Indian Civil Services Training Academy

Uncertainty of Nepal’s government

Uncertainty of Nepal’s government - ICSTA -2 RELATION Uncertainty of Nepal’s government A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of Nepal quite rightly overturned Prime Minister K.P. Oli’s decision to unilaterally dissolve Parliament. The ostensible reason for Mr. Oli’s decision, clearly without any merit, w...

Stringent Laws & protection of basic rights

Stringent Laws & protection of basic rights - ICSTA -2 Stringent Laws & protection of basic rights Jailed under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Mr. Rao, 82, suffered from a host of ailments, and his condition was deteriorating. The court overruled the National Investigation Agency’s objection tha...

Myanmar military coup

Myanmar military coup - ICSTA -2 -1 Myanmar military coup The military, which had shared power with Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy for 5 years, orchestrated the coup on February 1, hours before the country’s newly elected Parliament, in which the NLD had a huge maj...

Lessons from Australia

Lessons from Australia - ICSTA -3 TECH -2 RELATION Lessons from Australia A new law in Australia that seeks to make technology platforms such as Google and Facebook pay news publishers for use of their content presents governments in democracies with an idea worth considering, if not emulating. Th...

MARS MISSION

MARS MISSION - ICSTA -3 MARS MISSION NASA’s exploration of Mars has focused on finding traces and trails of water that may have existed, and relate it to finding evidence of ancient life. Its earlier Mars expedition which carried the Curiosity rover, landed on August 5, 2012. It identified reg...

Tax on PF incomes

Tax on PF incomes - ICSTA -3 -21 Tax on PF incomes One change to the income tax law proposed in the Finance Bill, 2021, has triggered anxieties for the salaried class. Withdrawing tax exemption on interest income accrued into Provident Fund accounts arising out of employee contributions exceedin...

Labour reforms for the fireworks industry

Labour reforms for the fireworks industry - ICSTA -2 -3 Labour reforms for the fireworks industry Thousands of fireworks industry workers in Tamil Nadu’s remain trapped in unsafe conditions despite an unending series of accidents that keeps drawing attention to their plight. Hazardous industry and hu...

A review of how the Himalaya is treated

A review of how the Himalaya is treated - ICSTA -1 -3 A review of how the Himalaya is treated The staggering collapse of part of a glacier in Uttarakhand’s Nanda Devi mountain and the ensuing floods that have claimed many lives come as a deadly reminder that this fragile, geologically dynamic re...

Restoring East Container Terminal deal

Restoring East Container Terminal deal - ICSTA -2 -3 Restoring East Container Terminal deal The Rajapaksa government’s decision to overturn Sri Lanka’s tripartite agreement to develop Colombo’s East Container Terminal is a setback to India and Japan. The project, worth an estimated $500-$700 mill...

Subordinate Courts

Subordinate Courts - ICSTA Subordinate Courts The state judiciary consists of a high court and a hierarchy of subordinate courts, also known as lower courts. The subordinate courts are so called because of their subordination to the state high court. They function below and under the high court at district and lower levels. A...

Urbanization needs policy reform

Urbanization needs policy reform - ICSTA -3 -2 Urbanization needs policy reform The challenge of urbanization goes beyond standalone interventions such as Metro and bus system grants. State governments, which retain effective control over urban development rather than city administrations, have failed to....

Wealth creation over reduction of income disparity

Wealth creation over reduction of income disparity - ICSTA -3 -2 Wealth creation over reduction of income disparity The Economic Survey for 2020-21 is an expansive attempt at reviewing the developments in the Indian economy. The survey asserts that India established a globally unique model of strategic policymaking in cont...