Category: ForumIAS Programs

Historical background of Silk Road: 1. The Silk Road was a network of trade routes, formally established during the Han Dynasty. The road originated from Chang’an (now Xian) in the east and ended in the Mediterranean in the west, linking China with the Roman Empire. 2. As China’s silk was the major trade product, German…

Scramjet Engine Background Oxygen is as essential for the process of combustion as it is for the sustenance of life. Therefore a rocket, during its launch, needs to combine a combustion fuel with liquid oxygen to create the thrust needed for the take-off and flight. However, if the need for liquid oxygen is taken away…

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act was enacted in 1958 to bring under control what the government of India considered ‘disturbed’ areas. How could a region be declared as ‘disturbed’? Section (3) of the AFSPA Act empowers the governor of the state or Union territory to issue an official notification on…

GMO- Is an organism that has been transformed by the insertion of one or more genes (called trans-genes). The genes may be from a different kingdom(e.g. a bacterial gene into plant genetic material), a different species within the same kingdom or even from the same species. The subject of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food…

According to an oxford professor, gender equality has four dimensions: Redressing disadvantage Countering stigma, prejudice, humiliation and violence Transforming social and institutional structures Facilitating political participation and social inclusion. Facts- As per the National Crime Records Bureau Data – Reported cases of domestic violence in India went up from 50,703 in 2003 to 1,18,866 in…

Context: Government has recently declared that Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes would no longer be a legal tender. The decision has been taken in the context of curbing the black money and to tackle the challenge of terror financing and money laundering. Introduction: Money laundering and the financing of terrorism are financial crimes with…

Background: Before the establishment of ICANN, the function of administering registries of Internet protocol identifiers (including the distributing top-level domains and IP addresses) was performed by Jon Postel, a Computer Science researcher in USA. As the Internet grew and expanded globally, the U.S. Department of Commerce initiated a process to establish a new organization to perform the…

Context: The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley proposed this Scheme to declare undisclosed income in his 2016 budget presentation. It has provided an opportunity to persons who had not paid full taxes in the past to come forward and declare their domestic undisclosed income and assets. Provisions: It was a scheme with 4 month…