1) Two-finger test: The two-finger test, carried out by a medical practitioner, involves the examination of her vagina to check if she is habituated to sexual intercourse. The practice is unscientific and does not provide any definite information
In May 2013, the apex court had held that the two-finger test violates a woman’s right to privacy and asked the government to provide better medical procedures to confirm sexual assault.
In 2014, the Union health ministry released a document titled ‘GUIDELINES & PROTOCOLS Medico-legal care for survivors/victims of sexual violence’: ‘two-finger test’, must not be conducted for establishing rape/sexual violence.
2) Sedition: The Supreme Court of India recently asked the government not to register any fresh FIRs under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which criminalises sedition.
Sedition’ – Whoever, by words (or by signs or visible representation) attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government shall be punished with life imprisonment.
In Kedar Nath Singh’s Case, the Constitution bench of the Supreme Court made it clear that allegedly seditious speech and expression may be punished only if the speech is an ‘incitement’ to ‘violence’, or ‘public disorder’.
3) Black Sea Grain Initiative: The Black Sea Grain Initiative is a deal between Russia, Turkey and Ukraine to export grain and fertilizer from the Ukrainian ports in the Black sea.
The initiative specifically allows for food exports from 3 key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea – Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny. The UN brokered this initiative among the 3 countries.
Russia suspended its participation to the Black Sea grain initiative. Ukraine is one of the largest grain exporters in the world.
4) Aceclofenac: Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) has demanded a ban on using aceclofenac in cattle after a new study showed that the drug metabolises into diclofenac in water buffaloes.
Aceclofenac is the prodrug of the non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac.
Aceclofenac turns into diclofenac soon after it enters the livestock.
Vulture Action Plan 2020-2025 also mentions the aceclofenac as ‘toxic’, along with other drugs like nimesulide and ketoprofen.
Water buffaloes are treated with aceclofenac as painkiller
Aceclofenac has other safe alternatives available like meloxicam and tolfenamic acid.
5) Diclofenac: Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory drug.
It was banned for veterinary use by the Government of India in 2006.
It was found to be the main cause of a dramatic decline (99 per cent) of the vulture population across Asia.
The drug caused accidental poisoning in raptors after they fed on carcasses of cattle injected with it.
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