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The year-long celebrations marking 150 years of Abanindranath Tagore will be started soon, with a host of online workshops and talks paying tributes to the leading light of the Bengal School of Art. Important points: Abanindranath Tagore took birth in a family of Tagores of Jorasanko in Kolkata in 1871. He was a nephew …

Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) expressed displeasure against the Central government by asking whether it intends to “close” tribunals across the country by not filling up vacancies that have been pending for years. Important points: Tribunal is a quasi-judicial institution that is set up to deal with problems such as resolving administrative or tax-related disputes. It …

Recently, Rajya Sabha has passed the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The bill provides for modifying Part-XVIII of the Schedule to the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, relating to the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Important points: It seeks to amend the constitutional list of Scheduled Tribes as recommended by Arunachal Pradesh. At present, there …

Recently, the Government of India has introduced The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Lok Sabha. The bill seeks to withdraw tax demands made using a 2012 retrospective legislation to tax the indirect transfer of Indian assets. Important points: The retrospective tax law was passed in 2012 following a Supreme Court verdict in favour of …

Recently in a Deputy National Security Adviser-level meeting hosted by Sri Lanka, India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have agreed to work on “four pillars” of security cooperation. The four areas covers marine security, human trafficking, counter-terrorism, and cyber security. The meeting which was held under the Colombo Security Conclave, saw Bangladesh, Seychelles and Mauritius participating in the role of observers. Important points: Soon …

In the past, the Obama and Trump administrations had supported a permanent seat for India on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). However, the recent statements by the State Department under the new US President Joe Biden, reflects an ambiguous or half-hearted view on this issue. Important points: The US supports a reformed Security Council that …

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has provided financial assistance of Rs. 99.49 crores to the States and Union Territories (UTs) for the E-Prisons Project. Also, acting on the request of the MHA, NIMHANS, an Institute of National Importance, has recently issued a set of guidelines on the management of mental health issues of the prisoners and prison …

India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) visited Iran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. This marks a landmark event attempting to reset the ties with Iran that have been under strain in recent times. This is EAM’s second visit in a month and it comes amid a sharp escalation of the fighting in Afghanistan between …

The Government is planning to bring a Bill to Parliament to clarify “some provisions in the 102nd Constitutional amendment Bill” to restore the power of the states to identify backward classes. In India, separate OBC lists are drawn up by the Centre and each state concerned. Articles 15(4), 15(5) and 16(4) expressly conferred power on a state to identify and declare …

Recently, the Union Government gave the information on Major Administrative Reforms which were introduced in recent years and emphasised the importance of these reforms in making governance more accessible. These reforms aim to encourage greater efficiency, transparent and corruption free governance, accountability and reduce scope for discretion. The Government follows the maxim …

Recently, the Standing Committee on Finance has criticised the decision of the Ministry of Finance (Department of Expenditure) for giving barely a week’s time to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) for funding ongoing Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) projects, owing to which 50% funds lapsed. Important points: The resultant funding crunch would …

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the school education programme Samagra Shiksha Scheme 2.0 till the 2025-26 financial year. It has been upgraded to align it with the Sustainable Development Goal for Education and the new National Education Policy launched in 2020. Important points: It is an integrated scheme for school education covering the entire gamut from pre-school to class XII. It aims to …

The Forum for Human Rights in J&K (FHRJK) released its report a day ahead of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) completing two years as Union Territory. The report raised concerns about the militancy that continues to remain a major challenge in J&K. FHRJK is an independent body co-chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur and …

Recently, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed and completed black topping the world’s highest motorable road at Umling La pass in Eastern Ladakh, located at an altitude of 19,300 ft. Important points: By constructing this road, BRO has created a record in high-altitude road construction. It bettered the previous record of a road in Bolivia connecting to …

In recent years, a lot of efforts have been put by the conservationists to save the world’s most endangered turtle, Swinhoe’s softshell turtle from the brink of extinction. The animal is also known as the Hoan Kiem turtle or Yangtze giant softshell turtle. In Vietnam, these animals have great cultural significance as people in Hanoi revere this …

Recently, the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) 1 named INS Vikrant, started sea trials (one of the last phases of trials). It is likely to be commissioned in 2022. At present, India has only one aircraft carrier, the Russian-origin INS Vikramaditya. Earlier, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved issuance of Request for Proposal (RFP) for six advanced submarines for the Indian Navy under Project-75I. …

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a framework for payment and settlement related activities by payment system operators. This framework is issued under provisions of Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. The Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 provides for the regulation and supervision of payment systems in India and designates the RBI as the …

The Ministry of Finance has amended the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Rules, 1957 to exempt listed public sector companies from the minimum public shareholding norm. Important points: The government can now exempt any listed public sector enterprise from the Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) norm, which mandates at least 25% public float for all listed …

Recently, some experts advised that the government should speed up implementation of alternatives to stubble burning. The centre, facing criticism from farmers protesting against the farm laws, had committed to removing a clause in the Air Commission Bill, 2021 that would penalise farmers for burning stubble, an important contributor to noxious air quality. Important points: Stubble (parali) burning …

According to a recent report by the United Nation, the goal of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 i.e. ‘Zero Hunger’ has been hit in the wake of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. The zero hunger goal works in tandem with many others: Poverty elimination (SDG1), good health and well-being (SDG3), and the need for clean …