Table of Contents
The Nepal reset
Delhi and Kathmandu should rebuild ties by focussing on deliverables
Focus- on connectivity- External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made an unusual
departure from protocol to visit Mr. Oli in Kathmandu and congratulate him for his election
win even before he had been sworn in.
It was a significant shift from 2015-17, when five month long blockade of truck trade at Nepal
India border and Nepal‟s ties with China placed a severe strain on the relationship.
Oli put aside the anti-India rhetoric of his election campaign
India on his first post-election visit
Mr. Modi promised support on development projects that meet “Nepal‟s priorities”
Ongoing process of updating the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship.
Nepal would acknowledge that its citizens have benefited from the ease of employment
and residence in India that the treaty provides.
Nepal‟s aspirational young population is also looking beyond the open Indian border for opp
ortunities, and Mr. Oli‟s desire to turn his “landlocked” country into a “land-linked”
Recovery in the relationship is still fragile
Measuring excellence
Ranking educational institutions is useful, but the HRD Ministry‟s effort needs fine-tuning
National Institutional Ranking Framework, 2018
2018 exercise added the disciplines of
• Law,
• Medicine and
• Architecture and
It hopes to cast the net wider in the future.
Beyond competitive ranking, however, the higher
order goal is to foster learning
NIRF was approved by the MHRD
Objection on NIRF ranking, accusing it of being based on incomplete data
Patents and protecting public health
Public interest litigation before the Delhi High Court.
The petition pointed out the
importance of “working requirements” in the Patents Act, 1970;
The need to amend Form 27;
The importance of Form 27 on the question of access to health
cannot be underestimated
Patent law grants to the patentees the privilege of enjoying a limited monopoly
Patents are granted to encourage inventions
Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) provides
flexibilities and underscores the sovereign rights of countries
Granting a compulsory licence along with other grounds such as high prices and non
supply of the patented invention locally.
Doha Declaration allows exercise of sovereign rights to define when exclusive rights
could be curtailed to achieve a larger public interest result
Right to life of its citizens under Article 21,
WTO- Article 27 prohibition against discrimination based on
whether the goods are locally manufactured or imported applies
It is not only about the right to health but also about the
state’s sovereign right to preserve public health and duty
to fulfil a Constitutional mandate
Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis
Page-1- Cauvery: SC slams Centre‟s inaction
three-judge Bench led by CJI Dipak Misra expressed its disappointment over the
Centre‟s lack of resolve to play its part in ending the water conflict between neighbours,
Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
February 16 judgment of the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to frame
the scheme by March 29.
Yet, on the eve of the deadline, the Centre moved the court seeking another three
months to finish the task.
This would have taken it well past the Karnataka Assembly election scheduled on May 12
Page-5-Right to convert is fundamental right of choice, says Supreme Court
The observation is part of the 61-page judgment in the Hadiya case
Supreme Court on Monday held that a person‟s right
to choose a religion and marry is an intrinsic part of her
meaningful existence.
Neither the state nor „patriarchal
supremacy‟ can interfere in
her decision
CVC witnesses a dramatic drop in complaints
China will not interfere in Nirav Modi‟s arrest
Mr. Modi had apparently fled to Hong Kong after his involvement in the PNB scam emerged
North Korea is prepared to discuss denuclearisation: U.S.
Officials from the two countries recently held secret talks
Orban‟s party records landslide win
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