Author: Sidra Aman

The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are not homogenous and can be sub-classified to give the more marginalised sections among the groups more weightage in reservations. E.V. Chinnaiah Verdict Overruled The bench, comprising CJI Chandrachud, Justices B.R. Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M. Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra, and Satish Chandra Sharma, penned six separate opinions, with six in favour of the sub-classification of scheduled castes to give the more deprived and weaker sections among them a better chance to get benefits of the reservations.  The seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y.…

Türkiye’s parliament approved a law on July 29 to remove millions of stray dogs from the streets. Animal lovers fear that this law will lead to many dogs being killed or ending up in neglected, overcrowded shelters. Overview of the Law The new law was approved with 275 votes in favour and 224 votes against it. The law requires the municipalities to round up stray dogs and house them in shelters to be spayed, neutered, and vaccinated before being put up for adoption.  The law, part of the draft bill on the fate of the animals, says that aggressive or…

The Delhi High Court is likely to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a high-level probe into the Rajendra Nagar incident that resulted in the deaths of 3 UPSC aspirants. The PIL was mentioned today by Advocate Rudra Vikram Singh before a bench composed of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, who said that the matter will be listed tomorrow if the plea is in order by 12:30 PM. What Does the PIL Seek? Kutumb, an NGO, filed the PIL in the High Court for a high level probe into the Rajendra Nagar incident. The plea…

The Supreme Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the Centre’s decision to cancel the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) examination following an alleged question paper leak. A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra refused to hear the plea after noting that it was filed by a lawyer and not a student who was personally affected by the exam’s cancellation.  Decision and Investigation Advocate Ujjawal Gaur filed the PIL against the Union education ministry and the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) decision to cancel the UGC-NET exam following…

The triathlon swimming training session for the Olympic Games scheduled for Sunday was cancelled due to concerns over the water quality of the River Seine after heavy rains affected the pollution levels in the river. According to a statement by Paris 2024 and World Triathlon, a joint decision was taken to cancel the swimming training session after tests were carried out on Saturday that revealed the water quality at a level that couldn’t allow the event to be held. The reason for this was attributed to the recent heavy rains in Paris. The organisers emphasised the priority of the health…

Hours before the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris, France, the high-speed TGV train network was hit by “malicious acts,” including arson attacks, on Friday, according to train operator SNCF. These attacks were intended to paralyse the TGV network, said SNCF, adding that many train routes will have to be cancelled.  Travel Disruptions and Impact SNCF announced that the attacks targeted its Atlantic western, northern, and eastern regions, though an attempted attack on the southeastern line was foiled. The arson attacks caused significant damage to facilities, leading to heavily disrupted traffic on these lines. About 800,000 passengers were affected, said SNCF…

India has been ranked 82nd on the latest Henley Passport Index 2024, allowing citizens visa-free access to 58 destinations. Other countries holding this spot include Senegal and Tajikistan. Top Ranked Countries Singapore topped the index, making it the country with the world’s most powerful passport, having visa-free entry to 195 countries. Following closely, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Japan have the second most powerful passports in the world, each having visa-free access to 192 destinations. The third position is held by Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden, with visa-free access to 191 countries.  The United Kingdom,…

19 people were onboard a Saurya Airlines plane that crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Nepal’s civil aviation authority reported. 18 of the passengers were reportedly killed, and the pilot, the only sole survivor, was rescued and is currently receiving treatment in the hospital.  Details of the Flight The plane, carrying 2 crew members and 17 of Saurya Airlines staff, was bound for Pokhara city, 150 kilometres east of Kathmandu, for maintenance checks, reported airport security chief Arjun Chand Thakuri. It crashed around 11:15 AM local time, a few minutes…

In a study conducted on sharks off the coast of Brazil, marine biologists discovered high levels of cocaine in their muscles and livers. They believe the drug may be affecting the sharks’ behaviour. The study, carried out by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil, involved 13 wild sharpnose sharks near Rio de Janeiro that tested positive for cocaine. Theories on the Source While the exact source of the drug is unknown, several theories exist. According to a paper published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, researchers suspect that the cocaine may come from drains connected to illicit drug…

Two women were almost buried alive in Hinuata village, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh after a truck dumped gravel on them during a protest against road construction on the land. Incident Overview The women, named Mamta Pandey and Asha Pandey, were partially buried in a pile of gravel while they were protesting against the construction of a road on land they leased in Hinota Jorot village under Mangawa police station, according to reports on Saturday. A video of the incident shows the women sitting behind the truck filled with gravel just before the incident. Another viral video shows the women buried to…