Category: Featured Editorials

Why in news? Union ministry of agriculture has banned use of 18 pesticide. AnupamVerma Committee: The AnupamVerma Committee, set up to review the continued use of 66 pesticides that have been barred/restricted for use in farming in other countries Recommendeda ban on 13 extremely hazardous pesticides. Phasing outof six moderately hazardous ones by 2020. Comiitee gave… Continue reading Toxic Farming

Context Punjab government proposed to add Section 295AA in IPC to expand and tighten law on Sacrilege Sacrilege: violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred. Blasphemy Law: Deals with the matter pertaining to lack of respect toward God, religion, a religious icon, or something else considered sacred. Laws related to blasphemy in India… Continue reading Blasphemy law in India

Context: Recently, 15 Maoists were killed in the Konta area of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh. Who are Naxals? The Naxals are far-left radical communists whose military strategies are loosely based on the ideology of Chinese Revolutionary Mao Zedong. The term ‘Naxal’ derives its name from the village Naxalbari of district Darjeeling in West Bengal, where… Continue reading Naxalism in India

Why in news? According to new research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences   earth might move into a high temperature “hothouse earth” pathway from where it would not be able to stabilize climate Note: Hothouse Earth – Is a period with no continental glaciers, the levels of carbon dioxide and… Continue reading Climate Change in India

Context: There is a need to strengthen State Finance Commissions (SFCs) Constitutional Provisions The State Finance Commission was created by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional (Amendment) Acts. SFCs were created to review the financial position of the panchayats and municipal corporations, and to make recommendations to the Governor. Article 243I prescribes that the Governor of… Continue reading State Finance Commissions: An Analysis

Context: Recently, the government of India has decided to set up a group of ministers (GoM) to examine the issues related to the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Cooperation (RCEP) What is RCEP? RCEP is a proposed regional free trade agreement (FTA) comprising of ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos… Continue reading Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and India

Context: There has been a demand to declare Kerala floods as ‘national disaster’ Kerala Flood- Case Study Causes of the Flood: Higher than normal rainfall: According to the IMD, the cumulative rainfall in Kerala the from southwest monsoon between 1st June and 15th August 2018 was 2,087.67 mm, a departure of nearly 30% from the… Continue reading Flood Management in India: An Overview

Context: The challenge of malnutrition is a major public health concern in India The extent of the Problem: The Global Hunger Index (2017) ranks India 100th out of 119 countries with a low overall score of 31.4. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2017 report, India is home to… Continue reading India’s Malnutrition Challenge

Context Indian needs a major military reform to combat new challenges Background After independence, the Higher Defence Organization (HDO) handed down by Britishers remained almost completely unchanged until India-China war in 1962, when need to defence reforms aroused. First Defence Plan (1964-69) instituted to assess defence requirements.  A Planning Cell was established in 1965 in… Continue reading Military Reform in India

Context Delhi High Court decriminalized beggary by striking down certain sections of the Bombay Prevention of Beggary Act, 1959, as extended to Delhi. Background The act of begging is a crime in 20 states and two union territories of India. It is treated as cognizable and non-bailable offense. Currently, there is no central law on… Continue reading Beggary law in India – An analysis