Getting the focus back on Early Childhood Education
Context: Despite the importance of Early Childhood Education (ECE), little has been said about the continuance of ECE delivery during the COVID-19 school closures, reminiscent of its status quo even prior to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Relevance: GS-II: Social Justice and Governance (Issues related to education, Government Initiatives and Policies) Dimensions of the Article: Importance […]
Govt. asks SC to set norms for quota in promotions
Context: The Supreme Court asked the Government to justify reservations in promotions and asked what exercise it had undertaken to justify its decisions. The Government has said that the time has come for the Supreme Court to “give concrete basis for the SC, ST and OBC to fill up vacancies” while stating that “there is […]
Health benefit package under AB PM-JAY revised
Context: The Health Benefit Package (HBP) Master under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) scheme has been revised. Relevance: GS-II: Social Justice and Governance (Issues related to Health, Welfare Schemes, Government Policies and Initiatives) Dimensions of the Article: About Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) Revised Health Benefit Package […]
SC on NEET-SS: Medical education has become a business
Context: The Supreme Court said the tragedy of medical education in the country was that it had become a business – while examining the National Eligibility-cum- Entrance Test- Super Specialty (NEET-SS) 2021. Relevance: GS-II: Social Justice and Governance (Issues related to Education, Government Policies and Initiatives) Dimensions of the Article: What the SC said on […]
Peace at the heart of education
Context: The International Day of Non-Violence is celebrated every year on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (October 2nd) – this day presents an opportunity to explore the causes of violence and reassert a commitment to building a culture of dialogue through education. Relevance: Essay, GS-IV: Ethics, GS-II: Social Justice (Issues related to Education and […]
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) Concerns
Context: The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), launched in September 2021 will not only simplify processes of hospitals but also increase ease of living according to the Prime Minister. Relevance: GS-II: Social Justice and Governance (Issues Related to Health, Government Policies and Initiatives, Welfare Schemes) Dimensions of the Article: What is the Ayushman Bharat Digital […]
Reimagining food systems with lessons from India
Context: The first and historic United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) 2021 which was held in September 2021 concluded after an intense ‘bottom-up’ process conceived in 2019 to find solutions and ‘catalyse momentum’ to transform the way the world produces, consumes, and thinks about food and help address rising hunger. Relevance: GS-II: Social Justice and […]
PM CARES: A fund without a care for the RTI
Context: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in the past, has denied Right to Information requests related to the PM-CARES Fund on the grounds that providing it would “disproportionately divert the resources of the office.” However, a High Court judgment and multiple orders of the Central Information Commission (CIC) have previously held that, under the RTI […]
T.N. and NEET: Stopping short of social justice
Context: The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a Bill to dispense with the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET) and allow admission to medical courses based on Class 12 marks to “ensure social justice”. Relevance: GS-II: Social Justice and Governance (Issues related to Education, Government Policies and Initiatives), GS-II: Polity and Governance (Centre-State Relations) Dimensions […]
A disease surveillance system, for the future
Context: In 1854, when a deadly outbreak of cholera affected London, John Snow (1813-1858), a British doctor and epidemiologist, used the health statistics and death registration data to say that cholera was a waterborne, contagious disease – resulting in the effective control of the cholera outbreak. Hence, in the backdrop of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we […]