POLITY

1.

High on hysterectomies: Losing wombs to medical malpractice

Four Karnataka hospitals have been suspended for performing the procedure unnecessarily, often on poor young women

2.

Gauging the breeze in Manipur

The 2015 Framework Agreement on the Naga issue is a key concern in these Assembly elections

Factors that matter

Influence of armed groups

3.

What exactly is a money bill?

Or, why we need to reconsider the Aadhaar Act, with all its implications for privacy

Flawed counterpoint

What Aadhaar Act shows?

Right to privacy

4.

NOTA and the Indian voter

The perceived cynicism of voters against the political class seems exaggerated

The patterns

Some early pointers

5.

 Amnesty faults sedition law, curbs on NGO

Criticises curbs on NGOs, attacks on activists, journalists

6.

Necessary limit, price control for cardiac stents

Price control for cardiac stents is inevitable to promote access to treatments

ECONOMICS

1.

Set timeline on NPAs

Says surgical restructuring required to boost balance sheet

NAMC model

‘Need to create bad bank quickly’

2.

‘Legally vetted’ pact on services tabled at WTO

TFA in goods

3.

Plan to allow larger firms to shut shop sans govt. nod

Single code stalled

4.

Wind tariffs at a low of Rs. 3.46 per unit

5.

Getting the basics wrong

Unlike the ‘Economic Survey’ proposal, the idea behind a universal basic income is one of redistribution

The experiment in Europe

Distortions in Indian proposal

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1.

India, Israel to jointly develop missile for Army

H17,000 - crore deal approved by Cabinet Committee on Security ahead of Modi’s likely visit to Tel Aviv lin June

Russian partnership

2.

INDIA-CHINA

India-China cooperation on Afghanistan could help bring bilateral ties out of the 2016 freeze

3.

INDIA-BANGLADESH

4.

Act East policy promoting ties with Asia-Pacific region’

Less duty for exports

5.

The IS challenge

What India should and shouldn’t do to stop the group from striking roots among its young

6.

INDIA-US WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism

The WTO dispute that India lost over solar power and the one that it has now filed against the U.S. are similar. It is best for both countries to find an amicable solution

The WTO ruling

SOCIAL ISSUES

1.

Why India needs the rubella vaccine?

Why is the measles-rubella vaccine being administered to children?

2.

Problems with Ageing: Old age

We may be a young nation, but we need to gear up to meet the needs of the elderly

Govt. interventions

3.

More radars to beef up coastal surveillance

Vessel management

Aircraft engine repair

4.

U.K. mulls easing entry norms for Commonwealth citizens

Lawmakers to debate new proposal on border control

MISCELLANEOUS

1.

India building a supercomputer juggernaut

2.

 Copper axes point to an ancient culture story

Archaeologists excited, as discovery may shine light on a 4,000-year-old Ganga-Yamuna culture

In fertile plains

3.

How tiny natural ponds can speed up global warming

Amplification effect

4.

There’s poison in the air

One-third of Indian cities breach limits, show govt. Data

5.

Roche can’t hang on to breast cancer drug: HC

Court says it finds company’s stand difficult to digest

6.

Seven Earth like exoplanets found

Low temperatures make possible the presence of liquid water on their surface

In habitable zone of star

Orbital periods

Life elsewhere

7.

Centre doubles solar park capacity to 40,000 MW

Nepal hydro project

8.

Record Olive Ridley nesting baffles wildlife experts

Mass nesting

9.

Fluorosis contamination in Nuapada, ODISHA

Over 50,000 villagers in Odisha district consume fluoride-laced groundwater

10.

Choke on it

Air quality continues to deteriorate, but there is no pressure on the government to take action

Valuing cars over lungs

11.

Universities to compete with IITs, IIMs in rankings

NIRF rankings are drawn up on the basis of five parameters

Pay packages

12.

NIO begins fingerprinting tar balls to track oil spills

The technique will help fix responsibility

Source determination

13.

Pleating membranes into compact forms

The technique of folding could be used for making nanoscale capacitors

Miura Ori pleats

Stable models

14.

Pests eat away 35% of total crop yield, says ICAR scientist

‘Such large-scale crop loss has adverse effect on biosafety’

15.

The CRISPR story

What is CRISPR-Cas9?

How does it work?

How was it developed?

What other techniques are there for altering genes?

What are the applications and implications?

What’s the future of CRISPR-Cas9?

Better targeting of CRISPR-Cas9