Health Care Equity in Urban India

The report on ‘Health Care Equity in Urban India’ exploring health vulnerabilities and inequalities in cities in India was recently released. About the report The report is released recently by Azim Premji University in collaboration with 17 regional NGOs across India. It notes that a third of India’s people now live in urban areas, with… Continue reading

Places in news: Majuli River Island

Soil erosion, coupled with changing climatic conditions, has been writing a cruel destiny for the inhabitants of Majuli in Assam, the largest river island in the world. About Majuli Island Majuli is a riverine island in the Brahmaputra River, Assam and in 2016 it became the first island to be made a district in India.… Continue reading

Why India’s pro-rich, anti-poor taxation policies must change

Context To develop their renewable energy capacities poor countries may well have to help themselves to make the transition that society urgently needs. One source of funding could well be the well-off citizens of India, who are getting richer and richer. Growing inequality in India A 2018 Oxfam report revealed that 10 per cent of… Continue reading

25 years of Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA)

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has celebrated the 25th year of the inauguration of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act 1996 (PESA)’ as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. What is PESA? The PESA is a law enacted by the govt. for ensuring self-governance through traditional Gram Sabhas for people living in the… Continue reading

HC presses Centre on Uniform Civil Code

Stating that the Uniform Civil Code “is a necessity and mandatorily required today,” the Allahabad High Court has called upon the Central Government to forthwith initiate the process for its implementation. What is a Uniform Civil Code? A Uniform Civil Code is one that would provide for one law for the entire country, applicable to… Continue reading

More a private sector primer than health-care pathway

Context NITI Aayog recently published a road map document entitled “Health Insurance for India’s Missing Middle”. About missing middle and provision in the NITI Aayog report The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), aims to extend hospitalisation cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per annum to a poor and vulnerable population of nearly… Continue reading

Cryptocurrencies

With cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin gaining popularity among citizens, the Centre has been compelled to take a stance on the legal status of cryptocurrencies. Background The Union Government is said to be considering a proposal to tax cryptocurrency transactions in the country. The move would bring cryptocurrency trading, which has till date happened outside the… Continue reading

Shale and its potential in India

Cairn Oil & Gas has announced that it is partnering US-based Halliburton to start shale exploration in the Lower Barmer Hill formation, Western Rajasthan. What is Shale oil? Shale oil is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale rock fragments by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock… Continue reading

Puri Heritage Corridor Project

Odisha CM will lay the foundation stone of the much-awaited Puri Heritage Corridor. Puri Heritage Corridor Project Conceived in 2016, the Puri Heritage Corridor Project was unveiled in December 2019 to transform the holy town of Puri into an international place of heritage. The project includes redeveloping major portions of the holy town and in… Continue reading

Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF)

The Union Cabinet has approved the provisioning of mobile services in over 7,000 uncovered villages through the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). What do you mean by Universal Service? In the modern world, universal service refers to having a phone and affordable phone service in every home. It means, providing telecommunication service with access to… Continue reading

Langtang Project: Nepal’s first hydropower from a glacial lake

Langtang Microhydro Electricity Project, Nepal’s first hydropower from a glacial lake has become functional recently. Langtang Microhydro Electricity Project The Project was built three years after the 2015 earthquake-avalanche that devastated the valley, with help from the Hong Kong-based Kadoorie Charitable Foundation. It has a weir and spillway at the moraine, and the water… Continue reading

[Yojana Archive] Himalayan Floods

UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here) Background Over the last few decades, urbanization has led to a dramatic increase in the population living in the Himalayan Mountain belt. About the Himalayas The Himalayas extend for about 2400 km from west to east with width varying between 200-400 km.… Continue reading

Back in news: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the CBI was an “autonomous body” and it had no “control” over the investigative agency. Background The submission in the top court comes two days after the promulgation of an ordinance extending the tenures of the CBI Director and the Enforcement Directorate chief. Attorney-General K was objecting… Continue reading

Duare Ration Scheme in West Bengal

West Bengal CM has launched an ambitious “Duare Ration” Scheme. Duare Ration Scheme The Scheme aims for providing food grains under the public distribution system (PDS) at the doorstep for the entire population of the State. It aims to unload the person carrying huge chunk of food grains manually. Vehicles will carry ration in a… Continue reading

Pochampally makes it to list of best tourism villages in the world

Pochampally village in Telangana is set to be named as one of the best Tourism Villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. Best Tourism Villages Initiative The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO Pilot initiative aims to award those villages which are outstanding examples of rural destinations and showcase good practices in line with its… Continue reading

[pib] Digital India Land Record Modernization Program

Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has recently held a workshop on Digital India Land Record Modernization Programme (DILRMP). About DILRMP The DILRMP was previously known as the National Land Record Modernization Programme (NLRMP). It was launched in 2008 with the purpose to digitize and modernizing land records and developing a centralized land… Continue reading

Central bank digital currency (CBDC)

Context Recently, Nigeria joined the Bahamas and five islands in the East Caribbean as the only economies to have introduced central bank digital currency (CBDC). This is a shortlist, but one that is likely to be supplemented. Benefits of CBDC Desire to make domestic payments systems and cross-border remittances cheaper, faster and more efficient, and… Continue reading

Assessing the digital gap and learning losses

A recent survey released seeks to analyze the COVID-impact on digital connectivity in the context of healthcare, education, and work. About the Survey LIRNEasia, an Asia Pacific think tank focussed on digital policy, tied up with the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). They took part in a global study funded by… Continue reading

Iran invites UN nuclear body chief to Tehran for talks

Iran has invited the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for talks after the UN official expressed concern over a lack of contact with Iranian authorities. What is IAEA? The IAEA is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military… Continue reading

Reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor Project

The government is considering reopening the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara corridor to Pakistan this week for Gurpurab or Prakash Parv. Kartarpur Corridor The Kartarpur corridor connects the Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Narowal district of Pakistan with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in India’s Punjab province. The name Kartarpur means “Place of God”. The… Continue reading

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