EDITORIALS
Insights into Editorial: All the President’s men Context: According to author, the recent appointment of five Governors by the President must be viewed with grave scepticism. By nominating persons who are deeply embedded within the Party ecosystem, the Union Government has sent the clear and ominous signal that constitutional principles and judicial diktats are […]
Insights into Editorial: A milestone in greater transparency, accountability Context: The State Government of Rajasthan has recently launched the first-ever public information portal named “Jan Soochna Portal-2019”. Jan Soochna Portal (JSP) is a remarkable achievement in advancing the Right to Information (RTI). The portal aims to provide information to the public about government authorities and […]
Insights into Editorial: A case for a differential global carbon tax Context: The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report suggests that we, as humankind, might have just over a decade left to limit global warming. The IPCC says total global emissions will need to fall by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 […]
Insights into Editorial: Factoring in safety: on stronger worker safety law Introduction: Safety, Health, welfare and improved Working Conditions are pre-requisite for well-being of the worker and also for economic growth of the country. As healthy workforce of the country would be more productive and occurrence of less accidents and unforeseen incidents would be economically […]
Insights into Editorial: Throttled at the grass roots Introduction: Democratic decentralisation is barely alive in India. Over 25 years after the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments (establishment of panchayats and municipalities as elected local governments) devolved a range […]
Insights into Editorial: Chandrayaan-2 lander: ISRO continues effort to contact Vikram Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) came tantalisingly close to creating history in the early hours of September 7 when the robotic lander Vikram followed the predetermined descent trajectory and came just within 2 km of the lunar surface before contact was lost. […]
Insights into Editorial: Bear hug: On India strengthening relations with Russia Context: Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, set up by Russian President to attract investment to the farthest outlying East Siberian and Arctic-pole areas of the country, Indian Prime Minister Mr. Modi said that the announcement of the extend a $1 billion […]
Insights into Editorial: UAPA declared terrorists under new anti-terror law Context: Recently, amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (“UAPA”), India’s signature anti-terrorism legislation, allowing the Central government to designate individuals as “terrorists”, caused a furore. According to statistics published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 922 cases were reported under UAPA in […]
Insights into Editorial: India’s climate score: high on vulnerability, low on resilience Context: India most vulnerable country to climate change – HSBC report: HSBC’s 2018 assessment of India being the country the most vulnerable to climate change is of great significance. However, against scientific warnings, carbon emissions continue to rise in China, the U.S. and […]
Insights into Editorial: Putting accident victims at the centre of vehicles law Context: It is well known that India is one of the most accident-prone countries in the world, accounting for nearly 1,50,000 deaths, 10% of all motor vehicles-related fatalities worldwide. According to the 2018 report of the World Health Organization, the highest number of […]
Insights into Editorial: What is the economics behind e-vehicle batteries? Introduction: Shifting gears in the transition to electric vehicles (EVs): The NITI Aayog proposed to ban the sale of all internal combustion engine (ICE) powered three-wheelers post March 2023. It also suggested that all new two-wheelers below 150cc sold after March 2025 should be […]
Insights into Editorial: A flawed process that pleased none Context: More than 19 lakh people in Assam were left facing an uncertain future as the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) was released, 14 years after a decision on it was first taken and four years […]
Insights into Editorial: Big bank theory: On Public Sector Bank mergers Context: In second set of major policy announcements to address economic concerns, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced merger of six public sector banks (PSBs) with four better performing anchor banks. This comes as a mega banking realignment by the Narendra Modi government in […]
Insights into Editorial: Marine Fisheries Bill addresses a regulatory void Context: A Marine Fisheries Regulation and Management (MFRM) Bill 2019 is in the public domain for discussion. The annual fishery potential of the country’s EEZ is about 5 million tonnes. This indicates that marine fisheries resources are not overexploited and there is a marginal scope […]
Insights into Editorial: Government should use RBI funds in a prudent manner Context: On August 26, the central board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to transfer a surplus of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the government-its highest transfer ever-sparking a fierce debate. The government was, it must be noted, acting on the […]
Insights into Editorial: Rediscovering development banks Context: Recently, the finance minister announced a list of measures in order to boost the economy which is presently facing a slowdown. One such announcement was setting up of a development bank in India. The Development Bank will be set up to provide credit enhancement for infrastructure and housing […]
Insights into Editorial: Giving wings to better air connectivity Context: In the last session of Parliament, the government acknowledged that only one-fourth of the air routes granted under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) or UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik- loosely translated […]
Insights into Editorial: A bottom-up approach to conservation Context: In 2018, many people thought that the floods and landslides in Kerala that caused huge financial losses and manifold human tragedies marked a once-in-a-century calamity. But again, in 2019, a repeat of the shocking train of intense floods, landslides, financial losses and manifold human tragedies has […]
Insights into Editorial: Sentiment booster: On govt response to slowdown Context: The government came out on the front foot to try to boost private sector sentiments, with Finance Minister announcing a slew of measures to reduce the burden on the sector, including withdrawing the controversial surcharge on Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) and reiterating the Prime […]
Insights into Editorial: For the Amazon fires, the worst is yet to come Context of Amazon Fires: Over the last several days, the Amazon rainforest has been burning at a rate that has alarmed environmentalists and governments worldwide. Mostly caused by farmers clearing land, the fires have thrown the spotlight on Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro’s […]