Species in news: Flame-throated Bulbul

The flame-throated bulbul, also called the Rubigula, was chosen as the mascot of the 36th National Games to be held in Goa. It is the State bird of Goa. Flame-throated Bulbul IUCN status: Least Concern The Flame-throated Bulbul is endemic to southern peninsular India where it is locally distributed in southern Andhra Pradesh, eastern Karnataka,… Continue reading

India abroad: On diplomats firefighting negative references to India

Context The European Union Parliament’s discussion recently on India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, is a cause of concern. Reactions in the West over the act In the U.K. and the U.S.: Parliamentarians in the U.K. and U.S. Congressmen, including Democratic presidential contenders, have asked India to “reconsider” the law and to “engage” with the protesters.… Continue reading

Key Highlights of Economic Survey 2019-20

The Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2019-20 in the Parliament today. The Key Highlights of the Survey are as follows: Wealth Creation: The Invisible Hand Supported by the Hand of Trust [Covered in a separate newscard] Survey posits that India’s aspiration to become a $5… Continue reading

Strategy for boosting Wealth Creation

The big idea from the Economic Survey 2019-20 is the need to push towards increasing the number of wealth creators in the Indian economy. The Survey states that to achieve the goal of becoming a $5-trillion economy, the invisible hand of markets will need the support of “the hand of trust”. Wealth Creation Essentially, this… Continue reading

Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT)

Finance Minister announced abolition of DDT to be paid by companies in her budget speech. What is DDT? A dividend is a return given by a company to its shareholders out of the profits earned by the company in a particular year. Dividend constitutes income in the hands of the shareholders which ideally should… Continue reading

[op-ed snap] Cybersecurity a critical challenge for India’s digital payments ecosys

Context Digital payments in India are witnessing consistent growth at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7%. Growth potential and challenges involved in digital payments Expected growth in mobile wallet payment: The mobile wallet market is expected to continuously grow at a CAGR of 52.2% by volume between 2019-23, according to a recent report… Continue reading

Explained: Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act

Context As the years have rolled by, fiscal deficit has become a key factor to watch out for in every Budget presentation. It is considered the most important marker of a government’s financial health. A government that abides by the FRBM rules enjoys greater credibility among the rating agencies and market participants – both national… Continue reading

Economic Survey & its significance

With the Indian economy in the doldrums, this year’s Economic Survey will be keenly watched. The Economic Survey for 2019-2020 will be tabled in Parliament today. What is the Economic Survey? The Economic Survey is a report the government presents on the state of the economy in the past one year, the key challenges it… Continue reading

Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the novel Coronavirus infection a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). In the past decade, WHO has declared public health emergencies for outbreaks including swine flu, polio and Ebola. What is PHEIC? Definition: Under the International Health Regulations (IHR), a public health emergency is defined as… Continue reading

India’s first ‘fruit train’

A ‘fruit train’, said to be the first of its kind in India, was flagged off from Tadipatri Railway Station in Anantapur district of Andhra. About the fruit train This is the first time in India that an entire train is being sent to the gateway port (JNPT) for export. This helps save both… Continue reading

[op-ed of the day] Time to prioritise education and health

Context The policy currently being pursued is intended primarily to incentivise potential investors while social objectives and help in indigenisation are being jettisoned. Call for more liberalisation and its possible impacts What reforms are asked for? Reforms such as labour market liberalisation and removal of constraints on the acquisition of land for industrial purposes are… Continue reading

[op-ed snap] Don’t be deterred by the ‘crowding out’ effect of the fisc

Context Market borrowings of the government do not always squeeze credit for the private sector in India. What is ‘crowding out’ effect? Increased government spending and borrowing: It refers to how increased government spending, for which it borrows more money, tends to reduce private spending. Why does private spending reduce? This happens because when the… Continue reading

[op-ed snap] A road map for robust trade ties

Context The challenge for India and Australia is to transform people-to-people ties into a trade relationship. People-to-people the two countries Soft power: Soft power rather than hard economics has traditionally been the driving force behind India-Australia relations. Cricket is a dominant theme that connects the two countries. The Indian diaspora in Australia is a vibrant… Continue reading

[pib] The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020

The Union Cabinet has approved the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. About the Bill The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 is for expanding access of women to safe and legal abortion services on therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian or social grounds. It aims to… Continue reading

[pib] National Commission for Indian System of Medicines

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for proposal of Official Amendments in the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019 (NCIM) which is pending in the Rajya Sabha. About the Commission The main objective of establishing NCIM is to promote equity by ensuring adequate supply of quality medical professionals and enforce high… Continue reading

[op-ed of the day] The many problems of delayed data

Context Delay in releasing the crime data by NCRB reduces the utility of the data for the policymakers. Formidable challenges faced by NCRB The First-Casual approach of the States: The first is the lackadaisical approach of some of the States in providing data. The NCRB merely assembles the figures it receives from the State police… Continue reading

[op-ed snap] How to protect trade in a tug of war between nations

Context Developing countries have argued for decades that the rules governing international trade are profoundly unfair. But similar complaints are now emanating from the developed countries that established most of those rules. Why are developed countries complaining now? Competition: A simple but inadequate explanation is “competition.” Turning tide: In the 1960s and 1970s, industrialized countries… Continue reading

[op-ed snap] Examining the slowdown

Context Setting aside the gloomy projections based on short-term economic trends, the long-term and comparative evidence reveal interesting trends about the health of the Indian economy. Performance of the Indian economy after 1991 Higher growth plateau reached after 1991: After the 1991 economic reforms, the Indian economy reached a higher growth plateau of 7% compared… Continue reading

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