9 PM Current Affairs Brief – 23rd November, 2017

 Inclusive lessons (TH Ed) Context Educational under-representation & low political participation of disadvantaged Indian Muslim women Divisions Author states that if we have to achieve equality amongst Muslims we need to take into account the actual divisions that exist b/w Muslim men & women and upper-class (Ashraf) and other (Ajlaf) Muslims Facts As per 2011 census,… Continue reading  Inclusive lessons (TH Ed)

Cabinet approves new finance panel (TH) Context Fifteenth Finance Commission will have its task cut out with the new tax system What has happened? The Union cabinet has approved constitution of the Fifteenth Finance Commission that will decide the formula for sharing of taxes between the Centre and states for five years starting April 1, 2020.… Continue reading Cabinet approves new finance panel (TH)

New direct tax law coming(TH) Context Panel, led by CBDT Member Arbind Modi, given 6 months to review IT Act 1961 What has happened? Government has constituted a task force under CBDT member Arbind Modi to review the country’s 56-year old Income Tax law and suggest a new law to replace it. Terms of reference… Continue reading New direct tax law coming(TH)

Time to change the House rules(TH Ed) Context Parliament and State legislatures need to meet more regularly Shorter winter session In the last few years, the winter session usually started in the third or fourth week of November and closed just before Christmas In 2013, the last winter session of the previous Lok Sabha started… Continue reading Time to change the House rules(TH Ed)

Cabinet nod to women cell to support skills, jobs and health(IE) Context The move, aimed at bringing gender empowerment under focus ahead of the 2019 elections, will ostensibly help the BJP to justify its promise of SabkaSaath, Sabka Vikas What has happened? The Union Cabinet has given approval for setting up of the Pradhan Mantri Mahila… Continue reading Cabinet nod to women cell to support skills, jobs and health(IE)

Amendment related to bamboo in non-forest areas gets Cabinet nod(IE) Context The Section in question includes bamboo, along with “skumps, brush-wood and canes”, within the ambit of “tree” Useful Fact India has the largest area under bamboo cultivation and is the second richest in terms of bamboo genetic resources after China What has happened? No need… Continue reading Amendment related to bamboo in non-forest areas gets Cabinet nod(IE)

Gram panchayat certificate no proof of citizenship: SC(TH) Context A certificate of residency issued by a gram panchayat is not a document of citizenship and is “meaningless” unless supported by some other valid record to make a claim for inclusion in the National Register of Citizenship (NRC), the Supreme Court said Citizenship in India Citizenship… Continue reading Gram panchayat certificate no proof of citizenship: SC(TH)

Bankruptcy code to be amended(TH) Context The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to promulgate an Ordinance to amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) Objective The move is intended to strengthen the IBC. It will Prevent certain persons from regaining control: Prevent certain persons — including wilful defaulters, disqualified directors, those who have indulged… Continue reading Bankruptcy code to be amended(TH)

Salaries of judges set to increase(TH) Context The Union Cabinet has approved hikes in the salaries of High Court and Supreme Court judges What has happened? Union cabinet has approved a hike in the salaries of HC & SC judges Acts to be amended Following acts would need to be amended as a result, The… Continue reading Salaries of judges set to increase(TH)

Pak.court frees Hafiz Saeed(TH) Context Saeed, a declared terrorist by the U.N., the U.S. and India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, had been under house arrest since January 2017 What has happened? A Pakistani court has ordered the release of Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and one of the alleged… Continue reading Pak.court frees Hafiz Saeed(TH)

Pill talk(TH Ed) Context Article talks about the World Antibiotic Awareness Week, a World Health Organisation campaign to focus attention on antibiotic resistance What is AMR? Antibiotic drug resistance is developed in the micro-organisms. AMR is the ability of a microorganism such as bacteria, viruses etc., to render the anti-microbial such as antibiotics, antivirals and… Continue reading Pill talk(TH Ed)

In a first, air-launched BrahMos missile test-fired(TH) Context The missile was gravity dropped from the Su-30MKI from its fuselage, and the two-stage missile’s engine fired up and was propelled towards the intended target in the Bay of Bengal What has happened? In a milestone, a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was fired successfully for the first time… Continue reading In a first, air-launched BrahMos missile test-fired(TH)

Far from keeping the world safe(TH Ed) Context Much more needs to be done by the international community to truly grapple with climate change What has happened? The 23rd meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-23) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change concluded on November 17 in Bonn, Germany. Primary aim… Continue reading Far from keeping the world safe(TH Ed)

Call to make clinical trial data public(TH) Context ICMR makes it mandatory for companies, organisations to disclose outcomes News From April, companies and organisations that have registered for clinical trials in India will have to disclose the outcomes of their tests within a year of completing them Current situation Currently, all trials in India are… Continue reading Call to make clinical trial data public(TH)

Migratory birds start arriving in Chilika(TH) Context After a long flight of thousands of miles, not often punctuated by breaks, lakhs of migratory birds have made their way to the Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon Spots Major bird congregations have been spotted in the wetlands of the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside Chilika and… Continue reading Migratory birds start arriving in Chilika(TH)

Equal access to the Internet is under threat in US. What does this mean?(IE) Context Ajit V Pai, who was appointed to the FCC Chair by President Donald Trump this January has intended to “fire up the weed whacker and remove those rules that are holding back investment, innovation, and job creation” in telecommunications What has… Continue reading Equal access to the Internet is under threat in US. What does this mean?(IE)

A wilful negligence(IE) Context Governments have not acted on recommendations of committees on farmer welfare Committees on farmer suicides The central government constituted a series of high-powered committees on farmers’ suicides The Ramesh Chand Committee Report, March 2015: It recommended that The Minimum Support Price (MSP) should be calculated by computing farm labour at the… Continue reading A wilful negligence(IE)