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Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2022 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 16th July 2022

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

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – Essay Questions [16th July, 2022] – Day 24

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 24 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 

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 15th July 2022

Archives (PRELIMS & MAINS Focus) Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Economy Mains – GS 3 (Economy – Investment Models) In News: After funding highway projects through public money for a better part of the last decade the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to return to funding through private investments using the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model during the current quarter. Over the last few years, the NHAI resorted to offering projects under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) that ensures funds to the company building the road, thereby insulating it from financial risk to a certain extent. The BOT (toll) model was the preferred model for road projects, accounting for 96% of all projects awarded in 2011-12. But this progressively reduced to nil. HAM was designed and adopted. Investment Models In simpler terms investment means exchange of money for a profit yielding asset. The same profit earned is used to invest in other assets as well. As far as the economic well being of the country is concerned, investment is important as it contributes to growth and development. Types of Investment Models Public Investment Model: In this model Government requires revenue for investment that mainly comes through taxes. Properly targeted public investment can do much to boost economic performance, generating aggregate demand quickly, fueling productivity growth by improving human capital, and spurring private-sector investment by increasing returns. Private Investment Model: Private investment can be source from domestic or international market. From abroad private investment comes in the form of FDI or FPI. Public-Private Partnership Model: PPP is an arrangement between government and Private sector for the provision of public assets and/or public services. PPP allow large-scale government projects, such as roads, bridges, or hospitals, to be completed with private funding. Commonly adopted model of PPPs include engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model, Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), Build-Operate-Lease-Transfer (BOLT), Hybrid Annuity Model PPP Models Engineering, Procurement and Construction Model (EPC) The EPC Model partnership requires the government to undertake the total funding of the project while the Private sector partner will provide the engineering and construction requirements. The cost is completely borne by the government. Government invites bids for engineering expertise from the contractors. Procurement of raw material and construction costs are met by the government. From design to commissioning, the EPC Contractor is responsible for all activities and handover of the project to the Government. Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) It is conventional PPP model in which private partner is responsible to design, build, operate (during the contracted period) and transfer back the facility to the public sector. Private sector partner has to bring the finance for the project and take the responsibility to construct and maintain it. Public sector will allow private sector partner to collect revenue from the users. The national highway projects contracted out by NHAI under PPP mode is a major example for the BOT model. Build-Operate-Lease-Transfer (BOLT) In this approach, the government gives a concession to a private entity to build a facility, own the facility, lease the facility to the public sector and then at the end of the lease period transfer the ownership of the facility to the government. Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) Hybrid annuity stands for a combination in which the government makes payment in a fixed amount in the beginning and then in a variable amount at a later stage. The HAM is a combination of BOT and EPC Models. The government will give 40% of the Project Cost as Construction Support during the construction period, and the remaining 60% as annuity payments to the concessionaire throughout the operations period, plus interest. The payment made in the later stage will be based on the assets created and the performance of the developer. In HAM, the company has no right to collect tolls. Revenue is collected by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and refunded to the private players in installments for 15-20 years. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) It is a nodal agency of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. NHAI is an autonomous agency of the Union Government, responsible for management of a network of over 70,000 km of national highways in India. It was established through National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988. In 1995, it was formally made an autonomous body. It is responsible for the development, management, operation and maintenance of National Highways. It is a statutory body. Source: Indian Express Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Polity & Internal Security Mains – GS 3 (Internal Security) In News: Barshashree Buragohain, a 19-year-old college student was arrested in Assam and charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act after the district police took suo motu cognizance of a post updated on her Facebook profile. Police claim she had expressed support for ULFA-I, a banned organization. Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) It was enacted to provide for more effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations, and for dealing with terrorist activities. It was amended in the years 2004, 2008, 2013, and 2019 to add certain provisions relating to various facets of terrorism. Key provisions: Both Indian and foreign nationals can be charged. It is applicable even if the offence is committed outside India. A charge sheet can be filed in maximum 180 days after the arrests. The investigation has to be completed within 90 days and if not, the accused is eligible for default bail. A Special Court under the UAPA conducts trials. UAPA (Amendment), 2019 Union government may designate an individual or an organisation as a terrorist organisation if it: commits or participates in acts of terrorism, prepares for terrorism, promotes terrorism, or is otherwise involved in terrorism. The investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA): Under the provisions of the Act, investigation of cases can be conducted by officers of the rank of DSP or ACP or above. It additionally empowers the officers of the NIA, of the rank of Inspector or above, to investigate cases. Approval of Director- General for seizure of property if the investigation is conducted by an officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Insertion to the schedule of treaties: The Act defines terrorist acts to include acts committed within the scope of any of the treaties listed in a schedule to the Act. The Schedule lists nine treaties, comprising of the Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (1997), and the Convention against Taking of Hostages (1979). Amendment adds another treaty to this list namely, the International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005). Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) Consider the following statements: (2018) The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is under the charge of Director General of Health Services in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Groundwater extraction Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Environment Mains – GS 3 (Environment) In News: The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) granted relief to 2,069 industries as it extended the last date for applying for no objection certificates (NOCs) from June 30 to September 30 for groundwater extraction. On June 27, the CGWA had listed 2,069 projects/ units which had failed to renew the NOCs issued by the authority for groundwater extraction. Notice has been issued for the violation of Guidelines to regulate and control groundwater extraction in India. Guidelines to regulate and control groundwater extraction in India The guidelines have pan-India applicability which was never there before. The Guidelines Prohibition of industries: The guidelines prohibit new industry and mining projects in over-exploited zones and makes it mandatory for existing industries, commercial units and big housing societies to take ‘no objection certificate’ (NOC). Exemption: The domestic consumers, rural drinking water schemes, armed forces, farmers and micro & small enterprises (that withdraw upto 10 cubic metres per day) are exempted from the requirement of a no objection certificate. The NOCs are issued for a period of 2 to 5 years, depending on the users and the category of area in which they are located (over exploited, critical, semi-critical and safe). The guidelines have also encouraged the use of recycled and treated sewage water by industries, mentioned a provision of action against polluting industries and mandated the requirement of digital flow meters, piezometers and digital water level recorders Compensation: It prescribes a minimum environmental compensation of ₹1 lakh on industrial, mining and infrastructure users for extracting groundwater without a No objection certificate (NOC). Abstraction charges: All residential apartments/ group housing societies/ Government water supply agencies in urban areas would be required to pay ground water abstraction charges. Central Ground Water Authority CGWA has been constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Purpose To regulate and control, management and development of ground water in the country and to issue necessary regulatory directions for the purpose. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) Consider the following statements: (2020) 36% of India’s districts are classified as “overexploited” or “critical” by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). CGWA was formed under the Environment (Protection) Act. India has the largest area under groundwater irrigation in the world. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 and 3 only 2 only 1 and 3 only Q.2) Which one of the following has been constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986? (2022) Central Water Commission Central Ground Water Board Central Ground Water Authority National Water Development Agency I2U2 Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – International Relations Mains – GS 2 (International Relations) In News: Prime Minister of India participated in first-ever I2U2 Virtual Summit along with the heads of the other members of the grouping. What does I2U2 stand for? I2U2 stands for India, Israel, the UAE, and the US, and was also referred to as the ‘West Asian Quad’. Besides Prime Minister of India the virtual summit was attended by US President Joe Biden, Israel Prime Minister Yair Lapid and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. What is the aim of I2U2 grouping? Its stated aim is to discuss common areas of mutual interest, to strengthen the economic partnership in trade and investment in our respective regions and beyond. Six areas of cooperation have been identified by the countries mutually, and the aim is to encourage joint investments in water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security. With the help of private sector capital and expertise, the countries will look to modernise infrastructure, explore low carbon development avenues for industries, improve public health, and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies. Takeaways UAE will invest $2 billion USD to develop a series of integrated food parks across India that will incorporate state-of-the-art climate-smart technologies to reduce food waste and spoilage, conserve fresh water, and employ renewable energy sources. The I2U2 group will also advance a hybrid renewable energy project in Gujarat consisting of 300 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar capacity, complemented by a battery energy storage system. The leaders also welcomed India’s interest in joining the United States, the UAE, and Israel in the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate initiative (AIM for Climate). The I2U2 leaders reaffirmed their support for the Abraham Accords and other peace and normalization arrangements with Israel About AIM for Climate The Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate / AIM4C) is a joint initiative by the United States and the United Arab Emirates. AIM for Climate seeks to address climate change and global hunger by uniting participants to significantly increase investment in, and other support for, climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation over five years (2021 – 2025). Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) In which one of the following groups are all the four countries members of G2O? (2020) Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey Australia, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand Brazil, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea Mission Shakti Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Government Policies and Schemes Mains – GS 1 (Social issues) In News: Ministry of Women and Child Development issues Detailed Guidelines for ‘Mission Shakti’. The Government of India has launched ‘Mission Shakti’ – an integrated women empowerment programme as umbrella scheme for the safety, security and empowerment of women. It seeks to realize the Government’s commitment for “women-led development”. The scheme seeks to make women economically empowered, exercising free choice over their minds and bodies in an atmosphere free from violence and threat. It also seeks to reduce the care burden on women and increase female labour force participation by promoting skill development, capacity building, financial literacy, access to micro-credit etc. Mission Shakti Mission Shakti has two sub-schemes – ‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’. While the “Sambal” sub-scheme is for safety and security of women, the “Samarthya” sub-scheme is for empowerment of women. Sambal The components of ‘Sambal’ sub-scheme consist of erstwhile schemes of One Stop Centre (OSC), Women Helpline (WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) with a new component of Nari Adalats – women’s collectives to promote and facilitate alternative dispute resolution and gender justice in society and within families. Samarthya The components of ‘Samarthya’ sub-scheme consist of erstwhile schemes of Ujjwala, Swadhar Greh and Working Women Hostel, National Creche Scheme for children of working mothers and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) under umbrella ICDS have now been included in Samarthya. A new component of Gap Funding for Economic Empowerment has also been added in the Samarthya Scheme. Guidelines Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, the Centre’s flagship programme for women’s empowerment, which focuses on education of girl child and improving sex ratio, will now be extended across the country. The component will aim for zero-budget advertising and encouraging greater spend on activities that have on-ground impact. It aims for promoting sports among girls, self-defence camps, construction of girls’ toilets, making available sanitary napkin vending machines and sanitary pads, especially in educational institutions, awareness about PC-PNDT Act, etc The ministry has now targeted improvement in the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) by 2 points every year, improvement in the percentage of institutional deliveries at 95% or above, 1 per cent increase in enrolment at secondary education level and skilling of girls and women per year, to check dropout rate among girls at secondary and higher secondary levels and raising awareness about safe menstrual hygiene management. The ministry also plans to strengthen One-Stop Centres (OSCs), set up to help women facing violence, including domestic violence and trafficking. The ministry has further introduced a new component — Nari Adalat — for providing women with an alternate grievance redress mechanism to resolve cases of petty nature (harassment, subversion, curtailment of rights or entitlements) at gram panchayat-level, which will be implemented in a phased manner. Source: Pib.gov Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) What is the purpose of Vidyanjali Yojana’? (2017) To enable the famous foreign educational institutions to open their campuses in India. To increase the quality of education provided in government schools by taking help from the private sector and the community. To encourage voluntary monetary contributions from private individuals and organizations so as to improve the infrastructure facilities for primary and secondary schools. Select the correct answer using the code given below: 2 only 3 only 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Government Schemes and Policies Mains – GS 3 (Agriculture) In News: Andhra Pradesh has decided to rejoin the crop insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) from the ongoing kharif season Andhra Pradesh was one of six states that have stopped implementation of the scheme over the last four years. The other five, which remain out, are Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Telangana. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): PMFBY insures farmers against all non-preventable natural risks from pre-sowing to post-harvest. Coverage: The Scheme covers all Food & Oilseeds crops and Annual Commercial/Horticultural Crops for which past yield data is available and for which requisite number of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) are being conducted under General Crop Estimation Survey (GCES). Objectives: To provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crops as a result of natural calamities, pests & diseases To stabilise the income of farmers to ensure their continuance in farming To encourage farmers to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices To ensure flow of credit to the agriculture sector Revamped PMFBY Completely Voluntary: It has been decided to make enrolment 100% voluntary for all farmers from 2020 Kharif. Limit to Central Subsidy: The government has capped the Centre’s premium subsidy under these schemes for premium rates up to 30% for unirrigated areas/crops and 25% for irrigated areas/crops. More Flexibility to States: The government has given the flexibility to states/UTs to implement PMFBY and given them the option to select any number of additional risk covers/features like prevented sowing, localised calamity, mid-season adversity, and post-harvest losses. Penalising the Pendency: A provision has been incorporated wherein if states don’t release their share before March 31 for the Kharif season and September 30 for rabi, they would not be allowed to participate in the scheme in subsequent seasons. Investing in ICE Activities: Insurance companies have to now spend 0.5% of the total premium collected on information, education and communication (IEC) activities. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) With reference to ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’, consider the following statements: (2016) Under this scheme, farmers will have to pay a uniform premium of two percent for any crop they cultivate in any season of the year. This scheme covers post-harvest losses arising out of cyclones and unseasonal rains. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Unparliamentary words Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Polity In News: Ahead of the Monsoon Session, Lok Sabha Secretariat compiled a list of 151 words, deemed unfit for use in Parliament. The new list has words and phrases disallowed not only in the Indian Parliament, but also in various state assemblies, as well as some parliaments of other countries. The rules While Article 105(2) of the Constitution lays down that no MP shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in Parliament or any committee thereof. But whatever an MP says is subject to the discipline of the Rules of Parliament, the good sense of Members, and the control of proceedings by the Speaker. These checks ensure that MPs cannot use defamatory or indecent or undignified or unparliamentary words inside the House. Rule 380 (“Expunction”) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha says: “If the Speaker is of opinion that words have been used in debate which are defamatory or indecent or unparliamentary or undignified, the Speaker may, while exercising discretion order that such words be expunged from the proceedings of the House.” The state legislatures too are guided mainly by the same book. How the list is prepared If a member uses a word that could be unparliamentary and hurts the decorum or dignity of the House, the head of the reporting section sends it to the Speaker or the presiding officer citing relevant rules and precedence with a recommendation to expunge them. The Speaker has the discretion under Rule 380 to expunge the word or usage. At the end of the session, a compilation of words removed from the records, along with reasons, is sent to the Speaker’s office, Sansad TV and the editorial service for information. The focus on expunging a remark is on the context. Source: Indian Express The Hindu Platform of Platforms (POP) under eNAM Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Government Initiatives In News: The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched the Platform of Platforms (POP) under the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM). e-NAM integrates the platform of Service Providers as “Platform of Platforms” which includes Composite Service Providers, Logistics Service Provider, Quality Assurance Service Provider, Cleaning, Grading, Sorting & Packaging Service Provider etc The inclusion of various service providers not only adds to the value of the e-NAM platform, but also gives the users of the platform options to avail services from different service providers. It enables farmers, FPOs, traders and other stakeholders to access a wide variety of goods and services across the agricultural value chain through a single window, thereby giving more options to the stakeholders. With the introduction of POP, farmers will be facilitated to sell the produce outside their state borders. This will increase farmers’ digital access to multiple markets, buyers and service providers and bring transparency in business transactions with the aim of improving price search mechanism and quality commensurate price realisation. The PoP will create a digital ecosystem, which will benefit from the expertise of different platforms in different segments of the agricultural value chain. Source: Pib.gov Forest Conservation Rules Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Environment Mains – GS 3 (Environment) Context: Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued the Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022. Forest Conservation Rules The Forest Conservation Rules deal with the implementation of the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980. They prescribe the procedure to be followed for forest land to be diverted for non-forestry uses such as road construction, highway development, railway lines, and mining. The broad aim of the FCA are to protect forest and wildlife, put brakes on State governments’ attempts to hive off forest land for commercial projects and striving to increase the area under forests. For forest land beyond five hectares, approval for diverting land must be given by the Central government. This is via a specially constituted committee, called the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC). This committee examines whether the user agency, or those who have requested forest land, have made a convincing case for the upheaval of that specific parcel of land, whether they have a plan in place to ensure that the ensuing damage will be Once the FAC is convinced and approves (or rejects a proposal), it is forwarded to the concerned State government where the land is located, who then has to ensure that provisions of the Forest Right Act, 2006, a separate Act that protects the rights of forest dwellers and tribals over their land, are complied with. What do the updated rules say? The rules make a provision for private parties to cultivate plantations and sell them as land to companies who need to meet compensatory forestation targets. The new Forest Conservation Rules do not mention the earlier requirement of attaining a gram sabha NOC before diverting forest land for a project. They also allow forest rights to be settled after the final approval for forest clearances has been granted by the Centre Since forest rights now need to be carried out by the state government, state governments will be under even greater pressure from the Centre to accelerate the process of diversion of forest land. Forest Conservation Act 1980 Alarmed at India’s rapid deforestation and resulting environmental degradation, the Centre Government enacted the Forest (Conservation) Act in 1980. It was enacted to consolidate the law related to forest, the transit of forest produces and the duty liveable on timber and other forests produce. Forest officers and their staff administer the Forest Act. The Act deals with the four categories of forests, namely reserved forests, village forests, protected forests, and private forests. Features Section 2 of the act lists four criteria where permission of the Central Government is required for any action of State regarding – Declaring that any reserved forest ceases to be reserved. Use of forestland for non-forest purposes. Leasing forest to any private person. Declaring that any forest land may be cleared of trees that have grown naturally in that land, for the purpose of using it for reforestation. Removing self-regenerating forest for the creation of plantation is also the non-forest purpose. There is also a provision of compensatory afforestation. User agency has to pay for forestland as if is revenue land. NPV (Net Present Value) has to be paid for 50 years. NPV is an ecological cost of forests. Source: The Hindu Previous Year Question Q.1) Consider the following statements: (2019) As per recent amendment to the Indian Forest Act, 1927, forest dwellers have the right to fell the bamboos grown on forest areas. As per the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, bamboo is a minor forest produce. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 allows ownership of minor forest produce to forest dwellers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Draft National Policy on Persons with Disabilities (PwD) Open in new  window Syllabus Mains – GS 2 (Governance) In News: Recently Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has invited public feedback on the New Draft National Policy on Disability (PwD). Provisions of the Draft Policy According to the draft, current national programme on prevention of disabilities by Health Ministry focuses on “traditional causes”. But there are other causes of disability, including malnourishment, socio-cultural factors, medical negligence, and impairment caused by disasters. Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 also increased the number of disabilities from 7 to 21. Policy called for a comprehensive national programme on prevention of disabilities and other medical conditions that could manifest as a disability. According to the draft, one-third of most disabilities in children were preventable, if detected timely and early. The draft policy also said the States and Union Territories should add a provision on compliance with the RPD Act when granting permission or recognition to educational institutions. Disability module should also be included in MBBS and other medical courses. Necessity for a new policy India’s signing of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Enactment of new disability legislation (Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016) Being a party to the Incheon Strategy for Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022 (“Incheon commitment”) The policy document highlights a detailed commitment to education, health, skill development and employment, sports and culture, social security, accessibility and other institutional mechanisms. However, a absence of any commitment to the political uplift of persons with disabilities makes the draft incomplete. Importance of Political Participation Article 29 of the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities mandates that state parties should ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives. The Incheon goals also promote participation in political processes and in decision making. The exclusion of disabled people from the political space happens at all levels of the political process in the country, and in different ways. For instance, the inaccessibility of the voting process, barriers to participation in party politics or a lack of representation at the local, State or national levels have all aggravated the marginalisation of the disabled. Political parties in India still do not find the disabled as the large electorate to specifically address their needs. The lack of accessible space for party meetings, inaccessible transport for campaigning or an attitudinal barrier among voters and party leaders can be termed as contributing factors Way forward The goal of the policy document — of inclusiveness and empowerment — cannot be achieved without political inclusion. The policy should include Capacity building of disabled people’s organisations and empowering their members through training in the electoral system, government structure, and basic organisational and advocacy skills’; the creation, amendment or removal of legal and regulatory frameworks by lawmakers and election bodies to encourage the political participation of the disabled; inclusion of civil societies to conduct domestic election observation or voter education campaigns; And a framework for political parties to conduct a meaningful outreach to persons with disabilities when creating election campaign strategies and developing policy positions. Learn from the Best practice Few States have begun the initiative at local levels to increase participation. For instance, Chhattisgarh started the initiative of nominating at least one disabled person in each panchayat. This step increases the participation of the disabled in the political space at local level. Source: The Hindu Baba’s Explainer –  Niti Aayog’s report on India’s gig economy Niti Aayog’s report on India’s gig economy Syllabus GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. GS-3: Indian Economy & challenges Context: In a report titled ‘India’s Booming Gig and Platform Economy’, government think-tank Niti Aayog has made suggestions on Gig Economy. Read Complete Details on Niti Aayog’s report on India’s gig economy Daily Practice MCQs Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) Consider the following statements The Engineering, Procurement and Construction Model requires the government to undertake the total funding of the project In Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) the private sector has no right to collect tolls. In Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) public sector will allow private sector partner to collect revenue from the users. Choose the correct statements: 1 only 1, 2 and 3 1 and 3 2 and 3 Q.2) Consider the following statements about Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) Both Indian and foreign nationals can be charged under the act The investigation has to be completed within 90 days and if not, the accused is eligible for default bail It empowers the Union government to designate individual as a terrorist Choose the incorrect statements: 1 only 1 and 2 2 only None Q.3) Consider the following statements Mission Shakti It is an integrated women empowerment programme scheme for the safety, security and empowerment of women. It is an initiative of NITI Aayog. Mission Shakti has two sub-schemes called Sambal and Samarthya. Choose the correct statements: 1 and 3 1 only 1, 2 and 3 2 and 3 Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!! ANSWERS FOR ’15th JULY 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs. ANSWERS FOR 14th JULY 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs Answers- Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) – c Q.2) – c Q.3) – b

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies 4 Questions [15th July, 2022] – Day 23

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 23 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 

Baba’s Explainer

Baba's Explainer - Niti Aayog’s report on India’s gig economy

ARCHIVES Syllabus GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. GS-3: Indian Economy & challenges Context: In a report titled ‘India’s Booming Gig and Platform Economy’, government think-tank Niti Aayog has made suggestions on Gig Economy. What is Gig Economy? A gig economy is a free market system in which organisations hire or contract workers for a short span of time. Simply put, the positions are temporary to meet the company’s requirements by having short-term engagements. According to the Code on Social Security, 2020 (India), “A gig worker is a person who performs work or participates in work arrangements and earns from such activities, outside of the traditional employer-employee relationship.” Gig workers can be broadly classified into platform and non-platform-based workers. Platform workers are those whose work is based on online software apps or digital platforms. Non-platform gig workers are generally casual wage workers and own-account workers in the conventional sectors, working part-time or full time. What is the significance of Gig Economy for India’s overall Economic growth? With a population of over 1.3 billion people, the majority of whom are under the age of 35, India requires the development of a “gig economy” to provide large-scale employment for a semi-skilled and unskilled workforce. At present, about 47 per cent of the gig work is in medium skilled jobs, about 22 per cent in high skilled, and about 31 per cent in low skilled jobs. According to the Economic Survey 2020-21, “the changing nature work with the change in technology, the evolution of new economic activities, innovation in organisation structures and evolving business models have grown the potential of the gig economy.” The survey also stated that digital platforms played a significant role in discovering job seekers and job providers in the absence of middlemen. According to the Boston Consulting Group’s report, in India, over 15 million workers are employed as gig workers across the industries. The number is projected to rise by over 24 million in the near-medium term and to 90 million in the long term. An ASSOCHAM report reveals, that the gig sector has the potential to grow to the US $455 billion at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17% by 2024. The Indian gig economy has the potential to add 25% to the Indian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provide over 90 million jobs in the non-farm sectors of India. While in 2020-21, the gig workforce constituted 2.6% of the non-agricultural workforce or 1.5% of the total workforce in India, by 2029-30, gig workers are expected to form 6.7% of the non-agricultural workforce or 4.1% of the total livelihood workforce in India What are the benefits of the Gig Economy? Beneficial for Worker: Workers get to choose where, when and what they’ll work on When you’re working in the gig economy you can decide the jobs you’re applying to or taking, which platforms you’re joining, where you’re working from and under what schedule. Beneficial for firms: In a gig economy, organizations can reduce their costs with both time and money. Companies aren’t hiring someone for a long period and with all the privileges of a fixed-term employee (like paid vacations or health insurance, as is the case in some countries). This allows them not only to save money but also to get the best person on board for a short time. Furthermore, businesses also save time with long recruitment and selection processes. This allows them to be more agile and better respond to the market’s unpredictabilities. Beneficial for Consumers: With the gig economy consumers get instantly gratified and the economy grows Thanks to firms that are based on gig workers, transactions costs for consumers are lower, all types of products are delivered everywhere, almost at any time, and the idea of convenience is now at a whole new level. Benefits for overall Economy: From a macroeconomic perspective, independent work brings many benefits too as it increases labor force participation and the number of hours worked in the economy. Jobs from the gig economy are an extraordinary opportunity to lift up the unemployed and thus addresses the unemployment problem in an economy. At the same time, they allow people to specialize in what they do best, making them feel more engaged and ultimately raising their productivity. So from a point of view of artists or creatives starting a career, it’s a good way to making a living while dedicating time to make their art and build up a career. What are the challenges or concerns with Gig Economy? The benefits of the gig economy are decentralized and affect different actors, from workers to businesses and consumers. However, when it comes to its disadvantages, they rely mostly on workers. Less social protection and no more perks in the gig economy Traditional jobs often provide employees with a lot of protections and perks like bonuses, paid holidays, insurance, travel and housing allowances, and provident fund savings However, independent workers don’t benefit from any of this as they’re just performing temporary works. They need to handle their own retirement plan and health insurance and use their own car and fuel. Moreover, paid vacations or sick days are over. Independent workers are paid per assignment and they’ll only get all their money once the job is over and delivered. So if they’re not working, they’re not being paid. Poor Service Conditions Low wages, bait-and-switch incentives, Opaque payout calculations, commission deductions, and constant surveillance on aggregator platforms have all contributed to massive demonstrations by gig workers against the aggregators’ service conditions. Burden on skilling A worker must be sufficiently skilled. Unless a person is exceptionally gifted, his bargaining power is bound to be limited. A gig-economy employee will have to upgrade his skills on his own at his own cost While companies routinely invest in training employees. Lack of possibility for upward mobility within an organisation has triggered protests from workers at companies like Swiggy, Zomato, Ola, Uber etc. Outdated Regulatory Framework It is largely unregulated which results in less job security and nominal benefits. In another word, it is an extension of India’s informal or unorganised labour, which is yet to be reformed by the government India has protected workers through heavy-handed industrial regulation and labour laws, which suit the factory floor. They are irrelevant, insufficient, and ineffective in addressing disputes that originate on these platforms. Demand-Supply Mismatch: There are already far more potential online independent workers than there are jobs, and the demand-supply mismatch will only worsen over time, lowering wages. Algorithm dependent decisions A large component of delivery platform’s cost is gig worker fees. An analysis of the grievances suggests that many are linked to the way gig work is assigned, performed and rewarded – all of which are decided by Machine Learning (ML) algorithms that try to cut costs & maximise profits. The Gig Economy Can Bring Loneliness Being an independent worker, depending on the type of job, can be very lonely. This is especially true for designers, developers or copywriters working on their laptop from home. They can be spending a whole week working at home without real-life interactions. Challenges from traditional players Companies that operate by the gig economy’s principles are posing a big challenge to the previously established businesses. For instance, Airbnb is putting the hotel’s industry on notice, and the same happens with Uber and the taxi industry. Traditional players are lobbying with government bodies to bring in level playing legislations so as to protect the interest of existing players. Given the electoral weight that these traditional players command, government regulations may lead to additional conditions on such gig principled based businesses. Such conditions can increase the costs and blunt their competitive edge. What are the laws for the gig workers in India? According to the Code on Wages, 2019, a universal minimum wage and floor wage should be provided to all organised and unorganised sectors, including gig workers. Whereas under the Code on Social Security, 2020, the gig workers are provided with recognition as a new occupational category. The SS Code also defines an unorganised sector worker as one who works in the unorganised sector and is not covered by the provisions of the Industrial Relations Act, 1947. Consequently, both gig workers and platform workers are also covered by the definition of unorganised sector worker. The definitions of gig worker, platform worker and unorganised sector worker are overlapping and confusing. As the Code envisions different social security schemes for each of these categories of workers, there is a lack of clarity about what scheme will apply to whom, potentially leading to challenges at the stage of implementation. SS Code adopts a welfare-based approach towards social security and places an obligation on the union and state governments, rather than rights-based approach. What are the recommendations by NITI Aayog for Gig Economy? Catalysing Platformization A Platform India initiative, built on the pillars of accelerating platformization by simplification and handholding, funding support and incentives, skill development, and social financial inclusion, like the immensely successful Startup India initiative, may be introduced. Accelerating access to Finance for Platform workers Access to institutional credit may be enhanced through financial products specifically designed for platform workers and those interested to set-up their own platforms. Venture capital funding, grants and loans from banks and other funding agencies should be provided to platform businesses of all sizes at the pre-revenue and early-revenue stages. Skill development for Platform Jobs Platform-led models of skilling and job creation need to be promoted for the gig and platform sector. Platforms can collaborate with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to nurture skilled workers and micro-entrepreneurship Enhancing social inclusion in the new-age digital economy Platform businesses can undertake partnerships with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to enable different sections of workers such as women workers and PwDs to take up employment opportunities in the platform sector through skill development, access to finance and assets. Women led-platforms or platforms that encourage recruitment of women employees and those with disabilities should be incentivized. Extending social security for gig & platform workers in india On the lines of measures introduced to mitigate the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic by platforms businesses, measures for paid sick leave, health insurance may be adopted by platforms for all the workers they engage, round the year. Recommendations for future estimations of platform workers Undertake a separate enumeration exercise to estimate the size of the gig economy, and identify the characteristic features of gig workers During enumerations (census, PLFS, NSS or otherwise), capture the different occupations an individual might be performing, including whether or not they are a gig worker. During enumerations, collect information to identify gig workers. This could include questions on the nature of contract between worker and job creator, use of technology in work, etc RAISE Framework for Operationalizing the Code on Social Security (CoSS), 2020: As Central and State governments draw up rules and regulations under CoSS 2020, they could adopt the five-pronged RAISE approach to ensure realisation of full access to social security for all gig and platform workers: Recognise the varied nature of platform work to design equitable schemes. Allow augmentation of social security through innovative financing mechanisms. Incorporate, while designing schemes, the specific interests of platforms, factoring the impact on job creation, platform businesses and workers. Support workers to subscribe to government schemes and welfare programmes through widespread awareness campaigns. Ensure benefits are readily accessible to workers Mains Practice Question –  The rapidly burgeoning gig workforce is ushering in a new economic revolution globally. Critically analyse. Note: Write answers to this question in the comment section.  

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2022 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 15th July 2022

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

Important Articles

Open Session on Philosophical Essays for UPSC MAINS 2022 in Bangalore & Delhi on 17th July (Sunday) at 11 AM

Dear Students Essay paper has become tricky these days, especially given the importance to the 'Philosophical' part. Even though it’s a high-scoring paper, There are many issues students face. Not able to decide which essay to attempt Unable to decode the statement properly Struggling to generate dimensions Issues in Introducing & concluding the Essay etc To address all of these, we are conducting an Open Session on  ‘How to tackle Philosophical Essays’ for UPSC Mains 2022 Open Session In Delhi - 17 July (Sunday) @ 11 AM Mohan Sir (Founder, IASbaba) Atyab Ali Sir (Faculty & Core Team member of IASbaba) Register Now for The Session Note Registrations are mandatory Open Session In Bengaluru - 17 July (Sunday) @ 11 AM Sunil Oberoi Sir (Retd. IAS) Register Now for The Session Note Registrations are mandatory Attend the Session to gain crucial insights & Score high marks in the underrated Essay Paper!

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 14th July 2022

Archives (PRELIMS & MAINS Focus) Global Gender Gap Index Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Current Affairs Mains – GS 1 (Social Issues); GS 3 (Economy – Development) In News: The Global Gender Gap Index for 2022 was released by the World Economic Forum. Global Gender Gap Index It benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment On each of the four sub-indices as well as on the overall index the GGG index provides scores between 0 and 1, where 1 shows full gender parity and 0 is complete imparity. The cross-country comparisons aim to support the identification of the most effective policies to close gender gaps Ranking Although no country achieved full gender parity, the top 10 economies closed at least 80% of their gender gaps, with Iceland (90.8%) leading the global ranking. Iceland is followed by Finland (86%, 2nd), Norway (84.5%, 3rd), New Zealand (84.1%, 4th), Sweden (82.2%, 5th), Rwanda (81.1%, 6th), Nicaragua (81%, 7th), Namibia (80.7%, 8th), Ireland (80.4%, 9th) and Germany (80.1%, 10th). India was ranked at 135 out of 146 countries India’s Performance India has approximately 662 million (or 66.2 crore) women. In 2022, India’s overall score has improved from 0.625 (in 2021) to 0.629. India’s score of 0.629 is its seventh-highest score in the last 16 years. India ranked poorly among its neighbours and is behind Bangladesh (71), Nepal (96), Sri Lanka (110), Maldives (117) and Bhutan (126). Only Iran (143), Pakistan (145) and Afghanistan (146) perform worse than India in south Asia. How India stands on different sub-indices: Political Empowerment This includes metrics such as the percentage of women in Parliament, the percentage of women in ministerial positions etc. Of all the sub-indices, this is where India ranks the highest (48th out of 146). Economic Participation and Opportunity This includes metrics such as the percentage of women who are part of the labour force, wage equality for similar work, earned income etc India ranks a lowly 143 out of the 146 countries in contention even though its score has improved over 2021 from 0.326 to 0.350. Educational Attainment This sub-index includes metrics such as literacy rate and the enrolment rates in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Here India ranks 107th out of 146. Health and Survival This includes two metrics: the sex ratio at birth and healthy life expectancy. In this metric, India is ranked the last (146) among all the countries. Source: Indian Express The Hindu Previous Year Question Q.1) The Global Competitiveness Report is published by the (2019) International Monetary Fund United Nations Conference on Trade and Development World Economic Forum World Bank Q.2) Rule of Law Index” is released by which of the following? (2018) Amnesty International International Court of Justice The office of UN Commissioner for Human Rights World Justice Project Election Symbol Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Polity In News: The spilt in Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena party has bought the focus on allocation of Election Symbol by Election Commission. Election Symbol An electoral or election symbol is a standardized symbol allocated to a political party. They are used by the parties during their campaigning and are shown on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), where the voter chooses the symbol and votes for the associated party. They were introduced to facilitate voting by illiterate people. In the 1960s, it was proposed that the regulation, reservation and allotment of electoral symbols should be done through a law of Parliament, i.e. Symbol Order. In a response to this proposal, the ECI stated that the recognition of political parties is supervised by the provisions of Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 and so will the allotment of symbols. The EC registers political parties for the purpose of elections and grants them recognition as national or state parties on the basis of their poll performance. The other parties are simply declared as registered-unrecognised parties. The recognition determines their right to certain privileges like allocation of the party symbols, provision of time for political broadcasts on television and radio stations and access to electoral rolls. Every national party and every state party is allotted a symbol exclusively reserved for its use throughout the country and the states respectively. Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968: Under Paragraph 15 of the Order, EC can decide disputes among rival groups or sections of a recognised political party staking claim to its name and symbol. The EC is the only authority to decide issues on a dispute or a merger under the order. The Supreme Court (SC) upheld its validity in Sadiq Ali and another vs. ECI in 1971. This applies to disputes in recognised national and state parties. For splits in registered but unrecognised parties, the EC usually advises the warring factions to resolve their differences internally or to approach the court. In almost all disputes decided by the EC so far, a clear majority of party delegates/office bearers, MPs and MLAs have supported one of the factions. Whenever the EC could not test the strength of rival groups based on support within the party organisation, it fell back on testing the majority only among elected MPs and MLAs. The splinter group of the party – other than the group that got the party symbol – had to register itself as a separate party. They could lay claim to national or state party status only on the basis of its performance in state or central elections after registration. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) Consider the following statements: (2017) The Election Commission of India is a five-member body. Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 only 2 and 3 only 3 only HPV vaccine Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Science & Technology In News: The Serum Institute of India (SII)’s vaccine Cervavac recently received the Drugs Controller General of India’s (DGCI) approval for market authorisation. Cervavac is India’s first quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) vaccine, and intended to protect women against cervical cancer. Cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a common sexually transmitted infection. Long-lasting infection with certain types of HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer. Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer type and the second most common cause of cancer death in women of reproductive age (15–44). India accounts for about a fifth of the global burden, with 23 lakh cases and around 67,000 deaths per year according to the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer It kills one woman every eight minutes in the country. Screening and vaccination are two powerful tools that are available for preventive cervical cancer. Still there is little awareness among women for prevention of this cancer and less than 10% of Indian women get screened. Existing vaccines Two vaccines licensed globally are available in India — a quadrivalent vaccine (Gardasil, from Merck) and a bivalent vaccine (Cervarix, from GlaxoSmithKline). Although HPV vaccination was introduced in 2008, it has yet to be included in the national immunisation programme. The new vaccine The vaccine is based on VLP (virus like particles), similar to the hepatitis B vaccine, and provides protection by generating antibodies against the HPV virus’s L1 protein. This will be a huge step to accelerate cervical cancer elimination in India and globally. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) With reference to recent developments regarding ‘Recombinant Vector Vaccines’, consider the following statements: (2021) Genetic engineering is applied in the development of these vaccines. Bacteria and viruses are used as vectors. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Clean energy targets Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Current Affairs Mains – GS 3 (Economy – Energy) In News: India has achieved clean energy targets nine years ahead of schedule – stated the Union Power Ministry. India has installed 162 GW (1 GW is 1,000 MW) of renewable energy capacity, which is 41% of the 402 GW of electricity installed. India reached this target on November 2021. In 2015, India committed to ensuring that 40% of its energy would be from renewable sources by 2030 as part of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). New Target At the COP26 India is committed to achieving 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by the year 2030. Challenges in Achieving the Target: Mobilization of the Necessary Finance: Gearing up the banking sector for arranging finances for larger deployment goals, exploring low-interest rate, long-term international funding, and developing a suitable mechanism for risk mitigation or sharing by addressing both technical and financial bottlenecks are major challenges. Land Acquisition: Identification of land with Renewable Energy potential, its conversion, clearance from land ceiling Act, decision on land lease rent, clearance from revenue department, and other such clearances take time. State governments have to play a major role in acquisition of land for RE projects. Creating Ecosystem: Creating an innovation and manufacturing eco-system in the country. Others: Integrating a larger share of renewables with the grid. Enabling supply of firm and dispatchable power from renewables. Enabling penetration of renewables in the so called hard to decarbonize sectors. Source: Deccan Herald Pib.gov Climate change missions Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Current Affairs Mains – GS 3 (Environment) In News: The Tamil Nadu government has established District Climate Change Missions in all 38 districts. The missions will be headed by the Collectors as Mission Directors. The District Forest Officers will function as Climate Officers. The missions will help to strengthen the government’s climate response at the grassroots. The Collectors will have to prepare district-level climate change mitigation and adaptation plans, build capacity and provide inputs for low-carbon, climate-resilient development plans. The Collectors will also work towards strengthening Climate Smart Villages and create bio-shields in the coastal areas. Significance The missions will create a strong policy support across all sectors of governance; devise strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and bench-mark industries to move towards green manufacturing. They will also promote eco-friendly technologies, such as solar and wind energy technologies, biodegradable packaging and e-vehicles. Community Participation: Educating local communities in the management of climate change and creating technologies for evidence-based green models for adaptation and practical models for green mobility are the other objectives. Source: The Hindu Paracel Islands Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Geography – Places in News In News: Recently, A U.S. destroyer sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, drawing an angry reaction from Beijing. The United States regularly carries out what it calls Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea challenging what it says are restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China and other claimants. July 11 marked the sixth anniversary of a ruling by an international tribunal that invalidated China’s sweeping claims to the South China Sea, a conduit for about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade each year. China has never accepted the ruling. China’s Claim: China lays claim to nearly all of the South China Sea, including the Paracel Islands. However, Taiwan, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam also claim parts of the region, believed to hold valuable oil and gas deposits. South China Sea Location: South China Sea is an arm of western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia. It is connected by Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea. Bordering states & territories: the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam Strategic Importance: This Sea holds tremendous strategic importance for its location as it is the connecting link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean (Strait of Malacca). Contesting Claims Over Islands: The Paracel Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. The Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and Philippines. The Scarborough Shoal is claimed by Philippines, China and Taiwan. China’s Assertion: Since 2010, China has been converting uninhabited islets into artificial islets to bring it under UNCLOS. China has been changing the size and structure of the reefs by modifying their physical land features. It has also established airstrips on Parcel and Spratly. Chinese fishing fleets are engaged in paramilitary work on behalf of the state rather than the commercial enterprise of fishing. The US is very critical of this building of artificial islands and terms these actions of China as building a ‘great wall of sand’. Source: The Hindu Previous Year Question Q.1) Consider the following pairs: (2019) Sea – Bordering Country Adriatic Sea – Albania Black Sea – Croatia Caspian Sea – Kazakhstan Mediterranean Sea – Morocco Red Sea – Syria Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? 1, 2 and 4 only 1, 3 and 4 only 2 and 5 only 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 India - South Korea Relations Open in new  window Syllabus Mains – GS 2 (International Relations) Context: South Korea’s new willingness to become a global pivotal state and play an active role in regional affairs is bound to create multiple opportunities for a multi-dimensional India- Korea partnership During the past five years, India and South Korea have experienced considerable divergence in their respective national objectives India and South Korea have faced serious blockades to their economic ties. Trade between the two countries was sluggish and there was no major inflow of South Korean investment into India. Thus South Korea’s new willingness to become a global pivotal state and play an active role in regional affairs is bound to create multiple opportunities for a multi-dimensional India- Korea partnership. Converging Ideas Correcting a China tilt South Korea’s strategic policy shift to correct its heavy tilt towards China is bound to bring new economic opportunities for both countries. Both nations will now be in a better position to understand and accommodate the other’s trade investments and supply chain needs. Economic Co operation The emerging strategic alignment is creating a new convergence of capabilities and closer synergy in new areas of economic cooperation such as public health, green growth, digital connectivity, and trade, among others. In 2020, India and South Korea signed a Roadmap for Defence Industries Cooperation. With the strategic shift in South Korea’s defence orientation, new doors of cooperation for defence and security have emerged. Indo-Pacific outlook India has evolved excellent strategic partnerships with Japan, Vietnam and Australia. Unfortunately, South Korea has not received the same level of attention from the Indian establishment. South Korea could be the fourth pillar in India’s Indo-Pacific strategy along with Japan, Australia, and Vietnam. This can bring about a paradigm shift in India’s position and influence in the region. Way Forward The time has come for the Indian and South Korean bilateral partnership to be strategically scaled up at the political, diplomatic and security domain levels. With South Korea’s emergence as a leader in critical technologies, cybersecurity and cyber-capacity building, outer space and space situational awareness capabilities, South Korea can contribute immensely to enhance India’s foundational strengths in the Indo-Pacific. India can help South Korea withstand Chinese pressure and North Korean threats. An independent, strong, and democratic South Korea can be a long-term partner with India that will add significant value to India’s Indo-Pacific strategy. This new partnership can have a long-term positive impact for both countries and the Indo-Pacific region. It is an opportunity that neither country can afford to miss. Source: The Hindu Responsibilities of President Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Polity Mains – GS 2 (Polity) In News: India is going to elect its new President on July 18. This has bought the focus on the role of President to intervene on behalf of the citizenry against the tyranny of the executive. Importance of this office in the governance of the country Method of election of the President – People’s role It is an indirect election. Under Article 54, the President is elected by an electoral college consisting of only the elected members of both Houses of Parliament and the elected members of the State and Union Territory Assemblies. A matter of importance in this context is the vote value of Members of the Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) and the formula for its computation. The vote of an MLA is assigned a certain higher value. The point is that in the computation of the value, the population of the State figures in a significant way. The population of the country is a crucial factor in the election of the President, which means the people’s presence in the process of electing the President is very much visible. This also gives the President a greater moral authority. So, the Indian President is not and cannot be a mere rubber stamp. He does not directly exercise the executive authority of the Union, but he can disagree with the decision of the Council of Ministers, caution them, counsel them, and so on. The President can ask the Cabinet to reconsider its decisions. His Responsibility The Constitution of India wants the President to be vigilant and responsive, and gives the freedom to him or her to take a broader view of things uninfluenced by the narrow political view of the executive. This point becomes clearer when we take a look at the oath the President takes before entering office. The oath contains two solemn promises. First, the President shall preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. Second, the President shall devote himself or herself to the service and the well-being of the people of India. Thus he is bound to intervene on behalf of the citizenry against the tyranny of the executive. There were Presidents such as Rajendra Prasad and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who openly differed with the government on certain policy issues and could exert tremendous influence on the government. Thus, it is possible for a President to disagree with the government or intervene on behalf of the citizenry against the tyranny of the executive and persuade it to give up its ways. Source: The Hindu Baba’s Explainer –  Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Syllabus GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. GS-2: Judiciary & challeges Context: NITI Aayog in Nov 2021 released the report ‘Designing the Future of Dispute Resolution: The ODR Policy Plan for India’, to scale dispute avoidance, containment and resolution online. The roll out of the stated recommendations in the report can help make India a world leader in using technology and innovation through Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) for effective access to justice for every individual. The report was based on the recommendation made by Committee headed by Justice AK Sikri, which was constituted by NITI Aayog at the peak of COVID crisis in 2020. Read Complete Details on Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Daily Practice MCQs Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) Consider the following statements about Global Gender Gap Index It is published by World Economic Forum It benchmarks gender parity across five key dimensions Of all the sub-indices India has ranked highest in Political Empowerment Choose the correct statements: 1, 2 and 3 2 and 3 1 and 3 1 and 2 Q.2) Arrange the following islands of South China Sea from South to North Scarborough Shoal Paracel Islands Spratly Islands Choose the correct code: 1-3-2 1-2-3 3-1-2 3-2-1 Q.3) Which of the following state has recently set up climate change missions in all its districts? Kerala Tamil Nadu Uttarakhand Odisha Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!! ANSWERS FOR ’14th JULY 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs. ANSWERS FOR 13th JULY 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs Answers- Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) – b Q.2) – d Q.3) – a

Baba’s Explainer

Baba's Explainer - Online Dispute Resolution (ODR)

ARCHIVES Syllabus GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. GS-2: Judiciary & challeges Context: NITI Aayog in Nov 2021 released the report ‘Designing the Future of Dispute Resolution: The ODR Policy Plan for India’, to scale dispute avoidance, containment and resolution online. The roll out of the stated recommendations in the report can help make India a world leader in using technology and innovation through Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) for effective access to justice for every individual. The report was based on the recommendation made by Committee headed by Justice AK Sikri, which was constituted by NITI Aayog at the peak of COVID crisis in 2020. What is Online Dispute Resolution (ODR)? ODR is the resolution of disputes, particularly small- and medium-value cases, using digital technology and techniques of Alternative Dispute Resolutions, such as arbitration, conciliation and mediation. ODR is often simplistically understood to mean e-ADR or ADR that is enabled through technology. As a dispute resolution avenue it can be provided both as an extension of the public court system and outside of it. It is not just any form of technology integration (such as electronically scheduling a session), but its active use to help resolve the dispute. ODR can use technology tools that are powered by Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning in the form of automated dispute resolution, script-based solution and curated platforms that cater to specific categories of disputes What are the merits of ODR? Changes the paradigm of Justice delivery: Through ODR courts should be a service not a place. It can be a service that is accessible, formidable, intelligible, pervasive, robust and designed with an outcome-oriented framework. Improves Legal Health of Country: ODR can help in not just dispute resolution but also in dispute containment, dispute avoidance and promotion of general legal health of the country. Ease of Access: Through ODR justice need not have to be mandatorily associated with a place i.e. courts, but rather as a service, that can be provided at parties’ convenience. It eliminates the need for travel and synchronisation of schedules. Reduces Judicial Burden: Cases like motor accidents claims, cheque bouncing cases, personal injury claims and issues such as this may be dealt with by ODR. This helps reduce the court’s burden which is already facing huge backlogs of cases. Promotes Innovation: For a few years now, legal technology start-ups have been attempting to make a difference to the justice delivery systems in India. Collaboration between the private sector and the judiciary, as seen in the case of e-Lok Adalats, has been very successful in resolving disputes In a welcome move to provide recognition and legitimacy to such start-ups, the Department of Legal Affairs has recently invited applications from institutes providing ADR/ ODR services in the country to host such list of service providers on its website. Legislative Preparedness: Though in a piecemeal fashion, there are numerous support legislations which provide legislative backing for the ADR aspect of ODR (such as the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 or the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908) as well as the technology aspect of ODR (such as the Indian Evidence Act, 1972 and the Information and Technology Act, 2000). Useful during Crisis Times: Increasingly, ODR has received impetus across Government, businesses and even the judicial processes to tide over the constraints due to Covid-19. Resolves Storage Issues: Document storage has been replaced by the ODR mechanism as one of the most common problems faced in Indian courts. International Trend: ODR has already been integrated in several jurisdictions such as US, Canada, Brazil, and the UAE wherein the government, the judiciary and private institutions are working together to exploit the benefits of ODR towards enabling greater access to justice. In the UK, CASEMAN, a part of the local county court management system, performs myriad tasks, like creating initial court records for registration of cases, issuing summons and monitoring them, storing electronic copies of evidence, generating cause-lists, maintaining court diary, and automatically generating other relevant documents and records. In the Australian Federal Court, documents are filed electronically on the e Lodgment system, at any time, from anywhere. They are then sealed, or stamped, electronically. Canada has introduced its online Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) which deals with small claims disputes, as well as property issues of any amount in the province of British Columbia What is the existing Technological interventions in the Indian Judicial System? eCourts Mission Mode Project The judiciary’s road to ICT integration started out in 1990 with attempts at computerisation of judiciary initiated by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) However, it was in 2005, that efforts were made to integrate ICT across all levels of the judiciary from the Tehsils to the Supreme Court, in a phased manner. These efforts started off as a part of ‘National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in the Indian Judiciary’ and culminated into one of the judiciary’s flagship projects–the eCourts Mission Mode Project (eCourts Project) The eCourts project has deployed technology infrastructure and standardised software in District Courts across the country. Some of its key successes include the setting up the eCourts websites, creation of the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) and establishment of a unified CIS (Case Information System). E-courts project has also streamlined judicial process through litigant centric services like electronic cause lists, e-filings, e-payments and easy access to case status and daily orders. Integrated Case Management System (ICMS): It was launched in 2017 for integrating the Supreme Court and the High Courts of the country and enabling e-filing throughout the country. Presently, several High Courts in the country including those at Delhi, Punjab, Bombay, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Allahabad have enabled e-filing and presentation of evidence on electronic platforms in their commercial divisions. SUVAS – Integration of Artificial Intelligence Taking ICT integration one step further, the Supreme Court has now harnessed the potential of artificial intelligence through the development of SUVAS i.e. Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software. This artificial intelligence powered software has the capability to translate judgments, orders and judicial documents from English to nine vernacular language scripts (Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Gujarati, Malayalam and Bengali) and vice versa. E-Lok Adalats In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, India saw the organisation of various e-Lok Adalats across States. The first e-Lok Adalat organised by the Chhattisgarh High Court and State Legal Services Authority, on 13th July 2020, settled 2,270 cases in a single day through video conferencing Soon it was replicated in other states. Some State Legal Service Authorities have taken technical assistance from ODR service providers to organise e-Lok Adalats. What are the challenges with ODR? Structural challenges such as lack of digital literacy and digital infrastructure Digital infrastructure includes access to computers, smart phones and medium to high bandwidth internet connection for at least the length of time it takes to conduct meaningful hearings. According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, only 38% of households in India are digitally literate. Behavioural challenges such as lack of awareness, lack of trust in ODR and reluctance on part of the Government to use ODR. This mistrust stems at several levels from scepticism( feeling of doubt) regarding technology to questions regarding enforceability of ODR outcomes. Operational challenges such as difficulty in enforcing ODR outcomes, privacy concerns, archaic legal processes and shortage of competent Neutrals. Privacy concerns includes online impersonation, breach of confidentiality by circulation of documents and data shared during ODR processes, tampering of digital evidence or digitally delivered awards/ agreements. What measures can be taken to improve Online Dispute Resolution Mechanism? Increase access to digital infrastructure A pre-condition for all technology related innovations, including ODR, is widespread access to digital infrastructure. Such access should not just be understood to mean physical access to technology and its tools but also include its utilisation and thus necessitate digital literacy. Additionally, it is important that such access addresses gaps created by differences in class, caste, gender and age and include those individuals who are often on the margins Increase Capacity While access to digital infrastructure is necessary for the inclusion of the end user, increase in capacity of the professionals and the service providers is necessary if ODR is to be scaled up in India. This can be achieved only through systematic and co-ordinated engagement of all concerned stakeholders ranging from the Government to the businesses and the judiciary. To achieve this, there is a need to introduce training programmes, strengthen paralegal services within communities, encourage growth within the private sector, introduce ODR in legal education Build trust in ODR While building infrastructure and ensuring adequate capacity can form the foundation for ODR, its mainstreaming will require increased trust in ODR processes from its end users- individual disputants, businesses and governments. This trust can be built only through collaborative and coordinated efforts from all concerned stakeholders–Neutrals, lawyers, ODR/ ADR institutions, ODR Platforms along with the Government and the judiciary. The Government through the Department of Legal Affairs has already initiated the process by inviting submissions to recognise ADR and ODR services providers. Through such as list, the Government can provide users with a clear description of the services provided by the institutions e.g. e-arbitration, e-mediation etc. and the sectors that they are currently servicing. Such a list can then be shared between Government Departments and PSUs to enable them to choose service providers that satisfy their requirement criteria. Suitably regulate ODR Given sufficient time and room for growth, India has the potential to be the epicentre for innovation and the dynamic development of ODR. With new players entering the field and the ecosystem seeing increased activity, there will be a corresponding need to ensure that the rights of the end users are protected. On the other hand, even though ODR has seen new innovation, these technology solutions are still in their early stages of development. Therefore, it is necessary that the regulatory model adopted by India protect the rights of the end users while ensuring that over-regulation does not stifle innovation. To this end, a light touch approach to regulation is well suited for India, especially during the early stages, which are likely to see immense growth and innovation of a variety of ODR solutions. Mains Practice Question – Critically examine the role of Online Dispute Resolution Mechanism in the Indian Judicial system. Also, highlight the key challenges associated with its implementation.  Note: Write answers to this question in the comment section.  

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2022 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 14th July 2022

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