GS: 1
Society related issues:
The turning point in 1932(The Hind Opinion)
In the current climate of Dalit assertion that has the potential to frustrate the BJP’s dreams of regaining power in 2019, it is relevant to revisit the era when the Dalits asserted their clout in Indian politics for the first time but were stymied by Mahatma Gandhi.
GS: 2
International Relations:
When India and China meet(The Hindu Opinion)
The path of India-China relations is strewn with the ghosts of summits past. The leaders of the two countries have met, expressed the loftiest of sentiments, gone their separate ways. No doubt, summits are good, nobody has a quarrel with them, the media at least loves them. The relationship has often benefited from such meetings.
India’s role in ending the Korean war(The Hindu Opinion)
Dramatic events that were inconceivable a few months back are now unfolding rapidly in the Korean peninsula. The Korean war of the early 1950s had never formally ended and an uneasy truce has prevailed for well over half a century. What established the truce was the Korean Armistice Agreement, which was signed on July 27, 1953.
Indian Constitution and Polity:
Collegium puts off decision on pressing Joseph’s case(The Hindu)
The five-judge collegium led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Wednesday deferred its decision on the government’s objections to the elevation of Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court K.M. Joseph to the Supreme Court.
Cabinet clears constitution of 11th pay panel(The Hindu)
The Cabinet cleared the constitution of the 11th Pay Revision Commission on Wednesday. Nearly 4.30 lakh government employees will benefit from its recommendations.
SC questions passage of Aadhaar Act as Money Bill(The Hindu)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the government’s justification for passing the Aadhaar Act as a Money Bill.
GS: 3
Economy:
Govt. approves sugarcane subsidy of Rs. 5.5 per quintal(The Hindu)
Sugar production has hit record highs this year, crossing domestic consumption prices, and leading to a crash in prices. Industry lobbyist Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) estimates that wholesale sugar prices have fallen by Rs. 9 per kg over the past five months, and the mills are now incurring a loss of Rs. 8 per kg of sugar.
Delivering the goods(The Hindu Opinion)
GST revenue increase suggests the indirect tax regime is overcoming teething problems.
Protect patents(The Hindu Opinion)
The Delhi High Court (HC) judgment revoking Monsanto’s Bollgard-2 patent is fraught with problems. Bollgard-2 is an insecticidal technology which uses a gene called Cry2Ab from the soil bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt).
Regulating cryptocurrencies(The Hindu Opinion)
In the most direct action taken so far by regulatory authorities on the issue of cryptocurrencies, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), during its monetary policy announcement on April 6, directed all regulated agencies, including banks, to stop doing any business with “any person or entity dealing with or settling virtual currencies (VC)”.
Environment:
Protest against heritage site adoption scheme in Assam(The Hindu)
Members of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU),Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and other organisations on Wednesday protested against the’Adopt a Heritage’ scheme, a collaboration among the Tourism and Culture Ministers, the Archaeological Survey of India and the State government.
Pollution dipped in 2017, says Environment Ministry(The Hindu)
Responding to the air pollution data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday, the government claimed that various measures have led to pollution levels actually falling in 2017.
10,000 endangered tortoises rescued in Madagascar(The Hindu)
International conservationists in Madagascar have been treating more than 10,000 critically endangered radiated tortoises that were seized from traffickers who had crammed them into a home with no access to food or water.
‘Glow-in-the-dark algae may be a sign of global warming’(The Hindu)
The Noctiluca algae, commonly known as sea tinkle, is a parasite and occurs in patches or ‘blooms’ in the northern Arabian Sea. Their bioluminescence has earned them the name ‘sea sparkle’.
Call to action(The Hindu Opinion)
A new report from the World Health Organisation highlights not only how widespread air pollution is in urban India, but also how deficient air quality monitoring is. The report, which summarised 2016 data for 4,300 cities, ranks 14 Indian cities among the 20 most polluted ones globally
Yesterday’s current affairs material by Forum IAS
7 PM Editorial: Coral bleaching and initiative by Australia
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