Author: ForumIAS

Under scrutiny Context The proposal to bring the BCCI under the RTI reflects rising public expectation  What has happened? The Lodha Committee recommended that the board be treated as a public authority under the RTI Act, and the Supreme Court wanted the Law Commission to examine this suggestion. The Central Information Commission favoured the idea… Continue reading Under scrutiny

PIL has become an ‘industry of vested interests’: SC Context Supreme Court says it is a travesty of justice for the resources of the legal system to be consumed by an avalanche of misdirected public interest petitions  What has happened? The Supreme Court on Thursday ridiculed the Loya PIL petitions as a case in point… Continue reading PIL has become an ‘industry of vested interests’: SC

No deal on illegal migrants Context Discussions likely to continue at the Home Secretary-level  What has happened? The failure of Britain and India to sign a key memorandum of understanding on the return of illegal migrants during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on Wednesday has been greeted with surprise, as the agreement was seen as… Continue reading No deal on illegal migrants

Mission impossible Context The proposal for simultaneous elections involves too many practical difficulties What has happened? In principle, simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies have the benefits of saving poll expenditure and helping ruling parties focus on governance instead of being constantly in election mode  Difficult to implement The flip side is… Continue reading Mission impossible

Checks against atrocities What has happened? The Supreme Court, in its recent judgment in Subhash Kashinath Mahajan v. State of Maharashtra , has stirred up a debate which is bound to impact the law and policy on the prohibition of the practice of untouchability and prevention of atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in… Continue reading Checks against atrocities

Cabinet to discuss death penalty for rape of minors What has happened? Law Ministry sources say that they have approved a proposal received from the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and a final decision on whether to bring it in the… Continue reading Cabinet to discuss death penalty for rape of minors

Impeachment move doesn’t fetter CJI, say experts What has happened? Former Chief Justices of India and eminent jurists said on Friday that there was no need for Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra to withdraw from work merely because a group of Opposition MPs had submitted a notice for his impeachment to the Rajya Sabha… Continue reading Impeachment move doesn’t fetter CJI, say experts

Congress, six other parties move to impeach CJI Misra Context Motion submitted to Vice-President cites five cases of ‘misbehaviour’ What has happened? The Congress, supported by six other Opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha, on Friday took the unprecedented step of moving an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra on grounds… Continue reading Congress, six other parties move to impeach CJI Misra

What the new Coastal Regulation Zone draft says, how it differs from the earlier version What has happened? The new draft if implemented will not only have an effect on how common areas used by fisherfolk are managed, but also bifurcate coastal zones along rural areas based on population density Changes in the new draft The… Continue reading What the new Coastal Regulation Zone draft says, how it differs from the earlier version

All trees are not woods Context Natural forests have multiple ecosystem functions, none of which can be provided by commercial plantations What has happened? The latest Forest Survey of India report has changed the calculation method for India’s forest cover to include plantations on private lands. It is common knowledge that private plantations of teak,… Continue reading All trees are not woods