South Asia, which accounts for over a quarter of the world’s population, is bolstering its transmission and distribution infrastructure to meet growing energy demand, not only by expanding power grids but also by improving renewable energy sources such as solar and hydropower. The electricity policies of South Asian countries aim at providing electricity to every
Humanitarian Corridors Q What is the context ? Recently, Russia declared a temporary ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine War to provide “humanitarian corridors” for civilians. As the war enters a likely deadlier phase, numerous civilians attempt to leave the country for safety and refuge, there must be humanitarian measures taken to reduce civilian casualties. Q What are Humanitarian Corridors? They are demilitarised zones, in
Q What is the context ? Month after setting sail on the Ganga from Patna, a vessel carrying 200 metric tonnes of food grains for the Food Corporation of India (FCI), docked at Guwahati’s Pandu port on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra. The occasion is believed to have taken inland water transport, on two
Why do Indians go abroad for medical studies? Q What is the context ? According to estimates from Ukraine, reported in the media, around 18,000 Indian students are in Ukraine (before Operation Ganga). Most of them are pursuing medicine. This war has turned the spotlight on something that has been the trend for about three
Why NATO isn’t sending troops to Ukraine? Why is it in News ? Amid Russia’s war on Ukraine, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has been rapidly deploying troops to member countries but has clarified that it has no plans of sending them to Ukraine. Q What is NATO? NATO is a military alliance established
Decarbonising Indian agriculture Editorial FinancialExpress Emissions from agriculture and livestock are high: As per India’s third Biennial Update Report , in 2016, agriculture and livestock emitted 407,821 Gg of CO2e. This amounts to around 14% of total emissions. GHG emissions are typically discussed in terms of mass of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e). Gg of CO2e
Global sanctions Q Why is it in News ? A A shift is taking place in the business of global dominance and hegemony, from the model of expressing force through troop presence to financial sanctions. It is led by the US and has become recently visible in the US and EU sanctions on Russia. Q How
Index of Industrial Production Q. Why is this in News? Recently, as per official estimates for the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), India’s industrial recovery slowed sharply in December 2021, with output growing just 0.4% year-on-year, and manufacturing activity contracting 0.1%. Contrary to expected growth of 2.5%, growth has come in at 0.4% which is disappointing. Q.
Why is it in News ? Late last week, India abstained from a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution which called for condemning the Russian military action against Ukraine. Q What is India’s position on the Ukraine issue ? New Delhi has taken a subtle pro-Moscow position on the question of Russian attacks against Ukraine. A geopolitical
Russia-Ukraine leads to inflation Q What is the context ? With the Russia-Ukraine conflict flaring into a war, global commodity prices, especially that of crude oil and gas, are likely to see a strong surge. This poses a challenge not only for India to contain inflationary pressures but also the world at large. Q What