What are General Financial Rules (GFR)?

The union government has notified amendments to General Financial Rules (GFR) to ensure that goods and services valued less than Rs 200 crore are being procured from domestic firms, a move which will benefit MSMEs. Possible mains question: Q. Discuss how the nationwide lockdown to control the coronavirus outbreak has led to the resurfacing of… Continue reading

[Burning Issues] Atmanirbhar Abhiyan Package

Today we decode parts of the “20 lakh crore” Economic Package. Fair warning though. It’s a long journey to walk! The COVID-19 pandemic and the prolonged national lockdown have brought the Indian economy to a standstill. The various announcements made by the Finance Minister concluded the relief measures undertaken in five tranches by the… Continue reading

Ensuring MGNREGA lives up to its potential

With migrant workers returning home, work demand under MGNREGA is bound to rise. Sensing that the government increased the allocation to MGNREGA. This article suggests some steps to make the MGNREGA more effective in catering to this surge in the wake of the pandemic. Some issues that plague the scheme are also examined at the… Continue reading

Rising incidences of Chinese Transgressions

As tensions remain high between Indian and Chinese soldiers, the number of recorded Chinese transgressions across the disputed India-China border surged by 75 per cent in Ladakh in 2019, and the Chinese forays into Indian Territory in the first four months of the current year have also witnessed an increase compared to the same period… Continue reading

Towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing

External dependence for defence equipment could turn out to be the chink in the armour of any country, literally. As one of the major importer of defence equipment, India has been struggling to wean itself away from this vulnerability. This article discusses the recent changes announced by the finance minister in defence procurement and manufacturing… Continue reading

Stimulus package aims to turn the crisis into opportunity

Economic disruption caused by the corona crisis stems from both-demand side and supply side. So, the stimulus package announced was expected to address the issues on both sides. This article breaks downs the various elements of the package in demand-side as well as supply-side measures. We also know aggregate demand is not just consumption demand.… Continue reading

India and China after pandemic

The article broadly discusses the impact of the pandemic on the Indian economy. While the package has been declared to alleviate the economic pain, the government faces the challenge of finding the resources to plug the gaps. Though pandemic erupted from China, it successfully controlled it. This along with the its calibrated approach towards strategic… Continue reading

What is Solar Minimum?

The sun is said to have gone into a state called the ‘solar minimum’ and is about to enter the deepest period of ‘sunshine recession’ as sunspots are virtually not visibly at all. Practice question for Mains: Q. What are Solar minima and maxima? Discuss its impact on space weather and the Earth. What is a solar minimum and why… Continue reading

India to chair ‘WHO Executive Board’

India would now be playing a more prominent role at the World Health Organisation (WHO), with Union Health Minister taking charge as chairman of the WHO Executive Board at its 147th session. Dr Harsh Vardhan would succeed Dr Hiroki Nakatani of Japan. Practice question for Mains: Q. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had “missed the… Continue reading

[pib] New ports and routes added under the Protocol on Inland Water Transit between India and Bangladesh

India and Bangladesh have opened a new chapter in regional connectivity by expanding the scope of inland water transport mechanism that would enable to boost trade in the region. Note all the ports mentioned in the newscard and the image. Also, keep a tab on river systems of North east India. What is the news?… Continue reading

Tracking Chinese diplomacy

We are no stranger to the assertive nature of China in geopolitics. But had it always been the same? This article captures the transformation of the nature of Chinese diplomacy. Two personalities that had a profound impact on the nature of the diplomacy of that country are Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping. Each of them… Continue reading

Exploring the avenues to fill the budgetary gaps

What are the options available with the government to fill up the budgetary gaps created by the stimulus package? Well, one seems to be exercising its disinvestment or privatisations plans. But like always disinvestment comes with its own set of issues. The next could be raising the taxes and duties on the fuels. But this… Continue reading

Israel swears in ‘Unity Government’

Israel’s Parliament swore in its new unity government led by PM Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz, ending the longest political crisis in their nation’s history. The strategic location of Gaza strip, West Bank, Dead Sea etc. creates a hotspot for a possible map based prelims question. Consider this PYQ from 2015 CSP: Q.… Continue reading

Etalin Hydro Electric Project

A group of conservationists has written to the Environment Ministry seeking rejection of the approved Etalin Hydro Electric Project in the Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh. Make a note of major dams in India along with the rivers, terrain, major Wildlife sanctuaries and national parks incident to these rivers. Etalin Hydro Electric Project Etalin… Continue reading

[pib] Star Ratings of Garbage Free Cities

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has released the Star rating of garbage-free cities for the assessment year 2019-2020. Practice question for mains: Q. Discuss how the Swachh Bharat Mission has become a people’s movement in India. Also, discuss how it has managed to instill a behavioural change amongst the citizens. About Star… Continue reading

Where the “fiscal space” debate should focus?

The article focuses on the “fiscal space” debate in India. So, what is this debate? This debate is focuses upon the size of the fiscal deficit this year in India, ways that could be used to finance it and upper limit of this deficit etc. But the author argues that we should focus on debt/GDP… Continue reading

Proposed amendments could harm DISCOMs

Despite several policy measures, DISCOMs continue to suffer from various issues. This article focuses on the comprehensive proposal to amend the Electricity Act 2003. But here’s a catch, we will be discussing some issues with proposed amendment. Let’s dive into our DISCOMs analysis. Two-part tariff policy At the core of DISCOM woes is the two-part… Continue reading

Species in news: Pinanga Andamanensis

A rare palm endemic to the South Andaman Island is finding a second home at Thiruvananthapuram-based Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI). Last year one species from our newscard : Species in news: Hump-backed Mahseer made it into the CSP 2019. The ‘Abutilon ranadei’ flower in the newscard creates such a vibe… Continue reading

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