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GS- 1
Geography:
A cyclone called Ockhi — why this is raising such an unusual storm: Cyclones are no strangers to the Indian coast, our east coast in particular witnessing several cyclonic storms each year. Yet, Ockhi, the latest powerful cyclone, is unlike other recent ones.
GS-2
Polity and governance
The gag on free speech : Recent actions by the Indian judiciary suggest a trend of creeping censorship.
Social Issues
Capturing crime — on the NCRB data for 2016: The increase in crimes against women must prompt better policing and all-round reform.
A misleading hunger index: In its calculations, the Global Hunger Index assigns a disproportionate value to child undernourishment.
Disability rights over time: A quick recap of how legislation for disabled persons has evolved.
International relations:
How Chabahar Port could bring India and its partners a new spring: Chabahar Port, inaugurated on Sunday, has been jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan. The port, noted by both Al Biruni and Alexander the Great, could be a game-changer for its developers now.
‘Resolve Rohingya refugee crisis through diplomacy’ : Even though the crisis concerning Rohingya refugees in India seems to have subsided, veteran experts on statelessness and refugees have called for resolving the issue through diplomacy.
The Brahmaputra conundrum: The news that China is planning to divert the waters of the Yarlung Tsangpo (the upper stream of India’s Brahmaputra) to its water-starved Xinjiang province is hardly surprising.
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Economy
GST effect: shaky Budget in offing?: ‘With no clear number for targeted GST collections, is the Centre raking in as much as it should?’
Science and Technology
What’s behind the bitcoin boom?: As the price of the bitcoin leapt past $10,000 this week, marking a tenfold gain in 2017, many investors seemed to nurse a ‘missed-out’ feeling.
Security issues
Watch out for ransomware in 2018: report: The McAfee Labs 2018 Threats Predictions Report also warns individual home users that greater inter-connected home devices will surrender consumer privacy to corporates.
BSF doubles down on Rohingya: A total of 167 vulnerable points were identified along the Bangladesh border, and additional forces deployed to detect and push back the Rohingya.
