1

Brain drain
National foundation report of USA says that Indian origin scientists and engineers
in the USA grew by 85% between 2003 and 2013. According to the UN, India makes
up the largest diaspora in the world, with 16million scattered around the world.

Funds and research

Indian Scientific and research organisations need to be empowered globally to be
competitive. Enough resource at disposal, financial and managerial flexibility and
availability of credible data need to be improved to encourage the prospects of
research.

India - Pakistan Talks

India Pakistan agreed to postpone the talks to a future date of mutual convenience.
It is not a total call off from talks but mere a postponement expecting Pakistan to
take a credible action on perpetrators of Pathankot incident.

Maoist challenge Digital solution Bultoo Radio

Mobile penetration, Broadband network with Radio can be used as effective
communication strategies to reach to the tribal people and redress their grievances
by the state and civil society. It will wean out the Maoist influence. Bultoo Radio in
Balrampur in MP, CG Net Swara in central Gondwana are successful example for
this.
Participatory, local language platforms on bottom up media can facilitate this.

Pakistan Polio challenge

As long as polio exists anywhere, it is a threat everywhere. India, though is declared
as polio free, high prevalence of Polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan pose an eminent
threat to India.
In this context, fight against polio also need a fight against misconceptions. People
believe polio vaccination as a conspiracy by the west to sterilize Pakistani children.
After the use of immunization program by CIA to track down Osama, suspicion and
attacks on health care workers by the militants have increased and it complicated
the situation further.
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Communalization of politics in India

Recent Mob violence in Malda district west Bengal shows the growing communal
politics in India centered on vote bank politics. Strong polarization of communities
is facilitated by the first pass the post system and growth of right wing politics in
Bengal.

Start Up ecosystem
India is only after the USA and UK in the number of startups that are initiated every
year. But, many of them fail to create an impact due to the regulatory environment
that exists in the country.
Start up ecosystem need
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Favorable Regulatory and Taxation environment

Co-existence of capital, ideas, passion and technology together.
Angel investors need to be encouraged with better incentives
Freedom of communication
Government support For ex, CIA in USA funds technology startups in cyber
security
6) Easy availability of Loans

Sabarimala temple Access to women

Constitutional provisions
Art 25(1) guarantees to all persons right to freely, profess, practice and propagate
religion. Here religion extends to beliefs, rituals and ceremonies that are essentially
religious. It mean that, one has to prove the existence of a custom and essentiality
of the custom to the practice of a religion.
It is enforceable against the state and not against the private individuals and not
corporates. Supreme Court held that corporate bodies functionally, financially and
administratively controlled by the state can be equated with state for the purpose
of fundamental rights.
Art 25(2) State can intervene in the religious practice to prevent untouchability and
to promote social welfare. Right to worship and access to those places is
constitutionally protected.

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Art 26(b) grants to religious denominations right to manage their own affairs in the
matter of religion.
In not allowing the women to enter the shrine, the above provisions come in
conflict with each other. Travancore devasthanam board argues to protect the
custom under right to manage its affairs and women argue for their right to worship
in public places and gender equality.

Stagflation risk
Term you shall know
Stagflation Stagnation + Inflation. Fall in economic production along with rise in
prices. Fiscal expansion is undertaken in the early stages if signs of stagflation
appears in an economy (Pump priming of economy)
Signs
1) Index of Industrial production show a contraction in factory output
2) Acceleration in retail inflation esp food inflation
Reasons
1)
2)
3)
4)

Globally, fall in demand for export and china slowdown

Domestic fall in demand on rural front due to deficient monsoon
Low levels of private investment.
Rise in salaries after 7th pay commission recommendation can rise the retail
inflation

WIPO and IPR

Weak intellectual property regime is considered as a reason for lack of flow of
investments and innovation in India. According to WIPOs global innovation index
2015 India is placed at 81st position out of 141 countries due to weak IPR protection.
USA also in its report special 301 in 2015 placed India on priority watch list. A new
IPR policy is considered in consultation with WIPO by the Government.
The consultations majorly revolve around IPR awareness creation, enforcement
and capacity building.
Terms to Know

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Special 301 It identifies countries which do not provide "adequate and effective"
protection of intellectual property rights or "fair and equitable market access to
United States persons that rely upon intellectual property rights".

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