Author: ForumIAS

India US air forces to deepen ties in Indo Pacific Context Chief of U.S. Air Force General David L. Goldfein has said Indian and U.S. air forces will significantly ramp up operational cooperation to complement the strategic interests of the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region where China has been expanding its military influence Future… Continue reading India US air forces to deepen ties in Indo Pacific

Crisis in Male  Context Fresh elections, with the opposition free to contest, are the best option for the Maldives Backdrop Yameen has ruled since 2013 when he won power in an election, the result of which is still contested. He defeated Mohammad Nasheed, who had been deposed in 2012 and who, in 2015, was sentenced… Continue reading Crisis in Male 

Mixing work with study Context The Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2017’s findings wrt basic education Findings A national-level finding is that as a group, 14.4% of youth aged 14 to 18 years are not enrolled in school or college. Yet, this figure conceals variations by age: while it is 5.3% for 14-year-olds, it… Continue reading Mixing work with study

Pre-Christian era artefacts unearthed in Odisha Context The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered pottery pieces, and tools made of stones and bones believed to be of the pre-Christian era from a mound in Jalalpur village of Cuttack district Significance Discoveries of ancient artefacts indicate that a rural settlement might have thrived in that… Continue reading Pre-Christian era artefacts unearthed in Odisha

Alam Beg, martyer of sepoy Mutiny, wants to return home Context Headhunting is usually associated with primitive tribes and contemporary terrorists, but the colonial rulers of India also collected heads of Indian soldiers as war trophies Significance A proof: A 160-year-old skull of sepoy Alam Beg, now in the possession of a historian in London,… Continue reading Alam Beg, martyer of sepoy Mutiny, wants to return home

Courting the rankings  Context: Reports of India moving into the top 100 in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business global ranking is credible. But there is a component that still has a dismal ranking and it is the one about “enforcing contracts”. The issue: In the World Bank report India’s ranking in the ‘enforcement… Continue reading Courting the rankings 

Vehicular pollution to hit generations: SC Context: The Supreme observed that vehicular pollution would have an impact not only on the present generation but also on the children yet to be born. Government enquiry: The government directed the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) to file an affidavit indicating the position as regards the… Continue reading Vehicular pollution to hit generations: SC

Making health insurance work  Context: The National Health Protection Scheme is disconnected from primary care. The previous government failed to implement the recommendations of the High-Level Expert Group on Universal Health Coverage (2011). The Union Budget 2018 resonate those recommendations with commitment to universal health coverage which includes: 1-       Strengthening of primary health care, linking… Continue reading Making health insurance work 

‘Services growth in Jan. fastest in three months’ Context: According to a survey, The Indian services sector remained in expansion mode in January, registering the fastest rise in activity in three months driven by a renewed increase in new business orders. Highlights of the Report: The Indian service sector continued to expand in January Also,… Continue reading ‘Services growth in Jan. fastest in three months’

Fearing cryptocurrencies  Context: Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are not legal form of money in India. Why is  in news? In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the first time said that cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin are not legal forms of money in India and that the government would take steps to eliminate their use.… Continue reading Fearing cryptocurrencies