What is the News? The Union Minister for Commerce & Industry chaired a meeting with the representatives of Lab-Grown Diamonds Industry today in New Delhi. What are Lab Grown Diamonds? Lab-grown diamonds are diamonds which are grown inside a lab using cutting-edge technology that replicates the natural diamond growing process and the result is a… Continue reading Union Minister chairs meeting on Lab Grown Diamonds; Focus on Research and Development, setting up common facilities and skilling of adequate manpower
Kerala did virtually nothing for Endosulfan victims for 5 years: SC
What is the News? The Supreme Court has slammed the Kerala government for State’s inaction in providing relief to the Endosulfan pesticide exposure victims. This also amounts to a breach of the Supreme Court’s 2017 judgment which had ordered the State to pay ₹5 lakh each to the victims in three months. What is Endosulfan?… Continue reading Kerala did virtually nothing for Endosulfan victims for 5 years: SC
Assistive aids remains inaccessible to bulk of those with disabilities, says global report
What is the News? The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have jointly released the first Global Report on Assistive Technology(GReAT). What is the Global Report on Assistive Technology(GReAT)? Released by: World Health Organization(WHO) and UNICEF Purpose: The report is the culmination of the 71st World Health Assembly resolution in… Continue reading Assistive aids remains inaccessible to bulk of those with disabilities, says global report
Explained: What are urban heat islands, and why are they worsening during summers?
What is the News? Several parts of India are reeling under heatwave conditions. Cities, especially, are a lot hotter than rural areas. This is due to a phenomenon called an “urban heat island”. What are Urban Heat Islands? An urban heat island is a local and temporary phenomenon experienced when certain pockets within a city… Continue reading Explained: What are urban heat islands, and why are they worsening during summers?
How to tackle the inflation spiral
News: Recently, The World Economic Outlook, published by the IMF in April, expects global growth to be slower than the forecast made in January, with inflation on the rise. The global macroeconomic situation is showing signs of macro instability. The global debt has increased sharply during the pandemic, inflation is on the rise, and macroeconomic… Continue reading How to tackle the inflation spiral
Needed: An economic response plan for a green transition shock
News: India is facing severe heat waves in many parts of the country. This is a reminder that the risks from climate change are rising. What are the issues involved in transition towards a green economy? Around a fifth of Indian households have access to either air-conditioners or coolers in their home. Nearly half of… Continue reading Needed: An economic response plan for a green transition shock
Boon to ban: How the wheat export story changed in two months
News: On May 13, the government effectively banned the export of wheat. Why were wheat exports banned? On May 4, the government revised down its wheat production estimates from 111.32 million tonnes (MT) to 105 MT for the crop year ending June. – 18 MT of wheat were procured till May 14 of the ongoing… Continue reading Boon to ban: How the wheat export story changed in two months
Technological advancement often has a sting in its tail
Context: In his book Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari made the somewhat controversial statement that human beings have been domesticated by wheat. In other words, every science-driven improvement in agriculture has come at a price. How science has enabled humankind to overcome many of the challenges we face as a species? Having learnt farming or how… Continue reading Technological advancement often has a sting in its tail
On sedition, the Supreme Court has aligned itself with the collective conscience of India
News: The Supreme Court’s seminal intervention in a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of section 124A of the Indian Penal Code is a watershed moment in the progressive expansion of human rights jurisprudence. The SC directed the Union government and the states to refrain from using the law of sedition. In addition, the… Continue reading On sedition, the Supreme Court has aligned itself with the collective conscience of India
On Gyanvapi Mosque, we are debating the wrong question
Context: Recently, the Varanasi court ordered a video survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque. The implied intention was to find out whether the fundamental claim of the petitioners that the mosque has been built by destroying or appropriating a temple is correct or not. This issue here is not about secularism or that of minority rights.… Continue reading On Gyanvapi Mosque, we are debating the wrong question
