News: Big emitters must reconsider their stated net-zero date and specify a credible action plan. Contents1 Important elements of a disaster response2 How have UNFCCC & IPCC fared in terms of the four elements of response wrt climate change?3 What are the implications?4 What is the way forward? Important elements of a disaster response There… Continue reading Climate justice must drive climate action
Another Supply Chain Crisis?
News: US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell recently said that Americans should be prepared for the global supply chain to remain in crisis through 2022. Covid-induced supply chain disruption highlighted the loopholes of total dependence on one country for vital products, and diversification will take a few years to implement. What is the risk to… Continue reading Another Supply Chain Crisis?
Time to rethink Indian levies on motor vehicles
News: Contents1 How different cars are taxed in India?2 What is the rationale behind such a differential taxation system?3 What are the issues associated with this differential taxation system?4 What is needed to be done? How different cars are taxed in India? GST is levied at 28%, the top slab, with an add-on cess of… Continue reading Time to rethink Indian levies on motor vehicles
Union Minister flags off first ever All India Survey on Domestic Workers
What is the News? The Union Minister for Labour and Employment has flagged off the first-ever All India Survey on Domestic workers. What is the All-India Survey on Domestic Workers(DW)? Conducted by: Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour and Employment Aim: To estimate the proportion of domestic workers at the national level and in the States;… Continue reading Union Minister flags off first ever All India Survey on Domestic Workers
JPC retains exemption clause, adopts personal data Bill
News: Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP) on the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill, 2019 has submitted its report in the Parliament. Also Read: The draft personal data protection bill, 2018 What are the key recommendations? Inclusion of non-personal data: It proposed to include non-personal data along with personal data and also that Data Protection Authority (DPA)… Continue reading JPC retains exemption clause, adopts personal data Bill
Sanitation workers’ safety and welfare must be urgently addressed
News: Covid pandemic highlighted the urgency of addressing the issues related to manual scavengers. Sanitation work in India is tied to caste-based occupational roles. It is majorly performed by people from scheduled caste and schedule Tribes. What is the status of manual scavenging in India? Presently, the government does not directly employ manual scavengers, but the… Continue reading Sanitation workers’ safety and welfare must be urgently addressed
Dynamism in India US ties
News: Recently, a congressional delegation (CODEL) led by U.S. Senator John Cornyn visited Indo-Pacific Command countries which also included India in its list. It interacted with the Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister, and representatives of the Dalai Lama in India. Both sides are committed to “increasing convergence of strategic interests” between India and the U.S. and… Continue reading Dynamism in India US ties
Database of unorganised workers is a welcome step towards creating a robust social security architecture
News: Launching of e-Shram portal, a database of unorganized workers, is a welcome and long-overdue step towards creating a social security structure for this part of the labor force. The absence of credible data on the migrant workforce, during the economic distress induced by COVID-19, resulted in problems in extending policy support for this section.… Continue reading Database of unorganised workers is a welcome step towards creating a robust social security architecture
Why China is acquiring foreign military bases
News: USA recently convinced UAE to stop China from secretly constructing a military facility at an Abu Dhabi port. China’s growing interest in acquiring foreign military bases has been reported for more than a decade. Beijing opened its first foreign military base in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa in 2017. It is said to… Continue reading Why China is acquiring foreign military bases
Better co-ordination
News: United States Trade Representative is in India to further the agenda of the US-India Trade Policy Forum to be held after the four-year interregnum. While the bilateral relationship has shown considerable progress in the past years, the economic agenda has always been a stumbling block. In other cases like, US-China or US-EU relationship, there… Continue reading Better co-ordination
