GS1: Social Issues
- ‘54 nations not doing enough to fight slavery’(TH) With Commonwealth countries accounting for about 40% of people living in conditions of modern slavery in the world, the 54 nations were found lacking in actions to eradicate modern slavery by 2030, according to a report released by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) and an international anti-slavery organisation Walk Free, on Thursday, on the occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
- Taking the easy way out(IE) The periodic National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) provide an internationally-recognised measure of child marriage, namely, the proportion of those in the age group 20-24 years who married before reaching 18 years of age. In the latest survey, NFHS-4 of 2015-16, this proportion is 26.8 per cent, down from 47 per cent in 2005-06
GS2: Polity
- Explained: Abetment of suicide, and how the court determines if it took place(IE) The Supreme Court clarified this issue in 1997 in the case of ‘Sangarabonia Sreenu v State of Andhra Pradesh’.Despite the intention of the accused to drive a person to commit suicide, abetment of suicide is not the same as murder. Although in both cases, causing the death of another person is a common factor, the two are distinct offences.
GS2: Governance
- An education policy that is sweeping in its vision(TH) In adopting a 5+3+3+4 model for school education starting at age 3, it recognises the primacy of the formative years from ages 3 to 8 in shaping the child’s future. It also recognises the importance of learning in the child’s mother tongue till at least Class 5.
- ‘NEP a progressive document, but comes with flaws’(TH) The NEP is poorly funded and highly regulated policy that has multiple regulatory bodies that will end up clashing with each other,
- ‘Why no Parliament debate on NEP?’(TH) the goal of 50 percent gross enrolment ratio in higher education and 100 per cent in secretary schools while “laudable” could be tough since it was currently 25.8% in high education & 68% in Class 9.
- New policy, old test(IE) It has been in the making for nearly five years and reports of two committees — the TSR Subramanian Committee in 2016 and the K Kasturirangan Committee last year — have informed the final draft.
GS2: International Relations
- Gandhi-King initiative passes U.S. House committee A bill authored by American civil rights leader and lawmaker John Lewis, seeks to establish an exchange program between India and the U.S. to study the work and legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
- India has human-centric way of development’(Mint); Prime Minister NarendraModi and Prime Minister of Mauritius Mr Pravind Jugnauth jointly inaugurate the new Supreme Court Building(PIB)" In line with India’s vision of ‘SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region’, the new Supreme Court building demonstrates India’s role as a reliable partner of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean region as also India’s steadfast commitment to strengthen the future-oriented partnership between the two countries.
GS3: Economy
- Should the government go easy on the telecom sector?(TH) The government is demanding penal interest from telecom operators which, in a way, defines them as wilful defaulters. They are not wilful defaulters. That is one big flaw in the AGR [adjusted gross revenue] imbroglio. The second big flaw is that the case has been going on for the last 15-16 years.
- Gold demand falls to 11year(TH) India’s gold demand during the quarter was valued at ₹26,600 crore, down by 57%, compared with ₹62,420 crore a year earlier, WGC data showed. Total jewellery demand in India decreased 74% to 44 tonnes. It stood at 168.6 tonnes in the April-June quarter of 2019.
- Atal Innovation Mission launches 'AIM-iCREST', in partnership with Bill & MelindaGates Foundation and Wadhwani Foundation (PIN)" Under the initiative, the AIM’s incubators are set to be upscaled and provided requisite support to foster the incubation enterprise economy, that will help them to significantly enhance their performance. This will be complemented by providing training to entrepreneurs, through technology driven processes and platforms.
GS3: Schemes
- Explained: What is the production linked incentive scheme for electronics manufacturers?(IE)" As a part of the National Policy on Electronics, the IT ministry had on April 1 notified a scheme which would give incentives of 4-6 per cent to electronics companies which manufacture mobile phones and other electronic components such as transistors, diodes, thyristors, resistors, capacitors and nano-electronic components such as micro electromechanical systems.
GS 3: Science & Technology
- Explained: What is the antitrust trial against Big Tech in the US?(IE) Technology companies such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple have been under the radar of governments in many countries for being big spenders and trying to steamroll competition by either buying them or pushing other vendors to avoid working with their competitors.
