UPSC Podcasts

The World Economic Forum is set to hold its annual Davos Summit from  January 22 to January 25 in Switzerland. The event will be attended by  world leaders, economists, business persons, journalists and political  leaders. It will also witness participation of around 3,000 individuals.  A wide range of issues are likely to be discussed at the event. There  will be a total of 130 participants from India, more than China’s 109.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the opening session of the World  Economic Forum last year, becoming the first Indian prime minister in  two decades to join the world’s top business leaders in the resort town.  However, this year Prime Minister Modi will give the event a miss. US  President Donald Trump, who addressed the summit in 2018, will also not  be attending this year amid a government shutdown back home. British  Prime Minister Theresa May will also give the annual event a miss to  focus on Brexit. France's Emmanuel Macron and Russia's Vladimir Putin  have also decided to stay away from the summit. Meanwhile, China's  economy has grown at its slowest pace in almost three decades last year.  

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Aired on 19 January 2018

The Supreme Court on 17 January  fixed a February-end deadline for the search committee on Lokpal to recommend a panel of names for appointment of the country's first anti-graft ombudsman. The search committee is headed by former apex court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi directed the Centre to provide the search committee requisite infrastructure and manpower to enable it to complete its work. The bench, also comprising justices L N Rao and S K Kaul, said it would hear the matter again on March 7. Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, told the bench there were certain problems like lack of infrastructure and manpower due to which the search committee was not able to hold deliberations on the issue.  

Anchor- Frank Rausan Pereira  

Guest- Satya Prakash, 

Legal Editor, The Tribune 

Ashok Tandon, Senior Journalist 

Abhishek Atrey, Advocate, Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on 16 December dismissed the pleas of five states seeking modification of its order issued last year on the selection and appointment of director generals of police. The apex court was hearing applications of various state governments, including Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal, Haryana and Bihar, seeking implementation of their local laws regarding the selection and appointment of DGPs. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the earlier directions of the court on selection and appointment of DGPs were issued in larger public interest and to protect the police officials from political interference. The top court, on July 3 last year, passed a slew of directions on police reforms in the country and chronicled the steps for appointment of regular DGPs. It said the states will have to send a list of senior police officers to the UPSC at least three months prior to the retirement of the incumbent. The commission will then prepare a panel and intimate the states, which in turn will immediately appoint one of the persons from that list.  

Anchor- Frank Rausan Pereira  

Guest- Dr. Vikram Singh, Former DGP, Uttar Pradesh 

Sushil Chandra Tripathi, Former Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh 

P. K. Malhotra, Former Secretary, Ministry of Law, GoI  

Satya Prakash, Legal Editor, The Tribune