Policy UpdateBavleen Background The Government e‑Marketplace (GeM) portal is India’s flagship digital platform for government procurement of goods and services, launched on 9 August 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoCI) to drive greater efficiency, transparency, and inclusiveness in…
In an era of rapid urbanization, India’s cities stand on the cusp of transformation. From revamping water systems to building smarter mobility networks, the nation needs robust infrastructure guided by forward-looking public policy. India’s cities are at a critical juncture. With rapid urbanization expected to push nearly 600 million Indians into cities by 2036 (NITI Aayog, 2023), the need for sustainable infrastructure has never been more urgent.
India’s agriculture sector has long faced the challenge of ensuring fair prices for farmers while keeping essential food affordable for consumers. For decades, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system served as a safety net, but its coverage was mostly limited to rice and wheat. To address this, the Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) in September 2018 to provide price support for farmers growing pulses, oilseeds, and crops important for nutritional security and reducing import dependence.
The proposed 6000 MW Mithi Virdi Nuclear Power Project, once seen as a crown jewel of India-US energy cooperation, promised much on paper: clean energy, strategic diplomacy, and economic growth. But for the people of Jaspara, Mithi Virdi, Khadpar, Mandva, and Sosiya, it asked for too much in return for their land, their livelihoods, their way of life.
Tk Arun The government should mandate traceability of every ingredient used in the pharma industry by deploying tokenisation facilities of the blockchain. iStock.com We see US President Donald Trump as an enemy of Indian exports, including of our prized pharma products. But a bigger…
Urban India generates nearly two-thirds of the national GDP, yet its municipalities control less than one per cent of the country’s tax revenue. Indian cities are not generating revenue, not because they are inefficient, but because the fiscal architecture has failed them. Today, municipal finance is dependent on intergovernmental transfers, loans, and schemes. The core of the problem lies in the centralisation of taxation powers.
Tuba Athar In Seelampur, play happens between two parked scooters, between caution and curiosity. When a vehicle passes, the game pauses. The city moves on, childhood waits. The forgotten citizens of urban India The moment I entered the lanes of…