What to Read in The Hindu
12 May 2022

1. SC puts colonial sedition law on hold (Page No.-1) GS Paper- 2 (Indian Polity)

    The Supreme Court on Wednesday suspended pending criminal trials and court proceedings under Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, while allowing the Union of India to reconsider the British era law.

2.HC gives split verdict on marital rape (Page No.-1) GS Paper- 1 (Indian Society)

    Two judges of the Delhi High Court on Wednesday gave a split verdict on the question of criminalising rape within marriage, leaving the law unchanged.

3.Rising internet addiction in children worries expert (Page No.-4) GS Paper- 2 (Social Justice)

    The psychiatrist points at the practice of giving gadgets to toddlers to watch nursery rhymes while being fed. “We find speech delay occurring in toddlers due to high Internet use. There is delay in saying even the basic words. We need to reduce all screens, including television for children.” Of the 67 clients, there were 23 children and 44 adults.

4.Frozen sedition (Page No.-6) GS Paper- 2 (Indian Polity)

    In a substantial blow in favour of free speech, the Supreme Court has effectively suspended the operation of the sedition provision in the country’s penal law. “All pending trials, appeals and proceedings with respect to the charge framed under Section 124A be kept in abeyance”, it has said in an order that will bring some welcome relief to those calling for the abrogation of Section 124A of the IPC, which criminalises any speech, writing or representation that “excites disaffection against the government”.

5. Still a long way for termination as an unconditional right (Page No.-6) GS Paper- 2 (Social Justice)

    Under the general criminal law of the country, i.e., the Indian Penal Code, voluntarily causing a woman with child to miscarry is an offence attracting a jail term of up to three years or fine or both, unless it was done in good faith where the purpose was to save the life of the pregnant woman.

6. Shallow and deep ecologism (Page No.-9) GS Paper- 3 (Environment and Ecology)

    Heat waves are known to have been a reality for hundreds of years. But the long-term effects of climate change have exacerbated them, making the waves more extreme, frequent and prolonged. As India continues to grapple with the unrelenting waves, it becomes pertinent to unpack two strands of environmental philosophy that reinvent the relationship between nature and humans — shallow and deep ecologism.

7.CBI arrests six officials, eight others in FCRA bribery case (Page No.-12) GS Paper- 2 (Social Justice)

    The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested four current and two former officials of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) division of the Union Home Ministry, along with eight others, for allegedly facilitating illegal clearances to nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) under the Act, in lieu of bribes.

8. NGO worried over rise in gender-based violence (Page No.- 12) GS Paper- 2 (Social Justice)

    It is worrying that over 98% of gender-based violence (GBV) survivors do not access healthcare, though such experiences may have long-term physical and psychological consequences, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) said in a statement released on Wednesday on the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-V) data on GBV.

9. ‘Inflation is the biggest challenge now’ (Page No.- 14) GS Paper- 3 (Indian Economy)

    Inflation is now the biggest challenge for India’s policy makers rather than the U.S. Federal Reserve’s taper programme and measures like interest rate increases to stem rising prices could dent the fledgling consumption demand recovery from the pandemic not just in India but globally.