Author: ForumIAS

Time for an icebreaker  Context In the late 1960s, shortly after the India- Pakistan  war, the official in the Ministry of External Affairs handling the Pakistan desk received a strange request during his meeting with the new Pakistan High Commissioner Intellectual partition Author states that India and Pakistan have now developed intellectual partition on various… Continue reading Time for an icebreaker 

Tackling Maoism  Context The Central Reserve Police Force lost 40 personnel in two  Maoist attacks in the first half of 2017 in Sukma, the most severely Maoist-affected district of Chhattisgarh Shift in policy The government’s response has matured in terms of deliverance — from reactive it has become proactive, and from localised it has become holistic… Continue reading Tackling Maoism 

For kinder smart cities Context Urban growth should address needs of children from poorer sections of society Smart cities Creating smart cities is a welcome move.  A smart city plan should provide for core infrastructure, which while ensuring a decent quality of life to its citizens, also focuses on a creating a sustainable and inclusive environment… Continue reading For kinder smart cities

‘Can commit $2 bn in guarantees for India’  Context The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency — an arm of the World Bank group — which provides non-commercial guarantees, has supported 110 countries with $19 billion in guarantees across 850 projects. MIGA’s guarantees can trigger about five times as much in FDI, says its CEO MIGA’s CEO… Continue reading ‘Can commit $2 bn in guarantees for India’ 

PSBs asked to rationalise overseas, domestic branches  Context The finance ministry has asked public sector banks to look at rationalising their domestic and overseas branches as part of the reform process to strengthen their financials. FinMin move is part of process to bolster balance sheets The banks have been advised to pursue closure of loss-making… Continue reading PSBs asked to rationalise overseas, domestic branches 

Economy Individual insolvency code in phases: Sahoo  Context Steering the ‘smooth and fast-paced’ journey of the insolvency law, the IBBI is now looking to put in place the regime for individual insolvency in a phased manner, according to its Chairperson M.S. Sahoo. Guarantors are priority in phase one’ About 500 corporates have been admitted for… Continue reading Economy Individual insolvency code in phases: Sahoo 

‘Condonation of delay scheme only for bona fide directors’ Context Only bona fide directors will benefit from the proposed scheme that will provide a three-month window for defaulting companies to submit their filings, a senior government official said. Plan not open for directors of ‘struck-off’ firms, says Corporate Affairs Secretary The Condonation of Delay Scheme,… Continue reading ‘Condonation of delay scheme only for bona fide directors’

34 power projects in distress; Centre not to bear NPAs  Context Chhattisgarh accounts for 10 of the projects; government says contracting parties must honour the PPAs even if conditions turn difficult Backdrop Last week, the Ministry submitted a list of 34 such projects to a parliamentary panel on energy. Ten of them are in the… Continue reading 34 power projects in distress; Centre not to bear NPAs 

Power of the collective: on intimate partner violence  Context Self-help groups can help address the problem of intimate partner violence Self-help groups can help address the problem of intimate partner violence Violent acts, at the hands of a husband or a partner (intimate partner violence, or IPV), are distressingly common worldwide Beliefs These stem from… Continue reading Power of the collective: on intimate partner violence 

Skewed outlay for defence: panel  Context Expressing concern over the decreasing share of capital allocation in the defence budget compared with the revenue component, adversely the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence said the Defence Ministry should overhaul its planning and budgeting mechanism to ensure “a prudent and equitable distribution of funds to revenue and capital… Continue reading Skewed outlay for defence: panel