9 PM Current Affairs Brief – March 26th, 2018

Exception makes the rule Context Apex court verdict will make the SC/ST Atrocities Act toothless, roll back social transformation Why the recent SC verdict will make the act toothless? Low arrest and conviction rate in such cases: According to the Ninth Annual Report of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes for 2015-16, rate of crime from… Continue reading Exception makes the rule

The need for ‘special’ attention Context Special courts are not a panacea for judicial efficiency What has happened? Last December, the Supreme Court greenlit the Centre’s proposal to set up 12 fast-track courts to adjudicate and speedily dispose of 1,581 cases against Members of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies. Apart from uncertainties about the adequacy of… Continue reading The need for ‘special’ attention

After the emergency Context Maldives Emergency Much more needs to be done The Maldivian government’s decision to lift the state of emergency after 45 days, just ahead of the expiry of its second self-imposed deadline, comes as cold comfort for those concerned about the turn of events in the islands over the past couple of… Continue reading After the emergency

GSAT-6A to give armed forces a shot in the arm Context GSAT-6A, the second predominantly S-band communications satellite, is set to be launched from Sriharikota on March 29 Features of GSAT-6A For armed forces: It is designated for the use of the Armed Forces and will not add any transponder capacity for general uses Specialised… Continue reading GSAT-6A to give armed forces a shot in the arm

Controlling the machine Context Data protection Backdrop Government of India has constituted a committee of Experts udner the chairmanship of former Supreme Court judge Shri BN Srikrishna to study various issues relating to data protection in India Need for data protection Digital services in India by various companies like google, facebook and Amazon are expanding… Continue reading Controlling the machine

A legacy of greed Context How science is stepping in to save the northern white rhino from extinction Places where Northern white rhinos cold be found earlier Southern Chad The Central African Republic Southwestern Sudan Northwestern Uganda, and The Democratic Republic of the Congo Why were these rhinos hunted? They were hunted for their horns,… Continue reading A legacy of greed

Fighting forest fires Context The recent wildfire tragedy in Theni in Tamil Nadu, in which 20 trekkers lost their lives, once again brings into focus forest fires in India. Over the past few years, we have realised that these fires are not spontaneous; human beings set off fires. This tragedy raises several other issues —… Continue reading Fighting forest fires

Home truths Context India must stay clear of the US-China trade war, focus on reviving the domestic economy Backdrop US imposed tariffs on Chinese imports worth up to $60 billion after an earlier move to raise import duty on steel and aluminum products coming into the US China has retaliated imposing tariffs on US imports… Continue reading Home truths

Banks told to be vigilant on Aadhaar What has happened? The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has asked banks to provide Aadhaar-based onetime password (OTP) for opening of bank accounts only in the presence of the customer, in a banking outlet Effect on banks using Aadhaar based OTP authentication for account opening The direction… Continue reading Banks told to be vigilant on Aadhaar

New vehicle scrappage policy may need tinkering Context The new vehicle scrappage policy of the Centre is unlikely to have any significant impact on the automobile industry in terms of increased demand, according to rating agencies. The Draft Policy The policy, cleared by the Prime Minister’s Office and awaiting the approval of the GST Council,… Continue reading New vehicle scrappage policy may need tinkering

Set aside divestment proceeds for sick PSUs’ revival: panel What has happened? A Parliamentary panel has recommended the earmarking of a defined portion of proceeds from the divestment of State-owned enterprises for funding revival, restructuring and modernisation proposals of sick public sector undertakings (PSUs) that have the potential to turn around Divestment target The government… Continue reading Set aside divestment proceeds for sick PSUs’ revival: panel

Why do farmers go marching? Context Why are Indian farmers perpetually in revolt? The question has been raised by many after the recent farmers’ march to Mumbai and simmering rebellions across the States in recent years. Changing reasons for agricultural distress Earlier:  deficient monsoons, input shortages and low yields Now: surplus output and un-remunerative prices,… Continue reading Why do farmers go marching?