Q What is the context ?A The Karnataka High Court decision effectively upheld the denial of entry to students wearing the hijab. The court rejected an argument in support of permitting Muslim girls wearing head-scarves that was based on the principle of ‘reasonable accommodation’.Q What is Reasonable Accommodation?A ‘Reasonable accommodation’ is a principle that promotes equality, enables the grant of positive rights and prevents discrimination based on disability, health condition or personal belief.Its use is primarily in the disability rights sector. Read More...
Q What is the context ?A The Russian invasion of Ukraine offers several lessons to the Quad countries.Q What has been negligence on part of NATO ?A This article is admittedly written in hindsight, but there is a continuing thread to the western blunders in the approach to dealing with Moscow, particularly concerning Putin.He has had a dramatic rise in the political hierarchy of Moscow, with many of his successes unexplained but for the strong behind-the-scenes backing of the FSB.Unfortunately, it was ignored in the West, and particularly in Europe, which was bu... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A The United States Senate unanimously passed a law making daylight saving time (DST) permanent, scrapping the biannual practice of putting clocks forward and back coinciding with the arrival and departure of winter.Q What does this imply?A With clocks in the US going back an hour, the time difference between New York and India will increase from the current nine and a half hours to ten and a half hours.In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite has happened, where countries have “sprung forward”, and time difference with India has reduced.Q What is... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A The Union Home Ministry has placed a US based NGO on its watchlist following an investigation that foreign contributions it sent were being used for climate awareness campaigns, an activity not permissible under the FCRA [Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act].Q What is Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) ?A The FCRA regulates foreign donations and ensures that such contributions do not adversely affect internal security.First enacted in 1976, it was amended in 2010 when a slew of new measures was adopted to regul... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A The Karnataka High Court has upheld the ban on the wearing of hijab (head scarf) by students in schools and colleges in the State.The judgment was delivered by a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S. Dixit and Justice J.M. Khazi.It rejected all the petitions filed by girl students of pre-university colleges in Udupi district.Q What are the key takeaways ?A The HC held that wearing hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam and is not, therefore, protected under by the right to freedom of re... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A Recently, six students were banned from entering a college in Karnataka’s Udupi district for wearing a hijab (a head covering worn in public by some Muslim women).The issue throws up legal questions on reading the freedom of religion and whether the right to wear a hijab is constitutionally protected.Q How is religious freedom protected under the Constitution?A Article 25(1) of the Constitution guarantees the “freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion”. Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A The government is proposing a new Draft National Policy for Medical Devices, 2022 to reduce India’s dependence on import of high-end medical devices.Q What are Key features of the policy ?A Adopting public-private partnerships to reduce the cost of healthcare, drive efficiency, and aid quality improvements in medical devices manufactured in the countryThe key proposals include:Incentivising the export of medical devices and related technology projects through tax rebates and refundsIncreasing government spending in “high-risk” projects in the me... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A The Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP) has laid down a 30-year road map for the city to tackle the challenges of climate change by adopting inclusive and robust mitigation and adaptation strategies.Q What is Mumbai Climate Action Plan ?A The MCAP has set short-, medium- and long-term climate goals aimed towards zero emission of greenhouse gas or a net-zero target for 2050.It focuses on priority across six strategic areas:Sustainable waste managementUrban greening and biodiversityUrban flooding and water resourc... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A Recently, Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Powerplant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.The developments at the plant triggered an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.Q Where is the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Powerplant Located?A It is located on the banks of the Dnieper river, just 200 kilometers from the conflicted Donbas region where Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces have been fighting.Zaporizhzhya is one of the four ope... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A Recently, Russia declared a temporary ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine War to provide "humanitarian corridors" for civilians.As the war enters a likely deadlier phase, numerous civilians attempt to leave the country for safety and refuge, there must be humanitarian measures taken to reduce civilian casualties.Q What are Humanitarian Corridors?A They are demilitarised zones, in a specific area and for a specific time — and both sides of an armed conflict agree to them.The Un... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A Western sanctions against Russia could cause the International Space Station (ISS) to crash, the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos has warned.Q What is the ISS?A The ISS was launched in 1998 as part of joint efforts by the U.S., Russia, Japan, Canada and Europe.The idea of a space station originated in the 1984 State of the Union address by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.The space station was assembled over many years, and it operates in low-earth orbit.Since its inception, it has served as a laboratory suspended in space and... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A The United States, the European Union, Britain, Canada and Japan are to move jointly to revoke Russia’s “most favoured nation” (MFN) status over its invasion of Ukraine.Q What is Most Favoured Nation status?A The World Trade Organization’s 164 members commit to treating other members equally so they can all benefit from each other’s lowest tariffs, highest import quotas and fewest trade barriers.This principle of non-discrimination is known as most favoured nation (MFN) treatment.There are some exceptions, such as wh... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ? A The global supply of semiconductors is now being threatened once again by the Ukraine crisis on account of supply of two key raw materials — neon and palladium — that are at a risk of being constrained. Q What are Semiconductors? A A semiconductor sits between a conductor and an insulator and is commonly used in the development of electronic chips, computing components, and devices. It’s generally created using silicon, germanium, and other pure elements. Semicon... Read More...
Q What is the context ? A Many Indian gaming companies have expressed their interest in introducing elements of Blockchain technology into their games in the near future. Q What is Blockchain? A Blockchain is a decentralised database that stores information. It relies on technology that allows for the storage of identical copies of this information on multiple computers in a network. Q What are blockchain games? A To revisit our definition of blockchain games: t... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A As the evidence of casualties in the civilian population continues to mount, the world will increasingly look to the Geneva Conventions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.Q What are Geneva Conventions Guidelines for Wartime ?A These are a set of four treaties, formalized in 1949, and three additional protocols, which codify widely accepted ethical and legal international standards for humanitarian treatment of those impacted by war.The focus of the Conventions is the:Treatment of non-combatants and prisoners of war, andNot the use... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A Three laborers in Mumbai, allegedly hired for manual scavenging, died after inhaling toxic fumes in a septic tank.Q What is Manual Scavenging?A Manual scavenging is the practice of removing human excreta by hand from sewers or septic tanks.India banned the practice under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR).The Act bans the use of any individual for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of or otherwise handling in any manner, human excreta till its disposal. Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has placed considerable moral responsibility on India. However, at the United Nations (UN), India has refused to condemn the violation of the rights of the Ukrainians.Q What are issues involved in India’s vote ?A 1] Commitment to principlesNational interest: One of the arguments justifying India’s stance is that in international affairs, a country must be guided by its national interest and not some abstract principles.It is pointed out that due to the very high dependence of India on the Soviet Union ... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A India has emphasized on following the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) at the UNSC meeting on Ukraine.The meeting came after a request from Russia, who claimed that the US is involved in bioweapon manufacture in war-torn Ukraine.However, Washington has strongly dismissed this claim.Q What is Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC)?A The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) was the first multilateral treaty categorically banning a class of weapon.It is a treaty that came into force in 1975... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A India has acknowledged a malfunction led to accidental firing of a missile, which Pakistan says landed in its territory.Q How are missiles test conducted and what are NOTAM and NAVAREA warnings ?A Under the pre-notification of flight testing of ballistic missiles agreement signed in 2005, a country must provide the other an advance notification on flight test it intends to take for any land or sea launched, surface-to-surface ballistic missile.Before the test, the country must issue Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) or Navigational Warning (... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A Gold’s appeal as a safe haven is only rising: as tensions escalate in Ukraine, its price is approaching records.Q What are factors explaining demand for gold in India ?A India is the world’s second-largest market for the yellow metal, behind China, though it produces almost none at home.This is partly driven by tradition.Brides are given jewellery as part of their dowry and it is deemed auspicious to buy bullion around certain religious festivals.It is a handy store of undeclared wealth, too, often ... Read More...