Category: GS 3
Quick Commerce in India
The article focuses on India’s evolving e-commerce landscape, highlighting how quick commerce ventures like Zepto and Blinkit are transforming retail through instant delivery. It also discusses government scrutiny prompted by concerns from the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). Understanding the impact of quick commerce on retail, economy, and regulatory practices in India.
Minimum Support Price (MSP) Reforms
The article discusses the need to revisit the Minimum Support Price (MSP) framework, highlighting the issues of competitive populism in providing free food, power, and highly subsidized fertilizers. It suggests that such measures are unsustainable and lead to a “race to the bottom.” The article emphasizes the importance of reforming the MSP framework to ensure long-term sustainability and avoid populist measures that can harm the economy.
The impacts of rupee weakening
This article discusses the recent sharp devaluation of the Indian rupee against the dollar, analyzing the reasons behind it and its implications. For UPSC CSE mains, students should focus on understanding India’s exchange rate policy and the structural constraints in the Indian economy.
Construction of fence: India-Bangladesh border
The article discusses the recent summoning of Bangladesh’s Acting High Commissioner to India by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) over border security measures, including fencing, amid rising tensions between the two countries. For Mains, this situation underscores the importance of understanding international relations, border management, and the intricacies of regional geopolitics.
How do we develop ‘core’ technologies?
This article explores the strategies for developing essential technologies in India, emphasizing the importance of collaboration among academia, industry, and government. Students should understand the role of core technologies in national development and the barriers to their growth.
Cross-Border Insolvency Reforms
The article on “Cross-Border Insolvency Reform” discusses the urgent need to reform the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) framework in India to effectively address cross-border insolvencies, highlighting its significance for economic stability and investment. Students should understand the historical context, current challenges, and proposed reforms to strengthen the cross-border insolvency framework.
Ken-Betwa river project: Balancing development with ecological concerns
The article discusses the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project, India’s first major river-interlinking initiative, which has finally begun after 29 years, and the debate it ignites between development and environmental conservation.
UPI duopoly’s rise and market vulnerabilities
Under the right conditions and with the right incentives, the UPI ecosystem has every potential to offer smaller market participants a level playing field
Captive Elephant (Transfer or Transport) Rules
There are ambiguities in the Captive Elephant (Transfer or Transport) Rules that may facilitate illegal trade in elephants.
Should the wealth tax be reinstated in India?
At a recent panel discussion in New Delhi, French economist Thomas Piketty suggested that a wealth and inheritance tax be imposed on the super-rich in India.
The hidden cost of greenwashing the Indian Railways
The ‘mission 100% electrification’ project is about chasing a mirage of turning into a green railway; a large number of serviceable diesel locomotives will also become redundant
Balancing Inflation Control and Economic Growth
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has recently decided to keep the policy rates unchanged to help stabilize headline inflation.