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US-CHINA RELATIONS

The recent US shooting of alleged Chinese spy balloons highlighted growing distrust between the two countries. How US shooting of alleged Chinese spy balloons? There has been a lot of speculation in the media about both the balloons and the US response. We’ve seen arguments that the balloon was an …

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1ST MEETING OF G20 CULTURE WORKING GROUP BEGINS

The first three day meeting of the G20 Culture Working Group began in Khajuraho on Wednesday, underlining India’s commitment to repatriating lost heritage to the country. Ahead of inagurating a specially curated exhibition of 26 repatriated artefacts including the 10th century stone sculpture of the ‘Parrot Lady of Khajuraho’, the …

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ECOLOGY & INFRASTRUCTURE

A 4. 5 km-long tunnel planned to reduce traffic congestion on the approach road to Mussoorie has led to several residents expressing concern that the project, envisaged two years ago, could be an “ecological disaster” and pose a threat to the hill town. The concerns, which were raised even when …

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INDIA-RUSSIA-OIL-UN

Germany has sought India’s support for the resolution in UN General Assembly condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine on the first anniversary of war. India can perhaps held find a solution at some stage to end the conflict. Russia-Ukraine conflict and China’s increasing assertiveness in the IndoPacific will be high on …

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VOSTRO ACCOUNTS

Last week, government officials informed that 20 Russian banks, including Rosbank, Tinkoff Bank, Centro Credit Bank and Credit Bank of Moscow have opened Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVA) with partner banks in India. All major domestic banks have listed their nodal officers to sort out issues faced by exporters under …

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CHILDREN RIGHT TO PROTECT THEIR GENETIC DATA

The Supreme Court has held in a judgment that children cannot be mechanically subjected to DNA tests in each and every case between warring parents as a short-cut to establish proof of infidelity. “Genetic information is personal and intimate,” a Bench of Justices V. Ramasubramanian and B.V. Nagarathna observed in …

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UNGA RESOLUTION ON RUSSIAN WAR

France is in talks to convince India to shift its position on the Russian war in Ukraine a year into the conflict, urging the Narendra Modi-led government to vote for a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution due to be tabled this week that will call for a cessation of …

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DEFENCE TECH IN INDIA

Earlier this month, the U.S. and India inaugurated their initiative on critical and emerging technologies (ICET). The promise of this initiative, if fulfilled, could have a transformative impact on India-U.S. relations. Since the 1960s, India has made many attempts to jump on the U.S. technology bandwagon. But all of them …

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DIVIDE BETWEEN THE RURAL AND THE URBAN GROWTH

The divide between the rural and the urban has grown due to an inherent urban bias among policymakers and institutions, including the government. This happens because groups in urban areas are able to effectively influence these institutions in their favour. Second, the spill-over from markets in urban areas is also …

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INDIA NEEDS A BUDGET FOR ITS YOUNG

The world is indeed looking up to the Indian economy as a ‘bright star’, as the Finance Minister noted in the Budget speech on February 1. In 2020, India accounted for 20.6% of the worldwide population of 15 to 29 year olds. Which means that in the years ahead, one …

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‘CORRUPT ACT’ – REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE ACT, 1951

The Supreme Court observed that no one in India votes for a candidate based on their educational qualifications. Thus, providing false information about a candidate’s educational qualifications cannot amount to a “corrupt The Supreme Court refused to interfere with the Allahabad High Court’s order of dismissal regarding the original petition. …

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OVERFISHING, POLLUTION

Although the high seas make up more than half of the surface of the Earth and 61% of all oceans, only 1% of international waters are under protection. Illegal fishing, overfishing and other forms of damage to the ecosystem, such as deep-sea mining, oil and gas drilling, can hardly be …

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N-TREATY – RUSSIA & USA

Russia suspended a landmark nuclear arms control treaty, announcing that new strategic systems had been put on combat duty, and threatening to resume nuclear tests. Nearly a year after ordering an invasion that has triggered the biggest confrontation with the West in six decades, Russia would achieve its aims and …

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SUMMER AND ENERGY DEMAND

February has recorded an unusual surge in temperature. GoI, like everyone else, will be anticipating a torrid summer. Initial forecasts are that peak power demand in April will be 229GW, higher than the June 2022 record of 211GW, and therefore, by the time it’s June this year, demand will be …

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NEGOTIATIONS WITH EU FOR FTA – EEPC

Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC) of India has urged the Centre to expedite negotiations with the European Union (EU) for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA), since the engineering industry has been impacted on the exports front by the withdrawal of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) by the EU …

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INFIDELITY NOT A GROUND TO SEEK PATERNITY TEST

In an important ruling to protect the rights of children whose paternity is questioned in a matrimonial dispute between parents, the Supreme Court has ruled that when husband and wife cohabited together, and no impotency is proved, then the child born from their wedlock is “conclusively presumed to be legitimate”, …

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MIYAWAKI METHOD

Miyawaki is a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, that helps build dense, native forests in a short time. In this technique, various native species of plants are planted close to each other so that the greens receive sunlight only from the top and grow upwards rather than sideways. As …

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