IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Clean Energy
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IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 27th March, 2017
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 27th March 2017 Archives ELECTORAL FUNDING TOPIC: General Studies 2 Parliament and State Legislatures ‐ structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act Lack of transparency in electoral funding Introduction Elections are the heart of a democracy. They are fundamental to have continued trust of people with the popular assent being reflected in a free and fair manner. Electoral funding is a crucial issue and has been debated since origins of democratic elections. Recent changes in political funding regulations are a setback to efforts to bring in transparency Issue: Well before financial year 2017-18 begins, the Lok Sabha has signed off on the Budget with the passage of the Finance Bill of 2017. It includes multiple amendments proposed by the government that did not figure in Arun Jaitley’s speech of February 1, either in letter or in spirit. For instance, while the speech devoted 420 words to proposed measures to improve transparency in electoral funding, amendments have been made to the Companies Act of 2013 that actually turn the clock back on existing disclosure standards. Till now, companies could only contribute up to 7.5% of their average net profits in the past three financial years to political parties. They were required to disclose in their profit and loss accounts the amount of contributions and the names of political parties to which they were made. The ceiling has now been dropped, paving the way for a firm to deploy unlimited capital into political coffers irrespective of its own financial and operational health. Companies would still have to reveal the extent of their financing of parties, but no longer have to name their preferred parties. For the sake of argument, one could say the 7.5% limit was arbitrary and restricted willing and able corporate donors’ ability to influence political activity. But doing away with the limit makes firms susceptible to funding ‘requests’ from local, regional or national political formations while taking away excuses — such as it being a loss-making unit, or breaching the funding cap. Impact on Democratic fundamentals: This would open up new opportunities in crony capitalism. Pressure could be exerted on a company awaiting government clearances, or a loan restructuring from public or cooperative sector financiers. Even a publicly listed company can set up subsidiaries just to fund parties. This removes any pretence of transparency in the process as the donor will not have to disclose who he paid; the recipient has no such obligation either. It is not surprising that India Inc. has remained stoically silent so far. This abandonment of the 7.5% requisite comes in tandem with the proposal to float electoral bonds to give anonymity to political donors. The scheme for such ‘bearer’ bonds is still being worked out with the central bank, but how this will meet the objective of transparency isn’t clear yet. The push for cashless modes for political contributions sounds worthy, but reducing the ₹20,000 limit on cash donations to ₹2,000 does nothing to guarantee that monetary muscle power will dissipate from electoral processes. Instead of, say, a lakh of such donors, a party can now share 10 lakh random names to justify cash holdings. Transparency is not synonymous with anonymous transactions, unlimited corporate donations, relaxed disclosure norms and the persistence of cash. The Budget’s promise of “reform to bring about greater transparency and accountability in political funding, while preventing future generation of black money”, truly rings hollow. Conclusion: Transparency is not synonymous with anonymous transactions, unlimited corporate donations, relaxed disclosure norms and the persistence of cash. The Budget’s promise of “reform to bring about greater transparency and accountability in political funding, while preventing future generation of black money”, truly rings hollow. Connecting the dots: The need for transparency in electoral funding for a level playing field in elections is a fundamental requirement. How are the measures initiated in the recent budget influencing the same? ENVIRONMENT TOPIC: General Studies 3 Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Rivers as a Living being In news: The Uttarakhand high court has recognized the Ganga and the Yamuna as living entities. This gives the rivers, that have seen years of damage at the hands of humans, a legal voice. The rationale: India seems to be following precedents in other countries where a flowing river has been granted a legal status (New Zealand for river Whanganuith). It is an extension of the philosophy of allowing a river to flow freely—as was intended in its nature. Any interference with the river as a whole, including construction of dams, takes away from its essential and basic character. Such a move by court would involve a re-look into construction activities across the river such as sand mining and construction of dams. Rivers as living entities The HC order may be seen as a precedent and come across as strange but it is not any different from the status of being a legal entity as in the case of temple deities, religious books, corporations, family trusts or a company. Still, it is the first time a court has recognized a non-human as a living entity in India. The court also directed the central government to constitute the Ganga Management Board within eight weeks to look into the issue of cleaning and maintaining the river. The bench also held that if the state government failed to fulfil its responsibility regarding the rivers, then the central government should step in. Recognizing the rivers as a living entity grants them new found legal identity and all rights laid out in the Constitution of India. The two rivers thus have the right to be legally protected and not be harmed/destroyed. They can also be parties to disputes. As per experts, the rights can be used to protect the interests of the rivers. Additionally, all their tributaries, streams, every natural water body flowing continuously or intermittently off these rivers will enjoy this status. Ganga Ganga, often called India’s lifeline, has significant economic, environmental and cultural value attached to it. Originating in the Himalayas and flowing into the Bay of Bengal in the east, it travels for more than 2,500km through the plains of northern and eastern India The river flows through Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal Over 1500 million litres of raw sewage is discharged into the Ganga every day. This joins 500 million litres of industrial waste dumped by more than 700 highly polluting industries located along it. Background There were two issues before the High Court: removal of illegal constructions on the banks of a canal in Dehradun the division of water resources between Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In December 2016, the High Court directed the removal of the constructions, constitution of the Ganga Management Board (a statutory body under the U.P. Reorganisation Act 2000), and prohibited mining of the Ganga riverbed and its highest flood plain area. On the issue of resource division, the court directed the Central government to notify the settlement reached by the two States in a time-bound manner. Three months later, the encroachments were still there, the settlement between the States was yet to take place, and the board had not been constituted. The court issues directions for time-bound action and took three logical leaps: For what was a clear breach of statutory duties under the U.P. Reorganisation Act and also inability of the State to remove encroachments, the case became concerned about the protection of the health and well-being of the two rivers. The court recorded how the rivers provide ‘physical and spiritual sustenance’ to half the Indian population. Thus, the constitution of a board was necessary for various purposes including irrigation, water supply, and power generation. The court decided to exercise the parens patriae jurisdiction to declare the rivers and all their tributaries, etc. as living persons. Parens patriae, literally ‘parent of the country’, is an inherent power of the sovereign, and not the courts, to provide protection to persons unable to take care of themselves. The Director, Namami Gange, the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand and the Advocate General of Uttarakhand have been appointed as the persons in loco parentis — persons who will act ‘in the place of parents’ for the two rivers. They are ‘bound to uphold the status’ of the rivers and also to promote their health and well-being. They are no ‘living beings’ rivers aren’t actually persons, not in literal sense. It is a reminiscent of “legal fiction” involved in corporate personhood that’s meant to uphold the rights of groups and to smooth business processes. If one river is a person, then all rivers are also living entities. It means that all shall be given rights of a person protected and guaranteed under constitution. How to identify roles, rights and duties of a river? True legal persons deserve specific sets of freedoms and protections. The needs of rivers and trees are objectively different from the needs of actual people. Issues of bodily autonomy, or the right to vote, are completely irrelevant to a body of water. Animals are yet to be identified as living beings under law. Giving such a status to comparatively different body seems to be unfair and illogical. Will it be a game changer? The law gives the legal persons such as companies, associations, deities etc. rights and duties like right to sue and be sued. This order implies that the rivers can also sue persons acting against their interests. However, the reasons for the same are difficult to be categorised logically- If the rivers lose the right to be a holder for tons of sewage? If they can demand minimum ecological flows? If it will be a right not to be dammed, dredged, or diverted? If yes, who will sue whom? Can the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand now sue a Municipal Corporation in Uttar Pradesh or Bihar for the discharge of effluents downstream? Do other riparian State governments now have less of a role in the protection of the rivers as they are not the identified ‘custodians’? What will be rivers’ duties? The judgement keeps the existing statutory and constitutional rights and duties of citizens and government agencies to counter the pollution and degradation of these rivers. Only it has identified three officers who will be the first-line defenders for the rivers. Now it remains to be a ‘wait and watch’ situation as to how the state governments and central government perform follow up actions. Another way is to develop standards that are specific to the resources being protected. innovative, effective, enforceable, and specific to the object legislation are more effective and comprehensible than to merge them with the idea of being a person. Connecting the dots: Critically analyse if river can be accorded the status of a living entity? 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IASbaba's 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2017 POLITY & CURRENT AFFAIRS [Day 1]
Hello Friends So, here we are with the very first 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 1: 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 1]: POLITY AND CURRENT AFFAIRS TOPICS: Constitution – Historical Background, Making of the Constitution, Philosophy of the Constitution Union and its Territory Citizenship Q.1) Which of the following pair[s] is/are correctly matched? Provision Source Institution of Speaker and her role - USA The idea of residual powers - Canada Law making procedure - United Kingdom Select the correct code: 1 Only 2 Only 2 and 3 Only 1 and 3 Only Q.2) Which of the following is/are the features of Parliamentary form of the government? Bicameralism Leadership of the Chief Minister Collective responsibility of the executive to the Parliament Membership of the ministers in the legislature Choose the correct option 1 and 3 only 2 and 4only 2, 3 and 4 only 1, 2, 3 and 4 only Q.3)After the great revolt of 1857, the British Government felt the necessity of seeking the cooperation of the Indians in the administration of their country. In pursuance of this policy of association, many Acts were enacted. Which Act, introduced, for the first time, bicameralism and direct elections in the country? Morley-Minto Reforms Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms Government of India Act, 1935 Government of India Act, 1892 Q.4) With regard to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, consider the following statements In the event of a conflict between the Preamble and a specific provision of the Constitution the former will prevail. The Preamble is a part of the Constitution. It was held by the Supreme Court as not a part of the Constitution in Berubari Union Case. Which of the above statements are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only All of the above Q.5) In India, who is constitutionally empowered to act as the final interpreter of the Constitution? President Union Council of Ministers Parliament Supreme Court Q.6) Federalism is a key feature of the Indian constitution. Which of the following statements concerning this is INCORRECT? Both Central and state governments have been established by the constitution. Both governments derive their power from the constitution. Since the State governments are autonomous political units, the Central government cannot enforce any order on them. Indian citizens are governed by laws and rules made by both Central and state governments at the same time. Q.7) Which of the following is not a pillar of the Parliamentary democracy in India? Universal adult suffrage Political representatives are accountable to the people All eligible citizens are allowed to contest elections without discrimination. Separation of powers Q.8) Consider the following with regard to Constituent Assembly of India It was constituted under the scheme formulated by the Cabinet Mission Plan The Assembly included all important personalities of India at that time, with the exception of M A Jinnah Its members were directly elected by the people of India Choose the correct code 1 Only 1 and 2 Only 3 Only None of the above Q.9) Consider the following statements In India, both a citizen by birth as well as a naturalised citizen are eligible for the office of President Parliament has the power to make any provision with respect to the acquisition and termination of citizenship and all other matters relating to citizenship Select the correct code 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.10) The federation as prescribed by Government of India Act, 1935 never came into being because The Muslim League did not support federalism; rather they wanted a strong Centre to safeguard their interest. It was optional for the Indian States to join the federation The administration of State subjects like agriculture, law and order was under Governor-General. None of the above Q.11) Suppose the Parliament of India wants to form a new State X’, then which of the following Article should be invoked? Article 1 Article 2 Article 3 Article 4 Q.12) Consider the following statements: Assertion (A) :The Parliament can redraw the political map of India according to its will Reason (R) : The territorial integrity of any state is not guaranteed by the Constitution Select the correct answer using the code given below: Both A and R are True and R is the correct explanation of A Both A and R are True but R is not the correct explanation of A A is True and R is False A is False and R is True Q.13) Consider the following statements The Preamble is a source of power to the legislature The Preamble was enacted by the Constituent Assemblyafter the rest of the Constitution was already enacted. Select the correct code 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.14) Which of the following provisions of the Constitution reveal the Secular character of the Indian State? Article 30 Article 14 Article 29 Article 44 Select the correct code 1 and 2 Only 1, 2 and 3 1, 2, 3 and 4 2 Only Q.15) Allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha to the States and the Union territories is mentioned in 3rd Schedule 4th Schedule 2nd Schedule 8th Schedule Q.16) Consider the following statements about ‘Juang tribe’ They belong to the Khasic ethnic group Juang tribe is identified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.17) The Quantum Experiments at Space Scale/QUESS, the world’s first quantum satellite, which will help it establish ‘hack-proof’ communications between space and the ground was recently launched by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) European Space Agency (ESA) Russian Federal Space Agency (RFSA or Roscosmos) None of the above Q.18) Which of the following states is the first State in the country to draft its own internal security act? Gujarat Maharashtra Andhra Pradesh Chhattisgarh Q.19) Consider the following statements It is dedicated towards Lord Shiva It is also a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site as “Great Living Chola Temples” It is popularly known as ‘Big Temple’ Select the correct code: Khajuraho Temple Angkor Wat Temple The Konark Sun Temple Brihadeeswarar Temple Q.20) Consider the following statements about ‘Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism’ (CCIT) It is proposed by India in 1996 and is now adopted by the UNGA It addresses the issue of Pakistan’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism in South Asia Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 None of the above Q.21) Consider the following statements about ‘Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee’ It is established under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare It is the apex body for approval of activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants Which of the following statements is/are incorrect? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.22) Which of the following is/are correctly matched? Place in news Country Xi’an South Korea Ashgabat Kazakhstan Aleppo Iraq Select the correct code: Only 2 1 and 2 2 and 3 None of the above Download the Solution: Click here Note: Cut off will be given once the solution is activated! P.S- Do participate in the comment box and discuss among yourselves. Your feedback, encouragement, suggestions and appreciation matters :)
Creative Guidance – Handling Rejection – Inspirational & Educative Articles
Handling Rejections: It is impossible to attain to any level of recognizable success without learning how to handle rejections. Every step of the way; at every turn and corner of the road of success, there lies a speed bump of rejection waiting to slow you down. It is impossible to succeed without recognizing the simple fact that rejection is the most common companion on the journey of success. Succeeding at anything requires one to change the flow of things. The very definition of success implies that you are attempting to succeed at something most people have failed. It is obvious that you will face a lot of rejects on this journey. Learning how to handle rejection becomes of paramount importance especially when the journey is long and arduous. More often than not, the path to success is long and difficult. If you are not able to handle rejections, you will soon give up. So what is this rejection; what are its various forms and how does it affect us? The most common form of rejection comes in the form of fear. People always reject what they fear the most. And since your journey is unknown to them, they fear it. Most rejections have no basis and standing because they have not come through an understanding of your life. Most people reject an idea simply because it does not appeal to them. This is the most common form of rejection you can simply ignore. I can’t do it so you cannot. The second most common form of rejection comes out of ignorance. Most people simply have no understanding of what they are rejecting. They reject because it feels good. It satisfies their ego when they are able to prove someone wrong. This form of rejection usually comes from the people who are closest to us; friends and family. The third form of rejection is because of jealousy. People reject you or your ideas because they are jealous of your success. This form of rejection is usually encountered after succeeding at something. Just because you have succeeded, they have an obligation to reject you because they have failed. To overcome all these rejections and to stand firm on your path and vision is the most important ability you can possess. To know yourself so well that you simply brush aside all these rejections and move towards your goal defines the level of success you can attain. When you reject rejection and stay firm on your path, great things begin to happen. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 25th March, 2017
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 25th March 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 1 Important Geophysical phenomena General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. One India and two time zones Introduction It has been a long demand that India should have at least two times zones. The insistence on observing IST vis-à-vis Northeast India’s needs ignores its social and economic impact. Hence there is a need to arrive at a scientifically sound and well-thought out decision keeping all stakeholders in mind. Issue: In a two paragraph order delivered by Chief Justice Ajit Singh, the Gauhati High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation filed by Rita Mozumder seeking a direction from the Central government to notify a separate time zone for the Northeast. The court cites a high-level committee study, constituted by the Ministry of Science and Technology, thatrecognised the difficulties faced by a single time zone in eastern India but concluded that Indian Standard Time (IST) should nonetheless be retained. The issues raised by the petition demanded more than a cursory order dismissing the petition given the importance of the issue. Legislators, activists, industrialists and ordinary citizens from the Northeast have often complained about the effect of IST on their lives, and pursued the issue of having a separate time zone with the Central government, without much success. Idea of a standard time zone: The idea of a standard time zone has become so integral to our lives that we often take it for granted and assume it to be a part of natural phenomena. We tend to forget the complex contestations — including legal ones — that go into its making. The creation of a time zone signals the victory of time over space with geographical areas being brought under a single time zone rather than relying on local solar time. It entails a denial of local time — or a separation of time from space — a very significant fact if you consider what it means to the experience of social and economic lives. In the case of India, the time difference between the westernmost part of India and the easternmost point is approximately two hours, the effect of which is that the sun rises and sets much earlier than it does in the rest of the country. The journalist, writer and academic Sanjoy Hazarika describes the Northeast as being stuck in “trapped in a time zone that makes neither common sense nor social and economic sense”. There is a strong case In the Northeast, the sun rises as early as four in the morning and in winter it sets by four in the evening. By the time government offices or educational institutions open, many daylight hours are already lost. In winter this problem gets even more accentuated and the ecological costs are a disaster with much more electricity having to be consumed. Profs. D.P. Sengupta, and Dilip Ahuja of the National Institute of Advanced Studies claim that advancing IST by half an hour would result in saving 2.7 billion units of electricity every year. None of the other proposals such as the introduction of daylight saving time in India has met with any approval and it is felt that having two time zones would be unsuitable. There is of course a strong political dimension to granting a separate time zone in the Northeast given the region’s long history of self-determination movements. The unstated assumption is that the grant of a different time zone is only the first temporal step towards conceding spatial autonomy. This appears to be a short-sighted perspective. If socioeconomic development is indeed one of the formulae to combat insurgency, might it not be worthwhile to consider the disastrous impact that IST has on productivity and efficiency in the region? ChaiBagaan time: A few years ago, then Assam Chief Minister TarunGogoi, frustrated with the decision of the Centre not to have a separate Northeast time, unilaterally decided that Assam would follow ChaiBagaan time. Bagaantime or tea time is a reference to an informal practice followed in tea gardens in Assam which is an hour ahead of IST. It alerts us to the fact that there is indeed a long history of the application of different time zones in India. We find evidence of this in the Constituent Assembly debates. On December 28, 1948, responding to an amendment proposed by Naziruddin Ahmad, Dr. Ambedkar asked him what system of timing he had in mind: “Is it the Greenwich time, the Standard time, Bombay time or Calcutta time?” Ambedkar’s reference to “Bombay time” and “Calcutta time” reminds us of an interesting aberration in the history of IST. It was instituted in 1905 but after it had been adopted, Bombay traders found it difficult to convert to IST. Because the conversion to IST was sought to be effected at a time when there was considerable public resentment over the Tilak sedition trial, the government found little support for this shift among the people in Bombay. Bombay Time was maintained right up to 1955 with Bombay following its own time zone which was 38 minutes ahead of the rest of the country. Our use of time While the court may have been reticent to intervene in what it saw primarily as an executive prerogative, it also passed an opportunity to examine a fascinating dimension of temporal justice that Indian courts have not had an opportunity to address, but other jurisdictions have had to contend with. Responding to the various objections raised about a separate time zone, journalist, writer and academic Sanjoy Hazarika raises critical questions and asks us to consider why it is that the development index leans considerably in favour of western India as opposed to the east, and what impact differential time may have on it. This is a question that has a significant impact on the interpretation of ‘life’ in Article 21 of the Constitution. Even if the Gauhati High Court were unwilling to issue a substantive order, it certainly had the discretion to ask for a study on the legal impact of a single time zone on the fundamental rights of people. This is perhaps a question that the Law Commission may find worthy of investigating further. In the meantime, we will have to be content with the tweaking of local orders changing office timings etc. And, most of east India will continue to feel the vagaries of IST an inconvenience while the further you go to the Northeast, it will be experienced as the caprice of the state. Conclusion: The idea of two different time zones has not only geographical dimension but a crucial socio=economic dimension to it. Seeing only as a political tool will be narrow and denial of the much important rights of life. North-east especially being an area facing severe stress of development and other deficiencies the government and policy makers should be more open to the idea. Connecting the dots: Evaluate the need of establishing two different time zones for India which has been a long time demand. Also elaborate on the socio-economic dimensions associated with the same. SECURITY TOPIC:General Studies 3 Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism ‘Lone wolves’ terrorist attacks and countering them In news: Recently, London battled a ‘terror attack’ near its Parliament which killed five people, including the assailant. It is highly unlikely that 9/11 kind of attacks may now occur and more of ‘lone wolves’ attacks shall have to be encountered by the world. The London terror attack This incident was different from a conventional terror strike, but bore similarity to attacks on European cities in recent years, claimed by ISIS. Britain has one of the best counter-terror police and intelligence agencies in Europe.Since 2005 London bombings, it has remained wildly cautious and foiled 13 terror plots. It also has one of the strictest gun control laws, and its borders, unlike countries in the European Union, are not open. Still, the Westminster attack shows how a “lone wolf” without any conventional weapons could bring terror even to the most guarded zones. Identifying the lone wolves Lone wolf attacks in the United States, Europe, Africa and Asia have been carried out either by an individual or by a couple of terrorists with access to explosives, light weapons and ammunition. They tend to strike at place associated with their personal frustration, like a school, mall etc. which are reflection of their larger disillusionment or anger with society, which is fuelled by a radical ideology that encourages the use of violence. If the terror plots are planned by networks that use modern communication systems and amass weapons, the chances of detecting them are higher.But after rise of ISIS, its radicalised followers, mostly youth, stay off the intelligence radar, wait, and use even commonly used public goods as weapons to kill. IS has anefficient machinery for online radicalisation.Though shutting down online platforms used by terrorists has become a key focus area of security agencies, it isn’t easy given the nature of internet. Thus preventing online radicalisation and stopping lone-wolf attacks are quite difficult. The intelligence agencies have to continuously keep tab on them potential suspects, and monitor online communications. Challenges at home The greatest challenge comes from the increasingly indoctrinated Muslim youth across the world. There seems to be no end to the process of conversion of an innocent mind into a toxic variety in various countries like UK, France, Germany etc. The considerable traffic to Iraq and Syria to join the IS is reflects the lack of success in keeping the youth, especially Muslims, insulated from poisonous inputs. It is relevant to India too. No psychiatrist is able to fathom this lure of young minds towards taking up a dubious cause such as that of the IS. India has had few examples of its citizens being influenced by the extremists ideology. Those who have returned to their own countries from the IS fold — mainly because of the physical hardship in the battlefields of Syria and Iraq — are reported to be attached to the cause of establishing caliphate where they live. Thus, intelligence agencies have to always keep track of these returnees and disabling them from indulging in any anti-national act at home. Challenges to undertake such attacks in India Access to high-end and automated weaponary is difficult in India as in western nations. Without it, carrying out lone-wolf attack is not suitable. Indians have not displayed the psychological willingness to undertake high risk attacks. There haven’t been fidayeen attacks taken by Indians in the country. Past attacks have been either by Tamil guerrillas or by Pakistan sponsored terrorism. Over the time, deployment of private security at high value targets like malls, hotels and schools has been upgraded, which acts as a deterrent to an individual aiming to target them. The absence of past examples of lone wolf attacks in India inculcates the fear of the unknown in the minds of potential volunteers. Staying ahead Though many countries, including India and UK have not gone extent of imposing severe travel restrictions to and from some Islamic countries, like Trump administration has, there is a possibility that there may be a rethink on existing regulations with a view to containing terrorism. However, the question will always remain if such regulations will become the antidote to terrorism. Constant vigilantism on movement of potential threats should be enhanced by intelligence agencies. Spread of tolerance, respect of multi-culture and multi-diverse existent has to be propagated to deter any extremist tendencies from creating tensions and panic. Conclusion The governments should always be fearless and undeterred to deal with the terror attacks by learning from past incidents and act in a way that makes future attacks more and more difficult, within the limits imposed by available options. Counter terrorism have to be now a cooperative venture for many years to come. Maintaining friendly relations with most countries by India will invite more focus on development and governance issues and cooperation in sharing security concerns pertaining to both states. More and more international cooperation could sharpen the fight against terror. Connecting the dots: Do you think conventional terror attacks are a passe? What are the steps to be taken to restrict terrorism activities outside country borders? 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Creative Guidance: Book Review – The Upanishads
The Upanishads: Upanishads are one of the most ancient scriptures of the world. It is said that the Upanishads are an expression of the ultimate reality of existence. The orally transmitted knowledge of the reality of man, life and existence is the subject matter of the Upanishads. It is said that the Upanishads are not authored. There is no source and beginning for the Upanishads except for the antiquity of time through which it has been passed down. Upanishads are a great read to explore the mysteries of life. There are various commentaries and translations of the Upanishads. Any of them could serve as a good beginning. The Upanishads are unimaginably insightful and deep. Each layer of Upanishads reveal a much deeper dimension of truth and knowledge. It is a must read for an inquisitive mind. “This Book Review is a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”
IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Corporate Funding
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IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 24th March, 2017
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 24th March 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3 Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano‐technology, bio‐technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. Compulsive Patent Hoarding Introduction Patents have been seen as a measure of research and design modalities. Off late there has been a rush towards hoarding patents and that has created cost on tax payers money. Hence there are concerns on the methodologies of the same. The current model of commercialisation does not work for publicly funded research Issue: The commercialisation arm of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), CSIR-Tech realised that it takes money to make money. CSIR-Tech, realized it the hard way when it had to shut down its operations for lack of funds. CSIR has filed more than 13,000 patents — 4,500 in India and 8,800 abroad — at a cost of ₹50 crore over the last three years. Across years, that’s a lot of taxpayers’ money, which in turn means that the closing of CSIR-Tech is a tacit admission that its work has been an expensive mistake — a mistake that we tax-paying citizens have paid for. Recently, CSIR’s Director-General claimed that most of CSIR’s patents were “bio-data patents”, filed solely to enhance the value of a scientist’s resume and that the extensive expenditure of public funds spent in filing and maintaining patents was unviable. CSIR claims to have licensed a percentage of its patents, but has so far failed to show any revenue earned from the licences. This compulsive hoarding of patents has come at a huge cost. If CSIR-Tech was privately run, it would have been shut down long ago. Acquiring Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) comes out of our blind adherence to the idea of patenting as an index of innovation. The private sector commercializes patents through the licensing of technology and the sale of patented products to recover the money spent in R&D. But when the funds for R&D come from public sources, mimicking the private sector may not be the best option. Patents and moral hazard While it’s true that it costs lakhs of rupees to get a patent in India, government-funded research organisations are likely to spend more money on patents so long as they are not asked to bear the risk. Reckless filing of patents using public funds may be explained by the economic concept of moral hazard. According to economist Paul Krugman, it happens in “any situation in which one person makes the decision about how much risk to take, while someone else bears the cost if things go badly”. In the case of public-funded research, the reckless filing of patents without due diligence results from the moral hazard of the government bearing the risk of patents that don’t generate revenue. In the insurance sector, moral hazard refers to the loss-increasing behaviour of the insured who acts recklessly when the loss is covered by another. Insurance companies check moral hazard by introducing copayment from the insured. The acceptance that CSIR laboratories need to bear 25% of expenses for their patents acknowledges the moral hazard. The National IPR Policy: The National IPR Policy released last year does not offer any guideline on distinguishing IPR generated using public funds from private ones. It views every IPR with private objectives by insisting on commercialisation. Dissemination of technology to the masses, participation in nation-building and creating public goods are rarely objectives that drive the private sector. The IPR policy of some publicly-funded research institutions allows for 30-70% of the income generated through the commercialisation of the patent to be shared with the creators of the invention, i.e., scientists and professors on the payroll of the government. Such a policy could promote private aggrandisement and may work against public interest. In contrast, the IPR policy of private companies does not allow for a payback on the share of royalties earned by patents. Possible solution The fate of CSIR-Tech is proof that the current model of commercialisation does not work with respect to publicly-funded research. So, how do we ensure that public-funded research reaches the masses and check the excessive filing of patents without due diligence? A possible solution to preserve the objective of publicly funded research is to devise an IPR policy wherein patents are initially offered on an open royalty-free licence to start-ups. Once start-ups commercialize the inventions successfully, the royalty-free licence could be converted into a revenue-sharing model. It is predominantly taxpayers’ money that goes into public-funded research. When research is commercialised by private entities, it tends to be sold back to the public at a price. America is in the midst of such a conundrum, where talks are going on of granting French pharmaceutical company Sanofi exclusive licence for the drug against the Zika virus — a drug which has already cost the American exchequer $43 million in R&D. Granting Sanofi this would defeat the purpose of public funds expended on research as the company would charge the American public again for the life-saving drug. Conclusion: Putting granted patents on an open licence can be testimony to the commercial viability of the things we are patenting using public money. Not only would it bring a sense of accountability to the managers who run the system but it would also open up publicly-funded research to a whole lot of people, especially start-ups, who can now test, verify, work and put the patented technology into the market. Connecting the dots: With emphasis on make in India and Start ups innovations will be abound in Indian market. Critically analyze the need for a national policy which ensures lacunae of the current policies are overcome. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2 Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure. General Studies 1 Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. Tolerance as a duty Tolerance is virtue that promotes the receiving or acknowledging of new ideas and helps in breaking the status quo mentality. Tolerance is particularly needed in large and complex societies comprising people with varied beliefs, as in India. Tolerance of other’s views apart from self’s facilitates harmonious coexistence. A liberal democracy accepts the fact that in a free country, one can have different opinions and should have equal rights in voicing them. This is pluralism and tolerance is its ultimate rationale. Intolerance takes birth from an invincible assumption of the infallibility and truth of one’s beliefs, the dogmatic conviction about the rightness of one’s tenets and their superiority over others, and with the passage of time, this leads to forcible imposition of one’s ideology on others, often resulting in violence. Tolerance and world Currently, the virus of intolerance has acquired global dimensions. Religious and political persecution has become rampant and that too sometimes in the name of Almighty. The Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations proclaims that to achieve the goals of the Charter we need to “practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours”. Thus, the necessity for tolerance has been internationally recognised. Another significant UN instrument is the Declaration of November 25, 1981 on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief which emphasises that it is essential to promote tolerance and requires states to adopt all necessary measures for the speedy elimination of intolerance in all its forms and manifestations. Thus, there is an interwoven essential linkage between tolerance, human rights, democracy and peace. Rise of intolerance The rise of intolerance trend is alarming and scary. Some persons are offended by a theme of the movie and vandalising its important sets, eating habits are being targeted in name of religion, talk about sex education is inviting criminal prosecution for promoting ‘bad’ environment and a muslim girl is being forbidden by clerics to not sing songs! Thus, the best antidote to intolerance is practice of tolerance apart from political preaching as it cannot be legislated. This must be done by fostering an environment and culture of tolerance where stereotypes and prejudices are shunned. Tolerance and Indian constitution One of the basic feature of Indian constitution is the guarantee of a wide array of fundamental rights which are judicially enforceable against the state. The fundamental duties were added in 1976 by a Constitutional amendment and Article 51-A was enacted. One duty that needs to be added is the duty to practice tolerance. One cannot effectively perform fundamental duties unless tolerance is prevalent in society. Tolerance promotes, permits and protects the expression of thoughts and ideas which are acceptable to some and not to some. The media has an important role to play in promting tolerance. It should incessantly preach that that no group or body has the monopoly of truth and morality and it is a duty to respect the point of view of the “other minded”. This is should be supported by condemning incidences of intolerance, without fear of consequences. The role of education is equally crucial. The virtue and culture of tolerance should be inculcated in students right from schools where different social, economic and religious backgrounds are respected. IASbaba’s views Tolerance has high respect for human rights, especially freedom of conscience and freedom of thought. Disagreement with the belief and ideology of others is no reason for their suppression, because there can be more than one path for the attainment of truth and salvation. Tolerance should be highlighted in fundamental duties and also be practiced with dedication. Promotion of multi-religious, multi-cultural democracy through tolerance cements its invincibility. As SC said in a judgement: “Our tradition teaches tolerance; our philosophy preaches tolerance; our Constitution practices tolerance. Let none dilute it”. Connecting the dots: What is tolerance in a multi-religious, multi-cultural society? How can it be promoted? Is intolerance also a right to freedom of expression? Analyse. How can tolerance prevail over intolerance? MUST READ Do we need a presidential system? Hindu For a formula for Ayodhya Hindu Beware the rhyme of history Indian Express The Manipur Opportunity Indian Express On anti-Romeo squads Livemint Making the case for India’s naval build-up Livemint Pointers from the London terror attack Business Line Meat politics Business Line
IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 144]
IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 144] Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Yakshagana is a Musical narration of ancient historical events Form of classical folk theatre form Karnataka Classical dance from Odisha Painting which represents socio-cultural ambience of the region from Madhya Pradesh Q.2) Which one of the following is the best description of ‘INS Betwa’? Frigate Aircraft carrier Corvette Destroyer Q.3) Consider the following statements about Khejri tree It is the state tree of Rajasthan and Telangana It helps in sustaining the nutrient value of the soil and ensuring a good yield Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) N K Singh committee is associated with Amendments to FRBM Act Promotion of digital payments Special economic zones Enhancing solar energy capacity Q.5) Twin Balance Sheet problem includes Fiscal deficit of Union government Non-performing Assets of public sector banks Indebtedness of corporates Both (b) and (c) Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba
IASbaba's 60 Days Plan, 2017: The Success Mantra of Thousands of Aspirants for Prelims
Hello Friends, Here we are with the most awaited initiative. An initiative that you can’t ignore, A ritual that you must follow, A habit you must nurture and A plan that you must internalize. Yes! We are talking about IASbaba’s trademark 60 Days Plan. In two years only, this has emerged as an indispensable aspect of Prelims preparation. With so many success stories and equally heartening gratitudes that followed post 60 Days plan in the last two years, it has become a hallmark of smart and efficient preparation. An initiative that in the literal sense is the manifestation of our core philosophy of smart work, 60 Days Plan gives you an edge over others. With nearly 70% hit ratio in two successive years along with ILP and other initiatives, 60 Days Plan also gives you a breather if your preparation isn't up to the mark. That my friends is the main reason behind it’s indispensability for the aspirant community! You get to improve your score and thereby your chances by following this religiously. This year, 60 Days Plan would be bigger and better! And yes completely free in line with IASbaba’s philosophy! We are here with better analysis, more focus and more tangible takeaways. We want you to get equipped with certain tools that will help you keep track of your preparation and performance. Continuous improvement is what you require to get past the others. For that you need patience and unbiased evaluation of your preparedness on a daily basis. We present you certain scales to track your progress on a daily basis and do the necessary course correction to bring yourself on track. But before that, let us do a small analysis of the mistakes that one commits in prelims. One’s level of preparedness is always different for different subjects. Even within a subject, one’s comfort level may vary with topics. For example, one might be more comfortable in solving questions of Polity than Economics and within Polity also, one might be at ease with questions on fundamental rights than Parliament. The level of comfort and ease that one has with a subject/ topic gets manifested in the examination. However, there is no conscious effort by aspirants to micro analyse these aspects. Now, coming to the second aspect i.e. the mistakes that one commits in answering MCQs, it can be said that there are mainly four reasons behind incorrect responses in the OMR sheet. They are: Lack of information Lack of analytical ability Silly mistakes Excessive risk taking Let’s analyse them one by one: Lack of information: You simply don’t know the information. You are clueless and that’s why you don’t attempt the question. For example, you may have never come across a regime called the ‘Wassenaar Agreement’ during your preparation and you can’t do much about it. Lack of information is pardonable and rectifiable. You can read more and gather more information. That is within your reach. Lack of analytical ability: You know the concept but the question is a twisted one and you are not able to apply the concept. For example, in a question asking you to identify the climate type of a region based on certain given parameters like precipitation, temperature and air density, you might find it difficult to mark the correct option even if you are aware of all the options given in the question! That is clearly a lack of application and you can overcome it by developing a habit of framing questions in your mind while you study any topic. Silly mistakes: This habit is unpardonable. You know the concept, you become happy, you misread the question, you mark the incorrect answer and you are out of the race! Such mistakes reveal your hurriedness while answering the question. A simple mistake of reading ‘chose the incorrect option’ as ‘chose the correct option’ can destroy your chances. It means that you need to have patience and focus while attempting the paper. Excessive risk taking: You are confused between the options and just in order to increase your attempts, you make wild guesses and try your luck only to repent eventually. Risk taking is an art and one must be very careful while doing the guesswork in confusing questions. If you are not lucky enough, it can spoil your chances. You will realize that these problems will have different meanings for different people. For example, one might find lack of information as the main culprit in answering wrong the questions on Culture while in Polity, lack of analytical ability is usually the culprit. The point here is that you must analyse your preparation on these yardsticks by applying them on different subjects/ topics. If one is having a headache, he/ she can’t have the same medicine for fever. Isn’t it. This is where our revamped 60 Days Plan comes into picture. It will give you an opportunity to micro analyse your preparation and perform better in the examination. How to use it? The detailed micro plan of 60 Days is given here. You can download the PDF here. Note: You can also join our Test Series-Click Here, in case want to solve more questions. It has a total of 18 Tests. Integrated Learning Program (ILP)-2017- Click Here is also running that includes 35 Tests, Value Add Notes, Babapedia for Prelims Current Affairs and Mains Mocks with Synopsis. Now, we present you the following scales (with weightage of each scale given in the bracket) to micro analyse your preparation on a daily basis and that too subject/ topic wise: Scale 1: Information meter (1) Scale 2: Analysis meter (2) Scale 3: Anxiety meter (3) Scale 4: Risk meter (4) Suppose on Day 1, questions have been framed from Polity on the topic of Constitutional History. There are 15 questions and you are able to answer 12 out of which 7 are correct and 5 are incorrect. It means you have scored roughly 11.33 out of 30. Now you have to fill on a daily basis, the following matrix to micro analyse your preparation: Suppose, the filled up matrix gets reflected in the following fashion: Based on the total value in this matrix, you have to aim for the following measures on the scale: Information meter < 4 Course Correction: If you are scoring above 4, it means that there are serious gaps in your information base in the particular subject/ topic. Please refer a standard textbook before it’s too late. Analysis meter < 4 Course Correction: If you are scoring above 4, you need to explore all possible questions in your mind while reading the topic. You should frame questions for your friends and try to trick them by twisting the questions. Anxiety meter < 3 Course Correction: A score above 3 indicates that you are either too excited or too callous to even read the question. You need to calm down and read the question twice, particularly those questions in which you feel too confident. Risk meter < 8 Course Correction: You need to curb your risk taking instincts. Make only intelligent guess and don’t leave your chance on fate. Don’t let the previous year’s cut off impact your mind. Total N x S score < 20 Moreover, IASbaba will give a cut off figure along with the solutions each day. If your total marks exceed that cut off along with your total N x S score lying below 20, you are on the right track and just need to keep the momentum going. This exercise will hardly take 5 minutes of your daily time but it might do wonders for you as you will be able to gauge your strengths and limitations better. Finally it is up to you to take advantage of this framework. We are sure of only one thing- if you follow 60 Days Plan, assess yourself on the basis of the given framework and keep improving your weaker areas, success will be yours. Always remember, inconsistency and doubt leads to fear. And fear is something that ruins everything without giving you a chance. So, let us come together and enjoy the journey that lies ahead. Raise your hands if you are part of this journey in the comment box :) P.S- Questions will be posted around 11 AM everyday and Solution link will be activated around 6 PM All the Best :) IASbaba Team