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GS: 2
International relations:
Sri Lanka’s first national unity government in trouble(The Hindu)
Crisis gripped Sri Lanka’s first national unity government on Tuesday, with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe failing to reach consensus on the future of their coalition government, following the huge defeat their parties suffered in the recent local government elections.
Ramallah recall: On India’s Palestine policy(The Hindu Opinion)
Narendra Modi’s visit signals India’s strategy to grow ties with Israel and Palestine separately
China will ‘take action’ if India sends troops to Maldives: Global Times(The Hindu)
China’s state-run tabloid Global Times on Monday warned that Beijing will retaliate if New Delhi unilaterally decides to send troops to the crisis-hit Maldives.
U.S. Senate begins debate on immigration(The Hindu)
The U.S. Senate on Monday started an open-ended debate on immigration, a highly divisive topic that has eluded political consensus for years now.
Kim stresses need to boost inter-Korea talks(The Hindu)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said that he wants to boost the “warm climate of reconciliation and dialogue” with South Korea after his high-level delegation returned from a visit.
India in pact with UAE to spur energy security(The Hindu)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent trip to the UAE has resulted in two agreements being signed that will strengthen India’s energy security, said Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Education:
‘Colleges that perform well can apply for autonomy(The Hindu)
Colleges that perform well will now be able to apply for autonomous status, which will permit them to start new courses and programmes, set syllabi and even “fix fees for courses at their own level”.
Internal security:
Centre to states: Strengthen cyber security(The Hindu)
IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday asked states to focus on strengthening the cyber security ecosystem to push adoption of digital services in the country, a senior official said.
Indian Constitution and Polity:
The danger of counterfactuals(The Hindu)
In democracies, citizens have a right to know why, where and how the government spends public money. Each year we, therefore, await the Prime Minister’s response to the President’s address in the Budget session of Parliament.
For govt., Aadhaar may be an enabler for people with no proof of identity: Justice Chandrachud(The Hindu)
Aadhaar may be seen by the government as an enabler for every Indian who does not possess even a single proof of identity, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud observed on Tuesday.
Centre to consolidate small savings laws(The Hindu)
In a bid to consolidate the legislations pertaining to small savings schemes, the government is proposing a merger of the various laws into a Government Savings Promotion Act.
GS: 3
Economy:
‘New RBI norms to spur surge in NPAs’(The Hindu)
The Reserve Bank of India’s new norms directing banks to start insolvency proceedings on accounts, if stress is not resolved in 180 days, could result in a jump in bad loans, according to Moody’s unit ICRA.
Citi India prohibits use of its cards to buy bitcoins(The Hindu)
Citi India announced its customers cannot use its credit and debit cards to purchase or trade in cryptocurrencies. The lender has informed its customers about the decision. This is the first instance that a bank in India has taken such a step.
United India Insurance chief expects PSU insurers’ merger by March 2019(The Hindu)
The proposed merger of three public sector insurance firms may be completed by early 2019, said M.N. Sarma, chairman and managing director of United India Insurance Co. Ltd.
Environment:
Woods and trees: On the state of Indian forests(The Hindu Opinion)
The Environment Ministry’s ‘India State of Forest Report 2017’ based on satellite imagery, may present a net positive balance in the form of 24.4% of India’s land area under some form of forest or tree cover, but this is but a broad-brush assessment.
Straw management now mandatory in Punjab(The Hindu)
In an attempt to check the dangerous trend of stubble burning, the Punjab government has decided to make use of Super Straw Management System while using the combine harvester machines mandatory for harvesting the paddy (rice) crop.
Science and Technology:
How to handle Big Data(The Hindu Opinion)
There are infinite ways to analyse data, but great caution must be exercised
Yesterday’s current affairs material by Forum IAS
7 PM Editorial: India’s industrial activity sees robust performance
