Tag: gs paper 3

News: India has decided to enter into trade agreements with key partners like the UK, UAE and Australia and announced an ambitious plan for an early harvest deal by March 2022. These trade agreements coincides with India coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic-related slowdown and wants to become “Atmanirbhar” and play “a bigger role in… Continue reading What India should strive for in trade deals

News: A heavy increase in fertilizer subsidy bill is seen. Contents1 A brief background of fertilizer policy since 1991 reforms:2 What is the need for reforms in the fertilizer sector?3 What is the way forward?4 What are the steps already taken by the government? A brief background of fertilizer policy since 1991 reforms: After years… 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News: Recently, government repealed three farm laws.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. Contents1 Important elements of a disaster response2 How have UNFCCC & IPCC fared in terms of the four elements of response wrt climate change?3 What are the implications?4 What is the way forward? Important elements of a disaster response There… 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: Contents1 How different cars are taxed in India?2 What is the rationale behind such a differential taxation system?3 What are the issues associated with this differential taxation system?4 What is needed to be done? How different cars are taxed in India? GST is levied at 28%, the top slab, with an add-on cess of… Continue reading Time to rethink Indian levies on motor vehicles

News: Recently, the Prime Minister in an address to the nation announced that the three controversial farm laws would be withdrawn in the upcoming session of Parliament. Yet, the farmer groups are pressing for a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) and the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill. Since this will not be… Continue reading Future of farms – On Farm Laws

News: Reliable and timely public data have a direct bearing on the state’s capability to effectively design and implement programmes. The coverage and reporting of Census data have vastly improved since independence. Among the emerging economies, India is credited to have a relatively robust public data system generated through its decennial Census and yearly sample surveys… Continue reading Reliable data, good policy

News: The newly-created National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL), first in the public sector, offers hopes for the faster clean up of lenders’ balance sheets. NARCL is not a bank, but a specialised financial institution to help resolve the distressed assets of banks. Over the last 5 years, considerable progress has been made in resolving and… Continue reading Tackling the problem of bad loans