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Unpacking Growth 2022-23 budget is heralded as growth supportive budget which will primarily be driven by public sector. Issues: The need of the hour is not just to focus on growth but also employment which is not provided adequately by public or private sector. The bulk of employment is created by SME’s which have beenRead more

1. India-UK Free Trade Agreement India and the UK have launched the formal Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, that both countries envisage concluding by the end of 2022. Aim to double bilateral trade by 2030 which is currently at 23billion. The UK is one of the largest investors in India, among the G20 countries. IndiaRead more

India Israel Relations India and Israel marked 30 years of full diplomatic relations. To mark this, India and Israel launched a commemorative logo which features the Star of David and the AshokaChakra- the two symbols that adorn the national flags of both countries. Historical ties: Though India officially recognised Israel in 1950, the two countriesRead more

1. Letting Down the Bottom Half The twin challenges in the budget were offering vital income support to poor and vulnerable households which have suffered greatly during the pandemic, while stimulating broad-based recovery in growth. The two goals are intimately connected. Issues: The survey claims economic growth of 9.2 per cent in 2021-22. But givenRead more

1. What the Survey Says The Economic Survey of 2021-22 has analysed aspects such as inflation, global liquidity measures, and rising energy prices to detail the risks for the economy going ahead. Fiscal space: The Survey notes that buoyant tax revenues and government policies have allowed for additional fiscal policy interventions. Government is on courseRead more

1. Livestock Sector 95% Livestock sector concentrated in rural areas Importance: Major source of employment in rural areas Ensures diversification in rural income sources and can contribute towards “doubling farmers income” Contributes to 25% of agricultural GDP Multiple uses through provision of draft, dung, food sources etc Issues: Access to veterinary service difficult in ruralRead more

Exclusion from SWIFT: What it Entails The U.S., Europe and several other western nations are moving to exclude Russia from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). What is SWIFT? SWIFT is an international network for banks worldwide to facilitate smooth money transactions globally. It is basically a messaging network used by banks andRead more

1. VIP Security: Who, How? Dera Sacha Sauda chief has been provided Z plus category security by the Haryana government. This decision has generated considerable interest as the person was serving a 20-year sentence and was released on furlough. The protection given to someone who holds a position of consequence either in the government orRead more

Insufficiently Green: While the budget focuses on ideas like “business environment” and “growth ecosystem”, certain things stand out in the 2022-23 Union budget for anyone interested in the relationship between economy and ecology. Positive: There is a slight increase in the budget of the Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) from 2021-22’s revisedRead more

1. Emerging Axes, New Equations: Pak-Russia Dynamics in a Changing World Following Putin’s recognition of two breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent republics, Imran Khan will become the first foreign leader to visit Russia since Nawaz Sharif’s historic visit to the country in 1999. During cold war era, Pakistan was a ready ally and treatyRead more