Indian industry needs innovation, not mindless toil

In 2023-24, the Periodic Labour Force Survey showed that only 21.7% of India's workers were in regular jobs with a salary, while the rest were casual workers or self-employed. Even within the category of regular workers, approximately half of them had to face informal working conditions (they did not have a written job contract, were not eligible for paid leave, and did not receive any social security benefit). Based on workers' conditions during the Industrial Revolution in Britain in the 18th century, Marx wrote: "In its ...werewolf hunger for surplus-labour, capital oversteps even the merely physical maximum bounds of the working day. It steals the time required for the consumption of fresh air and sunlight. It haggles over a meal-time...." However, working conditions in Britain improved by the middle of the 19th century, following regulations brought about by labour union pressures and the sweeping economic and technological changes (although exploitative labour practices continued unabatedly in the colonies). 

Talent shortage - global challenge, India's opportunity

A recent FICCI-KPMG study, 'Global Mobility of Indian Workforce', has estimated that by 2030, the demand for skilled workers will exceed supply, leading to a talent shortage of over 85.2 million people. "This global skills shortage could result in estimated $8.45 trillion in unrealised annual revenue by 2030 - equivalent to the combined GDPs of Germany and Japan," the study says. For India, the challenge, and the opportunity, is to grab as large a slice of the 8.45 trillion pie as soon as possible.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Europe (including the United Kingdom) and Australia emerge as three key geographies where workforce mobility will be critical. The talent shortage will neither be uniform across all regions nor follow similar patterns. Each of these regions faces specific workforce demands. However, health care will be a common requirement across all three regions, with aging populations and increasing health-care needs driving demand. In general, services will be prevalent in the three geographies. 

Necessary infusion

The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) recent decision to inject an additional $10 billion into the financial system through a dollar/rupee swap auction is a timely measure aimed at addressing long-term liquidity concerns among domestic lenders. These concerns stem from a flight of foreign capital from Indian stock markets, as investors seek better returns in the United States amid President Donald Trump's proposed corporate tax cuts and ongoing tariff wars, which have strengthened the U.S. dollar against global currencies. The first was in 2019, in response to global financial volatility during Mr. Trump's first term, amid trade tariff tensions and tax cuts. However, unlike 2019, when India's foreign exchange reserves were rising, ensuring dollar availability while rupee liquidity remained constrained, today's situation is more challenging.  

Influence

The controversy over USAID's presence in India reflects an increasingly unhinged public discourse, undermining the nation's confidence and global standing. The BJP and the Congress have been engaged in a political tug-of-war, attempting to corner each other over USAID-funded projects and foreign connections. However, much of this cacophony that passes for debate is fuelled by misinformation and misinterpretation, often drawing from insinuations made by the Trump administration which views international aid as a waste of American resources

A new age of imperialism

Three years ago, when Russia invaded Ukraine, the violation of the UN Charter by a permanent member of the Security Council severely tested the principles upon which the post-war order had been built. It exposed the fragility of an open, rules-based international system founded on the three pillars: economic integration through a global trading system and international financial institutions; collective security based on sovereign equality; and self-determination. However, today, the U.S. has switched from backing Ukraine to echoing Russia in a repudiation of the Charter principles. This has dealt a body blow to the UN-based system of global governance. Over several conferences between 1941 and 1945, the U.S., the U.K., and the Soviet Union agreed to the formation of an international organisation based on collective security to maintain peace and manage relations between states as sovereign equals.

What has SC previously ruled on gag orders?

The Supreme Court on February 18, granted interim protection from arrest to podcaster and influencer Ranveer Allahbadia in connection with the First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against him over remarks made on the YouTube show "India Got Latent". A Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh imposed stringent conditions, prohibiting Allahbadia and his associates from posting any content on social media until further orders. The court also directed him to surrender his passport to the police. The Supreme Court, granted interim protection from arrest to podcaster and influencer Ranveer Allahbadia in connection with the FIRs registered against him over remarks made on the YouTube show "India Got Latent". The condition imposed on Allahbadia and his associates to "not air any show on Youtube or any other audio/video visual mode of communication till further orders" effectively constitutes a gag order. The conditions for granting interim relief in criminal cases are not statutorily prescribed. Instead, judges have the discretion to impose conditions they consider necessary. 

Why has the UGC-CARE list of journals been discontinued?

The University Grants Commission (UGC) decided to discontinue the UGC Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (UGC-CARE) list, which is a list of quality academic journals, first introduced in 2018. The UGC-CARE list will now be replaced by a set of suggestive parameters for choosing journals based on eight criteria. The aim of the UGC-CARE listing was to ensure that only "reputable" journals are recognised for faculty selections, promotions, and research funding applications. According to UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar, the UGC-CARE list faced several criticisms, including over-centralisation in deciding what constitutes high-quality research and journals, and unnecessary delays in including or excluding journals from the list. Students and academics have voiced their concerns on the latest move. 

USAID funded 7 projects in India in FY24: report

Amid a raging political controversy over the United States Agency for International Development's alleged role in influencing Indian elections, the latest annual report of the Finance Ministry has disclosed that USAID funded seven projects estimated at $750 million in 2023-24. "Currently, seven projects worth a total budget of $750 million (approx.) are being implemented by USAID in partnership with Government of India," says the Finance Ministry annual report for 2023-24. 

For the financial year 2023-24, an obligation of a total of $97 million (about ₹825 crore) has been made by USAID under the seven projects, it said. The Department of Economic Affairs under the Finance Ministry which is the nodal department for bilateral funding arrangements has also shared the details of projects funded in 2023-25 in the report. 

Health Ministry bans export of drugs containing Tapentadol, Carisoprodol

Following reports about the export of unapproved combination drugs containing Tapentadol and Carisoprodol by Aveo Pharmaceuticals, Mumbai, to certain countries in West Africa, the Health Ministry on Sunday issued a stop activity order and immediate withdrawal of export no-objection certificate (NOC) and manufacturing licences for the combinations. Tapentadol is an opioid medication that is used to treat moderate to severe pain. Carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant which works on the centres in the brain and spinal cord to relieve pain. "Both Tapentadol and Carisoprodol are individually approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation [CDSCO] in India. Tapentadol is approved in 50, 75, and 100 mg tablet forms, as well as 100, 150, and 200 mg extended-release tablets. However, the combination of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol is not approved in India. Neither of these drugs is included in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) list in India," the Health Ministry said. 

Why personal accident insurance is a lifeline

In 2023, road accidents in India claimed almost 1.73 lakh lives and left 4.63 lakh injured, as per data shared by States with the Union government. While road accidents are widely reported, other incidents are just as disruptive. Home accidents, for instance, are a significant concern, with falls constituting about 30% of such incidents, burns making up 20%, accidental poisoning from household chemicals and medications accounting for 15% and drowning, particularly involving young children, making up about 10%. Workplaces are even more perilous, with over 400 workers killed and more than 850 seriously injured in 2024 alone across various sectors. The statistics highlight the pervasive nature of accidents that go beyond road traffic incidents. Personal accident insurance acts as a financial safety net, protecting you and your loved ones from the economic impact of life's unpredictable accidents. Let's explore the standout features of these policies available in the market currently. 

First detailed map of moon's south pole made from Chandrayaan data

Astronomers are excited to be poring over the first ever detailed geological map of the moon's south polar region, where India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar module, Vikram, touched down on August 23, 2023. The map is expected to throw new light on the moon's origin and evolution. Researchers from the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, Panjab University in Chandigarh, and Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems, Indian Space Research Organisation, Bengaluru, created the map using data from the rover Pragyan. Using the map, the scientists calculated the age of the region to be around 3.7 billion years, around the same time the first signs of microbial life emerged on earth. Sadly, the lunarscape may not endure undisturbed for very long as efforts to colonise the moon get underway, accompanied by the risk of lunar littering and the effects on the moon's thin atmosphere.