As per news reports, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is seeking a change in the way candidates are allocated services like IAS or IPS. The government is analyzing the possibility not only to change the way services like IAS or IPS are allocated, but also the way cadres are assigned. …
When India count her friends in the foreign relations, France occupies a special place. Both nations have a centuries-old history of trade relations. In this post, let’s analyse the new developments in India-France relations. History of India-France Relations The French came as traders to India in the 17th century. But …
Dalits (SC) and Tribals (ST) are the most marginalized sections of Indian society. Many atrocities have been committed against them since time immemorial. The SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act protects them against discrimination and atrocities. However, the SC/ST act can never be called a successful legislation. Dalits and Tribals still face …
Economists are warning that the world is on the verge of an all-out trade war. With US President Donald Trump imposing a lot of taxes on imports, and China hitting back with similar measures, there is every possibility that world will witness a new war – a trade war – …
Recently, US President Donald Trump’s pledge to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has caused controversy across the world. He also announced his plans to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Let’s analyse the implications of US Embassy in Jerusalem. What is the capital of Israel? …
India and Switzerland have had good relations since ages and both have common interests in various fields. In this article, we discuss in detail the major aspects of India-Switzerland relations. During the cold war era, India’s policy of Non-alignment and Switzerland’s traditional policy of neutrality has led to a close …
This post is a compilation of the names of 73 major Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Central Sector Schemes as mentioned in the Union Budget 2017. Update: To learn the Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Central Sector Schemes as mentioned in the Union Budget 2018, refer this post. Scheme Expenditure: Centrally Sponsored Schemes …
Dear aspirants, please find the UPSC Civil Services Exam (Mains) 2017 General Studies 2 (GS 2) Question Paper below. You can download the same as a PDF using the print-pdf button on the bottom. Instructions Maximum Marks: 250. Time Allowed: Three Hours There are TWENTY questions printed both in HINDI and in …
Eliminating the hesitations of history, India and the United States have built a strong and strategic bilateral relationship and continues to contribute the stability and prosperity of the world. The first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru likened American Imperialism to that of British. He propounded and propagated the Non-Alignment …
A national policy is a course or principle of action adopted or proposed by the state. Aspirants preparing for civil services exam, need to be aware of various national policies. Some of the major national policies in news include National Health Policy, National Education Policy, National Cyber Security Policy etc. …
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan in 2016, both India and Japan sought to institutionalize socio-economic development of Asia and Africa. There, the idea of promoting a growth corridor was crystallized. Subsequently in 2017, at the African Development Bank meeting held in Gujarat, India unveiled the vision document …
RCEP is considered as an alternative to Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the countries of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the six states with …
In Indian democracy, the term of an MP or an MLA is 5 years (the term of the house). There exists no recourse for the electorate if they are unhappy with their elected representative. What if they have a right to recall legislators before the end of the term? What …
Arbitration in India is gaining importance given the overstressed judicial system with the huge pendency of cases. With a lot of commercial disputes, it’s necessary to have a proper arbitration mechanism in place for faster resolution of issues. In this article, we discuss topics like the importance of arbitration, the …
Trade is of great importance to most nations in the modern world. Trade without barriers – free trade – is promoted by institutions like World Trade Organisation (WTO). In this background, as an emerging super power, India’s Free Trade Agreements deserve special attention. In this article, let us analyse some …
The Rohingya refugee crisis refers to the mass migration of Rohingyas (Rohingya Muslim people) from Myanmar (Burma) to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. In this article, we discuss the Rohingya Refugee Crisis and the concerns of India. Who are Rohingyas? Rohingyas are indigenous to Rakhine state (also known as Arakan) …
‘Aadhar’ in Hindi means base or foundation. But ever since Aadhar card was introduced in India, with a unique identification number in it, there is no end to controversies. The main issue connected with Aadhar is Right to Privacy. Can Aadhar and Right to Privacy co-exist? Let’s see. What is …
Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a function to celebrate the completion of 50 years of Delhi High Court on October 31, 2016, sought a debate on creating the All-India Judicial Services. The present government has tried to convince parties to support its move to set up an all-India judicial …
In a landmark judgement on 24-08-2017, a nine-judge Supreme Court Constitutional bench declared Right to Privacy is a Fundamental Right. The stand taken by Supreme Court may turn as a massive setback to the Government’s push to link multiple identities with Aadhaar – which is alleged to compromise privacy. The …
Article 35A of Indian Constitution – which is connected with Jammu and Kasmir – is in news, over its constitutional validity. While Article 370 provides special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Article 35A gives powers to the state legislature to define permanent residents of the state and their privileges. What …
The India-Pakistan relationship, since the creation of both the nations in 1947 has been rocky, where the nations have been involved in four wars. Kashmir has been the bedrock issue between both the nations and has been an unresolved boundary dispute. Terrorism, particularly targeting India which is bred on Pakistani …
Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has asked Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) to put up a proposal for lateral entry into Civil Services – the prestigious career option of millions. In this article, we discuss the need of reforms in Indian Civil Services and whether lateral entry system should be …
Criminal defamation is in news recently for multiple reasons. Questions have been raised on whether defamation should be treated as a civil wrong or criminal offence or both. It is argued that criminalizing defamation has a harsh effect on the right to freedom of speech and expression provided under article …
When a child is born, doctors say, “It’s a boy” or “It’s a girl.” The assigned sex of the new born is based on biology. But a person’s gender identity – the inner sense of being male, female, or both – doesn’t always match their biology. Transgender people are assigned …
In today’s world, there are mainly three ongoing conflicts which possess the capacity to escalate into a nuclear conflict. These are Israel-Palestine, India-Pakistan and the Korean conflict. Of these three, the most unpredictable and volatile is the Korean conflict; attributed to the megalomaniacal character of the North Korean ruler. In …
The recent standoff between India and China at the Doklam plateau which lies at a tri-junction between the India, China, and Bhutan has gained much attention. It has turned into the biggest military stand-off between the two armies in years. There are many who even fear a war. In this …
The crisis in Gorkhaland (West-Bengal) has been brewing for many decades and the stems from language – Nepali speaking people vs Bengali speaking people. Here, in this article, we are discussing in detail about the Gorkhaland Movement, its background, causes, the current situation, etc. What is the Gorkhaland Issue? Gorkhaland consists …
The Teesta river dispute makes headlines every time there is a bilateral talk between India and Bangladesh. The dispute is regarding water sharing of River Teesta. Bangladesh wants a higher share than it gets now. Currently, its share is lower than that of India’s. This article gives a broad insight on …
The health sector in India faces numerous problems. With the new national health policy, the government aims to achieve better and inclusive health standards for all. But can the National Health Policy 2017 really make a change? This article is an analysis of the problems of health sector, solutions and …
Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units. Indian Federalism is different from the type of Federalism practiced in the countries like the United States of America. In this post, we analyze in detail 15 issues/challenges pertaining to Indian …
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced one of China’s most ambitious foreign policy and economic initiatives at the end of 2013. He called for the building of a Silk Road Economic Belt and a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, collectively referred to as One Belt One Road (OBOR). One Belt One …
The way Police forces work in India needs a lot of reforms. Police need more autonomy, professionalism, fixed tenure and so on. This article is on Police reforms in India – the history, the reforms so far, the Supreme Court directives, recent cases like T P Senkumar Case etc. Police Reforms: …
The Inter-State River Water Disputes are one of the most contiguous issues in the Indian federalism today. In the extreme cases, it may hamper the relationship between the different states. The recent cases of the Cauvery Water Dispute and the Satluj Yamuna Link Canal case are examples. Various Inter-State Water Disputes …
In 2017, after the election results in 5 states of Punjab, Manipur, UP, Goa, and Uttarakhand are announced there have been allegations of tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). This has put a question mark on the fairness of elections in our democracy. Let us discuss EVMs in detail and …