Author: ForumIAS

DNA profiling Bill in Monsoon Session, Centre informs SC Context PIL plea seeks use of technology to identify unclaimed bodies What has happened? Last year, the Law Commission of India, in its 271st report, prepared the draft Bill named, The DNA Based Technology (Use and Regulation) Bill, 2017, after examining various judicial pronouncements and constitutional… Continue reading DNA profiling Bill in Monsoon Session, Centre informs SC

SC tells HCs to set up panels to monitor POCSO Act trials Context Supreme Court shocked by high rate of pendency of child sexual assault cases What has happened? Shocked by the high rate of pendency of child sexual assault cases, the Supreme Court directed High Courts to set up panels of its judges to… Continue reading SC tells HCs to set up panels to monitor POCSO Act trials

Iran deal built on lies, says Pompeo What has happened? U.S. Secretary of State backs Israel’s claims about Iran’s ‘secret nuclear weapons programme’ Documents as proof presented to US by Israel According to US Secretary of State: Documents claimed by Israel as proof of Iran’s secret nuclear weapons programme are authentic and the U.S. is… Continue reading Iran deal built on lies, says Pompeo

Track II team holds talks in Pakistan What has happened? A group of Indian experts visited Pakistan to discuss all aspects of bilateral ties and revive the Track II diplomacy process with Islamabad, amid the chill in the relationship after a number of terror attacks in India by Pakistan-based outfits Neemrana dialogue The original Track… Continue reading Track II team holds talks in Pakistan

Call to action Context World Health Organization (WHO)’s latest report on pollution Highlights of the report The report, which summarised 2016 data for 4,300 cities, ranks 14 Indian cities among the 20 most polluted ones globally While Delhi comes in at number six, Kanpur, Faridabad, Varanasi, Gaya and Patna are ranked ahead of it, by… Continue reading Call to action

‘Glow-in-the-dark algae may be a sign of global warming’ Context The Noctiluca algae, commonly known as sea tinkle, is a parasite and occurs in patches or ‘blooms’ in the northern Arabian Sea. Their bioluminescence has earned them the name ‘sea sparkle’ What has happened? American and Indian scientists, after their year-long investigation into the phenomenon of glowing… Continue reading ‘Glow-in-the-dark algae may be a sign of global warming’

10,000 endangered tortoises rescued in Madagascar Context International conservationists in Madagascar have been treating more than 10,000 critically endangered radiated tortoises that were seized from traffickers who had crammed them into a home with no access to food or water Prelim relevant info Radiated Tortoise A critically endangered (CR) tortoise, radiated tortoises sport star patterns… Continue reading 10,000 endangered tortoises rescued in Madagascar 

Protest against heritage site adoption scheme in Assam Context Members of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and other organisations protested against the ’Adopt a Heritage’ scheme Sites chosen from Assam The four sites chosen in Assam include Kaziranga National Park Rangghar, Asia’s oldest amphitheatre Kareng Ghar, a palace Shiva… Continue reading Protest against heritage site adoption scheme in Assam

Regulating cryptocurrencies  Context RBI & cryptocurrencies What is the RBI’s stance? In the most direct action taken so far by regulatory authorities on the issue of cryptocurrencies, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), during its monetary policy announcement on April 6, directed all regulated agencies, including banks, to stop doing any business with “any person… Continue reading Regulating cryptocurrencies 

Protect patents Context The Delhi High Court (HC) judgment revoking Monsanto’s Bollgard-2 patent is fraught with problems What is Bollgard-2? Bollgard-2 is an insecticidal technology which uses a gene called Cry2Ab from the soil bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) When inserted into a cotton plant, the gene confers resistance against cotton pests Monsanto’s 2008 patent on… Continue reading Protect patents