Author: ForumIAS

Into priesthood: on training Dalits to become priests Context: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the independent trust which manages the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, had taken a unique decision to train Dalit and tribal youth in the procedures of performing temple rituals and practices.   It is in this context we need to… Continue reading Into priesthood: on training Dalits to become priests

Fifty years of TERLS Context: India’s commitment to the peaceful use of outer space has been a constant In news To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the dedication of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) to the UN, which fell on February 2, 2018, ISRO has honoured former employees of TERLS who had contributed to… Continue reading Fifty years of TERLS

Rs. 9,435-crore arms purchases to get rolling Context: The Defence Acquisition council (DAC) has given approval for various procurement proposals at an estimated cost of about Rs. 9,435 crore Details: It includes purchases of 41,000 light machine guns (LMG) and over 3.5 lakh close quarter battle (CQB) carbines for the three services. The small arms… Continue reading Rs. 9,435-crore arms purchases to get rolling

Core sector growth accelerates to 6.7% in January Context:  Growth in the country’s core sector accelerated to 6.7% in January, 2018 from 3.4% a year ago. Introduction: The growth in eight core sectors, which comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), was 4.2% in December and 7.4%… Continue reading Core sector growth accelerates to 6.7% in January

Manufacturing sector growth falls to 4-month low in Feb.: PMI Context: India’s manufacturing sector activity fell to a four-month low in February, as factory output and new business orders rose at a slower pace, according to a monthly survey. Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI): The Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) fell… Continue reading Manufacturing sector growth falls to 4-month low in Feb.: PMI

Rupee weakens as dollar demand rises after fraud Context:  A marked increase in demand for dollars has been pushing the rupee lower in recent sessions as banks exercise increased caution over issuing buyer’s credit, letter of credit (LC) and similar instruments for trade finance in the wake of the fraud uncovered at Punjab National Bank… Continue reading Rupee weakens as dollar demand rises after fraud

GDP surges in third quarter Context: According to official data, the GDP growth has accelerated in the third quarter from the preceding ones in 2017-18 Details: GDP growth in the third quarter of financial year 2017-18 was 7.2% Growth in GDP was at 6.5% in the second quarter of the current financial year. Growth in… Continue reading GDP surges in third quarter

Against human rights Context: Rule of law is the fundamental principle of governance of any civilised liberal democracy but  the Uttar Pradesh government looks somewhat determined to disregard the first principles of the criminal justice system. More in news: Police encounters have become routine in U.P. In December, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had introduced in… Continue reading Against human rights

An ode to a dying language Context:  India is one of the great repositories of languages. Death of a culture The death of a language in particular has a particular poignancy. Newspapers often report the death of a last tribal speaker, scarcely mentioning the death of a culture that preceded it. There is a hypocrisy… Continue reading An ode to a dying language