IASbaba's Mind Map GAAR & Changes in Tax Treaties - Issue, 25th January Archives P.S- Right Click on the image and open it in new tab. From there you can save it in your system. References- Link 1 Link 2 Link 3
Child Welfare ARCHIVES Search 14th November 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. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes Children are the important segment of the population. India being a young country, it has been always talked about its demographic dividend where 39% of population, i.e. 472 million are children. However, the proportion of children is declining with every census. In last two census, there was 8% decline in the percentage and population of children in overall population of country. Policy initiatives The National Policy for children says that State shall provide adequate services towards children, both before and after birth and during the growing stages for their full physical, mental and social development. It includes a comprehensive health programme, supplementary nutrition for mothers and children, free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14 years, promotion of physical education and recreational activities etc. The Government of India has also adopted the National Charter for Children where it commits to children’s rights to survival, health and nutrition, standard of living, play and leisure, early childhood care, education, protection or the girl child, empowering adolescents etc. India has also acceded to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to reiterate its commitment to the cause of children with the objective to give every child the right to survival and development in a healthy and congenial environment. Child sex ratio The 2011 census has recorded decline in Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) from 927 females per thousand males in 2001 to 919 females per thousand males in 2011. It had categorically stated that decline in male children was 2.06 million whereas it was 2.9 million in female children. This has been observed across states and every government has been bothered about it. The child sex ratio at birth had been improved in Sikh and Jain communities but declined sharply in Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and Muslims. But the general sex ratio has declined in most of the religious communities. It is evident from the data and opinions collected that the female is put in disadvantage in all cultures and all religion. It is difficult to say even if well-educated society or economically stronger society have positive child sex ratio! Where government has been proactive In an issue of ‘The Economist’, it was mentioned how China and South Korea have been able to change perception vis-a-vis girl child. How as a result of proactive government initiative, Korean society has been able to reverse adverse sex ratio. It means that if government takes up this issue seriously, and government is backed by the community programmes, civil society initiatives can propel a positive child sex ratio and improvement in number of girls. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao In the larger perspective of children’s welfare, this scheme is focusing on the girl child as adverse sex ratio exists in most parts of India. Generally, the girl child is seen as unwanted and somebody who is burden on family. Hence, this scheme is government’s initiative to protect the girl child and encouraged to attend school- primary and secondary. The PM’s comment on educating the boy in the family can be a pre-requisite in protecting the girl child. The male child has to be educated about living in society and respect women which will go in a big way to change perceptions in mind. Review of scheme: The first review was launched in Panipat, Haryana because this state has the lowest sex ratio state in India. The Ministry of women and child development claims from the latest review that in 49/100 districts taken up in first phase of programme, there has been significant improvement in ratio of girls for 1000 boys. No matter how much the government does, it is still a long way to go. It needs to be done continuously and in a committed way. Unless there is a creation of gender neutral society, there has to be protection of girl child. It should not be stopped at education but in also making sure she gets employment thereof and also create a society which values her. Challenges The security concerns of children is one of the most challenging aspect, especially when rates of crime against children, specifically the crimes of sexual nature have been rising. Girl child faces biasness right from the beginning when the fear of dowry demand at time of her marriage makes her burden on family. The old order of joint family system or neighbourhood is now lost and the alternative is yet to be developed. This has made children vulnerable and easy prey as there is lack of adequate support system with children whose both parents are working. Though there is an advantage of demographic dividend, India has maximum child mortality rate in the world. Most of the children die of preventable causes, one of them being undernutrition. The government has continued with ICDS, which goes back to 1975, but the scheme is faltering somewhere now as inspite of so many years, there has not been significant improvement as 42% of the children are still underweight. Child labour is widely prevalent in India which has created a negative impact on child’s physical and mental ability. Child protection measures POCSO was hailed as a game changer where lot of important rules and regulations were framed. As its effect, the number of crime cases against children has been on rise due to reporting of such incidences. Launch of e-button as an online complaint management system for easy and direct reporting of sexual offences against children and timely action against the offenders under the POCSO Act, 2012 has been widely acknowledged. The child has to be also educated in school about her/his safety. It includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Such education has made children aware about inappropriate behaviour with them and hence have become forthcoming and reporting it. India has comprehensive legal framework for protection of child rights in form of Juvenile Justice Act 2015 and recently amended Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act 2016. Conclusion A small family is a good one and parents should be responsible in giving the best to their children. Even if it is one child, the child has to be brought up in an educated, healthy and happy way. To create a children friendly society, participatory governance is needed where stakeholders are made aware of their responsibilities and work towards betterment of children’s healthy future. The society has lacked the stick and carrot rule where incentives are given to those who perform well and those who violate the rules, there is a penalty. The discipline with participation is equally important. As Nelson Mandela says: The soul of the society is revealed by the way it treats its children. India has now the onus as well as challenge on itself to make sure that its children form a part of its demographic dividend. Connecting the dots: Children are considered to be the most important population of any country. In the context of this, mention the challenges faced in child welfare in India and how can they be addressed.
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 24th January 2017 Archives INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS TOPIC: General Studies II Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora. Important International institutions, agencies and fora their structure, mandate. UAE - Gulf Countries and Changing dynamics with Asia Introduction This year’s Republic day guest is the crown prince of UAE Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The country and the region is significant to India in geopolitical, strategic and changed economics of the current day world. Significance He will only be the third leader in 70 years from the Middle East to grace the occasion. Delhi had hosted only two other leaders — the president of Iran, Mohammed Khatami (2003), and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (2006). This indeed is surprising, given the multiple factors binding India and the region and Delhi’s persistent post-independence claims on political solidarity with the Middle East. No other region outside of the subcontinent is so critical for India’s security and prosperity than the Middle East. Yet, the region never gets sustained high-level political attention in Delhi. The visit of Sheikh Mohammed and the signing of a strategic partnership agreement will hopefully mark a big change in Delhi’s mindset and help consolidate a more productive third phase in India’s engagement with the Middle East. History In the first phase, India’s emphasis was on anti-Western and anti-Israel solidarity with the Middle East. This was driven in part by the presumed need to prevent Pakistan from scoring a march over India by playing up its religious affinity with the region. It also prevented India from coming to terms with the many other contradictions of the region — between republics and monarchies, conservative regimes and radical Islamists, Shia and Sunni, to name a few. Despite expansive goodwill for India in the region, Delhi seemed to have little to offer beyond rhetorical support. Delhi’s emphasis on self-reliance saw the dismantlement of the strong economic links that emerged between the undivided subcontinent and the Middle East through the 19th century. The oil boom in the Gulf saw the dramatic expansion of India’s interdependence region — through labour exports and energy imports. Delhi, however, was ill-equipped in building on this interdependence in the first phase. The second phase, which began at the turn of the 1990s, saw a more pragmatic Indian approach to the region. Delhi normalised diplomatic relations with Israel without having to sacrifice its expansive interests in the rest of the Middle East. Changes and Responses As the scale of India’s economic interdependence on the Gulf grew rapidly in the reform era, Delhi began to move away from mercantilism to deepening trade and investment links with the region. The second phase also saw the renewal of military exchanges and security cooperation with the countries of the region. But the profound convulsions affecting the region seemed to prevent bolder Indian military partnerships in the Gulf. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh travelled to the region only four times during his decade-long tenure — two of those trips were to attend the non-aligned summits. To make matters worse, the first months of the NDA government seemed to suggest Prime Minister Narendra Modi might be more interested in Israel than the rest of the region. New Developments There was a solid corrective in the last two years. Even as he brought the Israel partnership into the open, Modi has devoted much energy to engaging the Gulf states. As he pointed out in his recent remarks at the Raisina Dialogue in Delhi, “we have redefined, in a short span of time, and despite uncertainty and conflict, our partnerships with Gulf and West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Iran”. India’s current intensive engagement with the UAE is a test case for India’s credibility in the region. Amidst the shifting external and internal balance of power in the Middle East, the region is eager to see India return to its traditional role as a major economic and security partner. On its part, the UAE has laid out a bold agenda for bilateral cooperation in areas ranging from investments in civilian infrastructure to defence production. It is ready for deeper collaboration on counter-terrorism and regional security. The United Arab Emirates is likely to highlight its “Look East” policy with its participation in the Republic Day celebrations in India Diaspora There has been continuous Indian presence in the UAE since at least the 18th century. Today, Indians make up 30% of the country’s population — the single largest expatriate community in the UAE The prime minister added that Delhi’s intensive engagement has helped “protect and promote our security interests, nurture strong economic and energy ties and advance the material and social welfare of around eight million Indians”. Problem Areas Continuing influence of Pakistan and Islamic republics. UAE serving home to many India’s most wanted criminals with Dawood Ibrahim topping the list. The country reporting cases of radicalisation of Indian Muslims and hence recruitment into many terror activities Conclusion India’s Look West is now effectively complemented by the Look East Policy of Gulf countries given the changing relations with the west. This is teh right time for India to bind its relations with stable and strategic partners of the region Increasing influence of China via its grand policies can be countered through historical ties supported by new trade and bilateral arrangements. Connecting the dots India’s foreign policy is an organic instrument. Examine the changing relationship with Gulf countries especially in the backdrop of Yemen and Syrian Crisis. ART AND CULTURE - SOCIETY TOPIC: General Studies I Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. Art, Culture and impact on Society Introduction Art and culture is always a reflection of the society and its status. Since the age of renaissance and reformation art and culture has played a crucial role in determining the critical textures of society. In India since Indus Valley times art and culture has reflected the society of erstwhile times. Art and Society in light of recent developments For long we have believed that the arts bring people together; that those belonging to different sides of the fence, with opposite world views, merge in the presence of beauty. We are not looking for earth-shattering, radical shifts, but cumulative subtle movements that allow for a discourse. The problem probably lies with the presumption that the art world and artists come together in wonderment of aesthetic beauty, irrespective of its originating social and cultural address. Books being banned on protests by fringe elements Film makers and writers facing brunt of censor and clash of ideas and ideologies. Killing of some rationalists that included famous Kannada writer M M Kalburgi Ban on Mathorubhagan a book of Perumal Murugan on its dialectics with society Art and its dynamics Art is a generic term encompassing every one of its created manifestations. But every art form is a distinctly individual, with a specific intention that drives its aesthetics, interpretations and evolution. Beyond superficial identification signs, every art form has an interior that is uniquely precious. The soul of each art form lies in that purpose and cultural construct. There is one thing that binds all art: the chance that a genuine art experience can reconfigure human beings and change the way we receive ourselves and life around. The life breath of art is the challenge it poses to the status quo. Art must make us question our strongest beliefs and redraft our coordinates. Serious discomfort is beautiful; it unshackles our minds from predisposed mindsets. Great pieces of art play with the way we are wired, and when that happens we receive with an openness that is rare. This does not happen easily since every art, its artists, and the community that constitute its environment collapse on to each other, establishing an inseparable dependency, becoming a socio-cultural flagship. Therefore, if art is to play a role in social transformation, it needs to unstrap itself from this bind, rediscover its essence from within and in relation to the outside. This can only happen if in the curation of art there is a conscious intention to break pattern-determined norms. T M Krishna The author is a Carnatic vocalist, author, and recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award. What has art to do with Ramon Magsaysay - He is a public speaker and writer on human choices, dilemmas, concerns and matters musical. He has started and is involved in organisations whose work is spread across the whole spectrum of art and culture including research, documentation, education, activism and supports artists from economically and socially marginalised communities. The Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha This is one such idea that is challenging to break free of the scaffoldings that limit our perception of art, ourselves and all those we encounter. Everyone becomes vulnerable and that is where change begins, be it cultural, social or political. The festival is situated in an unusual space, within a fishing village, on the rim of Chennai. This shift obligates a certain class to step out of its sense of ‘normal’. Using a common public place like a park would have been one step, but to curate art in a space that the traditional middle-upper middle class is unfamiliar with, even alien to, unsettles the mind. After initial moments of discomfort, something magical happens. The unfamiliarity of the space and the lack of known external support structures dissolve socially imbibed judgments and allows for an unhindered reception. For those who live in the kuppam, this has been an opportunity to experience art forms that they thought were exclusive to ‘certain kinds of people’. Their own suspicions of people like ‘us’ is addressed without verbal articulation. Learning and unlearning happens through and from the art experience. Each Pay Commission has enlarged the civil service pay packet and perquisites. You don’t have to exert yourself on the job to earn a promotion. Significance When an art form remains within its own fiefdom, it is permanently secure. If we strip art of this safety bracket, it is in free fall. And real art happens in free will, when rejection is also a distinct possibility. When art and receivers are completely open, there is an aesthetic tension that exists. It is from this place that empathy and understanding evolve. Classical artists are not used to this kind of rejection; at the Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha, this is entirely possible. For the marginalised art forms, this space has given cultural strength and has forced the privileged to feel beyond sympathy; it has forced them to recognise, respect and embrace. The classical environment also needs to be stirred and shaken. Hence, this year, the non-classical and marginalised art traditions are being presented for the first time in a classically tagged space. The process, socio-cultural positions occupied by people and art forms are once again inversed. There are new reorientations for both worlds. Conclusion Ina an age where freedom of expression is facing tough times and challenges from both state and non state actors, the concept of the event is unique. It is similar to a literature festival which allows grind of thoughts and a healthy debate on societal dynamics from multiple perspectives. Especially coming from Tamil Nadu the land of Dravidian Culture that has traditionally challenged the majoritarian domination it holds relevance. It also caters to marginalised and weaker sections by giving a voice to the same. Connecting the dots Sangam literature was reflective of the societal culture of those times. How is contemporary art and literature challenging the thin edged socio political dynamics of the society? Illustrate with examples. MUST READ The price of fiscal folly Hindu Our democratic deficit Hindu Lose-Lose Situation Indian Express Sign of Change Indian Express The right processes for a good budget Livemint The consequences of crime against women Livemint Competing for better health? Technology opportunities in IFRS self-regulation Livemint Technology opportunities in IFRS self-regulation Livemint   Letter and spirit Business Line Is Indian banking losing its balance? Business Line GST hurdles Business Line
IASbaba's Mind Map Chagos Archipelago - Issue, 24th January Archives P.S- Right Click on the image and open it in new tab. From there you can save it in your system. References- Link 1 Link 2 Link 3
IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 105] Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Which of the following statements about the Vaquita is/are correct? It is a rare species of porpoise It is the most endangered cetacean in the world It endemic to the northern part of the Gulf of California Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Consider the following statements about Wolf 1061c It is an exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of the red dwarf star Wolf 1061 It is the second-closest known potentially habitable exoplanet to Earth, after Proxima Centauri b It has an atmosphere more similar to Venus Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 Only 1 Q.3) Which of the following is/are correctly matched? Arunachal Pradesh :: Yak Dance Manipur :: Hojagiri Tripura :: Lai Haroba Odisha :: Dola Jatra Select the correct code: 1 and 4 1, 3 and 4 2 and 3 Only 1 Q.4) Which of the following statements is/are correct? Anadromous fishes hatch or are born in marine habitats, but migrate to freshwater areas where they spend the majority of their lives growing and maturing. Catadromous fishes are the opposite of catadromous fishes in that hatching and a juvenile period occur in freshwater. Both (a) and (b) Neither (a) nor (b) Q.5) The 713th death anniversary of Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya was recently observed by reciting qawwals in the Nizamuddin dargah. Consider the following statements Nizamuddin Auliya is a sufi saint belonging to the Qadiriyya order His notable disciple was Amir Khusrow 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 Daily Current Affairs – 23rd January 2017 Archives GOVERNANCE TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Analysis Introduction Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) has been one of the most important programmes of the government in the past one year. Major share of the finances are being spent on this programme, officials are being regularly monitored to ensure best results. Lately, the focus has shifted from construction of toilets only to declaring districts and states Open Defecation Free (ODF). States such as Sikkim, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh have already attained this status and other states are also working towards achieving the ODF status. However, various other aspects such as governance and implementation have to be analysed to review the performance of this programme. Features of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan The Government of India launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) on 2nd October, 2014 with the following objectives: Eliminate open defecation, Conversion of insanitary toilets to pour flush toilets, Eradication of manual scavenging, 100% collection and scientific processing/disposal reuse/recycle of Municipal Solid Waste, Behavioural change in people and awareness generation among the citizens about sanitation and its linkages with public health, Strengthening of urban local bodies to design, execute and operate systems, and To enhance private sector participation. The above objectives are to be achieved with the help of the following components: Construction of Household Toilets, Community and Public Toilets, Solid Waste Management, Information, Education & Communication (IEC) and Public Awareness, Positives so far A lot of effort and resources, both personnel and financial, are being devoted towards achieving the ODF status in almost all districts of the country. With immense focus on the SBA by the government, this programme has been at the centre of focus for political appraisal. As a result of the scale of this campaign and the government’s continuous focus on sanitation, health and hygiene, SBA has received a very high-level of political commitment and time-bound targets. Challenges in the Success of SBA Data Related Challenges Adequate data on the basis of third party surveys and evaluation is not available to assist in performance evaluation. Whatever data has been recorded reveals a lot of inconsistencies. Accuracy of data is lacking since there is duplication of names and false toilet construction has been reported in many cases. Quality Concerns Quality of toilets being constructed and performance of other initiatives is an issue. No training is being undertaken to mobilise all the people involved. Officials of the local government and those responsible for sanitation are not given any training for community mobilization. Administrative Concerns Even though Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) have a major role to play still there is lack of institutional capacity at the grassroots level to deliver sanitation services. The high level of political focus that SBA has received has brought along with it immense performance pressure for essential stakeholders such as district collectors. This pressure has had a negative impact on the officers incharge. For the success of this programme a lot of investment in terms of administrative capabilities has to be made. Since the same is lacking, there is inefficiency in the performance and also diversion from the prime objective. Citizen Engagement Since the district collectors and other officers incharge are supposed to work towards targets, they have resorted to penalization of citizens. Coercive measures such as disconnecting power supply and withholding supply of rations are being used in case of failure of public to construct toilets. Citizens are being fined for not constructing toilets and being forced to take loans from banks since the government gives the money after construction of the toilet. There is limited interaction between the government officials and the citizens who need to be made aware of the programme and their roles and responsibilities. Reforms Strategy Citizens need to be involved in activities to spread awareness and for the purpose of demand creation. Citizen participation has to be increased. Not always will a carrot and stick approach work. Hence, the bureaucracy and the government officials involved should not use coercive measures. Rather citizens should be incentivized and motivated. Community interaction should be encouraged. Civil society institutions need to be approachable to the people. Such collective action will go a long way in the success of this campaign. Local government has to be very proactive in their work. Organs of local government need to be strengthened with sufficient powers to work towards the objectives of SBA. Conclusion There is no fixed path towards success for SBA. It has to be a combination of many elements. The government needs to combine top down and bottom up methods, role modelling and advertisements have to be combined with citizen participation and community interaction. With so much of political willingness and support for the programme, it is time that government also empowers local government in the best manner. Connecting the dots: Discuss the provisions of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Critically analyse the performance of the programme with suggestions to improve the outcomes. GOVERNANCE TOPIC: General Studies 2 Role of civil services in a democracy. Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability and institutional and other measures. Civil Services Reforms Introduction Indian Civil Services better known as All Indian Services is considered a steel frame of the country. The relevance is understood in the words of Sardar Patel’s who is regarded as the father of Indian Civil Services. Reforms should be continuous and ongoing process which unfortunately has not been the case. What is Civil Service? Civil Services are generally defined to be public services constituted by the government to translate all its plans and programmes into implementable action. Status of Civil Services in India Civil Services in India has British legacy. The attempt to make it Indian, Civil and truly service oriented has been on since independence. Including Administrative Reform Commision I and II along with many other commissions set up time to time have suggested a host of reforms. The tragedy has been that Civil Services still holds the colonial mentality and have been ivory towered. Corruption has beena serious malice which affects the society at large. Civil Servants get constitutional protection under article 311. Recent Government actions The Central government’s recent decision to compulsorily retire two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and one Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer for ‘non-performance’ is bold and laudable. The compulsory retirements are in pursuance of the service rules that contemplate a review either when an officer reaches the age of 50 or completes 25 years of service. Benefits Galore The public should know that our All India Services and the Central Services are paid well by Indian standards. Each Pay Commission has enlarged the civil service pay packet and perquisites. You don’t have to exert yourself on the job to earn a promotion. If you did not go to jail for some grave impropriety while in service, you still get to reach the peak and earn the maximum pension Problem Areas While the quality in top 30 percent of AIS is still pristine, probably better than yore, there is sharp deterioration at the lower level of batches. Corruption has become rampant among AIS, which was unheard of previously. There are even officers who perform treasury duties for political funds, guard, distribute and manage political election chests – many of them have becomebrokers to politicians. It is now unquestionable that there is a lot of dead-wood in the AIS state bureaucracies, an alarmingly growing phenomenon triggered by a variety of self-reinforcing political factors. Lethargy, lassitude, a feeling of irrelevance are the main forces, which over time drive extremely bright, able, arguably best in the world men and women, to feel unwanted, unwelcome and unable to find a role of contribution for themselves. Only around 10 per cent of officers remain current in their knowledge and exert themselves to keep the administrative system in shape. Obstacle to Reforms Lack of political will in spite of clearly laid reforms necessary by number of commissions. The judiciary that overturns or stays every administrative action against an erring senior officer. Constitutional protection that makes the process tedious. (http://www.img.kerala.gov.in/docs/downloads/cp_to_cs.pdf) Conflict of interests and politicisation with lack of neutrality. Remedies An independent body like UPSC should be tasked with periodic reforms (UPSC has limited ambit of only recruitment). A solution to judicial deadlock should be developed. Civil Services Neutrality is a necessity that has to be practised in letter and spirit. Reforms suggested by many commissions should be implemented with due diligence Conclusion Civil Services is the crucial nervous system of the administration. The success and failure of the government efforts will be dependent on the dynamic and alacrity of the civil services. In this light the reform measures of the government has to be supported - one should forget the short term pain, and see it in its right perspective as the most important development of the past 70 years to reverse the trends as a first step to bring India to the forefront of the world’s nations. The administrative apparatus has a key role in the implementation process – cleaning up and overhauling it and make it work is a top most priority. Indian civil services, with its high potential, will take the message and respond. A high quality effective civil services are a sine qua non for development. Connecting the dots Indian Civil Services considered as the steel frame is also regarded as fossilized. In light of the recent reform measures of the Government of India highlight the role of civil services in governance. Critically analyse the reforms since independence. Further reading: http://www.firstpost.com/india/major-reforms-for-civil-services-on-the-way-all-signs-from-narendra-modi-government-point-to-yes-3214838.html MUST READ Dealing with the deadwood Hindu From Jellicut to jallikattu Hindu Justice, more sensitive Indian Express An uneasy force Indian Express A crisis from which the US bailed out the RBI Livemint In defence of globalization Livemint Connecting India’s states with good logistics Livemint The many lessons from Swachh Bharat Livemint Stonewalling by the RBI Business Line When institutions are put on the mat Business Line Jallikattu pride and all that Business Line
Hello All, Archives From today onward, Mind Maps will be posted as a separate post for better navigation and clear demarcation of topics. It will help you go through the issues at one place. The most unique feature when we started IASbaba was learning through Mind Maps. We have always stressed the importance of learning through visualization and key words. Our Mind Maps will never be sheer bombardment of key words to make it look catchy. There is a larger benefit of learning through Mind Map and it is to understand a bigger issue in less number of words. Do not expect to understand everything of the issue when a background study has not been done. It is advised to go through the issue in detail and then learn to put it in the form of Mind Map for better retention of the same. This exercise coupled with TLP issues will impart great learning and you will witness decent growth in your learning curves. P.S- Right Click on the image and open it in new tab. From there you can save it in your system. Topic- Chief of Defence Staff References Link 1 Link 2
IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 104] Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (COCSSO) The 24th COCSSO was organised by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) in collaboration with the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES), Government of Maharashtra The theme of this year’s Conference is “Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare” Which of the following statements is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Recently Jones Lang LaSalle’s released its fourth annual City Momentum Index of cities around the world. Consider the following statements The Index tracks the speed of change of a city's economy and commercial real estate market Bengaluru has emerged as the most dynamic city 5 of the top 10 cities are from Asia Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.3) Which of the following statements about International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for Seafarers (STWC) is/are correct? STCW was adopted in 1978 by conference at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, and entered into force in 1984 The 1978 STCW Convention was the first to establish basic requirements on training, certification and watch keeping for seafarers on an international level It applies to ships of non-party States when visiting ports of States which are Parties to the Convention All of the above Q.4) The Chagos Archipelago is located in Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean Pacific Ocean Arctic Ocean Q.5) Consider the following statements about Lean Manufacturing Competitiveness Scheme It is a component of National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme (NMCP) It is basically an initiative to reduce "waste" in manufacturing National Productivity Council (NPC) was selected as National Monitoring and Implementing Unit (NMIU) for facilitating implementation and monitoring of the Scheme Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 1 and 3 Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 21st January 2017 Archives ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Start-Up India and Its Problems Introduction The Start-up India, Stand-Up India campaign was initiated by the government last year with the intention of providing handholding support to upcoming ventures, promoting entrepreneurship, offering financial support and also allowing tax breaks. Provisions of Start-up India Certain essential features of the Start-up India campaign are: Government funded corpus worth Rs. 10,000 crores. Credit Guarantee Corpus of Rs. 500 crores per annum to be used for four years. Mobile Application for registration of start-up ventures. Tax exemptions under the Income-tax Act, 1961. Self certified labour compliance and exemption from labour inspections. Award for incubators supporting the start-ups. Provisions of Stand-up India Composite Loan between Rs. 10 Lakhs and Rs. 100 Lakhs Loan available for SC/ST and women entrepreneurs above 18 years of age. Loan available for green field projects only. Enterprise whether in the manufacturing, trading or service sector is eligible for the loan. Problem Areas As the programme enters its second year of operation, not much progress has been seen. Very few start-ups have become a part of the plan and government is also struggling with the basic design issues. As a result, the government is facing the following challenges: Problems related to Venture Capitals Corpus Contribution Venture capitalists (VC) were supposed to receive funding from Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) managed corpus of Rs10,000 crores. However, no money has been disbursed under this plan even though SIDBI has already sanctioned money. This is because, in the funding so provided, the bank only puts in 15% of the total corpus and the balance is to be contributed by the VC itself. In such a scenario, where the VCs are failing to raise funds the entire programme is suffering to take off. Investment Limitations Under the programme the government had initially stated that VCs could only early-stage start-ups. This restricted the investment options of VCs. Subsequent lack of interest by the VCs led to alteration of rules under the programme. SEBI Registration Another challenge that the VCs faced was the mandatory registration of participating investors with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Since many VCs are not registered, this led to them being barred from being a part of this scheme. Problems related to Start-ups Access to the Scheme As a result of the eligibility criteria the access to the start up India programme is complicated to such an access that the government received only about 1,368 applications and out of these, only 502 were recognized as start-ups. Tax Benefit Availability Even tax benefit access is complicated and as a result only eight start-ups have been granted tax benefits under the scheme. Further, the provisions for allowing tax benefits assume that the enterprise will be profitable within three years of operation. Hence, the tax benefit ended up being redundant because there were no profits in such a short span on which the start-ups could avail these benefits. Incubators Availability Industry-academia partnerships through new incubators could have been a huge boost for the start up India programme. However, the lack of sufficient incubators has also been another hurdle in the way of success of this programme. Only recently, established incubators have been selected to receive government funding to scale up operations. Conclusion The government now needs to ensure that it provides an enabling environment to the start-ups rather than treating it like an infant industry. Government needs to move towards rationalising its approach. Government funds can only short-circuit the process. There is no doubt that such large scale programmes do take time to come up with the expected results but it has to be ensured that all efforts to push the programmes are on track and stay viable. For this to happen, all stakeholders need to come together and put in the required efforts. The entire burden cannot be put on the government. The private sector, the research and development organisations also need to step in. Connecting the dots Discuss the provisions and objectives of the Start-up India Programme. Critically analyse the performance of this programme since its inception. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 1 Indian culture General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Jallikattu and the debate surrounding it Historical background The ancient sport of Jallikattu finds mention in Sangam Literature, nearly 2000 years ago, in a text called Kalithokai, where five long poems (approx. 300 lines) provide its elaborate description. The Kalithokai poems depicted the mood of carnival where young men ‘embraced the bull’ (‘eru thazhuvuthal’) and tamed it. The focus of the poems is on the valour and the violence that accompanies this heroic feat. Though there has been evidence from prehistoric times capturing bulls and attempting to tame them in nearly 70 ancient rock art sites discovered in Tamil Nadu, it is the modern Tamil literary prose where there is extended description of Jallikattu. R. Rajam Aiyar, disciple of Swami Vivekananda, had his Tamil Novel Kamalambal Charithiram written in 1893 which depicted the celebration of this sport. Unlike Kalithokai which is set in pastoral zone, the Kamalambal Charithiram has naturalistic locations of Madurai and Tirunelveli where the sport itself is overlapped in the dynamics of rural power structure. In later books, the stories revolve around the sport being engulfed in caste conflicts and as a result of which, the festival is suspended. But then it is restored by the advent of the Gandhian movement and for the first time, the sport is celebrated as the valorous sport of Tamils. Over a period of time, there have been many novels, short stories and films made on this topic. Considered the locus classicus of Jallikattu, Vaadi Vaasal, first as short story and then as novel has been in demand since its first publication in 1959. This indicates its literary merit but also cultural importance accorded to it. The history of the literary representation of Jallikattu is testimony to its long-lived attraction. The sport, though undoubtedly is reflective of social inequities, but has not restrained to few dominating castes. By the 1980s, Jallikattu transcended its regional and caste definition and became emblematic of Tamil culture. The current issue The sport is part of Tamil culture organised during the Pongal festivities. The present form of Jallikattu involves mass-participant ritual of hundreds of men chasing a bull and trying to hold on to its hump or stop it by pulling at or twisting its tail instead of traditional form of one man against one animal. Also, Jallikattu term in Tamil refers to coins tied onto the bull's forehead, and the winner is said to have tamed the bull if he could take off the coins. Earlier, it was a rite of passage for a man seeking a girl for marriage. Thus, the meaning and essence of this sport changed over the years. In 2013, under the watch of the Animal Welfare Board of India, the onus was Tamil Nadu government to ensure that Jallikattu did not violate the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. But, the efforts to conduct a safe and cruelty free Jallikattu failed. In 2014, Supreme Court judgment had termed Jallikattu ‘inherently cruel’ and specifically held that no regulations or guidelines should be allowed to dilute or defeat the spirit of a welfare legislation like Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 and constitutional principles (Art 21, Art 48 and Art 51A). The judgment had classified the bull as a draught animal not meant for running but walking under the Prevention of Cruelty to Draught and Pack Animals Rules, 1965. The continued ban evoked strong response amongst the people in Tamil Nadu. And bowing down to popular sentiment, now the Tamil Nadu state government is trying to pass an ordinance to allow conduct of Jallikattu, which carries a serious risk of judicial rebuke. Here, the bulls will be put in the list of performing animals in the state which will allow the conduct of Jallikattu. The better way to handle the situation is to rather convince SC that a Jallikattu is possible where the safety of spectators as well as elimination of cruelty to animals is possible. Another way is that Tamil Nadu government can enact a law to treat Jallikattu as a traditional sport. This will make the law valid under Constitution as sports are in exclusive jurisdiction of states. Such a law will allow the sport subject to stringent conditions such as staying 100 feet away from the animal, no stone throwing or doing any acts of cruelty. If any misbehaviour or violation of SC orders found and proved, there shall be punishment for the same. It is all right if popular sentiment can influence legislation, but it cannot undermine the rule of law. Is there a hidden agitation? What was a rural, semi-urban protest, soon saw urban citizens of Chennai coming out in protest of Jallikattu ban. Here, the instantly swelling protest has to do more with Tamil Pride than Jallikattu. The Tamil people have been brought together for different reasons such as decades-long rule by two ‘exploitative’ political parties; the Centre’s stand in the last leg of the Sri Lankan war; the feeling of being abandoned in the Cauvery water issue; Kudankulam and GAIL pipeline projects, insistence on learning Hindi, the government’s cold response on the farmers’ issues for years; the drought, the Chennai floods, the Tamil fishermen issue, among others. Though the current protest is about Jallikattu and Tamil pride, the people have long suppressed their dissatisfaction against centre and state governments. This youth agitation should be addressed before it takes gigantic form of lawlessness. Conclusion The protestors have won the fight against the state but it needs greater introspection into the sport and its importance. If Jallikattu has to be a part of Tamil culture, it has to be conducted with protection to animals and human beings as well as regulated by an authority. Age old traditions and cultures need to be revisited if they are in violation with fundamental constitutional principles. Even child marriage was a cultural tradition before it was adjudicated as a crime. (Note: Part 2 shall cover detailed aspect about ‘why not to ban jallikattu’, ‘religious interference by state machinery’ and ‘rationality vs sentiments’). Connecting the dots: Why is Jallikattu enshrined into Tamil culture with such valour? The mass protests surrounding the agitation against the ban brings out in open the tussle between old cultural traditions, populist government decisions and pragmatic judicial intervention. Analyse. MUST READ Living in a hotter world Hindu No more committees Indian Express You, US, and good health Indian Express President Trump Indian Express Impact of job-stealing robots a growing concern among global CEOs at Davos Livemint Which countries have benefited the most from globalization? Livemint MINDMAPS Prosecution of Public Servants
Different Dimensions of Scrapping of High Denomination Currency Notes ARCHIVES Search 10th November 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. The government took a drastic step of demonetisation on 8th November 2016 by scrapping currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 where it was nearly made a non-legal tender since the next day. Why demonetisation? The main motto of demonetisation by PM was: To tackle black money in the economy To eliminate fake currency and dodgy funds which have been used by terror groups to fund terrorism in India. Black money There is a difference between black money and black economy. Black money is the money that’s not taxed in system. So it is basically unaccounted money. Black economy includes in its purview the income derived from illegal activities like smuggling, money laundering, criminal activity. Though black money is generated through legitimate activity, it still forms part of black economy as the result of legitimate activities is not offered for taxation. Will the purpose be achieved? The demonetisation step by government is going to have limited success because it may neutralise the efforts of counterfeiting and terror money but not eliminate generation of black money. Black money is never because of the high currency note. It is highly present in real estate which is ploughed back into the country through tax havens, FDIs and FIIs, hoarded in jewellery and other precious materials. It cannot be eliminated just through demonetisation as its generation is not technical but because of system flaws. Another concern has been counterfeit currency which was smuggled into country with objective of affecting Indian economy as well as terror funding. Hence, it could be effective measure against these which have been flowing from across the border. Indian economy has some strength because of cash economy. Cash economy has faster transaction rate and lower default rate and thus there is no need to chase anybody to recover money. However, there do exist chances of leakages as well as evasion. Hence, there has to be a perfect mechanism and balance between cash and bank economy given the nature of Indian economy. Instead of demonetisation, currency notes with better security mechanisms could have been introduced. Previous instances Demonetisation of higher currency notes happened in 1946 and 1978. Rs 1,000 and Rs 10,000 bank notes were in circulation prior to January 1946. Higher denomination banknotes of Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 were reintroduced in 1954 and all of them were demonetized in January 1978. However the impact was not felt so much by common man as the size of economy was small compared to today. Also, the black money was 4% of GDP in 1955 which is now more than 60% of GDP. This happened not only because of evasion but because there is systematic effort by the drivers of black economy that there could be nexus between politics and business, corporate and other houses in the society. Hence, elimination of high currency notes will not lead to liquidation of black money. This requires systematic dismantling of structure which are basically creating black economy in system. Effect of demonetisation There was chaos in the market as daily wagers, vegetable vendors, retailers were not accepting old notes. The new higher denomination notes were also not easily available. Notes of denominations Rs. 100 and Rs. 50 were so much in demand that there was a potential crisis in their supply also within society. As a result, the economic activity at retail level and micro level was stopped virtually. The banks had to face most critical situation as they were not logistically equipped to deal with this kind of a situation. So there was equivalent chaos in banks as in markets. Though it is said that instead of dismantling the currency, there could have been smooth transition to have these transferred or exchanged by the people. This would have enabled them to understand and embrace the change to digital modes of transactions. But it is very well known that even if 5 months were given to people to accept the change from cash to non-cash, it would not have been possible as mindset was set. So time period was not a matter of concern. More important was to understand if the mechanism shall work for which it was intended — to root out the black money. 80% of India’s economy is cash economy. It is difficult for the rural economy to be entirely transformed into plastic money with one single policy decision. Tax administration reforms In pre 1990s, the marginal tax rate was very high at around 93.5%, which deterred compliance. Post 1991 reforms, there were concessions and liberal measures which increased the tax to GDP ratio. Even Kelkar Committee gave suggestions on moderate tax rates, expansion of tax base etc. Now even the marginal tax rate is 30.9%, yet the compliance rate has not really gone up. This shows that compliance has nothing to do with lowering of tax rates. Tax rates changes affects the middle level people more than the propertied class or corporate class which are really not affected by it. The average income of the people in the country is not high. Thus, widening of tax net cannot sufficiently give desired results unless people have higher income. In addition to it, there are many who don’t pay income tax inspite of having taxable income. Such tax evaders need to be first identified and made to pay penalties over and above taxes. Recently, the strict nature of government helped in collection of Rs. 65000 crore as taxes. Thus, if there is need to increase the tax base or tax payers, there must be a strong enforcement mechanism. The IT department should be logistically equipped in more effective way to deal with tax evasion so as to limit the gradual dilution of process of enforcement as always observed. Key word: Marginal Tax Rate: it is the tax rate that is applicable for each tax bracket of a taxpayer’s income or other taxable income for which he or she qualifies. It is the percentage taken from the taxpayer’s next rupee of taxable income over and above a set income threshold. As an individual’s income rises so will his or her marginal tax rate. The main objective of marginal tax rates is to tax individuals on the basis of what they earn, where people with lower income are taxed at lower rates as compared to people with higher income. Connecting the dots: Demonetisation has impacted the societal canvass of inequality and unaffordability. Do you agree? Discuss.
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