Current Affair Category: Social Issues

The State of Food and Agriculture 2024’ (SOFA 2024): Why in News? The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has  recently released ‘The State of Food and Agriculture 2024’ (SOFA 2024). Key Findings: True Cost Accounting: The report calls for the importance of true cost accounting in agrifood systems. It helps to uncover the hidden costs […]

The top court has laid down a ‘holistic and realistic’ test to determine the ‘minority character’ of an educational institution that would ensure special protections underArticle 30 Is Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) a minority educational institution (MEI) with significant constitutional protections to manage its affairs? A seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court has  laid down in […]

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has taken cognisance of representations sent to it against a June advisory of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), asking state forest departments to submit action plans on the relocation of villages from tiger reserves. Further, the commission also decided to seek an action-taken report from the Union […]

Maharashtra economically better off, but lags behind in social measures: The State is among the top 10 in per capita income; it ranks last among all the States in the share of wasted children: Maharashtra is economically better off than many other States and it weathered the pandemic well. However, its performance on various social […]

Coal will be central to India’s energy mix for at least another decade, and moving away from it poses a massive challenge. For a just transition away from coal, India will require over $1 trillion or Rs 84 lakh crore over the next 30 years, according to a study by environment and climate change research think-tank […]

Need to legalize Marital Sex: The omission of MRE is violative of constitutional guarantees of equality to women and India’s obligations under the Convention on Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) states that the definition of violence against women shall include marital rape. The non-recognition of marital rape […]

Doctors’ strike reveals how apathy to health pushes people into poverty: West Bengal’s healthcare expenditure is 1% of its gross state domestic product, and 68% of healthcare expenses in the State come from the pockets of patients, the second worst figure in India after Uttar Pradesh. The State also spends less than 3% of GDP […]

Why in New? The Global Hunger Index for 2024 states that a ‘serious’ level of hunger is prevalent in India. It ranks India 105th among 127 countries, giving it a score of 27.3. A score below 9.9 indicates low levels of hunger, 10-19.9 moderate, 35-49.9 alarming and above 50 extremely alarming. What does it state […]

India, the birthplace of Buddhism, holds an enduring spiritual legacy as the land where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment and shared teachings that continue to shape human understanding. The country’s historical and cultural connection to Buddhism is reflected through the veneration of sacred sites, including Bodh Gaya, where Buddha achieved Nirvana. These sites are not merely […]

The concepts of inclusive and extractive institutional frameworks are central to understanding why some nations prosper while others remain in poverty. These terms were popularized by economists Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson in their book “Why Nations Fail.” Here’s an explanation of both concepts: 1. Inclusive Institutional Framework: Inclusive institutions create a level playing […]