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GS: 2
International relations:
U.S. expels 60 Russians, shuts consulate in Seattle(The Hindu)
The U.S. on Monday expelled 60 Russian officials and ordered the closure of the consulate in Seattle, as ties between the nuclear powers continue to deteriorate. Of the 60 being asked to leave, 48 are posted at the Russian embassy and 12 are at the Russian mission to the United Nations in New York. U.S. administration officials said the officials and their families have been given seven days to leave the U.S.
India, China plan FTA breakthrough(The Hindu)
Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu and his Chinese counterpart, Zhong Shan, met here on Monday for the first high-level contact between both sides that decided to “reset” their ties this year in the run-up to a Xi-Modi summit meeting in China.
U.S., India hold naval training(The Hindu)
Indian Navy’s Talwar class frigate INS Tarkash carried out a “greeting and training” exercise on Sunday with the U.S. Navy’s Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) which was until now involved in operations against the Islamic State in the Arabian Gulf.
Indian Constitution and Polity:
SC to examine polygamy in Muslim marriage(The Hindu)
Seven months after it declared instant triple talaq unconstitutional, the Supreme Court on Monday decided to look into the constitutional validity of the prevalent practices of polygamy, ‘nikah halala’, ‘nikah mutah’ and ‘nikah misyar’ in the Muslim community.
Principle & procedure(The Hindu Opinion)
The Delhi High Court verdict setting aside the disqualification of 20 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs in Delhi is a searing indictment of the manner in which the Election Commission handled the complaint that they held offices of profit while serving as parliamentary secretaries. For a body vested with the crucial power to determine whether lawmakers have incurred disqualification in certain circumstances and advise the President or the Governor suitably, this is an embarrassing moment.
GS: 3
Economy:
A perfect storm in the cotton field(The Hindu Opinion)
Why India is the only Bt cotton-growing country facing the problem of pink bollworm infestation.
Residue of doubt(The Hindu Opinion)
Glyphosate is arguably the most popular herbicide in the world. Since the 1970s, Monsanto has been marketing it to farmers under the trade name Roundup. While glyphosate was initially welcomed by farmers because it saved them the cost of employing labourers to pluck out weeds, its popularity grew exponentially after Monsanto developed genetically engineered seeds that were resistant to the herbicide.
Internal security:
The non-politics of outrage(The Hindu Opinion)
We are witnessing mass outrage over certain actions or non-actions of Facebook (FB) and a British political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica (CA), regarding the use of personal data for political messaging during the U.S. presidential elections.
South Asia, a fertile ground(The Hindu Opinion)
What makes ISIS different from other jihadist groups is that it’s an insurgency as well as a proto-state at the same time. The way it operates is different from other organisations. Al-Qaeda, the most powerful force in the global jihadist landscape till the rise of ISIS, is largely a hit-and-run outfit.
Science and Technology:
Gene panel challenge(The Hindu Opinion)
In Nalgonda district of Telangana, Sai Chaitanya, 21, has been waiting for advancement in Indian genetic research. He has Ichthyosis, a condition caused by the mutation of a single gene, which has led to the growth of fish-like scales on his skin. Like him, many others are virtually locked into disease-prone gene pools and yearn for early detection and treatment.
Yesterday’s current affairs material by Forum IAS
7 PM Editorial: Apex Court issues directions to prevent SC/ST Act
