Category: Social Justice
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Revised Monthly Wages for Workers
Context: The Delhi government announced a revision in the minimum monthly wages for various categories of workers, including unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled labour. More on News: This move is seen as a step to improve the living conditions of workers in the capital and ensure that wage growth keeps pace with inflation. The revision…
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Witchcraft Hunting
Context: Five members of a family, including a Chhattisgarh police head constable, were allegedly beaten to death on suspicion of practising witchcraft in a village in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district. Reasons Superstitions and Belief Systems: Deep-rooted superstitions and traditional beliefs about witchcraft are prevalent, particularly in rural areas. Gender Discrimination: Witch hunts predominantly target…
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Being ‘Trans’ is Being Human
Context: The heart-wrenching plight of teenagers facing familial cruelty, suicide attempts, and street violence underscores the urgent stakes of the heated debate surrounding the ‘transgender question.’ Human Rights and Identity: Humanity vs. Fragmentation: Being transgender is fundamentally human, and trans-scepticism fragments this integral self. Not Western Debates: The rights of transgender individuals are not…
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Raising the Retirement Age
Context: China is set to raise the retirement age for the first time since 1978, in an effort to slow the decline of its labour force and support the economy. More on News China currently has one of the world’s lowest retirement ages, despite a significant rise in life expectancy. The retirement age for…
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A Vicious Circle in the Workplace
Context: The tragedy at R G Kar Hospital and the revelations of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry highlights the ongoing lack of basic safety for women in the Indian workplace. More on news According to the latest Fortune India list of India’s 500 largest companies, none of the top 100 companies in…
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Bonda Tribe
Context: Having successfully cleared this year’s National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), Mangala is poised to become the first member of the Bonda tribe—a particularly vulnerable and one of India’s oldest tribal groups—to pursue a medical degree. About Bonda Tribe The Bonda tribe, also known as the Bondo or Bonda Poraja, is a Munda ethnic group…
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Himachal Pradesh Raises Women’s Marriage Age to 21
Context: The Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2024, raising the minimum marriage age for women from 18 to 21 years. Background: Previous Legislation: The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 set minimum marriage ages, which were later increased in 1978. The PCM Act, 2006 replaced the 1929…
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Care Economy
Context: The Economic Survey 2023-24 highlights that India’s Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) is 37% (2022-23), below the global average of 47.8%. Despite an increase from 23.3% in 2017-18, 37.5% of the female labour force participation consists of unpaid work in household enterprises. Women’s low economic participation is largely due to their disproportionate burden…
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Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989
Context: In a judgement, the Supreme Court ruled that not all insults or intimidatory remarks directed at a person belonging to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe would constitute an offence under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. More on news: The court ruled that a person who is…
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Glass Ceiling
Context: Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that Vice President Kamala Harris’ nomination as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate would help shatter the “highest, hardest glass ceiling.” What is a Glass Ceiling? As noted in the Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity and Society, the term “ceiling” suggests a limit to how far someone…
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Dhangar Community
Context: In the face of forest disputes, development pressures, and decreasing pastures, Dhangars are seeking legal protection for their traditional shepherding practices. Dhangar community The Dhangar community is a group of shepherds found in multiple states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. They are also known by different names such as Golla and…
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Manual Scavenging
Context: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) recently held a meaningful discussion on manual scavenging through its Policy and Practice Forum, examining and debating various aspects of the issue. What is manual scavenging? According to The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, “Manual scavenger” means a person engaged…
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Safety of Doctors
Context: The Union Health Ministry has assured protesting doctors of all possible efforts to ensure their safety and urged them to resume their duties in the larger public interest after the Kolkata Rape Case. More on news: The Ministry announced that a committee will be established to propose measures for ensuring the safety of…
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Indian Defence University
Context: The lack of the Indian Defence University (IDU) is worrisome, as countries like Pakistan and China have already established theirs to boost academic standards and strategic prowess in their militaries. Why Professional Military Education (PME)? The changing nature of warfare has justified the need for PME. In conflicts like West Asia’s, military officers…