News: On April 22, In Irfan vs State of Madhya Pradesh Case, the Supreme Court decided to critically examine the routine and abrupt way in which trial judges often impose the death penalty on convicts. This is a significant development that can radically alter India’s death penalty jurisprudence relating to the crime, the criminal, and the punishment., … Continue reading Revisiting death penalty jurisprudence
Category: 9 PM Daily Articles
Denied & discouraged: Why youths not looking for jobs can be a crisis for India
Context: In March 2022, India’s labour participation rate (LPR) fell to 39.5% from 39.9% in February, according to a report by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). This is lower than the rate during the country’s second COVID-19 wave in June 2021, when it was 39.6%. Labour participation rate is a measure of the… Continue reading Denied & discouraged: Why youths not looking for jobs can be a crisis for India
How to shock-proof India’s power sector
Context: In October last year, India witnessed significant power shortages due to low inventory of coal at the power plants. After seven months, reports of coal-shortage induced power outages across states have surfaced. States like Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat have asked industries to reduce consumption to manage the power deficit. How can the Indian power… Continue reading How to shock-proof India’s power sector
Are freebies affecting the economic growth of India?
Context: In an address delivered at the Delhi School of Economics recently, N.K. Singh, the chairperson of the 15th Finance Commission, warned about how the race to provide freebies to voters could be a “quick path to fiscal disaster”. He also noted that freebies could be harmful for the long-term economic growth of the country,… Continue reading Are freebies affecting the economic growth of India?
Making room for the victim in the criminal justice system
Context: Victim of a crime should be given his due recognition as a critical stakeholder in the administration of criminal justice. Presently, his role has been reduced to that of a mere spectator in the entire battle fought b/w the prosecution and the accused. But, a recent decision of the Supreme Court in Jagjeet Singh… Continue reading Making room for the victim in the criminal justice system
From Bihar, the good news on banking: How Jan Dhan has deepened financial literacy among poor women, and in rural areas
Context: In Bihar, PMJDY has covered more than 5 crore beneficiaries, of whom more than 3. 67 crore are in rural areas. Since 2015, more than 3. 8 crore RuPay debit cards have been issued in the state. The reach of this scheme is indeed impressive. The authors of this article examined the account level… Continue reading From Bihar, the good news on banking: How Jan Dhan has deepened financial literacy among poor women, and in rural areas
Social dialogue for safe workplaces
News: Recently, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) celebrated April 28 as World Day for Safety and Health at Work to stress on the prevention of accidents and diseases at work. The ILO also published “Enhancing social dialogue towards a culture of safety and health with theme, “Act together to build a positive safety and health… Continue reading Social dialogue for safe workplaces
Energy independence through hydrogen
News: Recently, the Indian government released India’s Green hydrogen policy. It is expected to create a hydrogen economy and further boost India’s energy transition. Further, According to The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India’s hydrogen consumption is anticipated to leapfrog by 2050. What are the benefits of the hydrogen fuel in the energy sector? In… Continue reading Energy independence through hydrogen
Let us pause to think about ‘freebies’ versus incentives
Context: Sri Lanka government cut taxes across the board and provided several free goods and services, as a result of which the economy collapsed and the heavily-indebted country has had no choice but to default on its commitments. As a corollary, the issue of freebies given out by Indian states has come under the lens… Continue reading Let us pause to think about ‘freebies’ versus incentives
Unemployed Indians: For a country in the midst of a demographic transition, this is the biggest challenge
Context: India has an employment problem which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. For a country of the young, in the midst of a demographic transition, this problem is perhaps the most formidable challenge before the government. What are some indicators of rising problem of unemployment in India? Increase in work demanded under MGNREGA: One… Continue reading Unemployed Indians: For a country in the midst of a demographic transition, this is the biggest challenge
