Apr 5, 2017 AIR

All India Radio - Steps Against Sexual Harassment with Women at Workplace

Steps against sexual harassment with women at workplace ARCHIVES Search 29th December 2016 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes In news: Women’s emancipation and safety is most important for society as well as government. DoPT that acts as the government’s human resource manager has issued circular to all concerned departments that any case of sexual harassment of women whether in workplace or anywhere, the investigation should be completed within 30 days of complaint lodged and report has to be submitted within 90 days. It has also asked the departments to ensure that well-being of women whose complaints are proven should not be victimised and subjected to political vendetta. It is a good move and is part of promoting gender equality. Unless women are safe and secure and their dignity is assured, the society can never be really called equal. Considering the reality that women have come out in large number to take care of household chores and outdoor jobs, they have the right to be safe anywhere. Vishakha guidelines Since 1997 since SC came with Vishakha guidelines have become part of public discourse. SC categorically stated in a judgement about eliminating all forms of discrimination and how to ensure safety and security of women which is foremost. It came out with certain guidelines which went on stipulate about sexual harassment at workplace in the country and how to deal with it. Some provisions are The employer (and/or other responsible people in a workplace) was duty-bound to prevent or deter sexual harassment. It should set up processes to resolve, settle or prosecute in such cases. It should support employees even when a third party was responsible for harassment. It should sensitise female employees to their rights and the guidelines. Sexual harassment includes ‘‘such unwelcome sexually determined behaviour, whether directly or by implication, such as: physical contact and advances, a demand or request for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography, and any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.’ Set up an internal committee As per SC, there should be an internal compliant grievance committee when workplace is of more than 10 employees. It also provided for a special counsellor or other support service, assuring confidentiality. This committee would be headed by a woman, have women as at least half its members. To pre-empt any undue pressure from senior levels, the committee can include a third party such as an NGO familiar with the challenges of sexual harassment. Lackadaisical investigation The law is strong but all these cases are investigated by police which is usually delayed. The onus is also on respective state governments to see that such cases are given priority in investigation. Over the years it has been seen that police takes its own time to investigate and it lingers on for long. Thus, with the establishment of an internal committee within the organisation, primary investigation will be done by it. The police will come in much later. By and large, it is better that such matters are sorted out within the organisation. Attitudinal change required The SC is trying to sensitise what it is to work in a workplace where there are women and how men and women should conduct themselves. However, not major improvement in reduction of cases of complaints of sexual harassment in workplace has been observed. The problems is of mindset. The educated Indians are also involved in such kind of behaviour in top organisations. Thus it needs to be known what kind of education is imparted to children at school level and why families are not able to share good values. How the boys in the family are raised, how the men should respect the women within the family and private space is important. Socialisation process, education should go towards making a man more sensitive when dealing with women. Influence should not be roadblock There has to be sense of fear in the mind of offenders. If it is not there and they can think that they can get away with passing lewd comments, the law will not be successful in its implementation. Though the law is in place, implementation is worrisome. Serious cases like rape and attempted rape require strict police action and such cases have to be investigated and accused should be punished. Sometimes, people in very influential position are accused. This creates a sense of alienation, disbelief or misgivings about law and to what extent it would go to. In India, wherever the accused is influential, they have a much freer hand. Here, the DopT, Ministry of child welfare all of them should see to it, no matter who is accused, that person should be severely dealt with. This would instil gender sensitivity in society. Suppose a woman who files the complaint, the person starts harassing her more. Such victimisation should not happen. Guidelines says that aggrieved woman has been given further option of sending representation to the secretary or head of organisation in case she feels that she is being victimised because of complaint. It gives women the sense of fearlessness that they can complaint and not be victimised. Dealing with false complaints Any complaint which is false will also be dealt with strictly. It is not that women can have a free hand and go about it. The women has to realise that they cannot play the victim card all the time. In past, an SC judge was charged with sexual harassment by a law intern. SC appointed a committee of judges which found that there were not much merit in the case of complainant. Since the judge concern had delivered few judgement that went against the government of the day, some people tried to frame him. This is one instance. There have been rulings in the lower court also where women who charged somebody of rape failed to establish the fact of the same. Though the persons are released but the reputation, time wasted in jail, money spent will not return. Thus, the law has to give equal punishment to women who make false charges which is there in provision. From guidelines to law In December 2013, Vishakha was superseded by the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, which kept the essence of the Guidelines and added more provisions. Some of it are: Widens the definition of ‘aggrieved woman’ to include all women, irrespective of age and employment status, and it covers clients, customers and domestic workers. Expands ‘workplace’ beyond traditional offices to include all kinds of organisations across sectors, even non-traditional workplaces (for example those that involve telecommuting) and places visited by employees for work. Mandates the constitution of the internal complaint committee (ICC) — and states the action to be taken if an ICC is not formed. Filing of an audit report of the number of complaints and action taken at the end of the year. Lists the duties of the employer, like organising regular workshops and awareness programmes to educate employees about the Act, and conducting orientation programmes for the members of the ICC. Connecting the dots: What are Vishakha guidelines? Evaluate its importance in the growing work culture amongst women in the Indian society.

Apr 5, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 5th April, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 5th April 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Separation of powers between various organs , dispute redressal mechanisms and institution Structure, organization and functioning of Executive and Judiciary. Supreme Court's highway liquor ban: Judicial overreach or not? India’s Supreme Court decided in December 2016 that the presence of shops and restaurants selling liquor near highways was leading to drunken driving, which cause the vast majority of fatal road accidents in the country. So it banned them. Specifically, it ordered that no establishment is permitted to sell alcohol if it is within 500 metres of a national or state highway. Assessment: In below article, we shall assess four aspects - One, whether judiciary can best resolve polycentric problems? Two, do the top court’s orders banning liquor sale on highways encroach upon the executive’s domain of policymaking? Three, why Supreme Court’s highway liquor shop verdict is not judicial overreach? Four, why Supreme Court's highway alcohol ban is judicial overreach? Concept of polycentric situation Decades ago, Lon Fuller, the famous American legal philosopher, coined the term “polycentric problems”. According to Fuller, certain social issues involved a complex set of interdependent relationships, where changing one feature could result in unforeseen and far-reaching changes to other features. A polycentric problem was like a spider web, where “a pull on one strand will distribute tensions after a complicated pattern throughout the web as a whole”. Fuller argued that the judiciary was particularly ill-suited to resolve polycentric problems. The structure of the judicial process was not oriented towards taking into account the effect that a ruling would have on the many interdependent strands of a polycentric situation. Furthermore, the judiciary did not have the time, the resources, or the institutional expertise to engage in the kind of fine-grained, evidence-based, compromise-requiring balancing act that was required to prevent the web from snapping altogether. Fuller argues that with regard to complex polycentric disputes, which involves many affected parties and a somewhat fluid state of affairs, the Judiciary should restrain itself from developing the law because “it would be impracticable to foresee all the consequences and predict the actual ramifications of the decision tampering with it”. Therefore, the Supreme Court’s order prohibiting the sale of alcohol within 500 metres of national and State highways highlights the perils of polycentric adjudication. While the stated reason for this order is the overriding imperative of preventing road accidents due to drunken driving, already there are reports about the collateral consequences: Lost livelihoods and a substantial hit in tourism for States such as Goa. Five- and four-star hotels, which often are located on highways, are concerned about a loss of star-rating and subsequently business. Government-owned alcohol shops, such as Tamil Nadu’s TASMACs, are worried they will not be able to get land to set up new stores soon enough. Some states are even denotifying state highways as municipal roads to get around the judgment. Do the top court’s orders banning liquor sale on highways encroach upon the executive’s domain of policymaking? Fuller’s argument about polycentric disputes is reflected in the scheme of the Indian Constitution, which, like most other Constitutions, mandates a separation of powers between the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary, and places policymaking firmly in the domain of the executive. For this reason the Supreme Court’s order has come under criticism in the last few days. Apart from its polycentric consequences, it has been argued that banning alcohol — and micromanaging the distance from the highways where alcohol cannot be sold — is a classic example of policymaking, and that the Supreme Court has indulged in “judicial overreach”. Why Supreme Court’s highway liquor shop verdict is not judicial overreach? Supreme Court gave five reasons why the decision did not come in the realm of the judiciary making policy. It was the Centre’s idea The court pointed to a model policy for alcoholic beverages and alcohol prepared by the Centre more than a decade ago. The court referred to a number of government policy documents that drew a correlation between alcohol consumption and road accidents. It also referred to the fact that the Central government had issued circulars “advising” State governments not to grant any new licences to liquor shops along the highways. The expert body agreed The National Road Safety Council is an advisory body set up by the Centre to help guide policy on road safety. The council features representatives from state governments, various ministries and external experts. According to the court, the NRSC unanimously agreed in a meeting on January 15, 2004, that licences for liquor shops should not be given along national highways. Parliament indicated zero tolerance for drunken driving The Court also pointed to Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which lists out punishments for whoever has “in his blood, alcohol in any quantity, howsoever small the quantity may be”. Since the Centre also pointed to this section as its reason for advising a ban on liquor shops along national highways, the Court took this as Parliamentary intent suggesting zero tolerance for drunken driving. Enforcing the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution The court observed that it was “not fashioning its own policy but enforcing the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution based on the considered view of expert bodies.” It may be argued that Article 21 is not merely a right against state action that deprives an individual of her life, but also against state inaction that results in loss of life. The state’s failure to prevent such loss of life is a breach of its obligations under Article 21, and the court’s order merely enforced a fundamental right by requiring the state to act. Article 47 and Article 142 The moral case for prohibition comes from the Directive Principles of the Constitution (Article 47) and Article 142 empowers the Supreme Court to do “complete justice” in any case before it. Based on these five grounds – the Centre’s policy, an expert opinion and an indication from Parliament – the court concluded that its decision does not count as judicial overreach. Why Supreme Court's highway alcohol ban is judicial overreach? From the point of Fuller’s argument about polycentric problems. (as discussed above) All directive principles of state policy are ‘policy issues’ which should be left to the government. It is not the job of the court to force the government to implement them. In fact at times such orders are against the spirit of ‘separation of powers’. Article 47 of Indian constitution says that the state shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of consumption of intoxicating drinks, except for medicinal purposes . It may be noted that this ‘directive principle’ is talking about total prohibition and not just prohibition on national highways. Article 142 empowers the Supreme Court to do “complete justice” in any case before it. However, this power is bounded by the further requirement that the court act “within its jurisdiction”. Article 142, therefore, does not confer complete freedom to act as one wishes for the Supreme Court to implement its vision of justice, without regard to issues of institutional competence and legitimacy. In the liquor ban case, despite its efforts to do so, the court has failed to make out a compelling case for why its orders do not encroach upon the executive’s domain of policymaking. Connecting the dots: The role of the Judiciary in India has recently come under considerable attack, particularly from the Legislative branch, which feels that the courts have been exceeding their authority in interpreting the law, and that they have become an extra constitutional lawmaking body. Elucidate with suitable examples. Do you think that judicial activism or judicial overreach is crossing its limits in India? Critically comment. The question of judicial overreach has cropped up yet again with Supreme Court's highway alcohol ban. What is your opinion on this matter? Substantiate your views.   Minority report  TOPIC: General Studies 1 Effects of globalization on Indian society Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism. General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Minorities in India Introduction India is a country of diversities and especially since independence the treatment of minorities has been a matter of debate. Indian state has continuously emerged strong with multiple governance measures to ensure inclusive growth. Minority rights are essential in a democratic, pluralistic polity. Issue: Minority rights are essential in a democratic, pluralistic polity because as Franklin Roosevelt reminded us, “no democracy can long survive which does not accept as fundamental to its very existence the recognition of the rights of minorities”. There have been multiple statements and observations: The former Prime Minister, had said that minorities have the first claim to national resources. Former Minority Affairs minister, in her very first statement had refused to even accept Muslims as a “minority”. Some years ago, the Allahabad High Court held that Muslims are not minority in Uttar Pradesh as there is “no threat to their extinction”. It said there is no minority in India. Even as to the Jains’ minority status, the Supreme Court (SC) had held that minority-majority is a legacy of past and no new community may now be recognised as a minority. Last year, the present government asserted in the SC that a secular government cannot set up minority universities. The National Minority Commission is now headless and has just one out of the eight stipulated members. The National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions has been similarly headless for the last three years or so. The government has now asserted in the apex court that Hindus are a minority in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In a rare move of unanimity, both the Centre and the state government have agreed to resolve this issue together. J&K is currently ruled by the PDP-BJP alliance, so there is nothing surprising in this consensus particularly when Hindus are to be given minority status. Constitutional position: The expression “minorities” has been employed at only four places in the Indian Constitution. The head note of Article 29 uses “minorities”. Then the expression “minorities or minority” has been employed in the headnote of Article 30 and in clauses (1) and (2) of Article 30. Interestingly, no definition of the term is given in the constitution. Under International law, minorities are groups that possess distinct and stable ethnic, religious and linguistic characteristics. The crucial point is that these characteristics differ from the rest of the population, and that these groups wish to preserve their distinctive identity even if this identity does not conform to the norms and the values of the majority. Thus, a minority is a group that is numerically smaller in relation to the rest of the population, it is non-dominant to the extent that its values are either inadequately or not represented in the public sphere or in the constitution of societal norms, it has characteristics which differ from the majority group and more importantly, it wishes to preserve these characteristics. Thus, numerical inferiority or powerlessness is the test to determine minority status. Supreme Court Position: The SC has consistently maintained that minorities are to be defined on the basis of “numerical inferiority”. Since the constitution talks of both religious as well as linguistic minorities, courts have held that minorities are to be defined at the level of the state, as states were carved out on a linguistic basis. Thus, Hindus are certainly minority in J&K and no one should deny them this status. The current case is unnecessary as the law is well settled. The SC, in the D.A.V. College case did hold Hindus as a minority in Punjab. Hindus also have minority status in several Northeastern states. Since the linguistic basis of state creation is no longer valid after the creation of Telangana, the apex court may re-examine this issue in the context of religious minorities. One approach can be to define religious minorities nationally and linguistic minorities on the basis of the state. But a better approach would be to accept the dissenting opinion of Justice Ruma Pal in the TMA Pai case under which minority status should be determined in relation to the source and territorial application of the particular legislation against which protection is claimed. Conclusion: If it is a parliamentary law, minorities must be defined nationally. On the other hand, if it is state law, minorities may be defined on the basis of numerical inferiority in the state. Hence any law should be taking care of diversity and reality of the current. A majority government or a swayed public opinion should not be basis for a sustainable law. Connecting the dots: The debate around definition of minorities and majorities is constitutionally settled. Critically analyse the demand to grant Hindus minority status in Jammu and Kashmir and the ramifications it can have on others. MUST READ The right to recall legislators Hindu   The racist in the mirror Indian Express   Evidence no bar: Discussion on Universal Basic Income Indian Express   The next phase of economic reforms Livemint   Firing up the atomic energy establishment Livemint   NPAs: the new wedge in Centre-state relations Livemint A new paradigm Business Line   The time is right for India and Bangladesh Business Line  

Apr 5, 2017 MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Draft Labour Code on Social Security - Analysis

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Draft Labour Code on Social Security - Analysis 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 5, 2017

IASbaba's 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2017 Economics and Current Affairs [Day 9]

Hello Friends So, here we are with the 9th 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 9]: ECONOMICS & CURRENT AFFAIRS  ARCHIVES Q.1) Intensity of Unemployment is calculated using? Usual Principal Status Current Weekly Status. Current Daily Status All of the above Q.2) Which of the following Unemployment cannot be eliminated? Disguised Unemployment. Cyclical unemployment Under employment Natural Unemployment. Q.3) A perfectly competitive market has Firms that set their own prices. Only one seller. Many buyers and sellers. Only one buyer Q.4) The demand for which of the following is likely to be the most price inelastic? Salt. Smart phones. Luxury cars. Airline tickets. Q.5) Consider the Following statements with reference to GDP and GNI In a perfectly closed economy GDP = GNI. GNI for any country is always greater than GDP Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.6) Consider the following statements about the New National Income series. Base year has been shifted to 2011-12. GDP at market price will be used in place of GDP at factor price. Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2. Neither 1 nor 2.  Q.7) The highest contribution to the Gross Domestic Savings comes from? Private Corporate Sector. Public Sector. Households. Agriculture sector. Q.8) Which of the following items does not come under the tertiary sector (Service Sector) in India? Hotels. transport. Water Supply. Public Administration. Q.9) The Final value of all the Goods and Services produced by a country’s nationals is called? Gross Domestic Product. Gross National Product. Gross Capital Formation. Net National Product. Q.10) Disguised Unemployment generally means Large number of people remain unemployed Marginal productivity of labour is zero Productivity of workers is low Unskilled workers do not find jobs. Q.11) Consider the following statements with reference to the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index. It uses 10 indicators to compute the Index. It measures the level of achievement using the 10 indicators. It measures the level of deprivation using the 10 indicators. Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 1 and 2 only 1 and 3 only None of the above. Q.12) which of the following statements with respect to Human Development Index report is/are incorrect? It ranks the Countries based on health, education and standard of living. Standard of living is calculated using GDP of the country. India comes under “Low Human development” group. Select the correct answer using the codes given below. 1 only 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only None of the above Q.13) Law of demand shows relation between: Income and price of commodity. Price and quantity of a commodity Income and quantity demanded. Quantity demanded and quantity supplied. Q.14) If elasticity of demand is very low it shows that the commodity is: A necessity A luxury Has little impact on the household budget. Sensitive to price change. Q.15) Which of the following indices is not published by UNDP? Human Development index Physical Quality of life index Inequality adjusted HDI Gender Development Index. Q.16) Karamay Declaration is associated with which of the following countries? China and Taiwan China and Pakistan Nepal and Bhutan India, Nepal and Bhutan Q.17) Consider the following statements about Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process The 7th Ministerial Conference will be held in Amritsar and India will be co-chairing the process Iran and Iraq are not members of the process Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.18) Consider the following statements about Cauvery river The Cauvery basin extends over states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala Alluvial soil, black soil and red soil is found in the Cauvery basin Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.19) Global Competitiveness Index is released by World Economic Forum World Bank International Monetary Fund International Labour Organisation Q.20) Consider the following statements about Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) It is under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs Earlier it was called as Department of Disinvestment, which was under the Ministry of Finance Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.21) 'Price Stabilization Fund' scheme is administered by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries Finance Agriculture Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Q.22) Recently Maria Sharapova was banned for consumption of a drug & the same drug was banned by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Which is that drug? Acetylsalicylic Acid Paracetamol Creatine Meldonium Download The Solution: Click here We have noticed that more answers are posted once the Solutions are published. This does not serve the purpose of tracking and improving  upon your performance. More participation will also help us in coming up with accurate cut off. Henceforth, we will be publishing the Solutions once 200 answers (minimum) are posted. There will be no fixed time as such. It all depends on your participation. All the Best :)

Apr 4, 2017 AIR

All India Radio - Progress Made in Early Tsunami Warning System in India

Progress made in early Tsunami warning system in India  ARCHIVES Search 26th December 2016 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 3 Disaster and disaster management. Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. In news: India’s capability to transmit early warnings of a possible tsunami is all set to be further bolstered with a major facility being established in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Here, a network of 35 motion accelerometers and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers is being set up which will vastly improve the tsunami-warning services under the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC). The new network in Andaman is expected to help assess the rupture, area and direction of an earthquake, enabling a quick estimation of a potential tsunami. Background In 2004, a deadliest earthquake of 9.3 magnitude occurred in Indian Ocean which had an equivalent energy of 3000 atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima. It was the first time and people were not prepared neither was the government, for such a huge disaster. The earthquake caused the tsunami which caught the world unaware. India lost 1100 people out of 2 lakh people killed in around 14 countries affected by tsunami. Most affected regions in India were Andaman, Andhra Pradesh, Pondicherry and Kerala. At that time there was no tsunami warning system in place in India to detect a tsunami in Indian Ocean. Though similar systems existed in other parts of world like pacific and Atlantic, their system was not capable of giving any early warning to Indian Ocean region. Tsunami early warning system In 2004, GoI had approved a programme in consultation with organisations like ISRO, DSIR, CSIR, DST and established within two years a state of art tsunami warning system at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services-INCOIS, Hyderabad. By October 2007, 24*7 early warning system is in place which is capable of giving any tsunami warning within 10 minutes of occurring of earthquake anywhere in the Indian Ocean. The objective is to detect, locate and determine the magnitude of tsunami-genic earthquake in the IOR. ITEWC has a network of seven tsunami buoy systems equipped with bottom-pressure recorders that transmit real-time data through satellite to INCOIS 24x7. The buoys are strategically placed at hypothetical tsunami sources of Andaman-Sumatra and Makran subduction zones (regions of the Earth’s crust where tectonic plates meet). INCOIS has also established a real-time network of 31 tide-gauge stations along the Indian coast, and receives real-time data from 300 international tide gauge stations across the world. The tide gauges supplement the work of the tsunami buoys. In the new system developed, the advisory warning of 10 minutes is given to escape. The time tsunami takes to reach mainland India is about 2 hours. So there is 1 hour 50 minutes to evacuate the coastal region. Advisories are simultaneously sent to various stakeholders through multiple modes, such as email, fax, phone, GTS, SMS and INCOIS website updates. In most of the coastal region, there are lot of IEC programmes also, but they need to know geographical knowledge to save life and know they live in vulnerable area. For this purpose, the government is developing 3D GIS mapping in vulnerable coastal areas so that they know at what depth they are at water level and what level they have to go and how many people are there in each building. Right now it is in some parts of coastal areas and will be extended to other vulnerable areas of Indian coast soon. Tsunami warning system is a system of system. It requires various branches of technology to develop the system and make it operational. Data from satellites, piezometer, ocean observation system, ships and good communication medium are used. All these things are put together and archived at one place and when tsunami occurs and within 10 minutes, information is passed on about areas to be affected. Post disaster management There is a Standard Operating Procedure to deal with tsunami which been established by tsunami warning centre at Hyderabad. This information is passed to NDMA, NDRF and MHA within 10 minutes of earthquake occurrence so there is 1 hour 50 minutes time to implement the contingency plan in coastal regions. In coastal states, administrators have been trained and people have been also administered to provide help during disasters. There is also conduction of awareness programme biennially to make people knowledgeable about what to do during tsunami. In 2004 during tsunami, all communications had failed except radio which became the medium of communication between all affected areas. In event of failure of communication on land, there is use of satellite communication. This will transmit the data directly to the ground station from where the tsunami warning is generated from Hyderabad. In any disaster, most affected population are women and children. A government data has shown that children have died three times higher than others. Thus, the plan of action needs to focus on women and children and elderly. NDMA and National Disaster Response Force have the infrastructure to take care of vulnerable people such as women, children, and elderly. Additionally, during disaster management, drinking water, food and help facility is critical. This is handled by NDMA and it has requisite infrastructure and necessary capability to deal with any kind of disasters. During Vardha cyclone, people staying nearby, Navy, Coast Guard and other organisations geared up to mobilise their infrastructure to provide necessary requirement. That kind of inter-ministerial and inter-related cooperation exists to deal with any kind of disaster like this. Past to present Many disasters have occurred in states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha in form of floods and cyclones. Earlier, there was no predictive capability for tsunami or cyclone. Now there is a 12 km high resolution models to give forecasts 5 days in advance. This was visible in Hudhud and Vardha cyclones. Earlier, the area covered was huge- upto 250 kms where it could occur. Now it is 25 kms range. So predictive capability of cyclone has strongly improved that has resulted in less of loss of life and necessary contingency precautions. National Disaster Management Guidelines in 2010 were released which also focused on advanced systems like topography, GIS database, remote sensing data and national database for emergency management. International cooperation There is need for good international cooperation as oceans don’t have boundaries. What happens in Indonesia can affect India too. Among regional cooperation under the framework of UNESCO or UN, there is great deal of sharing of information data from one country to another country is required. India has extended its tsunami early warning system to Vietnam, Malaysia and Philippines as a part of soft-diplomacy along with countries belonging to IOR. A disaster may occur in Indonesia but information can be available to India and precautions can be taken. Thus, Observations set up at different parts of Indian Ocean will be required to give exact information. Connecting the dots: In an event of tsunami, India is well placed to manage the effects of it. Do you agree? Comment.

Apr 4, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 4th April, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 4th April 2017 Archives SOCIAL ISSUE 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 General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment Inclusive growth and issues arising from it Disability-inclusive development and digital push Introduction Digital revolution started in India from late 1990s with the IT boom. Governance also took to digitalization with major programmes like National e-governance plan and Digital India. As India catapults towards a digital economy, making ICT accessible to the disabled is a must.  For an inclusive and sustainable governance paradigm disability inclusion should be fundamental to the same. Issue: Around 8-10% of India does population lives with disabilities, with an equal number constitute the aged. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have the potential to significantly impact the lives of these groups, facilitating access of services available to them and allowing them to handle a wide range of activities independently, enhancing their social, cultural, political and economic participation. Making ICT accessible no longer remains an option but has become a necessity. Poor accessibility due to lack of focused information and political will has led to social exclusion of people with disabilities, exacerbating the negative impact of the existing digital divide. The new call for action of disability rights activists now is “Cause No Harm”, thus ensuring future generations are not excluded from mainstream activities due to a hostile infrastructure. This assumes a greater thrust given the unprecedented developmental activity in the country under the various missions launched by the present government, such as the Smart Cities Mission and Digital India. Accessibility for disabled people is a cross-cutting theme across all of these and care must be taken to ensure disability-inclusive development. Accessibility as a link Incorporation of accessibility principles across all new developments will also complement the Accessible India Campaign - The flagship campaign launched by the Prime Minister on World Disability Day which aims at achieving universal accessibility for all citizens and creating an enabling and barrier-free environment. India was one of the first countries to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The recently passed Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 mandates adherence to standards of accessibility for physical environment, transportation, information and communications, including appropriate technologies and systems, and other facilities and services provided to the public in urban and rural areas. These include government and private developments. The Act also mandates incorporation of Universal Design principles while designing new infrastructure, electronic and digital media, consumer goods and services. Most importantly, the Act sets timelines to ensure implementation of the above and punitive action in the event of non-compliance. Accessibility and Government initiatives: Accessibility therefore forms the common thread weaving together The Accessible India Campaign, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, the Smart Cities Mission and the Digital India campaign to achieve the combined goal of creating an inclusive society that will allow for a better quality of life for all citizens, including persons with disabilities. Beyond the social implications, accessibility makes for business and economic sense too. If principles of Universal Design are incorporated at the design stage, cost implications are negligible. Retrofitting, on the other hand, has huge cost implications. Exclusion of persons with disabilities from education, employment and participation on account of a hostile infrastructure and inaccessible technology has huge economic implications. UN agencies put this cost at around 7% of national GDP. On the other hand, accessible services and business premises can broaden the customer base, increasing turnover and positively impacting the financial health and social brand of the company. Recent research pegged the market size of different product categories needed by persons with disabilities in India at a whopping ₹4,500 crore. Disability is not an isolated issue. It is cross-cutting and can impact everyone irrespective of caste, gender, age and nationality. Thus ensuring a disability-sensitive development agenda across all ministries, sectors and causes becomes critical if growth has to be truly inclusive. ‘Nothing about us without us’ assumes even greater significance in the current context. The importance of synergy As India catapults towards a cashless and digital economy and as human interface between service providers and end users gives way to digital, it becomes imperative to ensure accessibility for inclusion. The government’s procurement policy too must mandate accessibility as a key criterion. Adherence to the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines should be made mandatory while developing websites and mobile applications. Also important is the synergy between various arms of the government. The Smart Cities Mission focusses on comprehensive development leading to the convergence of other ongoing government programmes such as Make In India, Digital India, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), etc. But the Accessible India Campaign does not even find a mention! This is so when as many as 39 cities out of the 50 cities of the Accessible India Campaign are also among the shortlisted Smart Cities. Much after Independence, there has been minimal change in the fortunes of India’s disabled population. Conclusion: As India catapults towards a cashless and digital economy and as human interface between service providers and end users gives way to digital, it becomes imperative to ensure accessibility for inclusion. It becomes our collective responsibility to ensure inclusive development, one that engages all stakeholders through a pragmatic and judicious combination of interventions while effectively leveraging technology to ensure truly inclusive and sustainable development. Connecting the dots: As India moves towards a less cash and digital economy the need for an inclusive development is crucial. Elaborate the criticality of disability inclusive development agenda in this regard. NATIONAL/SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Whether ‘Right to Internet’ is good idea or bad idea? In News: Kerala became the first state in the country to declare Internet access as a human right for every citizen just like food, education and water. The state budget has unveiled a project, which aims to provide internet connections free of cost to 20 lakh poor families and at subsidised rates to others. The Kerala government feels that nobody in a country rapidly heading towards hassle-free governance and a cashless economy should be at pains to acquire the new-age technology. The government plans to provide free Internet connections to people from economically backward sections, and at subsidised rates to others. It hopes to achieve 100% connectivity in a year’s time. At least one person of a family will be given access initially. A tribal settlement in Malappuram was declared as the country’s first digital tribal colony last December. The district administration achieved this by training 100-odd families in carrying out cashless transactions. High-speed internet connectivity is a basic right in most developed nations. In 2010, Sweden became the first country to make broadband Internet a legal right for every citizen. Canada followed suit last year, ensuring that every resident was entitled to Internet access at a minimum speed of 50 Mbps. What is ‘Right to Internet’? ‘Right to Internet’ entails that all people must have access to broadband Internet, so they can exercise their right to freedom of opinion and speech. States, therefore, have the responsibility of ensuring that Net access is made available to them. In 2016, the UN said that depriving people of Internet connectivity was a human rights violation running contrary to international law. At present, Internet connectivity is a human right in Sweden, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Greece, Spain, Estonia and Canada. According to a study conducted by Committee to Protect Journalists, the worst violator of this ‘right’ is North Korea (where only 4% of the population have Internet access) – followed by Myanmar, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Syria, China and Pakistan. India ranks at 47. Why the ‘right to Internet’ is a good idea? In this increasingly digital age, where the government is on a mission to move towards a cashless economy and promote e-governance and digitisation, access to Internet is absolutely essential. Without basic access to the Internet, all digitisation initiatives will prove fruitless. Right to Internet includes easy access of Internet services and this will boost economy, employment opportunities, financial inclusion, more inclusive growth, equality of opportunity, better service delivery and good governance etc. Why the ‘right to Internet’ is a bad idea? “Technology is an enabler of rights, not a right itself”. There is a high bar for something to be considered a human right. Loosely put, it must be among the things we as humans need in order to lead healthy, meaningful lives, like freedom from torture or freedom of conscience. It is a mistake to place any particular technology in this exalted category, since over time we will end up valuing the wrong things. ‘Right to Internet’ enables the holder of the right to claim a good or a service against the state or someone else. These rights—or simply, entitlements—require fiscal allocations and hence are subject to budgetary constraints. In India, such rights include the right to work (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005), right to education (Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009), and right to food (National Food Security Act, 2013). When legislated, supporters argue, Internet rights become justiciable and enable the citizens to demand better services from their governments. But justiciability works only in theory, not in practice. Non-provision of these rights can be justified on several grounds like budgetary constraints and fiscal prudence and no one in the government can be held accountable. Right to internet would lead to centralization of internet as a commodity and not take into account ground realities of localities. According to UN declaration, access to Internet as a basic human right, should consider two distinct issues – the access of Internet services to people who cannot afford it currently, and the disruption of Internet services for current users. However, the latter can be covered under both the right to access information and the right to freedom of expression. Conclusion: The usefulness of the Internet cannot be overstated and the government should do everything possible to bridge the digital divide among its constituents. But declaring access to the Internet as a citizen’s right is not a defensible proposition. Connecting the dots: Internet access should be a basic human right. Do you agree with this view? Give arguments in favour of your answer. Is the right to internet a good idea? Critically comment.   Assessment/Debate: Try to think on these lines Is Internet access really all that fundamentally important, or are we simply exaggerating its importance having lost sight of a world without Internet? Is the Internet comparable to other things that some people call "rights", like the right to expression or the right to an education. Or, should rights be defined more narrowly to include only those things that governments cannot take-away, instead of those things that government must provide? MUST READ Welcome assurance: On the executive sharing judiciary's burden Hindu   Finally, action on bad loans? Hindu   Ethnic pressures and a fragile peace Hindu Money bills and others Indian Express   The best GST there can be   Indian Express   Missing the target Indian Express   Defence acquisition reform in limbo Livemint   The flip side of ‘one nation, one tax’ Livemint Digital shift Business Line   We need a full-time defence minister, now Business Line  

Apr 4, 2017

IASbaba's 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2017 History and Current Affairs [Day 8]

Hello Friends So, here we are with the 8th 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 8]: HISTORY & CURRENT AFFAIRS  ARCHIVES Q.1) Consider the following statements with reference to the Famine Commission of 1880. It was appointed by Lord Rippon. It was headed by Richard Starchey. The First famine code was formulated based on the commission’s report. Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only All of the above. Q.2) Which of the following pairs is matched correctly? Mayo’s resolution on financial decentralization        :           1870 The Royal Commission on Decentralization               :           1905 Ripon’s Resolution on Decentralization                      :           1882 Select the correct answer using the codes given below. 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only None of the above Q.3) Consider the following statements about the Deccan Riots of 1875. It was a peasant uprising against the confiscation of tribal lands by the Government. It was a peasant uprising against the Marwari and Gujrati money lenders. Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Which of the following events are not attributed to Curzon’s tenure Governor-General of India? Appointment of the University Commission. Appointment of Police Commission Ancient Monuments Act Surat Split in Congress Q.5) Who among the following was/were economic critic/critics of colonialism in India? Dadabhai Naoroji M.G. Ranade R. C. Dutt Select the correct answer using the code given below. 1 and 3 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 2 only All of the above. Q.6)  Which of the following was/were the main objectives of Queen Victoria's Proclamation (1858)?  To disclaim any intention to annex Indian States To place the Indian administration under the British Crown. To regulate East India Company's trade with India Select the correct answer using the code given below. 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only All of the above Q.7) Which of the following statements regarding The Ilbert Bill is correct? European nationals could be judged by Indian Magistrates. Imposition of restrictions on newspapers and magazines published in Indian languages. Imposition restrictions the Indians of certain to carry arms by Indians. Imposition of additional tax on the land revenue during Famine. Q.8) Which of the following Political Associations did not belong to the Bengal Province? Zamindar Association. Indian League. Indian Association. Madras Mahajan Sabha. Q.9) Consider the following statements with reference to the Shyamji Krishna Varma. He Published a Monthly Journal called The Indian Sociologist. He founded the India House in England He instituted Scholarships for Indians studying in foreign countries. Which of the above questions is/are correct? 1 and 3 only 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only None of the above. Q.10) "Home Charges" constituted a major thread in the economic critique of the British government. Which of the following funds constituted "Home Charges"? Funds used to support the India office in London. Funds used to pay salaries and pensions of British personnel engaged in India. Funds used for waging wars outside India by the British. Choose the correct answer using the codes given below. 1 and 2 only 1 and 3 only 2 and 3 only All of the above. Q.11) Which of the Following pairs is correctly matched? The Santhal Rebellion                          :          1875. Bengal Indigo Cultivators revolt        :          1860. Moplah Uprising                                   :          1921. Choose the correct answer using the codes given below. 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only None of the above. Q.12) Consider the following statements regarding the Subsidiary Alliance System: Indian State was to surrender its External Relations to the East India Company. Indian State was to accept a British Resident at its Headquarters The company had the right to interfere in the Internal Matters of the Indian State. Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only All of the above Q.13) Which of the following Governor General took action against the Pindaris? Wellesley Hastings Cornwallis Dalhousie Q.14) Consider the following statements with reference to the Harijan Sevak Sangh It was started by Mahatma Gandhi. It was headquartered at Bombay. Which of the above statements is/are incorrect? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.15) Which of the following events is not related to tenure of Lord Lytton as the Governor General of India? Creation of Statutory Civil Services. The Second Afghan War. Passing of the Vernacular Press Act. Passing of First Factory Act Q.16) Aarambh Initiative is An online complaint management system for reporting sexual offences against children India’s first-ever hotline to curb sexual abuse of children through the Internet and to remove child pornographic content online A scheme to address the specific vulnerability of women in difficult circumstances through a home-based holistic and integrated approach A programme aimed at sensitising society on violence faced by women and children and creating awareness about their legal rights Q.17) Consider the following statements about “Meenakshi Temple’ It is dedicated to Parvati and her consort Shiva It was built by Thirumalai Nayak It has the tallest goupuram in the world Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.18) Consider the following statements about Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) India is an original state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention and as a possessor state it has fully completed the destruction of its chemical weapons in accordance with the Convention. It is administered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Israel has signed but has yet to ratify the convention. Select the correct statements Only 2 1 and 2 2 and 3 All of the above Q.19) ‘Golden Crescent’ and ‘Golden Triangle’ are Asia’s two principal areas of illicit opium production. Consider the following statements The Golden Crescent comprises of Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam The Golden Triangle comprises of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.20) Which of the following countries is/are members of South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC)? Maldives Myanmar Pakistan Bhutan Sri Lanka Select the correct code: 1, 2, 4 and 5 2, 3, 4 and 5 1, 2, 3 and 5 All of the above Q.21) Recently Trinamool Congress was recognised as a national Party by Election Commission. Consider the following statements To become a national party a political party has to become a state party in at least 4 states The status of national party is reviewed every 5 years Select correct statement(s) Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.22) Project Iceworm is A UN project to protect Greenland ice sheets A top-secret United States Army program during the Cold War to build a network of mobile nuclear missile launch sites under the Greenland ice sheet A project in response to the April 1912 sinking of the Titanic None of the above Download the Solution: Click here P.S- Do participate in the comment box and discuss among yourselves. Your feedback, encouragement, suggestions and appreciation matters :)

Apr 4, 2017 MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Disability and ICT

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Disability and ICT 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 3, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 3rd April, 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 3rd April 2017 Archives ECONOMY & INFRASTRUCTURE: Civil Aviation Policy TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment Inclusive growth and issues arising from it Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc UDAN Scheme Introduction With India aiming to increase infrastructure growth with push for Make in India aggressively, the aviation policy has a significant role to play. The impact it creates on connectivity and regional development and the spillover effects are beyond quantification. Issue: Six months from now, 43 cities will be mainstreamed on India’s flight connectivity grid, an outcome of the Udan scheme launched to spur regional flights covering distances up to 800 km. These include a dozen airports where limited but irregular flights operate, and as many as 31 destinations that are not connected at all despite the existence of airport facilities. The scale of India’s untapped civil aviation opportunities can be gauged by the fact that these constitute less than 10% of India’s inactive airports/airstrips — 394 out of 450 are dormant currently. The Udan scheme is a critical component of the national civil aviation policy unveiled last June. It offers viability gap funding to operators to fly smaller aircraft to such airports with a commitment to price tickets for at least half of the seats at ₹2,500 for an hour-long flight. In the first round of bids, 11 new or existing airline operators pitched for more than 200 routes. The Centre has approved 27 proposals from five players, adding 128 routes to India’s aviation map. The estimate is that this will add 6.5 lakh new seats with a subsidy of ₹200 crore. UDAN MODEL: The most heartening aspect is that these include six proposals for 11 routes that don’t seek any subsidy under the scheme, proving there is an untapped economic potential. The benefits for tourist hotspots such as Agra, Shimla, Diu, Pathankot, Mysuru and Jaisalmer — that would now be just a short flight away, replacing cumbersome road or rail journeys — are obvious. But the significant multiplier effects of aviation activity, including new investments and employment creation for the local economies of other destinations could be equally profound. Provided this model is sustainable and more regional flights come up under the scheme, the availability of slots at larger airports that would emerge as hubs could become an issue — particularly at capacity-constrained airports such as Mumbai. The second airport at Navi Mumbai may help ease congestion, but that is still years away. I n cities where new airports have been developed, such as Bengaluru, abandoned old facilities could be revived as dedicated terminals for low-cost and regional flights. Separately, new no-frills airports must be encouraged where traffic is expected to hit saturation point in coming years. Recently, four new foreign investors and a few domestic players have expressed interest in managing operations at state-run airports such as Jaipur and Ahmedabad. This marks a revival in investor interest after a long lull. It is time to revisit provisions that offer existing private operators of large airports (burdened by debt) the right of first refusal on any new airport proposed within 150 km. Most interested bidders for the Navi Mumbai airport stayed away over this clause. Last but not the least, this development must start a rethink within the Indian Railways, as it could now lose traffic on some routes. Conclusion: The opening up of the skies and increased regional connectivity is appositive reinforcement to the growth model we are envisioning in India. Increased competition and regional connectivity will help all sectors of economy and also create employment directly and indirectly. Further it will ease traffic and is a wake up alarm for railways. Connecting the dots: Critically discuss the role of UDAN in bringing about a turnaround in aviation sector in India especially w.r.t. regional connectivity and industrial development.   SOCIAL ISSUE TOPIC: General Studies 2: 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.  NCSEdBC in place of NCBC Government decides to set up a National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (NCSEdBC) in place of the existing National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). Different stakeholders such as – Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEdBCs) and the Forum of Backward Classes MPs – had asked for more effective and revamped NCBC, in the form of NCSEdBC. Present NCBC and the Parliamentary Committee on SEdBCs have also recommended for it. About NCBC: The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was set up in pursuance to the Supreme Court judgement in the Indra Sawhney & Ors. Vs. Union of India and Ors. case as per the NCBC Act, 1993. Section 9 ("Function of the Commission") of the NCBC Act, 1993, states as under: The Commission shall examine requests for inclusion of any class of citizens as a backward class in the lists and hear complaints of over-inclusion or under-inclusion of any backward class in such lists and tender such advice to the Central Government as it deems appropriate. The advice of the Commission shall ordinarily be binding upon the Central Government. Backward class is such as class of citizens, other than SCs/STs which is included in the list prepared by Central Government for reservations in appointments in government jobs and admissions into government institutions. Section 3 of the National Commission for Backward Classes Act provides that the Commission shall consist of five Members, comprising of a Chairperson who is or has been a judge of the Supreme Court or of a High Court; a social scientist; two persons, who have special knowledge in matters relating to backward classes; and a Member-Secretary, who is or has been an officer of the Central Government in the rank of a Secretary to the Government of India. Functions & Powers of the Commission As mentioned earlier, the primary function of the NCBC is to examine requests for inclusion of any class of citizens as a backward class in SEdBC lists and hears complaints of over-inclusion or under-inclusion of any class in such lists and to tender advice to the Central government. The advice of the commission is generally binding upon central government. Further, NCBC has to be consulted by the Central government while undertaking the periodic revision of SEdBC lists “with a view to excluding from such lists those classes who have ceased to be backward classes or for including new backward classes”. The commission has powers of a civil court in the below matters: summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part of India and examining him on oath requiring the discovery and production of any document receiving evidence on affidavits requisitioning any public record from any court or office issuing summons for the examination of witnesses and documents and any other matter which may be prescribed by the Central Government. Report of the Commission The Commission presents an annual report to the Central Government. The report contains the full account of its activities during the previous year. The Central Government places the report before each House of Parliament, along with a memorandum explaining the action taken on the advice tendered by the Commission. The memorandum should also contain the reasons for the non-acceptance of any such advice. However, there have been demands in the Parliament and by the General Public for grant of Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes to enable it to hear the grievances of OBCs in the same manner that a National Commission for Scheduled Castes (constituted under Article 338) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (constituted under Article 338A) hear the grievances of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.   National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (NSEdBC) The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved setting up of National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (NSEdBC) as a Constitutional body. The NSEdBC will be formed by making an amendment to the Constitution (mainly by insertion of Article 338B), and the earlier commission, NCBC, will be dissolved. The Cabinet has approved the following: (i) Creation of a National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes under new Article 338 B; (ii) Insertion of provision after Article 341 and 342 viz. 342 A to provide for Parliament's approval for every inclusion into and exclusion from the Central List of Other Backward Classes; (iii) Insertion of a new Clause (26C) under Article 366 to define Socially and Educationally Backward Classes; (iv) Repeal of National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993 and Rules framed there under; (v) Dissolution of the Commission constituted under the Act of 1993; (vi) Composition of the new Commission i.e. National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, with a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and three other Members. Assessment: Setting up NCSEdBC in place of the existing NCBC, is it a good move? How useful would it be? What should be the mandate of NCSEdBC? If the NCSEdBC’s function and role are the same as that of NCBC, its usefulness for SEdBCs will be neither more nor less than the NCBC’s. Reportedly, the NCSEdBC will be entrusted with the additional function of grievance redress of SEdBCs. (This is an improvement) It is presumed that civil court powers given to the NCBC, provided to all commissions, will continue. A new Article 342(A) will make it mandatory to take the concurrence of Parliament for adding or deleting any community in the SEdBC list. This will introduce greater transparency. It is more difficult to get a wrong decision through Parliament, which is under constant public gaze and scrutiny, than through executive orders issued from within the four walls of executive office. Castes can be excluded only on the basis of objective data, not on anybody’s whims and fancies. Parliamentary scrutiny can further reduce the scope for arbitrary decisions. SEdBCs require not only list-inclusion and reservation, but also comprehensive and holistic development and advancement of each community towards equality with Socially Advanced Castes (SACs) in all parameters of development and welfare. In view of this, the Commission should be entrusted with the work of advising and guiding the Centre and the states regarding measures undertaken and required to be undertaken; monitoring their effectiveness and the progress of SEdBCs and each Backward Class, and all other related tasks. This was recommended by the NCBC in its annual report of February 2000. The existing statutory composition of a judge as chairperson, a central secretary-level officer as member-secretary, a social scientist and two persons possessing special knowledge of matters relating to SEdBCs should continue. All five members should be selected on the basis of objectivity, repute earned through long and sincere service for backward classes and knowledge and experience of society, social backwardness and developmental processes relevant to advancement of SEdBCs. They should not be attached to any political party. To infuse confidence in the SEdBC public, the practice of ensuring majority of membership from SEdBCs should continue. Due representation should be ensured for most and extremely backward classes, who form a good majority of SEdBCs, among them castes of artisans, service-providers, fisher-folk, indigent castes etc. The past two chairpersons belonged to most backward classes — this is a precedent worth continuing. One of the five members may be from a religious minority — the bulk of India’s Muslims and Christians belong to most and extremely backward SEdBCs. The real danger that leaders have to protect SEdBCs from is inclusion of any socially advanced castes (SAC) in SEdBC lists. Certain SACs are making muscular efforts for this, knowing that they cannot succeed under the Constitution which provides for reservation and other social justice measures only for social classes who are victims of “untouchability” (SCs), victims of remoteness under vulnerable conditions (STs), victims of social inferiority or lowliness under the caste system (SEdBCs) and not for the poor or the unemployed. The poor and the unemployed who do not belong to these three social classes, should be helped through means such as scholarships and educational loans, but not through reservation. Parties should resist the temptation of using muscular agitations of powerful SACs for transient electoral advantage. There should be a common moral code based on constitutional norms and morality emphasised by B.R. Ambedkar, which should be binding on all parties. Issues relating to SEdBCs, SCs and STs are too serious and important for the vast majority of India’s population and for national progress to be made a football in electoral competition. There should be categorisation of SEdBCs into “backward”, “more backward”, “most backward” and “extremely backward” castes with sub-quotas, so as to spread the benefits of reservation and other social justice measures equitably. Conclusion: The government should improve its credibility by instituting, in article or rules, the process of members’ selection through a bipartisan collegium. In overall, the new national commission for backward classes must address the gaps and should meet long-standing demands. Connecting the dots: Critically discuss the functions and powers of National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). Do you think NCBC needs an overhaul? Examine. The union government has decided to set up a National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (NCSEdBC) in place of the existing National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). In your opinion, discuss what should be the mandate of NCSEdBC. MUST READ Sharpen the focus on growth Hindu   India must reaffirm its Paris pledge Hindu   Digital push must be disability-inclusive Hindu   Kathmandu test Indian Express   The ‘Asian century’ might never come Livemint The pesticide threat to public health Livemint   An overdose of inflation targeting Business Line   The battle for privacy and security Business Line  

Apr 3, 2017 MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Aadhar - Breach of Privacy

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Aadhar - Breach of Privacy 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