Author: ForumIAS

Public stockholding of grains to stay  Context India’s ongoing public stockholding programmes would remain unaffected and continue, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday Backdrop The minister’s assurance comes in the wake of the recent Eleventh Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (Nairobi) failing to reach a permanent solution on public… Continue reading Public stockholding of grains to stay 

Come july label mandatory for food certified as ‘organic’  Context The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had issued regulations that required food companies selling organic produce to get certified with one of the two authorities — National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) or the Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India). Companies could… Continue reading Come july label mandatory for food certified as ‘organic’ 

GDP growth seen slowing to 4 year low of 6.5% in 2017-18 Context The Central Statistics Office (CSO)’s GDP forecast What has happened? CSO has forecast that GDP growth in the current financial year ending March 31 will slow to a four-year low of 6.5%, from the provisional 7.1% pace seen in 2016-17, dragged down… Continue reading GDP growth seen slowing to 4 year low of 6.5% in 2017-18

This too is a right  Context The right to sexual privacy makes the law on adultery open to constitutional scrutiny Joseph Shine v. Union of India Joseph Shine v. Union of India, the petition challenging the constitutional validity of the criminal prohibition on adultery under Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code, has now been referred… Continue reading This too is a right 

Enabling a law  Context The Supreme Court has struck a blow for the rights of the disabled ,with a direction to the Central and State governments to provide full access to public facilities, such as buildings and transport, within stipulated deadlines Supreme Court’s timeline to ensure full access for the disabled to public facilities is welcome… Continue reading Enabling a law 

Bengal unveils official state emblem  Context The official emblem of West Bengal was unveiled by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on January 5. The emblem designed by Ms. Banerjee features the Ashoka Pillar. Chief Minister unveils the emblem at the State Secretariat. We had to do this (create the State emblem) 70 years after Independence because it… Continue reading Bengal unveils official state emblem 

Haj policy is fair, Centre tells SC  Context The Centre defended its new Haj policy, saying it is not discriminatory and allocation of subsidies on pilgrims is based on the objective criteria of the muslim population in each state. Allegations by Kerala State Haj Committee The Centre was responding to allegations made by the Kerala… Continue reading Haj policy is fair, Centre tells SC 

Constitution bench to look at adultery law  Context The Supreme Court on Friday referred to a Constitution Bench a petition to decide if the pre-Independence provision of adultery in the Indian Penal Code treats a married woman as a commodity owned by her husband and violates the constitutional concepts of gender equality and sensitivity. Archaic… Continue reading Constitution bench to look at adultery law 

Memory myth and memorial  Context The battle over Bhima-Koregaon is not just one of history, it is a battle for identity and equality The memorial It all began with a pillar, a little war memorial commemorating what history books antiseptically called the third Anglo-Maratha war Memorial established by British The British had established it in… Continue reading Memory myth and memorial 

In regular touch with Pakistan: Centre Context The government is in regular contact with Pakistan, but any meaningful dialogue would depend on an end to terrorism and cross-border violence, the Ministry of External Affairs told the Parliamentary standing committee on External Affairs, according to a report released on Friday. For talks to be meaningful there… Continue reading In regular touch with Pakistan: Centre