Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission (PIB)

Union Social Justice Minister launched the Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission(ASIIM) under Venture Capital Fund for SCs, with a view to promoting innovation and enterprise among SC students studying in higher educational institutions. What is ASIIM ? Under Ambedkar Social Innovation Incubation Mission initiative, one thousand SC youth will be identified in the next… Continue reading

Sawantwadi Toy (PIB)

Context- Online Release of Picture Postcard on Sawantwadi Toy by India Post. What are Sawantwadi toys ? Sawantwadi toys refers to hand made works of art made of wood in Sawantwadi a town in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Most of these toys are made in the village of Kolgaon in Sawantwadi taluka. These toys are… Continue reading

What are defence offsets ?

What are defence offsets ? In simplest terms, the offset is an obligation by an international player to boost India’s domestic defence industry if India is buying defence equipment from it. Since defence contracts are costly, the government wants part of that money either to benefit the Indian industry, or to allow the country to… Continue reading

A demarcation in the interest of public order

The article analyses how could the duel role assigned to an official leads to the problems in certain situations and so suggest the separation of the roles. Context Delhi Police, having magisterial powers under the Criminal Procedure Code to take preventive action has been criticised for failing to maintain public order and prevent riots in… Continue reading

Lessons to learn from Vodafone ruling

Context An Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) tribunal has ruled that India’s imposition of tax liability amounting to ₹22,000 crore on Vodafone is in breach of India-Netherlands bilateral investment treaty obligations. Background of the case This case arose after the Indian Parliament in 2012 amended the Income Tax Act. As per the amendment, income deemed to be… Continue reading

Maharashtra modifies Forest Rights Act

Maharashtra government has issued a notification modifying the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 that will enable tribals and other traditional forest dwelling families to build houses in the neighbourhood forest areas. Try this question for mains: Q.Forest dwellers are integral to the very survival and sustainability of the forest ecosystem. Analyse. Historical Background 1878: The Forest… Continue reading

What’s behind the Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes?

Fresh clashes erupted on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, threatening to push the countries back to war 26 years after a ceasefire was reached. Try this PYQ: Q.Turkey is located between- (a) The Black Sea and Caspian Sea (b) The Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea (c) Gulf of Suez and the Mediterranean Sea (d) Gulf of Aqaba… Continue reading

Obesity in India

Adults in urban India consume much more fat than those in rural areas, found the latest survey by the Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Nutrition. Do you know? Over-nutrition is also a form of malnutrition. ‘What India Eats’ Survey Adults in India’s urban centres consumed 51.6 grammes fat per day per head… Continue reading

Explained: Farm Acts and federalism

The President has finally given assent to the controversial farm Bills passed by Parliament last week. Amid protests by farmers’ organisations across the country, questions are being raised about the anti-federal nature of these ‘Acts’. Here we shall only discuss its constitutionality and federal nature. Tap to read more about the theme at: What is… Continue reading

What are the ESG funds?

ESG funds are witnessing a growing interest in the Indian mutual fund industry these days. Try this PYQ: Sustainable development is described as the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In this perspective, inherently the concept of sustainable development is intertwined… Continue reading

Dealing with the problems of medical education

The article discusses the issues with medical education in India and how it affects the principle of equality. Role of private entities Due to demand for high-quality medical care on the one hand and constraints on public resources on the other, private entities have been permitted to establish medical educational institutions to supplement government efforts.… Continue reading

Growth compulsion, fiscal arithmetic

The government faces the challenge of high fiscal deficit and declining revenue. This article discusses the challenge and suggests the way forward to deal with the situation. Dismal growth prospects At (-)23.9% contraction for the first quarter of 2020-21, India’s growth showed one of the highest contraction globally. What is most surprising in the Q1… Continue reading

Where are the funds collected through cess parked?

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, in its latest audit report of government accounts, has observed that the government withheld in the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI) more than ₹1.1 lakh crore out of the almost ₹2.75 lakh crore collected through various cesses in 2018-19. Try this PYQ: Q.Consider the following items: Cereal… Continue reading

Gilgit-Baltistan: The land of peaks, streams and disputes

Seven decades after it took control of the region, Pakistan is moving to grant full statehood to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), which appears as the northernmost part of the country in its official map. Try this PYQ: Q. If you travel through the Himalayas, you are likely to see which of the following plants naturally growing there?… Continue reading

Eden Gardens: India’s oldest cricketing ground

This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in TH. UPSC may ask a question like this: Q. In which Governor-General/Viceroy’s term was the famous cricketing ground ‘Eden Gardens’ was built? Eden Gardens The first cricket club outside Britain was the Calcutta Cricket Club founded in 1792, and the first match was played… Continue reading

Case for principles of sound public policy

Context Due to extreme uncertainty, several adventurous prescriptions have been put forth. Following are 4 unconventional measures and issues with them are discussed here. 1) Shoud we change the Inflation targeting regime? Monetary policy committee (MPC) concluding that elevated inflation has constrained it from easing policy rates further. One way out of this is for… Continue reading

World Bank’s Human Capital Index 2020

India has been ranked at the 116th position in the latest edition of the World Bank’s annual Human Capital Index that benchmarks key components of human capital across countries. Try this PYQ: Q.As per UN-Habitat’s Global Report on Human Settlements 2009, which one among the following regions has shown the fastest growth rate of urbanization… Continue reading

National Medical Commission

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has replaced the Medical Council of India (BoG-MCI), as per information released by the Health Ministry. National Medical Commission National Medical Commission (NMC) is an Indian regulatory body of 33 members which regulates medical education and medical professionals. It replaced the Medical Council of India (MCI) on 25 September 2020.… Continue reading

[pib] JIMEX 20

The 4th edition of India – Japan Maritime bilateral exercise JIMEX will be held in the North Arabian Sea from 26 to 28 September 2020. JIMEX 20 It is conducted biennially between the Indian Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) This series of exercises was commenced in January 2012 with a special focus on… Continue reading

[pib] Who was Pritilata Waddedar?

The government of Bangladesh is financing a film on the life of revolutionary freedom fighter Pritilata Waddedar. Try this PYQ: Q.The Ghadr (Ghadar) was a – (a) Revolutionary association of Indians with headquarters at San Francisco. (b) Nationalist organization operating from Singapore (c) Militant organization with headquarters at Berlin (d) Communist movement for Pritilata Waddedar… Continue reading

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