AIMING AT DEMOCRACY

The shocking turn in an already fraught election season is a warning that the US, and indeed democracies across the world, cannot afford to ignore. 

It will be hard to forget the image of Donald Trump, former president and Republican presidential nominee in this year's race for the White House, raising a defiant fist as he was ushered off stage by security officials, with a bloodied ear, moments after shots were fired at his election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

While America has had a long tryst with political violence and has shown resilience in its face, this moment is unique. 

KATHMANDU TURN

KP Sharma Oli will be sworn in as the head of Nepal's 14th government since 2008 when the country became a republic. 

Oli's party, the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), withdrew support to the Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" government, ending the latest attempt at an alliance between the Himalayan nation's leftist forces. 

Prachanda, the head of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), failed a vote of confidence on Friday, after surviving four trust motions since December 2022. In his 19-month tenure as PM, the Maoist leader changed coalition partners thrice. 

PICTURED WITH DIGNITY

The Supreme Court laid down a framework for the representation of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in visual media. 

This was in response to an appeal against the verdict of the Delhi High Court. 

The case dealt with the movie Aankh Micholi, which had characters with myriad forms of disability. 

Although the SC didn't pass any adverse order against Sony Pictures under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act) or Cinematograph Act, 1952, it laid down and elaborated upon a few fundamental principles on disability rights.

Reaffirming a right

An important judgment on this issue is 'Danial Latifi and Another vs Union of India' (2001), which

examined the constitutional validity of the new Act (Latifi was Shah Bano's lawyer in the Supreme

Court). 

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, while holding that the Act is constitutionally valid, provided an innovative interpretation of Section 3(a) to secure the rights of divorced Muslim women. 

It held that the former husband is required to pay maintenance for the three months of the iddat period and, in addition, also provide a fair and reasonable provision for her entire life, within the iddat period (The iddat period indicates the mandatory period of three months within which the divorced Muslim woman cannot remarry)

The law is human, not divine

In a recent statement in Kolkata, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud rightly said that courts should not be described as temples of justice and judges should not be treated as deities. 

Humans are "incurably religious," Indians are more so. Indian society displays a "manifest tendency towards an outlook that is predominantly religious." 

Sir Harcourt Butler noted that "Indians are essentially religious as Europeans are essentially secular." 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said that the only holy book for him is the Constitution of India. "Holy" carries religious connotations. 

All kinds of accused say that they have full "faith" in the judiciary. "Faith" too is a loaded term with theological connotations.

The law is human, not divine

In a recent statement in Kolkata, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud rightly said that courts should not be described as temples of justice and judges should not be treated as deities. 

Humans are "incurably religious," Indians are more so. Indian society displays a "manifest tendency towards an outlook that is predominantly religious." 

Sir Harcourt Butler noted that "Indians are essentially religious as Europeans are essentially secular." 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said that the only holy book for him is the Constitution of India. "Holy" carries religious connotations. 

All kinds of accused say that they have full "faith" in the judiciary. "Faith" too is a loaded term with theological connotations.

'Unlawful activity' in Maharashtra Bill to curb 'urban Naxalism'

The Maharashtra government has proposed a sweeping new law to deal with the "increasing presence of Naxalism in urban centres". 

The Bill, introduced in the Assembly, targets a wide range of actions: interference with the maintenance of public order and administration of the law, generating fear and apprehension in the public, encouraging or preaching disobedience of the law, etc.

What caused the rare failure of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket?

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded SpaceX's Falcon 9-one of the world's most active rockets - after the failure of its upper stage engine that stranded 20 Starlink Internet satellites in a low, non-survivable orbit.

Falcon 9 is a partially reusable rocket designed and manufactured by Elon Musk's SpaceX company. It can transport crew and payloads to low Earth orbit (an altitude of 2000 km or less) and beyond. 

The rocket has two stages. The first stage or booster stage comprises nine Merlin engines (a family of rocket engines developed by SpaceX), and aluminium-lithium alloy tanks containing liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellant. The second stage consists of a single Merlin engine.

Need tax breaks for skills training, loans: NSDC to Finance Ministry

As part of its Budget expectations, a key skilling organisation backed by the government has recommended to the Finance Ministry several direct and indirect tax breaks that should be made available to individuals and institutions that are looking for, and providing, skill development training. 

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has essentially called for bringing parity between tax benefits available for education-related services, such as loans, and offering the same incentives to skill development training and courses as well. 

In a representation sent to the Finance Ministry, the NSDC has recommended changes to the Income Tax Act, and the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Exports positive in April-June despite global challenges: Goyal

India's Exports have recorded healthy growth in May and remained in the positive zone in June and the first quarter of the current fiscal despite global challenges, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

He also said that growth in the services sector is helping the country's outbound shipments to register positive growth rates.