News: In 2021, the Indian government gave instructions to generators to import coal while India was in the midst of a power crisis. It directed the power stations itself to import coal to the extent of 4% of their requirement and blend it with domestic coal. What are the causes of the power crisis? India… Continue reading Avoiding the coal scarcity trap
Category: 9 PM Daily Articles
Fintech challenge is a fantasy
News: The government is poised to launch 75 digital banks soon. What will be launched are Digital Banking Units (DBUs). These are a new way of making available digital products of existing banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs). If one thinks that a sleek set of new banks is going to challenge traditional banks, one… Continue reading Fintech challenge is a fantasy
Web3 is the business model of a decentralized new virtual world
News: Practical examples of Web 3.0 proved that it is like going back to early human settlements, with all transactions happening peer-to-peer with easy mutual trust and locally minted currency. Blockchains provide the decentralized foundation of trust for this new old world, and Web 3.0 is the business model driving it. What is Web 3.0?… Continue reading Web3 is the business model of a decentralized new virtual world
Moderation’s broken but this isn’t the way to fix it
News: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MEITY) has released a fresh draft of the amendment to the Information Technology(IT) Rules 2021. What are the draft new amendments to the IT Rules,2021? Read here: Union Govt seeks fresh comments on Draft IT Rules What are the issues associated with the draft amendments? 1) State oversight of moderation… Continue reading Moderation’s broken but this isn’t the way to fix it
Is the ban on wheat exports good policy?
News: Over the last month, the government has banned the export of wheat and imposed quantitative restrictions on outbound sugar shipments. The wheat export ban came within days of a push to enhance India’s wheat supplies to the rest of the world after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The government has argued that farmers have not… Continue reading Is the ban on wheat exports good policy?
Global hunger calls for a collective action
News: In a statement, the United Nations’ Secretary General, said that: Global hunger levels are at a new high. In just two years, the number of severely food insecure people has doubled from 135 million to 276 million. The present situation is pointing towards a global food shortage. It may push millions of people into… Continue reading Global hunger calls for a collective action
Gagan Deep Sharma writes: Celebrating Indian universities’ rise in global rankings
News: In the recently announced QS World Universities Rankings 2023, Indian higher educational institutions have done their best to date. Seven universities have made a grand entry this year, while 17 universities ascended and 17 others stood unwavering on their previous year’s position as the world’s top higher educational institutions. The 20% increase in new entrants… Continue reading Gagan Deep Sharma writes: Celebrating Indian universities’ rise in global rankings
Ties reset: On India-Iran relations
News: Iranian Foreign Minister’s first visit to India recently has many implications for bilateral relations, but it is the multilateral context and timing that stand out. Why the visit holds significance? This is the first visit by a member of the 57-member Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, which took offence to comments made in India on… Continue reading Ties reset: On India-Iran relations
An enduring agreement bridging India-Pakistan ties
News: Recently, the 118th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) comprising the Indus Commissioners of India and Pakistan was held on May 30-31, 2022 in New Delhi, About the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) It is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan that was established in 1960. It makes arrangements to use water in… Continue reading An enduring agreement bridging India-Pakistan ties
The Jal Jeevan and Swachh Bharat Missions are combining to improve people’s well-being
News: The government has launched Swachh Bharat Mission Phase-2. It will focus on plastic waste management, biodegradable solid waste management, grey water management and faecal sludge management. About Schemes The Swachh Bharat Mission: It was launched to stop the scourge of open defecation. More than 10 crore toilets were built with a twin-pit design that… Continue reading The Jal Jeevan and Swachh Bharat Missions are combining to improve people’s well-being
