Agricultural Accelerator Fund

On 1st February, 2023, Finance Minister announced an Agriculture Accelerator Fund for agritech startups in the budget 2023-24. Need Agricultural startups in India have been gaining immense popularity in recent years as they aim to modernize and improve the traditional agricultural sector in the country. The majority of the farmers in India

New Indigenous Livestock Breeds

On 5th January, 2023, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR) has registered ten new breeds of indigenous livestock species in the country. This has taken the total number of indigenous breeds to 212 as of January 4, 2023. Since 2010, this is the third highest increase

Short Selling

On 25th January, 2023, US based Short-seller Hindenburg Research disclosed short positions in India's Adani Group, citing potential stock manipulation and accounting fraud in a report. About Short Selling A short, or a short position, is created when a trader sells a security first with the intention of repurchasing it or covering

Block Deal

Recently, Indian digital payments and financial services company, Paytm shares nosedived by nearly 9% after a block deal that is supposed to be carried by Chinese group Alibaba. About the Block Deal As per BSE, a block deal is a single trade having quantity greater than or equal to 500,000 or value

Depositary Shares

On 23rd January, 2023, Tata Motors announced its plans to delist its American Depositary Shares (ADS) from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) after January 2023 and terminate its ADS program. About Depositary Receipt It is a financial instrument that allows the investors to invest in the equity of foreign companies. These depositary

Futures Contracts on Corporate Bond Indices

On 10th January, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed stock exchanges to introduce futures contracts on corporate bond indices. Regarding this, SEBI had constituted a working group of representatives of National Stock Exchange (NSE), Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India Limited(MSEI)tomakerecommendationsonthe matter of

Trade-plus-One (T+1) Settlement Cycle

On 27th January, 2023, India become the second country in the world after China, to start the ‘trade-plus-one’ (T+1) settlement cycle in top listed securities. The phased transition had begun on February 25, 2022, following markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)’s circular in September 2021. About Trade-plus-one’ (T+1) Settlement

RBI’s Loan Loss Provision Framework

On 16th January, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India published a discussion paper on “loan loss provision”, proposing a framework for adopting an expected loss (EL)-based approach for provisioning by banks in case of loan defaults. The RBI’s proposal is based on the premise that the present “incurred loss”-based approach for

New Electricity Rules 2022

Recently, the gazette notification on the Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2022 was notified by the government. About the New Rules The Centre introduced the Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2022, to amend the Electricity Rules, 2005. Rule 14 of the Rules requires the State electricity regulatory commission to specify a price adjustment formula for automatically

MAARG Platform

Recently, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) held the MAARG Mentor Masterclass at Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai. About MAARG MAARG refers to Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience and Growth. It is a one-stop platform that enables mentorship for startups across a variety of industries, roles, stages, locations, and backgrounds. It was

National Logistics Portal-Marine

On 27th January, 2023, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways inaugurated The National Logistics Portal (marine) in New Delhi. Need Due to the prevalent scenario, following are the challenges faced by Trade on a daily basis. Absence of standardised formats across stakeholders; Limited levels of automation among various stakeholders; Manual process for documentation and duplication

M-Sand Projects

Recently, Coal India Ltd envisages to commission five Manufactured Sand (M-Sand) plants by 2024. About M-Sand M-Sand is a substitute of river sand for concrete construction. Manufactured sand is produced from hard granite stone by crushing. The crushed sand is of cubical shape with grounded edges, washed and graded to as a construction material.

Lighthouse Certification

CEAT Ltd’s Halol plant has been awarded the Lighthouse Certification by the World Economic Forum. The certification is given to manufacturers that use fourth-industrial revolution technologies to transform factories, value chains, and business models for sustainability, empowering the workforce and increase in

Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AIC)

It is central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Ministry of Finance. It was incorporated under Indian Companies Act 1956, in 2002.It aims to subserve the needs of farmers and move towards a sustainable actuarial regime.

Flipping & Reverse Flipping

Flipping is the process of transferring entire ownership of an Indian company to an overseas entity. It is generally accompanied by a transfer of all intellectual property and data owned by an Indian company. It effectively transforms an Indian company into a 100% subsidiary of a foreign entity. Reverse Flipping

Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS)

Food Corporation of India sells surplus stocks of wheat and rice under Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) at pre-determined prices through e-auction in the open market from time to time. It aims to enhance the supply of food grains, especially wheat during the lean season and thereby moderate the open

Pashu Sakhi

It is a Community Animal care Service Provider (CASP) to include the last mile coverage in rural areas where clinical services for livestock are not available on time or expensive to afford for the rural poor. Pashu Sakhi, which means ‘friends of animals, is a woman from the village trained

REWARD Program

The Government of India, the State Governments of Karnataka and Odisha and the World Bank have signed a $115 million Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development Program (REWARD) program. It aims to strengthen capacities of national and state institutions to adopt improved watershed management for increasing farmers’ resilience

Sunni Dam Hydro Electric Project

The Central government recently approved an investment of Rs 2,614 crore for 382 MW Sunni Dam Hydro Electric Project in Himachal Pradesh. The Run of River project being executed on Satluj river in Shimla and Mandi districts will have 71-meter-high concrete gravity Dam and six generating units in its surface

ASCEND Samagam

On 10th January, 2023, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) organized the ASCEND (Accelerating Startup Calibre & Entrepreneurial Drive) SAMAGAM as part of the Startup India Innovation Week 2023. The objective of the workshop was to capacitate and augment knowledge on key aspects of entrepreneurship and continue

Nau-Anaj

Nau Anaj, which literally translates to nine crops, is a natural and chemical-free method that improves the fertility of land and reduces water consumption by about 50 per cent. It allows nine crops — a combination of lentils, cereals, vegetables, legumes and creepers, to be grown on the same

High-Powered Committee on Ladakh

On 2nd January 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) constituted a 17-member high-powered committee on Ladakh. About the Committee Chairman: The Committee has been formed under the Chairmanship of Nityanand Rai (Minister of State for Home). Terms of Reference Discuss measures to protect the region’s unique culture and language taking into consideration its

Presidential Address

On 31st January, 2023, President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint sitting of Parliament for the first time after assuming the position in July 2022. Brief History In India, the practice of the President addressing Parliament was established after the promulgation of the Government of India Act in 1919. Between 1947 and 1950,

Grievance Appellate Committees

On 27th January, 2023, the Centre notified three Grievance Appellate Committees (GACs) under an amendment to IT Rules 2021. Need The need for GAC was created due to large numbers of grievances being left unaddressed or unsatisfactorily addressed by Internet Intermediaries. About Grievance Appellate Committees (GACs) Virtual Digital Platform The GAC will be

83rd All India Presiding Officers’ Conference

The 83rd All India Presiding Officers’ Conference was organised between 11th-12th January, 2023, in Jaipur (Rajasthan). It concluded with a resolution passed by the attending members. About All India Presiding Officers’ Conference The All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) is the apex body of the Legislatures in India that completed its hundred

Puisne Judge

On 31st January, 2023, while recommending the names for appointment as judges of the Supreme Court, the Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India said that the Collegium had taken into “consideration the seniority of Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges.” About Puisne Judges The word ‘puisne’ has French origins, which means

Mandatory Minimum Sentences

On 23rd January, 2023, Chief Justice of India (CJI) led bench decided to examine a petition challenging mandatory minimum sentencing in case of gangrape of a minor below the age of 12. About Mandatory Minimum Sentencing The concept of mandatory minimum sentencing refers to “a sentence which must be imposed without leaving

Supreme Court Expands Ambit of Article 19

Recently, a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the fundamental rights in Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution are enforceable even against other persons, and not just the state and its instruments. About the Judgment By ruling that a citizen can seek enforcement of the fundamental rights

Chargesheet Not a Public Document: Supreme Court

On 20th January, 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed a PIL seeking a direction to all states to enable free public access to chargesheets and final reports filed by investigating agencies on their websites. What Supreme Court Said? The top court made the observations while hearing a plea by journalist Saurav Das seeking

Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development Scheme

On 4th January, 2023, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the “Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND)” scheme to upgrade Prasar Bharati to expand the public service broadcasting infrastructure across the country. Salient Features Outreach Expansion It will enable the public broadcaster to undertake a major upgradation of its facilities with better

SMART Program

Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research in Teaching Professionals (SMART) has been launched by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS). It is aimed to boost scientific research in priority healthcare research areas through Ayurveda colleges and

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)

DPI is an open-source identity platform that can be used to access a wide range of government and private services by developing applications and products. It encompasses digital forms of identification and verification, civil registration, payment (including digital transactions and money transfers), data exchange, and information systems. These public digital

Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC)

It is set up to examine a particular bill presented before the Parliament, or for the purpose of investigating cases of financial irregularities in any government activity It is an ad-hoc body. It is set up for a specific object and duration. The mandate of a JPC depends on

PM CARES Fund

It was set up under the name of ‘Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund)’. It has been registered as Public Charitable Trust under the Registration Act, 1908 at New Delhi in March 2020. It does not go to Consolidated Fund of India which

Project ELLORA

It is also known as Enabling Low Resource Languages that was launched in 2015. It aims to bring ‘rare’ Indian languages online. It is a digital resource for Indian languages that do not have enough presence online. Some of the languages that have been chosen for research include: Gondi, Mundari,

Aspirational Block Programme (ABP)

The Aspirational Blocks Programme is on the lines of the Aspirational District Programme that was launched in 2018. It aims to improve the performance of blocks lagging on various development parameters. This will enable holistic development in those areas that require added assistance. The programme will cover 500 blocks across

India and Egypt to Elevate Bilateral Relations

The President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was the Chief Guest at India’s 74th Republic Day celebrations this year. During his visit, India and Egypt held wide-ranging talks. Key Outcomes Strategic Partnership: Both nations agreed to elevate their bilateral ties to “Strategic Partnership”. The strategic partnership will have broadly four elements: political, defence,

India-United States Trade Policy Forum Meeting

On January 11, 2023, India and the United States held the 13th Ministerial-level meeting of India-United States Trade Policy Forum (TPF) in Washington, DC. Key Highlights Significance of the TPF: The leaders underlined the significance of the TPF in forging robust bilateral trade ties and enhancing the bilateral economic relationship to benefit

India’s Notice to Pakistan on Indus Waters Treaty

On 25th January, 2023, India sent a notice to Pakistan calling for modifications to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). India sent the notice as per Article XII (3) of the IWT that deals with the “final provisions” of the treaty. Key Points India's Objections: India cited Pakistan’s “intransigence” in resolving disputes over

Think-20 Meet: The Bhopal Declaration

On 16th and 17th January, 2023, a two-day meeting of Think-20 (an Engagement Group of the G20) was held in Bhopal. More than 300 participants from India and abroad released the Bhopal Declaration after discussing the G20 agenda at the conclusion of the meeting. The theme of the meeting was "Global

Voice of Global South Summit 2023

On 12-13 January, 2023, India hosted a two-day Voice of Global South Summit. The Summit was held in virtual format and saw participation of Leaders and Ministers from 125 countries of the Global South. India convened this one of a kind Summit to focus Global South’s attention on priorities, perspectives and

Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum

From 16th to 20th January, 2023, the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) was held in the Swiss town of Davos. The theme this year was ‘Cooperation in a Fragmented World’. Key Takeaways Economic Outlook: Most business leaders were upbeat about the economy, with US and the European Union (EU)

iCET Dialogue

Recently, India's National Security Advisor and his US counterpart formally launched the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in Washington. Announced during US President Joe Biden and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral talks in Tokyo in May 2022, the iCET is spearheaded by the National Security Councils

WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

Switzerland became the first WTO member to formally submit its acceptance of the WTO’s new Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. The agreement was adopted by consensus at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference. It sets new binding, multilateral rules to curb harmful subsidies, which are a key factor in the widespread depletion

Student Loan Safety Net

The US White House is moving forward with a proposal that would lower student debt payments for millions of Americans now and in the future, offering a new route to repay federal loans under far more generous terms. The new plan lowers monthly payment requirements and creates an easier path

Asian Pacific Postal Union

Recently, India, for the first time, took over the leadership of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU). Headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, APPU is an intergovernmental organisation comprising 32 member countries in the Asia-Pacific region. It is the only restricted union of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in the region, which

Draft Global Pandemic Agreement

It is commonly known as the pandemic treaty, which has been drawn out by WHO’s member states and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).It contains a number of measures to ensure the world's response to the next pandemic is not only more robust but more equitable.It is being drawn up "in recognition of

Webb Detects New Exoplanet

On 11th January, 2022, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that the James Webb Space Telescope has discovered its first new exoplanet, LHS 475 b. Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) captured the planet with only two transit observations. Key Points Location: LHS 475 b is a rocky planet, relatively close at 41

Milky Way Galaxy's Most-distant Stars

Recently, astronomers have detected a group of 208 stars more distant from Earth than any known within our Milky Way galaxy - almost halfway to the neighbouring Andromeda galaxy. These stars are located in the stellar halo that represents the Milky Way's outer limits. Key Findings Location: These 208 stars inhabit the

Japan’s IGS-Radar 7 Reconnaissance Satellite

On 26th January, 2022, Japan launched a rocket carrying the government intelligence-gathering IGS-Radar 7 reconnaissance satellite. The satellite successfully entered its planned orbit. Key Points Launch: The liquid-fuel H2A rocket, launched by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited, successfully lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan, carrying the IGS-Radar 7 reconnaissance

INS Vagir Commissioned into Indian Navy

On 23rd January, 2023, the fifth Scorpene class conventional submarine, INS Vagir, was commissioned into the Indian Navy. INS Vagir: Key Points About: INS Vagir, a Kalvari-class submarine, gets its name from the erstwhile Vagir, a submarine which served the Navy between 1973 and 2001. It will form part of the Western

New Material to Remove Water Pollutants

Recently, a team of scientists from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune has designed a unique molecular sponge-like material - macro/microporous ionic organic framework - which can quickly clean polluted water by soaking up various contaminants. Context Studies have identified various organic as well as inorganic toxic pollutants

Sun-powered Reactor to Convert Plastic and CO2 into Fuel

Recently, researchers from the University of Cambridge, the UK, have developed a reactor that can, using just the energy from the Sun, convert plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels and other valuable products. Key Points The researchers developed an integrated reactor with two separate compartments: One for plastic and one

SLYM

A new study has shown the existence of a fourth meningeal layer, called the subarachnoid lymphatic-like membrane (SLYM) in mouse and human brains. Until now, the human brain and other parts of the central nervous system were believed to have three layers – dura, arachnoid, and pia mater – that

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a variant of GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) which is a large-scale neural network-based language model developed by OpenAI. It can generate responses to a wide range of topics, such as answering questions, providing explanations, and engaging in conversations. It can admit its mistakes, challenge false premises, and refuse

Phonons

Technically, phonons aren’t particles; they are quasiparticles – packets of energy that behave like particles in a system. A phonon is a quasiparticle of vibrational energy. When the grid of atoms that make up the material vibrates, it releases this energy, and physicists encapsulate it in the form of phonons.

Doppler Weather Radar

Recently, the Ministry of Earth Sciences inaugurated the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) Systems in Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. The government is planning to cover the entire country with Doppler weather radar network by 2025. Doppler weather radar is a specialized radar that uses the Doppler effect to

Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)

It is the primary payload of Aditya-L1 Mission - India’s first mission to observe the Sun from a vantage point 1.5 million kilometres from the earth. It is designed to study various aspects of the sun like its atmosphere, solar wind acceleration and the origin of coronal mass ejection.

BharOS

Recently developed at IIT Madras, BharOS is an AOSP (Android Open Source Project) based operating system. It is developed by JandK Operations Private Limited (JandKops), which is a non-profit organisation incubated at IIT Madras. BharOS comes with No Default Apps (NDA). This means that users will get most of storage

Immune Imprinting

Immune imprinting is a tendency of the body to repeat its immune response based on the first variant it encountered through infection or vaccination when it comes across a newer or slightly different variant of the same pathogen. Recent studies have pointed out that bivalent boosters made to counter both

New Study on Glacier Melting

According to a recent study, titled 'Global glacier change in the 21st century: Every increase in temperature matters', half the Earth’s glaciers are destined to vanish by 2100. The study came up with projections for each glacier after analysing satellite images. Key Points Glaciers are receding at unprecedented rates due to climate

Asian Waterbird Census

According to a recent survey at Alappuzha wetlands, Kerala, the populations of some migratory waterbirds, especially duck species, visiting the region are falling. The survey was conducted as part of the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) 2023. Key Points Duck species like Northern Shoveler, Common teal and Eurasian wigeon, sighted in the previous

Indian Star Tortoise Faces Challenges

A recent study on the Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) has revealed that the species is facing twin challenges of a threat to its habitat at one level and loss of its genetic diversity at the other. There are three major populations of the Indian star tortoise species — in the

Healing of Ozone Layer

According to a recent United Nations report, Earth’s protective ozone layer is slowly but noticeably healing at a pace that would fully mend the hole over Antarctica in about 43 years. The successful phasing out of ozone depleting substances (ODS) as envisioned in the Montreal Protocol has set the stage for

Carbon Emission by Logged Tropical Forests

Recently, a study, titled ‘Tropical forests post-logging are a persistent net carbon source to the atmosphere’, found that tropical forests, which have been logged (cut down) or degraded, remain a source of carbon emission for at least a decade. The findings contradict a previous assumption – that recovering tropical forests absorb

Nature Risk Profile Methodology

On 17th January, 2023, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and S&P Global Sustainable1 launched the Nature Risk Profile, a new methodology for analyzing companies’ impacts and dependencies on nature. The launch of the Nature Risk Profile methodology follows on the heels of the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,

New Dwarf Boa Species

A new species of dwarf boa has been discovered in the upper Amazon basin. It has been named Tropidophis cacuangoae. The snake from the Tropidophiidae family was found in the cloud forest in northeastern Ecuador. Its colour is primarily light brown with darker brown or black blotches — similar to

Neelakurinji

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has listed Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, including it on the list of protected plants. These flowers belong to a shrub that is particularly found in the Shola forests of the Western Ghats in Karnataka,

Titanosaur Eggs

Paleontologists have reported a rare discovery of closely located dinosaur nests and 256 eggs of the herbivorous titanosaurs in the Narmada valley in Madhya Pradesh. A study of the nests and eggs has revealed intimate details about the lives of the long-necked sauropods that walked the region more than 66

Mahabali Frog

Mahabali Frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis), which buries itself all through the year and surfaces only one day to lay eggs, is waiting to be elevated as the State Frog of Kerala. The frog was named after the mythical King Mahabali, who visits his people once a year from the underneath

Liquified Natural Gas

The European Union is weaning itself off piped Russian gas by rapidly expanding imports of liquified natural gas (LNG), much of it fracked in the US. LNG is natural gas reduced to a liquid state (liquefaction) through intense cooling to around -161 degrees Celsius. LNG is 600 times smaller

Green Steel

Green Steel refers to steel that is manufactured without the use of fossil fuels. This can be done by using low-carbon energy sources such as hydrogen, coal gasification, or electricity instead of the traditional carbon-intensive manufacturing route of coal-fired plants. It lowers greenhouse gas emissions, cuts costs and improves the

Triassic Caecilian Fossils

A team of palaeontologists has discovered the first Triassic-era caecilian fossils, which are the oldest of their kind. The find could help fill a nearly 90 million-year gap in the historical record of caecilians, where no fossils have been found before. Before the new find, the gap in the fossil

Santhi Kumari

On 11th January 2023, she became the first woman chief secretary of

Manuela Roka Botey

On 1st February 2023, she became Equatorial Guinea’s first woman Prime

S. Subbaraman

He was conferred Padma Shri (2023) in Archaeology. He was Superintending Archaeological Chemist of ASI. Some of the major restoration work under his guidance include Ajanta Caves, Bamiyan Buddha, Angkor Wat, Brihadeshwara temple in Thanjavur, Leepakshi in Andhra Pradesh,

Captain Surbhi Jakhmola

A member of the Indian Army's 117 Engineer Regiment, she will be the first woman officer to be posted on a foreign assignment at the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The officer will be sent to Bhutan as part of Project Dantak.

Raja J. Chari

Indian-American astronaut Raja J. Chari has been nominated by the US President Joe Biden for the appointment to the grade of Air Force brigadier

Petr Pavel

Retired NATO general Petr Pavel beat former Prime Minister Andrej Babis in a presidential election of Czech Republic. He will replace President Milos

Csaba Korosi

The President of the 77th Session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Mr. Csaba Korosi recently visited

Manpreet Monica Singh

Manpreet Monica Singh, an Indian-origin woman took oath as a Harris county judge, becoming the United States' first female Sikh

Christopher John Hipkins

He succeeded Jacinda Ardern as the Prime Minister of New

Pankaj Kumar Singh

The former Director General (DG) of the Border Security Force (BSF) has been appointed as India's Deputy National Security Advisor (Dy NSA) in the National Security Council Secretariat

Praveen Sharma

He has been selected for appointment as Director in the National Health Authority (Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission) under the Ministry of Health & Family

Chetan Sharma

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reappointed him as the chairman of selectors for the senior national

Justice AK Sikri

The Delhi High Court has appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice AK Sikri as an administrator to oversee the utilization of funds for the upcoming International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup being held in India in March,

Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh

He took over as the new Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force on 1, February 2023, succeeding Air Marshal Sandeep

AC Charania

An Indian-American aerospace industry expert, AC Charania has been appointed as NASA's new chief technologist.

Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi

He has been appointed as the new Drugs Controller General of India

Karl Alexander Müller

He was a Swiss physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1987 with Georg Bednorz for work in superconductivity in ceramic

Air Marshal Harjeet Singh Arora

He was former Vice Chief of Air Staff served from 1 October 2019 to 30 June 2021.

K. Viswanath

He was a Telugu filmmaker and five-time national award winner. In 1992, he was awarded the Padma Shri and the Dada Saheb Phalke award in 2017. He had won the Filmfare awards eight times in a career spanning over four

Vani Jairam

She was a renowned playback singer. She won Padma Bhushan award

Shantabai Krushnaji Kamble

She was a Marathi writer and Dalit activist. She wrote the first female Dalit autobiography – ‘Majya Jalmachi Chittarkatha’ translated as ‘The Kaleidoscope Story of My

Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi

He was an Indian architect. In 2018, he became the first Indian architect to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize. He was also awarded the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan, and the Royal Institute of British Architects' Royal Gold Medal for 2022. In 2023 he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan

Mir Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah Bahadur

He was the titular eighth Nizam of Hyderabad (Asaf Jahi dynasty).

Tehemton Erach Udwadia

He was an Indian surgeon and gastroenterologist, considered by many as the father of laparoscopic surgery in India.He was awarded the Padma Shri, in 2006, the Padma Bhushan in 2017 for his contributions to Indian medicine. He was also awarded Dr. B. C. Roy

Abdur Rehman Rahi

He was a Kashmiri poet, translator and critic.He is the first Kashmiri writer to be awarded the Jnanpith - for his poetic collection Siyah Rood Jaeren Manz (In Black Drizzle).He was awarded the Indian Sahitya Akademi Award in 1961 for his poetry collection Nawroz-i-Saba, the Padma Shri in 2000. He

Prabhaben Shah

She was a social worker and Padma Shri awardee (2022) from Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and

Nilamani Phookan Jr

He was an Assamese poet and recipient of the 56th Jnapith Award for the year 2021.He was given the title of ‘Kavya Rishi’. He is the third recipient of the Jnanpith award in Assam after Birendranath Bhattacharya and Mamoni (Indira) Raisom Goswami. He received the Sahitya Akademi award in

Shanti Bhushan

He was India's Law Minister, who introduced 44th Amendment of the Constitution of India which repealed many provisions of 42nd Amendment of the Constitution, which is known as

Keshari Nath Tripathi

He served as Governor of West Bengal from July 2014 to July 2019. He briefly served as governor of Bihar, Meghalaya, and Mizoram at various

Abyei

It is a "special administrative area” on the border between Sudan and South Sudan. India is all set to deploy a platoon of Women Peacekeepers - India’s largest single unit of women peacekeepers in a UN Mission since it deployed the first-ever all women’s contingent in Liberia in

Manjare Village

A rare low-altitude basalt plateau housing 76 species of plants and shrubs from 24 different families discovered in Manjare Village, Thane region in the Western Ghats—one of the four global biodiversity hotspots in

Hyderabad

Hyderabad will host a World Economic Forum Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), the first thematic centre in India to focus on life sciences and

Odesa

The United Nations' cultural agency, UNESCO, has designated the historic centre of Odesa, a strategic port city on Ukraine's Black Sea coast, a World Heritage in Danger

Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam will be Andhra Pradesh's new capital, nine years after the state of Telangana was carved out of its territory and given Hyderabad as its

Veer Guardian 2023

It was the inaugural edition of the bilateral air exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) held in

Cyclone - I

It was the first ever joint exercise between the special forces of the Indian Army and the Egyptian Army held at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan from 14-27 January

Exercise Varuna

The 21st edition of the bilateral Naval Exercise between India and France was held on the Western Seaboard from 16-20 January 2023.

AMPHEX 23

The largest biennial Tri-Services amphibious exercise – AMPHEX 2023 – involving the Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), and the Indian Navy, was conducted near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh from January 17 to January 22,

“Ops Alert”

The Border Security Force (BSF) carried out this vigil exercise (from 21 January to 28 January 2023) with an aim to enhance security along the International Border (IB) with Pakistan in Kutch district of Gujarat and Barmer in Rajasthan in view of the Republic Day 2023

Exercise Pralay

The Indian Air Force carried out ‘Exercise Pralay’ involving all major air bases in the northeast including the recently moved drone squadrons in the northeast amid the ongoing standoff with China. This is the second such command-level exercise carried out by the IAF in recent

TROPEX

The biennial Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX) is being conducted over a duration of three months from January to March 2023 and assets of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Coast Guard are being deployed for the mega drills. The exercise is designed to

Exercise Poorvi Akash

The Indian Air Force (IAF)’s Eastern Air Command conducted its annual exercise, Poorvi Akash, in the northeastern part of the country during the first week of February.

Trishakti Prahar

This was a joint training exercise in North Bengal to practice battle preparedness of the security forces, using latest weapons and equipment in a networked, integrated environment, involving the Army, the Indian Air Force and

‘Exercise Topchi’

It is an annual firepower demonstration and training exercise of the Indian Army which was conducted recently at the School of Artillery in Devlali, Nasik.

Think 20

Think20 (T20) is an official Engagement Group of the G20. It serves as an “idea bank” for the G20 by bringing together think tanks and high-level experts to discuss policy issues relevant to the

GOPIO

Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) was founded in New York in 1989.The initial thrust of GOPIO was fighting human rights violation of people of Indian origin. Recently, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with chapters of 8 countries of the Global Organization

Y20 Summit

The first ever Y20 (Youth 20) Summit to be held in India on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, will focus on themes of future of work; climate change and disaster risk reduction; peace-building and reconciliation; and youth in

Voice of Global South Summit

The summit was organized by India on 12th January 2023 as an important group of nations to collaborate on political, economic, social, environmental, cultural, and technical

B20 Summit

The Business 20 (B20) is an event which is part of the G20 Summit. It is meant to express common views from the international business

COP 28

The 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the UNFCCC will convene from 30 November to 12 December 2023. It will take place in the United Arab

Padma Awards 2023

Padma Awards - one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.For the year 2023, the President has approved conferment of 106 Padma Awards (6 Padma Vibhushan, 9 Padma Bhushan and 91 Padma Shri Awards). 19 of

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2023

Odisha State Disaster Management Authority and Lunglei Fire Station, Mizoram, selected in the Institutional Category for Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia Lifetime Achievement Award

Hindustani vocalist Padma Vibhushan, Dr. Prabha Atre was conferred with the Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia Lifetime Achievement Award by the Maharashtra

Golden Globe Award (Best Original Song)

“Naatu Naatu" song by M. M. Keeravani and Chandrabose from the film RRR directed by S. S.

FIH President Award

International Hockey Federation (FIH) President Tayyab Ikram presented the FIH President’s Award to VK Pandian, Secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, for his outstanding contribution to

Republic Day Parade Awards

Best Marching Contingent among the three services - Punjab Regiment Centre Contingent Best Marching Contingent among CAPF/other auxiliary forces - Crpf Marching Contingent Best three Tableaux (States/UTs) First - Uttarakhand (Manaskhand) Second - Maharashtra (Sade Tin Shaktipithe & Nari Shakti) Third - Uttar Pradesh (Ayodhya Deepotsav) Best Tableau (Ministries/Departments) - Ministry of Tribal Affairs (Eklavya Model

Art Forms Recognized by Padma Awards 2023

Pandavani It is a lyrical folk form of narration of scenes/events from Mahabharata without the use of props. It usually has a lead singer/narrator and two accompanying musicians with instruments. It is popular in tribes in Chhattisgarh especially the Pardhi community. Variations (Shaili) Vedamati: The style of narration is said to be based

Gaan Ngai Festival

Gaan-Ngai is the biggest annual post-harvest festival of the Zeliangrong people who inhabit in the State of Manipur, Assam and Nagaland. It is also known as Chakaan Gaan Ngai and is the biggest festival of Zeliangrong community. Full form of the festival is Chakaan Gaan Ngai. Chakaan means winter; Gaan means moonlit

Maghi Mela

Maghi Mela is held in the holy city of Sri Muktsar Sahib every year in January, or on the month of Magh according to the Nanakshahi calendar. It is one of the most important festivals for Sikhs. The festival marks the martyrdom of 40 Sikh soldiers in the Battle of Khidrana against

Theyyam Ritual Art Form

Recently, in an outreach initiative, the Kerala Tourism department hosted a cultural event in Chandigarh in which the performers on stage showcased the state’s unique traditional Theyyam ritual art. About Theyyam Ritual Art Theyyam is a ritualistic dance performed in northern Kerala and parts of Karnataka, often by people who are momentarily

Dravidian Languages of India

A noted linguist B Ramakrishna Reddy from Telangana has received Padma Shri award for protecting languages such as Kuvi, Kui and Manda for decades. Kuvi Language Kuvi is a South-Central Dravidian language spoken in Odisha. The language is one of two spoken by the Kandhas, with the other being the closely related

Toto Language

Dhaniram Toto has received Padma shri award for developing script of critically endangered Toto language. He is also the first author to write a novel in Toto language. About Toto Language It is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken on the border of India and Bhutan, by the tribal Toto people in Totopara, West

Buddhist Monastery Complex Discovered in West Bengal

Recent excavations at Bharatpur in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district have revealed the presence of a Buddhist monastery. About the Bharatpur Buddhist Monastery Complex The site was initially excavated almost fifty years ago between 1972 and 1975 when archeologists from ASI found a Buddhist stupa at the site. When the site was excavated

Sagol Kangjei : The Traditional Manipuri Polo

Recently, Union Home Minister inaugurated a 122-foot-high Sagol Kangjei (Polo) Statue at the Ibudhou Marjing complex at Heingang in Imphal. About Sagol Kangjei It is an ancient traditional form of the modern polo, which was played in Ancient Manipur (Antique Kangleipak) since 3100 BC till present. It was reproduced into a formal

Wall of Peace: Modern Mural Art

Recently, the Wall of Peace, a great work of modern mural art on the 700-feet long compound wall of Government Vocational Higher Secondary School at Cherpulassery (Kerala), was inaugurated. The mural, in dimmed golden shade done with cement and sand on the 10-ft-high wall, has already won many an accolade, including

Uttarakhand’s Tableau wins top Republic Day Award

For the first time since Uttarakhand's formation 23 years ago, the state's Republic Day tableau, themed "Manaskhand", depicting the historic Jageshwar temples near Almora and the hill state's traditional Chholiya dance, won the first prize this year. In 2021, the state's Kedarkhand tableau had won the third position among all tableaux.

Charaideo Maidams: Pyramids of Assam

On 24th January, 2023, the Centre has decided to nominate Assam’s Charaideo Maidams for the UNESCO World Heritage Site. About Charaideo Maidams The Charaideo moidams are royal burial sites of the Ahom dynasty, which ruled over much of Assam and the North East from 1228 to 1826 AD. Located around 30 km

Soligas People

Soligas are an indigenous tribe of Karnataka, inhabiting the peripheral forest areas near Biligiri Rangana Hills and Male Mahadeshwara in the Chamarajnagar district of Karnataka. They are the first tribal community living inside the core area of a tiger reserve in India to get their forest rights officially recognised by

Juna Khatiya

It is an Early Harappan burial site located in Lakhpat Taluka of Kachchh district in Gujarat. The site was discovered in 2016 during a field survey conducted by the Department of Archaeology, University of Kerala. This is the biggest Early Harappan cemetery documented in India so far. The burials

Aiyanoor Ammanoor Festival

It is a festival celebrated by the Kota tribe of the Nilgiris. During this festival, this tribe collects clay to make pottery. The pot-making ceremony is held once every two years. After making an earthen pot, they open their temple and then prepare food in this earthen pot and

Chamundeshwari Temple

It is a Hindu temple located on the top of Chamundi Hills about 13 km from the palace city of Mysuru in the state of Karnataka. The Chamundeshwari Temple is considered as a Shakti Peetha and one among the 18 Shakti Peethas. It is known as Krouncha Pitha as

Parshuram Kund Festival

Parshuram kund is a Hindu pilgrimage centre situated at Telu Shati/Tailung area of Mishmi plateau in the lower reaches of the Lohit River. It is also known as the Kumbh of the Northeast. According to Hindu faith, the sage Parshuram, on the advice of some sages is said to have

Ottanthullal Dance

It is recite-and-dance art-form of Kerala. The word Thullal means “to jump” or “leap about” in the Malayalam language. It was introduced in the eighteenth century by Kunchan Nambiar, one of the Prachina Kavithrayam (three famous Malayalam-language poets). There are three varieties of this dance form namely, Ottanthullal, Seethankan

Ramcharitmanas

The word Ramcharitmanas literally means “Lake of the deeds of Rama”. The poem was written in the 16th century in the Awadhi dialect that is mainly spoken in the areas that are today’s Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya districts. It is divided into seven chapters (Kand) that tell the

Supreme Court Simplifies Procedure for Passive Euthanasia

On 24th January, 2023, the Supreme Court modified its 2018 order on passive euthanasia. Modifications Made The Supreme Court removed the condition that mandated a magistrate's approval for withdrawal or withholding of life support to a terminally ill. The document will now be signed by the executor of the "living will" in the

JJ Act: Draft Guidelines on Conducting Preliminary Assessment

Recently, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) formulated draft guidelines for conducting the preliminary assessment under Section 15 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 (assessment of child of 16 to 18 years of age for trial before children’s court or juvenile justice board in cases of heinous

Mahila Samman Savings Certificate

In the Budget 2023-2024, the Government announced the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate -a new small savings scheme for women investors. Salient Features of MSSC Government-Backed: It is a small savings scheme backed by the government. Hence, it does not have any credit risk. Eligibility: The Mahila Samman Savings Certificate can be done

Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission

On 1st February, 2023, Finance Minister announced the launch of a new scheme called the Pradhan Mantri PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) Development Mission as part of the Union Budget 2023-24. Need Due to their vulnerability, PVTGs require greater support and development compared to other tribal groups. The more developed and

Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman

On 1st February, 2023, while presenting the Union Budget 2023-2024, Finance Minister announced the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman (PM-VIKAS). Need Since the British era, artisans and craftsmen have been going extinct in India. By using a variety of strategies, the Indian government is working to improve the nation’s economic standing while

All India Survey on Higher Education 2020-2021

On 29th January, 2023, Ministry of Education released All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021. About All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) It is conducted by the Ministry since 2011. Coverage: AISHE Report 2022 covers all higher educational institutions located in Indian Territory and imparting higher education in the country. Parameters: The

Project 39A

It is a criminal reforms advocacy group with the National Law University, Delhi. It is inspired by Article 39-A of the Indian Constitution, a provision that furthers the intertwined values of equal justice and equal opportunity by removing economic and social barriers Project 39A aims to trigger new conversations on

Hakku Patra

The word ‘Hakku’ means “the right”, and ‘Patra’ means a “paper” or “document”. It is a legal document that states an individual's rightful inheritance of a property. It is issued to the nation's underprivileged section, including scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, urban slum dwellers, handicapped, and other disadvantaged populations. In most

Bal Mitra

The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights has launched its WhatsApp chatbot called ‘Bal Mitra’ to enable two-way communication between people and the child rights panel. The chatbot aims to help citizens and the commission to interact more effectively, according to a government statement. Some of the features of

Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

It came into effect in October 2006 and aims to provide protection and support to victims of domestic violence. The State Governments are required to appoint Protection Officers, register Service Providers and notify shelter homes and medical facilities for implementation of the Act. It is a Civil law

Section 6A of the Citizenship Act

Section 6A deals with “special provisions as to the citizenship of persons covered by the Assam Accord”. It says that all those who came to Assam on or after January 1, 1966, but before March 25, 1971, from the specified territory (it includes all territories of Bangladesh at the

Chunyun

Chunyun is simply the period around the Chinese New Year, based on the Lunar Calendar. It is a period of travel in China with an extremely high traffic load around the time of the Chinese New Year. There is no fixed date for the New Year, with the date being

Country’s First Fully Digital Banking State

Chief Minister of Kerala has declared Kerala as the first state in the country to go fully digital in its banking service and said this recognition would boost the state economy. The achievement was possible due to social interventions through local self-government institutions along with infrastructure development and technological advances

Kollam: First Constitution Literate District In India

The Indian district of Kollam has become the country’s first constitution literate district. The district’s success is the result of a seven-month campaign launched by the Kollam district panchayat, District Planning Committee, and the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) to educate citizens about the country’s laws and their rights.Around

Wayanad: Country’s First District to Provide Basic Documents to all Tribals

Kerala's Wayanad became the first district in the country to provide basic documents and facilities such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, birth/death certificates, election ID cards, bank accounts to all tribes people. The drive was launched in November 2021 at Thondarnadu grama panchayat. The campaign is aimed at ensuring

Indian Library Congress

Kerala Chief Minister inaugurated Indian Library Congress in Kannur, Kerala. The event was hosted by Kannur University, Kerala from 1st January to 3rd January 2023. The inauguration event of the Indian Library Congress was organized by the People’s Mission for Social Development and Library

Year of Enterprises Project

The 'Year of Enterprises' project was recognized as the best practices model at the National Conference on Micro Small and Medium Enterprises It aimed to create 1,00,000 enterprises and has successfully created 1,18,509 enterprises and got investment worth Rs. 7,261.54 crores. Under the ‘Year of Enterprises’ project, Malappuram and Ernakulam

Welfare Board

The Kerala Cabinet approved a scheme to ensure those employed under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the poll-bound state get benefits like pension and medical assistance. With this, Kerala became the first state to have a welfare board for the beneficiaries of employment guarantee programmes in

Tamil Nadu Information Commission

The State Information Commission of Tamil Nadu has the lowest performance of responsiveness under the RTI Act concerned, with only up to 14% of the information sought. Maharashtra was second lowest with sharing only 23% of the information asked for. The report was issued on the Performance of Information Commission

Octave 2023

Octave 2023 is a festival being held under the aegis of the South Zone Culture Centre, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu to showcase the indigenous art and culture of Northeast India. The participating states in Octave 2023 are Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur, and Arunachal

Mission-929

Election Commission launched ‘Mission-929’ to take voter turnout in Tripura to over 90%. The Election Commission (EC) is focusing on 929 polling booths across Tripura, setting a target of 92 per cent voter turnout in the assembly elections due early this year. The EC is also working on ‘Mission Zero

“Saharsh” Special Education Program

It was launched in 40 schools of the state on a pilot basis in August, 2022. This year, it will be extended to all government and aided schools in Tripura from the second week of January. It is aimed at empowering children to learn with

Sukhashray Sahayata Kosh

Under this, an amount of Rs 101 crore will be set up for the destitute in the state. 40 Congress MLAs agreed to contribute rupees one lakh each from their first salary for the fund and also requested the MLAs from BJP and other parties to contribute. The collected fund

Old Pension Scheme

The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to provide Old Pension Scheme to all government employees who are presently covered under the defined contributory pension scheme, also referred to as NPS. This scheme will benefit about 1.36 lakh NPS employees in the state.

Didir Suraksha Kavach

The objective of the new campaign is to connect with the people through the party’s programme. The first phase of the campaign will involve — 'Anchale Ek Din/Nagare Ek Din' (One day in the area) — where state-level party leadership will spend a day each at all gram panchayats and

Hockey World Cup 2023

Germany won its third Hockey World Cup title after defeating Belgium in penalty shootouts 5-4 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.Winners for the 2023 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup awardsBest Player- Niklas Wellen (Germany)Best Goalkeeper- Vincent Vanasch (Belgium)Host: OdishaVenue(s): Kalinga Stadium (Bhubaneshwar) and Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium (Rourkela)Mascot: Olly

Australian Open 2023

HighlightsMen's Singles: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece). Djokovic claimed the men's singles title, his tenth Australian Open title and 22nd major title overall, tying Rafael Nadal's all-time record.Women's Singles: Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) beat Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)Indian Pair at the Event: The Indian pair of Sania Mirza and Rohan

India Open Badminton Championship

Men’s Singles: Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand) won the India Open title. He defeated World No.1 Denmark's Viktor Axelsen. Women’s Singles: An Seyoung (Korea) won the Women's singles final. She beat World No.1 Japanese Akane

ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup

India beat England to be crowned winners of the inauguralWomen's Under-19 T20 World Cup. Host Country: South Africa Captain of Indian Team: Shafali Verma Player of the Match (Final): Titas Sadhu (India) Player of the Tournament: Grace Scrivens (England Captain) First Hat-trick: Madison Landsman (South

Key Points

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2023-24 in Parliament on 1 February 2023. It is the first budget of ‘Amrit Kaal’. Since 2016, the budget is being presented on first day of February. Union Budget is referred to as the Annual Financial Statement in Article 112 of the

Priority 1: Inclusive Development

The Government’s philosophy of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas has facilitated inclusive development covering in specific, farmers, women, youth, OBCs, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, divyangjan and economically weaker sections, and overall priority for the underprivileged (vanchiton ko variyata). There has also been a sustained focus on Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and

Priority 2: Reaching the Last Mile

To provide a sharper focus on the objective of ‘reaching the last mile’, the government has formed the ministries of AYUSH, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Skill Development, Jal Shakti and Cooperation. Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme Building on the success of the Aspirational Districts Programme, the Government has recently launched the

Priority 3: Infrastructure & Investment

Investments in Infrastructure and productive capacity have a large multiplier impact on growth and employment. After the subdued period of the pandemic, private investments are growing again. The Budget takes the lead once again to ramp up the virtuous cycle of investment and job creation. Capital Investment as Driver of Growth

Priority 4: Unleashing the Potential

“Good Governance is the key to a nation’s progress. The government is committed to providing a transparent and accountable administration which works for the betterment and welfare of the common citizen,” said Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. Mission Karmayogi Under Mission Karmayogi, Centre, States and Union Territories are making and implementing capacity-building

Priority 5: Green Growth

Hon’ble Prime Minister has given a vision for “LiFE”, or Lifestyle for Environment, to spur a movement of environmentally conscious lifestyle. India is moving forward firmly for the ‘panchamrit’ and net-zero carbon emission by 2070 to usher in green industrial and economic transition. This Budget builds on the government’s focus

Priority 6: Youth Power

To empower youth and help the ‘Amrit Peedhi’ realize their dreams, the government formulated the National Education Policy, focused on skilling, adopted economic policies that facilitate job creation at scale, and have supported business opportunities. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 will be launched to skill

Priority 7: Financial Sector

The Government’s reforms in the financial sector and innovative use of technology have led to financial inclusion at scale, better and faster service delivery, ease of access to credit and participation in financial markets. This Budget proposes to further these measures. Credit Guarantee for MSMEs The revamped credit guarantee scheme for MSMEs,

Parliamentary Democracy

Parliamentary democracy is a system the political party with the most seats in the House or Parliament during the federal election becomes the governing administration. Constitutional Provisions: Article 74 and 75 provides the parliamentary system for the centre whereas article 163 and 164 provides the parliamentary system for the states. Important Points A

Parliamentary Sovereignty

Parliamentary sovereignty means supremacy of the legislative body i.e., parliament over all other government institutions including executive and judicial bodies. In India, there is no parliament sovereignty rather there is constitutional sovereignty. Basic Features of Constitutional Supremacy Written and rigid Constitution. The distinction between constitutional law and ordinary law. Parliament itself was created and functioning

Liberal Democracy

Liberal democracy emphasizes the separation of powers, an independent judiciary and a system of checks and balances between branches of government. Liberal democracy rests on three distinct sets of rights: property rights, political rights, and civil rights. Constitutional Provisions Property rights are conferred upon individuals through the Article 300A of the Indian Constitution. Political

Constitutional Government

A constitutional government is the one that is defined by the Constitution of the country. Important Points Constitutional government means a government limited by the terms of the constitution. A Constitutional Government by definition is a limited government. A Constitutional Government is one which places effective restrictions on the Authority of the State in

Representative Form of Government/Representative Democracy

Representative democracy refers to a democratic system in which people choose their representatives through an election process and indirectly participate in decision-making. Features of Representative Democracy Government by Consent Fair and Transparent Elections Majority Rule Political Equality Rule of Law and Independent Judiciary Political

Social Democracy

Social democracy is a government system that has similar values to socialism, but within a capitalist framework. It is defined as a policy regime that supports economic and social interventions to advance social justice inside the framework of a liberal-democratic polity and a mixed economy that is capitalist-oriented. Countries with Social

Cooperative Federalism

Cooperative federalism is defined as a flexible relationship between the federal and state governments in which both work together on a variety of issues and programs. Constitutional Provisions Article 1 of the Constitution states, “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States”. While the Constitution doesn’t mention the term “federal”,

Competitive Federalism

Competitive federalism is a concept where Centre competes with states and vice-versa, and states compete with each other.Some of the indices launched by NITI Aayog to promote competitive federalism include: School Education Quality IndexState Health IndexComposite Water Management IndexSustainable Development Goals IndexIndia Innovation IndexExport Competitiveness Index Aspirational Districts

Governor vs. State Government

Major Problems Affiliation Based Appointment: Politicians and former bureaucrats affiliated with the ruling party in the centre have been appointed in several instances as Governors. Misuse of Discretionary Powers: The discretionary powers of governor have been misused in many instances. No Clear Distinction between Constitutional and Statutory Role: The constitutional mandate to act

Role of Rajya Sabha in India’s Federal Set-up

Constitutional Provisions: Article 80 of the Constitution talks about Rajya Sabha. Role of Rajya Sabha in India’s Federal Setup Bicameralism is necessary for a federal constitution to give representation to the units of the federation i.e., states. Rajya Sabha thus represents a crucial component of the constitutional checks and balances scheme, in addition

LG vs. Elected Government

Major Issues LGs of Delhi/UTs have been given more power as compared to Governors of states. For instance, he controls four subjects i.e., police, services, land and public order. In case of difference of opinions between elected government and LG, the decision of LG would be final. Delhi, although a union territory, is

Inter-State River Dispute

Constitutional and Legal Provisions Under Seventh schedule, Entry 17 of State List deals with water i.e., water supply, irrigation, canal, drainage, embankments, water storage and water power and entry 56 of Union List gives power to the Union Government for the regulation and development of inter-state rivers and river valleys. Article

Inter-State Border Dispute

Constitutional and Legal Provisions Under Article 131 (c), the Original Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court extends to any dispute between two or more states involving legal rights (exclusively). Article 263 provides for Inter-State Council. Under Article 263 (a), it is competent enough to inquire and advice upon disputes between states. Zonal

Reform in Seventh Schedule

Arguments in Favour of Reforms in Seventh Schedule State demands for greater autonomy with rising need for local actions under ‘think global and act local’ approach. Need for decentralisation as despite the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments, except in a few states, there has been little progress at decentralisation—to both rural and

Special Category Status of States

Special Category Status (SCS) is a classification given by the Centre to assist in the development of those states that face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages. There is no provision of SCS in the Constitution. Parameters (based on the Gadgil formula) Hilly Terrain; Low Population Density and/or Sizeable Share of Tribal Population; Strategic Location along Borders

Inter-State Council

Inter-State Council is not a permanent constitutional body, which can be created at any time if it seems to the President that the public interest would be served by the establishment of such council. Functions of Inter-State Council Inquiring and advising upon disputes which may have emerged between the States: Investigating and discussing

Right to Protest

The right to protest is a political right (also fundamental right in India) which allows to publicly challenge and force the government to answer in a matter of public/private interest. Constitutional Provisions Article 19(1) (a) guarantees the freedom of speech and expression. Article 19(1) (b) assures citizens the right to assemble peaceably and

Right to Health

Right to Health include the right to control one’s health and body (for example, sexual and reproductive rights) and to be free from interference (for example, free from torture and non-consensual medical treatment and experimentation). Also, it includes the right to a system of health protection that gives everyone an equal

Right to Abort

Right to abort is a right of a woman to decide on terminating her pregnancy. Constitutional Provisions: Article 21 of the Constitution gives an unmarried woman the right of choice as to whether or not to bear a child on a similar footing as that of a married woman. Statutory Provisions Medical Termination

Rights of the Unborn Child

The ‘Rights of the Unborn Child’ states the rights/entitlements conferred upon an unborn/foetus which is yet to be born and has already been conceived. Constitutional Provisions There’s no article or right given under the constitution to the unborn child/foetus. Instead, under article 21, women have the bodily autonomy to decide on pregnancy

Adolescent Child Rights

Adolescent Child Rights are minimum entitlements and freedoms that should be afforded to all persons below the age of 18. Constitutional Provisions Article 15: The State shall not discriminate against any citizen. Nothing in this Article shall prevent the State from making any special provisions for women and children. Article 21A: The State

Right to Marry

Right to Marry is an individual’s right/entitlement to marry someone of his choice/will. A forced marriage is illegal in different personal laws on marriage in India, with the right to marry recognized under the Hindu laws as well as Muslim laws. Constitutional Provisions The right to marry is a fundamental right as it

Right to Worship

Right to Worship is an individual’s right to practice, profess, and promote one’s religion. It is a right that guarantees a negative liberty — which means that the state shall ensure that there is no interference or obstacle to exercise this freedom. Constitutional Provisions: It is enumerated under articles 25-28 of

Right to be Forgotten (RTBF)

The ‘right to be forgotten’ is the right to have publicly available personal information removed from the internet, search, databases, websites or any other public platforms, once the personal information in question is no longer necessary, or relevant. Constitutional Provisions: The RTBF emerges from the right to privacy under Article 21

Right to Sleep

Right to Sleep is an individual’s right to serene and peaceful sleep at night. Constitutional Provisions Under Article 19(1) (a), alongwith with Article 21 of the Constitution of India, the citizens have a right of a decent environment and they have a right to live peacefully, right to sleep at night and

Broadcasting Rights of Informal Media

Broadcasting rights of informal media includes the right to publish/spread information in the form of blogs, personal websites, etc. In India, there’s no specific law which forbids informal media organizations’ right to broadcast. Constitutional Provisions: Broadcasting is part of right to freedom of speech and expression provided by Article 19(1)

Right to Travel

Right to travel is the freedom of movement, which is one of the six fundamental freedoms in the Constitution of India. Constitutional Provisions: The right to move freely throughout the territory of India is bestowed under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution; however, the right to travel abroad has been derived

Free Legal Aid

Free Legal Aid is the right of weaker section of the population to avail free legal services. It is customary on the part of state to provide legal aid to people who cannot afford it. Constitutional Provisions Article 39A of the Constitution of India provides that State shall secure that the operation

Prisoners’ Right

Prisoners have basic legal rights that can't be taken away from them. The basic rights include right to food and water, right to have an attorney to defend himself, protection from torture, violence and racial harassment. Constitutional Provisions Article 14 article provides the basis for prison authorities to determine various categories of

Exceptions to Fundamental Rights

Article 31A: Saving of laws providing for acquisition of estates etc. It saves five categories of laws from being challenges and invalidated on the ground of contravention of article 14 and article 19 Acquisition of states and related rights by the state Taking over the management of properties by the state Amalgamation of corporations Extinguishment

Animals Rights

Animal rights are moral principles grounded in the belief that non-human animals deserve the ability to live as they wish, without being subjected to the desires of human beings. Constitutional Provisions According to Article 48A, it is the responsibility of the State to improve the strength of animals and safeguard the wildlife

Free Speech vs Hate Speech

Constitutional Provisions: According to Article 19(1)(a), all citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression. Legal Provisions: Section 295(A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), punishes any speech, writings, or signs that “with premeditated and malicious intent” insult citizens’ religion or religious beliefs with a fine and imprisonment

Sedition Law

Legal Provisions: Section 124A of IPC delas with sedition. Judicial Pronouncements In Brij Bhushan and Another vs The State of Delhi (1950) & Romesh Thappar vs the State of Madras (1950), the apex court held that a law that restricts speech on the ground that it would disturb public order was unconstitutional. In

Digital Rights

Digital Rights imply the right to privacy and data protection. It also addresses issues of equal distribution of Internet access regardless of economic background. Constitutional Provisions: Article 21 of the constitution deals with right to privacy aspect of digital internet whereas article 19 deals with the freedom of speech aspect of

Digital Sovereignty

Data sovereignty basically provides for protection of an individual’s personal data, in digital form on cloud, from any misuse. It strictly demands that an individual’s data which is stored in cloud binary digital form must be kept within the country in which that particular individual resides and must be subjected to

Right to Use Internet (Access to Information)

Constitutional Provisions The Indian constitution renders every citizen's right to freedom of speech and expression a fundamental right. It was listed in point (a) of Article 19(1) of the Constitution. Legal Provisions Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure used to shut down the Internet. Temporary suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or

Preventive Detention

Constitutional Provisions: Article 22 protects people who have been arrested or detained. Legal Provisions: The Preventive Detention Act of 1950 strengthens human detention in instances involving state conditions, such as national defence, the maintenance of peace and public order, foreign affairs, and so on. Judicial Pronouncements The Supreme Court, in Alijav vs. District

Rights of Crime Victims

Constitutional Provisions Article 14 relates to equal protection of law The Supreme Court has given wider interpretation to Article 21 by recognizing right to fair trial including right to fair investigation as part of right to life and liberty. Article 20 says that no person shall be convicted of any offence except for

Social Media-Censorship and Regulation

Constitutional Provisions: When it comes to regulating digital news content, new regulations may end up facilitating more governmental interference and censorship which impacts the Right to freedom of speech and expression (Article 19(1)) Legal Provisions The IT act of 2002 (amended in 2008) section 69 and 69A provides the Government with power

Enforcement of Fundamental Duties

Constitutional Provisions: Article 51(A) describes 11 fundamental duties — 10 came with the 42nd Amendment; the 11th was added by the 86th Amendment in 2002. Legal Provisions No person can disrespect the National flag, Constitution of India and the National Anthem under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. The Protection

Ordinance Making Provisions and Powers

Constitutional Provisions Article 123 grants the President the authority to issue ordinances during Parliament’s recess. Article 213 states that the Governor of the state may issue ordinances when the state legislative assembly is not in session. Judicial Pronouncements In the Kesavananda Bharati vs. State of Kerala case 1973, the Supreme Court listed the separation

Parliamentary Privileges

Parliamentary privileges include freedom of speech, freedom from arrest in any civil case 40 days before and after the adjournment of the house and also when the house is in session etc. Constitutional Provisions Parliamentary privileges are defined in Article 105 whereas state assembly privileges are defined under article 194 of the

Collective Responsibility of Executive to Parliament

Collective responsibility refers to a constitutional convention in parliamentary systems that require cabinet members to openly support all governmental decisions taken in Cabinet, even if they do not agree with them privately. Two basic components to collective responsibility The first is the notion that ministers should be able to conduct open and

Parliamentary Sessions

Constitutional Provisions: The summoning of Parliament is specified in Article 85 of theConstitution. Important Points The President of India can summon a session of the Parliament at such place as he/she thinks fit. There is no minimum number of days that the Parliament is required to meet in a year. The power to

Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha

Constitutional Provisions Article 93 of the Constitution of India provides provisions for the election of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. Article 94 deals with the vacation and resignation of, and removal from, the offices of Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Article 95 provides provision of power of the Deputy Speaker or other

Joint Session of Parliament

Constitutional Provisions Article 108 of the Indian Constitution provides for a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament. According to Article 118, the President of India may, after conferring with the chair of the Rajya Sabha and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, create rules for the proceedings of a joint session

Office of Profit

An office of profit has been interpreted to be a position that brings to the office-holder some financial gain, or advantage, or benefit. Constitutional Provisions: The expression 'office of profit' is mentioned in Article 102 and Article 191 of the Constitution. Judicial Pronouncements The Supreme Court in Pradyut Bordoloi vs Swapan Roy (2001)

Obsolete Laws

Constitutional Provisions: Article 245 of the Indian Constitution empowers the Parliament to enact as well as to repeal any law. Important Points In the year of 1998, the P.C. Jain Commission recommended the withdrawal of a large body of the legislation, and also noted that as many as 253 Acts which is

Delayed Justice

Constitutional Provisions Article 39-A ensures that justice is not denied to any citizen of the country due to reasons of economic or other disabilities. Article 14 and 22(1) makes it obligatory for the state to ensure equality before law and a legal system which promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunity

Tribunals

Constitutional Provisions Article 323A deals with Administrative Tribunals. Article 323B deals with Tribunals for other matters. Article 262 provides a role for the Central government in adjudicating conflicts surrounding inter-state rivers that arise among the state/regional governments. Legal Provisions The Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 provides for three types of tribunals: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) The State

Standing Committees

The committees that are constituted to examine bills, budgets and policies of ministries/departments of the Central Government are called departmentally related Standing Committees. Constitutional Provisions: Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees are two types of Parliamentary Committees mentioned in the Indian Constitution. Article 118(1) of the Indian Constitution deals with any

​Rule of Law

As per World Justice Project’s definition, the rule of law is “a durable system of laws, institutions, norms and community commitment” that delivers the following universal principles: Accountability, Just Law, Open Government, Accessible and Impartial Justice. Constitutional Provisions The Preamble of the Constitution itself prescribes the ideas of Justice, Liberty and Equality.

Principle of Natural Justice

Constitutional Provisions Preamble: It mentions equality of status and of opportunity, which not only ensures fairness in socioeconomical activities of the people but also acts as shield to individual’s liberty against the arbitrary action (base for principles of Natural Justice). Article 14: This Article guarantees equality before law and equal protection of

Due Process of Law

Due process of law doctrine not only checks if there is a law to deprive the life and personal liberty of a person but also see if the law made is fair, just and not arbitrary.Constitutional Provisions: The concept has been enshrined in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which

Writ Petitions

Writ petition means petition filed by a petitioner in which She/he requests the issuing of a writ to redress her/his grievances. There are five-types of writs issued include habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari and quo-warranto. Constitutional Provisions: Article 32 of the Constitution (Right to Constitutional Remedies) available to Supreme Court, concurrent

Public Interest Litigations

Public interest litigation is not defined in any statute or in any act. Any matter where the interest of public at large is affected can be redressed by filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in a court of law. Constitutional/Legal Provisions: Any grieved party can file PIL – Under Art 32 of

Anticipatory Bail

Anticipatory bail is a direction issued to release a person on Bail even before the person is arrested. In this situation, there is apprehension of arrest and the person is not arrested before the Bail is granted. The anticipatory Bail is granted on the basis of the following factors: Nature and gravity

Contempt of Court

Constitutional Provisions Contempt of court is one of the restrictions on freedom of speech and expression (Article 19) of the constitution. Article 129 of the Constitution conferred on the Supreme Court the power to punish contempt of itself. Article 142 (2) states the Supreme Court shall have all and every power to make

Criminal Justice System

Constitutional Provisions: Article 21 of the constitution guarantees the right to speedy justice as a fundamental right. Legal Provisions The Indian Police Act, 1861 (Amended in 1961 and every state has its own police act) The Prison Act, 1894 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 Judicial Pronouncements The Supreme Court in the case of Pratap Singh v. Union

Judicial Custody and Police Custody

Constitutional Provisions: Article 20(3) of the Indian Constitution provides the right against self-incrimination which means that a person in custody cannot be compelled to give statements against oneself which have a tendency of exposing him to criminal charges. Article 22of the Constitution gives the accused the right to be informed

Judicial Review/Activism/Overreach/Restraint

Judicial review is a type of court proceeding in which a judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision or action made by a public body. It is considered a part of the basic structure of the constitution. Judicial activism signifies the proactive role of the Judiciary in protecting the rights of

Capital Punishment

Legal Provisions The Indian Penal Code contains provisions for awarding of capital punishment for certain specific offences like Murder (Section 302), Dacoity with murder (Section 396), Criminal Conspiracy (Section 120B), Waging war against the Government of India or attempting to do so (Section 121), Abatement of mutiny (Section 132) etc. According to

Judicial Accountability

Constitutional Provisions Article 124(4) (SC Judge) and Article 217(1)(b) (HC Judge) of the Constitution delas with the impeachment. Article 235 of the Constitution provides for the ‘control’ of the High Court over the subordinate judiciary. Legal Provisions Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 was passed to regulate the investigation procedure and to find proof

Juvenile Justice System

A child being accused of a crime is not tried as an adult and is sent to the Child Care Centre whereas juvenile is a person between the age group of sixteen and eighteen years. A young person who is been accused of crime is a juvenile offender and is tried

Judicial Transfers

The initiation of the proposal for the transfer of a Judge should be made by the Chief Justice of India (CJI). The opinion of the CJI “is determinative”. CJI is expected to take into account the views of the Chief Justice of the High Court from which the Judge is to

Supreme Court vs High Court vs District Courts

Types of Supreme Court Jurisdiction Original Jurisdiction: As an Apex court, the Supreme Court decides disputes between different states of the India. More elaborately, any dispute between: the Centre and one or more states; or the Centre and any state or states on one side and one or more states on

The Pardoning Power of President vs. Governor

Types of Pardoning Power of President Pardon: It removes both the sentence and the conviction and completely absolves the convict from all sentences, punishments and disqualifications. Commutation: It denotes the substitution of one form of punishment for a lighter form. Remission: It implies reducing the period of sentence without changing its

Citizen’s Charter

Constitutional and Legal Provisions: The Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011 (Citizens Charter) was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2011; however, lapsed due to the dissolution of the Lok Sabha in 2014. Significance of Citizen Charter It is

Democratic Principles in Global Governance

Indian Democratic Principles Sensitivity: Sensitivity in democracy is patience/tolerance to one’s opinions/wants and ability to respond to people’s needs. Accountability: The Constitution of India equips the Parliament with specific tools to check and control the powers of the executive in every sphere of its action to prevent arbitrariness. Participation: In Indian democracy, the

Draft National Data Governance Framework Policy

The Draft National Data Governance Framework Policy aims to ensure that non-personal data and anonymized data from both Government and Private entities are safely accessible by Research and Innovation eco-system. The policy aims to provide an institutional framework for data/datasets/metadata rules, standards, guidelines and protocols for sharing of non-personal data sets

National Register of Citizens (NRC)

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is an official record of those who are legal Indian citizens. The register was first prepared after the 1951 Census of India and since then it has not been updated until recently. National Population Register (NPR) is a register of usual residents of the country.

Digital Governance

Digital Governance can be defined as the application of information and communication technology (ICT) for providing government services, exchange of information, transactions, integration of previously existing services and information portals. Types of Digital Governance Projects G2G i.e., Government to Government G2C i.e., Government to Citizen G2B i.e., Government to Business G2E i.e., Government to Employees Popular

Official Language

"Official language" refers to the language used by a government for example court, legislature, and/or administration. Constitutional Provisions Part XVII of the Indian Constitution deals with the official languages in Articles 343 to 351. Article 343 of the Indian Constitution states that the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari

Excluding Laws from Judicial Review (9th Schedule)

The Schedule contains a list of central and state laws which cannot be challenged in courts. The first amendment to the Indian Constitution added the Ninth Schedule to it. Laws in 9th Schedule The First Amendment that brought in Articles 31A and 31B conferring upon the state the right to make laws

Democratic Decentralisation

Democratic decentralization is the process of devolving the functions and resources of the state from the Centre to the elected representatives at the lower levels so as to facilitate greater direct participation of citizens in governance. Constitutional Provisions Article 40: Organization of a village panchayat The 11th Schedule contains the powers, authority and

Model Code of Conduct (MCC)

The MCC is a set of guidelines issued by the EC to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections. Constitutional Provisions: The Election Commission of India derives its mandate to formulate MCC under Article 324 of the Constitution. Legal Provisions: Certain provisions of the MCC may be enforced through invoking corresponding

Election Symbols

Constitutional Provisions: The Election Commission of India derives its mandate to allocate election symbols under Article 324 of the Constitution. Legal Provisions: The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 and its amendment in 2017 empower the Election Commission to recognise political parties and allot symbols. Judicial Pronouncements: The Supreme Court (SC)

Electoral Bonds

Electoral bonds are money instruments like promissory notes, which can be bought by companies and individuals in India from the State Bank of India (SBI) and donated to a political party, which can then encash these bonds. The bonds are only redeemable in the designated account of a registered political

Election Petition

Election Petition is a method for challenging the legitimacy of the results of parliamentary or local government elections. Constitutional and Legal Provisions The "High Court" shall be the authority for presenting election petitions under Article 329(b) of the Constitution, according to Section 80-A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Section 123

Delimitation Commission

Delimitation is the process of fixing boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a state having legislative body. DC has been constituted 4 times in 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002. It is appointed by the President and its orders have force of law and cannot be challenged before any court. Delimitation

Freebies

When governments dole out gifts, before or after election, it is considered as freebie. There is no such thing as a freebie in economics because ultimately somebody has to bear the cost of the supposedly free giveaways.Constitutional Provisions: Freebies violates/contradicts Articles 14 (equality before law), 162 (executive power of a

Remote Electronic Voting Machines (RVM)

RVM is a modified version of the existing Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). The special remote polling booths would be set up in different states when elections are on in the home state of migrants. The multi-constituency remote EVM, developed by a public sector undertaking, can handle up to 72 constituencies from a

Online Campaigning

Campaigning is the process by which a candidate attempts to persuade voters to vote for him rather than for another candidate. Online campaign not only includes promoting political and electoral campaign material on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, it also includes reaching out to voters with audio

Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPP)

They are newly registered political parties. Those which have not secured enough percentage of votes in assembly or general elections to become a party state. Those which have never contested in elections since being registered. Constitutional and Legal Provisions Registration of Political parties is governed by the provisions of Section 29A of the Representation

Anti-Defection Law

Anti-Defection Law lays down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection by the Presiding Officer of a legislature based on a petition by any other member of the House. Constitutional Provisions: The Tenth Schedule contains the following provisions with respect to the disqualification of members of

Voting Rights for Under Trials

Section 62 (5) of Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951 deprives prisoners of their right to vote. According to latest National Crime Reports Bureau (NCRB) report, there are around 5.5 lakh prisoners in various jails across country. Judicial Pronouncements In Anukul Chandra Pradhan v. Union of India (1997), SC upheld constitutional validity

Human Trafficking

Constitutional Provisions: Trafficking in Human Beings or Persons is prohibited under the Constitution of India under Article 23(1). Legal Provisions The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA) is the premier legislation for prevention of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation. Criminal Law (amendment) Act 2013 has come into force, where Section 370 and 370A

Child Abuse

Child abuse could be physical or sexual. Physical abuse is the inflicting of physical injury upon a child whereas sexual abuse is inappropriate sexual behaviour with a child. Other forms of child abuse includes emotional abuse i.e., verbal abuse, mental abuse, and psychological maltreatment; and neglect i.e., the failure to provide

Child Adoption

Constitutional Provisions Article 39(f) states that children be given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. Legal Provisions Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956. The Adoption (First Amendment) Regulations 2021 The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 The Guardianship and Wards Act of 1890. Important

Mercy Killing

Mercy killing is also known as Euthanasia. It is broadly classified into two types i.e., active euthanasia, which is legal in only a few countries, entails the use of substances to end the life of the patient; and passive euthanasia which involves simply stopping lifesaving treatment or medical intervention with

Mental Illness

Constitutional Provisions Article 21: The right to a dignified life extends to the right to seek Mental Health care. Article 47: Duty of the state to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health. Legal Provisions National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in 1982: To ensure the availability

Transgenders’ Rights

Constitutional Provisions: Articles 14, 15, 16, 19 and 21 talks about equality and freedom of life with dignity. Legal Provisions The Transgender Person (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019: It prohibits discrimination against transgenders. Judicial Pronouncements High Court in Naz Foundation vs NCT of Delhi, 2009, stated that section 377 (criminalises homosexuality) of IPC

Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) Quota

EWS reservation was granted based on recommendations of Sinho commission (submitted report in 2010). 103rd Amendment Act 2019 inserted Articles 15(6) and 16(6) in Constitution to provide reservation to EWS among non-OBC and non-SC/ST sections of the population. The act enables both central and state governments to provide reservations to EWS.

Police Brutality

Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or a group. Constitutional Provisions: Police arrest powers are subject to restrictions and judicial oversight and scrutiny to safeguard the fundamental right to life of all persons under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. Statutory Provisions Chapter-V

Decriminalization of Suicide

Constitutional Provisions: As per Bombay High Court, article 21 deals with right to live and also not to live. Legal Provisions Section 124 (1) recognizes person who has attempted to commit suicide is exempted from punishment under the I.P.C. as presumed to be 'suffering from a mental illness unless proven otherwise' Section 115(1)

Honour Killing

Constitutional Provisions: Article 14, 15(3), 19, 21 of the constitution talks about basic freedoms associated with choice and state response in ensuring it. Legal Provisions Section 302 of IPC: Perpetrators, family members & Khap Panchayats responsible for honour killing can be punished under it. Special Marriage Act, 1954: It was especially enacted to

Marital Rape

Constitutional Provisions: Marital rape violates articles 14 (equal protection of law) and 21 (life with dignity) of the constitution. Legal Provisions Section 375 of the IPC defines the acts that constitute rape by a man. Exception 2 of Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code states that “sexual intercourse by a man

Clinical Trial

A clinical trial is a systematic study to generate data for discovering or verifying the clinical and pharmacological profile (including pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic) or adverse effects of a new drug on humans. Legal Provisions Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940: The primary objective of the act is to ensure that the drugs and

Surrogacy

Surrogacy is defined as a practice wherein one woman bears and gives birth to a child with the intention to thereafter hand it over to the intending couple. Commercial surrogacy is not allowed in India whereas altruistic surrogacy is allowed under tough conditions. Eligibility Any couple that has ‘proven infertility’ are candidates. Only a

Tribal Rights

Constitutional Provisions Article 46 of the Constitution provides that the State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation. Reservation in educational institution has been provided in Article 15(4) while reservation

Rights of Person with Disabilities

Constitutional Provisions Article 15(1) enjoins on the Government not to discriminate against any citizen of India (including disabled) on the ground of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Article 15 (2) States that no citizen (including the disabled) shall be subjected to any disability, liability, restriction or condition on any

Sub-categorization of Other Backward Castes

Justice Rohini Commission was set up on October 2, 2017, under Article 340 with the task of sub-categorisation of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and equitable distribution of benefits reserved for them. Constitutional Provisions: Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the constitution empower the State to make special provisions for any socially

Reservation in Promotion

Constitutional Provisions Article 16(4): Provides that the State can make any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens who, in the opinion of the state, are not adequately represented in the services under the State. Article 16(4A): Provides that the State can make

Rights of Illegal Migrants

The foreign nationals who enter the country without valid travel documents are treated as illegal migrants. Constitutional Provisions: Article 51 states that the state shall endeavour to foster respect for international law and treaty obligations in the dealings of organized people (illegal immigrants) with one another. Legal Provisions The Passport (Entry into

Creamy Layer Determination

The creamy layer sets a threshold within which OBC reservation benefits are applicable. The creamy layer principle was based on the fundamental right to equality. Unless it is applied, the genuinely deserving person would not access the reservation. The concept of creamy layer in not applicable to SC/STs. Determinants (as per DoPT) Income:

Scheduled Areas

The areas inhabited by the socially and educationally backward ‘Aboriginals’ are called Scheduled Areas. Scheduled and tribal areas under fifth and sixth schedule of the Constitution. Constitutional Provisions Part 10 of the Indian Constitution entails the provisions related to Scheduled and Tribal Areas with Articles 244 – 244 A. Article 339 of the Indian

Panchayat (Extension of the Schedule Areas) Act, 1996

The Government enacted the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act in 1996 with the objective to provide self-governance, to recognize traditional rights, and to free tribal people from exploitation. Constitutional Provisions Article 243M of the Constitution exempts the Fifth Schedule areas from Part IX of the Constitution but the Parliament is

Caste Census

Constitutional and Legal Provisions Article 81(3) of the Constitution requires that upon the completion of each census, the representation of the several territorial constituencies in the House of the People and the Legislative Assemblies of each State. The Census Act 1948 forms the legal basis for conduct of census in independent India. In

Uniform Civil Code

Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, etc. provides for one law for the entire country. Constitutional Provisions: Article 44 (DPSP) talks about UCC. Judicial Pronouncements: Supreme Court in their judgements in cases like Shah Bano case (1985), Sarla

Anti-Conversion Laws

Anti-Conversion Laws aims at curbing unlawful or forced religious conversion. Constitutional Provisions: Article 25 of the Constitution gives freedom to religion. Important Judicial Pronouncements Rev. Stainislaus vs State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors (1977): Court upheld the constitutionality of earliest anti-conversion statutes in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. Sarla Mudgal case (1995): The Supreme

State and Regulation of Temples

Constitutional Provisions Article 25(2) allows the state to make laws for regulating activities associated with religious practice. Article 26 provides all religious denominations the freedom to manage religious affairs. Entry 28 of the concurrent list under Schedule VII talks about charities, charitable institutions, religious endowments and religious institutions. Judicial Pronouncements In Indian Young Lawyers’ Association

CBI (Terms of Reference, CBI vs. States)

Terms of Reference The Central Government can authorize CBI to investigate a crime in a State but only with the consent of the concerned State Government. The Supreme Court and High Courts, however, can order CBI to investigate a crime anywhere in the country without the consent of the State. Types of Cases

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) is a constitutional body setup to look after the welfare of Scheduled Tribes (STs) in India. Functions of NCST To investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the STs under the Constitution or under any other law for the time being

Enforcement Directorate (ED)

The Directorate of Enforcement is a multi-disciplinary organization mandated with investigation of offence of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws. It is not a statutory body. It is an agency under Ministry of Finance. Terms of Reference The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA): It is a criminal law

National Investigation Agency (NIA)

It was formed in 2008, as a statutory body working under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs. NIA is functioning as the Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency in India. Functions Investigation by NIA: Under the Act, investigation of cases may be conducted by officers of the rank of

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is a statutory body established under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005. It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Composition: This commission has a chairperson and six members of which at least

Law Commission of India

Law Commission of India is an executive body established by an order of the Government of India. Composition Apart from having a full-time chairperson, the commission will have four full-time members, including a member-secretary. Law and Legislative Secretaries in the Law Ministry will be the ex-officio members of the commission. It will also have

Competition Commission of India (CCI)

CCI is a statutory, quasi-judicial body formed on the recommendations of Raghavan Committee. The Competition Act (2002) replaced the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act (1969). Composition CCI has a Chairperson and not more than 6 Members. The Chairperson and the members are appointed by the Union Government. Functions It is the statutory duty of

Central Information Commission (CIC)

Under the provision of Section-12 of RTI Act 2005, the Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette constituted the Central Information Commission. The Central Information Commission consists of the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and not more than 10 Central Information Commissioners. The Chief Information Commissioner and Central Information Commissioners are appointed

National Green Tribunal (NGT)

The National Green Tribunal is a statutory organization, formed under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010. The primary purpose is for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief

National Commission for Women

The National Commission for Women is a statutory organization formed under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990. The primary purpose of the organization is to review the constitutional and legal safeguards for women. Composition The Commission consists of a minimum number of members which includes a chairperson, a member secretary, and

National Human Rights Commission

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was established in 1993 as a statutory body under the provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act of 1993. Composition A Chairperson who is to be a retired Chief Justice of India A Member who is/has been a Judge of Supreme Court of India Another Member

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority established under the provisions of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016. It functions under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Before its establishment as a statutory authority, UIDAI was functioning as

Minority Educational Institutions (MEIs)

Constitutional Provisions: Article 30 deals with the right of the minorities to establish and administer educational institutions. Legal Provisions: National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) Act defines MEI as a college, or an educational institution established and administered by a minority or minorities. Judicial Pronouncements Supreme Court in a landmark observation in

Local Reservation in Private Sector

Constitutional Provisions: Article 16 guarantees equal treatment under law in matters of public employment & prohibit the state from discriminating on grounds of place of birth or residence. Arguments in Favour of Local Reservation Local reservation protects the right to life/livelihood of people domiciled in the state. Shrinking employment presents a problem

Civil Services Reforms

Constitutional Provisions Article 309: Recruitment and conditions of service of persons serving the Union or a State Subject. Article 310 (1): Civil Servant holds the office during the pleasure of President of India. Article 311: Removal of Civil Servant mustn’t be by an authority subordinate to the one appointing him i.e., only

Right to Property

Constitutional Provisions Originally, the right to property was one of the seven fundamental rights under Part III of the Constitution. It was dealt by Article 19(1)(f) and Article 31. Article 19(1)(f) guaranteed to every citizen the right to acquire, hold and dispose of property. Article 31, on the other hand, guaranteed to every

Right to be Defended

Constitutional Provisions Article 22(1): It gives the fundamental right to every person not to be denied the right to be defended by a legal practitioner of his or her choice. Article 14: It provides for equality before the law and equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. Article 39A: It

Criminalization of Politics

The criminalization of politics means the participation of criminals in politics which includes that criminals can contest in the elections and get elected as members of the Parliament and the State legislature. Judicial Pronouncements 2002 - In Union of India (UOI) v. Association for Democratic Reforms and Anr, the SC held that

One Nation One Election

Constitutional and Legal Provisions Article 324 allows superintendence, direction and control of elections to be vested in an Election Commission. Article 326 allows selections to the House of the People and to the Legislative Assemblies of States to be on the basis of adult suffrage. Arguments in Favour of Simultaneous Elections One Nation, One

Positive Secularism

Constitutional and Legal Provisions The Preamble of Indian Constitution aims to constitute India a Sovereign, Socialist, Democratic Republic. The terms Socialist and Secular were added to it by the 42nd amendment. Difference between Secularism and India’s Secularism Secularism India’s Secularism The definition of secularism that came up after the French revolution essentially meant that the State

Inner Party Democracy

Constitutional and Legal Provisions: A draft Political Parties (Registration and Regulation of Affairs) Act, 2011 was submitted to the Union Law Ministry. The act aims to regulate the constitution, functioning, funding, accounts and audit, and other affairs of and concerning political parties participating in elections. Significance of Inner Party Democracy They are

Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO)

Headquartered at New Delhi, SFIO is a multi-disciplinary organization under Ministry of Corporate Affairs. To assist officers of SFIO on investigations, the Computer Forensic and Data Mining Laboratory (CFDML) was set up in 2013. Composition: It consists of experts in field of accountancy, forensic auditing, law, information technology, investigation, company law, capital

State of the Economy

Recovering from pandemic-induced contraction, Russian-Ukraine conflict and inflation, Indian economy is staging a broad-based recovery across sectors, positioning to ascend to the pre-pandemic growth path in Financial year 2023 (FY23). India's GDP growth is expected to remain robust in FY24. GDP forecast for FY24 to be in the range of 6-6.8

India’s Medium Term Growth Outlook

The Indian economy is well placed to grow faster in the coming decade once the global shocks of the pandemic and the spike in commodity prices in 2022 fade away. With improved and healthier balance sheets of the banking, non-banking and corporate sectors, a fresh credit cycle has already begun, evident

Fiscal Developments

The Union Government finances have shown a resilient performance during the year FY23, facilitated by the recovery in economic activity, buoyancy in revenues from direct taxes and GST, and realistic assumptions in the Budget. The Gross Tax Revenue registered a YoY growth of 15.5 per cent from April to November 2022,

Monetary Management and Financial Intermediation

The RBI initiated its monetary tightening cycle in April 2022 and has since raised the repo rate by 225 bps, leading to moderation of surplus liquidity conditions. Cleaner balance sheets led to enhanced lending by financial institutions. The growth in credit offtake is expected to sustain, and combined with a pick-up in

Prices and Inflation

While the year 2022 witnessed a return of high inflation in the advanced world after three to four decades, India caps the rise in prices. While India’s retail inflation rate peaked at 7.8 per cent in April 2022, above the RBI’s upper tolerance limit of 6 per cent, the overshoot

Social Infrastructure and Employment

The country’s social sector witnessed significant increase in government spending. Central and State Government’s budgeted expenditure on health sector touched 2.1% of GDP in FY23 (BE) and 2.2% in FY22 (RE) against 1.6% in FY21. Social sector expenditure increases to Rs. 21.3 lakh crore in FY23 (BE) from Rs. 9.1 lakh crore

Climate Change and Environment

India declared the Net Zero Pledge to achieve net zero emissions goal by 2070. India achieved its target of 40 per cent installed electric capacity from non-fossil fuels ahead of 2030. The Survey highlights the progress on eight missions under the NAP on Climate Change to address climate concerns and promote sustainable

Agriculture and Food Management

The performance of the agriculture and allied sector has been buoyant over the past several years. Much of the good performance is on account of the measures taken by the government to augment crop and livestock productivity, ensure certainty of returns to the farmers through price support, promote crop diversification, improve

Industry

Overall Gross Value Added (GVA) by the Industrial Sector (for the first half of FY 22-23) rose 3.7 per cent, which is higher than the average growth of 2.8 per cent achieved in the first half of the last decade. Robust growth in Private Final Consumption Expenditure, export stimulus during the

Services

The services sector is expected to grow at 9.1% in FY23, as against 8.4% (YoY) in FY22. India was among the top ten services exporting countries in 2021, with its share in world commercial services exports increasing from 3 per cent in 2015 to 4 per cent in 2021. India’s services exports

External Sector

Merchandise exports were US$ 332.8 billion during April-December 2022. India diversified its markets and increased its exports to Brazil, South Africa and Saudi Arabia. To increase its market size and ensure better penetration, in 2022, CEPA with UAE and ECTA with Australia came into force. India is the largest recipient of remittances in

Physical and Digital Infrastructure

Government’s Vision for Infrastructure Development Public Private Partnerships In-Principle Approval granted to 56 projects with Total Project Cost of Rs.57,870.1 crores under the Viability Gap funding (VGF) Scheme, from 2014-15 to 2022-23. India Infrastructure Project Development Fund (IIPDF) Scheme with Rs.150 crore outlay from FY 23-25 was notified by the government on 03