INDIA DOES NEED A FISCAL COUNCIL
Focus: GS-III Indian Economy Introduction The fiscal situation in India has been under severe stress even before COVID-19 and the novel coronavirus pandemic has only worsened it. While the prevailing exceptional circumstance warrants loosening of purse strings, it is necessary that the government must return to a credible fiscal consolidation path once the crisis gets […]
REVERSING HEALTH SECTOR NEGLECT WITH A REFORM AGENDA
Focus: GS-II Social Justice Introduction Two countries which lead in the COVID-19 cases tally in the world today, namely the United States (first) and India (third), are also the ones where the need for health-care reform post COVID-19 has been most keenly felt. This is due to the lack of effective universal health coverage (UHC) […]
THE CHALLENGE OF CATCHING ELUSIVE TAXPAYERS
Focus: GS-III Indian Economy Introduction India’s tax collection is set to decline sharply in 2020 because of the decline in national income and fall in employment due to COVID-19. Thus, the fiscal deficit in the budget is set to rise unless other expenditures are cut. However, there are committed expenditures which cannot be curtailed and […]
NEW OFFICE PREMISES FOR DELIMITATION COMMISSION
Focus: GS-II Governance Why in news? New office premises for Delimitation Commission was opened recently, and it is hoped that formal deliberations with Associate Members would start soon to expedite the process of delimitation as envisaged. The Commission has kept 15th June 2020 as the date for freezing of administrative districts in these States/ UTs. […]
GOI AND AIIB SIGN AGREEMENT TO IMPROVE MUMBAI RAILWAYS
Focus: GS-III Indian Economy Why in news? The Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) signed a loan agreement for a $500 million Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III. Details The Project aims to improve the network capacity, service quality and safety of the suburban railway […]
BOMBAY HC: FIRs AGAINST TABLIGHI JAMAAT “SCAPEGOAT”
Focus: GS-II Governance Why in news? The Bombay high court struck down criminal cases registered against 34 people, including 28 foreign Tablighi Jamaat members, in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, saying foreign nationals were virtually persecuted. Details The Bombay High Court said that a political Government tries to find scapegoat when there is pandemic or calamity, and […]
NOT POSSIBLE TO FULLY BLOCK CHINESE COMPANIES
Focus: GS-III Indian Economy, International Relations Why in news? Despite the uproar against the use of Chinese products amid the standoff on the border in eastern Ladakh and the government’s decision to ban several apps recently, government officials say it is not possible to fully decouple the trend due to the substantial investments by Chinese […]
GUIDELINES FOR PLASMA THERAPY
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology Why in news? The Karnataka State Government laid down the guidelines specified for convalescent plasma therapy. Guidelines A recovered COVID-19 patient should have preferably had symptoms such as fever, cough and cold as there is a greater possibility of the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies compared to an asymptomatic patient. […]
INFLATION, MONETARY POLICY AND GROWTH
Focus: GS-III Indian Economy Introduced Consumer Price Index (CPI), India’s benchmark inflation measure, grew at 6.9% in the month of July. Headline inflation has been growing at more than 6%, the upper limit of RBI’s tolerance level, since December 2019. March was the only exception. India’s other inflation measure, Wholesale Price Index (WPI), has been […]
CITING SC: MADRAS HC ORDERS ENHANCED PENSION
Focus: GS-II Social Justice Why in news? The Madras High Court, citing the Supreme Court verdict in the landmark R.C. Gupta case (2016), has ordered enhancement of pension payable to a litigant found eligible for the revision of pension on higher wages. 1995 pension scheme Under the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995, on the determination of […]