News: 15th Finance commission recommended a health grant of 70,000 crore which is to be released over the next 5 years. Out of this nearly 8000 crore was released to urban and rural local bodies. This would be 2.3% of the total health expenditure. This has the potential of having a huge impact on health… Continue reading Small grant but a big opportunity for local bodies
Iran-Pak Rivalry In Afghanistan Works For India
News: Indian concerns about the repercussions of ISI activities in Afghanistan holds little importance owing to the different interests of the regional powers. Iran, in this context, is important for India as both countries want to resist Pakistan’s domination in Afghanistan. Contents1 Why there is a conflict between Iran and Pakistan?2 About the past relations… Continue reading Iran-Pak Rivalry In Afghanistan Works For India
Narco-terrorism: Afghanistan, the rise of a narco-terrorist state
News: According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), opium production in Afghanistan has crossed 6,000 tonnes for the 5th consecutive year. It led to an increase in the production of opiates by 8%. What were the reasons behind the increase in opium production in Afghanistan? Source of income: Taliban is involved in promoting… Continue reading Narco-terrorism: Afghanistan, the rise of a narco-terrorist state
Protect, don’t pander: On suppression of free speech
News: Bangalore’s show of stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui has been cancelled owing to the fear that it would create law and order problems and disrupt peace and harmony. Police even arrested the local organizers and those selling tickets for the show which had nothing to do with the content of his performance . A similar… Continue reading Protect, don’t pander: On suppression of free speech
On Cryptocurrency regulation – Arguments against regulating Cryptocurrencies are very weak
News: Despite all the arguments being put forward for non-regulation of Cryptocurrency, government should push forward and regulate it. Why Cryptocurrencies need to be regulated? – Self-regulation is not the solution: Once one exchange puts out a misleading advertisement, making false claims of higher returns, rival exchanges are left with no choice but to match… Continue reading On Cryptocurrency regulation – Arguments against regulating Cryptocurrencies are very weak
Rumblings of the coming central bank digital currency
News: A senior RBI official has said that the pilot launch of a new central bank currency could happen as early as the first quarter of next financial year. A lot of the ongoing debate on an Indian CBDC is focused on what RBI should do, and far less attention is paid to the equally… Continue reading Rumblings of the coming central bank digital currency
Omicron’s lesson: We’re not covid-safe until everyone is
News: The emergence of Omicron has evoked fresh demands for booster shots. Rich countries continue to stockpile and administer booster shots, while people in many low and low-middle income countries wait for their first jab. However, the emergence of new variants from low-vaccination-coverage regions essentially means that covid could be a never-ending battle. The only… Continue reading Omicron’s lesson: We’re not covid-safe until everyone is
It’s time for a paradigm shift in how we treat illnesses
News: Antibiotics have become our preferred method of treatment nowadays. This has made treatments more standardised with no customised treatment for individuals irrespective of their genetic diversity. But, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics has resulted in the emergence of antibiotic resistance, a worldwide health concern. Hence, we need to push for a better alternative medicine… Continue reading It’s time for a paradigm shift in how we treat illnesses
9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – December 1st, 2021
Dear Friends We have initiated some changes in the 9 PM Brief and other postings related to current affairs. What we sought to do: Ensure that all relevant facts, data, and arguments from today’s newspaper are readily available to you. We have widened the sources to provide you with content that is more than enough and… Continue reading 9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – December 1st, 2021
On legalising MSP: Supporting farmers
News: Farmers are now protesting for a legally guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) In terms of policy intervention, it is well accepted that incomes in the farm sector have fallen behind, compared to other sectors of the economy, and farmers need to be fairly compensated. But a legal price guarantee is not the solution. There… Continue reading On legalising MSP: Supporting farmers
