News: In the Attorney General of India v. Satish case, the Supreme Court has set aside the controversial judgment of the Bombay HC which held that ‘skin-to-skin’ contact is necessary for an act to be classified as sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences(POCSO) Act. About the Bombay HC judgment Two judgments… Continue reading The significance of Supreme Court’s recent POCSO decision

News: A heavy increase in fertilizer subsidy bill is seen. A brief background of fertilizer policy since 1991 reforms: After years of unchanged prices, the budget of 1991 raised the issue prices of fertilizers by 40% on average. This rise was rolled down to 30% in a few months, with exemption to small and marginal… Continue reading Reforming the fertilizer sector

News: Recently, government repealed three farm laws. Agri reforms in India are necessary to unlock the true potential of agriculture and the agro-processing industry, and for the efficient allocation of private and government resources. However, the success of any attempt to reform the agriculture sector in India would depend to a large extent on the… Continue reading Non-farm jobs and social mores hold India’s key to farm reforms

News: Despite the announcement by the PM to repeal the three farm laws, farmers have said their protest will continue. They have written to the PM with their six remaining demands. One of the main demands by farmers is that, MSP should be made a legal entitlement of all farmers for all agricultural produce. However,… Continue reading Explained: In perspective, farm distress and the demand for guaranteed MSP

News: Big emitters must reconsider their stated net-zero date and specify a credible action plan. Important elements of a disaster response There are four elements in the response to any disaster that are important — – The credibility of the warning – A shared sense of emergency – A social and political norm of joint… Continue reading Climate justice must drive climate action

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?

News: How different cars are taxed in India? GST is levied at 28%, the top slab, with an add-on cess of 1% on small cars(less than 4m length) and 17-22% extra on those longer than 4 meters. While the exhaust-free Electric Vehicles attract a GST rate of just 5%. What is the rationale behind such… Continue reading Time to rethink Indian levies on motor vehicles