May 4, 2017

IASbaba's 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2017 Economics and Current Affairs [Day 34]

Hello Friends So, here we are with the 34th Day of 60 Days Plan. It is the third edition of 60 Days program but seems like the first one because of the excitement involved everywhere, including us :) We are equally excited and pumped. Our Team is working hard to make you realize your dream. Do not take it insincerely and let us down. Your faith and participation has to be in sync with the amount of hard work and effort we do. Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to comment their answers in the comment box on daily basis. There were huge participation in discussion. Putting answers in comment box has been very effective to self track yourself after updating the score. In the end you can cross check your performance through disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last two months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How you can make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants here just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 20 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So make effort to know the answers of all questions. Do not cheat :P Baba's Gyan for REVISION Many of you, almost all, asks about effective revision strategy! Can there be any? Let us tell you something Baba does :D  You guys study a lot and there is no issue with the hard work that has been put in. But when it comes to input-output comparison, your performance is questionable. What to do? Just do this for a Week: Go to bed before stipulated time of your sleep, at least 1 hour before. Close your eyes and try to relax your mind. You should attain full comfort and calmness. Do this on the First Day: Imagine the full story of a recent movie that you have watched. Try to recollect from starting to end. See, whether you are able to depict the clear picture or not! Now, do the same for everything you learnt from morning specially the ones you struggled with. Since it is fresh, most of the things should flow into your mind smoothly. Check what is your recollecting capacity. For example, if you prepared Polity Day 2: Topics- Try to collect all important concepts and learning of the day. Trust us, this exercise if done with sincerity will give you immense confidence as well as boost your performance. There is no ideal time for revision and there cannot be any specific date put for it, as commonly done. This will always expose your weaknesses the very same day and if you tend to forget something, can always get back to consolidate and cement it. REPEAT IT FOR A WEEK & SEE THE MAGIC :D  Must to Do: Read the detailed article regarding Micro Analysis Matrix and follow the guidelines- Click Here Try to hold your nerves and learn to control the temptation. This is very important art to learn and implement! Are you ready? Let's start [Day 34]: ECONOMICS & CURRENT AFFAIRS  ARCHIVES Q.1) Which of the following is not a Money Market instrument? Treasury Bills Repurchase Agreements Shares of a Company Certificate of Deposit  Q.2) Consider the following statements with reference to the Capital Markets Capital Markets consists of long term borrowing and lending through bonds only Secondary markets in India are regulated by the RBI Which of the above statements is/are incorrect? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2  Q.3) Consider the following statements with reference to the Demutualization of the Stock exchanges Demutualization means the separation of the ownership from the management in the day to day running of business The Stock Exchanges that are association of persons are to be converted into a for-profit company Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements with reference to SEBI It regulates the trading of Shares in the Stock exchanges It regulates the trading of Agricultural Commodities in Commodity exchanges Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements with reference to the Foreign Direct Investment FDI inflows are highly volatile as the capital can leave the country overnight FDI is preferable over debt financing as it does not create interest obligations Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.6) Consider the following statements about Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) Returns in FPI are in the form of dividends and interest payments Investment through FPI does not entail control of the management of the company FPI is the passive holding of securities and other financial assets by a foreign firm Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only All of the above Q.7) Consider the following statements with reference to the Start-up India Fund It will provide early stage seed capital to the startups RBI is the custodian of the Start-up India Fund  Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.8) Consider the following statements with reference to the Venture capitalists (VCs) They invest money collected from a pool of investors They provide the seed capital to start a business Investment by VCs can be either as debt or as equity Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only All of the above Q.9) Consider the following statements with reference to Initial public offering (IPO) IPO is the process through which the shares are sold to the public for the first time Ones the shares are purchased by the general public they can be sold in the Stock Exchanges Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.10) Consider the following statements with reference to Indian Depository Receipts (IDRs) IDRs are used by the Indian companies to raise capital overseas It is a derivative instrument with the shares of the issuing company as the underlying asset Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.11) Consider the following statements with reference to P-notes P-notes provide foreign investors an opportunity to invest in Indian stock markets Since the identity of the investor is not revealed, it can be used for Money laundering Which of the following statements is/are incorrect? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.12) Consider the following statements with reference to “Rights Issue” In rights issue, the existing shareholders are given the first right to additional shares In rights issue, the existing shareholders are issued additional shares for free Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.13) Consider the following statements about Offer For Sale (OFS) issue The primary aim of OFS is to raise additional capital to run an enterprise The primary aim of OFS is to dilute the shareholding of the promoters Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.14) Consider the following statements with reference to Preference Shares Preference Shares are a combination of both debt and equity Preference shareholders have preference over the common stock holders in case of winding up of business Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.15) Recently the NITI Ayog has suggested Strategic Sale of nearly 22 PSUs, in this context consider the following statements with reference to Strategic Sale of PSUs In Strategic Scale the government retains the Majority ownership of the company In Strategic Sale the government’s stake is sold to the highest bidder Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.16) Consider the following statements about Capital Gains Capital gains tax can be defined as a source of custom and excise revenue In case of Shares and equity mutual funds holding period of 36 months or more qualifies as ‘long-term capital gain’ Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.17) ______________ is the only Indian destination that features in The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) '12 Destinations to Watch for this year'. Kerala Sikkim Meghalaya Rajasthan Q.18) Consider the following statements about Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011) It was the first-ever caste-based census since 1931 Census of India Beneficiaries for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY – Rural) will be chosen according to data taken from the SECC 2011 Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.19) Consider the following statements about Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) It is chaired by Governor of Reserve Bank of India A sub-committee of FSDC is under the chairmanship of Finance Minister of India Members of FSDC include the heads of PFRDA, SEBI and IRDA Select the incorrect statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.20) Consider the following statements about Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) It enables NRIs and overseas scientific community to participate and contribute to R&D; in India It will be implemented through the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.21) Consider the following statements about The Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGS) It was launched to make available collateral-free credit to the micro and small enterprise sector Only the new enterprises are eligible to be covered under the scheme The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), established a Trust named Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) to implement the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 1 and 3 2 and 3 All of the above Q.22) Agenda 2063 is concerned with Sustainable Development Goals African Union World Fare Trade Organization None of the above Q.23) Consider the following statements about Lean Manufacturing Competitiveness Scheme It is a component of National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme (NMCP) It is basically an initiative to reduce "waste" in manufacturing National Productivity Council (NPC) was selected as National Monitoring and Implementing Unit (NMIU) for facilitating implementation and monitoring of the Scheme Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 1 and 3 Q.24) ‘Mission 41K’ and ‘Mission Raftaar’ is concerned with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Ministry of Power Ministry of Railways Both (a) and (c) Q.25) Consider the following statements about Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) It is the only global customs transit system that provides easy and smooth movement of goods across borders in sealed compartments or containers under customs control from the customs office of departure to the customs office of destination All members of INSTC are signatories to TIR Convention 1975 The conventions were adopted under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 1 and 3 2 and 3 All of the above Download The Solution - Click here

May 3, 2017 PIB

IASbaba Press Information Bureau (PIB)- 9th April to 15th April, 2017

IASbaba Press Information Bureau (PIB) – 9th Apr to 15th Apr 2017 ARCHIVES GS-1 ‘Swachhagraha “Bapu Ko Karyanjali”-A Mission, An Exhibition’. (Topic: Culture) About: Prime Minister inaugurated the exhibition entitled ‘‘Swachhagraha “Bapu Ko Karyanjali”-A Mission, An Exhibition’ on the occasion of 100th Anniversary of Champaran Satyagrah in National Archives of India (NAI) Janpath, New Delhi. Aim This exhibition is a humble tribute to Gandhi Ji on hundred years of his first experiment of Satyagraha in India, in Champaran and is an attempt to sensitize future generations to fulfill Gandhi’s dream of ‘Swachh Bharat’, where society’s reflection would be as clean as the thoughts within, of every citizen of India. This digital and experiential exhibition strives to connect the essential principles of Satyagrah ‘Jeevan-Chakra’ evolved by Gandhi Ji. Champaran Satyagrah Gandhi Ji was initially reluctant to visit Champaran. Rather, he had hardly knew where Champaran was and was unaware of the conditions of the farmers who cultivated Indigo. Upon his arrival in Patna on 10th April 1917 and thence to in Motihari on 15th April, he immediately realized that his stay there would be a long haul. The drama of Champaran has been succinctly depicted in this exhibition. During his stay, Gandhi Ji delved in detail with the problems of people. Social practices of scavenging, illiteracy, issues covering women and health were found to be the main impediments. These obstacles were common to the political issues that Gandhi Ji confronted. Satyagraha was the weapon he employed to overcome hurdles on both these fronts. The Champaran Satyagraha changed the dynamics of Indian politics, catapulting Gandhi Ji to the forefront of India’s freedom struggle. For the first time, people of India realized the power of non-violence and passive resistance, based on action. Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah (Topic: History) About: Vice President delivered the first Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah Memorial Lecture of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), Hyderabad. Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah was the fifth sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golkonda and the founder of Hyderabad. He built the famous Charminar He was an accomplished poet and wrote his poetry in Persian, Telugu and Urdu As the first author in the Urdu language he composed his verses in the Persian diwan style. Qutb Shahi dynasty The Qutb Shahi dynasty (or Golconda Sultanate) was a Muslim Turkmens dynasty that initially patronized Persianate culture. The Golconda sultanate was constantly in conflict with the Adil Shahis and Nizam Shahis. In 1636, Shah Jahan forced the Qutb Shahis to recognize Mughal suzerainty, which lasted until 1687 when the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb conquered the Golcondan sultanate. GS-2 Shodhganga (Topic: HRD) About: UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil./ Ph.D Degrees), Regulation, 2016, mandates that after successful completion of the evaluation process and before the announcement of the award of the M.Phil./Ph.D. degree(s), the Institution concerned shall submit an electronic copy of the M.Phil. dissertation /Ph. D. thesis to the Information and library Network (INFLIBNET) This will make the thesis accessible to all Institutions/Colleges. To implement this provision, Shodhganga repository was set up. The task of setting-up of this repository was assigned to INFLIBNET Centre, Gandhinagar – an Inter-University Centre of the University Grants Commission (UGC). Objectives of Shodhganga Develop a national repository of theses and dissertations with an intuitive interface which enables submission of electronic version of theses and dissertations by Universities in India Avoid unnecessary duplication and repetition which will save huge resources, both human and financial Providing access to Indian theses and dissertations in open access to world-wide academic community Extend access to plagiarism detection software to eligible universities Fund eligible Universities (that are under purview of the UGC) for digitization of back lists of theses submitted to their universities. Features of Shodhganga Facilitates Universities to deposit their theses in the respective Departments / Centres. Permits online or offline submission of theses by students on voluntary basis. Shodhganga interface supports basic search, advanced search and subject-wise browsing. Unnat Bharat Abhiyan  (Topic: HRD) About: The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) along with the Ministries of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has agreed to link all Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) with rural development processes under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA). To involve professional and other higher educational institutions of the country in the process of indigenous development of self-sufficient and sustainable village clusters in tune with the notion of 'GramSwaraj' propounded by Mahatma Gandhi. Steps for Elimination of TB  (Topic: Health and Family Welfare) About: The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme is being implemented under the aegis of the National Health Mission with the following steps According to the WHO Global TB Reports, the estimated proportion of Multi- Drug Resistant TB Cases in India is not increasing. The proportion of MDR cases is estimated to be in between 1.9 – 2.6 percent among new TB cases and between 11- 19 percent among retreatment cases. The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme is being implemented under the aegis of the National Health Mission with the following steps Strengthening and improving quality of basic TB services, Addressing TB HIV co-infection, other co-morbidities and MDR-TB Engaging with care providers both in the public and the private sector Targeted intervention in the vulnerable population and strengthening urban TB control along with active case finding activities Integrating newer molecular diagnostics for TB in the health system (CBNAAT) for early diagnosis of MDR TB Leveraging of Information Communication Technology for enhancing TB notification and strengthening of monitoring. Elimination of Leprosy  (Topic: Health and Family Welfare) About: Analysis of geographical distribution of leprosy by World Health Organization (WHO) shows that India accounted for the largest number of cases of leprosy at 60% of the global new cases reported during 2015 by 136 countries. With a view to eliminating leprosy from the country, a three-pronged strategy has been adopted for early detection of leprosy cases in the community during 2016-17: Leprosy Case Detection Campaign for high endemic districts. Focused Leprosy Campaign for hot spots. Specific plan for Case Detection in Hard to reach areas. Assisted Reproductive Techniques (Regulation) Bill (Topic: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) About: Surrogacy has been prohibited for foreign nationals issued by Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure the following: No visa should be issued by the Indian Missions/Posts to foreign nationals intending to visit India for commissioning surrogacy. No permission should be granted by the Foreigners Regional Registration Officers (FRROs)/Foreigners Registration Officers (FROs) to Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders to commission surrogacy in India. No exit permission should be granted by the FRROs/FROs to the child/children to be born through surrogacy to foreign nationals including OCI cardholders. However, for child/children born through surrogacy already commissioned on or before issue of this Circular, exit permission will be decided by FRROs/FROs on case to case basis. 'Making New India' to be theme of Civil Services Day 2017 (Topic: Government Policies) About: "Making New India” will be the theme for Civil Services Day, 2017. A unique feature of this year’s event, , that on the advice of Prime Minister, young IAS Collectors and probationers of the last four years from 2013 to 2016, were engaged to send their responses as feedback. This year’s awards, will be based primarily on excellence in implementation of five priority programmes of Government of India, which include Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), e-National Agriculture Market (eNAM) and “Start Up India, Stand Up India”. Haldia Port Tops the List in The First Ever Ranking of Ports on Sanitation Parameters (Topic: Infrastructure Development) About: The twelve major ports under the Ministry of Shipping have been ranked on sanitation parameters for the first time. The assessment methodology included official interview, direct observation by the designated team from Quality Council of India and stakeholder’s interaction. The exercise was undertaken during the ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’ observed from the 16th to 31st of March 2017. The ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’ was a major sanitation and cleanliness campaign. It not only emphasized cleanliness and sanitation but brought the focus on the setting up of ‘Green Ports’ for sustainable, environment friendly, long term development of ports. All 193 lighthouses across India have been solarized and this mega drive culminated during the ‘Swachhata Pakhwada’. GS-3 Web Portal “Bharat ke Veer” (Topic: Science and Technology) About: Union Home Minister inaugurated the web portal and mobile application named “Bharat ke Veer” on the occasion of Valour Day of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The portal is an IT based platform, with an objective to enable willing donors to contribute towards the family of a CRPF and CAPF who sacrificed his/her life in line of duty. Working of portal. The amount so donated will be credited to the account of ‘Next of Kin’ of those Central Armed Police Force/Central Para Military Force soldiers. The actor Akshay Kumar was the Guest of Honour during the function. This domain allows anyone to financially support the bravehearts of his choice or towards the “Bharat Ke Veer” corpus. This website is technically supported by National Informatics Centre (NIC) and powered by State Bank of India. To ensure maximum coverage, a cap of 15 lakh rupees is imposed and the donors would be alerted if the amount exceeds, so that they can choose to divert part of the donation to another braveheart account or to the “Bharat Ke Veer” corpus. “Bharat Ke Veer” corpus would be managed by a committee made up of eminent persons of repute and senior Government officials, who would decide to disburse the fund equitably to the braveheart’s family on need basis. Valour Day The Valour Day is celebrated in remembrance of an act of unparalleled bravery displayed by a small contingent of CRPF personnel, pitted against a full-fledged infantry brigade of Pakistani Army, trying to overrun their post, at Sardar Post, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat on April 09, 1965. The CRPF successfully defended the post till the arrival of reinforcements. SCOPE Awards (Topic: Finance) About: The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) Awards at the 8th Public Sector Day function held in New Delhi. Invaluable contribution made by our Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) since independence when PSEs had been chosen as the vehicle of industrialization in our country. Their overall net profit increased by 12.5 percent during 2015-16. This is appreciable since they have continued to perform well despite the fact that the global fiscal and economic scenario and industrial climate is not very encouraging. “Nakshe” Portal (Topic: Science and Technology) About: Ministry of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences launched a new web portal “nakshe” on occasion of 250th anniversary of Survey of India(SoI). Topographic maps or Open Series Maps (OSM) containing natural and man-made geographical features including terrain or topography are prepared by the SoI since its inception in 1767. It is in conformity with the National Map Policy-2005. These OSM maps have been made available for free download from “nakshe” web portal in pdf format on 1:50,000 scale through Aaadhar enabled user authentication process. Survey of India Foundation for the scientific survey and mapping of the country was laid with The Great Trignometric Survey (GTS) in 19th century on this day i.e. 10th April, 1802, by noted surveyors Col. Lambton and Sir George Everest. Survey of India is the principal mapping agency of India. It is the oldest scientific department in India and one of the oldest survey establishments in the world. Foundation for the scientific survey and mapping of the country was laid with The Great Trignometric Survey (GTS) in 19th century on 10th April 1802. SoI has surveyed and mapped each and every part of the country and these maps have played an invaluable role in the saga of India’s nation building SoI is pivotal in the foundation of almost all major developmental activities of modern India. Blue Revolution (Topic: Agriculture) About: Realizing the immense scope for development of fisheries and aquaculture, the Government of India has restructured the Central Plan Scheme under an umbrella of Blue Revolution. The restructured Central Sector Scheme on Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries (CSS) approved by the Government provides for a focused development and management of the fisheries sector to increase both fish production and fish productivity from aquaculture and fisheries resources of the inland and marine fisheries sector including deep sea fishing. The scheme has the following components: National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and its activities. Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture. Development of Marine Fisheries, Infrastructure and Post-Harvest Operations. Strengthening of Database & Geographical Information System of the Fisheries Sector. Institutional Arrangement for Fisheries Sector. Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) and other need-based Interventions. National Scheme on Welfare of Fishermen. The Scheme Blue Revolution: The Blue Revolution is being implemented to achieve economic prosperity of fishermen and fish farmers and to contribute towards food and nutritional security through optimum utilization of water resources for fisheries development in a sustainable manner, keeping in view the bio-security and environmental concerns. Under the scheme, it has been targeted to enhance the fish production from 107.95 lakh tonnes in 2015-16 to about 150 lakh tonnes by the end of the financial year 2019-20. It is also expected to augment the export earnings with a focus on increased benefit flow to the fishers and fish farmers to attain the target of doubling their income. The Department has prepared a detailed National Fisheries Action Plan-2020(NFAP) for the next 5 years with an aim of enhancing fish production and productivity and to achieve the concept of Blue Revolution. The approach was initiated considering the various fisheries resources available in the country like ponds & tanks, wetlands, brackish water, cold water, lakes & reservoirs, rivers and canals and the marine sector. Coast Guard’s Measures to protect Fishermen (Topic: Defence) About: There have been no report about killing of any Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy during the last three years.  However, there are reports about an incident of firing in Palk Bay. Steps taken to protect fishermen Indian Coast Guard provides assistance to Indian fishermen at sea while they are in distress through regular patrolling. It also conducts community Interaction Programmes to educate fishermen among other issues, on the perils of cross border fishing. For better accessibility, the Coast Guard has provided a toll free telephone number 1554 for search and rescue assistance to fishermen at sea. Under operation ‘Tasha’, Indian Navy and Coast Guard ships are deployed in Palk Bay area to prevent any illegal activity and also to protect the Indian fishermen from any attack, while they are fishing in Indian waters. Indian Coast Guard have also distributed a total of 1,853 Distress Alert Transmitters (DATs) free of cost to fishermen in the coastal states of India which provide the location of a distressed fisherman to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Chennai. Whenever any such incident of attack and consequent detention of our fishermen by the Sri Lankan authorities are reported, Government through diplomatic channels, immediately takes up the matter with the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure that the Sri Lankan authorities act with restraint and our fishermen are treated in a humane manner and are released expeditiously. Virtual Currencies (Topic: Economy) About: Reserve Bank of India, has advised that it has not given any license / authorization to any entity / company to operate schemes or to deal with Bitcoin or any virtual currency. As such, any user, holder, investor, trader, etc. dealing with Virtual Currencies will be doing so at their own risk. The creation, trading or usage of VCs including Bitcoins, as a medium of payment is not authorized by any central bank or monetary authority. No regulatory approval, registration or authorisation have been obtained by the entities concerned for carrying on such activities. The absence of counter parties in the usage of VCs including Bitcoins, for illicit and illegal activities in anonymous/ pseudonymous systems could subject the users to unintentional breaches of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) laws. Portable Kit to Check Water Contamination (Topic: S&T) About: National Centre for Compositional Characterisation of Materials (NCCCM), Chemistry Group, BARC, located at Hyderabad has developed a portable visual detection kit for detection of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] between 5 to 500 ng/ml ( ppb) range in water within 5 minutes. trivalent chromium (Cr III) and hexavalent chromium (Cr VI) Chromium exists in the environment primarily in two valence states, trivalent chromium (Cr III) and hexavalent chromium (Cr VI). Cr (III) is biologically important element and needed for glucose and lipid metabolism. Cr (VI), however, is considered toxic and IARC (International Agency for Research in Cancer, WHO) has classified it as a group 1 agent, defined as carcinogenic to humans. Procedure Three reagents kept inside different bottles are to be added to the clear water sample. Reagent 1 and Reagent 2 are added and mixed for two minutes. The third reagent is then added and mixed thoroughly (shaken for 1-2 minutes). Within 5 minutes, a pink color develops in the top layer and the intensity of this is compared by visual inspection to obtain the Cr(VI) range in water. By this method Cr(VI) can be detected in drinking water sources such as ground water, lake water, river water, etc. According to Indian standard IS10500, maximum permissible limit for Cr(VI) in drinking water is 50 ng/mL and as per United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) it is 10 ng/mL and the kit meets the requirements of both the standards. The technology of this kit has been transferred to M/S LTek Systems, Nagpur for commercialization of the product for societal benefit. Introduction of GST (Topic: Economy) About: Tax on sale or purchase of goods within a State as per Entry List II of Seventh Schedule of the Constitution is a State subject. VAT was introduced which ensured that credit of taxes paid on the inputs were available to a tax payer while discharging his output tax liability. This helped in minimizing cascading of taxes at the State level and in increasing compliance because of the in-built mechanism of transfer of input tax credit. VAT led to a simplification of taxes at the State level. Presently, the Constitution empowers the Central Government to levy excise duty on manufacturing and service tax on the supply of services. Similarly, it empowers the State Governments to levy sales tax or value added tax (VAT) on the sale of goods. Further, central sales tax (CST) is levied on intra-State sale of goods by the Central Government, but collected and retained by the exporting States. Many States also levy an entry tax on the entry of goods in local areas. This exclusive division of fiscal powers has led to a multiplicity of indirect taxes in the country. This multiplicity of taxes at the State and Central levels has resulted in a complex indirect tax structure in the country that is ridden with hidden costs for the trade and industry. There is no uniformity of tax rates and structure across States There is cascading of taxes due to ‘tax on tax’. No credit of excise duty and service tax paid at the stage of manufacture is available to the traders while paying the State level sales tax or VAT, and vice-versa No credit of State taxes paid in one State can be availed in other States. Hence, the prices of goods and services get artificially inflated to the extent of this ‘tax on tax’. GST introduction The proposed dual GST envisages taxation of the same taxable event, i.e., supply of goods and services, simultaneously by both the Centre and the States. Therefore, both Centre and States will be empowered to levy GST across the value chain from the stage of manufacture to consumption. The credit of GST paid on inputs at every stage of value addition would be available for the discharge of GST liability on the output, thereby ensuring GST is charged only on the component of value addition at each stage. GST will simplify and harmonise the indirect tax regime in the country. It is expected to reduce cost of production and inflation in the economy, thereby making the Indian trade and industry more competitive, domestically as well as internationally. GST will broaden the tax base, and result in better tax compliance due to a robust IT infrastructure. Due to the seamless transfer of input tax credit from one stage to another in the chain of value addition, there is an in-built mechanism in the design of GST that would incentivize tax compliance by traders. BHIM-Aadhar–a digital payment platform launched by the Prime Minister on Ambedkar Jayanti in Nagpur (Topic: Economy) About: BHIM Aadhaar platform for merchants, Cash back and Referral bonus schemes for BHIM and 75 townships going less-cash. BHIM-Aadhaar digital payment platform BHIM-Aadhaar, the merchant interface of the BHIM App, will pave the way for making digital payments by using the Aadhaar platform. Any Indian citizen can pay digitally using their biometric data like their thumb imprint on a merchants’ biometric enabled device which could be smart phone having a biometric reader. Any citizen without access to smart phones, internet, debit or credit cards will be able to transact digitally through the BHIM Aadhaar platform. Cash back and Referral bonus They are two incentive schemes to ensure that the culture of digital payments permeates down to the grassroots Under the Referral bonus scheme both the existing user who refers BHIM and the new user who adopts BHIM would get a cash bonus credited directly to their account. Under the Cashback scheme the merchants will get a cash back on every transaction using BHIM. Both schemes are to be administered by MEITY and implemented by NPCI. Initial schemes were Lucky GrahakYojana and DigiDhanVyaparYojana came to an end after a rigorous 100 day information, education and communication campaign led by NITI Aayog to make digital payments a mass movement in India. Less cash township In order to achieve the target of 2500 crore digital transactions during the current financial year, there are going to be 75 townships spread all over India as ‘less-cash townships’. A less-cash township is one where the deployment of payment acceptance infrastructure is complete, all the families in the township are covered under training programs. These townships are likely to generate over 1.5 lakh digital transactions every day thereby leading to about 5.5 crore digital transactions in a year.  

May 3, 2017 AIR

All India Radio - General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR)

General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) ARCHIVES Search 28th January 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. What is GAAR? General Anti-Avoidance Rule is a set of rules or framework which helps the revenue authorities decide about whether a particular transaction has commercial substance or not. If not, then it is not a genuine transaction and then the tax liability associated with it is decided. It is a set of rules that helps tax authorities decide whether a commercial entity has entered into an arrangement with another entity or its subsidiary to avoid paying taxes to the government. This is done by taking advantages of loopholes existing in present tax structure. It is framed by the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance. It is different from tax evasion which is caused because of illegal activities/mis-representation/suppression/fraud and tax mitigation is because people utilise fiscal incentive to take advantages of tax efficient zones. For eg. here the person will be setting up unit in SEZ or taking advantages of tax holidays or other available tax plans. GAAR will address the cases which are technically not illegal but not ethical as they avoid the payment of taxes. Thereby the transaction has not been promoted by a person to be commercially viable but only for purpose of taking tax advantages. Suppose the government gives incentive of tax holiday in an SEZ unit where the person sets up a factory over there with defunct machineries and don’t produce anything from there but from somewhere else, and then show it as the produce of the place of SEZ unit and takes a tax holiday. This is a case of tax avoidance. Similar transactions take place whereby certain companies actually place themselves in low tax jurisdiction and by evoking double taxation treatise, they pay low lower taxes. For ex. Mauritius and Singapore where many FIIs are based. Because of low taxes, the business get competitive advantages. In such places, there is no commercial place but just a registered office which doesn’t do any particular work. All work is done in the country of transaction, here India. As they are not taking advantages of Singapore or Malaysia, the tax rules don’t apply. In this case, it is necessary to pay taxes to the country from where one is operating the businesses. Background There have been studies done by different organisations like PwC which have identified how different countries have implemented GAAR since 1960s. In India, it was originally proposed in Direct Tax Code of 2009 but was postponed in 2012 and 2013. It was considered controversial because it had provisions to seek taxes from past overseas deals involving local assets retrospectively. In Vodafone case it was found that there were two foreign entities which brought about a transaction but the underlined assets in transaction were based in India. Hence the particular taxes were from retrospective basis implemented and tax liability was calculated on Vodafone. Since it was believed that it was a foreign company and the taxes were in retrospective manner, there was lot of hue and cry made about it. Many foreign investors did not take it in a positive manner at that point of time and hence people started raising questions about if GAAR is really beneficial or not in promoting investments in a country. It was found that the objective of any tax laws or provisions is to promote or incentivise real investments or economic substance investments. When it comes to real investments that make a difference in the county, the GAAR conditions work in their favour. Government is taking other steps that will address transparency, corruption and getting fiscal inclusion. Advantages GAAR would enhance the tax revenues of government by seeking or finding out non-genuine transactions and avoiding taxes. It helps in improving the tax revenues of government which will add in lessening the fiscal deficits of government. The latest governments have been very focussed on fiscal deficits. Previous government had laid down a fiscal consolidation plan and this government is implementing it and they have been able to bring down fiscal deficit from 3.9% t0 3.5%. The tax revenues in both direct and indirect taxes have shown buoyancy. In the overall manner, the Income Disclosure Scheme, demonetisation, there is a continuous aim in increasing tax revenue. This revenue is directed towards welfare schemes for the less advantaged people. GAAR will bring out competitive advantages to several businesses who have been doing genuine transactions. This creates a better economic and business environment for people to recognise that the state exists to bring about genuine investments and transactions having pro-commercial viabilities. In ease of doing business rank, it will add to the advantage of India being recognised as a more serious country in accepting what is free and fair trade practices rather than only giving free tax advantages to people. The government is serious about its taxation policies and sees that people pay their taxes in time. It is not bringing new rules but enforcing the existing rules. GAAR is an existence of Chapter 10-A of Income Tax act 1961. Its implementation would make a lot of difference. Challenge and way forward Since GAAR gave more powers to revenue authorities, people have been concerned about wider and arbitrary interpretations that the revenue authorities may have regarding GAAR provisions. So many committees have been trying to address the difficulties that the tax payers may face in case GAAR provisions are implemented. Hence, the GAAR provisions are demanded to be brought out in such a manner that they don’t allow arbitrary interpretations that lead to harassment of tax payers. There have been considerations about minimum threshold where GAAR provisions can be implemented, financial institutional investors or foreign institutional investors are making investments etc. It is basically trying to understand that genuineness of transaction remains intact for commercial viability and to cover only those transactions which do tax avoidance. Connecting the dots: What is GAAR and how is it expected to affect India’s economic balance? Explain How are DTAA and GAAR connected? Identify the importance of tax avoidance regulation in the light of same.

May 3, 2017 RSTV Video

The Big Picture - Takeaways from Turnbull's India Visit

Takeaways from Turnbull's India Visit Archives 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 India and Australia provided boost to trade and security ties in a meeting between Indian PM and Australian PM. The two countries signed six agreements including that of counter terrorism cooperation. But they could not complete negotiation on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). Discussions were also around energy where Australia said that it is ready to supply uranium to India as soon as possible. Two countries had signed civil nuclear cooperation three years ago but actual supply has not yet commenced in the absence of commercial contract. Takeaways There is a need to look beyond agreements. The visit was in quick succession after Bangladesh PM. Thus, India is going forward in terms of regional approach to our own foreign policy interests. In the joint statement, there is a clear and major focus on Indo-pacific region- IOR countries and Pacific Rim countries. So there is a clear focus between two leaders to find synergies and collaboration in this region. Though India is not part of NSG, Australia has agreed to supply uranium to India. The OBOR was talked in much detail between two leaders. In March 2017, Chinese premier was in Australia. China was interested that OBOR initiative be talked about but none of the leaders talked about it as Australia did not agree to be a part of it. So India and Australia have decided not to send any high level delegation in that initiative. So it is one of the biggest takeaway of the dialogue. Misses There was no agreement in trade. Both countries have been struggling for a while on CECA. It is not easy to do it as there is certain amount of dampness which has come in getting CECA countries to sign it as domestic industry gets deeply impacted. Most of CECA that India has signed, like with Singapore, India has realised that Indian industries’ competitiveness has been hurt very badly. Supply of nuclear fuel is still pending. It is a bi-partisan commitment but as the commercial agreements have not been signed, the flow of the fuel has not really taken place. Because of this, entire focus had been transferred to security and energy aspect and it is realised then that everyone is talking about China. China has been cribbing time and again that India, Australia and Japan are coming together to serve as a counterpoint to them and conduct naval exercises (Ex. Malabar). There is lot of promise to do many things- discussions and suggestions about how to utilise the pacific and Indian Ocean. In the joint statement, there were repeated references to two issues- In the maritime domain, the reference to UNCLOS and the commitment that both sides bring to table as far as they uphold international law is concerned. The subtext is related to China in many ways. The Indo Pacific connect is due to maritime domain. The focus should be more on connectivity between the two oceans. In this joint statement, Indian and Australia are committed to bilateral exercise- AUSINDEX 2018. It has no direct bearing on the other multilateral naval exercises suggested in the past where Australia was part of it. China is monitoring all of it but India and Australia have good reason to be exchanging dialogue about what kind of security and strategic framework they think they can shape. India and China have most issues of political nature- CPEC going through Indian territory and China is not respecting it. So if Silk Road initiative is joined by India and Australia join, it will give legitimacy to CPEC which India is not being part of. Also, China earlier said that OBOR was only an economic configuration. But the way China is now going about it, it is showing that it is also a strategic move. Thus, most of the countries who have stake in region- USA, Australia, Britain, India and some of ASEAN countries are very cautious about sending highlevel delegation to OBOR. Boost the bilaterals With USA pulling out of crucial agreements like TPP, Australia is looking forward to other options. It is now reviewing its bilateral relations against the context of strategic landscape that is emerging. One of the concern in past few years was that Australia was moving too close towards China and there were certain entities who wanted more robust relationship with China. However, some of China’s actions in last few months, especially when they rejected tribunal award on SCS, had created a lot of concern in entire region. When China thinks that its own interest is at stake, it not only uses unilateral approach but also military power. So Australia is reviewing its bilateral in the region of which, India and Japan are good examples which provide necessary balance to Australia’s relation with China and USA. Further, USA can no longer be trusted in containing China as it is not sure which way the Trump policies are going to bend. So the countries of Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean need to come together to contain China as it is getting stronger with space vacated by USA. They also have good relations with Russia. So as an economic and military power, they look very formidable.   More opportunities Based on past experience, it would be prudent for India and Australia to identify the benefits of having cooperation within the maritime domain where both of them have certain confidence to bring to the table and discuss issues necessary to attain common goal. These should not be seen necessarily as directed against China or any other entity. That would seem as some kind of military dimensions to what is being mooted. India has committed itself to IORA and there is a space for India and Australia to look at specifics there which are not directed against any third party. Another area for joint endeavour is Bay of Bengal where countries like Bangladesh can be brought in. Conclusion Cooperation between both countries is critical for the stability of the region, peace and security. Australia is somehow geographically left behind. So it has to work towards coming closer to Asia, building up relationship and also be relevant. The problems of the past have been sort out slowly (when India used imported uranium in its nuclear test weapons without specific permission) but it will take a while to come to level of relation that India shares with UK and USA. India and Australia have natural binding of being democratic countries for so long, both understand English language, have a common sport to bond upon and young population in India is choosing Australia as a destination for studies. Though there was scepticism in Australia that they shouldn’t be portrayed as Asian, but now they have understood that inspite of not being Asian, they are part of Asia Pacific region and therefore it is right time to increase economic, strategic, trade and people to people engagement. Connecting the dots: Can India and Australia be called historical partners? Discuss the connecting bonds between the two nations and their future.

May 3, 2017

IASbaba's 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2017 Economics and Current Affairs [Day 33]

Hello Friends So, here we are with the 33rd Day of 60 Days Plan. It is the third edition of 60 Days program but seems like the first one because of the excitement involved everywhere, including us :) We are equally excited and pumped. Our Team is working hard to make you realize your dream. Do not take it insincerely and let us down. Your faith and participation has to be in sync with the amount of hard work and effort we do. Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to comment their answers in the comment box on daily basis. There were huge participation in discussion. Putting answers in comment box has been very effective to self track yourself after updating the score. In the end you can cross check your performance through disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last two months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How you can make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants here just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 20 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So make effort to know the answers of all questions. Do not cheat :P Baba's Gyan for REVISION Many of you, almost all, asks about effective revision strategy! Can there be any? Let us tell you something Baba does :D  You guys study a lot and there is no issue with the hard work that has been put in. But when it comes to input-output comparison, your performance is questionable. What to do? Just do this for a Week: Go to bed before stipulated time of your sleep, at least 1 hour before. Close your eyes and try to relax your mind. You should attain full comfort and calmness. Do this on the First Day: Imagine the full story of a recent movie that you have watched. Try to recollect from starting to end. See, whether you are able to depict the clear picture or not! Now, do the same for everything you learnt from morning specially the ones you struggled with. Since it is fresh, most of the things should flow into your mind smoothly. Check what is your recollecting capacity. For example, if you prepared Polity Day 2: Topics- Try to collect all important concepts and learning of the day. Trust us, this exercise if done with sincerity will give you immense confidence as well as boost your performance. There is no ideal time for revision and there cannot be any specific date put for it, as commonly done. This will always expose your weaknesses the very same day and if you tend to forget something, can always get back to consolidate and cement it. REPEAT IT FOR A WEEK & SEE THE MAGIC :D  Must to Do: Read the detailed article regarding Micro Analysis Matrix and follow the guidelines- Click Here Try to hold your nerves and learn to control the temptation. This is very important art to learn and implement! Are you ready? Let's start [Day 33]: ECONOMICS & CURRENT AFFAIRS  ARCHIVES Q.1) Proceeds from which of the following is not credited to the Consolidated Fund of India Revenue generated from Income tax Loans received from the Foreign governments Money raised through the issue of Treasury Bills Money raised through the Small Savings Scheme  Q.2) Consider the following statements with reference to the National Investment Fund (NIF) Money raised through the Disinvestment of the PSUs is credited to the NIF All the profits generated by NIF can only be used to fund Social Sector Schemes which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 or 2  Q.3) Study the table given below and answer the question.         Size of tax base             Tax rate                Tax amount            ₹10000                10%                   ₹1000            ₹50000                 5%                   ₹2500            ₹100000                 3%                   ₹3000 The above table is an example of: Progressive Taxation Regressive Taxation Proportional Taxation None of the above  Q.4) Consider the following statements with reference to Indirect Taxes In indirect taxes the Incidence and Impact both lie on the same point Indirect taxes are inherently regressive in nature which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 or 2  Q.5) Which of the following taxes is not an example of direct taxes Corporate tax Income tax Custom duties Wealth tax  Q.6) Consider the following statements about taxes levied on imported goods Countervailing duty is levied on goods that are sold below the prices in exporting country Anti-dumping duty is levied to counterbalance the subsidies provided by the government of exporting country which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 or 2 Q.7) Consider the following statements with reference to the Fourteenth Finance Commission It has recommended that the Fiscal deficit should be brought to Zero by 2020 It has recommended setting up of an independent Fiscal Council which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 or 2 Q.8) Consider the following statements with reference to Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC) Vijay Kelkar was the Chairman of FSLRC It recommended setting up a Unified Financial Authority The Unified Financial authority will subsume RBI, SEBI, IRDA, PFRDA and FMC Which of the above statements is/are incorrect? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only All of the above Q.9) Consider the following statements with reference to the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) It is a statutory body constituted under an Act of the Parliament The Chairman of the FSDC is the Finance Minister of India which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 or 2 Q.10) Consider the following statements with reference to Fiscal Consolidation. Fiscal consolidation is a policy aimed at reducing government deficits and Fiscal consolidation is a policy aimed at reducing government’s debt accumulation. which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 or 2  Q.11) Consider the following statements with reference to Fiscal Deficit The extent of fiscal deficit is an indication of how far the government is spending beyond its means. If unaddressed fiscal deficit can lead to lead to debt trap Which of the above statements is/are incorrect? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.12) Consider the following statements about Tobin tax It is a tax levied on currency conversions The primary aim of imposing Tobin tax is to curb volatility caused by speculation which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 or 2 Q.13) Consider the following statements with reference to the Goods and Services Tax It is an umbrella tax which will subsume all the direct taxes. GST will eliminate the cascading of taxes and will make taxation simpler which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 or 2  Q.14) Which of the following items is not a part of Revenue Expenditure Subsidies Grants given to state governments Loans given to state governments Interest payments on loans taken by the Centre  Q.15) Tax levied on the Value on the imported goods is called Specific duty Ad-Volerem Tax Countervailing duty Anti-dumping duty Q.16) Consider the following statements about Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) It is a digital platform that allows access to capital by auctioning trade receivables Only MSMEs can participate as sellers, while banks, non-banking financial companies and factoring companies are permitted as financiers Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.17) Which of the following countries are members of East African Community? Burundi Kenya Angola Nigeria Tanzania Ivory Coast Select the correct code: 1, 2 and 5 2, 3, 4 and 6 2, 3, 4 and 5 1, 3 and 6 Q.18) Consider the following statements about River Mahanadi It flows through Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Brahmani and Seonath are tributaries of the river Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.19) Consider the following statements about Financial Intelligence Unit of India (FIU-IND) It is a subsidiary organization under Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) The members of FIU-IND are inducted from organizations including Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.20) ________________ has been ranked the most dynamic city in the world in JLL's City Momentum Index (CMI) Bengaluru Mumbai Pune Hyderabad Q.21) India officially received certificates from World Health Organisation (WHO), declaring the country yaws and maternal and neonatal tetanus free. What is Yaws? It is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the skin, cartilages and bones. It is a chronic viral infection that affects throat It is a bacterial infection that affects throats None of the above Q.22) The scheme ‘Niryat Bandhu’ aims at which of the following? To train new entrepreneurs to start new business To provide vocational training to youth To provide facilitating officers for hassle free international trade To mentor new and potential exporters on the intricacies of foreign trade Q.23) Himansh, the glaciological research facility of India is located at Chumbi Valley Spiti Valley Lohab Valley Nubra Valley Q.24) Recently NASA developed an ‘electric bandage’ to speed up the healing process of wounds. It is made up of? Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Teflon Polyester Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) Q.25) UNICEF is joining India to launch The Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) approach and supply Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). Consider the following regarding RUTF It provides all the nutrients required for recovery. It has a good shelf life, and does not spoil easily even after opening. Since RUTF is not water based, the risk of bacterial growth is very limited, and consequently it is safe to use without refrigeration at household level Select the correct code Only 3 1 and 2 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 Download The Solution - Click here

May 2, 2017 AIR

All India Radio - Different Aspects and Scope of Aadhar

Different Aspects and Scope of Aadhar ARCHIVES Search 27th January 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. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections Aadhar is Government of India’s one of the most successful ICT project which was launched in 2010. In 2017 it has achieved a big landmark by crossing 111 crore in registering the residents in India out of 125 crore population. Thus, nearly 90% of the Indian citizens have a unique ID number and it is important as most of the government facilities are being linked with Aadhar card henceforth. Concept Aadhar is to provide digital, unique and non-duplicable biometric based identity to every resident of India. In addition to it, Aadhar also provides a platform and infrastructure to authenticate his/her identity online from anytime and anywhere. These are the main objectives of Aadhar programme. When it was started, various studies had shown that approx. 60-70% of people did not have any credible identity. The consequence of it was that at the time of availing any service, government or private- citizen or residence service- the first question asked is ‘Who are you and how will you prove your identity?’ If one is not able to prove it, then services are denied. So Aadhar was invented to address this problem. The Aadhar enrolment system was made very simple. The person had to go to Aadhar centre or Aadhar camps and basic demographics were given like name, address, gender and date of birth with proof of atleast one, then 10 fingerprints and iris scan is done and in next few weeks, Aadhar card was received via Indian post. It was kept simple so that everyone was involved with it. In most programmes, if one wishes to enrol themselves, then several types of documents are required. Here, the enrolment focused on simplicity and convenience which made it possible to achieve such large number in a short span of time. Awareness It was known from the beginning that creating awareness was a big task as unless and until people are not aware for the need of an identity and also the value that Aadhar is going to provide if they get enrolled for Aadhar, it will not be successful. For this, there was a constant media campaign through various channels such as digital, TV, radio, print media or even through certain means like school playgorunds, institutions etc. It was marketed as a system which is to solve the identity problems of the citizens for all times to come. Importance of Aadhar Aadhar is a permanent identity which doesn’t expire like other identity proofs like passport, driver license etc. the number doesn’t get assigned to anyone else and remains with the person for lifetime. The people were educated about the ways in which it will completely change their access to services experience. It will be an identity which will be accepted all across the country. If the person has Aadhar card which mentions address of different state and the person has moved to other state wants to open bank account over there, it is absolutely permissible. The RBI has issued a circular long time back stating that if Aadhar card has different address, the bank should collect some other address proofs. If the person doesn’t have any address proof, a declaration from the applicant should be taken saying that the Aadhar card address is different and the current residential address should be shown in bank account. Also, if a person moves to another state or city and wants to change address in Aadhar card, it is possible by going to Aadhar enrolment or common service center and requesting change of address. Another way is online change of details in Aadhar by going to the UAIDAI website and register the request for changes through the registered mobile phone in it. A new Aadhar card will be sent to new address. Security of data Aadhar does not collect the data of nature of transaction. It collects basic demographic data only. No data is collected on income, profession, religion, education, bank details, property etc. There is a misconception that Aadhar collects all this data and therefore the data is at one place which increases risk of data security breach or breach of privacy. But they are not relevant here as Aadhar doesn’t collect such data. Even if Income tax department or banks use Aadhar as medium of identification, the personal information of person remains with them and not shared with Aadhar. Therefore, Aadhar is not an aggregator of all data. A citizenship proof? It has been clarified in the Aadhar act itself that Aadhar is for residents of India. The resident of India is a person who has resided in India for last 182 days. They are of two categories- citizen of India and citizen of foreign country residing in India. Aadhar gives a unique biometric based identity to all residents of India regardless of citizenship. It doesn’t get into the question of verification of citizenship which is an activity assigned to other agencies of government. It has been also mentioned in Aadhar act that person having Aadhar card doesn’t entitle him to have citizenship rights of India. Cost So far, Rs. 7700 crores have been spent on Aadhar project which includes enrolling people, establishing infrastructure for the same and also establishing an online authenticating infrastructure(fingerprint scanner etc for getting services). For 111 crore people enrolled till now, the cost per card is approx. Rs. 70. Government facilities associated with Aadhar It is used by many agencies inside the government and also outside it under the provision of Aadhar act for providing various services. One of the major usage is how Aadhar as a digital identity can help in financial inclusion and provide banking services those who are left out of it. India has more than 6 lakh villages but banks and their branches in the villages are mere few thousands. In such a situation, building brick and mortar bank branches will not be economically viable. So the approach was to appoint a Business Correspondent (BC) and give him/her micro-ATM which is based on Aadhar enabled payment system. The BC goes to the doorstep, takes the Aadhar number and fingerprints and whole banking transaction of withdrawal of money can be done. Today there are more than 1.65 lakh BCs going to villages and performing these transactions. During last four years, more than 33 crore such transactions have taken place and every day more than 15 lakh transactions are taking place due to Aadhar enabled system. Recently, government has also announced Aadhar for various schemes such as connecting it with PAN cards, MDMS for children, LPG subsidy etc. Connecting the dots: Critically examine the need and importance of Aadhar in various sphere of life.

May 2, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 2nd May, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 2nd May 2017 Archives INTERNAL SECURITY/NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3 Security challenges and their management in LWE areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism. Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security. Tackling Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Introduction: The recent Maoist attack on the 99-member Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) party in Sukma, Chhattisgarh, in which at least 25 jawans lost their lives, has once again brought the focus on not just the threat represented by left-wing extremism (LWE) but also questions of preparation, equipping, training and strategy of the CRPF that is bearing the brunt of the burden in this fight. The attack came just a month after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh informed the Parliament that security forces had achieved tremendous success in containing LWE over the past two years. Earlier we have covered articles which covered - Origin of Naxalism Evolution of their movement Evolution of their strategy Geographical resurgence of their movement Long history of their ambushes Links to refer (for fast recap/revision) - http://iasbaba.com/2016/11/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-11th-november-2016/ http://iasbaba.com/2017/03/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-16th-march-2017/ http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/a-decade-of-maoist-ambushes/article18206688.ece Deaths after deaths From the above articles and the recent attack, we can observe that - the fight against Maoists has been characterised by high casualty count of our security forces. even after five-decade-long insurgent movement, and a large number of paramilitary personnel along with State police being deployed in Maoism-affected areas, there seems to be no clear strategic approach to the problem and the forces do not have an upper hand in the areas. Problems: Lack of coordination and clear strategy: LWE/Maoists corridor spreads across several States and the perceived lack of a common plan has left each State government combating the Naxals as per their own strategy. Lack of institutionalised intelligence-sharing between States and regions and regional coordination is being clearly utilised by the LWEs/Maoists. While there has been a significant drop in Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh in the past year when 36 security personnel were killed as compared to 182 in 2007, between 2005 and 2017, as many as 1,910 security personnel were killed in LWE/Maoist attacks in India, out of which 954 casualties were in Chhattisgarh alone, including the latest incident. Inadequate combat capability: CRPF soldiers are trained inadequately and there are also shortages of Mine Protected Vehicles (MPV). Successive ambushes and attacks have shown the vulnerability of the CRPF and police parties in the Naxal areas. The damage and loss of life from attacks with grenade launchers and improvised explosive devices (IED) can be lessened with movement in armoured vehicles. Inadequate combat capability of police forces in Maoism-affected States remains the prime factor for failing security response as also dependency of State police forces on the Central government for anti-Maoist operations. Link: http://iasbaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/LeftWing-Extremism-IASbaba.jpg   Need for more special force on the lines of Greyhounds special force: The Greyhounds special force of undivided Andhra Pradesh has by far been the most effective force to have succeeded in reversing the trend of Maoist violence. Since 2005, 429 LWEs/Maoists have been killed in Andhra Pradesh and 36 security personnel have lost their lives; in Telangana, formed in 2014, four LWEs/Maoists have been killed with no casualties on the security forces’ side. In 2012, the Home Ministry had proposed to replicate Greyhounds in five Maoism-hit States. Clearly, the proposal has not seen the light of day, especially in Chhattisgarh. Need for an effective strategy with good leadership: Apart from the obvious gaps in intelligence-gathering, there is clear evidence that the CRPF lags on strategy and tactics. The use of technology (including drones) to increase surveillance around patrols to prevent ambushes is inadequate. Losing a quarter of the patrol force in an ambush like this must get the CRPF leadership to re-evaluate tactics, training and equipment. Need for a dedicated Ministry A fundamental transformation of the Home Ministry — by moving internal security functions of the government to a new, focussed and accountable Internal Security Ministry might help. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA’S APPROACH Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Division: Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Division was created w.e.f. October 19, 2006 in the Home Ministry to effectively address the Left Wing Extremist insurgency in a holistic manner. The LWE Division implements security related schemes aimed at capacity building in the LWE affected States. The Division also monitors the LWE situation and counter-measures being taken by the affected States. The LWE Division coordinates the implementation of various development schemes of the Ministries/Departments of Govt. of India in LWE affected States. National Policy and Action Plan: In order to holistically address the LWE problem in an effective manner, Government has formulated National Policy and Action Plan adopting four pronged strategy in the areas of security, development, ensuring rights & entitlement of local communities and management of public perception. The focus of the Government is to address security, development and governance deficits in 106 LWE district especially the 35 most affected LWE districts spread in 7 States. Revival of Additional Central Assistance: A one time assistance of Rs. 1000 crores for 35 most affected LWE districts has been decided by NITI Aayog. Revival of Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS): This Scheme has also been discontinued since FY 2015-16. For filling up the gaps in security related requirements of the Special Task Forces and other similar requirements of the LWE States efforts are being made to include this scheme in the umbrella Scheme namely Modernization of Police Forces. Increasing road connectivity: The LWE Division has taken initiative of increasing road connectivity in the LWE areas. GIS Mapping: LWE Division initiated a new proposal of GIS mapping of the essential services in the 35 most affected LWE districts. A project has been initiated for mapping of financial services, school, post offices, health facilities, mobile towers, PDS services, Road and security features etc. in time bound manner. This will help to the stakeholder to take informed decision on the developmental and security related issues. A Unified Command A Unified Command has been set up in the States of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand , Odisha and West Bengal. The Unified Command have officers from the security establishment, besides civilian officers representing the civil administration and it will carry out carefully planned counter LWE measures. IMPORTANT SCHEMES FOR LWE AFFECTED STATES Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme: Under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, funds are provided for meeting the recurring expenditure relating to insurance, training and operational needs of the security forces, rehabilitation of Left Wing Extremist cadres who surrender in accordance with the surrender and rehabilitation policy of the State Government concerned, community policing, security related infrastructure for village defence committees and publicity material. Integrated Action Plan (IAP)/ Additional Central Assistance (ACA) for LWE affected districts: The Planning Commission (Now NITI Aayog) had commenced the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) in 2010-11 covering 60 Tribal and Backward districts for accelerated development by providing public infrastructure and services. From the financial year 2012-13, the scheme renamed as “Additional Central Assistance (ACA) for LWE affected districts” and extended to 88 districts covering 76 LWE affected districts. The major works/projects included under IAP/ACA relate to construction of School building/ School furniture, Anganwadi centers, Drinking water facilities, construction of rural roads, Panchayat Bhawans/Community halls etc. Scheme of Fortified Police Stations: The Home Ministry has sanctioned 400 police stations in 10 LWE affected States at a unit cost Rs. 2 crores under this scheme. A total of 282 of PSs have been completed, work at 118 PSs is under progress. Civic Action Programme(CAP): This Scheme is under implementation from 2010-11, in LWE affected areas. Under this scheme, funds are provided to the CAPFs (CRPF, BSF, ITBP and SSB) @ Rs. 3.00 lakh per company per year for conducting welfare activities in their deployment areas in LWE affected States. This is a very successful scheme to bridge the gap between the Security Forces and the local populace and also helpful for winning the hearts and minds of the populace. In this context, funds of Rs. 17.65 crore and Rs. 19.02 crore were released to the CAPFs during the financial year 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively. For the financial year 2016-17, an amount of Rs. 19.00 crores have been allocated as BE. The entire amount has been released to the CAPFs. Conclusion: It is the belief of the Government of India that through a holistic approach focussing on development and security related interventions, the LWE problem can be successfully tackled. However, it is clear that the Maoists do not want root causes like underdevelopment to be addressed in a meaningful manner since they resort to targeting school buildings, roads, railways, bridges, health infrastructure, communication facilities etc in a major way. They wish to keep the population in their areas of influence marginalized to perpetuate their outdated ideology. Consequently, the process of development has been set back by decades in many parts of the country under LWE influence. This needs to be recognised by the civil society and the media to build pressure on the Maoists to eschew violence, join the mainstream and recognise the fact that the socio-economic and political dynamics and aspirations of 21st Century India are far removed from the Maoist world-view. Further, an ideology based on violence and annihilation is doomed to fail in a democracy which offers legitimate forums of grievance redressal. Sukma attacks should act as a wake up call for the government, and in particular the Home Ministry. It is a 26/11 moment in our fight against LWEs/Maoists. The battle with them must be accompanied by not just the perseverance and devotion of our men in uniform, but also better tactics, equipment, training and a determined strategy to prevail and win that combines the resources and leadership of all States involved and the Central government. Connecting the dots: Critically analyse the necessity for an effective startegy and combat capable security forces in the LWE areas. Internal security is a grave threat to the nation as said by a former prime minister. Critical discuss a rational and holistic solution to the issue of maoist and naxal violence in India. In your opinion, why is left wing extremism in India is still thriving despite efforts made to curb its activities? Critically examine. How can the threat represented by left-wing extremism (LWE) in India be countered. Especially with the use of technology and remote reach as observed in recent days enumerate the measures that can be initiated. What started as a protracted struggle for the rights and interests of the marginalized landless people, the Naxal movement seems to have degenerated into an industry of extortion, kidnapping and violence. Do you agree? Substantiate. Also discuss the strategy to combat Naxalism in more than 165 districts of India infested by extreme left wing extremism. (TLP Link: http://iasbaba.com/2016/03/iasbabas-tlp-2016-8th-march-upsc-mains-gs-questions-hot-synopsis/) What is the threat perception of naxalism in India? Why naxalism has succeeded to widen its reach? (TLP Link: http://iasbaba.com/2016/11/1-threat-perception-naxalism-india-naxalism-succeeded-widen-reach/)   NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 1 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. Real Estate Regulatory Authority Introduction Urbanisation in India is a natural phenomenon. The scale at which real estate has grown demands regulation to ensure rule bound and hassle free activity for both the consumers and the builders. In this direction the recent legislation is a step in the right direction. Issue: The much awaited Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act has come into effect. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation recently notified 69 out of the 92 sections in total, which set the ball rolling for States to formulate, within six months, rules and regulations as statutorily mandated. Land is a State subject under the Constitution, even after the Centre enacts the legislation, State governments will have to ratify them. States will have to set up the Real Estate Regulatory Authority’s (RERA) and the Real Estate Appellate Tribunals and have only a maximum of a year from the coming into effect of the Act to do so. Legislation and the intent: The Act’s preamble details the legislative intention which is to primarily protect the interests of consumers and bring in efficiency and transparency in the sale/purchase of real estate. The Act also attempts to establish an adjudicatory mechanism for the speedy redress of disputes. RERA and the Appellate Tribunal are expected to decide on complaints within an ambitious period of 60 days. As one of the largest job creators, the real estate sector contributes almost 6% towards the GDP. Mindful of this, the Act seeks to assist developers by giving the regulator powers to make recommendations to State governments to create a single window clearance for approvals in a time-bound manner. Provisions w.r.t. transparency Key provisions of the Act include a requirement for developers to now register projects with RERA prior to any advertisement and sale. Developers are also expected to have all sanction plans approved and regulatory clearances in place prior to commencement of sale. Subsequent changes have to be approved by a majority of buyers and the regulator. The Act again ambitiously stipulates an electronic system, maintained on the website of RERA, where developers are expected to update on a quarterly basis the status of their projects, and submit regular audits and architectural reports. Notably, non-registration of projects is a serious matter. If there is non-compliance, RERA has the power to order up to three years imprisonment of the promoters of a project. Importantly, it requires developers to maintain separate escrow accounts in relation to each project and deposit 70% of the collections in such an account to ensure that funds collected are utilised only for the specific project. The Act also requires real estate brokers and agents to register themselves with the regulator. Builder grievances The builders have been demanding “industry” status for the real estate sector as it would help in the availability of bank loans. Real estate companies say that most delays are because of the failure of authorities to grant approvals/sanctions on time. While the Act addresses some of this, it does not deal with the concerns of developers regarding force majeure (acts of god outside their control) which result in a shortage of labour or issues on account of there not being a central repository of land titles/deeds. Once 100% foreign direct investment was permitted in real estate, international money flooded the market. Builders/developers overstretched themselves and diverted funds while some began to cross-invest in non-core activities. Eventually the benefit of any statute is contingent on its effective implementation. The onus is now on States to formulate rules and establish the regulatory authorities on time. There shouldn’t be just paper compliance, by designating an existing authority to take additional charge as the real estate regulator, as that would affect the timeliness prescribed under the Act. Conclusion: The legislation was much needed and timely as it addresses concern of both the builders and the largely innocent and young home buyers who put their hard earned savings. The implementation in letter and spirit will hold the key. Connecting the dots: Elaborate the provisions of the new real estate law. Critically discuss the impact of the same on real estate sector. MUST READ Curious case of dip, rise in Indian seas Hindu   Daunting water challenges across industries Hindu Equity in taxes: Rich farmers should be treated on par with other taxpayers Hindu Give It A Shot Indian Express Higher education, low regulation Indian Express Raja Mandala: Warming up cold Turkey Indian Express AAP shows the limits of a single-issue party Livemint   CSR’s problem with good governance Livemint   A robust IPR regime is necessary for growth Livemint   Laboured exercise Business Line   NPAs are a mess, but not a lost cause Business Line Don’t write off Indian software yet Business Line

May 2, 2017 MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Data Exclusivity

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Data Exclusivity Archives P.S- Right Click on the image and open it in new tab. From there you can save it in your system.   Reference - Link

May 2, 2017

IASbaba's 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2017 History and Current Affairs [Day 32]

Hello Friends So, here we are with the 32nd Day of 60 Days Plan. It is the third edition of 60 Days program but seems like the first one because of the excitement involved everywhere, including us :) We are equally excited and pumped. Our Team is working hard to make you realize your dream. Do not take it insincerely and let us down. Your faith and participation has to be in sync with the amount of hard work and effort we do. Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to comment their answers in the comment box on daily basis. There were huge participation in discussion. Putting answers in comment box has been very effective to self track yourself after updating the score. In the end you can cross check your performance through disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last two months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How you can make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants here just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 20 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So make effort to know the answers of all questions. Do not cheat :P Baba's Gyan for REVISION Many of you, almost all, asks about effective revision strategy! Can there be any? Let us tell you something Baba does :D  You guys study a lot and there is no issue with the hard work that has been put in. But when it comes to input-output comparison, your performance is questionable. What to do? Just do this for a Week: Go to bed before stipulated time of your sleep, at least 1 hour before. Close your eyes and try to relax your mind. You should attain full comfort and calmness. Do this on the First Day: Imagine the full story of a recent movie that you have watched. Try to recollect from starting to end. See, whether you are able to depict the clear picture or not! Now, do the same for everything you learnt from morning specially the ones you struggled with. Since it is fresh, most of the things should flow into your mind smoothly. Check what is your recollecting capacity. For example, if you prepared Polity Day 2: Topics- Try to collect all important concepts and learning of the day. Trust us, this exercise if done with sincerity will give you immense confidence as well as boost your performance. There is no ideal time for revision and there cannot be any specific date put for it, as commonly done. This will always expose your weaknesses the very same day and if you tend to forget something, can always get back to consolidate and cement it. REPEAT IT FOR A WEEK & SEE THE MAGIC :D  Must to Do: Read the detailed article regarding Micro Analysis Matrix and follow the guidelines- Click Here Try to hold your nerves and learn to control the temptation. This is very important art to learn and implement! Are you ready? Let's start [Day 32]: HISTORY & CURRENT AFFAIRS  ARCHIVES Q.1) The Pattini Cult, prevalent in Sangam age was associated with Worship of Ancestors Worship of animals Worship of Goddess Kali Worship of Kannagi  Q.2) Which of the following statements about the Fourth Buddhist Council is/are incorrect? It was held under the patronage of Harsha It resulted in the division of Buddhism into Hinayanism and Mahayanism Its proceedings were conducted in Sanskrit Choose the correct answer using the codes given below 1 and 3 only 1 only 3 only 2 and 3 only Q.3) Consider the following statements with reference to the Buddhist Tripitakas Sutta Pitaka contains the records of the Buddha's teachings and sermons Abhidhhamma Pitaka set out the rules and guidelines for living the monastic life of the sangha All the Tripitakas were composed at the First Buddhist Council which of the above statements is/are incorrect? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only All of the above  Q.4) In Jainism, Posadha means Penance by the Jainas to confess for their sins at the end of the year Fasting by lay Jain members on full and new moon day Initiation ceremony for admitting the new members Punishment given to the violators of the code of conduct  Q.5) The Original Pipal tree at Boudh Gaya was cut down by Sasanka MihirKula Pushyamitra Sunga Dhanananda  Q.6) The Sulva Sutras dealt with the subject of Astronomy Chemistry Medicine Geometry  Q.7) Which of the following was not a feature of Indus Valley Civilization? Use of burnt bricks Grid pattern of streets Use of Horse drawn chariot Cultivation of wheat Q.8) The only Harappan city with houses having entry from main street is Chanduraho Lothal Kalibangan Mahenjodaro Q.9) which of the following Brahmanas describes the eastern sea and the western sea for the first time Satpatha Brahmana Aithrya Brahmana Gopatha Brahmana Jaiminiya Brahmana Q.10) Mahamastakabhisheka, a great religious event, is associated with and done for whom of the following? Mahavira Buddha Nataraja Bahubali Q.11) Which of the Following pairs are correctly matched: Symbol            :           Event Horse :                    Mahabhinishkramana Bodhi Tree :           Parinirvana Wheel :                   Dharmachakrapravartana which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only All of the above Q.12) Consider the following statements with reference to the Pavarana ceremony in Buddhism It is the Initiation ceremony to induct new followers into Buddhism It is gathering of monks to Confess their misconduct during the indoor stay during the rainy season which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 or 2 Q.13) Consider the following statements about the life of Chandragupta Maurya He established Muryan Empire by killing the last Nanda ruler Along with Sthulabahu he went Shravanabelagola and undertook Sallekhana which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 or 2 Q.14) Consider the following statements with reference to the Sangam literature The main language used in Sangam literature was Telugu The Sangam college flourished under the royal patronage of Cholas which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 or 2 Q.15) Tolkappiyam is a Tamil epic Book of sacrifices Eulogy of Pandyas Book on Tamil grammer Q.16) Consider the following statements about ‘India INX’ It is the first international exchange from India It is located in Mumbai It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the BSE Limited Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.17) Corruption Perception Index is released by Transparency International Amnesty International World Economic Forum World Bank Q.18) Tangalia Weaving is associated with which of the following states? Maharashtra Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh Gujarat Q.19) Consider the following statements She along with her husband founded the first women's school at Bhide Wada in Pune She opened a care centre called "Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha" for pregnant rape victims and helped deliver their children Identify the person Tarabai Shinde Savitribai Phule Ramabai Ranade Lakshmibai Tilak Q.20) Consider the following statements about ‘Iberian Peninsula’ Gibraltar is a French Overseas Territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula is divided between Portugal, Spain, Algeria and Andorra It is the largest European Peninsula Select the correct statements 1 and 3 1 and 2 2 and 3 All the statements are wrong Q.21) Kanishka stupa is located in Bodhgaya Sarnath Gangtok None of the above Q.22) N K Singh committee is associated with Amendments to FRBM Act Promotion of digital payments Special economic zones Enhancing solar energy capacity Q.23) ______________ is in charge of financial policy in regard to the utilisation of the proceeds of disinvestment channelized into the National Investment Fund. Department of Economic Affairs Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Department of Expenditure Department of Financial Services Q.24) Development Administration Partnership (DPA) is under Ministry of External Affairs Ministry of Finance Ministry of Corporate Affairs Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Q.25) Recently, a place called ‘Aswan’ was in news. It is located in which of the following countries? Morocco Egypt Algeria Armenia Download The Solution - Click here

May 2, 2017 RSTV Video

The Big Picture - Niti Aayog's Vision for New India: Will it Transform the Economy?

Niti Aayog's Vision for New India: Will it Transform the Economy? Archives 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, issues relating to poverty and hunger. The third governing meeting of governing council of NITI Ayog was held in Delhi recently. With the aim to transform India, NITI Ayog has envisioned an ambitious agenda for the country to be achieved by 2032. The five year plan will be replaced by a three year action plan which will be a part of a seven year strategy that will in turn help to realise 15 year long term vision. The target set for next 15 years include 3 fold rise in GDP, Rs. 2 lakh increase in per capita GDP and facilities such as housing with toilets, electricity and digital connectivity for all, a fully literate population with unhindered access to health care and a clean India with clean air and water etc. Workable? It matters little, whether it is a three year, five year or a seven year plan. The real point is that job of NITI ayog should have been to identify the challenges faced in India and not write the rosy picture of what can be available after certain years. Today, there is a need to identify and address the challenges faced because of global environment, consistent poverty within India, regional inequalities etc. Indian economy will grow at a rapid pace provided certain preconditions are met. When there is matter of planning and growth, the tendency is to look into investment, capital output ratio etc. but beyond that, there is a need to look at investment in social capital, human capital which is badly neglected. There is a need of social harmony in country when news such as recent killing of CRPF jawans in sukma, unrest in Kashmir shows a warfare going on in certain parts of country. It is not possible to grow efficiently if there is domestic discord and social non-harmony. So there is a need of political vision which is inclusive and help people realise their productive potential and achieve higher growth. Industry perspective Even if the world economy is not booming and demand is not there for the products that allowed china to grow at rapid and sustained long term growth, India is still growing because of its huge domestic market and the draw on world for essential inputs and demand for exports. Post Lehman crisis, India’s growth rate has been 7.4%. So 8% growth rate is possible as projected by NITI Ayog. Comparing with China Instead of comparing the growth rate with china, there is a need to compare about huge difference between India and China in education and health and how it is distributed across the population. This is a far bigger difference between two nations. It is not proper to compare India with china until there is a similar social infrastructure as before china begun its economic reforms, it made its social infrastructure strong. Its population belonging to even lower strata of society had access to basic and good education and health care services. Reasons for problems in India need to be found out Why high levels of poverty, malnourishment, persisting in high growth rate economy has to be known. Merely a statement of objective is not going to transform these drawbacks in reality. Some of the prominent challenges are: Employment- Today, India is seeing high economic rate with almost jobless growth. Indian workforce is increasing every month by 1 million and the jobs getting created are in lakhs. Without large job creation there isn’t going to be poverty reduction. The challenge to tackle job less growth and less employment opportunity is going to become worse even at 9% growth with technological changes. Education- higher literate population talks about good quality education for all, which means doubling public investment in education, health care and social protection is required. Lack of public expenditure in social capital will create long term problems. Agrarian crisis is visible almost everywhere but there is hardly any steps to protect farmers’ income and building resilience for small rain fed farmers. Every year, knee-jerk or situation based actions are taken. Malnutrition is related to all other inequalities, condition of women, adolescent girls, lack of access to clean water and sanitation, conditions of tribal population. Yet, none of this are being addressed from the core. How to address the current challenges? The focus has to be on 3 D- demand, demography and democracy which are inherent to India. Inclusiveness- need to focus on inclusiveness by providing health facilities, education for all and expenditure in infrastructure, agriculture etc. Resilience- the focus has to be on public institutions by strengthening them. Regulating environment, banking system and management of natural resources important for resilience. Funding the development Earlier, lot of funds used to come to states from central government through two ways- Devolution as per finance commission’s recommendation which is 42% of revenue share of the centre. Through special schemes of various union ministries to which any eligible state can lay a claim and get money. The NITI Ayog has a system of laying out outcomes to be achieved in healthcare, education and water management which are thought out in detail. For this, secretaries of departments of state government, chief secretaries and occasionally CMs are convened by the NITI Ayog to monitor, evaluate and incentivise. This is happening. But enough money is not going into it. In healthcare, India spends far less than any other country, just 1% of GDP. There cannot be sustenance of social capacity that is required to generate the kind of growth expected for 15 years. Some improvement noticeable? The focus of NITI Ayog in next three years is on capacity building and inclusiveness. They will provide expenses in various crucial segments of economy like health and education sector, agriculture infrastructure and overall infrastructure like road, rail, airport etc. In last three years also, policy environment is going in the same direction. Increasing trade scenario with other economies, capacity building in infrastructure and manufacturing, with schemes like Make in India is expected to provide fruitful results in coming times. With growth of manufacturing and service sectors, and increasing agricultural growth sector, the 8% growth rate is achievable. Conclusion The job of NITI Ayog is not to say what government can do. Instead it has to lay down the path to reach the goals. There are lot of challenges but there are opportunities too. There are opportunities arising from the technological changes, for example, solar energy generation provides more employment than one at a traditional power station. But for that skilled population presence,  there is need of a population which is better fed, better educated and has much better access to new knowledge. The political framework to address the challenges has to be inclusive. The governments should make yearly targets to achieve three year goals, 7 year strategy and 15 year vision. Connecting the dots: NITI Ayog has been entrusted to provide 15 year long term vision for a ‘New India’. What is the ‘New India’ and how can it be achieved? Critically examine.