SC Quota for Dalit Muslims and Christians
Context: The Supreme Court of India has sought the most recent position of the Union government on a batch of petitions challenging the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950, which allows only members of Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist religions to be recognised as SCs. Relevance: GS II: Government Policies and Interventions Dimensions of the Article: […]
What Is Cis-Gender?
Context: In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court said it was unconstitutional to distinguish between married and unmarried women while allowing abortion when the foetus is between 20-24 weeks. Going a step further, the court said the term ‘woman’ in the judgment included persons other than cisgender women. Relevance: GS II: Polity and Governance Dimensions […]
Mediation Bill 2021
Context: The Mediation Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on December20, 2021,with the Parliamentary Standing Committee being tasked with a review of the Bill. The committee’s report to the Rajya Sabha was submitted on July 13, 2022. In its report, the Committee recommends substantial changes to the Mediation Bill, aimed at institutionalising mediation […]
What is OPEC+?
Context: The grouping of the world’s largest oil-producing countries, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, together known as OPEC+, decided to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day. This is the largest cut since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was up 28 cents or […]
What are Committees of Parliament & What Do They Do?
Context: A revamp of the Standing Committees of Parliament could potentially worsen the relations between the government and opposition parties. Relevance: GS II: Polity and Governance Dimensions of the Article: What are Committees of Parliament, and what do they do? What are the various Committees of Parliament? How do discussions/ debates in the Parliamentary Committees […]
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Of India
Context: Speaking at the sixth anniversary of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) Union Finance Minister said that the country could not afford to lose the “sheen” of its insolvency law, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Relevance: GS III: Indian Economy Dimensions of the Article: What is the IBC? Objectives of IBC […]
Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme
Focus: GS II: Government Schemes Why in News? Recognising that an efficient and strong civil aviation sector is vital for the economic development of the country, the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, has modified the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to enhance the maximum loan amount eligibility for airlines under ECLGS […]
Quality Council of India
Focus: GS II: Autonomous Bodies, Institutions, National Institutions Why in News? The Quality Council of India is set to celebrate its Silver Jubilee at the Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi with a special event intended to share India’s journey of growth, accelerated by the enhancement of quality. QCI launches a marquee campaign–‘Gunvatta Se Atmanirbharta’ to […]
Concerning EWS – Who Deserves It, and Who Doesn’t
Context As the Supreme Court considers the validity of the 103rd constitutional amendment granting 10% reservation to economically weaker sections (EWS), this article examines the EWS threshold criteria from the standpoint of the Principle of affirmative action for the poor. Relevance GS Paper 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising […]
Nobel For Work On Quantum Science
Context Recently, three scientists – Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F Clauser, and Austrian Anton Zeilinger – were awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on quantum information science, a field with numerous applications, including encryption. They discovered how unseen particles, such as photons, can be linked or entangled with each other […]