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National land monetization corporation: The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of the National Land Monetisation Corporation (NLMC), the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) announced in the Union Budget 2021-22. The NLMC will be a firm, fully owned by the government, to carry out the monetisation of government and public sector assets in the form ofRead more

Russia’s offer of cheaper oil is tempting, but India must be cautious: With oil above $100, the government now has to spend twice as much to import oil as it did earlier. Russia has offered to sell oil at lower prices to India. Issues in buying oil from Russia: Impact on India’s export due toRead more

Indigenisation in defence technologies: India’s successive abstentions during votes on Ukraine in the UN Security Council and elsewhere may be hard to justify on moral grounds, but they are certainly rooted in “realpolitik”. Reasons for India’s stance: There is irrefutable logic in the argument that safeguarding the source of 60-70 per cent of its militaryRead more

Why ‘de-dollarisation’ is imminent De-dollarisation refers to reducing the dollar’s dominance of global markets. It is a process of substituting US dollar as the currency used for: Trading oil and/ or other commodities Buying US dollars for the forex reserves Bilateral trade agreements Dollar-denominated assets The dominant role of the dollar in the global economyRead more

Draft National Policy for Medical Devices, 2022 The government is proposing a new Draft National Policy for Medical Devices, 2022 to reduce India’s dependence on import of high-end medical devices. Objectives: Adopting public-private partnerships to reduce the cost of healthcare, drive efficiency, and aid quality improvements in medical devices manufactured in the country. It aimsRead more

Export Avenue for Farmers With a bumper harvest on the way, and prices having firmed up because of the war in Ukraine, Indian farmers could have an opportunity for higher exports amid restrictions on Russian cargo movement. Reasons for increasing exports: The surge in rice exports since 202-21 has been driven by a drought inRead more

How War Can Hit Semiconductor Supply? The global semiconductor chip supply chain which was earlier hit by the COVID-19 pandemic may again face a crisis due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Both Russia and Ukraine contribute to the global semiconductor supply chain.   Contribution of Ukraine: Ukraine is one of the world’s largest suppliers of NeonRead more

Shutdown this Misguided Energy Policy On March 3, a fire broke out near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine during the course of a military battle that could have triggered a major nuclear disaster. 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant suffered severe accidents after an earthquake and a tsunami hit it. As a result radioactiveRead more

Water Management Needs a Hydro-Social Approach It is globally estimated that the gap between demand for and supply of fresh water may reach up to 40% by 2030 if present practices continue. 2030 Water Resource Group in 2008 also recognises this problem and help achieve the SDG 6. The latest UN World Water Development Report,Read more

Looming Oil Crisis: What Now? U.S. President Joe Biden announced a ban on all crude oil and natural gas imports from Russia into the US, while the UK announced that it would phase out imports of Russian oil by the end of the year. Why were oil prices rising even before the Ukraine crisis? CrudeRead more