Jul 3, 2017 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – How Much is Enough – Inspirational & Educative Articles

How Much is Enough: How far are we willing to travel to find our true meaning and purpose in life? How many times are we willing to fail to get what we want? How much are we willing to sacrifice for that one single most important goal of ours? How much of focus is required to succeed? How much of pain one needs to endure before experiencing joy and happiness? One of the most difficult questions to answer about our lives is 'How Much'. Everybody has a desire to succeed, find true love, experience real happiness and live a great life. But what most people are simply unaware of is how much of effort is needed to get what we want. Very few people truly comprehend and understand 'How Much', most others simply fall short of what is required. If we look at people who are working hard to find their meaning, purpose and true identity in the world, we see that most of them are very sincere in their attempts. In fact people are so sincere in their efforts that they rarely question the 'How Much' aspect of their efforts. They simply blindly believe that they are doing enough just because they think that they are sincere in their efforts. Understanding the 'How Much' aspect of what we are doing is more of a science than anything else. The only way to really understand the nature of our efforts and our sincerity to it is by scientifically and objectively looking at our efforts from a third party perspective. The best way to know if our efforts are enough is by stepping away from personal involvement and just looking at the efforts and results neutrally beyond the prejudices of the ego. We all know how a fresh look and a new perspective can lend the most needed solutions to our problems. It is the same with understanding the 'How Much' aspect of what we are doing. Every step of the way we should be able to step away and look at our efforts as if we were analyzing someone else's efforts. It really helps to learn the art of stepping away to get a better look at our efforts. Some of the most successful people in the world have always figured out a way of looking at their lives from a third party perspective. They have figured out a way of seeing things by keeping their personal desires, preferences and their egos aside. The moment one is able to step away from their emotional involvement and look at things simplistically and practically, everything begins to fall in place. It is absolutely imperative that one learns to constantly reflect and contemplate on the 'How Much' aspect of their efforts. The easiest way to do this is by objectively looking at efforts. This is probably one of the most important skills needed to be able to make the necessary adjustments, to really understand if what they are doing and how much they are doing is really enough. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”

Jul 2, 2017 IASbaba's Monthly Current Affairs Magazine

IASbaba’s Monthly Current Affairs Magazine- MAY 2017

ARCHIVES Hello Friends This is the 24th edition of IASbaba’s Monthly Magazine on Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Examination. This edition covers all important issues that were in news in the month of MAY 2017 Click on the IMAGE to download the file or Click Here

Jul 1, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 1st July, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 1st July 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2 Parliament and State Legislatures ‐ structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. Reforming Indian Parliament Parliament is supposed to be a union of exemplary orators, with a grass-roots touch. Unfortunately, one is rarely inspired by the quality of India’s parliamentary debates nowadays. Issues: Parliamentary debates, which once focused on national and critical issues, are now more about local problems, viewed from a parochial angle. Poor attendance by our Members of Parliament (MPs), poor quality of debates and pandemonium marking the proceedings, there is seemingly little value that a parliamentary representative can add to the policy discourse. Low productivity- Between the 1950s and the 1960s, the Lok Sabha used to meet for an average of 120 days in a year. In comparison, in the last decade, it has met for an average of 70 days a year. Its productivity in the 2016 winter session was 14%, while that of the Rajya Sabha was 20%. Political power continues to be a male bastion. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have not seen women MPs cross the 12% mark. In 2012, India ranked 20th from the bottom in terms of representation of women in Parliament. While the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments enabled the reservation of 33% of seats in local government, political representation by women candidates continues to be subdued, with no significant rise in the number of women MLAs. Parliamentary legislation is being hastily drafted and being rushed through Parliament in an ad hoc and haphazard manner. In 2008, for instance, 16 Bills were passed with less than 20 minutes of debate. The non-passage of private member Bills. Only the second half of every Friday, during a parliamentary session, is devoted to debating private member Bills. To date, only 14 private member bills have been passed. Even the individual voting record of MPs remains unknown. With no record maintained of the voting record associated with each MP, it is difficult to distinguish their individual progressive or conservative nature, let alone their leadership abilities. Currently, the Anti-Defection Act punishes MPs who deviate from their parties’ stated position, with the risk of losing their seats. Most MPs have limited or no research staff, leaving them bereft of expert in-house advice. Parliament’s Library and Reference, Research, Documentation and Information Service (LARRDIS) currently has a sanctioned strength of 231 staffers but employs 176, about 8% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha secretariat. In comparison, the Congressional Research Service, a part of the Library of the U.S. Congress, employs 600 people, of whom 400 are policy analysts, attorneys and sectoral experts, while the Congressional Budget Office has an additional 200 people. Other parliaments offer funds to hire research teams for MPs. Way forward: While our Parliament lacks the power to convene itself, it should have a minimum mandated number of days to meet. The National Commission to review the working of the Constitution recommended 120 and 100 days for the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, respectively. Odisha has already shown the way, mandating a minimum of 60 days for the State Assembly to sit. The male domination needs to be changed dramatically, beginning with the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill (108th amendment) reserving 33% of all seats in Parliament and State legislatures for women. We need a systematic approach to legislative engineering and prioritisation — the parliamentary committee, an unfashionable institution, long out of vogue, can assume institutional importance in this process. For a backbencher MP, such committees offer a place to raise issues in the general public interest and conduct advocacy amidst legislative engineering. As highlighted by the Law Ministry, we require a constitution committee. Instead of constitutional amendments being presented to Parliament like ordinary pieces of legislation in the form of Bills, often at short notice, it would be desirable to have the committee conduct an appropriate priori scrutiny before the actual drafting of the proposal for constitutional reform. The Anti-Defection Act needs to be recast, and used only in the most exceptional circumstances, while allowing MPs free rein on their self-expression. The U.K., for example, has the concept of a free vote allowing MPs to vote as they wish on particular legislative items. Investing in Parliament’s intellectual capital is necessary and additional budgetary support should be provided while assisting MPs in employing research staff. We also need an institutionalised process to raise the quality and rigour associated with the budget scrutiny process. India needs a parliamentary budget office(PBO), akin to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, which can be an independent and impartial institution devoted to conducting a technical and objective analysis of any Bill with spending or revenue raising requirements. For further reference: Need of Parliament Budget Office Conclusion: India’s citizens need a more robust legislative system that offers public representatives — our MPs, Ministers and the Prime Minister — a greater sense of authority. Parliament should be a space for policy and not for politics. We need to undertake reforms to ensure that it is recast as such. Connecting the dots: Indian Parliament needs some urgent reforms. Discuss. NATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources Diabetes: Spreading among poor A major study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) found that the urban poor both in the developed and the developing world are increasingly becoming diabetic. The largest national study conducted by the ICMR and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has found that in the urban areas of the more economically advanced states, diabetes is higher among people from lower socio-economic status than those from the upper strata. However, in all the states, in the rural areas the disease was seen among those of a higher socio-economic status. The findings imply that overall the disease is spreading to sections that were hitherto considered unaffected or less affected—poorer urban dwellers and better off rural dwellers. This is a cause for not just concern but even alarm. Cause of concern: Diabetes is a “high maintenance” disease that leads to severe damage to the heart, kidneys and eyes apart from risk of gangrene if mismanaged. Given the state of the public health system in the country, and the fact that the poor have to pay for healthcare, the findings must be treated as a distress signal on an urgent basis. Given that people in rural areas and poorer communities in cities are unable to access care earlier, they would be more prone to advanced complications such as renal failure and blindness due to retinopathy. Since 70% of the population lives in rural areas, even a small increase in percentage of people suffering from diabetes adds up to a large number of people who need sustained medical attention but have access to poor health services. Underlying causes: For many poorer people in cities, nutritionally well-balanced food may not be within their means. Eating “junk food” is thus not a matter of choice or taste as much as affordability. Higher income levels, less physically demanding occupations and increased availability of mechanised transport and household appliances among urban dwellers to possibly explain the higher incidence of the disease in urban areas. The pressure of commuting long distances to work and the need to use the public transport system is also not a matter of choice for urban poor. These issues lead to the build-up of stress—another factor that is among the causes of the disease. Asian Indians progress faster through the pre-diabetes stage than those of other ethnic groups. Also, as in other countries where diabetes is spreading rapidly, in India too, recreational physical activity is very low, more so, among women from all sections. People living in urban areas have access to diabetes care services and can afford the associated out-of-pocket expenditure. However, people living in semi-urban and rural areas do not have access to diabetes centres or clinics that provide comprehensive care. The other reasons for this shift could be the increased awareness of healthy practices among affluent sections, which means they are engaging in physical activity and making necessary dietary changes to keep non communicable diseases at bay. Way forward: The ICMR findings call for urgent short- and long-term interventions. The government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the medical community and diabetics will have to join hands to ensure that community involvement is encouraged. Starting with the availability of nutritious food and facilities for physical recreational activities, a sustained campaign to spread awareness of the disease is needed. The situation calls for more long-term policy interventions that go beyond packaging and advertising of fast food. Stress and strain have become important factors in the increase of incidence of diabetes in mostly middle and lower middle classes and rural poor. Thus, besides change of lifestyles, peaceful atmosphere is also very crucial in reducing diabetes. Health care policies along with peaceful life approach would help in containing the spread of diabetes in the country at an alarming rate in the country Ensuring the supply of nutritious food and creating public spaces for people to exercise is required. The National Program for Control of Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke, which has been rolled out across the country, could also help improve diabetes awareness levels at a national level. Conclusion: Infectious diseases remain the largest concern in developing countries. However, non-communicable diseases like diabetes (known appropriately as the silent killer) are spreading at a frightening rate. In the 21st century, if we are not to sentence large sections of the population to a half-life, we must act quickly and in concert. Connecting the dots: While diabetes is usually seen as a concern for better-off section of society, a recent study conducted by ICMR and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare highlights a surprising trend of increase in diabetes among poor. Discuss the factors driving such trend and steps that should should be taken to prevent this epidemic spread among poor. MUST READ Entering the age of GST Hindu Midnight makeover Hindu Face-off in Doklam Indian Express Letting go Indian Express Our sui generis- GST Business Line Great step taken for unified market Busines Line The albatross of Brexit over Britain Business Line  

Jul 1, 2017 RSTV Video

The Big Picture - What makes ISRO tick? Can India Replicate its Success in other Fields?

What makes ISRO tick? Can India Replicate its Success in other Fields? Archives TOPIC: 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. ISRO made another achievement in its glorious list of accomplishments by successfully launching India’s heaviest communication satellite (3360 kgs)- GSAT 19 aboard home-grown GSLV MkIII rocket. Up until now ISRO had to depend on foreign launchers for communication satellite weighing more than 2300 kgs. GSLV MkIII D1 is capable of lifting payloads of upto 4000 kgs into the geosynchronous transfer orbit and 10000kgs into low earth orbit. This has raised the expectation that one day it will also successfully carry astronauts to space. Thus, this achievement is hailed as being a turning point in Indian space journey. GSLV Mk III Many have said that India has not done much during past 70 years. But this achievement is proof of what India has achieved during these 70 years. This zenith has been achieved because of strong will of scientists, political leaders and people. This launch is a new beginning in the sense that it is a capability which very few countries have and it help India touch new horizons in science, technology and space. Success in one area of science triggers new scientific endeavours in many other areas. Therefore those countries which started much ahead of India are still ahead of India and are known for their successes in various fields of science. India has the capability to enhance its scientific temper and new generations’ imagination will be triggered with more and more experimentation and initiatives. India is going to be more reliant than before on new technology and communication mediums. Till now, India used to be dependent upon for launching satellites about 1.5tons. Now India has the capability to take satellites to the geo synchronous orbit from where communication satellites are positioned. This gives India the capability to have more communication channels availability to Indian public across various uses of communications like satellites, TV channels, and telephone communications. In all, India now has complete autonomous capability in space technology- propellant manufacture, satellite manufacture, launch capability upto 4ton satellite and so on. Also, the costing is very competitive compared to foreign launches which costed much more, thereby saving India’s foreign reserve too. India has its own launch pads which can be suitably used now for various launches. However when Indian radars cannot communicate directly with satellites when it goes above the horizon, then it has depend upon other networks world around such as NASA and others to keep track on the satellites. In future, India should have being able to launch more than 2 GSLV mk III per year to cater to the demand of the country. From defence perspective Indian navy has a satellite which was launched few years back. At that point in time, as India did not have indigenous capability, India had to depend on foreign countries even for launching its strategic satellite. From this perspective, when India is proposing to launch a separate satellite for Indian army, navy and airforce, it boosts its ambitions for developing indigenous and indigenously launched satellites for defence purposes. Communication is key to any sort of defence establishment. By developing India’s capability in GSLV launching system, India is now inching closer to launching its own communication satellites which will serve a critical role and purpose in times of strategic need. Success of ISRO GSLV Mk III shows that it is possible to move the space technology commercially. India has performed remarkably at this stage even after it was sanctioned post the nuclear tests. India developed its indigenous capability and workhorse PSLV took 1400 kgs into GSO orbit. And now India has the capability of putting the bigger satellite into the GSO. While acknowledging its present achievements, two things have to be remembered ISRO has started with almost nothing in hand-No experience and with the cycle and bullock cart era. From there to two launch pads is an incredible journey. Most of the elite institutions in the country did not send their pass outs to ISRO. It was from remote areas, small colleges and universities, most of them being unknown to the nation and abroad, who worked for ISRO. These were encouraged and trained. The moto was- if anybody can do it, India can do it cheaper and better. This motto inspired generation of scientists within ISRO. If India uses its own human resource within the country, even if they are from second rate and third rate institutions, the work done can be noteworthy. Most of the elite institutions have their best brains migrated. This mission mode which ISRO inculcated from the beginning as culture is giving dividends today. Encouraging new generations Therefore, public funding of education is extremely important. This will help to choose the best of minds not from one institute but many institutions across the country. A large number of institutions are doing first rate work. It is important to recognise them. Because if there is dearth of creation of scientific temper within the society and not acknowledgment of work of scientists is made, then scientists also lose confidence. There is not a single TV or radio channel which runs full time programme on science. Hence, there needs to be promotion of science and generating interest in science within all sections of society, especially kids and school going children. Physics, chemistry mathematics every area gets a boost when such scientific endeavours are taken. Performance of other sectors Many sectors are not moving forward the same way as ISRO and seem to be lagging behind. Here the question is mainly of leadership. Success of ISRO is critically dependent on kind of leadership it had over decades. ISRO leaders such as Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan, Dr. Kalam had grand vision that India should be able to things itself. The entire set up in ISRO is very coordinated in a sense that scientists of different areas and places know what is happening by interacting with each other so intimately that everything works together systematically. ISRO has a zero budgeting system where a project is sanctioned, team leader decided, management, budgeting and planning is done and once the project is over, the file is closed. This lacks in most of institutions. There is a lack of visionary approach to work in mission mode projects and implementing it effectively. Now ISRO has went one step forward with establishment of Indian Institute of Space Technology, Trivandrum where it directly trains the students passing from it. Thus, there is a readymade captive student population who are willing to join an organisation. This is similar to department of Atomic energy which also had its training school. Both followed similar kind of approach in managing high technology projects. Conclusion ISRO is a trend setter in field of scientific knowledge. There is a need to have many such organisations in India. Other organisations should adapt working and management lessons from ISRO so as to get their specific domain-special workers. No doubt, there are issues relating to funding, motivation, and applicability also which need to be addressed at highest level. Also, investments in research and development need encouragement as if there are no investments into basic sciences, there will be difficulty in applied sciences. Somewhere the focus seems to be more on applied sciences which now needs to be brought back on basic sciences. ISRO has maintained a balance between both the sciences and hence has been able to taste the success of its endeavours. Connecting the dots: What is GSLV MkIII and what is its importance? Critically examine the role of ISRO in harnessing scientific knowledge and temper among citizens.

Jun 30, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 30th June, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 30th June 2017 Archives ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment Inclusive growth and issues arising from it GST: Way ahead Brief introduction: The GST will replace the present very complex system where the Centre levies a central excise duty on goods up to the production stage and a service tax on services while the states levy a state VAT (value added tax) on sales of goods, but do not tax services. Each of these taxes has a VAT (value added tax) structure, but they are applied on different bases. And in addition, there are a number of additional taxes e.g. the additional duty, special excise duty and various central cesses by the Centre and luxury tax, entertainment tax, octroi etc. by the states. All these taxes by the Centre will be subsumed into a single central GST and the multiple state taxes by the state into a state GST (legally a different tax in each state). These taxes will be applied on a common base and at the same rate for each commodity across the country. This is a major simplification which should be welcomed. Timeline: In 2006, then finance minister P. Chidambaram, in his budget speech for 2006, set the target of moving a Constitutional Amendment Bill in 2010. It was moved by United Progressive Alliance finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in 2012, but could not be passed before the election. The National Democratic Alliance government took up the baton after coming to power in 2014. Fortunately, differences were resolved and the Bill was passed in 2016. The goods and services tax (GST) will now finally come into force on 1 July Weaknesses in present GST: International experience suggests that the full benefits of a VAT are only reaped if the VAT is near universal in coverage, with very few exemptions and there are no more than two rates. GST is very far from being universal and according to some it excludes 50% of the gross domestic product. Major items such as petroleum, natural gas, alcohol, electricity, and real estate/construction are left out. Residential apartments have been included but all other construction, including commercial construction and factories, is not. In addition, a very large number of commodities have been exempted. This suggests that revenue may fall short of expectations. The second flaw is too many rates: 3% (on gold), 5%, 12%, 18% and 28 %, plus an extra GST cess on some luxury or socially undesirable items. Multiple rates are an invitation to misclassification and disputes/harassment arising from suspicion of misclassification. This reduces the efficiency gains. A National Council of Applied Economic Research study had estimated that the GST would add between 1 and 2 percentage points to the economy’s growth rate. That was based on an ideal GST. Since what we have is very far from the ideal, the benefits will be correspondingly less. If revenues are lower because of the exclusions and the large number of items at a very low rate, the revenue loss will be entirely borne by the Centre. This is because it will not only have less revenue under the central GST, but it is also committed to compensate the states if their revenue grows at less than 14% per annum in nominal terms. The requirement that taxpayers must register in each jurisdiction in which thhey operate is an issue. If a unit operates in several states, it must register in each state in which it operates, and be taxed in each jurisdiction, and also maintain records that allow the tax paid in each jurisdiction to be audited. Benefits: Despite these weaknesses, the GST will still be beneficial in many respects. The replacement of multiple taxes with a single rate for each commodity (taking Central and state GST together) is an advantage. The fact that the same rate will be imposed on all imports in addition to the normal import duty, is a major gain. It will level the playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis imports because at present imports escape the state taxes, which erodes the protective benefit of customs duty. The elimination of border posts will be a major benefit. Way forward: The GST Council should set up an expert group that could assess the performance of the system based on results of the first year and work on a revised GST rate structure to be implemented after the general election in 2019. One of the terms of reference of the group should be to pronounce on the desirability of migrating to fewer rates. The GST Council should be serviced by an independent secretariat which can undertake or farm out studies that may be desired by state finance ministers, and also comment on studies that may be put before the GST Council by either the finance ministry, or any of the states. The Central government revenue department has a great deal of expertise, but for it to service the GST is inconsistent with cooperative federalism. A separate secretariat, with people taken on deputation from the Centre and the states, and with outside experts brought in as consultants, would be ideal. The GST was meant to unify the country into a single market. This means more and more organizations will set up in different jurisdictions and will need to operate seamlessly across them. A single registration valid across all states would have been the right thing to do. Conclusion: No new system is without glitches. The new system should be judged not by whether there are problems, but by whether the problems that arise are promptly corrected. We must recognize that the birth of the GST is only a beginning. A systematic effort should be launched to correct deficiencies over time through the mechanism of the GST Council. Connecting the dots: Introduction of GST is a historic step in Indian tax reforms, however, it's just the beginning and much more remains to be done so as to truly achieve the objective of one country, one tax. Discuss. Also read: GST- Continuation NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3 Awareness in the fields of IT, computers, Challenges to internal security through communication networks, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention. Linkages of organized crime with terrorism. General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Important aspects of governance Making Indian companies cybersecure: India is to soon transform into digital economy. It is likely to help trigger a fresh wave of economic growth, attract more investment, and create new jobs, across multiple sectors. However this also creates cybersecurity challenges which must be dealt with seriously. Recent steps taken by government: Introducing Digital Locker, which eliminates the need for people to carry hard copies of documents issued by the government. Demonetization, which has spurred the use of digital payments across the country. Cybersecurity- one of the biggest challenge: With the move towards a digital economy, increasing amount of consumer and citizen data will be stored digitally and a large number of transactions will be carried out online, by companies, individuals as well as government departments. That makes India a bigger target for cyber-criminals and hackers. The cost of cyberattacks in India currently stands in excess of Rs25,000 crore ($4billion). This is despite fact that there are many cyberattacks that go undetected and unreported. The losses emanate from operational disruptions, loss of sensitive information and designs, customer churn and impact on brand image, as well as increase in legal claims and insurance premium. The issue is forecast to balloon further in the coming years, reaching as high as Rs1.25 trillion ($20 billion) over the next 10 years, as the business operations of most Indian companies become networked. Issues: Limited awareness of the impact and importance of cybersecurity currently. Many companies do not treat it as a strategic agenda, but rather as a small issue for their IT departments. In fact, a lot of cybersecurity incidents go unidentified and hence, unreported. Limited awareness of the need for specialized and customized industry-specific cybersecurity measures which are significantly different from IT security and need to be adapted by the industry. Low existing capability, or lack of skill sets, to drive cybersecurity agendas. This includes capability both in terms of people, cybersecurity strategies, as well as actual implementation of security measures. Conventional IT systems and firewalls are increasingly becoming ineffective in preventing sophisticated hackers from creating havoc. Way forward: Companies in India need to be proactive to ensure they foster efficiency and efficacy in cybersecurity management. Cybersecurity must be put on a high priority on the management agenda. Companies also need to assess the assets that are most at risk. This will differ from sector to sector and company to company. It is important to identify the most valuable assets, the ones which will “hit you the most”, narrow down all possible attack avenues and proactively prepare mechanisms and procedures to address those risks. It is also important that companies run regular stress tests, which simulate real-life attacks. Companies need to start cooperating with peers to learn from each other’s experiences—identify potential attack scenarios, identify hidden threats and co-develop a security framework. Organizations also need to enlist their employees in the fight against breaches. There is a need to change the perception of cybersecurity from being a passive agent, to an active business enabler. The regulators need to ensure they are covering all aspects at their end. This includes regulations that set minimum standards on cybersecurity for companies across the country. Tough laws are needed to be put in place for perpetrators of cybercrime to ensure such criminals are deterred effectively. Conclusion: India is sitting on the cusp of digital evolution. The government has overcome its detractors with an eagle-eyed focus to achieve this goal for the country. It is now up to companies to ensure they are ready and prepared to harness and exploit the opportunities this evolution will bring. Connecting the dots: India is soon to transform into a digital economy. It will surely have multiple benefits, however, with such transformation arises the biggest challenge of cybersecurity. Discuss. MUST READ The sedition law be scrapped Hindu The task before the sentinel Hindu Making the house rules Hindu A welcome sale Hindu Cutting tribunals to size Hindu Redraw the triangle Indian Express Why we need nuclear power? Indian Express Climate change: Green at grassroots Livemint  

Jun 29, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 29th June, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 29th June 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2 Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. Breach of Privilege-It's time to codify the rules In news: On June 21, the Karnataka assembly Speaker ordered the imprisonment of two journalists for a year based on recommendations in two separate reports of its privilege committees. The order has drawn widespread criticism as an effort to throttle the media. What provisions of the Constitution protect the privileges of the legislature? Article 105 pertains to the powers, privileges, etc, of Parliament, its members and committees while Article 194, which is identical to 105, protects the privileges and powers of the houses of legislature, their members and committees in the states. These sections protect the freedom of speech of parliamentarians and legislators, insulate them against litigation over matters that occur in these houses, and give powers to define the powers, privileges and immunities of a house, its members and committees. The Constitution confers certain privileges on legislative institutions with the idea of protecting freedom of speech and expression in the House and ensuring that undue influence, pressure or coercion is not brought on the legislature in the course of its functioning. What constitutes a breach of privilege? While the Constitution accords special privileges and powers to parliamentarians and legislators to maintain the dignity and authority of Parliament and the legislatures, these powers and privileges are not codified. There are no clearly laid out rules on what constitutes breach of privilege and what punishment it entails. The purpose of the law of privilege is to protect the independence of the House. Privilege is to be invoked only if an intervention prevents members of the House from discharging their duties. Typically, this amounts to preventing legislators from speaking their mind. What is the procedure in privilege cases? All state legislatures have special privilege committees comprising 10 to 12 legislators as members and usually headed by a senior politician from the ruling party. Whenever a legislator has a complaint he/she can send a letter to the committee. The accused person is summoned and an inquiry is conducted by the committee and based on findings a recommendation is made to the legislature. When the matter is tabled in the legislature, a debate can be initiated on the report and based on the assertions of the House, the Speaker can order the punishment as defined by the privileges committee or order otherwise. Issues: The provision is at times used to counter media criticism of legislators and as a substitute for legal proceedings. Breach of privilege laws allow politicians to become judges in their own cause, raising concerns of conflict of interest and violating basic fair trial guarantees. Unfortunately, breach of privilege is invoked to insulate elected representatives from criticism. Without a law codifying the legislative privileges, there is little merit in subjecting anyone, leave alone a journalist, to penal action for allegedly breaching a legislator’s privilege, unless there is a move or attempt to obstruct the functioning of either the House or its members. In the present case, by no stretch of imagination could the articles published by the two journalists could have impeded the independent functioning of the three legislators who had complained against them. If the members felt defamed, they could have opted to pursue an appropriate judicial remedy in their individual capacity. There is very little clarity about the law of privilege, and whether it is proper for legislatures to award punishments remains debatable. There are many unsettled questions about the very nature of legislative privileges. The absence of codification gives the House the freedom to decide when and how breach of privilege occurs. Even if it is conceded that the House has such a right, a moot question is whether the legislature, through its Committee of Privileges, should be a judge in its own cause. Whether the legislature’s power to punish for breach of privilege extends to handing down a prison term is still an open question. With no codified laws for what constitutes a breach of privilege offence or prescriptions for punishment, this is largely a grey area in legal terms. Way ahead: The legislature must use the power to punish for contempt or breach of privilege sparingly, invoking it mainly to protect the independence of the House and not to take away the liberty of critics. Legislators are in a position to clarify facts and refute misconceived criticism. There is no reason for them to seek imprisonment for contempt. The time has come for the legislature to codify privileges and for the higher judiciary to lay down the limits of penal action for breach of privilege. The judiciary should immediately clarify the applicability of privilege, and ensure that legislatures can no longer play plaintiff, advocate and judge, all rolled into one. This case should serve as a spur to bring clarity to the provision of privilege. Situations which attract it should be narrowly and unambiguously defined, and legislatures should not have the right to impose punishments unilaterally, only because some of their members feel impugned. Conclusion: Article 105 and Article 194 was inserted in the constitution with the basic objective of allowing legislators and parliamentarians to function efficiently. However the breach of privilege has not been defined clearly and thus space for its misuse. Thus its time to codify the rules. Connecting the dots: What do you understand by the term breach of privilege. Also discuss the issues related with privilege of legislative members. Must Read Promises in the rose garden Hindu Fighting an old battle                                    Hindu New tech old values Hindu Read between the lines Indian Express Don't be evil Indian Express A Gorkhaland West Bengal could live with Indian Express Progress in the making Indian Express A Manav Suraksha Kanoon Livemint The cost of failing on the job creation front Livemint The GST's top transition challenge Livemint Google is fighting a losing battle Livemint Blockchaining India's digital future Livemint Unease over GST's anti-profiteering clauses Hindu  

Jun 29, 2017

Rank 126 UPSC CSE 2016 Mani Agrawal, UPSC/IAS TOPPER'S STRATEGY-Importance of TLP Mains Answer Writing!

Hello all! My name is Mani Agarwal. I am from Agra. I did BSc Honours Mathematics from Hindu College, Delhi University and MSc Mathematics from IIT Bombay. I cleared UPSC exam in 2nd attempt with optional subject Mathematics. In my 1st attempt, I reached till interview stage but missed the final list by 40 odd marks. I always thought to give my first attempt with full preparation with a goal of clearing the exam in first attempt. Irrespective of success, I think this should be the mindset of all aspirants. Although this doesn’t ensure rank, it makes one’s preparation rock solid. And this helps in future attempt. I think that worked for me a lot. If we have an attitude that there are more attempts to clear than our preparation becomes half-hearted. My knowledge about this exam started when I was in school my mamaji used to say to my mother that she should make me an IAS. So technically it was IAS and not UPSC that I came to know about first as happens with mot aspirants.  This idea grew during graduation when I met many people in DU who were preparing. Eventually I made my mind and committed myself to this journey. It was not a real social incident that encouraged me for this service. But yes, during preparation I understood the value of this service. I began my preparation in BSc Honours 2nd year by reading The Hindu. Till then I was not aware of this newspaper and how one should go about it. I gave myself time to read it, enjoy it and also digest it. Earlier it was very difficult to read the full newspaper and I used to feel sleepy but I made it a regular practice to read it. I didn’t make any notes at that time. I talked to some seniors in my PG who were preparing and came to know about the importance of optional. As I was good in Maths, there was never any question/doubt about which optional I will take. Some people told me that Maths is not scoring and it can doom you, I trusted my intuition. But yes, I understood in 2nd year that BSc will not be enough to get me through. I need to have Masters in Maths. So, essentially my graduation was spent in excelling in college and preparing my foundation for a good post –graduation. I didn’t start studying for any GS/Essay in graduation. Rather from my 3rd onwards I started for IIT-JAM (Joint Admission for Mathematics). When I reached IIT, my mind was clear. I have to solidify all my concepts in maths with a higher level reading of The Hindu. This included reading Hindu and also preparing some notes about what I understood. I read previous years papers extensively, literally googling where those questions were framed from. This was exhausting and time consuming but I didn’t give up. Rather I gave up my 1st summer vacations and stayed in hostel to read Hindu and preparing my own notes. It was there I had a discussion with one lady who was in IFS. She gave me excellent guidance about preparing notes. I transformed my preparation form hard to soft copies. It was easy to maintain, add, delete, modify on laptop. I ensured that I didn’t compromise on my life in IIT and fully enjoyed each moment, participated in dance festivals, debates, class trips because I was regular in reading newspapers, preparing for IIT exams and making notes. When I came out of IIT in May 2014, I was 100% sure that I don’t have to take coaching. My foundation and “understanding” of UPSC exam was clearer. I was able to find how ques might be framed from any news. I decided to stay at home and prepare. I decided to give 2015 attempt with full preparation. It was now that I started reading books for the exam and making my own notes, both hand written and typed. I kept in mind that I am preparing for mains. Maths preparation was also kick-started. I fixed my after dinner time for maths. I made notes for prelims side by side; about news that were not extensive but could me asked in MCQs. For others, it was Mains notes that could help. I completed the syllabus by reading and preparing notes for the first time by December 2014. It was then that multiple revisions started. Side by side maths was going. By first prelims was in August 2015. I started to read only Prelims in May 2015. Mains preparation was reduced if not completely side-lined (because of current affairs). I used to solve many MCQs from online websites. I joined one small test series of 10 full tests in June 2015. CSAT preparation was also started from May only. Since I was good in maths it was not a big deal. After giving prelims, I was pretty sure (although nervous) that I will clear it and started Mains preparation. I was casually googling for questions for GS preparation that I saw IASBABA website. The mere presentation of the website: spacious, de-stressing font and lighter presentation made me think about my 1st mains being less haunting. It was no turning back. I read the info and came to know about TLP- Programme. I didn’t know then that this programme will be my SOLE GUARDIAN for mains. I started writing answers from next day. i thought that I will continue writing and let’s see if somebody evaluates my answers. Normally on online platforms it is very difficult/ not possible to fix accountability as they are free of cost and you don’t know people personally, it is your time and your practice that is at stake. But IAS BABA was different. I still remember my answer was evaluated the very 1st day! Of course I needed to improve but someone telling that created a lot of enthusiasm and positivity. I wrote answers for 5 questions in TLP program each day and everyday there were evaluators who were reading my answers, sometimes all 5 and sometimes at least 3 if not all. But then there were other aspirants who checked my answers and gave their comments. It was this consistency in IAS BABA team that I never gave up mains answer writing till November end. It helped me groom my writing skills. I kept a 35 minute timeline for answering these 5 questions to create exam feel each day. I didn’t join any test series for my optional and had to pay for it. I gave the mains and cleared it but couldn’t get the final rank. It was my optional that doomed me. I scored a mere 208/500. But as far as IASBABA was concerned, the practice did its work, I scored around 360 in GS. I decided to give second attempt. With people going for some very costly test series I was pretty sure that my trust in IASBABA will pay off. I stuck to IASBABA, this time for both prelims and mains.  Since I had to catch with my current affairs within less time, the summary versions of Yojana/Kurukshetra Magazines by IASBABA were very helpful. They started an amazing 60 day prelims plan which I regularly practiced. I didn’t join any other test series for prelims. Then it was TLP again and the team was again at its very best at evaluating mine and other aspirants’ answers. I was very positive about IASBABA from the very start and didn’t go for any other platform. But this time I joined a test series for maths by IMS. The hard work paid off and I cleared Mains. For interviews, I took part in interview discussion initiative by IASBABA for keeping in touch with the kind of theoretical questions that can be asked. Also, joined interview guidance program by Samkalp (2 mocks) along with 1 mock each from Chanakya IAS Academy and Vajiram and Ravi. As I now see my mark-sheet, I realise the important role of IASBABA in making me score high in GS in Mains. It is one thing that you are very particular about answer writing but it another to have a belief that your answer will be evaluated and you can improve. Without evaluation one seems to lose enthusiasm to write each day. It was this enthusiasm that kept the fire burning in me and I hope in all the future aspirants. I heard some negative opinions about Mathematics as an optional subject for UPSC. I think that we should listen to other people but decide on our own as to what suits us. Despite being a low scorer in my 1st attempt I didn’t lose faith in my subject and I realised my mistake of being over confident in being a post graduate in Mathematics. We should prepare a subject if we enjoy it (if we take a new subject altogether) or if we have a strong hold on it (as in my case) but should never be over confident about it. For people in maths, I want to tell that don’t break the chain of regular practice even when you are studying when Prelims exam is near. Reduce the time given to maths but don’t give it altogether. UPSC exam is one which checks not just your knowledge but also your approach towards life and its problems.  It tests you on your patience, mood swings, courage and persistence. Also, anyone can crack this exam with proper planning and suitable timetables. Regularity and consistency with support systems like IASBABA is a necessary recipe for acing this exam. I wish all the aspirants very best for the upcoming Prelims 2017. With less than a fortnight left, brush up the facts, solve MCQs and pray for positivity in thinking from Almighty. Don’t overthink and overanalyse. Keep calm and excel. Regards, Mani Agarwal AIR 126, UPSC 2016

Jun 29, 2017

Rank 121 UPSC CSE 2016 HITIKA VASAL, UPSC/IAS TOPPER'S STRATEGY-Do's and Don'ts!

Name: Hitika Vasal Rank: 121 Optional: Sociology Marks Essay:154GS 1: 108GS 2: 104GS 3: 108GS 4: 111Sociology 1 : 127Sociology 2 : 157Interview :165 THE UPSC JOURNEY: I am one of those who had always dreamt of this ever since I was a kid and hence I choose to pursue sociology for both my graduate and postgraduate. However, It was only after my post graduation that I got serious about pursuing my dream. It was in October 2014, that I started seriously thinking about UPSC but was totally clueless as to how I was going to do it. Like a sheep following the herd, landed myself in Rajinder Nagar and joined one of the coaching institute for general studies. Started following what everyone else was doing without using my own mind.  This was the time when I was just blindly following everything people said buy Bipin Chandra because MR X said so or Buy Spectrum because MR Y said so. In between all this hustle bustle and confusions rocking my mind everyday, I Decided to give my first attempt in 2015 and failed to qualify for prelims. This served as a shock, I had never thought of any other career option all my life and all that fear of “What if I fail” “where will I work “ “ This has been my only dream “, et al This failure stuck me hard and I pledged to give my best in 2016. After 2015 result that shook me I was determined to do the unconventional, that was to move out of Rajinder Nagar and come back to my hometown (as I felt it was more peaceful). A lot of my friends felt that this was a wrong decision to take because being so far from Delhi I would miss out on a lot. Here,I would like to say a special thanks to IAS BABA team, who have made sure that an aspirant from any corner of the country can prepare at the comforts of their homes, (That has also been the motto of IASBABA Team, to make sure that all aspirants at any given place have equal access to knowledge). I religiously followed 60 Days for Prelims, TLP for Mains Answer Writing. The other initiative I would like to specially mention is Current Affairs (issue based). It helped me in getting different perspectives of an issue.   I really can't thank your team enough.  Some dos and don’ts: Limited sources: I always kept my sources limited, whether be it books or online sources such as IASBaba, I never wasted time going through different sources. For me the key was Read>Revise>Tests>Revise. When you stick yourself with limited sources, you are able to revise better. This also saved time as I would highlight in my book and mark what was important for prelims point of view and what could be used in mains (Saved me from making notes too). However, there are people who like to read from different sources to grasp a topic better . See what suits you and follow that.Make a timetable and stick to it: I made a timetable for both prelims, mains and interview and made sure that I finish the topics in the given time period, if at any point I failed to do so i made sure to devote extra time to complete the topics that were left.Integrate your preparation: Try to make sure that you actively engage with the subject so that it stays with you for longer, in case you have a problem understanding or learning something try referring to you tube videos for the same. Make sure that the topic is understood well, this will help you both for prelims and mains.Tests: Tests are an integral part of preparation for two main reasons: Firstly, it helps you to stick to the given timetable and thus reduces the scope for procrastination (specially if you are a person like me who is preparing in the comforts of your house). Secondly, It helps you to realize your weak and strong areas so that you can work on both accordingly. However, never underestimate yourself due to your scores (I was always doing that ) These scores might have no resemblance with your real scores. Just keep giving the tests, try learning from them but do not take the scores too seriously.You don’t have to study 15 hours and there is no need to isolate yourself: The maximum I have studied is 10 hours (maybe just for a day or two: P). Ithink consistency matters more. Also it takes time to be able to start studying for that long, slowly you will get used to it and will start enjoying the process. I also used to reward myself after finishing each subject with a holiday: P(this helps you to remain sane)Surround yourself with people who trust you and have faith in your abilities: This path is really bumpy and No you don’t want people who make you feel weak or incapable, this is then time you need to be positive and have faith in yourself. Always remember “IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, WHO WILL?“. Be confident about yourself and if there are any people who are undermining you, just avoid their company.Do not be scared of Failure: If you have chosen this journey, be strong enough to face hurdles and obstacles (as many have already said: that this is not only a test of knowledge but also your attitude towards life).Know how important this is for you: Don’t give this exam because your friends are giving it or your parents are coaxing you to do so, give it because you want to. Once you have deep desire for this, Success will follow. Some Minor Tips: In my first attempt, I tried to attempt only those questions about which I was 100% sure, ended up doing only 60 questions. However, when I returned home to check the answers I was shocked to know that many were wrong. (Moral : a little risk is cardinal )Secondly, after your prelims do not waste more than two three days. No matter what the result is you need to keep going forward.Write answers in whatever form (be it points or paragraphs,) I am a humanities student and hence I am habituated to write in paragraphs, I was warned by many that this can be suicidal but I was firm on writing in the manner that I was comfortable. So I suggest you all to write in the form that you are comfortable. I am not writing any booklist here because many toppers have already written about it, but if there is any thing any one wants to know about be it sociology or anything else that you feel I can help, I would be more than happy to do so. BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OF YOU, TRUST YOURSELF. Believe that you can do it and you surely shall do it. Regards Hitika 

Jun 28, 2017 AIR

All India Radio - India-Malaysia Bilateral Relations

India-Malaysia Bilateral Relations ARCHIVES Search 1st April 2017 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx India-Malaysia have been in 60 years long formal diplomatic relationship. In India’s Look East policy, Malaysia is a very important partner. On the agenda with Malaysia, the economic cooperation and defence relationship is being emphasised a lot. Both the countries also want to strengthen the military relationship in near future. Defence relations First MoU for defence cooperation was signed in 1963 and since then, there has been extensive cooperation. Malaysia Navy has been participating in the Milan exercise which India holds every two years. There is lot of scope in defence cooperation with Malaysia as it is good in manufacturing and eventually India has to also move forward towards manufacturing of defence products and equipment. And India also needs to have market for its own defence manufactured stuff. Counter-terrorism The whole world is today dealing with menace of ISIS.  Counter- terrorism is an issue on which India and Malaysia can find a common ground. India is also battling cross border terrorism whereas there have been threats of ISIS on Malaysia. Malaysia is an Islamic country but a moderate country. All the religions are treated equally. There are about 8% people of Indian origin and have full freedom to practice their religion etc. Thus, Malaysia is also worried about the radicalisation that is being forced upon by ISIS. Earlier there were reports of Malaysians being involved in terrorist activists. But lately there hasn’t been such reports. This shows that Malaysians have become very conscious of this danger to their society. Maritime India has taken a consistent view of the same but the nations involved around the issue have not shown uniformity in responding to the same. Some are willing to go with china while some are not. Malaysia has had more of a quiet diplomacy. It feels that South China Sea issue could become a major irritant in the region as the time goes by. China’s strengths and military capabilities have been known post its reaction to the ruling on maritime security by the international tribunal. The countries which are aggrieved, on whose territorial waters china is encroaching, they are not in a position to take on china directly. In ASEAN also, the members have not been able to take a collective position. Thus there is a move to have some kind of code of conduct for all countries in South China Sea but the progress on it is less. In this environment, role of Malaysia will be important in respect of how it deals with aggressive stance of china. In the regional equations and the situations of major players in the Asian region, some have referred to it as Asian century given the fact that India and China are fast growing economies of world. Nations like Malaysia, Sri Lanka are trying to wedge their interest somewhere and feel secure. In a practical world, such nations in Asia realised that they need India and also China and hence national interests dictate that they align with multiple partners. Whether the countries of the region say it publicly or not but they would like to ensure that rise of china is peaceful. If the signals from China are otherwise, then they’ll definitely like to have a balancing power. That balancing power can either be only Japan or India and may be some extent Vietnam. It may not be said publicly, but the strategic thinkers, foreign policy analysts of the countries of the region know that India is a peaceful country and doesn’t have expansionist desires. It is also a reliable partner and thus it should be strengthened. Economic cooperation Malaysia can play an important role in India’s Make in India mission. Malaysia has already invested 5 billion dollars and have many construction projects in India. Hence, the scope for more Malaysian investment is there. They have a sovereign fund which is called ‘khazana’ and they are looking for avenues to invest. For example, they have been present in Rajasthan and Amravati where they are into joint projects. Malaysia has capacity of becoming part of global value chain in electronic hardware where Indian companies have not been successful in becoming a global value chain. Thus, it is one area where India can learn from Malaysia. Ayurveda Ayurveda seems to be a growing area in Malaysia. Indian food, yoga and Ayurveda are soft power which has potential for increasing demand. Lot of people are trying to move away from chemicals for their personal use and for good health, they want natural products.  Ayurveda has the answers for them which India can extensively promote in Malaysia. Diaspora Malaysia has a significant diaspora of Indian population. When one comes from a country which has substantial population that has routes to India, there are bound to be cultural inclination and soft corner. There are at present around 2 million people of Indian origin that are in Malaysia. They have now fully integrated in the Malaysian society. Earlier when they came to Malaysia in 19th century, they were plantation workers who were poor and at the bottom of the society. Now they are gradually coming up and they have a bright future. Politically also they are getting integrated in the mainstream positions. Conclusion Ties between India and Malaysia have shown a marked upswing in recent years giving economic cooperation stronger roots. India is keen on building stronger political, economic and strategic ties with Malaysia. In recent years, Indian firms have moved to Malaysia in a big way, making it a base to do business with other ASEAN countries. With respect to counter-terrorism, Malaysia has been greatly successful in countering radicalization and terrorism which is another area from where India can draw critical points. Thus, there is a good potential for both the countries to further their relationship on various fronts. Connecting the dots: A strong bond with a country rests first on economic cooperation and then slowly in strategic cooperation. Do you agree? With respect to this, discuss the potential of India’s relation with Malaysia given the constant friction between major powers of the region.

Jun 28, 2017 RSTV Video

The Big Picture - How Can India Maintain High GDP Growth?

How Can India Maintain High GDP Growth? Archives TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. India’s economic growth fell to 6.1% in the fourth quarter of 2016-17, primarily because of demonetisation adversely affecting economic activity and the worst affected sectors being construction and financial services. Without indirect taxes (GST will be introduced), growth figures are expected to be more dismal. GVA added to the difference between GDP and Net indirect taxes grew by only 5.6% in Q4. The effect of demonetisation was evident in the figures with growth being pushed more by agriculture and government spending. Excluding these, GVA merely grew 3.8% from 8.4% in Q1. Q3 numbers were much better than Q4 performance. This means that the real effect of demonetisation was felt after some months. However, demonetisation is not the real reason why the Indian economy is slowing down. The GDP numbers show that the Indian economy was slowing down from the first quarter of last fiscal. It was a slowdown which was not getting captured for a while but now it has shown. Demonetisation figures are part of a larger trend. Demonetisation has definitely accentuated the unemployment problem, especially in construction and real estate sector as they are cash rich sector. But one thing these numbers have cleared the misconception of lot of authorities who without having data had unnecessarily castigated the GDP makers for having fudged data. The Indian Statistical System is robust and gives a clearer real picture. What bothers high economic growth? Though agricultural growth has been high, it may not be as high as witnessed in previous quarter despite the monsoon. On other positive side, the exports have started moving up. But it is now becoming clearer that economy is dependent on expenditure to push it. The high growth between 2004-2010 was due to Boom in private-corporate investment. Their share in savings and investment doubled. This generated a huge demand for capital goods. Boom in rural consumption. There was a period when MSP was going up, NREGA was expanding and the FMCG was on a rise. Phenomenal increase in export growth where a lot of it was driven by software exports. Can these be counted upon now? Private investments are not encouraging due to NPA overhangs in the economy. It is a 6.5 lakh crore rupees problem. Till it gets solved, investment cycle returning to the economy will take considerable time. The current pessimism in investment climate is driven by lack of demand growth. Even those companies that can invest are not ready to jump in as they are wary about the demand growth. Last few months have been positive on export side. But it is not sure if it can be sustained for long. A higher level of private consumption has given a relief to Q4 but the nature of private consumption has to change its direction from consumption to gross capital formation which has come down substantially. Even service sector contribution is going down which is the biggest engine of growth at the moment. The construction, banking, finance sectors has seen a downward growth trend. All eight core sectors of industry are down during the Q4. With them going down and private investment sectors sinking, the GDP will go down along with GVA. Given the rise in protectionist measures, less growth in global trade, India needs to analyse its strengths pertaining to macroeconomic and microeconomic conditions- The focus areas should be How to step up investment- government or private Increase in capital formations Good monsoon should give better agricultural push as the share of agriculture is coming down year after year. Resolving the NPA problem. For this, government expenditure can be increased in three sectors Railways no longer have fund constraint that was present earlier- lines of credit LIC, people willing to invest, government support has increased. However, railway’s capacity to spend money needs to be developed. PPP in highways is going to take a long time. Now EPC has come in where government spends money and contractors are private sector. Also, an annual hybrid annuity model has been tried where private sector also plays some role. Electricity sector investments have come down by saying that there is electricity surplus in some states. But there is a surplus because there is no demand! India needs to continue to add 5-6% to its capacity in generation and increase electricity infrastructure to provide electricity in all the parts of the country. Role of RBI The MPC has taken a consistent position that demonetisation effect is transient. But they are not yet convinced about the inflation trajectory because of which they want to keep it below 4%. The inflation trajectory has come off the pressures of being high. This is the critical point. MPC has taken a hawkish position that inflation risks are still high because of follow through of pay commission, impact of several structural problems and constantly fluctuating oil prices. This is when they would be considering whether there is a need to cut back on rates. The problem is that even if there is rate cut, would it encourage investors to borrow extra money from bank? Right now the banks are flushed with credit and willing to lend at less rates. But the question is if the borrowers are willing to take up the available money? So it is not necessary that less rate of interest would spur the economy for higher growth rate. Creating a climate for investment is important because the demand has gone down in several sectors of economy and the industry is not pouring new money into manufacturing and operations. So government has to do things on several fronts. Government should concentrate on infrastructure projects which will be generating good deal of demand in future. The real estate has the maximum forward and backward linkages and here is where government should focus the most. Construction, employment orientation, employment intensive, addressing issue of land availability, affordable housing- making it feasible should help the economy. Conclusion World Band in its recent report ‘Globalisation Backlash’ has mentioned that may be private sector will be interested in investing more in next quarter. This is because investment in infrastructure by government has gone up high and public expenditure has also gone high. This may result into further incentive and market may pick up a little. Also, Growth rate of 8-10% shouldn’t be expected in the near future. It was possible when world trade was booming.  A consistent 7% growth is a good sign of economic growth. The per capita incomes will quadrupole in a generation. Thus, India’s macroeconomic front is reasonably sound. It is possible to take risk to economic boost. Growth has to come from private sector. If the government tries to expand and tries to spend out of its way, it will hit the macroeconomic situation. Fiscal deficit ceiling cannot be breached. The private sector in India depends on government to give signal which is problematic. GST, IBBI enactment, fiscal ceiling are the solid measures to put the growth trajectory on sound footing. Key Remark- Some major points from WB report are The fiscal, inflation and external conditions in India are expected to remain stable India's economic growth will rise gradually to 7.7 per cent in 2019-20 The growth will be underpinned by a recovery in private investments Despite renewed weakness in private investment and sluggish external demand, India continued to grow robustly Demonetisation did in fact slow the growth modestly It expects that inflation would stabilise with the support of favourable investment climate and structural reforms The report has warned India against significant risks to its favourable growth outlook It has also underlined uncertainties in the external environment, not-so clear picture of the impact of demonetisation on small and informal firms, obstacles to private investment and rapid hikes in the prices of oil and other commodities. Connecting the dots: “A double digit growth for Indian economy in near future is difficult.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer.