Sep 11, 2016 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Leadership – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Leadership: Very often we define leadership as a quality possessed by few rare individuals who are blessed with the gift of leadership. Almost always leadership is defined as a quality one possesses in addition to other common behavioural traits. In reality, leadership is a totally different dimension of personal trait. Leadership is not a quality, it is intent. A leader is not born but created by the situations and circumstances one faces. A leader is not the representative of a team; he is rather the face of it. A leader is not someone who drags people along a dream; he is the one who inspires action through a grander vision. In short, a leader is a master visionary and inspirer. So what does it take to be a leader? There is only one thing required; ability to soar beyond the narrow confines of human limitations and look at life from a larger perspective to lend strength, vision and values to the multitude. A leader is simply the one who can see much farther, who can visualize a future that is not yet a part of reality. A leader is the future of the world. Nobody is born with such great qualities; one has to cultivate the ability to learn and understand life from every dimension possible in order to become a leader. The richness of one’s experiences lends the necessary support for leadership to flourish. How much you know about the inner functioning mechanisms of people and life decides how good a leader you will be. A leader is almost always a person of greater knowledge, greater courage, greater vision and greater intent. He stands apart from the crowd in his ability to be himself amidst of constant ever changing minds of weak and uninspired souls. A leader is more like a tyrant who constantly wakes people up from their deep slumbers to push them towards a grander vision. A leader is the disturber of our peace and yet without him there is no meaning and purpose to our lives. “Once upon a time, a group of soldiers became lost in the Alps. They were hungry and disoriented. They argued about which way to go, but in the fading light every peak looked the same. The soldiers had no chance of surviving the night in the freezing temperatures. One of them found a map in his kitbag. He plotted a route, and marched them briskly back to base. Later, when they were warm and well fed, the soldier looked closer at his map. It was actually a map of a different region hundreds of miles away!” Sometimes, all it takes to succeed is a false sense of certainty provided by a wrong map! A leader is not someone who possesses a secret map that nobody else has. He envisions the future so clearly that he doesn't need a map. His vision is his only strength. A leader is not defined by the uniqueness of his qualities; he is defined by the strength of his vision. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.” Read more such articles– Click Here

Sep 11, 2016 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 10th September, 2016

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 10th September, 2016   INTERNATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 3 Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.   Is IUCN still relevant? In News:  IUCN World Conservation Conference (WCC) is in Hawaii over 1-10 September. Some 9,000 delegates from 190 countries, including heads of state, government officials, scientists, indigenous people and business leaders, will share, debate and act on the latest issues in conservation and sustainable development, to define a global path for nature conservation for the future.   The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources(IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, lobbying and education. IUCN is the only environmental organization that holds a place in the United Nations General Assembly, giving it an important and unique passport to international discussions on environment and development. Its single most important contribution to natural sciences is the development of the Red List—the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. WCC this year goes through an exhaustive process like UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) for a number of motions that all member countries must vote on, the question is: will the countries be penalized if they don’t follow what they commit to? For instance, if a member country says yes to a motion on “respect the rights of indigenous people in biodiversity-rich areas” but at the same time allows a thermal power plant to come up on the same piece of land, what can this international body do? In the era of globalization and faster development, most emerging economies of the world that are incidentally also rich in biodiversity are facing this dilemma: How to modernize while keeping habitats intact for species. Critique of the IUCN: IUCN may present itself as a knowledge-based body but its beliefs of cause and effect have not been adequately challenged. IUCN’s history is one of adding new goals without addressing their coherence with existing ends. The IUCN goal, for instance, of advocating protected areas without examining if protected areas actually help in biodiversity protection. For all its grand history, is IUCN, still relevant in a globalizing world? Way Ahead: IUCN has to reinvent itself and move away from its emphasis on fences and fines. It must recognize the economic forces, the models of “dirty growth” that are threatening biodiversity hotspots around the world. These are the forces this grand body of conservation must take on. There are individual sessions by scientists presenting papers on threatened species and effects of mining and other activities on their habitats, which should make their way into mainstream policies of member countries. In India, for instance, IUCN should be coming out with white papers on species at risk because of the rapid scale of development that is ripping our habitats apart. Connecting the dots: How far IUCN, as an international body, helped many countries to prepare national conservation strategies, identify areas rich in biodiversity for protection and influenced policymakers?   INTERNATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 2 India and its neighbourhood – relations Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests, Indian diaspora Important international institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate   India-Egypt relations In September 2016, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi made a maiden bilateral visit to India. However, this is Egyptian President’s second visit to India in a year (earlier he visited India on account of India-Africa Forum Summit 2015). This article highlights expanding economic, political and cultural aspects of the bilateral ties between two nations who are facing similar problems of terrorism and radicalisation. http://www.mapsofworld.com/egypt/maps/egypt-map.gif Historical India and Egypt, two of the world’s oldest civilizations, have enjoyed a history of close contact from ancient times where Ashoka’s edicts refer to his relations with Egypt under Ptolemy-II. In modern times, Mahatma Gandhi and Saad Zaghloul shared common goals on the independence of their countries. Political India’s PM Jawaharlal Nehru had a special bond with Egypt President Gamal Abdel Nasser. It captured the political essence of India’s regional policy — bilateral partnership, Arab solidarity and the construction of the non-aligned movement. Nehru’s support for Nasser on the nationalisation of the Suez Canal, which is central to Egypt’s national identity and economy, was critical in consolidating the partnership. India also contributed to the construction of the Aswan Dam on the Nile and explored joint defence projects like the building of a jet engine and a fighter aircraft. After Nehru and Nasser, India’s bilateral relations with Egypt steadily declined as India became increasingly defensive in the Middle East owing to various internal (India’s inward economic orientation, an ideological foreign policy) and external factors (impact of cold war, Egypt’s shifting international relations and the rise of Islamist identity in the region). Economic Egypt has traditionally been one of India’s most important trading partners, and currently India is the second largest destination for Egypt’s exports. The bilateral trade is $3 billion which is targeted at $8 billion in the near future. However, India is yet to tap into sectors like textiles, apparel machinery, automotive components, chemicals and consumer goods. Manufacturing offers some great prospects where positioning India as a manufacturing and R&D hub under the ‘Make in India’ initiative can be tapped into. A manufacturing base in Egypt with its geo-strategic location will allow Indian industries to access markets in Europe, Africa and West Asia. India’s experience in developing economic corridors, metro projects, housing and urban development would be valuable to Indian players interested in participating at the Suez Canal Economic Zone and other similar projects. Currently, Indian participation in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, particularly in sectors such as petro-chemicals, energy, agriculture, healthcare, education, skills and IT is significant. India could also engage with Egypt as a top priority source of fertilizers like urea, and make it an important partner in attaining food security. Security India and Egypt have decided to significantly step up their defence and security cooperation to effectively deal with twin challenges of terrorism and radicalisation. Both countries have decided to have greater information and operational exchanges to combat terrorism, besides ramping up defence cooperation. MoU on Maritime Transport between India and Egypt was signed which will not only intensify maritime commerce but also transit of naval vessels. Both countries have sought a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian refugees’ cause in accordance with resolution 194 of the UN General Assembly and the Arab Peace Initiative, in a way that preserves security, stability and peace of all the countries in the region. India and Egypt have also resolved to work together at UN on concluding the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. Information Technology The Digital India Programme could be useful in Egypt’s development needs such as e-government solutions, new banking platforms, information management and low cost IT parks among others. There are also emerging areas such as solar energy where India and Egypt come across as natural partners since the two countries already have MoU on Renewable Energy Cooperation. The ‘Startup India’ movement to boost entrepreneurship at the grassroot levels paves the way for collaboration between India and Egypt. Educators and capacity building institutions from both sides could collaborate to find mechanisms to foster entrepreneurship and instil competitiveness. Cultural India and Egypt look forward to more cultural and academic exchanges to promote closer understanding and linkages, especially among the youth. The ‘India by the Nile’ (IBN) annual cultural festival has emerged as the largest foreign festival in Egypt. Yoga has gained popularity in Egypt. There is also a growing interest in traditional medicine. Conclusion It is an unprecedented political and diplomatic engagement with a volatile Middle East that is so vital to India’s security and prosperity. India’s approach to the region in the past was defined by political diffidence, however, pragmatism is the need of the hour. India and Egypt enjoy strong, traditional and historical ties that have contributed to peace and development in their respective regions and beyond. Prime Minister’s acknowledgement of the crucial role of Egypt in establishing peace and stability in the region is the key to advance the bilateral relation. Connecting the dots: A stronger India-Egypt ties will result into stronger regional presence of both countries. Evaluate India is widening its foreign policy at an unprecedented pace and unexplored areas. Discuss. Go through the Egypt’s map to identify neighbours, surrounding water bodies, physical features etc.   Related articles: The Big Picture – India-Africa Ties: Where are they Heading? Africa, a land of opportunity In India it’s time for Africa MUST READ Dark clouds over the PDS Hindu   Effective, but not equitable Hindu   Sustainable real estate: Supply gap, awareness vacuum persist Indian Express   ASEAN: India emphasised on peaceful resolution of South China Sea dispute Indian Express   Bijli, sadak, paani and bustard Indian Express   Why business is all about building trust Business Line

Sep 9, 2016 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 9th September, 2016

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 9th September, 2016   NATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector or Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources Issues relating to poverty and hunger General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.   Why are so many Indian Children stunted? Cognizant of the country’s nutrition problem, especially among children, the Government has made concerted efforts to get food to children and their families through various initiatives. ICDS – Integrated Child Development Scheme MDMS- Mid Day Meal Scheme PDS- Public Distribution System India has undoubtedly made progress with regard to child undernutrition with stunting rates dropping from 48% in 2006 to 38.7% in 2015. Yet India continues to be home to a staggering 48 million stunted children under age 5 — the highest in the world. Stunting, where children are short for their age, results from severe and persistent undernutrition. While the lack of nutritious food significantly contributes to undernutrition, the World Health Organization estimates that half of all undernutrition is associated with diarrhoea and infections resulting from unsafe water and sanitation, and unhealthy hygiene behaviours. Safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) have been identified as playing a key role in catalyzing further reductions in undernutrition, contributing to improvements in children’s growth and development. Diarrhoea in the first two years of life directly contributes to a quarter of all cases of stunting, with WASH responsible for a majority 88 percentage of all diarrhoea cases. WASH contributes to diarrhoea through several key routes: When people lack access to adequate sanitation, they often defecate in the open, polluting water sources used for drinking, cooking, and washing purposes. When people don’t have access to safe drinking water or resources to make water safe, they end up consuming contaminated water. When people do not have awareness about the importance of hygiene or access to adequate hygiene facilities such as water and soap, they may not wash their hands at critical times like after defecation and before they eat, which leads to germs entering their bodies and their children’s bodies when they prepare and eat food. Unclean water contaminated by faecal matter or unable to wash their hands after defecating and before eating, vulnerable to diarrhoea, intestinal worm and other infections. What is particularly harmful about these conditions is that they prevent a child’s intestines from absorbing nutrients, preventing physical and cognitive growth. Research suggests that children can become stunted if they experience five or more cases of diarrhoea before their second birthday. Stunting is irreversible after age two, and its effects are long-lasting in terms of educational performance, health, and future potential. Way Ahead: For India to continue to make significant strides to reach the Sustainable Development Goal target to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030, the Government must continue with its direct nutrition interventions such as promoting breastfeeding, iron and vitamin supplementation, and food fortification. The Government must support efforts to improve WASH by investing in safe water, hygiene facilities and activities that engender hygienic and healthy behaviour. A multi-sectoral approach is critical. This can be done by the nutrition sector integrating WASH components into their ongoing platforms and programmes such as ICDS, and keeping in mind nutrition outcomes affected by water, sanitation and hygiene and ensuring that these messages are incorporated. Connecting the dots: Identify the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are related to health. How far India is prepared in achieving same? India continues to be home to highest number of stunted children under age-5. Discuss the various factors contributing to it.   Related Articles India needs a nutrition mission Dramatic drop in number of Underfed children: UNICEF INTERNATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 2 Bilateral, regional, and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.   SAARC- Towards economic integration According to World Bank, South Asia is the fastest growing region in the world with economic growth projected to increase from 7.1% in 2016 to 7.3% in 2017. With such an encouraging regional economic development prospect, SAARC nations have to look forward towards achieving greater economic integration.   Picture Credit: http://image.slidesharecdn.com/saarc3-151003074706-lva1-app6892/95/saarc3-2-638.jpg?cb=1443859663 Background The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional inter-governmental organisation. Recently, SAARC Finance Ministers’ conference 2016 highlighted key issues pertaining to regional economic integration, focus on improving trade relations among member nations and renewed commitment to establish a South Asian Economic Union (SAEU). In 1998, SAARC Group of Eminent Persons (SGEP) had proposed establishment of SAEU on lines of European Union to facilitate a common market and remove trade barriers. Also, as a precursor to SAEU, a South Asian Customs Union (SACU) was proposed to be established by 2015 where all South Asian countries will maintain common tariff and non-tariff barriers on imports from all non-member countries. The South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), enforced in 2006, became an important milestone on road to SAEU. Yet SAFTA could make only modest contribution in boosting intra-SAARC trade. With increasing importance to regional trade, regional economic integration have to be facilitated. Trade and investments are important components of economic integration. Hence it is necessary to critically assess the efforts made towards achieving economic integration in South Asia. Trade Liberalisation A Sensitive list, which was introduced at the initiation of SAFTA, excluded products in it from tariff liberalisation. As per a study, 53% of intra-regional import trade was excluded under SAFTA in 2006. This highlighted need for more economic cooperation between member countries Thus, under phase 2 of tariff liberalisation under SAFTA in 2012, India trimmed the list by 95% for least developed countries (LDCs) of South Asia (Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan) and for non-LDCs, only by around 30%. Pakistan shortened its list by about 20% for all countries. However, these were not significant enough. Today, Intra-SAARC trade additionally suffers from complex non-tariff barriers, poor infrastructure, lack of connectivity and bureaucratic red tape at borders. Thus, there is increase in cost in doing business in South Asia. Also, trade in services in South Asia is very low despite signing of the SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services (SATIS) in 2010 which aimed at trade liberalisation in services. There has been a significant initiation on part of Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal by signing Motor Vehicle agreement for an improved economic togetherness. But this will improve connectivity only on the eastern side of South Asia. Thus, these facts support WB report which states intra-SAARC trade is even lower than 5% of total trade whereas in East Asia it is 35% and in Europe 60%. Investment liberalisation South Asia has yet not emerged as a prime destination for foreign investment despite the potential. As per World Investment Report 2016 (UNCTAD), FDI inflows to South Asia increased from USD36 billion in 2013 to USD50 billion in 2015. But this is less compared to FDI inflows of USD448 billion in 2015 from USD350 billion in 2013 in East and Southeast Asia. Share of world FDI inflows in South Asia was 2.9% whereas it was 25% in East and Southeast Asia. East and Southeast Asia have such high FDI inflows due to their intra-regional FDI inflows. The ASEAN region alone accounts for 18% intra-ASEAN FDI out of total FDI flows in region. Comparatively, intra SAARC FDI is very low, barring few success stories of Indian garment companies investing in Bangladesh. What will help is the implementation of SAARC investment treaty which is based on the lines of the ASEAN investment agreement supporting intra-region investments. However, India has currently adopted a new model bilateral investment treaty (BIT) in 2015 which offers limited protection to foreign investment and also limited means to enforce their rights. But, a BIT model for SAARC is not conducive as there won’t be any noticeable impact on boosting intra-SAARC FDI inflows. Thus, this move might dent the efforts to have SAARC investment treaty which is pending since 2007. Conclusion It is evident that SAARC has denied itself numerous economic benefits due to its struggle for economic integration. Political differences hindering economic cooperation at summit level meet will not set right precedent for future negotiations and larger regional relationship. Thus, the SAARC summit taking place in November 2016 will have to demonstrate the political will to adopt deeper economic ties. A duty free SAARC trade will open larger window for trade opportunities. Hence, deeper economic integration is imperative to sustain the 7.3% growth rate by creating an integrated South Asian market ensuring a free flow of goods, services and capital. Connecting the dots: SAARC Charter mandates that decisions at all levels in SAARC are only of multilateral issues. Despite such clear mandate, bilateral relations are overpowering multilateral economic relations. Examine. Can SAARC be next ASEAN? Discuss the initiatives to be taken by regional members for greater economic integration. India covers 70% of SAARC’s area and population. Hence, India should take leadership role to make South Asia region stronger. Do you agree? Critically evaluate   Related articles: India-Pakistan flaring tensions at SAARC TLP 2016 Pakistan has crippled SAARC: time to reassess Open Sky Agreement with SAARC countries Know more about India’s BIT problem here MUST READ Retaining MGNREGA’s core Hindu   Taking the Paris process forward Hindu   Partners in innovation Hindu   Before amending the law Indian Express   INSAT-3DR Indian Express   Building US-India defence relations Livemint   Air pollution cost India 8.5% of its GDP in 2013: study Livemint   How public transit can learn from Ola and Uber Livemint   Are big conservation groups like IUCN still relevant? Livemint

Sep 9, 2016 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 15]

Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Tehri dam is often in news as the rising level of inflow into the dam is a cause for concern. Consider the below statements in regard to the dam and the associated river: The Tehri Dam is the tallest dam in India, constructed over Bhagirathi River. Bhagirathi River merges with Alaknanda River at Devaprayag to form Ganges River. The Bhagirathi rises at the foot of Gangotri Glacier, at Gomukh. Select the correct statement(s) from the code given below: 2 and 3 only 1 and 2 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3  Q.2) Recently an Annual meeting of the New Champions or the Summer Davos had taken place in China. Identify the theme of the forum from the following options- Reforms in the IMF Men for Women Campaign Fourth industrial revolution Sustainable Development Goals of developing countries Q.3) Which of the following states have been adjudged as the cleanest state in NSSO’s Cleanliness Survey? Jharkhand Mizoram Kerala Sikkim Q.4) Consider the following statements: Gravitational Waves were discovered through LIGO project. Union Cabinet has given approval for LIGO observatory to be built in Maharashtra, which will be first LIGO observatory outside US. Which of the above statements are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2  Q.5) Kaveri river passes through which of the following states? Maharashtra Karnataka Tamil Nadu Kerala Select the code from the following: 1,2 and 3 2,3 and 4 2 and 3 3 and 4 Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba

Sep 8, 2016 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 8th September, 2016

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 8th September, 2016   NATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 3 Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. e-technology in the aid of farmers, Technology missions Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies Science and Technology-developments and their applications and effects in everyday life General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.   Farmers can lean on LIN- A solution for doubling farm income Farmers in India face tough time in getting bank loans due to lack of collaterals, thus making government policies and programmes towards farm and agricultural loans to farmers ineffective. Hence as a solution, LIN- Land Identity Number which gives unique identity to a registered land by locating it through a GIS marker, seeded with the owner’s Aadhar details and fixed on a digital map, can be used as a platform to establish farmer rights and gain access to various benefits which can increase their income.   Background For a successful farming output, access to technology like improved seeds, irrigation, farm machinery, etc. and easy and affordable capital is needed. However, due to lack of collaterals, the bank loans are not available to farmers which forces them to borrow money from informal credit markets at 24-72% annual interest. The farmers can’t give securities to banks because they don’t have legal title of land ownership even if it is an inherited land. The tenants, who farm roughly a quarter of the country’s cultivated area, have more sorry state as they might not have documentation of the land they till. These records of ownership or cultivation rights could exist with village-level revenue officials but getting access to them is their biggest woe. Hence, a legal registration of land ownership or land tenancy is the first step towards getting legal benefits. A new beginning The farmers should ideally get their land properly registered. But, high stamp duties for registration averaging 6-7% and ranging from 4% in Maharashtra to 14.5% in Uttar Pradesh discourage such an action. The Telangana state government has allowed farmers to register their land free-of-cost even if the land was bought on hand-written notes, locally known as ‘sada bainama’. Benefit of formal registration: the informal sale documents conferres no real legal ownership. Thus, farmers were not entitled to seasonal agricultural loans from banks or government compensation against crop losses. Moving forward from registration of land titles, the aim should be complete digitisation of land records by using LIN. LIN- Land Identity Number The LIN can be used in various ways for farmers’ benefit— JAM Linking LIN to JAM, i.e. the farmer’s Jan Dhan bank account, Aadhar unique identification and Mobile numbers will transfer all the available legal benefits. LIN can be connected to a data server that would have details of which crop farmer is cultivating on the particular plot. Farmer can provide such information to server via SMS. Weather updates Geography-specific weather irregularities can be monitored and crop production estimates revised in real time. The LIN enables each farmer to be tagged to the nearest weather station. If the station indicates a bad weather event (drought or excess rain), there could be a system-generated signal to the insurance company to process the agreed compensation to the farmer’s Aadhar-seeded bank account within 24-48 hours. Thus, with a planned grid of weather stations, it is possible to also implement a foolproof crop insurance scheme.   Crop loans Crop loans can similarly be processed smoothly with minimal formalities. The LIN-JAM confluence make the details of the plot of land and credit history of each farmer available. Thus, no further document is required for processing such loans. At a later stage, there could even be credit information bureaus providing credit rankings for individual farmers against their LINs. In fact, a model almost based on these lines is currently being piloted in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Tenancy Rights Land is a sensitive and emotional subject which has been previously associated with violence and disruptions. With LIN and digitisation of land records, owners can be assured that their ownership rights are protected. Matching the Aadhar details of the landowner and tenant with LIN makes it possible to also create a record of tenancy. This would help the government to move from the existing system of non-targeted agricultural input subsidies to making direct cash transfers. Right now, in the absence of identification of the real tiller of the land, there is the danger of such transfers being made to unintended recipients. All this is expected to change once tenancies are legalised through simultaneous protection of landowners’ rights. Land aggregation LIN will also enable land aggregation. With secure titles and replacement of physical boundaries by digital ones, there would be incentives for pooling and creation of larger land parcels, on which advanced farm machinery technologies can be deployed. Use of planters and harvesters can cut cultivation costs by 15-30%, laser levelling machines could help boost yields by 10-15% and reduce water requirement by 20-30%. Using these equipment is not possible on small, fragmented plots. Thus, the overall increase of up to 50% in farmers’ incomes—from productivity gains and reduced costs of cultivation, improved access to capital, crop insurance and government transfers—would mark a significant step towards realising the Prime Minister’s goal of “doubling farm incomes by 2022”. Conclusion All the stakeholders in agriculture viz. farmers, traders/processors, bankers, insurance companies and the government itself will be supported by LIN in ease of doing business. The costs of putting up the infrastructure for digitisation on such a scale will be initially high but the cost benefit ratio is favourable when the gains will be made in the short and medium term. It will be also a challenging opportunity for India’s IT giants to provide best, affordable and sustainable digital tools in this field. Apart from LIN, other focus areas to increase farmers’ income include large investments in irrigation, quality seeds, soil health, cold chain and warehousing to prevent losses, value addition through food processing, creation of a pan-India national market for farm produce and diversifying into areas like poultry, bee keeping and fisheries. Together with these new initiatives, the farmer will be encouraged to explore new opportunities and also the young generation will develop their interest to create a sustainable farm enterprise model. Connecting the dots: Is doubling of farmers’ income by 2022 economically possible? Critically examine. Farmers share a special bond with the land they till as it is a means of their livelihood. However, there are various stakeholders who contribute towards upkeep of this limited means of livelihood. Discuss the role of these stakeholders in improving the farmers’ income.   Related articles: E-platform for trading farm produce to make agriculture remunerative HOT 2016 NATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 1 Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.   Clash of Tradition and Fundamental Rights The article discusses: Constitutional Vs Traditional Beliefs Gender Inequality Bombay High Court verdict in the Haji Ali case Introduction: The struggles by groups of Hindu and Muslim women to lift bans on entry into some places of worship have been in the public limelight over the past year. The exclusion of women from the inner sanctum of the Haji Ali Dargah by the Dargah Trust. Holy sites with Sabarimala temple of Kerala. Shani temple in Maharashtra. The bans involve notions and norms which directly clash with ideas of modernity and are also incompatible with rights enshrined in the Constitution. When Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was asked why he was so passionate about the issue of temple entry for Dalits, he replied: “The issue is not entry, but equality.” The recent Bombay High Court verdict, (Justice Revati Mohite Dere) said that the exclusion of women from the inner sanctum of the Haji Ali Dargah by the Dargah Trust violated not only their fundamental right to religious freedom but also their right to equality and non-discrimination under the Indian Constitution. It was the efforts of The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, the women’s organization that initiated the public interest litigation against the Dargah Trust, invoked the protection of Articles 14 and 15 (rights to equality and non-discrimination), and 25(1) (right to religious freedom) of the Constitution. Court intervention in Religion: The Supreme Court has previously ruled on the legality of religious barring, the exclusion of Dalits from temples, and the hereditary caste-based succession of temple priests. The Supreme Court invented essential religious practices test wherein the presumed religious practices could gain constitutional sanction only if they were “essential” or “integral” to the religion in question, in the eyes of court. Later, the apex court began to take an increasingly interventionist stance, using the essential religious practices test to make wide-ranging—often untethered—claims about religions, and even trying to mould religions into more rationalistic and homogenous monoliths, while marginalizing dissident traditions. The Bombay High Court verdict in the Haji Ali case, however, is an example of a judgment that cleverly negotiates its position to solve age-old, intractable social problems, and treads forward on adventurous tracks where both their competence and their legitimacy can be called into question. Putting onus on the state: Prima facie, the State should play a pro-active role in rectifying such violations of FRs. The argument of freedom to profess, propagate and practice religion (article 25, 26) cannot act as an umbrella to proliferate such skewed outlook as banning. As Justice Dere observed-- The state was constitutionally bound to respect fundamental rights, not merely by refraining from infringing them, but also by actively intervening in order to protect them when they were threatened by others. Consequently, it was for the state to ensure — whether by providing adequate protection or otherwise — that women who wanted to exercise their fundamental right to equal access could do so. Conclusion: In the exercise of their constitutional functions, there are times when it becomes necessary—and inevitable—for courts to consider and decide deeply divisive and polarizing questions about gender relations, the family, religion, and society. It is necessary to change the patriarchal mindset of society to remove the conscious and unconscious prejudices towards women which is possible only when civil society, NGOs, local bodies, educational institutes and especially the priest and worshipping devotees themselves must take the baton of change. State can show the way, permanent solution will come from society within. The crux is what takes precedence and whether the State/courts have jurisdiction over customs presumably sanctioned by religion but which took shape in the distant past when the predominant view was that women did not enjoy equal rights. In this clash of tradition and fundamental rights, definitely later must prevail. As Gandhiji said “the Shastras can be ignored if they hide the truth as the truth itself cannot be confined to the covers of a book.” Connecting the dots: The recent controversy surrounding temple or dargah entry of women in many states of India paints a regressive picture of the Indian society. In the clash of tradition and fundamental rights, later must prevail. However, the change has to be brought bottom up and not imposed by the State. Do you agree? Critically examine.   Related articles: HOT 2016 Gender Justice in Religious institutions: Case against Customary Exclusion The power of parity: advancing women’s equality in India MUST READ The foreign hand isn’t enough Hindu   Balancing Asia Indian Express   The case for cautious optimism Indian Express   The right to un-free speech? Livemint   Financial repression redux Livemint   Our diaspora has a lot to offer Business Line   Vajpayee and the value of kashmiriyat Business Line Related article: The Big Picture – Vajpayee’s Path on Kashmir: What does it mean?

Sep 8, 2016 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 14]

Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) PRABAL DOSTYK is a joint military exercise between India and which of the following countries? Uzbekistan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Afghanistan  Q.2) 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day (ILD) The theme for ILD-2016 is Literacy and Sustainable Societies It was established by UNESCO Select the correct statement(s) Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 None of the above Q.3) Cauvery water dispute has been a bone of contention between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for decades now. Consider the below statements in regard to inter-state water disputes and select the incorrect statement(s): Constitution of India provides for the adjudication of inter-state water disputes. Inter-State Water Disputes Act (1956) empowers the Central government to establish a river board on the request of the state governments concerned to advise them. Inter-State Water Disputes Act also empowers the Central government to set up an ad hoc tribunal for the adjudication of a dispute between two or more states in relation to the waters of an inter-state river or river valley. Both (b) and (c)  Q.4) Which one of the following countries is not a member of the Nordic Council? Iceland Denmark United Kingdom Norway Q.5) The lowering of bank rate by the reserve bank of India leads to Mobilization of more deposits by commercial banks More liquidity in the market Less liquidity in the market No change in the liquidity in the market Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba

Sep 7, 2016 AIR

All India Radio - Swachh Sarvekshan 2017

ARCHIVES Swachh Sarvekshan 2017   Search 7th August http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx Sanitation has become a very important issue. The government launched Swachh Sarvekshan in August 2017 which targets surveying 500 Indian cities on basis of sanitation. It is an attempt by the central government to assess the progress through such surveys and also incentivise the actors by giving awards to the cities which are performing better. There are welfare associations, corporate sector and also the workers at the grassroots level who have to create mobilisation and change in mindset of the people. Earlier, the survey was restricted to only 73 cities, now the canvass has been increased and grounds are being prepared for creating a competitive spirit. Participation and Ownership is key In India, there is no city identity. There is no association with a city like it is with language, religion, caste etc. If such kind of awareness building takes place, it is possible that Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is made successful. One of the major deficiencies in the programme was that that the governmental programmes and administrative machinery can only go to a certain extent. Hence, there has to be community involvement and commitment from people at the grassroots level. The government has now realised that unless it engages the people into the programme, the success would be limited. PM said that safe drinking water is equally important as a preventive health measure. The PM has talked about participatory governance where the people have to participate in the programme, rear maximum benefits and make it successful. The people and the opposition parties as well have the responsibility of creating right kind of environment which persuades the government to fulfil its commitment. Numbers are not sufficient As per Union Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty, 21 lakh toilets have been built in 2015-16 and target is to build 21 lakh more toilets in 2016-17. By 2019, over 1 crore toilets have to be built. However, success of mission is not dependent only on technology and the physical capacity to produce these assets. It depends on the utilisation and maintenance. The social aspect and behavioural aspect are extremely important along with constructing desired number of units. In the context of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, there are different components and the government is also setting up a technological establishment to ensure that there is no hurdle technologically. In these components, social engineering is extremely important. It will the communities’ duty to maintain the toilets. The Sarvekshan is not only about ranking the cities and identifying the best performing actors and agencies. It is going to be used for monitoring, validation of the government results through the communities’ feedback and resource allocation for next round. The data garnered from communities should be verified with government targets and claims which would make it possible to asses if the programme is moving forward in right direction. If the community says there are toilets but no water, the government can be confronted on that basis with its statistics and take corrective measures immediately. Open defecation elimination It is the target of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The government have to make sure that all the towns and villages are free from open defecation. It is a very challenging job. Hence, toilet construction is not important but the behavioural change is what has to be targeted. The percentage of households having drinking water facility in the urban areas from taps and bottles have gone down between 2007-2013. This is worrying as people dependent on safe drinking water has gone down. It is a major area of concern as it is related with health facilities. There has to be monitoring of actual success and delivery. Thus, along with technological submission, there has to be social engineering submission which will bridge the frictions that exist between government and community. Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala will be open defecation free by March 2017. These three states have managed to do something which is a dream for northern India. The reason is the Socio economic condition of these three states are different from the average of the country. The north-south divide emerges clearly in terms of number of indicators. These states have lower level of poverty compared to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh etc. Higher incidence of poverty means lower affordability for these facilities. Also, the climatic conditions are different. The rate of utilisation of closed door toilet is different because of environmental condition. Gap in literacy levels With some economic growth coming into the backwards states of north and central parts, the modernisation coming up in certain way will reduce the gap between less developed and more developed states in 5-7 years. Role of education and awareness campaigns As far as health and sanitation is concerned, education has a major role to play. But more importantly, education coming through other informal channels like media, newspapers put forward the idea that personal hygiene is not just a personal matter because it affects the neighbour too. Many of poor households do not have affordability to have proper and appropriate sanitation facilities. But they have to be told that their health expenditure is high because of lack of sanitation facilities and unclean drinking water. This knowledge has to be communicated. The priority for personal toilet is yet not high. But the social priority for health and hygiene for the community’s welfare is much higher. Starting hygiene education at primary or school level will go a long way. The children are great messengers for family and elderly people. Once they tell parents how to maintain sanitation and cleanliness, it has a desired impact than some third-party preaching. Besides this, the advertisement have to be interactive and intelligent where the people understand the message clearly. Involving celebrities who have an acceptable personality in society is also a good idea as in rural areas, people adore and like to do what their favourite TV and movie stars say and do. Local folk artists and sharing cleanliness stories through their dance, music will also help. The civil society organisations have designed extremely intelligent programmes taking cue from culture, stories from villages and passing information in a very subtle manner. Combining healthy entertainment with a social message will go a long way. Connecting the dots: Implementing the programme is not the end. Its evaluation and monitoring shows the success and way forward. Discuss the Swachh Bharat component- Swachh Sarvekshan.

Sep 7, 2016 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 13]

Click here to get all the Tests– Archives Q.1) Which among the below given statement(s) is/are true? Laos is a landlocked Southeast Asian country Mekong river flows through China, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam Tropic of Cancer passes through Laos Vientiane is the capital city of Laos. Choose appropriate code: 1 and 2 only 1 and 3 only 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 4 only Q.2) What is the purpose of Rosetta spacecraft? To study a comet and track its changes To identify any traces of water on moon To detect any asteroid fast approaching Earth To probe the space outside the solar system Q.3) Consider the following statements with respect to Chile Chile won the 2016 edition of Copa América It was colonized by the Portuguese Select the correct statement(s) Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 None of the above Q.4) Identify from among the following, the term used to denote 'underground groups of trained terrorists'- Ground Cells Underground Cells Sleeper Cells Red Cell  Q.5) Western Ghats do not run through which of the following states? Gujarat Maharashtra Tamil Nadu Goa Select the correct code Only 1 1 and 3 Only 3 None of the above Download the Solution- Click here All the best IASbaba

Sep 7, 2016 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 7th September, 2016

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 7th September, 2016   INTERNATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 2 Bilateral, regional, and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora. Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.   11th G-20 Summit-Towards revival of world economy In its 11th meeting G20 was held in Hangzhou, China (4th to 5th Sept 2016) to discuss efforts to reform global economic governance. With the lessons from the global economy financial meltdown in 2008 policymakers at the G20 summit explored new ways to reboot global growth. 2016 theme: “Building an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy” Highlights of G20 Summit WTO: The leaders committed to ratify the Trade Facilitation Agreement by the end of 2016 and call on other WTO members to do the same. The agreement was aimed at promoting global trade through easing Customs procedures, addressing cross border financial flows derived from illicit activities, including deliberate trade mis-invoicing, which hampers the mobilization of domestic resources for development. Taxation: Leaders Pledged to continue to work for a globally fair and modern International tax system, foster growth and refrain from competitive devaluation of currencies Leaders vowed to go ahead on the ongoing co-operation on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), exchange of tax information, tax capacity-building of developing countries and tax policies to promote growth and tax certainty. SDG (Sustainable Development Goals): G20 leaders will continue to prioritize its work on food security, nutrition, sustainable agricultural growth and rural development as a significant contribution to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Labour Laws: Strengthening labour market institutions and policies which can support productivity and promote decent work, and therefore higher, sustainable wage growth, in particular for the low-income workers To work for ensuring the benefits from economic growth, globalization and technological innovation widely shared, creating more and better jobs, reducing inequalities and promoting inclusive labour force participation Miscellaneous: They agreed at the summit that refugees are a global issue and the burden must be shared. They called for strengthening humanitarian assistance for refugees. Support policies that encourage firms of all sizes, in particular women and youth entrepreneurs, women-led firms and SMEs, to take full advantage of global value chains Bone of contention: China and the US ratified the Paris Agreement ahead of the G20 summit and handed over their countries’ instruments of joining the agreement to UN Secretary-General Ban-ki-moon. India is not ready in terms of domestic actions to ratify before 2016 end, but will do so at the earliest. In global slowdown, issue of protectionism is the big concern for foreign investors, with increasing difficulty of doing business in China, driven by its new laws and policies. Excess steel capacity in China resulting in a flood of cheap imports into India, the UK and other economies. This has hit the sales and profits of domestic steel producers and also impacted their liquidity, which in turn has affected their capacity to repay loans. The cascading effect of this is the number of NPAs with the banks. No agreement reached by Russia and USA over Syria. Conclusion: The group has expanded its agenda and activities dramatically since first G20 Leaders' Summit in 2008, yet it remains an informal group with all flexibility and ease that implies. In its 11th Summit numerous low-key objectives shared by multiple G20 members, such as strengthening enforcement against international tax avoidance and advancing cooperation on Base Erosion Profit Shifting certainly got a shot in the arm. Yet there is no comparison to the patchy and vague nature of progress in these smaller goals to the collaboratively evolved financial regulation architecture that emerged from the ashes of the 2008 meltdown and put the brakes on excessive risk-taking by banks. Whether these things can really help the G20 take charge of the global order remains a moot point. Connecting the dots: How far G20 as an institution relevant in present time? Is it time to re-examine the G20’s purpose and recast its vision and mission entirely? Discuss.   Related articles: India’s role in a changing global economy G-20’s warning on the global economy Working together to solve global problems NATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.   Enhance Voter Secrecy- Use of ‘Totaliser’ machines In news: SC has set deadline for union government to decide on introducing the totaliser machines. Background In 2008, Election Commission of India (ECI) had proposed for introduction of totaliser machines which was backed by Law commission. Rationale: The current system (booth-wise counting) revealed the voting trends in each polling station which made the voters in that vicinity open to harassment, intimidation and post-election victimisation. Law panel noted: Before the introduction of electronic voting machines (EVMs), as provided under Rule 59A of the Conduct of Election Rules, counting of votes used to take place by mixing of ballot papers in light of apprehended intimidation and victimisation of electors. The totaliser machine is based on similar lines. Similar to the existing Rule 59A, the Commission proposed to amend Rule 66A to empower the ECI to decide when and in which constituency and polling booths, to employ a totaliser, after taking into consideration various factors and the overall context of the elections. Involvement of government Recently, based on a writ petition, Supreme Court directed the union government to take final decision on introduction of totaliser machines. The law ministry being the administrative ministry for the poll body (ECI) is of the view that no electoral law will have to be amended to introduce totalisers and amendment to Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 will suffice. Totaliser machines- Enhancing principle of ballot secrecy Totaliser machine mixes votes from various booths before counting. As per the ECI’s suggestion, the results of votes polled in a group of 14 EVMs (hence, in 14 polling stations) would be calculated and announced together. Thus, there will be an overall, not booth-wise result after polling. The totaliser is expected to prevent disclosure of voting patterns across polling stations, thus furthering a level of secrecy in voting. This will allay the fears of voters against any pre-poll intimidation or post-poll reprisal by any candidate or political party. Booth Battle Booth Management The party workers devise a strategy of mobilising voters, motivating them, and facilitating their arrival at the polling station to cast their ballot. Caste card- The parties try to have workers, as far as possible, from the same castes managing the booth as the dominant castes of voters in that particular booth. These strategies increase their chances of winning. Booth Results The counting at booth level gives the parties and candidates get a fair sense of who voted for them and who did not. It helps the parties and candidates to plan strategy for booth level for next elections. If the booth level results were used for such limited but useful political purpose, there was no problem in continuing with present system of booth level counting. However, there have been numerous instances of pre-poll intimidation and post-poll reprisal by candidates and political parties of voters which has necessitated the introduction of totaliser. Effect of Totaliser On voters Maintenance of secrecy- Even when a lone voter casts his vote, he/she can be assured of secrecy of his ballot, as against previous booth-counting which would reveal his voting preference. No more harassment- there have been incidences of losing candidates and polling parties harassing the voters who have voted against them. Freedom of choice- without any worries of post poll intimidation, the candidate can freely cast this vote. On Political Parties The political parties should not hamper devising of their booth-level mobilisation strategies as they have information by means of: Local party workers give a fair sense of the social composition of voters of specific booths. Poll surveys also give a good sense of a particular community leaning towards which party, ahead of an election. Empirical evidences have suggested that voters also have a fair sense of which party cares for the interests of their caste and community. However, Booth results gave the parties an opportunity to increase their voter base by analysing the voting pattern. Now, the parties will have to depend on largely indirect basis. The party may find difficult to devise strategic plan for upcoming elections for any change in voting pattern. In totality The increased secrecy has the power to change the voting patterns.  The caste based and religion based voting may experience withdrawal and thereby paving way for welfare and development oriented voting. Conclusion EVMs were also doubted for its utility in such a vast country when they were introduced. Now their significance is beyond dispute. The introduction of EVMs has made a huge difference to the voting exercise and drastically reduced malpractices such as proxy voting. To avoid discrepancies that crop up time to time, systematic and periodic upgradation is necessary. Thus, the refining of rules of conduct of elections is a fair play, given the social diversity of Indian voters and the frequency of elections at various levels. However, the totaliser machine should be introduced in a phased manner after ascertaining its foolproof functioning with necessary trials. Though, the totaliser may not completely eliminate the possibility of victimisation of voters but it is a way forward towards enhancing the basic principle of secrecy of vote. The political parties should embrace the new reforms for greater democratic accountability. Connecting the dots: Should booth level results be replaced by totaliser machines? Critically examine. How is secrecy of ballot related to free and fair election? Discuss.   MUST READ The public face of a private company Hindu   Being human towards animals Hindu   Central bank and inflation targeting Livemint   The underlying message of GDP deceleration Livemint   India presents dim bright spot for global economy Livemint   Augmented Reality-What is the future? Livemint   Is this what unions should be doing? Business Line   Cauvery Issue Indian Express Hindu

Sep 7, 2016 PIB

IASbaba Press Information Bureau (PIB)- 29th Aug to 4th Sep, 2016

ARCHIVES GS-1 President’s message on the eve of canonization of Mother Teresa (Topic:  Important personalities) President expressed his happiness to learn that Mother Teresa will be canonised by Pope Francis on September 4, 2016 at Vatican City. Mother Teresa- Mother Teresa saw herself as ‘small pencil in the hands of the Lord’ and went about her work quietly, offering smiles and warm human gestures. Mother Teresa provided dignity and respect to those who had been defeated by life. She was a messiah of the poor and a pillar of support for the weak and suffering. Her simple manners touched the hearts of millions of people of all faiths. Mother Teresa established the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 with the mission of caring for, “the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone”. Today, the branches of Missionaries of Charity in several countries continue their service to humanity, reaching out to the needy, regardless of their religion or social status. In recognition of Mother Teresa’s selfless and dedicated services, a grateful nation conferred on her India’s highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 1980. Mother Teresa often said: “What the poor need most is to feel needed, to feel loved. There are remedies and treatments for all kinds of illnesses, but when someone is undesirable, if there are no serving hands and loving hearts, then there is no hope for a true cure”. Her message of love continues to inspire millions of people around the world.   GS-2 BRICS convention on Tourism to be held in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh (Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and further structure, mandate)   About- Ministry of Tourism is organising the “BRICS Convention on Tourism” on September 01-02, 2016 in Khajuraho Madhya Pradesh as a precursor to the The BRICS Summit to be held in Goa on October 15-16, 2016. Highlights of programme- Two day event will comprise of inter- Governmental exchange of views and ideas, Panel discussions on Technology, Innovation in Tourism, and Cooperation between the BRICS countries for promoting intra-regional tourism. B2B meetings between the India Travel Trade and their counterparts from the BRICS countries will also be organised. Elements of Culture, handicrafts and cuisine from different regions of Indiawill be showcased during the convention.   14th ASEAN-India Summit and 11th East Asia Summit in Vientiane, Lao PDR (Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and further structure, mandate)   Summits will be attended by- Heads of State/Government of the 10 ASEAN and 18 East Asia Summit Participating Countries respectively India's engagement with the ASEAN and wider Asia-Pacific region- It has acquired further momentum following the enunciation of the ‘Act-East Policy’ by PM at the 12th ASEAN-India Summit and 9th East Asia Summit in Myanmar in November 2014. Highlights- At the 14th ASEAN-India Summit, PM and ASEAN Leaders will review ASEAN-India cooperation and discuss its future direction under each of the three pillars of politico-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation. They will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. 2017 will mark 25 years of India's dialogue partnership with ASEAN, to celebrate which a number of commemorative activities will also be announced by Prime Minister. ASEAN and India- ASEAN is a strategic partner of India since 2012. India and ASEAN have 30 dialogue mechanisms which meet regularly, including a Summit and 7 Ministerial meetings in Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Tourism, Agriculture, Environment, Renewable Energy and Telecommunications. Minister of State for External Affairs, recently attended the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting and EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane on 25-26 July 2016. Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, attended the ASEAN Economic Ministers + India Consultations & EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Vientiane on 6 August 2016. Trade between India and ASEAN- It stood at US$ 65.04 billion in 2015-16 and comprises 10.12% of India’s total trade with the world. ASEAN-India economic integration process has got a fillip with the creation of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area in July 2015, following the entry into force of the ASEAN-India Trade in Services and Investment Agreements. Conclusion of a balanced Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement will further boost our trade and investment ties with the region. East Asia Summit- East Asia Summit is the premier leaders-led forum in the Asia-Pacific. Since its inception in 2005, it has played a significant role in the strategic, geopolitical and economic evolution of East Asia. Apart from the 10 ASEAN Member states, East Asia Summit includes India, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, United States and Russia. India, being a founding member of the East Asia Summit, is committed to strengthening the East Asia Summit and making it more effective for dealing with contemporary challenges. At the 11th East Asia Summit, Leaders will discuss matters of regional and international interest and concern including maritime security, terrorism, non-proliferation, irregular migration, etc. Three statements/declarations are expected to be adopted at the EAS, viz.- Vientiane Declaration on Promoting Infrastructure Development Cooperation in East Asia EAS Declaration on Strengthening Responses to Migrants in Crisis and Trafficking in Persons EAS Statement on Non-Proliferation. A Joint Statement on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Negotiations is expected to be adopted at a separate ceremony after the EAS.   Eighth Meeting of the Heads of SAARC Statistical Organisations (SAARCSTAT) (Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and further structure, mandate)   About- India is hosting the three-day meeting and delegates from SAARC Member States and other international organizations viz., FAO, PARIS 21, and ADB attended the Meet. Theme- “Trade Statistics – Merchandise & Services”  Highlights- Emphasized on- Greater regional cooperation for mutual development, to accelerate free trade in goods and services in the Region. Reducing Asymmetry in Trade data amongst SAARC countries- Reducing asymmetry in bilateral trade data is an issue which requires serious attention from the data compilers.  Although India has taken up the issues of data reconciliation with a few countries like China, Brazil, Vietnam, Philippines, South Korea, Japan, South Africa, Sri Lanka but much more needs to be done to bring down the asymmetry to an acceptable level especially in the SAARC Region. Key essentials- To simplify operation and formulate transparent rules of origin Implementation of trade facilitation measures Harmonization of standards relating to Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures Harmonized, streamlined and simplified Custom procedures Elimination of non-tariff and para-tariff barriers Policy initiatives for comparable statistics and smooth & efficient transit and transport facilities. Why needed? It will provide an opportunity to the SAARC Members countries to review the implementation of the recommendations made in International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS) 2010 and Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services (MSITS) 2010 and help in better understanding of the existing economic statistics frameworks and guidelines such as the System of National Accounts (2008 SNA), Balance of Payments (BPM6) and the Guidelines on Integrated Economic Statistics. Positive outcome for India- Deliberations in the meeting will help to transfer knowledge and good practices amongst the participating countries that will help to improve the quality of official statistics on international trade in goods and services. India has decided to offer two slots to SAARC Member countries in Training Programmes conducted by the National Statistical Systems Training Academy. India and the United States Sign the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) About- India and the United States have signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum Of Agreement (LEMOA). What is LEMOA? Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement is a facilitating agreement that establishes basic terms, conditions, and procedures for reciprocal provision of Logistic Support, Supplies, and Services between the armed forces of India and the United States. In detail- Logistic Support, Supplies, and Services include- Food, water, billeting, transportation, petroleum, oils, lubricants, clothing, communication services, medical services, storage services, training services, spare parts and components, repair and maintenance services, calibration services, and port services. Reciprocal logistic support- It would be used exclusively during authorized port visits, joint exercises, joint training, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts. Logistics support- For any other cooperative efforts shall only be provided on a case-by-case basis through prior mutual consent of the Parties, consistent with their respective laws, regulations and policies. Provision of Logistic Support, Supplies, and Services from one Party to the other would be in return for either cash payment or the reciprocal provision of Logistic Support, Supplies, and Services. Agreement does not create any obligations on either Party to carry out any joint activity. It does not provide for the establishment of any bases or basing arrangements. Benefit- Agreement will significantly enhance the operational capacity of the Indian Armed Forces, including in their response to humanitarian crises or disaster relief.   India and Myanmar sign an MoU in the field of Traditional Medicine (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) About- Ministry of AYUSH signed a MoU on cooperation in the field of Traditional Medicine with the Ministry of Health & Sports of Government of Myanmar in New Delhi. MoU- Both countries share a heritage of religious, linguistic and ethnic ties. Myanmar has a substantial population of Indian origin. Further, Myanmar is our gateway to South East Asia and ASEAN with which India has been seeking greater economic integration through India’s 'Look East' and ‘Act East’ Policy. In recent years, the relationship of the two countries has been marked by close contacts at the highest political level including cooperation in the field of health and medicine. MoU will enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of traditional medicine.   Cabinet apprised of MoU between CERT-In India and CERT-UK  (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) About- Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of PM has been apprised of the MoU signed on 20th May, 2016 between Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and Ministry of Cabinet Office, UK (as represented by CERT-UK, a unit of the Cabinet Office on Cyber Security). Aim- To promote closer cooperation between India and the United Kingdom for exchange of knowledge and experience in detection, resolution and prevention of security-related incident Help- To strengthen cyber space of countries, capacity building and improving relationship between them. MoU- Participating countries can exchange technical information on Cyber attacks, response to cyber security incidents and find solutions to counter the cyber attacks. They can also exchange information on prevalent cyber security policies and best practices.   India US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) About- Following the decision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and President Obama in 2015 to elevate the India-US Strategic Dialogue to a Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, reflecting the significance of the trade and economic engagement between the two countries, India and the United States will meet for the 2nd Strategic and Commercial Dialogue (S&CD) in New Delhi. Two sides had agreed on four work streams to facilitate economic development initiatives- Infrastructure collaboration and smart cities Ease of doing business Innovation and Entrepreneurship Standards Some of the major areas of intervention following the CEO Forum recommendations are as follows- In line with the CEO Forum recommendations to boost the renewable energy sector, the both sides are working on the US-India Energy Finance Initiatives, which is expected to mobilise upto $400 million by 2020. Similarly, to ease the defence production procedures, the Government of India has introduced a new Defence Procurement Procedure which has made it much simpler to take advantage of the immense opportunity for defence production in India. Government of India has shortlisted 33 cities for development as smart cities and will be collaborating with U.S on three of these. Also, the U.S.-India CEO Forum developed a Smart Cities Strategic Framework In addition, given the focus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, various policies and measures, including the creation of Sister Innovation Hubs, and develop the Innovation ecosystem in the country. There has been very productive U.S-India CEO Forum-led Digital Infrastructure Best Practices Exchange Workshops in New Delhi, Jaipur, and Visakhapatnam from August 2-5, 2016. Both sides are working together to encourage participation of all stakeholders in the regional Global Connect conference to be held on September 15, 2016 in New Delhi. FDI reforms: As part of FDI reform measures, the FDI policy has been further simplified and conditions relaxed. Norms have been relaxed in brownfield pharma sector, processed food, defence production, railways etc. FDI inflow trends: Reforms undertaken in the recent months have shown positive results and FDI inflows into India have increased at a time when globally, there is decline in the investment flows. Total FDI inflow into India which was at US$ 36 billion during 2013-14 increased to US$ 44.2 billion in 2014-15 and has further shown an increasing trend as during the year 2015-16, India received US $ 55.4 billion as FDI, the highest in a year so far. FDI from USA: FDI from USA has also shown a positive growth trend and during the years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 it was US$ 806 mill. US$ 1824 mill. And US$ 4190 mill. rspectively. This corresponds to an increase of 500% in two years.   Launch of ‘Pharma Sahi Daam’ Mobile App (Topic: Government schemes and policies) About- Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs has appealed to the industry leaders, State Governments, other departments and civil society in pooling efforts to make available medicines at affordable prices to the common man. Pharma Sahi Daam App- Mobile App. developed by NPPA which shows the MRP fixed by NPPA for various scheduled drugs on real time basis. National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has come out with ceiling price of 368 new drugs within 6 months of the issue of New National List of Essential Medicines-2015. Steps taken by Government- Amendments will be made soon to empower NPPA in gathering data and taking appropriate decisions for the drugs included in the NLEM but market data is not available. Pursuing the case for making an independent Ministry for Pharmaceuticals so that all decisions regarding the industry could be taken under a single roof. Minister advocated a ‘3A’ approach to achieve health security for every citizen of India. Universal Healthcare can be achieved only by ensuring the Availability, Affordability and Accessibility (3A) of medicines to the common man. Pharmaceutical industry has risen to almost US$37 billion and Indian medicines are being exported to over 200 countries. Pharmaceutical is a sunrise industry and the Government is keen to provide support to it through various means like pharmaceutical parks, medical devices parks, pharmaceutical clusters and promotion of innovation through Atal Innovation Scheme. Two pronged strategy is being adopted to provide cheap medicines to the common man- one is through regulating the prices by NPPA and another is opening of PM Jan Aushadhi Stores. Within one year, 3000 PM Jan Aushadhi Stores will be opened in the country covering all districts and tehsils. Most of the medicines in Jan Aushadhi Stores cost 30 to 40 per cent as compared to the market cost and no medicine in Jan Aushadhi Store is more than 50 per cent of the market cost.   Launch of “Mera Aspataal / My Hospital” initiative (Topic: Government schemes and policies) Mera Aspataal Initiative Health Minister informed that the ICT-based Patient Satisfaction System (PSS) “Mera Aspataal / My Hospital” for implementation in public and empanelled private hospitals is envisaged to empower the patient by seeking his / her views on quality of experience in a public healthcare facility. Multi-channel approach will be used to collect patients’ feedback i.e. web portal, mobile application, Short Message Service (SMS), Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS). Steps taken by Government- Ministry has launched the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matriva Abhiyan (PMSMA) to provide fixed day assured quality ANC services to pregnant women on the 9th day of every month across the country. These services will be provided by obstetricians and physicians. A key pillar of this program is voluntary partnership of private doctors. Free Drugs Services Initiative, the Free Diagnostics Services Initiative, the District Hospital Strengthening support, roll out of comprehensive primary health care, Quality Assurance Programme and the Kayakalp awards - all represent initiatives intended to reduce fragmentation of care, improve quality of care and reduce out of pocket expenses. Under National Health Mission various steps taken for pregnant women, reducing Infant Mortality Rate, Maternal Mortality Rate and reducing out-of-pocket expenditure for the patients Union Health Minister also released operational framework on management of common cancers, Guidance Note for Outsourced Call Centre for tele-consultation, grievance redressal and providing information about schemes. Health Minister also gave away awards to the states on the basis of Health Indicators and Service Delivery. The best performing large states for decline in IMR was given to Haryana and West Bengal. In this category the best performing small states were Nagaland and Tripura. Similarly, for service delivery in public health facilities Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were awarded amongst large states and Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh were awarded amongst small states. Best performing Union Territory was Dadar and Nagar Haveli.   PM launches Saurashtra Narmada Irrigation Project (Topic: Government Schemes and policies) About- PM unveiled a plaque to launch the Saurashtra Narmada Irrigation (SAUNI) Project at Sanosara in Gujarat. Aim- To satiate the water and irrigation needs of the perennially parched regions of Saurashtra in Gujarat Highlights- Inaugurated the first phase of SAUNI project in which nearly 10 dams and reservoirs of Rajkot, Jamnagar and Morbu would be filled up with the water of Narmada river Simultaneously, water would also be pumped into Uund-4 reservior SAUNI Project- Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation Yojana aims at diverting the excess floodwater from Sardar Sarovar Dam to fill up 115 dams of the water-scare Saurashtra region through a network of canals and pipelines. First phase would irrigate 4.13 lakh hectares of land Roject is an engineering marvel that will quench thirst of 11 drought prone district of Saurastra and bring fresh life to the region.   Gujarat becomes the first state to distribute 2 crore LED Bulbs under UJALA  (Topic: Government schemes and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation)  About- Under the Government of India’s Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for all (UJALA) scheme, Gujarat has become the first state to distribute 2 crore LED bulbs. Gujarat has reached this milestone in just 96 days and over 42 lakh households have already benefitted from the scheme.     Basic Minimum Wages for Central Sphere Workers Revised (Topic: Basic minimum wages) Following decisions have been taken by the Government- The Bonus Amendment Act will be implemented strictly. The Central Government will pay Bonus for the years 2014-15 and 2015-16 based on revised norms. A government notification in this regard is being issued immediately. Central Government will take necessary steps to resolve the cases pending in High Courts/Supreme Court with regard to payment of Bonus Registration of the contract workers and their staffing agencies is mandatory as per law and states will be advised to strictly implement the same. Erring contractors will face appropriate action for any violation in this regard. Issue of giving social security benefit to the unorganised sector (eg., Anganwadi, Mid-day meal, Asha volunteers etc.) will be examined by a committee which will give its report at the earliest. Advisories will be issued to all the States Governments to ensure that registration of Trade Unions takes place within 45 days.   GS-3 Maiden annual joint disaster relief exercise ‘prakampana’ inaugurated (Topic: Disaster and Disaster management) About- Maiden Joint Disaster Management Exercise named Prakampana (‘Cyclone’ in Sanskrit) has been inaugurated at Visakhapatnam   Aimed at- Synchronising resources and efforts of all agencies involved in disaster management.   Participants- Several dignitaries from various Central and State Government agencies, representatives from PSUs located in Visakhapatnam, Professors, University reps and experts in the field of disaster management are participating in the exercise in addition to armed forces viz. Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.   Highlights- Three-day long exercise is being conducted by the Eastern Naval Command in liaison with concerned Centre and State authorities Concerned agencies were aimed at highlighting their existing capabilities in dealing with such natural disasters and was followed by a Table Top Exercise (TTX) at Maritime Warfare Centre, inside Naval Dockyard on a simulated scenario of a super cyclone hitting an urban city akin Hudhud. All stake holders’ officials who were tasked to formulate a comprehensive Disaster Management Plan to cater for the pre-event action and post disaster action plan. TTX enabled better understanding of each other’s peculiarities so as to bring all agencies to a common understanding of Disaster Management for better synergy and co-ordination in planning relief operations. Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) capability demonstration began with display of air assets of IN and IAF at Naval Air Station followed by demonstration of HADR IN Ships at Naval Dockyard, and a Static Demonstration of HADR assets of all participating stake holders at HADR Campsite near Samudrika grounds.   CBDT signs 20 Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements with Indian taxpayers (Topic: Indian economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources’, growth, development and employment) About- Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) entered into twenty (20) Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) with Indian taxpayers. Many of these agreements also have a “Rollback” provision in them. APA Scheme- APA Scheme was introduced in the Income-tax Act in 2012 and the Rollback provisions were introduced in 2014. Scheme endeavours to provide certainty to taxpayers in the domain of transfer pricing by specifying the methods of pricing and determining the arm’s length price of international transactions in advance for the maximum of five future years. Further, the taxpayer has the option to rollback the APA for four preceding years. Since its inception, the APA scheme has attracted tremendous interest among Multi National Enterprises (MNEs) and that has resulted in more than 700 applications (both unilateral and bilateral) having been filed in just four years. 20 APAs signed in these two days pertain to various sectors of the economy like Information Technology, Banking & Finance, Insurance, Human Resources, Pharmaceutical, Solar Energy, Oil & Gas, Foods & Beverages, Telecommunications and NGO. International transactions covered in these agreements include Software Development Services, IT enabled services, Investment Advisory Services, KPO services, Contract manufacture, Contract R&D services, Import of components, Support services, Export of goods, Management services, Brand Royalty, Technical services, Engineering design services, Selling & Marketing services, Network operation & maintenance services, General & Administration services, HR consultancy services, etc. With these signings, the total number of APAs entered into by the CBDT has reached 98. This includes 4 bilateral APAs and 94 unilateral APAs. A total of 33 unilateral APAs and 1 bilateral APA have already been concluded in five months of the current Financial Year as against 55 in Financial Year 2015-16. The CBDT expects more APAs to be concluded and signed in the near future. Progress of the APA Scheme strengthens the Government’s commitment to foster a non-adversarial tax regime. The approach and functioning of the officers in the APA teams have been appreciated and acknowledged by the industry in India and abroad.   Cabinet approves simplification and liberalisation of the Foreign Direct Investment Policy, 2016 in various sectors (Topic: Indian economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources’, growth, development and employment) Radical Changes for promoting Food Products manufactured/produced in India: It has now been provided that 100% FDI under government route for trading, including through e-commerce, is permitted in respect of food products manufactured and/or produced in India.   Foreign Investment in Defence Sector up to 100% Earlier FDI regime permitted 49% FDI participation in the equity of a company under automatic route. FDI above 49% was permitted through Government approval on case to case basis, wherever it is likely to result in access to modern and ‘state-of-art’ technology in the country. In this regard, the following changes have inter-alia been brought in the FDI policy on this sector Foreign investment beyond 49% has now been permitted through government approval route wherever it is likely to result in access to modern technology or for other reasons to be recorded. FDI limit for defence sector has also been made applicable to Manufacturing of Small Arms and Ammunitions covered under Arms Act 1959. Review of Entry Routes in Broadcasting Carriage Services: FDI policy on broadcasting carriage services has also been amended. New sectoral caps and entry routes are as under:   Pharmaceutical: The earlier FDI policy on pharmaceutical sector provides for 100% FDI under automatic route in greenfield pharma and FDI up to 100% under government approval in brownfield pharma. With the objective of promoting the development of this sector, 74% FDI under automatic route has been permitted in brownfield pharmaceuticals. FDI beyond 74% would be permitted through Government approval route.   Civil Aviation Sector The earlier FDI policy on Airports permitted 100% FDI under automatic route in Greenfield Projects and 74% FDI in Brownfield Projects under automatic route. FDI beyond 74% for Brownfield Projects is under government route. With a view to aid in modernization of the existing airports to establish a high standard and help ease the pressure on the existing airports, 100% FDI under automatic route has now been permitted in Brownfield Airport projects As per the earlier FDI policy, foreign investment up to 49% was allowed under automatic route in Scheduled Air Transport Service/ Domestic Scheduled Passenger Airline and regional Air Transport Service. This limit has now been raised to 100%, with FDI upto 49% permitted under automatic route and FDI beyond 49% through Government approval. For NRIs, 100% FDI will continue to be allowed under automatic route. Foreign airlines would continue to be allowed to invest in capital of Indian companies operating scheduled and non-scheduled air-transport services up to the limit of 49% of their paid up capital. Private Security Agencies: The earlier policy permitted 49% FDI under government approval route in Private Security Agencies. Since Private Security Agencies are already required to get license under PSAR Act 2005, the requirement of putting them through another line of Government approvals through FIPB has now been done away with for FDI up to 49%.  Accordingly, FDI up to 49% is now permitted under automatic route in this sector. FDI beyond 49% and upto 74% is permitted through Government approval route.   Establishment of branch office, liaison office or project office: For establishment of branch office, liaison office or project office or any other place of business in India if the principal business of the applicant is Defence, Telecom, Private Security or Information and Broadcasting, it has provided that approval of Reserve Bank of India would not be required in cases where FIPB approval or license/permission by the concerned Ministry/Regulator has already been granted.   Animal Husbandry: As per FDI Policy 2016, FDI in Animal Husbandry (including breeding of dogs), Pisciculture, Aquaculture and Apiculture is allowed 100% under Automatic Route under controlled conditions. The requirement of ‘controlled conditions’ for FDI in these activities has now been done away with.   Single Brand Retail Trading: Local sourcing norms have been relaxed up to three years, with prior Government approval, for entities undertaking Single Brand Retail Trading of products having ‘state­ of ­art’ and ‘cutting edge’ technology. For such entities, sourcing norms will not be applicable up to three years from commencement of the business i.e. opening of the first store for entities undertaking single brand retail trading of products having ‘state-of-art’ and ‘cutting-edge’ technology and where local sourcing is not possible. Thereafter, sourcing norms would be applicable.     Grant of Permanent Residency Status to Foreign Investors (Topic: Indian economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources’, growth, development and employment) About- Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of PM has approved the scheme for grant of Permanent Residency Status (PRS) to foreign investors subject to the relevant conditions as specified in the FDI Policy notified by the Government from time to time. Benefit- Scheme is expected to encourage foreign investment in India and facilitate Make in India Programme. Under the Scheme, suitable provisions will be incorporated in the Visa Manual to provide for the grant of PRS to foreign investors. PRS- The PRS will be granted for a period of 10 years with multiple entries. This can be reviewed for another 10 years if the PRS holder has not come to adverse notice. Scheme will be applicable only to foreign investors fulfilling the prescribed eligibility conditions, his/her spouse and dependents. In order to avail this scheme, the foreign investor will have to invest a minimum of Rs. 10 crores to be brought within 18 months or Rs.25 crores to be brought within 36 months. Further, the foreign investment should result in generating employment to at least 20 resident Indians every financial year. PRS will serve as a multiple entry visa without any stay stipulation and PRS holders will be exempted from the registration requirements. PRS holders will be allowed to purchase one residential property for dwelling purpose. Spouse/ dependents of the PRS holder will be allowed to take up employment in private sector (in relaxation to salary stipulations for Employment Visa) and undertake studies in India.   Paradip to be develop as World Class Smart Industrial Port City (Topic: Infrastructure-Ports) About- Port city of Paradip is to develop as World Class Smart Industrial Port City. Paradip Port city- Rationale behind developing Paradip as a smart city is that Paradip already have a Major Port and strong mineral resource presence in the region, these factors will make Paradip a hub for Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME). Smart City at Paradip will be built on a PPP basic and it will have Multi-modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs), Industrial Parks, Residential and Commercial areas, water management system, waste recycling centre & creek development programme for tourism. Greening and road beautification works worth Rs. 6 crores are already underway. The smart city will also have a Solar Energy Park of 20 MW spread over 90 acres of land. 10 MW of this is proposed to be completed by March 2017 and the rest is to be completed by December, 2017. Proposed Smart City will also have dedicated drinking water supply lines and a very efficient drainage system. The road network will have dedicated lines for township and port. Slums area which is currently scattered in 155 acres will be rehabilitated through Pradhanmantri Awaas Yojana.   Annual Report of ‘Crime in India - 2015’ (Topic: Criminal activities and steps to reduce its percentage) About- Union Home Minister released the 63rd edition of ‘Crime in India – 2015’.National Crime Records Bureau publishes the report on annual basis, since the first edition published for the year 1953. Report contains- Information on police recorded criminal cases pertaining to the calendar year 2015. The data for the publication has been collected from 36 States/UTs and 53 Mega Cities (having population of more than 10 lakhs). Some of the highlights of the reports include- A decrease of 4.7% under crimes against Scheduled Tribes (from 11,451 in 2014 to 10,914 cases in 2015). A decrease of 4.4% under crimes against Scheduled castes (from 47,064 in 2014 to 45,003 cases in 2015). A decrease of 3.1% under crimes against women (from 3,37,922 cases in 2014 to 3,27,394cases in 2015). 28,69,195 cases under IPC were investigated in 2015. Out of 1,05,02,256 IPC cases, 13,25,989 cases were tried by the courts in 2015, showing conviction rate as 46.9% under IPC crimes. Out of 46,46,419 cases, investigation completed in 43,46,003 cases. Cases chargesheet rate was 98.1% and conviction rate was 92.4% under Special & Local Laws (SLL) cases. Properties worth Rs. 8,21,040 lakh were stolen during the year 2015 and against this loss, properties worth Rs. 1,35,019 lakh were recovered. A total of 73,26,099 offence cases [29,49,400 Indian Penal Code (IPC) cases and 43,76,699 SLL cases] were reported in 2015, an increase of 1.3% over 2014. An increase of 5.3% under crimes against children (from 89,423 in 2014 to 94,172 cases in 2015). Kidnapping and abduction constituted 44.5% of total cases of crimes against children. An increase of 25.8% under crimes against Human Trafficking (6,877 cases in 2015 compared to 5,466 cases in 2014).   Union Home Minister reviews CCTNS and National Emergency Response System (Topic: Criminal Tracking) About- Union Home Minister reviewed the progress of two projects, namely Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) and National Emergency Response System (NERS). Project aims at- Providing pan India search on National database of Crime and Criminal records and integrating all pillars of Criminal Justice System, namely Police, Courts, Prisons, Fingerprints, Forensics and Prosecution, for informed decision making. CCTNS is a 100% centrally funded project with an outlay of Rs. 2000 crore. Highlights- Home Minister was apprised that till date, 85% computerization has been completed and 93 lakh FIRs have been registered using the CCTNS System. 32 States/UTs are sharing data with National Data Centre (NDC). It was informed that MHA is exploring alternative ways of expediting the process from the remaining four States/UTs. Home Minister directed that concrete steps should be taken to overcome the challenges and expedite the implementation of the Project. Project, in its next phase, envisions to create a dedicated information network for establishing high bandwidth connectivity across all pillars of Criminal Justice System. Video Conferencing facilities are proposed to be expanded to facilitate Court proceedings, to harness savings of time and cost involved in security and transportation of Prisoners. Home Minister reviewed the status of the NERS project which aims at rolling out pan-India single emergency number- 112, for all kinds of emergencies and distress calls from across the country. Under the project, it is proposed to supplement the efforts of State Governments and UTs through provision of Hardware, Connectivity, trained call agents and other infrastructure. Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) has been engaged to provide cloud based central application for Case Records Management (CRM), Geographical Information System (GIS) and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD). MHA proposes to complete the project in two phases, taking up seven States/UTs in first phase and the rest of the Country in the second phase. Both the phases are expected to be completed by end of year 2017.   Minister of Railways inaugurated International Conference on Technology for Ultra High Speed Rolling Stock  (Topic: Indian Railways) About- Minister of Railways inaugurated International Conference on Technology for Ultra High Speed Rolling Stock jointly organised by Institute of Rolling Stock Engineers (IRSE) and Indian Railways Service of Mechanical Engineers Association (IRSMEA) with active support of Indian Railways. Backgrounder for International Conference on “Technology for Ultra High Speed Rolling Stock” Current operating speeds are 110 to 150 KMPH in general. There is only one train i.e. Gatiman Express which runs at 160 KMPH between Delhi and Agra Indian Railways also producing in-house 200 KMPH fit rake based on LHB technology at Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala which is expected to be turned out before 31st October, 2016. Also, a high speed diesel multiple unit rake capable of running at 160 KMPH with potential upto 200 KMPH is under design and manufacture at ICF, Chennai.  This rake will come out next year. These efforts have so far been to achieve semi high speed i.e. 160 to 200 KMPH on Indian Railways. 9 corridors have been identified for semi high speed - Delhi-Agra, Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Kanpur, Nagpur-Bilaspur, Mysore-Bangalore-Chennai, Mumbai-Goa, Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Chennai-Hyderabad, Nagpur-Secunderabad There has also been a concept proving trial of Talgo type rakes which has been tested upto 180 KMPH on existing track. These explorations are also in the area of semi high speed. IR have decided to built a high speed corridor based on Shinkansen technology of Japan between Ahmedabad to Mumbai with capable of running at 300 KMPH. Further, five feasibility studies are in progress for Mumbai-Delhi, Mumbai-Chennai, Delhi-Kolkata, Mumbai-Nagpur. Ministry of Railways have taken a visionary step to develop a ultra high speed railway technology capable of running upto at 500 KMPH and beyond. The example of ISRO is being followed for creating cutting edge technology in India to put a country amongst the leading nations of future Railway technology in the World. Types of ultra high speed technologies Maglev – conventional Maglev design is based on repulsion technology which has been developed by Germany and used in China. Another type of repulsion based Maglev technology has been developed by Japan. South Korea is also working on similar concept Quadlev – this is ‘Attraction’ based Maglev technology at conceptual and lab test level, developed by Dr. James R. Powell of USA who is also one of the inventors of Maglev technology. This technology promises to transport both passengers and goods at much lower costs as compared to conventional Maglev. Hyper Loop technology – This technology was originally conceived by Mr. Elon Reeve Musk, CEO - Tesla Motors. This consists of passenger or goods carrying capsule like vehicles travelling inside an evacuated concrete pipe. The capsule is suspended inside the tube using Maglev principles. This technology is still under development and concept proving. However, this has capacity to travel at speeds exceeding 1000 KMPH at much lesser energy consumption as compared to conventional trains. Indian Railways have decided to join the global scientific and technical community involved in development of ultra high speed railway technology as a futuristic step. If a suitable technology is identified in this process, a project sanction will be considered for further development Cost of ultra-high speed technology particularly Maglev at present is higher and is comparable to underground metro systems. However, potential exists to develop technologies with much lesser cost then even elevated metro systems Conference will help Indian Railways in their plan to completely metamorphosise into a modern and efficient railway system in the future capable of providing safe reliable and comfortable ultra high speed travel.