News: The cycle of cyber-attacks and the distrust will threaten the foundations of democratic society. The world was made aware of the threat posed by cyber weapons with the advent of the Stuxnet Worm in 2010. It resulted in damage to Iran’s centrifuge capabilities. In 2012, a bank of computers belonging to the Saudi Aramco… Continue reading Taking a byte out of cyber threats
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Reducing welfare spending right now is a dangerous gamble
News: As the Indian economy is badly hit, welfare schemes like MGNREGA will help people to provide the safety net. There have been demands to launch the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme-type programme for the urban poor. How there is a shift in government policy in welfare programmes? Economic Survey of 2021-22 states that MGNREGA… Continue reading Reducing welfare spending right now is a dangerous gamble
India’s Employment problem predates COVID. The pandemic has deepened the faultlines
News: Data from the Periodic labour force survey (PLFS) suggests that urban unemployment during January-March 2021 had declined to the pre-Covid level of around 9%, after peaking at 20.8% during the first wave. Various other estimates also point towards the same. However, it necessarily does not reflect an expansion of more productive forms of… Continue reading India’s Employment problem predates COVID. The pandemic has deepened the faultlines
How to expand India’s forest cover
News: India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 recently released its report, which attracts many questions about the definition of forests and plantation. This article gives answers to all that queries. Read here: India State of Forest Report 2021 – Explained, pointwise About definition of forest India’s definition of forest cover is in sync with that… Continue reading How to expand India’s forest cover
Time to end employer criminalisation
News: The recent budget has prioritized Ease of Doing Business (EODB) 2.0. The article says that criminalization of employers has affected productivity of Indian economy, hence there is need to relook the jail provisions and simplify the laws. Contents1 Why there is need to reconsider employer criminalization?2 What is the situation wrt penal provisions against… Continue reading Time to end employer criminalisation
An MSP scheme to transform Indian agriculture
News: The article suggests a different way of designing a minimum support price (MSP) to transform Indian agriculture. Contents1 How the current price stabilization policy for food grains has evolved?2 What are the consequences of this price stabilization policy?3 How MSP should be redesigned?4 Why India needs a decentralized mechanism of procurement?5 What is the… Continue reading An MSP scheme to transform Indian agriculture
Consolidate clearances-4 steps for effective green clearances
News: Environmental Clearance to various developmental projects has been at the core of Environment- development debate. However both Environment and development are not the two different ends of a spectrum and can definitely coexist if some changes are made to our green clearance policy. What will make the system more effective? There is a… Continue reading Consolidate clearances-4 steps for effective green clearances
A growth focused monetary policy
News: To maintain a desired growth rate, Reserve Bank has kept an accommodative policy stance despite the new risks from elevated crude oil prices and the possibility of aggressive policy measures by the US Federal Reserve. Contents1 What is accommodative policy stance and its impact? 2 What is the policy adopted by other central banks… Continue reading A growth focused monetary policy
A change of course on privatisation
News: Recently released India’s Budget 22-23 has signalled that the government will proceed cautiously on privatisation. The article says that the retreat on privatisation is a pragmatic economic policy. Contents1 Why the Budget has changed the course of privatisation?2 What does the government’s decision to de-emphasise privatisation reflect?3 Why executing privatisation is a challenge?4 What… Continue reading A change of course on privatisation
Income tax on our rich should’ve been rejigged
News: This article discusses the view of former Reserve Bank of India governor C. Rangarajan on taxation. The article says tax rules should be made easier for better tax collections. India needs direct tax reforms because tax relief is not enough. How the government missed the opportunity to simplify the tax rate? Pandemic has increased… Continue reading Income tax on our rich should’ve been rejigged
