In 2018, India was ranked 44th in the World Bank Logistics Performance Index, a measure through which the Bank ranks countries based on their logistics performance. India currently records relatively higher logistics costs at 13-14 per cent of the GDP while it is 8-10 per cent for most of the mature economies. The sector is… Continue reading National Logistics Policy

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has brought down on provincialism, which has become a go-to policy for most parties in power in India today.   What is the issue? The Local Resident of Jharkhand Bill, which the state Cabinet passed recently, proposes to keep 1932 as the cut-off year for “proof of land records” to… Continue reading New domicile policy of Jharkhand

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has rejected the idea of a ‘permanent president’ for a party, while taking issue with the Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), which rules Andhra Pradesh.   What is the issue? The party reportedly elected Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as its president for life in July 2022.… Continue reading Inner-party democracy

Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is a not-for-profit entity set up by the government’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.   What is it? It is a digital mandi or marketplace aimed at connecting buyers, retailers, technology providers, financiers and others involved in commerce. As much as 60 per cent of e-commerce is divided… Continue reading Open Network for Digital Commerce

The Supreme Court’s decision to frame uniform norms for trial courts in awarding the death sentence is a welcome intervention.   What has happened recently? This is a case that a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India U U Lalit had taken up on its own and has now referred to a larger… Continue reading Capital Punishment

The translocation of eight Namibian cheetahs to the Kuno National Park has created its share of controversy. While it is being hailed as a great initiative to reintroduce an iconic big cat, it will require years of careful follow-through to ensure the cat thrives and this doesn’t turn out to be just a publicity exercise.… Continue reading Cheetah Reintroduction Project

Recently, China used its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to put a hold on the UN Security Council’s Al Qaida and ISIL (Daesh) Sanctions Committee’s (also known as the UNSC 1267 Committee) listing of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Sajid Mir, one of India’s most wanted in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.… Continue reading China-Pakistan nexus

The Tamil Nadu government’s launch of the free breakfast scheme for schoolchildren is an instance of a policy initiative with far-reaching consequences for school education and public health.   Why is it significant? The provision of free breakfast is not a freebie, but the foremost duty of a government to ensure no child goes hungry.… Continue reading Breakfast scheme for schoolchildren

Big Tech is under scrutiny worldwide for anticompetitive, anti-social, and anti-consumer behaviour. In India, two parliamentary committees have been grilling Big Tech firms. Similar processes of grilling have taken place in the US and the EU. China has also been aggressive in taming tech giants. The aim is to ensure more economic democracy in digital… Continue reading Regulating ‘Big Tech’

The Budget speech announcement that the existing SEZ Act would be replaced with a new legislation had sparked hopes of disruptive changes. However, the new draft Bill on the Development of Enterprise and Services Hub (DESH), which is set to replace the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Act, adopts a continuity-based approach.    What are the… Continue reading DESH Bill