Author: ForumIAS

Call to make clinical trial data public(TH) Context ICMR makes it mandatory for companies, organisations to disclose outcomes News From April, companies and organisations that have registered for clinical trials in India will have to disclose the outcomes of their tests within a year of completing them Current situation Currently, all trials in India are… Continue reading Call to make clinical trial data public(TH)

Migratory birds start arriving in Chilika(TH) Context After a long flight of thousands of miles, not often punctuated by breaks, lakhs of migratory birds have made their way to the Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon Spots Major bird congregations have been spotted in the wetlands of the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside Chilika and… Continue reading Migratory birds start arriving in Chilika(TH)

Equal access to the Internet is under threat in US. What does this mean?(IE) Context Ajit V Pai, who was appointed to the FCC Chair by President Donald Trump this January has intended to “fire up the weed whacker and remove those rules that are holding back investment, innovation, and job creation” in telecommunications What has… Continue reading Equal access to the Internet is under threat in US. What does this mean?(IE)

A wilful negligence(IE) Context Governments have not acted on recommendations of committees on farmer welfare Committees on farmer suicides The central government constituted a series of high-powered committees on farmers’ suicides The Ramesh Chand Committee Report, March 2015: It recommended that The Minimum Support Price (MSP) should be calculated by computing farm labour at the… Continue reading A wilful negligence(IE)

Cabinet approves new finance panel (TH) Context Fifteenth Finance Commission will have its task cut out with the new tax system What has happened? The Union cabinet has approved constitution of the Fifteenth Finance Commission that will decide the formula for sharing of taxes between the Centre and states for five years starting April 1, 2020.… Continue reading Cabinet approves new finance panel (TH)

New direct tax law coming(TH) Context Panel, led by CBDT Member Arbind Modi, given 6 months to review IT Act 1961 What has happened? Government has constituted a task force under CBDT member Arbind Modi to review the country’s 56-year old Income Tax law and suggest a new law to replace it. Terms of reference… Continue reading New direct tax law coming(TH)

Time to change the House rules(TH Ed) Context Parliament and State legislatures need to meet more regularly Shorter winter session In the last few years, the winter session usually started in the third or fourth week of November and closed just before Christmas In 2013, the last winter session of the previous Lok Sabha started… Continue reading Time to change the House rules(TH Ed)

Cabinet nod to women cell to support skills, jobs and health(IE) Context The move, aimed at bringing gender empowerment under focus ahead of the 2019 elections, will ostensibly help the BJP to justify its promise of SabkaSaath, Sabka Vikas What has happened? The Union Cabinet has given approval for setting up of the Pradhan Mantri Mahila… Continue reading Cabinet nod to women cell to support skills, jobs and health(IE)

Amendment related to bamboo in non-forest areas gets Cabinet nod(IE) Context The Section in question includes bamboo, along with “skumps, brush-wood and canes”, within the ambit of “tree” Useful Fact India has the largest area under bamboo cultivation and is the second richest in terms of bamboo genetic resources after China What has happened? No need… Continue reading Amendment related to bamboo in non-forest areas gets Cabinet nod(IE)

Gram panchayat certificate no proof of citizenship: SC(TH) Context A certificate of residency issued by a gram panchayat is not a document of citizenship and is “meaningless” unless supported by some other valid record to make a claim for inclusion in the National Register of Citizenship (NRC), the Supreme Court said Citizenship in India Citizenship… Continue reading Gram panchayat certificate no proof of citizenship: SC(TH)