Author: ForumIAS

Tiple talaq law: State’s views sought  Context Latest development wrt issue of Triple Talaq What has happened? The Centre has written to the States asking for their views on a draft law that imposes a maximum of three-year jail term on a Muslim man for giving instant triple talaq — or talaq e biddat — to his… Continue reading Tiple talaq law: State’s views sought 

Third wheel  Context Free trade agreement between Maldives and China is a warning to India: It needs to do more legwork in its neighbourhood What has happened? Maldives and China have inked a FTA (Free Trade Agreement) together Backdrop The agreement was in the works for 4 years, yet India failed to take steps to… Continue reading Third wheel 

Navy alive to China threat, says Lanba  Admiral Lanba responding to questions at the annual press conference ahead of Navy Day China’s submarine deployment China has deployed submarines in Indian Ocean for anti-piracy controls supposedly Admiral’s response to the deployment It is rather an odd task to give to a submarine as it is not… Continue reading Navy alive to China threat, says Lanba 

Obama highlights issues of tolerance, NGOs, LGBT rights  Context Unveiling his new role as a social reformer at a townhall and media event in Delhi, former United States President Barack Obama highlighted issues of religious tolerance,  LGBT community rights, and the importance of Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) What did Obama say? Speaking on Friday at… Continue reading Obama highlights issues of tolerance, NGOs, LGBT rights 

Scripting another Asian narrative   Context Japan is filling the vacuum created by the U.S.’s withdrawal from the region New world Japan no longer believes that a wholescale reliance on the U.S. for a defence umbrella is sufficient to secure its best interests Foreign Minister Tarō Konō said in October: “We are in an era when… Continue reading Scripting another Asian narrative  

BSF doubles down on Rohingya:   Context A total of 167 vulnerable points were identified along the Bangladesh border, and additional forces deployed to detect and push back the Rohingya What has happened? The Border Security Force, manning the 4096.7-km border, has asked the Union Home Ministry to sanction recruitment of 5,000 more men so as… Continue reading BSF doubles down on Rohingya:  

Watch out for ransomware in 2018: report: Context The McAfee Labs 2018 Threats Predictions Report What does the report say? Ransomware attacks in the cyberspace are likely to increase and become more sophisticated in 2018 targeting high net worth individuals and corporates Individual home users having greater inter-connected home devices will surrender consumer privacy to… Continue reading Watch out for ransomware in 2018: report:

What’s behind the bitcoin boom?:   Context As the price of the bitcoin leapt past $10,000 this week, marking a tenfold gain in 2017, many investors seemed to nurse a ‘missed-out’ feeling No valuation metric Bitcoin has no valuation measure. Its price is therefore decided mainly by demand-supply dynamics Limited stock Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of… Continue reading What’s behind the bitcoin boom?:  

GST effect: shaky Budget in offing?: Context ‘With no clear number for targeted GST collections, is the Centre raking in as much as it should?’ News Revenue uncertainty due to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax could pose very real problems for the government when the time comes for it to prepare the… Continue reading GST effect: shaky Budget in offing?:

The Brahmaputra conundrum Context Proposed water diversion of Brahmaputra’s upper stream i.e. Yarlung Tsangpo by China Author’s contention Author contends that the news of China planning to divert the waters of the Yarlung Tsangpo (the upper stream of India’s Brahmaputra) to its water-starved Xinjiang province is hardly surprising. It has been a long-standing part of… Continue reading The Brahmaputra conundrum