Jun 25, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

Archives (PRELIMS & MAINS Focus) [su_box title="Tree Pruning " style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus GS 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment In News: A drive has been launched by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) for pruning old trees in the city’s Connaught Place area. Tree Pruning A common maintenance procedure to maintain structural integrity and aesthetics Goal: To remove unwanted branches, improve the tree’s structure, and direct new, healthy growth. Benefits: When you remove old branches, you let trees put out healthy, new growth. A clean, polished look that elevates the whole landscape. Set the tree up with a good foundation for long-term health. Source: The Print [/su_box] [su_box title=" VL-SRSAM Missile System" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus GS 3: Development in Space In News: India has successfully flight-tested the Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from a ship at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. About VL-SRSAM The VL-SRSAM, a ship-borne weapon system, is meant for neutralising various aerial threats at close ranges, including sea-skimming targets. The weapon system will prove to be a force-multiplier for the Indian Navy. Designed to strike at the high-speed airborne targets at the range of 40km to 50km and at an altitude of around 15km. Two key features of the VL-SRSAM are cruciform wings and thrust vectoring. VL-SRSAM is a canisterised system, which means it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments. In the canister, the inside environment is controlled, thus making its transport and storage easier and improving the shelf life of weapons. Source: News18 [/su_box] [su_box title="Expansion of the Invasive Plants " style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus GS 3: Environment Context: The Wildlife Institute of India has sought permission for a pilot project to check the expansion of the invasive plants threatening the rhino habitat. Kaziranga has had to deal with encroachment, poaching, and annual floods for decades. But none of these has been as damaging to the health of the 1,300 sq. km tiger reserve as the green invaders that have gone under the radar until now. This is the first time that such species have been identified with threat estimation. Invasive Plants Regenerate at an alarming speed and threaten to edge out the indigenous flora Some of the invasive plants have a toxic impact on the landscape after remaining underwater, which is often for two months every monsoon. Some weeds have herbal properties, but their toxicity outweighs their utility. For instance, wild boars love to gorge on the succulent rootlets of the Leea macrophylla or ‘kukura thengia’ that is fast clogging the patrolling paths and grasslands. Invasive Species discovered Ipomoea (Ipomoea carnea) Mimosa (Mimosa himalaica) Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) is believed to have come to India as contaminants in a consignment of wheat imported from the U.S. in the 1950s Lantana (Lantana camara) was brought by the British as ornamental plants from South America two centuries ago. Bombax ceiba (locally called Semul) Largestroemia speciosa (locally called ejhar) Cestrum diurnum or day-blooming jasmine of West Indies origin; otherwise a source of vitamin D3. Once the modalities are finalised, this weed can be turned into a commercial crop for the people in the vicinity of Kaziranga. Pharmaceutical companies need tonnes of dry leaves of this plant periodically Cane is a commercial plant that is threatening to be an invasive plant in Kaziranga. Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve It is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam. The sanctuary, which hosts two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage Site. Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for conservation of avifaunal species. Kaziranga has the largest population of the Wild water buffalo anywhere accounting for about 57% of the world population. Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros Also known as Indian rhino, it is the largest of the rhino species. India is home to the largest number of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in the world. At present, there are about 2,600 Indian rhinos in India, with more than 90% of the population concentrated in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park. Habitat: The species is restricted to small habitats in Indo-Nepal terai and northern West Bengal and Assam. In India, rhinos are mainly found in Kaziranga NP, Pobitora WLS, Orang NP, Manas NP in Assam, Jaldapara NP and Gorumara NP in West Bengal Dudhwa TR in Uttar Pradesh. Threats: Poaching for the horns Habitat loss Population density Decreasing Genetic diversity Protection Status: IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. CITES: Appendix-I Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I. Source: The Hindu [/su_box] [su_box title="National Mobile Monitoring Software " style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new  window Syllabus Mains GS 2: Government schemes and policies Context: The new National Mobile Monitoring Software application has problems that are eroding the right to work. In May 2021, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) launched the National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) app, a new application meant for “improving citizen oversight and increasing transparency” in National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) works. It is to be deployed by NREGA Mates, local women at the panchayat level who are selected and trained to monitor NREGA worksites. The main feature of the app is the real-time, photographed, geo-tagged attendance of every worker to be taken once in each half of the day. Why has it become a cause of concern? Strict timing: While such an app may be useful in monitoring the attendance of workers who have fixed work timings, in most States, NREGA wages are calculated based on the amount of work done each day, and workers do not need to commit to fixed hours. This flexibility has been key to NREGA’s widespread demand. However, marking attendance on the app mandates that workers are at the worksite the entire day. This causes significant difficulty for NREGA workers. Disproportionately affect women workers: NREGA has historically had a higher proportion of women workers (54.7% in FY 2021-22) and has been pivotal in changing working conditions for women in rural areas. Due to the traditional burden of household chores and care work on women, the app is likely to disproportionately affect women workers. The conditions for registering NREGA attendance on the app put them in a dilemma where they may end up foregoing NREGA work. Network woes: A stable network is a must for real-time monitoring; unfortunately, it remains patchy in much of rural India. This could lead to workers not being able to mark their attendance, and consequently lose a day of wages. Impacted NREGA Mates: The role of a Mate was conceptualised as an opportunity to empower local women to manage attendance and work measurement in their panchayat. But now, to be a Mate, one needs to have a smartphone. This new condition disqualifies thousands of women who do not own smartphones from becoming Mates. Now, smartphone-owning men are likely to be given preference as Mates. Alternatively, women could become proxy Mates — officially registered, but deferring to men who work and get paid. Errors in pilot process: Officials and activists have confirmed these implementation errors had been evident throughout the pilot process. No physical records: The app claims to increase citizen oversight by bringing more transparency and ensuring proper monitoring of the schemes, besides potentially enabling processing payments faster. However, it appears to be doing exactly the opposite. With no physical attendance records signed by workers anymore, workers have no proof of their attendance and work done. The Way Forward Strengthen social audits: Social audits are citizen-centric institutions, where the citizens of the panchayat have a direct role and say in how NREGA functions in their panchayat. Ensure Principles of Transparency: The MoRD’s habit of passing reforms with no stakeholder consultation does not fall in line with the principles of transparency and citizen-participation enshrined in NREGA. MGNREGA Scheme: The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, earlier known as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was passed in 2005 to augment employment generation and social security in India. The scheme is a demand-driven wage employment scheme, which functions under the Ministry of Rural Development. Every adult member of a household in a rural area with a job card is eligible for a job under the scheme. The scheme envisages providing 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to adult member volunteers for unskilled manual work. There is also a provision for additional 50 days of unskilled wage employment in drought/natural calamity notified rural areas. As per Section 3(4) of the MGNREGA, the States may make provisions for providing additional days beyond the period guaranteed under the Act from their own funds. At least one-third of beneficiaries have to be women. Wages must be paid according to the statutory minimum wages specified for agricultural labourers in the state under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. Source: The Hindu [/su_box] [su_box title="Access to Abortion is a Human Right " style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus GS-1: Women Issues GS-2: Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.  Context: The United States Supreme Court on June 24 overturned by a 6-3 majority ‘Roe v. Wade’, the court’s landmark 1973 judgment that made abortion a constitutional right. The decision will transform life for women in America. Near-total bans on abortion will come into effect in about half of the country’s states. Availability of clinics, insurance payouts, are crucial issues that form part of the struggle of many women even with the backing of ‘Roe’. With this legal backing gone, access could become even harder. Laws against abortion put many women in US at risk of back-alley abortions outside institutional care. For women in the relatively liberal Democratic states, and for women elsewhere who have the means to travel to a clinic, abortion may still be accessible. However, poor women, especially in many Republican states, may find traveling to other states for in-clinic abortions to be an impossible challenge. Foetal viability was around 28 weeks (7 months) at the time of the ‘Roe’ judgment nearly 50 years ago; experts now agree that advances in medicine have brought the threshold down to 23 or 24 weeks (6 months or a little less), and newer studies show this could be further pegged at 22 weeks. An average pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks. Foetal viability is often seen as the point at which the rights of the woman can be separated from the rights of the unborn foetus. The length of a pregnancy is commonly calculated from the start of a person’s most recent menstrual period. Since many people identify pregnancy only after the sixth week, pre-viability timelines leave women with very little time and opportunity to make a decision to abort. Abortion – Human Rights Access to safe and legal abortion is a matter of human rights, and its availability is the best way to protect autonomy and reduce maternal mortality and morbidity. Authoritative interpretations of international human rights law establish that denying women, girls, and other pregnant people access to abortion is a form of discrimination and jeopardizes a range of human rights. Where safe and legal abortion services are unreasonably restricted or not fully available, many other internationally protected human rights may be at risk, including rights to non-discrimination and equality; to life, health, and information; to freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; to privacy and bodily autonomy and integrity; to decide the number and spacing of children; to liberty; to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress; and to freedom of conscience and religion. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death for girls and young women ages 15 to 19, and children ages 10 to 14 have a higher risk of health complications and death from pregnancy than adults. WHO has also found that the removal of restrictions on abortion results in the reduction of maternal mortality. Key Insight: Do restrictive abortion policies reduce the rate of abortions? Abortion restrictions do not prevent abortions. Research has shown that when abortion is banned or restricted, the number of abortions does not decrease. Abortions just move underground. Restrictive abortion policies push pregnant people seeking abortions, especially those living in poverty or rural areas, out of the healthcare system and into unsafe, unregulated settings. WHO has also stated that lack of access to safe, affordable, timely, and respectful abortion care, as well as the promotion of stigma associated with abortion, poses risks to abortion seekers’ physical and mental well-being throughout their lives. Abortion Laws in India Abortion is legal in India via Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020. India’s Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 allows abortion until 20 weeks of pregnancy. Through an amendment in 2021, the ceiling for abortions was raised to 24 weeks, but only for special categories of pregnant women such as rape or incest survivors, that too, with the approval of two registered doctors. Eligibility An unmarried woman can avail (In case the woman is under 18, the guardian's signature would be needed + a case should be registered under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act) If the pregnancy is the result of incest or rape. Major deformations in the fetus If it is a result of failed contraception. If the continuation of the pregnancy can cause grave injury to the physical or mental health of the mother. In case of a miscarriage i.e. if the baby is dead inside Procedural Details The procedure can be carried out only by a registered medical practitioner. The abortion should take place at a hospital or at a clinic that is fully equipped to do so. PCPNDT (Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act Enacted to prevent misuse of the MTP Act and so that abortions aren't carried out at the whims and fancies of a woman or a couple. While consent of the spouse isn't required for a woman to undergo an abortion, a spouse cannot force a woman to undergo an abortion. In such a case, a case for domestic violence can be registered and under IPC 312/313, a case for causing miscarriage can be booked against the husband. A woman, whether a minor or not, cannot walk into a pharmacy to avail a pill for termination of pregnancy unless she has a prescription from a trained medical practitioner. Must Read: Abortion Rights Vs Ethics Source: The Indian Express [/su_box] Baba's Explainer - Australia Electricity Crisis [su_box title="Australia Electricity Crisis" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Syllabus GS-2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests GS-3: Economy & Challenges; Energy Security GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Context: An energy crisis in Australia has seen prices spike and supply issues plague much of the country’s east. This is astonishing given that Australia has good resources for power generation. Australia is a major fossil-fuel exporter. Its domestic consumption of coal and gas has grown only 8% in two decades, while exports of coal have more than doubled and exports of gas have increased more than 10-fold. Read Complete Details on Australia Electricity Crisis [/su_box] ANSWERS FOR 24th JUNE 2022 - Daily Practice MCQs [su_box title="Answers- Daily Practice MCQs" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Q.1) - d Q.2) - a Q.3) - b [/su_box] Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!! ANSWERS FOR ‘25th JUNE 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with Monday’s Daily Current Affairs.   ANSWERS FOR 24th JUNE 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs

Jun 25, 2022 Baba’s Explainer

Baba's Explainer - Australia Electricity Crisis

ARCHIVES Syllabus GS-2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests GS-3: Economy & Challenges; Energy Security GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Context: An energy crisis in Australia has seen prices spike and supply issues plague much of the country’s east. This is astonishing given that Australia has good resources for power generation. Australia is a major fossil-fuel exporter. Its domestic consumption of coal and gas has grown only 8% in two decades, while exports of coal have more than doubled and exports of gas have increased more than 10-fold. How did the electricity crisis unfold? Electricity prices have been skyrocketing in Australia since May 2022 for a combination of reasons. Since the prices kept on increasing the Australian Energy Market Operator(AEMO) announced that prices would be capped at A$300 and generators would be compensated. The A$300/MWh price cap, however, was A$100 to A$200 lower than what several power generators were spending on one megawatt-hour. Consequently, many of them decided to withhold capacity and not offer it on in the wholesale market, creating a gap in demand and supply. More than 10 per cent of the power generation capacity had been withdrawn from the East Coast Owing to many generators withdrawing from the market and fears of power blackouts, the AEMO had to trigger a mechanism called the Reliability and Emergency Reserve Trading (RERT), telling generators to fire up their power plants again to meet the supply. Notably, this mechanism ensures a more profitable compensation for generators. The government of New South Wales invoked emergency powers to oblige miners operating in the state to redirect coal exports to local generators. The precautionary move was taken to strengthen energy security on the advice of AEMO. On the East Coast, coal-fired power constitutes nearly 65 per cent of electricity generation and gas 7 per cent, with the rest coming from renewable sources like wind, solar, hydropower, and others. Australian government in the east has asked consumers to conserve energy by turning off lights and using white goods in the evening so to avert the risk of blackouts. What are the factors that led to the current crisis? The larger crisis in Australia’s energy sector has been ongoing since May. State of coal-powered plants– While Australia still depends on coal for two-thirds of its power generation, the country’s coal-fired power stations are ageing and are not in a stable condition. Many of these have also been marked for closure. Also, nearly 25 per cent of the eastern market’s 23 gigawatts of coal-fired capacity has been out of service over the past month, with as high as 30 per cent being unavailable at times. Soaring coal and gas prices Global supply chains have been hit by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis and the sanctions on Russia. Due to untimely domestic shortages, many Australian power generators were forced to secure oil and gas on spot markets, sending production costs skyrocketing. Domestic gas prices spiked to such high levels that AEMO intervened to cap prices at A$40 per gigajoule (GJ). The soaring prices of raw materials like coal and gas also had a domino effect on electricity prices, which again led the AEMO to introduce the A$300 price cap Domestic coal output hit Instances of heavy flooding in NSW and Queensland in earlier 2022 affected the coal capacity in mines. Besides, owing to technical problems, output has been curbed at the two mines that has disrupted the overall supply. Early winter A cold snap owing to the early arrival of winter drove up gas demands for heating households, while gas also needed to be diverted to fire up gas-run power stations owing to the power crunch. Meanwhile, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) exporters on the east coast had been selling as much gas as possible into the export market in absence of Russian supplies. The market operator did order the exporters to divert any uncontracted gas they had into the domestic market, but it wasn’t enough. Why was Western Australia saved from the crisis? Interestingly, while Western Australia also has its own wholesale market, a built-in safeguard prevented the state from facing a power crisis. In the 1980s, the State had adopted a Domestic Gas Policy, reserving LNG equivalent to 15 per cent of all exports from the Northwest for domestic use. This means that apart from domestic-only power projects, Western Australia has, at all times, gas reserves for ensuring supplies for its gas-fired plants. What are the implication for the world due to Australia-Power grid debacle? 1. Increase in energy protectionism Large energy producers like Australia are threatening to limit coal and gas exports in an effort to serve domestic demand and keep a lid on domestic prices. The US has considered doing this for oil and Indonesia has already restricted exports of coal this year. Building Large Strategic Reserves Large strategic reserves of fuels, centrally coordinated, will become national priorities. The US and Europe already have significant strategic reserves, but many countries (including Australia) operate on much thinner storage margins or none at all. Countries which are energy dependent on imports will think about building large reserves as a way to make the entire energy system more resilient to climate and geopolitical events. Need to invest in transition of renewable energy The energy crisis highlighted the failure of Australia, one of the world’s largest producers of fossil fuels, to prepare for the transition to renewable energy sources by investing in modernising the country’s electricity infrastructure. Thus, any country has to be prepared to transition its electricity infrastructure to renewable energy. Is India having any power challenges? Despite high coal production, thermal power plants in India are suffering from shortages Several States across the country are expected to face coal shortages, a scenario that can lead to power shortages with India entering the peak power demand season from April to October. Also, the high global coal prices and below normal imports will further exacerbate the crisis. In fact, coal supply shortage is playing out at a time when power demand is rising and is expected to surpass the July 2021 peak power demand of over 200 gigawatts (GW). The daily peak power demand for Q4 FY22 averaged at 187 gigawatts (GW). During April 1-12, the average daily peak demand was more than 194 GW. Prices in spot markets are also at multi-year highs. The market clearing price (MCP) at the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) in FY22 stood at around ₹4.4 per kilowatt hour (kWh), which is the highest in the last 10 years. What is causing this crisis? Depleting coal supplies at thermal power plants, the mainstay of India’s power sector, has resulted in this crisis. Coal-based power generation, with a capacity of around 210 gigawatts (GW) of the total 396 GW, accounts for about 53 per cent of India’s total power capacity as on March 2022. Experts predict that depleted coal supplies at power plants will lead to power outages, a scenario that played out in September-October 2021. Due to high demand and interruption in coal supply (mainly due to heavy rains), the coal stock at power plants fell sharply leading to power outages in several States. With concerted efforts of the government, the stocks rose to levels which is sufficient for an average of 10 days at 85 per cent of the plant load factor (PLF). How critical was the coal shortage in India? The situation at thermal power plants is deteriorating consistently and had reached critical levels. As per the National Power Portal, 11 imported coal-based (ICB) power plants had critical stocks, as on April 13. Similarly, 79 domestic coal-based power plants were facing critical stocks of the key commodity on the same day. Again, on April 13, of the total 173 coal-based power plants, the total stocks available were 23.17 million tonnes (MT) against a daily requirement of 2.76 MT. The stocks at this level will last for less than nine days. What steps government took to tackle this problem? To begin with, the government has issued revised coal stocking norms, which mandate the power plants to maintain sufficient stocks at all times; if necessary, through imports for blending to meet any contingent situation. Besides, an Inter-Ministerial Sub Group with senior officials from Ministries of Power, Coal, Railways, CEA, CIL and SCCL meet regularly to take various operational decisions to enhance supply of coal to thermal power plants Power Ministry has advised power plants to import about 36 MT coal for blending during 2022-23 with a view to build sufficient coal stock at Power Plants. The Ministry also has a Core Management Team (CMT) to ensure close monitoring of coal stocks at thermal power plants (TPPs) and operational decisions are being taken in CMT to augment supply of sufficient quantity of coal to the TPPs. Why is this power crisis recurring every year in India? Power plants in India having low supplies of coal is not a new phenomenon. The shortage occurs almost every year and the government, despite its various measures, has not succeeded in overcoming the problem. At the heart of the issue is the lack of planning and coordination between various ministries involved in the process — Power Ministry, Coal Ministry and Railways. While the Coal Ministry blames the Indian Railways for non-availability of adequate rakes, the Railways has pointed out the mismanagement in loading and unloading of rakes by the Coal India (CIL). Despite high coal production and despatch by CIL and other PSU miners, the supply at power plants has still not gone above 15 days in the last six months and lack of coordination and planning is to be blamed for this. Mains Practice Question –Australia though blessed with rich resources has been facing energy crisis in recent times. In this context, what lessons does Australia power crisis has for India? Note: Write answers to this question in the comment section.  

Jun 25, 2022 TLP Mains Answer Writing

[COMPILATIONS] TLP 2022 (Phase 1) - Daily Mains Answer Writing for UPSC MAINS 2022

TLP ARCHIVES  Dear Students Please find the Compilations of TLP 2022 (Phase 1) - Daily Mains Answer Writing for UPSC MAINS 2022 GENERAL STUDIES - 1 - CLICK HERE GENERAL STUDIES - 2 - CLICK HERE GENERAL STUDIES - 3 - CLICK HERE GENERAL STUDIES - 4 - CLICK HERE TLP 2022 (PHASE 2) - CLICK HERE TLP+ 2022 MAINS TEST SERIES   For More Details - CLICK HERE All The Best IASbaba

Jun 25, 2022 IASbaba's Courses

TLP CONNECT – INTEGRATED (Prelims + Mains + Interview) Test Series cum Mentorship Based Programme and TLP PLUS (+) Mains Test Series cum Mentorship Based Programme (OFFLINE and ONLINE)- UPSC 2023 – AD

While most of you would be aware of our initiative that we have successfully been running for some years, TLP CONNECT, TLP PLUS(+) is our new ground that we want to open up for you. Designed to build your skills incrementally over a period of time, TLP has helped thousands of candidates in the past 6 years. Feedback from toppers regarding TLP’s high standard questions and synopsis are testimony to its importance. With TLP, you are as close to the UPSC standard as one can get! What is more important is that TLP helps you develop a muscle memory that helps you gain speed and accuracy to attempt all the questions efficiently. You can’t experience the advantage unless you have done your share of mock tests honestly!Read Complete Details of Topper's Most Trusted Programme TLP CONNECT / TLP PLUS(+) -> Click Here

Jun 25, 2022 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

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

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

Jun 25, 2022 TLP Mains Answer Writing

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – Essay Questions [25th June, 2022] – Day 6

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 6 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 

Jun 24, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 24th June 2022

Archives (PRELIMS & MAINS Focus) [su_box title="Ahobilam" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Indian Culture ‘Nava Narasimha’: A thematic dance production on the presiding deity of Ahobilam Ahobilam, or Singavezhkundram, one of the 108 divyadesams, located in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, consists of nine separate shrines for the deity that are divided into lower and upper Ahobilam, some of which are located on a hilly terrain and a few amid thick forest. According to the sthala purana, Lord Narasimha, who took this fierce form to protect his devotee Prahlada, came to Ahobilam to vanquish demon Hiranyakasipu. It is here that deities including Shiva, Rama, Brahma, Hanuman and Garuda have offered their prayers to this fierce avatar. Apart from this, Ahobilam has abundant architectural and epigraphical evidences, chronicled right from the times of the Chalukyas in the eighth century AD. Nalayira Divyaprabhandam, Abeethi Stavam, Narayaneeyam, Avanthika Parinayam (the Sanskrit play written by Yateendra Mahadesikan, the seventh Jeer of Ahobila Mutt, about the wedding of Narasimha (Ahobaleshwar) with Mahalakshmi (Chenchu Lakshmi)), Ashtapadi, Karavalamba Stotram, and Annamacharya kritis, are some of the hymns that highlight the different qualities of the deity. The Telugu folk songs, (chosen in consultation with Aparna Srikanth), which are used in the production, signifies the importance of the Chenchu tribe in Ahobilam. Source: The Hindu [/su_box] [su_box title="Goa’s Sao Joao festival" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus Prelims: Events/Festivals The Festival: In Goa, Catholics celebrate all the feasts of the Roman Catholic Church, which include the feast of St John the Baptist on June 24 (John the Baptist because he had baptised Jesus Christ on the river Jordan). Celebration The youngsters in Goa celebrate this occasion with revelry and perform daredevil feats, by jumping into overflowing wells or rivulets to commemorate the leap of joy, which St John is said to have taken in the womb of his mother St Elizabeth when virgin Mary visited her. Villagers gather near the well and cheer for those throwing and dunking themselves into the water. Full-throated renditions of Konkani songs written for the occasion are accompanied by traditional musical instruments like the gumott and cansaim(cymbal). In Baga, sangoddis celebrated as a part of the feast of St John the Baptist. Two boats are tied together to make a sangodd, which means union, unity and junction. The tying of the boat signifies the unity of the village. Importance assigned to new sons-in-law: In Goa, Sao Joao is an occasion for the family and the villagers to get to know their newlywed daughters’ husbands a little better. Traditionally, the new son-in-law would be crowned with festive headgear of fruits and leaves, taken around the village, and would then jump into the well with other revelers. Source: The Indian Express [/su_box] [su_box title="Places in news: Snake Island & the Black Sea" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – GS 2: India and its neighbours Context: Ukraine has caused “significant losses” to the Russian military in airstrikes on Zmiinyi Island, also known as Snake Island, in the Black Sea. The hit on the island is believed to be the second major military success using missiles given to Ukraine by the West. Strategic island Zmiinyi Island, also known as Snake or Serpent Island, is a small piece of rock less than 700 metres from end to end, that has been described as being “X-shaped”. Located 35 km from the coast in the Black Sea, to the east of the mouth of the Danube and roughly southwest of the port city of Odessa. The island, which has been known since ancient times and is marked on the map by the tiny village of Bile that is located on it, belongs to Ukraine. On February 24, the day Russia launched its invasion, two warships from the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Vasily Bykov and Moskva, attacked Snake Island, followed by Russian troops landing on it. Black Sea The Black Sea, also known as the Euxine Sea, is one of the major water bodies and a famous inland sea of the world. The Black Sea is also connected to the Sea of Azov by the Strait of Kerch. The famed water body bound by Ukraine to the north and northwest Crimea in the north Russia and Georgia to the east Turkey to the south, and Bulgaria and Romania to the west, which links to the Sea of Marmara through the Bosphorus and then to the Aegean through the Dardanelles It is the largest water body with a meromictic basin It means the movement of water between the lower and upper layers of the sea is a rare phenomenon which is also responsible for its Anoxic Water (significant absence of oxygen in the water). Politics around Black Sea A busy waterway, Greece controlled it in the 9th century BC and by 500 BC Greek communities took its control. It helped them increase their trade. In 1479, the Black Sea came under the control of the Ottoman Empire until it was taken over by the Russian Navy in 1783. The 1853-1856 Crimean War saw immense bloodshed to take control of this region. One of Russia’s main reasons for joining World War I was to take over control of the Black Sea. Significance of Black Sea to Russia Not only is the Black Sea an entry point for Russia into the Mediterranean and a buffer between NATO and itself, it also serves as an economic gateway for the country to major markets in southern Europe Moscow sees the Black Sea as vital to its geo-economic strategy; helps in supplying Russia’s oil and gas to the west. Russia depends on the Black Sea both for military operations outside its immediate neighbourhood and for exports of Russia’s main commodity (hydrocarbons). With the breaking away of the USSR, ideally NATO should have been dissolved. But this did not happen. In fact, despite multiple assurances by the US and NATO, it has expanded four times since 1991 and almost reached the doorstep of Russia. The Kremlin sees the Mediterranean as a largely NATO-dominated region. So, by increasing its presence in the Black Sea, Russia hopes to spot opportunities to make political, economic, and military inroads with key regional states in the region. A domination of the Black Sea and Sea would give Russia a major advantage in the Crimea-Odessa-Mariupol region now that Sevastopol is already under its command. Pic courtesy: Wikipedia For Russia, the Black Sea is both a stepping stone to the Mediterranean as well as a strategic buffer between NATO and itself. Domination of the Black Sea region is a geostrategic imperative for Moscow, both to project Russian power in the Mediterranean and to secure the economic gateway to key markets in southern Europe. About North Atlantic Treaty Organization North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 4, 1949. Established by: United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. Article 5: It states that if one member of the alliance is attacked in Europe or North America, it is to be considered an attack on all members. That effectively put Western Europe under the “nuclear umbrella” of the US. As of 2019, there are 29 member states, with Montenegro becoming the latest member to join the alliance in 2017. Source: The Indian Express [/su_box] [su_box title="A turning point for Ukraine and its women’s rights " style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new  window Syllabus Mains GS 1: Women Issues Mains GS 2: India and its neighbourhood In News: The Ukrainian Parliament — the Verkhovna Rada — passed a Bill on June 20 ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. It is a huge step forward for the protection of women and girls from all forms of violence, whether in Ukraine or abroad, and could not be more timely for a number of reasons. The Istanbul Convention: The most far-reaching international treaty designed to set legally binding standards for governments in Europe for the prevention, protection, and prosecution of gender-based violence. Gender-based violence in Ukraine The risk of women becoming victims of gender-based violence in Ukraine has increased immensely over the course of Russia’s eight-year war. Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion in late February 2022: Suggests that the Russian troops have been using rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war and instrument of terror to control civilians. Although, the Russian authorities have denied alleged sexual abuse by their troops, the truth is that women in Ukraine have been disproportionately affected by the war. And as the tensions continue to rise, the risk of gender-based violence will also be heightened, with survivors suffering more severe levels of abuse. The prompt implementation of the convention could thus equip the Ukrainian authorities to deal with these atrocities and serve to reassure the survivors and provide them with the confidence to seek justice. Women’s rights activists in Ukraine have long been calling for changes. Domestic violence has been an administrative offence in Ukraine since 2003, which is punishable by a fine, community work of up to 60 hours or by imprisonment of up to 15 days. Then in 2019, systematic domestic violence was criminalised, which in practice meant that criminal charges will only be imposed if the abuser commits three offences in a year’. However, these pieces of legislation and forms of punishment often fell short of what the victims anticipated as being fair prosecution, discouraging them and others to go through the process of seeking justice. The convention’s ratification will not only expand ‘the list of abuse against women punishable by law in Ukraine — including but not limited to psychological abuse, stalking, forced marriage, physical and sexual abuse, forced abortion, sterilisation’ — but also provide the authorities with the opportunity to bring about changes in its legislation and institutional procedures. It will also mean that Ukraine will be responsible for financing more shelters for women, training social workers to adequately handle cases of sexual violence, and increase resources of assistance available for victims. Aiding EU integration Help in Ukraine’s European integration: Guaranteeing human rights is the most important aspect that is considered when European Union (EU) membership is being extended to a country. It has thus been crucial for Ukraine to demonstrate actions that will bring the country closer to European legislations and values. The decision is of particular significance for the Netherlands and Sweden, two ‘sceptical’ countries that were initially blocking Ukraine’s candidate seat but have now eventually agreed to back EU member status for Ukraine. The Challenge: Proper implementation of the convention will require financial resources, which seems like a challenging goal for a country already facing economic downfall due to the Russian invasion. Conclusion The ratification, is thus, a big milestone for Ukraine and has been applauded by many institutions, including the United Nations Human Rights Council and the EU Commission on human rights in the hope that it will decrease both the number of gender-based violence and domestic violence cases. It will also bring Ukraine closer to other countries that have already ratified the convention. Source: The Hindu [/su_box] [su_box title="Open network for digital commerce " style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Current Affairs GS 2: Indian Economy Context: The government of India announced the launch of the pilot phase of open network for digital commerce (ONDC) with an aim to “democratize” the country’s fast-growing digital e-commerce space that is currently dominated by the two U.S.-headquartered firms — Amazon and Walmart. What is ONDC? A not-for-profit organisation that will offer a network to enable local digital commerce stores across industries to be discovered and engaged by any network-enabled applications. Neither an aggregator application nor a hosting platform All existing digital commerce applications and platforms can voluntarily choose to adopt and be a part of the ONDC network. Aim: To enable buying of products from all participating e-commerce platforms by consumers through a single platform. Currently, a buyer needs to go to Amazon, to buy a product from a seller on Amazon. Under ONDC, a buyer registered on one participating e-commerce site (for example, Amazon) may purchase goods from a seller on another participating e-commerce site (for example, Flipkart). The ONDC model is trying to replicate the success of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in the field of digital payments. UPI allows people to send or receive money irrespective of the payment platforms they are registered on. What led to formation of ONDC?: An outreach conducted by The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under Ministry of Commerce and Industries, found that there is a huge disconnect between the scale of online demand and the ability of the local retail ecosystem (small sellers and hyperlocal supply chain) to participate. ONDC will be required to get funding independently and have a self-sustaining financial model. Benefits of ONDC: Standardise operations like cataloguing, inventory management, order management and order fulfillment, hence making it simpler and easier for small businesses to be discoverable over network and conduct business. Challenges: Such as getting enough number of e-commerce platforms to sign up, along with issues related to customer service and payment integration. What is the current status? Pilot Stage: Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Shillong and Coimbatore — with a target of onboarding around 150 retailers. Advisory Council: To analyse the potential of ONDC as a concept and to advise the government on measures needed to accelerate its adoption. Future Expectation: Over the next five years, the ONDC expects to bring on board 90 crore users and 12 lakh sellers on the network, enabling 730 crore additional purchases and an additional gross merchandising value (GMV) of ₹3.75 crore. The GMV for the digital commerce retail market in India was ₹2.85 lakh crore ($38 billion) in 2020, which is only 4.3% of the total retail GMV in India. Source: The Hindu [/su_box] [su_box title="Building resilience against recurring floods" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus Mains GS-3: Disaster Management In News: People in the Northeastern state are facing the fury of the Brahmaputra, Barak, and their tributaries. Nearly 100 people have lost their lives in the rain-induced landslides and floods that have engulfed 30 of Assam’s 35 districts The Centre and state government have commenced relief operations but the raging rivers have hobbled these activities. Promises have rarely been matched by action in Assam For more than half a century, Assam has relied on embankments to stave off the swelling rivers during the monsoons. A growing body of literature shows that these walled structures — most of them have not been repaired for decades — are ill-equipped to tackle floods, especially at a time when climate change is complicating the state’s hydrology. Assam’s flood management data shows that it needs to take such studies seriously. Close to 1,300 cases of embankment breaches have been recorded since 2000. Floods ripped apart nearly 200 embankments in 2020. This year, they have destroyed nearly 300 such structures. A report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources last year advised the state government to strengthen flood protection structures, address soil erosion and de-silt rivers. But these measures continue to be on the to-do list of the Assam government. In fact, the state’s flood management outlay has come down in the past two years. The Way Forward The state government would do well to build people’s resistance to the elements in cities, towns and villages. Such measures include putting flood warning systems in place and shifting people and livestock to safer locations. Forming a de-siltation plan: The river is one of the important ingredients when it comes to drainage. The de-siltation plan is very expensive but it is needed. Sustainable usage of land: Low-lying areas in cities have to be reserved for parks and other low-impact human activities, restrict encroachments in natural drainage areas; clearance of river beds, and proper implementation of Coastal Regulation Zone rules. Planting drought-resistant and flood-resistant sturdy trees in vulnerable areas also helps. Utilising International best practices: Implementing ‘Mobile Walls’ like in Germany, and ‘sponge’ cities in line with cities in China which involves replacing concrete pavements with porous pavements to ensure better filtration. Policy making and city planning: Each city should have their Flood mitigation plans strongly embedded within the master plan of the city. There should be prompt, well-coordinated and effective response in case of urban floods to minimize casualties and loss of property and also facilitate early recovery. Wetlands protection: Urban flooding may increase if wetlands not protected. Centre for Science and Environment(CSE) has recommended strong laws to protect urban lakes, their catchment and feeder channels Idea is that a holistic plan should engage all the development partners. It should try to address all the issues and modify it as per local needs. Source: The Indian Express [/su_box] [su_box title="Soil Conservation for Food Security " style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus Mains GS-3: Agriculture Context: Food security is one of the core indicators of economic development. The modernisation of agriculture has brought huge dividends in terms of ensuring food security to large swathes of people, apart from improving crop production. A key element of sustainable food production is healthy soil because nearly 95 percent of global food production depends on soil. The current status of soil health is worrisome. Soil degradation on an unprecedented scale is a significant challenge to sustainable food production: About one-third of the earth’s soils is already degraded and alarmingly, about 90 per cent could be degraded by 2050 if no corrective action is taken. While soil degradation is believed to be occurring in 145 million hectares in India, it is estimated that 96.40 million hectares — about 30 per cent of the total geographical area — is affected by land degradation. Globally, the biophysical status of 5,670 million hectares of land is declining, of which 1,660 million hectares (29 per cent) is attributed to human-induced land degradation, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s ‘State of Land, Soil and Water’ report. The Way Forward The time has come for collective global action involving governments and civil society to reverse this alarming trend. With the threat to food security looming large globally, compounded by the attendant hazard of serious damage to the environment, the need of the hour is to adopt innovative policies and agro-ecological practices that create healthy and sustainable food production Reduce dependence on pesticides worldwide: Extensive use of fertilisers and pesticides led to the deterioration of soil health and contamination of water bodies and the food chain, which pose serious health risks to people and livestock. As soil is a fragile and finite resource, sustainable land management practices are essential to ensure healthy soil. They are critical not only to preventing degradation but also to ensuring food security. Every effort must also be made to prevent soil erosion as it not only affects fertility but also increases the risk of floods and landslides. To address soil salinization (Salinity is the presence of salts (such as sodium chloride, magnesium, and calcium sulfates) and bicarbonates, in soil and water.): Soil washing- Stagnate water and flush it out, but if the water table is affected this might not yield result. Chemical treatment- Use of Gypsum to counter salinity Isolating the canal water by building side walls. Proper choice of agricultural practices and crops. Discourage borewell instead do rain water harvesting using pits. Natural farming and organic farming are not only cost-effective but also lead to improvement in soil health and the farmland ecosystem. Note: Soil health card scheme Soil health cards have been distributed to about 23 crore farmers - Improved the health of the soil + benefited innumerable farmers by increasing crop production and their incomes. India is well on course to achieving the restoration of 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 - A decrease in the use of chemical fertilisers in the range of 8-10 per cent as a result of the application of fertilisers and micro-nutrients as per the recommendations on the soil health cards. Overall, an increase in crop yields to the tune of 5-6 per cent was reported as a result. Save Soil Campaign By Sadhguru, Isha Foundation Source: The Indian Express [/su_box] [su_box title="What India needs to do to reduce its fertiliser bill?" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Open in new window Syllabus GS-3: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.  Context: No country has as much area under farming as India. But there’s one resource in which the country is short and heavily import-dependent — mineral fertilizers. In 2021-22, India imported 10.16 million tonnes (mt) of urea, 5.86 mt of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and 2.91 mt of muriate of potash (MOP). In value terms, imports of all fertilisers touched an all-time high of $12.77 billion last fiscal. In 2021-22, India also produced 25.07 mt of urea, 4.22 mt of DAP, 8.33 mt of complex fertilisers (containing nitrogen-N, phosphorus-P, potassium-K and sulphur-S in different ratios) and 5.33 mt of single super phosphate (SSP). The intermediates or raw materials for the manufacture of these fertilisers were substantially imported. Table 1: Import of fertilisers and inputs ($MN); Table 2: Sale of fertilisers (in lakh metric tonnes) Table 1 shows the total value of fertiliser imports by India, inclusive of inputs used in domestic production A whopping $24.3 billion in 2021-22. There are two costs here. The first is foreign exchange outgo The second cost is fiscal: Fertilisers are not only imported, but Indian farmers also pay below what it costs to import or manufacture using imported inputs. The difference is paid as a subsidy by the government. That bill was Rs 1,53,658.11 crore or $20.6 billion in 2021-22 and projected at Rs 2,50,000 crore ($32 billion) this fiscal. Both costs are unsustainably high to bear for a mineral resource-poor country. The Way Forward There is a need to cap or even reduce consumption of high-analysis fertilisers – particularly urea (46 per cent N content), DAP (18 per cent N and 46 per cent P) and MOP (60 per cent). One way to do this is by incorporating urease and nitrification inhibition compounds in urea. These are basically chemicals that slow down the rate at which urea is hydrolysed (resulting in the production of ammonia gas and its release into the atmosphere) and nitrified (leading to below-ground loss of nitrogen through leaching). By reducing ammonia volatilisation and nitrate leaching, more nitrogen is made available to the crop, enabling farmers to harvest the same, if not better, yields with a lesser number of urea bags. Together with products such as liquid “nano urea” – their ultra-small particle size is conducive to easier absorption by the plants than with bulk fertilisers, translating into higher nitrogen use efficiency – it is possible to achieve a 20 per cent or more drop in urea consumption from the present 34-35 mt levels. A second route is by promoting sales of SSP (containing 16 per cent P and 11 per cent S) and complex fertilisers such as “20:20:0:13” and “10:26:26”. DAP use should be restricted mainly to paddy and wheat; other crops don’t require fertilisers with high P content. India can also import more rock phosphate to make SSP directly or it can be converted into “weak” phosphoric acid. India needs to wean its farmers away from all high-analysis fertilisers: That movement requires a concerted push, alongside popularising high nutrient use-efficient water-soluble fertilisers (potassium nitrate, potassium sulphate, calcium nitrate, etc) and exploiting alternative indigenous sources (for example, potash derived from molasses-based distillery spent-wash and from seaweed extract). Knowledge Building of Farmers: No plan to cap/reduce consumption of high-analysis fertilisers can succeed without farmers knowing what is a suitable substitute for DAP and which NPK complex or organic manure can bring down their urea application. It calls for agriculture departments and universities not just revisiting their existing crop-wise nutrient application recommendations, but disseminating this information to farmers on a campaign mode. Must Read: Reforming the Fertilizer Sector Locational factors of fertiliser industry Source: The Indian Express [/su_box] [su_box title="The problems plaguing thermal power generators " style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Syllabus GS-3: Energy GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Context: On June 10, India’s power demand touched a record high of 211 MW even as the coal shortage continued with coal stocks available only for eight days. To bridge the gap between shortage in domestic supply and increasing demand, power-generating companies or ‘gencos’ were directed to use imported coal for 10% of their requirement, failing which their domestic supplies would be cut. Why does India have a recurring power crisis? Coal India is the second largest producer of coal, with reserves that could last up to 100 years. Despite that, year after year, the shortage of coal supplies continues to be an issue. The domestic production of coal stagnated between FY18 and FY21, but revived in FY22. The power demand too surged owing to economic recovery and hotter weather conditions. This dip in imports can be attributed to the skyrocketing prices of coal in the international markets. The price of imported coal is nearly 5-6 times higher than domestic supply. It is in this scenario that the Power Ministry asked the gencos to import coal. However, States are wary of using imported coal as it would raise the cost of power substantially. The shortfall in domestic supplies and the rising cost of imports have put power plants in a precarious situation. About 79 of the 150 plants that depend on domestic coal had critical stocks (<25% of the required stock). Eight import-based coal plants were also at critical levels. Perennial bottlenecks – The Discoms The use of imported coal will also push up the price of power supply to the power distribution companies or ‘Discoms,’ often dubbed as the weakest link in the power sector chain. Discoms owe long-standing dues to the gencos. Delays in payments by discoms create a working capital crunch for generating companies which in turn inhibits them from procuring an adequate quantity of coal. Discoms are bleeding because the revenue they generate is much lower than their costs. This is evident from the huge gap between the average cost of supply and average revenue realised. Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, and Rajasthan have the widest gap between revenues and expenses of discoms. Apart from providing power at cheaper rates, some State governments do not revise tariffs periodically. Further, the delay in getting compensation from the government also compounds the woes of cashstrapped discoms. Must Read: India’s Transation away from Coal Decarbonisation of India’s Power Sector [/su_box] Baba's Explainer - 12th WTO Ministerial Conference [su_box title="12th WTO Ministerial Conference" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Syllabus GS-2:  Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. Context: The 164 membered WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) took place from 12 to 17 June 2022 at WTO headquarters in Geneva. Ministers from across the world attended to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system, to make general statements and to take action on the future work of the WTO. The Conference was co-hosted by Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan was originally scheduled to host MC12 in June 2020 but the conference was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Agreement was found on WTO reform, vaccine production and fishing subsidies, among others. Negotiators prevailed despite geopolitical tensions (Russia-Ukraine). Read Complete Details on 12th WTO Ministerial Conference [/su_box]   Daily Practice MCQs [su_box title="Daily Practice MCQs" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Q.1) Which of the following are benefits of 'Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)'? Cataloguing Inventory management Order management Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) ‘Euxine Sea’ is referred to as Black Sea Ionian Sea Aegean Sea Sea of Azov Q.3) ‘Sao Jaoa’ Festival is associated with which of the following states? Manipur Goa Maharashtra Uttarakhand [/su_box] ANSWERS FOR 23rd JUNE 2022 - Daily Practice MCQs [su_box title="Answers- Daily Practice MCQs" style="soft" box_color="#f3f3f3" title_color="#d45f07"] Q.1) - c Q.2) - c Q.3) - d [/su_box]

Jun 24, 2022 Baba’s Explainer

Baba's Explainer - 12th WTO Ministerial Conference

ARCHIVES Syllabus GS-2:  Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. Context: The 164 membered WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) took place from 12 to 17 June 2022 at WTO headquarters in Geneva. Ministers from across the world attended to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system, to make general statements and to take action on the future work of the WTO. The Conference was co-hosted by Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan was originally scheduled to host MC12 in June 2020 but the conference was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Agreement was found on WTO reform, vaccine production and fishing subsidies, among others. Negotiators prevailed despite geopolitical tensions (Russia-Ukraine). [su_spoiler open="yes" title="What is WTO and what is its objective?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] It came into being in The WTO is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) established in the wake of the Second World War. Its objective is to help trade flow smoothly, freely and predictably. It has 164 members, accounting for 98% of world trade. The WTO Secretariat is based in Geneva (Switzerland). About WTO’s Ministerial Conference (MC) The MC is at the very top of WTO’s organisational chart. It meets once every two years and can take decisions on all matters under any multilateral trade agreement. Unlike other organisations, such as the IMF or World Bank, WTO does not delegate power to a board of directors or an organisational chief. All decisions at the WTO are made collectively and through consensus among member countries at varied councils and committees. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="What was agreed in 12th MC and what does it all mean?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] WTO reform Members reaffirmed the foundational principles of the WTO and committed to an open and inclusive process to reform all its functions, from deliberation to negotiation to monitoring. Notably, they committed to work towards having a well-functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all members by 2024. The appellate body has been dormant since 2020 as the United States refused to agree the appointment of new judges. Why that’s important: The organization has struggled to deliver on its mandate for multiple reasons, including members failing to live up to notification requirements, impeding debate on new issues and objecting to the functioning of its dispute settlement mechanism. Pandemic response It was decided that eligible countries could override COVID-19 vaccine patents until 2027. Member countries agreed on authorising the use of the subject matter of a patent for producing COVID-19 vaccines by a member country, without the consent of the rights holder. Further, it asks member countries to waive requirements, including export restrictions, set forth by WTO regulations to supply domestic markets and member countries with any number of vaccines. The decision on whether to extend this to COVID-19 therapeutics and diagnostics was delayed for six months. Members reiterated the importance of trade facilitation and the operation of cross-border services such as logistics, health services and IT in combating future pandemics. Noting the severe effect of border restrictions on tourism, countries encouraged dialogue to mitigate this. Why that’s important: A feeling that commercial considerations outweighed human health would be severely damaging to global trade. Countries need to ensure trade helps, and is seen to help, health outcomes. E-commerce The moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions (the ‘e-commerce moratorium') was extended, a critical win for the digital economy. WTO members agreed to maintain the current practice of not imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions until MC13. Broadly, Electronic transmissions (ETs) consist of online deliveries such as music, e-books, films, software and video games. They differ from other cross-border e-commerce since they are ordered online but not delivered physically. 105 countries which includes the U.S. , the U.K., Australia, China and Japan among others , had sought an extension of the moratorium. On the other hand, India and South Africa, citing data from the UNCTAD submitted that extending duty-free market access due to the moratorium resulted in a loss of $10 billion per annum globally — 95% of which was borne by developing countries. Why that’s important: This agreement maintains relative freedom for digital trade. Agriculture and food security In the midst of a global food crisis, with wheat prices 60% higher in June 2022 than they were in January 2021, there was pressure for the WTO to deliver a meaningful outcome on trade and food security. Members promised to ensure that any emergency food security measures would be minimally trade distortive, “temporary, targeted and transparent” and notified to the WTO. They also agreed not to prohibit or restrict food exports purchased by the World Food Programme for humanitarian purposes. Beyond these outcomes, Members were unable to agree on a work programme for future negotiations in agriculture due to longstanding differences. Why that’s important: These actions can help tackle food security risks stemming from the war in Ukraine and poor harvests. Fisheries subsidies Global fisheries subsidies were estimated at $35.4 billion in 2018, of which $22.2 billion were capacity-enhancing subsidies. The WTO was tasked by the UN General Assembly to deliver an agreement to prohibit harmful fisheries subsidies. Following a 21-year long negotiation, agreement was reached at WTO Ministerial Conference 2022 to end subsidies to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and to the fishing of overfished stocks. Developing country members will enjoy a two-year exemption for subsidies granted within their exclusive economic zones (up to 200 nautical miles from their coasts). No member will be allowed to provide subsidies to fishing in the high seas, other than where regulated by a fisheries management organization. The agreement contains notification requirements and sets up a voluntary funding mechanism to assist developing countries. Why that’s important: While the current agreement limits, rather than eliminates, subsidies, the measure represents a step towards crafting trade rules and practice that can better protect the planet. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="Why is the agreement being called historic?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] The agreement has been hailed by the WTO as historic as It is a trade deal that has been arrived at seven years after the last trade package was approved at the Nairobi Ministerial Conference in 2015. Also, the deal almost appeared to be collapsing on the last day of the extended ministerial and was saved through intense all-night deliberations. The WTO ministrial meeting demonstrated the willingness of countries to keep talking and working together multilaterally, believing in the value of trade for sustainable growth, development and resilience in the face of crisis. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="How significant is the TRIPS waiver and what are the critics concerned about?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] For five years, the waiver would allow all countries the flexibility to issue authorisations for the manufacture of patented COVID vaccines without the right holder’s consent even if they don’t have a compulsory licence regime in place. However, this has not been extended to therapeutics and diagnostic tools that India and South Africa were insisting on for going beyond preventive care. Another big concern is that the waiver is only applied to patents and not to other kinds of IP rights such as trade secrets and copyrights and may thus not help local manufacturers to access the required knowhow to manufacture a vaccine. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="What has India gained through the deal?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] No Permanent Solution on Public Stockholding: India had negotiated a peace clause earlier, which protects it against action from member-countries in case its food procurement (MSP) subsidies breach the existing cap of 10% of total produce. However, even in this round WTO has been unable to reach a permanent solution for public stock-holding. Partial Success in Fishery Subsidies: India did manage to protect fishers operating within the EEZ from subsidy cut commitments. However, this exemption is not in the form of special and differential treatment for developing countries but has been extended to all. This steals the advantage that was initially envisaged by India for its own fishers. Limited Waiver for COVID-19 Treatment: On TRIPS, the limited waiver on vaccines is only a small gain for India which already has a compulsory licence regime in place. Moreover, therapeutics and diagnostic tools have been excluded. Waiver on trade secrets and copyrights were also not extended. G2G Exports exemptions request blocked: India agreed to exempt WFP purchases from export restrictions but its demand of allowing G2G exports for humanitarian purpose from public stocks was blocked. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler open="no" title="What has the West gained?" style="fancy" icon="chevron"] The Western countries managed to get the moratorium on customs duties on e-commerce extended till up to March 31 2024, which will greatly benefit their industry. The agreement on patent waiver has given them the comfort of claiming that they have acted on the long-pending proposal without actually ceding much ground in crucial areas such as therapeutics and diagnostic tools as well as trade secrets. They have also got an agreement on exempting WFP purchases from export restrictions by just giving an assurance that this would not prevent adoption of measures to ensure domestic food security. [/su_spoiler] Mains Practice Question - Critically analyse the outcome of 12th Ministerial Conference of WTO. Were India’s interests been protected during the negotiations? Note: Write answers to this question in the comment section.  

Jun 24, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd June 2022

Archives (PRELIMS & MAINS Focus) India's digital economy Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Economy Mains – GS 3 (Economy) In News: Addressing the meeting of the BRICS Business Forum, Prime Minister said the digital transformation unfolding in India has never before been seen on the world stage India’s digital economy and the infrastructure sector has a total potential for $2.5 trillion There are more than 100 unicorns in over 70,000 start-ups in India, and their number continues to grow. The value of the Indian digital economy will reach $1 trillion by 2025 Advantages of a Digital Economy Removal of Black Economy: By restricting cash-based transactions and using only digital payments, the government can efficiently expel the black economy. Empowerment to People: Direct Benefit Transfer, fight against Corruption Creation of new jobs Increase in Revenues: Each transaction is recorded, customers will get a bill for their purchase, and the merchants are bound to pay sales tax to the government. e-governance: Digital economy will pave a way to e-governance, where delivery of all government services would be done electronically Measures taken by Government Digilockers: it is a “digital locker” service operated by the Government of India that enables Indian citizens to store certain official documents on the cloud. Digital Payments: The introduction of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which introduced the benefits of digital payments in every part of the country. BHIM app—It is an app to enable digital payments. Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan to make citizen digitally literate. BharatNet Project: world’s largest rural broadband connectivity programme using Optical fibre Challenges Lack of connectivity/infrastructure: Slow roll-out of Wi-Fi hotspots and the slow speed Lack of incentives: Most small and medium scale industry is struggling to adapt to modern technology Digital illiteracy: Huge digital divide between gender, regions etc Lack of skilled manpower: Lack of user education and there are limited facilities to train personnel Way forward India’s technical and management institutes should revamp their curriculum to integrate and promote digital technologies Skill development initiatives to train manpower Stricter data protection laws that govern such cross border digital flows is needed he digital economy is heavily based on intellectual property, strict protection to patents and copyrighted work, whether produced in India or elsewhere is also need to be implemented. BRICS summit The BRICS summit is being hosted by China as a chair of BRICS this year BRICS BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS Leaders’ Summit is convened annually. The Chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S Together, BRICS accounts for about 40% of the world’s population and about 30% of the GDP The first BRIC Summit took place in 2009 in the Russian Federation South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS. South Africa subsequently attended the Third BRICS Summit in Sanya, China, in March 2011. BRICS initiatives New Development Bank During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (2014) the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the New Development Bank (NDB). Fortaleza Declaration stressed that the NDB will strengthen cooperation among BRICS and will supplement the efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global development thus contributing to sustainable and balanced growth. NDB is headquartered in Shanghai. Contingent Reserve Arrangement Considering the increasing instances of global financial crisis, BRICS nations signed BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) in 2014 as part of Fortaleza Declaration at Sixth BRICS summit. The BRICS CRA aims to provide short-term liquidity support to the members through currency swaps to help mitigating BOP crisis situation and further strengthen financial stability. Source: The Hindu Previous Year Question Q.1) With reference to a grouping of countries known as BRICS, consider the following statements: (2014) The First Summit of BRICS was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2009. South Africa was the last to join the BRICS grouping. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Four new corals recorded from Indian waters Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Environment Mains – GS 3 (Environment) In News: Scientists have recorded four species of azooxanthellate corals for the first time from Indian waters These new corals were found from the waters of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Azooxanthellate corals are a group of corals that do not contain zooxanthellae and derive nourishment not from the sun but from capturing different forms of plankton. These groups of corals are deep-sea representatives, with the majority of species reporting from between 200 m to 1000 m. Their occurrences are also reported from shallow coastal waters. Zooxanthellate corals, meanwhile, are restricted to shallow waters All the four groups of corals are from the same family Flabellidae. Truncatoflabellum crassum, T. incrustatum, T. aculeatum and T. irregulare Under the family Flabellidae were previously found from Japan to the Philippines and Australian waters while only crassum was reported within the range of Indo-West Pacific distribution including the Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf. Azooxanthellate corals are a group of hard corals and the four new records are not only solitary but have a highly compressed skeletal structure.   Hard corals Hard corals grow in colonies and are often referred to as “reef-building corals.” Hard corals create skeletons out of calcium carbonate, a hard substance that eventually becomes rock. Overtime, this rock builds up to form the foundation of a coral reef and provides a structure upon which baby corals can settle. Hard corals can be further separated into two sub-groups. Zooxanthellate The zooxanthellate (reef-building or hermatypic) corals are ones that depend on zooxanthellae algae for nutrients. These shallow water corals have a major reef-building function. They are generally found in clear water less than 50 metres deep as the algae need light for photosynthesis. Azooxanthellate The azooxanthellate (deep water or ahermatypic) corals do not contain zooxanthellae and therefore gain their nutrition solely from filtering plankton from seawater. These isolated, solitary or colonial forms rarely build big constructions Source: The Hindu Previous Year Questions Q.1) Consider the following statements: (2018) Most of the world’s coral reefs are in tropical waters. More than one-third of the world’s coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and Philippines. Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Keibul Lamjao National Park Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Environment In News: People protested against move to shift proposed heritage park site in Manipur Background The State govt. had announced that a heritage park would come up near the Keibul Lamjao National Park in Bishnupur district. It was expected that the museum of the Indian National Army where the first Indian flag of Independence was hoisted near the Loktak lake and the heritage park will attract tourists from the country and abroad. Villagers complained that the government had taken up steps to shift the site to a place six km away from the KLNP. And they contend that the people of the proposed site are not associated with steps for the protection of the endangered brow-antlered deer (Sangai) in the KNLP. Keibul Lamjao National Park The Keibul Lamjao National Park is a national park in the Bishnupur district of the state of Manipur in India. It is the only floating park in the world, located in North East India, and an integral part of Loktak Lake. The national park is characterized by floating decomposed plant material locally called phumdi. It was created in 1966 as a wildlife sanctuary to preserve the natural habitat of the endangered Sangai/Brow antlered deer/Dancing Deer. In 1977, it was gazetted as national park Sangai Sangai, Brow antlered deer, Dancing Deer It is an endemic species, found only in Manipur Sangai is a medium-sized deer, with uniquely distinctive antlers, with extremely long brow tine, which form the main beam. State animal of Manipur Protection Status WPA, 1972: Schedule-1 IUCN: Endangered Source: The Hindu Previous Year Question Q.1) Which of the following National Parks is unique in being a swamp with floating vegetation that supports a rich biodiversity? (2015) Bhitarkanika National Park Keibul Lamjao National Park Keoladeo Ghana National Park Sultanpur National Park Governor’s Power to call for a floor test Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Polity Mains – GS 2 (Polity) In News: As the Maharashtra political crisis continues to play out, the Governor’s powers under the Constitution to call for a floor test takes centrestage. Constitutional provisions related to floor test Article 174(2)(b) Article 174(2) (b) of the Constitution gives powers to the Governor to dissolve the Assembly on the aid and advice of the cabinet. However, the Governor can apply his mind when the advice comes from a Chief Minister whose majority could be in doubt. Article 175(2) Under Article 175(2), the Governor can summon the House and call for a floor test to prove whether the government has the numbers. Power of the Speaker In 2020, the Supreme Court, in Shivraj Singh Chouhan & Ors versus Speaker, upheld the powers of the Speaker to call for a floor test if there is a prima facie view that the government has lost its majority. When the House is in session, it is the Speaker who can call for a floor test. But when the Assembly is not in session, the Governor’s residuary powers under Article 163 allow him to call for a floor test. Article 163 Council of Ministers to aid and advice Governor There shall be a council of Ministers with the chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions, except in so far as he is by or under this constitution required to exercise his functions or any of them in his discretion. If any question arises whether any matter is or is not a matter as respects which the Governor is by or under this Constitution required to act in his discretion, the decision of the Governor in his discretion shall be final, and the validity of anything done by the Governor shall not be called in question on the ground that he ought or ought not to have acted in his discretion. The question whether any, and if so what, advice was tendered by Ministers to the Governor shall not be inquired into in any court. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) Consider the following statements: (2018) No criminal proceedings shall be instituted against the Governor of a State in any court during his term of office. The emoluments and allowances of the Governor of a State shall not be diminished during his term of office. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Virtual digital assets Open in new window Prelims – Current Affairs In News: Norms laid out for tax deduction onus Issuing detailed guidelines on the TDS rule for virtual digital assets (VDAs) such as cryptocurrencies, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) laid down the various scenarios on how the tax will be applicable and on whom will the onus to deduct it lie. With introduction of Section 194S in the Income-tax Act through the Finance Act, 2022, a tax deducted at source (TDS) of 1 per cent will be levied on transfer of VDAs effective July 1 if the value of transactions exceeds Rs 10,000 in a year. The CBDT has defined four primary VDAs — bitcoin, ether, USD Tether and USD Coin — for the purpose of tax deduction on lesser known cryptocurrencies. For example, in case of trade for Monero to Deso … the exchanges shall immediately execute a market order for converting this tax deducted in kind (1% Monero/1% Deso in the above example) to one of the primary VDAs (BT, ETH, USDT, USDC) which can be easily converted into INR Significance Revenue to the government The responsibility to deduct TDS has been put on the exchanges which will increase the regulatory and compliance burden for them The exchanges have to further disclose these transactions in their tax return and maintain a proper trail. this would be helpful to the buyers and sellers both since they can enter into contracts with the exchange for passing the responsibility to deduct tax on their behalf in VDA to VDA transfers or otherwise as well. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) With reference to ‘Bitcoins’, sometimes seen in the news, which of the following statement(s) is/are correct? (2016) Bitcoins are tracked by the Central Banks of the countries. Anyone with a Bitcoin address can send and receive Bitcoins from anyone else with a Bitcoin address. Online payments can be sent without either side knowing the identity of the other. Select the correct answer using the codes given below. 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Polity In News: In the occurrence of recent events of bird strikes during the flight, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued directives to all airport operators, it has asked all airports to “review their wildlife hazard management plans” for “within and outside the airfield” Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is a statutory body of the Government of India to regulate civil aviation in India, primarily dealing with safety issues. The headquarters are located in New Delhi with regional offices in the various parts of India. Mandate: DGCA is responsible for the regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety, and airworthiness standards. Functions Registration of civil aircraft Formulation of standards of airworthiness for civil aircraft registered in India and grant of certificates of airworthiness to such aircraft. Licensing of pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and flight engineers, and conducting examinations and checks for that purpose Licensing of air traffic controllers Conducting an investigation into accidents/incidents and taking accident prevention measures including formulation of implementation of Safety Aviation Management programs. Coordination at the national level for flexi-use of air space by civil and military air traffic agencies and interaction with ICAO for provision of more air routes for civil use through Indian air space. Promoting indigenous design and manufacture of aircraft and aircraft components by acting as a catalytic agent Source:The Hindu Previous Year Questions Q.1) With reference to the “Tea Board” in India, consider the following statements: (2022) The Tea Board is a statutory body. It is a regulatory body attached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The Tea Board’s Head Office is situated in Bengaluru. The Board has overseas office at Dubai and Moscow. Which of the statements given above are correct? 1 and 3 2 and 4 3 and 4 1 and 4 The role of caste in economic transformation Open in new window Syllabus Mains – GS 1 (Social Issues) Context: Caste, a structural factor that impedes economic transformation in India. Caste through its rigid social control and networks facilitates economic mobility for some and erects barriers for others by mounting disadvantages on them. Caste shapes the ownership pattern of land and capital and simultaneously regulates access to political, social, and economic capital too. Ways it impedes There are three ways in which caste impedes the economic transformation in India: ownership and land inequality related to productivity failure within the farm sector; elite bias in higher education and historical neglect of mass education, and caste-based entry barriers and exclusive networks in the modern sector. The divergent outcomes in structural transformation between countries in the global South, particularly India, China and South East Asia, is due to these three factors. All the nations which succeeded in achieving inclusive growth in the Global South had land reforms combined with human capital, invested in infrastructure by promoting capitalism from below and began industrialisation in the rural sector. India lost on all three counts. Land ownership, productivity India has one of the highest land inequalities in the world today. Unequal distribution of land was perpetuated by British colonial intervention that legalised a traditional disparity. Some castes were assigned land ownership at the expense of others by the British for its administrative practices. The British inscribed caste in land governance categories and procedures that still underpin post-colonial land ownership pattern in India The prescribed categories and practices have entrenched caste inequality in land ownership. Even the subsequent land reform that took place after India’s independence largely excluded Dalits and lower castes. It emboldened and empowered mainly intermediate castes at the expense of others in rural India. Further green revolution tightened landlords social control over others in rural India. Land still defines social status and pride in many parts of rural India. Modern day real estate Real estate and construction still works as a source of inheritance, family lineage and speculative capital Those castes that had a stake in agriculture did not benefit from the economic reforms (1991) for two reasons — historical neglect of education and the entry barriers erected by the upper castes in modern sectors. Neglect of education If strong growth in productivity within the farm sector is crucial for sustained economic growth, an educated workforce is equally necessary to move to the modern sectors. India failed on both accounts. The Indian education system has been suffering from an elite bias since colonial times. It primarily focussed on higher education for the elites neglecting basic education of mass Inequality in access to education got translated into inequality in other economic domains including wage differentials in India. In contrast, Chinese and other East Asian countries invested in basic education and gradually shifted towards higher education. Their success in manufacturing is a direct outcome of the investment in human capital. As South East Asia and China captured low-end manufacturing jobs, India largely concentrated in high-end technology jobs. Barrier to entrepreneurship India did not witness such capitalism from below except in a few cases. Caste shaped policy outcomes, including India’s highly unequal land reform and lack of public provision of education and health, which in turn erected barriers to economic diversification. Castes that were already in control of trading and industrial spaces resisted the entry of others. Social inequalities have mounted barriers for economic transition For caste is not a residual variable, but is an active agent which stifles economic transformation. Source: The Hindu India’s health interests Open in new window Syllabus Mains – GS 2 (Governance) Context: Political or geopolitical expediency or cultural chauvinism should not be allowed to undercut India’s health interests The Centre under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and the “Heal by India” initiative is developing an online repository of all categories of health-care professionals in the country. Though such an innovation is much needed because of the currently fragmented nature of such data, one of its proposed primary purposes is to aid external stakeholders, viz. foreign employers and patients in finding a right Indian match for their respective needs. Concerns WHO forecast for India WHO 2020 report projected a requirement of nearly two million more doctors and nursing professionals for India in order to attain the minimum threshold ratio of health-care professionals to the population As per a study there is a veritable shortage of health-care personnel and their skewed skill-mix across a number of States, their current pace of growth is unlikely to result in any significant improvement in the density or skill-mix of health-care professionals by 2030. The current measure which aims to subtly reinforce medical tourism and worsen the out-migration of health-care professionals from the country is utterly counter-intuitive Soft power projection A crucial distinction must always be drawn between exporting products such as vaccines and that of health-care professionals. While the first is characterised by a much simpler transactional math, training health-care manpower entails large subsidies thus entailing a net drain of resources from the native country India needs a registry While an online health-care professionals repository will certainly aid foreign stakeholders in finding their right choices, there is neither a strong demand-side desperation nor a significant supply-side scarcity preventing a market to function well in its absence. Rather, it is at the national and sub-national levels that such an exhaustive and updated registry of health-care professionals is the need of the hour, for addressing the many challenges and disparities in health manpower availability, distribution, and skill mix. While neither medical tourism nor out-migration can or need to be dispensed with in their entirety, to pursue them actively when the country is reeling under acute shortages in an aspirational decade for health care is least warranted. In health care, which is characterised by perennially scarce resources and challenges, everything revolves around identifying the priorities right. And no amount of political or geopolitical expediency or cultural chauvinism should be allowed to undercut national health interests. It is time to go all out to address national health-care workforce challenges and heal the nation before embarking on a healing cruise of the world. Source: The Hindu Daily Practice MCQs Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) Consider the following statements While zooxanthellate corals depend on zooxanthellae algae for nutrients, azooxanthellate gain their nutrition solely from filtering plankton from seawater While Zooxanthellate are restricted to shallow waters, azooxanthellate are reported both in deep waters and shallow waters Choose the correct statements: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements Keibul Lamjao National Park is characterized by floating decomposed plant material locally called phumdi It is the natural habitat of the endangered Brow antlered deer Sangai is the state animal of Manipur Choose the correct statements: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 1 and 3 Q.3) Consider the following statements The BRICS Leaders’ Summit is convened annually The first BRIC Summit took place in 2009 in the Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro Contingent Reserve Arrangement of BRICS aims to provide short-term liquidity support to the members through currency swaps Choose the correct statements: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 1 and 3 ANSWERS FOR 22st JUNE 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs Answers- Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) – a Q.2) – a Q.3) – b

Jun 24, 2022 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2022 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 24th June 2022

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