Author: ForumIAS

A messy GST, and the road ahead:  Context: The government has clarified this week that food takeaways from air-conditioned restaurants will be taxed at 18% even when the customer is handed over the food in an area that does not have air-conditioning. Introduction:  Some of the decisions taken by the GST Council earlier this month… Continue reading A messy GST, and the road ahead: 

  Undoing the economic partition: ( Context: Seven decades after Independence, transcending the tragedy of Partition remains the single biggest national challenge for India. Introduction: The structural religious tension, engendered by Partition has been aggravated by the unending conflict between India and Pakistan, the successor states of the undivided Subcontinent. India-Pakistan trade:  The political division… Continue reading Undoing the economic partition: 

Caution from a sobering Survey:  Given the macroeconomic context, India should have recorded higher economic growth this year. Context: Given the macroeconomic context, India should have recorded higher economic growth this year. Indian Economic Survey, 2017 Part 2: This was the year when oil prices and inflation were moderate, monsoon rains were abundant, inbound foreign… Continue reading Caution from a sobering Survey: 

No case for an all India judicial service:  Context The proposal to create an All-India Judicial Service (AIJS) along the lines of the All India Services (AIS) is one that has been endlessly debated since the idea was first mooted by the Law Commission in the 1950s. Why is it so debated? The same arguments… Continue reading No case for an all India judicial service: 

Assam, Manipur can now decide on AFSPA:  Context The Union Home Ministry is set to give up its power to impose the ‘disturbed areas’ tag on Assam and Manipur. Getting free from the tag The States are competent to decide whether they want to continue with it in entirety or impose it in a few… Continue reading Assam, Manipur can now decide on AFSPA: 

AI shows interest in overhauling defence planes:  Context: The Civil Aviation Ministry has written to the Defence Ministry asking them to facilitate the servicing of defence aircraft at Air India’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul(MRO) facilities. Introduction: Air India’s MRO unit, Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) presently carries out MRO activities for commercial aircraft of… Continue reading AI shows interest in overhauling defence planes: 

Ministerial group to oversee disinvestment:  Context: The Union Cabinet has mandated a panel led by finance minister Arun Jaitley to oversee, accelerate strategic disinvestments in CPSEs Introduction The Cabinet on Wednesday empowered a ministerial group led by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to decide on details of strategic disinvestment of public sector firms.  The Cabinet Committee… Continue reading Ministerial group to oversee disinvestment: 

Naming a right:  Context: The nine-judge Bench determining whether a fundamental right to privacy exists will definitively shape the evolution of our Constitution. What is at stake is nothing less than the terms of a fundamental relationship between citizens of a constitutional democracy and the state. Explanation: A right to privacy embraces a wide range… Continue reading Naming a right: 

The private route:  Context NITI Aayog’s recent proposal for the partial privatization of district-level government hospitals has been criticized for commercializing health care. The proposal Under the proposal, private hospitals will be allowed to bid for 30-year leases that give them control over portions of government hospitals dedicated to treating non-communicable diseases. Critics maintain that… Continue reading The private route: 

Beyond the lament: & The health checklist: Context In the light of the recent deaths of several children over a short period in Gorakhpur, the country demands for equity in access to doctors, diagnostics and medicines in rural India. Explanation: The weak nature of rural India’s health systems and the extraordinary patient load on a… Continue reading Beyond the lament: & The health checklist: