GS2-polity Context: In November 2024, outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden issued an unconditional pardon for his son, covering federal offenses from 2014 to 2024, reigniting debates about the scope and use of presidential clemency. Presidential Pardons: Authorized under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, presidential pardons grant clemency …
Read More »GS2
Challenges Before the Sixteenth Finance Commission (FC)
GS2 – Polity – constitutional bodies Context: The Sixteenth Finance Commission is tasked with addressing fiscal challenges and shaping India’s economic trajectory amidst evolving global trends like friendshoring (relocating supply chains to friendly nations) and reshoring (bringing manufacturing back to the home country). Mandate of the Sixteenth Finance Commission Historical …
Read More »Indian PM’s Three-Nation Visit: Nigeria, Brazil, and Guyana
GS2 – IR Context: The Indian Prime Minister recently visited Nigeria, Brazil, and Guyana to bolster India’s relations with Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Key Outcomes of the Visit Outcomes from the G-20 Summit in Brazil Advancing Global South Priorities Initiated the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, emphasizing …
Read More »SOUTH CHINA SEA
Dispute in this region is mainly based on maritime and island claims between different sovereign states. Parties involved China, Brunei, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia Chinese claims in South China Sea described as Nine-dash lines (Originally eleven-dashed-lines) first indicated by Kuomintang Govt of Republic of China – 1947. People’s Republic of …
Read More »Forced labour and modern-day slavery
Portable insurance schemes are important, but they are not enough. Workers also need job creation, decent working conditions, equal pay, gender equality, the elimination of forced labour and child labour, an end to modern-day slavery, and the protection of their rights and the welfare of their families. Unfortunately, India missed …
Read More »India and Ukraine
India and Ukraine have a warm and friendly relationship. India was one of the first countries to recognize Ukraine as a sovereign country in December 1991. The two countries established diplomatic relations in January 1992. India opened its embassy in Kyiv in May 1992, and Ukraine opened its mission in …
Read More »WATER SCARCITY IN INDIA
The country has 18 percent of the world’s population, but only 4 percent of its water resources, making it among the most water-stressed in the world. World Bank report suggests 163 million Indians lack access to safe drinking water while 21% of communicable diseases are linked to unsafe water. Even …
Read More »FOOD SECURITY IN INDIA
Context: The ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’ by FAO: 2021 India approx. 74% or 1 billion of the population cannot afford a healthy diet. Food security is when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet …
Read More »One Nation, One Election
The Union government has constituted a committee headed by former President to explore the possibility of conducting simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, the Legislative Assemblies, municipalities, and panchayats. The proposal has been under consideration by the Government of India since 2014. Pros and Cons of One Nation, One Election …
Read More »India and Greece
Syllabus: IR Context India and Greece are finding new ways to revive an age-old relationship Crux Speaking after a bilateral meeting with Greece’s Prime Minister last week, Prime Minister highlighted that India-Greece bilateral relations have neither been “diminished” nor has the warmth decreased despite no Indian Prime Minister having visited …
Read More »Fifth Annual Defence Dialogue in Dhaka
Syllabus: India and its neighbourhood- relations. Context India and Bangladesh held the fifth Annual Defence Dialogue on 28 August 2023 in Dhaka. Crux About the meeting Defence Secretary is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh on 27-28 August 2023, co-chaired the meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Lt Gen, Principal Staff …
Read More »Article 35A denied rights
Syllabus: Constitution of India Why in NEWS Chief Justice of India said Article 35A, which empowered the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature to define “permanent residents” of the State and provide them special privileges, denied fundamental rights to others. Article 35A Article 35A of the Indian Constitution was an article that …
Read More »India and China need to have substantive conversations on ties
Syllabus: India and its neighborhood- relations. Context India and China have once again come away from their talks with starkly different views of their ties. Story so far The only talking point from last week’s brief conversation between Indian Prime Minister and Chinese President on the sidelines of the BRICS …
Read More »The state of scholarships for minorities
Syllabus: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes THE GIST The Sachar Committee was constituted by the UPA government to look into the social, economic and educational standing of Muslims in India. In a comprehensive 400-page report tabled …
Read More »Cases in Manipur to Assam
Syllabus: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Why in NEWS The Supreme Court on Friday asked Gauhati High Court Chief Justice to nominate one or more judicial officers in Assam to take charge of the pre-trial processes in 27 cases related to the ethnic violence in …
Read More »GIS mapping of water, sewer lines in Chennai to be done by November
Context: Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) is set to complete by November the work to map water and sewer infrastructure in the city with the geographic information system (GIS) database and geo-tag the locations. executed under the Tamil Nadu Urban Flagship Investment Programme funded by the Asian …
Read More »Xi wants both countries to handle border issue properly
Syllabus : Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism. Why in NEWS China’s Foreign Ministry said early on Friday that its President Xi Jinping told Prime Minister Narendra Modi during talks on Wednesday that both sides “should bear in mind the overall …
Read More »28-ft Nataraja sculpture
Context: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. Why in NEWS A 28-foot Nataraja statue, meant to be placed at the venue of the G-20 Leaders’ Summit to be held next month in New Delhi, was sent by road …
Read More »India and the Northern Sea Route
Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora. The story so far: Murmansk, popularly called the capital of the Arctic region and the beginning point of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), is witnessing the rising trend of Indian involvement in cargo traffic. In …
Read More »BRICS now a non-Western grouping with the induction of six more member nations
Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Context By doubling its number of members from five to 11 in one quick sweep, the BRICS grouping has strengthened its position as a global grouping. New Family The choice of countries, bringing in four major players …
Read More »