Background Aadhaar is a 12 digit number issued by the UIDAI to the residents of India It does not confer the right of citizenship or domicile to the holder. Aadhaar is proof of identity, residence and financial address for its residents. Aadhaar has been making inroads in all spheres of life and almost all government… Continue reading [Burning Issue] Should Aadhaar be made mandatory or not?

Basic Terms (not asked directly in exam but its good to have some level of basic understanding about these ) 1. Atom: It is the fundamental constituent of matter. It is made up of three tiny subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. The protons(positively charged) and the neutrons(no charge) make up the center of the… Continue reading Nuclear Technology Basics

  1. Missiles and Missile Defence Systems There are 2 kinds of Missiles, Ballistic and Cruise. Ballistic Missiles Cruise Missiles It follows a ballistic trajectory with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. It is a guided missile that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its… Continue reading India’s Defence Program

Why in news? Lok Sabha has passed The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Second Amendment) Bill, 2017 to abolish the ‘no detention policy’ in schools. Key Features of Bill The Bill amends provision related to no detention policy in the parent Act to empower central or state government to allow schools to… Continue reading [Burning Issue] Scrapping of No Detention Policy

Context President Ram Nath Kovind’s choice of Vietnam as the first Southeast Asian country to visit in his capacity as the President is not surprising. A close ‘ally’ of India for over 70 years, and not limited to official diplomatic ties, Vietnam is critical for India’s foreign policy at the regional and systemic levels. Background Bilateral ties… Continue reading [Burning Issue] India –Vietnam Relations

Why in News? In early 2018, Supreme Court stressed the need for providing inbuilt safeguards within the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act to plug its misuse and struck down some provisions and gave some guidelines. Following a widespread protest from Dalits against the verdict, the Union Cabinet had given its nod to the Amendment Bill… Continue reading [Burning Issue] SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act

Introduction The manufacturing landscape is ever-changing. One of the most significant drivers of this change is the emergence of advanced manufacturing technologies that are enabling more cost-effective and resource-efficient small-scale production. In combination with other prominent trends such as servitisation, personalisation and presumption, the emergence of Additive Manufacturing (commonly known as 3D printing) as a direct manufacturing process is leading companies to rethink where… Continue reading [Burning Issue] 3D Printing

Background A public-private partnership is a government service or private business venture that is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies. PPP involves a contract between a public sector authority and a private party, in which the private party provides a public service or project and assumes substantial financial,… Continue reading [Burning Issue] Public Private Partnerships- Problems and Solutions

Context The conflict between people and wildlife has attained serious dimensions in many regions of the country to the detriment of conservation. Wild animals often stray in villages and farms in and around protected areas and sanctuaries, causing bloody conflicts. And now increasingly we are seeing wild animals wander into urban areas causing human-animal conflicts.… Continue reading [Burning Issue] Man – Animal Conflict

CONTEXT India’s non-banking financial companies (NBFC) sector — also known as the shadow banking system that provides services similar to traditional commercial banks but outside normal banking regulations — is passing through a turbulent period following a series of defaults by Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) and the subsequent liquidity crunch. The liquidity squeeze… Continue reading [Burning Issue] What Ails the NBFC Sector

Context Tshering Tobgay will be new Prime Minister of Bhutan. Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa Party has won the recent general elections in Bhutan. The National Assembly is the lower house of Bhutan Parliament. This is the third general election after democracy was adopted in Bhutan in 2008. BHUTAN ELECTION BACKGROUND Election to the House of Representatives also called the… Continue reading [Burning Issue] India – Bhutan Relations after recent elections in Bhutan

Context Voters in the Maldives delivered a stunning defeat for President Abdulla Yameen in a contentious presidential election, an outcome regarded as a victory for democracy over authoritarianism in the Indian Ocean island nation. The people of the small archipelago in the Indian Ocean voted for change and brought to power the Opposition candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. They came out in… Continue reading [Burning Issue] A change in the Maldives

CONTEXT India has declared that its nuclear triad, stated in its nuclear doctrine, is operational This was after indigenous ballistic missile nuclear submarine INS Arihant achieved a milestone by conducting its first deterrence patrol It essentially means that Arihant is now prowling the deep seas carrying ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads The second submarine in… Continue reading [Burning Issue] India’s Nuclear Triad

Why in News? In May 2018, Union Cabinet approved a National Policy on Biofuels – 2018. It replaces earlier policy made by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in 2009. What are Biofuels? A biofuel is a fuel that is produced through contemporary biological processes, such as agriculture and anaerobic digestion, rather than a fuel… Continue reading [Burning Issue] National Policy on Biofuels 2018

Introduction The Parliament has recently passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Bill, 2016. It was first passed in Lok Sabha and later in Rajya Sabha in the month of May 2016. The bill will replace the existing bankruptcy laws to make it easy for investors to exit within a fixed time frame, in an effort… Continue reading [Burning Issue] Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code

Context The publication of central bank’s annual report for fiscal year 2016-17 (RBI follows a July-June fiscal year) which put the estimated value of the currency that returned to the system at Rs 15.28 trillion or close to 99% of the currency notes demonetised in November-December 2016. Currency in circulation in India stood at Rs… Continue reading [Burning Issue] Demonetisation: A boon or bane for the Indian economy? 

 WHY IN NEWS The stand-off between the government and the RBI has reached a flashpoint. Introduction The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government give the impression that they are not on the same page even as far as an understanding of their roles is concerned. The RBI suggests that its independence is being violated while the government rationalises its… Continue reading [Burning Issue] RBI Vs Government

India ease of doing business rank jumps 23 places to 77 in World Bank’s Doing Business 2019 survey Context India’s rank in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2019 survey climbed 23 places to 77 among 190 countries surveyed, making it the only country to rank among the top 10 improvers for the second consecutive year. Last… Continue reading [Burning Issue] Ease of Doing Business in India

Context The recent happenings at the CBI are unprecedented. Never has the premier investigating agency of the country been in similar crisis. These events will have ramifications on the dignity, discipline and image of CBI. The question that should be troubling us is how are things so opaque within our investigative agency? With serious charges and counter-charges flying… Continue reading [Burning Issue] CBI Vs CBI

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in India Context The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, launched a historic support and outreach programme for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. As part of this programme, the Prime Minister unveiled12 key initiatives which will help the growth, expansion and facilitation of MSMEs across the country. The… Continue reading [Burning Issue] MSME Sector: Reforms & Challenges