Aug 26, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 25th Aug, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 25th Aug 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections Right to Privacy is a fundamental right: SC verdict In news: A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India in K. Puttaswamy v Union of India case said in one voice and six judgements, that the right to privacy is inherent in our fundamental rights. The right to privacy is not just a common law right, not just a legal right, not just a fundamental right under the Constitution, It is a natural right inherent in every individual. Privacy is a fundamental right protected by Article 21 and Part III of the Constitution and is protected as an “intrinsic part of the right to life and right to personal liberty under Article 21” and also as a part of the other freedoms guaranteed in the chapter of fundamental rights. Background: The right to privacy was a constitutionally accepted and recognised by an interpretative device of the Supreme Court since 1975. Over the decades, more than 30 decisions of the apex court applied privacy as a bundle of rights that permitted liberty of thought and action. Some instances include safeguards against indiscriminate phone tapping, narco analysis and even bodily integrity. One of the lowest points in the history of the Indian Supreme Court has been when during the proclamation of Emergency, it refused to enforce fundamental rights. By its decision in ADM Jabalpur v. Shivakant Shukla the court agreed with the government to suspend fundamental rights thereby permitting it to hold people in detention, without any opportunity to move court. More importantly, it gave wide police powers to the government to pursue state interests at the cost of fundamental rights. However, about two years ago, in the midst of the hearings of the Aadhaar case the government disputed the very basis of the right to privacy. Arguments given by SC judges: Ensuring dignity and liberty: “Privacy with its attendant values assures dignity to the individual and it is only when life can be enjoyed with dignity can liberty be of true substance. Privacy ensures the fulfillment of dignity and is a core value which the protection of life and liberty is intended to achieve,” it states. At another place, it notes, “The dignity of the individual, equality between human beings and quest for liberty are the foundational pillars of the Indian Constitution”. The spirit of self-correction — and commitment to human dignity — are also behind the court’s decision to set aside its 2013 verdict that resuscitated Section 377. The court’s remarks will be seen as a long-awaited course correction: “In a democratic Constitution founded on the rule of law, their [minority] rights are as sacred as those conferred on other citizens to protect their freedoms and liberties. Sexual orientation is an essential attribute of privacy. Discrimination against an individual on the basis of sexual orientation is deeply offensive to the dignity and self-worth of the individual”. “Privacy enables each individual to take crucial decisions which find expression in the human personality. It enables individuals to preserve their beliefs, thoughts, expressions, ideas, ideologies, preferences and choices against societal demands of homogeneity. Privacy is an intrinsic recognition of heterogeneity, of the right of the individual to be different and to stand against the tide of conformity in creating a zone of solitude,” the court said. At a time when individuals are being told what to eat, who to love and marry, to respect or oppose, this assertion of the citizen’s autonomy sends out an important message to both society and the state. Privacy, the court holds, is about the reservation of a “private space to be left alone”. Recognising the full amplitude of the need for privacy, the court holds that “the ability of an individual to make choices lies at the core human personality”. Justice DY Chandrachud who wrote the majority judgment, said: “The refrain that the poor need no civil and political rights and are concerned only with economic well-being has been utilised through history to wreak the most egregious violations of human rights.” They have rejected any notion that the right to privacy is an impediment to social welfare in any way, and the idea that those who seek socio-economic security do not care about their civil and political rights. Three elements are considered as the core to the right to privacy- Person al autonomy, the freedom to make choices and the right to determine what happens with information about oneself. The judges found it to be reflected throughout Part III of the Constitution of India, which guarantees fundamental rights. Reasonable restrictions: Since the right to privacy is not located in Article 21 alone but in all freedoms, it will be subject to the limitations to which those rights are subject. Here too the judges wisely avoid spelling out limitations making them dependent on the right sought to be protected and the proportionality of the limitations imposed by law. Most importantly, the right to privacy can be curtailed in public interest only by a law which can be once again tested for its constitutional validity. The court does impose reasonable restrictions on the Right to Privacy. Justice Mathew held that the right to privacy could be curtailed only when there was “compelling State interest”. The nature and content of the law which imposes the restriction would now fall within the zone of reasonableness mandated by Article 14, which is a guarantee against arbitrary state action. A democracy can survive when citizens have an undiluted assurance that the rule of law will protect their rights and liberties against any invasion by the state and that judicial remedies would be available. Implications: The constitutional right to privacy is no longer in any dispute and stands on firm ground. Its breadth is established over the entire chapter of fundamental rights, which include equality, free expression, right to life, religion. This also means the Aadhaar cases will now proceed for arguments on their merits which were gridlocked due to this pending decision. This case goes far beyond Aadhaar and holds the promise of renewing the vitality of the complete spectrum of civil liberties. The Supreme Court, by stating that the state does not bestow privacy, also has limited its ability to take it away. While recognising that even natural rights are subject to limitations, high thresholds are prescribed. The consequence of this is also that the basis for state interference with privacy (by law or action) will have to meet the standards of the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court over the years. The laws interfering with privacy will have to not only be just, fair and reasonable but also have to be based on the grounds enunciated in Part III. This expands the scope of judicial review of such laws and raises the burden on governments to ensure the constitutionality of laws. The implications of this judgment go far above and beyond just the question of whether the Aadhaar scheme and law are valid. In this judgment itself, the SC has affirmed that sexual orientation is a part of the right to privacy (casting serious doubts over the fate of Section 377 of the IPC) and affirmed the right to choose one’s food habits (indirectly approving the Bombay High Court’s striking down parts of Maharashtra’s beef ban). The principles laid down here will go a long way in striking down some of the most regressive and tyrannical laws on the books. A welcome aspect of the judgment is that it makes it clear that sexual orientation is part of privacy and constitutionally protected, and that the 2014 verdict upholding Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code is flawed. In doing this, it undercuts the basis of the Suresh Koushal v. Naz Foundation case, the court refused to strike down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. It is now only matter of time when the case will be formally overruled. Way ahead: While the privacy judgement is a cause for celebration, its full benefit will only come when it is applied to actual state actions that undermine privacy. Adherence to constitutional principle requires a prompt protection of real rights and liberties. The true test of the privacy judgement will be in its subsequent application to state actions when it sets boundaries and provides safeguards. The right to privacy broadly encompasses physical privacy, informational privacy and decisional autonomy. The interplay of technological advances and the right to privacy in the digital age needs to be closely scrutinised. The nine-judge bench has rightly emphasised the need for data protection laws — a task now entrusted, at a preliminary stage, to the Justice Srikrishna Committee. Conclusion: What this judgment truly means will become clear in the days to come. If it is to mark a definitive turn in the understanding of fundamental rights, it will have to be applied uncompromisingly by the courts in the future. The burden of giving this landmark judgment full meaning rests with the judiciary itself as it is faced with laws that intrude into the lives of people. Connecting the dots: The recent historic judgment by Supreme Court on Right to Privacy will have far reaching implications. Discuss. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY/NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3 Science and Technology‐ developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Building a culture of research in India Background: Whenever global rankings of universities are announced, there is always a discussion about India’s poor showing. Former President Pranab Mukherjee spoke about this in many forums, asking why quality of our academia cannot be as good as those in other countries. Issue: Research is one aspect that often got flagged, pegged by the observation that the number of publications and their citations are relatively less in India, in comparison with various developed countries. The reasons are many: A culture of research is largely missing in our institutions. Collegiality and a singularity of purpose among faculty members are important requirements to build that, where members need to be bonded by shared, research-related values and practices towards building a safe home for testing new ideas. Sadly, we lack clarity on “what developing research culture means?” Education administrators in India looked at this in many different ways, such as, (i) building research culture involves incorporating research into an organisational culture that has not previously considered that activity as part of its culture; (ii) implanting a research sub-culture within an organisational culture currently having a distinctive teaching sub-culture; (iii) having a ‘petri-dish’ culture — an environment into which we toss research and expect it to grow, just as we expect bacteria to grow in a petri dish. Unfortunately, none of these helps much. Instead of any comprehensive reviews and follow-up actions, we seem to mindlessly adopt some practices. A glaring example is rules requiring publication in international journals (and presentations at international conferences), as criteria for promotion. Trying to achieve this goal through international publications tends to undermine the longer-term goal of building an indigenous research culture to address the important problems of society. The policy of requiring international publications induces faculty to turn toward addressing unfamiliar problems of distant lands for the sole purpose of getting a publication or two so they can get promoted. This turns the very purpose of research on its head — instead of doing research in order to serve society, faculty start doing research so that they can get it published, treating publication as the end. In India, we seem to suffer from a tendency to treat research and publication as the same thing, which they are not. While good research is expected to generate publications in the top-rated journals the converse is not true. Because of this tendency, majority of our institutions do not have any institutional research thrust, unlike in the west. In India, publications happen due to individual initiatives — often driven by survival or promotional needs rather than being drawn out of purposeful collective effort. This happens because dealing with ‘paradox of scope’ often blurs the vision of our education administrators. The expanding periphery and contracting core of our colleges and universities stretches the already limited adaptive capability of governance structures to the breaking point. Data assessing several key dimensions of universities and colleges — full-time faculty, liberal arts and scientific education, student services that act in loco parentis, the library, etc. — demonstrate how the traditional core of the university is declining. Way ahead: The institution needs to define a strategy that specifies the domain in which it will operate. The risk inherent in the new competitive environment is that as the institution expands everywhere in the periphery, it will be successful nowhere. Unmistakably, research in India has become a victim to this peripheral growth. One common requirement of “developing a research culture” is to move from a few isolated individual researcher projects to an environment where research is so pervasive that it appears to be the activity of a large number of interconnected colleagues. We need steps in that direction. To move ahead, institutions must get empowered to look within rather than being cowed down by a regulator, in whatever name we may call it. Better will be to have a facilitating body instead of a regulating one if our aim is to promote a research culture. Connecting the dots: A culture of research is largely missing in India. Discuss reasons and way forward. MUST READ To read and write better The Hindu Endgame for Section 377 The Hindu Is Prasar Bharti its master voice The Hindu Don't fear trade deficit The Hindu Creating a culture of research in India Business Line Towards an electric vehicles only future Livemint  Triple talaq verdict has not gone the entire distance Livemint The geopolitical prowess of science and technology Livemint  

Aug 25, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 31]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 31] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about Moombika Temple It sits on the banks of the Tungabhadra River It is located in Hampi Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about ‘Washington Consensus’ It is a set of economic prescriptions made by the NAFTA to developing countries It advocates free trade and reducing government budget deficits Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Which of the following countries is/are not members of the G4? Brazil India South Africa China Select the correct code 1 and 3 3 and 4 2 and 4 Only 3 Q.4) Consider the following statements about Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) It is a statutory body It advises the Government on issues relating to wildlife crimes having national and international ramifications Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) was in news recently concerned with India’s first private mission to moon Evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA) Project Loon None of the above To Download the Solution - Click here All The Best  IASbaba

Aug 24, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 24th Aug, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 24th Aug 2017 Archives INTERNATIONAL  TOPIC: General Studies 2: India and its International relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora. Mr. Trump’s new assertive policy in Afghanistan In news: In a recent speech Trump had declared that the US “can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organisations, the Taliban and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond.” His announcement of the decision to send more troops to Afghanistan reflects a realisation that the U.S. does not have many options in dealing with its longest military conflict. New strategy: Mr. Trump's strategy can be summed up as Obama-plus — it builds on the premises of the Obama plan of additional troops and regional diplomacy. But unlike Mr. Obama, who set a timetable for the withdrawal of troops, Mr. Trump is ready for an open-ended engagement. Trump said the focus of the American mission should narrow down to fighting terrorists, not rebuilding Afghanistan “in our own image”. Trump directly called Pakistan a country that shelters terrorists. He demanded that Pakistan’s support to cross-border terror “will have to change” and “change immediately”. He also wants India to play a greater role in providing economic and developmental assistance to Afghanistan. Mr. Trump’s generals want to avoid the kind of vacuum left behind by the Soviet withdrawal in the late 1980s that plunged Afghanistan into a protracted civil war; the Taliban eventually took over. U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to deepen the country’s military engagement in war-torn Afghanistan signals a significant shift in the position he has held for years. Mr. Trump had campaigned to end American involvement in foreign conflicts and was particularly critical of the Afghan war, which he said was “wasting” American money. Precarious security situation in Afghanistan: Sixteen years since George W. Bush ordered the American invasion of Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban regime, the insurgents are on the ascendent again. More than half the country’s territory, mostly in rural, mountainous areas, is now controlled by the Taliban, while the Islamic State has set up base in eastern Afghanistan. In recent years, both the Taliban and the IS have carried out a number of terror attacks in the country, including at highly fortified military locations, raising questions about the very survival of the government in Kabul. Implications for India: On Pakistan: Delhi welcomed “President Trump’s determination to enhance efforts to overcome the challenges facing Afghanistan and confronting issues of safe havens and other forms of cross-border support enjoyed by terrorists.” India has welcomed Mr. Trump’s strategy, as the U.S.’s objectives in building a stable Afghanistan and ending Pakistan’s sponsorship of terrorism are exactly in line with India’s own goals for the region. If Washington has the political will to carry through the promised pressure on Pakistan to stop hosting terror sanctuaries on its soil is not yet known. Delhi has good reason to be cautious in its assessment of what the Trump Administration can compel the Pakistan Army to do today. On Trump’s affirmation that India ought to do more, Delhi pointed to India’s significant past efforts to promote economic reconstruction in Afghanistan. It added that India “will continue these efforts, including in partnership with other countries”. Few countries have gotten away so long with what Trump has accused Pakistan of doing: Pakistan shelters “the same organisations that try every single day to kill our people. We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists we are fighting.” Turning the words of that speech into actions of the ground will not be easy. The Pakistan Army will try and find ways to limit Trump’s fire and fury. It will not be easy, however, for Pakistan to abandon its investments in cross-border terror. It would try and finesse the issue of terror sanctuaries. On Afghanistan: It is equally important for Delhi to note the shift in Washington’s thinking on the Indian role in Afghanistan. When it came to Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Bush Administration drew a red line for India. It cautioned Delhi against too large a role in Afghanistan. The Obama Administration began with the proposition that the answer to Afghanistan might lie in promoting a resolution of Pakistan’s Kashmir dispute with India. It required intensive diplomacy from India to fend off these initiatives. Until recently, Washington believed that India’s rivalry with Pakistan is part of the problem in Afghanistan. Today Trump might be betting that by invoking a larger Indian role in Afghanistan, he might add to the pressures on Pakistan to cooperate with the US. For Delhi, the question is not whether Trump’s Afghanistan strategy is a glass half-full or half-empty. It is about seizing the opportunity opened up by his new policy to raise India’s profile in Afghanistan Way ahead: Delhi’s current emphasis must be on taking advantage of the Trump discontinuity in the American policy towards the Subcontinent. A positive Indian approach would involve three elements — economic, security and diplomatic. Economic: India must ramp up its economic diplomacy in Afghanistan to bring immediate benefits to Kabul amidst the deteriorating conditions in the country. Security: Delhi must step up security cooperation with Afghanistan, especially in the training of its police and armed forces and intelligence sharing. On the diplomatic front: India must counter the emerging argument that Trump’s new approach will intensify the “Indo-Pak rivalry” in Afghanistan and the old one that Kashmir holds the key to peace in Afghanistan. Delhi must remind the world of India’s commitment to regional cooperation with Afghanistan and Pakistan, in an atmosphere free of terrorism. Conclusion: Trump’s new Afghan strategy could be a potential game-changer for South Asia or a brief exception to the familiar pattern of US-Pak relations. While recognising the potential shadow between Trump’s words and deeds (as his strategy is not yet very clear despite the speech), Delhi must bet on its own activism that can influence future outcomes in Afghanistan. Connecting the dots: President Trump has in a recent speech declared that the US can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond. Discuss how such a rhetoric against Pakistan can go a long way in solving Pakistan sponsored terrorism. ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth Investment models. The Justice B.N. Srikrishna committee on bilateral investment treaty (BIT) Background: The recent report of the Justice B.N. Srikrishna committee, constituted to prepare a road map to make India a hub of international arbitration, has recommended many changes in Indian arbitration law and institutional mechanisms to promote arbitration in India. Its recommendations on bilateral investment treaty (BIT) arbitration assume importance as India is currently battling 20-odd BIT disputes. These recommendations are largely on the issue of managing and resolving BIT disputes. Recommendations of the Srikrishna committee: Dispute management: For better management of BIT disputes, the committee recommends the creation of an inter-ministerial committee (IMC), with officials from the Ministries of Finance, External Affairs and Law. It also recommends hiring external lawyers having expertise in BITs to boost the government’s legal expertise; creating a designated fund to fight BIT disputes; appointing counsels qualified in BITs to defend India against BIT claims; and boosting the capacity of Central and State governments to better understand the implications of their policy decisions on India’s BIT obligations. The most significant recommendation is the creation of the post of an ‘international law adviser’ (ILA) to advise the government on international legal disputes, particularly BIT disputes, and who will be responsible for the day-to-day management of a BIT arbitration. Issue: Augmenting the government’s expertise on BITs and designating a single authority to deal with all BIT arbitrations is a laudable suggestion. However, this recommendation will amount to duplicating the existing arrangement to offer advice on international law, including BITs, to the government. Solution: The Legal and Treaties (L&T;) division of the External Affairs Ministry is mandated to offer legal advice to the government on all international law matters including BIT arbitrations. Instead of creating a new office — which will only intensify the turf wars between ministries, and deepen red tape — the L&T; division should be strengthened. This division could be made the designated authority to deal with all BIT arbitrations and thus act as the coordinator of the proposed IMC. The IMC should have a member from the Commerce Ministry as well. This ministry, while dealing with India’s trade agreements — that also cover investment protection — works in tandem with the Finance Ministry. Thus it is only prudent that both be a part of an IMC on BIT dispute management. Dispute resolution: In resolving BIT disputes, the committee has made some useful interventions such as mentioning the possibility of establishing a BIT appellate mechanism and a multilateral investment court. Issue: The committee's conclusion that the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism, given in Article 15 of the Indian Model BIT, provides an effective mechanism for settling BIT disputes between an investor and state is problematic for the following reasons: First, Article 15 requires foreign investors to litigate in domestic courts at least for a period of five years. Assuming that proceedings end in five years but the investor is not happy with the outcome, the investor can initiate a BIT claim provided it is done within 12 months from conclusion of domestic proceedings. Out of these 12 months, the next six months must be spent trying to amicably settle the dispute with the state. If not, then the investor has to serve a 90-day notice period to the state, and only after this can she actually submit the dispute for BIT arbitration. In short, even if an investor is extremely alert, she only has a window of three months to actually submit a dispute for BIT arbitration. Such strict limitation periods dilute the effectiveness of the ISDS mechanism. Second, there are many other jurisdictional limitations given in Article 13 that also limit the usefulness of ISDS. Third, the ISDS mechanism in the Indian Model BIT extends from Articles 13 to 30 covering issues such as appointment of arbitrators, transparency provisions, enforcement of awards, standard of review, which have a bearing on the efficiency of the ISDS mechanism. The report is silent on all these critical issues. Larger issue: BIT arbitration has three aspects: jurisdictional (such as definition of investment), substantive (such as provision on expropriation) and procedural (ISDS mechanism). While the commission’s mandate was to focus on BIT arbitration, i.e. on all the three parts, strangely, it narrowed it down to just the procedural aspect. Conclusion: Despite making some useful suggestions, the committee has lost an opportunity to push for the recalibration of the Indian BIT regime, which has oscillated from being pro-investor to being pro-state. Connecting the dots: The recent report of the Justice B.N. Srikrishna committee, constituted to prepare a road map to make India a hub of international arbitration, has been released. Discuss critically its recommendations on bilateral investment treaty (BIT). Also read: Bilateral Investment Treaties and concerns MUST READ Understanding work The Hindu Two cheers for the Supreme Court The Hindu A minute for Macaulay The Hindu Out on several LIMBS Indian Express Repair and recover Indian Express Sharing the future Indian Epxress Why India fails to deliver on health and education? Livemint We live in a fear of online mobs Livemint China reaching as far as it can go Business Line A just verdict Business Line

Aug 24, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 30]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 30] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about ‘Padayani’ It is performed in honour of Bhadrakaali It is performed in Karnataka Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Recently ‘Reindeer Police’ was in news concerned with which of the following countries? Sweden Norway Finland Greenland Q.3) Consider the following statements about National Intelligence Grid It is a counter terrorism programme, which utilises technologies like Big Data and analytics to study and analyse the data from various intelligence and enforcement agencies The information will be available in public domain to help track suspected terrorists and prevent terrorist attacks Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements A mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) is an agreement between two or more countries for the purpose of gathering and exchanging information in an effort to enforce public or criminal laws Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal Ministry and the Central authority for seeking and providing mutual legal assistance in criminal law matters Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Ministry of Food Processing Industries None of the above To Download the Solution - Click here All The Best  IASbaba

Aug 23, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 23rd Aug, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 23rd Aug 2017 Archives NATIONAL  TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States General Studies 1 Social empowerment Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. Triple Talaq declared unconstitutional In news: The discriminatory practice of instant triple talaq was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Three of the five judges on the Constitution Bench have not accepted the argument that instant talaq, or talaq-e-biddat , is essential to Islam and, therefore, deserves constitutional protection under Article 25. Views: Majority view: It is important to note that the majority decision is only to set aside talaq-i-bidat and not to set it aside as unconstitutional. This is because only Justice Nariman and Justice Lalit — two of the five judges — have held the practice to be arbitrary and therefore violative of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. The third judge who agrees to set aside the practice seeks to do so on completely different grounds. Justice Joseph holds that after the introduction of Section 2 of the Shariat Application Act, 1937, which made Muslim personal law (shariat) as the “rule of decision” where the parties were Muslims, “no practice against the tenets of Quran are permissible” and talaq-i-bidat, which is not permitted by the Quran is not part of shariat and consequently not applicable to Muslims in India. Thus, while three judges agreed to set-aside the practice of talaq-i-bidat, they have chosen to do so on very different sets of reasons. Justice Joseph straddles both these majorities, siding with two judges on setting aside the practice of talaq-i-bidat while siding with two others in effectively holding that most personal law that applies to Indian Muslims is beyond a constitutional challenge. Minority view: At the same time, the “minority view” of two judges, which includes, notably, Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar, urged the courts to approach matters of personal law with “absolute restraint”, underlining that these laws have constitutional protection. In effect, no wide, overarching or immutable principle was laid down by the court — it has not held that all personal laws must henceforth meet the constitutionality or fundamental rights or essential practices test. Significance: This verdict comes three decades after a government with a decisive majority in Parliament overturned a progressive court intervention on Muslim personal law in the Shah Bano case. Since that moment in 1986, the demand for reform has only grown louder within the Muslim community, particularly among its women, and it has compelled even the All India Personal Law Board to pay attention, and, in many cases, to bend. But more recently, the coming to power of another government with a large mandate has sparked fears of majoritarianism among the minority. The verdict sent out a clear message that personal law can no longer be privileged over fundamental rights. Way ahead: Parliament, historically, has refrained from legislating on Muslim personal law, in part because it did not want to give the impression of majoritarian intimidation; and it did not feel it was as representative on these matters in relation to Muslims as it did to others. The net result was that personal law remained exempt from the burdens of justification, enforced by an obdurate Muslim Personal Law Board. With the verdict, it will now be possible for our politics to calmly discuss issues of personal law reform and gender justice across all communities, without communalising our politics. The silver lining in this moment is the fact that there is such a strong movement for reform among Muslims. The net effect of the judgment is that while the practice of talaq-i-bidat is gone, any future change in Muslim personal law as it presently applies will have to come from Parliament and not from constitutional challenges. A comprehensive legislation of Muslim personal law — as opposed to a uniform civil code — taking into account the global developments in Muslim personal law and the social realities of Indian Muslims today, after a detailed discussion with all stakeholders is the way forward. That is the space for the Muslim women’s movement to engage with next. Conclusion: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, and all those who supported its regressive opinion that even an unworthy practice should not be dislodged by judicial verdict, should now accept the verdict in the interests of a modern social order. And there is no reason to contend that their faith has been unduly secularised. For, as Justice Joseph concludes, “what is bad in theology is bad in law as well.”  The cause of gender justice within the framework of personal laws and the Constitution still has a very long way to go. Connecting the dots: In a landmark judgement the Supreme Court declared the practice of Triple Talaq as unconstitutional. Discuss the grounds on which the decision was made and its implications. The Supreme Court judgement declaring triple talaq as unconstitutional is just the beginning. The Parliament now needs to act proactively and bring in a comprehensive legislation for Muslim personal law. Discuss. ECONOMICS TOPIC: General studies 3: Banking & related Issues; Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it Ensuring financial inclusion: Addressing real problems Background: Finance is the glue that holds all pieces of our life together. Financial inclusion is about providing financial tools to people — tools they can afford, are safe and properly regulated, that people can access conveniently from institutions that treat them with respect. These tools enable them to save and to responsibly borrow — allowing them to build their assets and improve their livelihoods. Challenges: In India, financial inclusion received a steroidal boost with Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY). By 4 January, 2017, there were over 265 million accounts under the scheme. But a disquieting feature is that public banks, regional rural banks (RRBs) and 13 private lenders have reported that as on 24 March 2017, 92,52,609 accounts were frozen under the PMJDY owing to inactivity. A survey of these accounts found that only 33 per cent of all beneficiaries were ready to use their Rupay cards. Lack of literacy: Merely opening physical accounts as flag posts of financial identity won’t help unless they are actively used by people for managing their money. To make this possible people have to be imparted an ability to understand and execute matters of personal finance, including basic numeracy and literacy, budgeting, investing, and risk diversification. Financial literacy is a combination of financial awareness, knowledge, skills, attitude and behaviours necessary to make sound financial decisions and ultimately achieve individual financial well-being. According to a global survey by Standard & Poor’s, less than 25 per cent of adults are financially literate in South Asian countries. For an average Indian, financial literacy is yet to become a priority. India is home to 17.5 per cent of the world’s population but nearly 76 per cent of its adult population does not understand even the basic financial concepts. On account of lack of proper awareness and failure of institutions to properly guide them, people buy insurance policies without proper planning and give up midway because they don’t have money to pay the premium. Aggressive selling prevents the agents from properly assessing the consistency n income streams of the buyers for servicing their policies. The customers end up losing heavily as penalties are very harsh. Challenges in going digital: Today, digital technology and mobile phones offer an unprecedented opportunity to connect poor people to services such as savings, loans, insurance and payments. But owning a phone or even opening a digital account does not ensure the account is used. Two-thirds of world’s 299 million mobile money accounts are dormant. India remains among the most cash-intensive economies in the world, with a cash-to-GDP ratio of 12 per cent. Around 97 per cent of all transactions in the country are carried out in cash, which explains why India remains among nations with the lowest access to digital payments. In a digital world, safety and security is important for everyone. Remaining safe is an individual’s own responsibility which has to be taken seriously. Payment providers can put in the most fool proof systems in the world but the human element of payments and hence actions resulting in fraud cannot be emphasised enough. Whether it is reducing risk, improving uptake and usage, enhancing consumer protection or avoiding over-indebtedness. Way ahead: Remodeling financial education programmes: Financial education programmes focused on just imparting knowledge rarely deliver unless they are backed by a suitable product, including the support to use the product. A recent UNDP survey on financial literacy programmes in India revealed that in areas where a service provider was involved in the programmes, the participants had better understanding of products and they had been using the products regularly. Some banks use a decision tree to help customers open the saving accounts that match their needs. The process of going through the decision tree in itself leads to understanding of improved product features by customers. Similarly, in one model, a bank undertook a project to deliver financial education training to young women in rural communities through a cascade training model where core trainers trained peer educators, who in turn trained community members. These examples provide evidence that using a model that involves experiential learning and use of products has greater chances of success. Customised products: To use financial services to their full potential, the low-income people need products well suited to their needs and appropriate training and education for adapting to these financial services. Bringing this about requires attention to human and institutional issues, such as quality of access, affordability of products, familiarity and comfort in use, sustainability for the provider of these services, proper training and outreach to the most excluded populations. Conclusion: Financial inclusion is thus much more than just opening of bank accounts. We need to address real pains like lack of financial literacy and of financial products well suited to needs of the poor. Only then we will be able to create a financial inclusive society. Connecting the dots: Financial inclusion is about providing financial tools to people — tools they can afford, are safe and properly regulated, that people can access conveniently from institutions that treat them with respect. Though PMJDY is a major step but financial inclusion is still elusive for Indian society. Discuss. MUST READ Shaping wilderness The Hindu The Doklam miscalculation Indian Express Fixing the trade deficit with China won't be easy Livemint Creating well paid jobs for Indians Livemint Gorakhpur and after Business Line

Aug 23, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 29]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 29] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements concerning Polymetallic Nodules (PMN) They are called as manganese nodules It contains nickel, cobalt and copper India has contract for exploration of PMN in Central Indian Ocean Basin with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 3 1 and 3 2 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Which of the following countries are landlocked by a single country? Lesotho San Marino Liechtenstein Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 Only 1 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) The funds will be raised by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) through issuance of bonds These funds will be for the implementation of Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) only Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements Amazon tropical rainforests are known as Selvas The majority of the Amazon rainforest is contained within Brazil Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Which of the following statements is/are correct? Supreme Court held the practice of triple talaq unconstitutional. In case of talaq-e-bidat, even if the man realizes that he has made a mistake, the divorce cannot be revoked Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution - Click here All The Best  IASbaba

Aug 22, 2017 AIR

All India Radio (AIR): Defence Acquisition Council Finalises Strategic Partnership Model

Defence Acquisition Council Finalises Strategic Partnership Model ARCHIVES Search 21st May 2017 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3 Indigenization of technology and developing new technology. In news: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), Ministry of Defence finalised the broad contours of a long-term strategic partnership with the Indian private sector in defence manufacturing. The policy will be implemented in a few select segments, initially the fighter aircraft, submarines, armoured vehicles and helicopters and others will be taken up later. In this model, the foreign companies will be allowed in India to have an Indian partner and make defence equipment in India, – like helicopters, fighter planes, submarines, armoured vehicles, tanks etc. The DAC is the top decision-making body on defence procurement, chaired by Defence Minister. Reason The policy aims to develop Indian defence-industrial ecosystem through involvement of both major Indian corporates and the micro, small and medium enterprises sector. The policy will provide a mechanism for a long-term strategic partnership with industry majors through a competitive process. Here the industry partners will tie up with global manufacturers to seek technology transfers and manufacturing knowhow to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains. The strategic partnership model is based on Dhirendra Singh Committee which suggested finding strategic partners for high-end defence production. As per the committee report, the defence manufacturing sector has been categorised into two groups. In every sector, there should be certain strategic sectors to be identified. It includes segments of aircraft, helicopters, aero engines, submarines, warships, guns, including artillery guns, armoured vehicles that include tanks. It was suggested that only one partner should be finalised in each segment in this group. In the second group, identify Indian companies, maximum two in each segment, who can undertake projects in those segments.it includes partners involved in metallic material and alloys, non-metallic material, including composites and polymers, and ammunition including smart ammunition Thus, MoD will identify certain Indian partners as strategic companies and also identify certain equipment platform to be built in India. These companies then would become the chosen production partners in India. SP Model The strategic partnership model shall identify few Indian private companies as Strategic Partners who would initially tie up with a few shortlisted foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to manufacture defence equipment. As an idea, it is a good beginning. Anything which kickstarts production in India and encourages manufacturing industries is welcome. If the idea is to buy from the foreign companies even under this model, there is a need to tie up with Indian companies and make products in India. It looks more like buy and make Indian. But there shouldn’t be any micromanagement by MoD else it will disrupt the process. The selection SPs and their foreign OEM partners would be based on a competitive process to be undertaken simultaneously. Parallel to the shortlisting of OEMs, the MoD would also identify a list of Indian companies in each segment based on certain technical, financial and infrastructure-related parameters. One thing to be noted is that existing Strategic Partners would not be the automatic choice for future contracts. Advantage Indian companies will be a majority stakeholder in such partnership. There is a possibility of export of equipment to friendly countries. The policy will give a boost to the 'Make in India' initiative in the defence sector and set Indian industry on the path to acquire cutting-edge capabilities. Another possibility is that MoD may not have any holding rights over the equipment or IPR rights. However, no critical technology will be shared under this model. Concerns The past is not strong as earlier, the ‘Make’ and ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’ procedures, have failed to yield the desired results due to lack of institutional capacity and ability to guide the new process to its logical conclusion. Also, lack of reforms in the structures and decision-making processes create roadblocks for paths leading to fulfilment of goal. Defence Procurement Policy In DPP, there was a provision of buying from foreign companies, lot of equipment were license produced in India. There was a need of creating composite defence procurement organisation which would streamline mega arms acquisitions as well as leverage them to build a robust defence industrial base (DIB) in the country. Defence procurement board, defence acquisition council, capital acquisition wing, etc. everything are interrelated. There is a talk of separate wing in defence ministry- the defence acquisition wing which will amalgamate the purchase, offset, bringing in more technology, getting into R&D. If strategic partnership model is adopted by MoD, it will be handled by same organisation. A defence procurement procedure was introduced in 2006. Its been 10 years and not a single contract has been singed. It was an idea which encouraged the Indian industry to take up design and development of prototypes of futuristic equipment. These things should not be repeated now. Conclusion The foreign companies are not expected to transfer the state of the art technology. There will be current technology transfer. India can buy from the companies making things here but there should be a condition that after this process, there should be rights of upgrade with the Indian companies. The foreign companies can then tie up with other Indian companies through separate JVs. Hence this is a win win situation for both as they get to establish long term relationship. However, not much should be expected to be done in an instant. Once the draft is made, it will go to finance ministry, then cabinet committee on security and then final policy decision will be taken. This process will itself take few years and then the manufacturing will be carried out. Hence, the deliveries of the essential defence equipment shouldn’t be expected sooner than 5-6 years. Connecting the dots: Highlight India’s defence procurement policy 2016 in view of India being one of the largest importers of defence equipment in world. What is strategic Partnership model? Explain its impact on India’s defence manufacturing capability and economy.

Aug 22, 2017 RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : Can Compensating Loss-Making Routes Change Railways Fortunes?

Can Compensating Loss-Making Routes Change Railways Fortunes? Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes In news: PMO recently directed the Union Ministry of Finance to fund the losses incurred by the Ministry of railways for operating non-profitable trains on strategic line and backward area rail routes. The directive ends a tussle that began after the merger of railway and general budget when union finance ministry discontinued the practice of providing annual subsidy to the railways. Background Every year, the Indian Railways used to get subsidy from the Finance Ministry for losses incurred on railway operations on strategic lines. After the Budget merger, the Finance Ministry had discontinued the practice of providing annual subsidy to the Railways for operating loss-making strategic routes as the Railways was no longer required to pay an annual dividend. Rationale These lines mainly cater to defence movements on border areas and development of social and backward region, hence the Standing Committee on Railways recommended that reimbursement of operational losses on strategic lines and railway lines in hilly, coastal and backward areas should be continued. The compensation helped the Railways in providing relief towards “socially desirable projects” which are usually loss-making projects. Will it benefit railways? When a state electricity board subsidizes consumption of power by farmers, the government is supposed to give that money as a subvention from budget. So in principle, railways should be treated similarly. However, this is not the only area where the railways are subsidizing people which has nothing to do with the commercial viability of railways. The passenger trains are heavily subsidized along with many other quota benefits like ladies, senior citizens, sports, defence etc. Also, the suburban passenger fares in Mumbai are subsidized whose burden is borne by railways. Such kind of subsidies do not encourage profitability or at most viability of running passenger trains. Present railway policy Today, in the system of railways, whatever new line is to be made, it is known that it will be set at losses. The general budget would pay for the capital cost. For the strategic lines, the defence ministry would pay for the capital cost. So the capital costs subsidy was always there. But the reimbursement of operating losses was not there. All over the world, transport profits are driven by freight traffic and the passenger traffic, whether road or railways, India or Europe, are always subsidized.  Now unless there is a freight traffic, and there is need to run the passenger trains on low traffic lines, the railway will make losses. However, unless the railways extend a line to particular area, that area will not develop. Hence the static analysis that traffic is low is not justifiable. Once the lines are established, there is scope for new communication and transportation channels. New industries and migration of people can happen. Thus, a dynamic approach is required while determining the viability of establishing new lines. Way forward There is a need of robust regulator otherwise rail policies will always remain an announcement. Railways will give some calculation about losses incurred on certain tracks and there will be a tendency to inflate it. It may also happen that the authority sanctioning subsidy may question railways’ efficiency and decline to provide for subsidies. Thus a subjective element will always persist while undertaking the accounting as well as other railways related decisions. Hence, an independent regulator will fill in the gap. A holistic approach is needed and not a piece meal approach always undertaken. If the government makes some decisions, before implementing it, all the known and related issues should be sorted out. For example, once the government had decided that there would be no two budgets, the compensation topic should have been resolved before rather than waiting for it to be challenged and then sort it. Before the merger, there was a populist approach to announce uneconomic lines. But now, decisions should be made in interest of passengers, freight customers as well as railways. Railways is a monopoly unlike airways. So there is only scope of reform in it. There have been various committees that have made various recommendations. These recommendations can be implemented considering their long term merit and viability and short term required changes. Post-independence, railways has become purely a central subject. Hence it doesn’t allow the states to identify their own needs and fix relative prices for the rail services provided. A serious lookin is required to consider shifting railways to concurrent list. Pre independence, this freedom was there with the state government and also power to fix the fares for whatever line they fixed. Cooperative federalism in railways should be encouraged with states having more independence to manage rail affairs. Currently, the railways is not working at its full potential and lot of resources are being wasted. Unless the railways provide confidence to the passenger and freight customer that railways will provide transportation to their choice and will be charged accordingly, railways do not see a bright future. India is a highly mobile country. People travel daily for work and vacation. But putting too much emphasis on its social obligation, not enough finances remain for assuring infrastructure for passengers’ security or new capacity building. Proper commercial accounting methods and change in business rules if need be, should be done to let the railways survive as country’s lifeline. Connecting the dots: ‘Railways have a social obligation to fulfill even it is non-viable’. Do you agree with the statement? Analyse How can Indian railways can become the keystone of India’s multimodal network? Explain in detail.  

Aug 22, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 22nd Aug, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 22nd Aug 2017 Archives INTERNATIONAL  TOPIC: General Studies 2: India and its International relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora. Rebooting India-Nepal Relations Background: With global geopolitics on the boil, and the Hindi-Chini relationship in free fall, it should be in India’s interest to secure its own neighbourhood, and that can only be through letting national politics and governance of the smaller neighbours evolve without interference. India-Nepal relationship in past decade: India played a valued role in ending the Maoist insurgency in 2006. The period thereafter was marked by escalating micro-meddling in Nepal’s internal affairs. The presence of India’s heavy hand contributed in numerous ways to the distortion of consensual governance needed in transitional times. India ‘noted’ rather than welcomed the Constitution. A society trying to emerge from the April 2015 Great Earthquake was slapped with the punitive Great Blockade. New Delhi's heavy-handedness: While keeping silent for years on Nepal’s post-conflict transitional justice process, in November 2015 India’s representative in Geneva cynically utilised the forum of the Human Rights Council to influence government change in Kathmandu. Motives behind heavy-handedness: At the tactical level, New Delhi’s motives behind the heavy-handedness of the recent past may have to do with electoral calculations related to the Bihar and Uttar Pradesh polls. On the Constitution, the idea of a ‘buffer’ province is thought to have been floated either to prevent third country militant infiltration or to control national-level politics in Kathmandu. Some point to an agenda to try to take Nepal back to ‘Hindu state’ constitutional status. For the long term, Indian strategists may be seeking ways to get Kathmandu to allow the construction of high dams and deep reservoirs on Nepal’s rivers — for flood control, navigation, urban use and irrigation in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. A particular federal demarcation might make Kathmandu more amenable. Backfiring: The Great Blockade forced the Kathmandu political leadership to reach out to Beijing and sign a slew of trade, transit and infrastructural agreements with it. Few know that Nepal is today better connected by air to Chinese cities than to India. Pending matters: The two nations need to concentrate on the numerous matters that need concentration and resolution. The open border: It is a unique joint heritage of the two countries. While it is Nepal’s Left that has traditionally demanded restrictions on the border, the call now rises from the Indian security establishment. There are border disputes pending between the two countries — at Susta, Kalapani and the ‘tri-junction’ of Lipulekh. Floods: A permanent bilateral mechanism is required to save the plains population of Nepal from suffering. The Kosi Barrage and attendant embankments have the possibility of wreaking havoc because siltation of six decades has raised the riverbed within the levees far above the outlying tracts. Options like high dam in the hills of Nepal or redistribution of waters into various older channels of the Kosi in Bihar must be discussed. Economy: The impact of demonetisation and the application of Goods and Services Tax on Nepal’s economy and citizenry. Similarly, Kathmandu prefers not to discuss the fact that the Nepali rupee is pegged to the Indian rupee and what it means for the long run. Trade: The arbitrary blockages and go-slow at Indian Customs at border points, the selective use of quarantine for the export of Nepali agricultural produce, the increasing high-handedness of the Sashastra Seema Bal (India’s frontier force in this sector) in dealing with Nepalis crossing over — these are only some of the other challenges on the bilateral plane. Rights of migrants: The rights of migrant Indian labour in Nepal and Nepali labour in India is a topic that rarely comes up. Hydropower: Nepal has since long planned to sell electricity to India once it has a hydropower surplus, and the completion of the much-delayed Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line was supposed to facilitate that. An Indian government directive that it will not allow import of electricity other than from power companies with more than 51% Indian equity is an issue here. Conclusion: As Nepal is moving towards normalcy under its new Constitution, and with India seemingly changing gears on its Nepal policy, one hopes for a threshold of maturity in relations between South Asia’s oldest nation-state and its largest democracy. New Delhi must use the visit of Nepal’s newly anointed Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, as an opportunity to hit the reset button on Nepal-India relations. Indian interventionism having backfired, the Nepal PM’s visit is an opportunity to raise the level of bilateral ties. Connecting the dots: India needs to reboot its relationship with Nepal. There are many issues ranging from open border, hydropower, trade to flood protection that needs serious attention from the leadership of both the nations. Elaborate. NATIONAL/ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Fundamental right to create jobs Background: During his fourth Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the youth to generate employment rather than just seek jobs. He listed out several initiatives of his government to facilitate entrepreneurship. These include access to credit, ease of getting clearances, and skill development. Modi also called for a collective resolve to build a “New India” by 2022. A secure, prosperous and strong nation cannot be built without providing every able-bodied individual an opportunity to create jobs. Limited impact of government initiatives: It appears that government initiatives on job creation are having limited impact. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, 1.5 million jobs were lost during the first four months of 2017. Simultaneously, the number of people declaring themselves unemployed fell by 9.6 million. Seasonal jobs, demonetization, underemployment, reskilling, a reduction in investment, and a shift towards entrepreneurship, are being offered as explanations. If none of these is true, there is a danger of unemployed youth straying towards undesirable activities. Fundamental right to create jobs: A fundamental right to create jobs will aid in unshackling growth in key sectors like agriculture and allied activities, by repeal of restrictive policies and practices. To ensure that jobs are created on a large scale, we need to treat the freedom to create jobs on a par with other freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution. A comprehensive strategy is required: There is a need for an urgent rethink on the strategy for creating job creators, while considering population control measures to regulate job seekers. An incremental siloed approach has been adopted. We have lacked a coherent and comprehensive strategy. There is a need to recognize that all sectors, from commercial sex services to defence manufacturing, have the potential to generate direct and indirect employment. Personal inclination, and not regulatory provisions, must guide professional choices. These will also help in mainstreaming practices considered unlawful. According legal recognition to activities like commercial sex services, betting, and manufacturing medical marijuana (as suggested by Union minister Maneka Gandhi recently) will help in optimal regulation, prevent abuse, and enable access to medical and insurance facilities. This will be no different from the government’s approach to alcohol or tobacco—which are not banned in spite of known adverse impacts, but only regulated, thus letting consumers make the final choice. These avenues also bring in huge revenue which can be used for development projects. Even today, close to half of the working population is engaged in agriculture, including tobacco production. Farmers have the potential to emerge as the largest direct and indirect job creators in the economy. The potential of a rural non-farm economy has also remained untapped in creating job creators. Due to lack of opportunities, the rural population is migrating to urban centres. However, if there is a fundamental right of job creation, then the divergence in delivery and quality of basic education, health and social service between urban and rural residents will be narrowed. What should be done? The Startup India programme is focused on information technology and related sectors, and restricted to urban centres. It should be replicated in rural areas, with a focus on the non-farm sector. If the infrastructure is in place, investments in retail will open opportunities along the agriculture value chain, including processing, packaging, warehousing and transportation. Rural job creators should be involved in these plans. For every smart city, a smart village or cluster will need to be created. Despite the hardships, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) continue to create more jobs than large enterprises. MSMEs cannot be treated like large enterprises—they bear a disproportionately higher burden of compliance, while having fewer resources at their disposal. Government and financial institutions must realize this and treat them accordingly. A digital economy aimed at curing asymmetry in information, finance and data can help in operationalizing the fundamental right to create jobs. The existing trinity of Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar and mobile can act as a stepping stone. Digital tools transmitted through mobile phones can aid in providing information about technology, markets and price. Expanding the direct benefits transfer programme can help in expanding access to finance. Informed consent to share Aadhaar-linked data, with adequate privacy protections, can aid in designing customized policies, products and services that cater to the needs of job creators, creating an ecosystem that stimulates job creation. Conclusion: If Modi expects citizens to create jobs in “New India”, enabling conditions will need to be created. There is no better way to do this than by recognizing that job creators are as important as the creation of jobs. Connecting the dots: The issue of jobless growth in India remains despite various steps taken by the government. A comprehensive strategy is thus required. It's time we recognize that job creators are as important as the creation of jobs. Discuss. MUST READ Between sophistry and silence The Hindu Recasting the steel frame The Hindu Derailed priorities The Hindu Beware the Trump effect Indian Express Doklam foretold Indian Express More than toilets Indian Express Clear the track Indian Express Is the draft national energy policy actionable? Livemint Arvind Subramaniam is wrong Business Line Virtual control Business Line  

Aug 22, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 28]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 28] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) It is under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology It aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing through adopting of principle of e-Governance It is implemented by National Crime Records Bureau Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Consider the following statements The Landing Craft Utility (LCU) is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore IN LCU L52 has been indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) It is part of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) Mentor India Campaign will engage leaders who can guide and mentor students at Atal Tinkering Labs ATLs can be established in schools (Grade VI – XII) managed by Government, local body or private trusts/society. Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.4) Consider the following statements An Inner Line Permit is required to visit the Pangong Tso Depsang Plains are located at the Line of Actual Control that separates the Indian- and Chinese-controlled regions. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) ‘Swasth Bachche, Swasth Bharat’ is concerned with which of the following ministries? Ministry of Human Resource Development Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Ministry of Food Processing Industries None of the above To Download the Solution - Click here All The Best  IASbaba