Category: ForumIAS Programs

Nearly 250 million people live in and around forests in India, of which the estimated indigenous Adivasi or tribal population stands at about 100 million, constituting about 8% of India’s population. Forest Rights Act (2006) and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (1996) -established a framework for local self-governance in demarcated (or “scheduled”) areas.…

Context: In a unique departure from the past, the government has stressed on the need to leverage co-operative & competitive federalism to achieve all round growth. What is Competitive Federalism? It is the concept where Centre competes with the states and vice versa, and states compete with each other with the ultimate aim to develop…

Context: The idea for simultaneous elections for all the states as well as for general assembly was pitched by some national leaders. Advantages of simultaneous elections: It would save public money and time of politicians that is wasted in campaigns for elections. It would encourage more focus on governance and policy making as winning elections…

Context: It has been launched by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) with Reserve Bank of India’s vision of migrating towards a ‘cash-less’ and more digital society. What is UPI? UPI is a payment system that allows money transfer between any two bank accounts by using a Smartphone. It is based on the immediate payment service (IMPS) platform.…

  Context: The Ministry of Law and Justice sent a communication to the Law Commission requesting it to examine and report on all issues pertaining to a Uniform Civil Code. What is UCC? Uniform civil code is the proposal to replace the personal laws based on the scriptures and customs of each major religious community…

  Context: A referendum was held recently in Colombia to ratify the peace process signed by the government of Colombia and FARC rebels. The Colombian people rejected the peace agreement by voting against it.   Colombia, situated at the north west of South America, has a presidential form of government. Its president Juan Manuel Santos…

Introduction Pulses occupy a unique place in India’s nutritional food security as they are a major source of proteins. India is the largest producer, consumer and importer of pulses. However, there is a gap between potential and actual yield of pulses in India. The slow growth in pulses production is due to low growth in…

Context: Britain’s exit (aka BREXIT) from European Union has sparked a debate centered on globalization. Globalization: Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. Globalization has been going on for centuries. What has…