Context: Amid the evolving geopolitical situation, the BRICS mechanism appears to be undergoing an identity crisis. There is a deepening contradiction at the heart of the grouping, which is likely to result in extremely difficult choices for Indian foreign policy. What are the major pillars of BRICS? Historically, the group’s agenda was not just economic,… Continue reading There Are Cracks In Brics & Trouble For India
Tag: gs paper 2
India’s ban on select single-use plastic items: A start but still a long way from blanket ban
News: India’s ban on select single-use plastic(SUPs) items comes into effect from July 1, 2022. Contents1 Does India impose a blanket ban on all single-use plastic items?2 What are the challenges associated with the present ban?3 What is the status of the plastic alternatives market in India?4 Do alternatives to plastics viable?5 What should be… Continue reading India’s ban on select single-use plastic items: A start but still a long way from blanket ban
The rupee’s ‘new lows’: Why it’s not necessarily a cause for concern
News: The currency’s fall gets more attention than its rise. At present, the Indian rupee is falling against the US dollar. Contents1 What is the status of the Rupee fall vis a vis other currencies?2 What is the long-term cause-and-effect relationship between country and currency?3 How does India maintain its long-term cause-and-effect relationship between country… Continue reading The rupee’s ‘new lows’: Why it’s not necessarily a cause for concern
How the RBI unconventionally innovated policy to fight the pandemic
News: The RBI has been missing the inflation target since 2019 by not raising rates. This raised some debates about RBI’s inflation management. What is the reason for rising inflation in India? There are two reasons that inflation is on the rise. These are, a) Inflation has been largely the result of supply-side shocks from… Continue reading How the RBI unconventionally innovated policy to fight the pandemic
The need of the hour: A Renewables revolution
Context: Renewable energy can limit climate disruption and boost energy security. Thus, their use must be incentivised and supported. Fossil fuels are the major cause of the climate crisis. All climate indicators are breaking records. It is a strong indication towards ferocious storms, floods, droughts, wildfires and unliveable temperatures in vast swathes of the planet.… Continue reading The need of the hour: A Renewables revolution
Clear signals the ‘fringe’ ought to read
Context: Recently, after the controversy over controversial remarks on the Prophet, India’s top political and bureaucratic functionaries emphasised India’s stronger credentials as a secular democratic polity. Recently, External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser (NSA), Ajit Doval and Prime Minister made statements that emphasised India’s stronger credentials as a secular democratic polity. All these remarks… Continue reading Clear signals the ‘fringe’ ought to read
Reset mode – on GST Council Meet
News: GST Council meeting was held recently. There are many takeaways from this meeting. GST Council meet, held recently, was its first ‘regular’ meeting after a nine-month break. It discussed recommendations of four ministerial groups’ to fix various aspects of the indirect tax regime. The council ratified 3 out of 4 reports by the groups. What were… Continue reading Reset mode – on GST Council Meet
Do not weaken the anti-defection law
News: The political crisis in Maharashtra again created the debate on anti-defection law. Further, the Supreme Court intervention gave undue advantage to the dissident legislators. What is anti-defection law? Read here: “Nominated members” and “Anti-defection Law” in India Supreme Court of India has described the anti-defection law as “constitutional correctives against a legislatively perceived political evil… Continue reading Do not weaken the anti-defection law
One recruit, one salary – Agnipath Scheme
News: Recently, the government of India introduced a new recruitment scheme for the armed forces, Agnipath. Must read: Agnipath Scheme: Need, Benefits and Challenges – Explained, pointwise What are the advantages of Agnipath Scheme? From the 10th year onwards, Agnipath will yield 31,250 soldiers each year (25 per cent of 125,000) for extended service tenures. The… Continue reading One recruit, one salary – Agnipath Scheme
Home and abroad: On PM Modi’s G-7 commitements and freedom of speech
News: PM of India attended the G7 annual summit meeting in Germany along with other special invitees from Argentina, Indonesia, Senegal, and South Africa. Most of the deliberations took aim at the twin challenges seen from Russia and China. Contents1 What economic initiatives were discussed?2 What other issues were discussed at the meeting?3 What was… Continue reading Home and abroad: On PM Modi’s G-7 commitements and freedom of speech
