Nov 24, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 24th November, 2015

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 24th November, 2015   NATIONAL   TOPIC:  General Studies 2 Role of civil services in a democracy.  Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and Ministries and Departments of the Government; Important aspects of governance. 7th Pay Commission: Why we must not grudge them a pay hike? In today’s climate of liberalisation, the socialist government is viewed with hostility. The present government is facing criticisms from the media and public at large, over the increases in pay for Central government employees recommended by the Seventh Pay Commission (SPC).     Why is the hike by SPC criticised? The analysts believe that the hike would affect the fiscal deficit negatively, a possible boost to inflation and a setback to public investment. Is the criticism valid? How the does the pay commission come out with the figures? The Commission has a rigorous basis for setting pay in government. It arrives at a figure for minimum pay in government with reference to norms laid down by the 15th Indian Labour Conference (ILC) in 1957. The ILC had said that the minimum wage should cover the basic needs of a worker and his family, that is, a spouse, and two children who are below the age of 14.   Has SPC followed the guidelines given by 15th ILC? The SPC has spelt out the norms it has used for determining basic needs. It has gone by food requirements specified by a well-known nutritionist. To this are added provisions for clothing, fuel and lighting, education, recreation, festivities, medical expenses, and housing. There is an addition of 25 per cent to the total of the above to provide for the skill factor (the basic needs having been determined for an unskilled person). The SPC report provides detailed computations for each of these items. No reasonable person can accuse the SPC of being overgenerous.   Comparing SPC hike with sixth pay commission hike: Based on above norms, the SPC arrives at a minimum wage of Rs. 18,000 for a government employee. This is 2.57 times the minimum pay in the Sixth Pay Commission. The increase over the projected pay on the current basis as of January 1, 2016 is 14.3 per cent. This is the second lowest increase recommended by any Pay Commission since the first one, and it is way below the 54 per cent increase following the last one.   Comparing pay in government and private sector: As before, pay at the lower levels of government is higher than in the private sector and at the top, the position is reversed. Pay in the private sector today is contributing towards massive inequalities in Indian society. Having a very different structure in government is a useful corrective to trends in the private sector. It will help contain tensions created by rising inequality.   Impact on government finances: So far as the impact on government finances is concerned, the SPC numbers provide a stream of good news. The impact of the pay hike on the Central government (including the railways) will amount to 0.65 per cent of GDP. This is less than the impact of 0.77 per cent of GDP on account of the Sixth Pay Commission. The impact on the Central government (excluding Railways), which is what matters when it comes to the Union budget, is 0.46 per cent of GDP. As some of the increase in salary comes back to the government as taxes, the impact, net of taxes, will be even less say, 0.4 per cent of GDP (assuming an average tax rate of around 20 per cent on government pay). Bad news for the military personnel: Why? A look into the history: Start at the beginning. There were two main categories of central government employees: the "All India Services" - the IAS, IFS, IPS, IFoS and the military. The second is Organised Group "A" Services - Customs & Excise, Railways, Border Roads Organisation, Indian Ordnance Factory Service, and a host of others. The 3rd Central Pay Commission(CPC), which was convened in 1970 (and the first without a military member), formally granted the IAS and IFS superiority over all other services. In justification it argued that "an IAS officer gets an unequalled opportunity of living and working among the people, participating in planning and implementation of developmental programmes, working with the Panchayati Raj institutions, coordinating the activities of government departments in the district and dealing directly with problems of law and order." Given this responsibility, the IAS and IFS were granted an extra increment over other services.   The SPC bombshell recommendation is that to elevate IPS and IFoS in match with IAS and IFS leaving behind the military. How far this move by SPC be justified? Way Forward: At the time of the Sixth Pay Commission higher wages for government employees contributed to a higher fiscal deficit. This time round, the Finance Ministry insists that it will stick to its fiscal deficit target for 2016-17 after providing for the SPC pay hike. If it does so, the pay hike will not lead to greater loss for the government exchequer. However, greater income in the hands of government employees could favourably impact sectors such as the real estate, automobiles and consumer goods. Connecting the dots: Critically evaluate the recommendations of Seventh Pay Commission. Critically examine the reasons for setting up pay commissions by successive governments over the years.   ENVIRONMENT TOPIC:  General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.  Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interest   India’s Carbon Caution in Paris   Fifth Assessment Report (AR5): There is only a specific cumulative amount of greenhouse gases that humanity can emit into the atmosphere, to keep the rise in global average temperature below a specified level, for a given level of uncertainty. Cumulative amount = Amount emitted in the past + Being emitted at present + Amount that will be emitted in the future Amount left for the future has been presented as a set of two different probabilities: For a less than 33 per cent chance of a global temperature increase of 2{+o}C, the cumulative emissions between 2011 and 2100 of carbon dioxide specifically must stay below 1,000 billion tonnes. For a less than 50 per cent chance of crossing 2{+o}C, the corresponding figure is 1,300 billion tonnes Therefore, the room for flexibility barely exists. Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) Under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), countries across the globe, committed to create a new international climate agreement by the conclusion of the Paris Climate Summit in December 2015, by publicly outlining the actions they intend to take, to counter climate change from their end. Estimated Emission: The total carbon dioxide emissions expected after the reduction from these commitments amounts to 750 billion tonnes until 2030 i.e., if the budget for the future is 1,000 billion tonnes for the next 80 years, 75 per cent would be consumed in only the first 15. India’s INDSCs: Maintains ambition in emissions intensity reduction (35% should be achievable) but balances it with the significant need for adaptation Expanded its already aggressive renewable energy and non-fossil energy targets (four – fold increase in absolute terms) Call for global technology partnerships, particularly on clean coal and energy storage that should be inclusive in membership, targeted for outcomes and innovative in terms of co-development and co-ownership of intellectual property Geopolitics of Climate Change Developed Countries: Biggest emitters of CO2 Come under the Common but Differentiated principle (CBDR)- Possesses a larger responsibility for responsible action to allow developing countries to: Improve energy access Grow economically and sustainably Developing Countries: Possesses poor technologiesà Burning of fuel inefficiently Blamed for climate impacts and pushed for tougher climate action Eg: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report in 2002 highlighted about "Asian brown cloud" (Conspiracy to shift blames; later termed as ‘Atmospheric Brown Cloud’) Pollutants and particles from biomass burning and industrial emissions had formed a three-kilometre-thick brownish layer over many regions in Asia Pollution build-up and disruption in rainfall and wind pattern 10 per cent reduction in solar energy causing a corresponding decrease in the evaporation of moisture that controls summer rainfall Issues No new commitments: To reduce emissions in the pre-2020 period No transfer of Technology Burden of tackling Climate Change: Shifted on developing countries   Emission Reduction Targets: Not defined clearly Will lead to abrupt patterns of rainfall and drought Agriculture & livelihood of people will suffer More poverty traps & difficulty in eradication of the sameà Stand to lose developmental gains Limited Carbon Space Will get exhausted if used at the present rate by countries like USA and China Post 2030, if it continues, developing countries might not get enough time to leverage their economic standing and might have to go for emergency cutting of emissions Widened the Trust-gap CBDR Diluted: Licence to evade from responsibilities leading to shift of the entire burden on developing countries No decision on: Means of Implementation Technology Finance Capacity Building Support India’s Caution Speak up India: Stake a claim on a fair and reasonable share of the global carbon budget Confront the perception in the West w.r.t India and the perceived demand for coal without restrictions as the developing countries need to take care of their emissions and the caps on them for subsistence and considerable well-being as well The concept of ‘Equity’ needs to be put to work in a true operational manner and not just in speeches, talks and documents. Common, but differentiated, responsibilities on a continuous scale of differentiation will provide a good benchmark for negotiations and will provide scope to India as well as other developing countries to accept and engage with further negotiations   Steps to be taken to plug the loopholes? Enhance the implementation of the UN Framework Convention Clear Greenhouse Gas Reduction Pathway to achieve the target Purpose should be identified: Increase Resilience + Capacity Building Reduce Vulnerabilities Include clear obligations on Mitigation: Prepare + Communicate + Maintain + Implement + Fulfil nationally determined commitments 5-yearly successive mitigation commitments Process to access proposed targets & level of implementation (+ Leadership) Adaptation: Planning + Guaranteed matching support + Proper International mechanism to address loss and damage Guaranteed support for technology development + Technology Executive Committee to take care of it Enhanced and Robust Transparency & Accountability System Compliance Mechanism: To prevent non-compliance + Enforce & facilitate commitments   Connecting the Dots: ‘Risk is a function of time, impacts and probability’. Critically comment on the statement and suggest ways ahead to walk past the short-sightedness w.r.t the issue of climate change and negotiations related to it. Can steps taken towards climate geoengineering pose another scope for the ever-rising tension and conflict amongst countries in the world? Discuss   MUST READ   The India Story, in word & deed Hindu   Pressing for free speech Hindu   How the Valley is changing Hindu   Are users hungry enough for NFC? The grand NFC dream envisions a world where you need no credit cards, no loyalty cards, no physical train passes or bus tickets Live Mint   How automation could impact Make in India- Given the rapid changes happening in manufacturing, we should be cognizant that manufacturing by itself is no panacea for our challenges of economic and job market growth Live Mint   Summit subtext- India must not opt out of emerging trade regime Business Standard   Dented confidence: The ‘trust’ element in PPPs-The exit of National Skill Development Corporation CEO, and the circumstances leading to it, has led to a trust deficit in India Inc. Indian Express   A new community- For India, a unified Southeast Asian market represents special opportunities — and challenges. Indian Express   Dissent and democracy- Within a government, ministers are expected to convey opinions on policy proposals. A second channel is through public representatives (the members of Parliament) Indian Express MIND MAPS   1. 7th Pay Commission - Hindu Link   2. Unifying Agricultural Market - Live Mint Link    

Nov 23, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 23rd November, 2015

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 23rd November, 2015   NATIONAL   TOPIC:  General Studies 2 Parliament and State Legislatures - structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.    Rajya Sabha and Bad Monsoon memories Article 79 of our Constitution lays down the principle of a bicameral Parliament consisting of two Houses, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Lok Sabha members are elected directly by the people, while Rajya Sabha members are elected by members of state legislative assemblies. The president of India has to nominate 12 members to the Rajya Sabha. The elected and nominated persons become MPs only after taking a solemn oath as per Article 99 of the Constitution. The solemn oath: The operative portion of the oath is: “I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India… and that I will faithfully discharge the duty upon which I am about to enter”. The bad monsoon memories: Every day of the 2015 monsoon session, we witnessed the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha helplessly pleading with MPs to discharge their responsibilities and maintain the decorum of the House, and later sitting dumbfounded, watching the violent uproar in the house as a silent spectator before calling for adjournment of the house. The justification by MP’s for violent uproar: The justification advanced by the opposition for disrupting proceedings was ridiculous, when they were in the ruling front, those in the opposition (who are in power now) used the same tactics. This means whoever is in the opposition has the right to ruin proceedings. The saddest and most deplorable facet is that when Parliament did not function due to their own fault, the MPs did not show the righteousness to forgo their salary and daily allowance. MPs right to demolish parliamentary functioning: From where did these MPs get the licence to demolish parliamentary functioning?  The Constitution does not empower them. There is no platform in India, or even in the world, where proceedings are allowed to be disrupted in such a deplorable way. If students in a classroom misbehave, the teacher can send them out or take disciplinary action. If anyone disrupts proceedings inside a courtroom, he is liable to be proceeded against. In football matches, the referee would expel any player who disobeys the rules of the game.   But in Parliament, the supreme legislative body, the chairman remains a helpless spectator. Definition of democracy: The definition of democracy given by the late C. Rajagopalachari is perhaps the most apt in this context. He said, “Democracy is a government by discussion”. But, now, in India, this has became, “Democracy is a Parliament by disruption”. The paradox is that those who are engaged in such activities are elected (directly or indirectly) by the people to uphold the Constitution. Comparing Britain’s House of Lords with Indian Rajya Sabha: In Britain, no such unruly activity happens in the House of Lords. Members of the Lords Chamber are also called “elders”. Discussions in the Upper House take place in a serious and dignified manner. The Indian Constitution made the Rajya Sabha the equivalent of the House of Lords. However the major difference is, Rajya Sabha MPs do not conduct themselves like the MPs of House of Lords. Criminalisation of politics: There was a time when persons convicted in criminal cases could continue as MPs, but now this, too, has become a thing of the past. Now, the pathetic situation of MPs, expected to be lawmakers, transforming into law-breakers and this needs to be reformed. Some suggestions to reform Rajya Sabha: Rajya Sabha should be there exclusively to re-examine the decisions of the Lok Sabha. If any decision is unacceptable, it should be returned to the Lower House for reconsideration. The dissent expressed by the Rajya Sabha can be discussed by the Lok Sabha, but the decision of the Lok Sabha that is then adopted shall be final. The person presiding over the House should be empowered to take disciplinary action against disrupting MPs, by first warning them and then, if they persist, suspending them till the end of the session. If the suspension has to be repeated, such an MP should be disqualified from membership of the House. Connecting the dots: Democracy is hindering the growth and development of the country. Critically analyse. Critically examine the importance of Rajya Sabha in ensuring democratic functioning of Indian parliamentary system.   TOPIC:  General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.  General Studies 3: Infrastructure: Energy Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana When a 2 per cent loss of GDP makes an entry in the balance sheet, it creates a wave of turbulence for the Government. Ironically, the government stayed away from taking any major steps to supress the substantial growth of the loss. Power, in a practical sense, still remains a sought after commodity; with the scheduled-unscheduled power cuts, very much prevalent in the country. A CRISIL data exhibits the consistent lag towards power availability since 2012. Settlement for dues have always been used as a major tool to take care of the problem at hand but when the problem is looked into more deeply, it becomes clear that short term solutions pave way for long term deteriorations. Problems with the Sector: The massive transmission and distribution losses can be attributed to the following reasons: Inadequate Tariff increases Poor Power purchase planning Sale of power at prices lower than the discom’s procurement costs Political Willingness Lack of timely Subsidy Payments Inefficiencies in metering and billing Illegal Connections Reckless funding by banks to loss-making Discoms   Why UDAY? The UDAY Scheme (not compulsory) will pave way for the takeover of the 75 per cent of Discom liabilities by state governments over a two-to-five year period Financing of the Debt: Via bonds with a maturity period of 10-15 years Effects: It will help relieve debt-ridden discoms It will lead to the acceptance of debts in the balance sheet of the discom while encouraging them to align tariffs to costs and ensuring the sustainable working of the same The utility of UDAY: Unsustainable borrowings should be curbed to put a stop on ever-increasing loss. Under Uday, the future losses can be permitted to finance only when a discom bond is guaranteed by the State Government, thus ensuring that the discom applies a profitable discretion With elements like the guided intervention of the State governments and the graded manner in which it needs to be taken up, the scheme assumes an all-season ongoing approach and not a one-time settlement effort. Certain conditions put across by Uday involves: Loss reduction needs to be aided by circle-wise targets, feeder and DT Metering as well as upgrading and replacement of transformers Regions with sustained loss reduction should be incentivised (rewarded) by increased hours of supply Other initiatives that can be taken to reduce discom inefficiencies: Laying down a specific performance-monitoring & compliance mechanism (can be incentivised by additional funding and other inputs) Monitoring of lending by banks to ensure reliable supply of investment Ensure regular tariff setting Energy auditing of feeders Metering of distribution transformers (DT) Elimination of revenue gaps Allow fuel-cost adjustments in final tariffs Reduction in short-term power purchase Liquidation of Regulatory Assets Ensuring advance payments of subsidies Attractive to States: The additional liability will not be considered for assessing fiscal responsibility limits of States The 3 to 4 percentage point reduction in interest rates will serve as a relief Issues with Uday State Subject: Electricity is not a Central subject and thus, the scheme cannot be made a compulsory one- which leaves the door open for unequal working of the Discom per State. No monetary assistance is being provided by the State though states willing to become a part of the scheme will be granted with subsidised funding in the government’s schemes and priority in the supply of coal The conversion of discom debt into bonds is not as difficult as is finding a suitable buyer for those bonds, not enjoying SLR Status additionally   IASbaba’s Views: Political unwillingness needs to be fixed and mechanisms need to be strictly followed to plug the loopholes to address the debt-ridden discoms and fix the losses. This restructuring package needs to be designed in a way that it can deal with both; an unexpected tariff shock or an increased burden on the State Government, taking into due consideration the certain measures that needs to be effectively worked out (enumerated above) Connecting the Dots: Do surplus and shortages go together? Analyse In the light of the grave situation of power loss, can State prove to be a beacon of light, leading the path away from the crisis? Discuss   MUST READ The need to look beyond the Pay Commission- India needs to build state capacity to meet the challenges of the new century Live Mint   Can India deliver in South-East Asia?- India cannot afford the luxury of inaction if it wants to preserve credibility in East and South-East Asia Live Mint   The new wave of global terrorism- the recent series of dastardly and heinous attacks hold several important lessons for international efforts to counter terrorism Live Mint   Why the IS survives- Daesh (the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State) claimed responsibility for the attacks on the French capital, indicating that they would be the “first of the storm” Indian Express   Looking for relevance- There is a Facebook page as well as a Twitter account (with close to seven lakh followers). Yet, what substantive work the Aayog does is not really known Indian Express   Pay for governance-Much of this is from merging the inflation-neutralising dearness allowance of 125 per cent (Rs 8,750) with the basic pay Indian Express   Clues from the Mali attack Hindu   Journalism is more than algorithms Hindu   Improving the craft of prediction Hindu   MIND MAPS   1. Terrorism Insurance- Indian Express Link MIND MAPS - Download Here    2. South East Asia- Live Mint Link MIND MAPS - Download Here    3. COP 21- Business Standard Link MIND MAPS - Download Here 

Nov 23, 2015 AIR

All India Radio- INDIA-ASEAN TRADE TIES

ARCHIVES INDIA-ASEAN TRADE TIES Click here for audio ASEAN – 10 countries – Cambodia, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, Singapore, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. (You can remember like this: “CBI PLSM MTV” – CBI PLease Show Me MTV) ASEAN + 3 – ASEAN + Japan + Korea + China ASEAN + 6 – ASEAN + 3 + India + New Zealand + Australia Recently two more countries have joined – US and Russia ASEAN was established in 1967 to ensure economic development and growth of the member countries There are other regional groupings in Asia, which seems to duplicate the objectives shared by the countries. For example, APEC, East Asia Summit, and ARF Recently India has initiated a spate of economic reforms to attract foreign investment. For example, FDI caps in various sectors like Defence, Insurance have been raised. Similarly, reforms in land acquisition, double taxation avoidance agreements, black money act etc. have also been undertaken. There is a growing GDP and declining inflation in the country India already has FTA with ASEAN. This is going to be extended to RCEP in the next year There is a trade deficit for India in its trade with ASEAN member countries “21st century belongs to Asia” Early in the 21st century, nearly 40% of the global growth was led by East Asian countries. Now, the US-led TPP constitutes 60% of the world’s growth; TPP represents 40% of global GDP. Hence, if India is a part of any regional formation, then it will gain. India is expecting that its trade with ASEAN will increase to $200bn by 2022 The political aspects in the Asian region like, China’s maritime expansion and disputes with neighbouring countries in South China Sea may have little bearing on the economic performance of India. This is so because ASEAN focuses only on economic development and will not bring bilateral political disputes for discussion in the forum  

Nov 23, 2015 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Handling Relationships – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Handling Relationships It is impossible to manage our relationships well if we are not able to manage ourselves. It all begins with us. Our thoughts, emotions, desires and fears drive our relationships with people around. Not knowing enough of this inner mechanism is the root cause of all relationship problems. How often do you face the difficulty of being misunderstood, of being underestimated, of being ignored? You rely on your relationships for your psychological and emotional support and yet the very relations you rely so much on, more often than not disappoint you. Let us understand a few fundamentals of successfully handling relationships. Let us understand how to balance the desires of our personal life with the expectations of the people around. First and the most important thing to remember about relationships is that you are the only person responsible for creating, managing and breaking-up relationships. There are no good or bad people out there worthy or unworthy of your relationship. Relationships are all about you. It is of course much easier to put people into categories of good and bad and shift the responsibility of managing relationships on to others. When things get difficult, it is always the other person who is wrong, isn’t it? Managing relationships require a slightly different approach. It requires the approach of a warrior. A warrior who is willing to fight within himself for the sake of his relationships; a warrior who is willing to first recognize and identify his own negative feelings and emotions towards people and then go about fighting them. It is said that the greatest battles are fought in the deepest recesses of our hearts. It is more true in case of the relationships we handle. Managing ourselves amidst of endless maize of complex and different behaviors is the greatest of all battles. Own it; take the responsibility for all your successful and failed relationships. Face the fact that everything that has gone right and wrong with people has happened because of you.  The moment you throw blame out of the window, you become responsible; which is the first and only requirement for managing successful relationships. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.” Read more such articles– Click Here

Nov 22, 2015 PIB

IASbaba Press Information Bureau (PIB) - 16th to 22nd NOVEMBER 2015 - Week 3

ARCHIVES     GS-1 President Mukherjee to inaugurate first ever World Indology Conference at RashtrapatiBhawan Organised by Rashtrapati Bhavan in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Objective To bring the best scholars from across the world including India to discuss the present state of Indology Its relevance and the challenges faced by them in India and Abroad Scholar to study the vast Indian wisdom enshrined in old texts on paintings, sculptures, numismatic and archaeological remains ICCR has instituted for the first time an annual ‘ICCR Distinguished Indologist Awards’ ICCR Distinguished Indologist Awards: Prof. Heinrich Freiherr Von Stietencron, Germany   GS-2 An Umbrella Scheme ‘Blue Revolution’: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries’ (GS2: Government Scheme and Policies)   Organised by: Union Agriculture Welfare Ministry and they inaugurate it as “World Fisheries Day-2015” Objective Cover inland fisheries, aquaculture, marine fisheries including deep sea fishing marine-culture and all activities undertaken by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) Lead to ushering in Blue Revolution through an integrated development and management of fisheries and aquaculture sector Ensure sustained acceleration and intensification of fish production beyond the projected annual growth rate   Launch of Pan India Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Awareness Programmes   Organised By: National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) and DIPP Specially Targets: Students, Research Scholars, Teaching faculty and Scientists Objective To create awareness about IP in the academia in the wake of new IPR policy launched by GOI Programme provides opportunity for participants to learn about mechanism of mechanism of accessing and using IP information for further research and development in developing new products and process for their use It provide an insight in to different forms of IPRs Innovation Ecosystem Procedure Requirement for participation Maintenance Enforcement Commercialization Licensing and transfer of IPRs Challenges faced by IP ecosystem stakeholders and institutional mechanism available for protecting IPR NRDC NRDC also established an Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC) with financial support from MSMEs at Bangalore Providing facilitation and techno-financial support for filling patent application in India is one of the important promotion activities of NRDC Importance of IPRs: Key driver for building and sustaining competitive advantage and achieving superior performance To protect creativity and generate revenue To build strategic alliances for socio-economic and technological growth   Enable Makeathon (GS2: Social Justice and Empowerment) Initiated by: International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) Partnered by:Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment About Enable Makeathon Project – To help create new assistive device for persons with disabilities living in rural areas across the world, in the form of Technology, Designs and Mentors   Aim- Develop solutions and products for persons with disabilities in form of prototypes. Diminish the three barriers Physical Barriers Social Barriers Psychological Barriers     Determination of marketing margin for supply of Domestic gas to Urea and LPG producers (GS2: Development and Management of various Service Sector)   Objective To enhance transparency and provide an element of certainty for future investments in gas infrastructure sector Marketing Margin It is the charge levied by gas marketing company on its consumers over and above the cost or basic price of gas for taking on the additional risk and cost associated with marketing gas. At present: Different transporters are charging different marketing margins for supply of natural gas and therefore, a call for uniform price   India and Germany agree to Strengthen their Cooperation in the field of Science and Technology- (GS 2: India and its International Relations) Objective – Agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the field of Science and Technology with continued funding for the project already in progress To support nuclear fusion technology To collaborate with India in the area of Solar Energy and Clean and Green Technologies.   GS-3   India is committed to Improving Safety, Efficiency and sustainability in the Transport sector (GS 3: Development and Management of Transport sector)   Objective To improve safety, efficiency and sustainability in transport sector Endorse the “Safe System Approach” advocated by the United Nations Steps Taken- Replacement of the Motor Vehicle Act 1988, with legislation Creation of National Road Safety and Traffic Management Authority Modernization of road transport infra structure in India Improve the quality of vehicles on the road, especially with regards to safety and emissions Seeks to usher in a regime of computerized, corruption free and transparent transport authorities, both at the national and state levels To remove obstacles and inconvenience from the path of road users in obtaining driving license, registration , payment of taxes, permits etc and to promote good driving skills Improve urban planning and transport system developing cities which are greener and safer Integrated Urban environment to reduce treasure needs To reduce fossil energy requirement and also exposure to travel risk     Government Prioritizes International Health Regulations (GS 3: Issues relating to development and management of health Service, Education, Human Resources)   Implemented by- International Health Regulation (IHR), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with WHO Country office for India Objective GOI has prioritized the implementation of IHR as it moves towards full compliance by 2016 Investing and building and sustaining core capacities under IHR (2005), particularly in view of emerging global threats such as Ebola and MERS-CoV  IHR: An instrument for the world to have robust protocol for- Preventing Reporting Information sharing Preparedness Greater attention towards building capacities at state level; particularly for hospital preparedness, infection control, etc Building and maintaining IHR core capacities of surveillance, response, laboratory verification with preparedness, both at national and sub-national levels.   Launch of Technology Acquisition and Development Fund under National Manufacturing Policy (GS 3: Technology, Mobilization of resources, growth and development)   Launched: Under National Manufacturing Policy, being implemented by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) TADF (Technology Acquisition and Development Fund) To facilitate acquisition of Clean, Green and Energy Efficient Technology In form of Technology/CustomisedProducts/SpecialisedServices/Patents/Industrial Design available in the market in India or globally, by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Objectives: Bridge the technological gap at an affordable cost. To catalyse the manufacturing growth in MSME sector To contribute to the national focus of ‘Make in India’ Support to MSME units is envisaged by the following- Direct support for Technology Acquisition-Reimbursement of 50% of technology transfer fee Indirect Support for Technology Acquisition through Patent Post- Financial support will be provided in acquisition of technology from across the Globe. Technology/Equipment Manufacturing Subsidies- The fund will support, via subsidies, manufacturing of equipment for controlling pollution, reducing energy consumption and water conservation. Green Manufacturing-Incentive Scheme- To facilitate resource conservation activities in industries located in NIMZ Introduction of incentive schemes for energy/environmental/water audits, construction of green buildings, implementation of waste treatment facilities and implementation of renewable energy projects through financial support under the TADF.   Extension of Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems Project (GS3: Security through Communication Network)   ICJS Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS) to integrate CCTNS with E-Courts Implemented by Ministry of Home Affairs for a major revamp of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) Objective Ensure quick data transfer among pillars of criminal justice system To bring transparency and reduce processing time Aligned with vision of Smart Policing and Digital India of the Government Number of services will be enabled through citizen portal Services include- Police Verification for various purposes including passport verification Reporting a crime including cyber-crime Online tracking of the case progress Online reporting of grievances against police officials Accessing victim compensation fund and legal services etc. Digitize data related to FIR registration, investigation and charge sheets in all Police Stations Major Components includes Citizen Portal having interfaces with various e-governance projects like Aadhar National Population Register Vaahan Project of the Ministry of Surface Transport National Emergency Response System Project etc E-prisons, Forensics and Prosecution-the key components of Criminal Justice System   National Resource Facility for Bio- Medical Research (NARF) at Genome Valley in Hyderabad (GS3: Science and Technology, Research, Development) Objective Develop world-class facility for breeding and housing of animals such as primates, cabins and other specialised models such as transgenic and knockout rodents required for testing of various R & D products Develop, create and provide access to a range of laboratory animals and related technological resources for advancement of biomedical research in the country Facilitate Research in medical colleges, and research and academic institutions, universities and Biotech/ Bio-pharma companies Provide training facilities for personnel in the specialised areas in the field of bio-medical research Petroleum Minister emphasises the need to integrate the bio-energy policies with regular-agricultural economy (GS3: Energy)   Objective To form an effective bio-fuel policy for the year 2016-17 Why: Promotion of alternate renewable sources of energy such as ethanol and bio-diesel Reduce dependency on import of crude oil Provide savings in foreign exchange provide better remuneration for the farmers and address growing environment issues Oil and Gas PSUs to take up projects on waste to fuel under ‘Clean India Initiative’

Nov 21, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 20th & 21st November, 2015

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 20th & 21st November, 2015   NATIONAL   General studies paper 2 Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. RTI- Holding Power to Account The Right to Information Act is a path-breaking legislation which signalled the march from darkness of secrecy to dawn of transparency; removing suspicion and establishing openness in the exercise of participative democracy. The Right to Information thus, is a powerful means for fighting corruption and creating an environment of pro-activeness, vigilance and effectiveness of citizen-centric governance thereby enabling citizens to participate in the decision-making process. A decade of its existence has conferred the initiative, a nature of innovative pro-activeness amongst the citizens of the country, with at least 2 per cent of the Indian population using the law.   Essence of RTI: RTI has ushered in an era of ‘Hope’ in the country, putting rest to the twisted monopoly of the powerful few deliberately and collectively; seeking answers to questions that do matter. It has become a key to strengthen participatory democracy by assuming the nature of being people-centred governance, empowering and emboldening the weaker sections of the society to demand and seek information about policies that matter, and issues central to their welfare. Transparency, accountability, predictability and participation—key elements of good governance are standing on the foundation of trust and empowerment of the Indian people and RTI puts a seal over the same. The shackles of illegitimate concentration of power is in the process of getting dismantled- ensuring deterrence on part of the government officials to put a signature on any illegal/unlawful act- personally or officially. Record Keeping: For RTI to be effective and a ghost-deterrence to be established in the psyche of the officials, record keeping should be made mandatory- making the government records an accurate and reliable database. E-governance initiatives can spell wonders if all the orders and records are digitised and stored electronically. This will not only prove to be easily accessible with the usage of internet but also, be easy to maintain and handle the replies to the RTI queries with relevant data. Capacity Building: The mind-set of the bureaucrat is still consumed with the theory of secrecy imbibed in their workings. Regular trainings and awareness programs can not only drive this assumption away but also lend them a more sensitive approach towards dealing with the weak threads of society. Intense debates in Media, public debates across institutions, awareness drive by colleges and schools as well as celebration of the origin of RTI can help generate awareness in the mind-set of the people who have shied away from RTI   Monitoring Mechanism: Will to detect, Rectifying without fail and supervising effectively and timely- will enable a proper mechanism at place CIC can be made the coordinating agency between all the independent SIC’s thus, enabling an effective and uniform implementation of the Act without redundancy of repeating the efforts, minimizing a time-lag as well as unwanted litigations Implementation: Considering the lack of record keeping and its maintenance, there are operational and logistical issues present that need to be taken care of; right from filing the applications to the acceptance of requests as well as difficulties in postal method to the payment of the fees. Various other modes of payment may be included and post office can be given a clear mandate to act on the behalf of officials dealing with acceptance of applications, thereby not only reducing the time taken but takes into account the geographical settings, at loss. But, keeping in mind the vested interests floating in the society, strict rules should be framed so that the adherence is guaranteed by the RTI-seeker. There is also a need to separate frivolous RTI applications from genuine one’s and thus, a PIO can be given the power to go through the lot and take a call to segregate the unwanted applications from the genuine ones.   IASbaba’s Views: Information creation, Information maintenance and Information dissemination are the three pillars of an effective RTI and government should involve all the stakeholders and proceed ahead with a national level database; making sure that a single-window clearance is put to work to deal with the pending applications. E-legislature and E-judiciary should be worked upon on the lines of E-governance action plan with standardisation of the processes, acts and cases in question and in general. Connecting the Dots: “If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, theywill be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost”. Discuss Discuss the major impediments in the effective implementationof the RTI Act. Also suggest a way ahead to deal with the frivolous requests made via RTI.   General Studies Paper 2 Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary, Separation of Power   A way to judicial independence What is the issue? Recently SC struck down NJAC (National judicial appointments commission) as unconstitutional and suggested to revert back the old collegiums system for the appointments of judges to higher judiciary. Neither the Executive-appointment model, which prevailed till 1998, nor the judges-appointing-judges (Collegiums) model, as practised till recently, have been found satisfactory to preserve the independence of the judiciary while promoting efficiency and accountability in the system. Now the court is hearing suggestions from all sections of society including public as to how we can make the present collegiums system better while keeping over the control of the appointment of the judges to judiciary itself   Why the judiciary is important: Because the final interpreter of the law is the court, not the legislature or the executive. Judicial independence is, therefore, central to democracy because it is the judiciary which helps the realisation of the Rule of Law and protection of human rights. National Judicial Appointments Commission established The Lok Sabha on 13 August 2014 and the Rajya Sabha on 14 August 2014 passed the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Bill, 2014 to scrap the collegium system of appointment of Judges. The President of India has given his assent to the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014 on 31 December 2014, after which the bill has been renamed as the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014. But what is wrong with NJAC as it was scrapped recently: 99th Amendment and NJAC Act quashed by Supreme Court On 16 October 2015, by a majority opinion of 4:1 Supreme Court struck down the constitutional amendment and the NJAC Act restoring the two-decade old collegiums system of judges appointing judges in higher judiciary. Supreme Court declared that NJAC is interfering with the autonomy of the judiciary by the executive which amounts to tampering of the basic structure of the constitution where parliament is not empowered to change the basic structure. However Supreme Court has acknowledged that the collegial system of judges appointing judges is lacking transparency and credibility which would be rectified/improved by the Judiciary.   Let’s address some issues and tools which can be used to improve the collegiums system: How far the appointment procedure secures the personal independence of judges? The search for a proper system of appointment will have to address this fundamental question if the public is to be persuaded to accept the appointment system in the name of protecting the “independence of judiciary” If judicial independence is about freedom from all pressures in the exercise of the adjudicative function, how can the appointment process secure it? Are matters of impartiality, integrity, propriety, equality, competence, etc. on which personal independence is dependent better assessed in a transparent, participatory commission system with pre-defined norms and procedures than in an opaque system managed by judges alone? How can we make the present system more Transparent and objective process? Constitution prescribes the eligibility of the candidate for selection of the judges leaving behind standards of integrity, propriety, competence, independence, etc. as qualifications essential for judicial selection. These constraints are taken for granted and best left to the selectors to assess these traits by whatever means available to them. Collegium judges say they know the qualities of the men and women practising before them and no one else can claim better knowledge about this. But this system has failed and many mishaps have been happening in the judiciary like wrong appointments, discrete procedures for selection, underestimating the traits and many other justifiable questions have popped up. If these justifiable questions have to be addressed in the selection process, there has to be a verifiable method of creating a pool of eligible persons for consideration. The system of examination and interview employed in the selection to the lower judiciary is perhaps not acceptable either to judges or to advocates. In such circumstances, a transparent procedure is to prescribe the norms and standards expected of candidates seeking to be appointed as judges and invite applications from them. Alternatively, they can be nominated by retired judges, senior advocates, bar councils or bar associations, etc., testifying to their possession of qualifications prescribed. On receipt of applications, a system of short listing based on comparative merit, again according to pre-determined norms and procedures can follow to identify those who are meritorious. Both the original list of applicants/nominees and those shortlisted along with their details can be posted on the website of the court for a reasonable period to elicit objections, if any, from the government as well as the public. There can be a technical committee of retired judges to shortlist the applications and to respond to objections/grievances in the initial stage of selection. This part of the procedure should be open to Right to Information Act queries as well.   Why do we need a secretariat? After the above procedure a collegium will sit to verify and decide the final selection of candidates who deserve to be appointed The list of selected candidates can be more than the number of vacancies and also be in the order of merit. Naturally, personal interaction through interviews may be necessary at this stage to prepare the final list. There are standardised psychological tests to measure the extent of integrity, independence, sense of equality and other values essential for adjudicative independence. The whole process can thus be made transparent and fair and less prone to abuse.  The idea is to eliminate the possibility of a wrong choice making it to the high bench. Naturally, the process is long, time-consuming, technical and professional, which sitting judges of the collegium cannot undertake by themselves. Hence the need for a permanent secretariat.   Representing a full court As judicial independence is both an individual and collective responsibility, it is important to involve the full court in the selection, appointment and transfer processes of judges. Towards this end, it is necessary to broad base the membership of the collegium. As most High Courts have nearly 50 or more judges, and their numbers are increasing, it is not possible to have the entire body of judges sitting in the collegium to deliberate on issues of appointments. Broad basing the collegium by accommodating all judges on a rotational basis is something that has to be evolved. It is possible to enlarge membership of the collegium in each High Court and Supreme Court to a third of the total strength of the court. Such an enlarged body has possibilities of being inclusive of women, minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and therefore promotive of the constitutional goal of social justice in judicial appointments as well. A third of members can retire every two years thus bringing into the collegium fresh minds and wide representation.   Can you say the selected judges through the above system prescribed be competent? However it is difficult to accept the theory that all advocates selected through the processes prescribed will turn out to be competent judges from the day they join the high bench. Because on an average 5 to 10 years for an average advocate to become a competent judge, However through institutionalised education and training we can reduce the duration.  Unfortunately, the lack of trained judicial trainers and the absence of clear policies on human resources management in the judiciary have led to a situation where the development of the capabilities of individual judges has been neglected. The trend has been a threat to institutional independence and not addressed by the judiciary adequately. The collegium has to find a way to assess the professional competence and productivity of the candidate at the time of appointment and insist on training for those who are inadequately equipped to handle adjudicative tasks. The executive and legislative branches have to bring in immediate reforms that are essential to supplement efforts at strengthening the collegiums system. There must be a uniform age of retirement for judges at all levels; it could be 65 or even 70. Of course, there must simultaneously exist a system of weeding out the dead wood after the age of 50   What about legislating All India judicial services: Yes! The time for an All India Judicial Service has come and the government should legislate for the purpose. Because of the Five Year Integrated LLB programme and the National Law Schools experiment, the country now has a steady supply of bright young lawyers every year to look after the legal services needs of the nation. They are technology savvy and are also amenable to modern methods of adjudication, if trained suitably. Within 10 to 15 years of serving the lower judiciary, they will acquire the expertise and the experience to fill in the expanding needs of the higher judiciary. The difficulties of finding suitable candidates for the high courts will disappear within a decade of establishing the All India Judicial Service. IASbaba’s view: An efficient judiciary in any democratic system is not just a necessity but a compulsion. Although there are flaws in present collegiums system we need to better it involving all the stake holders simultaneously maintaining judicial integrity in appointments. There must be checks and balances of collegiums system. Periodic assessments of Judges must happen so that they are kept on their toes every time. Let the window of opportunity provided by the Supreme Court in looking at suitable procedures for selecting judges be utilised to push for other structural changes necessary in order to give the country a judicial system which will decide disputes competently, and in reasonable time and expense. Also judiciary should not isolate itself completely so that we let it to become immune to change. In any democratic system functioning independently may not be always possible. We can definitely evolve a system where we can incorporate change still by adhering to our core basic values of Judicial independence. Thus celebrating diversity in decision making process.   Connecting the dots: Supreme court recently asked public to comment on improvising the present collegiums system.Can u Suggest some possible remedial measures by Justifying your answer.   General Studies Paper 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth. Investment models.   Let’s be realistic on FDI   What is the issue? Recently to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), the government has opened the door wider in several major sectors of the Indian economy. This move is seen as another attempt by the Indian government to attract sizeable volumes of foreign capital by easing the procedures, which, in its view, were limiting these inflows. But as it makes its best efforts to catch the attention of foreign investors, the government may also like to consider the global realities and its own experience in this regard.   Which are the sectors that were hiked? In defence production, the government has now allowed companies to raise foreign ownership up to 49% without prior government approval Ceiling in news broadcasting to 49% from 26% and up to 100% in the non-news broadcasting. In the radio broadcast sector, the limit has been increased to 49 per cent from 26 per cent, via the government route. 100 per cent FDI in the DTH sector The government’s recent hike in FDI limits has been questioned by various scholars. They are saying that there are certain realities that governments should think before its hiking the FDI limits to a all new level Reality number 1: Globally, FDI flows of all hues have not been growing, especially from the developed countries. The reality is that the developed countries are reaping the benefits of their past investments. Reinvested earnings (profits generated and retained in host countries) are bolstering the reported FDI flows. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the share of reinvested earnings is reported to have accounted for as much as four-fifths of total outflows in 2014 for select developed countries. A mere 10 per cent of total inflows were accounted for by direct equity flows, with loans making up for the rest. Obviously, further opening up by India cannot help attract more FDI that would not have come otherwise. Reality number 2: Another important factor is the costs associated with FDI, especially the servicing burden and crowding out of domestic investment. Developing countries like India have reached out to FDI not merely because of the capital they need, but more importantly, for the technologies to make their entities more competitive. So they have had to make a variety of payments “for use of intellectual property”. About half of the inflows into India during the past six years were balanced by outflows. What are reported as payments for technology could, in fact, be disguised dividends which deny the exchequer and the public shareholders their due. Reality number 3: Why enhance sectoral caps? One of the reasons the government gives for enhancing sectoral caps is that of ‘fragmented ownership issues’. But the reality is somewhat different. During the decade 2004-05 to 2013-14, foreign investors in the manufacturing sector have consolidated their position: a majority of the companies which received what may be termed as ‘real FDI’ (as distinct from the funds being brought by NRIs, private equity funds, and so on) are either wholly foreign-owned or have sole control. Further, a majority of such investments is utilised in displacing domestic entrepreneurs/investors instead of adding to production capabilities. India has lost many home-grown industry leaders and potential winners through takeovers by foreign investors. FDI should add to the national productive capacities instead of becoming a threat to existing/emerging alternatives due to their superior financial strength. Reality number 4: There was a special mention in the new policy announcement about the construction sector and the need to build 50 million houses for poor. Here not much thought has been given to how exactly these investments came in. A vast majority of investments came in either through private equity investors or Indians bringing back black money in one form or the other. And this has raised severe pertinent questions Now the real questions is :  Will private equity investors, who seek multiple returns, and returning Indians invest in housing for the poor, or in townships for the rich and the upper middle class and commercial complexes? When the private equity investors encash their investments, what would be the net outflow? In this context, it should be pointed out that disinvestments/repatriations were more than a fourth of the total equity inflows during 2009-10 to 2014-15. Reality number 5: Indian subsidiaries of foreign companies in the manufacturing sector run a huge deficit on trade account. The data released by the Reserve Bank of India shows that there is large dependence on imported inputs. Together with other payments and expenditure on other heads, the overall effect on the country’s balance of payments could be substantial. And this could hurt Make in India programme Many Indian entrepreneurs have now turned into part-traders of imported consumer durables. Without changing the overall policy landscape and attitude, India cannot expect to make a success of ‘Make in India’ with the help of FDI alone. The new measures in no way address this vital issue. FDI cannot be a substitute for domestic resource mobilisation, and FDI policy cannot be a substitute for prudent domestic policies.   IAS Baba’s view: It’s been more than two decades we opened our economy to foreign players through LPG, however we have a present economy that is more sustainable than it was in 1991.so we have frame progressive policies enough to generate our own capital which can be used to improve our economy. We have to scale up our Research and development in all sectors slowly so that in the long run we are self sustaining in all fields of economy. As a common man in domains like consumer durables we should prefer home made products instead of foreign made so we rely less on foreign products, so that in the long run we have enough capital with us and thus depend less on foreigners for investments. FDI Policymakers need to take cognisance of the fact that it is domestic investment which has provided an overwhelmingly large share of India’s capital formation and has, therefore, been instrumental in pushing up the country’s growth rates. India should be careful not to create two classes of investors wherein the foreign investors. So we have to create level playing field for both domestic and foreign players. Even UNCTAD had underlined the large amount of losses to the exchequer of developing countries ($100 billion a year) due to the routing of FDI through tax havens While bringing all related policy measures together, especially the Foreign Exchange Management Act rules, as proposed by the new policy is certainly a welcome step.   Finally the Indian government needs to take a realistic view of what foreign investors can do to shape the destiny of an emerging economic powerhouse.   Connecting the dots: ‘Raising the limits of FDI will be beneficial for the economy’. Is it justified? Suggest some remedial measure to reduce the dependency of foreign investments?   MUST READ Making the transition to a cashless economy Live Mint   7th Pay Commission Business Standard 1 Business Standard 2   Why WPI Deflation doesn’t tell the whole story? Business Standard   With help of diplomacy Indian Express   Blank editorials were messages for all who gladly muzzle the press The Indian Express   Sedition and Political Speech The Indian Express   Stop this brinkmanship The Hindu   No Proof required: No time for caste reservations The Indian Express MIND MAPS   1. CCTNS- THE INDIAN EXPRESS Link MIND MAPS - Download Here    2. GOOD GOVERNANCE- BUSINESS STANDARD Link MIND MAPS - Download Here    3. ISIS & PARIS- THE HINDU Link MIND MAPS - Download Here 

Nov 21, 2015 AIR

All India Radio- SC Observation On Death Penalty

ARCHIVES SC OBSERVATION ON DEATH PENALTY Click here and search for 24 August 2015 Spotlight/News Analysis The Supreme Court has recently said that death penalty is not inhuman and it does not violate right to life and liberty. The court has upheld the validity of death sentence under Section 364(A) of Indian Penal Code that deals with murder after kidnapping for ransom. The SC said that the rising incidents of kidnapping and abduction for ransom not only by ordinary criminals but even by terrorists necessitate stringent punishment for those indulging in such activities. The court has also made it clear that the situations where the act, which the accused is charged with, is proved to be an act of terrorism, threatening the very essence of our federal, secular and democratic structure, may possibly be the only other situation where courts may consider awarding extreme penalty i.e. death penalty. But short of death, in such extreme and rarest of rare cases imprisonment for life for a proved case of kidnapping or abduction will not qualify for being described as a barbaric or inhuman so as to infringe the right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. The 20th Law Commission headed by Justice A P Shah has recommended abolition of death penalty for all crimes other than terrorism-related offences and waging war against the country. Indian courts have awarded death penalties to more than 5000 people between 2004 and 2013, at an average of 5 convicts per year. More than 1300 of these death sentences were conformed and rest were commuted to life imprisonment. Only 3 convicts were executed during this period – Dhananjay Chattarjee, Ajmal Kasab, and Afzal Guru. The latest one is Yakub Memon, 1993 Mumbai blasts convict. Except Dhananjay’s case, the other 3 are terrorism related cases. It seems that somehow, the courts are restricting the scope of death penalty. The “rarest of rare case” doctrine was propounded in 1980 in the Bachan Singh case. If there is an inordinate delay in execution of death penalty, then such cases may be considered for converting into life imprisonment. According to Amnesty International, 140 countries in the world have abolished death penalty. Even the International Criminal Court (ICC) has also abolished death penalty. But, India is not a signatory to the Rome Statute that governs ICC. India has been voting against the UN resolution for moratorium on death penalty. The proposed anti-Hijacking Bill also contains provisions for death penalty. For more information read the below articles: Is death penalty a terror deterrent?  Abolishing death penalty should be India’s goal: Law Commission

Nov 20, 2015 AIR

All India Radio- Central GOVT Incentives To Sugarcane Growers

ARCHIVES CENTRAL GOVT INCENTIVES TO SUGARCRANE GROWERS   Click here for audio Sugarcane in India is a Kharif crop, which runs from April to October. Current production of Sugar in the country is 26 million tonnes which is a surplus production. Prices are low due to overproduction and slackening demand. Farmers are committing suicides for not getting arrears from sugar mills in due time. There are alternatives to sugarcane for producing sugar, like Khandsari and Gur. Govt incentives to farmers and sugarcane mills Direct subsidy to farmers The sugar mills collectively owe the cane growers roughly 21,000 crores. They were given a period of 1 year moratorium on interest payments to govt. The direct subsidies will be given to those farmers who are attached to those mills that have Export commitment Ethanol blending Govt gave a subsidy of 4,000/- per quintal for exports in the last year. It has set a target of 40 lakh tonnes of sugar export to make our it globally competitive. Then, domestic demand and price of sugar would go up benefiting cane growers. But the WTO has objections to export subsidies. Mandatory ethanol blending with petrol is raised to 10%, so that demand for sugarcane products will increase.   Future plans Govt is setting up a national grid for ethanol blended petrol, and the sugar mills would be attached to that grid. India is a net importer of oil (almost 75%). By blending ethanol, we can reduce our oil imports. Sugar mills can transform to captive power plants using ethanol as a source and produce power to earn extra money. Brazil has successfully implemented this ethanol blending program.   Shift to pulses? Sugarcane requires high moisture content in the soil. It can be grown on almost any type of soil. Only requirement is that soil should be kept alkaline and acidic. Sugarcane is the 3rd highest commercial crop in India, after paddy and wheat. Farmers get remunerative prices on sugarcane – Fair Remunerative Price (FRP) and State Advisory Price (SAP). Moreover, the residue fodder from sugarcanes can be fed to animals. The milch and draught animals can also be sustained with the sugarcane products. Pulses are grown mostly on dry zones which are usually rain fed. There is uncertainty. Hence, farmers are reluctant to shift to pulses.  

Nov 20, 2015 AIR

All India Radio- INDIA – PACIFIC ISLANDS

ARCHIVES INDIA – PACIFIC ISLANDS Click here and search for August 21, 2015, Spotlight/News Analysis for audio. In the International Relations part of GS-3 paper, Pacific Islands Forum is neglected by many students. Recently, PM Modi had visited these countries and India has hosted a summit level meeting also. Hence this is an important topic from the examination point of view. Please listen to the discussion for better understanding and don’t neglect this area. On August 21, 2015 India hosted the second edition of Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) summit in Jaipur. All the 14 nations of the group participated in the summit. The first was summit held in Fiji in 2014. This is a part of India’s extended Act East Policy. Importance of Pacific Islands They are dispersed and low populated countries. They have logistics problems to develop their economies. Less manufacturing activity With climate change and global warming, these countries fear of being drowned or disappeared. These countries are highly influenced by Australia due to its close proximity – for example, Australia helping the development of natural gas of Papua New Guinea etc. These island groups are forming partnerships with EU and other economic groupings. Their natural resources are being depleted day-by-day – sugar, timber etc. India used to import phosphates from the Nauru Island, which is now being depleted. More than 3,000 Chinese companies are already operating in these Island groups in various businesses. 6 out of 14 Pacific Islands recognize Taiwan as a legitimate govt of China. These 14 nations are supporting India’s attempts to become permanent member of UNSC. India can engage with these countries in the field of agriculture, especially palm oil, sugar, and timber. India can enter into partnerships with these island groups and add value to their commodities. These islands have plenty of oil, gas, and minerals in their sea beds. For example, the Kiribati islands, they are spread over an area that is bigger than the Indian subcontinent and have rich sources of minerals. India can form joint ventures and explore these minerals. These islands are frequently affected by natural disasters like typhoons, earthquakes etc. India can help them in disaster management. India can make use of the mahogany (timber) that is extensively grown in these islands, for getting raw materials for paper industry. The other biggest potential area which India can leverage from these islands is the development of services sector – IT, tourism, healthcare and fisheries. India is developing renewable energy and has set a target of 175 GW by 2022. It can help the Pacific Islands in this area and provide energy security. In the past, these pacific islands have faced a threat to democracy. For example, there was a coup in Fiji, which overthrew the democratically elected government; there was a civil war in Papua New Guinea. In this context, India can serve as a stable and solid partner, as it is one of the largest democracies in the world, so that these islands can have an assured trade and investment relations. The Pacific Island groups have enthusiastically welcomed India’s offer in telemedicine, tele-education, space cooperation, fostering democracy and community activities. Unlike other proximate countries like Australia, India has intimate relations, going beyond exploration of natural resources, with these nations. For example, Fiji has huge number of Indian ethnic population. Culturally they are linked to India. So, India should fight for their cause in the coming UN Climate Change meeting in Paris. India should see to it that these islands get enough finances for disaster mitigation measures.

Nov 19, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 19th November, 2015

Archives   IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 19th November, 2015   INTERNATIONAL   TOPIC:  General Studies 2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.  Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. Working together to solve global problems The deadly terrorist attack by the Islamic State in Paris on 13/11, which has claimed at least 129 innocent lives, serves as a grim reminder of the kind of challenges that the world is facing today. Global response for the Paris attack: Global leaders gathered soon after the Paris incident in Antalya, Turkey, for the G20 summit. While the G20 is a forum for enhancing economic cooperation, the Paris attack shifted the attention to issues related to terrorism and security. Leaders of the G20 were united in condemning the incident and have issued a “strong statement on the fight against terrorism”.   What did the statement carry? The statement called for preventing and suppressing “terrorist acts through increased international solidarity and cooperation, in full recognition of the UN’s central role...as well as through the full implementation of the relevant international conventions, UN Security Council Resolutions and the UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy”. Where do countries lag? As a reactionary measure, the countries gave in a strong statement condemning the terrorist attack. However, differences often emerge when it’s time for action against the perpetrators of terrorism and those who support such acts. The G20 statement does not reflect any major change in strategy to collectively deal with terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State.   The case of Russia’s attack on Islamic state in Syria(A case study for non cooperation): Russia is unilaterally acting against the Islamic State in Syria and now claims that some countries in the G20 are funding the organization. There are vast differences among global powers on the issue of Syria and how to deal with the Islamic State. This is the reason why it has been able to gain so much ground. Also, Russia’s intervention in the region is widely seen as an attempt to help Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who the western powers want to go; and they have been helping the rebel forces in the region to attain this objective. Certainly, despite renewed commitment, things are not going to be easy either in Syria or the fight against terrorism in general. A wider angle: Such differences among countries are not restricted to matters of security and are equally profound in the area of economics and finance especially wrt trade and investment related aspects. Need for co ordination:  Essentially, what the world needs is better coordination in dealing with the emerging economic and geopolitical challenges. The joint communique at the end of the two-day G20 summit, for example, pledged to promote financial stability, clearly communicating policy action to avoid uncertainty, and resist protectionism. However, the reality is that the individual states are driven by their own policy objectives and are not necessarily worried about the consequences on the rest of the world. Several large economies today have the lowest possible interest rates and are using quantitative easing to competitively depreciate their currency, creating distortions in other parts of the world. There is no system in place today to check the excesses of monetary easing by some and its impact on others. Further, trade restrictions have grown in recent times which can have long-term consequences for the global economy.   Way ahead: From geopolitics to economic growth and financial stability, the challenges and complexities for the world have increased a great deal, and it requires greater coordination among nation states at various levels. One of the ways to attain this is by strengthening and expanding the role of global institutions such as the UN and the International Monetary Fund so that they are in a position to devise rules which are fair to all and monitor implementation. The war against terror or maintaining global economic and financial stability is not the responsibility of one country or a small group of countries alone. In an interconnected and interdependent world, such challenges can only be met with greater international coordination through capable institutions. Connecting the dots: What the world needs is better coordination among countries in dealing with the emerging economic and geopolitical challenges. Analyse the importance of above statement in dealing with global problems. Critically examine the global strategy of dealing terrorism with special emphasis on UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy.   NATIONAL TOPIC:  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, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations.   The Know-How’s of the Spectrum Game The transfer of data from one place to another and the path that it follows is known as Spectrum. Recently, the issue of call drops and poor network connectivity have been in the forefront and now, it has become a part and parcel of our lives. If the public ire was not enough, the government has proceeded with a draft guideline on the troubling issues and the penalties for the same. Alternatives: Unused Spectrum: The “First come first serve basis” had already been much in debate and with the recent turn of events, the service providers have come out with a counter-reply holding that the limited spectrum allocation is responsible for the poor services. Government should systematically identify the various processes that can pave way for re-allocation of unused spectrum, to the deserving service providers. Mergers & Acquisitions : The present nature of market demands operators to work in tandem with each other and ensure adequate connectivity. Mergers should be seen as a profitable venture with mutually beneficial terms decided upon legally before-hand- to avoid disagreements. Also, trading and sharing of the existing spectrum that are left under-utilized, using secondary spectrum markets can be used as an alternative. This type of resource re-allocation framework does provide an opportunity to offload the under-utilised spectrum.   Regulations: Spectrum Cap: It denotes the limits on the amount of spectrum an operator can hold at any given time. Within each circle, no operator can hold more than 25 per cent of neither total spectrum holdings nor more than 50 per cent of the spectrum in each band. Last year, the Merger & Acquisitions guidelines also imposed a cap of 50 per cent of market share (both in subscriber base and adjusted gross revenue) for the merged entity in each circle The entity should also surrender the excess spectrum within one year of the transaction and there shall be no refund for the same. And here, secondary markets can play a good role by ensuring that the firm gets a chance to recover the cost paid for the un-used spectrum   Rationalising the constraints A proper framework should be put in place for an enhanced environment for the efficient working of the market but at the same time, policymakers and the government should ensure that these guidelines should not assume a hindering nature Regulations need to be modernised in a way that operators get to choose with whom and how to trade the spectrum. This will ensure optimal utilization and keeps the operator away from becoming a loss-making entity. When it comes to sharing the spectrum, the present guidelines makes it mandatory for the operators to share within the same circle and with operators having the same band; restricting and causing a blockade of options available to choose from. Thus, the functioning of the secondary market stands hindered. Sale of spectrum for part of a licensed service area is also not permitted making it possible for some operators to enjoy district-specific advantages but this might also hinder its own progress in other districts; the case of being completely out of sync with the market. Non-liberalised spectrum for secondary market transactions: The spectrum acquired administratively and not yet liberalised through payment of one-time fee dating back to 2008 can be neither traded nor shared. This takes out about 50 per cent of the assigned spectrum blocks in 800 MHz and 1800 MHz from the secondary market. The current guidelines of paying one-time fee to liberalise spectrum may not be economically attractive for license holders, thus restricting spectrum trading or sharing. IASbaba’s Views: Guidelines should be taken a closer look at and the government should make it a point to undo regulations that may hamper or come in the way of effective utilization and efficiency of services. Active secondary spectrum markets have the potential to reduce industry costs, promote innovation and pave a way for diffusion of mobile services; thereby it becomes indispensable for a sustainable approach and outlook to be adopted and be provided to the issue of Spectrum allocation in the country. Further, ‘Good Governance via E-governance’ can be ensured only via two-way sustained benefits to both consumers and operators.   Connecting the dots: Recently, government has come up with the draft guidelines to take charge of the irregularities wrt to Spectrum allocation in India. Discuss the guidelines and evaluate it's nature. 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