News: The Auroville Forest Group, a non-profit in Puducherry, has introduced a new method of increasing tree cover that can mitigate climate change effectively in the future. Lessons from Auroville can be implemented on a larger scale all over the country. Auroville, an international town in Puducherry, has planted about three million trees from 1968… Continue reading How Auroville can teach us all a thing or two about offsetting carbon
Author: Luv Sharma
How surging oil prices threaten world’s climate goals
News: Oil prices globally have seen a massive surge due to reduced supply and increased demand due to economies rebounding from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The geopolitical tensions in Russia-Ukraine are also helping the price surge. What are the implications of the price rise? Economic aspect: Companies may be tempted to invest in oil… Continue reading How surging oil prices threaten world’s climate goals
We should expect the economic cost of the closed minds to increase
News: Although the Omicron variant has not caused the expected damage and this is seen as a positive development in global fight against the pandemic. However, the World Bank’s biannual Global Economic Prospects report shows that the effect of the pandemic is far from over. What are the predictions in the report for global economy? … Continue reading We should expect the economic cost of the closed minds to increase
For the finance Minister to note
News: World Inequality Report 2022 has pointed out that India is now among the most unequal countries in the world. Inequality today is as great as it was at the peak of western imperialism in the early 20th century. The pandemic has only worsened it. Contents1 What does the report says about the inequality… Continue reading For the finance Minister to note
India needs a new social contract
Relevance: Inequality, Pandemic News: The hardship visible in the form of deaths, joblessness, hunger is not just the direct consequence of the pandemic alone, but it is the result of the prevailing inequality in India. What is the level of inequality in Indian society? While the number of dollar billionaires in India expanded by 39%… Continue reading India needs a new social contract
Centre to rank states on faster green nods, fewer details sought
News: In a controversial move, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has decided to incentivise states by ranking them on the basis of efficiency and timelines in grant of environmental clearances. It is to be noted that the time period for providing environmental clearance to a project has already been reduced from… Continue reading Centre to rank states on faster green nods, fewer details sought
NFT: How crypto tech made it possible to own, trade digital art
What are NFTs? NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are unique digital items stored on a blockchain, the same network that runs cryptocurrencies. – Anything digital – images, videos, music, online version of various articles – can be converted into an NFT and monetised. – NFTs are not the digital art but instead certificates of authenticity, and… Continue reading NFT: How crypto tech made it possible to own, trade digital art
The Cryptocurrency deception
News: Cryptocurrencies are neither a currency, nor an asset. They are a fraud which needs extensive scrutiny by the government agencies. Why Cryptocurrencies are not a currency? For any instrument to classify as a currency, it must have the following features: – One, it is a promissory note wherein the issuer is promising the bearer… Continue reading The Cryptocurrency deception
Taxing Cryptocurrency transactions
News: As many as 10 crore Indians may already have investments exceeding a total of $10 million in Cryptocurrencies. This not only creates an avenue for generation of tax revenue, but also puts forth a huge challenge for the tax authorities who have to track and tax transactions involving cryptocurrencies. What is the current legal… Continue reading Taxing Cryptocurrency transactions
Eye on China, Philippines to buy Brahmos in $375m deal
What is the news? India has recently closed a deal worth more than 2000 crore for export of Brahmos missile to the Philippines. What is Brahmos? – Read here. Why is the deal significant? It is strategically significant in the backdrop of China’s expansionism and strong arm tactics with its neighbours in the South China… Continue reading Eye on China, Philippines to buy Brahmos in $375m deal
