Authors: C. Dheeraja and Karuna M. (Practice Question - Social audits in India have not received the space and attention they deserve in becoming an integral and robust part of the formal audit process. Do you agree? Give your suggestions to make the social audit process more democratic. - 250 words) There is a need … Continue reading Summary – The Hindu – Making every citizen an auditor.

(Practice Question: Q.1. The World Health Organisation has highlighted the widespread problem of mental illness in India. What steps have been taken by the government in this regard? Suggest measures to improve the situation. - 250 words.)   Why in news: India is the most depressed country in the world, according to a recent World … Continue reading Mental Health issue in India

(Practice Questions: Q.1. Active participation in BIMSTEC would not only benefit India but all the member countries. Comment. - 250 words Q.2. Recently, the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) has made considerable progress in terms of co-operation among the member countries. Comment. What steps must be taken to improve the position … Continue reading BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation)

(Practice Questions: Q.1. The much debated Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution of India have an intricate relationship. Comment. - 150 words. Q.2. To what extent is Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, bearing marginal note "Temporary provision with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir", temporary? Discuss the future prospects of … Continue reading Article 370 and 35A of the Constitution of India

Only four developing countries, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and China have transformed themselves economically in three decades and ‘exports’ have played a key role in their transformation. China, with its population comparable to India, surpasses India in exports in major sectors like merchandise, apparel, electrical and electronic products and footwear and that too by a … Continue reading The Critical Role of Exports in employment generation

The Hospitality, Travel and Tourism sector is a major driver of growth and employment in India where it made up 6.7 % of the GDP in 2014. The footfall of tourists in India has been steadily increasing. As a host to 35 world heritage sites, 10 bio-geographical zones and 26 biotic provinces, India has significant … Continue reading Tourism, Culture and Soft Power

The China Example- In 1980s, China created very large Special Economic Zones (SEZs) along its coast. One of the best examples is the coastal city of Shenzhen in China, which from a group of fishing villages in 1980s has become the hardware capital of the world. The SEZ provided flexible land and labour markets, attractive … Continue reading Coastal Employment Zones

Boosting productivity in agriculture in a sustainable manner requires attention on four fronts – Irrigation; Seeds and fertilisers;New technology; and Shift to high-value farm products such as fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs, chicken and fisheries. IRRIGATION Crop intensity and productivity, which are very important sources of growth in output and farmers’ incomes, are critically dependent … Continue reading Raising Productivity in Agriculture

(As there were some errors with the post 'Shale Gas in India' posted on 12/12/2018, an updated article is being posted below after correcting the errors. We regret any inconvenience caused.)   (Practice Questions: Q.1. Highlight the differences between 'conventional' and 'unconventional' hydrocarbons. What are the challenges faced by India in the extraction of unconventional hydrocarbons? … Continue reading Updated and Corrected – Shale Gas in India

Practice Question – Judicious use of seeds and fertilizers is important to ensure increase in productivity in agriculture. What are the associated problems? Suggest remedial measures. – 250 words. Replacement of Seeds- Ideally, seeds must be replaced every year for hybrid and every three years for non-hybrid varieties. In the former case, the optimum seed … Continue reading NITI AAYOG SUMMARY – SEEDS AND FERTILIZERS