In Focus by The Hindu

While still frowned upon in most parts of the country, live-in relationships are becoming increasingly common. Couples can choose not to get married for a number of reasons and still stay together, share a household and possibly children. So how legal are these relationships in India? 

In a recent judgement, the Allahabad High Court refused to grant protection to an inter-faith couple in a live-in relationship and even stressed upon the need to create awareness about the emotional and societal pressures and legal hassles that may be created through such relationships. The Supreme Court however, over the years, has recognised the personal liberty of individuals involved, and, in a number of judgements conferred certain rights – for instance, live-in relationships can be covered under the protection from domestic violence law. But what happens in the case of separations, alimony and children? Are these protections available to same sex and queer couples? With the increasing harassment faced by inter-caste and inter-religious couples in the country, where even getting married has become challenging, do live-in relationships require more legal security?

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The Biden administration has taken a decision to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions as part of military aid for its ongoing war with Russia. This has evoked concern among human rights watchdogs, as cluster munitions are known to be a deadly cause of civilian casualties. More than 120 countries have signed a treaty that bans the production, use, stockpiling or transfer of cluster munitions.

As it turns out, neither the US, nor Ukraine nor Russia are signatories of this convention. The US, however, does have a domestic law that bans the use, production or transfer of cluster munitions with a ‘dud rate’ above 1%. The dud rate of the cluster munitions being given to Ukraine, according to the State Department, is 2.35%, which is still above the 1% cap. So, what exactly are cluster munitions? What has prompted the US to offer them to Ukraine? And can they help Ukraine gain a decisive breakthrough in the war? 

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Last month, the Union government stopped the sale of rice and wheat from the Central pool under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). This has provoked sharp reactions from state governments led by Opposition parties, especially Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, who have accused the Centre of “playing politics” and of being “anti-poor”.

State such as Tamil Nadu, which have a universal Public Distribution System (PDS), have utilised the OMSS route to procure additional food grains over and above what they get from the Centre under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Now, the Congress government in Karnataka, which had promised additional 5 kg of food grains under its Anna Bhagya scheme, has said that because of the Centre’s refusal to provide food grains under OMSS, it will provide cash transfers equivalent to the price of those food grains.

So, why exactly has the Union government put an end to state governments sourcing grains under the OMSS? Is it to curb inflation, as it claims? And is there a case for OMSS to be made available once again for state governments? 

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Every headline over the past few weeks has been of the staggering rise in prices of not just tomatoes, but also of potatoes, onions, rice, wheat, tur dal and milk. The steep hike in prices is affecting residents across the country, changing the amount of food we can afford to buy, what we cook and what we put on our plates and finally eat. Nutritionists and doctors have long called for healthy diets: combining an adequate amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins to keep our bodies fit and healthy, to ward away diseases and to prevent non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. The cost of fruits, meats and fish, sources of fibre, protein and other nutrients have always been high in our country, but when the price of basic vegetables also shoots up, what happens to our diets? How does an increase in food prices affect how healthy are diets are? Do we eat more unhealthily when foods are more expensive? Why are healthy foods so expensive? And do our food policies need an urgent rethinking to make them more affordable?

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July 16 is World Snake Day. When you have a day dedicated to something, it typically denotes a call to care for, or draw attention to, the welfare of the entity to which the day is dedicated. That’s how it is with Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and so on. But with World Snake Day, things get a little complicated, as the first thing that comes to mind when you mention ‘snakes’ is the fear of snake bites, and the fact that India is the snake-bite capital of the world. So we tend to forget that snakes are also part of wildlife, and discussions about the importance conserving snake species tends to take a backseat.

It is estimated that out of the 78,000-100,000 snake bites that occur every year globally, the vast majority – about 64,000 – happen in India. The snake bite is a public health issue in India. At the same time, it is a marker of high human-snake conflict. In this episode, on the eve of World Snake Day, we take a closer look at the human-snake conflict, what has India been doing to bring down snake-bite fatalities, what role snakes play in India’s bio-diversity and why they need to be protected.

We speak with Sumanth Bindumadhav, Director of the Wildlife Department at Humane Society International, India.

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The Union environment ministry has notified draft rules for implementation of a Green Credit Programme (GCP). The programme aims to create a market-based mechanism for incentivising “voluntary environmental actions” by individuals, urban local bodies, communities and the private sector. The draft is now in the public domain for suggestions and objections, for a period of 60 days, after which it will be finalised.

Under this programme, certain activities will earn green credits, which can also be traded – that is, bought and sold – on a trading platform.

So, how will this Green Credit Programme actually work? What activities qualify for green credits? And will the institutionalisation of green credits result in forests being viewed as fungible assets - just like any money or any commercial paper, when they actually are not?

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For the first time in the 48-year history of ODI world cups, the West Indies will be missing from the tournament. The champions of the first two editions, in 1975 and 1979, and the 1983 runner-ups, have failed to qualify for the 13th edition of the World Cup set to take place in India later this year.

In the World Cup qualifiers, they lost to Scotland in the Super Six stage of the tournament, which put them out of the reckoning. While the West Indies’ cricketing decline has been evident for some time, this failure to make it to the World Cup, a tournament they once dominated, marks a new low.

What are the factors behind this decline? Is it due to mismanagement of the sport, or is it that the country has stopped producing good talent? Is there any chance of this downward spiral getting reversed?

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July 1 this year marked the 6th year since the Goods and Services Tax was implemented. The average monthly collection in the first year was sub-₹1 lakh crore. Now, the government expects ₹1.5 lakh crore to be the norm, with its eye ₹2 lakh crore for the near future. At the start, there were several changes that naysayers felt made compliance difficult. Others said these were necessary prerequisites for a smooth run later. Pratik Jain, Partner and National Leader for Indirect Tax in PwC India joins us today to share his perspectives on how the 6-year run has been and what the road ahead looks like.

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The recent bus accident on the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway that left 25 people dead after the bus hit an iron pole and caught fire, has once again thrown the spotlight on road accidents in India. Our country has one of the highest numbers of road crash deaths and injuries in the world. In 2021, India saw over 4 lakh road accidents that killed over 1.5 lakh people. What is tragic, is that the majority of these deaths and injuries occur in young persons, generally those in the 18 to 45 age group.

Highways of course do not account for all road accidents, but they do account for a major proportion of deaths. One media report states on the Samruddhi Expressway alone, 616 accidents have occurred since it was opened just six-odd months ago, killing 88 people and leaving over 600 injured.

Why are our highways so unsafe? Is 'highway hypnosis' a phenomenon that affects drivers a cause for concern on Indian roads? How do road design and engineering, the speeds at which vehicles are driven and driver education play into safety on our roads? With even more highways and expressways being built, how can the country improve its road safety track record?

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Can Novak Djokovic win a record 24th Grand Slam title? This question is one of the central themes of the 2023 Wimbledon championship. If the Serb manages to do it, not only will be equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slams – the highest across both genders – he will also equal Roger Federer’s men’s record of eight Wimbledon titles. And with Nadal out of the picture for the rest of the year, he will be on track for a calendar Grand Slam and perhaps put to rest the GOAT debate once and for all.

But how much of a favourite is Djokovic this year? What are the chances of the new world number 1 Carlos Alcaraz? And who are the favourites in the women’s draw?

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