News Europe’s push for renewable energy at the cost of conventional fuel may lead to some second and third order effects, which will have global ramifications. What is the issue? As it cannot depend entirely on energy generated through Sun or wind, Europe has been relying more on natural gas to make up the electricity shortfall. Europe’s sudden increased… Continue reading The consequences of an ill-considered green strategy
Author: Amit Kumar
“Taxing Drama-on Retroactive tax disputes”
News Cairn energy, a British firm will be getting around 7,900 crore rupees from Indian government. It has won an arbitration proceeding against India regarding the retroactive tax dispute. What was this dispute? Government of India had introduced a retroactive tax in the year 2012. Accordingly, it pursued proceeding against Vodafone and Cairn energy asking them for paying these taxes retroactively. … Continue reading “Taxing Drama-on Retroactive tax disputes”
Challenge arbitration awards carefully
News: Recent guidelines by the central government have asked its arms, including state-run firms to avoid appeal against every arbitration award, especially in the cases that have a low probability of success. These guidelines are released to avoid project delays. What are the implications of these project delays? Project delays and cost overruns cause a lot of harm to the exchequer. Government has to at the… Continue reading Challenge arbitration awards carefully
India’s green cover has advanced far too slowly
News–India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 has reported very slow progress of afforestation over the past two years. India must aim for faster progress to adapt and mitigate the effects of worsening climate change. What are the details about the latest India state of forest report? Read here. Why slow progress is a cause of concern? India set… Continue reading India’s green cover has advanced far too slowly
A code for the committee of creditors
News: Parliamentary Standing Committee of Finance in its report had argued for the need to have a professional code of conduct for the committee of creditors. After this Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) had issued a discussion paper proposing a code of conduct (code) for the Committee of Creditors (CoC) to ensure transparency in its functioning. Why there is need… Continue reading A code for the committee of creditors
Inflation heresy mustn’t always be rejected out of hand
News: Inflation has been on the rise in most part of the world. This has once again started the debate on the best way to restore price stability. What are various strategies to deal with Inflation? Old/orthodox method-This involves the reduction in spending and raising of interest rates. But this method often has side effects (such as bankruptcies and rising… Continue reading Inflation heresy mustn’t always be rejected out of hand
Time’s Running out-Is India ready to handle 34,600 tonnes of solar waste?
News: India plans to generate about 280 GW of energy through solar power by 2030. While this may seem a climate smart move but it also leads to generation of huge amount of solar waste. A holistic approach to solar energy includes not only a green and clean perspective, but also resource and material management. Why India needs a solar waste… Continue reading Time’s Running out-Is India ready to handle 34,600 tonnes of solar waste?
“Liberal economics creates illiberal societies”
News: Capitalism and the idea of liberal economics has been proved to be counterproductive for the equality and democratic values. It has given rise to nationalism and authoritarianism globally. How liberal economics leads to authoritarian regimes? Liberal economists are against “populist” policies of governments that subsidise the poor and adopt industrial strategies for self-reliance and jobs for their… Continue reading “Liberal economics creates illiberal societies”
India’s nuclear arsenal recently went up the sophistication curve
News: India’s nuclear capabilities have been strengthened recently due to new weapons testing. It has ignited debates around its implications for the regional stability. In the last months of 2021, India conducted 2 missile tests: 1) Shaurya hypersonic weapon test 2) Agni-P missile test. It has increased India’s sophisticated nuclear arsenal with greater diversity of delivery systems. Hypersonic weapons such as Shaurya are… Continue reading India’s nuclear arsenal recently went up the sophistication curve
Dealing with Sri Lanka
News: Sri Lanka is facing a debt crisis and it has asked for assistance from China. Sri Lanka is facing a debt crisis due to various factors, such as; Fitch Ratings has downgraded Sri Lanka’s debt to the leveljust above default. Country’sforeign debt had reached 42.6 per cent of gross domestic product. It has to pay… Continue reading Dealing with Sri Lanka
What a waste: Reviving India’s sanitation systems
News: India often confuse toilets with sanitation; but they are mere repositories to receive waste. Poor sanitation and water-related issues resulted in 1.04 million under-five child deaths in India. Also, poor sanitation costs India 5.2 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) annually. In this regard, in the last decade, a massive push for sanitation, provided millions of the population with access to… Continue reading What a waste: Reviving India’s sanitation systems
Pay for news: CCI’s Google probe must lead to rules on tech sharing much more revenue with news publishers
News: Competition Commission of India has ordered a probe against Google for its ‘alleged’ abuse of dominant position in news aggregation. This step of Indian government is followed by actions of Australian government. Australia has passed a law that required tech platforms like Google and Facebook to fairly pay local media outlets for showing their content in news feeds or search… Continue reading Pay for news: CCI’s Google probe must lead to rules on tech sharing much more revenue with news publishers
On Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill : Orderly failure options will help Indian financial firms flourish
News: Government is aiming to modify and re-introduce the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill. Government is planning to modify and re-introduce the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill. The bill puts in place a resolution mechanism to deal with the insolvency of firms in the financial sector. The bill was introduced earlier in 2016 but was… Continue reading On Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill : Orderly failure options will help Indian financial firms flourish
The road to regulatory capture isn’t paved with good intentions
News: Regulatory Capture is affecting Indian Economy. Regulatory capture is common in all industry segments that have a sectoral regulator. It is a situation, when act in favor of companies or special interest groups of the sector, instead of protecting and promoting the public interest. One example from US defines regulatory capture perfectly. An addictive medicine OxyContin was labelled by regulator Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a non-… Continue reading The road to regulatory capture isn’t paved with good intentions
Forex party is ending: ON US Fed Balance Sheet Tapering
News: US Federal Reserve (Fed) is increasing the speed of balance sheet tapering. As mentioned in the news, US Federal Reserve (Fed) will double the pace of its balance sheet tapering and end its net asset purchases by mid-March 2022. Balance sheet tapering means gradual slowing of the pace of the Fed’s large scale asset purchases, which was aimed at… Continue reading Forex party is ending: ON US Fed Balance Sheet Tapering
“Plant protection authority sets right its potato blunder”
News: Recently the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Authority has revoked the registration of PepsiCo’s potato variety FL 2027. It was used in the manufacture of its Lay’s chips. This means that farmers can cultivate this variety freely without the threat of penal action for violating intellectual property rights (IPR). What is Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR)… Continue reading “Plant protection authority sets right its potato blunder”
“Zero the way to go”
News: Although India’s waste management policy has evolved to suit the changing needs but there are still some gaps. Waste must become a resource that can be reworked, reused and upcycled. This will minimise the use of materials in our world and mitigate environmental damage. What is the relation b/w the nature of waste with a country’s development status? Nature of… Continue reading “Zero the way to go”
“Household biomass burning- The invisible polluter”
News– Biomass burning despite being a major polluter does not receive the attention it needs. An analysis by think tank Centre for policy research also shows that even in parliamentary debates on pollution ,household biomass burning is discussed much less than stubble burning. Why Biomass burning should be considered a major polluter Biomass burning by households for cooking… Continue reading “Household biomass burning- The invisible polluter”
UPSC CSE Prelims 2021 Answer Key with Questions – GS Paper 1
Dear Friends, Following are the UPSC CSE Prelims 2021 Questions Along with their answers. We will shortly release the answer keys for all the sets: Note: In case, you find any error in the key, you can report the same either in the comment box or through email to ravi@forumias.com Key Updated on – 01st… Continue reading UPSC CSE Prelims 2021 Answer Key with Questions – GS Paper 1
Planetary conjunction of Mars, Venus
Source: The Hindu What is the News? Earth’s two immediate neighbors Mars and Venus will come closest to each other. This event is called planetary conjunction. What is Conjunction? The conjunction is the name given to any event where planets or asteroids appear to be very close together in the sky when viewed from the Earth. … Continue reading Planetary conjunction of Mars, Venus
Bihar’s Kesaria Buddha stupa waterlogged
Source: The Hindu What is the News? Kesaria Buddha stupa in east Champaran district of Bihar is waterlogged following floods in some parts of the districts. About Kesaria Buddha Stupa: Kesariya Stupa is a Buddhist stupa in Kesariya located at a distance of 110 kilometres from Patna, Bihar. It is regarded as the tallest and the largest Buddhist stupa… Continue reading Bihar’s Kesaria Buddha stupa waterlogged
Records of freedom fighters to be digitised
Source: The Hindu What is the News? The Union Culture Minister has said that the National Archives records related to the life, struggle, and strife of our freedom fighters would be digitised within a year as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. About Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the… Continue reading Records of freedom fighters to be digitised
G-secs: RBI unveils Retail Direct Scheme
Source: The Hindu What is the News? The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has announced the launch of the RBI Retail Direct scheme. About RBI Retail Direct Scheme: RBI Retail Direct Scheme is a one-stop solution to facilitate investment in government securities (G-secs) by individual investors. Under the scheme, retail investors (individuals) will have the facility to open and… Continue reading G-secs: RBI unveils Retail Direct Scheme
India Aims to target over 100 Billion “Blue Economy” Through Deep Ocean Mission and Ocean Resources
Source: PIB What is the News? The Union Minister of Earth Sciences has said that in the years to come, India aims to target over 100 billion “Blue Economy” through its Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) and ocean resources. About Deep Ocean Mission: Deep Ocean Mission aims to explore the deep ocean for resources. Also, for sustainable use… Continue reading India Aims to target over 100 Billion “Blue Economy” Through Deep Ocean Mission and Ocean Resources
Indian scientists discover new plant species in Antarctica
Source: WION What is the News? A team of Indian scientists has discovered a new plant species in Antarctica named Bryum Bharatiensis. About Bryum Bharatiensis: Bryum bharatiensis is a species of moss. It was discovered by a team of researchers from the Central University of Punjab. Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta.… Continue reading Indian scientists discover new plant species in Antarctica
NASA’s VIPER Mission to Map Water, Other Resources on Moon in 2023
Source: NDTV What is the News? NASA has announced the launch of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover(VIPER) Mission in 2023. About VIPER Mission: VIPER Mission is a mobile robot to be launched by NASA in the year 2023. It will be the first resource mapping mission on any other celestial body. Celestial Body is any natural body… Continue reading NASA’s VIPER Mission to Map Water, Other Resources on Moon in 2023
UN: $200 billion increase in fund flow to developing countries for managing nature
Source: Down To Earth What is the News? The UN Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) Secretariat has released the first official draft of a new Global Biodiversity Framework. About Global Biodiversity Framework: The Global Biodiversity Framework will be the global guiding force to protect nature and to retain its essential services for humans from 2020 to 2030. Goals of… Continue reading UN: $200 billion increase in fund flow to developing countries for managing nature
G-secs: RBI unveils Retail Direct Scheme
Source: The Hindu What is the News? The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has announced the launch of the RBI Retail Direct scheme. About RBI Retail Direct Scheme: RBI Retail Direct Scheme is a one-stop solution to facilitate investment in government securities (G-secs) by individual investors. Under the scheme, retail investors (individuals) will have the facility to open and… Continue reading G-secs: RBI unveils Retail Direct Scheme
Drone policy set to be relaxed as IAF goes for counter-rogue tech
Source: Business Standard Relevance: After a small attack by drones on the Indian Army’s base, drone policies are being reconsidered. Synopsis: India is expected to further liberalise drone regulations. It will be easing the process of getting licence as well as doing business for operators. Background The decision to simplify the licensing requirements, relax operational curbs and reduce… Continue reading Drone policy set to be relaxed as IAF goes for counter-rogue tech
Factly :-News Articles For UPSC Prelims | 18 June, 2021
Read Previous Factly articles Article wise list of factly articles “Deep Ocean Mission” Approved by Cabinet What is the News? The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Deep Ocean Mission. About Deep Ocean Mission: Deep Ocean Mission aims to explore the deep ocean for resources. Also, for sustainable use of ocean resources, it… Continue reading Factly :-News Articles For UPSC Prelims | 18 June, 2021
Impact of inflation targeting in India
Synopsis: According to the Executive Director IMF, Surjit S Bhalla, Inflation targeting has been ineffective in controlling inflation. Moreover, it has also contributed to a decline in GDP growth because of high repo rates. About inflation targeting The concept of ‘Inflation targeting’ was got acceptance in New Zealand first. Later, 33 countries adopted it as… Continue reading Impact of inflation targeting in India
