Assam-Arunachal Pradesh Border Dispute
Context: Arunachal Pradesh, which was earlier a part of Assam, shares a boundary of roughly 800 km with the state—with frequent flare-ups reported along the border since the 1990s.. While the flashpoint this time was the ongoing construction of the Likabali-Durpai road being built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the boundary dispute […]
J&K Delimitation Commission Likely to Get Another Extension
Context The J&K Delimitation Commission is likely to get a second extension of its term this month. Relevance GS II- Governance, Representation Of People’s Act Dimensions of the article: Details Delimitation in J&K Delimitation Commission Act, 2002 Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 Details The unique provision for J&K was enabled through an amendment introduced […]
Dilution of Lokayukta Powers in Kerala
Context: Recently, the Kerala government has proposed to amend the Kerala Lokayukta Act, 1999 with an ordinance, a move that has drawn criticism from the opposition. The proposed ordinance envisages to limit the powers of the anti-corruption watchdog. Relevance: GS-II: Polity and Governance (Constitutional and Non-Constitutional Bodies, Policies and Interventions on Transparency and Accountability in governance) Dimensions of […]
Haryana’s Law on Local Job Quota and HC Stay
Context: The Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed a law that reserves 75 per cent of jobs for Haryanvis in private establishments across the state. Relevance: GS II- Governance Dimensions of the article: What was the reservation law? Who challenged the state government’s law and why? The Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2020 What was the […]
AAROGYA SETU: PROTECTION OR THREAT?
Introduction The Data of millions of Indians, collected through the Aarogya Setu app, could be vulnerable to threats from adversarial state and non-state actors and pose a national security challenge, according to cybersecurity experts and former intelligence officials. Indian government officials reject these concerns, saying their encryption standards have adequate protection against data or network […]
OCI CARDHOLDERS: VISA AND TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS EASED
Why in news? The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has relaxed Visa and Travel restrictions imposed in response to COVID -19, permitting certain categories of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, who are stranded abroad, to come to India. Details Following categories of OCI Cardholders stranded abroad, have been permitted to come to India: […]
INDIA ISN’T PREPARED TO MEET ITS DEFENCE NEEDS
Introduction India’s military security challenges, both current and long-term, came into unintended focus in this month, with the increase in foreign direct investment in defence manufacturing to 74% being announced as a part of the Economic Stimulus Package. India’s Military Security Situation The eastern Ladakh sector saw a stand-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers in […]
SELF-RELIANCE, NOT SELF ISOLATION
Introduction The spread and severity of Covid-19 have proved to be the perfect foil to re-ignite fears about open borders and stretched out supply chains India’s Position on Globalisation with Aatmanirbhar Bharat In his May 12 address to the nation the PM made it clear that an Atmanirbhar Bharat wouldn’t be ‘self-absorbed’ but would rather integrate […]
DEVOLUTION OF POWERS TO STATES TO MICRO-MANAGE
Introduction As COVID-19 lockdown is easing up, the states will now have to take care that they open up in a manner that does not aggravate the pandemic, while also addressing economic and humanitarian imperatives. Not a time to start relaxing The doubling rate of the coronavirus infection has improved to 13.6 per cent and […]
THE CHANGING NATURE OF CHINESE DIPLOMACY
Introduction: Foreign Policies of Persuasion and compromise U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt believed that if you “speak softly and carry a big stick: you will go far”. Zhou Enlai, the first Premier of the People’s Republic of China, practiced Roosevelt’s belief. Where Mao preferred to exercise his power from “out of the barrel of a gun”, […]