Author: ForumIAS

If safety is not to be derailed:  Context Derailments on the tracks of Indian Railways have always been a big technical and management challenge. What makes train travel so unsafe in India? Derailment Derailment seems to be the most common cause of train accidents. Reports of the Railway Ministry for 2015 and 2016 list a… Continue reading If safety is not to be derailed: 

Living in denial:  Context Economic deceleration is real. Acknowledging it is the first step to recovery Reasons behind economic deceleration Freefall of rupee against dollar and other currencies Widening current account deficit (CAD) Soaring inflation Dampened GDP growth. Over-dependence on tertiary sector growth Various government policies Step required for recovery Acknowledge the slowdown and spend… Continue reading Living in denial: 

Averting disaster:  Recently, Category 5 hurricanes in the Caribbean and in the American mainland; record floods across Bangladesh, India, and Nepal; and drought emergencies in 20 countries in Africa have damaged these regions. These events reiterate the need to act on a changing climate. Reasons for frequent floods and droughts across the globe: Rising temperature… Continue reading Averting disaster: 

Why the economic slowdown, and how to fix it?:  Context: The ministry of finance is caught in a deficit fetishism that seeks to limit the fiscal deficit to 3.5% of GDP Introduction: The growth in gross domestic product (GDP) has plummeted by 3.5 percentage points in just six quarters, from 9.2% in January-March 2016 to… Continue reading Why the economic slowdown, and how to fix it?: 

World Bank cautions against protectionism: The World Bank has cautioned that a rise in protectionism and policy uncertainty could derail the fragile recovery of global economy. What is Protectionism? Protectionism refers to government actions and policies that restrict or restrain international trade Protectionism is often done with the intent of protecting local businesses and jobs… Continue reading World Bank cautions against protectionism:

Saving child brides:  Context: The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that sexual intercourse by a man with his wife, who is below 18 years of age, is rape. What is the verdict? Marriage cannot be a license to have sex with a minor girl, the Supreme Court of India recently ruled in its judgment, the… Continue reading Saving child brides: 

India to build more roads on China border: Context: The Indian Ministry of Defence has decided to significantly enhance infrastructure along the Sino-Indian border including near Doklam. What are the bolstering capabilities of India? The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) following the Dokalam standoff had fast-tracked the construction of the 73 strategic India-China Border Roads along… Continue reading India to build more roads on China border:

Islamabad to revive talks on terror:  Context The Afghanistan Foreign Ministry has announced a revival of the Pakistan-led Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) to bring the Taliban into talks. Who all does it concern? The next meeting of the group will comprise officials from the U.S., China, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The meeting will held in Oman,… Continue reading Islamabad to revive talks on terror: 

The legal message:  Context Recent Supreme Court’s decision on criminalising sex between a man and his minor wife, while the court refrained from adjudicating on the larger issue of marital rape Removing the current marital exception to rape will also have an important signalling effect About the recent ruling Sexual Intercourse with a girl below… Continue reading The legal message: 

SC asks Centre to strike a balance on Rohingya issue: Context: The Supreme Court has finally settled on merely observing that a balance should be struck between humanitarian concern for the community and the country’s national security and economic interests. How did the judiciary reach this decision? The decision is that the government should not… Continue reading SC asks Centre to strike a balance on Rohingya issue: