Must Read News Articles – January 7th, 2019

Archives

GS 2

Rana extradition unlikely before 2023, indicates U.S.

Indian agencies will have to wait a little longer before Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case is extradited here from the U.S.

Railways propose new security plan at stations

Railways is planning to seal stations just like airports and passengers would have to arrive 15-20 minutes before scheduled departure of trains to complete the process of security checks.

The CBI and the rules of political combat

Gone are the days when people would demand a CBI probe into any crime or scam involving influential persons. One may dismiss the State governments’ blocking the CBI probes within their jurisdictions as politically motivated, but one cannot ignore civil society’s lack of confidence in the agency’s competence and neutrality.

India’s options and the Pashtun factor

It’s rightly being pointed out that India has to be prepared for the potential consequences of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Removing fear

The private member’s Bill aimed at protecting literary freedom from threats is welcome

India’s Atlantic challenge

Trump’s ‘America First’ policy and the Brexit deal could pose more challenges this year

Professor Amartya Sen’s institute

MPs’ panel proposes legal status for SSC

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and all State Public Service Commissions either have constitutional or legal status. The SSC is the only such organisation that performs similar functions on a much larger scale, but does not enjoy statutory status.

Panel to go into quota for Assamese

The Centre has set up a high-level committee headed by former IAS officer M.P. Bezbaruah to assess the appropriate level of reservation of seats in the Assam Assembly and local bodies for the Assamese people, besides providing employment opportunities.

Defence manufacturing rules eased

The government issued a notification last week simplifying the the process for approval of manufacturing of a range of defence and aerospace equipment and components by private industry, by bringing them under the licensing authority of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

Understaffed CBI a concern: panel

A parliamentary standing committee has raised concern over non-filling of vacancies in the Central Bureau of Investigation, saying it will impact on its performance.

GS 3

Tribals of West Bengal battling food scarcity: study

Communities are ‘far behind’ in terms of human development, says survey of 1,000 households by

GST can boost direct, indirect tax collections, say experts

The fact that the government is increasingly dependent on tax revenue, especially indirect taxes, to meet its fiscal requirements is not a cause for worry, according to tax analysts, who say that the real benefits of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) have not yet taken effect.

Banks get a breather on bad loans

The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) half-yearly Financial Stability Reports, which take stock of the strength and stability of Indian banks, had turned into chronicles of gloom tracing the steady worsening of the crisis.