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GS: 2
International relations:
Visa heartache (The Hindu Editorial)
The United States’ H-1B visa has for decades been a source of nail-biting tension in India. The latest case in point was a scare that President Donald Trump’s administration was toying with the idea of new regulations that would restrict extension of the visa by those awaiting a green card
A difficult year (The Hindu Opinion)
Besides the Rohingya crisis, Myanmar is under scrutiny on press freedoms and the Panglong peace process
China to fund base in Afghanistan (The Hindu)
China will fund construction of an Afghan counterterrorism base in Badakshan province to block cross-border infiltration of the ethnic Uyghur militants.
Indian Constitution and Polity:
BCI notice to MPs MLAs on legal practice (The Hindu)
The Bar Council of India, the country’s apex lawyers’ body, on Wednesday asked Members of Parliament and State Assembly legislators, who double up as advocates, to respond on why they should not be banned from legal practice.
Not by diktat alone (The Hindu Editorial)
Supreme Court does right to make playing of the national anthem before a film optional
Not a criminal act (The Hindu Opinion)
Marriage is a civil contract — adultery or divorce should have only civil consequences
Prescription for the future (The Hindu Opinion)
The National Medical Commission Bill has to be fine-tuned, especially in planning for rural health care
GS: 3
Economy:
In FDI push centre allows 49% foreign ownership in AI (The Hindu)
In FDI push, Centre allows 49% foreign ownership in AI. Easing of norms puts national carrier on par with other Indian airline companies.
The map of rural deprivation (The Hindu Opinion)
With the Union Budget to be presented on February 1, it is hoped that the Finance Minister will make a significantly higher allocation for investment in infrastructure. It is vital for addressing rural distress. The Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) informed us that ‘landlessness and dependence on manual casual labour for a livelihood are key deprivations facing rural families’, which make them far more vulnerable to impoverishment.
Two tier shield for Aadhaar data (The Hindu)
In the wake of reports of an alleged breach of the Aadhaar database published in a newspaper last week, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has rolled out a new two-tier security process that will come into effect from June 1.
7 years’ jail for benami transactions (The Hindu)
The Income-Tax Department on Wednesday warned people to “keep away” from benami transactions, cautioning that violations under the newly enacted law invites criminal prosecution and rigorous imprisonment up to seven years.
PM, economists take stock of economy (The Hindu)
In a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, top economists and experts in the country stressed the need for creating new jobs, even as a NITI Aayog task force has found that the statistics on lack of employment may be “overrated”. The data will be released “very soon”, NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar said.
How will homeless get Aadhaar (The Hindu)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the government’s version of Aadhaar as a unique identifier which will benefit the poor to access welfare services, asking how will the lakhs of homeless people in the country get an Aadhaar card without a permanent address.
Centre opens arms to single brand retail FDI(The Hindu)
The Union government on Wednesday liberalised and simplified the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) regime in a host of sectors, including Single Brand Retail Trading (SBRT)
World Bank projects 7.3 % growth in 2018 (The Hindu)
India’s growth rate in 2018 is projected to hit 7.3% and 7.5% in the next two years, according to the World Bank, which said the country has “enormous growth potential” compared to other emerging economies with the implementation of comprehensive reforms.
PM sets targets for 115 backward districts (The Hindu)
In the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told all ministries to report on the initiatives taken by them for 115 backward districts and also to come up with an action plan for these districts
Internal security:
Maritime focus for India, ASEAN (The Hindu)
The ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit of January 25 is likely to focus on maritime security for the region, a senior ASEAN diplomat said on Wednesday.
Environment:
Gujarat to count elusive tigers (The Hindu)
Census to be held 33 years after a big cat was spotted.
AP readies cosy nets for Olive Ridleys(The Hindu)
The Andhra Pradesh Wildlife authorities have prepared the ground for a safe nesting season for Olive Ridley turtles along the 970-km coastline from the Srikakulam district to the Nellore district.
Science and Technology:
PSLV all set to ferry 31 satellites tomorrow(The Hindu)
The PSLV rocket, after a shocking falter four months ago, will return to the launch pad at Sriharikota on Friday.
A pioneer in biotechnology (The Hindu Opinion)
Nobel Laureate Har Gobind Khorana’s contributions to biology are of contemporary relevance for some of the most exciting areas such as synthetic biology and gene editing. A Google Doodle on Tuesday to mark the 96th birth anniversary of the Indian-origin American scientist this week stoked much interest in his work.
Yesterday’s current affairs material by Forum IAS
7 PM Editorial : ELECTRONIC-HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
