Author: Ram Manohar

News: Recently, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Kushinagar International Airport in eastern Uttar Pradesh to facilitate Buddhist pilgrims to reach the important site of the Mahaparinirvana Temple. The completion of the Kushinagar airport is a significant milestone in the Indian government’s 2016 plan to develop a “Buddhist Circuit”. The ambitious tourism circuit, will help India… Continue reading On the path of Buddha and his followers

News: Despite the announcement by the PM to repeal the three farm laws, farmers are demanding that, MSP should be made a legal entitlement. This article provides both the side of the arguments (support and against) w.r.t legalising MSP demand. Some points are already covered in the following article: Read more: https://forumias.com/blog/explained-in-perspective-farm-distress-and-the-demand-for-guaranteed-msp/ What are the… Continue reading After farm laws repeal, farmer unions want legal guarantee for MSP. Should the govt give in?

News: Recently, the Allahabad High Court had ruled that a penetrative sexual assault on a 10-year-old boy did not fall under the stringent POCSO Act’s definition of aggravated penetrative sexual assault. The Allahabad High Court lowered the sentence of a man who was convicted of forcing a 10-year-old boy to perform oral sex. The ruling… Continue reading POCSO shocker

News: India’s foreign policy options are limited by its relatively inadequate economic size and technological capabilities. How economic considerations of a nation can influence its foreign policy stance? This can be easily understood by analyzing the difference in the West’s posture towards China and Russia. For instance, with respect to Russia, the western journals repeatedly… Continue reading Economic heft and foreign policy posturing

News: There have been talks about a V-shaped recovery for quite a while, ever since the first lockdown following the novel coronavirus pandemic. Though, India is on a recovery path, but it can’t be classified as a V-shaped recovery because the pandemic has had an uneven impact on different socio-economic groups. The recovery we see… Continue reading Pointers that India is witnessing a K-shaped recovery

News: Recently, the Prime Minister announced the withdrawal of the farm bills. In this context, the farm bills, whether they are passed or not, were unlikely to have made any sustained difference to the life of the farmer. Because, the farm bill that stands withdrawn didn’t have any policy solution to address the issues faced… Continue reading Farm bills may be repealed, but farmers will still need help

News: Recently, the Prime Minister announced the withdrawal of the farm bills. He also stated that the government would form a committee to discuss how the system of minimum support price (MSP) could be more effective. The committee proposed by the Centre will have representatives from Union and state governments, farmer groups, as well as… Continue reading Farm Laws: Is MSP guarantee really the elixir that Indian agriculture needs?

News: India’s foreign exchange reserves have gone up by over $160 billion since the beginning of the last fiscal year and are currently at about $640 billion. Since, India has one of the largest foreign exchange reserves, the debate has shifted to what it should do with the pool. Many options are being debated. But… Continue reading What $650 billion can buy – On India’s currency reserves

News: The Economist recently published a series of reports blaming countries like China and India for much of the carbon-emissions problem. Such international media focus on just Indian and Chinese carbon emissions is unfair and doesn’t help the larger cause of climate change. There is no denying that, in 2020, in absolute terms, China and… Continue reading Dear ‘The Economist’, climate change is a global predicament

News: The Char Dham road expansion project, to be executed by Min of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), was inaugurated in 2016. In 2018, it was challenged by an NGO for its potential impact on the Himalayan ecology. The Supreme Court (SC), in 2020, after consultation with the high-powered committee (HPC) and on the basis… Continue reading The road to a Himalayan blunder