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Society and women related issues:
What are the consequences of India’s falling sex ratio?(The Hindu)
A recent report from the NITI Aayog said sex ratio at birth (SRB) nationwide had dropped from 906 in 2012-2014 to 900 in 2013-2015
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International relations:
Govt. puts delayed road projects on Indo-China border on track(The Hindu)
Two months after the Doklam stand-off, when the Indian Army prevented the Chinese from building a road that would have given China access to the North East, the Centre cleared an additional ₹3,400 crore for making 73 strategic roads along the Chinese border a reality. The strategic roads project had been sanctioned in 2005 and the roads should have been constructed by 2012.
India, Vietnam lay stress on defence ties(The Hindu)
India and Vietnam committed to enhancing joint co-production in defence, including transfer of technology from India in their ongoing defence cooperation, visiting President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday after delegation level meetings. The two sides also built on previous statements on maritime security in the “Indo-Pacific” region, calling for free and open sea lanes.
U.S. delays decision on H-4 visas(The Hindu)
The Trump administration has delayed its decision on termination of work authorisation for spouses of the H-1B visa holders, in a big relief to a significantly large number of Indian workers and their families.
Do Putin’s nuclear weapons pose a threat to U.S.?(The Hindu)
The animated videos show Russian warheads speeding toward Florida and missiles outmanoeuvring obstacles in the southern Atlantic. Russia has a new class of weapons, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, that could make U.S. defences obsolete.
Indian Constitution and Polity:
No other Act is treated with as much contempt, says Prasar Bharti Chairman A. Surya Prakash(The Hindu)
The rift between the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) and public broadcaster Prasar Bharti is growing by the day.
What the ruler and the ruled owe one another(The Hindu Opinion)
The Arthashastra is not the only source of political thinking in India. Another tradition exists from which we can learn much, which is as relevant in our own, very different context of popular rule (democracy) as it was in ancient times.
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Economy:
Dumping U.S. debt, a possible weapon in global trade war(The Hindu)
U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to slap stiff tariffs on imported steel and aluminum has rattled financial markets and stirred fears that some trading partners might retaliate by dumping U.S. Treasuries.
Science and Technology:
Extreme TB: No licence to heal(The Hindu)
Advanced patented medicines used to treat Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB) are available to only about 1,000 patients out of the tens of thousands who need it, because the innovator-manufacturers are not ready to licence Indian drug-makers who can sell them at affordable prices.
Dual mechanism for embryonic stem cells to maintain pluripotency(The Hindu)
Embryonic stem cells are capable of generating all the cell types that compose the organs and systems of the human body. Now, researchers at Pune’s National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) have found a dual mechanism that keeps specific genes off, which helps the embryonic stem cells maintain pluripotency — their ability to give rise to all the cell types. The dual mechanism functions in such a way that even if one mechanism fails, the other can function as a back-up and help the embryonic stem cells maintain pluripotency.
JNCASR’s novel material to convert waste heat into electricity(The Hindu)
A novel compound that exhibits poor thermal conductivity in the 25-425 degree C range but shows good electrical conductivity has been developed by a team of researchers led by Dr Kanishka Biswas from Bengaluru’s Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR). The compound, silver copper telluride (AgCuTe), shows promise as a thermoelectric material for converting waste heat into electricity.
NASA observes dramatic rise in sea levels(The Hindu)
The sea level may rise twice as high by 2100 as previously estimated because of climate change, a NASA study says. According to findings detailed in the journalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, rise in sea level may increase by up to 65 centimetres in the next 80 years, which will do to cause significant problems for coastal cities, Space.com reported on Friday.
Rethinking public health(The Hindu )
Curative medicine or health care for medical conditions where a cure is considered achievable involves therapeutics, surgery and rehabilitation. Disease treatment is individual-centric, which involves an interaction between care-givers and patients. Hospitals and clinics are designed for the time-and-cost efficiency of care-givers and not for the convenience of patients.
Yesterday’s current affairs material by Forum IAS
7 PM Editorial: Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2017: all you need to know
