Author: priti

Special Subsidy Extended Until 2025 to Stabilize Fertilizer Prices, But Falling Rupee Raises Concerns In a bid to ensure that the prices of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), India’s second most consumed fertilizer, remain stable for farmers, the Indian government has extended the special subsidy of Rs 3,500 per tonne. This extension, which was due to expire on December 31, 2024, will now continue until December 31, 2025. The decision, approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday, comes as a response to increasing pressures on farmgate prices, exacerbated by the steep fall of the Indian rupee against the US dollar. The fertilizer…

GST Collections Face Weakest Growth of FY 2024-25 as Refunds Surge by 45% India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) receipts saw a significant slowdown in December, with net GST growth falling to 3.3%, marking the weakest growth rate of the financial year 2024-25. The slowdown in GST collections is being attributed to a combination of factors, including a rise in refunds and slower growth in both domestic and import-related tax revenues.  Gross GST Inflows Hit Three-Month Low India’s gross GST receipts for November transactions stood just under ₹1.77 lakh crore, reflecting a growth rate of 7.3% compared to December 2023.…

Fresh Plea by AIMIM Chief Seeks Direction for Effective Enforcement of Law; Matter to be Taken Up with Pending Cases on February 17 The Supreme Court of India has agreed to consider a plea filed by Asaduddin Owaisi, the President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), calling for the effective implementation of the 1991 Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act. The law, which mandates the preservation of the religious character of any place of worship as it stood on August 15, 1947, has been a subject of considerable legal debate in the country. The Bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv…

Enrolment Numbers Drop by 6% as New Data Collection Methods Uncover Gaps Introduction India’s school enrolment figures have taken a sharp decline for the first time in years. According to the recent UDISE+ report for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years, enrolment numbers have fallen by over 1.5 crore students, showing a significant 6% drop compared to previous years. This development has raised questions among educationists, but the Ministry of Education insists that the decline is due to improved data collection methods aimed at enhancing the accuracy of enrolment records. Why Did Enrolment Drop? The primary reason for the enrolment…

ISRO’s SpaDeX Mission Positions India to Join Elite Club of Spacefaring Nations India poised to become the fourth nation in the world to master space docking technology The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) made a monumental step toward advancing its space exploration capabilities with the successful launch of the SpaDeX mission, a crucial experiment aimed at demonstrating in-space docking technology. The launch, which took place on December 30, 2024, marked the beginning of a new chapter in India’s ambitious space plans, positioning the country to join an exclusive group of nations—Russia, the United States, and China—that possess the advanced capability…

Former President Leaves Behind Legacy of Peace-Making and Public Service Jimmy Carter, who rose from a humble peanut farmer to become the 39th President of the United States and later reinvented himself as a global humanitarian, died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100 years old. The Carter Center announced that the former president passed away peacefully on December 29, surrounded by family members, nearly two years after entering hospice care. His death comes just weeks after the passing of his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter, who died in November 2023 at age 96. From Plains…

From RBI Governor to Economic Reformer: A Journey Through India’s Financial Evolution In a remarkable journey spanning decades, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s tenure as Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor and later as Finance Minister marked pivotal moments in India’s economic history. His leadership during critical periods shaped the nation’s financial landscape and set the foundation for modern India’s economic policies. Steering RBI Through Challenging Times (1982-1985) Appointed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1982, Singh’s tenure as RBI Governor was marked by both achievements and challenges. During his leadership, rural development gained momentum, and he laid the groundwork for modern…

The Indian rupee’s continuous depreciation against the US dollar has become a topic of growing concern, with the rupee recently breaching the 85-mark for the first time. As of December 26, 2024, the rupee stood at an all-time low of 85.25 against the dollar, further exacerbating concerns about the country’s economic stability. This marks a significant drop from earlier in the year, when the exchange rate hovered around 83. The weakening rupee, especially when compared to the relatively stronger US dollar, can be attributed to a combination of global and domestic factors, including capital outflows, inflation disparities, rising crude oil…

New Rule Affects 3,000 Central Government Schools, Including Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas In a significant policy shift, the Centre has officially scrapped the no-detention policy for students in Classes 5 and 8, impacting over 3,000 schools under its jurisdiction, including Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs), Sainik Schools, and Eklavya Model Residential Schools. This change, made via an amendment to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Rules, 2010, will now allow these schools to detain students who fail to meet the promotion criteria at the end of the academic year. The policy change,…

New Guidelines After Supreme Court Rulings on Money Laundering Cases In the wake of recent setbacks in high-profile money laundering cases, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh instructions to its officers, clarifying that the agency will no longer pursue cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based solely on criminal conspiracy charges. The directive, reportedly communicated by ED Director Rahul Navin, reflects the agency’s response to recent legal challenges that resulted in key cases being dismissed in court. ED’s Revised Approach After Court Rulings Sources indicate that the new instructions come after several high-profile cases involving the…