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GS: 1
Society related issues:
How the data sets stack up(The Hindu Opinion)
In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion on increasing inequality within several countries of the world, including India, particularly after the publication of Thomas Piketty’s book on inequality.
GS:2
International relations:
The pawns in international disputes(The Hindu Opinion)
Among the many hazards that diplomats face today, the most ancient one is expulsion, also known as declaration of a diplomat as persona non grata. It is the most effective bloodless punishment as the person concerned is removed lock, stock, and barrel from the scene, never to return.
Indian Constitution and Polity:
No affront to Dalit rights, says SC(The Hindu)
The Supreme Court said its March 20 judgment, banning immediate arrest of a person accused of insulting or injuring a Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe member, is meant to protect innocents from arbitrary arrest and not an affront to Dalit rights.
Ministry withdraws order on ‘fake news’(The Hindu)
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry withdrew its order, issued on Monday, under which accreditation of any journalist found guilty of disseminating “fake news” could be cancelled.
Court questions Centre’s flip-flop(The Hindu)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the government for shifting its stand in the court by first agreeing there is abuse of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and now filing a review petition against the March 20 judgment.
SC to hear Cauvery case on April 9(The Hindu)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear, on April 9, the Centre’s plea to extend the deadline for framing a scheme to implement its February 16 judgment in the Cauvery water dispute.
‘Minors can’t opt out of Aadhaar once they are 18’(The Hindu)
Minors, whose Aadhaar card has already been generated, cannot opt out of the Aadhaar scheme after becoming majors, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) told the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Anti-talaq Bill draconian: AIMPLB women’s wing(The Hindu)
Demanding the withdrawal of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 that makes triple talaq illegal, members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Tuesday said that through the “anti-women” Bill, the government was targeting the community.
Poor success rate in cases of atrocities(The Hindu)
As many as 47,338 cases of crimes against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were registered across the country in 2016, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
GS:3
Economy:
Biometric failure is not related to age, says UIDAI(The Hindu)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear, on April 9, the Centre’s plea to extend the deadline for framing a scheme to implement its February 16 judgment in the Cauvery water dispute.
Back on track(The Hindu Opinion)
After an aborted attempt in February, the government has finally managed to successfully roll out the e-way bill system for tracking the movement of goods under the Goods and Services Tax net from April 1.
RBI didn’t audit PNB properly: CVC(The Hindu)
Apportioning blame to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) over the PNB loan fraud, Central Vigilance Commissioner K.V. Chowdary on Tuesday there had been “no apparent audit” by the central bank during the period of the scam.
All eyes on RBI’s inflation forecast: analysts(The Hindu)
The six-member monetary policy committee (MPC) of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to maintain status quo on interest rates for the fourth straight policy review due on April 5, even though February retail inflation figures were the lowest in four months.
Internal security:
India hails U.S. move against LeT arm(The Hindu)
India has welcomed the U.S.’s decision to designate Milli Muslim League (MML), the political arm of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan led by Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a terrorist organisation, calling it a “vindication” of India’s position that Pakistan’s action against terror groups is ineffective.
Science and Technology
Launch lessons(The Hindu Opinion)
The loss of communication between the ground station and the Indian Space Research Organisation’s latest satellite after its launch on March 29 is deeply disappointing. ISRO’s mission aimed to place the communication satellite, GSAT-6A, in space.
NASA spots farthest star(The Hindu)
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has discovered the farthest individual star ever seen — an enormous blue stellar body nicknamed Icarus located over halfway across the universe.
Environment:
Study sounds the alarm for Arctic ice(The Hindu)
Even if humanity stops global warming in its tracks at two degress Celsius, long seen as the guardrail for a climate-safe world, Arctic sea ice will still disappear in some years, scientists have warned.
Yesterday’s current affairs material by Forum IAS
7 PM Editorial: I&B withdraws its amended guidelines for accreditation of journalists
