The Nehruvian Era: Part 1 The first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru mesmerized the world with his most famous speech Tryst with Destiny on the eve of India’s independence. His speech showed us his ideas for the nation. We learnt how he wished to see India, and every single word of his justified why it was very important to fight to foreign enemy. His words guided us that power and freedom comes with a lot of responsibility, and one should not take it for granted. Another aspect of this freedom was the partition of British India into India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan were born out of India’s Independence Act 1947, under Governor General Lord Mountbatten. These two newly born independent countries had leaders which were very similar in terms of personality. Both le
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Verbal Violence against women poses a great challenge to democracy. Today women have the access to powerful positions where they can shine their leadership. Despite these significant strides in entering political spaces, they still face disrespectful treatment, sexist comments, and harassment to depreciate their position in a political setting. These traits reflect broader gender inequality and power dynamics in political institutions. There have been various instances which show us that misogyny is so deeply ingrained into our political system, that somehow it forms the core of Indian Politics. Indian Parliament has shown us everything, from sexist comments passed onto female parliamentarians to keeping them outside the important decision making process.
Read MoreDelhi CM Kejriwal Arrested: What’s The Now-Repealed Liquor Policy Scam Case?
The Delhi excise policy case involves two separate investigations, one by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the other by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The case originated from a report submitted by the Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022. The report highlighted alleged procedural lapses in the formulation of the policy that resulted in financial losses of over Rs 580 crore to the exchequer. It was alleged that the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in his capacity as Excise Minister, made arbitrary and unilateral decisions that resulted in these losses. The report further claimed that the AAP Delhi government and AAP leaders received kickbacks from owners and operators of alcohol business...
Read MoreElectoral Bond Controversy: What It Means For 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, And Supreme Court’s Role In It
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections in India are poised to witness significant repercussions following the State Bank of India’s (SBI) recent involvement in the electoral bond controversy. The electoral bonds scheme, which allowed political parties to receive anonymous donations, was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on February 15, 2024. The court ordered the SBI to provide details of all electoral bond contributions received by political parties from the scheme’s inception in 2019 up to the present date by March 6, 2024. This verdict has far-reaching implications for political funding transparency and accountability. The SBI has sought an extension until June 30, 2024, to disclose donor details associated with electoral bonds. The bank cites logistical challenges and prac...
Read MoreIn A First, Kerala Now Has A State-Specific Disaster; Know What Changed About Man-Animal Conflict
Kerala, a state in southern India, has recently declared man-animal conflict as a state-specific disaster, becoming the first state in the country to do so. This decision is significant as it changes the way the government is addressing the issue of managing man-animal conflicts. Currently, the responsibility of managing man-animal conflict rests with the forest department, which acts as per the Wild Life Protection Act. However, once the issue is declared a state-specific disaster, the responsibility to deal with it shifts to the state disaster management authority. This authority, powered by the Disaster Management Act, can take quicker and more decisive action in managing the conflict. The disaster management authority is headed by the Chief Minister at the state level, and se...
Read MoreCan MPs, MLAs Take Bribes For Votes? What Law Says, How Supreme Court Sees It
On March 4, 2024, a seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court overruled the majority judgment in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) bribery case, which had held that members of the legislature enjoy immunity from being charged with bribery in relation to the way they vote or speak in the House. The bench was led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and the details of the judgment are still awaited. To understand this landmark case, it is essential to delve into Article 194(2) and Article 105(2) of the Constitution, which provide identical protections to members of Parliament and the Legislature of a State. These articles state that no member of the legislature shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in ...
Read MoreThe Indian government has recently amended the surrogacy rules, allowing couples to use donor eggs or donor sperm for surrogacy. This amendment has overturned the previous rule made in March 2023 that banned the use of donor gametes. However, the new notification states that if the District Medical Board certifies that either husband or wife constituting the intending couple suffers from a medical condition necessitating the use of donor gamete, then surrogacy using donor gamete is allowed. The relaxation in the rules is primarily for intending couples. However, the notification specifies that if a divorced or widowed woman opts for surrogacy, the egg has to come from the mother. Single women (widow or divorcee) undergoing surrogacy must use self-eggs and donor sperms to avail of...
Read MoreIndia At Key Juncture Of World Trade: Israel Suggests Gujarat Alternative To Red Sea Tensions; What Is It?
In recent weeks, Yemen's Houthi rebels have intensified their attacks on ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea as a show of solidarity with Gaza. This has put a halt on global trade, as around 12% of it passes through the Red Sea, which links the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. Given the current situation, ships are being forced to take a longer route, traveling all the way to the south of Africa and crossing the Cape of Good Hope, which increases both costs and time taken. Due to this disruption in trade, seafarers now have the right to refuse to sail on ships passing through the Red Sea, as per a new industry agreement signed last week. To bypass the Red Sea and continue trading, Israel has been exploring alternative routes. On February 13, Transpor...
Read MoreWhat Is A Forest?: How Govt Defines It, What Supreme Court Suggests
The Supreme Court of India has issued a directive to the government, instructing it to follow the broad and all-encompassing definition of forest as laid down in its 1996 judgment in the T N Godavarman case. This directive will remain in effect until a consolidated record of all types of forests across the country has been prepared. The directive was issued by a three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud, on Monday, February 19, in response to petitions challenging the 2023 amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (FCA). These amendments were being challenged on the grounds that they had substantially diluted the definition of forest and reduced the scope of the FCA. The government had passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, in ...
Read MoreOnce Killed Over 50 Million, Bubonic Plague Back After Centuries; Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Be Worried
Earlier this week, health officials in the US state of Oregon confirmed the first case of bubonic plague since 2005. According to reports, the person who contracted the disease likely got it from a sick pet cat. The disease was quickly detected, and the individual received antibiotics for treatment. Health workers also tracked down and treated those who had been in contact with the person and the cat. Unfortunately, the cat did not survive despite receiving treatment. The bubonic plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, a type of zoonotic bacteria that can spread between animals and people. Y. pestis is typically found in small animals and their fleas. Humans can contract the plague in one of three ways: through the bite of infected vector fleas, through unprotected contact with i...
Read MorePutin’s Biggest Rival Dies: Lawyer To Anti-Corruption Activist, Chronology Of Navalny’s Dire Fate
A possible Kremlin plot to kill Alexei Navalny, a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin and Russia’s leading opposition figure, has sparked widespread rumours of a political murder. A lawyer who became an anti-corruption activist in the late 2000s, Navalny, 47, believed that Putin’s regime was based on cronyism and graft. He was one of the first to be detained during the anti-Putin protests of 2011-12. After his release, he kept challenging Putin, and in 2013, he ran for mayor of Moscow. Despite the lack of media attention and the competition from Putin’s ally Sergey Sobyanin, he won over 27 per cent of the vote but was later banned from running for office. Navalny remained a popular figure in Russia and a respected voice in the West. In 2013, he started his YouTube channel wher...
Read MoreBharat Bandh Today: What Are Farmers Demanding, That Didn’t Resolve In 2020 Protest?
Farmers across India are once again protesting for guaranteed crop prices, demanding a host of unmet demands. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), which is part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), has called for a Gramin Bharat Bandh on Friday, February 16. Farmers have been asked to suspend work for a day to press the government for demands, and traders and transporters have also been encouraged to join the strike. The farmers' protests began in 2020 when they rode on tractors and trucks from Haryana and Punjab to demand the repeal of three contentious agricultural laws that they believed would hurt their incomes. The protests drew international support and triggered nationwide demonstrations. In 2021, the Modi government repealed these laws, which was widely seen as a victory for the farme...
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