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
Tag: gs paper 2
Mediation Bill: Not getting the Act together
News: The Ministry of Law and Justice has placed the Draft Mediation Bill, 2021 in public domain seeking feedback and suggestions from all stakeholders. What is the significance of the bill? Firstly, it recognises that mediation has to be treated as a profession. This is a significant development compared to the previous mediated schemes. Secondly,… Continue reading Mediation Bill: Not getting the Act together
Surveillance as governance
News: Recently, Amnesty International raised concerns that extensive surveillance of Hyderabad is putting human rights at risk. How surveillance is carried out in Hyderabad? It largely follows a three-pronged approach. – Wide web of CCTV cameras: For example, CCTV coverage in two cities (Kala Pathar and Kishan Bagh) is 53.7% and 62.7% respectively according to… Continue reading Surveillance as governance
India-Russia summit recognised that each needs the other, and that the drift in bilateral ties needs to be arrested
News: Recently, 21st India – Russia Annual summit took place. The summit highlighted the “all-weather” partnership between India and Russia. Must read: Recent developments in India-Russia Relations – Explained, pointwise Contents1 What are the challenges in India-Russia relations?2 Why does Russia need India?3 Why does India need Russia?4 What should be done? What are the… Continue reading India-Russia summit recognised that each needs the other, and that the drift in bilateral ties needs to be arrested
About Swacch Bharat Mission 2.0: Being free of old waste
News: Main focus of Swacch Bharat Mission 2.0 is to work on solid waste management. About Swacch Bharat Mission 2.0 The mission aims to provide financial assistance to set up fresh waste processing facilities and bioremediation projects across all the ULBs. Financial assistance is limited to chosen large cities that have a population of over 5… Continue reading About Swacch Bharat Mission 2.0: Being free of old waste
What schools need to do during pandemic
News: School life during and after the Covid-19 pandemic is not going to be the same. The coming of a new sub-variant, Omicron, triggered concerns worldwide on what measures should adopt to protect children. What is the exposure rate of adults and children? According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study, both adult and child… Continue reading What schools need to do during pandemic
Health account numbers that require closer scrutiny
News: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released the National Health Accounts Report for 2017-18. How does NHA capture data? NHA captures health data like out-of-pocket expenditure, insurance premiums from various sources like the “Household social consumption in India: Health” survey of the National Sample Survey Organization. Read here: Per capita out-of-pocket health expenditure sees… Continue reading Health account numbers that require closer scrutiny
The nine lives of India’s National Family Health Survey
News: The NFHS data evolved much from the Demographic and Health Survey and became a well-structured one. Must read: NFHS-5 and its findings – Explained, pointwise Contents1 About the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS)2 About the evolution of NFHS3 About the NFHS4 What are the key reasons behind the success of NFHS?5 What are the challenges… Continue reading The nine lives of India’s National Family Health Survey
Why India will be scrutinised at Summit for Democracy
News: US will host a virtual “summit for democracy”, which will bring together leaders of 100 countries, civil society and private sector representatives. The summit will convene around 3 broad themes — defending democracy against authoritarianism, addressing and fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights. Why India is likely to be scrutinised at the… Continue reading Why India will be scrutinised at Summit for Democracy
A new era in public procurement
News: Recently, the Department of Expenditure in the Ministry of Finance, issued a notification on the General Instructions on Procurement and Project Management. These instructions set out a number of desirable actions in government purchases of works contracts and services. Currently, these are applicable to only Central government entities and Central public sector units. The… Continue reading A new era in public procurement
