Subject: Economics
Agriculture
Soil Health Management – NMSA, Soil Health Card, etc.
Soil Health Card – A Tool For Agri Revolution Launched by the central government in February 2015, the scheme is tailor-made to issue ‘Soil card’ to farmers which will carry crop-wise recommendations of nutrients and fertilizers required for the individual farms. Agriculture as primary activity in India Agriculture since ages is the mainstay of the […]
Food Processing Industry: Issues and Developments
The food processing industry in India is increasingly seen as a potential source for driving the rural economy as it brings about synergy between the consumer, industry and the farmer.
Genetically Modified (GM) crops – cotton, mustards, etc.
Raging debate on genetically modified crops shows no signs of abating. Here is everything you need to know about this debate.
Organic Farming – Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY), NPOF etc.
The market for organic food in this country is likely to treble in the next four years, according to a report from business chamber Assocham and TechSci Research, a non-government body. source What is organic farming? Need for organic farming in India Key characteristics of organic farming Steps taken by the Government to promote organic […]
Irrigation In India – PMKSY, AIBP, Watershed Management, Neeranchan, etc.
Everything you need to know about Neeranchal Project, a very important component of PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana.
Pulses Production – Subramanian Committee, Eco Survey, etc.
Pulses are important source of protein, high in fibre content and provide ample quantity of vitamins and minerals. India having the largest shares about 25% production, about 33% acreage and about 27% consuming of total pulses of the world. Although India is the highest producer of pulses in the world, its domestic demand outstrips domestic […]
Food Safety Standards – FSSAI, food fortification, etc.
Food Safety Regulations in India and the Way Forward From junk food bans to street food regulations, FSSAI has been in news all the year round and most notoriously for the Maggie ban! UPSC does not necessarily goes for the most hot topic in news which is the Maggie ban in this context but this whole episode opens […]
Minimum Support Prices for Agricultural Produce
The MSPs are announced by the GoI at the beginning of the sowing season for around 24 commodities so as to induce the farmers to make capital investment, adopt new technologies for crop improvement and so on. One could say that there is a remarkable oddity about India’s agricultural yields & the MSPs decided by Commission of Agricultural Costs & Prices but that’s always a part of the game, right?
In this story, we will track the development under the NDA govt. and try to understand the rationale behind the changing trends or prices & policies.
Energy
Biofuel Policy
This government policy can fuel biofuel revolution in India
UDAY Scheme for Discoms
What is Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana? What will be the impact of this scheme?
Oil and Gas Sector – HELP, Open Acreage Policy, etc.
Recently, Cabinet has approved new Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), which will replace New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP), for Oil and Gas exploration, Will that make any change in oil and gas exploration regime? Let’s see this in brief! Let’s first take an overview of New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) was […]
Policy Wise: India’s Power Sector
Power Sector’s Policy making needs to give a good look to long-pending structural reforms. Greater power generation will not help unless distribution issues are sorted.
External Sector
FDI in Indian economy
Everything about FDI at one place
Finance and Banking
NPA Crisis
What is NPA? Impact of NPA on economy Reasons for the rise in NPA in recent years Why most NPA in Public sector? Steps taken by RBI and Government in last few years to curb NPA How to curb the menace of NPA source According to RBI’s recent data, the gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of […]
Gold Monetisation Scheme
A Golden Opportunity
Masala Bonds
My Name is Bond. Masala Bond.
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code
Why does India need a Bankruptcy law? The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has been hailed as an excellent reform for India that will pay a critical role in improving the ease of doing business.
PPP Investment Models: HAM, Swiss Challenge, Kelkar Committee
Kelkar Committee Report: Reforming the PPP In the Union Budget 2015-16, Finance Minister announced that the PPP mode of infrastructure development has to be revisited, and revitalized. In pursuance of this announcement, a Committee was constituted to look into the issues. The proposals include a provision for monetisation of projects, revamp of the model concession […]
Monetary Policy Committee Notifications
To read about the basic concepts of economics at play here: Economics | Fiscal Policy Explained Economics | Monetary Policy Explained with Examples
Direct Benefits Transfers
The government’s DBT plan involves transferring the subsidy amount directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts. Here, the government does not have to fiddle around with differential pricing for the underprivileged. This method can effectively address the issue of leakages and go a long way in solving the mis-targeting problem. The government has also linked DBT to […]
Pay Commission Updates
Salient features useful for prelims and mains, both.
Financial Inclusion in India and Its Challenges
Financial inclusion entails delivery of banking services to large sections of society, at an affordable cost.
RBI Notifications
RBI: India’s central banking institution, which controls the monetary policy of the Indian rupee has been much in news this year. Macroeconomic policies for growth require coordination between the finance ministry and RBI. Let’s see where the synergies met and where they diverged!
Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc
Everything you need to know about the Indian growth story and the complexities involved in predicting it right. Let’s connect the dots.
Differentiated Banks – Payment Banks, Small Finance Banks, etc.
Payment Banks are the new stripped-down type of banks, which are expected to reach customers mainly through their mobile phones rather than traditional bank branches. They are expected to increase the financial inclusion in the country by providing banking services to the people who are currently out of the reach of banking services. source Features of […]
Black Money – Domestic and International Efforts
Are there any provisions in UN which can help us chase black money? Yes, there are a few. And they might help us get black money back in India. Let’s look at the history of such negotiations to learn more about them and hone your understanding for Probable questions for IAS Mains. Tough negotiations on this subject […]
Cashless Society – Digital Payments, Demonetization, etc.
In this article we will explain what Cashless economy is, what are the major advantages of cashless economy and what challenges India will face in moving towards a cashless economy. What is a cashless economy? Benefits of Cashless economy Challenges in making India a cashless economy Steps taken by RBI and Government to discourage use […]
Goods and Services Tax (GST)
This article would focus on Goods and Services Tax (GST), as we know discussion on GST bill is going on in winter session of Parliament. So, let’s just take this in brief here. What is the Goods and Services Tax (GST)? As the name suggests, the GST will be levied both on goods (manufacturing) and services. […]
Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT)
The Minimum Alternate Tax (“MAT“) is a tax levied under India’s Income Tax Act of 1961 that targets companies that show profits on their books and declare dividends, but pay minimal or no tax.
Industries
Intellectual Property Rights in India
What are IPRs? Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) are legal rights, which result from intellectual invention, innovation and discovery in the industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields. These rights entitle an individual or group to the moral and economic rights of creators in their creation. Types: Patent- It is a set of exclusive rights granted […]
Tourism Sector
Ministry of Tourism identified Tourism Industry’s potential as a Sunrise Industry. What is Tourism’s importance to our country and what does this Industry need, for it to actualize its potential?
e-Commerce: The New Boom
The recent changes in e-commerce sector DIPP recently notified a new FDI policy for e-commerce and certain other rules <What exactly e-commerce is? Answer in comments> What are the rules? 100% foreign direct investment is permitted in the marketplace model of e-commerce FDI is not permitted in inventory based model of e-commerce Additional to […]
Make in India: Challenges & Prospects
The popular consensus is that all India needs to do is to make its land, tax and labour laws more business-friendly, improve its infrastructure and slash red tape. Let’s evaluate the challenges and filter the prospects of a successful Make in India campaign.
Start-up Ecosystem In India
What is Start up India programme and its mandates? Let’s cover the parts in brief.
GI(Geographical Indicator) Tags
All that you need to know about GI tags in India
Disinvestment in India
The lofty dream of disinvestment of government stake in public sector units (PSUs) has often remained just that. Successive governments have missed their initial disinvestment targets set during the beginning of the fiscal year. Let’s see what is disinvestment and what’s going on in it.
Microfinance Story of India
Facts, opportunities, concerns and updates on the MUDRA Yojna.
Infrastructure
Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
Shailesh Nayak Committee has recently relaxed norms under coastal regulation zones. It has proposed for allowing housing infrastructure and slum redevelopment activities, tourism, ports and harbor and fisheries-related activities in coastal regulation zone. source CRZs have been in news at times. Objections have been raised various times to broad the scope of activities that are […]
Port Infrastructure and Shipping Industry – Sagarmala Project, SDC, CEZ, etc.
India has a coastline spanning 7516.6 kilometers, forming one of the biggest peninsulas in the world. According to the Ministry of Shipping, around 95 per cent of India’s trading by volume and 70 per cent by value is done through maritime transport. It is serviced by 13 major ports, 200 notified minor and intermediate ports. The total […]
Real Estate Industry
How the real estate regulatory bill impacts the status quo
Rural Infrastructure Schemes
Has 2 departments under it – Dept. of Rural Development and Dept. of Land Resources. National level schemes under them – Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for rural roads development, Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) rural emploment and for rural housing, Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) & Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP).
Housing for all – PMAY, etc.
Urbanisation is taking place at a faster rate in India. Population residing in urban areas in India, according to 1901 census, was 11.4%. This count increased to 28.53% according to 2001 census, and crossing 30% as per 2011 census, standing at 31.16%.
Roads, Highways, Cargo, Air-Cargo and Logistics infrastructure – Bharatmala, LEEP, SetuBharatam, etc.
All that you need to know about the latest developments in 2015/16 and beyond.
Civil Aviation Sector – CA Policy 2016, UDAN, Open Skies, etc.
India has the potential to become the third largest aviation market by 2020 and the largest by 2030. There is large untapped potential for growth due to the fact that access to aviation is still a dream for nearly 99.5% of its population. This story captures the essence of all that is trending in this segment.
Urban Transformation – Smart Cities, AMRUT, etc.
A smart city is one that uses information and communication technologies to enhance citizen engagement. It is a neo-vision which seeks to improve the delivery of services in urban areas. The following story maps out the steps being taken by India to explore this concept in practice.
Inland Waterways
National waterway Bill, Advantage of waterway transport, Challenges in harnessing the potential of waterways
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