Author: Ava

There hasn’t been a leaders’ summit since May 2023. It is being held in New Delhi this time around, although a January conference that was scheduled to take place immediately following the Republic Day parade was cancelled when US President Joe Biden expressed his unwillingness to participate. There is only so much an outgoing US president can bring to the table of the grouping, even though this week’s conference mentioned a leaders’ summit “later this year,” maybe on the fringes of the UN General Assembly in September.  The next US president will soon be deciding the Quad’s course of action…

Regretfully, this appears to be the case in a number of states controlled by the opposition. Gulab Chand Kataria has taken Banwarilal Purohit’s post as the new governor of Punjab. This concludes a contentious phase in which Purohit and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann clashed over matters like calling an Assembly session and designating vice-chancellors for state-run universities.  The chief minister objected to Purohit’s excursions to border regions, accusing him of establishing a “climate of conflict” and governing in parallel. Purohit refuted claims that he meddled in state government matters when he quit in February, citing “personal reasons.”He implored Mann not…

The extraordinary Haryana talent took home a gold medal from the 2018 Commonwealth Games two years later. It was shocking when Manu did not even make it to the finals in any of her three sports at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  An argument with coach Jaspal Rana, a champion shooter himself, resulted from a broken gun. She began to doubt her future due to the emotional toll. They were back together last year. For the guru and the shishya, redemption comes from the Paris Olympics.  Source: X.com The 22-year-old claimed to have simply looked at Rana because it gave her…

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has shut down a junior engineer’s employment and suspended an assistant engineer in addition to conducting an anti-encroachment operation and sealing the locations of many unlicensed coaching centres. Remarkably, the Union Ministry of Education had developed a set of regulations for the licensing of coaching centres throughout the nation barely half a year prior. The guidelines cover important topics, such as infrastructure requirements including construction and fire safety codes and other standards. Source: Times of India Are different UTs and states considering these standards seriously? Based on projections from 2022, the Indian coaching business is…

The fact that the attacker was able to enter this exclusive residence for women and walk straight to the victim’s room on the third level shows how dangerous these spaces are for female users. About 20,000 PG lodgings are thought to exist in Bengaluru, but not even a quarter of them hold the required commercial licences from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The Bengaluru police recently released a set of rules that stipulated that a licence was required to operate a PG accommodation. In addition, the facilities must obtain the identity cards, current photos, and contact information of any…

Retired defence personnel have occasionally expressed reservations about the plan to recruit people into the armed forces for a limited period of time. They have brought up issues including low retention (only 25% of the Agniveers will be incorporated into the permanent cadre) and a manpower deficit.  Concerning recent reports of Agniveers engaging in criminal activity, concerns are being raised about the prospects for recruits following their discharge from the military. Even some veterans have said that changes should not have been made to the tried-and-true recruitment process.In addition to the conflict inside the military community, Agnipath has grown to…

The swindle, which surfaced in the last several weeks, has raised issues that require public interest responses. Speaker U T Khader and Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti denied requests for a discussion from members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular), citing regulations. Since “a commission of inquiry has been set up and it is not a recent issue,” Khader stated that he had rejected the notification. In support of the Speaker’s decision, Law Minister H K Patil hurled the book of parliamentary procedure at the opposition. Source: Mathrubhumi English The arguments don’t hold up. Although the MUDA’s…

The record information did not demonstrate any “systemic breach” that would have compromised the exam’s sanctity, so the court declined to order a repeat. The court would also have been concerned about the ramifications of a retest. The court stated during the hearing that a retest would have detrimental impact on the 24 lakh students who took the exam and would cause a domino effect on the admissions schedule.  The exam’s administration was poor. Investigators discovered several malpractices and norm violations after leaks in Patna and Hazaribagh were verified.The National Testing Agency (NTA) was directed by the court to make…

By requiring Hindu pilgrims to purchase their food exclusively from Hindu-owned businesses, the government directive aimed to create divisiveness and, as some have noted, may have also fostered caste prejudice. The issue was exacerbated by Uttarakhand’s administration, which replicated the same actions and through which the pilgrims also travel.  First of all, it should be mentioned that the trip has been made for decades without encountering any issues. Thus, no justification based on necessity exists.The expectation was for nameplates to be attached to commercial establishments, such as makeshift eateries and roadside booths. This caused a sense of unease among Muslim…

Speaking at a ceremony held at the Kargil memorial in Dras in front of the military’s senior brass, Modi claimed that during the 1999 conflict, truth drove terror and lies to their knees. He bemoaned the fact that Pakistan had not drawn any lessons from history.  His scathing comments coincided with a wave of terror strikes in the Jammu area following his swearing-in as PM for a third time last month. Pakistan has received a very clear message: Support terrorism and proxy conflicts at your own risk. It doesn’t seem likely, though, that having a stern conversation with the neighbour…

According to the Supreme Court, states have the legislative authority to levy taxes on mines, minerals, and land holding minerals. Royalties paid on minerals are not considered taxes. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, was the central point of contention.  The Center had maintained that only Parliament had the authority to tax minerals, citing the Act. But a bench of the SC decided that the statute did not prevent states from taxing mines and mineral development.  Source: X.com Mineral-rich states like Jharkhand and Odisha, who are attempting to recoup millions of crores of rupees in mine and…

Breaking, skateboarding, surfing, and sports climbing are being introduced with the intention of drawing in a younger audience. The seven medals won in Tokyo 2020 were India’s most successful Olympic showing to date.  The US took the place with 113 medals, followed by the Russian Olympic Committee at 71 and China at 89. This time, over 100 athletes from 16 different disciplines are competing in 69 medal events on behalf of India.There will be questions after we applaud the contingent, including why certain nations win more medals than others and why there is such a disparity in athletic ability. Source:…

Senior leaders are opposing Party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, and the Akal Takht, the Sikhs’ highest temporal seat, has called on him to respond in writing to charges of “mistakes” made during the SAD-BJP’s ten-year governance of Punjab (2007–17).  The calls for a new leader are intensifying despite the party hierarchy maintaining unity and blaming the former ally BJP of trying to split the SAD.Since the five-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal passed away in April of last year, the situation has only become worse.  Source: Hindustan Times Under the commanding leadership of Badal, the SAD emerged as a formidable…

The Supreme Court’s decision to forego a retest in light of the inconvenience it would give to 24 lakh applicants is sensible, but it also sheds light on more fundamental problems with our testing and educational systems.  Although it offers some short-term respite, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud’s statement that the disclosures did not represent a “systemic breach” does little to address the fundamental flaws. According to the information provided by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and IIT-Delhi, the Hazaribagh and Patna leaks cast doubt on the validity of a test that is essential for those hoping to become medical practitioners.…

The word with ten letters appeared in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s speech at least thirty-three times. In an attempt to win over angry young voters, the administration has been under pressure to prioritise jobs and skilling. This is because one of the main issues that contributed to the BJP’s lacklustre showing in the previous Lok Sabha elections was employment, or more specifically, unemployment.  The budget includes a provision for a recruitment-related program to encourage the development of jobs in the manufacturing sector. This is important for the largest economy in the world that is expanding the fastest; it cannot afford…

Within two years, it is planned to introduce one crore farmers to natural farming. In order to support this enterprise, 10,000 bio-input resource centres for sustainable farming practices are to be established.  The Budget places a strong emphasis on supporting Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), cooperatives, and entrepreneurs in order to improve vegetable production and optimise the supply chain. These organisations, which are essential to the gathering, storing, and selling of vegetables, will assist farmers in obtaining higher prices and minimising losses following harvest. Source: PIB The introduction of 109 new, high-yielding, climate-resilient cultivars of 32 field and horticultural crops is…

Companies have made historically high profits, but hiring and compensation growth have lagged behind. The government has correctly emphasised that the private sector is where most jobs are created, and it is advising businesses to expand their hiring and pay scale.  The earnings before taxes for more than 33,000 enterprises almost tripled between FY20 and FY23. However, there hasn’t been a matching increase in employment or earnings to match this financial benefit. This imbalance puts India’s long-term economic growth and stability at jeopardy.  Source: 1% Club News It is essential for sustained development that corporate revenues assist a wider segment…

The RSS has claimed that enforcing the ban would enhance the nation’s democratic system and accused previous (read: Congress) governments of using the initiative to pursue their own political agendas. The Congress, which is criticising the Center, claimed that the new directive will put public employees’ impartiality to the test.The BJP and the RSS are experiencing strained relations, especially in light of the saffron party’s failure to secure a majority in the Lok Sabha. Due to the BJP’s poor showing in the legislative elections, the Sangh high command has enough material on which to launch a barrage of criticism.  Source:…

All UN member nations endorsed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, which centre on the fundamental human right to health, education, and food security. The UN established the 17 SDGs and has tracked each nation’s progress toward accomplishing them.  The research states that a third of the 17 targets are at a standstill or have reversed course, while the remaining half have made tough, unequal, and delayed progress. According to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the world’s performance on the SDGs is “getting a failing grade”.The greatest impediments to advancement, according to the research, are the remaining effects of the Covid-19…

The Hasina regime had earlier stopped the quota in 2018 in response to widespread student protests, so the ruling regime should have expected unrest after the High Court reinstated in June the policy that reserved 30% of government jobs for the relatives of veterans who fought in the 1971 war of independence.  The authorities were unprepared for the new wave of protests, which resulted in violent altercations between the police and demonstrating students around the nation.The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has cut the controversial reservation, which is a welcome intervention.  Source: Business Recorder It has mandated that the veterans’ quota…

The Jain community requested that this extreme step be put into place because Palitana, a well-known Jain pilgrimage site next to the Shatrunjaya Hills, is located there. There are about 800 temples in the city, the most important of which is the Adinath temple. The current prohibition came about as a result of a hunger strike by roughly 200 Jain monks a few years ago, who wanted the closure of the 250+ meat stores in the city.  In Gujarat, other towns like Vadodara, Junagadh, and Ahmedabad are witnessing similar developments.This is not a Gujarat-specific tendency. Cities and towns in northern…

There are complaints about falling standards every year, and reports state that students in higher levels lack the knowledge, reading, and numeracy expected of those in lower courses. This is attributed to a number of factors, including a lack of infrastructure and a teacher shortage. However, there are additional factors that, as of yet, have not gotten enough attention. According to the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report, which was put together by Unesco and the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, climate change and global warming pose a threat to all of the recent advancements in education achieved worldwide. The paper…

The administration is on course to achieve its goal of eliminating social evil by 2026 thanks to the strict measures put in place, which are evidently having a good impact. The findings are especially noteworthy in light of a recent report from an NGO highlighting the startlingly high rate of child marriage in India.  Citing official data, it shows that although only about 3,800 child marriage cases were reported in the previous five years, approximately 4,400 child marriages take place nationwide every day.  Source: Northeast Live The chief minister’s order for a biannual crackdown, the next of which is due…

The official justifications for the action include preserving the sanctity of the pilgrims’ faith and facilitating the peaceful movement of kanwariyas, but it is clear that the minority Muslim population would be singled out. That’s why Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has threatened to take legal action against retailers that sell goods with halal certification. Violence has occasionally broken out during the two-week Kanwar Yatra when shopkeepers and kanwariyas argue about food, especially the selling of meat. During the yatra in western Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region, there were “grave incidents of vandalism” of both private and public property,…

The government gave the Lieutenant-Governor the authority to decide on important issues including law enforcement and the imposition of penalties for prosecution by amending the regulations set forth in the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019. Kashmir would not follow the same standard procedures and decision-making processes as other states under the revised regulations.  Proposals for public order and policing, for example, will go straight to the Lt-Governor through the chief secretary, rather than through ministries and then be approved by the Lt-Governor.This is the second time the government has used an executive notification to change what it refers to as J&K’s…

The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 was approved by the state cabinet on Monday. CM Siddaramaiah said that a thorough discussion will be had before making a final decision, despite the subsequent controversy.  The Bill states that “any industry, factory, or other establishments shall appoint in management categories fifty percent of local candidates and in non-management categories seventy percent of local candidates.”  Source: Hindustan Times News The chief minister even tweeted that Kannadigas would receive 100% reservation for C and D grade posts in state-run private institutions, but he quickly…

In order to protect students’ futures as well as the wellbeing of instructors and other personnel, a resolution is urgently needed in light of the recent defeats in both the higher education and the classroom. The President of India has returned the Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, dealing a serious blow.  This bill attempted to replace the Governor as the Chancellor of state-run universities with the Chief Minister. It was enacted at a special Assembly session in June of last year. Due to the President’s reluctance to sign the Bill, Punjab’s higher education system’s administrative framework is in limbo.…

At the state party unit’s working committee meeting on Sunday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath raised a stir when he claimed that the BJP’s chances of winning UP in the most recent Lok Sabha elections had been harmed by “shifting of votes and overconfidence.”  When Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya stated during the meeting that the party organisation was always larger than the government, the divisions were obvious. Maurya’s meeting with BJP president JP Nadda in New Delhi on Tuesday added to the intrigue within the party.  Source: News 18 Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, the leader of the state party, is…

The candidate Trump selected to be his running mate in the US presidential election in November has become his fiercest supporter. It appears that the relationship is the result of a warm personal bond rather than a purely political one.  Vance stated shortly after the assassination attempt that President Joe Biden bore the moral responsibility because the main thrust of his campaign is that Trump is a fascist authoritarian who has to be stopped at all costs. 39-year-old Vance is a first-time senator. His vice presidential campaign is expected to offer a young contrast to the two front-runners.  Source: Axios…

As a result, the Army and the UT police are under tremendous pressure to stop the worrying trend. Monday night in Doda district, there was a gunfight with terrorists that resulted in the deaths of four Army personnel, including a Captain.  The incident took place one week after five soldiers were killed when terrorists assaulted an Army patrol in the Machedi forest belt of the Kathua region. The writing is on the wall: since January 1, there have been over 20 terror assaults and encounters in the area that have claimed the lives of security officials and civilians, which is…

Although the strict bail requirements of the Act have garnered a lot of attention up to this point, the court has now attempted to look into Section 19 of the Act, which gives the ED the authority to make an arrest, and how the agency employs that authority.  Kejriwal argued that the ED had selectively exploited evidence to accuse him in the Delhi excise policy case and that there was “no necessity to arrest him”.Although the court noted that Kejriwal had been detained for more than three months and that the case concerned a citizen’s life and liberty, it granted…

The L-G has the authority to decide on issues pertaining to public order, the police, and all-India services officials in addition to approving the prosecution of certain crimes. According to the Center, in order to facilitate the efficient administration of the Union Territory, the rules have been modified to explicitly define and demarcate the powers of the legislative Assembly and the roles of the L-G.  However, the opposition views the action as an attempt to erode the authority of a duly elected government.Ever since the BJP-PDP alliance disintegrated in 2018, the state that was once known as UT, has been…

In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won all four seats, while the Congress won two each in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. The DMK secured the Vikravandi seat in Tamil Nadu, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won the Jalandhar West seat in Punjab.  In Bihar, an independent candidate secured a seat, while the BJP secured one seat each in Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.The Congress is encouraged by its wins in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, as the party was soundly defeated by the BJP in both states during the Lok Sabha elections.  Source: Business Standard The AAP, which was…

Over 90 lives have already been lost and over three million people have been impacted by the floods. There have been a lot of people displaced. Damage to homes, roads, bridges, river embankments, and crops has occurred in at least 28 of the state’s 35 districts. The state government unveiled a number of flood control measures last year, but it’s unclear if they were put into action.  According to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma, “geographical factors outside the state’s control are what cause floods.” That’s the same as giving up on the circumstance.There is a need to find solutions to…

Paradoxically, the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, 2014 required the bifurcation of a state created on the basis of language. Problems arise from division invariably, and these issues have not been addressed in ten years. Despite the fact that Reddy leads the Congress and Naidu leads the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), both of which are a component of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Center, they have teamed up to resolve their issues at their first meeting on June 6 in Hyderabad.  The framework for resolving disputes was successfully created during their meeting. Two committees will now be…

A few months before the election, friends, family, and fellow Democrats are pleading with an ageing president who appears to be struggling with his memory to resign following a disastrous first-round debate with Republican Party opponent Donald Trump. For the sake of democracy and the party, they want him to step down.  The appeals have only gotten stronger due to his determination to continue because he is “most qualified” to beat Trump. Senior Democrats and financial backers are reportedly uniting behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the most likely replacement.After the NATO 75th anniversary summit, Biden gave a news conference…

According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s most recent Annual Survey of Unincorporated Enterprises, these incidents have taken a combined toll of 16.45 lakh jobs over the course of seven years. The vulnerability of unincorporated businesses is brought to light by the survey.  These businesses, which operate outside of the official regulatory framework, are especially susceptible to changes in policy and disruptive events in the economy. These businesses employed 10.96 crore people in 2022–2023 compared to 11.13 crore in 2015–16, a 1.5% decrease. This decline is a result of the three exogenous shocks’ combined effects on the industry’s…

The US and its partners have said that they will continue to support Ukraine “on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership,” and that they plan to deliver a minimum baseline budget of 40 billion euros in military aid within the next year. Included in the statement made on Wednesday during the NATO summit in Washington is the vow. The war in Ukraine, which started in February 2022 and has claimed thousands of civilian lives, is clearly being prolonged by the Western alliance without hesitation. The catalyst for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his neighbour was…

The Haryana government erected the blockage, which has been causing serious difficulty to commuters, upsetting local businesses, and inflaming public ire for more than five months. In order to restore order and address the complaints of the impacted citizens as well as the protesting farmers, this court injunction is essential.  The decision emphasises how crucial it is to strike a balance between the necessity of upholding public order and accessibility and the right to peaceful protest. Originally intended to stop farmers from moving closer to Delhi, the blockade had grown to become a barrier for common people.The High Court’s order…

One, bilateral collaboration between Delhi and Moscow is expanding and encompasses a wide range of areas, including trade, commerce, security, agriculture, technology, and innovation. Two, India is not afraid to prod even an all-weather buddy to see reason as a responsible global participant.  Modi informed Russian President Vladimir Putin that a resolution to the Ukraine crisis could not be achieved “in the midst of bombs and bullets” on the battlefield following a missile attack on a children’s hospital in Kyiv.  Source: Euronews.com Putin may or may not have taken offense at the prime minister’s claim that the slaughter of defenseless…

Judges BV Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih emphasized the idea that maintenance is a fundamental right for all married women, regardless of their religion, and not a kind of charity. The verdict was made in response to an appeal filed by Mohd Abdul Samad, who contested the Telangana High Court’s decision to sustain the maintenance order issued by a family court.  According to Samad, a Muslim woman who is divorced should only file for support under the 1986 Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act. The SC, however, rejected his petition, claiming that Section 125 is a secular law…

This is the most recent in a string of terror attacks, which started on June 9—the day the new Delhi administration was sworn in—with an attack on a pilgrimage bus in the Reasi area. Even if PM Modi gave officials the order to use the “full spectrum of counter-terror capabilities,” the situation is becoming worse. Terrorist organisations with bases in Pakistan, like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, have increased their activity in the Jammu region by using local recruits and operatives.  Source: Telegraph India The government faces a challenging task as it prepares to hold the much-anticipated Assembly elections in J&K by…

The historic decision emphasises how words that denigrate people with special needs only serve to further marginalise them. It serves to reinforce the obstacles to their social engagement. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud of India has advocated for respectful and genuine representation rather than stereotypes that minimise their experiences. He points out that jokes about the disabled have been used for comedic effect and that this knowledge is out of date.  The underrepresentation of disabled people in the mainstream discourse has been blamed for the lack of familiarity.Distinguish between “disability humour,” which promotes awareness of the disabled, and “disability humour,” which…

Even though its partners in Europe and abroad are delighted that the far-right’s determined attempt to seize power has been stopped, political instability is the last thing France wants ahead of the major international event.  While Marine Le Pen’s National Rally was successfully repelled, President Emmanuel Macron’s and his centrist alliance’s positions have been undermined by the leftist New Popular Front (NFP)’s strong showing. The possibility of an NFP-led minority administration or a wide, uncomfortable coalition is very real now that no party has managed to secure a majority. Source: The Hindu France’s standing in the EU is likely to…

Ten Indian cities were included in the study. It was discovered that even the safest cities have a high disease burden due to “early pollution deaths.”It has been evident for some time now that one of the major causes of sickness is air pollution. Released on June 19 in collaboration with Unicef, the US-based Health Effects Initiative’s report ‘State of Global Air 2024’ provides a detailed account of the disease burden caused by air pollution, stating, among other things, that it is the second leading cause of mortality after hypertension.  However, the federal and state governments do not take their…

Under the Iranian system, the President is overseen by the Ayatollah, Iran’s ultimate leader who is not elected, and his select group of Islamic clerics who make sure the government stays on the Shia theocratic path that it has chosen. During Iran’s five decades of clergy rule, conservatism has become deeply ingrained in the country’s political structure, judiciary, and bureaucracy.  However, as evidenced by the demonstrations that have been taking place for almost two years following Mahsa Amini’s death in detention in September 2022, Iranians’ tolerance is wearing thin. Years of economic hardship brought on by sanctions are exacerbated by…

Ahead of the Assembly elections, concerns have been expressed about the policy being pushed under pressure from the builder lobby. It is becoming more and more obvious that the policy is not in the public interest, even with the conditions attached.  Furthermore, the undue strain on public utilities and infrastructure exacerbates already serious environmental hazards and creates tense situations between neighbours. An important and serious worry expressed by the voices of opposition is that the increasing trend of apartment building could lead to an urban dystopia.  Source: X.com There are parallels with Gurugram’s older neighbourhoods, where people have difficulty accessing…

Around the world, 181 million children under five suffer from extreme food poverty, according to the Child Nutrition Report 2024. Of them, 65% are from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, China, and India. They are also widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Two out of every three kids experience food poverty. Severe food poverty affects one in four people, with 40% of children in India being afflicted.  The primary cause of the nutrition deficit, which affects both poor and non-poor households, is household poverty. Malnutrition is not usually the result of bad meals.The situation is further complicated by inadequate feeding procedures and feeding…

Since there hasn’t been a high-level political dialogue since 2020, ministerial get-togethers on the fringes of multilateral conferences can accomplish little more than maintain channels of communication.  Jaishankar and Wang met earlier this year at the Munich Conference; since then, there have been several such pull-asides, during which the two sides have tended to talk over each other. This was also the case in Astana, where the July 4 Jaishankar-Wang meeting resulted in two different perspectives on the border situation.The report stated that Jaishankar “highlighted the need to redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement from the remaining areas in Eastern…

Following such disasters, there’s typically a hasty response that consists of a patch job, and then things get back to normal. till a new catastrophe occurs. Our policies don’t emphasise how urgent it is to implement strict long-term procedures and proactive planning to stop such preventable calamities.  An example of this is the 2008 stampede at the Naina Devi temple, where 146 worshippers perished as a result of fear brought on by a landslide rumour. Crowd control was somewhat improved as a result, with pilgrims being moved in batches and receiving better amenities for their safety and comfort. But not…