A chance to support growth, fiscal consolidation

Context The adverse effect of the third wave of COVID-19, which is mainly affecting the last quarter of 2021-22, may call for a further downward adjustment in the growth rate to about 9%. Growth in FY 2021-22 As per the NSO’s advance estimates, at the end of 2021-22, the magnitude of GDP in real terms… Continue reading

Netaji’s relationship with Nehru, Gandhi and the Congress

In public discourse, the popular imagination of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is increasing all across the length and breadth of our country these days. Back in 2016, when there was ruckus over de-classification of some files associated with Netaji, a question too appeared in UPSC CSE Mains: Q. Highlight the differences in the approach… Continue reading

Suspension of MLAs

Some legislators were suspended for one year by the Maharashtra Assembly for alleged disorderly conduct. The unusually long period of suspension has been questioned by the Supreme Court, which is hearing a challenge to the Assembly’s action. A case in apex court The court has reserved its judgment after hearing elaborate arguments. The main question… Continue reading

Kerala gets its first-ever Scientific Bird Atlas

The Kerala Bird Atlas (KBA), the first-of-its-kind State-level bird atlas in India, has created solid baseline data about the distribution and abundance of bird species across all major habitats, giving an impetus to futuristic studies. Kerala Bird Atlas (KBA) The KBA has been prepared based on systematic surveys held twice over 60 days a year… Continue reading

UNESCO tag sought for Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has underlined some green rules for the living root bridges of Meghalaya to get the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag. Living Root Bridges A living root bridge is a type of simple suspension bridge formed of living plant roots by tree shaping. They are common in the southern part… Continue reading

Who was Sri Ramanuja?

Work is going apace on the 216-ft tall ‘Statue of Equality’ of the 11th century reformer and Vaishnavite saint, Sri Ramanuja, to be unveiled by PM Modi next month in Hyderabad. Statue of Equality The ‘Statue of Equality’, as it is called, is being installed to mark the 1,000th birth anniversary of Sri Ramanuja. It… Continue reading

[Sansad TV] Perspective: Regulating Mobile Apps

UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here) Context Mobile apps have become a significant part of the lives of smartphone users. Almost every person seems to be dependent on them. However there is a huge flipside of this flourishing mobile app environment which has become evident quite often in… Continue reading

Why India needs a single agency to guard its borders

Context Recent developments warrant a comprehensive review of border management to ensure the all-weather security of our borders. What makes India’s border management difficult? India shares land borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, which stretch approximately 15,106 km. In addition, we have an approximately 3,323 km-long LoC with Pakistan, which further extends… Continue reading

Amar Jawan Jyoti and its Relocation

The iconic Amar Jawan Jyoti (AJJ) at India Gate was extinguished as a part of its merger with the flame at the National War Memorial (NWM). This has sparked a political controversy. What is the Amar Jawan Jyoti? The eternal flame at the AJJ underneath India Gate in central Delhi was an iconic symbol of… Continue reading

Declaration on Forests and Land Use

At COP-26 in Glasgow, countries got together to sign the Declaration on Forests and Land Use (or the Deforestation Declaration). However, India was among the few countries that did not sign the declaration. What is this Deforestation Declaration? It was signed by 142 countries, which represented over 90 percent of forests across the world. The… Continue reading

Drop the IAS cadre rules amendments

Context The Central Government has proposed four amendments to Rule 6(1) of the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954 dealing with deputation, and has sought the views of State governments before January 25, 2022. Historical background of All India Services It was Sardar Patel who had championed the creation of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the… Continue reading

The Question of OBC Reservation in Local Bodies

The latest order in Rahul Ramesh Wagh v. State of Maharashtra &Ors makes it mandatory that the principles laid down by the Supreme Court for providing reservation to OBCs in local bodies shall be followed across the country. Let us understand the Case Maharashtra had constituted a Commission to ascertain the backwardness of OBCs in… Continue reading

What is Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)?

The Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) report published in The Lancet provides the most comprehensive estimate of the global impact of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) so far. What is AMR? Antimicrobial resistance (AMR or AR) is the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication that once could successfully treat the microbe Antibiotic… Continue reading

Telangana’s Tribal Fair: Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara

Medaram, a tiny village in Telangana’s tribal heartland of Mulugu district, is getting ready to host the Sammakka-Sarakka jatara, billed as the country’s biggest tribal fair. Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara The mega four-day jatara, scheduled to begin on February 16 in Medaram. It takes place once in two years. It is perhaps the only tribal fair devoted… Continue reading

In news: Ancient Tamil Civilization

A reconnaissance survey in the sea off the coast of Korkai in Thoothukudi district where Tamiraparani River joins the sea, which finds mention in Sangam literature, will be undertaken by the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department. About Tamiraparani River The Thamirabarani or Tamraparni or Porunai is a perennial river that originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of… Continue reading

National Commission for Safai Karamcharis gets 3-year extension

The Union Cabinet has approved a three-year extension of the tenure of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) that was set to end on March 31. About National Commission for Safai Karamcharis The commission was set up in 1993 under the NCSK Act 1993 for a period of three years, which has been extended… Continue reading

Nusantara City: New Capital of Indonesia

Indonesia passed a bill replacing its capital Jakarta with East Kalimantan, situated to the east of Borneo island. The new capital city of the country will be called Nusantara. About Nusantara The New State Capital Law Bill has been drafted by a special committee set up by Widodo’s government and makes Nusantara, also called IKN,… Continue reading

AP govt bans Chintamani Padya Natakam: A noted Telugu folk play

The Andhra Pradesh government has brought the curtains down on the popular Telugu play ‘Chintamani Padya Natakam’, which has enthralled people for almost 100 years. Chintamani Padya Natakam It is a stage play penned by social reformer, writer and poet Kallakuri Narayana Rao about 100 years ago. In the play, the writer explains how people… Continue reading

Species in news: Swamp Deer

The population of the vulnerable eastern swamp deer, extinct elsewhere in South Asia, has dipped (from 907 in 2018 to 868 in 2020 ) in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Swamp Deer The swamp deer also called as barasingha is a deer species distributed in the Indian subcontinent. Populations in northern and central… Continue reading

Species in news: Miss Kerala

A section of aquarists and ornamental fish breeders are surprised that the Denison barb (Miss Kerala), a native freshwater fish species commonly found in parts of Karnataka and Kerala, has been included in Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1982 (amendment bill). Miss Kerala Miss Kerala is also known as Denison barb, red-line… Continue reading

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