Dec 7, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 7th December, 2015

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 7th December, 2015   ECONOMICS   TOPIC:  General Studies 3: Investment models; Indian Economy and issues relating to mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.  General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation; Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability.   How to fix Public Private Partnership (PPP) financing? "Make in India" is the hallmark programme of the present Prime minister’s administration. It envisages India increasingly becoming a global manufacturing hub, attracting investment, and generating the employment needed to grow the economy and power it to middle income status and beyond. Investment matters: In order to envisage the dream, the government should try to mobilize investment both domestically and international. One sector which needs huge investment is infrastructure. Until recently, public investment has been the main vehicle for infrastructure development in India. Since 2012, however, the government has shifted some of the focus away from public spending. The Twelfth Five Year Plan envisages the private sector contributing $500 billion - about half of the $1 trillion of investment planned - primarily through public-private partnerships (PPPs).   Complex process of structuring infrastructure PPP’s: Any infrastructure PPP include Optimal risk sharing among stakeholders to ensure a proper alignment of incentives. A detailed project feasibility studies negotiating complex land acquisition processes. Obtaining environmental and forest clearances and mobilising scarce equity. And also delays in achieving project development milestones weaken project economics, resulting in completion delays and reduced investor appetite.  A case study: A recent study commissioned by the Asian Development Bank found that on average 40 per cent of projects in major infrastructure sectors are delayed for reasons beyond the project's control. The reasons include delays in land acquisition and obtaining environmental and forest clearances beyond the time envisaged in the concession agreement, along with interstate coordination issues and local protests. Delays of two years are the norm, resulting in average cost increases of around 30 per cent - mostly due to accumulating interest costs during the delay period and cost escalation. Due to this banks are increasingly unable and unwilling to lend further to infrastructure. Proposed project completion risk guarantee scheme Drawing from global experiences in several PPP markets, notably in Latin America and Indonesia, a potential solution that can be fashioned which could help both investors and lenders is project completion risk guarantee scheme. The scheme: The scheme entails establishing a facility that guarantees servicing interest to banks during delay periods, so long as the delays are beyond the control of the project. Under this arrangement, the project developer would apply for a guarantee from the proposed facility against delayed interest payments by paying a fee prior to financial closing, and negotiate a reduction in bank charges that would compensate for the guarantee fee. Interestingly, this is also beneficial to banks because even though they are charging lower rates, they are no longer subject to completion delay risk. Merits of the proposed scheme: The facility would secure developers' interest obligations due to delays and potentially reduce the incremental equity needed to fund cost escalation. Because the risk profile of projects would improve, banks would be able to expand financing for guaranteed projects. Non-performing assets and restructuring would be reduced as interest payments would be serviced through the guarantee facility. The proposed facility would also accelerate financial closure and reduce delays resulting from re-negotiating bank lending to already stressed projects.   Way ahead: For the government, getting investments into essential infrastructure projects will help it to deliver on the promise of "Make in India". The proposed project completion risk guarantee scheme represents a win-win-win situation for government, financiers and developers and is worth pursuing in the interest of current and future generations of Indians. Connecting the dots: Explain the importance of PPP in removing structural gaps in India. Critically analyse the role of PPP in GDP growth and economic development of India. Critically examine the various measures taken by government to promote PPP in India.   For More information on ‘PPP model’ refer the below links- http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-24th-october-2015/   NATIONAL TOPIC:  General Studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector or Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.  Significance of Palliative Care WHO Definition of Palliative Care: Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual. What all does palliative care include? Palliative care: provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms; affirms life and regards dying as a normal process; intends neither to hasten or postpone death; integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care; offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death; offers a support system to help the family cope during the patients illness and in their own bereavement; uses a team approach to address the needs of patients and their families, including bereavement counselling, if indicated; will enhance quality of life, and may also positively influence the course of illness; is applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to prolong life, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and includes those investigations needed to better understand and manage distressing clinical complications Need for palliative care in India: The concept of palliative care is still in nascent stage in India. In India only 20 per cent of patients require end-of-life care. For the rest of them, the support requirements differ, from emotional to psychological or even rehabilitation. The need is a support structure not only for the patient but also for the family after the death of the patient.  In palliative care, the role of a doctor or [a] physician is minimal, initially, as patients are battling psychological, emotional and financial disturbances. The need is a dedicated team of nurses and social workers who will help overcome the shock of illness of patient in both the patient and their family. The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 or NDPS Act and palliative care: The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 or NDPS Act has been amended several times to include aspects of palliative care. The best thing that has happened in the country is the compulsory, single-window clearance for procurement of drugs. A group of six medicines used for pain relief specifically can be purchased only through the single window clearance. In each State, the State drug controller has discretionary powers. This kind of control has helped in ensuring that the drugs are not only available but are also not misused. For decades, morphine was difficult to access even to treat cases of genuine pain. However now, registered medical institutions are being given licences to stock a specific amount of morphine tablets and annual stocks are replenished on written request from the institution. Connecting the dots: What is palliative care? Explain the need for palliative care in India.   MUST READ India may ratify WTO trade facilitation pact Hindu To know more about other issues related to WTO, refer the below link- http://iasbaba.com/2015/06/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-24-june-2015/   Secular in spirit and in letter Hindu   For Detailed Analysis ‘Secularism’ refer the below links- http://iasbaba.com/2015/11/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-30th-november-2015/   Crack in the wall- India must seize the opportunity to arrest the downward spiral in the relationship with Nepal Indian Express   Across the aisle: How to lose a friend and alienate people How did the ‘high’ of India-Nepal relations collapse to a point when all observers are agreed that they seem to have reached the nadir?. Indian Express For Detailed Analysis ‘India-Nepal relationship’ refer the below links- http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-11th-12th-october-2015/   The way from Paris- Climate summit underlines that progress will depend on innovation and global partnership Indian Express For Detailed Analysis on ‘UN Convention on Climate change @ Paris summit’, refer the following http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-24th-october-2015/ http://iasbaba.com/2015/11/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-24th-november-2015/   India's top FDI source- During Apr-Sep 2015, India has attracted $6.69 bn (Rs 43,096 cr) FDI from Singapore while from Mauritius, it received $3.66 bn Business Standard For Detailed Analysis ‘FDI’ refer the below links- http://iasbaba.com/2015/11/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-20th-21st-november-2015/ http://iasbaba.com/2015/06/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-25-june-2015/   Evaluating Delhi's road-rationing scheme Business Standard   Basket case - yuan's inclusion in the SDR- It could place the currency on a par with global biggies. But China has to wait to be a serious challenger Business Standard   India's report card on gender progress Business Standard MIND MAPS   1. New Economics- Live Mint Link   2. Secularism- The Hindu Link  

Dec 7, 2015 PIB

IASbaba- Press Information Bureau(PIB)- 30th Nov – 6th December, 2015-Week 1

ArchivesGS-1Preparation of Heritage Bye-Laws (Topic: Indian Heritage and Culture)Preparation of heritage bye-laws for all the ‘3686 protected monuments and protected areas’ is under processA number of agencies are involved in the process of preparing the bye-laws, namely- Archaeological Survey of India, Survey of India, National Monuments Authority, Ministry of Culture and Ministry of LawReasons for Delay: Lack of capacity Issues in surveying and marking of the protected, prohibited and regulated areas Permits granted in the past (corruption)In the absence of heritage byelaws, no permission for construction activities should have been granted in protected, prohibited and regulated areas in which case there would have been no danger to the preservation of Indian cultural Heritage GS-2Mobile Governance Programme (Topic: E-Governance- application, models, successes, limitation, and potential, transparency and accountability)Objective-Delivery of public services through mobile platformSteps taken to implement Mobile Governance so far- A Mobile Applications Store (m-AppStore) has been developed as part of Mobile Seva project and currently hosts over 659 mobile applications Citizens can now directly interact with Government Departments through SMS. As on date, over 583 public services have been made available to the citizens DeitY is implementing Mobile Seva project as a one-stop solution to all the Central and State government departments and agencies across the nation for all their mobile services delivery needsDigital India Implementation-Aim:A vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and a knowledge economye-KrantiUnder the Digital India programme, Government has proposed to implement e-Kranti which envisages provisioning of various e-Governance services in the country To transform the e-Governance services by expanding the portfolio of Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) in e-Governance under various Government Departments Undertake Government Process Reengineering (GPR), Work flow automation, introducing latest technologies such as Cloud and mobile platform and focus on integration of servicesVarious projects are being implemented under Digital India MyGov, Digital Locker System, eHospital, National Scholarships Portal, Common Services Centres (CSCs), Mobile Sevaetc RashtriyaArogya Nidhi (Topic: Government Schemes in Health Service)Objective-Provide: Financial assistance to patients, living below poverty line and who are suffering from major life threatening diseasesReceive: Medical treatment at any of the Government super speciality Hospitals/Institutes or other Government hospitalsFinancial assistance: Released in the form of ‘one-time grant’ Released to the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital in which the treatment has been/is being received An illustrative list of categories of treatment to be provided from this fund Cardiology& Cardiac Surgery Cancer (Oncology) Orthopedics Urology/Nephrology/Gastroenterology Neurosurgery – Neurology Endocrinology Mental IllnessRashtriyaArogya Nidhi- Registered under the Society Registration Act, 1860, as a Society and dated 13/1/1997 Organ Donation (Topic: Health and Family Welfare Schemes and Government Steps)Reason-Shortage of donated organs in the country as compared to the number of patients of organ failure who require transplantNational Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO)The Central Government has been given the mandate to maintain National registry of donors and recipients of human organs and tissues under Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissue Act, 1994. The registry has been launched on 27-11-2015GoI has taken proactive steps to spur organ donation in the country such as- Website of NOTTO namely notto.nic.in A 24x7 call centre with toll free helpline number Indian Organ Donation Day is being observed annually since 2010. This year it was observed on 27th November 2015 Launch of National Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplant Registry Members of Donor families from different parts of the country and winners of national competition of slogan on organ donation were felicitated Award has been given to the best performing State (Tamil Nadu) in the area of Organ Donation Organ Donation Publicity through print media, Display Boards, Frequently Asked   Questions, Mobile SMSes, Talks by Experts, etc. is being undertaken. Training of Transplant Coordinators of Delhi and NCR has been conducted by NOTTO Financial assistance is also provided under the National Organ Transplant Programme for hiring of transplant coordinators in Government Hospitals and Trauma Centres Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO) in the States of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Assam and UT of Chandigarh and carrying out awareness and training of transplant coordinators Importance of organ donation has been highlighted by the Hon’ble Prime Minister in ‘Man Ki Baat’ Programme broadcasted in October and November (2015)Implementation of National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) (Topic: Health Programmes) Objective-GoI to implement the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) under the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) to provide-Mental health services: Prevention, promotion and long term continuing care at different levels of district healthcare delivery systemAugment institutional capacity: Infrastructure, equipment and human resource for mental healthcarePromote: Community awareness and participation in the delivery of mental health servicesSteps taken- To overcome the acute shortage of qualified mental health professionals in the country, the Government, under the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), is implementing manpower development schemes for establishment of Centres of Excellence and strengthening/establishing Post Graduate (PG) Departments in Mental Health specialties Establishment of additional 10 Centres of Excellence and support to strengthen/establish 93 PG Departments during the 12thFive Year Plan Period  Steps for 100 Per Cent Literacy (Topic: Human Resource Development) Two major interventions of Government of India, namely SarvaShikshaAbhiyan- Universalisation of elementary education Saakshar Bharat- Adult population help to bring effective improvement in literacyThe State Literacy Mission Authority (SLMA), Tamil Nadu has been felicitated with State level Saakshar Bharat Award 2015, as the best performing State in the field of literacy, on the occasion of the International Literacy Day on the 8th September, 2015  Allocation for Schemes of Skill Development (Topic: Skill Development, job opportunity) Government has launched Pradhan Mantri Kaushal VikasYojana (PMKVY) in March, 2015Pradhan Mantri Kaushal VikasYojana (PMKVY)—Aims to enable and mobilise a large number of Indian youth to take up skill training, become employable and earn their livelihoodImplementing Agency:National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)Skill Development Initiative (SDI) Scheme: To provide vocational training to the people across the Country for skill development in order to improve their employability Training is provided through a network of Vocational Training Providers (VTPs) registered across the country. No fee charged for training and assessment Implementation: Through States and monitored through a web portal The scheme is presently approved till March, 2017 and target depends on the budgetary allocation under the scheme                                                                    Launching of E-Hospital Service (Topic: Health and family welfare government schemes) Objective- To avail OPD appointment services To integrate payment gateway for online payments To facilitate patients in viewing their lab reports and check blood availability status in hospitals Establishing National Medical College Network (NMCN) wherein 41 Government medical colleges are being networked in the first phase riding over National Knowledge Network (NKN) with the purpose of e-Education and e-Healthcare delivery   Law for Regulating Surrogacy (Topic: Health and Family Welfare) Reason- India is a favourable destination for foreign couples looking for Surrogacy ART industry is now Rs. 25,000 crore industry Around 2,000 foreign babies are born to Indian surrogates every year International surrogacy services are offered by nearly 3,000 such clinics operating across the countrySteps taken- Government of India has issued comprehensive technical guidelines to the state governments to regulate surrogacy in their respective states The Department of Health Research has drafted a legislation to regulate Surrogacy, Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2015, which is under inter-ministerial consultation. The Department of Health Research has issued instructions- Ministry of Commerce has issued notification banning the import of human embryos except for research purposes; Ministry of Home Affairs has issued directions to not grant visa/permission to foreign nationals (including OCI Cardholders) to visit India for commissioning SurrogacyMADAD (OnlineConsular Grievances Monitoring System)(Topic: External Affairs) Aim-To extend a helping hand to Indians abroad requiring consular assistanceLaunched By-Ministry of External Affairs on 21 February 2015About MADAD-  Online portal represents a qualitative improvement over existing procedures for handling of consular grievances, through online forwarding, filing, tracking and escalation until their eventual resolution Allows direct registration of the grievances by the members of the public Effective tracking of the entire grievance All Indian Missions and Posts abroad are linked with MADADMemorandum of Understanding between India and Israel in the field of water resources management and development cooperation  (Topic: India and its International Relations) Objective: To benefit both the countries in strengthening the techniques in efficient use of water In terms of: Micro-irrigation, Recycling/re-use of waste water, Desalination, Aquifer recharge and In-situ water conservation techniquesMonitoring:Joint Working Group to be formed to monitor the activities to be carried out in fulfilment of the MoU .GS-3New Initiative to Enable Higher Agriculture Yield per Unit (Topic: New Technology in the aid of farmers)Objective- To reduce cost of cultivation Enable higher yield per unit Realize remunerative prices for farmerSome of the important new initiatives takenSoil Health Card (SHC) Ability to get to know the exact nutrient level available in their soils Ensure judicious use of fertiliser application and save money Ensure balanced use of fertiliser, enhancing productivity and higher returns to the farmers Soil Testing Laboratories established Neem Coated Urea Promoted to regulate urea use Enhance its availability to the crop and cut on cost The entire quantity of domestically manufactured urea is now neem coated ParampragatKrishiVikasYojana (PKVY) To promote organic farming in the country Will improve soil health and organic matter content Increase net income of the farmer so as to realise premium price The Pradhan MantriKrishiSinchaiYojana (PMKSY) To expand cultivated area with assured irrigation, Reduce wastage of water and Improve water use efficiency Market Intervention Scheme (MIS)To protect the growers of these commodities from making distress sale in the event of bumper crop when the prices tend to fall below the economic level/cost of production Centrally Sponsored Schemes— National Food Security Mission (NFSM) Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) National Mission on Oilseeds &Oilpalm (NMOOP) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) National Mission on Agricultural Extension & Technology (NMAET) National Crop Insurance Programme (NCIP) Unified National Agriculture Markets RashtriyaKrishiVikasYojana (RKVY) E-commerce Services- Enhancing Rural Entrepreneurship through CSCs (Topic: Information Technology, Indian Economy, Development and Employment)Objective- Tocreate a platform to enhance rural entrepreneurship through CSCs Enabling sale, purchase and last mile delivery network to offer a level playing field in logistics for rural marketsInitiative By- CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd. (CSC-SPV) in association with e-Commerce partnersGovernment to Soon Launch Series of Stamps on Nation’s Environmental Profile (Topic: Environment and Awareness)Government to soon launch series of stamps depicting the entire environmental profile of the country and has already brought out a series of stamps on flora and fauna, classical musicians, revolutionaries of IndiaZSI: Digitize its various publications and reports and soon will become a part of the National Digital Library, enabling easy access of these publications to the student communityAbout Zoology Survey of India (ZSI)-Established on 1st July 1916,ZSI is a premier institution on animal taxonomy in India under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate ChangeFunctions: Surveying, Exploring, Conducting Research and Documentation leading to the advancement in our knowledge on various aspects of animal taxonomy of the Indian subcontinentAchievements: Brought knowledge to the scientific community about many new and endemic species of animals found in this country ZSI has been declared as the designated repository for the National Zoological Collection as per Section 39 of the National Biodiversity Act, 2002 Many specimens in the collections of ZSI are more than 200-year old PAHAL-Guinness world record (Topic: Related to direct and indirect subsidies, functioning, economics)Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi received Guinness Book of World Records  in recognition of PAHAL as the largest cash transfer programme in the worldPAHAL- LPG consumers who join the PAHAL scheme will get the LPG cylinders at market price and receive LPG subsidy (as per their entitlement) directly into their bank accounts The “Pahal” scheme has been acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest cash transfer program (households) with 12.57 crore households receiving cash transfer as of 30thJune, 2015 On 03rd Dec, 2015, 62 crore LPG consumers have joined the PAHAL scheme and are receiving the subsidy directly into their Bank Accounts. Scheme has enabled substantive savings in subsidy on supply of LPG consumers to the households

Dec 7, 2015 IASbaba's Monthly Current Affairs Magazine

IASbaba Monthly Magazine- November 2015

ARCHIVES   Hello Friends   This is the Sixth edition of IASbaba’s Monthly Magazine. This edition covers all important issues that were in news in the month of November 2015.  We have done our Best to cover all the important issues in the 6 Editions of IASbaba’s Monthly Magazine. All the Best, especially for those writing Mains this month :)   “It's that time of year again, when your stress levels go up, your sleep levels go down, and you are living on the edge.. But do remember that, an exam is not only a test of your knowledge, but it is also a test of your calmness, stability and courage…”   Click on the image to download

Dec 6, 2015 AIR

All India Radio- Science and Technology

ARCHIVES     SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY   Click here for audio The tradition of science of scientific temper is inherent in humans, but prudent nurturing is needed for using societal welfare development. The great challenge remains over tapping the astute mind at the apt opportune moment. India’s huge young population presents a demographic window of opportunity for streamlined development. What is innovation? Innovation is often confused with invention and discovery. Innovation is essentially converting knowledge into societal well being and creating new opportunities, including an economic component. Innovation is a culture. We need to focus on inculcating that culture in our people from an early stage. How do we hunt for innovations which are affordable and appropriate? “The minds on the margin of the economy are not marginal minds”. They are in fact the source of innovative thought processes. In order to have relevant innovations, we need to connect with people at large. This means, connecting not only with researchers and highly educated, but also with people who are aware of local living conditions. Even though science is global, the application of technology from science is local. So we must focus on local needs and local solutions. This new paradigm is called “glocal” which is a combination of global and local. Department of Science and Technology (of Govt of India) has many different programs to hunt for grass root innovations. One of its organizations called “National Innovation Foundation”, which connects with students/farmers/local people and many others, has compiled about 200,000 innovations. Many of these innovations have been patented and commercialized. India is partnering with other countries and sharing its innovations with those countries which have common problems and solutions. The Dept of Science and Technology has about 80 “technology-business incubators” spread across the country. They house about 2000 technology start-ups. The Dept is trying to scale it up to 10,000 technology based start-ups in about 4 years. In the field of health sector, mobile applications are being developed which are providing valuable diagnostic information leading to integrated and affordable healthcare. It is like “lab in jeb”. One potential sector which has lot of scope for innovation is ITI. It needs to be encouraged and talent should be harnessed. How do we make research and development a lucrative career and stop brain drain? There are many opportunities in R&D more so today than ever before. There are big R&D companies existing in India. For example, in Bangalore GE R&D centre has 5000 scientists and engineers. The govt of India supports a network of R&D labs across the country which offer R&D career. There is no scarcity of R&D opportunities. The need of the hour is to sensitize people about R&D career. We need to motivate our young people to take up creativity. Many global R&D companies relocate from India and move to other locations like China, since we lack personnel trained in R&D. How efficiently have we been handling IPR? Patents are important especially for start-ups who innovate and commercialize products and processes for local issues. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has been working hard to streamline the patent process of innovations – like decreasing the time it takes to obtain a patent. The global benchmark is 2 years to grant a patent from the time it is filed for patent.

Dec 6, 2015 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Love in a Glass Jar – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Love in a Glass Jar Love is the most profound and the most illogical of the senses. Love can take many forms; it can be love towards an object, love towards people, towards family, friends, work etc. Love is a completely different dimension form logic. You cannot ask questions to a lover; you cannot give justifications; you cannot give reasons. You can simply love or not love. Let us understand a few fundamental differences between love and like. Although we use similar words like, interest, love, curiosity, desire etc to express positive feelings towards something or someone, we use love very rarely. There is an ocean of difference between love and all other words of feelings. Love falls into a category of its own because it is beyond the grasp of the mind. No matter how hard our mind tries to understand love, it is always baffled by its mystery and magic. Let’s look at a few examples of the mysterious nature of love in our day to day living. How often have we experienced this; we love someone, but we actually don’t like them. It’s not just with people; this happens with objects, emotions and places as well. We can hate going to a certain place and yet deep down there is a part of us that is drawn towards it. Liking is very different from love in a way that we can give perfect logical reasons for why we like someone or something. Like can always be fit into the confined rules and regulations of our mind, hence it is easier to understand. On the other hand love always seems to be just beyond our grasp. Love is so transcendental that it can even accommodate things like hate, fear, worry, frustration and so many other negative emotions. We can fall in love with negativity just as easily as with anything else. This is probably the single most important reason for all our miseries; without even being aware of it, we might have fallen in love with our troubles. A very scary thought, if you actually think about it! This gets us to probably the most important question of all. Can we really understand the nature of our reality and the world around us just by using our minds alone? Here, I would like to quote Albert Einstein’s most profound thoughts on the mystery of the mind and its inability to understand reality. "The human mind, no matter how highly trained, cannot grasp the universe. We are in the position of a little child, entering a huge library whose walls are covered to the ceiling with books in many different tongues. The child knows that someone must have written those books. It does not know who or how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child notes a definite plan in the arrangement of the books, a mysterious order, which it does not comprehend, but only dimly suspects. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of the human mind, even the greatest and most cultured, toward God. We see a universe marvelously arranged, obeying certain laws, but we understand the laws only dimly. Our limited minds cannot grasp the mysterious force that sways the constellations." I believe that the mysterious force, Einstein is referring to, which is governing the universe, is Love. When science is able to capture love in a glass jar, it would have figured out the secret of existence. Love might after all be the fundamental building block of life. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.” Read more such articles– Click Here

Dec 5, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs - 5th December, 2015

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 5th December, 2015   NATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 3 Security challenges, Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.   India’s Military Prowess: Navies are for more than just fighting In the context of a nation's military power, many people make the mistake of summing up the capabilities of the army, the navy and the air force and producing that aggregation as the country's capability. In today's environment, a country must have mechanisms that effectively counter threats of terrorism, both indigenous and that sponsored from external sources, for which stability and cohesion among forces is the need.   The case of Indian navy: In the broad spectrum of issues that must confront any nation and, especially, one as large and multi-dimensional as ours, the one capability that is easily visible and usable, not just close to home but also quite far away, is the navy. Interestingly, it does not always need to sail away from home to be seen; it also achieves that effect by staying in its own waters. For this, it must do a variety of things and the fields of training, joint exercises and hosting ship visits are only a few of them. At the very top of this list, and something that cannot be done too often, is the Fleet Review.   Fleet review: A fleet review is a traditional gathering of ships from a particular navy to be observed by the ruling monarch or his or her representative or the head of countries. Indian navy, like some others, has followed the practice. In theory, the event was initially designed to show to the reviewing person that the navy was in fine fettle or "good shape" as the sailors call it. In practice, however, it has also had ceremonial content which has grown over the years. There are parades, band concerts and 'Beating Retreat' events and recently to the list maritime security issues are added.   History of fleet review in India: The Indian Navy has been holding Fleet Reviews every five years for over four decades, once during the tenure of each president. In 2001, for the first time it invited ships from several foreign countries to participate in the event as well. Nearly 70 ships from some 21 countries were present in Mumbai harbour at this first International Fleet Review (IFR). The chief dignitary sailed around the neatly formed lines of ships in the presidential yacht; there was a parade by contingents of the foreign ships down Marine Drive watched by thousands of people; a concert in which bands of several navies performed; a seminar in which maritime cooperation and security issues were discussed; and, of course, a "Beating Retreat' ceremony at the magnificent Gateway of India followed by a display of fireworks. It was a proud moment in the history of the still young Indian Navy and the navy displayed itself as a maritime power.   Second IFR: In early February 2016, the navy will host its second IFR at Visakhapatnam on the east coast. But this time it will be much larger and more comprehensive. Ships from many nations would be present, including the ones from china. It would be a prestigious moment for India to display itself as a maritime power in South Asia and Indian Ocean.   What are the advantages of holding IFR for India? IFR generates pride and confidence in one's own capabilities - operational, organisational and administrative. These spectacles give joy and a sense of achievement to the people who watch them, live or on television, and speak of what they saw. Such events would contribute to image of India’s maritime power and in future would help India in promoting peace and prosperity in the region. It promotes India as a regional superpower and allows India to take hold over the energy security of Indian Ocean.   Way Forward: Navy is not just a combination of platforms that is geared to fight adversaries in war. It also acts as a messenger of goodwill and friendship as when ships deploy far overseas, east and west. It is also there to bring relief and assistance to those in need of it during natural disasters, as it demonstrated during the tsunami of December 2004 and in other such incidents later. With all the above things Indian navy is clearly an ocean of opportunities and this Indian navy celebrated the navy day on 4th December 2015.   Connecting the dots: Explain the importance of Indian Ocean in promoting energy security of India. Analyse the role of Indian navy in guarding the Indian Ocean. Explain the term “blue water navy”. Analyse the measures taken by the government to create one such navy for India in Indian Ocean.   NATIONAL TOPIC General Studies 1: Role of women and women’s organization, developmental issues; Effects of globalization on Indian society, Social empowermen General Studies 2:  Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections General Studies 3: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it; Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.   Women and Climate Change The threat of climate change, manifested in the increase of extreme weather conditions such as, droughts, storms or floods, has been recognized as a global priority issue and has broad disparities existing among regions, between different generations, income groups and occupations as well as between women and men. Women in rural areas in developing countries are highly dependent on local natural resources for their livelihood, because of their responsibility to secure water, food and energy for cooking and heating. The climate change and its effects thus, make it difficult for women to secure these resources. More women die than men during natural disasters United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Study: In a natural disaster, women and children are 14 times more likely to die than men and the reason is cultural norms. For example, in the 2004 tsunami in Asia, more than 70% of the dead were women. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has noted that in Sri Lanka, men survived the tsunami more easily than women: Men are taught life-saving skills like swimming and climbing trees while women’s role stays restricted as a perfect home-maker Taking care of others: The food and relief material are directed more towards men with women also supporting the move (Compassion & care) Rate of death of women increases with the severity of the disaster as a study exhibits the reduction in the normal life expectancy of a woman Alternate explanation: More men might die owing to the fact that they do take up more risks during disasters (Trait of a saviour)   Water stress impacts women more adversely Climate change leads to droughts and water scarcity, adversely affecting women’s physical and emotional wellness. Burden of water collection and firewood collection largely falls on them: Finding and fetching water can consume up to 85% of a woman’s daily energy intake. Drought: Search for water takes a toll not only on the time and health but also on their psychological well-being   Climate change increases health risks for women Women and children are more vulnerable to the health effects of climate change   Data for 2000 and 2012 from South-east Asia: The diarrhoeal diseases killed more women than men (common during instances of flooding)   Perpetuation of gender inequality: Unequal access to health services General neglect of women’s health in unequal societies: Studies in India, Bangladesh and Indonesia showed that the sex of a child influences the extent of the care given. Common for girls: Delayed hospitalization and lower rates of hospitalization   Women’s World 2015 Report: Certain effects of climate may affect older women more as they tend to live longer   Cultural Norms at Play: Primary caregivers for families Responsibility increases during times of emergency and disaster More likely to suffer from malnutrition following a disaster: Neglected nutritional needs of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers More importance to food hierarchies that favour men   Women farmers face greater hurdles in adapting to climate change Women make up 43% of the agricultural force and Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has noted that women suffer from the following issues citing Gender gap as the main evil: Possess smaller landholdings Face greater hurdles in accessing farm credit Less knowledge of Technical know-how and extension services Difficulty in accessing, using, and supervising male farm labour Use less fertilizer and of lower quality Under-representation in decision making (+formal forest user groups) Lower access to management of natural resources   IASbaba’s Views: A gender analysis needs to be applied to all actions on climate change and the gender experts should be consulted in climate change processes at all levels, so that women's and men’s specific needs and priorities are identified and addressed. Women around the world must adapt their lives to a changing climate depending upon the regional variations and availability of resources. Vulnerabilities need to be tamed with the help of behavioural changes and more changes on a personal as well as on an individual level. Women need to be made in control of their required resources as they possess a strong body of over-the-years traditional and environmental knowledge while helping, collecting and managing resources, and raising their families. In control of resources: Women are more likely than men to use them for family health and economic stability More likely to change strategies in response to new information Take decisions that minimize risk Connecting the Dots: ‘Women are often in the frontline in respect to the impacts of a changing climate’. Do you agree with the statement w.r.t India? Substantiate your answers with valid explanations Discuss the factors behind the historical evils leading to women becoming more vulnerable due to the climatic vagaries being experienced all over the world   MUST READ   National Pride and Prejudice Hindu   What the law says and what the courts ruled Hindu   Fighting IS with air strikes alone Hindu   Hike and effect- Pay commission recommendations aren’t inflationary. But the fiscal deficit targets may prove unrealistic. Indian Express For Detailed Analysis ‘7th pay Commission’ refer the below links- http://iasbaba.com/2015/09/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-5th-september-2015/   How not to review reservations- Contrary to the dominant view, development is not a benign caste-free alternative Indian Express For Detailed Analysis ‘Reservations: boon or bane’ refer the below links- http://iasbaba.com/2015/09/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-3rd-september-2015/   The growing burden of healthcare costs- Rising healthcare costs is taking a big toll on the poor Live Mint For Detailed Analysis ‘Healthcare issues & challenges’ refer the below links- http://iasbaba.com/2015/08/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-25th-august-2015/ http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-5th-6th-october-2015/ http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-11th-12th-october-2015/ http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-22nd-october-2015/   MIND MAPS 1. The myth of Intolerant India   2. How women suffer more from climate change than men?

Dec 5, 2015 AIR

All India Radio- Initiatives for Maternal & Child Health

ARCHIVES GOVT INITIATIVES ON MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH   We are giving summary of topics from previous months whenever a discussion is not useful for the exam. Click here and search for 29th August, 2015 Spotlight/News analysis for audio. Maternal deaths globally are around 3 lakh, out of which 44,000 happen in India annually. Child Mortality rates are also very high, especially under 5 children. Out of 6.3 million deaths happening globally, around 1 in every 4 happens in India annually. In 1990 all the UN members adopted the Millennium Development Goals which have quantified targets to reduce child and maternal mortality rates. The deadline was September 2015. India did not achieve the UN MDG targets, but has come a long way in reducing a significant number of deaths of children and mothers, which is commendable. For example, in 1989, India has about 2 lakh child deaths of neo-natal tetanus. Now it is less than 1 case per 1 lakh live births. Janani Shishu Suraksha Yojana: To give total and holistic care to pregnant mothers and child – free drugs, iron and folic acid supplements, free transport to and from hospital, safe delivery etc. Mission Indradhanush: To achieve annual growth rate of about 5% in vaccination coverage; by 2020 India will achieve 90% child vaccination coverage @ 5 % per annum (for the past 4 years we have had an annual growth rate of vaccination at the average of only about 1%). The vaccination will be given for 7 vaccination preventable diseases – diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles, and hepatitis B. Delhi Declaration: Signed recently by health ministers of 22 nations to enhance resources to prevent child and maternal deaths. The biggest challenge India still facing is the high fertility rates. India is aiming a fertility rate of 2.1. Other challenges: Infrastructure shortage in primary health care centers Lack of training to auxiliary nurses and staff in PHCs Very few numbers of doctors in the country. We have around 1 qualified MBBS doctor for every 1700 people, which is far below the universal requirement of 1 for every 1000. Currently, only 45,000 MBBS are graduating every year in the country. Lack of cold chain storage facilities for drugs What can be done? More expenditure on health sector to improve infrastructure and resources More MBBS seats in private medical colleges Internship in rural areas for MBBS students Medical curriculum should give more emphasis to preventive health care rather than to treatment part.

Dec 5, 2015 AIR

All India Radio- Pollution in Cities & Climate Change

ARCHIVES RISING POLLUTION IN BIG CITIES AND ISSUES PERTAINING TO CLIMATE CHANGE Click here for audio The dangers of global warming and climate change have never been as visible as they have been over the past few years and especially this year in India- the Chennai deluge breaking 100 year record and the rising smog levels over Delhi to name a few. The National Capital itself has got an ignominious distinction of being one of the most polluted cities in the world.  Norway has indicated that it will treat posting its officials in Delhi as “hardship posting”, for increased pollution levels -an allowance will be given to the officials posted.  An international school in Delhi has banned outdoor activities for its students due to severe pollution levels. Out of 20 most polluted cities as per the WHO, 13 are in India. India has huge number of commercial vehicles on road that are 20-30 years old. It is easy to get pollution clearance certificate by paying bribes even for such old vehicles. The carbon pledges made by 147 countries at the Paris climate conference is not sufficient to prevent the global temperatures rising by more than 2 degree Celsius by the end of this century 2100. In this hour of situation, India should keep aside the debate of who should take responsibility for climate change, and take the lead, initiate steps like afforestation, using clean energy, strict law enforcement etc. since it has more to loose from climate change. It is time we considered laws like limiting number of vehicles per family or person, as existing in countries like Singapore. Also, burning garbage as part of urban waste treatment should be stopped. India has set an ambitious target of development of 100 Smart Cities in the next decade. Urban planners have to keep in mind that people should have access to at least clear air for breathing, pure drinking water, pedestrian walking tracks etc., let alone smart infrastructure.

Dec 5, 2015 RSTV Video

IASbaba Big Picture RSTV Analysis- Is our lifestyle impacting weather?

Archives   a     The Big Picture - Is our lifestyle impacting weather?     We generally speak of how climate change will impact the human lifestyle, but irony is, its Human lifestyle which is and will have long-term impacts on environment if we don’t wake up. But question arises, how exactly our lifestyle impacting environment? Is India more susceptible to natural calamity than others? Are the recent disaster like that in Chennai, Uttarakhand or Kashmir a natural calamity or there is more to it? Which will be the most vulnerable community in all this climate change?   How our lifestyle impacting environment? For the past 200 years, our model of development has been that of exploitation. Non-stop exploitation of natural resources has led to a stage where whole human kind is on verge of collapse. Building houses after destroying mangrove forests and hotspots is not a development. Colonialsation led to unequal distribution of resources b/w countries with long-term impacts, for example, amount of electricity Times Square in New York uses in a day is equal to Zimbabwe’s whole year consumption. We are pushing limits called the planetary boundaries beyond any acceptable rates which have major implications in the earth's climate and environment.     Source -- VFRC Report 2013/3 Coming back to India, disasters are not new to our country but what is new is the extreme changes taking place like extreme rains, extreme droughts, less rainfall in monsoon, el-nino, enso etc. Human dependence on fossil fuels, wars, hampering of hotspots, over-use of groundwater, excessive use of chemicals in agriculture etc. are in fact leading us to  irreversible changes, i.e., increase in temperature by >2o Our lifestyle is not only impacting environment but also the poor people who are facing the brunt of environment backlash and are most vulnerable community A big question now is- how serious governments across the nations are? Can international meet in Paris solve such problem? Who is to be held responsible for the environmental degradation? Our present model of development is only crushing poor people and no international meet can solve this problem until we move on from this developmental model. Though scientific community has contributed greatly to our environmental problems but lack of seriousness among political and wealthy class has not yielded a good result. Seriousness of governments can be seen from the facts that still there are many parts in world which are involved in war for past 30-40 years. Many countries are spending too much in defence. There is still debate going on over responsibility b/w developed and developing countries. Way Forward There is a need to change this model of development. We need to move to sustainable development, development which looks after environment conservation first than anything. Agrarian practices need to be changed and farmers should be discouraged in using fertilizers and planting water-intensive crops in low rainfall areas. Crops should be grown according to environmental factors. To stop the incidents of floods there is also need to stop building so-called “concrete jungle”. These are breaking the connection between groundwater table and rainfall; generally, the land absorbs the rainfall and transfers it to groundwater. But concrete surface has disturbed this link. Dependence on fossil fuels had to be lowered. Countries should lower their defence budget and spend this money on researches in renewable resources. Most of the earth is covered by water still there are water-scarce countries. There is a need for research in this area to purify sea water for daily use. Mains Question  Assess the factor behind increasing number natural calamity in India. Is the model of development in India a faulty one and leading to more natural disasters? Comment. Agrarian policies in India have done more harm than good. Comment.

Dec 4, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs - 4th December, 2015

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 4th December, 2015   NATIONAL   TOPIC: General Studies 2 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector or Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.   Is India actually free of polio? On November 30, 2015, the day India introduced an Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV) in its routine immunisation programme, stating that it “will be an important step in the Polio Endgame Strategy”, a case of Vaccine Derived Polio Virus (VDPV) was reported from New Delhi. India has not reported a single case of polio caused by the wild polio virus (WPV) since January 2012. It is important to note that it also received a polio-free certificate from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2014, after a nervous two-year wait to establish that the country can indeed maintain its polio-free status.   A look into the history: The virus: Polio is caused by a human enterovirus called the poliovirus. Wild polioviruses are those that occur naturally. There are three serotypes of wild poliovirus – type 1, type 2, and type 3 – each with a slightly different capsid protein.   Vaccination against polio: Expanded program in immunization(EPI): Immunization Programme in India was introduced in 1978 for first time as Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) which covered immunisation against few diseases tetanus, measles, polio etc. By 1984, it was successful in covering around 40% of all infants, giving 3 doses of monovalent OPV to each.   Polio vaccine: Two polio vaccines, are used throughout the world to provide immunity to poliovirus. One uses inactivated (dead) poliovirus and the other uses attenuated (weakened) poliovirus. Oral polio vaccine (OPV): Oral polio vaccine (OPV) is an attenuated vaccine. Types : Monovalent OPV: vaccine against any one of WPV. It can be either type 1 or type 2 or type 3. Bivalent OPV: vaccine against any two of WPV. It can type 1,2 , type 2,3 or type 1,3. Trivalent OPV: vaccine against all three types of WPV. Universal immunization program (UIP) : In 1985, by ending EIP, Universal Immunisation Program (UIP) was launched to cover all the districts of the country. UIP became a part of child survival and safe motherhood program (CSSM) in 1992 and Reproductive and Child Health Program (RCH) in 1997. This program led to a significant increase in coverage, up to 95%. The number of reported cases of polio also declined from 28,757 during 1987 to 3,265 in 1995.   Polio eradication initiative by world health organisation (WHO), 1988 The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a public-private partnership led by national governments and spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Its goal is to eradicate polio worldwide.   Pulse polio immunisation program: In 1995, following the Polio Eradication Initiative of World Health Organization (1988), India launched Pulse Polio Immunisation Program along with Universal Immunisation Program which aimed at 100% coverage.   Eradication of type 2 WPV: In 1999, type 2 WPV was eradicated from India with extensive use of monovalent OPV. However type 1 and type 3 WPV still prevailed.   2004: Use of monovalent OPV type 1 and monovalent OPV type 3 started as a part of pulse polio initiative. WPV type 1 came under control however the type 3 WPV did not come under control.   Introduction of Bivalent OPV, 2009: By 2010, WPV type 1 was eradicated and type 3 WPV was showing signs of decrease. Finally through sustained effort of government and other stakeholders the last WPV case reported was on 13, January 2011. In 2014 India was awarded polio free country status by WHO.   The new challenge: The case of Vaccine Derived Polio Virus(VDPV) Between January 2014 and March 2015, India reported four cases from four different States, of vaccine-derived polio. VDPV: Vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs) are rare strains of poliovirus that have genetically mutated from the strain contained in the oral polio vaccine.   Spread of VDPV: The VDPV is spreading at a faster rate which needs the attention of government.   Now in the immunization program, government has to replace the OPV with IPV in order to tackle new strains of VDPV, which the government introduced on November 30,2015.   Connecting the dots: Still the fight against polio is not complete in India. Examine the above statement wrt recent increase in cases of vaccine derived polio virus. Critically examine the vaccination strategy adopted by India to fight polio virus over the years. Do you think there is a need to reconsider the strategy today. Substantiate.   TOPIC: General Studies 2 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector or Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.  Indian Constitution- significant provisions and basic structure.      Right to Education (RTE) Act: It's working and Challenges   Education in India:   Article 45, Indian Constitution: “The State shall endeavour to provide within a period of 10 years from the commencement of the Constitution, free and compulsory education to all children until they complete the age of 14 years”   National Policy on Education, 1968: First official document which attested Indian Government’s commitment towards elementary education. National Policy on Education, 1986: Further emphasized on its due importance Mohini Jain Vs State of Karnataka: SC of India held that right to education is concomitant to fundamental rights enshrined under Part III of the constitution and that every citizen has a right to education under the Constitution Unnikrishnana, J.P. Vs State of Andhra Pradesh: Supreme Court held that “though right to education is not stated expressively as a fundamental right, it is implicit in and flow from the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 and must be construed in the light of the Directive Principles of the constitution   Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 'Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory’ This Article 26 (UN recommendation) has been reinforced in the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act (2009), which came into effect in India on 1 April 2010, enshrining in law for the first time the rights of all Indian children aged between six and 14 years to free and compulsory elementary education regardless of caste, class, gender, etc.   Right to Education means: (a) Every child/ citizen of this country has a right to free education until he/she completes the age of fourteen years and (b) After a child / citizen completes 14 years, his/her right to education is circumscribed by the limits of the economic capacity of the State and its development   No-Detention Policy- Section 16 of RTE Act8—Prohibits holding back and expulsion of a child from school till the accomplishment of elementary education The ‘no-detention’ provision in the RTE Act does not mean that children's learning will not be assessed but makes provision of continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) procedure which will enable the teacher to assess the child’s learning and performance in a more constructive way. Controversy: Doing away with the No-detention policy till Class VIII that implies that children can be held back from entry level- has met strong opposition from the educationists, NGOs and experts; who have called it “damaging, regressive and counter-productive” for school education. Damaging-Giving quality Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE)  to ensure the child is ready for the next level has become government’s priority and the Delhi Assembly argued on the point that the planned changes in teacher training and curriculum are not in place and can be counter-productive if we go ahead with the policy. Regressive- It places the blame on the student for not being able to perform while absolving the school of any blame; clearly depriving the poor children out of the benefits of the mainstream from point one.   Issues: Activities conducted are very mechanical in nature and only aim at keeping children busy without learning anything substantial Children come to these schools to get a free meal only (Period) Annual Status for Education Report (ASER) – Rural, 2012:Enrolment levels have been 96% or more but 58.3% of children enrolled in Class V(government schools across rural India) cannot even read Class 2 text Attitude of teachers: ‘Whether students learn anything or not, they are going to be promoted to the next class as per the RTE Act. So nothing is in our hands’ Perceive passing of examination as a criteria for being promoted to the next higher class. The muddled CCE guidelines and lack of training have caused confusion among teachers on what their role is   Bhukkal Report: No detention has too often been read as “no assessment” or “no relevance of assessment”, which reduces the significance of any testing that is conducted in the eyes of all involved- parents, teachers and children Lack of a proper metric to measure student performance is compounded by the fact that the CCE guidelines are badly defined Teachers are not equipped or trained to conduct evaluations within the CCE framework and they do not know how to use the assessments to tailor lessons to student capabilities Reduction in the likelihood of teacher involvement in a child’s learning at the individual level   Geeta Bhukkal Sub-Committee Report: Given the declining learning outcomes of primary schoolchildren, the no-detention policy should be implemented in a phased manner that allows for students to be held back if they are lagging behind   RTE- Major hiccups After elementary stage: The long-term consequences of this revolutionary diktat have been left out unanswered. What will be the fate of children from the weaker sections after they complete their free elementary education in the elite schools, where the tuition fee would be more than the annual income of their parents? Minimum Infrastructure: Only recognised institutions with certain minimum infrastructure will impart school education in the country (within 3 years; sections 18 and 19) Minimum Infrastructure: Minimum teaching personnel, At least one classroom per teacher A playground Stringent stipulations: Will result in a large number of unrecognised schools as also aided schools being closed down Unrecognised schools— It is estimated that out of 12 lakh schools in the country today, almost a fifth are unrecognised, filling in for the non-existent government schools as the standards in government schools are dismal A comprehensive study of unrecognised schools in Kerala some years ago concluded that, in general, children received a good education from well-qualified teachers, the only criticism being that the teachers were not adequately paid. RTE Act: Has put all unrecognised institutions, the good and the bad, under threat of closure Treatment of the better Government schools: An Act that claims to strike a blow for equal educational opportunities for all children has no business to accord preferential treatment to these schools Teaching quality: It is considered as the prime adverse factor affecting the spread of literacy More emphasis on physical infrastructure in schools but not on teaching standards thereby giving little importance to teaching standards General statements: Central government “shall develop and enforce standards for training a teacher.” Ratified “relaxation in the minimum qualification required for appointment as a teacher” for up to five years Absolute power to the Education Department and local bodies to make or mar schools: Ideal tool for large-scale, systemic corruption Culture of school inspectors being “appeased” despite the school doing nothing illegal Implication: Large number of undeserving schools getting recognition and a good number of meritorious schools shutting down. IASbaba’s Views: More needs to be done on the front of creating an enabling and a learning environment for the child by introducing a major component of experimenting with different methods of student assessment and after adequately measuring learning progress, providing remedial classes for those who need them Inclusion of more teachers as well as training teachers in the CCE concept, designing student assessment methods and grouping students by learning levels rather than age could do more to improve outcomes than promoting students only to set them up for failure later. Also, teachers should be made understood that ‘pass' ‘fail' options are not a necessary requirement for learning The need of the hour is higher public investment in school education and a need to forge partnerships among state, school functionaries, voluntary agencies, parents and other stakeholders. Concerted efforts are required at all levels and the potential of the RTE depends a great deal on the advocacy and mobilization campaigns initiated by government, and the ability of parents and children to understand and exercise their new role relationships w.r.t the elementary education.   MUST READ   Myanmar’s best hope Hindu For detailed Analysis on ‘India – Myanmar Relationship’ refer the below link- http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-22nd-october-2015/   Ending politics of remission Hindu   Detecting cancer with proton therapy Hindu   Intolerance fuels radicalisation Hindu   The myth of Intolerant India-India’s Constitution and Parliament have always protected the rights of minorities Indian Express   Chennai deluge: It's time to question reckless urbanisation- Govt's focus on 'smart cities' is fine, but basic amenities must be put into place first Business Standard   India will stay firm on agri, food issues at WTO, says Commerce Secretary- Rita Teaotia said speaking about equitable trade for developing countries will be on her agenda at the forthcoming WTO meeting in Kenya Business Standard       MIND MAPS   1. Uniqueness of India’s smart cities 2. Is India actually free of polio?