Author: ForumIAS

A difficult year  Context Besides the Rohingya crisis, Myanmar is under scrutiny on press freedoms and the Panglong peace process Crucial 2018 for Myanmar The year 2017 did not proceed favourably for either the civilian government or the military establishment, which continues to hold considerable power over state institutions. International attention to the following issues:… Continue reading A difficult year 

Visa heartache Context The United States’ H-1B visa has for decades been a source of nail-biting tension in India. The latest case in point was a scare that President Donald Trump’s administration was toying with the idea of new regulations that would restrict extension of the visa by those awaiting a green card Fears of… Continue reading Visa heartache

SC asks for panels on Mullaperiyar dam Context Directions by the Supreme Court wrt Mullaiperiyar Dam Directions by SC The Supreme Court on Thursday directed Union government to set up a special committee to exclusively prepare disaster management plans wrt Mullaiperiyar Dam SC also directed Tamil Nadu, which owns the dam, and Kerala, where it is situated,… Continue reading SC asks for panels on Mullaperiyar dam

Space companies bet big on PSLV Context At least three overseas space companies have bet big on the PSLV-C40 launch of Friday. They each have put a 100-kg-class microsatellite on it as a testbed of their potential future constellations Other launches Also, at least two older constellation operators have brought new batches to be put… Continue reading Space companies bet big on PSLV

India UK hold trade talks in Brexit’s shadow, eye FTA Context Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu held talks with his British counterpart, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox on Thursday, as the two countries look for opportunities to boost trade and investment, including via a potential Free Trade Agreement, as Britain prepares to leave the European… Continue reading India UK hold trade talks in Brexit’s shadow, eye FTA

Ready for sale  Context The decision to allow 49% foreign stake in Air India sets the stage for its privatisation A key change in FDI norms Allowing up to 49% overseas ownership, including by a foreign airline, in Air India. This comes just a little more than six months after the Cabinet Committee on Economic… Continue reading Ready for sale 

Virtual Aadhar ID: too little. too late Context The move to introduce an “untested” virtual ID to address security concerns over Aadhaar database is a step in the right direction, but may be a case of too little, too late, according to experts, as many of the 119 crore Aadhaar holders have already shared their… Continue reading Virtual Aadhar ID: too little. too late

A needless pursuit  Context It makes no sense for India, which prides itself on its multilingualism, to make a case for Hindi at the UN Official languages at UN Chinese, French, English, Russian and Spanish were the UN official languages, but by subsequent resolutions over the years, all five became working languages too In 1973,… Continue reading A needless pursuit 

The ABC of RTE  Context Open-minded adoption of the RTE Act’s enabling provisions can radically transform school education Origin of RTE Free and compulsory education of children in the 6 to 14 age group in India became a fundamental right when, in 2002, Article 21-A was inserted in the 86th Amendment to the Constitution This… Continue reading The ABC of RTE 

Professionalising arbitration  Context New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill of 2018 Need for more dispute resolution mechanisms Rapidly changing economic activities demand expeditious settlement of disputes To inspire confidence and credibility among the litigants. The huge backlog in courts Besides, the International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR), which was set up in 1995 with… Continue reading Professionalising arbitration