ECI ON BIENNIAL ELECTION TO MAHARASHTRA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Focus: GS-II Governance, Polity, Prelims Why in news? The Election Commission, on May 1st, reviewed the matter concerning feasibility of conduct of biennial election for the 9 vacant seats of the MLC by MLAs in the state of Maharashtra. ECI on 03 April 2020 had issued an order under Article 324 to defer the elections […]
TAIWAN’S CORONAVIRUS PROTOCOL SHOWS HOW IT IS DONE
Introduction Pandemics can spread rapidly around the world because of the ease of international transportation. Among the most salient examples are the Spanish flu of 1918, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak of 2003, and the H1N1 influenza of 2009. Taiwan’s strategy When information concerning a novel pneumonia outbreak was first confirmed on December […]
OMINOUS CONTRACTION: ON CORE SECTOR OUTPUT
Introduction The provisional figures released by the Commerce Ministry show that production at all but one of the eight industries comprising the core sector shrank in March from a year earlier. Details This is the sharpest contraction in the index since the new series began in April 2012. The output contracted by as much as […]
IT’S ABOUT FOOD, NUTRITION AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITY
Introduction The current national lockdown to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the problems of food, nutrition and livelihood security confronting a large number of rural people, in particular, migrants to cities. Some measures have been announced, such as: Provision of additional rice or wheat, some pulses and oil free of cost Rs. 1,000 cash […]
NEEDED: A PANDEMIC PATENT POOL
Introduction Every April 26, we celebrate World Intellectual Property Day. This year it provided us an opportunity to reflect upon the role of intellectual property (IP) in the ongoing health crisis and dedicate IP to finding a solution. Vaccines are the only way ahead The purpose of creating and recognising patent rights is for the […]
WHAT IS INDIA’S PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS?
Why in news? India has appointed diplomat T S Tirumurti, currently serving as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, as its Permanent Representative to the United Nations, succeeding Syed Akbaruddin. What are Permanent Missions to the United Nations? The Permanent Mission is the diplomatic mission that every member state deputes to the United Nations, […]
PRINT MONEY, SAVE ECONOMY
Introduction The Major global economies are responding to the COVID-induced recession by adopting unorthodox stimulus measures, including printing money. The US, the European Central Bank, Japan, and even emerging economies such as Turkey and Indonesia are printing money to bring economies back to life. So, can India. What is Printing Money? Central bank directly buys […]
RELIGION AND FREEDOM: ON INDIA AND COMMUNAL VIOLENCE
Introduction Religious freedom is of paramount importance, not because it is about religion, but because it is about freedom. USCIRF Characterisation of India The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) characterised India as a country of particular concern, in its annual report. The Indian government repudiated the report. The U.S. has used arguments of […]
THE MAKING OF THE MODERN PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL
Law is not the source of its own moral authority and legitimacy. A setback to democracy Speaking in the context of the colonial rule M.K. Gandhi reiterated that a law is binding only if it satisfies the unwritten codes of public ethics. Democratic regimes ought to respect the right of citizens to dissent. The arrests […]
NOTED POET NISAR AHMED PASSES AWAY
Why in news? Noted Kannada poet K.S. Nisar Ahmed, 84, also popular as “Nityotsava Kavi”, passed away at his residence on 3rd May 2020. Nisar Ahmed’s Works A geology professor by profession, he was a prolific poet and writer who dabbled in various literary forms – criticism, children’s literature, translations of several Shakespeare plays into Kannada. […]