Table of Contents
Cuba’s President must seize the opportunity to refresh economic and foreign policies
Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez assumes charge Sustaining Cuba‟s education and health-care services will be a formidable challenge for the President Another challenge is to reform the economy Refresh its domestic and foreign policies
Revisit AFSPA
Centre‟s decision to revoke the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Meghalaya
„Disturbed areas‟ in Meghalaya was earlier limited to within 20 km of its border with Assam.
In Arunachal, the areas under AFSPA have been reduced to the limits of eight police stations, instead of the previous 16
AFSPA was extended in Nagaland by six months from January.
There is no sign that the vigour of the law will be diluted,
But the area of its use may be progressively curtailed over time
It was withdrawn in Tripura in 2015.
Assam has been empowered to decide on how long it needs the cover of AFSPA
Centre is still far from abrogating(वापस लेना) the Act, mainly because the Army favours its continuance
2016 the Supreme Court had ruled that the armed forces cannot escape investigation
Accountability for human rights violations is sacrosanct(पुण्यमय)
During the Budget session, Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir
informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply that the government was considering a proposal
to make AFSPA more “operationally effective and humane”.
2005, a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge B.P. Jeevan Reddy was tasked by
the then United Progressive Alliance government with suggesting amendments to AFSPA.
The committee recommended that the law be repealed(ननरस्त) altogether
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act be amended in a manner that would enable
insurgency and conflict to be tackled legally.
It is time for the Centre to revisit the Jeevan Reddy committee report and find ways of
humanising AFSPA, if not revoking it altogether.
The global nuclear cloud is darkening
Word „historic‟ is appropriate to describe the April 27 summit between South
Korean president Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
Considerable optimism that this meeting will mark the New beginning
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. and North Korea were
in diplomatic contact and that denuclearisation was on the table
Pyongyang has announced that it is suspending further nuclear/missile tests
China and Russia, which are regional stakeholders, will be monitoring the
summit for its outcome
U.S. has dealt with the weapons of mass destruction issue in Iraq, Libya
and Iran(“bad deal”)
United Nations-led external inspectors have certified that Iran‟s compliance has
been in keeping with the 2015 accord
India has urged nuclear restraint and universal disarmament since the 1950s and has
been relatively muted after its May 1998 nuclear tests
Given that it aspires to a seat at the global high table, India ought to make a credible and
objective intervention that will burnish its profile as a „different‟ nuclear weapon power
Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis
Page-1- Asaram sentenced to jail till death
Self-styled godman convicted of rape of teen at his ashram near Jodhpur five years ago
Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis
Page-1- Judges seek to fortify top court
Propose informal talks with CJI
Supreme Court judges have asked the Chief Justice of India to hold a „Full Court‟
once in a while and also initiate frequent informal discussions where ideas can be
shared freely among them
Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis
Page-1- Ministry clears Indu Malhotra as SC judge
Senior advocate Indu Malhotra will be first woman lawyer to be elevated as a Supreme Court
judge after the Law Ministry cleared her name for the position
Supreme Court Collegium, consisting of Justices Dipak Misra, J. Chelameshwar and Ranjan
Gogoi, also cleared 12 names across
four High Courts to be appointed as judges.
Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis
Electric car race on at Beijing auto show
Domestic start-ups showcase green automobiles of the future
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