Apr 26, 2017 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Silence – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Silence: Very few people know the power of silence. Human mind is so much addicted to noise that silence seems like a very boring and useless thing to contemplate on. Only when explored its depths will silence reveal its mystery and magic. The most important quality of life is that growth happens only in silence. Womb of silence is the birthplace of life. A child takes birth through silence, a plant grows in silence, ideas are generated in silence, dreams are nurtured in silence; all the most wonderful qualities of life emerge out of silence. If you are able to set aside your doubting mind for a few moments and spend some quality time in quiet contemplation of your mind; a new understanding of yourself and your life emerges. Silence is the background on which the game of life is played. If you are able to understand silence, you will be able to understand life. It is said that silence heals all the wounds inflicted by the mind on the soul. Mind is a very simple mechanism; it knows only how to dream and how to suffer in the process of making that dream a reality. Silence is the companion with whom you can just be yourself. Silence doesn’t question, doesn’t judge, doesn’t criticize, doesn’t fight, and doesn’t insult. The only purpose of silence is to help you reflect on life so that you can understand it better. Silence is the ultimate teacher of life. The best teachers of the world can only lead you to silence. There are some simple and beautiful methods of exploring silence. The most wonderful of them all is meditation. Meditation is a direct doorway to silence; it is a way to move beyond the clutter and noise of the mind so that you can discover the silence within you. One hour of meditation every day will help you to understand the inner mechanism of your mind. Meditation helps you to understand the underlying purpose of your thoughts; it helps you to know the motive of your actions. It also makes way for simple appreciation of life and all its intricate functions. Music is another way of appreciating and understanding silence. This might sound contradicting but those who have explored the depths of music understand that the most beautiful quality of music is not the sound; rather it is the silence that is created in between two sounds. There is only one purpose of music; it is to glorify silence. There are numerous other methods to explore silence. Give yourself a chance to experience your inner silence. You will never be the same again. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”

Apr 26, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 25th April, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 25th April 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3 Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Project Cow Introduction Cow has been a sacred animal and receives immense attention Indian history and mythology. Governments have made repeated efforts to make cow a protected breed. But vigilantism in the name of cow protection has raised alarms. The call for project cow in lines with Project tiger is a new concern. Issue: The Minister of State (Home) Hansraj G. Ahir wants a protection programme along the lines of Project Tiger for cows. Facts state that cows number 122.9 million according to the last livestock census conducted in 2012, which also noted that the number of the female bovines registered an increase of 6.52 per cent over the previous census in 2007. Project Tiger – Brief history: At the turn of the 20th century, tigers were reckoned to number 40,000 in the country. This figure was not a product of a scientific census and when such an endeavour was undertaken in 1970, alarm bells rang among conservationists, wildlife lovers and policymakers in general. There were less than 2,000 of the majestic animal in the country. There was an international outcry. The Delhi High Court banned tiger killing. In 1973, the government launched Project Tiger, a programme that — despite its chequered history — redefined wildlife protection in the country and became the model for the conservation of several other species. Real concerns about cows: There are multiple concerns about cows which the activists turn a blind eye to. Cows share the streets and highways with vehicles. They nap on the side of the roads. They eat trash and scrounge for food near markets; a problem that is believed can be solved by creating cow sanctuaries. The paucity of fodder is linked to the erosion of common lands in rural areas. It’s absurd to even imagine that state-level cow sanctuaries can take the place of such village —and local-level — commons. Strict anti-cow slaughter measures and the rampaging gau rakshaks have only worsened matters for the cow — they have made sure there are no takers for cows that are past milking age. Solutions: The solution lies in working with agriculturists and other stakeholders in the rural economy — to create fodder banks, for instance. The links between agriculture, draught work, dairy production and hide and beef — that had both economic and ecological purposes — have been severed. National Gokul mission: The “Rashtriya Gokul Mission” aims to conserve and develop indigenous breeds in a focused and scientific manner. The potential to enhance the productivity of the indigenous breeds of India through professional farm management and superior nutrition is immense, for this it is essential to promote conservation and development of indigenous breeds. The Rashtriya Gokul Mission is a focussed project under National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development, with an outlay of Rs 500 crore during the 12th Five Year Plan. The Mission will be implemented with the objectives to: development and conservation of indigenous breeds undertake breed improvement programme for indigenous cattle breeds so as to improve the genetic makeup and increase the stock; enhance milk production and productivity; upgrade nondescript cattle using elite indigenous breeds like Gir, Sahiwal, Rathi, Deoni, Tharparkar, Red Sindhi distribute disease free high genetic merit bulls for natural service. Conclusion: Cow protection and conservation needs to address real concerns. Rashtriya Gokul Mission has relevant targets and goals already set for the same. Vigilantism and activism will further alienate the cause and hurt the real motives of the institution. Connecting the dots: Project Cow in lines of Project Tiger is a demand of a fringe section. Analyse the relevance of the same elaborating the nature of programmes.   INTERNATIONAL  TOPIC: General Studies 2 India and its neighbourhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests Countering China’s Increased Influence in the Indian Ocean China’s increasing naval expansion China is all set to launch its second aircraft carrier, “Type 001A”—likely to be named the “Shandong”. The launch will be an important and depressing moment for India, as it will give China an edge for the first time in the carrier race with its Asian rival, a literal two-to-one advantage. China’s “Type 001A” is nearing completion and another carrier, dubbed “Type 002”, is also under construction. The Type 002 represents not only a much bigger class of ship but will incorporate modern design and operational features, including a catapult and early-warning aircraft. A senior Chinese official was quoted as saying: “China needs two carrier strike groups in the Western Pacific and two in the Indian Ocean. So we need at least five to six aircraft carriers.” China’s strategic encirclement India is encircled by a growing ring of Chinese power and influence. To the north, garrisons, airfields and missile sites linked by modern road-rail networks underpin China’s dominant posture on the Tibetan plateau. Ominously, the Xining-Lhasa rail link is progressing towards Nepal, where China has made significant political inroads. To our east, China’s Yunan province will gain access to the Bay of Bengal via rail, highway and pipeline, linking it to the deep-water port being built by China at Kyaukpyu in Myanmar. A parallel endeavour on India’s western flank, dubbed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), will create access to the Arabian Sea from Xinjiang to the Pakistani port of Gwadar via Gilgit-Baltistan. Further west, China has set up its first overseas military base at Djibouti on the Bab el-Mandeb. To our south, China has built a new harbour in Hambantota and modernised Colombo port for Sri Lanka. All three ports could provide bases or sanctuaries to PLAN ships and submarines deployed in the Indian Ocean. There is already news that the PLAN intends to deploy its expanded marine corps to Djibouti and Gwadar. The recent Chinese sale of eight diesel submarines to Pakistan and two to Bangladesh provides conclusive evidence of India’s “strategic encirclement”. While China consistently maintains that it has no territorial or hegemonic ambitions, still it has effectively achieved the encirclement of India. Present condition of India After decommissioning the INS Viraat earlier this year, the Indian Navy is down to a single carrier, INS Vikramaditya. Worse, the Shandong has been built at China’s own giant shipyard at Dalian; Vikramaditya is merely a repurposed 1980s-era Russian carrier formerly known as the Admiral Gorshkov. Indian Navy’s efforts to develop a homegrown carrier have been even more misbegotten. The Navy plans to name, commission and float the INS Vikrant next year. However, at that point, the ship reportedly won’t have its aviation complex in place, or even anti-aircraft missiles. The Navy has puzzlingly refused to buy India’s indigenous light fighter, the Tejas, saying it’s too heavy. Meanwhile, the MiG-29s being used instead are enormously troubled, according to India’s government auditor; more than 60 percent of their engines were withdrawn from service or rejected in just four years. The Vikrant will only be properly combat-ready by 2023—eight years behind schedule. Also, India’s carrier-first strategy has drained the Navy of resources and left it with just 13 conventional submarines in service. Eleven of those are more than a quarter-century old. The two new ones, amazingly, were commissioned and sent out to wander the deep sea without their main armament, torpedoes. Nor has India tried to counter China’s numerical superiority—70 to 15—in terms of submarines with specialized anti-submarine weaponry, including helicopters. The Indian fleet has less than 30 superannuated medium-sized anti-sub helicopters, the first of which was bought in 1971. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has talked a great deal about revitalizing the Indian military; it’s opened the defence sector up to greater foreign investment and is building a much-closer relationship with the US military, largely with China in mind. But spending has lagged. Worse, successive governments simply don’t seem to have thought through where best to direct those scarce resources. India’s problem isn’t ultimately a shortage of money; it’s a lack of forethought and political courage. Carriers are big and showy, and bolster national pride; diesel submarines don’t, or at least not to the same degree. A more rational strategy for India—and its peers in Asia and the Pacific Rim who fear China’s growing military might—would ensure that India’s submarine fleet and its anti-submarine armaments are capable enough on their own to deter attempts to control the Indian Ocean, while closer ties with other navies fill in the gaps. That would require a clear-eyed appraisal of India’s defence and economic capabilities and requirements—a problem when India doesn’t have an outline of its strategy on the lines of American or Chinese white papers, nor even a full-time defence minister and proper national security doctrine or strategy. The Navy is fortunately starting to train more closely with the US and other partners such as Japan, which should increase its effectiveness. But until it thinks harder about where its money should go, it’s going to have a tricky time keeping China out of its backyard. India’s counter-strategy options To secure itself against this possibility, India must ensure that the choke points in the Indian Ocean region remain open and free, ensuring the conditions for its continued economic growth. To address this challenge, India’s counter strategy should be a mix of engagement, diplomatic measures and military dissuasion. To achieve this objective, India needs to develop a range of countermeasures, including enhancing its military capability for sea control in the Indian Ocean and building alliances with willing partners to deal with such a contingency. Continued economic development and internal stability are also prerequisites for the successful execution of India’s strategy to counter China’s expanding influence in the Indian Ocean region. Additionally, India must further develop its ‘Look East’ policy to achieve multilateral cohesion and leverage with Southeast Asian nations and other key stakeholders in the broader Indo-Pacific region. India must also pragmatically develop a closer relationship with the US, which has a common interest in ensuring that the SLOCs in the Indian Ocean remain open and free. A key question is whether such actions by India will provoke a reaction from China. To counter this possibility, India needs to engage China in multilateral arrangements aimed at jointly ensuring the security of the Indian Ocean’s SLOCs. This should go some way towards addressing China’s legitimate concerns about guaranteeing the security of its wider economic interests in the region, while allowing India to maintain—and continue to develop—its important maritime influence in the Indian Ocean. Other areas to focus: A partnership based on mutual respect and sensitivity for each other’s concerns. Equality based relationship. Solving boundary disputes in a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable manner Broaden deepened defence exchanges Expansion of India-China economic co-operation The solving the issue of water resources Connecting the dots: India China relations have been going through a rough phase for some time now. Will there be improvement in India- China relations with renewed dialogues? Comment. Illustrate the main causes of tension between India and China. In your opinion how both the countries can improve their relations? MUST READ The best laid plans: On NITI Aayog Hindu   Silence on vigilantism is not an option Hindu   The climate fight is global   Hindu   Ethics is the answer Indian Express   Three decades of mistrust Indian Express   Why the ease of doing business matters    Livemint   Can India replace China as driver of world GDP growth over next 20 years? Livemint   Making small towns a priority for growth Livemint   A new Odisha in a new India Business Line   The de-digitisation of India, post DeMo Business Line  

Apr 26, 2017

IASbaba's 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2017 Geography and Current Affairs [Day 27]

Hello Friends So, here we are with the 27th 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 27]: GEOGRAPHY & CURRENT AFFAIRS  ARCHIVES   TOPICS: FOCUS ON: Indian Geography – Cropping (Agriculture) Cropping Pattern: Example: Rice, Wheat, Pulses, Sugarcane, Millets, Coffee, Tea etc. Where(states) are they are grown?; Climatic conditions suitable for their growth Classification of crops– Kharif crops, Rabi and Zaid crops with examples. Irrigation – New irrigation methods like Micro-irrigation, Drip-irrigation their usage, advantages and disadvantages Farming – Shifting cultivation, Terrace cultivation, Crop Rotation, Mixed and Multiple farming – where are these methods practiced; advantages and disadvantages.   PRELIMS MCQ’s: Q.1) Consider the below statements: Paddy cultivation requires leveled fields. Highly rarified air, low-pressure and low-temperature at high altitudes makes it conducive in keeping dairy cattle. Orchards of coconut are found at low altitudes, preferably closer to the sea level. Tea plantations perform well in the undulating topography. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 1, 2 and 4 only 1, 3 and 4 only 1, 2, 3 and 4 Q.2) Which of the statements given below is/are correct in regard to Jute, considered as the golden fibre of India? The crop cannot be grown in both moisture stress and water stagnating condition. Warm, humid weather and acidic soil result in good yeild. Jute grows well on the new alluvial soils having higher silt content. Jute is predominantly grown as a rainfed crop. Choose the correct answer from the code given below: 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 4 only 2, 3 and 4 only 1, 2, 3 and 4 Q.3) Which of the statements given below is/are correct? All crops need moisture. The excess of water in the soil leads to stunted growth of plants. Soil drought is a condition in which the amount of water needed for transpiration and direct evaporation exceeds the amount of water available in the soil. Choose the correct answer from the code given below: 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.4) Consider the following crops of India: Alfalfa Fenugreek Sorghum Cowpea Which of the above is/are used as pasture or forage crops/grasses? 1, 2, 3 and 4 1, 3 and 4 only 3 and 4 only 4 only Q.5) Consider the statements below in regard to “Four Water Concept”, which was recently in news: It is an indigenous watershed development technology. It is a low-cost technology that can increase recharge of groundwater by four times and provide thrice the benefit than conventional models. The concept evolved by integrating the 'Four Waters' - rain water, soil moisture, ground water and surface water. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.6) Consider the below statements about Wheat and choose the incorrect statement: It can be grown not only in the tropical and sub-tropical zones, but also in the temperate zone and the cold tracts of the far north, beyond even the 60 degree north altitude. It requires a fairly warm temperature and the period of heat should be comparatively long. Soils with a clay loam or loam texture, good structure and moderate water holding capacity are ideal for wheat cultivation. It can be cultivated from sea level to as high as 3300 meters. Q.7) Pick up the incorrect statement from the following: In check method of irrigation, the field is divided into smaller compartments and water is admitted to each in turn In free flooding irrigation, water is admitted at one corner of a field and is allowed to spread over the entire area In furrow irrigation water is admitted between the rows of plants in the field None of these. Q.8) The intensity of irrigation means – percentage of culturable commanded area to be irrigated annually percentage of gross commanded area to be irrigated annually percentage of the mean of culturable commanded area and the gross commanded area to be irrigated annually total depth of water supplied by the number of watering Q.9) The prerequisite condition for the formation of artesian well are - Layer of permeable rock lying between two impermeable rock layers so that water does not get escape. The permeable rock should be exposed at the ground surface, so that rock can soak rainwater. Structure of rock strata must be synclinal. Select the correct code: 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.10) With reference to the various multipurpose projects in India, which one among the following statements is not correct? Mayurakshi project is a joint venture of Odisha and West Bengal Machkund project is a joint venture of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha Parambikulam Aliyar project is a joint venture of Kerala and Tamil Nadu Chambal Valley project is a joint venture of Madya Pradesh and Rajasthan Q.11) The Tank irrigation is practised mainly in the peninsular region due to which of the following reasons? The undulating relief and hard rocks make it difficult to dig canals and wells in peninsular region. There is little percolation of rainwater due to hard rock structure and ground water is not available in large quantity. The clustered nature of population and agricultural fields also favours tank irrigation there. There are several streams which become torrential during rainy season and way to make best use of this water is to impound it by constructing bunds and building tanks. Select the correct code: 1, 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 4 only 2, 3 and 4 only 1, 2, 3 and 4 Q.12) Consider the following pairs and select the correct answer: Koteshwar Dam/Tehri Reservoir : : Bhagirathi River Ranjit Sagar Dam : : Chambal River Daudhan dam : : Ken-Betwa River Gobind VallabhPant Sagar : : Sutlej Choose the appropriate code: 3 and 4 only 1 and 3 only 1, 3 and 4 only All of the above Q.13) Select the incorrect pair from the below: Cropping pattern : : proportion of area under different crops at a given point of time. Crop concentration : : variation in the density of any crop in a region at a given point of time. Cropping intensity : : raising of a number of crops during one agriculture year by expanding the net area under cultivation. Crop combination : : quantum or diversity of crops entering a region in a given period. Q.14) Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists: List I                            List II (Textile industry)                    (Place) Woolen textile                        1. Saulkuchi Cotton textile                         2. Rishra Silk textile                               3. Ludhiana Jute textile                              4. Davangere Code: A – B – C – D 3 – 4 – 1 – 2 2 – 1 – 4 – 3 2 – 4 – 1 – 3 3 – 1 – 4 – 2 Q.15) Which of the following methods is/are suitable for soil conservation in hilly region? Terracing and contour bunding Shifting cultivation Contour ploughing Select the correct answer using the code given below: 1 and 3 only 2 only 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.16) Consider the following statements about Public Financial Management System (PFMS) It is a web-based online software application developed and implemented by the Office of Controller General of Accounts (CGA) PMFS-CBS (Core Banking System) is operational with Public Sector Banks, Regional Rural Banks, major private sector banks, Reserve Bank of India, India post and Cooperative Banks Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.17) Consider the following statements about Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana It does not cover localised risks like inundation and hailstorms It has uniform premium 2% to be paid by farmers for all Kharif crops and 1.5% for all Rabi crops It provides post-harvest coverage in coastal regions only Select the correct statements 1 and 2 Only 2 1 and 3 All of the above Q.18) Ajal Tyagi Committee is associated with Financial Data Management Centre Insolvency and Wind up Laws Multi Agency Approach in Agricultural Finance Securities Transactions of Banks & Financial Institutions  Q.19) Consider the following statements about ‘Budapest Convention’ It was drawn up by the Council of Europe Recently India has acceded to the convention Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.20) Consider the following statements about ‘Agni V’ It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. It is an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 5,500 to 5,800 km Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.21) Recently, a seaweed ‘Sargassum zhangii’ was in news. It is endemic to India China Bangladesh None of the above Q.22) Consider the following statements ‘One China Policy’ is the diplomatic acknowledgement of the Chinese position that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is a part of that China Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 under “One Country, Two Systems” Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.23) The Department of Telecom (DoT) recently launched a portal called ‘Tarang’ for Mobile radiation Spectrum management INSAT Mobile Satellite Service (INSATMSS) None of the above Q.24) Which of the following countries forms the part of Greater Mekong Sub region (GMS)? Vietnam Cambodia Myanmar All of the above Q.25) Kerala’s State Board for Wildlife sought Union Government’s approval for using deer antlers in Ayruveda drugs. Consider the following statements in this regard. Deer antlers are mass of solid bone and are shed on regular intervals and regrow again The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, has included antler in the definition of wildlife trophy All the three deer varieties found in Kerala, including spotted deer, sambar, and barking deer, shed their antlers annually and is listed by IUCN as ‘Least Concern’ Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above  Download the Solution- Click here

Apr 25, 2017 MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Seeking ODA by States

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Seeking ODA by States  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

Apr 25, 2017 PIB

IASbaba Press Information Bureau (PIB)- 19th March to 25th March, 2017

IASbaba Press Information Bureau (PIB) – 19th March to 25th March 2017 ARCHIVES GS-1 Nagajurna Faculty Building at Nav Nalanda Mahavihara (Topic: Culture) About: Nava Nalanda Mahavihara is near Rajgir in Nalanda district of Bihar. Nalanda Mahavihara is a World Heritage Site as declared by UNESCO. Event in news: International Buddhist Conference. Objective: To deliberate on Buddhist perspective towards addressing or approaching issues such as ecological sustainability, social and economic justice, ethics and values, a holistic approach to education, inter-religious harmony and cooperation, gender equality etc. Mahavira- Buddhist Monastry. Dignaga Indian Buddhist scholar and one of the Buddhist founders of Indian logic (hetu vidyā). Dignāga’s work laid the groundwork for the development of deductive logic in India and created the first system of Buddhist logic and epistemology (Pramana) Dignāga’s thought influenced later Buddhist philosophers like Dharmakirti and also Hindu thinkers of the Nyaya school. Dignāga’s epistemology accepted only “perception” (pratyaksa) and “inference” (anumāṇa) are valid instruments of knowledge. Dharmakriti Influential Indian Buddhist philosopher who worked at Nālandā. He was one of the key scholars of epistemology (pramana) in Buddhist philosophy, and is associated with the Yogacara and Sautrantika schools. His works influenced the scholars of Mimamsa, Nyaya and Shaivism schools of Hindu philosophy as well as scholars of Jainism. Dharmakīrti’s Pramāṇavārttika, his largest and most important work Chandrakirti- a Buddhist scholar at Nalanda Mahavihara He was a disciple of Nagarjuna and a commentator on his works and those of his main disciple, Aryadeva. Chandrakirti’s works include the Prasannapadā—Sanskrit for “clear words”—a commentary on Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā and the Madhyamakāvatāra Nagarjunand Buddhapalit Buddhapālita was a commentator on the works of Nagarjuna and Aryadeva. His works were mildly criticised by his contemporary Bhāviveka, and then he was vigorously defended by the later Chandrakīrti Buddhapālita is said to have been the founder of the Prasaṅgika Madhyamaka School. (Prasangika- asserts that all concrete and mental phenomena, although existing conventionally, are empty of any type of inherent identity or self-characterizing essence.) Inclusion of sites under PRASAD Scheme (Topic: Culture) About: Identification of new sites for development under PRASAD scheme is a continuous process subject to availability of resources and adherence to scheme guidelines. PRASAD Scheme was launched in 2014-15 and 12 sites identified Ajmer (Rajasthan) Amritsar (Punjab) Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) Dwarka (Gujarat) Gaya (Bihar) Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) Kamakhya (Assam) Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) Puri (Odisha) Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) Vellankani (Tamil Nadu) In 2015-16, Patna (Bihar) was added In 2016-17, 12 more sites added Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) Badrinath (Uttarakhand) Belur (West Bengal) Deoghar (Jharkhand) Guruvayur (Kerala) Hazratbal and Katra (Jammu & Kashmir) Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh) Somnath (Gujarat) Srisailam and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra) Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti (Topic: Culture) About: Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti is the chieftain and founder of the Chishtiyya silsila (Chishti Order of Sufism), one of the four great orders that radiate throughout the world. Khwaja Gharibun-Nawaaz is one of the most respected and universally recognised figures in Sufism and Islam. The Chishti Order was founded by Abu Ishaq Shami (“the Syrian”) in Chisht some 95 miles east of Herat, Afghanistan. Moinuddin Chishti established the order in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Chisti order They lay stress on renunciation of material goods Strict regime of self-discipline and personal prayer Participation in samā’ as a legitimate means to spiritual transformation Reliance on either cultivation or unsolicited offerings as means of basic subsistence etc. Chisti stands tall as a great spiritual leader; a reformer and purifier of hearts at the most turbulent of times. It was during the reign of Akbar that Ajmer emerged as one of the most important centers of pilgrimage in India. Annual Urs The Urs festival is an annual festival held at Ajmer which commemorates the death anniversary of Chisti. The sixth day of the Urs is regarded as the most special and auspicious. It is called “Chhati Sharif” GS-2 “Kahin Bhi-Kabhi Bhi” medical services (Topic: Issues related to health) About: Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has launched the “Kahin Bhi-Kabhi Bhi” medical services for ESIC beneficiaries of Delhi/Noida on a pilot basis from November 2016. Provisions Under this scheme, Insured Persons (IPs) and their families may seek primary medical care services including consultation and medicines, for common/routine ailments from any of the ESI dispensary in Delhi/Noida. ESI Corporation intends to extend such medical services in other parts of the country depending on the outcome of above pilot project. National Dental and Oral Health Information IVR Portal, toll free number (Topic: Issues related to health) About: Launch of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material along with the National Dental and Oral Health Information IVR portal. Raising awareness about dental health is a need of the hour. These information initiatives will go a long way in encouraging people to adopt positive and healthy habits. World Oral Health Day- 20th March Importance of Oral Health Oral diseases are becoming the leading health problems and attributed mainly to rapidly changing lifestyles, Wide-spread use of tobacco and increased consumption of alcohol. Due to prevalence and incidence, oral diseases pose a major threat to public health. Integrating the oral health programme with other programmes so that adequate steps can be taken to mitigate and minimise the conditions arising from poor health. Filaria Control Programmes (Topic: Issues related to health) About: National Filaria Control Programme (NFCP), Launched in 1955 has operational, training and research components. The strategies include Vector Control Detection and treatment of filarial cases Delimitation of endemic areas The programme has been integrated as ‘Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (ELF) Programme’ under the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (NVBDCP). National Health Policy (2002) has laid down the goal for elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis by 2015, which has now been revised to 2017, though global goal is 2020. Strategy includes Annual Mass Drug Administration (MDA) of single dose of DEC (Diethylcarbamazine citrate) and Albendazole for 5 years or more to the eligible population (except pregnant women, children below 2 years of age and seriously ill persons) to interrupt transmission of the disease. Home based management of lymphoedema cases and up-scaling of hydrocele operations in identified Community Health Centres (CHCs)/ District hospitals /medical colleges. Strict compliance of ‘Flag Code of India, 2002’ and ‘The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971’ (Topic: Government Acts and Policies) About— Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an Advisory that directs that mass awareness programmes be carried out for strict compliance of the provisions contained in the ‘Flag Code of India. 2002’ and ‘The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971’. In news: Amazon came under fire for selling tricolour doormats on its Canada site. In 2016, MHA issued a directive to central government departments and state governments that only flags made of paper were to be used by the public. Flags made of paper only are to be used by public in terms of the provisions of the ‘Flag Code of India, 2002’ and such paper Flags are not discarded or thrown on the ground after the event. Such Flags are to be disposed of, in private, consistent with the dignity of the Flag. It was brought to notice of MHA that National Flags made of plastic are also being used in place of paper Flags. But since they are not biodegradable like paper flag, these do not get decomposed for a long time and thus dishonour the Flags under Flag Code. Hence, paper flags are to be used. The advisory also says that any show of disrespect to the flag would invite a jail term of “up to three years, a fine, or both” under Section 2 of The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. Flag Code of India The Flag Code of India is a set of laws, practices and conventions that apply to the display of the national flag. It is divided into three parts:- First Part: General Description of the National Flag. Second Part: Display of the National Flag by members of public, private Organizations & educational institutions etc. Third Part: Display of National Flag by Central or State Governments and their organizations and agencies. Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 is an Act of the Parliament of India which prohibits desecration of or insult to the country’s national symbols, including the National Flag, The Constitution, Indian map and the National Anthem. Significant amendments were added in 2003 and 2005, which prohibited many previously common uses of the flag, such as draping it over a podium during a speech, using it as decoration, or incorporating it into clothing designs. Education in Mother Tongue in Tribal Areas (Topic: Education) About: MHRD through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) recognises the intra-regional, inter-state disparities. It is supporting States/UTs to improve the infrastructure of schools in tribal areas. A crucial step in this direction is the identification of Special Focus Districts (SFDs), one of the criteria for identification is the concentration of Scheduled Tribe (ST) population. 109 districts have been identified as ST concentration districts. Eklavya Model Residential Schools Ministry of Tribal Affairs administers a programme under Article 275(1) of the Constitution. Under this programme, grants are provided to 27 states for setting up of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) for quality education of ST students of Class VI to Class XII. Funds are also released for infrastructural purpose under Article 275(1) of the Constitution and Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Plan. Education and mother tongue Section 29(2) (f) of RTE Act 2009, “medium of instructions shall, as far as practicable, be in child’s mother tongue”. National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005 emphasizes the importance of imparting primary education in the mother tongue of the child. However, as education is in concurrent list, States have the liberty to decide the medium of instruction in schools. The NCF clearly states that the Three-Language Formula is an attempt to address the challenges and opportunities of the linguistic situation in India. As per the “Three Language Formula” the first language to be studied must be the mother tongue or the regional language.   Centralised Digital Online Platform VAHAN and SARATHI to Curb Corruption (Topic: Infrastructure Development) About: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has introduced online based citizen centric application VAHAN 4.0 and SARATHI 4.0 under digitization The aim is to ease out the processes and curb corruption. Provisions regarding issue of learner’s licence and driving licence are contained in Chapter II of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988(MV Act) and Chapter II of Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989(CMVRs). MV Act and CMVRs are under state government 85 Road Transport offices under VAHAN4.0 and 235 Road Transport offices under SARATHI 4.0 have been brought to the centralised platform   Gender Budgeting for Transgenders (Topic: Social Justice) About: Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has introduced a Bill titled “The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016” in the Lok Sabha in 2016. The Bill has been referred to the Standing Committee on Social Justice & Empowerment for examination. Registrar General of India (RGI): in Census 2011, for the first time three codes were provided i.e. Male-1, Female –2 and others -3. This was at the discretion of the respondent. In case the respondent wished to record neither ‘1’ nor ‘2’, then enumerator was instructed to record sex as ‘other’ and give code ‘3’. it is important to note that the Census on India does not collect any data specifically on ‘transgender’. Thus, the category of ‘other’ would not only include ‘transgender’ but also any person who desires to record sex under the category of ‘other’. It is also possible that some transgenders would have returned themselves either male or female depending upon their choice. The population of ‘other’ as per Census 2011 is 4,87,803.   Depression in India (Topic: Issues related to health) About: WHO Report- “Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders – Global Health Estimates”- 2017- the estimated prevalence of depressive disorders in India is 4.5% of the total population. Central Government conducted National Mental Health Survey in 12 states of India. As per the survey, the prevalence of depressive disorders in India is estimated to be 2.7% of the total population. National Mental Health Programme To address the burden of mental disorders, the Government of India is implementing (NMHP) since 1982. The Government is supporting implementation of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) under NMHP in 339 districts There are 21 Centres of Excellence in Mental Health and strengthening/ establishment of 39 Post Graduate training departments in mental health specialties.. The DMHP has been restructured to include additional components like suicide prevention services, work place stress management, life skills training and counselling in schools and colleges. GS-3 Four Sectoral Computer Emergency Response Teams to mitigate Cyber Security Threats in Power Systems (Topic: Science and Technology) About: GoI with National Cyber Security Policy 2013, has created sectoral Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs). Objective: To mitigate cyber security threats in power systems. For cyber security in power systems, four Sectoral CERTs CERT (Transmission) CERT (Thermal) CERT (Hydro) CERT (Distribution) The relevant stakeholders of Smart Grid have been advised to identify critical infrastructure and use end to end encryption for data security. All utilities have been asked to identify a nodal senior executive as its Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to lead the process of strengthening organizational systems with respect to cyber security and implement an Information Security Management System as recommended by rules framed under the Information Technology (IT) Act 2008   Cabinet approves four GST Bills (Topic: Indian Economic Policies) About— Four new GST Bills are___ The Central Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (The CGST Bill) The Integrated Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (The IGST Bill) The Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (The UTGST Bill) The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to the States) Bill 2017 (The Compensation Bill) Importance of the Bills The CGST Bill makes provisions for levy and collection of tax on intra-state supply of goods or services for both by the Central Government. IGST Bill makes provisions for levy and collection of tax on inter-state supply of goods or services or both by the Central Government. UTGST Bill makes provisions for levy on collection of tax on intra-UT supply of goods and services in the Union Territories without legislature. Union Territory GST is akin to States Goods and Services Tax (SGST) which shall be levied and collected by the States/Union Territories on intra-state supply of goods or services or both. Compensation Bill provides for compensation to the states for loss of revenue arising on account of implementation of the goods and services tax for a period of five years as per section 18 of the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016.   BS-IV Norms For Vehicles (Topic: Environment) About— In 2015, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways announced that mass emission standards for Bharat Stage IV shall come in to force all over the country in respect of four wheeled vehicles manufactured on or after the 1st April, 2017. Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has reported that only BS- IV vehicles should be registered from 1st April 2017 as told by EPCA. SIAM had clarified that they will not manufacture any BS- III vehicles from 1st April 2017. Background Bharat stage emission standards’ are emission standards instituted by the Government of India to regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engine equipment, including motor vehicles. The Bharat Stage norms are based on European regulations. The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control Board under the Ministry of Environment & Forests and climate change. The BS IV norms were introduced in 13 cities apart from the National Capital Region from April 2010. Currently, BS IV fuel is being made available across the country in stages, with the entire nation expected to be covered by April1 2017. Implementation of the BS V standard was earlier scheduled for 2019. This has now been skipped. BS VI, originally proposed to come in by 2024 has been now advanced to 2020, instead. Significance Upgrading to stricter fuel standards helps tackle air pollution. While BS IV-compliant fuel currently in use has 50 parts per million (ppm) sulphur, BS VI stipulates a low 10 ppm. Besides, under BS VI, particulate matter emission for diesel cars and nitrogen oxide levels are expected to be substantially lower than in BS IV. The experience of countries such as China and Malaysia (which is currently grappling with haze) shows that poor air quality can be bad for business. Therefore, leapfrogging to BS VI can put India ahead in the race for investments too. Flip side Skipping an entire stage of emission norms might not be a good idea as it will put a lot of pressure on the auto firms and even the oil companies The shift of technology from BS-IV to BS-VI is likely to cost anything between Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 80,000 crore to petroleum companies. The automobile manufacturers also need to progress gradually and skipping a step like BS-V might put extra pressure on the manufacturers to produce compliant vehicles. Automotive Mission Plan (Topic: Economic Policies) About— Automotive Mission Plan 2026 has been finalized jointly by the Government of India and Indian Automotive Industry. Objectives Propel the Indian Automotive industry to become the engine of the “Make in India” programme. Make the Indian Automotive Industry a significant contributor to the “Skill India” programme. Promote safe, efficient and comfortable mobility for every person in the country, with an eye on environmental protection and affordability Seek increase of net exports of the Indian Automotive industry several fold. Promote comprehensive and stable policy dispensation for all regulations impacting the industry. The AMP 2026 is aimed at bringing the Indian Automotive Industry among the top three of the world in engineering, manufacture and exports of vehicles & components. Safety audit of all the coalmines has been taken up. Cabinet approves of proposal to establish a Fund of Fund for Start-ups (FFS) (Topic: Economic Policies) Background Fund of Funds of Start-ups (FFS) was established in June 2016 with a corpus of Rs. 10,000 crores. Contribution will be spread over 14th & 15th Finance Commission cycles based on progress of implementation and availability of funds. FFS contributes to SEBI registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) that may go up to a maximum of 35% of the corpus of the AIF concerned. It was decided that the FFS shall contribute to the corpus of Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) for investing in equity and equity linked instruments of various start-ups at early stage, seed stage and growth stages. FFS is managed and operated by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) Following proposals approved by Cabinet Alternate Investment Funds (AIFs) supported by FFS shall invest at least twice the amount of contribution received from FFS qualifying in Start-ups. Operating expenses for carrying out due diligence, legal and technical appraisal, convening meeting of Venture Capital Investment Committee, etc. would be met out of the FFS to the extent of 0.50% of the commitments made to AIFs and outstanding. Amendments to the NABARD Act, 1981 (Topic: Economic Policies) Union Cabinet approved for following amendments Increase the authorized capital of NABARD from Rs. 5,000 crore to 30,000 crore Transfer of 0.4% equity of RBI in NABARD amounting to Rs. 20 crores to the Government of India. (The transfer of entire shareholding in NABARD held by RBI to the Central Government will remove the conflict in RBI’s role as banking regulator and shareholder in NABARD.) Other amendments include changes in long title and certain Sections to bring Medium Enterprises and Handlooms in NABARD’s mandate. First Nine Celebrates 200 Years (Topic: Defence) About: First Battalion of the Ninth Gorkhas was raised by the British in 1817 as the ‘Fatehgarh Levy’. Ninth Gorkha Rifles has a unique honour that all its battalions have been awarded the Chief of Army Staff’s Citation for exceptional performance in the line of duty. As a prelude to the Bicentenary Celebrations, a team scaled Mount Stok Kangri (6153 meters) highest peak of the Stok Ranges in the Ladakh Region in 2016. Uniqueness India and Nepal share a unique bond through 32,000 Nepali citizens who serve in the Indian Army and approximately 90,000 veterans drawing their pensions in Nepal. Indigenous DRDO Naval Systems (Topic: Defence) About:  DRDO is becoming an important instrument for self-reliance of the nation. Three naval systems handed over to Indian Navy USHUS-II Submarine Sonar– a highly evolved compendium of multiple sensors- include passive sonar, active sonar, intercept sonar, obstacle avoidance sonar and underwater telephony. Directing Gear for Hull Mounted Sonar Array– an electro-mechanical system that supports the transducer array of hull-mounted ship sonar systems and rotates it at a controlled speed for in-situ acoustic calibration at Harbour and Sea. RLG based Inertial Navigation System for Ship Applications (INS-SA)– based on indigenous Ring Laser Gyroscopes, provides vital information on the ship’s position coordinates and heading for steering it to its destination accurately. Other launches were: IP-based Secure Phone– an indigenous encryption algorithm on a trustworthy hardware platform to provide a high level of secrecy to voice and data, Gallium Nitride Technology– state-of-the-art material for MMIC applications, help in the development of next generation radars, seekers and communication systems, for application in Light Combat Aircraft.  

Apr 25, 2017 MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Environmental Goods Agreement

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Environmental Goods Agreement 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 1 Link 2

Apr 25, 2017

IASbaba's 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2017 Polity and Current Affairs [Day 26]

Hello Friends So, here we are with the 26th 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 26]: POLITY & CURRENT AFFAIRS  ARCHIVES   Q.1) Consider the following statements An administrator of a union territory is an agent of the President similar to head of state like a Governor The President can also appoint the Governor of a state as the administrator of an adjoining union territory. Which of the above statement[s] is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements The Union Territories of Puducherry, Delhi and Chandigarh are provided with a legislative assembly and a council of ministers headed by a chief minister The earlier Chief commissioners provinces were constituted as Union Territories by the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act and the States Reorganisation Act Select the correct code: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) According to the Constitution of India- While appointing the Governor, the President is required to consult the chief minister of the state concerned. It does not lay down any grounds upon which a governor may be removed by the President. Select the correct code: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Which of the following states have legislative council? Jammu and Kashmir Bihar Telangana Kerala Andhra Pradesh Select the correct code: 1, 2 and 5 1, 2 and 3 1, 2, 3 and 5 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Q.5) Consider the following statements The Governor can pardon a death sentence prescribed by a state law A Governor whose term has expired may be reappointed in the same state or any other state Which of the above statement[s] is/are incorrect? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.6) In Indian context, the Governor has Constitutional discretion in which of the following cases? Recommendation for the imposition of the President’s Rule in the state Reservation of a bill for the consideration of the President Dissolution of the state legislative assembly if the council of ministers has lost its majority While exercising his functions as the administrator of an adjoining union territory Choose the correct code: 1 and 2 only 1, 2 and 3 1, 2 and 4 1, 2, 3 and 4 Q.7) With regard to Legislative councils, consider the following statements The creation of Legislative councils requires special majority in the Parliament. The creation of Legislative councils by the Parliament is not to be deemed as an amendment to Constitution. Choose the correct code: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.8) Consider the following statements In the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha, there shall be a Minister in charge of tribal welfare. The Governor can nominate one member to the state legislature council from the Anglo-Indian Community. Select the correct code: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.9) Consider the following statements The Parliament can make laws on any subject of the three lists (Centre, State, Concurrent) for all the union territories. The Parliament can make regulations for the peace, progress and good government of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands Which of the above statement[s] is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2  Q.10) Consider the following statements When the Governor reserves any bill for the consideration of the President, the Governor will not have any further role in the enactment of the bill The question of disqualification under the Tenth Schedule is decided by Governor and the decision is subject to judicial review. Select the correct code: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.11) Which of the following statement is not correct? Delhi is the only union territory that has a high court of its own. The Governor can resign any time by addressing a resignation letter to the President Constitutional provisions for the administration of union territories do not apply to the acquired territories In case of any contingency, the Chief Justice of the concerned state High court may be appointed temporarily to discharge the functions of the governor of that state Q.12) With regard to legislative procedure of an Ordinary Bill in the State legislature, which of the following statements are incorrect? The Constitution provides for the mechanism of joint sitting of both the Houses to resolve the disagreement between the two Houses over a bill When a bill, which has originated in the council and was sent to the assembly, is rejected by the assembly, the bill ends and becomes dead The Bill can be introduced either by a minister or a private member The legislative assembly can override the legislative council by passing the bill for the second time and not vice versa Q.13) Consider the following statements w.r.t special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The President has no power to declare a financial emergency in relation to the state. The preventive detention laws made by the Parliament are not applicable to the state. The President’s rule is not applicable to the state Which of the above statement[s] is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.14) With regard to Money bill in the State Legislature, consider the following statements A Money Bill can be introduced in either house of state legislature. When the money bill is reserved (by governor) for consideration of the President, then the President cannot withhold her assent to the bill. Select the correct code: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.15) Consider the following pairs Union Territories                       High court jurisdiction Puducherry -                         Andhra Pradesh Daman and Diu -                         Gujarat Lakshadweep -                             Kerala Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched? 2 and 3 only 1 and 2 only 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.16) Consider the following statements about Competition Commission of India (CCI) It is a statutory body The Chairperson and members of CCI are appointed by the Central Government Matters regarding fixation of prices of agricultural products as well as reviewing progress of activities related to rural development including those concerning small and marginal farmers are in CCI’s competence Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.17) Watal Committee is associated with Digital Payments Border Protection Restructuring of Civil Services examination Railway restructuring Q.18) Consider the following statements about ‘Vittiya Saksharata Abhiyan’ It will be an online database which will carry information of student attendance and enrolment, learning outcomes, mid-day meal service and infrastructural facilities among others. It was launched by Ministry of Human Resource Development It is launched under Shala Asmita Yojana (SAY) Select the correct statements 1 and 2 Only 2 1 and 3 2 and 3 Q.19) Consider the following statements about UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) Scheme It seeks to provide connectivity to both un-served and under-served airports through revival of existing air-strips and airports Regional Connectivity Fund (RCF) will be created to meet the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) requirements under the scheme Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.20) State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) is released by Marine Management Organisation (MMO) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) World Economic Forum (WEF) None of the above Q.21) India Achieves 4th rank in Global Wind Power Installed Capacity Index. Which of the following states has the highest Wind Power installation in India? Tamil Nadu Maharashtra Karnataka Gujarat Q.22) China has recently launched a satellite called ‘TanSat’. The aim of this satellite is to: Study the Ozone hole formation Monitor Global carbon emission Calculate real time loss of polar ice Monitor global variability of rainfall and climate change Q.23) With regard to International Criminal Court (ICC), consider the following statements It is an international non-governmental organization The Roman Statute, 2002 serves as the ICC's foundational and governing document It seeks to replace national courts of a country in crimes related to war and genocide Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.24) What causes loss of GPS signal/connection in low orbiting satellites? Cumulus clouds in ionosphere Thunderstorms in ionosphere Both (a) and (b) None of the above Q.25) Recently ‘Imja Tsho’ a glacial lake was in news. Where is it located? Jammu & Kashmir Arunachal Pradesh Meghalaya None of the above Download the Solution- Click here

Apr 24, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs 24th April, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 24th April 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Development processes and the development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders LOKPAL Act Introduction Governance in a country of size and diversities like India is a huge challenge. Anti corruption legislations have been promised by parties by implemented weakly or have been scuttled. There is a need to reinforce focus on Lokpal and other anti corruption legislations for clean governance. Lokpal Act: The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 seeks to provide for the establishment of Lokpal for the Union and Lokayukta for States to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for related matters. The act extends to whole of India, including Jammu & Kashmir and is applicable to “public servants” within and outside India. The act mandates for creation of Lokpal for Union and Lokayukta for states. Issue: Failure to implement the Lokpal law by the government is an indication of how the parties do renege with impunity on their poll promise of a corruption-free India. A lack of will on the part of the government to implement the anti-corruption law can be inferred from its various actions and inactions in the last three years. With the government’s refusal to recognise anyone as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) after the general election in 2014, the appointment of the Lokpal became an immediate casualty as the selection committee of the Lokpal includes the recognised LoP. In order to implement the law, the government has to— introduce a Lokpal amendment Bill in Parliament substituting the recognised LoP in the selection committee with the leader of the single largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha. In fact, a similar amendment was required in the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act for the appointment of the CBI Director; it was introduced by the government and passed expeditiously. However, for the Lokpal law, instead of bringing in a single amendment to alter the composition of the selection committee, the government introduced a 10-page Bill which proposed to fundamentally dilute the original law. Given the controversial nature of amendments, it was referred to a parliamentary standing committee. The Bill continues to languish in Parliament. Diluting asset disclosure The Lokpal Act stipulated that by July 31, 2016, Section 44 related to disclosure of assets of public servants was to be operationalised irrespective of appointment of the Lokpal. To prevent the asset disclosure provision from taking effect, the government introduced another amendment Bill. This Bill, which completely whittled down the asset disclosure requirement, was resolutely pushed through by the government in Parliament and passed within 48 hours of its introduction. It is significant that the Bill, pushed through in unprecedented haste, did not modify the composition of the selection committee which was needed to appoint the Lokpal. The law was thus diluted even before it could be operationalised. Amendments: The Lokpal Amendment Act, 2016, did away with the statutory requirement of public servants to disclose the assets of their spouses and dependent children provided for under the original law. It also dispensed with the need for public disclosure of these statements and empowered the Central government to prescribe the form and manner of asset disclosure. This was a critical blow as the Lokpal was established to act on complaints under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA); one of the grounds of criminal misconduct under the PCA relates to a public servant or any person on his/her behalf being in possession of pecuniary resources or property disproportionate to known sources of income. Since illegally amassed assets are often handed over to family members, public declaration of assets of the spouse and dependent children of the public servants was necessary to enable people to make informed complaints to the Lokpal. Further, the response to a query under the RTI Act revealed that the Minister had misled Parliament. Despite the Minister’s assurances on the floor of the House, the Lokpal Amendment Act, 2016, passed by Parliament was never referred to any parliamentary standing committee for deliberation. Permission for prosecution The government’s intention to subvert the Lokpal law was further confirmed when through proposed amendments to the PCA, it sought to usurp critical powers of the Lokpal. Experience in India has shown that the requirement for seeking prior sanction from the government for prosecuting government officials is a critical bottleneck and results not only in huge delays but also, and often, in the accused never being prosecuted. To address this problem, the Lokpal Act vests the power of granting sanction for prosecution in the independent institution of the Lokpal. Instead of reinforcing this provision, which insulates the prosecution process from government influence, the PCA amendments strengthen the requirement to seek the government’s permission before prosecuting a public servant by increasing cover to even retired public officials. By requiring the Lokpal to seek permission from the government before it can prosecute officials in cases of corruption, the proposed PCA amendments make a mockery of the independent institution and render the entire exercise of demanding an empowered Lokpal futile. Conclusion: Good governance is possible only when governance is inclusive, corruption free and empowering in nature. It is important for government to act with urgency and appoint Lokpal to bring corruption to the centre stage to eliminate the same. Connecting the dots: Critically analyse the importance of legislation like Lokpal act for India especially w.r.t. delay in appointment even after passing the legislation. NATIONAL/AGRICULTURE 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. General studies 3: Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers. Performance of Agriculture Schemes in last 3 years Introduction: Agriculture in India contributes 14 percent to India’s GDP and employs nearly 50 percent of the population. However agriculture sector has failed to gain the momentum due to lack of sound policies making it one of the most vulnerable sector of Indian economy. Agriculture engages 47 per cent of the work force, as per the Labour Bureau, and without whose development “sabka saath, sabka vikas” is not possible. In the first three years of the NDA government, agri-GDP grew by just 1.7 per cent per annum, which is less than half of what was achieved during the last three years of the UPA government (3.6 per cent). Such a poor performance was caused primarily by droughts in 2014 and 2015. In order to tackle droughts more effectively, the NDA (under Modi) government tweaked and improvised existing schemes and launched the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). Also, a new scheme, the e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), was launched to link 585 regulated agri-markets across the country. Assessment: The below article examines the performance of above three flagship schemes and whether these schemes have made much difference to the lives of farmers so far or not. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) PMKSY was launched on July 1, 2015. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has been formulated with the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation ‘Har Khet ko pani’ and improving water use efficiency ‘More crop per drop' in a focused manner with end to end solution on source creation, distribution, management, field application and extension activities. PMKSY had been formulated amalgamating ongoing schemes viz. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR;), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Department of Land Resources (DoLR) and the On Farm Water Management (OFWM) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC). The major objective of the PMKSY is to: Achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level, Expand cultivable area under assured irrigation (Har Khet ko pani), Improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water, enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop), Enhance recharge of aquifers and Introduce sustainable water conservation practices by exploring the feasibility of reusing treated municipal based water for peri-urban agriculture and attract greater private investment in precision irrigation system. The scheme also aims at bringing concerned Ministries/Departments/Agencies/Research and Financial Institutions engaged in creation/use/recycling/potential recycling of water, brought under a common platform, so that a comprehensive and holistic view of the entire "water cycle" is taken into account and proper water budgeting is done for all sectors namely, household, agriculture and industries. Performance: The implementation of various components of this scheme depends on three different departments — Agriculture, Water Resources, and Rural Development. However, a new mission directorate for PMKSY is set up under the Ministry of Water Resources. The government identified 99 projects for early completion under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), which together will irrigate 76 lakh hectares (ha) upon completion. Of these 99, 23 projects (Priority-I) were shortlisted for completion by March 2017, another 31 projects (Priority-II) during FY18, and the remaining 45 projects (Priority-III) are to be completed by December 2019. Financial support was to be given through NABARD’s Long Term Irrigation Fund of Rs 40,000 crore. Of these 99 projects, 26 are in Maharashtra which had seen long delays and allegations of corruption. On the exact progress, out of the 23 projects to be completed by March 2017, none was actually completed, although many are expected to be completed soon. The component of micro irrigation (MI) in PMKSY has done better and 8.13 lakh ha of additional area is said to have been brought under MI. The total area under MI is about 9 million ha while the potential for MI is almost 10 times more. The government would do better if MI is treated at par with AIBP in terms of funding. MI can move faster with much better results in terms of water-use efficiency. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) PMFBY is another flagship programme of the Modi government. The highlights of this scheme are as under: There will be a uniform premium of only 2% to be paid by farmers for all Kharif crops and 1.5% for all Rabi crops. In case of annual commercial and horticultural crops, the premium to be paid by farmers will be only 5%. The premium rates to be paid by farmers are very low and balance premium will be paid by the Government to provide full insured amount to the farmers against crop loss on account of natural calamities. There is no upper limit on Government subsidy. Even if balance premium is 90%, it will be borne by the Government. Earlier, there was a provision of capping the premium rate which resulted in low claims being paid to farmers. This capping was done to limit Government outgo on the premium subsidy. This capping has now been removed and farmers will get claim against full sum insured without any reduction. The use of technology will be encouraged to a great extent. Smart phones will be used to capture and upload data of crop cutting to reduce the delays in claim payment to farmers. Remote sensing will be used to reduce the number of crop cutting experiments. The new Crop Insurance Scheme is in line with One Nation – One Scheme theme. It incorporates the best features of all previous schemes and at the same time, all previous shortcomings/weaknesses have been removed. Performance: For the first time, farmers’ share of the premium was pegged at 2 per cent for kharif crops and 1.5 per cent for rabi crops. As a result, the area covered under insurance increased from 27.2 million ha in kharif 2015 to 37.5 million ha in kharif 2016, and the sum insured increased from Rs 60,773 crore to Rs 1,08,055 crore over the same period. However, the system of crop damage assessment has not changed much and most of the states could not even procure smartphones that were supposed to facilitate the faster compilation of crop cutting experiments. Some state governments did not take the cost of cultivation as the amount to be insured with a view to saving their outgo on the premium subsidy. Many state governments did not pay the premium on time, as a result of which the farmers’ claims could not be settled expeditiously. In sum, there is still much work to be done on the implementation side, else the large expenditure from the government kitty will be spent without accruing commensurate benefits to farmers. e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) The third mega scheme launched by the Modi government — in April 2016 — is e-NAM. National Agriculture Market (NAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing APMC mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. The idea was to enable buyers located in distant places to purchase agri-commodities from any mandi. The GoI also decided that state governments can apply for a grant of Rs 30 lakh per mandi (enhanced to Rs 75 lakh from this year) for related infrastructure and hardware, provided they undertake some reforms in their Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) rules. These included a single trading license to operate in any mandi in the state, single point levy of market fee, and provision for e-auction of agricultural commodities in the rules and regulations of the state. Performance: So far, 417 markets from 13 states have been integrated with e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) against the set target of 400 markets by March, 2017. In most mandis the sales through traditional auctions are being shown as turnover through e-NAM. Out of a turnover of approximately Rs 15,605 crore in e-NAM, Haryana alone is showing a turnover of Rs 8,237 crore. However, studies have revealed that very few auctions are being conducted by using the software. So far, there are no inter-mandi auctions and there is no evidence that farmers have gained from this system either in terms of cutting down commissions of arhtiyas (agents/middlemen) or better price realisation. The ambition of creating an all-India agri-market, therefore, still remains a distant dream. The e-NAM can be a game changer only if it is steered as diligently as the GST. Other initiatives: In the last few years, the Government of India has taken several farmer friendly initiatives. These, amongst other things, include the following: A new scheme had been introduced to issue a Soil Health Card to every farmer. Soil Health Management in the country is being promoted through setting up of soil and fertilizer testing laboratories. 34 lakh soil samples had been collected and analysis is continuing. A new scheme for promoting organic farming "Pramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana" had been launched to promote organic farming. A dedicated Kisan Channel had been started by Doordarshan to address various issues concerning farmers. Government is also encouraging formation of Farmer Producer organizations. Assistance to farmers, as input subsidy, had been increased by 50 percent in case of natural calamities. Norms have been relaxed to provide assistance from previous norm of crop loss of more than 50 percent to 33 percent to farmers afflicted by natural calamities. Minimum Support Price (MSP) for various Kharif crops has been increased. Bonus of Rs.200 per quintal has been announced for pulses. Area coverage under pulses has increased over the last year. Conclusion: All the above flagship programmes are dwarfed when one looks at the money being spent on food and fertiliser subsidies, which exceeds Rs 3,00,000 crore (including arrears) in 2017. One had hoped that the NDA government under Modi will take bold decisions to streamline these by moving towards Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to beneficiaries’ accounts. The progress on this front has been tardy and one doubts whether any bold reforms are coming soon. A strong revolutionary agricultural policy at grass root level is the much awaited reform because major subsidies of agriculture are not reaching small farmers(95% have < 1 hectare) The growth rate of agriculture insurance and credit is mere 4 and 2.5% respectively which is way below the prescribed growth targets. The present Crop insurance schemes are not serving the purpose due to issue of premium. Domestic issues like responding to adverse impacts of climate change and also formulating a strong actionable climate change policy is needed (The present NAPCC and SAPCC is not getting off the ground). Although the NDA government has made the right moves, yet its flagship schemes have not made much difference to the lives of farmers so far. Without a champion for agriculture in the government, these schemes may fall far short of their promises and claims. Connecting the dots: “Even though Agriculture contributes 14 percent to India’s GDP and employs nearly 50 percent of the population the fruits of agriculture are not as sweet as it should be”. In the above context critically examine the state of Indian agriculture and issues associated with it. Identify the major issues agriculture is facing in India and critically analyse if recently launched schemes are able to address these issues. The government’s flagship schemes have had not been encouraging towards agricultural sector. Do you agree? Discuss how to revive rural economy and overall economy through agricultural development. MUST READ Towards complete justice at last Hindu The line between fiction and fact  Hindu Because caste didn’t go away Indian Express Project Cow Indian Express The relationship between economics and politics Livemint RBI and central bank independence Livemint The sanctity of democratic bodies must be upheld Livemint Get the trains back on track Business Line Dealing with bad debt Business Line

Apr 24, 2017

IASbaba's 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2017 Polity and Current Affairs [Day 25]

Hello Friends So, here we are with the 25th 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 25]: POLITY & CURRENT AFFAIRS  ARCHIVES   Q.1) The President is elected not directly by the people but by members of Electoral College consisting of the elected and nominated members of both the Houses of Parliament the elected members of the legislative assemblies of all the Union Territories the elected members of the legislative assemblies of all the states Which of the above statement[s] is/are correct? 1 only 3 only 1, 2 and 3 2 and 3 Q.2) Consider the following, with reference to the President’s veto power Suspensive veto of the President can be overridden by re-passage of the bill by a simple majority of the Parliament The President has no veto power over a Constitutional amendment bill Select the correct code 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) With regard to ‘Motion of  Thanks’, consider the following The first session after each general election and the first session of every fiscal year is addressed by the President It is discussed in Lok Sabha only A failure to get motion of thanks passed amounts to defeat of government and leads to collapse of government Select the correct code 1 only 1 and 3 only 1 and 2 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.4) Consider the following statements A minister who is a member of one House of Parliament does not have the right to speak and to take part in the proceedings of the other House A minister can vote only in the House of which he/she is a member Choose the correct code 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements with regard to powers of Prime Minister (PM) The PM can ask a minister to resign or advise the President to dismiss him in case of difference of opinion. The PM advises the President with regard to summoning and proroguing of the sessions of the Parliament. The PM can recommend dissolution of the Lok Sabha to President at any time. Which of the above statement[s] is/are correct? 1 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 2 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.6) In the Parliament of India, the purpose of an adjournment motion is to allow a reduction of specific amount in demand for grant to allow a discussion on a definite matter of urgent public importance to postpone the proceedings to check the inappropriate or violent behaviour on the part of some members to let opposition members collect information from the ministers   Q.7) Consider the following statements The ordinance making power of the President is an executive power. The President’s satisfaction on issuing an ordinance is non-justiciable on the ground of malafide. Ordinance making power is a discretionary power of the President. Select the correct code 1 and 3 only 1 and 2 only 2 only None of the above Q.8) With regard to Secretariat of Parliament, consider the following   The recruitment and service conditions of the Secretariat are regulated by the presiding officer of the House Secretary-general of the Secretariat is appointed by the President  Select the correct code 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.9) With regard to Attorney General for India, the highest law officer in the country, which of the following is incorrect? The office of the Attorney General is not created by the Constitution. His/Her term of office is not fixed by the Constitution. He/She resigns when the government or the council of ministers resigns He/She holds office during the pleasure of the president. Q.10) Which of the following statement is incorrect? Prime minister may be a member of any of the two houses of Parliament The Prime Minister has a fixed term of five years The advice tendered by Ministers to the President shall not be inquired into in any court The Constitution does not contain any specific procedure for the selection and appointment of the Prime Minister Q.11) Consider the following When the Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion against the council of ministers, all the ministers have to resign including those ministers who are from the Rajya Sabha Any exercise of executive power by the President without the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers is considered to be unconstitutional Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.12) With regard to Public Accounts Committee, consider the following statements This committee was setup under the provisions of the Government of India Act of 1935. The members are nominated by the Speaker for a term of one year. As per the convention, the chairman of the committee is selected from the Opposition. Select the correct code 3 only 1 only 2 and 3 only None of the above Q.13) With regard to pardoning power of the President, which of statements given below is incorrect? The power to pardon is to be exercised by the President on the advice of the Union Cabinet The President cannot pardon sentences inflicted by court martial The Constitution does not provide for any mechanism to question the legality of decisions of President None Q.14) Which of the following statements are correct about ‘Censure motion’? It can be moved against any individual minister It should state the reasons for its adoption in the Lok Sabha. If it is passed in the Lok Sabha, the council of ministers need not resign from the office. Choose the correct code 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.15) Consider the following statements with regard to a Private Bill? It can be introduced by any member of Parliament Its rejection by the House has an implication on the parliamentary confidence in the government Select the correct code 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.16) Which of the following motion can be moved to reduce any Demand for grant? Superseding motion Cut motion Ancillary motion Closure motion Q.17) Consider the following statements about ‘Vanjeevan’ It is launched by National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) The scheme is focused on North Eastern states in its first phase It is a National resource centre for tribal livelihood Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.18) ‘Urban Plus approach’ was seen in news recently. It is associated with BRICS G4 United Nations Security Council (UNSC) None of the above Q.19) Consider the following statements about ‘Kafala System’ Under this system both domestic and foreign workers are obliged to seek their employer’s permission to change jobs or leave the country All the GCC countries have abolished the kafala system Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.20) The Paracel Islands are located in Ross Sea South China Sea Adriatic Sea Celebes Sea Q.21) Consider the following statements about Central Electricity Authority (CEA) It is a statutory organization under Electricity Act, 2003 It develops programs which will increase the conservation and efficient use of energy in India Draft National Electricity Plan, 2016 was prepared by CEA which calls for doubling the coal based capacity addition by 2025 Select the correct statements Only 1 2 and 3 1 and 2 All of the above Q.22) Muhuri, a transnational river flows between India and Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Bangladesh Q.23) Section 498A in the Indian Penal Code is related to LGBT community or Homosexuality Unlawful Assembly Domestic Violence Sedition Q.24) OraQuick is A question and answer website HIV self-testing kit A German supercomputer None Q.25) Which of the following is correctly matched Khardung La :: J&K Pir Panjal :: Himachal Pradesh Saser La :: J&K Bom Di La :: Sikkim Select the correct code: 1 and 3 1, 2 and 3 1, 3 and 4 1, 2 and 4 Download the Solution- Click Here

Apr 23, 2017 IASbaba's Monthly Current Affairs Magazine

IASbaba’s Monthly Current Affairs Magazine- MARCH 2017

ARCHIVES Hello Friends This is the 22nd edition of IASbaba’s Monthly Magazine for UPSC Civil Services Examination. This edition covers all important issues that were in news in the month of MARCH 2017 Click on the IMAGE to download the file