Author: ForumIAS

Cant force govt. to frame a  law:SC  Context The Supreme Court has  said it respected the government’s “political compulsions” and would not compel it to ratify the UN Convention against Torture, or command it to frame a standalone anti-torture legislation What has happened? Former Union Law Minister had filed a petition urging SC to order… Continue reading Cant force govt. to frame a  law:SC 

N.K. Singh is 15th finance panel chief Context The Centre has announced that the Fifteenth Finance Commission would be headed by former Secretary to the government of India N.K. Singh Other members The panel, which is to make its recommendations for the five years beginning April 1, 2020, will include Shaktikanta Das, former Economic Affairs… Continue reading N.K. Singh is 15th finance panel chief

Sink your differences  Context A touch of pragmatism is what the judiciary and the executive need at this juncture What has happened? Union Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has raised following issues, The Supreme Court’s 2015 verdict striking down the law creating the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) reveals the judiciary’s distrust in the Prime… Continue reading Sink your differences 

A good augury  Context Nepal’s elections Importance This is the first election under the constitution promulgated in September 2015 Political instability Inconclusive elections in the past have been a reason for the political instability that has plagued Nepal since it embarked on the process to become a democratic republic Beyond political stability Political stability alone… Continue reading A good augury 

A looming threat   Context All children diagnosed with TB must get paediatric fixed-dose combination drugs What has happened? About 5,500 of over 76,000 children tested in nine Indian cities, under a study conducted under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme,have been diagnosed with tuberculosis, 9% of them with multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB), highlighting the silent… Continue reading A looming threat  

Childhood foregone  Context It is a shame that the goal to eradicate child labour by 2025 seems elusive What is Child labour? As per ILO, The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development According… Continue reading Childhood foregone 

Cities at Crossroads: Perils of plastics waste  Context A sustainable way forward is to minimize consumption of single use plastic items, create awareness about the use of appropriate grade of plastic, and emphasise the importance of recycling and reuse. Plastic origins Plastic is a synthetic polymer, deriving its name from the Greek word plastikos, which means… Continue reading Cities at Crossroads: Perils of plastics waste 

Hunting for solutions: on trophy hunting  Context Local African voices need to be heard in the debate on trophy hunting Cecil incident In July 2015, when Cecil, a 13-year-old black-maned male lion, strolled out of Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe (some say he was baited and lured out), and fell prey to an American trophy hunter, a… Continue reading Hunting for solutions: on trophy hunting 

India loses billions to air pollution: UN  Context Article talks about the latest UNEP report titled ‘Towards a pollution-free planet Observations Highest share of India in South & SE Asia: India had the highest share of welfare costs (or a loss of income from labour), of about $220 billion (about ₹1.4 trillion), in South and… Continue reading India loses billions to air pollution: UN