EDITORIALS
Insights into Editorial: Real estate shelter: On Alternative Investment Fund Context: The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) of Rs.25,000 crore to provide last-mile funding for stalled affordable and middle-income housing projects across the country. The Cabinet decision amends the original announcement by allowing housing projects that have been […]
Insights into Editorial: Peace and justice: On Ayodhya verdict Context: In a unanimous judgment, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi asked the Centre, which had acquired the entire 67.73 acres of land including the 2.77 acre of the disputed Ramjanmabhumi-Babri Masjid premises in 1993, to formulate a scheme within three months […]
Insights into Editorial: New CJI, Old Concerns of Judicial Independence Introduction: The judiciary is the final interpreter and the guardian of the Constitution. In a Federal Constitution, the judiciary is constituted as ultimate authority to restrain any exercise of absolute, capricious and arbitrary power. The judiciary in addition to the function of maintaining the supremacy […]
Insights into Editorial: As the Seas Come Closer Introduction: Sea level rise (SLR) is one of the most severe impacts of climate change, with rising waters threatening to inundate small-island nations and coastal regions by the end of the century. Carbon Brief examines estimates of historical sea level rise and the evidence that rates […]
Insights into Editorial: Engaging Germany Context: Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to India highlights expanding European interest in partnering Delhi as well as emerging concerns about India’s economic and political trajectory. Germany, as the natural leader of Europe, is struggling to cope with deepening uncertainties economic, political and security in its own neighbourhood and the world. […]
Insights into Editorial: Amending and updating the 1981 Air Act will help in the battle against pollution Context: As Delhi’s Air Quality Index crosses 500, the national capital has officially entered the public health emergency category. Schools have been shut, children are complaining of breathing problems. The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority declared a […]
Insights into Editorial: Pegasus misadventure: On WhatsApp snooping scandal Context: The Government’s reaction to messaging platform WhatsApp’s revelation that Indian journalists and human rights activists were among some 1,400 people globally spied upon using a surveillance technology developed by Israel-based NSO Group is inadequate and, more unfortunately, far from reassuring. In this case, a malicious […]
Insights into Editorial: What is ‘IndiGen’ project that is sequencing Indian genes? Context: The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) conducts Whole Genome Sequencing of over 1,000 Indians for Biomedical Applications The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has conducted Whole Genome Sequencing of 1,008 Indians from different populations across the country. […]
Insights into Editorial: NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts Programme is a laboratory for governance reform Introduction: The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) is one of the largest experiments on outcomes-focused governance in the world. Spread across 112 of India’s socio-economically challenged districts, the ADP […]
Insights into Editorial: Substance across the Arabian Sea Context: PM Modi embarks on two-day visit to Saudi Arabia India and Saudi Arabia signed a raft of key pacts to significantly ramp up ties in several key sectors including oil and gas, renewable energy and civil aviation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to the […]
Insights into Editorial: Still a developing country Introduction: India is that of a country making rapid developmental strides since 2014, on the other, when it comes to developmental status at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), India is trying hard to prove that it is a poor country. US president has asked for changing the WTO […]
Insights into Editorial: Bring all Naga groups on board Context: The deadline set by the Centre for wrapping up the Naga peace talks, October 31. While the Centre’s interlocutor and now Nagaland’s Governor, R N Ravi, has stressed that the government intends to meet the deadline, some key issues remain […]
Insights into Editorial: A delayed imperative: On BSNL-MTNL merger Context: The Rs.56,000 crore merger and revival plan for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Ltd (MTNL) was approved by the Union cabinet. MTNL operates in Delhi and Mumbai, and BSNL in the rest of India. India will merge its twin state-run telecom […]
Insights into Editorial: What is quantum supremacy? Context: Google announced that it has achieved a breakthrough called quantum supremacy in computing. For the first time ever, a quantum computer has performed a computational task that would be essentially impossible for a conventional computer to complete, according to a team from Google. Quantum computers could […]
Insights into Editorial: Good report card: On ease of doing business Context: World Bank’s ease of doing business ranking released. 10 top improvers are Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Togo, Bahrain, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, China, India, and Nigeria. India bagged 63rd position this time (2019) out of 190 countries marking an improvement of 14 places from its […]
Insights into Editorial: RCEP Explained: Opportunity, fears in regional trade deal Context: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal attended Bangkok for the eighth Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) ministerial meeting. The meeting, which is likely to be the last one at this level, is expected to work out the unresolved issues in the negotiations on the […]
Insights into Editorial: China’s growing clout at the UN Context: Rising Chinese power at UN designated Posts: In recent, the Indian government quietly withdrew the candidate it had nominated for the post of Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization. As NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand was facing certain defeat by China’s Qu Dongyu, […]
Insights into Editorial: A road map for criminal justice reforms Context: The government aims to revamp Indian Penal Code which was drafted by the British. The Home Ministry has constituted two committees comprising legal luminaries to overhaul the IPC introduced by the British in 1860. After it […]
Insights into Editorial: Brexit deal: What has happened so far, and what happens now Context: Britain Parliament delays Brexit vote: Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a stinging defeat as Parliament rebuffed his campaign to take Britain out of the European Union by the end of the month and forced him to seek an extension that […]
Insights into Editorial: Scientists announce Li-ion battery that ‘won’t catch fire’ — how will it work Context: Electric car production is expected to increase more than thirtyfold by 2030, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. With electric cars, there is a need of storing power through batteries. And these batteries emerging as the energy storage […]