News: Recently, the Russia-Ukraine War and the political turmoil in South Asia dominated the newspaper headlines. These developments have pushed the debate on India’s many internal security problems on the backburner. Internal Security problems in India Case Studies of limitations of security solution (1) Upheaval in Kashmir: The J&K has continued to see extreme violence… Continue reading Doses of statecraft to meet India’s challenges
How the Northeast has been transformed in the last eight years
News: There is an upcoming workshop of chief ministers and chief secretaries of Northeastern states along with Union ministers and secretaries on developmental issues of the Northeast. Since the last eight years, there has been a magical transformation of the eight Northeastern states, shooting N-E to prominence as the Ashtalakshmi of the nation. Issues in… Continue reading How the Northeast has been transformed in the last eight years
Another anti-trade action
News: The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently issued a statement that all imports of paper products — from newsprint to letter paper — will require pre-registration. From October 1, according to the new requirements, imports will be subject to a Paper Import Monitoring System, which will require importers to register themselves in a… Continue reading Another anti-trade action
Of lungs, trees and sin stocks
Context: In 1987, the World Health Organization (WHO) marked ‘World No Tobacco Day’ to bring attention to the ill-effects of tobacco. ‘Poisoning our planet’ is the theme for May 31 this year, in an effort to highlight the ill-effects of tobacco on the environment. Meanwhile, large corporate enterprises themselves are making efforts to reduce the… Continue reading Of lungs, trees and sin stocks
[Answered] Mains Marathon I Daily Answer Writing I May 31, 2022
Good Morning Friends, Following are answers to Mains Marathon questions, we posted yesterday. About Mains Marathon – This is an initiative of ForumIAS to help/aid aspirants in their writing skills, which is crucial to conquering mains examination. Every morning, we post 2 questions are based on current affairs. The questions framed are meaningful and relevant to the… Continue reading [Answered] Mains Marathon I Daily Answer Writing I May 31, 2022
India needs a forward-looking strategy on Pakistan
Context: India’s approach is very different from the framework that emerged at the dawn of the 1990s. Since the early 1990s, the regional and international context has also altered in many ways. The balance of power between India and Pakistan has been changing. Now, it is essentially in India’s favour. What have been the changes… Continue reading India needs a forward-looking strategy on Pakistan
Needed, education data that engages the poor parent
News: In recent years, datasets such as Pratham’s Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT’s) National Achievement Survey (NAS) have captured various types of data related to education sector in India. But, is data enough for bringing in a transformative change? The case of Rajasthan’s education… Continue reading Needed, education data that engages the poor parent
Fuelling Federal Fights
Context: The Supreme Court in a recent verdict in the Mohit minerals case stated that GST Council decisions are not binding on states. At one level, this can be seen as a reiteration of the constitutional provision that there is nothing in constitutional amendments relating to GST to force compliance with GST Council decisions. It’s… Continue reading Fuelling Federal Fights
Linking science and innovation
Context: As per Wilhelm von Humboldt, the purpose of a research university is to search for knowledge. However, it is said that such knowledge becomes more beneficial when it walks out of the university’s door in the heads of its students. About the linear model of innovation This mental model states that scientific research leads… Continue reading Linking science and innovation
Explained: What is a unicorn, and what does it take to become one?
What is the News? The Prime Minister has praised India’s startup ecosystem as he highlighted that the country has reached a landmark figure of 100 unicorns with a valuation of more than $300 billion. What is a Unicorn? Unicorns are privately held, venture-capital-backed startups that have reached a value of $1 billion. The valuation of… Continue reading Explained: What is a unicorn, and what does it take to become one?
