IASbaba's Monthly Magazine- September 2015
Hello Friends, ARCHIVES Hope the study is going fine. Here is one more addendum for your drive to equip you better :) Thank You for the support Download the Magazine- Click on the image
Posts
Creative Guidance – What price are you willing to pay? – Inspirational & Educative Articles
What price are you willing to pay? Everything your mind can conceive in its imagination can be achieved, if only you know two things; there is a price for attaining to it and only you can pay that price. Most people fail to attain to their vision not because of a lack of necessary desire or motivation; they fail because they grossly underestimate the necessary price they have to pay in order to attain to it. Switching off that television set, forgetting your weekends, telling no to your best friend, staying away from your family and loved ones, letting go of that weekend trip , cutting down on that casual gossip, staying awake amidst your snoring roommates are some of the prices you might have to pay on your road to glory. There is a certain amount of luck involved in any endeavor, but no amount of luck can help you if you are not willing to pay the necessary price. Success is just a mathematical formula; it is ability multiplied by efforts, divided by distractions. The only quality you need in order to succeed is learning the art of postponing your gratification; it is learning how to push your intoxicating desires a little further; it is learning how to wait a little longer. There is a process that leads to success, it is always the same; first sowing its seeds, watering it, nurturing it and waiting for it to yield the fruits. Unfortunately, these sweet fruits of success are not readily sold in our super markets !. The fruits of success demand the greatest price; they demand your time and effort. It is not necessary that everybody has to succeed; Success is hardly the ultimate yardstick of life. But if you are willing to attain to it, you have to ask yourself this all important question; Am I the kind of person who can sacrifice everything in order to attain to one thing? Ask this question a hundred times, if the answer is a no even once, then stop wasting your time succeeding. If you happen to meet a successful person, don’t ask him for the secrets of success; instead ask him for the secrets of starvation. Ask him to teach you the ways of starving in abundance. Ask him the secrets of thirst hunger and drive. Ask him to teach you the art of choosing a deserted street of success over a crowded marketplace of mediocrity, every time. Ask him for the price of success and be ready to pay it. 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.”
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 9th October, 2015
Archives IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 9th October, 2015 ENVIRONMENT Climate goals on target: Paradox: The criticism that India’s use of coal for generation of electricity is projected to double by 2030But, according to the International Energy Agency, India will use less coal for electricity generation than the U.S. even in 2040. India moves steadily towards target: India has achieved an emissions intensity reduction of 18.6 per cent and will now aim for 33 to 35 per cent reduction. Recent position: Currently, renewable energy, nuclear energy and hydropower together contribute 30 per cent of the overall installed capacity. Future prospects in non-conventional energy: India will have 40 per cent of the total installed power capacity in 2030 based on non-fossil fuel-based sources. With power production expected to triple, this will amount to 320 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity. Nuclear would increase more than ten times to 63GW and hydro power is expected to double to 84 GW, with land availability being the key concern. The government also plans to develop a 1,40,000-km tree-line along both sides of the national highways. Since sequestration depends on forest management, this element will require greater focus on implementation. Fund Mobilization: India is seeking investments of U.S. $100 billion over seven years to boost the domestic solar energy capacity by 33 times to 1,00,000 megawatts by 2022. Additional carbon sinks of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent will be created by 2030. Intended Nationally Determined Contributions: INDC state that India’s “objective in Paris in December 2015 is to establish an effective, cooperative and equitable global architecture”. Three key elements of this framework are promoting Sustainable production processes and sustainable lifestyles across the globe Creation of a regime where facilitative technology transfer replaces an exploitative market-driven mechanism and A common understanding of universal progress. Limitations: The importance of peaking of emissions is misplaced, as it does not address modification of longer term trends in natural resource use. The current emphasis on emission reductions really focuses on symptoms rather than causes and solutions. Securing future by increasing efficiency: It has been estimated that currently three ‘basic’ human needs — housing, food, mobility — directly account for 80 per cent of resource use, 40 per cent of energy demand and 36 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions; nearly two-fifth of the cumulative emission reductions required by 2050 could come from efficiency improvements, making energy efficiency essentially a fuel.. Smart ideas that India can take up: India should have integrated its Smart Cities campaign into a plan for low carbon development of cities. A greater focus on sharing rather than owning cars would impact the fastest growing emissions. Changing lifestyles must begin in schools. Better linkages are also needed — for example, afforestation in catchments of hydro projects to check silting. Way Forward: Faced with global ecological limits, focus has to shift from ‘environmental risk management’ to ‘economic growth within ecological limits’. It is in responding to this mega-trend that India’s climate policy could have been more forward looking. The focus everywhere is shifting from production patterns to consumption patterns. About INDC: The action plan is built around three elements: Reduction in emissions intensity, or emissions per unit of GDP, An increase in forest cover, and A greater role for renewable energy in power generation. What are India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) on climate change going to look like? India’s INDCs will contain an emissions reduction target, as well as a target for reducing energy intensity. India’s cumulative emission is only 3 per cent INDCs announced by India are comprehensive, progressive and ambitious India has to put economic growth before committing itself to cut down emissions Cutting down emission will slow down the economy, therefore needs is a comprehensive strategy Connecting the dots: What does India’s recently framed INDC intends at? How can emission reduction be achieved in context of climate policy? It is clear that India will need huge investment to move from conventional energy generation to non-conventional energy generation. How can India meet the need of huge investment for infrastructure creation? NATIONAL Mistaken Quest for a ‘Purified’ Democracy Right to Vote In India, Right to Vote is a Statutory ‘Undertrial prisoners’, those in ‘police custody’ and the ones serving the sentence are not allowed to vote even if their name is listed in the electoral roll. Where are the participants? This is a grave miscarriage of the notion of equality as more than 65% of the inmates, holding the power to vote, languishes behind the bars without being proven guilty. The consistency of Section 62(5) of the Representation of the People Act with the world’s largest democracy fails as it excludes 4,00,000 of its prospective voters who holds the onus to bring about wide-ranging changes. SC's Judgement Arguments against SC Curb Criminalisation + Maintain 'purity' by excluding 'pollution' elements of democracy Merely preventing them to Vote will not solve the issue+ Requires 'strong' measures & punishment for the guilty Resource Crunch + Impracticability + Wastage of Time 'Civil Liberties' cannot be evaluated on the basis of these justifications+ Democratically inhumane+ Side-stepping on the obligatory nature of the issue at hand Drawbacks Negation of Civic Liberty & Capacity takes place leading to further deterioration of one’s Social Status Breeds further alienation from the normal course of community-life pushing him/her towards finding an identity with the convicted. Background Representation of the People Act, 1951: Article 324 to 329 of Part XV of the Constitution deals with the electoral system in our country Constitution allows Parliament to make provisions in all matters relating to elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures. In exercise of this power, the Parliament has enacted laws like Representation of the People Act 1950 (RPA Act 1950), Representation of the People Act 1951 (RPA Act 1951) and Delimitation Commission Act of 1952. Representation of Peoples Act 1950 (RPA Act 1950): Qualification of voters Preparation of electoral rolls Delimitation of constituencies Allocation of seats in the Parliament and state legislatures Convicted or not, rule applies to those in jail and police custody; not applicable to those out on bail. IASbaba’s Views: Along with the electoral reforms, there needs to be a mechanism at place to deal with laws that mark a radical shift of the Judiciary from a ‘justice-providing seat’ to a seat of defeating the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’. A proper framework should be worked upon in terms of the severity of the crime committed, duration of prison term, judgement on case-by-case basis, as well as the elimination of economic inequality that exists between persons who are out on bail while awaiting trial and the undertrials. Re-examination of aims behind disenfranchising undertrials needs to be incorporated and the perusal of age-old method of chain of exclusions need to be countered with well-framed questioning of the legitimate justification for their deprivation. Connecting the Dots: There is an urgent need for the Supreme Court of India to revisit the electoral reforms to stand justified against the ‘purity’ tainted litmus test of time. Comment ‘Right to Vote, even if not fundamental, contains in itself a privilege that can be robbed off an individual.’ Examine the perils of the statement and comment on the entrenched social prejudices that come into play as a consequence.
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 8th October, 2015
Archives IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 8th October, 2015 INTERNATIONAL Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) & India Trans-Pacific Partnership, which accounts for 40% of the global economy and a total of 800 million people, comprises of the major powerhouses and thus has become the largest regional trade agreement to take place in the present time. The ‘21st century issues’ sprawling across the boundaries, will be looked into and addressed, setting high standards for resolving and eliminating existing barriers. This coherence will have a direct impact on the issues of intellectual property rights, foreign investment, environment and climate change negotiations, labour, e-commerce, trade barriers, bottlenecks in healthcare technology and pharmaceuticals, regulatory clearances and other issues. Impetus to ‘'Made in America' exports will also be provided thereby, advancing trade and investment interests in the Asia Pacific region while extending economic commitments to its partners and allies. India should take note: Exports & Competitiveness: If India does not Join TPP India might witness diversions in trade and foreign investments, as well as decline in the outsourcing of services from India. The ‘Yarn Forward Rule’ rules out inclusion of any other countries outside that of the trade agreement, for availing duty preference. This will make India uncompetitive and thus, India should take onus to speed up the process of RCEP Negotiations to store some advantages for itself in Asia. This will hurt the ‘market access’ benefit and have an adverse impact on other products such as processed food, heavy manufacturing, crops, sugar, vegetables, fruits, etc. Also, companies might be interested in reaping benefits of an open and inviting market of TPP-member countries. If India joins TPP or Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP): There are chances of India experiencing export gains but in the longer run. Also, countries with which India has signed FTA’s may not suffer tariff disadvantage. It is estimated that if India doesn’t join TPP- it will lose out on about 0.3% ($3-7 billion) of exports by 2025. India’s output may also increase lending the employment generating sector like textile, leather, fish, dairy, etc., a higher impetus to grow and expand. High Global Standards: TPP works on the principles of simplification and elimination of barriers that serve as bottlenecks in the growth and development of the economy but at the same time follows a strict regime of quality and standard of the products. India needs to spearhead in its method of revitalizing and inducing efficiency in its manufacturing sector with the globally accepted standards, procedures, processes and an adaptation of a balanced approach, necessary to instill confidence in both citizens and investors. IPR: Joining TPP for India would be equal to accepting US standards for IPR. This would mean ever-greening of patents which will directly delay the entry of Generic medicines, defeating the socially inclusive pattern of governance followed by India. Ever-greening would also lead to rise in prices of the drugs but for India losing out on a few dollars would make much sense than turning away from its responsibilities. Strict domain of USA: Loss of flexibility and decision-taking ability related to important policy matters and key issues Bargaining power of India might get overshadowed by the ‘big-brother’ attitude of US Getting her Act Together: India-EU Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement The negotiations have been going on since 2007 and India needs to conclude these agreements to gain market access and leverage her outsourcing capabilities to suit the requirements of the member-countries. By safeguarding its core interests, India might revive some part of the export losses that it may experience while staying away from TPP. Broad-Based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) India has taken a step ahead and has resumed its talks with the EU but India needs to understand the wide implication of not complying with the standards set up by the TPP and should make a genuine attempt, to re-design its policies and help its companies compete globally. Competitiveness of Products: India should focus on increasing the competitiveness of its export products while employing standard processes and a robust supply-chain and operational procedures in place IASbaba’s Views: Restructuring of domestic policies of India is the need of the hour to acquire a certain amount of preparedness and improvement, both in terms of capability and capacity. The global trade rules should not be left with the provisions influencing TPP/RCEP otherwise the roots of the ever-growing economic inequality as well as insecurity may expand, terribly hurting the lesser developed countries. Connecting the Dots: Can there exist, an alternate template for global trade rules than that which is backed by the developed countries. Justify your stand. Is India ready for big-ticket agreements? Discuss. ECONOMICS India’s shaky ‘sovereign wealth fund’ The investment division of the finance ministry has finally approved setting up of the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). The Fund is likely to be operational from the end of this year. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his recent visit to Singapore and Hong Kong pitched to the pension and wealth funds there to invest in the NIIF, touted to be India’s own version of a sovereign wealth fund (SWF). The Fund will receive an initial allocation of20,000 crore as seed money, which will be used to lend equity/quasi-equity/debt support to commercially viable green-field and brown-field infrastructure projects, including stalled ones. The Fund is also mandated to provide equity/quasi-equity support to non-banking finance companies and financial institutions involved in infrastructure financing, and to nationally important projects in the core sector The basic motivation of creating this new entity is to bridge the glaring infrastructure financing deficit in India. Funding: India’s current infrastructure spending is around 4.5 per cent of GDP. This is relatively lower than other emerging market economies. Indian infra would need at least 26 lakh crore over the next five years considering the government’s ambitious plans such as Make in India, Smart Cities and Digital India. It is projected that 70 per cent of this required amount is likely to be debt financed, with banks being the largest source of finance, while 14 per cent will come from external commercial borrowings (ECBs). The rest is likely to be financed by bonds. The bulk of the financing needs in the infrastructure sector shall be catered to by commercial banks. It may be difficult for the banks to play the same supportive role, particularly considering that stressed loans is are growing. As of March 2015, stressed loans account for 14 per cent of gross advances ($161 billion). Significantly, 30 percent of the growth in stressed loans are in the infrastructure sector, particularly, power. The sovereign fund The NIIF will be established as one or more alternate investment funds (AIFs), regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012. With such an insignificant budgetary allocation, and financing model hinging too heavily on the Fund’s ability to attract external long-term finance, one wonders how such a complex objective function can be sustainably achieved. Related issue: For each entity set up as an AIF, fixing the government’s share at 49 per cent, while making it non-obligatory for partners to infuse similar funds to maintain their equity holdings, seems problematic. Future need: The NIIF is expected to bridge the existing financing gap, and ease the pressure on banking. Guarantee of sovereign participation in NIIF may, in the short-run, attract overseas participation. The recently announced UAE-India Infrastructure Investment Fund with a corpus of $75 billion Foreign SWFs, mostly guided by strategic and commercial objectives, are unlikely to co-invest in the Fund unless India’s growth potential remains robust, and unless forward-looking concomitant reforms are initiated, particularly the ones that can remove impediments for infrastructure development in the country. Unless the government corrects the basic underlying conditions that would ensure a decent return on their investments, we are unlikely to see big-ticket investments in NIIF from foreign SWFs. Conclusion: Around the world, SWFs are normally established out of trade surpluses, official foreign currency operations, and fiscal surpluses. None of these conditions is favourable for India and, therefore, raises doubts about the long-run capability of NIIF to fulfill the objectives for which it is being created. The success of NIIF will hinge upon the extent to which it is able to rope in overseas strategic institutional partners. But that, in turn, will depend on India’s growth story. Connecting the dots: With what objectives is the National Investment and Infrastructure fund created? How is fund mobilized for the NIIF? How can NIIF help India in creation of infrastructure and attracting investment? What can be done to attract fund from foreign investors? Why India needs huge fund for infrastructure? Is the setting up of NIIF will alone the huge demand? You can find a comprehensive article on ‘Net Neutrality’ in our Monthly (April) Magazine http://iasbaba.com/babas-monthly-magazine/
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 7th October, 2015
Archives IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 7th October, 2015 NATIONAL Gas pricing and some issues Natural gas demand in the country runs far ahead of supply. India imports nearly a quarter of its needs but fails to meet demand. This is due to insufficient domestic gas production and full utilization of existing import capacity. Why Gas Pricing in news? The government last week announced the new price of natural gas produced in the country, as part of a periodic revision mandated by the new gas pricing formula that it adopted in October 2014. The formula mandates a price revision once every six months on the basis of the prevailing prices in gas-surplus countries such as the United States, Mexico, Russia and Canada. So the new price of $3.8 per unit — in effect from October 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 — is 18 per cent lower than the previous price. This is likely to hurt producers such as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and Oil India, but will be welcomed by CNG and PNG consumers, Also, fertilizer subsidy will be less onerous and uphill task for the government. About Gas Pricing: The price of natural gas in India is not market-determined. The domestic gas price is the weighted average price of four global benchmarks. The domestic price is based on the benchmark prices in the prior year and kicks in with a quarter’s lag. It applies for six months. Gas prices in Asia are typically higher than other global benchmarks due to the demand-supply dynamics in the geography. Several issues that come along New Gas Pricing Formula: The price in India is pegged on the benchmark prices of the previous year, and takes effect after a time-lag of a quarter. For example, the price applicable in the period April 1-September 30, 2015 was based on the average benchmark prices over January-December 2014. This means India’s gas prices follow the global cues with a time-lag. The government in its wisdom decided to peg the price of Indian gas in respect of the prevailing prices in gas-surplus countries such as the United States, Mexico, Russia and Canada. Why these four hubs mainly? This remains the concern and chief argument which proves the formula ambiguous is the fact that prices are higher in Asia. The Rangarajan Committee took this fact into account and recommended $8.4 per mmBtu, but it was ignored. Controversy in past: Then there is the question that why gas prices must be linked to the market if the cost of supplying it in India — namely, out of Reliance Industries’ KG-D6 basin — is a fraction of the market rate. Conclusion: One of the most important issues to do with the price of domestic gas being pegged to global benchmarks is that any gains could be offset by losses on account of the rupee’s movement. Several research agencies say the almost 6 per cent depreciation of the rupee over April-September 2015 will mean the net impact of the fall in the price of gas will actually be significantly lower. Gas pricing is a politically sensitive issue, it being a key input in important sectors such as fertilizer and power. Market-linked price is important to encourage domestic gas production. In the coming years, if domestic output does not increase and the dependence on imported gas rises, the country may end up paying more. Much as in the case of oil, the government has been lucky that prices of natural gas are falling globally. But this could well be temporary: if the global price increases, then the price in India will also eventually increase. Connecting the dots: How is gas pricing determined in India? Is it the right approach to determine gas pricing based on global benchmarks? What are the issues that come along with the new gas pricing formula? How can these issues be addressed? Revolutionary Treatments Drug Ivermectin A derivative of ‘Avermectin’ Developed by William Campbell (Drew University in Madison, New Jersey) Satoshi Ômura (Kitasato University in Tokyo) Eradication of ‘River Blindness’- Onchocerciasis Parasitic infection Spread: Bites of infected black flies that breed in rapidly flowing rivers, thus, increasing the chances of people residing nearby, to get affected Causes Intense itching Skin discoloration Rashes Eye disease often leading to Permanent Blindness Reduction of the incidence of ‘Lymphatic Filariasis’- Common Name: Elephantiasisà Painful + Disfiguring disease Caused by three species of thread-like nematode worms: Filariae – Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori Male + Female worms: Together form “nests” in the human lymphatic system Major Social + Economic impact on the country Discovery of Artemisinin By Tu Youyou (China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing) Treatment of Malaria Formulated through the synergy established between traditional knowledge and modern means Extract from Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood): Redesigned + Purified + Made safe Artemisinin: Ability to reduce the number of Plasmodium parasites in the blood of patients with malaria at a fast pace Recommended by WHO: First-line treatment for P. falciparum malaria Artemisinin Resistance: Recovery happens with the help of effective partner drug Increase in Resistance instances: Poor treatment practices Inadequate patient adherence to prescribed antimalarial regimens Widespread availability of oral artemisinin-based monotherapies Substandard forms of the drug Reality Check: 2013: 198 million cases of malaria Estimated 584,000 deaths worldwide Over 90 per cent of them in Africa Artemisinin Resistance Confirmed: Five countries of the Greater Mekong sub-region Cambodia The Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar (close to the Indian border) Thailand and Vietnam India: Over 40,000 people in India die each year World Malaria Report 2011: Over 70 per cent of India’s population is at risk of malaria infection IASbaba’s Views: India’s Mekong-Ganga MoU with Cambodia and Indo-US Vaccination Program for Malaria, needs to be supplemented with timely development and increased coordination in the research, development and understanding of their cycles and epidemiology. The deep understanding of the environment with a greater synergy between the traditional knowledge and modern medicines is the key towards controlling them, if not their complete eradication. There is also a need to ban the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics that are employed for the production of food producing animals as they can invade human body and be a facilitator of another global epidemic. Connecting the Dots: The world can benefit from the strengths of both conventional science and indigenous knowledge systems. Discuss Examine India’s tryst with ‘Vector borne diseases’
Creative Guidance – What is Spirituality? – Inspirational & Educational Articles
What is Spirituality? The moment you listen to the word spirituality, all the ideas that come to your mind are false. Every single concept of spirituality you have been introduced to is wrong. Finding a teacher to surrender to; searching for a god whom nobody has seen; going through the routine of practices that you don’t understand; changing your food habits and what not. These are of course some of the less weird ones! There are things that are simply out of this world to even mention. There is only one true meaning of spirituality; there has always been only one; A single conscious living individual striving for a perfection that can complete him. An individual who is willing to go through the pains and frustrations of life to attain to his inner perfection is a spiritual being. In that sense Michael Jackson was more spiritual than many of our stone faced ever grinning spiritual pundits put together. A man who is constantly working with his mind and body (I don’t mean the plastic surgeries though!) to understand its limitations, to transcend its pain and frustration is a spiritual man. Most of our so called spiritual gurus have just given up on us. They themselves are far removed from the vibrancy of aliveness. They no longer live; they only talk about the symptoms of living, like a cancer patient counting his days who can reflect on nothing else but the left over aliveness from the days gone by. Don’t let anybody fool you into believing that spirituality is about passively sitting and listening to a teacher, admiring his ancient costume and forgetting yourself in his service. There is no other uglier sight than one individual serving another in the name of spirituality. No matter what fancy theories they give for the justification of service, it is cruel and manipulative. Surrender is always for yourself and your higher calling; it is never for any individual. And ultimately spirituality is not an idea; it is a creative quest by you, to attain to that perfection called you. The true meaning of spirituality is in the collective experience of your spirits journey through the mystical realms of life. The very process of understanding yourself and your life’s journey makes you spiritual. 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.”
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 5th & 6th October, 2015
Archives IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 5th & 6th October, 2015 NATIONAL Towards Universal Immunization: India and MDG Achievement: India has made remarkable progress in achieving the MDG health-related targets. The country has been able to substantially reduce its under-five mortality rate to 53 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013. Important to note: Of the nearly six million children under the age of five who die from preventable causes every year around the world, 21 per cent are from India. Many of these children die because of malnutrition and infectious diseases. This could be prevented by adopting a comprehensive and integrated approach to child health, One that focuses on nutrition, Safe water, Improved sanitation, Micronutrient supplements and Vaccination against preventable pneumonia and diarrhoea. What needs to be done? India will have to focus on its most vulnerable children — Children who are poor, Live in rural areas or Face discrimination because of ethnicity, caste, gender or disability. Barriers in the way: Barriers include problems such as: Gender disparities, Procurement and delivery challenges, Too few frontline health workers and Lack of information or misinformation on the benefits of immunization. India reflects commitment to immunization efforts, multilateral institutions such as GAVI, a global vaccine alliance, the World Health Organization and UNICEF can complement the government’s efforts by providing vaccine supplies in underserved areas, and strengthening health systems, planning, monitoring, research and logistics. Recent moves: Mission Indradhanush aims to increase national immunization coverage rates and expand the reach of the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), which is already the world’s largest immunization initiative. By 2020, Mission Indradhanush aims to immunize at least 90 per cent of the children and women. It focuses on 201 high-priority districts and marginalized population groups Way Forward: India has made significant progress in child survival in the last decade. Smart initiatives, such as the Call to Action, India’s Newborn Action Plan and the Integrated Action Plan for Pneumonia and Diarrhoea, have paid tremendous health dividends. But there is still a long way to go. By focusing on those who are traditionally left out of the public health system, such as children from tribal communities, child laborers, street children and children living in informal settlements, the Mission Indradhanush programme offers a model of how investment and interventions can serve the children who most need the help. Connecting the dots: How can India achieve target of universal immunization? What needs to be done in order to overcome the barriers in the way? ‘Mission Indradhanush programme offers a model of how investment and interventions can serve the children who most need the help.’ In light of the statement, explain how can Mission Indradhanush help India in achieving the universal immunization target? ‘Intelligent’ operations- Around the Globe MI5 — United Kingdom’s domestic intelligence outfit Described the ‘ongoing’ terror scenario + Possible outcomes + Steps being taken + Various Obstacles Served as the ‘moment of truth’ departing from the ‘secret’ and thus, ‘dangerous’ strategies implementation to a more pro-active and citizen-centric approach Education of the common man and the reminder to do his bit by being vigil and lending out a helping hand to the forces to save his/her country from such dangers Openness for National Interest ≠ Compromise on the Secrecyà Need of the hour Increased Vigil Awareness Higher rate of Participation Success Rate higher Check on the fearful religious fanaticism + Anti-Nationalist tendency To fight terror: More teeth to the Intelligence Agencies Greater latitude: Surveillance + Legal Formalities + Exercise of Discretion + Operational Freedom Increased sensitivity towards threat-issues Awareness of the limits Proper delegation of powers Trust on the Functionaries Greater cooperation with the technology companies: Sharing of ‘suspicious’ information Easy and timely ‘encryption’ Proactive role Set of obligatory rules IASbaba’s views: The present global scenario requires more operational freedom for the intelligence agencies to swiftly and accurately warrant safety, even if at the cost of stepped-up intrusion into the lives of law-abiding citizens. More so, to secure our lives, we as citizens, should comply and be a part of the operation. This will also help citizen-centric legislations to take place with an increased participation of the citizens due to sensitisation leading to a greater understanding of the security threats amongst the governed. On the other hand, our policy makers and law makers should also make sure that with this empowerment, a greater responsibility lies on the shoulders of the intelligence officials. There is thus, a need to strengthen the ‘oversight’ by a body especially designed to guarantee objectivity, moderation and elimination of any scenario leading to ‘trust-deficit’. Connecting the Dots: ‘Intelligence agencies should make the public understand the national security threats better’.Discuss. Examine the need for empowerment of the Intelligence agencies. Mental Health: Denotes Having healthy relationships Making good life choices Maintaining physical health and well-being Handling the natural ups and downs of life WHO: 20% of India’s population will suffer from some form of mental illness by the year 2020 Reality Check: 06% of spending from its health budget on mental health in India Depression, one of the biggest triggers of suicide in India, which accounts for more than 258,000 of the 804,000 suicide deaths worldwide in 2012 National Crime Records Bureau report 2013: Maharashtra has one of the highest suicide rates 3 per cent of India’s population, an estimated 40 million people, suffers from Severe Mental Disorders India’s Efforts: National Mental Health Policy Infrastructure: More allocation of Funds for modernization and allocation of space in hospitals Setting up of Small Mental Health-care facilities in various communities Opening up of hospitals to safeguard women, children and the elderly Funds: Facilitation of Medical Insurance to ensure medical help Pro-poor approach Caretakers will be supported financially Treatment& Manpower: Distinction between ‘mental illness’ caused Chemically or Attitudinally New Cadre: Mental Healthcare Providers Auxiliary Midwivesà Training to take care of mentally ill patients Introduction of new courses (MOOCs can be helpful) Inclusion in Mental Illnesses in Universal Health Assurance Mission (UHAM) Lack of recognition/awards in this field Social Support: Rehabilitation + Recovery + Reintegration Spread awareness about the importance of Mental Health + Highlight Symptoms + Remedies/Treatment available Suicide isn’t a criminal act, but a patient seeking helpà Decriminalization of it Invoking a sense of responsibility in the people to embrace differences and display social responsibility IASbaba’s Views: The convergence site of social welfare and heath proves to be a fertile ground to initiate effective delivery and formulations of various policy initiatives that will mark a departure from ineffective delivery of promises. States need to take initiative to establish ‘Center of Excellence’ on the lines of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore and take up campaigns to counter the expanding culture of alcoholism and drug consumption. Institutionalization has to be effectively complemented with humane conditions of survival, good health and security for the ‘Action Plan 365’ (Important roles to be played by the Centre + States + Local bodies + Civil Society/Organisations) to be a success. Connecting the Dots: List down the salient features of the National Mental Health Policy 2014. Examine the detrimental effects of alcohol and drugs on healthy thinking. Can India’s decadal shadow of policy paralysis break its image and emerge as a winner in the form of its new ‘Health Policy”?
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 2nd & 3rd October, 2015
Archives IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 2nd & 3rd October, 2015 NATIONAL What the world has done to the Victim? 8th September, 2015: Completed 15 years of the adoption of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2015 – 2030: Adoption of Sustainable Development Goals Health & MDGs-The Indian Perspective: Reduction of mortality among children under the age of 5: Goal: To reach the under-five mortality rate of 38 National Rural Health Mission directly enhanced the rate of child survival & helped in increasing the government allocation to the health sector Recognition of Empowered Action Group (EAG) States to nine states for special focus Reduction of Maternal Mortality Death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy India: Very high number of maternal deaths 65% drop since 1990; but lagging behind the goal of 75% decline (MDGs) Issues: Low level of literacy: No awareness + Lack of accurate information Young marriage and child-bearing practices Postpartum Hemorrhage + Malaria + Dengue Janani Suraksha Yojanaà To encourage hospital-care & monetary benefits Why it failed? Despite government subsidies, rural woman faces difficulty in reaching hospital for institutional delivery due to no transportation facilities and non-inclusive public healthcare services Both NRHM + ICDS failed to create a dent on the ever-increasing undernourishment and anaemia levels among pregnant women Lack of on-the-doorstep health facilities: Evidence exists of a skilled birth attendance inside the home which is less socially intimidating and less expensive but no special attention has been provided to this aspect. Halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS: India on-track Halt and reverse the spread of malaria and other diseases Moderately on-track Structural defects of MDGs: Goals and targets need to be given a dynamic interpretation, country-wise Possibility of some answers lying outside the health sector shouldn’t be avoided and social determinants should be taken into account accurately IASbaba’s Views: Health issues stand as a strong barrier to poverty reduction and economic prosperity and there is a need to look beyond the concept of these goals as ‘time-bound targets’ and more on the lines of, answers to the question of our survival. Strong political commitment, extensive consultative process and effective mobilization of resources from all nations to support innovation for better health equity is the need of the hour. Thus, an integrative vision of sustainable progress can only ensure the survival of the weakest and the sickest too. Connecting the Dots: Does India possess enough fiscal room to finance Universal health Coverage? Discuss Designing and implementing a strategy of universal coverage presents significant challenges to the policy makers and implementing agencies. Describe these challenges and suggest a way ahead. INTERNATIONAL India and Comprehensive Nuclear test ban treaty (CTBT) What is Comprehensive Nuclear test ban treaty (CTBT)? CTBT is a legally binding global ban on nuclear explosive testing. It is a key element in the process of nuclear disarmament: a ban on the production of fissile material for anything other than verified peaceful use. Such a ban would impose a quantitative limit on the amount of nuclear material available for weapons use. CTBT was opened for signature in 1996.As of March 2015, 164 states haveratified the treaty and 19 states have signed but not ratified it. China, Egypt, Iran, Israel and the United States have signed but not ratified theTreaty. In yellow- Annex 2 – Signed In Pink – Annex2 – Non-signatory India, Pakistan and North Korea which are non-signatories and have tested nuclear weapons after CTBT opened for signature. India (Pokhran-2) and Pakistan both carried out two sets of tests in 1998 and N. Korea carried out three announced tests in 2006, 09, 13 CTBT has yet to become global law due to its demanding entry into force clause, which requires the signature and ratification of all 44 countries listed as nuclear technology capable. It awaits the signature and ratification from India, Pakistan, and North Korea and in addition requires the United States, China, Israel, Iran and Egypt (which have already signed) to formally ratify it. Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization(CTBTO) CTBTO is the preparatory commission which establishes global verification regime to monitor compliance with the CTBT. The verification regime includes a global network of 330 plus monitoring facilities using seismic, hydroaucostic, infrasound and radionuclide technologies. Over 300 stations in 89 countries have been built to monitor for signs of nuclear explosions around the globe round the clock. The International Monitoring System (IMS) monitors the Earth’s crust, listens the atmosphere and oceans and sniffs the air for traces of radioactivity. The monitoring system produces data that have many applications, from disaster early warning to scientific research on the Earth’s inner structures, climate change or meteors, to name just a few of the potential uses. It is also making contributions to the nuclear safety field. After the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, CTBTO data provided timely information on the radioactive emissions from the crippled plant and their global dispersion. Why India has not signed CTBT? India’s growing security concerns about Pakistan’s acquisition of nuclear weapons capability and the assistance that China has provided in this regard is one major reason why India chose to oppose CTBT in 1996. India finds CTBT a threat to national security because of its, Discriminatory in nature as US which has already conducted more than 2000 tests suddenly realizes that there was no need to test nuclear devices any more. No time-bound disarmament schedule for nuclear weapon states. CTBT would not help towards nuclear disarmament since it only banned nuclear explosive testing, but not other activities related to nuclear weapons, such as sub-critical (non-nuclear explosive) experiments, or computer simulations. India has not signed NPT and CTBT. Does this imply that India is against nuclear disarmament? The answer is obvious No. the following section explain India’s solid support to global disarmament. India and Nuclear disarmament India has supported the treaty’s basic principle of banning nuclear explosions by declaring a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing. India’s expressed support to the essential requirement of the treaty makes it a de facto member of the CTBT. After the 1974 peaceful nuclear test, India maintained a policy of self-restraint. It did not conduct any follow up tests and the development of nuclear weapons was temporarily halted. In June 1978, Prime Minister Morarji Desai once again suggested a ban on nuclear weapons testing at the Special Session of the UNGA. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi upheld this position in 1982 by calling for a test-ban treaty and a freeze on the production of nuclear weapons. Rajiv Gandhi put forward an Action Plan in 1988 calling for a halt to the development of new weapons systems and proposing nuclear disarmament in a time-bound framework of 22 years. In 1993, India supported the multilateral negotiations and jointly co-sponsored a consensus resolution on the CTBT at the UN General Assembly. Post May 1998 (Pokhran 2), India continued to adopt a flexible position on the CTBT and indicated its willingness to discuss a “de jureformalization”of its voluntary moratorium on future nuclear testing. By committing to the Indo-US nuclear agreement, India has further expressed its principled support to the test-ban treaty. The voluntary moratorium was intended to convey to the international community the seriousness of India’s intent for meaningful engagement. The government maintained that “subsequent decisions will be taken after assuring ourselves of the security needs of the country.” India thus consistently supported the view that a CTBT was an essential element of the disarmament process and it opposed any conduct of nuclear tests by any state under the garb of safety reasons. Why India should accede to CTBT? It provides a great opportunity to tap into a wealth of data generated by the CTBTO’s International Monitoring Stations. To respond to global developments in nuclear disarmament and arms control as a responsible stakeholder in the non-proliferation regime. To negotiate India’s entry into the global nuclear order and third, to revive India’s long-forgotten tradition of campaigning for global nuclear disarmament. India has been seeking the membership of various strategic export control cartels such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). But it will now be harder for it to convince the European non-proliferation supporters to continue to treat India as an exception, without making a substantive normative offer in return (signing CTBT). Once India signs the CTBT, some of the other hold-out states are likely to follow, such as Pakistan. Others like the U.S. (whose Senate is blocking the ratification though the U.S. government has signed it) and China would also come under pressure to accede to it. Thus India will be able to reverse the current non-proliferation pressure which makes sense not only from a strategic point of view but also from a normative perspective. Signing the CTBT, then, is in India’s enlightened self-interest. Way forward to India: India should put forward two proposals. First, propose and push, with like-minded countries, for the adoption of a global ‘No first use’ agreement on nuclear weapons. Second, sign the CTBT, if not immediately ratify the same. This will clearly reinstate the lost global enthusiasm for nuclear disarmament and clarify India’s ‘benign’ nuclear intentions to the international community. Background: Partial/Limited Test Ban Treaty (P/LTBT) The concerns about radioactive fallout became more pronounced after US tested a hydrogen bomb in 1952 and later USSR detonated a nuclear warhead in 1961. PTBT was signed in 1963 which banned nuclear tests in the atmosphere, underwater and in space, but not underground. All testing was to be driven underground, just so long as the radioactivity did not go beyond the national border of the testing country.But it did not provide for international verification. India has signed and ratified the treaty in 1963. Since it was signed, a total of 1372 underground nuclear explosions have been conducted between 1964 and 2006; this number stands in contrast to the 461 atmospheric and including underwater nuclear tests that were conducted between 1945 and 1963. Hence, the belief that PTBT would play a crucial role in reversing the intense arms-race among the NWS was essentially flawed. No first use policy (NFU) NFU refers to a pledge or a policy by a nuclear power not to use nuclear weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by an adversary using nuclear weapons. Earlier, the concept had also been applied to chemical and biological warfare. The United States has refused to adopt a no-first-use policy, saying that it "reserves the right to use" nuclear weapons first in the case of conflict. Pakistan,Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France, say they will use nuclear weapons against either nuclear or non-nuclear states only in the case of invasion or other attack against their territory or against one of their allies. Chinabecame the first nation to propose and pledge NFU policy when it first gained nuclear capabilities in 1964, India has a declared nuclear no-first-use policy in 1999. Despite the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan in 2001–2002, India remained committed to its nuclear no-first-use policy. Connecting Dots: Should India enter into NPT and CTBT? Substantiate. How India can play a crucial role in Nuclear disarmament movement? What are the roadblocks hindering India from acceding to NPT and CTBT? Evaluate. “By signing Indo-US nuclear agreement India has expressed its principled support to the Nucleartest-ban treaty”. Elucidate ENVIRONMENT Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar announces India's INDCs Declaration of the INDCs on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, as the man signifies Indian values of frugality and sustainable development. The action plan is built around three elements: Reduction in emissions intensity, or emissions per unit of GDP, An increase in forest cover, and A greater role for renewable energy in power generation. What are India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) on climate change going to look like? India’s INDCs will contain an emissions reduction target, as well as a target for reducing energy intensity. INDCs announced by India are comprehensive, progressive and ambitious India has to put economic growth before committing itself to cut down emissions Cutting down emission will slow down the economy, therefore needs is a comprehensive strategy There is a possibility of India emulating the Western ‘model’ of development at home, which encourages a market-driven consumer culture. India’s cumulative emission is only 3 per cent, As vehicular pollution is an important source of greenhouse gases. The Ministries of Transport and Petroleum are ready to support the switch to Euro 6 emission standards for vehicles, but industry is not ready for it yet. It is necessary to introduce this much-needed upgrade to emission standards The SDGs emphasize the importance of “responsible consumption and production” About SDG: The Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, also called Global Goals, and Agenda 2030. An inter-governmentally agreed set of targets relating tointernational development They will follow on from theMillennium Development Goals once those expire at the end of 2015 17 SDG Goals: End poverty in all its forms everywhere End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learningopportunities for all Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Reduce inequality within and among countries Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests,combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development Connecting the dots: What are the main elements around which India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) on climate change revolves? How effectively Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) will address newly framed SDG? India unveils climate target to cut carbon intensity India has promised in a climate-change policy statement: To make its economy more energy efficient To cut the carbon produced per unit of GDP growth by 33-35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels India, the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases India would target 40 per cent cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 This will need U.N. financial support. India has resisted setting specific targets to cut emissions. * India pledges 33-35 pct cut in carbon intensity by 2030 * No "peak emissions" target or carbon market pledges * Coal set to continue dominating power sector in future Related Concerns: No fixed timeline; No specific commitment in its submission to establishing carbon trading. Coal would continue to dominate power generation for its more than 1 billion people in the future, though stressed its commitment to clean energy technologies. Way Ahead: India has planned to develop 25 Solar Parks, supply 100,0000 solar pumps to farmers and convert all 55,000 petrol pumps across the country to solar. It also pledged to "aggressively" develop hydro and nuclear energy. Plansare "fair and ambitious considering the fact that India is attempting to work towards low carbon emission pathway while endeavoringto meet all the developmental challenges the country faces today." Funds Needed: India would need to spend around $206 billion between 2015 and 2030 for implementing adaptation actions in agriculture, forestry, fisheries infrastructure, water resources and ecosystems. A substantial scaling up of the climate action plans would require greater resources A preliminary estimate suggests that at least $2.5 trillion will be required for meeting India's climate change actions between now and 2030 Connecting the dots: How is India planning to cut down carbon emissions through new climate change policy? What other steps can India take to cut down emission without sacrificing more on economic development? How can funds be mobilized for development of sustainable model towards growth as per new climate change policy? What are the related concerns and suggest ways to tackle the challenges?
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 1st October, 2015
Archives IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 1st October, 2015 INTERNATIONAL South Asia important for India geo-politically, but not economically: CEA Economic integration with South Asia is not a top priority for India as its economy relies more on other regions: Chief Economic Advisor, Arvind Subramanian. Why South Asia important geo-politically? South Asia has several important, growing markets, but looking at India’s current pattern of trade, India’s biggest markets are international Regional economic integration in South Asia is not a first priority for India. India’s economic fortunes are tied to the rest of the world. Geo-political considerations make South Asia important for India. Drawing Lessons from ASEAN and NAFTA: The key differences The levels of development in both regional groupings are very different. Around 1990, US per capita GDP was 10 times that of Mexico. The difference in per capita levels is not that much in South Asia NAFTA was created by Mexico looking to use the US as an anchor economy. India is that anchor or if its South Asian neighbors want it to be that anchor depends on the choice neighbors will make out of two Asian giants India and China. In NAFTA, Mexico got a certainty of access to the US’ markets in return for it liberalizing its economy considerably. The situation is different here, because it will involve a situation where all the economies will have to open up to each other. The certainty of access angle does not apply. There was no competition for the US to be the anchor in NAFTA. For South Asian integration, Sri Lanka and our other neighbors have China as an alternative Issues that hinder South Asian economic integration: The problems of external politics impeding economic integration, The problem of domestic political ramifications of opening up markets to India’s South Asian neighbors Way Forward: To address the problems simultaneously Boost economic trade between countries in the region Use soft options to smoothen the political wrinkles surrounding the issue. Connecting the dots: What steps should India take to strong hold the geo-political position in South Asia? What challenges will India face in becoming South Asian anchor economically? What steps should be taken to address these challenges? NATIONAL Empower, not weaken the CAG Why CAG in news? A recent proposal to curtail the powers of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India runs contrary to national and international conventions. Rather, it is the duty of both the executive and the legislature to strengthen this constitutional office. It has been advocated recently that the time has come to make our national auditor, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India(CAG), accountable to Parliament through a constitutional amendment. This is a strange demand and such a demand had never been articulated in the past. On the other hand, there have been demands for strengthening the Audit Act to further empower the CAG. In past: The CAG’s office initiated an amendment to the Audit Act during the tenure of the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. To enable a comprehensive audit of public funds and bodies rendering public service, For a structured and time-bound response to the audit reports. But, CAG did not receive a positive response from the government. Delayed tabling of CAG reports: There is a view that the CAG needed to restrict audit primarily to the compliance of rules and regulations The CAG’s reports on quite a few occasions were not being presented to the legislatures concerned on time. Thus, there was a clear undermining of the constitutional system, impeding the accountability of the executive to the legislature by not allowing the CAG to perform his or her constitutionally mandated role and serve Parliament adequately. The accountability of the executive to the legislature, and the legislature’s ability to adequately work on the audit’s outcome was impeded. Such a feedback and accountability mechanism is an essential component of the CAG’s accountability to Parliament. Present Status: The present constitutional structure ensures independence of the CAG to go into the entire gamut of audit functions where public interest is involved. In the present milieu of competing displays of political opportunism, any amendment that has the scope to constrict CAG’s functional role should not be encouraged in the national interest. Way Forward: It is the duty of both the executive and the legislature to uphold the CAG’s ambit, and in no way fetter it by a constitutional amendment. The CAG has only to be provided adequate institutional support in order for him or her to discharge this vital, constitutionally enshrined role. If at all a constitutional amendment is necessary, it could be to amend Article 149 of the Constitution and to explicitly indicate, but in the broadest possible manner, the scope of the CAG’s responsibility. The Audit Act, suitably amplified, could supplement the proposed amended constitutional provision. About CAG: CAG auditsall receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments, including those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government. The CAG is also theexternal auditor of Government-owned corporations and conducts supplementary audit of government companies, i.e., any non-banking/ non-insurance company in which the state and Union governments have an equity share of at least 51 per cent or subsidiary companies of existing government companies. The reports of the CAG are taken into consideration by thePublic Accounts Committees (PACs) and Committees on Public Undertakings (COPUs), which are special committees in the Parliament of India and the state legislatures. The CAG is also the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, the affairs of which are managed by officers ofIndian Audit and Accounts Service. Term of CAG: Appointed for 6 years or 65 years of age, whichever is earlier. Connecting the dots: In the light of recent controversy over curtailing the power of CAG. In your opinion should CAG be empowered or weaken in present context? What steps should be taken to ensure increased accountability of CAG?
IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 30th September, 2015
Archives IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 30th September, 2015 NATIONAL Digital India: The Digital India initiative seeks to lay emphasis on e-governance and transform India into a digitally empowered society. The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (deitY) anticipates that this program will have a huge impact on the Ministry of Communication and IT It is to ensure that government services are available to citizens electronically. It will focus on providing high speedinternet services to its citizens and make services available in real time for both online and mobile platform. Digital India also aims to transform ease of doing business in the country. Vision of Digital India initiative: Infrastructure:The Digital India initiative has a vision to provide high speed internet services to its citizens in all gram panchayats. Bank accounts will be given priority at individual level. People will be provided with safe and secure cyber space in the country. Governance and services:Government services will be available online where citizens will be ensured easy access to it. Transactions will be made easy through electronic medium. Digital empowerment of citizens:This is one of the most important factors of the Digital India initiative to provide universal digital literacy and make digital sources easily accessible. The services are also provided in Indian languages for active participation. Major projects under the initiative: Manufacturing of electronics:The government is focusing on zero imports of electronics. In order to achieve this, the government aims to put up smart energy meters, micro ATMs, mobile, consumer and medical electronics. Provide public access to internet: The government aims to provide internet services to 2.5 lakh villages which comprises of one in every panchayat by March 2017 and 1.5 lakh post offices in the next two years. These post offices will become Multi-Service centres for the people. Highways to have broadband services:Government aims to lay national optical fibre network in all 2.5 lakh gram panchayats. Broadband for the rural will be laid by December 2016 and broadband for all urban will mandate communication infrastructure in new urban development and buildings. By March 2017, the government aims to provide nationwide information infrastructure. Easy access to mobile connectivity: The government is taking steps to ensure that by 2018 all villages are covered through mobile connectivity. The aim is to increase network penetration and cover gaps in all 44,000 villages. e-Governance:The government aims to improve processes and delivery of services through e-Governance with UIDAI, payment gateway, EDI and mobile platforms. School certificates, voter ID cards will be provided online. This aims for a faster examination of data. IT Training for Jobs: The government aims to train around 1 crore students from small towns and villages for IT sector by 2020. Setting up of BPO sectors in North eastern states is also part of the agenda. e-Kranti: This service aims to deliver electronic services to people which deals with health, education, farmers, justice, security and financial inclusion. Global Information:Hosting data online and engaging social media platforms for governance is the aim of the government. Information is also easily available for the citizens. MyGov.in is a website launched by the government for a 2-way communication between citizens and the government. People can send in their suggestions and comment on various issues raised by the government, like net neutrality. Early harvest programs:Government plans to set up Wi-fi facilities in all universities across the country. Email will be made the primary mode of communication. Aadhar Enabled Biometric Attendance System will be deployed in all central government offices where recording of attendance will be made online. Connecting the dots: What is the vision of Digital India? How will this initiative help in transforming India? Will Digital India reduce the gap regarding access of information in rural and urban India? Will this make service delivery system accountable and transparent? Corporation IT services poor, says CAG report An Information Technology audit of Chennai Corporation reveals Poor delivery of services to residents, Incomplete e-governance system and Loss of revenue. According to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (Local Bodies) for the year ended March 31, 2014, at least 39 per cent of the complaints registered in the public grievance redressal system were treated as ‘completed’ though no action was taken. Most of the complaints were assigned ‘completed’ status even though the Corporation failed to take action. A number of lower level officers reportedly assigned ‘completed’ status on complaints relating to civic issues made online. The audit observed that “lack of input control caused the application software to allow the user to choose ‘completed’ without recording the redressal details.” Following the audit observation, the Corporation has planned to take action against officials who closed the complaints without taking action. How to increase customer satisfaction? By bringing in more transparency in the system By making system and state bodies more responsible and accountable By setting up grievance redressal mechanism By setting up time bound mechanism for the disposal of the grievance By strengthening IT services and using user friendly software. About CAG: CAG auditsall receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments, including those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government. The CAG is also theexternal auditor of Government-owned corporations and conducts supplementary audit of government companies, i.e., any non-banking/ non-insurance company in which the state and Union governments have an equity share of at least 51 per cent or subsidiary companies of existing government companies. The reports of the CAG are taken into consideration by thePublic Accounts Committees (PACs) and Committees on Public Undertakings (COPUs), which are special committees in the Parliament of India and the state legislatures. The CAG is also the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, the affairs of which are managed by officers ofIndian Audit and Accounts Service. Term of CAG: Appointed for 6 years or 65 years of age, whichever is earlier. Connecting the dots: Digital India can help in bringing transparency and accountability in the system? Critically comment. What are the reasons for not ensuring time bound and effective service delivery to customer? What steps can be taken to ensure effective service delivery mechanism?