Syllabus subtopic: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora.
Prelims and Mains focus: about the developments in the China-Taiwan relations; One-China Policy and how it is different from One-china principle
News: China has sailed its new aircraft carrier into the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Thursday, as a presidential election campaigning was in full swing on the island amid heighten tension with Beijing.
Background
About the Chinese aircraft carrier
One China Policy
The One-China policy refers to the policy or view that there is only one state called "China", despite the existence of two governments that claim to be "China".
What is the ‘One China’ principle?
The principle affirms Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan and is the cornerstone of bilateral diplomatic relations between Washington and Beijing.
Source: Indian Express
Syllabus subtopic: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
Prelims and Mains focus: About the Good Governance Index and its significance; performance of different states
News: Tamil Nadu has topped the Good Governance Index released by the Centre on Wednesday, followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
About the occasion
State-wise performance
About the Good Governance Index
Sector-wise performance of states
Source: Indian Express
Syllabus subtopic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Prelims and Mains focus: about the threat of antimicrobial resistance; Challenges and efforts made by the world community; About DGCI
News: The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has asked authorities of all states and Union territories (UTs) to stop pharmacies from selling antibiotic drugs without a doctor’s prescription in a step aimed at tackling drug resistant bacteria.
Background
Current scenario of Antibiotics market in India
What does this move signify?
Challenge of anti-microbial resistance
Situation in India
About Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)
Source: mint
Syllabus subtopic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Prelims and Mains focus: about NPR and the controversy around its implementation
News: The central government proposes to update the National Population Register (NPR), which already has an electronic database of more than 119 crore residents, by verifying the details of all respondents through houseto-house enumeration, according to an official manual for conducting the fresh NPR exercise.
Background
About NPR
Other details as mentioned in the manual
About National Population Register (NPR):
Source: The Hindu
Syllabus subtopic: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
Prelims and Mains focus: about the guidelines issued by UGC and their significance; About UGC and HECI
News: Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Thursday launched new guidelines for values and ethics in higher education.
What are the guidelines issued?
In a section on the role of different stakeholders, the guidelines prepared by the University Grants Commission (UGC) has the following advice for student unions:
About UGC
The University Grants Commission (UGC) of India is a statutory body set up in 1956, and is charged with coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education.
Background
Important functions performed by the commission:
Note: To know the difference between the proposed HECI and UGC click on the link below:
Source: The Hindu
Syllabus subtopic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Prelims and Mains focus: about the problem of NPAs in the banking sector; types of NPAs; loan write off and waiver
News: Indian banks have been facing a tough time getting back their monies from recalcitrant borrowers for long now. But their biggest hurdle in getting back dues is time. As time stretched, bad loans have only got worse and banks have had to keep increasing their provisions at the cost of profits.
Background
The following chart shows the surge in various types of bad loans.
Types of NPAs
How are banks dealing with the Bad loan situation?
Way ahead
The enabling conditions for a bad loan to become standard are absent. The economy is in protracted slowdown and several stressed sectors are yet to emerge out of their problems. Even as fresh stress has been piling onto bank balance sheets, past pain is only getting intense and this does not augur well for future recoveries.
What is a loan write-off and how is it different from loan waiver?.
Source: mint
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