Author: ForumIAS

Will SC end personal laws’ immunity?:  Context The Supreme Court’s judgment on the constitutionality of triple talaq may also decide the age-old debate whether personal laws can be brought under the ambit of Article 13. Argument of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) While the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has argued… Continue reading Will SC end personal laws’ immunity?: 

Supreme Court to deliver verdict on triple talaq today:  Context A five-judge Supreme Court Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar, will on Tuesday pronounce its judgment on the legality of the Islamic personal law practice of triple talaq. The decision of the court The court will be deciding if the law, which… Continue reading Supreme Court to deliver verdict on triple talaq today: 

How China gained from Partition:  Context The sundering of the political space in the Subcontinent gets a lot less attention in the narratives of independent India’s international relations than the sentimental accounts of Delhi’s non-alignment and moralpolitik. India and China since the mid-20th century India was divided in 1947 and China was united in 1949.… Continue reading How China gained from Partition: 

Rebooting India-Nepal ties:   & Next Door Nepal: Deuba’s diplomacy test Context Nepal is run by a revolving door of political leaders who have weakened the polity and economy over the years, but who did battle the odds to promulgate a new Constitution. India – China relationship With global geopolitics on the boil, and the Hindi-Chini… Continue reading Rebooting India-Nepal ties:   & Next Door Nepal: Deuba’s diplomacy test

China wants to go back to ‘1959 LAC’:  Context Following last week’s scuffle between troops of the two countries along the Pangong lake in Ladakh, China on Monday urged India to abide by the Line of Actual Control (LAC) position of 1959. Statement of Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying blamed… Continue reading China wants to go back to ‘1959 LAC’: 

Doklam standoff will be resolved soon:  Context Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed the ongoing standoff between the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Indian Army at Doklam near the Bhutan-Sikkim-China trijunction a “deadlock”. Mr. Sigh’s statement Mr. Singh said the crisis, which has been going on for two months, will be resolved soon… Continue reading Doklam standoff will be resolved soon: 

More Than Toilets:  Context The prime minister’s flagship programme, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), is progressing towards Gandhiji’s dream of a clean India with all its villages becoming Open Defecation Free (ODF). Three years of SBM Launched in October 2014 and scheduled to culminate by October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji, the… Continue reading More Than Toilets: 

No signs of Chinese build-up:  Context China echoed its demand that Indian troops should pull out from the Doklam plateau in Bhutan by pointing to Beijing’s concerns regarding the revamp of India’s border infrastructure. Explanation Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that there would be “utter chaos” if Chinese troops entered Indian territory in… Continue reading No signs of Chinese build-up: 

The Doklam miscalculation:  Context The ongoing stand-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Doklam tri-junction area looks like a calculated provocation, the underlying strategic motives as also the timing of this action, remain unclear. Is it a warning to India about its deepening US relationship; or a move to prise Bhutan out of the… Continue reading The Doklam miscalculation: 

Moss serves as a cheap pollution monitor: Context Delicate mosses found on rocks and trees in cities around the world can now be used to measure the impact of atmospheric change and could prove a low-cost way to monitor urban pollution, as per Japanese scientists. Explanation The “bio-indicator” retorts to pollution or drought-stress by changing… Continue reading Moss serves as a cheap pollution monitor: