ACCESSING JUSTICE ONLINE
Why in news? With Indian courts too under a lockdown for three weeks (and probably more), citizens have severely restricted access to justice for this period. However, the deeper malaise is the complete inability of the conventional court system to deliver timely justice. This shakes the very foundation of the polity on which we rest […]
SACKING BY SUBTERFUGE: REMOVAL OF A.P.’S TOP ELECTION OFFICIAL
Why in news? The legality of the removal of the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner (SEC) is seriously in doubt. That it was the culmination of an open conflict between the Election Commissioner, and Chief Minister makes it a glaring instance of misuse of power. Background The State government got the Governor to issue an […]
WOMEN’S SAFETY DURING LOCKDOWN
Introduction to Domestic Violence during crisis It is well-documented that during a war, a natural disaster or a pandemic, women’s bodies bear the worse brunt of the crisis. Now, at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations recognises domestic violence against women as a “shadow pandemic”. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a huge […]
NO LOCKDOWN FOR ABUSE
Why in news? The National Commission of Women has recorded a more than two-fold rise in domestic violence and sexual assaults and a three-fold increase in cases of police apathy in the first week of lockdown since March 24th 2020. In China, France, the U.K. and other countries, there have been reports of a significant […]
NEEDED, GREATER DECENTRALISATION OF POWER
Why in news? Over the course of the last few weeks, as we have found ourselves in the throes of a pandemic, one of the striking features of governance has been the signal role played by State Chief Ministers across India. What did the Governments do? Even before the Union government invoked the Disaster Management […]
THE BATTLE TO SET OIL PRICES: RUSSIA’S MOVE TO REJECT PRODUCTION CUTS
Even as the world grapples with COVID-19 pandemic, the energy war has started to precipitate the global oil prices to lower levels. Why the prices are falling? Because the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its alliance partners failed to reach any consensus on cutting back production that would enable prices to remain […]
EXPLAINED: BRITISH-ERA LAW INVOKED IN PANCHKULA TO CURTAIL MOVEMENT
In March end, authorities in Panchkula invoked an otherwise redundant British-era law, titled the “Punjab Village and Small Towns Act”, to curtail people’s movement during the lockdown. What is the law? The law was first enacted in 1918 in erstwhile Punjab to make provisions for nightly patrol duty by inhabitants of small villages and towns […]
11,077 FREED FROM PRISONS, SAYS NALSA
Why in news? The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has said that around 11,077 undertrials have been released from prisons nationwide as part of the mission to decongest jails following the COVID-19 pandemic. NALSA said it had been providing assistance to prisoners who were eligible to be released on parole or interim bail under the […]
OUTDATED CENSUS DATA KEEP 10 CR. OUT OF PDS: ECONOMISTS
Why in news? Over 10 crore people have been excluded from the Public Distribution System because outdated 2011 census data is being used to calculate State-wise National Food Security Act coverage. The disastrous impact of this gap is being seen in the midst of a crippling lockdown, as people who have lost their livelihoods depend […]
U.S. FREEZES WHO FUNDING OVER CORONAVIRUS CRISIS, INDIA STEERS CLEAR
Why in news? President Donald Trump said on 14th April 2020 he has instructed his administration to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic while his administration reviews its response to the global crisis. Trump said WHO had promoted China’s “disinformation” about the virus that likely led […]