CURRENT AFFAIRS

The crisis caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic in the country and at global level has led to a debate about fresh thinking and new approaches to manage the economy and the future of humanity.

The National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) is a bold initiative which the government takes to help  fulfill infrastructure gaps in the country. The NMP is not about the sale of government-owned assets or privatisation or disinvestment.

The deterioration in the quality of deliberation in Parliament over time has prompted calls for reform from different stakeholders. Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana also highlighted this problem, noting that the ambiguities and gaps in laws passed without meaningful deliberation trigger avoidable litigation.

Recent introduction of reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examinations and a renewed debate on caste census have once again brought the debate on affirmative action in the limelight.

The human body, like a nation, is composed of structures and processes which are held together by a bony skeleton. When vital processes become weak, the body becomes unhealthy even if the frame is strong.

The 13^th BRICS summit is set to be held on September 9 in digital format under India’s chairmanship. India also held the chair in 2012 and 2016. This plurilateral grouping comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is chaired by turn.

Recent amendments in the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act nullify the tax clause provision that allows the government to levy taxes retrospectively.The 2012 amendment overturned the Supreme Court’s decision in Vodafone International Holdings v.

Earlier this month, Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana expressed concern at the degree of human rights violations in police stations in the country. He said that “the threat to human rights and bodily integrity is the highest in police stations”.

In a recent judgment, a Supreme Court Bench fined eight political parties for being in contempt of the Court’s directions to inform citizens about the criminal antecedents of their candidates. In 2004, 24% of the Members of Parliament had criminal cases pending against them.

Delhi University has approved a four-year undergraduate course from next year as part of the new National Education Policy. The New Education Policy (NEP) proposes several reforms for higher education and if implemented in letter and spirit, the NEP can change the classroom experience.