Author: ForumIAS

‘States unable to implement farmer price support schemes’ Context Infrastructure and funding required What has happened? The Centre’s proposals to decentralise price support schemes for farmers are not viable as State governments do not possess the infrastructure or the willingness required to implement them, said S.K. Singh, additional managing director of the National Agricultural Cooperative… Continue reading ‘States unable to implement farmer price support schemes’ 

Unpacking the Dalit angst Context Reverence for Ambedkar requires fighting caste discrimination and safeguarding the Constitution BJP reveres Ambedkar Stung by the criticism over his government’s alleged inaction in defending the Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, before the Supreme Court, Mr. Modi cited his reverence for Ambedkar as proof of… Continue reading Unpacking the Dalit angst

H-4 visa move draws criticism Context Several Democratic lawmakers oppose plan to scrap work permits for spouses of H-1B visa holders What has happened? The move by the Donald Trump administration to end work permits for spouses of H-1B visa holders is a regressive measure that would also adversely impact the American economy, according to… Continue reading H-4 visa move draws criticism

Saving Afghanistan Context Global and regional powers must desist from playing the ‘Great Game’ and build peace Current situation in Afghanistan Violence escalated this year The new ‘South Asia’ policy hasn’t yielded any major results, as violence continues on the ground. The statement from the Taliban rejecting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s offer of talks “without… Continue reading Saving Afghanistan

Nutritional politics Context After more than a decade of discussions, there is no agreement on what to feed children in anganwadis What has happened? Data on malnutrition should serve as a wake-up call for the government: 38% of children are stunted and 35.7% are underweight in India. About 21% of children under the age of… Continue reading Nutritional politics

Failed by design What has happened? Insurance companies collected premiums of Rs 22,180 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 24,454 crore in 2017-18, both directly from farmers and as government subsidy, under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The issue Low claim payments (under PMFBY) defeats the whole purpose of insurance — which is to… Continue reading Failed by design

The elephant in the Patent Office Context Patents for trivial improvements on drugs, though statutorily barred, are routinely granted What has happened? India hit the headlines when it incorporated certain anti-evergreening provisions such as Sections 3(d), 3(e) and 3(i) into the Patents Act to restrict patentability of a host of secondary patents — essentially alternative forms of… Continue reading The elephant in the Patent Office

Collegium allotting cases will cause chaos’ What has happened? Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal on Friday differed with a plea by former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan to have a collegium of Supreme Court judges collectively allocate cases in the court rather than leave the entire power in the hands of the Chief Justice of India in his… Continue reading Collegium allotting cases will cause chaos’

‘India should get sanctions waiver’ Context Mattis seeks changes in anti-Russia law What has happened? The Secretary of State should be allowed to grant waiver to countries such as India that will otherwise come under American sanctions under a new law that intends to target Russia, Secretary of Defense James Mattis told lawmakers on Thursday… Continue reading ‘India should get sanctions waiver’

Archaeologists find child sacrifice site in Peru What has happened? Archaeologists in Peru have found evidence of the biggest-ever sacrifice of children, uncovering the remains of more than 140 youngsters who were slain alongside 200 llamas as part of a ritual offering some 550 years ago, National Geographic announced in a study Ancient pre-Columbian people said to… Continue reading Archaeologists find child sacrifice site in Peru