Author: ForumIAS

ASEAN rising Context As leaders of the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathered in New Delhi this week, India’s ties with ASEAN got a dose of both symbolism and substance. The ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit, followed by their attendance at the Republic Day parade as joint chief guests, underlined the new consensus on the need… Continue reading ASEAN rising

India should be proactive: ASEAN Context All leaders at the just concluded ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit had urged India to play a proactive role in the Asia-Pacific region, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said here on Friday The bloc sees New Delhi as key to Indo-Pacific region’s peace and prosperity, says MEA The official statement… Continue reading India should be proactive: ASEAN

NASA keen on India-made technology for spacecraft Context A new thermal spray coating technology used for gas turbine engine in spacecraft developed by a Rajasthan-based researcher has caught the attention of a NASA scientist, an official said. Satish Tailor’s thermal spray coating useful for gas turbine engine Expressing his interest in the research, James L.… Continue reading NASA keen on India-made technology for spacecraft

What are we teaching the robots? Context Hearing ‘VR, AR, AI, Bitcoin’ in one sentence is like hearing ‘5GB, 512KB and Pentium’ in the late ’90s. It fires up your inner geek. But to the discerning, VR and AR are so 2017 that they are almost retro. And at the moment, Bitcoin is looking bubblier… Continue reading What are we teaching the robots?

All borders to be fenced, says Rijiju Context By the end of 2018 or early 2019, smart fencing will be deployed all along the Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Pakistan border to prevent infiltration and illegal migration, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said on Sunday. Backdrop Passing-out parade of the second all-woman batch of Central… Continue reading All borders to be fenced, says Rijiju

Red alert on the green index Context India’s poor ranking in the Environmental Performance Index should force a policy appraisal India’s poor ranking in the Environmental Performance Index should force a policy appraisal Reports, late last year, on India’s improved ranking in the World Bank’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ Index (from 130 to 100) have been cause… Continue reading Red alert on the green index

Rebuilding our cities  Context Soon after World War II, Americans chose to align their cities not with European ideals but with places that reflected American conditions. That great swathes of cheap land and newer technologies for construction were available meant that the new American city could have denser civic centres, a large component of suburban… Continue reading Rebuilding our cities 

PCA: Ministry to appraise bank heads Context The Finance Ministry would soon initiate a performance review of heads of public sector banks that are under the RBI’s Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) as part of the reform process, official sources said 12 lenders under watch on NPA issue. So far, the Reserve Bank has put 12… Continue reading PCA: Ministry to appraise bank heads

Textiles sector seeks a leg-up from government Context  A couple of major issues have impacted the country’s textile and clothing sector in the past year. Expectedly, the industry’s aspirations for the Union Budget are related to the revival of exports and the GST ‘Stagnant exports, technology upgradation need attention’ According to data available with the… Continue reading Textiles sector seeks a leg-up from government

Govt. may alter insolvency law Context The insolvency law might be amended depending on recommendations of the panel reviewing issues related to the legislation, including those pertaining to home buyers, a senior government official said. What: Insolvency Law Committee A 14-member panel, also chaired by Mr. Srinivas, is working to identify and suggest ways to… Continue reading Govt. may alter insolvency law