CompetitiveExams

Section 497 The Supreme Court recently unanimously nullified Section 497 of Indian Penal Code which made adultery punishable offence for men. The law itself a British era patriarchy which labelled women as property of her husband. The law was challenged by a Keralite NRI Joseph Shine and the court felt the law as an impediment to women empowerment and progressive approach. What is Adultery? Adultery is a punishable offence set by erstwhile British rulers, in 1860 section 497 was added to IPC which termed sexual intercourse with a married woman without the consent of her husband, not amount to rape but adultery itself and the offence was punishable to five years imprisonment or fine or both in case. Patriarchy involved Since this law heavily relied on male domination over his spouse and made women almost like a chattel of his husband. The law made was clear in its version that no woman can file a complaint under this law against her adulterous husband and husband himself can file ...

IPC 377 Context On September 6, 2018, Honorable Supreme Court partially repealed section 377 of Indian Penal Code, waving a new ray of hope for the LGBT community. The law for longed deemed to be a violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution. History The law dates back to 1860 when Lord Macaulay proclaimed a law which criminalises "carnal inter­course against the order of nature" and anyone who violates it to be imprisoned for ten years and fined. The law was in resonance with Biblical reference and mostly religious orthodoxy than rational inference. Legal Battle For decades civil rights activists in India termed this law an inhuman unconstitutional and demanded its repulsion and the breakthrough came from Indian judiciary. In 2001, Naaz Foundation filed a petition before Delhi High Court against section 377. However, HC dismissed the case, terming it as a mere academic challenge to the constitutionality of a legislative provision but afte...

Doklam & Politics Afterwards The two biggest south Asian giants namely India and China have been in loggerhead since their inception, but none were as tense as Doklam Standoff of 2017 after 1962 war ended. The 71-day Doklam standoff started on June 16, 2017, near trijunction of India, Bhutan and China ended without single bloodshed after both sides decided to step back. Background Doklam or Doko La, or Donglang in Chinese, is an area spread over less than a 100 sq km comprising a plateau and a valley at the trijunction between India, Bhutan and China. It is surrounded by the Chumbi Valley of Tibet, Bhutan’s Ha Valley and Sikkim. Which makes it an important strategic position in terms of India's security scenario. On June 16 last year China crossed the status quo in an attempt to build roads, which were initially contended by the Royal Bhutanese Army but they were outnumbered and pushed back, which made the call for Indian forces to step in. Indian Stand India has histor...

 Rohingya Plight   Context Rohingya’s are considered to be one of the most persecuted ethnic communities of the world. Estimated to be around 1.1 to 1.3 million, is resident of the state of Rakhine (also known as Arakan) from pre-colonial era. Mostly descendants of former Arab merchants and people from repatriation of Burmese independence and Bangladesh liberation war. The situation of these people was always at the mercy of the majority Burmese speaking Buddhist majorities. The current situation, however, took a drastic turn back on 10 June 2012 when a Rakhine woman was gang-raped and in return ten Rohingya Muslims were burnt. Rohingyas Identity Even before Myanmar's independence, Rohingyas were considered as intruders and with independence, the narrative took constitutional form. Although back in 1990 they were issued a certificate(white paper) which gave the right to vote, were recalled in 2015.  Which led the Bengali dialect speaking ethnic people completely 'st...

Aadhaar Judgement   The most awaited Aadhaar Judgement by the Supreme Court cleared all the confusions that have been there for years since Parliament passed the Aadhaar Act, 2016. The judgement itself upheld the act, although nullifying some key features and ruling that Aadhaar doesn't violate Right to Privacy as it ruled in a previous judgement as a fundamental right. Aadhaar Legacy Originally it was Kargil Review Committee that recommended National ID for multipurpose use later UPA government renamed it as 'Aadhaar'.  It was initially formed by executive order, but later the NDA government passed Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, benefits and services) Act, 2016. The passage of the bill and the ways that were followed by the government cast a shadow over the legitimacy of the act. The government later made it mandatory for almost all government services including PDS, PAN, SIM Card purchase, Banking etc., that irked a large part of the soci...

Seventh Pay Commission Photo Credit : ibtimes.co.in #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK The idea of Pay Commission mooted as early as the formation of interim-government in 1946 to address the issue of salaries of government employees and pay hike in resonance with rising price index. Seventh Pay Commission constituted to address the same issue in 2013, with a 10 years after each commission submits its report.  Pay Commission always gives the due respect to employees who work hard to run the government functionaries. This time it brought a salary increase with some additional benefits like increase in housing allowances to 25 lakh from 7.5 lakh presently, hike in Dearness Allowance, minimum salary capped at 18000 from 7000 and maximum salary at 2.5 lakh from 90000 at present. Although that didn't pacify all central employees as many of their demands remained out of this commission's ...

Namami Gange: What are the possible challenges to this? Photo Credit: nmcg.nic.in #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK Namami Gange is an ambitious flagship programme of Union Government aimed at integrating all existing and new efforts for Ganga rejuvenation through a comprehensive policy. Original action plan 'National Mission for Clean Ganga' was drafted in Union budget 2015, which set a budgetary outlay of 20000 cr to accomplish this. This is a tribute to river Ganga, which has sustained our civilisation for thousands of years and the project is a conglomeration of eight states, forty-seven towns besides several ministries. But the cleanliness of Ganga basin isn't an easy task as it includes a huge area and population. Improving sewerage infrastructure and checking existing domestic and industrial build-up to accommodate forestation, building wildlife sanctuary is a complex job keeping in...

Digital India: How to make it a success in the Indian context? #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK On July 1, 2015, in an inaugural speech PM of India along with some key dignitaries from a range of sectors like Information Technology, Telecom Industry etc. emphasised on 'Digitally Empowered India' and 'India Tomorrow'. The outcome of that summit focused on digital infrastructure, digital connectivity and digital awareness. Although such an initiative backed by budgetary support is laudable, implementation is the key huddle considering the complexity of technological awareness and seamless connectivity in remote areas.  Indians are always adaptable to new technologies but to address complexities a complete roadmap is necessary. Homegrown reliable technologies can be best suited for infrastructure development where data protection and privacy is given key importance. To a...

Social Media: Boon or Bane? #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK Erstwhile communication through parrots or newspaper and telegram of the last century, technological advancement has brought revolutionary change in communication. Using social media is one of those changes. Its widespread use has opened the fastest mode of communication but has left many questions about its long impact on our real life. Our curiosity has boosted us to experience the most imaginative method of communication which was previously unbelievable.  Social media has made the imagination possible. The long distance which previously stood up as a barrier to express ourselves to our near and dear one is now gone. It has helped us to communicate in unbounded letters and to be available when desired. Apart from people to people contact, it has quenched the thirst of knowledge. Those days are gone when morning newspape...

Purpose of Article 370 and the Drawbacks Photo Credit: echarcha.com #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK Pakistani aggression on the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir, ruled by Maharajah Hari Singh, forced it to sign 'Instrument of Accession' in October 1947. That was further corroborated by Indian constitution makers through the insertion of the Article 370. Mr Ayyangar who drafted the bill initially as Article 306(A) argued that the "unusual and abnormal" circumstances where a large part of the state was still in the hands of "rebels and enemies",  wasn't ripe for unification with the mainland.   Article 370 was initially drafted to protect the right of the people who felt insecure about their the identity and future in the then newly formed Union of India. It gave J&K special right to administer its affairs and protection from any kind of inconsistent law passed by Parliam...

Fifty Gold in Olympics –  Can this be a reality for India? #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK The meagre performance of 118 members of Indian contingent in Rio Olympic, 2016 once again has put a serious question on India's adaptability to sports and nurturing talent based on performance. With just two gold medals India a country of 130  crore people failed miserably.  This resulted in government putting more focus on sports other than cricket and hockey where India is a dominating figure worldwide. Prime Minister himself put up a panel to analyse India's downfall and asked to submit a recommendation on short-term and medium and long-term performance. But putting up a committee isn't enough to get things desired especially when the target is 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  India's immediate target should be selecting top contenders through regional and state level competitions and trai...

Intolerance Photo Credit:  pixshark.com #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK Violent incidents in current times across the country have sparked a new controversy about the level of 'Intolerance' in India. The US and other UN reports question India's commitment about human rights and certain lynching and horrifying acts on minorities have proved a strong case against our prospect as a peaceful nation. Atrocities against Dalits and Muslims are rising which is proving some elements the chance to question the integrity and tolerance of India, a land of Gandhi-Buddha. While some are politically motivated, some are truly barbaric. Indecent act with some Dalit youths carrying carcasses portrayed the negative image of shining India. While communal flare-up mostly orchestrated from political establishments are engulfing India's tolerant image of accepting everyone as a near one, rising hyper-nationalis...

Bad Bank: A Panacea for NPAs? #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK Bad Bank was originally conceptualised to quarantine nonperforming high-risk assets from the balance-sheet of the original bank to a separate entity so that banks can reassert its claim over the credit growth of market without risking its business. Usually criticised for leading to moral hazard, this idea found its support in many countries during the period of recession in 2008. In India, it was mooted around 2006 by economic survey report of 2016-'17. The focus was to jerk off nonperforming assets to an autonomous entity backed by Government and RBI. The rising NPAs and negative credit growth have put the government in a situation where this is seen as the last resort. The whole point of having a bad bank is to discover and recover the steady-state of economic assets and giving banks a chance to re-engage in market capit...

UDAN-Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK National Civil Aviation Policy(NCAP) laid the foundation of UDAN or Ure Desh Ka Aam Naagrik as its component to enhance regional connectivity through the revitalisation of unserved or underserved airports in the country, which aimed at providing the common man to fly at an affordable price. This scheme is a flagship program of the current government which is trying to expand the aviation market in India, already third largest in the world after USA and China. Initially, this scheme is targeted at providing regional connectivity to 43 cities for a period of three years and the scheme will be operational for ten years. The government believes in the meantime the route will be operational. Under this scheme, a Viability Gap Funding(VGF) will be set up to compensate the losses of the airline operators on the selected route as the p...

Lateral Entry in Public Services: Boon or Bane? #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK Democratic India still follows the British legacy of civil servants as a mean of communication among regions and representatives, with some minor changes as a mark of the Unionistic federal structure. But liberalisation of 1991 changed the dynamics with an open market competition. Lateral entry in public services in the level of Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary and Secretary in GoI is seen as an act of compensating the due.  Sixth Pay Commision recommended the appointment of private sector executives and social workers through a matrix of experience and qualifications, backed by several committees. Advocates argue this will rejuvenate the rusting bureaucracy in India and pump new ideas from outside the government to ease the potential hurdles. But critics challenge the rationale behind this western ...

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK “You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” On 22 January 2015 Honorable PM launched Beti 'Bachao, Beti Padhao' to address India's gender imbalance and empower women through education. Over the century the more India progressed, the more its women get concentrated. India is a country where women are praised as god yet women are still suffering. To protect women interest and women pride such an initiative is laudable. The social taboo that girl child is other's property and their deprivation from education is unreasonable. The current sex ratio of 940 female per 1000 male is alarming and is substantiated prove of a heinous crime called 'foeticide'.  Save girl child, educate girl child can become life-changing for them. Banning female foeticide and addressing society's c...

Corruption #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK The malicious desire to seek something extra brings corruption, which has expanded its branches to every sphere of mankind. John Steinbeck once said, “Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts.. perhaps the fear of a loss of power." This is quite the notion behind all luxurious corruptions that strangle all such illicit practitioners to its fold.  Corruption isn't something new to our society dating back to Roman Empire, causing its fall. Ever since the industrial revolution, the cruelty of it has been exposed to the public. Things changed since then in European and American societies but those from the Asian and the African regions are still suffering from the same social disease. India with no exception has witnessed many such scams, which profited the rich and powerful to expand its hegemony. The criminalisation of politics and political-bureaucratic nexu...

Reservation in Educational Institutions #SSC-CGL2018 #SSC-CHSL2018 #IB #SBI-PO   (250 words)Important Topics for SSC, IB, BANK Reservation has always been a hot topic to debate. Since its enforcement in independent India through 'constitution', it has found many critics. Reservation based on 'caste' and 'religion' in premier educational institutions is an endless debate. While some question its merit, others back the long-persecuted sections. Post-independence constitutional thinkers tried to include vulnerable sections to the mainstream and to accomplish that reservation based on 'caste' was added in the constitution, later many economically backward section found its place in the list. This was primarily to benefit those people, often from backward classes and tribals but political influence made it an insincere move. Today every academic institute irrespective of public or private has a reserved share of available seats for SC,...