UPSC CSE Key – March 16, 2022: What you need to read today

Karnataka HC upholds hijab ban in class: Not essential to Islam

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination:

• General Studies I: Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• In the context of Fundamental Rights, what do you understand by the term “Absolute” and “Reasonable Restrictions”?

• Absolute and Reasonable Restrictions-Where and what is that thin line drawn between the two?

• “Hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam and freedom of religion under Article 25 of the
Constitution is subject to reasonable restrictions”-What did you understand by this statement?

• Educational Institutions, Dress Code, Religious Practices, Religious Freedom-These terms in Karnataka Hijab
Controversy, try to connect the dots.

• Doctrine of Essentiality-Origin (Article 26 of the Constitution)

• Question of “choice” in Educational Institutions and Hijab

• “Integral” to the religion by the Supreme Court in Shirur Mutt (1954)

• Religions do evolve over time and so do Essential Practices with it-What do you understand by this statement?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Karnataka Government on Hijab Controversy

📍 A narrowing of freedom

THE SECOND PAGE

Project Dolphin: Minister pulls up officials over slow pace of work

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Project Dolphin-Key Highlights

• Dolphins in India-Key Details Like Ganga Dolphin, Indus Dolphins, IUCN Status, Issues and Threats Associated,
Conservation Efforts by the GOI Etc.

• What will Project Dolphin do?

• Why is it important to save dolphins?

• National Ganga Council (NGC)-About, Headed by Whom, Vision and Mandate

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Project Dolphin: Why is it important to save a declining river species?

EXPRESS NETWORK

Freedom of religion not absolute in India: HC

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination:

• General Studies I: Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising
out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Definition of Religion-Is it defined in the Constitution?

• Judiciary and Religion-Landmark Judgments by Judiciary like Tandava dance in public, Triple Talaq and Sabarimala Verdict

• Articles 25 and Article 26 of the Indian Constitution-Key Points/Clauses

• How diverse country like India should distinguish between matters of religion and matters other than religion?

• Supreme Court of India on definition of religion with respect to the constitution

• How judiciary has drawn a distinction between the sacred and the secular?

• Indian model of positive secularism

• What Does the Indian Constitution Say on Freedom of Religion?

• India should follow western thought on secularism?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 United by Constitution, divided by religion

EXPLAINED

What the court argued

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination:

• General Studies I: Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising
out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Karnataka High Court’s Verdict on hijab in educational institutions-Know the highlights of verdict

• Karnataka HC on Whether wearing hijab/headscarf is a part of ‘essential religious practice’ in Islamic Faith
protected under Article 25 of the Constitution”, which guarantees the right to religious freedom

• Question before Karnataka HC “Whether prescription of school uniform (by educational institutions) is not legally
permissible, as being violative of petitioners’ Fundamental Rights…guarantees under Articles 19(1)(a) (i.e., freedom of expression), and 21 (i.e., privacy) of the Constitution?”

• Whether the Government Order dated 05.02.2022 apart from being incompetent is issued without application of mind
and…is manifestly arbitrary and therefore violates Articles 14 & 15 of the Constitution” (equality before law and
non-discrimination)?

• Whether any case is made out against the lecturers and principal of the college in Udupi where the hijab controversy first began?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 ‘Education & religion like two eyes… we want both’

Medical devices draft policy: aims, proposals

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Key Points to Ponder:

• National Policy for Medical Devices, 2022-Highlights

• What is the need for such a policy?

• What are the key focus areas of the draft policy?

• How big is the medical devices sector pegged to be?

• Medical devices sector-Future

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

THE WORLD

Sri Lanka reaches out to IMF for help

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its Neighborhood- Relations.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Sri Lankan economic crisis

• Why Sri Lanka’s economy is in trouble?

• How India is helping Sri Lanka in this crisis Situation?

• India and Sri Lanka Bilateral Relations-Trust Deficit or Close Neighbours?

• India-Sri Lanka and China-Geopolitics and Geo-economics

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Explained: The perfect storm that has led to Sri Lanka’s national ‘food emergency’

📍 Sri Lanka: Covid, economic crisis cause food shortages

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