Author: ForumIAS

SC/ST Act being used for blackmail, says top court SC’s observations on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 Observations The anti-atrocities law, which protects Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from casteist slurs and discrimination, has become an instrument to “blackmail” innocent citizens and public servants Instead of blurring caste lines,… Continue reading SC/ST Act being used for blackmail, says top court

Centre wants ‘humane’ AFSPA Context In a first admission that Centre was keen to water down the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958, Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir informed the Lok Sabha that it was considering a proposal to make the Act more “operationally effective and humane.” The AFSPA is… Continue reading Centre wants ‘humane’ AFSPA

SC gives State a month to submit revised seniority list Context The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied the Karnataka government six months to implement its February 9, 2017, judgment to revise the promotion list of employees after invalidation of a law granting reservation in promotion to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe employees One month given… Continue reading SC gives State a month to submit revised seniority list

Criterion for giving minority tag to educational groups tweaked What has happened? Making it easier for educational institutions to get the minority tag, the Department of Primary and Secondary Education has tweaked the eligibility criterion to set up minority education institutions. New Rules The Karnataka Educational Institutions (Recognition of minority educational institutions terms and conditions)… Continue reading Criterion for giving minority tag to educational groups tweaked

39 Indians, abducted by IS in Iraq, are dead: Sushma What has happened? External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed the Rajya Sabha that the 39 Indians, who had been abducted in Iraq in 2014, are dead. DNA tests helped in identification Their bodies had been recovered from a mound in Badush, around 30 km from… Continue reading 39 Indians, abducted by IS in Iraq, are dead: Sushma

‘Assam rhinoceros data may have been doctored for funds’ Context An organization of whistleblowers in Assam armed with an RTI reply from the authorities of a national park, has said that rhinoceros census data may be getting doctored for ensuring the flow of foreign funds Info relevant from Pre 2018 perspective Indian Rhino Vision 2020… Continue reading ‘Assam rhinoceros data may have been doctored for funds’

Conserve every drop Context The grave water situation in Cape Town in South Africa is a wake-up call to everybody across the globe — from policymakers to the common man — that it cannot be business as usual when it comes to water usage. A similar crisis is looming large in other cities in the… Continue reading Conserve every drop 

US Fed hikes key interest rate; says economic outlook stronger Context The Federal Reserve on Thursday increased the benchmark interest rate a quarter point to a target range of 1.5 % to 1.75 %, citing a stronger US economic outlook in recent months Basis of hike Fiscal policy has become more simulative ongoing job gains… Continue reading US Fed hikes key interest rate; says economic outlook stronger

Tremendous’ response to OALP: DGH Context Interest in the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP) and Discovered Small Fields (DSF), two key components of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy, has been considerable as India works to reduce oil imports by at least 10%, by 2022, according to a senior government official What has happened? OALP:… Continue reading Tremendous’ response to OALP: DGH