News: Recently, the fifth delimitation commission chaired by Justice Ranjana Desai, furnished its award for Jammu and Kashmir. The Commission’s award has been severely criticized across the field. Nature of Award of the Delimitation Commission The recommendation of delimitation commissions cannot be modified or changed by Parliament or the concerned legislative assembly. – The Poonch and… Continue reading Delimitation Commission fails people of J&K, hurts democracy
Category: 9 PM Daily Articles
Cowed down: On the need for strict anti-lynching laws
News: Recently, two tribal men were beaten to death in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, on the suspicion that they were slaughtering cows. Why mob lynching and aftermath incidents are disturbing? These laws have led to a stigmatisation of communities such as Dalits, Muslims and tribals for their dietary habits and their dependence on cattle products for… Continue reading Cowed down: On the need for strict anti-lynching laws
Overcoming differences: On India’s new push for stronger ties with Europe
News: Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France along with his visit to Germany, and Denmark (for the Nordic Summit). The visit turned out to be a comprehensive discussion on bilateral, regional and international issues with a India-France joint statement. Background of India-France relations Both have decades of an unusually productive partnership. Both share six-decade-long… Continue reading Overcoming differences: On India’s new push for stronger ties with Europe
The missing CDS
News: Recently, the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India died in a helicopter crash. The second CDS of India has not been appointed so far. The Indian military continues to remain headless and directionless with no successor to Rawat. Contents1 Importance of the CDS 2 History of Tri-Service Command in India 3 What are the… Continue reading The missing CDS
Paradise polluted: Can we save Kashmir’s lakes?
Context: Normalcy is gradually returning to Jammu and Kashmir after the upheaval caused by the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. Tourism has been rapidly growing. For example, 100% hotel occupancy was seen in popular resorts of Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam in the winter months of 2021-22. Contents1 What are the problems being faced… Continue reading Paradise polluted: Can we save Kashmir’s lakes?
Faster, cheaper and cleaner power
Context: The Sate-owned NTPC said it plans to begin work on the construction of a new coal power plant, despite it being faster, cheaper and cleaner to build solar or wind. Why India should transition to solar and wind energy? Record low tariffs: India has seen record low renewable energy tariffs of Rs 1.99 (2.6… Continue reading Faster, cheaper and cleaner power
How India’s new VPN rules change the status quo
News: On 28 April 2022, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert-In) issued new directives that require Virtual Private Network (VPN) providers to store user data for five years. What does the directive say? Under the new directions, Storage of user data: – VPN providers will need to store validated customer names, their physical addresses,… Continue reading How India’s new VPN rules change the status quo
Inflation and what to do about it: Secure cheap Russian oil at least
Context: The current price rise in Indian economy is largely driven by the non-core elements in the retail consumption basket. The food element in the non-core is being driven up both by primary global supply shortages and the rise in the fuel cost of transporting food. The key, therefore, is the cost of fuel. Core… Continue reading Inflation and what to do about it: Secure cheap Russian oil at least
The status of the Naga peace talks
News: The annual report of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released recently said that the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) was involved in 44% of insurgency-related incidents in Nagaland in 2020. The Union government had, in 2015, signed a framework agreement with the NSCN-IM to find a solution to… Continue reading The status of the Naga peace talks
Let’s make GST a good and simple tax
The introduction of GST might be the most important tax reform. It was a unique experiment in cooperative federalism, where both the Union and the state governments gave up their tax autonomy in favor of harmonizing domestic trade taxes. However, some negative features have been inserted into the tax to make it acceptable. Why single rate… Continue reading Let’s make GST a good and simple tax
