Rights Issues

Historical Context The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, was a monumental event that symbolized the end of the Cold War and the path to German reunification. Origin and Purpose of the Berlin Wall Construction and Purpose: Erected in 1961, the Berlin Wall served as both a …

Context: The underrepresentation of SC/ST and OBC officers in senior civil service roles underscores the prevailing dominance of upper castes within the bureaucracy. Challenges in Achieving Social Justice: Underrepresentation of SC/ST Officers: The limited presence of SC/ST officers in high-level government positions restricts their impact on policy-making. For example, only …

Context: In India, although over half of the 642 million eligible voters are women, women’s safety issues receive little attention from political candidates, highlighting a significant discrepancy. Current Situation: Daily, approximately 90 rape cases are reported, nearly half of the women experience domestic violence, and two-thirds of Dalit women face …

Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 Overview Background: The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to reform the governance of Waqf properties, has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee following opposition protests. Definition of Waqf Property Waqf: This refers to a donation of personal property by Muslims for religious, charitable, or …

Context The Bihar Assembly passed the ‘Bihar Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill’ to address question paper leaks and other malpractices in government recruitment examinations. Recent Cases of Paper Leaks NEET-UG medical entrance examination, 2024 Rajasthan Eligibility for Elementary Teachers, 2023 Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission Examination, 2023 UP …

Context The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to frame a model policy on menstrual leave for women employees. This directive highlights the need for recognizing menstrual leave, which offers time off for those experiencing period pains, similar to sick leave. Currently, menstrual leave is not covered under standard sick …

A stampede occurred during a religious gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district. What is a Stampede? A stampede is a “disruption of the orderly movement of crowds leading to injuries and fatalities,” often in response to a perceived danger, loss of physical space, or to attain something seen as gratifying. …

Introduction The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, popularly known as the Forest Rights Act (FRA), is a landmark legislation in India. It aims to address historical injustices faced by Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) and empower them by …

Introduction The Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013, is a landmark legislation in India that aims to create safe and secure working environments for women. This Act defines, prohibits, and lays down the procedures for the prevention and redressal of sexual harassment at workplaces. Let’s delve deeper into the …

  Concept: The UNHRC is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) responsible for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide. It was established in 2006, replacing the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), with the aim of addressing the shortcomings of its predecessor and enhancing the …

The Constitution of India guarantees certain fundamental rights to all citizens, including the right to work, the right to fair wages, the right to form unions, and the right to social security. Some important labour laws in India Minimum Wages Act, 1948 Factories Act, 1948 Payment of Wages Act, 1936 …

  The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act 2022  authorizes law enforcement agencies to Collect, Store, and Analyse Physical and Biological samples of convicts and other persons to identify and investigate criminal matters. The Act was passed by Parliament in April 2022. It replaces the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920, a colonial-era law. …

People in Kolkata broke through the gates of landmark lake to perform rituals In what can be interpreted as a major violation of law, thousands of devotees broke open the gates to Kolkata’s key water body, the Rabindra Sarobar Lake, and performed Chhath Puja. Under pressure, the police opened the …

The Ayodhya mediation committee on Wednesday filed a report in the Supreme Court about a settlement reached in which the Sunni Waqf Board is said to have raised no objection to the acquisition of the disputed Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site by the government, parties engaged in the talks told The Hindu …

Appeals had challenged the three-way partition of the disputed site The Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, on Wednesday reserved its judgment, after a marathon 40-day hearing, on the cross-appeals filed by the Hindu and Muslim sides challenging the three-way partition of the disputed 2.77 acres …

Says international news agencies are looking to stoke controversies India’s public news broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, criticised Reuters India for its report on Wednesday that the government had “shelved” a plan to ban six single-use plastic items across the country. The report was a follow-up to a story on August 28, …

Indian legal demands for content removal are the fourth highest in the world Despite rising censorship of Twitter posts and accounts on the basis of legal demands from the Indian government, law enforcement agencies and others over the last five years, the lack of transparency behind suspensions, blocked tweets and …

Gulsher migrated to India with his family in May A Pakistani national, who claims to have migrated to India along with his family in May this year, has moved the Delhi High Court after a government school in the Capital rejected admission of his three children. Gulsher, who is currently …

Upholds college student’s plea The Kerala High Court on Thursday held that the right to have access to the Internet is part of the fundamental right to education as well as the right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution. Justice P.V. Asha made the observation while ordering the …

Travelogues of foreigners discussed The Hindu parties involved in the Ayodhya title appeals received a barrage of questions from the Constitution Bench, including whether there is any evidence on record to show that the first Mughal emperor, Babur, ordered the building of the Babri Masjid. While Justice S.A. Bobde asked …