How vehicle tracking could curb tax evasion?
Context: In a move that is expected to help curb tax evasion, Goods and Services Tax (GST) authorities will now be able to track real-time data of commercial vehicle (CV) movement on highways by integration of the e-way bill (EWB) system with FASTag and RFID. Relevance: GS-II: Polity and Governance (Transparency & Accountability Measures, Government […]
Deflating India’s COVID black market boom
Context: With the second wave of infections and the rise in COVID-19 positive cases in India, the necessity for integral medicines, hospital beds and oxygen supplies has gone up incrementally. In such a situation, the boom in black-market sale of essential needs such as medicines and oxygen tanks has emerged as most reprehensible is the […]
SC: On loans to corporate borrowers, Guarantor beware
Context: Supreme Court has ruled that creditors can proceed against promoters of defaulting companies to recover debt if such promoters have given personal guarantees to secure funds. This comes six months after the Supreme Court transferred all the cases related to personal insolvency to itself. The SC has also said that lenders can also proceed […]
The many benefits of an eco-tax in India
Context: The COVID-19 pandemic has also forced countries all over the world to rethink climate change and the need for preservation of the environment. Fiscal reforms for managing the environment are important, and India has great potential for revenue generation in this aspect. Relevance: GS-III: Environment and Ecology (Steps for Pollution Control, Conservation of the […]
Government enhances DAP fertiliser subsidy
Context: The government has enhanced the subsidy on di-ammonium phosphate or DAP fertilisers in order to retain the selling price for farmers at the current level, following a review meeting on fertiliser prices chaired by Prime Minister. Recently, the international prices of phosphoric acid, ammonia etc. used in DAP have gone up by 60% to […]
Using all options: On Covaxin licensing
Context: As the second COVID-19 wave continues to ravage the country, it is now clear that universal and swift vaccination is the only way out to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. But with only 3% and 10.4% of the total population estimated to have taken the second and a single dose, respectively, the goal […]
World Bank report on remittances
Context: India received over $83 billion in remittances in 2020, a drop of just 0.2% from 2020, despite a pandemic that devastated the world economy, according to a World Bank report – Migration and Development Brief Relevance: GS-III: Indian Economy (Important International Institutions and their reports, Growth and Development of Indian Economy, Mobilization of Resources) […]
Commodities in super cycle
Context: An across-the-board rise in global commodity prices is leading to input cost pressures and is a growing concern, as it is not only expected to have a bearing on cost of infrastructure development in India but also have an impact on the overall inflation, economic recovery and policy making. Relevance: GS-III: Indian Economy (Growth […]
Back in the shortage economy: Covid-19 Impact
Context: We have been witnessing shortages of almost everything needed to treat COVID-19 patients: hospital beds, drugs, ventilators and, above all, oxygen. India is once again the focus of global attention, as it was in the mid-1960s when two consecutive years of drought resulted in a severe shortage of food. Relevance: GS-III: Indian Economy (Economic […]
NITI Aayog and Mastercard report on e-Commerce
Context: NITI Aayog and Mastercard released the ‘Connected Commerce: Creating a Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive Bharat’ report on digital financial inclusion in India. Relevance: GS-III: Indian Economy (Growth and Development of Indian Economy, Mobilization of Resources, Financial Inclusion, Banking Sector) Dimensions of the Article: What is Digital financial inclusion? Benefits of Digital Financial Inclusion […]