GST only a matter of time: FM – (Economics)
- Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, on Wednesday, said that the passage of the GST (Goods and Services Tax) Bill is only a matter of time and that he expects to table the Bankruptcy law in the winter session of Parliament.
- “Obstruction against the GST has been due to political reasons. Within months from now, the numbers (in the Rajya Sabha) are going to tilt even more.
GSAT-15 set to replace dying INSAT-3A and 4B – (Science And Technology)
- GSAT-15, the mainly communications satellite being put in space next week, will replace two older spacecraft that will likely expire in the coming months.
- Its 24 transponders are solely in the Ku band and will cater to DTH (direct-to-home) television first, besides supporting the thousands of VSAT operators who provide broadband services; and DSNG (digital satellite news gathering) for TV news channels.
President to launch IIT-IISc joint initiative on researchG – (Governance)
- President Pranab Mukherjee will, on Thursday, launch an initiative to develop a road map for research and pave the way for solutions to major engineering and technology challenges, at the ongoing Visitor’s Conference in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- The initiative, ‘IMPRINT India’, is a pan-IIT and IISc joint collaboration to develop a blueprint for research of immediate relevance to society requiring innovation, direct scientific research into identified areas, ensure higher funding support for research into these areas and measure outcomes of the research efforts with reference to the impact on the standard of living in rural/urban areas.
CJI Dattu recommends Thakur – (Indian Polity)
- Justice Thakur is the senior-most judge in the court after the Chief Justice, who retires on December 2.
- It is a convention that the present Chief Justice recommend the name of his successor to the government. After the Law Ministry clears his name, the file will go to the Prime Minister’s Office and finally reaches the President, after whose approval the Warrant of Appointment will be issued.
‘Rape victim’s child can claim inheritance right’ – (Indian Polity)
- Allahabad High Court has ruled that a child born after a rape has inheritance rights over the property of the assaulter, the “biological father,” and suggested that an appropriate law be enacted to deal with this “complex social issue.”
- A Division Bench, comprising Justice Shabihul Hasnain and Justice D.K. Upadhayaya, said the child would be treated as an illegitimate child of the rape accused. The court, however, added that if the child was given away in adoption, he/she would lose that right.
‘All countries must abide by 2002 declaration on conduct’ – (International Relation)
- Expressing “interest and concern” at the recent developments in the South China Sea, India on Wednesday called for an early conclusion of the ‘Code of Conduct’ in the region for resolving disputes.
- Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar made the comments while addressing the third edition of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Malaysia.
Shared heritage promotes economic links: Ansari – (International Relation)
- Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Wednesday addressed students of Udayana University in Bali, seeking to give them a comprehensive sense of why India and Indonesia are natural partners in education, culture, politics, economy, and spirit.
- He unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi on the campus and exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding with Rector Kekut Suastika for collaboration in Ayurveda research with India’s AYUSH Ministry.
A gratifying outcome – (Indian Polity)
- The only way the state can demonstrate its commitment to rendering justice to victims of sexual violence is by ensuring a speedy trial and procuring exemplary punishment for offenders. That trials that yield such outcomes have become more frequent is a matter of considerable satisfaction.
- The sentencing of a Delhi taxi driver to a prison term for the remainder of his life for raping a passenger in December 2014 ought to be gratifying for two reasons. The final verdict has come within 11 months of the crime, and it imposes the maximum punishment available in law under penal provisions that were significantly strengthened in 2013.
‘India must ensure cheap drugs for Africa’ – (International Relation)
- We need to take AIDS out of isolation and look at it in a broader framework, with links to maternal and child health, says Michel Sidibe , Executive Director of UNAIDS.
- We must make sure that India will continue to protect TRIPS flexibilities by retaining access to affordable and quality medicines.
Regulate, don’t eliminate – (Governance)
- A sudden and arbitrary ban on commercial surrogacy will hurt all the stakeholders in this multi-billion rupee industry, particularly children who are at the core of the issue.
- Banning is easy but framing a proper law needs careful thought, good technical inputs and political will.
Women participation on the upswing – (Social Issues)
- Fifty years ago, a political party with ambitions of winning in Bihar could safely ignore its women. Not only were far fewer women than men registered to vote, but even fewer actually showed up to vote.
- In 1967, for instance, female turnout was 41 per cent to 61 per cent for men, a far larger difference than the average margin of victory in a constituency.
Historic China-Taiwan meet prompts hope and suspicion – (International Relation)
- The Presidents of China and Taiwan will dine together in Singapore on Saturday in what will be the first meeting of its kind since Chairman Mao’s Communist troops forced out their nationalist enemies from the Chinese mainland in 1949.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Taiwanese counterpart Ma Ying-jeou will meet to “exchange views on cross-Strait issues,” officials in Taipei said.
S. China Sea row cancels ASEAN joint statement – (International Relation)
- Differences over the South China Sea forced countries from Southeast Asia, along with China and the United States, to cancel a joint statement at a meeting of defence ministers in Malaysia on Wednesday.
- The Chinese Ministry of Defense confirmed that the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, had failed to conclude a joint declaration. In a statement on its website, the ministry implied the United States was the main reason for the breakdown in the discussions.