Passive euthanasia already a law, says govt : Centre opposes legalising ‘living wills’
What is passive euthanasia ? Passive euthanasia, the act of withdrawing life support to a terminally-ill patient.
The issue : Supreme Court in 2011, had issued comprehensive guidelines allowing passive euthanasia in Aruna Shanbaug case.
Case Issue : Rape victim who was rendered to vegetative state for more than 40 years. Where SC allowed passive euthanasia. But in her case the staff of KEM Hospital took care of her till her natural death in 2015.
An SC verdict to Parliamentary Law : The government started drafting a law on passive euthanasia.
Named : he Management of Patients With Terminal Illness – Withdrawal of Medical Life Support Bill
Core Idea: Life support can be withdrawn for patients in persistent vegetative state (PVS) or suffering an irreversible medical condition.
The fear : This may lead to the abuse and neglect of the elderly, especially if they were financially well-off. The government pointed out that the living will was a concept which contradicts a person's instinctive urge to survive.
The healing touch of yoga: India is banking on its soft power to restore normalcy in ties
The fact : China’s Minzu University is offering the country’s first master’s degree in Yoga
Other Information : The programme is being sponsored by the China-India Yoga College at the University, and India’s Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana.
Modus operendi of the course : The three-year course includes two years in China and a final year in India.
Composition of the course : Classes will cover lessons on yoga asanas, yoga physiology, yoga anatomy, yoga therapy as well as meridian theory. The curriculum includes courses in Hindi and Sanskrit.
The benefit : This will revive India – China relationship.
IMF lowers forecasts for India
IMF REPORT : India’s economic growth for 2017 and 2018 will be slower than earlier projected, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - World Economic Outlook released.
India’s slowdown is happening even as the world economy is picking up steam.
Reason : Demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax for the expected slowdown during the current and the next year.
Comparison with prior India : The IMF projected India to grow at 6.7% in 2017 and 7.4% in 2018, which are 0.5 and 0.3 percentage points lower than the projections earlier this year, respectively.
India, U.K. to firm up defence links: Talks ahead of Modi-May meet in 2018
India and Britain hope to take forward their defence partnership by next year
The meeting : The meeting of the two leaders is widely expected to take place at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London in April 2018.
Origin : Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to London in 2015, the two countries agreed to hold regular dialogues, as part of the India-U.K. Defence Consultative Group.
Next move : U.K. firms participate in our ‘Make in India’ process and in our strategic partnership exercise .
SC ruling on age of consent today: Disparity between IPC and other laws
Issue : Whether or not an exception to rape, sanctioned by the Indian Penal Code, that allows a man to have sexual intercourse with his wife aged above 15 is valid.
The controversial Law: Exception 2 to Section 375 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The exception clause to the heinous offence of rape allows a man to have sex with his wife who is not aged below 15.
Why this issue arises ? Simply because of disparity between this exception to Section 375 (rape) of the IPC, which allows a husband to have sexual relationship with his 15-year-old wife, and the definition of ‘child’ in recent laws such as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, which includes any person below the age of 18 and holding their consent is not valid.
Note : Parliamentary laws have uniformly said that the age of consent of a girl is 18.
How violation occurs ? Exception is violative of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution to the extent that it permits intrusive sexual intercourse with a girl child aged between 15 and 18 years, only on the ground that she has been married.
What Sc held ? A man will be punished for rape if he is found to be guilty of having sexual intercourse with his minor wife.
FACTS FOR PRELIMS : Rohingya crisis: more forces sent to border
Eight additional companies of Assam Rifles have been deployed along the Mizoram-Myanmar border to ensure that no Rohingya Muslims entered the State from the neighbouring country- at Aizawl, Serchhip and Lunglei.
