News: The death of 14 civilians in Nagaland by the security forces raised the long-pending demand for repealing the AFSPA in the region. What is AFSPA? Why demand for repeal of AFSPA is justified? Read here: Explained: AFSPA and the Northeast The repeal of AFSPA is necessary not just for restoring constitutional sanity, but also as a… Continue reading Repealing AFSPA will not weaken, only strengthen Constitution
Low tobacco tax, poor health
News: The absence of an increase in tax on tobacco products post-GST has impacted revenue and could worsen public health Contents1 What is the status of tobacco consumption in India?2 How is the government dealing with tobacco and associated products?3 How does the lack of tax increase impact health targets and government revenue?4 What should the… Continue reading Low tobacco tax, poor health
RBI must tackle surplus liquidity on way to policy normalisation
News: Recently, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to maintain status quo on policy rates. Some of the key decisions that were taken at the recent the Monetary Policy Committee meeting are – – The repo rate is maintained at 4% and the reverse repo rate at 3.35%. – Forecasts of FY22 GDP growth and… Continue reading RBI must tackle surplus liquidity on way to policy normalisation
Real Cost of MSP For All Crops
News: Even as the central government has announced its withdrawal of the three farm laws, the demands for legalising MSP have grown stronger. Why Legalising MSP is a bad idea? Firstly, The expansion of MSP would impose trillions of rupees worth of additional burden on the taxpayer in the forthcoming decade. With the current procurement… Continue reading Real Cost of MSP For All Crops
Open banking puts banks on notice-Digitise or perish
News– India has unveiled Account aggregator framework in september,2021 that can that could revolutionize investing and credit, giving millions of consumers greater access and control over their financial records and expanding the potential pool of customers for lenders and fintech companies. What is Account Aggregator (AA) framework? An AA is a new class of NBFC approved by the Reserve Bank of India… Continue reading Open banking puts banks on notice-Digitise or perish
A window of opportunity
News– How we can leverage the advantages that are generating due to Strict COVID policy of China and other restrictions going parallel to it. Where we stand vis-a-vis China? China’s economy is over five times of India’s. it has a $14-trillion economy, to India’s $2.7-trillion economy. We are too dependent on China for everything from active pharmaceutical ingredients to smartphones. And… Continue reading A window of opportunity
High LPG prices are scorching the air pollution fight
News– How Removal of LPG subsidy and subsequent Price rise is affecting the air pollution and its wider acceptance in low income and rural households. As Per the India residential energy survey (IRES), LPG has now replaced biomass as the most common cooking fuel. Nearly 85 percent of Indian households have an LPG connection Compared to only 30 percent a decade… Continue reading High LPG prices are scorching the air pollution fight
Women in the post-pandemic workplace
News: Indian economy is sustained after the shocks of demonetization, GST, and now covid. These economic disruptions have a lot of impact on women’s employment status in the workplace. What do the stats say about women participation in the workforce? By 2019, India’s Female Labour Participation Rate (FLPR) had dropped to 20.3%, from the already low… Continue reading Women in the post-pandemic workplace
Order those jabs: India needs plenty more vaccines & vax-makers need advance notice. GoI take heed
News: Serum Institute is signalling that their Covishield production will be reduced by half as no new purchase orders are coming from the Government of India. Why there is a need to continue the vaccination process? – Indian Medical Association has demanded a booster dose for healthcare workers, amid concerns of a drop in the… Continue reading Order those jabs: India needs plenty more vaccines & vax-makers need advance notice. GoI take heed
The need for a robust civil registration system
News: With Omicron, South Africa implemented a rapid surveillance mechanism that provided early alerts. India has also responded by setting up screening centres, ICU beds, etc. Despite no alarms, the threat remains so, all cautions should be observed. How the mortality data can help in accessing pandemic situations? Mortality data is important to guide patient care… Continue reading The need for a robust civil registration system
