Author: ForumIAS

Centre examining health effects of e-cigarettes: Nadda  Context The government is examining the legal implications and health effects of e-cigarettes, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda told the RajyaSabha on Tuesday Groups constituted by government Health Ministry had constituted three groups to study the various aspects of e-cigarettes One was to study the legal implications of… Continue reading Centre examining health effects of e-cigarettes: Nadda 

Ensure level-playing field for the disabled in higher educational institutions: SC Context Higher educational institutions, both government ones and those who take government aid, should ensure a level-playing field for disabled persons or face action for discrimination, the  Supreme Court warned Appropriate statute The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act provides for not less than… Continue reading Ensure level-playing field for the disabled in higher educational institutions: SC

Govt. defends special courts for politicians  Context Finance Minister ArunJaitley on Tuesday defended the government’s decision to set up fast track courts for dealing with criminal cases against politicians and said lawmakers should take the lead in setting an example. Opposition to SC directive Earlier, Opposition parties, led by the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, raised… Continue reading Govt. defends special courts for politicians 

LS passes 2 bills to repeal 245 old laws Context                                                                                   The LokSabha   on Tuesday passed two Bills to  repeal 245 obsolete and archaic laws, including the 158-year-old  Calcutta Pilots Act of 1859 and the 1911 Prevention of Seditious Meeting Act. A Progressive Move The old and many irrelevant pre-independence laws were the “unfortunate part… Continue reading LS passes 2 bills to repeal 245 old laws

Parliament gives nod to IIM bill  Context Parliament on Tuesday unanimously passed a Bill to grant the Indian Institutes of Management the power to grant degrees instead of post-graduate diplomas. The Bill features As per the IIM Bill, 2017, a Board of Governors will appoint the Director of each IIM. The Bill also allows students… Continue reading Parliament gives nod to IIM bill 

Privacy in cyberspace  Context Protecting individual rights should be at the core of data protection legislation Report of the Data Protection Committee When the government set up the committee on Data Protection in India, led by Justice B.N. Srikrishna, it said that the objective “is to ensure growth of the digital economy while keeping personal… Continue reading Privacy in cyberspace 

In Fact: Why it is time for New Delhi to make Nepal feel ‘India-open’  Context Nepal’s political leadership has often felt that India uses blockades of essential supplies to discipline the smaller country. With the China-leaning Left Alliance winning Nepal’s elections, India will have to work extra hard to repair the trust deficit. The History 2002:… Continue reading In Fact: Why it is time for New Delhi to make Nepal feel ‘India-open’ 

India a leading global power, Pakistan needs to show it can be responsible for its nukes Context Almost a year in office and after two bilateral meetings between Prime MinisterNarendraModi and US President Donald Trump, the US government on Tuesday marked out India’s emergence as a “global power” in its first National Security Strategy — a… Continue reading India a leading global power, Pakistan needs to show it can be responsible for its nukes

U.S. partnership vital in Asia-Pacific: India  Context The Indo-U.S. partnership helps maintain stability in the Asia-Pacific region, the External Affairs Ministry said here on Tuesday, hours after President Donald Trump announced the new National Security Strategy of the U.S. and described India as a “leading global player”. Backdrop The response came even as both sides… Continue reading U.S. partnership vital in Asia-Pacific: India