Category: 7 PM Brief Infograph

Context: India’s Neighbourhood first policy. More in news: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa visited India in early Februaury. It was his first foreign trip since his appointment as prime minister in late November 2019. Neighbourhood first policy: It is part of India’s foreign policy that actively focuses on improving ties with India’s immediate neighbours. The… Continue reading 7 PM |Putting neighbors first| 21st February 2020

Context: India-US trade relations. More in news: President Donald Trump is set to make his maiden visit to India on February 24-25, 2020.  India – US Trade Relations: The US is now India’s second largest trading partner and largest export destination, with India having a small trade surplus of around $20 billion. The US is… Continue reading 7 PM |Trading with America: On proposed India – USA trade Agreement| 20th February 2020

Context: Mainstreaming innovation in health care system in India. Ayushman Bharat: Ayushman Bharat, a flagship scheme of Goverment of India was launched as recommended by the National Health Policy 2017, to achieve the vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This initiative has been designed on the lines as to meet SDG and its underlining commitment,… Continue reading 7 PM |Powering the health-care engine with innovation|19th February 2020

Context: SC ruling in favour of permanent commission to women officers. More in news: The Supreme Court recently ordered the government to grant permanent commission to women officers in the Army’s noncombat support units on par with their male counterparts should they wish to continue with it after completing their short-service commission. Women in Army:… Continue reading 7 PM |Finally, gender parity in the Indian Army|18th February 2020

Context: SC verdict on criminialisation of politics. More in news: A two Judge Bench of Supreme Court recently delivered a Judgment on the contempt petitions regarding the criminalisation of politics in India.  Criminalisation of politics in India: Criminalization of politics means the rising participation of criminals and people facing criminal charges in politics. The term indicates… Continue reading 7 PM |Disentangling politics and crime|14th February 2020

Context: Tackling nutritional problems in India. More in news: Government Allocating Rs 35,600 Crore For Nutrition-Related Programmes in Budget 2020. Malnutrition: Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients. The term malnutrition addresses 3 broad groups of conditions: Under-nutrition, which includes wasting (low weight-for-height), stunting (low height-for-age) and… Continue reading 7 PM |Nutrition and the Budget’s fine print|13th February 2020

Context: Reservation in appointments and promotion. More in news: A Supreme Court judgement last week overturned a 2012 Uttarakhand High Court verdict, and ruled that reservations and promotion quotas are not a fundamental right. Reservation: Reservation in India is provided as a form of affirmative action acting as a positive discrimination, which means reserving access… Continue reading 7 PM |Reservations as a right: On SC judgment on reservations in promotions|11th February 2020

Context: Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 More in News: The Union Cabinet has approved the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971.  Background: The Indian Penal Code, enacted in 1860 based on British law, declared induced abortion illegal (Section 312), describing it as intentionally ‘causing… Continue reading 7PM |Seeking a more progressive abortion law|10th February 2020

Context: SC ruling on the office of Speaker. More in news: Recently, the Supreme Court of India while adjudicating upon the matter relating to the disqualification of MLAs in the Manipur Legislative Assembly under the Tenth Schedule in Keisham Meghachandra Singh vs. the Hon’ble Speaker Manipur Legislative Assembly & Ors. made a significant suggestion. The Issue: The… Continue reading 7 PM |Course correction for the Speaker’s office|6th February 2020

Context: Urban India and mitigating the climate crisis. More in news: Australia’s recent bout of bushfires, sparked by an extended drought, has devastated its local flora and fauna. Indonesia’s capital Jakarta witnessed record-breaking flooding with unseasonal rainfall, displacing tens of thousands.  Recent events signaling towards climate crisis: In 2018 Kerala witnessed heavy flooding, combined with… Continue reading 7 PM |Urban India must prepare for the climate crisis|5th February 2020

Context: Key highlights of the Union Budget 2020-2021. More in news: Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a series of far-reaching reforms, aimed at energizing the Indian economy through a combination of short-term, medium-term, and long term measures in the first union budget of the third decade of 21st century. Status of Indian Economy: Economic… Continue reading 7 PM |A workmanlike account: on Budget 2020-21 |3rd February 2020

Context: FRBM Act. More in news: Fiscal deficit has become a key factor to watch out for in every Budget presentation. It is considered the most important marker of a government’s financial health. Budget: The word ‘budget’ has not been used in the Constitution of India. Rather Article 112 of the Constitution of India mentions the… Continue reading 7 PM |The ugly truth about India’s adherence to the FRBM Act|31st January 2020

Context: Coronavirus. More in news: On 31 December 2019, WHO was alerted to several cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. The virus did not match any other known virus. This raised concern because when a virus is new, we do not know how it affects people. One week later, on 7… Continue reading 7 PM |China has responded promptly, but its efforts may have come a bit too late: On novel Coronavirus|30th January 2020

Context: Prison Reforms. More in News: Recently, the ministry of home affairs released the Prison Statistics India (PSI) 2018 report. Prison Statistics India: Prison Statistics India is the latest in the series of annual statistical reports being brought out by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). NCRB was established in 1986 with a mandate to empower Indian… Continue reading 7 PM |India’s prison system needs urgent reform|29th January 2020

Context: Bt Cotton in India. More in news: Hundreds of farmers gathered in Hiwri village of Yavatmal district in Maharashtra on January 5, 2020 in their attempt to prove the unapproved variety of cotton (HTBt) gave higher yields at a more reasonable cost as compared to the approved [insect-resistant] variety (Bt cotton). The Supreme Court… Continue reading 7 PM |A case of wholehearted biotechnology adoption: On GM crop|28th January 2020

Context: India-Brazil Relations. More in news: President Jair Bolsonaro to be the chief guest in Republic Day celebrations of 2020. India – Brazil Relations: India and Brazil share a very close and multifaceted relationship at bilateral level as well as in plurilateral fora such as BRICS, BASIC, G-20, G-4, IBSA, International Solar Alliance, Biofuture Platform and in the… Continue reading 7 PM |The final frontier: Bolsonaro’s Republic Day visit should spur strategic bilateral ties and open doors to Latin America|25th January 2020

Context: Upcoming budget and the fiscal deficit. More in news: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her second Union Budget on February 1, 2020. The fiscal deficit for FY20 and its roadmap for FY21 could be heading towards a recalibration with the February Budget slated to hint at the targeted 3 percent fiscal… Continue reading 7 PM |Will the Budget suspend the FRBM’s fiscal deficit goals?|24th January 2020

Context: Police Commissioner System. More in news: Recently, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved the commissionerate system of policing for state capital Lucknow, and Noida. Police System in India: The primary role of police forces is to uphold and enforce laws, investigate crimes and ensure security for people in the country.  Under the 7th Schedule… Continue reading 7 PM |Police reforms: UP government introduces police commissionerate system|23rd January 2020

Context: India and EU relations. More in news: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Brussels in March for the next India-European Union summit.  European Union: The European Union is a group of 28 countries that operate as a cohesive economic and political block. The Treaty of Maastricht was signed in 1992 that laid the foundations… Continue reading 7 PM |India and EU have accomplished much. There is more to be done|21st January 2020

Context: ‘Make in India’ initiative Make in India: The Make in India initiative was launched by Prime Minister in September 2014 as part of a wider set of nation-building initiatives. Devised to transform India into a global design and manufacturing hub, Make in India was a response to a critical situation.  The campaign aims to… Continue reading 7 PM |Why ‘Make in India’ has failed|20th January 2020

Context: Mob Lynching in India. Mob Lynching: In 2018, the Supreme Court described lynching as a “horrendous act of mobocracy”. As per the various bills introduced by states, ‘lynching’ means any act or series of acts of violence or aiding, abetting or attempting an act of violence, whether spontaneous or planned, by a mob on… Continue reading 7 PM |Preventing mob lynching|17th January 2020

Context: Centre-State relations and the recent move by Kerala government against CAA. More in News: The state of Kerala has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 thereby becoming the first State to challenge the contentious law made by the central government. The petition: Kerala filed a plea as an original suit… Continue reading 7 PM |Will strained Centre-state ties make 2020 a year of Constitutional crises?|16th January 2020

Context: Findings of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2019. More in news: Pratham, a well-known Non-Profit Organization has released the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2019. What is ASER? ASER stands for Annual Status of Education Report. This is an annual survey that aims to provide reliable annual estimates of children’s schooling… Continue reading 7 PM |Chalk, and cheese in private vs. government schools|15th January 2020

Context: Supreme Court verdict on internet shutdown in Kashmir. More in news: Internet services in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) are shut since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year Recently, the Supreme Court gave a judgement in response to petitions filed against the Internet shutdown and curbing of other civil liberties in the Jammu… Continue reading 7 PM |The value of the SC’s Kashmir order| 13th January 2020

Context: The creation of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). More in news: PM Modi announced the creation of India’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) post last Independence Day from the Red Fort, New Delhi. The outgoing Indian army chief, General Bipin Rawat, assumed the four-star post on December 31, 2019. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS):… Continue reading 7 PM |CDS and the path to jointmanship| 10th January 2020