Category: 9 PM Daily Articles

Synopsis: As the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed, there is an urgent need to work on health inequity to ensure that everyone has access to affordable medicine. Contents1 Introduction2 What is the level of health inequity during the pandemic?3 Why is the supply of Covid-related items constrained?4 What attempts have been made towards health inequity during… Continue reading Global inequality: New drugs go the way of vaccines

Synopsis: The world reacted to downturn of economy by spending in different bands. The results are not the same even in same band of stimulus owing to various reasons listed. Introduction The data on aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus of the top emerging and developed markets and the strength of the ensuing recovery showed no… Continue reading Pandemic Stimulus Backfired

Synopsis: A US based company has taken a project to introduce a hybrid of extinct Mammoth and Elephants. Contents1 Introduction2 How the experiment will be done?3 What is the expected outcome?4 What are the concerns and challenges? Introduction A US bio-startup “Colossal” launched a project to regenerate the extinct woolly mammoth, or rather to create… Continue reading A mammoth project to help endangered species and planet

Synopsis: This article elucidates why patents cannot be granted to artificial intelligence (AI) programs. Introduction In April 2020, the South African patent office granted a patent to an artificial intelligence (AI) program called DABUS (‘Device for the Autonomous Bootstrapping of Unified Sentience). DABUS used fractal geometry to come up with a better design for food… Continue reading The awkward grant of patents to artificial intelligence

Synopsis: Adjusted for land holding, the Punjab farmer is doing poorly, and the culprit is paddy. By shifting from rice to maize and diversifying to fruits and vegetables, farmers in Punjab and Haryana can earn more, while practicing sustainable farming. Contents1 What are key findings of the latest Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of agri households?2… Continue reading How Punjab can shine again with nutritional security and climate-friendly agriculture

Synopsis: The RCTs that have swept economics and won Nobel recognition remain rather unreliable in comparison with clinical trials. We should be sceptical about the policy conclusions of randomized control trials used in economics and social sciences. Introduction Randomized Clinical Trials have revolutionized medicine and led to many life-saving treatments, drugs and vaccines. But, we… Continue reading The perils of natural experiments and randomized controlled trials

Synopsis: Governments must focus on lowering prices and reducing regulatory constraints rather than focusing on ease of doing business. Contents1 Introduction2 What are the efforts made by India in improving ease of doing business?3 Why India should focus on cost of doing business?4 What is the way forward? Introduction Recently, the IMF’s executive board expressed… Continue reading Cost of Doing Business

Synopsis: The proposal to introduce a Deshbhakti curriculum for patriotism needs to be carefully analyzed. Contents1 Introduction2 What is nationalism, and why does India need it?3 What are the risks of hyper-nationalism?4 On what should the government focus more on? Introduction Recently New Delhi government announced a proposal to introduce a curriculum for patriotism for… Continue reading Our children don’t need a ‘deshbhakti’ curriculum

Synopsis: With political will, Kerala and Tamil Nadu can overcome hurdles to renew the Parambikulam Aliyar Project agreement. Contents1 What is Parambikulam Aliyar Project?2 What is the issue?3 What does a closer look at the project hydrology reveals?4 What is the way forward? What is Parambikulam Aliyar Project? It provides for the diversion of 30.5… Continue reading Clearing the air on water: On Parambikulam Aliyar Project

Synopsis: Three-fourths of India’s top regulators are retired government officers. This trend must change. Contents1 Introduction2 What is the composition of regulatory bodies?3 What are the problems associated with regulatory bodies?4 What should the government do? Introduction Regulatory bodies are government bodies set up to supervise different sectors of the economy. While most of the… Continue reading Regulatory capture of a different kind