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GS 2
RTI trumps Official Secrets Act, says SC
An all-out effort by the government to claim privilege and push the Rafale jets’ pricing details back into the dark zone was met with a stoic counter from Justice K.M. Joseph in the Supreme Court on Thursday.
India wants visa-free travel to Kartarpur
India has urged Pakistan to grant visa-free travel rights to Indian pilgrims visiting the Kartarpur shrine. The proposal was part of the Indian agenda at Thursday’s meeting between delegations from both countries at Attari where the draft agreement for the Kartarpur Corridor was discussed.
23 Opposition parties move court on EVMs and VVPAT
In a major show of pre-poll strength, 23 Opposition parties moved the Supreme Court on Thursday, demanding the random verification of at least 50% Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) using Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in every Assembly segment or constituency.
Supreme Court agrees to hear The Shillong Times editor’s plea
A Supreme Court Bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Thursday agreed to hear a plea by The Shillong Times editor Patricia Mukhim against an order of the Meghalaya High Court finding her and her publisher, Shobha Chaudhuri, guilty of contempt.
An abhorrent and unjust device: on death penalty
On March 5, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court delivered verdicts in three different death penalty cases. In two of those the court entirely exonerated the suspects, while in the third it not only found the accused guilty of murder, but also deserving of capital punishment.
It is appalling that for the fourth time, China has blatantly abused the power it enjoys as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to block the proposal to proscribe Masood Azhar, the founder-leader of the Pakistan-based terror group
Will a court-mandated mediation on Ayodhya solve the issue?
The Supreme Court has opted for a time-bound mediation process in a bid to resolve the Ayodhya dispute.
Govt. defends electoral bonds scheme in SC
Electoral bonds have been introduced to promote transparency in funding and donation received by political parties, the government told the Supreme Court on Thursday.
U.K. lifts cap on PhD-level work visas
Indians are among the largest group of professionals set to benefit from a new U.K. government plan to remove any limit on the number of PhD-level work visas to be granted.
GS-3
China swears by consensus on blacklisting of Masood Azhar
Hours after blocking a UN ban on Masood Azhar, China made it plain that it would consider shifting its position on designating the head of the Jaish-e-Mohammed as an international terrorist only after reaching a consensus between Beijing, New Delhi and Islamabad.
Bannerghatta eco-sensitive zone curtailed
Bannerghatta National Park’s Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), which provides a regulated buffer zone around protected areas, will remain at 168.84 sq.km.
Fire breaks out in Bandipur again
A fresh outbreak of fire was reported from Kundkere range of Bandipur Tiger Reserve on Thursday afternoon, but the authorities were able to douse it within hours.
A climate vulnerability index for India on the anvil
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) will be commissioning a study to assess the climate risks faced by States in India.
Disinvestment target within reach: Centre
The government expects to meet its disinvestment target of Rs. 80,000 crore even though it has achieved only Rs. 56,473.42 crore so far with only 15 days left for the end of the financial year, according to a senior official in the Finance Ministry.
