Jul 27, 2022 TLP Mains Answer Writing

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies 2 Questions [27th July, 2022] – Day 33

Hello Students  TLP has been an integral ingredient of success for many toppers and is no secret. In the ‘must do’ list for the civil services exam, TLP is by far the most popular initiative. The popularity stems from the unparalleled quality of questions and synopsis posted in TLP. We strive hard to ensure that you get the real feel of UPSC standards before you write the Mains. You already know the features of TLP. Just to reiterate briefly, in the TLP initiative, we post 5 questions daily for a certain number of weeks (11 for this one). We follow a micro plan that is designed to give you daily targets. The questions are from the day’s syllabus and also from current affairs and you are expected to write the answers and post them on the portal. This year onwards TLP will have a Dedicated Portal for Focused Preparation (tlpmains.iasbaba.com). There will be a separate dedicated portal similar to (The RaRe Series) which students loved and appreciated. The Portal will help you stay focused and keep your preparation streamlined. The Registration link for the dedicated portal is given at the end of the post. We are charging a token amount of 10/- for registration to the dedicated portal. We are doing it because we want to create a community of sincere aspirants who are focused and motivated till the Mains Examination. Please don’t take it otherwise. It is our honest effort to give you the best and at the same time expect students to come with the same energy and dedication to the dedicated platform specially designed for YOU! Join our bandwagon, you won’t regret it. UPSC 2023 Aspirants are encouraged to participate as well. Register Here – CLICK HERE  To Know More About TLP 2022 (Phase 2) – CLICK HERE To Access Day 33 Questions – CLICK HERE  P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm every day. We would also encourage peer reviews. So friends get actively involved and start reviewing each other’s answers. This will keep the entire community motivated. All the Best 

Jul 26, 2022 Important Articles

[SPECIAL SESSION] Master the Art of Answer Writing and a glimpse into ‘The Answer Writing Manual’ with – Mrs. Srushti Deshmukh Gowda IAS and Dr Nagarjun Gowda IAS at Bangalore on 30th July (Saturday)

We all understand how powerful the skill of answer writing is. It, thus, makes sense to invest both time and effort in sharpening this skill if you are serious about cracking the UPSC-CSE examination. At IASbaba, our goal is to not help you with rote learning but to support you with conceptual clarity and a focussed approach toward turning that knowledge into a good score across all three stages of the examination. The key to scoring high marks lies in understanding the art of presenting your knowledge via answer writing, and this reflects across all our free and paid initiatives. Register Now To delve deeper into this art and to boost your preparation efforts, we have two very special guests joining us who will guide you on the approach, the strategies, and tips and tricks to write good-scoring answers during Mains – we have Mrs. Srushti J. Deshmukh Gowda and Mr. Nagarjun B Gowda.  Mrs. Srushti J. Deshmukh (AIR-5, 2018), hails from Bhopal and is currently posted in the Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh, India. She is the author of the Book ‘The Answer Writing Manual for UPSC Civil Services & State PSC Examinations’, highly recommended by Team IASbaba, and fellow IAS officers. It is an invaluable resource that takes the reader step-by-step into decoding the essentials of the answer writing for the civil services exam. Consistency is one of the main keys to cracking any examination. Suppose you study five hours for one day, you need to be capable of doing that every single day for the rest of the whole year. You need to have self-discipline and persistently chase your goals till you achieve it. Mrs. Srushti J. Deshmukh Gowda, IAS Accompanying Mrs. Srushti is an IAS officer of the same batch Dr Nagarjun Gowda (AIR-418, CSE 2018), Madhya Pradesh Cadre. Dr Nagarjun is an MBBS doctor and hails from Karnataka. He prepared for UPSC CSE while working as a full time doctor at District hospital, Mandya. He is a believer in hard work and a firm believer in commitment to take action. According to him, failure is a part of life but should not be handed over the power to overpower you. Date & Venue Date & Time: 30th July 2022 (Saturday) at 12:30 PMVenue: IASbaba Headquartres, 2nd Floor, Ganapathi Circle, Chandra Layout, Bangalore The session will be streamed live for students who are not in Bangalore Note: Registrations are mandatory for attending the session since the seats are limited. Register Now Get ready to listen to these officers and be prepared for their words to change you and the course of your preparation.We hope, it certainly would!See you on Saturday,Team IASbaba

Jul 26, 2022 Baba’s Explainer

Baba's Explainer - Privatisation in Space Sector

ARCHIVES Syllabus GS-3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.  GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors GS-3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources Context: In 2022, the space sector is witnessing what the information technology sector experienced in the 1990s. As a result, government would soon come up with a new space policy that could initiate the rise of India’s own “SpaceX-like ventures”. The proposed move would increase private sector participation in the industry. What are the structural changes that are reshaping the global space activity? Through the second half of the 20th century, outer space was the sole preserve of national space programmesdriven by government-funding, direction and management As military uses of space and prestige projects like Moon-landing emerged, major private sector entitiesalready in the aviation industry won space contracts in the US but under overall guidance & control of NASA & Pentagon The last decades of the 20th century saw significant expansion of satellite-based telecommunication, navigation, broadcasting and mapping, and lent a significant commercial dimension to the space sector. As a result, private sector companies(Ex: Space X) started playing major role in the sector like independent Space launches. Hired for a resupply mission for the space station, Space X now launches more rockets every year than NASA The entry of private sector has begun to drive down the cost-per-launch through innovations such as reusable rockets. As the digital revolution in the 21st century transformed the world economy, the commercial space sector has begun to grow in leaps and bounds. The global space businessis now estimated to be around $ 400 billion and is expected easily rise to at least trillion dollars by 2040. This has made private sector participation attractive and inevitable. What does the commercialisation/privatisation of the space sector mean in practical terms? Space Sector Revolutionized: With its reusable rockets, large capsules to carry payloads and crew and competitive pricing, SpaceX has revolutionised the space sector. Technology has brought down the Cost: The price tag for reaching low Earth orbit has declined by a factor of 20 in a decade. NASA’s space shuttle cost about $54,500 per kg; now, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 advertises a cost of $2,720 per kg. Increased Market: According to a Bank of America Report, the $350 billion space market today will touch $2.7 trillion by 2050.  In a decade, 80,000 such satellites could be in space compared to less than 3,000 at present Telecom Revolution: The aim of Starlink exercise is to provide Internet services that link any point on Earth to any other point. Targeting coverage in northern U.S. and Canada by end of 2020, the aim is to have the globe covered by 2021. This will be the new telecom revolution then, in the context of India, reaching out to rural areas as never before. What is the significance of development of Space Sector? Better Weather Prediction: Satellites provide more accurate information on weather forecasts and assess long-term trends in the climate and habitability of a region. As a result, governments would be able to devise more pragmatic and combative plans of action for farmers and dependent industries. Real time Tracking: With more accurate data collected through satellites can also serve as real-time monitoring and early-warning solutions against natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, wildfires, mining etc. Real-time tracking can also serve multiple purposes in defence. Bolsters Connectivity: Satellite communication can reach more remote areas where conventional networks would require a heavy complimenting infrastructure. Space Debris Management: As space becomes more congested with satellites, advanced space technology is required to help in managing ‘space junk’ (debris of old spacecraft and satellites). Spillover effect on multiple sectors: What essentially needs to be remembered is that the space avenue is an integration of the aerospace, IT hardware and telecom sectors. It is thus argued that investment in this arena would foster positive carryover effects to other sectors as well. What are the challenges to fulfilling the potential of space? Multilateral framework for Space governance is becoming outdated for present context The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 enshrines the idea that space should be “the province of all mankind” and “not subject to national appropriation by claims of sovereignty”. The Rescue Agreement, Space Liability Convention, and the Space Registration Convention expanded provisions of the Outer Space Treaty. Gaps in the Space laws include The Moon Treaty of 1979 was not ratified by major space-faring nations. Space law does not have a dispute settlement mechanism Space law is silent on collisions and debris They offer insufficient guidance on interference with others’ space assets. The legal framework of Space laws is state-centric, placing responsibility on states alone However, non-state entities are now in the fray for commercial space exploration and utilisation. Some states like US are providing frameworks for resource recovery through private enterprises based on the notion that this is not expressly forbidden for non-state actors. Some scholars and governments view this as skirting the principle of national non-appropriation, violating the spirit if not the letter of the existing space law. The lack of alignment of domestic and international normative frameworks risks a damaging free-for-all competition for celestial resources involving actors outside the space framework. Space Arms race and Growing Militarisation States are investing in military space systems for communications, navigation, and reconnaissance purposes, so as to ensure operability of a range of capabilities. Reliance of militaries on satellite systems means that space assets become potential targets. So investment in technologies that can disrupt or destroy space-based capabilities is under way. The space arms race is difficult to curb, especially since almost all space technologies have military applications Where does India stand in the global space market? As per SpaceTech Analytics, India is the sixth-largest player in the industry internationally having 3.6% of the world’s space-tech companies (as of 2021). S. holds the leader’s spot housing 56.4% of all companies in the space-tech ecosystem. Other major players include U.K. (6.5%), Canada (5.3%), China (4.7%) and Germany (4.1%). The Indian Space Industry was valued at $7 billion in 2019 and aspires to grow to $50 billion by 2024. The country’s standout feature is its cost-effectiveness. India holds the distinction of being the first country to have reached the Mars’ orbit in its first attempt and at $75 million — way cheaper than Western standards. Most companies in the sector, globally, are involved in manufacture of spacecraft equipment and satellite communications. S. and Canada were the highest receivers of space-related investment in 2021. A scrutiny of SpaceTech data puts forth that U.S. alone has more companies in the sector than the next 15 countries combined. Forbes pointed out in May 2021 that. India’s total budgetary allocation for FY2022-23 towards the Department of Space was ₹13,700 crore. Further, funding into the sector’s start-ups (in India) nearly tripled to $67.2 million on a year-over-year basis in 2021. USA’s space budget was $41 billion in 2021, $23.3 billion of which was focused on NASA. The spur in research and innovation driven by government-led spending could also be attributed to the global concentration of considerable number of private investors in the country. It is not that there is no private industry involvement in India’s space sector. In fact, a large part of manufacturing and fabrication of rockets and satellites now happens in the private sector However, Indian industries’ role has been mainly that of suppliers of components and sub-systems while there is huge scope for participation in satellite-based services, and ground-based systems. There were several Indian companies waiting for make use of these opportunities but the policy environment in India was supportive of private players Additionally, the demand for space-based applications and services is growing even within India, and ISRO is unable to cater to this. How is the space scenario changing in India? Shift in Focus of ISRO: There has also been a shift from a mandated focus on utilitarian projects to those focused on exploring space and our planetary neighbours, the Moon, the Sun and so on. Increasing role of Private Players: As a result of shift in ISRO’s focus, we have seen the yielding of governmental control over the space industry bit by bit, starting from hiring of vendors and active outsourcing of rocket components to the present idea of allowing external agencies to use ISRO facilities. NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) Additionally, constituted in March 2019, NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), is mandated to transfer the matured technologies developed by the ISRO to Indian industries. All of them are under the purview of the Ministry of Defence. Antrix Corporation Limited is an Indian government-owned company under the administrative control of the Department of Space. It was incorporated in September 1992, as a commercial and marketing arm of ISRO by prompting, commercially delivering and marketing products and services emanating from ISRO Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) IN-SPACe was mandated the task of promoting, authorising and licensing private players to carry out space activities. As an oversight and regulatory body, it is responsible for devising mechanisms to offer sharing of technology, expertise, and facilities free of cost (if feasible) to promote non-government private entities (NGPEs). ISRO shares its expertise in matters pertaining to quality and reliability protocols, documentations and testing procedure through IN-SPACe’s ‘interface mechanism’. What is the significance of the creation of IN-SPACe? Facilitator and regulator: IN-SPACe will act as an interface between ISRO and private parties, and assess how best to utilise India’s space resources and increase space-based activities. Fair Competition: IN-SPACe will provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure. Better utilisation of space resources: Existing ISRO infrastructure, both ground- and space-based, scientific and technical resources, and even data are planned to be made accessible to interested parties to enable them to carry out their space-related activities. Strategic benefits: ISRO, like NASA, is essentially a scientific organisation whose main objective is exploration of space and carrying out scientific missions. The private industry will also free up ISRO to concentrate on science, R&D, interplanetary exploration and strategic launches. Widening the horizon of Private participation: IN-SPACe will promote private players in end-to-end space services, including building and launching rockets and satellites and providing space-based services commercially. Reorients space activities: IN-SPACe will reorient space sector from a ‘supply-driven’ model to a ‘demand-driven’ one, thereby ensuring optimum utilization of the nation’s space assets. Leveraging the potential of Young Country: So far only ISRO was doing all space related activities. Opening up of the space sector means the potential of the entire country can be leveraged Boost to Space Start-ups: This will not only result in an accelerated growth of the sector but also enable India to generate large scale employment in the technology sector. Additional revenue: ISRO can earn some money by making its facilities and data available to private players. What is the way Ahead? Need for new navigation policies: India has the SatCom policy and Remote Sensing Data Policy (RSDP) but they need suitable modifications for the purpose of IN-SPACe to perform its duty in an effective manner Changes needed in New Space India Limited (NSIL): It needs to be recalibrated to transform its approach of a supply-driven model to being a demand-driven model for space-based services Enhancing ease of doing space business: Space activities are multi-layered projects which involve a lot of intricacies across domains, such as gaining access to frequencies, licensing of satellites for operation, ability to export products, imagery Updation of Space Regulation: Space legislation is needed for enabling coherence across technical, legal, commercial, diplomatic and defence goals. India’s space vision also needs to address global governance, regulatory and arms control issues. Mains Practice Question –Privatisation of Space industry helps in boosting our economic growth. Comment Note: Write answers to this question in the comment section.  

Jul 26, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 26th July 2022

Archives (PRELIMS & MAINS Focus) Sports Code Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Current Affairs Mains – GS 2 (Regulatory Bodies) Context:  The sports administration in India was in the headlines frequently these past few weeks all for the wrong reasons. Both the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) face potential ban/suspension if elections to the executive body are not done immediately. A seven-member delegation of the world football governing body FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation had come to the country last month for a meeting with the Committee of Administrators (CoA). The CoA was entrusted with the running of football by the Supreme Court after the executive committee of the AIFF was dissolved for violating the Central government’s sports code. Hockey India has also come under scrutiny by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for the delay in conducting elections. What is the Sports Code? The Sports Code, or National Sports Development Code of India to be precise, was introduced in 2011 by the Central government, which wanted good governance practices in the management of sports at the national level without interfering in the autonomy of the national sports bodies. It was widely accepted that such a sports code was needed as it was felt that most of the sports federations had become personal fiefdoms of certain individuals — many of them politicians — as they continued to remain in power for long periods. The National Spots Code laid down restrictions regarding age and tenure. What happens when a sports body is found to be in violation of the Sports Code? The respective federations can be put under a CoA. That is what happened with the football and hockey associations. The Supreme Court had appointed a three-member CoA led by former Supreme Court judge A.R. Dave to run the AIFF, whose President Praful Patel had to resign. On similar lines, the Delhi High Court observed that the Sports Code was violated by Hockey India and a CoA was formed to run the game’s administration in India. Previous instances In February, the Delhi High court appointed Gita Mittal as the chairperson of the CoA to run the Table Tennis Federation of India, which was suspended following an inquiry into the match-fixing allegations raised by one of India’s leading players. In 2017, the Supreme Court had appointed a CoA to implement the reforms in the administration of cricket in the country suggested by the Justice R.M. Lodha committee. Source: The Hindu Previous Year Question Q.1) Which one of the following statements best describes the ‘Polar Code’? (2022) It is the international code of safety for ships operating in polar waters. It is the agreement of the countries around the North Pole regarding the demarcation of their territories in the polar region. It is a set of norms to be followed by the countries whose scientists undertake research studies In the North Pole and South Pole. It is a trade and security agreement of the member countries of the Arctic Council. Places in News Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Geography Virunga National Park In News: Congo to Auction Land to Oil Companies The Democratic Republic of Congo, home to one of the largest old-growth rainforests on Earth, is auctioning off vast amounts of land in a push to become “the new destination for oil investments,” part of a global shift as the world retreats on fighting climate change in a scramble for fossil fuels. The oil and gas blocks, which will be auctioned, extend into Virunga National Park, the world’s most important gorilla sanctuary, as well as tropical peatlands that store vast amounts of carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere and from contributing to global warming. Peatlands in Equateur province in Congo Source: Nytimes.com Previous Year Question Q.1) “If rainforests and tropical forests are the lungs of the Earth, then surely wetlands function as its kidneys.” Which one of the following functions of wetlands best reflects the above statement? (2022) The water cycle in wetlands involves surface runoff, subsoil percolation and evaporation. Algae form the nutrient base upon which fish, crustaceans, molluscs, birds, reptiles and mammals thrive. 58 15 Wetlands play a vital role in maintaining sedimentation balance and soil stabilization. Aquatic plants absorb heavy metals and excess nutrients. Rivers in News Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Geography In News: All-party meeting in Rajasthan rejected Madhya Pradesh’s objections to canal project. Rajasthan government opposed centre’s objection to halt work on the proposed Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) until issues with Madhya Pradesh are resolved An all-party meeting on ERCP, reiterated the project’s significance for the State and offered to send a team of experts to the Centre for holding talks on its technical aspects. ERCP is an ambitious project that is set to benefit 13 districts with over 3.5 crore population through the interlinking of the Parvati, Kali Sindh and Chambal rivers. What is the issue? 2005 agreement The Inter-State Water Control Board had decided in an agreement signed in 2005 that any of the two States could use water from its own catchment area as well as 10% of the water received from the catchment areas of the other for any project. Rajasthan government’s stand Rajasthan claims to have prepared the DPR on ERCP in accordance with the Inter-State Water Control Board’s decision and in compliance with the 2010 guidelines of the Central Water Commission (CWC). Terming the objection to its project baseless, Rajasthan said MP had constructed the Mohanpura dam on the Newaj river, a tributary of Parbati river, and the Kundalia dam on Kali Sindh river, developing about 2.65-lakh hectare irrigation area in its territory. Madhya Pradesh obtained the no-objection certificate from Rajasthan after the construction of dams in 2017. The all-party meeting again raised the demand for the national project status for ERCP. Madhya Pradesh’s Objection A significant aspect of Madhya Pradesh’s objection is related to the water dependability. According to the agreement between the two States, a project for water supply can be formulated only on 75% water dependability, whereas the detailed project report (DPR) of ERCP is based on 50% water dependability. This will result in the breach of agreement, according to the Madhya Pradesh. River Chambal Chambal River is also known as Charmanwati or Charmawati The river flows much below its banks due to severe erosion because of poor rainfall and numerous deep ravines have been formed in the Chambal Valley, giving rise to badland topography. Origin Janapav near Mhow (MP) in the Vindhaya mountain range Length 965 kms Discharge Yamuna, Pachnada near Bhareh in UP States & Major Cities Madhya Pradesh Rajasthan: Kota Uttar Pradesh Right Bank Tributaries Parbati, Kali Sindh, Shipra Left Bank Tributaries Banas, Mej Major Dams Gandhi Sagar, Rana Pratap Sagar, Jawahar Sagar, Kota Barrage   Kali Sindh Origin Bagli, MP, enters Rajasthan at Binda Village Length 278 kms Discharge Chambal, Nonera village, Rajasthan States & Major Cities MP Rajasthan: Jhalawar, Baran Tributaries Parwan, Niwaj and Ahu Major Dams Kalisindh Dam is a major dam across the river situated in Jhalawar district of Rajasthan Parbati River Parbati River is a river in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, India that flows into the Chambal River. The river rises at a height of 610 m in the Vindhya range in Sehore district Madhya Pradesh and then enters in Rajasthan and flows from Baran District and Sawai Madhopur District of Rajasthan where it falls into Chambal River. It is one of the Chambal River’s three main tributaries, along with the Banas River and the Kali Sindh River. Ramgarh crater is located on its eastern bank. Source: The Hindu Previous Year Question Q.1) Consider the following pairs: (2022) Reservoirs:                           States Ghataprabha:      Telangana. Gandhi Sagar:     Madhya Pradesh Indira Sagar:       Andhra Pradesh Maithon:              Chhattisgarh How many pairs given above are not correctly matched? Only one pair Only two pairs Only three pairs All four pairs Q.2) Consider the following rivers: (2021) Brahamani Nagalwali Subarnarekha Vamsadhara Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats? 1 and 2 2 and 4 3 and 4 1 and 3 Fiberisation Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Science & Technology Mains – GS 3 (Science & Technology) What is Fiberisation? The process of connecting radio towers with each other via optical fibre cables is called fiberisation. It helps provide full utilisation of network capacity, and carry large amounts of data once 5G services are rolled out. Aid in providing additional bandwidth and stronger backhaul support Fibre-based media, commonly called optical media, provides almost infinite bandwidth and coverage, low latency and high insulation from interference. With 5G, it will also be necessary to increase the density of mobile towers to provide better coverage to consumers and businesses. This calls for increased requirements for fibre deployment. The Challenges Indian Prime Minister Narendra of India, in his 2020 Independence Day speech, laid out the vision to connect every village in the country with optical fiber cable (OFC) in 1,000 days. To reach the targeted level of fiberisation, India requires about ₹2.2 lakh crore of investment to help fiberise 70% towers. There is also a need to increase data capacity in the fiberised towers. These tower sites which are connected via fibre are called fibre point of presence (POP). Currently these fibre POPs at a tower site can handle data at one to five Gbps speed. One of the biggest issues in the way of fiberisation remains the Right of Way (RoW) rules. While all States/UTs are required to implement these rules, they are not in complete alignment and still require certain amendments to align. Way Forward DoT’s GatiShakti Sanchar online portal can simplify RoW approvals and help deploy cables for 5G. Satellite communication also can facilitate 5G broadband connectivity to areas where it is not feasible to deploy terrestrial infrastructure like remote villages, islands or mountainous regions Note: The right of way (RoW) rules provide for a framework to give approvals and settle disputes in a time-bound manner, as well as improve coordination between companies and government authoritie Must Read: 5G Technology Source: The Hindu Previous Year Question Q.1) Which one of the following is the context in which the term “qubit” is mentioned? (2022) Cloud Services Quantum Computing Visible Light Communication Technologies Wireless Communication Technologies Private sector in space Open in new  window Syllabus Mains – GS 3 (Science and Technology) In News: Principal Scientific Adviser stated that the government would soon come up with a new space policy that could initiate the rise of India’s private sector participation in space sector. Why is development in the space sector important? Enhancing space technology would be beneficial to bolster connectivity and combat climate-related implications through a more secure and effective means. Satellites provide more accurate information on weather forecasts and assess (and record) long-term trends in the climate and habitability of a region. By monitoring the long-term impact of climate change at regional, territorial, and national scales, governments would be able to devise more pragmatic and combative plans of action for farmers and dependent industries. They can also serve as real-time monitoring and early-warning solutions against natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, wildfires, mining etc. Real-time tracking can also serve multiple purposes in defence. As for connectivity, satellite communication can reach more remote areas where conventional networks would require a heavy complimenting infrastructure. As to reliability, the WEF had stated that satellite communication can help connect 49% of the world’s unconnected population. In this light, it must be noted that satellite communications, which are used to facilitate telecommunication services, are among the major categories for investment in the space technology sector. The space avenue is an integration of the aerospace, IT hardware and telecom sectors. It is thus argued that investment in this arena would foster positive carryover effects to other sectors as well. Where does India stand in the global space market? Market As per SpaceTech Analytics, India is the sixth-largest player in the industry internationally having 3.6% of the world’s space-tech companies. S. holds the leader’s spot housing 56.4% of all companies in the space-tech ecosystem. Other major players include U.K. (6.5%), Canada (5.3%), China (4.7%) and Germany (4.1%). The Indian Space Industry was valued at $7 billion in 2019 and aspires to grow to $50 billion by 2024. The country’s standout feature is its cost-effectiveness. India holds the distinction of being the first country to have reached the Mars’ orbit in its first attempt and at $75 million — way cheaper than Western standards. Start-ups Most companies in the sector, globally, are involved in manufacture of spacecraft equipment and satellite communications. The Union Minister of State for Science and Technology had stated earlier this month that of the 60-odd start-ups that had registered with the ISRO, a majority of them were dealing in projects related to space debris management. As space becomes more congested with satellites, the technology would thus help in managing ‘space junk’. Investment S. and Canada were the highest receivers of space-related investment in 2021. U.S. space budget was $41 billion in 2021, $23.3 billion of which was focused on NASA. India’s total budgetary allocation for FY2022-23 towards the Department of Space was ₹13,700 crore. Funding into the sector’s start-ups (in India) nearly tripled to $67.2 million on a year-over-year basis in 2021. How is the private sector’s involvement regulated in India? In June 2020, the Union government announced reforms in the space sector enabling more private players to provide end-to-end services. (IN-SPACe) An announcement for the establishment of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) was made. It was mandated the task of promoting, authorising and licensing private players to carry out space activities. As an oversight and regulatory body, it is responsible for devising mechanisms to offer sharing of technology, expertise, and facilities free of cost to promote non-government private entities (NGPEs). IN-SPACe’s Monitoring and Promotion Directorate oversees NGPE’s activities as per prescribed regulations and reports back in case any corrective actions or resolutions are required. ISRO shares its expertise in matters pertaining to quality and reliability protocols, documentations and testing procedure through IN-SPACe’s ‘interface mechanism’. NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) Additionally, constituted in March 2019, NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) is mandated to transfer the matured technologies developed by the ISRO to Indian industries. With India having one of the best space programs in the world, the move to increase private sector participation in space will make India a bigger player in the global space economy. Space sector can play a major catalytic role in the technological advancement and expansion of our Industrial base. India is among a handful of countries with advanced capabilities in the space sector. With these reforms, the sector will receive new energy and dynamism, to help the country leapfrog to the next stages of space activities. Must Read: Space Sustainability Source: The Hindu Guidelines on arrests and bail orders Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Polity Mains – GS 2 (Governance) Context: A division bench of the Supreme Court of India in Satender Kumar Antil vs CBI laid down fresh guidelines on arrests in order to have strict compliance with the provisions of Section 41 and 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. These guidelines are in addition to the earlier ones which the apex court had already laid down in the case of Arnesh Kumar vs State of Bihar (2014). The Court in the present case has also emphasised upon separate legislation on the law relating to bail and has also issued specific directions in this regard. How is a person arrested? Arrest in its simplest form is defined as, “when one is taken and restrained from his liberty”. The police has wide powers to arrest under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. With regard to the Satender Kumar Antil case, the Court has issued specific directions and has also called for a compliance report. The Court said that the investigating agencies and their officers are duty-bound to comply with the mandate of Section 41 and 41A and the directions issued in the Arnesh Kumar case. What are Sections 41 and 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure? Section 41 of the Code provides for the circumstances in which arrest can be made by the police without a warrant and mandates for reasons to be recorded in writing for every arrest and non-arrest. Section 41A of the Code provides for the requirement of a notice to be sent by the investigating agencies before making an arrest in certain conditions prescribed by the Code. The Court stated that any dereliction on the part of the agencies has to be brought to the notice of the higher authorities by the court followed by appropriate action. The Bench further said that the courts will have to satisfy themselves on the compliance of Section 41 and 41A. Any non-compliance would entitle the accused for grant of bail. What are the guidelines with respect to bail? The Court has made a specific observation in the form of an obiter that the Government of India may consider the introduction of a separate enactment, in the nature of a Bail Act, so as to streamline the grant of bails. As part of the new guidelines, it is clearly stated that there need not be any insistence on a bail application while considering the application under Sections 88, 170, 204 and 209 of the Code. The Court said that “there needs to be a strict compliance of the mandate laid down in the judgment of this court in Siddharth” ( Siddharth vs State of U.P., 2021). It is a clear direction of the Court that bail applications ought to be disposed of within a period of two weeks except if the provisions mandate otherwise The Court also said that “applications for anticipatory bail are expected to be disposed of within a period of six weeks with the exception of any intervening application”. What steps need to be taken for compliance of these orders? The State and Central governments will have to comply with the directions issued by the Court from time to time with respect to the constitution of special courts. The High Court in consultation with the State governments will have to undertake an exercise on the need for special courts. The vacancies in the position of Presiding Officers of the special courts will have to be filled up expeditiously. What about undertrial prisoners? The High Courts have been directed by the apex court to identify undertrial prisoners who cannot comply with bail conditions. After doing so, appropriate action will have to be taken in the light of Section 440 of the Code, facilitating their release. Under Section 440, the amount of bond shall not be excessive, and high courts and sessions courts may reduce the amount prescribed by the magistrate or a police officer. An exercise will have to be done similarly to comply with the mandate of Section 436A of the Code, under which a person imprisoned during investigation or trial shall be released on bail on completion of half of the jail term prescribed for that offence. Must Read: Pressing need for Bail Law + Article 142 Source: The Hindu Toll of human-animal conflict Open in new  window Syllabus Mains – GS 3 (Environment) Stats: Between 2018-19 and 2020-21, 222 elephants were killed by electrocution across the country, 45 by trains, 29 by poachers and 11 by poisoning. Among tigers, too, 29 were killed by poaching between 2019 and 2021, while 197 tiger deaths are under scrutiny. Among human casualties of conflict with animals, elephants killed 1,579 humans in three years. Odisha accounted for the highest number of these deaths at 322. Around 222 elephant deaths is caused by electrocution Tigers killed 125 humans in reserves between 2019 and 2021. Maharashtra accounted for nearly half these deaths, at 61 Assessments of human-wildlife conflicts indicate that the main causes of human wildlife conflict include habitat loss, growth of population of wild animals, changing cropping patterns that attract wild animals to farmlands, movement of wild animals from forests area to human dominated landscapes for food and fodder, movement of human beings to forests for illegal collection of forest produce, habitat degradation due to growth of invasive alien species, etc. Must Read: Man-Animal Conflict Source: Indian Express Shortage of IAS Officers Open in new  window Syllabus Mains – Governance In News: At least 26 states of India have less number of Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officials than sanctioned strength. This is the situation when India is the first country in the world where a unique model, called ‘National Standards for Civil Services Training Institutions’ (NSCST), has recently been launched for the training of civil servants. The number of IAS officials currently stands at 5,317 against the sanctioned strength of 6,789. According to data, among the sanctioned strength of 6,789, 4,712 are to be recruited through UPSC while the remaining via state civil services. Although the Union government claims to have started recruiting 180 IAS officers directly annually since 2012 following the recommendation of the Baswan Committee, the shortages still persist. The Effect: The gap between sanctioned and available strength is hampering policy-making and implementation of national welfare schemes in the states. Must Read: Link 1 Source: Newindian Express Baba’s Explainer – Privatisation in Space Sector Privatisation in Space Sector Syllabus GS-3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.  GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors GS-3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources Context: In 2022, the space sector is witnessing what the information technology sector experienced in the 1990s. As a result, government would soon come up with a new space policy that could initiate the rise of India’s own “SpaceX-like ventures”. The proposed move would increase private sector participation in the industry. Read Complete Details on Privatisation in Space Sector Daily Practice MCQs Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) Consider the following statements about National Sports Development Code of India It was introduced in 2011 by the Government of India with an aim of bringing good governance practices in the management of sports at the national level. The sports code does not interfere with the autonomy of the national sports bodies. Choose the correct statements: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements River Chambal originates in the Aravalli hills of Rajasthan River Parbati and Kali Sindh are left bank tributaries of River Chambal Gandhi Sagar and Kota Barrage on the River Barrage Choose the incorrect statements: 1, 2 and 3 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 only Q.3) Consider the following statements about fiberisation It is the process of connecting radio towers with each other via optical fibre cables. It aids in providing additional bandwidth and stronger backhaul support. Choose the incorrect statements: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!! ANSWERS FOR ’26th JULY 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs. ANSWERS FOR 25th JULY 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs Answers- Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) – c Q.2) – b Q.3) – d table, td, th { border: 1px solid;} table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;}

Jul 26, 2022 Baba’s Explainer

Baba's Explainer - Online Censorship

ARCHIVES Syllabus GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. GS-3: Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges,  Context: AMID the recent lawsuit against the Union Government by Twitter, online censorship has come under intense scrutiny. As per the recent findings of Twitter’s global transparency reports, the legal demands by the Indian government and Indian courts to get content removed from the platform witnessed a 48,000 per cent increase between 2014 and 2020. Additionally, as per data shared in Parliament, the number of orders to block content on social media sites by the Indian government went up by almost 2,000 per cent during the same time period. What does the law in India cover? In India, the Information Technology Act, 2000, as amended from time to time, governs all activities related to the use of computer resources. It covers all ‘intermediaries’ who play a role in the use of computer resources and electronic records. The term ‘intermediaries’ includes providers of telecom service, network service, Internet service and web hosting, besides search engines, online payment and auction sites, online marketplaces and cyber cafes. It includes any person who, on behalf of another, “receives, stores or transmits” any electronic record. Social media platforms would fall under this definition. Section 69 of the Act confers on the Central and State governments the power to issue directions “to intercept, monitor or decrypt…any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource”. How does the government block websites and networks? Section 69A, for similar reasons and grounds on which it can intercept or monitor information, enables the Centre to ask any agency of the government, or any intermediary, to block access to the public of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored or hosted on any computer resource.  Any such request for blocking access must be based on reasons given in writing. Procedures and safeguards have been incorporated in the rules framed for the purpose. What are the obligations of intermediaries under Indian law? Intermediaries are required to preserve and retain specified information in a manner and format prescribed by the Centre for a specified duration. Contravention of this provision may attract a prison term that may go up to three years, besides a fine. When a direction is given for monitoring, interception or decryption, the intermediary, and any person in charge of a computer resource, should extend technical assistance in the form of giving access or securing access to the resource involved, and must comply with the request to intercept or monitor or decrypt the information concerned. Failure to extend such assistance may entail a prison term of up to seven years, besides a fine. Failure to comply with a direction to block access to the public on a government’s written request also attracts a prison term of up to seven years, besides a fine. The Act also empowers the government to collect and monitor data on traffic. When an authorised agency asks for technical assistance in this regard, the intermediary must comply with the request. Non-compliance may lead to a prison term of up to three years, besides a fine. Are platforms required to comply with government requests? Cooperation between technology services companies and law enforcement agencies is now deemed a vital part of fighting cybercrime, and various other crimes that are committed using computer resources. These cover hacking, digital impersonation and theft of data. The potential of the Internet and its offshoots such as mail and messaging services and social media networks to disseminate potentially harmful content such as hate speech, rumours, inflammatory and provocative messages and child pornography, has led to law enforcement officials constantly seeking to curb the ill-effects of using the medium. Therefore, most nations have framed laws mandating cooperation by Internet service providers or web hosting service providers and other intermediaries to cooperate with law and order authorities in certain circumstances. Is the liability of the intermediary absolute? No, Section 79 of the Act makes it clear that “an intermediary shall not be liable for any third-party information, data, or communication link made available or hosted by him”. This section protects intermediaries such as Internet and data service providers and those hosting websites from being made liable for content that users may post or generate. However, the exemption from liability does not apply if there is evidence that the intermediary abetted or induced the commission of the unlawful act involved. Also, the provision casts a responsibility on intermediaries to remove the offensive content or block access to it upon getting “actual knowledge” of an unlawful act being committed using their resources, or as soon as it is brought to their notice. In Shreya Singhal vs U.O.I (2015), the Supreme Court read down the provision to mean that the intermediaries ought to act only “upon receiving actual knowledge that a court order has been passed, asking [them] to expeditiously remove or disable access to certain material”. This was because the court felt that intermediaries such as Google or Facebook may receive millions of requests, and it may not be possible for them to judge which of these were legitimate. The Supreme Court’s recent judgment in Anuradha Bhasin versus Union of India (2020) provided a further shift in momentum for user rights online. In this case, a communication blockade imposed by the government in the territory of Jammu and Kashmir under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code was challenged before the court. While the case did not concern content blocking orders by the government, it did revolve around government-imposed restrictions. Here, the court reaffirmed the fundamental principle that in cases where the government imposes restrictions on the freedom of expression and assembly, such orders must be made available to the public. Further, the affected parties should be allowed to challenge such orders before the court. What has been the government’s actions post Shreya Singhal Case? The role of the intermediaries was spelt out in separate rules framed for the purpose in 2011. In 2018, the Centre favoured coming up with fresh updates to the existing rules on intermediaries’ responsibilities, but the draft courted controversy. This was because one of the proposed changes was that intermediaries should help identify originators of offensive content. This led to misgivings that this could aid privacy violations and online surveillance. Also, tech companies that use end-to-end encryption argued that they could not open a backdoor for identifying originators, as it would be a breach of promise to their subscribers. Other proposed changes, which have not been acted upon, include rules that intermediaries should deploy automated tools for proactively removing or disabling public access to unlawful information, and to have a 24×7 mechanism to deal with requisitions of law enforcement. What has been the reaction of Twitter? Twitter has not complied fully with the Indian government’s statutory orders under Section 69A of IT Act because of following arguments Legitimate Voices: Twitter has said that the government’s blocking list had accounts of journalists, activists, and politicians whose accounts appear to be bonafide; that their posts are legitimate expression Disproportionate Order: Twitter has said that it reasonably believes that keeping them blocked would be a disproportionate act contrary to both Indian law and the platform’s charter objectives. Criticism of Twitter Actions Disrespecting Indian Laws: Twitter is an intermediary bound by statutory orders of the government under the Act, and its refusal shows a lack of respect for Indian law. Twitter is not the Judge: Twitter, as a private company, cannot adjudicate or sit in appeal over the government’s judgment on what is proportionate or lawful. It may challenge the order in a court, but cannot simply choose to comply partially or not at all Impunity of Big Tech: Twitter’s defiance indicates the increasing power and impunity of Big Tech, requiring a clear and unequivocal zero tolerance response. Counter Arguments to Criticisms Powers of Government is not absolute: Twitter appears to have justifiably formed an informed opinion that the blocking orders, even if validly issued under Section 69A(1) of the IT Act, are partly not lawful and that it is confident of succeeding in a challenge to the orders should the government take any coercive action to enforce them. Upholding Fundamental Rights: It is undeniable that platforms such as Twitter have significant control over how people’s right to free and informed speech is fulfilled. Mechanically following government orders without regard to their lawfulness, necessity or proportionality will seriously impact their audience’s fundamental rights Checks on arbitrary Power needed for Democracy: The tension between two powerful entities — the government and social media platforms — on questions of which speech to promote and whose speech to curtail is healthy and constructive. It acts as a check on the arbitrary power that would prevail if both were on the same side as a matter of routine. Mains Practice Question –Do you think regulation of social media adversely impacts the freedom of speech in the society? Critically analyse. Note: Write answers to this question in the comment section.  

Jul 26, 2022 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2022 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 26th July 2022

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” Important Note: Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)After completing the 5 questions, click on 'View Questions' to check your score, time taken, and solutions.To take the Test -Click Here

Jul 26, 2022 TLP Mains Answer Writing

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies 2 Questions [26th July, 2022] – Day 32

Hello Students  TLP has been an integral ingredient of success for many toppers and is no secret. In the ‘must do’ list for the civil services exam, TLP is by far the most popular initiative. The popularity stems from the unparalleled quality of questions and synopsis posted in TLP. We strive hard to ensure that you get the real feel of UPSC standards before you write the Mains. You already know the features of TLP. Just to reiterate briefly, in the TLP initiative, we post 5 questions daily for a certain number of weeks (11 for this one). We follow a micro plan that is designed to give you daily targets. The questions are from the day’s syllabus and also from current affairs and you are expected to write the answers and post them on the portal. This year onwards TLP will have a Dedicated Portal for Focused Preparation (tlpmains.iasbaba.com). There will be a separate dedicated portal similar to (The RaRe Series) which students loved and appreciated. The Portal will help you stay focused and keep your preparation streamlined. The Registration link for the dedicated portal is given at the end of the post. We are charging a token amount of 10/- for registration to the dedicated portal. We are doing it because we want to create a community of sincere aspirants who are focused and motivated till the Mains Examination. Please don’t take it otherwise. It is our honest effort to give you the best and at the same time expect students to come with the same energy and dedication to the dedicated platform specially designed for YOU! Join our bandwagon, you won’t regret it. UPSC 2023 Aspirants are encouraged to participate as well. Register Here – CLICK HERE  To Know More About TLP 2022 (Phase 2) – CLICK HERE To Access Day 32 Questions – CLICK HERE  P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm every day. We would also encourage peer reviews. So friends get actively involved and start reviewing each other’s answers. This will keep the entire community motivated. All the Best 

Jul 25, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 25th July 2022

Archives (PRELIMS & MAINS Focus) Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Government & Policies Mains – GS 3 (Economy) In News: The Ministry of Tourism has revamped its Swadesh Darshan scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) It aims to develop sustainable and responsible destinations with tourist & destination centric approach and has shared the guidelines for SD2.0 scheme. The Ministry of Tourism under its schemes of ‘Swadesh Darshan’ and ‘PRASHAD’ provides financial assistance to State Governments/Union Territory (UT) Administrations/Central Agencies etc. for development of tourism infrastructure in the country. The projects under this scheme are sanctioned subject to availability of funds, submission of suitable Detailed Project Reports (DPR), adherence to scheme guidelines and utilization of funds released earlier etc. Swadesh Darshan Swadesh Darshan, a Central Sector Scheme, was launched in 2014 -15 for integrated development of theme based tourist circuits in the country. This scheme is envisioned to synergise with other schemes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Skill India, and Make in India Under the scheme, the Ministry of Tourism provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations for infrastructure development of circuits. One of the objectives of the scheme is to develop theme-based tourist circuits on the principles of high tourist value, competitiveness and sustainability in an integrated manner. Tourism Circuits: Under the scheme, fifteen thematic circuits have been identified– Buddhist Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Desert Circuit, Eco Circuit, Heritage Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Krishna Circuit, North East Circuit, Ramayana Circuit, Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Sufi Circuit, Tirthankar Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Wildlife Circuit. PRASHAD Scheme The ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD)’ was launched by the Ministry of Tourism in the year 2014-15 with the objective of holistic development of identified pilgrimage destinations. The projects identified under this scheme shall be implemented through the identified agencies by the respective State/ Union Territory Government. Objective: Rejuvenation and spiritual augmentation of important national/ global pilgrimage and heritage sites Follow community-based development and create awareness among the local communities. Integrated tourism development of heritage city, local arts, culture, handicrafts, cuisine, etc., to generate livelihood Strengthen the mechanism for bridging the infrastructural gaps. Funding: Under it, the Ministry of Tourism provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to State Governments for promoting tourism at identified destinations. For components within public funding under this scheme, the Central Government will provide a 100% fund. For improved sustainability of the project, it also seeks to involve Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as well. Source: Pib.Gov Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) Which of the following are the objectives of ‘National Nutrition Mission’? (2017) To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers. To reduce the incidence of anemia among young children, adolescent girls and women. To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice. To promote the consumption of poultry eggs. Select the correct answer using the code given below: 1 and 2 only 1, 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 4 only 3 and 4 only Marburg virus Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Science and Technology In News: The first two cases of the Marburg virus, a highly infectious Ebola-like disease, have been confirmed officially by Ghana. Two deaths have been reported till now. This outbreak is only the second time that the disease has been detected in West Africa. Marburg virus disease Marburg virus disease (MVD), earlier known as Marburg haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal hemorrhagic fever. Marburg, like Ebola, is a filovirus; and both diseases are clinically similar. Rousettus aegyptiacus, fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, are considered to be natural hosts of Marburg virus. The Marburg virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through human-to-human transmission. The disease has an average fatality rate of around 50%. However, it can be as low as 24% or as high as 88% depending on virus strain and case management African green monkeys imported from Uganda were the source of the first human infection, the WHO points out. It was first detected in 1967 after simultaneous outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany; and in Belgrade, Serbia. Symptoms of MVD After the onset of symptoms, which can begin anytime between 2 to 21 days, MVD can manifest itself in the form of high fever, muscle aches and severe headache. Patients report abdominal pain, vomiting, severe watery diarrhoea and cramping. In this phase, the appearance of patients has been often described as “ghost-like” with deep-set eyes, expressionless faces, and extreme lethargy. After some time patients report bleeding from nose, gums and blood appearing in vomits and faeces. Severe blood loss leads to death, often between 8 to 9 days after symptoms begin. Transmission Initially, human MVD infection results from prolonged exposure to mines or caves inhabited by Rousettus bat colonies. Marburg spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids. People remain infectious as long as their blood contains the virus. Treatment There is no approved antiviral treatment or vaccine for MVD as of now. It can be managed with supportive care. According to the WHO, rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids and treatment of specific symptoms can help prevent death. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) Which one of the following statements is not correct? (2019) Hepatitis B virus is transmitted much like HIV. Hepatitis B. unlike Hepatitis C, does not have a vaccine. Globally, the number of people infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses arc several times more than those infected with HIV. Some of those infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses do not show the symptoms for many years. Places in News Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Geography Island of Kyushu In News: A volcano on Japan’s major western island of Kyushu, called Sakurajima, erupted on July 24. There were reports of volcanic stones raining down at a distance of 2.5 km (1.5 miles) from the volcano. Sakurajima is one of Japan’s most active volcanoes and eruptions of varying levels take place on a regular basis. In 2019 it spewed ash 5.5 km (3.4 miles) high. Most of the city of Kagoshima is across the bay from the volcano but several residential areas within about 3 km (1.9 miles) of the crater have been ordered to evacuate. Japan Islands The territory of Japan comprises the four large islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, and other smaller islands. Source: The Hindu Yosemite National Park In News: A fast-moving brush fire near Yosemite National Park exploded in size on Saturday into one of California’s largest wildfires of the year, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of people and shutting off power to more than 2,000 homes and businesses. Source: The Hindu Kurung Kumey district, Arunachal Pradesh In News: Seventeen days after they fled a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) construction project in Arunachal Pradesh’s Kurung Kumey district, eight of 19 labourers were rescued recently. They were found near the road construction project, after “wandering in the dense forests for days. The Sarli-Huri road construction project, now nearing completion, is about 90 km from the India-China border. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) Consider the following pairs: (2022) Regions in News                Country Anatolia –                 Turkey Amhara –                 Ethiopia Cabo Delgado –       Spain Catalonia –               Italy How many pairs given above are correctly matched? Only one pair Only two pairs Only three pairs All four pairs Q.2) Consider the following pairs: (2018) Regions sometimes mentioned in the news        Country Catalonia – Spain Crimea – Hungary Mindanao – Philippines Oromia – Nigeria Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? 1, 2 and 3 3 and 4 only 1 and 3 only 2 and 4 only Chandrashekar Azad Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – History Mains – GS 1 (History) In News: Using soil from Alirajpur, the birthplace of Chandrashekar Azad, Madhya Pradesh government will install the freedom-fighter’s statue in Bhopal. Chandrashekar Azad Azad was born on 23rd July 1906 in the Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Chandrashekhar Azad was a great Indian freedom fighter. His fierce patriotism and courage inspired others of his generation to enter the freedom struggle. He was the mentor of Bhagat Singh, another great freedom fighter, and along with Bhagat Singh, he is considered one of the greatest revolutionaries that India has produced. As a revolutionary ‘Azad’: In December 1921, when Gandhiji launched the Non-Cooperation Movement, Chandra Shekhar, then a 15-year-old student, joined. As a result, he was arrested. On being presented before a magistrate, he gave his name as “Azad” (The Free), his father’s name as “Swatantrata” (Independence) and his residence as “Jail”. From that day he came to be known as Chandra Shekhar Azad among the people. Became famous for: Involved in the Kakori Train Robbery of 1925, in the attempt to blow up the Viceroy of India’s train in 1926, and at last the shooting of J. P. Saunders at Lahore in 1928 to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpat Rai. What inspired him: The Jallianwala Bagh tragedy which took place in 1919 was when he decided to join the Non-Cooperation movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920. Formed: He was the chief strategist of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). A terror for British police: He was on their hit list and the British police badly wanted to capture him dead or alive. On February 27, 1931 Azad met two of his comrades at the Alfred Park Allahabad. He was betrayed by an informer who had informed the British police. The police surrounded the park and ordered Azad to surrender. Azad fought alone valiantly and killed three policemen. But finding himself surrounded and seeing no route for escape, he shot himself. Thus, he kept his pledge of not being caught alive. Source: The Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) Who among the following were the founders of the “Hind Mazdoor Sabha” established in 1948? (2018) Krishna Pillai, E.M.S. Namboodiripad and K.C. George Jayaprakash Narayan, Deen Dayal Upadhyay and M.N. Roy P. Ramaswamy Iyer, K. Kamaraj and Veeresalingam Pantulu Ashok Mehta, T.S. Ramanujam and G.G. Mehta China's space station Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Science and Technology In News: China successfully launched first lab module for its space station. China successfully launched the first lab module for its under-construction space station, the latest step in the country’s ambitious programme to complete it by year’s end. The giant Long March-5B Y3 carrier rocket, carrying Wentian, blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of the southern island province of Hainan. The new module will function both as a backup of the core module, Tianhe, and as a powerful scientific experiment platform in the space station currently being built by the country. China is on the track to completing the construction of its space station as it successfully launched the first lab module. The construction of China’s space station called Tiangong is expected to be completed this year. It will then evolve from a single-module structure into a national space laboratory with three modules — the core module, Tianhe, and two lab modules, Wentian and Mengtian. Once ready, China’s low-flying space station will be the only country to own a space station. The International Space Station (ISS) of Russia is a collaborative project of several countries. China Space Station (CSS) is also expected to be a competitor to the ISS built by Russia. Once ready, China’s low-flying space station will be the only country to own a space station. As the International Space Station (ISS) is a collaborative project of several countries. China Space Station (CSS) is also expected to be a competitor to the ISS built by Russia. Source: The Hindu Delayed Payments Open in new  window Syllabus Mains – GS 3 (Economy) In News: A critical problem faced by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector is delayed payments. Stats It’s the smallest establishments — the micro and small units — which have been hit the hardest post-Covid with their pending dues touching Rs 8.73 lakh crore, almost 80 per cent of the total pending for the entire MSME sector until 2021. Delayed payments, as percentage of sales, have seen a sharp spike from 46.16 per cent in 2020 to 65.73 per cent in 2021 for the micro segment and from 28.85 per cent to 31.10 per cent for small units. Reasons A Crisil report showed that more than a quarter of India’s MSMEs lost market share of over 3 per cent due to the pandemic. And half of them suffered a contraction in their earning margins because of a sharp rise in commodity prices during 2021 fiscal, compared with 2020. This is exacerbated by delayed payments. Note: According to information from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the share of MSME in India’s manufacturing output during FY’20 was 36.9 per cent and the share of export of specified MSME-related products to all-India exportts during FY21 was 49.5 per cent. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSME’s) are entities that are involved in production, manufacturing and processing of goods and commodities. The concept of MSME was first introduced by the government of India through the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006. Classification of MSME’s Size of the Enterprise Investment Annual Turnover Micro Not more than Rs.1 crore Not more than Rs. 5 crore Small Not more than Rs.10 crore Not more than Rs. 50 crore Medium Not more than Rs.50 crore Not more than Rs. 250 crore   Must Read: Delayed payments – Foregoing business opportunities due to lack of liquidity MSMEs and Global Value Chain Source: Indian Express Rule of Law Open in new  window Syllabus Mains – GS 2 (Governance) Context: In Satender Kumar Antil v. Central Bureau of Investigation (2022), the Supreme Court expressed its unhappiness with the current state of India’s criminal justice system. The court said there was scant regard for the violation of basic human rights. It noted that indiscriminate arrests are indicative of a colonial mindset and create the impression of India being a “police state”. Issues Arrest The essence of the court’s charge was that law-enforcement agencies make far too many arrests in violation of basic human rights. Arrest and confinement to police custody or judicial custody often smacks of vindictiveness. An average police officer invariably believes that it is only in the rigour of custody that a suspect will cough out the truth. This is unfortunate. It is distressing that the practice of arresting suspects at the drop of a hat remains the style of policing in our country. Overcrowding The Supreme Court also drew attention to the problem of overcrowding of prisons, which has attendant issues such as corruption, crime and hygiene within prisons. An overwhelming majority of the inmates are undertrials. The Court’s role The court noted that need for a cultural change at all levels in the police has never been felt more than now. That bail is the rule and jail the exception has been reiterated in several judicial and other forums. This has been violated by the police in cases where they enjoy discretion as well as by the lower courts, some of which are downright rude to those arraigned before them. The Supreme Court’s latest order should awaken their conscience and make them understand that when they grant bail, they are not doling out charity but implementing the dictates of law. The Satender Kumar case to the Bail Act of the U.K. The apex court’s reference in the Satender Kumar case to the Bail Act of the U.K. is appropriate. The essence of that law is that arrests should be rare, and bail provisions should be uncomplicated even to the unlettered citizen. There is a provision for electronic surveillance of those released on bail. This is something novel, but practicable, at least in urban India. The court’s recommendation that India should consider a similar enactment is welcome. Way Forward There is a need for the agencies must be civilised towards both crime suspects and convicts Judges sometimes go into the nitty-gritty of an ongoing investigation, which is undesirable if police action has to be balanced. Mindset needs to change, which cannot happen unless the political and bureaucratic leadership are convinced of the role of ethics, in shaping and administering the criminal justice system. Source: The Hindu Adding digital layers of indignity Open in new  window Syllabus Mains – GS 2 (Governance) Context: Dehumanisation is the likely outcome when humane aspects of governance get outsourced to technologies. The right to live with dignity is a constitutional imperative. However, it rarely manifests in discussions surrounding digital initiatives in governance. Centralised data dashboards have become the go-to mode for assessing policies, relegating principles such as human dignity and hardships in accessing rights to its blind spots. Often when technological glitches prevent one from accessing rights, there is a tendency to make the rights-holder feel responsible for it. Dehumanisation is the likely outcome when trust and humane aspects of governance get outsourced to opaque technologies. Two technocratic initiatives Two recent technocratic initiatives by the Union government underscore these issues again. Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) In 2021, the Union government launched the Poshan Tracker, a centralised platform, to monitor all nutrition initiatives, including ICDS. As per Union government circulars, the updating of Aadhaar of ICDS rights-holders, including children, on the Poshan Tracker is mandatory, and subsequent Central funds for supplementary nutrition to States is being made contingent on this. Nearly three-fourths of children between the ages of 0 to 5 years do not have Aadhaar cards, and Supreme Court orders specify that children cannot be denied their rights for lack of Aadhaar. And also government does not provide any data or evidence to show how many “fake” or “ghost” children there are. As per the recent National Family Health Survey, 36% of children under the age of five are stunted and nearly one-third of children in this age group are underweight. In such light, creating new hurdles for children — migrants or otherwise — and young mothers to access food in the name of digitisation appears cruel. National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) app to record attendance of MGNREGA workers The Union government has issued an order introducing the NMMS app to record attendance of MGNREGA workers at worksites. A recent study articulates the perils of such a move Earlier MGNREGA workers could complete their share of work and leave. This gave them time for household work or for other work that gave them supplementary income. The app makes this hard as they have to now stay back at the worksite even after completing their work only to get photographed and geo-tagged. Mates have to carry smartphones which many don’t own. Another report shows that many Mates are forced to take loans to buy smartphones to use the app. The very need for an app, its failures plus other impediments such as unstable network connectivity are likely to discourage women from MGNREGA work. Both these technocratic initiatives point to a digital avatar of all-in with no evident positives for the rights-holders. Further the rights-holders will be made to take the blame for technical reasons blocking their participation. This further alienates and erodes the political capacities of rights-holders who usually get addressed in patronising terms such as “beneficiaries.” In the process, violations of dignity get buried in the calculus of technocracy and opacity of government actions. Way Forward Design: Initiatives should be designed considering the demands of all stakeholders Strengthening social audits Evaluations enable better decision-making – Interim design evaluations and rapid assessments are two such techniques Design evaluations can be used to check the soundness of a programme by mapping its objectives, implementation architecture, and expected results. Similarly, rapid assessments are shorter exercises to check the quality of service delivery, the end-user uptake, and satisfaction with the services. Source: The Hindu Daily Practice MCQs Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) Consider the following statements about Swadesh Darshan It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme It is implemented by Ministry of Culture The objective of the scheme is to develop theme-based tourist circuits in the country Choose the incorrect statements: 1 only 2 only 1 and 2 None Q.2) Consider the following statements about Marburg disease Marburg haemorrhagic fever is a bacterial disease which was first reported in Papua New Guinea Rousettus aegyptiacus, fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, are considered to be natural hosts of causative agent of Marburg disease Marburg disease does not spreads through human to human contacts Choose the correct statements: 1 and 2 2 only 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 Q.3) Sakurajima volcano recently in news for its eruption, is located in? Philippines Chile Hawaii Japan Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!! ANSWERS FOR ’25th JULY 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs. ANSWERS FOR 23rd JULY 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs Answers- Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) – d Q.2) – b Q.3) – a

Jul 25, 2022 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2022 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 25th July 2022

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” Important Note: Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)After completing the 5 questions, click on 'View Questions' to check your score, time taken, and solutions.To take the Test -Click Here

Jul 25, 2022 TLP Mains Answer Writing

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies 2 Questions [25th July, 2022] – Day 31

Hello Students  TLP has been an integral ingredient of success for many toppers and is no secret. In the ‘must do’ list for the civil services exam, TLP is by far the most popular initiative. The popularity stems from the unparalleled quality of questions and synopsis posted in TLP. We strive hard to ensure that you get the real feel of UPSC standards before you write the Mains. You already know the features of TLP. Just to reiterate briefly, in the TLP initiative, we post 5 questions daily for a certain number of weeks (11 for this one). We follow a micro plan that is designed to give you daily targets. The questions are from the day’s syllabus and also from current affairs and you are expected to write the answers and post them on the portal. This year onwards TLP will have a Dedicated Portal for Focused Preparation (tlpmains.iasbaba.com). There will be a separate dedicated portal similar to (The RaRe Series) which students loved and appreciated. The Portal will help you stay focused and keep your preparation streamlined. The Registration link for the dedicated portal is given at the end of the post. We are charging a token amount of 10/- for registration to the dedicated portal. We are doing it because we want to create a community of sincere aspirants who are focused and motivated till the Mains Examination. Please don’t take it otherwise. It is our honest effort to give you the best and at the same time expect students to come with the same energy and dedication to the dedicated platform specially designed for YOU! Join our bandwagon, you won’t regret it. UPSC 2023 Aspirants are encouraged to participate as well. Register Here – CLICK HERE  To Know More About TLP 2022 (Phase 2) – CLICK HERE To Access Day 31 Questions – CLICK HERE  P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm every day. We would also encourage peer reviews. So friends get actively involved and start reviewing each other’s answers. This will keep the entire community motivated. All the Best