Jul 13, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 13th July, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 13th July 2017 Archives INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2 India and its neighbourhood- 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 21st Malabar Exercise : Significance, Opportunities and Challenges In news: The 21st edition of exercise “Malabar” was held in the Bay of Bengal in July 2017. The tri-lateral naval exercise is the widest in scope than all its previous editions and will continue for 10 days. This year is witnessing the largest participation to date with 16 ships, two submarines and over 95 aircraft taking part from the three countries. In another first this year, all three countries fielded carriers for the exercises. Naval exercises don’t get more complex or sophisticated than Malabar-2017. What is Malabar? Malabar is an annual military exercise between the navies of India, Japan and the U.S. held alternately in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between India and the U.S. and permanently expanded into a trilateral format with the inclusion of Japan in 2015. Japan had, however, participated in several drills since 2007 as a non-permanent member. The other non-permanent participants from the past are Australia and Singapore. In 2007, the scope of Malabar was enhanced and the high-point was a five-nation multilateral naval exercise that brought on board three other nations — Japan, Australia and Singapore. Having got off to a good start, the Indo-US exercises named “Malabar” were interrupted by US sanctions imposed after India’s 1998 nuclear tests. Resumed in 2001, Since 1994, the Malabar exercise has been institutionalised in a progressively robust manner. What is its importance? ·         The main aim of the exercise is to address the shared threats to maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific. ·         With China’s growing military strength and its increasing presence in the Indian Ocean, Malabar has assumed greater importance as it is a platform to improve interoperability between the navies. ·         There is special focus on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations in the backdrop of increasing submarine forays by the Chinese Navy. Both India and the U.S. are keen on improving their submarine hunting capabilities in the warm waters of Bay of Bengal. ·         These naval interactions have not only provided the Indian navy invaluable insights into the tactics, doctrines, warfare techniques and best practices of the US Navy, but also enabled periodic self-assessment, using the world’s most powerful navy as a professional yardstick. ·         The deeper geopolitical salience of the exercise is about joint stewardship of the maritime domain – the traditional global commons. The concept of a ‘global common’ has now been extended to include the cyber and space domains and in many ways the Malabar exercise is a symbol of the depth of such collective endeavour. ·         India has been concerned with the increasing presence of Chinese ships in the Indian Ocean. There have been reports of as many as 6 submarine deployments by China in the Indian Ocean since 2013. China's increasing closeness with Pakistan and Sri Lanka are also a cause of worry for India. Thus, Malabar 2017 will prove to be a concrete step towards increasing India's presence in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. ·         Thus China’s growing military strength has lent greater weight to Malabar naval exercises The Chinese angle: Malabar 2017 comes at a time when there are high tensions between India and China over the Sikkim border and the growth of Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean Region. China has been wary of the drills since a long time. The Chinese government had expressed its hope that the exercise is not aimed at other countries. “We have no objection to the normal bilateral relations and cooperation among relevant countries, but we hope that this kind of relationship and cooperation will not be directed at any third party and will be conducive to the regional peace and stability,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson. China has sustained a determined opposition to Malabar because of its suspicion that India is colluding with the US in an attempt at “containment”. China has always viewed Malabar as a grouping to contain it and the fears have been exacerbated with Japan being included and Australia keen to join as well. In September 2007, the Navies of Australia, Japan and Singapore joined India and the U.S. in the Malabar exercises. China had issued a demarche to New Delhi questioning the intent behind the war games, which forced India to abandon the expansion at that time. Australia has been keen to join the games on a permanent basis, which has so far not fructified due to India’s reluctance. The border standoff on a plateau next to the mountainous Indian state of Sikkim, which borders China, has ratcheted up tension between the neighbouring giants, who share a 3,500km (2,175 miles) frontier, large parts of which are disputed. Chinese apprehensions this year has led India turning down an Australian request to join the exercises for now, for fear that it would antagonise China further. Reflects the change in India's foreign policy: The far-reaching geo-political impact of these exercises needs to be kept firmly in sight. Although India’s traditional strategy of “non-alignment”, and its more recent mutation, “strategic autonomy”, have served to preserve its freedom of action, India’s past leadership did not allow it to come in the way of national interest. The aftermath of the 1962 Sino-Indian crisis as well as the impending 1971 Indo-Pak War saw our leaders suspend their beliefs in national interest — in the first case, to seek military aid from the West, and in the second, to sign a treaty of friendship with the USSR. With the 1998 nuclear tests and the 2005 Indo-US nuclear deal having resulted in a fundamental transformation of India’s status, the present government has also given clear indications that India’s foreign policies will be guided by pragmatism and national interest, rather than idealism. Way forward: Today, realpolitik demands that India take necessary steps to avoid getting trapped by ensuring a favourable regional balance-of-power, through cooperation and partnerships; striking short-term alliances if necessary. Apprehensions about the Trump administration’s stance on Indo-US naval relations have been set at rest. Japan, too, is easing its laws vis-a-vis foreign military relations. The stage is, therefore, set for the three navies to expand their linkages beyond exercises at sea. In the realm of maritime warfare, the three navies could derive mutual benefit from their diverse operational expertise. Our navy’s indigenous warship-building programme is still heavily reliant on key inputs from foreign sources. We must seek help from the advanced US and Japanese military industrial complexes to acquire the competence for designing and building our own weapons and sensors. A proposal worthy of contemplation would be the creation of a “maritime-infrastructure and economic initiative” that reaches out to smaller Indian Ocean nations in an endeavour to wean them away from China. Conclusion: Indo-US naval cooperation has, for 25 years, formed the sheet-anchor of bilateral relations, stoically weathering political and diplomatic storms. With the invaluable accession of Japan to this partnership, the India-Japan-US triad must, now, be elevated to strategic status. Also India needs to maintain a cautious approach so as not to upset China as the standoff in Doklam plateau at India-Bhutan-China tri-junction continues. Connecting the dots: The 2017 Malabar exercise was one of the most sophisticated naval exercises. Discuss its significance for India and Indian ocean region geo-politics. Also critically analyze the apprehension China has against the trilateral exercise. NATIONAL/GOVERNANCE TOPIC: General Studies 2 Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Ratan P. Watal Committee to review all Autonomous Bodies (ABs) In news: The government had decided to focus on over 500 autonomous bodies - from the University Grants Commission and Jawahar Lal Nehru University to Delhi Development Authority, Prasar Bharati and CSIR - and had asked Niti Aayog to review the performance of these entities that have mushroomed over the years with little oversight. Niti Aayog had been entrusted the task as the government looks to cut down on wasteful expenditure. The number of central autonomous bodies has shot up from 35 in 1955 to 533 in 2012 and the Expenditure Management Commission (EMC) headed by former RBI governor Bimal Jalan had said these agencies guzzled a lot of cash, which some estimates suggest could be over Rs 70,000 crore annually . Hence, NITI Aayog had set up a Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri Ratan P. Watal for comprehensive review of all Autonomous Bodies (ABs). This review is part of the first phase of a drive to curb overlapping work and reduce the Centre’s expenditure, currently at over Rs 70,000 crore per annum on 679 such institutions. Definition of autonomous body: The term "autonomous body" denotes a self governing body, independent, or subject to its own laws. However, private enterprise is also self-governing and independent of direct government influence or control. Therefore what is the actual meaning of Autonomous Body (AB)? First, an AB is set up by the government for a specific purpose (it’s a public authority). Second, it is independent in day-to-day functioning, but the government has some control over ABs. Third, the government funds ABs in some way — revenue expenditure, capital expenditure, or both. Definition of public authority: Right to Information Act defines “public authority” as - any authority or body or institution of self-government established or constituted (a) by or under the Constitution; (b) by any other law made by Parliament; (c) by any other law made by State Legislature; (d) by notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government, and includes any (i) body owned, controlled or substantially financed; (ii) non-government organisation substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate government”. Why a system of external or peer review of autonomous organisations or bodies every three or four is need of the hour? There is a need to review the objective for which the autonomous organisation was set up and whether these objectives have been or are being achieved. Review is essential to find out whether the activities of the ABs should be continued at all, either because they are no longer relevant or have been completed or if there has been a substantial failure in achievement of objectives. To find whether the nature of the activities is such that these need to be performed only by an autonomous organisation Whether similar functions are also being undertaken by other organisations, be it in the central government or state governments or the private sector, and if so, whether there is scope for merging or winding up the organisations under review. Whether the total staff complement, particularly at the support level, is kept at a minimum, whether the enormous strides in information technology and communication facilities as also facilities for outsourcing of work on a contract basis, have been taken into account in determining staff strength; and whether scientific or technical personnel are being deployed on functions which could well be carried out by non-scientific or non-technical personnel etc. Whether user charges including overhead/ institutional charges/management fee in respect of sponsored projects, wherever the output or benefit of services are utilised by others, are levied at appropriate rates. To find out whether there is scope for maximising internal resources generation in the organisation so that the dependence upon government budgetary support is minimised. In 1955, there were 35 ABs. The oldest is clearly The Asiatic Society, established in 1784 by William Jones. Today, there are at least 679 ABs. The actual number of ABs could be marginally more as proper information is not available. They obtained nearly Rs 46,500 crore in 2010-11. In 2017-18, 679 ABs obtained Rs 72,200 crore. Since public resources are involved, and all resources have trade-offs, setting up a review committee will improve oversight, bring in necessary transparency and accountability of ABs. Critique arguments: However some experts are also divided on the dividends such an exercise would yield. Critics have expressed their reservations, stating that the changes may lead to a dilution of the purpose for which an autonomous organisation was originally meant. The Centre is clearly eager to reduce its annual expenditure on these 679 autonomous bodies, which come under 68 different ministries and departments, but in doing so without adequate consultations it is feared that it may end up doing more harm than good. Connecting the dots: What are Autonomous Bodies? Do you think there is a need for legal provision to be made that all bodies which are publicly funded will automatically fall within the ambit of the CAG's audit jusrisdiction? Analyze. MUST READ Game of chicken in high Himalayas Hindu The same storm Hindu Sorrowful song Hindu Clearing the view on liquor ban Indian Express Incentivising financial sector Livemint No early solution to impasse in JK Business Line  

Jul 13, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 3]

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 3] Archives Q.1) Which of the following is/are correctly matched?                 Pass                                              Location Shipki La                                  Himachal Pradesh Nathu La                                   Sikkim Dihang                                      Arunachal Pradesh Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Consider the following statements about DART Mission It is part of the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission concept It is developed by European Space Agency It will demonstrate the kinetic impactor technique — striking the asteroid to shift its orbit Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.3) Consider the following statements about Chief Election Commissioner of India He is appointed by the President He has tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Which of the following cesses are abolished post GST rollout? Krishi Kalyan Cess Cesses on petroleum products Cesses on tobacco and tobacco products Swachh Bharat Cess Select the correct code 1, 3 and 4 1 and 4 2, 3 and 4 2 and 3 Q.5) MERIT app is associated with Coal block allocation Cement procurement Tracking power distribution APMCs Download The Solution - Click here All The Best IASbaba

Jul 13, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 12th July, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 12th July 2017 Archives INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2 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. Containing China Background: The fresh skirmish at the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China is part of on-going border tensions. The stand-off continues with both sides raising the temperature gradually. The border dispute has again raised the spectre of Chinese encirclement. It comes close on the heels of India’s boycott of the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) summit in China. The recent dispute highlights the fraught and schizophrenic nature of the India-China relationship. China recently increased its fleet presence in the Indian Ocean Region. Geo-Political encirclement: China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes through Pakistan-occupied disputed territory. India’s contention is that CPEC is a unilateral validation of Pakistan’s claim on disputed territory. China’s BRI is viewed as a strategic encirclement of India: Hambantota port in Sri Lanka, CPEC traversing west China via Gilgit-Baltistan all the way to Gwadar port in Balochistan, a road from Yunan province cutting through Myanmar to end at a deep-sea port in Kyaukpyu. Geo-economic encirclement: China has creeped within the Indian trade, business and financial landscape. Chinese handset manufacturer Vivo won rights to cricket tournament Indian Premier League (IPL). Chinese handset brands now command over 50% of the Indian smartphone market share. Chinese capital goods manufacturers have made deep inroads into India, with some critical sectors now highly dependent on Chinese spares and after-sales servicing. For instance, in the boiler-turbine-generator (BTG) segment, many Indian power producers have installed Chinese BTGs. The Chinese footprint in the digital economy is also expanding rapidly. Numerous Chinese companies—Alibaba, Tencent, CTrip—have made large investments in the Indian digital ecosystem, a mission-critical segment for the Indian government. India suffers a trade deficit with China which has increased over the years: from $38.7 billion in 2012-13 to $51 billion during 2016-17. One of the reasons for the large deficit are Chinese tariff and non-tariff barriers which constrain Indian exports; for example, Indian pharmaceutical exports have found it difficult to penetrate the Chinese market. Doklam standoff: What is different this time? It is much more complicated for following  reasons: One, it is happening near the western tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China. So it involves three countries. And that’s a tri-junction area where, in principle, all three countries have to agree on the posts. The Doklam incident is taking place in an area previously considered settled, or at least not an active part of the boundary. The Sikkim tri-junction is basically the watershed between the Amo (also called the Torsa river) and the Teesta rivers in the Chumbi valley, so it is clear, and parts of it have been settled. Since 1960 both sides have constantly said that this boundary is not such a problem. The tri-junction remained to be settled, and that is a part of the issue. Two, it represents a change in the status quo, and a considerable change, because to build a road represents a permanent presence. Such kind of rhetoric hasn't been there for a very long time. The last most serious one was Depsang in 2013 and then Chumar after that (2014). Basically since the 1980s we have had a modus vivendi with the Chinese. It was formalised during Rajiv Gandhi’s visit in 1988 and then during the border peace and tranquility treaty of 1993, which contained both sides to maintaining the status quo and where they had doubts about a part of the boundary, they would actually sit down and talk their way through the problem. A Chinese scholar has suggested that if India could come to Bhutan’s aid, then a “third country” would be justified coming to “Kashmir’s aid”, referring to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. China can be assumed to be playing for a broader equivalence here. Way forward: We need to de-stress the relationship between the two countries. India-China ties are under stress for some time, whether it is the Chinese attitude toward the membership of the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group), or Masood Azhar’s listing (as a global terrorist by the UN), or the CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor), all of which have come up in the last few years. Both the countries must sit down and worked out a new modus vivendi to govern the relationship. We need a new strategic dialogue to discuss how we should sort out problems. It is in both our interests to do so. We must respect each other’s core interests and manage our differences. To bring an end to the stand-off the simplest way forward is to restore the status quo ante, which means clearing the area of both armies and then talking about it. The high decibel in security and strategic issues seems to be disengaged from trade and investment realities. The increased Chinese foreign direct investment can help counter the rising trade deficit. Conclusion: There is enough space for both India and China to grow. Any sort of stress emerging from issues like BRI, NSG membership, Masood Azhar issue shouldn't be used as an excuse to create a border skirmish. Its time a strategic dialogue is initiated between the two nations so as to recalibrate the relationship between India and China. It is time for a new “modus vivendi” between the two countries. Connecting the dots: The standoff in Doklam plateau has caused a valid concern and calls for recalibration of India-China relationship. Further while India has focused too much on the geo-political issues, the geo-economic issues mainly the huge trade deficit which India has with China remains neglected. Discuss. Also read: Stand-off in Doklam Plateau 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. India’s Textile Sector and Need for a New National Textile Policy Overview: India’s textile sector Almost three centuries ago India was the richest country dominating the world economy with textile exports. However, lapses in our policies and certain decisions in those years allowed the British to rule upon us. As a result of the colonisation, India was exploited for the benefit of countries progressing as a result of the Industrial Revolution. As a result of the above, India has never been able to secure a similar global standing as it did three centuries ago. India’s textile sector, covering everything from fibre to garments, has the second-largest employment after agriculture. Textile sector has the potential to double this employment in the next seven years as per the vision document of the union textiles ministry. Economic survey 2017 had also highlighted the importance of textile sector with regard to generating jobs that are formal and productive, having potential for broader social transformation and generating exports and growth. It is a sector which not only provides livelihoods to millions of households, but is a storehouse of traditional skills, heritage, and a carrier of heritage and culture too. Artisans, weavers, handloom workers are custodians of designs and skills which they have been inheriting and bequeathing for ages. This is also a sector which is undergoing a huge churn due to automation, digital printing and the relentless rise of e-commerce. All these three developments threaten to completely change the face of this industry. Hence the below article assesses what should be India’s strategy to ride this disruptive wave and advocates for the need of national textile policy document, on the same lines of the national telecom policy of 1999, which was a game changer, and led to the upsurge of India’s telecom revolution. Need for a new National Textile Policy The last time a clearly discernible, printed and published policy was brought out by the ministry of textiles was 1985. The 1985 policy was critiqued as a disastrous one as it did not serve the artisan's agenda. One of the many consequences of the policy was the influx of synthetic garments and saris that may have been convenient to "wash and wear" and the easy transition to power looms that were supplied with synthetic yarn. However, it spelled dark days ahead for weavers used to weaving pure yarns, and worse still for the health of one's skin in our extremely hot climate. Since then there has been no well-articulated policy for the entire textile sector that shows the proportion of attention and support given to mill fabrics (both private and national corporations), power looms and handlooms, or the government's vision towards their balanced development of each. The world operated under a patently unfair quota system called the Multi Fibre Agreement (MFA), which shackled the growth of India’s textile and garment exports. The MFA was dismantled completely in 2005 and India was supposed to surge ahead. Instead we have lost steam. India’s share of textile exports in total exports, at 12%, is half of what it was in 1996. Bangladesh’s garment exports exceeded India’s in absolute terms back in 2003. Today it exports more than $35 billion worth of garments, twice that of India. Even late starter Vietnam overtook India in 2011, and now exports garments worth $32 billion. Link: http://www.indiaspend.com/wp-content/uploads/textile-competition.png Their growth in exports has been at 20% per year, against India’s 8%. In overall textile trade globally, India has a share of merely 5%, against China’s 39%. In the sub-segment of synthetic fibres, India’s share is just 2%, against China’s 66%. While India has a rich mix of synthetic and natural fibres and yarns, including cotton, jute, silk, polyester and viscose, it remains a cotton-focused country. The presence of cotton in yarn, fibre, fabric and garments is close to 70% of usage within India, which is also reflected in exports. Only 30% is from synthetics and man-made fibres. The global trend is exactly the obverse, i.e. 70% consists of man-made fibres. So India’s domestic and export mix is the opposite of global fashion and demand trends. The handloom, handicrafts and sericulture sector is largely unorganised and is operated on a small-scale through traditional tools and methods. Some of this is because of the reluctance of the informal sector to step into the limelight of the formal sector with GST. Therefore, a coherent and holistic national textile policy on the lines of national telecom policy can give a much fillip to Telecom Sector and avoid the risk of losing to countries like Vietnam and Bangladesh. Link: http://iasbaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/q7-768x491.jpg   Conclusion: Textiles, along with agriculture, construction and tourism, has large-scale job creation potential. It is a sector dotted with small and medium enterprises, which make up 80% of the units. It is ideally positioned to be a poster child for Make in India. But it needs a national policy and implementation plan, which can address these challenges: changing consumer and fashion trends, a significant demand for investment and modernization of machinery, massive skill upgradation, meaningful export incentives, a fibre-neutral tax policy, a big digital push in design and automation, and lastly, meeting the needs of the e-commerce phenomenon. Connecting the dots: Why textile sector remains an ailing sector in India? Analyse. What measures are required to solve the challenges faced by the sector? MUST READ Getting GST right Hindu Mothers as monitors Hindu The demonisation of Aadhaar card Indian Express A vacuum in the valley Indian Express Malabar signals Indian Express India needs strong directly elected mayors Livemint Learning from Asia's unhappy anniversary Livemint

Jul 12, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 2]

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 2] Archives Q.1) Doklam is a disputed territory claimed by China and Nepal Bhutan and China India and Pakistan Nepal and Bhutan Q.2) Consider the following statements about Kaleshwaram project It is a Lift Irrigation Project It is located in Andhra Pradesh It has the longest tunnel to carry water in Asia, running up to 81 km Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.3) Consider the following statement about ‘Tirupati Varaha’ It is the product of cross breeding between indigenous pigs and Large White Yorkshire (LWY) It is developed by All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP), a unit of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about ‘Aaykar Setu’ It is developed by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) under Project SAKSHAM It will allow entities track TDS, pay taxes, apply for permanent account number (PAN) and help people link their 12-digit Aadhaar with PAN card Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements about INAM-Pro+ It is designed by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) It will include A to Z of construction materials, equipment/machinery and services Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Download The Solution - Click here All the best IASbaba

Jul 11, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 11th July, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 11th July 2017 Archives INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2 India and its neighborhood‐ relations Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Banning Bottom Trawling: Will it help? In news: Sri Lanka’s legislative assembly recently passed an amendment to prohibit bottom trawling. Bottom trawling in the island nation’s territorial waters will now attract a possible two-year prison term and a fine of 50,000 Sri Lankan rupees. The rule is expected to affect a section of fishermen from Tamil Nadu which engages in bottom trawling, a destructive method of fishing. Towards A Global Ban? Sri Lanka is not the first country to impose a ban on bottom trawling. The US, EU, Norway, Canada, and Australia have all invoked partial bans, while smaller states like Chile, Palau, and Hong Kong have implemented full bans. What is bottom trawling? Bottom trawling is trawling (towing a trawl, which is a fishing net) along the sea floor. It is also referred to as "dragging". It is an industrial fishing method where a large net with heavy weights is dragged across the seafloor, scooping up everything in its path – from the targeted fish to the incidentally caught centuries-old corals. Pic Credits: https://d1d6iuzopoyx19.cloudfront.net/english/reports/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/09184309/fisherman-roar-e1458125140882.jpg Why is it a problem? Bottom trawling is unselective and severely damaging to seafloor ecosystems. The net indiscriminately catches every life and object it encounters. Thus, many creatures end up mistakenly caught and thrown overboard dead or dying, including endangered fish and even vulnerable deep-sea corals which can live for several hundred years. In addition, the weight and width of a bottom trawl can destroy large areas of seafloor habitats that give marine species food and shelter. Such habitat destructions can leave the marine ecosystem permanently damaged. It is known to cause great depletion of fishery resources, and curbing it is in the interest of sustainable fishing. In recent years, some fishermen in northern Sri Lanka have also adopted bottom trawling. If this practice continues to gain ground even among local fishermen, the long-term consequences on fishing resources in the contested Palk Bay region will be irremediable. Issue: Tamil Nadu fishermen are arrested from time to time by the Sri Lankan Navy, and their vessels seized. If more are arrested and slapped with two-year jail terms after a summary trial, as the law now envisages, it may create new flashpoints. Fishermen from both countries have been in talks for a long time to resolve the conflict. Sri Lankan fishermen want an immediate end to incursions by Indian trawlers, and those from Tamil Nadu insist on a three-year phase-out period. The proposal to ban bottom trawling is two years old, but the amendment has come at a time when a Joint Working Group set up by both countries last year is in place. It said the livelihood of families of almost 1800 trawler boat fishermen and their crew who are engaged in trawler fishing in Valvettiturai, Gurunagar and Mannar North have to be safeguarded before implementing the provisions of the Act. Way forward: An appropriate response from Tamil Nadu would be to expedite the conversion of its trawlers to deep sea fishing vessels, and not merely condemn Sri Lanka. Ultimately, the solution lies in the transition from trawling to deep sea fishing, for which a beginning has been made. The Central and State governments plan to provide 500 deep sea fishing boats with long lines and gill nets this year, as part of a plan to replace 2,000 trawlers in three years. Sri Lanka should be asked to wait for this plan to be fully implemented before enforcing its bottom trawling ban. There is a glaring need for institutionalisation of fishing in Indian waters by the government of India so that alternative means of livelihood are provided. Government will have to mark up a comprehensive plan to reduce the dependence of Indian fishermen on catch from Palk Bay. Only then will it be possible for Indian fishermen to overcome their natural, and at times desperate, impulse to wander into Sri Lankan waters and carry bottom trawling. Blue economy is a rather ignored issue in India and that seems to have led to the current crisis. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Ocean Development are the nodal bodies responsible for giving technical assistance to states for the development of fisheries and blue economy. Both the governments should consult scientific organisations and device fishing methods which will not hurt the fishermen, before imposing a blanket ban on bottom trawling. A livelihood issue of this nature is better resolved through promotional and developmental measures to introduce alternative modes and technologies, and not through such abrupt bans and punitive measures. It would be fitting for the government of India to register its strongest disapproval of such move and must organize an effective defense of the rights of our fishermen in the Palk Bay. Alternate livelihood employment opportunities should be ensured before implementation of the Act and a sufficient period of time should be given to enable these families to acquaint themselves with the alternative opportunities provided. Conclusion: Both countries should ensure that the situation does not disrupt regular meetings of the JWG. Besides the fisheries conflict, they need to discuss marine conservation, thus giving equal importance to protecting livelihoods and sustainable fishing. Connecting the dots: The Sri Lankan legislative amendment to prohibit bottom trawling will have severe implications on Indian fishermen. Discuss. Also elaborate on how such a prohitbition would be beneficial for both countries in long term. NATIONAL/SOCIAL ISSUE TOPIC: General Studies 1 Population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. ‘Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations’ Introduction/Overview: July 11 has been designated by the United Nations as World Population Day. The World Population Day was started in 1989 by the then governing council of the United Nations Development Programme after the global population had outgrown the five billion mark on July 11, 1987. The countries resolved to observe the day in order to spread awareness about the rise in population, family planning, woes of overpopulation and empowerment of people in developing nations through population control. This year's theme is "access to family planning". Where does India’s population stand? According to the latest data of April 2016 from World Bank, India’s population stands at 1.26 billion. It is only behind China which has a population of 1.37 billion according to the same data. Link: http://www.dw.com/image/39629364_401.png UN estimates that the second most populous country in the world is set to surpass China as the most populous country by 2024 and the drop in India's population will only come around 2050. According to the National Family Health Survey 2017 (NFHS-4), India is expected to reach replacement level fertility (RLL) of 2.1 by 2020. Note: Replacement Level Fertility (RLL) is the size of the population that replaces a generation to a next generation in order to sustain the population level. The survey data shows that there has been a drop in the average number of children in each family from 2.7 to 2.2 in the last decade. This seems to be one bright spot. Around 365 million people in India are in the age bracket of 10-24 years. The NFHS expects this group to be the main driver of the population in coming decades. Challenges: The biggest concerns due to fast population growth comes in the matters of employment, education, healthcare and nutrition. There is already a dearth of employment in the country and though the government is implementing several programs to address the issue, it is undeniable that the employment will need to grow faster. We have a large number of young people but we do not have the skills or jobs for this to translate linearly into larger economic output. India is short of specialist medical practitioners by 81 per cent in rural community health centres and the private sector has 63 per cent of the hospital beds in the country, according to a health and family welfare department data. Any development planning with a time horizon of more than a few years has to factor in the changing size of the base population and, therefore, the changing size of the resources needed to meet the requirements even if the per capita requirements remain unchanged. However, this obvious calculation has not been made. For example, there is an insane competition for college admissions in our towns and cities. However, the rise in the number of seats has not kept even modest pace with the rise in the number of those finishing secondary school and wanting to go on to college. Virtually every development sector that requires investments will need a larger amount of such investment in different areas — like clinics, hospital beds, homes, schools, colleges and training institutes, jobs, social security, rural banks, piped water and policemen — as the absolute size of our population increases. The way ahead: Family planning: A tangible tool to empower people and enable development The World Population Day 2017 theme this year is, ‘Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations’. The theme aims at providing safe, voluntary family planning to the people around the world and in a way, help in curbing the population growth and help maintain the world population. Access to safe voluntary family planning is a human right. It is also central to gender equality and women’s empowerment, and is a key factor in reducing poverty. Investments in making family planning available also yield economic and other gains that can propel development forward. Experts and national level social impact organizations, strongly advocates on issues of rights-based family planning, enabling women and men to decide freely the number and spacing of their children without any form of coercion or discrimination. Empowering women: need of the hour With 70% of Indian population residing in villages and growing urbanisation, it is imperative that the practice or custom of family planning is embraced by the rural community as well as the urban. UNFPA studies conducted in more than 40 developing countries show that birth rates fall as women gain equality. In rural areas, education allows women to be in control of their lives not just financially but also reproductively. These women are in a better position to take decisions on when and how many children they desire to have. With female education and family planning, greater prosperity has followed. Conclusion: While family planning initiatives have been proactively driven since pre-independence era in India, the brunt of contraception has been traditionally borne by women. Eighty two years after the National Planning Committee was set up, the trends haven’t changed much. According to the latest National Family Health Survey (2015-2016), female sterilisation is still the most preferred mode of contraception (37.3%) and vasectomy ranks the lowest (1.0%), lagging far behind traditional methods, pills and intra-uterine devices. To add to this, India is also plagued with problems such as lack of awareness, familial pressures, and socio-economic and cultural restrictions limiting its family planning initiatives. Educated women conscious of family planning are, therefore, the fulcrum of an empowered society. Women’s empowerment is indispensable when viewed within the gender equality paradigm. Although Indian family planning programmes provide contraceptive choices to both men and women, societal norms have ensured that the onus remains on the latter. Efforts need to be made to facilitate male engagement in promoting family planning and reproductive health, while encouraging them to be supportive partners of women’s reproductive health decisions. Connecting the dots: Family planning is critical for our nation’s economic development, and is a big first step towards growth, equality and sustainable development that opens the door to opportunity and prosperity for women and families everywhere. Elucidate. 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Jul 11, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 1]

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 1] Q.1) Consider the following statements about Innovate in India (i3) It is a mission to accelerate biopharmaceutical development in India It will be implemented by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Mizoram shares its border with which of the following states? Meghalaya Assam Tripura Nagaland Manipur Select the correct code: 2, 3 and 5 1, 3, 4 and 5 1, 2 and 3 1, 4 and 5 Q.3) Terms like WannaCry, Petya and Locky were in news recently. They are associated with Bitcoins Ransomware Operating Systems Server less computing  Q.4) Consider the following statements about The Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) It is associated with the United Nations It was adopted at the Inaugural International Conference on Financing for Development Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements about International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is authorized to issue the ISIN number to the securities other than G-Secs. Securities to which ISINs can be issued does not include debt securities and derivatives Select the correct statement Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Download The Solution - Click here All the best IASbaba

Jul 10, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 10th July, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 10th July 2017 Archives GOVERNANCE AND INTERNAL SECURITY TOPIC: General Studies 2 Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability and institutional and other measures. General Studies 3 Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate Internal Security: challenges and reforms required It is unfortunate that even though we have a strong government at the Centre, the internal security situation of the country has not shown any marked improvement over what it inherited from the earlier government. India's complex internal security problems: The internal security situation is on a slippery slope. Jammu and Kashmir continues to be in the news for wrong reasons with ceasefire violations by the Pakistan army, continuing infiltrations by terrorists, their audacious attacks on security forces, and radicalisation of the youth who have been challenging the security forces on the streets. Al Qaida has, in a document entitled “Code of Conduct for Mujahideen in the Subcontinent”, while laying down the do’s and dont’s for the mujahideen, declared that it will be targeting Indian security installations and leaders of Hindu organisations. The Islamic State in a video has threatened to wage jihad against India, and urged all Muslims to take revenge for the injustices to Indian Muslims in Kashmir and for the communal riots in Gujarat and Muzaffarnagar.  Pic credits: http://governancetoday.co.in/the-complex-case-of-indias-internal-security/ Issues: Fundamentals of security management have not been given due importance. Successive governments have not cared to codify the country’s internal security doctrine. Ad hoc decisions are being taken on crucial matters. The US and UK revise their national security doctrines every year and place them in the public domain. We have done nothing of the sort, despite the fact that our internal security problems are far more complex. There is no long-term policy for Jammu and Kashmir, nor is there any strategic vision to tackle the Maoist insurgency. Another flaw has been the absence of an institutional response. The National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) was liquidated. The NSAB has now been revived, though in an emaciated form. Successive governments has not paid adequate attention to strengthening the internal security apparatus. The police continues to be in a shambles. The Supreme Court gave historic directions in 2006 for police reforms, but the states haven’t taken the suggested reforms seriously. The Government of India never showed the kind of seriousness it should have for the implementation of judicial directions. The government is yet to finalise the Delhi Police Bill even though Soli Sorabjee had prepared the draft more than a decade back. The prime minister’s concept of a SMART police could never take off because of the indifference of the states. Even important counter-terrorism projects being shelved. It was proposed to set up a National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC). True, the scheme had some objectionable features, but those could have been rectified and the NCTC put in place. But he NCTC project remains in limbo. For further reference: Police reforms in India Steps taken: On the Naxal front- the Conference of Chief Ministers of the affected states held in Delhi on May 9, came up with a new formula of SAMADHAN to tackle the problem. S stands for smart leadership, A for aggressive strategy, M for motivation and training, A for actionable intelligence, D for dashboard-based key performance indicators and key result areas, H for harnessing technology, A for action plan for each theatre and N for no access to financing. However, the Naxal problem is much too complex and requires a very comprehensive strategy. On the Northeastern front, a framework agreement has been negotiated between the Government of India and the Naga Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah group) in August 2015. However, it appears to have hit a road block. Muivah continues to harp on “Naga sovereignty”. SMART police concept. Challenge: The founding fathers of the constitution had placed police and public order in the State List of the Seventh Schedule. They could not have foreseen the complex law and order scenario that would evolve in the coming decades. Way ahead: With the emergence of organised crime and the threat of terrorism the old order must be revamped. In the context of the police being misused and abused by the state leaders and the overwhelming dependence of state governments on central forces round the year, police should be transferred to the Concurrent List. Police reforms suggested by Supreme court in Praksah Singh case, 2006 must be implemented in an expeditious manner. It is high time that the government took the hard decisions necessary to strengthen our northern frontiers. Conclusion: Are we prepared to deal with these growing threats? It would be difficult to give an affirmative answer. A strategic vision and a comprehensive long term-plan are called for while the internal security apparatus is overhauled and modernised. Connecting the dots: India's internal security problems are too complex. The internal security apparatus must be thus overhauled and modernised. Discuss. 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Jul 8, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 8th July, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 8th July 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 1 Effects of Globalization on Indian Society; Urbanization and related issues General studies 2 Important aspects of governance and e-governance Issues regarding services relating to Health, Education, Human Resource Multiplicity of authorities- A major challenge in success of Smart City Mission A multiplicity of authorities is a major problem in metropolitan cities. Issue: Cities in India are governed by multiple organisations and authorities which have their own jurisdictions; thus Indian cities are characterised by multiple boundaries. The governing authorities in a city include urban local bodies (ULB) with the primary functions of service delivery, planning for socio-economic development and regulation of development. This results in their subdivision into different wards. Large cities also have development authorities, urban development authorities or improvement trusts responsible for planning and development that divide cities into various planning zones. Line departments, that is sector-specific organisations, deal with the provision of services in their respective sectors — the water supply agency has its own supply zones. Sewage disposal is also done based on various zones. The organisations responsible for safety and security delineate another set of zones. None of these zones is coterminus, generating a ‘maze of boundaries’. Since planning aims at achieving a shared vision, the different spatial entities of the city formed by non-coterminus boundaries deter effective planning and good governance. Example: Until 2012, Delhi was governed by three municipal corporations — the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board. In 2012, the MCD area was divided into three municipal corporations — the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and the East Delhi Municipal Corporation. Thus the NCT is governed by five bodies. The Delhi Jal Board, the authority responsible for water and sewage management within the jurisdiction of the NCT, has delineated 11 zones. The Delhi Police looks after the safety and security of 13 districts. The Delhi Traffic Police has divided the NCT into 11 districts, which are subdivided into 53 traffic circles. The multiple boundaries of jurisdictions of all these governing bodies and their spatial non-alignment and non-coherence further reinstates the argument of a ‘maze of boundaries’. What needs to be done? A minimum organisational set-up is suggested to bring the multiple agencies on a common platform to determine a metropolitan-wide strategy for planning and implementation. The Singapore model: Singapore, with its planning boundaries and smart urban development, is a good example. The urban planning boundaries of Singapore were first delineated by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in the 1991 Concept Plan. It comprised 55 planning areas organised into five planning regions, namely, the central, west, north, north-east and east regions. The 2014 master plan retains the five planning regions and 55 areas which are further divided into smaller subzones. The fact to be noted is that since the implementation of these boundaries, other departments have also adopted them for their administrative purposes. The unified boundaries of the various forces in planning and coordinated efforts have contributed to the planned and smart urban development of Singapore. Conclusion: In India, the Smart Cities Mission, an initiative meant to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people, calls for appropriate local spatial development plans. However, a multiplicity of boundaries is a deterrent for proper planning efforts and good governance. The existing maze of boundaries needs to be revamped for more coherent and integrated planning and governance. Connecting the dots: Discuss how multiplicity of authorities in Indian cities mainly metropolitan areas hinders planned and smart urban development. INTERNAL SECURITY/NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3 Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism. Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security. General Studies 2 India and its neighborhood- relations. Kashmir Issue- An analysis Background: It has been a year since Kashmir turned on its head and went on the path of self-destruction ostensibly under a new leadership and new foot soldiers. Burhan Wani’s death, in an encounter on July 8, 2016, led to the outpouring of emotions which got converted to extreme violence and led to a change in the nature of the conflict. Turn of events: 2011-2013: Was the peaceful period. 2008-2010: The separatists attempted a strategy of combining terror and street turbulence to make their struggle more relevant. 2011-2013 : was a recovery time which the Indian establishment failed to cash-in on despite its default actions of changed strategy of outreach and engagement, and the interlocutors’ genuine attempt at discerning the aspirations and seeking the path of compromise. The ray of hope created in the people, especially the youth, did not find matching energy or a sense of commitment and continuity in the establishment. The demand by the state government to do away with the AFSPA and the contestation by the army only helped create wrong narratives and took the focus away from the emerging situation. Drift was the order of the day. It is this drift and the dashing of hope of the people that led to the rise of Burhan Wani and the renewed romanticism with the gun. It was brushed aside as an isolated resurgence among renegades but the groundswell of support eluded our assessment. The engagement with the people once again became transactional, providing the window that was needed by the separatists to energise the movement. Pakistan started focusing on the Jammu sector because it was easier to infiltrate and execute actions there in a single night. Issues: It may be an important lessons to note that the new militancy characterised by the presence of social media-wielding youth was little understood by the establishment, intelligence agencies and the media. Their assessments were archaic and based on assumed beliefs. The youth were building a new narrative of resistance through social media outreach. The state was observing this but did little to launch an effective counter in the domain that mattered — social media or any form of communication to the public. Social media, ideology and religion are the last things that the security establishment understands because it involves rebooting, relearning, mastering technology and most importantly, getting to know the religious underpinnings of the time. With their typical tenure-based approach to problem solving, the security establishment does not display the capability to assess intellectually or learn nuances beyond the ordinary response involving gun-on-gun. Intelligence agencies have a better measure of institutional continuity but lack the means of persuasion to convince and thereby alter understanding and planning. In the domain of military deployment: The army always laid great stress on North Kashmir. This was quite natural with three of its major formation headquarters located there and the task of counter infiltration based on LoC deployment which is essentially army-oriented. By contrast, South Kashmir had only a single Rashtriya Rifles (RR)) force headquarters but it had Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag and Pampore, all trouble spots where the better educated youth reside. Way forward: Absence of or lower level of military achievements does not mean normality. It is the social parameters that need to be viewed. The virtual denudation of the southern belt below Shopian Kulgam and the overall inadequacy of troops in the south allowed local militancy to bloom. When it did, we fought it in the physical domain while it was actually flowering in the virtual and psychological domain. The deployment of all forces must be more balanced and no premature withdrawal should be executed on the basis of statistical inputs. The fight in the psychological domain can no longer be ignored. This needs an approach beyond what the army has provided; the army’s achievements are highly creditable but can no longer remain the only domain of focused strategic communication. The continuity factor in a hybrid conflict environment has to be taken into consideration. Personnel management practices cannot override national needs and the best talent must be made available to fight the enemies of the state. It’s only then that the campaign becomes comprehensive. Connecting the dots: Challenges in Kashmir ranges from increasing radicalisation among the youths, usage of new modes of resistance like social media, traditional approach of security establishment to deal with issues at hand to issues related with military deployment. Discuss. MUST READ Electric horses Hindu Substance and optics Hindu Redraw the lines Hindu Teething troubles Indian Express A spurious link Indian Express Realism and renewables Business Line Brexit mires Britain in uncertainty Business Line  

Jul 7, 2017 RSTV Video

The Big Picture - Farmers' Agitation: Reasons, Solutions

Farmers' Agitation: Reasons, Solutions Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. In news: Hundreds of farmers in Rajasthan had decided to go on strike. Farmers under the banners of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti had given ultimatum to state government to meet their demand of better crop prices, agricultural pensions and loan waivers. Local farm leaders under the banner Bharatiya Kisan Sangh said that protests were spillover of similar demonstrations in MP. The snowballing of farm protests are a challenge for present government as it has made the agricultural sector a focus and promised to double the agricultural incomes by 2022. Angry farmers say that they can’t afford sell their produce below par prices and want the administration to create a safety net. Background There has been element of agrarian crisis for 20 years between 1997-2017. One big indicator is farmer suicides. If broken up in period with agriculture doing well and not doing well, there has been persistence of agrarian distress and suicides through both the periods. This means that farmer doesn’t do well even when agriculture does well. Last three seasons there has been debate on drought. Even though consumers were paying high prices, value realisation for farmers were poor. Rabi and kharif were good crops, yet value realisation was poor. Reasons for crisis On one hand, agriculture is becoming a costly enterprise- farmers have to incur debts and on both kind of seasons- good and bad, the farmers are not getting adequate prices for their products. This is resulting in continuing distress. The second is no proper market to sell their produce. Relying on madis has made them prone to middlemen interference which has reduced their fair share of prices. Farmers are not getting proper price of their produce neither cost of production value. After implementation of LPG policies, farmers were the worst sufferers. There is no market for fruits and vegetables in the country as there are no cold storage in rural areas, no agro processing units in rural areas. Discussion about food parks and large industries is for big corporates and not general farming community which has led to farmers suffering post harvest losses. North east India had been identified as a horticulture promoting states. However, even after undertaking such farming, adequate infrastructure nor market was provided for the harvest. They have now shifted to their traditional crops. The cost of production is increasing day by day by corporate agricultural model. It is main cause for debt in agricultural sector. Seed cost, input cost, irrigation cost, fertilisation cost has increased but the productivity has not increased nor has their supply price. Backward states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh don’t see such farm unrest because subsistence farming is still practices over there. Hence, they don’t have huge corporate debts accrued over time. The average family income of farmers is low which cannot help them sustain their consumption needs. Hence there is no possibility of investment in agricultural technology. In most cases in agriculture, most farmers in low level equilibrium trap cannot come out because of rising cost of production, fluctuations in price market. Non-crop agriculture and livestock agriculture constitutes about 30% of agricultural. National dairy development board study shows that nearly 50% profit in the dairy sector is by selling of cattle. If that is restrictions on that, then the sector will suffer a lot. In Maharashtra- vidarbh and Marathawada are suffering from drought. But the agitation has started from economically sound area. The farmers have to sell their produce of onions and tomatoes at 2-4/kg but when it reaches consumers, it is 20/kg. Thus questions such as who decides this margins, who are the forces who are getting the huge benefit on agricultural produce need answers. Possible steps to address the unrest Revamping the mandi system- Famers put their produce in the mandi from where it goes free hand from farmers’ side and depends on traders- small, large and corporate traders. The government should change this system. It has to directly link farmers to consumers. Else the middlemen will artificially raise the prices of all food items for their own benefit and farmers and consumers will have to lastly suffer. True picture of agriculture- MP had impressive agricultural growth in past few years yet it saw widespread agitation and farmer protests. This proves that growth does not reflect reality which shows problems with data. There are policies like PM Krishi Sinchayi Yojaana, Fasal Bima Yojana which aim to help the famers. However, many state governments have not adopted the crop insurance scheme. Thus there is a need for sensitivity on part of central and state governments. Need of a fundamental shift for agriculture. Different parties have to come to power but there is no change in fundamental situation of farmers. Still the agricultural structure continues to be middlemen driven. The agriculture and corporate relationship across the world, in developing countries it is seen that when there is a greater emphasis in promoting corporate structure in economy, there is a tendency to keep food and agricultural prices low. Unless and until there is a certain effort, concerted move and a structured plan to get over this situation, there is not many chances that situation will improve. Farm loan waiver This concept has been studies well in the context of Vidarbh prices, Andhra and Kerala debt crisis. In all these context, the loans from banks cover only a fraction of the farmer- 30-50% of farmers. Most of the loans are extended to small, medium and medium large farmers and not to marginal farmers. Thus the root of crisis is farmers have to rely on informal channels of loans at high interest loans. Thus, the banking loans waiver is not going to solve the crux of the problem. Conclusion There has been rhetoric in last 10 years in favour of agricultural but very few concrete steps have been taken. There is need to look at farming policies, the role of bovine and livestock economy and how it is linked to wider processes of marketing and sale. It is true that many policies are undertaken which have the capability to show the dividends, but it cannot be possible suddenly. Overnight, it is not possible to create 15 million tons capacity of cold storage facility. Also, farm loan waivers is not a temporary solution as it has more drawbacks than gains. The political class, the academicians and agricultural theorists need to sit together and look at concrete comprehensive plans to address the agrarian crisis. Connecting the dots: Agrarian crisis have always been critical in affecting India’s economy. Identify the key areas and evaluate which need to be addressed to bring a long term solution for bringing farmers at peace. What is agricultural corporate model? Analyse its impact on Indian economy and society.

Jul 6, 2017 AIR

All India Radio - National Maritime Day

National Maritime Day ARCHIVES Search 5th April 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 Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc. Security challenges and their management in border areas; April 5 marks the National Maritime Day of India. On this day in 1919 navigation history was created when SS Loyalty, the first ship of the Scindia Steam Navigation Company, journeyed to the United Kingdom. The National Maritime Day was first celebrated on 5th April, 1964. Background The strategic geographical position of the Indian sub-continent with vast expanse of the seas around naturally led to seafaring even in the days of the Indus Valley civilisation Since time immemorial Indians have displayed a remarkable interest in seafaring and maritime activities. The shipbuilding industry in India had shown great progress so long as sailing ships with wooden hull were in vogue. Since the dawn of history Indians have participated in international sea-borne commerce. The advent of Europeans opened India’s coasts for trade and commerce. Today, International Maritime Organisation is the United Nation’s specialised agency which is responsible for improving maritime safety and preventing pollution from ships. The Organisation also convenes international maritime conferences and drafts international maritime conventions from time to time. India joined IMO in 1959. India has about 7516 kilometres of coastline serviced by a total of 182 ports, 12 of them under a special status as Major Ports being under the purview of the Central Government. The Indian Ports Act (IPA), 1908 is the governing Act which defines the jurisdiction of Central and State Governments over ports. The Act empowers the respective governments in administering and developing the ports. The Act also provides for private sector participation in a Government-controlled port. The States administer the minor ports either through State Maritime Board (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal) or through State Government Departments. Maritime Boards have structures and power to a large extent similar to those of Board of Trustees in a Major Port. Importance of navy The Indian Navy, which is responsible for guarding the country’s shores and protecting our shipping in times of war, has also considerably expanded and strengthened into a potent force. Importance of National Maritime Day It celebrated to encourage the merchant shipping industry of India. Shipping contributes a lot to the country’s economy. At present, 90% of India’s international trade in terms of volume and 77% in terms of value is moved by sea. Indian merchant captains, officers and sailors are highly regarded round the world- one of the maximum captains of VLCC- very large crude carriers are Indians. Talking about national maritime policies, to have a healthy trade and keep it going, there is a need of strong navy. Two of the biggest sea lane communications pass close by from India. India also had issues of piracy which was moving towards India’s west coast but was pushed back by Indian Navy. Thus Indian navy as well as Coast Guard has played an important role in maintaining the sanctity of the sea. However, despite being 13th largest shipping nation in the world, India depends on foreign ships to bring goods into India. Therefore, growth of Indian navy is important with 46 ships to be made in India but merchant navy shouldn’t be also neglected. Sagarmala Sagar Mala project is a strategic and customer-oriented initiative of the Government of India to modernize India's Ports so that port-led development can be augmented and coastlines can be developed to contribute in India's growth. Now it has been further developed to SAGAR- Security and Growth for All holds true. Integration of railways, shipping, navy, security, intelligence agencies, sensors, radars is the main aim of Sagarmala. Its main aim is improving the connectivity. The departments have to cooperate with each other, thus it is a task where interdependence between ministries. Thus, the seas are today blue economy with more and more industry, ports, exports etc depending on sea trade. For a country like India, navy must be much bigger. After independence, there was a need for increasing infrastructure spending as well as battling more chronic problems like poverty. Hence, balancing of fiscal availability was important. Opportunity galore The merchant ship building and the navy ship building offers lot of opportunity for jobs, especially the technical jobs. Building of nuclear submarine or ship requires high-end technology which India had been lacking till now. However, unfortunately, the merchant shipping building has not taken off because India has not been able to give subsidies for it compared to China, Japan, Korea. This has made India lag behind even today in merchant ship building though small private ports do build ships. There is a lot of infrastructure, technology and job opportunities to be built in India. Hence, the seas and the land have to be developed in a balance manner. White shipping agreement White shipping information refers to exchange of relevant advance information on the identity and movement of commercial non-military merchant vessels. India has white shipping agreements with 24 countries, especially who are India’s trading partner. It is linked between naval operations and commercial shipping companies. The seas of the entire world are inter-linked and vessels can sail routinely around the globe in pursuit of cargo. Thus a vessel that is in Indian waters today maybe sailing towards a distant destination and similarly several vessels set sail from ports around the globe could be bound for India. Having advance information of the vessel, its destination and planned itinerary, etc. is thus extremely helpful towards collating an effective MDA as it can then be properly identified when detected. Thus, white shipping cooperation is one of the largest movements to make sure the seas are safe- freedom of navigation, unfortunately one nation is stopping this navigation. More cooperation with nations and exchange of information will help to identify the needy resources. Marine Police Marine police is first tier near the coast, followed by coast guard and then navy- the three tiers of coastal security network. The mercantile shipping depends largely on it. The police has to maintain the sea borders and become more professional. They have to maintain boats, keep it 24/7 moving as coast guard and navy are more deep into the sea. The ministry of home is trying to . It has also established a Central Marine Force. Conclusion Coastal shipping is more cheaper than roads and railways. However, the procedures of custom, security and terrorism doesn’t make it easy and viable. The foreign companies are not allowed to invest in coastal shipping. Thus, India’s ships do the coastal trade of less than 300 tons. 40% of cargo is carried by foreign ships. Thus there is a need of 40% more ships from 11.2 dead weight tons currently present to 20 million tons dead weight. A position of National maritime security advisor has to be created as it is of immense importance. Future of India is dependent on maritime. Such a post will boost India’s security status, economic growth, tourism industry giving rise to blue economy. Thus, India has to develop an integrated plan which will connect railways, shipping, navy coastguard. Connecting the dots: What is the importance of maritime security in India’s economic development? Analyse.