Oct 30, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 30th October, 2015

Archives     IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 30th October, 2015   NATIONAL   TOPIC:  General Studies 1 : Social Issues General Studies 2: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.    Increased child rape: Failure of criminal justice system in India The responses from different parts of the country to recent incidents of child sexual abuse have been identical in their demand for higher and more stringent punishment. While the Delhi chief minister wants to consider legal reforms to enhance the punishment for the rape of minors and treat juveniles over 15 involved in rape and murder as adults, the Madras High Court recommended castration of offenders found guilty of child sexual abuse. These hasty responses, however, completely overlook and distract public attention from the utter failure of the executive and judicial machinery to ensure justice for child victims. Courtesy (image)- http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/rape-child.jpg Provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (Pocso Act): Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (Pocso Act) was passed in an effort to address growing rates of child sexual abuse and poor rates of conviction. The act provides for Establishment of a special court. Appointment of special public prosecutors (SPPs) and compensation. Specifies timelines for recording evidence and completing trial as well as child-friendly procedures to be followed during investigation, evidence-recording and medical examination. It also provides for several care and protection measures for victims. The act also enhances the punishment for such crimes, stringently imposes long minimum sentences and affords no discretion to the special court to impose lesser punishment in cases of serious crimes such as penetrative sexual assault, aggravated penetrative sexual assault, sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault. The law further clarifies that in cases where an act is a sexual offence under the Indian Penal Code and the Pocso Act, the higher punishment must be imposed. Despite such dramatic reforms, “Crime in India 2014” reveals that the conviction rate under the Pocso Act is a measly 24.6 per cent and the pendency rate is an alarming 95.1 per cent. This barely inspires confidence in the criminal justice system that is projected as the panacea for crimes against children. Critical assessment of implementation of Posco Act: According to The Centre for Child and the Law at the National Law School of India University study on the implementation of Posco Act, the following are some problems which result in poor implementation of the act and resulting in negative outcomes in the case. The special courts for trying these cases are seldom “special”. Instead, they are regular sessions courts that also try offences under anti-terror laws, narcotics laws, etc. The judges assigned to these special courts in Delhi are expected to maintain a child-friendly atmosphere within the courtrooms — while simultaneously dealing with alleged hardened criminals charged under draconian laws. At a practical level, judges find it difficult to switch from one mindset to another. The act prohibits the prosecutor and defence lawyer from questioning children directly, only the judge is allowed to ask the child questions, this is rarely followed. There is virtually no training on child psychology, appropriate methods of questioning children, or maintaining a child-friendly atmosphere. The Pocso Act also requires the courts to deploy translators, interpreters and special educators wherever necessary and it is the duty of the executive to make this list available to courts and ensure adequate funding. However, they are rarely found in the courts. How about stricter punishments like castration? Proponents of stricter penalties should bear in mind that higher sentences have invariably resulted in more acquittals. The S. Verma Committee consciously rejected the death penalty for sexual offences as well as the lowering of the age of the juvenile, given the credible research that showed the poor deterrent effect and counterproductive outcomes of these measures. While the legislature has done its bit, the executive and the judiciary have to join hands to ensure the effective implementation of the Pocso Act. Need for an effective criminal justice delivery in India: Shortcomings in our criminal justice system: Serious human resource crunch in police personnel : According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) ,the number of police personnel per one lakh people in India is only 138, compared to 525 in Spain and 196 in USA. Out of the 71 countries for which data is available for 2013, India ranks 67. Low conviction and high under-trial rates: According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, the conviction rate for Indian Penal Code crime cases during 2013 was a mere 40.2%. On the other hand, NCRB prison statistics for 2013 show that more than 67% of the prisoners were undertrials. Overburdened and understaffed judiciary : According to National Court Management System of the Supreme Court for 2011, more than 26 lakh cases are pending in India, in which almost 25% of the cases are more than five years old. Politicization of the police force is another biggest reason for underperformance of criminal justice system in India. Strengthening criminal justice system: (Iasbaba’s view) The criminal investigation system needs higher standards of professionalism and it should be provided with adequate logistic and technological support. The number of Forensic Science Institutions with modern technologies such as DNA fingerprinting technology should be enhanced. Citizen’s confidence in the police administration should be enhanced so as to co- operate in criminal investigation. The legal services authorities in the States should set up committees with the participation of civil society for bringing the accused and the victims together to work out compounding of offences. Understaffing in police and judiciary should be done away with. Politicization of police should be kept at minimal by implementing Supreme Court decision in Prakash Singh case.   Connecting the dots: Critically analyse the shortcomings of criminal justice system in India, with special focus on the state police forces. Critically examine the drawbacks in implementation of Posco Act in India. What is your opinion on imposing stricter penalties like castration etc for sex offenders in India? Substantiate. Judicial independence from Executive is the need of the hour, to overcome the shortcomings of criminal justice system. Critically analyse.   ENVIRONMENT TOPIC:  General Studies 3 : Conservation of Energy General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.    A Green New Deal The need to ensure universal access to the modern energy services and attaining the rate of improvement in the energy efficiency at double the rate of its share has escalated both productivity and environmental concerns. There exists an emerging consensus on transforming the world energy system but that calls for a carefully designed policy (for sustainability and reducing the amount of resources needed to achieve it), behavioural changes, and large investments to fuel their growth towards a sustainable future. The ‘Carbon Bubble’ possesses the capacity to lead another financial crisis, resting on the backdrop of overvaluation of present fossil assets. A green new deal is thus, pertinent in addressing needs to mitigate climatic change, improving energy security and working on the yardstick of competitiveness in the global energy order. Courtesy (image)- http://www.marketresearchreports.com/sites/default/files/blogimage/renewable-energy-potential-in-india-2014-2022.jpg Game Changers Alternate sources of Energy A global shift from a “carbon credit” to a “green credit” for clean production is one of the immediate needs and this can be realised by using alternate sources of renewable energy. In India, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) in slated to achieve grid-connected solar power and is one of the components involved, to fulfil the commitment of a 40% non-fossil fuel energy to be adopted by 2030. Eg:The coal sector remains the most inefficient and least open to private investment, despite coal being the country’s primary source of fuel and thus, monopoly should be destructed and private participation in coal-mining on a level playing field with state entities should be allowed. Technological Breakthrough With a break from the high price of petroleum products to the possibility of storing the energies (solar, wind, geothermal), technology is making it possible to increase the widespread usage of the existing abundance in an innovative way. An effective management of the demand and supply chain and technological innovation is set to involve higher efficiency in bringing down the energy costs. Different approaches and technologies need to be applied inconsideration to the varying conditions of industry and companies and their objectives (synergy) Legislations & Initiatives: India is the world’s fourth largest energy consumer and exhibits the fastest growing energy needs that are certain to dramatically impact the global economy and its energy market. There is, thus, a need to majorly overhaul the business models to tackle the global risks involved in the energy crisis. A proper and a timely policy involving all the major stakeholders, and a creation of synergy between cutting down on reliance over imports and effective policy implementation is the need of the hour. Access to energy is a major issue and logistical problems plague the system, making it costly and difficult to manage. Energy players need to be commercially viable, with access to adequate financial resources and the pricing mechanisms in the energy sector must ensure commercial viability and send proper signals to the market. Embracing the Renewable Energy Future: Electricity Poor infrastructure is at the core of the issue of poorly developed power infrastructure of India and decentralised power resources (wind energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy, etc) can be leveraged to meet the energy requirements at a large scale. Generating livelihoods: Incomes can be increased and poverty reduced, thereby leading the rural economy towards self-sufficiency. Better electricity coverage and better equipment like solar water pumps, mini solar cold storages, solar lanterns etc. can boost the rural economy and help create jobs Tackling Carbon Emissions Promotions of non-fossil fuels can help cut greenhouse gas emissions and thus improve air quality. Also, dependence on kerosene (causing indoor air pollution) and spending on subsidies can be greatly reduced. IASbaba’s Views: The Indian government as a whole plays an indispensable role in the energy sector through state-owned enterprises, public policy and market regulation, personal networks and collaboration with energy players and thus, to tame the exploding demand and insufficient supply the country faces, it needs integrated and consistent energy policy to guide and direct country’s energy needs. Strong political will is a prerequisite to successfully cope with energy sector challenges which can be tackled with the objective: energy access, energy security and mitigation of climate change. India must expand its energy supply to provide universal access to modern energy and maintain economic growth and this should be complemented with alignments of India’s energy institutions and policies with global practices. Lastly, public perception should be shifted to accept that energy is not an entitlement, but a commodity to be valued and taken care of. Connecting the Dots: “We need to graduate from energy security to energy independence”. Discuss “No power is as expensive as no power”. Do you agree with the statement? Give reasons.   MUST READ Animals caught in the headlights - Sophisticated mapping technology can ensure that roads steer clear of wildlife areas, but the government has been reluctant to address the issue of highways passing through forests Hindu   Ideology over science Hindu Another promising start- India needs to scale up engagement with Africa Business Standard For detailed Analysis on ‘India-Africa Forum Summit’ refer the below link- http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-14th-october-2015/   The toxic temptation of targets- Forget the 'Doing Business' rank; we will know India is a better place to do business only when exports begin to boom Business Standard Business Line From a peacekeeper to a global leader- Modi’s proactive approach reflects the growing importance of military diplomacy for India Live Mint

Oct 29, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 29th October, 2015

Archives     IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 29th October, 2015   INTERNATIONAL   TOPIC:  General Studies 2 Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.  Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.     UN missions: Bedrock of India’s military engagement and assistance to Africa India’s participation in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO) is probably without parallel; it has been one of the largest contributors of peacekeepers and has suffered the most casualties in the process. Eighty per cent of India’s peacekeepers are presently serving in Africa, and 70 per cent of all casualties have been sustained there.  UN missions serve as the bedrock of India’s military engagement and assistance to Africa. However, there is growing debate on the efficacy of these missions, and benefits for India from its continued participation.  In more ways than one, India and Africa are at a crossroads on this issue.  Both need to move beyond and engage in a serious dialogue on India’s role in the future security architecture in Africa. An historic background of India’s role : Historically, India has participated in nearly all UNPKO in Africa. Most famously, India helped set the trend in “peace enforcement missions” by deploying a sizeable contingent in Congo from 1960 to 1963. The end of the Cold War led to a pronounced increase in UNPKO in Africa. India has been an active contributor in almost all missions. It is presently engaged in 12 of the 15 active peacekeeping missions. Why a need for dialogue on this has surfaced? Recently, however, there has been debate about India’s continued role. Many question the benefits accruing to India from its considerable investment of manpower and military resources. In addition, critics cite the bad publicity generated due to instances of sexual misconduct and corruption allegedly committed by some Indian peacekeepers, and allegations that India failed to adequately protect civilians.  These criticisms should not be brushed aside and instead provide an opportunity to debate the future of UN peacekeeping and India’s role in Africa. The crux of the issue lies here: African Union (AU), a 54-country group comprising all African states except Morocco, has deployed around 64,000 peacekeepers since 2004 in numerous missions on the continent. However, these missions are funded almost entirely by donors like the UN, EU or the US, and only 2.3 per cent of the AU peacekeeping budget comes from its member states. On the one hand, therefore, are the wealthy Western countries that fund but do not commit troops. They are increasingly unhappy with the rising costs of UN peacekeeping — its current budget of $9 billion is the largest ever. In addition, they have raised questions on the ability and commitment of peacekeepers to saving civilian lives. On the other hand, troop-contributing non-African countries, mainly from the developing world, however, argue that they are not adequately consulted when the missions are being formulated. African countries, which constitute the bulk manpower, are caught in the middle — financially dependent upon “developed” countries while requiring additional manpower, resources and support from “developing” countries to bolster their capabilities.   What needs to be done in future? There are three measures that can be taken to spur the debate and enhance India-Africa security relations. India and Africa need to embark on a serious discussion on the future of UNPKO in Africa. Criticisms like the failure to protect civilians or allegations of misbehaviour and corruption need to be tackled head on. Discussions should focus on steps to increase the overall effectiveness of peacekeeping missions.   India should consider scaling up its security assistance to African countries.  In the previous Africa-India Forum Summit in Addis Ababa in 2011, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a contribution of $2 million towards peace keeping missions. This should be increased by a considerable degree, especially since this mission is involved in intense combat operations. In addition, India should enhance its military training teams in Botswana, Zambia, Lesotho and the Seychelles, and also work towards including other countries who express an interest. India and Africa should shed their perceived shyness to discuss security issues and establish a high-level defence dialogue. Way Forward: In the long run, the historical model of peacekeeping in Africa funded by the West and manned largely by Asian countries is unsustainable. India’s efforts in peacekeeping have thus far been remarkable, but it is now perhaps time to transition to an African owned-African led solution. Gradually reducing its peacekeeping responsibilities may therefore be for the best and might have the added advantage of eventually enhancing India-Africa relations. Background: United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO) : A peacekeeping operation is led by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) of the united nations , and work to create the conditions for lasting peace in a country torn by conflict. A peacekeeping operation consists of military, police and civilian personnel, who work to deliver security, political and early peace building support. There are currently 16 peacekeeping operations and one special political mission – the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) – led by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. India and United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: As one of the founding members of the UN, India’s contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security has been second to none. India started off its support in United Nations mission with the operations in Korea in 1950. The current deployment of 7864 personnel as on 31 October 2013 reflects the commitment of troops, military observers and staff officers and civilian police from India in nine of the 16 current UN operations. India’s spontaneous and unreserved participation in UN peacekeeping operations over the years has been a clear demonstration of the country’s commitment to the objectives set out in the UN Charter. Connecting the dots: UN missions serve as the bedrock of India’s military engagement and assistance to Africa. Critically examine the above statement in light of third India Africa summit. Critically examine the measures taken by India as a part of South -South cooperation with special focus on its initiatives in Africa. Critically examine the importance of Africa in securing India a permanent seat in UNSC.   INTRERNATIONAL   TOPIC:  General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.  Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector; Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.      Reforms need to reach the needy: The Welfare Approach India met with an economic crisis (BoP Crisis) in 1991 and it was further compounded by rising prices of essential goods, low level of growth and investment in social schemes that failed to generate substantial returns. Before 1991, development had largely been State-driven; greatly commanding the key sectors of the economy, keeping a check on private players via licenses and controls, controls on price fixation, quantitative restriction on imports, etc. The 1991’s wave of change marked a departure from excessive controls of the State to the stable land of opportunities: Abolished Industrial Licensing (except some-alcohol, aerospace, drugs, etc) Market determination of Prices Establishment of Private Sector Banks Simplification of Taxes Devaluation of Rupee against foreign currencies Dismantled quantitative restrictions on imports and many more State-A Provider This also marked the brand new role of the State- as a regulator and as a provider for public goods and services. Post-1991 changes led India to an arena where there is an increased competition and this fierce competition can be calmed down only by an improved efficiency of the policies and a robust economic mechanism in place. There exists a direct relationship between efficiency and growth; higher the level of efficiency, higher the level of growth and development. This growth can then be leveraged to a point where expenditures on social sector initiatives can be utilized to provide better social security nets. Poverty The eradication of poverty has been a favourite slogan for many decades to garner votes but when seen on the ground, there might be some changes in the figures but considering the importance of the issue, not much concentrated efforts have been translated into reality. Thus, behaviour of the poverty ratio becomes the most important determinant in the story of India’s reforms and changes. Economic growth, today, is not anymore the rate of growth but the composition of growth which determines the pace of ‘trickle down’ effect of growth. In short, if one has to receive the benefits, he/she also has the capacity to respond to this growth stimuli. Major poverty alleviation programmes like ‘Rural Works’, ‘Self-employment’ and ‘Food Subsidy’ are in place but this has to be taken forward in a sustainable manner. The rhetoric level at which the expenditure and policies are involved, have been ineffective due to meagre government spending (not on paper but in reality), lack of employment opportunities, ignorance towards the consequences of some economic decisions (health & environmental issues) as well as administrative inefficiency. Subsidies: Total subsidies should be fixed and accounted for and that should be computed as a proportion of GDP Should be targeted and directed only towards the deserving vulnerable groups The Delivery system should be taken care of (Conditional Cash Transfer-JAM Trinity) Expenditures of the government should start adopting the strategy of investment more Agriculture Public investment along with scientific research and development plays a crucial role in improving the agricultural productivity. Also, inputs (fertilizers & finance), food processing, marketing products and export oriented policies needs to be re-visited Process of consensus building (Land Acquisition)and proper institutional & legislative arrangements need to be developed to exploit our maximum potential under the emerging globalisation Crafting Transitions Macroeconomic Stability: Low Inflation + Low Current Account Deficit + Modest Fiscal Deficit Green-Inclusive-Technological Growth: The reforms should evolve as a means of serving people and nature together and thus, economic progress should become a ‘moral progress’ more while ensuring proper handling of the requirements of sustainable development paradigm (environment sensibilities and vulnerabilities) The impacts on environment should be internalised and be included in the costs of production, to truly promote sustainable production systems and efficiency in the utilization of natural resources be taken care of Investment should take place in the development of technologies that are sustainable, creates green jobs and satisfies the needs of the locals Incentives should be provided in the reduction of critical and scarcer source such as soil, water and fossil fuel use through technological innovation   Building Transparency + Accountability + Participation: Transformation in governance structures is needed to enable and sustain the desired transformative changes (maximising benefits) in social and economic systems Speedy clearances and completion of projects+ A just and a transparent governance system Awareness generation and grassroots advocacy through knowledge sharing consultations and media consultation for building a dynamic knowledge system that both urban and rural India can benefit from on a whole IASbaba’s Views: The country’s choices must give way to the new triad: quality of life, human solidarity, and ecological sensibility and the poorest and most marginalised must benefit from the gains of economic growth with expansion in their access to social services A sustainable human settlement makes life richer, promotes social capital building, and regenerates natural capital while augmenting economic capital. In these times of rapid change, reforms are not sufficient alone ad therefore, it is necessary that dynamic and systemic planning guidelines should set the rules of the game. Maybe then, the errors can be corrected and the country can move on to the high growth path. Connecting the Dots: The disparate growth has been a key feature of Indian economy since independence. Discuss Summarise the importance of sustainable methods of production and sustainable consumption patterns in being critical steps towards transition of the economy into a developed economy. “Ultimately an economy has to be evaluated interms of what happens to the poorest and the dispossessed. Everything else, such as nation's income growth rate is of instrumental value". Do you agree?   MUST READ   The frozen ties between India and Pakistan can be thawed out not by government, but by citizens and civil society organisations on both sides Hindu   Carving out a path on China’s road Hindu   Nukes Are Not For War- India shouldn’t abandon its nuclear doctrine because of Pakistan’s tactical nukes Indian Express   Systematic and selective land titling, and charging owners extra, is an idea worth pushing Indian Express   Court’s contention that reservation trumps merit in higher education admissions masks a deeper malaise Indian Express   Up the ranks- India’s improved doing Business rank puts the spotlight on state and local governments Indian Express Hindu   Lead the way- Instead of another revision in their emoluments, MPs should go for voluntary salary cuts Indian Express   Why dominant castes want Other Backward Classes status- Ground surveys have found Marathas, Jats and Patels, for instance, are in economic conditions quite similar to that of peer communities with the advantage of quotas Business Standard   For detailed Analysis on ‘Reservation: Boon or a Bane’ refer the below link- http://iasbaba.com/2015/09/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-3rd-september-2015/

Oct 28, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 28th October, 2015

Archives     IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 28th October, 2015   NATIONAL   TOPIC:  General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues ; Governance Issues General Studies 3: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it; Public Distribution System; Food Security.   Conditional Cash transfer Perverse political hegemony over economic sense, hand in glove nature of corrupt bureaucrats, ineffective poverty identification, social exclusion due to caste, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and huge inadequacies in a centralized distribution system- all have contributed to the sorry state of affairs of Public Distribution System. When a subsidy is transferred directly into a bank account there is very little scope for leakage between the transferring authority and the bank account. Humans can take rational decisions and this process can be transformative as well as informative, providing a kind of security to those who’ve been time and again, left out from the developmental process. Leakages: Linking PM Jan-Dhan Yojana with mobile network and database of biometric information will help make the bottommost members visible in the Public Distribution System and will help plug in the leakages by eliminating the ‘ghost beneficiaries’. (JAM Trinity) Intervention of technology will also help in faster, less corrupt practices and efficient targeting of benefits of the subsidies as well as the benefits of social welfare programmes to the needy. It will ensure that redesigning of PDS Shops/State delivery mechanisms take place bringing in more efficiency in the process. With the help of MNREGA, both backward and forward linkages have been taken care of. Even the Formation of SHG’s and various Farmer’s cooperatives can compete with better terms in an interlocked market. However, to realize this, government must enhance state capacity (PRI’s; Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan) and reform the subsidy delivery system by strengthening quality of service provision. Poverty should be tackled simultaneously with strengthening of health and education system. Penetration of Banking Services: Appointment of Business Correspondents, to help identify the poor and ensure benefits to the illiterate will help serve the goal of maximum financial inclusion and better targeting of beneficiaries. Though, the ‘middlemen syndrome’ and existence of ‘Non-Performing Assets’ of the banks, can be a source of controversy during the process of benefits of cash transfer, it will still be an opportunity worth gambling upon Cash: Empowers the beneficiaries with choices and will not necessarily lead one to the lap of liquor and drugs Cultivation of an entrepreneurship spirit with the saved money Inflation: When the cash has been provided, the individual does not only invest it in food but also invest in commodities that can bring income to someone else or puts in the business and provide income to someone else. This increases liquidity in the market and in short, an inflationary pressure gets established which calls for a better monetary policy of the government. A slow growth period will lag behind in absorbing the extra cash in the economy.   State’s Role: There is a need for the government to reach the vulnerable left out areas to tackle poverty syndrome. BCA’s can help fill the gap here. The uncertainty of the market mechanism coupled with the vagaries of the climate might force farmers to shift their course and invest in crops that are more reliable, increasing our dependence upon imports. Government needs to come up with innovative policies and attractive schemes to let the farmer be in the same line. After all, good governance is the need of the hour; not just by the way of stating but way of its implementation. Schemes: Need to reform their functioning and improve their quality, learning creative inputs from the best practices set in other countries IASbaba’s Views: While the usage of biometric information can help in efficient identification and less wastages, proper legislations need to be put in place to avoid the abuse of the data and pro-active redressal mechanisms should be established Food Voucher Model: Here the PDS dealer can engage in no such practice as in addition to records filled up on a form, the dealer also has to provide coupons that he gets from the consumers to support his documented credentials. Cash Voucher in Education: According to WB, Cash Voucher program in education will promote competition amongst the schools and can increase the social inclusion of the underprivileged students as well as decrease the number of out of school children There needs to be a link between the expectations of the people and the expenditure made by the Government of India. Here, social audit and wide publicity can generate awareness and hold the authorities accountable to their deeds. Private sector participation with proper responsibilities and grievance redressal mechanism can help free the resources of government and lead to a systematic implementation of the benefits of Cash Transfer Scheme. Investment in R&D would double the scope of the spread of the benefits by taking care of other related issues that a country might face in future. Connecting the Dots: Are Conditional Cash Transfers an effective delivery alternative to the traditional PDS System? Discuss Analyse the reasons behind the failure of the PDS. Suggest reforms for the overall mechanism of benefits transfer for the poor, to absorb them in the mainstream developmental process.   ECONOMICS   TOPIC:  General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment; Agriculture   Punjab : A case study in agricultural and economic mismanagement in India From the breadbasket of India, Punjab has become a basket-case economy. Endowed with ample water and good soil, Punjab’s happy, progressive people had a dream that is now a distant memory. The Centre’s policies aimed at increasing food production to ensure an adequate supply of grain, coupled with export restrictions, have taken a toll.   Trickledown effect did not occur in Punjab: In the early years of development government focussed on trickled down theory based on experiences of USA and other western countries. However, the expected progression of Punjab from agricultural economy to industrial powerhouse to service-sector leader never took place. Food processing, essential for agricultural prosperity, never bloomed — for instance, Punjab exports wheat but imports wheat flour. Till such time as off-farm jobs aren’t created, discontent is going to rise. Why Punjab is a failed state in sustainable agriculture? It’s not right to blame the Green Revolution for the whole mess — there’s more to it than that. Lack of quality and progressive research: Starved of state government funds, the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) has witnessed decreasing faculty strength and new research has completely ceased in the last decade. The state government imposes high taxes on the purchase of foodgrain by the Food Corporation of India. If just 5 per cent of this were provided to the PAU, it would help its revival. But political expediency takes precedence over vision and foresight to dis-incentivise the monoculture of wheat and rice Unprecedented modernisation: Punjab is suffocating from its estimated 6,00,000-plus tractors. Tractor-ownership is viable only if they are operated for over 900 hours per year. In contrast, average farm-use in Punjab is possibly half this figure. As a result, once a farmer buys a tractor, he works for the bank for life to repay the loan and interest. Overexploitation of natural resources: Over exploitation of groundwater because of the free power provided to farmers has resulted in the water table falling to dangerously low levels. The cost of drawing water from greater depths is causing more indebtedness among farmers. 4. A fertilizer trap: Urea is sold at one-fourth the price of table salt today. But the excessive use of cheap urea destroys the soil and leads to more plant vegetative growth. An explosion of insect and pest populations is then inevitable. Indiscriminate, unregulated sale of pesticides and spurious products is leading to an ecological disaster. Need for an Evergreen revolution: Indian farmers have to mainstream the ecological principles in farming practices in order to continue with the agricultural growth that India has achieved till date. Ever-green revolution is the only pathway available to developing countries with small farms and a large malnourished population. Connecting the dots: Critically examine the socio economic and ecological impacts of green revolution in India. Critically analyse the need for a second green revolution in India. Ever-green revolution is the only pathway available to developing countries with small farms and a large malnourished population. Critically discuss the relevance of above statement to India.   MUST READ:   The age of intolerance Hindu   For detailed Analysis on ‘Growing religious fundamentalism in India’ refer the below link- http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-17th-october-2015/   Salesmanship as statesmanship Hindu   Towards a modern code A uniform civil code must draw freely from different personal laws and give primacy to gender equity Indian Express   For detailed Analysis on ‘uniform civil code’ refer the below link- http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-13th-october-2015/   India-US: The absence of a bilateral social security agreement with the US unfairly taxes. Indian knowledge workers Business Line   No short-term fixes for Indian exports - Rather than blame world demand and competitive devaluations, a relook at our free trade pacts is called for Business Line   Adding to a history of blunders- Since its inclusion in Cold War alliances, Pakistan has always extracted more than it deserves from the US Live Mint

Oct 27, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 27th October, 2015

Archives     IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 27th October, 2015   NATIONAL   TOPIC:  General Studies 1: Poverty and developmental issues General Studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector or Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.  Issues relating to poverty and hunger.    India: Epicentre of Global Malnutrition With the National Family Health Survey, 2005-06 pointing out towards 38.4 per cent of children being stunted and 46 per cent being underweight, India has become home to a burgeoning malnourished population when, ironically, it also boasts of a rich demographic dividend, all at the same time. According to UNICEF, one in three malnourished children in the world is Indian and it is estimated that reducing malnutrition could add some 3% to India’s GDP. This also points out towards the fact that there exist no major connectors in place between malnutrition and post-reform period economic growth. ‘Zero Hunger’ Matters Disease-Nutrition Interaction: Present challenges stem from the fact that malnutrition at such an early stage reduces intelligence (never to be regained), affects the formation of cognitive and non-cognitive skills that affect long-term wellbeing; not limited to the physical growth or disease resilience but education and economic productivity as well. Therefore, much prevalence of ‘hidden hunger’ in the country with increased likelihood of infection, disease, and death. Eliminating malnutrition would remove one-third of the global burden of disease and increase child survival. Productivity Concerns: The cost of malnutrition is high, both for individuals and nations, implying high budgetary expenditures over health services and diminished productive potential of the workforce. With the increasing variability in the climate, special challenges due to rain-shock, crop failure or lack of fund can pose serious challenges for nutrition requirements. Causes of Malnutrition Malnutrition in Uterus: Low status of women, low level of education, being underweight during pregnancy and anaemia affects her reproductive health which can lead to higher rates of morbidity, mortality or pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight, birth defects and haemorrhage of the new-born. Micronutrient Deficiencies: Deficiencies in key vitamins and minerals—iron, vitamin A, zinc, and iodine; are associated with disease prevalence and severity. Breastfeeding Practices: Raises the risk of decreased immune function + Increased morbidity + Mortality + Blindness WHO has identified ‘poor infant feeding’ as a risk factor for the survival of the child, contributing to neonatal deaths. Experts are of the opinion that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life should be followed by continued breastfeeding until two years of age Lack of improvement in infant and young child feeding practice: Aggressive promotion of baby foods by companies Lack of support to women in the family and at work places, Inadequate healthcare support, Non-review of the maternity benefit laws, Neglecting infant feeding in its disaster management programmes Weak overall policy and programmes Poor Sanitation: About half of Indians defecate outside without using toilets and from here, children pick up parasites and chronic infections that impair the ability of the intestines to absorb nutrients UNICEF reports death of almost 117,000 Indian children per year from Diarrhoea Tribal Issues: Report of deaths due to starvation, diseases like hypertension and diabetes rising and incidences of Malaria, TB, Diarrhoea Open defecation + Lack of clean drinking water + Illiteracy + Lack of Health Education, Infrastructure and health professionals (naxal belt, if any or hilly terrain)   Courtesy (image)-http://www.unsystem.org/scn/archives/scnnews19/p16.gif Capturing the Menace          Effective social protection mechanism Interventions such as Insurances (Weather + Social + Life + Medical) Cost benefit Ratios: Returns to early investment is always high than the follow-up remediation of inadequate early investment Expansion, Improvement & Digitisation of schemes: ICDS + NRHM + MGNREGA + Reforms in PDS + Usage of ICT for timely monitoring Convergence: RBSK + WIFS + SSA + MDM + RMSA Identify these schemes and make a note of them J Tribal & Rural Areas: Infrastructure (road, rail, school) + Provision of safe drinking water & toilets at all houses Traditional healers and youth can be trained to administer drugs (low-risk/emergency) and to help ASHA Workers Policy Design: Redesigning nutrition &health policies and programs by drawing on science and technology: Nutritional improvement + Implementation + Increasing their coverage (reaches the poor) Increasing investments and actions in nutrition services for communities (highest concentration of poor) Focusing programs on girls’ and women’s Education + Health + Nutrition-Training Anganwadi workers IASbaba’s Views: There is a pressing need to monitor the nutritional indicators of children. Eg: Nutritional biomarker data, GAIN & Amway (Malnutrition Mapping ProjectàTool to map the impacts of malnutrition and to raise awareness for the timely development and implementation of policy solutions) Bio-fortification is the new answer for maintaining access to micronutrients by making plant food more nutritious as even therapeutic food cannot be a remedy for malnutrition and its dreadful impacts Indian Impact Model needs the support of corporate leaders and philanthropists like Ratan Tata and G.M. Rao provides the fight great visibility and brings together businesses, citizens and NGOs to resolve basic issues and devise pragmatic solutions. Connecting the Dots: Investing in disadvantaged young children will contribute in the promotion of equity and productivity. Do you agree? Substantiate India suffers from a “double burden “of pervasive under nutrition and deficiencies in key vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) along with growing rates of obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases. Discuss   NATIONAL TOPIC:  General Studies 2 India and its neighborhood- relations.  Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests   We need to talk about the Brahmaputra The operational commissioning of the Zam Hydropower Station earlier this month on the Yarlung Zangbo river, also known as the Zangmu Hydropower Project, located in Gyaca county of the Shannan prefecture in China, and considered to be Tibet’s largest such facility, has raised fresh concerns in downstream India, especially in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. New Delhi had information about Beijing’s plans of developing hydropower on the Yarlung Zangbo for over five years now, with other projects such as Dagu, Jiacha and Jiexu in different stages of planning/construction.   Courtesy (image)- http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01346/TH30_CHINA_1346288g.jpg A mistrust between India and China : The reading of the Sino-Indian diplomatic engagement over the trans-boundary Yarlung Zangbo (Tsangpo)-Brahmaputra river system has largely been through the lens of suspicion and lack of information/data sharing on the shared river system.  Any bilateral government-to-government interactions on the Brahmaputra are shrouded in bureaucratic secrecy, overshadowed by the baggage of the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict and the ensuing territorial contestations over Arunachal Pradesh. This strategic straight jacketing accorded to the Brahmaputra has led to basin-wide co-riparian mistrust. Need for engagement between New Delhi and Beijing : India and China, therefore, need to move towards a framework of engagement and dialogue on the Brahmaputra, as a precursor to any negotiation. The dialogue needs to be inclusive, providing a platform to various stakeholders and identify new approaches to address the common problem. The Track 3 and Track 2 level dialogue process has the potential to enable greater people-to-people interactions, reducing trust deficit, changing the way Indians and Chinese talk, think and approach solutions. What is expected out of the dialogue between India and China ? While we may not see a formal treaty of understanding in the immediate future, we need to explore options on how New Delhi and Beijing can engage in alternate processes moving towards future treaties on the Brahmaputra. The dialogue processes need to lay the ground towards recognising the convergences and divergences, and go beyond the existing fear and notions of ‘steal the river’ and ‘upstream hegemons’. The dialogue must address the concerns of various stakeholders and sub-national units within the respective riparian countries. The success of the internal dialogue processes will depend on how much of a voice sub-national units such as Arunachal Pradesh and Assam have in influencing New Delhi’s engagement and dialogue with Beijing on the river. Role of BCIM in promoting regional cooperation : Sub-regional cooperation groupings such as the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Cooperation Framework can create an enabling environment for mutually inclusive sub-regional participation and water resources sharing. The BCIM process can support and lead research on country specific infrastructure projects, their impact on the local eco-systems, the riverine communities and other local stakeholders. Way Forward: It is time for both India and China to go beyond the specifics of project sanctioning and commissioning announcements, and look at the larger issues facing the Brahmaputra basin as a whole, investing in multilateral intent and spirit. We need to understand how the existing asymmetry/ inequality in riparian relations of power can be addressed politically and economically, especially in the Brahmaputra case, where both countries are regional competitors, while the co-riparian countries of Bangladesh and Bhutan stagnate in the list of Least Developed Countries. Connecting the dots: Critically examine the importance of Brahmaputra in regional development of North East India. What do you understand by run off the river projects? Critically examine the objectives of such projects. Bureaucratic secrecy, overshadow by the baggage of the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict and the territorial contestations over Arunachal Pradesh has kept India China relations at an all time low .Critically analyse. Critically examine the importance of china in realising the potential of Act East policy of India.   MUST READ   Crises in the Maldives Hindu   Barbaric indeed Hindu   A barrier broken The first batch of women officers will start piloting fighter jets by mid-2017. Even though women officers have been flying transport aircraft and helicopters for many years, this goes a step further. Indian Express   A vein of discontent This has provoked a power struggle within the SGPC, as the longstanding hegemony of the increasingly discredited Badal leadership is challenged. Indian Express   Rebooting Ganga Indian Express   This is a clear break from the approach of successive governments since 1986 under the earlier Ganga Action Plans. The change is welcome. For another International River Issue (Teesta river – Indian-Bangladesh), refer the below link- http://iasbaba.com/2015/08/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-15th-17th-august-2015/   Careful with the realism- Unrealistic ambition and incremental reforms can be self-fulfilling prophecies. Indian Express   Govt to address regulatory, financial issues in infra sector Business Standard Fiscal discipline: now comes the hard part- Despite improvements in the recent period, deficits need further trimming Live Mint

Oct 26, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 26th October, 2015

Archives     IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 26th October, 2015   NATIONAL   TOPIC:  General Studies 3 Indigenization of technology and developing new technology A military-industrial complex of our own Even after five decades of chasing the goal of indigenous production of defence equipment, more than 70 per cent of the defence equipment our forces use are produced abroad. This has not prevented successive governments and the strategic establishment from continuing to pursue this objective. They have done this by declaring their intention more vigorously and with greater sincerity, while making few structural changes in the manner in which defence equipment is designed, produced and inducted into service. What are the new measures taken by the present government? Rising the FDI cap in defence sector from 26 percent to 49 percent. The government has liberalised the licensing of private domestic firms to produce defence equipment. A note on the  present Defence Procurement Procedure(DPP): Ever since the Bofor scandal, procurements by the Defense Ministry have continued to be mired in controversies. CAG and CVC reports bundled with CBI investigations have now regrettably become routine with the defense purchases. Consequently, much at the expense of national security, defense procurements are now more about—not procuring. That not enough funds are allocated in the defense budget for addressing deficiencies in the inventory, upgradation and modernization is another matter. But the little that is available is being allowed to lapse or washed away to the non performing, inefficient defence public sector undertakings.  It is indeed inexcusable particularly when our security vulnerabilities are so high and evident. Changes in the defence procurement procedure : The government of India had appointed, Dhirendra Singh Committee to look into the required changes in the procurement procedure. The committee had proposed a strategic partnership model where a private player is chosen to develop a platform in one of six identified segments. Perhaps to create a larger number of domestic players, the draft recommendations suggest that the same firm cannot be selected for more than one sector. The defence ministry has also set up a task force under V K Aatre, a former DRDO head, to select the private companies under this scheme. The task force's report is awaited, following which the new DPP will be announced. Need of the hour: First, there must be contestability in each partnership or procurement contract.  In other words, more than one firm (or consortium) should be engaged in the same activity. In many industries, it has been found the contestability, more than ownership, determines outcomes, efficiency and competitiveness. Second, even as the armed forces must be integrated into the design, development and field trials, domestic producers must not be shielded from foreign competition beyond a point.  To achieve this, the defence ministry should separate the development arm from the procurement arm, with the latter having the independence to choose the best kit available at the time of procurement. Third, it is important that no government entity or PSU that is an industry player is also assigned the role of a referee or a regulator.  It is possible to reorganise the family of organisations and PSUs under DRDO into producers and oversight bodies depending on their function. Fourth, the government must not be shy of closing down indigenisation projects initiated decades ago in a different world when a cash-poor India faced a regime of technology denial.  Way Forward: Government should not only look at complete indigenisation but also on other ways to ensure effective national defence. Mastering global supply chains and building strategic partnerships based on broad, deep trade might be equally effective alternatives. However, it makes sense to give the indigenisation project another try but the approach has to be very different from that of the past. Connecting the dots: Write a note on indigenisation of defence hardware in India with special reference to new naval indigenisation plan 2015. Critically examine the various problems associated with defence sector in India. Make in India scheme would help India to overcome the existing problems of defence industry. Discuss.   TOPIC:  General Studies 3: Issues relating to mobilization of resources, growth, development  General Studies 2: Governance Issues   The problem of debt concentration Indian corporate vulnerabilities have increased manifold in recent years both in terms of non-performing assets (NPA’s) as well as restructured loans in the banking system. Indian banks have confirmed a worrying trend for the same, taking the amount of bad debt in the economy to Rs. 14 lakh crore. RaghuramRajan said, “The total write-offs of loans made by the commercial banks in the last five years is Rs.1, 61,018 crore, which is 1.27 per cent of the GDP. 1.27 per cent of GDP would have allowed 1.5 million people to send their children to get a full university degree from the top private universities in the country, with all expenses paid. That's the size of the write-offs that we are talking about." Bit by bit, the mountain grows: Fast & furious: Faster than required Growth (around 10 percentage points faster than nominal gross domestic product) Pursuits of InfraGrowth: Push for higher private investment in infrastructure, citing the needs for development led banks to take excess debt and lend these companies at a very low interest rate; as well as concessions were given in terms of higher exposure limits Tangled Policy Maze: Policy confusions, no enabling environment, delays in government decision-making, increase in cost, and environmental clearances added up to the poison injected by the debt. ‘Government’ & ‘the’ deal: Close nexus existing between industrialists and politicians working two ways; one for money and the other for power Mechanisms: (Not exhaustively covered- Update as you study) RBI: Common platform where all the banks need to report on any exposure over Rs. Five crore, has led to the plugging off the information gap and reduction in the play by various banks for the same. 5/25 norms: Permitted banks to structure loans for 25 years while giving them the flexibility to revise rates or sell the asset to another bank every five years in infrastructure. JLF (joint lenders' forum): To build incentives and disincentives Borrowers and lenders have to reach a conclusion about the prompt corrective action plan. Agree under JLF: Banks are incentivised Don't agree: There are disincentives in place for the same After the conversion, all lenders under the JLF must collectively hold 51% or more of the equity shares issued by the company Strategic Debt Conversion: Provide lenders 51% equity control in a company that fails to repay even after its debts are rejigged to give the management a second chance Will come into force if the corporate debt restructuring (CDR) mechanism fails CDR: It is an arrangement where the lenders and the management of a defaulting company strike a deal to revive the borrower subject to complying by certain commitments. The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (SARFAESI): Only for NPA’s Methods of Recovery: Securitisation Asset Reconstruction Enforcement of Security without the intervention of the Court. Debt recovery Tribunals: Debt Recovery Tribunal Act, passed in 1993 Objective: Facilitating the banks and financial institutions for speedy recovery of dues (Loan amount is Rs. 10 lakhs and above) (Not exhaustively covered- Update as you study) Why the need for Urgent Actions: Financial fragility: A major part of the costs of financial restructuring must be borne by the promoters. It can be done by bringing in personal funds to deleverage the companies controlled by them. Also, there should be put in place, a proper comprehensive inquiry to establish the extent of funds being siphoned off. Picking up the pieces: The story of Indian economic recovery can be written well only when the private-sector investment in the country picks up majorly and the corporate financials improve, on a larger scale. Companies should also, work it out with their banks and should reduce their leverages (debt-to-asset ratio) via asset sales and equity issues and not touch the taxpayer’s money to bail out the business groups. Incurring leverage can be beneficial as it facilitates investment leading to faster growth but it also entails risks, that which, an average taxpayer might have to bear. Repetition of Mistakes: This repetition can most possibly take place due to the urgency in reviving the projects and thus, the relaxed and less stringent scrutiny can take place, in lieu of the projects in the pipeline. Many banks have gone ahead in lending out money without the clearance proof, which in itself is a wrong move and therefore, greater caution and restraint needs to be exercised and factoring of losses should be initiated at the earliest. The trouble in riding on the success of some economic reforms would also remain left out with the capacity under-utilisation, thereby sacrificing on new economic activity.   IMF’s suggestion: Macro-prudential policies that are especially designed to keep the financial system safe by limiting excessive bank lending mechanism and associated increases in the corporate sector leverage should be the way ahead for emerging economies. Tools: Macro level: Higher capital requirements for foreign exchange exposures, Caps on the share of such exposures on banks’ balance sheets Micro level: Conduct bank stress tests related to foreign currency risks Ever-ready alternate mechanism in place to counter corporate stress and sporadic failures IASbaba’s Views: This debt, which was not employed ever in the production of productive assets have gone ahead and created a major pressure on the banking system. Banks need to invest more time in doing a prognosis and in dealing with existing regulatory eclipses in system. The increase in credit flow should be increased but preferably via special purpose long-term contractual savings. Since India doesn’t have a well-developed bond market, a pro-active regulatory oversight might work well to take care of the difficulties. Government needs to play a central role in mitigating the economic and social damage caused by financial crises by putting in place a crisis resolution approach, ensuring that new management practices are employed to avoid repetition of same mistakes. Policy issues need to be sorted out for bringing forth an enabling economy with an ‘Ease of Business’ environment otherwise it’ll turn out to be difficult to attract global investors to transform the vision set by ‘Make in India’, a reality. The fiscal consolidation plan of the government is a step in right direction which will aid the deepening of the corporate debt market. Connecting the Dots: The debt burden is today not only putting enormous pressure on the banking system, it is also threatening the nascent economic recovery. Discuss Emerging markets should be prepared for corporate distress and sporadic failures in the wake of rising interest rates in advanced economies. Comment   MUST READ: Sri Lanka : Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) - Needed, a more credible mechanism Hindu   Growing forests in the air Hindu   Critics of quantitative easing say it has inflated asset prices without stimulating any real economic growth. Those who back it say a premature withdrawal has led to discouraging data over the last few months Business Standard   'Sin tax' for alcohol, tobacco industries in GST regime Business Standard   Transfer pricing: Aligning Indian taxation with global standards Business Standard   The Nobel Prize recognises the blood and sweat powering work that impacts humanity and proves itself over time Business Line   Atrocities against Dalits —and Indian politicians Live Mint For detailed Analysis on ‘Atrocities against Dalits’ refer the below link- http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-23rd-october-2015/

Oct 25, 2015 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – It is time for the Individual - Inspirational & Educative Articles

It is time for the individual There was a time for kings, there was a time for warriors, there was a time for governments, there was a time for countries; this is the time for the individual.  The whole existence has been quietly moving towards this single purpose of liberating an individual. Every change in desire, every change in lifestyle, every change in technology, every war, every invention, and every movement across the world has been towards attaining this single purpose; to give back an individual what is rightfully his; his freedom. The whole world is deluded in believing that the object of our struggles is a better world. The fact is, individuals across the world are tossing and turning in discomfort; this is the reason for our movement, this is why we are creating, this is why we are searching and this is why we are changing.  The existence is shaking itself to a grander realization; it will not rest till each and every individual is free. We are not moving towards a better world, we are moving towards our freedom. So what is this freedom? Is it to live in a free country, is it to have a right to elect a politician, is it to have freedom of speech, is it to follow a religion of our choice; surprisingly none of these. If even one of these were to represent true freedom, all our struggles would have ended by now. What we are searching for is something else all together. Our search is for love and the freedom of its unbounded expression. We are meant to be something, we are here for a purpose; there are no flukes in existence. Everything has been moving towards helping us to get to this point; to help us find our true expression. There is no other better time to begin the search for our meaning and purpose than now. Just think about it, how infinitely easer it is to express yourself now and be heard than even just ten years ago. The future belongs to those who can find that inner spark of individuality within themselves and express it without fear. They are the ones who will be heard, they are the ones who will be looked up to, and eventually they are the only ones who will matter. It simply does not matter what is your chosen field of interest. Your stamp of uniqueness and individuality are the only things you leave behind. The phenomenon of you is new. Existence has never produced another you before and the reason for it is obvious; it wanted to create something unique and different, and found its expression through you. All you need to do is be that you, you are meant to be. Everything else is ready to make way for that. Read more such articles– Click Here Copyright Disclaimer “No part of the articles in this section, in part or in full shall be reproduced without the written consent of the author. The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”

Oct 24, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

Archives     IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 24th October, 2015   ENVIRONMENT   TOPIC:  General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation. General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.    The Balancing Act: Paris Agreement Climate change refers to a change in average weather conditions, or in the time variation of weather around longer-term average conditions and is caused by factors such as biotic processes, variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions and a range of human activities. Mitigation and adaptation can together, go a long way in limiting the adverse impacts of the climate change but it requires a more globally-coordinated response as well as series of steps that needs to be taken at a regional level. The demand for the inclusion of the civil society groups to be allowed back in as green movement partners, by the developing countries have been accepted and has also received accolades at Bonn.   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. For India, it has been more about national sovereignty and wanted adaptation, loss and damage to be taken care of but the final text didn’t mention anything about finance or technology transfer, leading to major disappointment.   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: Supports CBDR: Common but Differentiated Responsibility Universality does not mean uniformity: No legally binding commitments + Flexibility to choose their action-plan Developed Countries: Keep away from aligning their business perspective with provision of market access for their MNCs Public Finance should be used as a primary source of fund to finance ‘Climate Change Mitigation’ initiatives Responsible Steps taken: Prepared National Action Plan on Climate Change + State-wise Plan: Energy efficiency + Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem + Forests + Water & Air + Strategic Knowledge build-up for Climate change Target of generating 20,000 MW of solar power by2020 out of which achieved almost about 1200 mw Introduction of PAT: Perform, Achieve and Trade Voluntary commitment of reducing emission intensity of GDP by 20-25% by 2020 Adaptive Mechanism: Agriculture (Organic Farming + Watershed management)   The text should be strengthened and missing elements be brought back: 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   IASbaba’s Views: Countries linking their national circumstances vigorously, have just postponed any ambitious action that can be taken to collectively fail the deteriorating climate. Aid needs to be increased and a progressively increasing level of effort on part of all the stakeholders needs to be incorporated. Locking in to weak ambitions because of lack of ambitiousness in national pledges and questions over cash are the biggest barriers to a new global climate deal. Climate change for poorer countries, are a matter of ‘life and death’ and G77 stand on the same is practically justified. There is a need for the parties now, to stick to the deadlines effectively, meaningfully and engage in a constructive manner. Time is crucial.   Connecting the Dots: Can technology transfer solve the crisis of the present climate change, being witnessed on a large scale? Identify these prospective technological know-how's that can help us lessen the adverse impacts. Reflect on India's stand on Climate change and the steps India has taken to combat the crisis in view.   ECONOMICS   TOPIC:  General Studies 3 Investment models   How to revive the PPP model in India? The moment the public-private partnership model is mentioned in India, the immediate reaction is that it has failed. There have been failures, such as in some power and metro rail projects, but that is not the complete truth. There have been significant successes too, in roads, ports and airports.   The PPP model is particularly important in infrastructure projects. In recent years, some of India’s and the world’s best airports have been built through the PPP model.  But these are overlooked as the media focuses on some pain points that are inevitable in projects involving land acquisition, construction, environmental clearances and other contentious issues.   To revive India’s infrastructure sector, three steps will be required.  The first is to kickstart the construction cycle by boosting public spending, which is already under way. The second is to address the financial stress in the banking system, largely caused due to infrastructure assets. This step is being discussed. The third is to revisit the PPP model in order to attract investors back to the sector. While some progress has been made here, particularly in national highways, it can serve as a good opportunity to learn from past experiences.   Towards greater efficiency: With PPPs being a tool to lock in efficiency commitments, its application becomes much wider than for only new build or Greenfield investment. A fairly large part of government spend, particularly at the State level, is in operations and maintenance. Here, the scope for improving efficiency is significant. The use of long-term operations and/or maintenance contracts can bring in performance commitments, and associated payments. Further, in some sectors, if Direct Benefits Transfer separates subsidy delivery from service delivery, it will become easier to design user-charge based projects.   Undoubtedly, while there are some lacunae in the PPP model, these can be resolved.   The Centre has already tasked the Kelkar Committee to review the policy in order to revitalise infrastructure development. The committee will analyse the risks involved for PPPs in different sectors and the existing framework for such risk-sharing, suggest an optimal risk-sharing mechanism between private investors and the government, and also suggest steps to improve capacity building in government to effectively implement projects. Way Forward: It’s time to put these issues behind us and focus on reviving the infrastructure sector in India. This is imperative, given the ambitious infrastructure plans such as Housing for All, 100 Smart Cities and stiff goals in increasing the capacity of power projects in conventional as well as renewable energy.   Connecting the dots: Critically examine the importance of PPP model in infrastructure development of India. Critically evaluate various measures taken by the government in order to overcome the lacunae that PPP model is facing in India. Discuss the various investment models with special reference to PPP. Compare and contrast PPP model with EPC model.     MUST READ: Separate, but not different- While India takes stock after Dadri, Pakistan’s minorities continue to languish under the law. Indian Express   For detailed Analysis on ‘Growing religious fundamentalism in India’ refer the below link- http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-17th-october-2015/   Can modernity and atavism be simultaneously embraced? Which will give in first? Indian Express   Cornered on quotas The BJP faces a dilemma: While inaction may exacerbate the discontent of the Hardik Patels of tomorrow, any questioning of the reservation system may alienate low-caste voters. INDIAN EXPRESS For detailed Analysis on ‘Reservation : boon or bane?’ refer the below link- http://iasbaba.com/2015/09/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-3rd-september-2015/   Drowned in debt India Inc’s financial stress shows no signs of easing, which makes investment revival all that more difficult INDIAN EXPRESS   The retail space will only benefit from the decision of brick-and-mortar players to go online Business Line   The world’s biggest polluters continue to reap billions in profits, while receiving huge energy subsidies from governments Live Mint     US decries India's economic policies ahead of Trade Policy Forum Business Standard    

Oct 23, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

Archives     IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 23rd October, 2015   NATIONAL   TOPIC:  General Studies 2 Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. Governance Issues Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.    Bleeding Fault-lines: Bahishkrut Bharat Equality has become a far-fetched ‘term’ in the bedrock of deep-rooted caste system that exhibits not only crimes like rapes, murders, and physical assault but also social and emotional boycott that is not visible on the ground. The recent lynching at Dadri has set off echoes regarding the ‘endemic’ status that anti-Dalit violence holds; the caste fault-lines divided and bleeding, for the 16% of India’s population. The acceptance of social hierarchy and the unwillingness of the powerful upper castes to share power and resources with Dalits mark the disturbing pattern of gruesome violence existing in the landscape of India. The situation can be understood from two angles: Stigma of pollution attached: Anti-social, anti-progress character of an unjust social order Practices employed to protect from the ‘polluting’ element and the vital connection established through networks of force and ideology with the existing political power     Laws: Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 Article 15(2) states that no citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth be discriminated with regard to (a) Access to shop, public restaurants, hotel and public entertainment; or (b) The use of wells, tank, bathing Ghats, roads, and places of public resorts. Under Article 15(4), the State is permitted to make anyspecial provision for advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes ofcitizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. According to the Article 16(1), of the Constitution there shall be equality of opportunity in matters of public employment, affirmative action to be taken for scheduled castes and tribes. Reservations in elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions + Abolition of Untouchability (Art. 17) + Prohibition on forced labour Recent initiatives: Venture Capital fund for Scheduled Castes: Social Sector Initiative to promote entrepreneurship amongst the SCs by providing them with concessional finance Green Business Scheme: Loan for unit cost up to INR 1 lakh (concessional finance) for climate friendly technology usage: E-rickshaws, solar pumps, etc   Efforts of Past: Mahatma Jyotiba Phule formed the SaytaShodak Mandal in 1873 with the aim of liberating non-brahmins from the clutches of Brahminism, MaharshiVitthal Ramji Shinde's (l873-1944) 'Depressed Class Mission' and Babasaheb Ambedkar's (1891-19S6) 'anti-untouchability' in Maharashtra In the pre-independence period, the Dalit movements comprised of a strong non-Brahman movement against Brahmanism in Maharashtra. Religious reformers of the 19thcentury were influenced by the work of Christian missionaries in India. The BrahmoSamaj(1828), the Prarthana Samaj (1867), the Ramkrishna Mission, and the Arya Samaj (1875) are the examples of such institutions Ayyankali: Belonged to Pulaya agricultural labor community of Kerala and fought for dalit rights in Tranvacore Formed Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham and Kayal Sammelan Kayal Sammelan- Meetings of Dalits on boats as no Dalit meetings were allowed on land Chennaiah Dalit freedom fighter from Kolar region, Karnataka Iyodhee Pandithar Dalits were originally Buddhists, but Brahmins stigmatised them as ‘untouchables’ Thought of them as ‘AdiDravidars’ (original Dravidians) and began “Dravid Buddha Sangam” Two factors had made deep impact on caste system which also brought social upheaval and an awakening among Dalits: First, the western impact with its ideas and values of liberality of thought, individual freedom and equality started making inroads into the traditional matrix of the Hindu social system, the caste and other institutions. Second, the British administration with equality before law and introduction of modem technology created the necessary intellectual and psychological climate for the emergence of social reforms movements. Ensuring Dignity & Justice in Present Times Sensitise police: To be more compassionate when dealing with cases that involves Right to life Fair policing Quick identification and arrest of culprits, Speedy trial and award of stringent punishment Effective communication of the idea of egalitarian society and deepening of egalitarian consciousness making democratisation process faster Stringent implementation of law for no unequal battle to be fought Make Dalits a part of political leadership to target the diversity deficit existing in the parties Devising evidence-based social policy which will help take steps for providing visibility and representation to communities and groups that have been invisible in the political-social-economic arena   IASbaba’s Views: There is a need for the public policy and popular practice to together act in tandem with each other as the progress with respect to abolishing untouchability and in assuring equal rights, remain unattained and uneven. Though the changes have been majorly influenced by state policy, reform movements and westernisation; the growing consciousness and the liberal attitude can contribute the most in diminishing the disabilities and discriminations that emanates from the social landscape of the country.   Connecting the Dots: Examine the factors responsible for emerging Dalit consciousness in the society. Short Note: Caste and Indian Polity Consequences of Dalit Consciousness Pressure Group of Dalits   ECONOMICS   TOPIC:  General Studies 3: Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country; transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints. General Studies 2:  Governance Issues; Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.    Racing pulse price in India Retail prices of all major pulses have crossed Rs 100/ kg. In the case of tur/ arhar (pigeon pea), they have crossed the double-century mark of Rs 200/ kg in several places. The continuation of such price-rise would sound the death knell for any political party in power. Evidently, the present government’s mission to bring down food inflation has faced a severe blow.   How did government try to control the increasing prices of pulses ? It constituted a committee to find out the reasons for the increasing trend and also to come up with potential solutions that can reduce the prices. Invoked the Essential Commodities Act against traders and stockists (hoarders). Imposed stocking limits on dal mills, large retailers, warehouses, etc. Imported 7,000 tonnes of tur dal, banned exports, reduced the import duty to zero, and suspended futures and forwards trading.   The result: Tur prices in markets like Rajkot, Bangalore, Puducherry and Chennai have touched Rs 200/ kg (and even higher) , an annual increase of 100, 163, 147 and 141 per cent, respectively.   Who in the government is accountable for the present situation in pulses?  Alarm bells rang out in early September about pulse production falling by more than two million tonnes (about 11 per cent) in 2014-15 over 2013-14. The effect of the 2015 drought on the major pulse-growing states — Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, meant that future supply pressures were near-certain. While traders had their ears to the ground, the complacency of government officials has resulted in the present situation. The time to act was then. Now, the economic damage to poor consumers and political harm to the government in power have been done. Interestingly, the bureaucracy, which should be accountable for tracking production and prices, and ensuring smooth inter-/ intra-year supplies, goes scot-free.   But what went wrong? First, who is a hoarder?  Let us remember that in any situation in which harvesting is concentrated in a one- to three-month window, though consumption is spread through the year, there is a need for someone to store the stock to smoothen supplies. Is this not why the government is encouraging the creation of warehouses and cold storages? Now, when the government imposes stocking limits, legitimate stockists become “hoarders” overnight. Forcing them to offload stocks will certainly bring immediate relief to the markets, but what will happen to supply in subsequent months is anyone’s guess. Additionally, this strategy also discourages further investments in warehouses/ cold storages by private stockists, inflicting deep damage to the system. In the absence of stockists, market prices of, say, pulses in the months immediately after harvest would collapse, discouraging farmers from growing them in the subsequent season.   Second, by suspending futures and forwards markets, the government has simply shot the messenger. Forwards and futures markets are supposed to give signals about likely future prices, and if harnessed well, they can actually help the government take early measures. But by shooting them down, the government has, in fact, shot itself in the foot. Now, the government is in a dark room, with no clue about existing stocks or the prices likely in the coming months.   Third, the government’s decision to import 7,000 tonnes of tur (5,000 tonnes earlier, and 2,000 tonnes now) to tame prices, shows the anxiety of officials. In a country where the consumption of tur over between 3.3 to four million tonnes, aiming to control rising prices by importing 7,000 tonnes exposes the government’s ignorance in pulse price management.   What are the potential solutions now? First, the government should create a buffer stock of around two to three million tonnes from domestic production and/ or imports, and release it whenever pulse prices spike.   Given that domestic consumption of pulses is around 23 million tonnes, this level of stocking is the minimum that is needed to stabilise prices. Second, the government needs to create a crop-neutral incentive structure for farmers, which is at present skewed in favour of rice, wheat and sugarcane.   Much of the subsidies on fertilisers, power, and irrigation go to these crops. These subsidies amount to more than Rs 10,000/ hectare. If the same amount were given to pulse growers, they would be incentivised to produce more.   Third, diversify and enhance the pulse basket.   While yellow pea and lupins can be imported from Canada and Australia, respectively, we need to use soya flour, along with rice, wheat and other pulse flours, and re-constitute these into pulses. We are surplus in soya, and soya flour has a very high protein content — more than 40 per cent compared to 20-25 per cent for most other pulses.   Technology to do this exists and can be tailored to Indian tastes. Innovations like this and incentives to produce more pulses are the way to go.   Connecting the dots: Critically examine the present cropping pattern in India, with special reference on pulses producing areas. Critically examine the various measures taken by the government in order to tame food inflation in India.     MUST READ: American readiness to offer aid has bred dependence, and the U.S. has ended up as an enabler of Pakistan’s dysfunction Hindu     Free speech and digital inclusion- The enormous challenge of digital inclusion is almost unrelated to the actual possibilities of Internet.org Live Mint   India-Maldives ties at a peak: envoy   To build a city- The process of land acquisition employed by Andhra Pradesh for its new capital holds lessons for all Indian Express   Proliferation of unregulated hybrids, not Bt, is to blame for the pest damage to cotton this year Indian Express   For an equitable society, reservations must be extended to private sector Indian Express  

Oct 22, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 22nd October, 2015

Archives     IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 22nd October, 2015   INTERNATIONAL   TOPIC:  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 interests.   India Myanmar Relations: An analysis India-Myanmar relations are rooted in shared historical, ethnic, cultural and religious ties. A large population of Indian origin (according to some estimates about 2.5 million) lives in Myanmar. However, while attention is focused on the fragility of representative democracy in Nepal, another neighbour, Myanmar, with which India shares a 1,640-km, sensitive, insurgency-prone border, appears to be heading for another political turmoil in Indian neighbourhood. The struggle of  National League for Democracy (NLD) : Myanmar today is governed by a military government. With the elections for Myanmar parliament due on November 8th 2015, NLD‘s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi’s recent statement “If the National League for Democracy (NLD) wins the elections and we form the government, I am going to be the leader of that government, whether or not I am president”, has sparked row with military head and the present president of Myanmar. Can democracy step into Myanmar with the win of NLD ? The chances of NLD winning are very bleak, due to the following The army constitutionally nominates 25 per cent of the members in both houses of parliament. That means elections are conducted for the rest 75 per cent of seats only. If Suu Kyi is to fulfil her stated ambitions, her NLD will have to win 67 per cent of the seats for which elections are being held and get her nominees to head both houses. There appears little doubt that she would succeed in wining over two-thirds the seats in both houses in Bamar (Burmese) dominated areas, that constitute 44 per cent of the country’s electorate. But the situation is different in insurgency-affected States, dominated by the ethnic minorities. The NLD did well even in these states in the 1990 and 2012 elections, primarily because of Suu Kyi’s image. However, there are doubts about her current popularity and standing amongst the ethnic minorities. Why a stable Myanmar is important to India ? Myanmar is not easy to govern, as it even now faces multiple insurgency-like situations, with over 40 armed groups operating across vast tracts of the country. A major challenge Myanmar continues to face is to engender a countrywide ceasefire and bring the armed ethnic groups into the national mainstream. These problems have not been made any easier with China reverting to its earlier role of providing arms, haven and training to major insurgent groups located along the Sino-Myanmar border, in the Shan and Kachin states. A stable Myanmar is needed to realize the potential of Act East policy of India and to bring development into the North Eastern states. If stability in Myanmar is not established, India would become an island of stability in an ocean of instability. Major Indian Projects in Myanmar: Development cooperation is a key in the relationship and India has been providing both technical and financial assistance for projects in Myanmar, both in infrastructural and in the areas of Human resource development and institutional capacity building. These include centres of excellence in Myanmar- the Myanmar Institute of Information Technology (MIIT) being set up at Mandalay; an Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research and Education (ACARE), a Rice Bio Park at Yezin Agriculture University and many other training institutes. Important connectivity projects include: Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project, building/upgrading 71 bridges on the Tamu-Kalewa-Kalemyo road; construction of Kalewa-Yargyi section of the trilateral highway which envisages seamless connectivity between India, Myanmar and Thailand by 2016. Commercial and Economic Relations : There has been steady expansion of bilateral trade from US$ 12.4 million in 1980-81 to US$ 1.92 million in 2012-13. India's imports from Myanmar are dominated by agricultural items (beans, pulses and forest based products from 90% of our imports). India’s main exports to Myanmar are primary & semi-finished steel and pharmaceuticals. Way Forward: In the past, Myanmar has helped India more effectively in dealing with cross-border terrorism and separatism, than most of our other neighbours. In 1995, Indian and Myanmar’s forces mounted a 45-day joint preparation on Myanmar soil, code named Operation Golden Bird, to intercept and eliminate a large group of well-armed insurgents from Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. India should carefully negotiate with Myanmar army and the NLD, to maintain peace and stability along the borders of India Myanmar. Connecting the dots: Critically analyse the statement “India is an ocean of stability in an island of instability”. A stable Myanmar is very crucial in order to realize the potential of act east policy of India. Discuss.   NATIONAL TOPIC:  General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.  Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector or Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.  Health is Expensive: When Hospitals Infect Anti-microbial Resistance: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing serious worldwide public health problem which has a series of negative impacts such as prolonged morbidity, hospital stay and increased risk of mortality. The ability of this deadly strain of bacterium to outwit antibiotics is expected to further claim two million lives in India by 2050. Patients infected with drug resistant bacteria demand more expensive therapy, thereby, increasing health care costs and financial burden on the families. Development of AMR is accelerated by excessive antimicrobial prescription, as more than 50% of antibiotics purchased are without proper prescriptions or medical guidance and there exists inadequate regulation of antibiotics. Containment of antimicrobial resistance will not be easy and it requires change in the antimicrobial prescribing behaviour of health workers as well as strict measures to be taken to stop hospitals from becoming purveyors of diseases.   Frequent Hand washing & Sanitizer usage: Frequent hand washing is extremely necessary as the hands of the staff are the most common vehicle for the micro-organisms to be transmitted. Sanitizer also, helps in minimum time commitment and allows easy and complete compliance to clean hands. During a surgical intervention, a high proportion of gloves become perforated and thus hands should be disinfected with a long-acting disinfectant before gloves are put on. There is a need for continued monitoring and educational efforts to improve hand-washing habits in the hospitals. Disinfection: Cleaning needs to be carried out in a standardized manner or by automated means that will guarantee an adequate level of cleanliness. Ensuring that the hospital has adequate procedures for the routine care, cleaning, and disinfection of environmental surfaces can help us go a long way towards safe health practices. Regular cleaning of gloves, gowns, masks, white coats as well as sanitizing the stethoscopes and other machinery, prevents microorganisms from being transmitted between patients. There is a pressing need to ensure that the reusable equipment is not used for the care of another patient until it has been cleaned and reprocessed appropriately. Even the white gown should be replaced by a plastic apron as the coat harbours potential pathogens, thereby becoming a source of cross infection. All objects that come in contact with patients should be considered as potentially contaminated and if an object is disposable, it should be discarded as waste. But if it is reusable, it should be cleaned, disinfected or sterilized on immediate basis. An infection-control department and a microbiology lab can carry out the survey and respond adequately to outbreaks as well as put in place proper regulations to be complied with. Support & Compliance: There exits lack of standardisation that leads to high variability in the response mechanisms in different hospitals. Accreditation programs hosts standards for infection-control that which, if made mandatory, can help hospitals take some progressive steps. Specialised air-circulation systems in OT’s, proper number of beds available, regular audits, and education amongst health care professionals about the high economic costs of infections as well as mandatory training on basic HAI will go a long way in seeking better outcomes via infection control. IASbaba’s Views: The achievements of modern medicine are put at risk by antimicrobial resistance and therefore, without effective measures to prevent and treat these infections, the set of new inventions and new treatments would collapse. The inappropriate usage of antibiotics in animal husbandry should be put an end to and coordinated action should be focussed upon vigorously to minimize emergence and spread of the resistant strains of bacteria. Policymakers should work upon the monitoring mechanism, promotion of appropriate use of medicines, wide dissemination of knowledge and recognizing and awarding breakthrough innovations in this field. Connecting the Dots: Examine the current issues plaguing Public Health. Suggest various steps to be taken to mitigate these roadblocks. Is there a need for an integrated health care information mechanism to exist in India? What will be the importance of such a move, if taken, by the Government?   MUST READ:   Cabinet decisions: Ease of doing business gets a push; government clears two ordinances- (Nod to Arbitration & Conciliation Act, and commercial benches in high courts) Business Standard   Basel III - A progress report Business Standard   Elusive jobs growth Business Standard   Worrying prospects of institutional mistrust Live Mint   Despite their nearly seven decades of rivalry, India and Pakistan have a bottom-line interest in increasing commerce between them Live Mint   When Europe hits the panic button Trapped in a reactive mode to a crisis that is arguably the gravest since its inception, Europe is facing policy failures hitting back Business Standard   Annihilation for caste Anti-Dalit violence is endemic to India. The Haryana murders confirm this shameful, unjust reality. Indian Express  

Oct 21, 2015 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 21st October, 2015

Archives     IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 21st October, 2015   INTERNATIONAL   TOPIC:  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 interests.   Latest Wave of Violence in the Hub of Cemeteries: Israel & Palestine Upsurge of Frustration: In July 2013, peace talks had begun between Israel & Palestine with USA playing a mediator but the talks failed within 9 months due to certain huge gaps. There have been established checkpoints throughout the West Bank for hindering the movement of Palestinians across towns. Demography with democracy was blamed for this as Israel pursued its policy of preservation of its status as a Jewish democratic state while Palestinian interests slipped into protecting its honour. Even in Palestine alone, since 2005 there exists two potential Palestinian states; one in the Gaza Strip under the control of the radical Islamist Hamas and the other in the West Bank, under the control of the Palestinian Authority. Thus, “three states” peace process need to be drawn out before going for a “two-state solution”. The war crimes do not distinguish between rights and wrongs. From killings to pursuing the policy of hard-core violence, it has gone much ahead the acceptable norms of ‘states in conflict due to boundary issues’.   Failed Peace Agreement between Hamas and Fatah (West bank), 2014: Israel to be recognized as a country possessing borders demarcated during 1967 Violence to be renounced and acceptance towards the 2011 Israel-Palestine Agreement and 2012 Hamas-Fatah Agreement Elections to be held within every 6 months     Strategic Measures: Recognition: Both sides should acknowledge each other as equals and recognize each other as a sovereign state. Side-line: Both sides will have to effectively put away or moderate their maximalist positions on settlements, refugees and demography. End to Israel’s Expansionist Policy: Israel will have to put an end to its expansionist policy in the Palestinian territory, should give the non-Jewish parts of Jerusalem back to Palestinians and lift the siege of the Gaza strip and release the prisoners. Palestinians should recognize Israel’s right to exit and realise the prophecy of Arafat and should believe in the following: “Every child of Arab and Jewish descent is born free and equal, in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” ~Menachem Begin's Nobel Prize speech Securing domestic political support: This will play a crucial role as any referendum of giving up of land would require approval of the two-thirds of the Knesset members or by a public referendum. A momentum would have to be built to shape public opinion and awareness drives be carried out to make them aware of the pressing needs for a peaceful process to begin. They need to be assured that it is possible to negotiate a solution that is fair, safe and conducive to a better future and can be guaranteed only by a visionary approach, on both ends. ‘Violence’ can never be the way out, if the opponent doesn’t understand or responds. Re-engagement: Aided by the International community, both the countries should indulge in serious negotiations, supplementing the same with resolving the differences and making a united bid for preserving peace and a smooth transition to a decided outcome, later on. It might also mean restoring the pre-Colonization status and payment of compensation with better movement facilitated to increase their livelihood opportunities. Humanitarian corridor: WHO has called for the creation of a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of the injured, as well as for the supply of life-saving medicines. This will extend to protect the safe passage of patients to access crossing points and exit outside the Gaza Strip for timely medical care to be provided.   IASbaba’s Views: A sustainable peace process is important to ward off the evils of war, collapsed talks and the blame game, again and again. The international community needs to recognize the importance of the delayed humanitarian crisis that has been in the picture since a long time and a degraded effect it has on the global peace order. Strategic optimism has to be maintained which makes realistic assessment of the situation, but actively seeks out all the possibilities for movement toward peace and vigorously pursues them. Ensuring the creation of an independent Palestinian State co-existing peacefully alongside Israel, conforming to the international legitimacy will require a courageous leadership and personal commitment to peace and negotiations. The changes should be reflected positively, paving way for progressive alignment of the process as a whole.   Background: West bank The West Bank is a landlocked territory near the Mediterranean coast of Western Asia, forming the bulk of the Palestinian territories. The West Bank shares boundaries to the west, north, and south with the state of Israel, and to the east, across the Jordan River, with Jordan. The West Bank also contains a significant coastline along the western bank of the Dead Sea. Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip is a pene-exclave region of Palestine on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea that borders Egypt and Israel. Gaza makes up part of the Palestinian territories which includes the West Bank. In 2012 the United Nations General Assembly “accorded Palestine non-Member Observer State status in the United Nations”.   Gaza-Israel Conflict The Gaza–Israel conflict is a part of the wider Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Palestinian militant actions escalated in the Gaza Strip following the overwhelming election to government of the Islamic political party Hamas in 2005 and 2006. The conflict escalated with the split of the Palestinian Authority to Fatah government in the West Bank and the Hamas Government in Gaza and the following violent ousting of Fatah. Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel and the joint Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza have exacerbated the conflict.   Connecting the Dots: Role of International Criminal Court (ICC) in settlement of War crimes Comment on India’s stand on the issue. Role of Public Opinion and Civil Society Role of NATO   TOPIC:  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 interests.   India- Afghanistan: Time to refresh Afghan relationship The geopolitics of Afghanistan, Central and West Asia has witnessed several important changes over the last six months, which makes the time right for a fresh Indian initiative that reaches out to old friends in northern Afghanistan along with anti-Taliban elements in the southern parts. What changes have given rise to the opportunity? First, the changing equations of balance of power in Afghanistan. The geopolitical situation on Afghanistan’s borders is rapidly evolving, following Taliban’s takeover of Kunduz.  An immediate outcome is that Russia is into the scene which was not seen since 2001. The Russian government is concerned that local Daesh (Islamic State) elements, comprising mainly Central Asian jihadis , could, along with the Taliban, further fuel instability. There is also fear that the Daesh could retaliate against Russian targets in response to the happenings in Syria. Moreover, Russia loses 50,000 youth to narcotics, which makes its way through the porous Central Asian border. Consequently, Russia is actively considering the movement of its forces to man the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border. The U.S., on the other hand, in search of an honourable exit from Afghanistan, has been shaken by the Kunduz incident. The Taliban operation makes it clear that the optimism generated by Pakistan-led round of talks was misplaced. The halt in troop withdrawal until 2017 is meant to buy time until the U.S. finds a better roadmap to peace in Afghanistan. Iran’s concern over instable Afghanistan         Iran’s concerns are three fold: One, it is worried that instability in Afghanistan could give a boost to the Daesh. Second, an unstable Afghanistan will also lead to an increase in the illicit drug trade on Iran’s eastern border. Third, Iran is also worried that instability could lead to an influx of refugees. All these issues have motivated Iran to provide sanctuary to a few important           segments of the Taliban.   Second, inability of the Taliban to regain control of major cities in its traditional stronghold of southern Afghanistan.  Taliban is losing control over Kandahar, it’s traditional base, due to a strong resistance from the afghan police. Taliban has been internally divided based on the leadership claims. There has been a strong resistance against accepting Mullah Mohammed Omar, as he new chief of Taliban, especially in southern Afghanistan. The geopolitical changes around Afghanistan coupled with the ongoing organisational struggles of the Taliban provide an opportunity for Russia, Iran and India to reassess their roles in Afghanistan. Way Forward: India played a pivotal role in the resistance against the Taliban through the Northern Alliance, two decades earlier. Now, India needs to re-establish contact not just with the old friends in the region but also factions within the Taliban and the anti-Taliban forces in the south, to help Afghanistan gain strategic autonomy.  It is also imperative for India that Afghanistan’s south-eastern regions are prevented from exporting terror and drugs into India. Unlike the last time, India now has the financial muscle to do a lot more. What it needs is renewed enthusiasm and a fresh initiative on Afghanistan.   Connecting the dots: Critically examine the implications of a stable Afghanistan on growth and internal security of India. Critically examine the importance of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in fighting war against terrorism in India.   MUST READ:   More punishment is not less crime Hindu   Beyond the blackening: Ink and Oil Attack Hindu For detailed Analysis on ‘Growing religious fundamentalism in India’ refer the below link- http://iasbaba.com/2015/10/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-17th-october-2015/   Projects stuck, Supreme Court transfers 300 cases to NGT, govt bodies Indian Express   Cultural homogenisation through centre staging Sanskrit will rob Indian culture of its plurality Indian Express   Replacing food with cash Live Mint World Bank poverty estimates are poor, says government Business Standard For detailed Analysis on ‘Poverty estimates Issue’  REFER ‘IASbaba’s Monthly Magazine- June-July 2015’