Synopsis: The recent proposal to the NDPS Act does not address the issues in enforcement, instead it compounds them. Introduction The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has proposed certain changes to some provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985. What are the major recommendations to the NDPS Act?… Continue reading Should the NDPS Act be amended?

Synopsis: Early Childhood Education (ECE) is vital for a child’s overall development and growth. Introduction ECE is crucial to the overall development of children, as it impacts their learning and even earning capabilities throughout their lifetimes. In India, for the vast majority of the poor, ECE is provided through 14 lakh anganwadis spread across the… Continue reading Grant the focus back on Early Childhood education

Synopsis: Green hydrogen has the potential to alter the present fossil fuel dominated energy basket. Still, there are challenges for scaling this technology, that needs to be worked upon first. Introduction India, being the second most vulnerable country to climate change, is now leading the climate war with a clean molecule-green hydrogen. COP-26 in Glasgow… Continue reading India’s Clean Molecule Bet: On Green Hydrogen

Synopsis: Electricity Act, 2003 has its own achievements and limitations. The new rules are aimed at taking the sector to a new high. Introduction The Union Ministry of Power recently notified the rules under Electricity Act, 2003 in the interest of electricity consumers and other stakeholders. What are the achievements under “Electricity Act 2003”? The… Continue reading It is time to move on to next phase of power reforms

Synopsis: Cheap, reliable and clean energy are means to fulfil the energy demand and these will determine the success of the global climate action movement. Introduction The random power cuts that last 5-7 minutes hurt commercial operations more than the long-scheduled cuts. This is especially true for small-scale industrial outfits with basic operational setups (like… Continue reading People may now be ready for a renewable revolution

Synopsis: Gati shakti master plan would help India converge its infrastructure spending, however few challenges need to be seen. Introduction Gati Shakti National Master Plan seeks to enhance multi-modal linkages, increase competitiveness and provide a linked platform for rolling out various infrastructure projects as part of a grand master plan. It is a platform based… Continue reading Gati Shakti: Connecting the silos

Synopsis: India must protect its interests in WTO on fishery subsidies Introduction The issue on fishery subsidies was first raised during the WTO’s Doha ministerial meet in 2001. The basic objective of the global pact on fisheries subsidies, was to discipline or eliminate subsidies that encouraged illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The provision of special… Continue reading Differential treatment: On fisheries subsidies issue at WTO

Synopsis: India’s start-up ecosystem is radically breaking from its past in company valuations, unicorn numbers, funding round sizes, foreign interest, and growth. Introduction The three acts of entrepreneurship from five years ago — Jio, UPI, and GST have converged to accelerate startup ecosystem. This triad of private, nonprofit, and government courage demonstrates the economic upsides… Continue reading The New Economic Scrabble

Synopsis: RBI’s recent actions against auditors highlight the need for role clarity as well as coordination among regulators Introduction Recently, the RBI had issued an order debarring a firm of chartered accountants from undertaking any type of audit assignment in any RBI regulated entity for a period of two years. This action has been taken,… Continue reading Who is my regulator?: On RBI’s recent actions against auditors