Author: ForumIAS

Lok Sabha passes Bill to exempt political parties from scrutiny on foreign funds, without debate What has happened? The Lok Sabha, passed without a debate a bill that will exempt political parties from scrutiny of funds they have received from abroad since 1976 Background: amendments done to the Finance Bill 2018 Amendment to the Foreign… Continue reading Lok Sabha passes Bill to exempt political parties from scrutiny on foreign funds, without debate

Naidu to keep alive fight for Special Category Status What has happened? Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said he was undeterred by the offensive that BJP leaders have threatened to launch against the Andhra Pradesh government, and asserted that their brand of ‘divisive politics’ that succeeded in Tamil Nadu would fail here He… Continue reading Naidu to keep alive fight for Special Category Status

Bilaspur’s stone age tools link Sivalikcultures What has happened? Researchers from the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) have discovered a number of Acheulian artefacts (dated to about 1, 500,000–1,50,000 years ago) along with contemporary Soanian ones from an unexplored site at Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh. The site is close to the site… Continue reading Bilaspur’s stone age tools link Sivalikcultures

Bending the rules — on nod for Neutrino project Context A year after the National Green Tribunal suspended the environmental clearance granted to the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO), the Expert Appraisal Committee (Infra 2) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has overturned the NGT verdict and granted environmental clearance for the project Location of the… Continue reading Bending the rules — on nod for Neutrino project

To be fighting fit Context The government must order a comprehensive strategic review of the future threats to India. Author provides his suggestions in the backdrop of an allegedly insufficient defence budget The present situation According to a recent report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India was the largest arms importer in the last… Continue reading To be fighting fit

‘PSB recap: open offer not needed’ Context Markets regulator SEBI exempted the central government from making an open offer for the shareholders of Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank and four other state-owned lenders following capital infusion Under SEBI norms, an entity whose shareholding in a listed company goes beyond a particular threshold would have to… Continue reading ‘PSB recap: open offer not needed’

SEBI for phased roll-out of governance norms Context The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) plans to introduce new corporate governance norms as proposed by the Kotak Committee, in a phased manner for listed entities, with only the bigger companies required to comply in the initial phase as opposed to all the listed companies… Continue reading SEBI for phased roll-out of governance norms

Time to move beyond subsidies Context Challenge to India’s export promotion schemes by United States Trade Representative (USTR) in WTO What are the arguments given by USTR? The main argument of the USTR is that India’s five export promotion schemes violate Articles 3.1(a) and 2 of the SCM (Subsidies and Countervailing Measures) Agreement, since the two… Continue reading Time to move beyond subsidies

Govt apathy towards construction workers puts Shakespearean tragedy to shame: SC Context SC’s judgment on a public interest plea by the National Campaign Committee for Central Legislation on Construction Labour (NCC-CL) seeking the enforcement of the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 and the Building and Other Construction Workers… Continue reading Govt apathy towards construction workers puts Shakespearean tragedy to shame: SC

Centre plans law on online hate speech What has happened? Moving a step ahead towards framing a distinct law for online “hate speech,” the Home Ministry has written to the Law Commission to prepare a draft law The provisions will deal with offensive messages sent through social media and online messaging applications T.K Viswanathan Committee… Continue reading Centre plans law on online hate speech