A new Left rises in the West – (Social Issues)
- A wave of social democratic movements is surging across the developed world, and its vision for equality, education and the environment is challenging established politics.
- While economic growth has varied, the U.K., U.S., China and India have experienced exceptionally large rises in inequality since the 1980s.
6 Army men get life term in Machil encounter case – (Indian Polity)
- An Army court martial has awarded life sentence to six of its personnel found guilty in the Machil fake encounter case of 2010.
- On April 29, 2010, the Army killed three youths in the Machil sector of Kupwara district on the ground that they were foreign militants.
Kali river contaminates groundwater – (Environment)
- Rivers in western Uttar Pradesh like Kali, Krishna and Hindon have been polluted to dangerous levels because of the industrial waste released illegally into them by the industries.
- So grave is the pollution that they have also contaminated the groundwater of hundreds of villages located on the banks of these rivers thereby endangering the health of millions of people, revealed a scientific study of one of the rivers Kali which flows through nine districts and covers about 200 km.
Threat from IS is serious, Rajnath tells Russia – (Security)
- A statement issued by the Home Ministry said, “Union Home Minister said that the threat of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a matter of serious concern and there is need for close cooperation and exchange of information between the two countries and monitoring the activity of ISIL particularly in the field of media to counter the extensive media propaganda by the ISIL and the Cyber Space to combat close Jihadi chat and online recruitment.”
An odd pitch to curb free speech – (Indian polity)
- There are things done by governments in India that do not strike a chord with many people and which cause them to express their contempt, enmity and disaffection openly… Is this a valid reason to send such people to jail?
- The Maharashtra government circular, on free speech and sedition, is unconstitutional as it is violative of the freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution.
The Syrian catastrophe – (International Relation)
- More than two lakh people have already been killed in the four-year-long civil war, according to the United Nations. Around four million people have been made refugees.
- Millions of other Syrians are trapped in the war in which nobody appears to be winning, forcing more people to flee the country.
A bit for the state, a bit for the investor – (Economics)
- Many investors, including Vodafone and Telenor, have initiated causes of action against the government, amounting to enormous liability.
- In reviewing Bilateral Investment Treaties, the idea is to provide an internationally recognised and basic minimum protection for investing companies.
U.N. Security Council is failing Syria, Ban Ki-moon admits – (International Relation)
- The U.N. secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, has admitted that the U.N. Security Council is failing Syria because of big power divisions that have prevented action to end a conflict that has cost thousands of lives and driven the biggest refugee exodus in a generation.
- U.N. secretary general urges Russia and China to ‘look beyond national interest’ and stop blocking proposals to help end conflict.
Modi govt.’s model for GST may not result in significant growth push – (Economics)
- Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs, in a note ‘India: Q&A on GST — Growth Impact Could Be Muted’, has put out estimates that show that the Modi Government’s model for the Goods & Services Tax (GST) will not raise growth, will push up consumer prices inflation and may not result in increased tax revenue collections.
- The decision to exclude from the GST items such as tobacco, alcohol and electricity and the one-per cent additional tax over and above it are among the flaws in the model that, Goldman Sachs says, will lead to these sub-optimal results from the biggest economic reform in India in recent years.
Batra moots education panel on lines of EC – (Governance)
- The new education policy, to be debated and finalised this year, has received many suggestions for inclusion, but none would be as influential as the suggestions forwarded by Dinanath Batra, chairman of the Shiksha Bachao Andolan and member of the new committee on education advising the Government of Haryana.
- Mr. Batra, envisages sweeping changes to the education system, including the setting up of an education commission, on the lines of the Election Commission. “An education commission, just like the Election Commission will be responsible for the organisation of education in India. This will include education in values, of how to be a part of and raise a good family,” he said.