IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Jobless Growth
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All India Radio - Is Bandh the Solution of Problems?
Is Bandh the Solution of Problems? ARCHIVES Search 28th November 2016 here 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. General Studies 1 Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. Bandh is one of the oldest of means of protest that has been followed by political parties in India ever since independence. To a great extent, the way in having peaceful bandhs in support of the demands was shown by Gandhiji. At this juncture, the opinion is divided- bandhs can help get the problems resolved by holding talks with government and other authorities. On the other hand there is a feeling that bandhs lead to problems for the common man and poor that which sometimes leads to violence and public property getting destroyed. Despite the opinion being divided, a large number of political parties still believe that bandhs is a legal tool to express their resentment against the government and impress upon them to look upto genuine needs of people. Hence, today the decision to call for bandhs as a useful means of protest demands discussion. Bandh in 21st century Traditionally, bandh is seen as a form of protest. In the past there was an unresponsive government that didn’t listen to opposition voices, voices of organised workers, voices of poor. Hence they would resort to this tool of brining the city or town or country to standstill, not allowing businesses to work and other economic activity to take place. So initially it was used in rare circumstances. Later on it became very frequent and hence received mixed reaction because people’s lives got disturbed and caused them inconvenience. In this changing scenario, the economic development is taking precedence over everything else, bandhs are hampering the process of economic development and causing greater harms and problems for the people at large. Demonetisation and call for ban The demonetisation move initiated the call for a bandh by Congress who is in opposition. However, it was supported only by left parties amongst other opposition parties and thus maximum impact was seen in Kerala and nowhere else. The call is termed to be pre-matured as people had been already facing difficulties and hardships due to shortage of currency. But this discomfort and hardship has not yet turned into anger in large parts of country. That being the case, the opposition probably jumped the gun rather than waiting for the time when people were together in raising voice to that. With resorting to bandh during times post demonetisation, when people are already facing lot of inconvenience, they are not interested in following a bandh call. The portrayal of ‘walk the talk’ The PM has struck the chord with people of India on the promise that he was serious about dealing with black money and corruption. The PM has made it visible in a manner that he wants to make the life of the poor much better and thereby reaching out to a wider constituents on a political level. He has specifically reached out to specific sections like farmers, workers, small traders and the rural youth to bear with the new policy decision and hardships created out of it for some time. Bandh ban in past In 1997, Kerala HC declared bandhs as "illegal and unconstitutional". In a separate decision, the court further narrowed the routes open to protestors by imposing restrictions on demonstrations and processions on public roads. Significantly, the court also held that organisers of the bandhs are liable to compensate the Government, the public and private citizens for any losses they suffer on account of destruction of property during the bandhs. Supporting this, the highest court- Supreme Court of India- also upheld the Kerala High Court judgement declaring forced bandhs in the state illegal. The Kerala HC judgement had drawn distinctions between a strike, a call for general hartal and a bandh and apex court upheld this distinction. A distinction has to be made between the right to bandh and right to strike. Strike action evolved as an expression of dissent during the 19th century. The right to strike without disrupting public order is given in all democracies and is a tool that workers use to negotiate terms of work. Bandh or hartals evolved in late 19th century from the idea of a general strike. Bandh and hartal are Indian versions of mass strikes. They were powerful expressions of popular discontent during the independence movement. However, in 2009, SC termed bandh as legitimate means of expressing people's feelings in a democracy, reversing a trend judiciary has followed since 1997. The bench headed by CJI and two senior judges observed that in a democratic country, everyone had the right to express their feelings: a remark that would be lapped up by political parties who never agreed to judiciary's stand against bandhs. Conclusion When SC said that it should be prohibited, it was a first step towards silencing protest. It was an undemocratic solution to prevent legal means of protest. Banning is not the solution. Bandh should be resorted to in very extreme circumstances when people are put through prolonged hardships and government is not listening to anything at all. The political parties in country are resorting to bandhs both within the house and outside as a means of drawing centre’s attention to problems which are affecting the people and in their opinion in a manner which is unprecedented. There is a tendency in some parties to call for a bandh at a drop of a hat because traditionally it has been done so. Opposition now needs to think something out of box to make their voices heard. Connecting the dots: What is a difference between bandh and strike? Is it a fundamental right? What are other means of peaceful protest that can be lodged against the people in power in order to be heard? Examine.
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 15th February, 2017
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 15th February 2017 Archives ENVIRONMENT-CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT TOPIC: General Studies 3 Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Government Budgeting - issues Budget allocation to Ministry of Environment and issues Introduction Environmental conservation and biodiversity is always paid lip service in Indian policy making. Especially when it comes to budget allocation and expenditure analysis there is scarce data and subsequently less attention paid to. Further only headline making issues are budgeted and hence real issues loose much needed attention. Issue: The Union Budget presented this month has made a allocation of ₹2,675.42 crore to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), an apparent increase by 18.88% from last year. But, the devil is in the finer details that display indifference shown to specific issues below that demand immediate policy interventions by the state. wildlife conservation, pollution abatement related areas Prima facie the budgetary approach to environmental protection appears to be as fragmented and flawed as the legal approach. Even as the issues of Forest management Resource conservation Pollution control Wildlife protection are manifest to be increasingly interconnected, they are treated in isolation with attention paid only at the macro-level. Often proactive measures for environment are disproportionately counter-balanced by lax regulation in other sectors such as energy and large industries. For an illustration – dedicating funds, however large or small, for the Environment Ministry, in the complete absence of corresponding measures to boost alternative energy sources, place curbs on polluting industries and vehicles and adopt sustainable development approaches to economic growth is a farcical exercise. In the current Budget too, while there has been an increase in allocation to the MoEFCC, funding for renewable energy forms, solar use in rural areas, etc. has been reduced. The pluses of additional funding have been offset by paltry efforts at consolidating environmental conservation. Minimal budgetary allocation: In light of the increasing challenges faced by environment in India, budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Environment under various heads is palpably inadequate. There has been superficial renaming of ‘Clean Energy Cess’ levied on coal, lignite and peat as ‘Clean Environment Cess’ with an increase in the rate of levy to ₹400 per tonne. Even as climate change and increasing pollution have been matters of great concern, a measly sum of ₹40 crore and ₹74.30 crore have been allocated to the Climate Change Action Plan and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), While the national capital reeled under the heavy effects of air pollution, triggering heated debates on spiraling pollution levels in prominent urban pockets, the funding received by the CPCB is visibly unremarkable. Similarly, heads of environment and ecology, coastal management, environmental monitoring and governance, National Afforestation Management have received funds sketchily with no accompanying rationale for such allocations or a clear framework for their utilisation. The treatment of wildlife conservation has been no different, with ambitious projects like Project Tiger having the budget slashed by ₹30 crore and Project Elephant receiving a marginal boost of ₹2.5 crore. Under-utilisation of funds: Budgetary flow for the schemes under the Ministry of Environment has been fluctuating in the past and can be best described as insubstantial. The rise and slump in allocations have been perplexing as they do not appear to have been based on receipts and expenditures of the preceding financial year. In 2015, the total budget for the Ministry was reduced by 25% to ₹1,681.60 crore, only to be increased to ₹2,327 crore the following year. Centrally sponsored schemes have also experienced similar ups and downs with Project Tiger witnessing a slash of 15% in 2015. This time as well, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has been allotted an arbitrary sum of ₹8.15 crore. Even as it is difficult to negotiate and coordinate with the State governments to chart an effective framework for conservation projects and streamline budgetary allocation, the funds dedicated to Central bodies such as the NTCA intuitively appear to be insufficient. A closer breakdown of the actual expenditure shows that out of the ₹850.02 crore dedicated to implementing the Centrally sponsored core schemes, the total outlay was only ₹566.38 crore. These Centrally sponsored schemes include Project Tiger, Project Elephant, Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats and Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems. For instance, Project Tiger has barely managed to utilise half the funds allocated to it. The spectre of under-utilisation haunts State projects as well. Priorities and problems In the Fiscal Policy Strategy Statement, the envisaged outlook for the financial plan states that the “government will aggressively focus on the objectives of pushing economic growth… (and) has the prime responsibility of providing a safe and stable environment for the private sector to create wealth.” But there is need to balance the same with ecological and livelihood concerns. Conclusion The need to rein in mindless propulsion of industrial growth at the cost of environment is obvious, to address the problems of disappearing wildlife, increasing conflicts, deterioration of ecology and habitat destruction. For this, scientific, sustained and intensive measures of conservation are required. A small step in this regard would be to acknowledge the role of the environment in budgetary allocations and ensure rational dedication of funds. Connecting the dots In spite of environmental moments dating back to post independence years India’s progress in environment conservation and management is not noteworthy. Critically discuss the reasons behind the same in respect of budgetary allocations and associated issues. ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Bad Bank- A Bankable idea? Background Economic Survey 2017 states that the total level of stressed assets (NPA + restructured + unrecognised) in public sector banks can be around 20% of their loan book. The gross Non-performing assets (NPAs) amount to Rs. 6.75 lakh crores and are mounting. This is 9% of the bank lending or 4.5% of GDP which is huge in numbers and effect. The crackdown on high-profile defaulter Vijay Mallya may be making headlines but now it is an urgent need to contain the rising NPAs. The rising NPAs have almost stopped the lending by banks and investment by the indebted corporates concerned. Private investment had actually started to shrink by 2015-16. The Economic Survey 2016 notes that in 2016-17, it may have contracted by more than 7%. NPAs are “an economic problem, not a morality play” as pointed out by Economic Survey. Hence, RBI governor has said that there is a need for “pragmatism” in dealing with the tensed issue of NPAs. The Survey has also acknowledged that RBI and government are running out of options and thus mooted a novel idea of a ‘bad bank’. The bad bank will be a Public Sector Asset Rehabilitation Agency (PARA), with 49% government ownership. This makes the institutions realise that 5/25 scheme: It allows banks to extend long-term loans of 20-25 years to match the cash flow of projects, while refinancing them every 5 or 7 years. Until now, banks were typically not lending beyond 10-12 years. Strategic debt restructuring: the banks who have given loans to a corporate borrower gets the right to convert the full or part of their loans into equity shares in the loan taken company. S4A (or Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets): the liabilities of struggling company’s debt will be bifurcated into sustainable and unsustainable portions. The banks will convert unsustainable debt into equity and sell it to new owner. The credible resolution plan is carried out be overseeing committee carried out by Indian Banks Association. Private Asset Reconstruction Companies: The ARCs take over the NPA's from banks for fixed cost which is less than the NPA amount. NPA is transferred to ARC along with any security which is pledged while taking loan. Now ARC will issue security receipts for fixed interest rate and will raise money. = have not helped enough. Design a bank The bad bank shall take over the bad loans and administer/sell them into the private markets. New RBI Deputy Governor has also expressed his views that a bad bank just by itself will not necessarily work. But it has to be ‘designed right’ instead. The key to the whole concept is getting right the price at which the bank can sell off the assets to private investors. If designed properly, the bad bank idea might work. Thus, here is an attempt to identify some fundamental principles that should apply to determine the ‘right’ price at which bad assets can be taken off Indian banks’ — particularly public sector banks’ — books. The reason is that The public debate on such matters too often focuses on the mysterious and sophisticated audience and ignores the bottom line implications. The bottom line implications are critical for well-being of the common man. Highlighting the bottom-line implications for the common man also serves an important purpose – they help form public opinion so that at least in future, the chances of such financial blow-outs are minimised or at least their severity is mitigated. The public needs to know who is responsible for permitting, or not permitting a problem situation to develop. Public sector banks account for 70% of total banking assets. The total scheduled commercial banks credit at Rs. 74,00,000 crore and out of it, public sector banks’ share is about Rs. 50,00,000 crore. Out of this, Rs. 10,00,000 crores is the level of stressed assets. This is the quantum of bad assets that have to be taken off their books at a “right” price for all stakeholders — the banks themselves, the buyer and general public. The principles Banking regulation is fundamentally founded on the idea that a regulated institution at all times should be “safe” and “sound”. Safety and soundness in regulation is termed as solvency regulation in the jargon. Solvency regulation seeks to ensure that at least all small fixed amount creditors (that is, small depositors) do not suffer any loss when a financial institution goes insolvent. The core idea is that small fixed amount depositors should not suffer any losses when there is a serious deterioration in the value of a bank’s assets vis-à-vis its liabilities. Thus, solvency regulation should ensure that overall asset values should at all times be higher than liability values. But currently, as the Economic Survey reports, it seems probable that at the aggregate level for public sector banks, asset values may be perilously close to falling below liabilities. Hence the need for a disaggregated approach to marshalling assets and selling them. The deposits held by individuals (considered as small fixed creditors) in total public sector banks’ deposits is roughly Rs. 35,00,000 crore. Other key deposit holders are the government sector and private corporate sector at Rs. 10 lakh crore and Rs. 14 lakh crore respectively. Role of PARA PARA is expected to clean up the balance sheets of banks. This will give them freedom to lend without encumbrance, even as they are recapitalised to the extent of the write-downs. This year’s budget provided only for Rs. 10000 crore for bank recapitalisation, against last year’s Rs. 25000 crore. This is to get a better view of with a view to arriving at greater clarity on the problem before committing the money. There are over 20 asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) in operation, many of them private players. But private ARCs have not picked up more than 4-5% of the book value of the NPAs. The reason is that the public sector banks are not willing to write down losses to the extent that the ARCs would like as they fear vigilance repercussions. Against it, the ARCs also cannot offer more when asset “resolution” is difficult. Hence, it will be crucial to see how PARA works where others have not been able to generate fruitful outcomes. While PARA as a government-owned entity, may be able to bring various creditors on board to agree on write-downs, it would also have to show urgency in recovering the cash. Even with the bankruptcy code coming into play, enabling the judiciary to put an end to protracted liquidation proceedings, PARA must be guided by an approach to revive industry wherever possible. A fine balance between institutional accountability and autonomy is called for. Ultimately, the objective should be to get credit growth back to double digit rates, with checks and balances to deal with irregularities. MUST READ Importance of goods and services Hindu Sharpening the fight against tobacco Hindu Revenge of the mythmaker Indian Express Monuments to a nation’s journey Indian Express Crime, Agency, Age Indian Express The pathologies of redistributive resource transfers Livemint Look beyond Tata and Infosys Livemint Re-imagining the automation disruption Livemint A new dawn in Indo-Bangla relations? Business Line Right charge Business Line
IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 121]
IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 121] Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about INS Sarvekshak It became the first naval ship to go green by installing a solar power system on board It is a Sandhayak Class survey vessel Select the correct code: Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about Survey of India It is India's central engineering agency in charge of mapping and surveying It was set up in 1767 to help consolidate the territories of the British East India Company It is going to remeasure the height of Mt. Everest Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.3) Budget 2017-18 proposes to establish a National Testing Agency. Consider the following statements about National Testing Agency (NTA) It will be an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organization to conduct all entrance examinations for higher education institutions It would free CBSE, AICTE and other premier institutions from these administrative responsibilities so that they can focus more on academics Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Country “X” became the world's first country to stop investing in fossil fuels. Which is that country? Sweden Ireland Iceland Denmark Q.5) Bajaj Committee is concerned with Krishna River water sharing Narmada River water sharing Godavari River water sharing None of the above Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba
IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Trade Unions
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All India Radio - Constitution of India- A Model Document for Major Democracies in the World
Constitution of India- A model document for major democracies in the world ARCHIVES Search 26th November here http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure. 26th November 2016 is 67th Constitution Day of India. Hence here is a brief lookout of India’s journey with its Constitution. Impact on other countries In the context of India’s freedom movement and revolution, constitution making process has left a deep imprint in entire world, mainly in the developing world and particularly in many new nations that came up after WWII. The importance of Indian constitution lies in the fact that It is a product of very peaceful revolution that India had Constitution is a work of deliberation There are very few constitutions in the world which have been worked out in detail by a galaxy of people. In India, Rajendra Prasad (Chairman of Constituent Assembly), Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and Abul Kalam Azad forthcomingly contributed to making of constitution and drafting of constitution by Dr. Ambedkar. Comparison with other Constitution Indian constitution has adopted many good things from different countries. It is still different from other constitutions of the world. Though it is not a unique constitution, Dr. Ambedkar made it clear that constitution is written at a time when much of problems have been settled and there is a larger consensus. It is not an attempt to make a novelty but it is an attempt to make a federal constitution. The comparable thing is found in American constitution varies from consideration to constitution and deliberation and Madisonian amendments (a structure of government in which the powers of the government are separated into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial). The American constitution also came out of deliberation. First there was a trial for confederation which failed twice and then the Philadelphia convention and then the final constitution that has survived very minor amendments. India’s constitution is looked down frequently as a book which is not original because at that stage originality was not a possibility. Dr. Ambedkar said- the fundamental position had been clear by that time, but the comprehensiveness, the matter of detail, the way the consensus evolved and way the contradiction of India were addressed by the constitution is one reason that the constitution has survived even today. There are amendments but the constitution has never changed its fundamentals. This a unique achievement in developing world. The survival of Indian constitution is unique in the sense that India is a society and polity of major contradictions. In a context of non-European world where the constitution making is still going on, there it is found that Indian constitution is being consulted, talked about and also being followed in many countries. The reason being the socio-economic conditions of many of these countries are similar to India. The fundamental right to equality does exist on paper but hardly practiced in reality. Hence, on the topic of equality, Dr. Ambedkar has clearly said that in a situation like India where there is a caste system and economic inequality, the equality is very hard to conceive. That is why, India is not yet a nation, it is becoming a nation. In this process, all such questions will be addressed. Sustainability of constitution If looking at the context of constitution, it depends on the situation, how it is made and how it develops. India and Pakistan became independent at the same time. But Pakistan had to struggle for a constitution till 1958 and even today, liberal democracy is not well-settled in Pakistan. It was due to existence of good political party in India led by capable leaders whereas Muslim League was not exactly a party but a pressure group which made constitution making a difficult process. So, crucial basis of constitution is how it is formulated, what are its historical context, its social conditioning are important. This is why Indian constitution is attractive to many. Rise of constitutionalism comes in 18th century with the consolidation of liberal individualism. A constitution is a power map by which two things are established Power relationships within the government Relationship of government with society India had a favourable position because it had a well organised political party and also had civil service based on merit. Because of these two and sagacity of relationship at that time, there is a continuation of liberal democracy, virtually uninterrupted except for 19 months of emergency. The reason for a stable constitutional existence is for the fact that India has been able to work out lot of institutional arrangements. For example, rotational government is an accepted fact at centre and state level and end of domination of one party system present in the early years. Similarly, there are increased constitutional provisions that are being increasingly followed. For instance Bommai case where it is decided how the majority and the minority is determined in a legislative assemblies. Talks of fundamental rights Menaka Gandhi case where right to travel outside the country comes under personal liberty guaranteed by article 21 Keshavanandan Bharati case where it was established that there is a basic structure of constitution. This judgment was attractive because the judges never defined what basic structure is. So there is a flexibility which the modern world demands. From a command economy to a demand economy, India could reach it easily because of this flexibility. Indian constitution provides for a multiparty democracy with considerable amount of stability. Yet, the institution have remained largely stable as despite alteration of power, there is larger continuity of entire system. Hence, Indian Constitution’s performance has been credible. There are certain disagreements between judiciary-executive-legislature. But this happens everywhere. Yet India’s constitution has never been threatened by their disagreements. The continuous electoral process in the country powers way for stable democracy. Here, there is regular election to all the three tiers of the system- federal, state and local elections. Conclusion The constitutional amendments are essential because many administrative changes have to be brought about with evolving time but the basic structure remains intact and un-violated. Ivor Jennings thought that Indian constitution is very cumbersome but Granville Austin thought otherwise. Whatever it may be, Indian constitution has stood the test of time and has become a good example for newly emerging nations. Lessons from India can be taken in form of: Uninterrupted continuation: Nobody talks for new constitution. Indian federalism. From a quasi-federation, there is cooperative federalism. Co-existence of national and regional parties and attempt at creating a nation unified economically with GST. Important indicators which show that Indian constitution is based on rule of law, equality and fraternity is an example to the world. Whenever there is a constitution debate or new constitution in making, there will be a mention of Indian constitution. Connecting the dots: What are the features of constitution that India borrowed from world and now world can borrow from India. Analyse.
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 14th February, 2017
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 14th February 2017 Archives HEALTH CARE TOPIC: General Studies 2 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health Development processes and the development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders Hospital Acquired Infections Introduction Health care in India is in a dismal state with issues ranging from affordability, accessibility and availability. In this light a serious concern is hospital acquired infections which are life threatening. The biggest problem is lack of awareness and apathy of the officials. Issue: A large number of patients who go to hospitals come back with something more serious. According to the World Health Organisation, at any given time over 1.4 million people across the globe suffer from a hospital-acquired infection (HAI). HAIs account for 2 million cases and about 80,000 deaths a year. A 2015 study finds that the rates of hospital-acquired infections and antimicrobial resistance were markedly higher in India than those reported by the CDC in the U.S. Key findings and challenges: The first step to combat this situation is to improve hygiene practices and implement standard operating procedures at each step. According to the president of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC), Victor D. Rosenthal, who has been studying the problem for several decades- “Most HAIs are caused due to [a] lack of compliance with infection control guidelines, such as hand hygiene, [and] use of outdated technology,” he says. The most common types of HAIs are bloodstream infection, pneumonia, urinary tract infection and surgical site infections. A study published in 2015 by the INICC led by Dr. Rosenthal, studied the rate of device-associated infection rates in 40 hospitals from 20 Indian cities over a 10-year period from 2004. The study, which collected data from 236,700 intensive care unit (ICU) patients for 970,713 bed-days, found that rates of HAIs and antimicrobial resistance were markedly higher in India than the rates reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading national public health institute in the United States. The study found an incidence rate of 7.92 central line-associated bloodstream infections per 1,000 central line-days, 10.6 catheter-associated urinary tract infections per 1,000 urinary catheter-days and a ventilator-associated pneumonia rate of 10.4 per 1,000 mechanical ventilator-days in adult ICUs. The study reports that these high rates could reflect “the typical ICU situation in hospitals in India”. The situation is further emphasised by the fact that administrative and financial support in public hospitals is insufficient to fund full infection control programmes, which invariably results in extremely low nurse-to-patient staffing ratios — which have proved to be highly connected to high HAI rates in ICUs — and hospital overcrowding Issue of overcrowding Acknowledging India’s serious problem of overcrowding of hospitals which leads to many basic hygiene processes being given the go by limited manpower is an important risk factor. Having one nurse for three beds in an ICU is an important risk factor. With limited resources, there are limitations on providing a good enough manpower, proper guidelines, proper training, proper education, good behaviour, and right technology. Today more than ever, pathologists are constantly in “catching up” mode trying to counter microorganisms rapidly mutating and adapting to existing known methods of treatment. And the persons most susceptible to infection are those whose immune system is already compromised, say after a surgery or a prolonged visit to the hospital. Referring to the overuse of antibiotic drugs, Dr. Rodenthal sounds a sharp warning to the overuse of antibiotics: “The misuse and excess use of antibiotics increase resistance. The approach should be to prevent infections and in the process bring down the HAI rate together with bacterial resistance, rather than waiting for infections and then treating them with antibiotics.” Conclusion Prevention is better than cure is an old adage but as relevant as ever. In a country where we still have a long way to make health a basic right accessible to all the least government can do is to raise awareness about HAIs and curb them through mandated best practices. Connecting the dots: Hospitals are more seen as dens of disease breeding than cure especially with reports on hospital acquired infections. Enumerate the probable lapses leading to the same. Also chart a solution to the same. SECURITY TOPIC: General Studies 3 Government Budgeting. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Defence status and Budget 2017-18 In Budget 2016-17, the FM did something different from the past- he entirely skipped mentioning defence spending in his speech. In Budget 2017-18, he did make a passing reference to defence where he mentioned about a defence travel system and an online pension disbursement system. He has allocated a sum of Rs. 2,74,114 crore including Rs. 86,488 crore for defence capital for defence expenditure excluding pensions. The first thing left unsaid was that the budget estimate of defence pensions this year is a whopping Rs. 86,000 crore. When defence pensions are included, the overall defence budget amounts to Rs3.59 trillion, or 2.1% of GDP. When they are excluded, it drops to a meagre 1.6% of GDP. The concern Falling defence expenditure is a critical concern in the present times. The china has been increasingly confrontational, US with its new President is becoming more insular about American interest and Russia is growing its friendship with Pakistan. Hence, there is a necessity to increase defence expenditure in few years. On the capital acquisition front, the situation remains the same. The government had slashed 9% in the revised estimate compared to budget estimate. In present budget, there is a nominal increase of 10% in the capital acquisitions budget over last year —but this is a net reduction in capital spending once inflation and slashed expenditures in the revised estimate are accounted in. Though Rs. 86,000 crore on capital acquisitions might sound like a large number, close to 90% of it is allocated to paying off instalments of money for past purchases such as Sukhoi fighter craft, aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, transport planes like the C130J Super Hercules and more. Thus, the available budget for future acquisitions will be about Rs. 10,000 crore and no more. In addition to it, the FM chose to refer to two quite mild schemes, the Centralised Defence Travel System and the interactive Pension Disbursement System instead of mention of important policy issues like the strategic partnership scheme and defence technology fund. More than 50% of the total expenditure on defence is expected to go to salaries and pensions which ironically will anyways not give satisfaction to the personnel. Making a case for modernisation The paucity of funds in defence will adversely affect modernisation of the armed forces. But unfortunately, repeated underutilisation of the capital budget has weakened the case for higher allocations for new acquisitions. This makes it common to hear that there is underutilisation of the capital budget. One of the reason is that finance ministry rarely approves big contracts so that it can withdraw huge sums from the MoD to meet the fiscal target. Hence the MoD has to address the problem before it goes out of proportion. Simultaneously it is also true that the allocated amount would be insufficient if all contracts in the pipeline get signed during the next fiscal. But it is not as serious as the issue of insufficient allocation for maintenance of equipment currently in use. This maintenance of equipment in use, war wastage reserves including ammunition stock require sufficient funds to be managed. Thus sufficient funds and long term vision is required to maintain the armed forces for any unforeseen circumstances. Defence Reforms Outside the budget, the liberalizing of FDI to 100% in defence with any FDI up to 49% foreign ownership under the automatic route is an encouraging route. This step aims to help in providing competition to a declining public defence production sector— and avoiding an excessively high defence import bill. However, with barely Rs. 10,000 crore allocated towards new capital acquisitions, Make-in-India-Defence might remain a slogan and nothing more. Hence with squeezed budget, it is necessary to kick-start defence reforms in the country. Force rationalisation The Indian Armed Forces and especially the Indian Army is too person-heavy and needs some force reconciliation. Even China decided to reduce its troop size by 300,000 people in 2015. Raising more troops is an old mindset which needs to be changed. Recently India raised a troop of 80,000 strong Mountain Strike Corps directed against China. Accounting reforms Just like railways, the defence ministry needs to urgently adopt accrual accounting. The true pension liabilities of the Indian Armed Forces are unknown. Even the Armed Forces need a good reckoning of their assets and liabilities to be prepared for future conflict. Hence, the recommendations of successive standing committees on defence for accrual accounting and zero-budgeting should be heeded now. Make-In-India boost The focus on “Make in India” in defence needs to be revived. Since its introduction, no development contract has been signed so far for any “Make” project. A small allocation of Rs 44.63 crore for assistance to prototype development is not finding any takers. Hence, there should be projects that can be undertaken by Indian industry for indigenous design and development of prototypes of defence products with government funding. Defence reforms and reorganisation is not limited to just budget. The defence minister can introduce new policies over the years for a better defence performance Conclusion The meagre increase of 6% in the official defence budget is grossly inadequate. Today there exists vast void in military capability and the diminished and incremental effect on modernisation and operational preparedness. There is a need to augment resources substantially, particularly under ‘stores and capital’ procurement which have come under severe pressure in the last several years with a huge negative consequence on India’s defence preparedness. From the MoD’s perspective, while the demand for higher allocations is a genuine one, it must also be fully geared up to utilise the available resources in a time-bound manner. An outcome-oriented monitoring of utilisation of outlays is needed as recommended by the standing committee in 2016. It is the only way to ensure that the focus shifts from ensuring full utilisation of funds to spending these wisely on the desired outcomes. There is hardly any merit in asking for more resources while the present capacity to utilise the available resources, particularly those under the capital head, is constrained. Connecting the dots: What are the defence needs of Indian armed forces? Critically analyse. MUST READ Swimming out of a numerical soup Hindu Battling de-globalisation Indian Express The university’s well-being Indian Express Be the solution Indian Express Kulgam warning Indian Express Union budget: right priorities, flawed macroeconomics Livemint What does the Economic Survey tell us about the economy? Livemint Urban agenda 2017: quiet but provocative Indian Express ‘Demonetisation transformed mindsets’ Business Line All you wanted to know about MGNREGA Business Line
IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 120]
IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 120] Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about South Asia Training and Technical Assistance Centre (SARTTAC) It is a venture by the National Development Bank India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are members of SARTTAC Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) The 11th edition of the Aero India International Seminar, a prelude to the Aero India 2017 was held in Yelahanka, Bengaluru. Consider the following statements It is being organized by DRDO in association with the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI) The theme of the seminar is ‘Aerospace: Technology Collaboration and Self-Reliance’ Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Sandspit A spit or sandspit is a deposition bar or beach landform found off coasts or lake shores The longest spit in the world is the Arabat Spit in the Sea of Azov Farewell Spit is a narrow sand spit at the northern end of the Golden Bay, South Island of New Zealand Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.4) Cetaceans consists of Porpoises Whales Dolphins Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.5) Consider the following statements about 'Khelegi toh Khilegi' It is a pan-India football based programme for girls between the age to 10-15 years It was launched by Nurturing Excellence in Sports Trust (NEST) along with National Yuva Cooperative Society Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba
IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Defense Budget
IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue - Defense Budget 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
IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 119]
IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 119] Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), Delhi has adopted first-of-its-kind Green Building Performance Monitoring Platform - 'Arc'. Consider the following statements It is developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) Arc can be applied to both LEED-certified and non-certified buildings Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) It is the agency of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry It is responsible for formulating and implementing the Foreign Trade Policy with the main objective of promoting India’s exports Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Recently launched TAMRA Portal and Mobile Application is concerned with which of the following sector? Textiles Mining Steel Telecommunication Q.4) Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) consists of Prime Minister Minister of Home Affairs Minister of External Affairs Minister of Finance Select the correct code: 1, 2 and 3 1, 3 and 4 1, 2 and 4 All of the above Q.5) National Women’s Parliament was held in Telangana Andhra Pradesh Kerala Gujarat Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba