[Burning Issue] Reorienting MGNREGA in times of COVID

Termed in a moment of hubris by present government as ‘“a living monument of UPA’s failures”, the government has fallen back on this Scheme in this moment of crisis. This piece is an attempt to understand the silent success of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) which was allegedly dying a… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] COVID-19 and its Impact on Agriculture

Farmers in India constantly battle against skewed monsoon and erratic rainfall, extreme natural events, interrupted supply chains and rising inflation. Like this was not enough. These troubles now are supplemented this year by the COVID induced lockdowns and the heralding Locusts Attack! God bless our Annadatas! Context The start of the coronavirus pandemic has coincided… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] National Security Law debate in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is burning again. Last year it was Fugitive Offenders Amendment bill, now it’s National Security Law. This anthem bill criminalises insulting China’s national anthem. No, this is not like the same dictum given to us by Supreme Court to stand up in multiplexes. But people actually fear that this law will take away… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] Rise of Economic Nationalism

“Globalization presumes sustained economic growth. Otherwise, the process loses its economic benefits and political support.” Paul Samuelson Context Guess what Corona virus pandemic did that even Soviet union could not? It has shown the world decaying of the capitalist system. Spread of the virus has lead to various forms of lock downs across the globe.… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] India-China Skirmish in Ladakh

“Hindi Chini bhai bhai” – The tale of these brothers is filled with so much action and drama that it can give Bollywood writers a run for money. See, border issues is never easy to resolve, never has been and never will be. Pangong Tso or Doklam – All point to Troubled LAC and an… Continue reading

[Burning Issues] Atmanirbhar Abhiyan Package

Today we decode parts of the “20 lakh crore” Economic Package. Fair warning though. It’s a long journey to walk! The COVID-19 pandemic and the prolonged national lockdown have brought the Indian economy to a standstill. The various announcements made by the Finance Minister concluded the relief measures undertaken in five tranches by the… Continue reading

Civil Services Prelims Date To Be Announced On June 5 After Assessing Situation

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has notified that it will announce the Civil Services exam (prelims) date on June 5. The exam, was scheduled to be held on May 31, has been postponed for the second time in a month. What to do now? Many students wasted a lot of time in thinking… Continue reading

[Burning Issues] Fiscal Push for MSME Sector of India (Part I)

The Covid-19 pandemic has left its impact on all sectors of the economy but nowhere is the hurt as much as the Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) of India. All anecdotal evidence available, such as the hundreds of thousands of stranded migrant workers across the country, suggests that MSMEs have been the worst casualty… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] Vizag Gas Leak

The Vizag Gas Leak was an industrial accident that occurred at a chemical plant in R. R. Venkatapuram village near Gopalapatnam on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on the early morning of 7 May 2020. The source of the leak was a styrene plant owned by South Korean electronics giant LG. The leaked gas… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] Judiciary in Times of COVID-19 Outbreak

During the Second World War, when the Luftwaffe (German air force) was wreaking havoc over London with its incessant bombing attacks, the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill took cognizance of the heavy casualties and economic devastation. While he was briefed on the casualties and economic collapse, he asked, “Are the courts functioning?” When told… Continue reading

[Burning Issues] Fiscal Push for MSME Sector of India (Part II)

COVID-19 and MSMEs The MSMEs were already struggling — in terms of declining revenues and capacity utilization — in the lead-up to the Covid-19 crisis. The total lockdown has raised a question mark on workers payment primarily because these firms mostly transact on cash. That explains the job losses. The problem with most small Indian… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] Key takeaways from the report on National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP)

As India embarks on its journey of 5 trillion Economy, the importance of Infrastructure cannot be undermined. PM Modi in his Independence Day speech 2019 had highlighted this aspect by allocating ₹100 lakh crore for infrastructure projects over the next 5 years. The latest move- ‘National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP)’. NIP will help to augment infrastructure… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] The COVID chapter in Indian Diplomacy

The outbreak and spread of COVID-19 has created multiple challenges for the entire world. Apart from primary challenges like containing the spread of the virus and treating infected patients, there are rising political issues such as the blame game between US and China, crumbling role of WHO and questions about the future world order. Amid… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] 100% Reservation and Associated Issues

Background Reservation in India is a system of affirmative action by the State that provides representation for historically and currently disadvantaged groups in Indian society in education, employment and politics. It was envisaged to help address social disparities and economic backwardness of certain sections of the population within a few decades. But gradually, amendments have… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] India’s Amended FDI Norms amidst Hostile Takeover Efforts by China

For India, the problem lies that, trade with China has often been viewed as a positive in a relationship without any positive sentiment. Post-Doklam, the Wuhan ‘reset’ with China was premised largely on India and China working towards a more robust economic relationship. Yet, China’s reluctance to adequately address Indian concerns and the… Continue reading

[Burning Issues] Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020

Context Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 was recently introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Shipping. The Bill aims to replace the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. It seeks to provide for regulation, operation and planning of Major Ports in India and to vest the administration, control and management of such… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] Success stories in handling COVID-19 crisis

What would happen once lockdown in India is lifted? India faces a similar choice as that of Goldilocks with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the timing of when to ease out the nationwide lockdown. Ease it out too early, and the disease could rapidly spread, wiping out the hard-won gains from the… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] World Health Organization (WHO) And Coronavirus Handling

International organisations are important for the UPSC exam. International Relations (IR) is a crucial segment of the UPSC syllabus and every year, questions are asked based on international organisations in the UPSC prelims and mains exams. We have covered the most important organisations in various articles and Burning Issues. This article focuses on the recent… Continue reading

[Burning Issues] J&K New Domicile Rules

Context Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs has promulgated the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Adaptation of State Laws) Order, 2020, which comes into force with immediate effect. It defines “domiciles” in the new Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir for protecting jobs in the Group D category and entry-level non-gazetted posts for the domiciles.… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] Migrant workers amid COVID-19 outbreak

Blamed for leaving their homes in defiance of the lockdown, hungry and cash-strapped migrants are struggling in packed shelters while those who managed to reach their native places are facing hostility. What makes India’s migrant crisis unique is not the nature of its migrant workforce but the abruptness of its public policy. Context… Continue reading

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Join us across Social Media platforms.

Your better version awaits you!