Author: ForumIAS

‘Export promotion schemes opposed by U.S. not subsidies’ Context Latest Indo US trade dispute related to export promotion schemes at WTO Government’s response As per government, textile ministry is not giving subsidies. Industries face high logistics costs and State levies and these are not reimbursed. Schemes such as the Merchandise Exports From India are to… Continue reading ‘Export promotion schemes opposed by U.S. not subsidies’

Higher trade deficit pushes up Q3 CAD to 2% of GDP at $13.5 bn Context Rise in Current Account Deficit (CAD) What has happened? The current account deficit (CAD) rose to 2% of the GDP or $13.5 billion in the December quarter, up from $8 billion or 1.4% in the year-ago period, on the back… Continue reading Higher trade deficit pushes up Q3 CAD to 2% of GDP at $13.5 bn

Arbitration and Conciliation Act: Proposed amendment by govt to put earlier changes on backburner, warns SC What has happened? The Supreme Court has warned that an amendment being proposed by the Centre to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act may ultimately have the effect of putting on the backburner changes made to the Act in 2015. Background… Continue reading Arbitration and Conciliation Act: Proposed amendment by govt to put earlier changes on backburner, warns SC

Won’t not touch Ram Sethu; will explore alternative route, Centre tells SC What has happened? The Union government told the Supreme Court that it will not touch the Ram Sethu, an underwater coral formation in the Indian Ocean referred in mythology Ramayana, for the implementation of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project. Why? The government said… Continue reading Won’t not touch Ram Sethu; will explore alternative route, Centre tells SC

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to visit India next week What has happened? India will host German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier next week. The visit is the first major outreach from Germany after the new government led by Chancellor Angela Merkel was sworn in on March 14 Cooperation on Cleaning Ganga Steinmeier will attend programmes in Varanasi and Chennai… Continue reading German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to visit India next week 

‘Can’t compare Sri Lanka refugees and Rohingya’ What has happened? Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, who fled the war in the island nation in the 1980s, stood on a “different footing” from the Rohingyas who seek shelter from persecution in native Myanmar. Any comparison between the two is misconceived, the Centre has told the Supreme Court. Why?… Continue reading ‘Can’t compare Sri Lanka refugees and Rohingya’ 

The self-blinding Russia prism The ‘Russia collusion’ narrative in the U.S. has rendered any diplomacy between the two countries impossible. Push for tougher retaliation against Russia           Russia as main adversary: With two documents in recent months, the National Security Strategy and the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), the U.S. has declared Russia as its main adversary,… Continue reading The self-blinding Russia prism

Poison kills 32 rare vultures in Assam Context Death of 32 vultures in Assam’s Sivasagar district. Of the 32 that died, 29 were Himalayan griffons Reason for death Consumption of a poisoned carcass of a goat Vulture population Research data cited by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) last year show that populations of white-backed… Continue reading Poison kills 32 rare vultures in Assam

In a plastics world Context Findings of a recent study led by US-based non-profit organisation Orb Media that pointed out presence of microplastic in package (bottled) drinking water The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a review into the potential risks of plastic in drinking water after a new analysis of some of the world’s… Continue reading In a plastics world

Dangerous spiral Context New Delhi and Islamabad must address the tit-for-tat harassment of each other’s envoys Trigger The trigger for this round of ‘tit-for-tat’ actions appears to be an incident in February, when alleged ISI agents roughed up Pakistani construction workers headed for the Indian mission’s new building site in Islamabad Pakistan’s response: While Pakistan’s… Continue reading Dangerous spiral