Context: The 15th Finance Commission (2021-2026) retained the states’ share, and its methodology of assigning weights based on population. This is likely to be a factor in the politics of federalism. Contents1 Importance of fiscal federalism in India2 Why states in India have weak fiscal capabilities?3 Important Institution to uphold fiscal federalism4 Measures towards Fiscal… Continue reading The new era of fiscal federalism could strengthen national unity
Author: Luv Sharma
Unnatural urbanisation
News: Recently, a 20-minute thunderstorm in Delhi uprooted many trees, some of them between 40 and 50 years old, throwing the city out of gear for hours. This chaos, caused due to poor urban planning, has become a pattern whenever a pre-monsoon storm, with high-velocity winds, hits the city. Delhi High Court has taken note… Continue reading Unnatural urbanisation
‘Plants adapt by their fragrances — these enrich the environment and our lives
Context: Plants express their needs through the release of aromatic chemicals. They emit fragrances for both attraction and protection. What is the significance of various fragrances emitted by the plants? For protection, a certain fragrance is released when a leaf is crushed or when someone walks on grass. This is sharp and green, called ‘green… Continue reading ‘Plants adapt by their fragrances — these enrich the environment and our lives
Veiled threats to privacy
Context: Cert-In recently issued a new directive making it mandatory for VPN service providers to keep user data for at least five years and share records with authorities when required. This new regulation threatens free speech and privacy. Contents1 What is a VPN?2 What are the different use cases of VPNs?3 How does a VPN… Continue reading Veiled threats to privacy
Gradual engagement – India should maintain with Afghanistan a policy of engagement rooted in realism
News: India has sent a multi-member team of senior diplomats to Afghanistan for the first time since the Indian Embassy in Kabul was evacuated in August 2021 following the arrival of the Taliban in the Afghan capital. The MEA has said that the visit is only to help coordinate India’s humanitarian assistance for the Afghanistan… Continue reading Gradual engagement – India should maintain with Afghanistan a policy of engagement rooted in realism
Control and delete
News: Recently, the Government has planned to set up a panel that can overturn content moderation decisions made by social media platforms. The idea has been proposed as an amendment to the IT Rules 2021. The IT Rules, 2021 will be amended to constitute one or more appellate committees which will have the final word… Continue reading Control and delete
New India needs free and quality higher education
News: New York University’s NYU Grossman School of Medicine has become the first major American medical school to announce that it will pay the tuition fees for all its students admitted in its MD programme, regardless of their financial needs, from the 2021–22 academic year. Contents1 The Nordic Model2 Importance of Free Education as learned… Continue reading New India needs free and quality higher education
Lessons from the Ukraine crisis price shock
News: The Russia-Ukraine conflict will cause major, long-term shifts in the global energy and commodity trade. Contents1 What are the driving factors behind the shift?2 Other reasons3 What does the future hold?4 Way Forward What are the driving factors behind the shift? At Present (1) The European nations & Other nations (due to western sanctions… Continue reading Lessons from the Ukraine crisis price shock
The dangerous intellectual fad of ‘civilisationism’
News: At present, the big nations are using civilisational rhetoric to rebrand the nations. The leadership from India, China, Russia, Turkey, and Iran have made statements that their countries are civilisations and not nation-states. In fact, the Russian President has stated that “Russia is not just a country, it’s really a separate civilisation”. It means… Continue reading The dangerous intellectual fad of ‘civilisationism’
Explained: How NAS survey assesses what school students have learnt; what it has found
News: A nationwide survey carried out by the Union Ministry of Education has found that between 2017 and 2021, the literacy and numeracy skills of school students in India worsened considerably across subjects and grades. The outcomes of the National Achievement Survey (NAS), are supposed to guide interventions by authorities across the country to bridge… Continue reading Explained: How NAS survey assesses what school students have learnt; what it has found
