Author: ForumIAS

EC inquiry against Meghalaya Minister The Election Commission has initiated an inquiry into alleged violation of model code of conduct by a Meghalaya Minister. He had used an official vehicle for election campaigning. According to the Model Code of Conduct, no government transport including official air-crafts, vehicles etc. should be used for electioneering work. Model… Continue reading EC inquiry against Meghalaya Minister

RBI cuts repo rate to 6%, lowers GDP forecast to 7.2% The six-member Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India has cut its benchmark policy rate, repo rate by 0.25% to 6%. Repo stands for ‘Repurchasing Option’. It refers to the rate at which commercial banks borrow money from the RBI. The rate… Continue reading RBI cuts repo rate to 6%, lowers GDP forecast to 7.2%

UAE confers prestigious Zayed Medal on Narendra Modi The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has awarded Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Zayed Medal, the highest civilian award granted by its government. PM Modi has received the award in appreciation of his efforts in maintaining strategic ties with UAE. UAE-India relations got momentum after Prime… Continue reading UAE confers prestigious Zayed Medal on Narendra Modi

SC rejects Christian body’s plea to defer elections The Supreme Court has refused to hear an urgent plea by a Christian body seeking rescheduling of the Lok Sabha polling date in Tamil Nadu. The petition had said that the scheduled date of polling for the Lok Sabha election in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry falls during… Continue reading SC rejects Christian body’s plea to defer elections

Brunei’s LGBT community lives in fear Brunei has introduced a new sharia law that makes adultery and homosexuality punishable by stoning to death. It makes Brunei the first country in Southeast Asia to have a sharia penal code at the national level. The new law mostly applies to Muslims though some aspects will also apply… Continue reading Brunei’s LGBT community lives in fear

In SC, govt. defends electoral bonds The Government has opposed in the Supreme Court on the concerns raised by the Election Commission on issuing electoral bonds. Earlier, the Election Commission of India had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court. It said that the introduction of electoral bonds and the removal of the cap on… Continue reading In SC, govt. defends electoral bonds

Linking small loans to external benchmark after further talks The Reserve Bank has said that it will hold further discussions with banks on linking interest rates on personal, home, auto and MSME loans with the external benchmark rates. In December 2018, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had proposed a major change in the way banks… Continue reading Linking small loans to external benchmark after further talks

Stressed assets circular to be revised soon The RBI governor has said that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will issue a revised circular for resolution of stressed assets following the Supreme Court verdict striking down its February 12,2018 circular as ultra vires which means that the RBI had gone beyond its powers in issuing the… Continue reading Stressed assets circular to be revised soon

In the name of transparency, we cannot destroy institution of judiciary, says CJI The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict in a case whether the Chief Justice of India’s (CJI) office is covered under the purview of the Right to Information Act (RTI). The Supreme Court was hearing a plea filed by the Supreme Court… Continue reading In the name of transparency, we cannot destroy institution of judiciary, says CJI