series of social media messages, Ms. …

Bangladesh Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) framed to grant Indian citizenship to minorities of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan was an “internal matter” of India. There were fanatical groups in both Bangladesh and India working to “undermine social harmony”, he added. At a press …

Connectivity projects must respect sovereignty issues, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said, in a reference to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), at a virtual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Government hosted by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday. Jaishankar pitched for more trade through Iran’s …

For a rape survivor, trauma comes in repeat doses. First, there is the gruesome act and then follows the difficult task of reporting the assault. For years, an impediment to coming forward about a sexual offence has been the finger test a survivor is subjected to — a gross violation …

The National Health Authority (NHA) organised a workshop in Bengaluru on 28th October 2022 with stakeholders such as State Mission Directors, IRDAI, WHO, health industry leaders, health-tech companies, development organizations, partner NGOs etc. To brainstorm on the steps required to enable rapid adoption of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) across the …

An internal study commissioned by the Ministry of Rural Development has argued for decentralisation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), allowing for more “flexibility” at the ground level. The Ministry recently made public the report of the sixth Common Review Mission, which surveyed seven States — …

The Supreme Court on Monday decided to examine a petition challenging a provision in the election law that imposes a blanket ban on undertrials, persons confined in civil prisons and convicts serving their sentence in jails from casting their votes. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) U.U. …

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the government not to register any fresh FIRs under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which criminalises sedition, even as the government said it is re-examining the colonial provision and “something may happen” in the Winter Session of Parliament. Appearing before a …

On September 27, a Constitution Bench led by CJI U. U. Lalit heard multiple petitions against reservations based solely on economic criteria introduced by the Constitution (103rd) Amendment Act, 2019. After extensive hearings, the Bench reserved its judgment in the case. In this article dated January 22, 2019, Anup Surendranath …

The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has notified amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021) on October 28. The draft generated considerable discussion and comment on the regulation of social media in India. This proposed amendments can be broadly …

The first edition of India-Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral Exercise (IMT TRILAT), a joint maritime exercise among the Indian, Mozambique and Tanzanian navies commenced at Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania on 27 Oct 22. Indian Navy is represented by the guided missile frigate, INS Tarkash, a Chetak helicopter and MARCOS (Special Forces). The exercise …

Srivari Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, inaugurated the 1st ASEAN-India Start-up Festival (AISF) on 27th October 2022 in Bogor, Indonesia “As a developing nation, India is currently dedicated to harnessing path-breaking innovations for comprehensive socio-economic growth. Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Economic Community, Satvinder Singh, highlighted that ASEAN has a vibrant …

The Indian Navy is hosting the 29th edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) from 26 to 30 October, 2022 at Visakhapatnam. SIMBEX-2022 is being conducted in two phases – Harbour Phase at Visakhapatnam from 26 to 27 October 2022 followed by the Sea Phase in Bay of Bengal from 28 to …

The Election Commission of India is hosting a two day international conference on the theme ‘Role, Framework & Capacity of Election Management Bodies’ at New Delhi. The ECI leads the Cohort on Election Integrity – which was established as a follow on to the ‘Summit for Democracy’ held in December, …

The brutal murders of two women as part of “ritualistic human sacrifices” in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala have left the country in shock. Chilling details of the killings have sparked a debate about the prevalence of superstitious beliefs, black magic and sorcery in Kerala. In the absence of a …