Author: ForumIAS

Israel takes India’s vote in its stride  Context Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to India in a fortnight will focus on taking cooperation on “the double-T’s” of Technology, including on agriculture and water conservation and on (Counter) Terrorism to the “next level”, according to officials familiar with the planning of the visit. Coming visit… Continue reading Israel takes India’s vote in its stride 

We are aware of Chinas maritime ambitions: India  Context The Centre on Wednesday informed the Lok Sabha that it was aware of China’s ambition to emerge as a “maritime power” and indicated that India maintained a “close watch” on all developments that threatened its security. Says it is always on the lookout for any threat… Continue reading We are aware of Chinas maritime ambitions: India 

Securing net neutrality  Context Net neutrality is at the core of an open Internet that does not allow for content discrimination by ISPs. Activists in India need to be on guard to prevent any emulation of the U.S. government’s decision here In less than a year, the Donald Trump presidency in the U.S. has administered… Continue reading Securing net neutrality 

Out at sea  Context India should remain a balancing power, and anchored in the Indian Ocean India’s emergence recognised in the NSS In its National Security Strategy (NSS), the U.S. has called China a “challenger” and “rival” while welcoming India’s emergence as a “leading global power and stronger strategic and defence partner”, and declared that… Continue reading Out at sea 

Unseemly spat  Context India and Pakistan must step back from the accusatory exchange over the Jadhav reunion Further Deterioration The meeting in Islamabad between former naval commander Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family should have been a sign that India and Pakistan are able to adhere to internationally accepted norms in dealing with officers accused of espionage Instead,… Continue reading Unseemly spat 

Interceptor missile successfully tested  Context Testing of missiles What has happened? India on Thursday successfully test-fired an Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile, capable of destroying enemy ballistic missiles at low altitude, from a test range in Odisha Backdrop The missile is being developed as part the Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system and it was… Continue reading Interceptor missile successfully tested 

Growing forests  Context A scientific national plan to expand good green cover is absolutely essential Author’s contention Author states that the disclosure in Parliament that the Centre is not ready with the rules to implement the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 demonstrates that the government’s resolve to meet a variety of environmental objectives, including major commitments under… Continue reading Growing forests 

‘Bitcoin too small in India to be regulated’  Context Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies will see increasing use in India, according to industry players, who say that, right now, the sector is too small to be regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) or Finance Ministry Price volatility Bitcoin companies also say that volatility in… Continue reading ‘Bitcoin too small in India to be regulated’ 

SEBI tightens rating agency, MF norms  Context Tightening of norms by SEBI What has happened? The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has tightened the norms for credit rating agencies (CRAs) and mutual funds (MFs) to reduce instances of conflict of interest It also allowed complete integration of stock and commodity exchanges to enable… Continue reading SEBI tightens rating agency, MF norms 

Testing times  Context Financial Stability report released by RBI News The Central government has been working hard to address India’s twin balance sheet problem, but it hasn’t had much to show in the form of results. The Financial Stability Report released by the Reserve Bank of India, for one, suggests that India is still far… Continue reading Testing times