Mar 13, 2022 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – The Power of You – Inspirational Educative Articles

The Power of You: The Sanskrit word “Viveka” means “Ability to discriminate between Truth and untruth.”  Use of “Viveka” or the power of discrimination, will help you to separate yourself from everything that you are not. You can use the power of discrimination as a sharp knife to dissect your moment-to-moment experience of life. Your intellect can be so sharp that it can cut through a lot of bondages to reveal the real you. With the help of “Viveka” you can clearly identify all that you are doing, and separate it from all that you are. Then the real question will slowly come to you, “Okay then, if I am not my mind and body, then what am I?” That is the question that will take you deeper into meditation. You cannot realize the Self through the intellect. You cannot realize the Truth through intellectual inquiry alone. Yet, through the intellect, you can push away everything that is not you. Just through your intellect, and your ability to discriminate one thing from another, you can come to a clear, logical conclusion that you cannot just be your mind and body; there’s got to be something more to you. Let’s look at an example to understand this line of reasoning. If you want to prove to yourself that your hand is not you, then every day, for one month, watch your hand while it’s in action, as often as possible. At the end of one month, you will clearly see that you are something totally different from your hand. Even if you were to imagine that your hand is gone - try to imagine that you don’t have a hand. Imagine that somehow, your hand has suddenly disappeared. How would this change the perception of you. Just because you don’t have a hand, does it mean that you are a lesser person now? Do you experience yourself any differently now? Yes, you don’t have a hand, but that doesn’t mean that you are in any way diminished. You don’t feel any less of an individual, do you? Something within you is still complete. This is just an example. You can use your intellect this way to separate yourself from your mind and body. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Nirvana Foundation and IASBABA.”

Mar 12, 2022 TLP Mains Answer Writing

SYNOPSIS [11th March,2022] Day 40: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE SYNOPSIS [11th March,2022] Day 40: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)     1. Objectivity is an important pillar of journalistic ethics. Do you agree? Substantiate your views.  Approach-  Candidates need to write about the journalistic ethics and how objectivity will be important pillar of it is to be addressed with substantiating views.  Introduction  Journalistic ethics are basically a set of principles, standards, guidelines and code of conduct prepared for professional journalists. It deals with conduct, character and behaviour of a journalist and how he/she works before, during and after the news gathering and dissemination process. Body  Objectivity in journalism: Objectivity means that when covering hard news, reporters don’t convey their own feelings, biases or prejudices in their stories. The absence of objective journalism leads to the false presentation of truth in a society which affects the perception and opinions of people.   In India instances of violation of ethical norms and principles; from indulging in Paid News, spreading Fake News, engaging sensationalism and exaggerating trivial stories, creating misleading headlines, breach of privacy, distortion of facts has increased manifold it give the sense of losing objectivity.  As observed in the case of Cambridge analytica case, the biased news coverage on social media platform affected the Presidential elections in the U.S. Openly taking sides and bias in reporting. Besides this, many mainstream news media outlets and their journalists are found to be engaging in one-sided media trials, lobbying for personal gains, blackmailing, manipulating news stories, engaging in malicious and defamatory reporting, running propaganda and disinformation campaigns. For example Media’s ugliest moment, however, was its coverage of the news surrounding  Delhi’s Tablighi Jamaat Markaz (meeting).  Objectivity apply not only to how a reporter writes about an issue but to how they conduct themselves in public. A reporter must not only be objective but also convey an image of being objective and fair.  With the advent of social media, technological changes, the reach of media has grown profoundly. Its reach and role in impacting public opinion have made it even more important to ensure its objectivity, non-partisanship calls for the enforcement of and as important pillar of journalistic ethics. Objectivity is not always possible, and may not always be desirable (in the face for example of brutality or inhumanity), but impartial reporting builds trust and confidence. Conclusion In developing countries like India, the media have a great responsibility to fight backward ideas such as casteism and communalism and help the people in their struggle against poverty and other social evils. Hence, having journalistic ethics in place with core principle of objectivity truth accuracy becomes very important. 2. In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher. Comment. Approach  Students are expected to write about the tolerance and simply highlight how enemy stands as best teacher to learn practice tolerant behavior.  Introduction  Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation for those whose opinions, practices, race religion, nationality etc. are different from one’s own. It is fostered by exchange of knowledge, openness, communication with adversaries and opponents.  Body Enemy as best teacher in practicing the tolerance: Prevent tendency of intimidation, coercion, oppression etc. Gives Freedom from Bigotry, Phobias like Xenophobia, Homophobia, Theophobia etc. It helps in understanding the lacunas in opponent and make appropriate changes. It generates Empathy enables people to understand other humans’ motivation to change and predict how conduct will affect people’s behaviour. It attempts to build forgiveness sacrifices and solidarity for the greater good for people with whom we were at tension.  In today’s new emerging rifts in society person with different religion caste ethnicity are considered enemy. With sharing knowledge and reality the willingness to accept or to tolerate will increase. It helps in developing qualities like respect towards faith and belief of different sections and communities without compromising your own beliefs. Showing respect for the race, gender, opinions, religion and ideologies of other people or groups, and to admire the good qualities and good work of others. Openness empathy towards opponent Doesn’t mean submission but to put your viewpoint and opinion in a respectful manner. Ex. As Gandhi Ji did in freedom struggle to fight injustice learned tolerance from enemy. Conclusion Being tolerant of each other and caring for each other is what makes us human. This is why we have believed tolerance is important and an essential aspect of a healthy, livable society. In fact, it is the only way in which a country as diverse as India (Politically, religiously, economically) can function and use each and every difference to make its people thrive rather than suffer.  3. Compassion is the basis of morality. Elucidate. Approach- Candidates need to elucidate with example by highlighting how Compassion is the basis of morality. Introduction Morality is the way we behave towards others and without others morality is inexistent. It’s the unwritten law which we tend to follow in our social interactions and use it to measure other people and other people use it to measure us.  Compassion is the basis of morality A man without compassion would fail to understand others as good as one with it, compassion is useful because it helps us predict behaviour of others and it helps us shift our point of view from ourselves to others.  All humans have power to imagine, by imagining being in the place of the one we interact with we can make sure to act towards them as we would wish them to act towards us.  Compassion is something most people lack and that is why there is so much injustice, if everyone was compassionate and aware of others open conflicts would cease to exist. If a person had others in mind while making all his decisions he would never act so as to do wrong to them because nobody really wants to be wronged, but not everyone puts themselves in the place of others because of factors such as greed, lust, vengeance.  Compassion is something women understand better than men because the mother-child bond which they have is one of the strongest among all bonds in human interactions.  It is this kind of selfless care and devotion all of us should strive to achieve towards every other human being, by acting so we make it clear to others that we care.  Biological purpose of a man is to live, love and reproduce, great majority of people attach to a partner at some point in their life and get to feel love, love is the pure concentrate of selflessness and compassion and if we are all capable to feel love to a single human being, we are capable of feeling love towards all human beings.  Having in mind that great majority of people do feel love and then act without it in their future decisions towards others makes humans quite hypocritical.  I wouldn’t pose the question if compassion is necessary for morality because it’s logical that without care for others and their expectations and well-being there is no morale. Conclusion Compassion isn’t the sole basis of morality; basis of morality is made both of compassion and rationality because in order to act morally towards others we need sense as much as we need emotions. We need sense to act morally slightly more than we need emotions and although compassion is a useful compass in navigating the seas of social interactions it is not the only navigational tool.   TLP Synopsis Day 40 PDF

Mar 12, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 12th March 2022

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) 15th round of Corps Commander talks Part of: Prelims and GS-III Defence and security Context: The 15th round of Corps Commander talks (talks at Commander level) between India and China began on the Indian side of the Chushul Moldo Meeting Point in eastern Ladakh  The immediate focus was on working out a disengagement agreement at Patrolling Point 15 (PP15) in the Gogra-Hot Springs area. Since the stand-off began in May 2020, the two sides have so far held 14 rounds of talks with disengagement on both sides of Pangong Tso (lake), PP17. The other areas yet to be resolved are PP15, Demchok and Depsang. Patrolling Point 15 and 17A: Along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China, Indian Army has been given certain locations where its troops have access to patrol the area under its control. These points are known as patrolling points, or PPs, and are decided by the China Study Group (CSG). PP15 and PP17A are two of the 65 patrolling points in Ladakh along the LAC. LAC is the demarcation that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory PP15 is located in an area known as the Hot Springs, while PP17A is near an area called the Gogra post. Location of Hot Springs and Gogra Post Hot Springs is just north of the Chang Chenmo river and Gogra Post is east of the point where the river takes a hairpin bend coming southeast from Galwan Valley and turning southwest. Value addition Pangong Tso lake: Pangong Lake is located in the Union Territory of Ladakh. one-third of the Pangong Lake lies in India and the other two-thirds in China. Galwan Valley: The valley refers to the land that sits between steep mountains that buffet the Galwan River. The river has its source in Aksai Chin. Chang Chenmo River: It is a tributary of the Shyok River News Source: TH Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) Part of: Prelims and GS-III Biological weapons Context:  Russia has called for a Security Council meeting on the issue of biological laboratories in Ukraine. Russia had requested the meeting to discuss claims it made of chemical and biological weapon labs in Ukraine supported by the U.S. India has emphasised that any matters relating to obligations under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) should be addressed through consultation and cooperation between the parties concerned. Biological Weapons Convention The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), or Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), is a disarmament treaty that effectively bans biological and toxin weapons by prohibiting their development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use. Biological weapon is a bacterium, virus, protozoan, parasite, fungus, chemical, or toxin that can be used purposefully as a weapon in bioterrorism or biological warfare. More than 1,200 different kinds of potentially weaponizable bio-agents have been described and studied to date. It entered into force on 26 March 1975. The BWC was the first multilateral disarmament treaty to ban the production of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction The convention is of unlimited duration. As of January 2022, 183 states have become party to the treaty. News Source: TH Strengthening of Pharmaceutical Industry (SPI)' scheme Part of: Prelims and GS-II Health and GS-III Economy Context: Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers on Friday released guidelines for 'Strengthening of Pharmaceutical Industry (SPI)' scheme. The scheme aims to address rising demand in terms of support required to existing Pharma clusters and MSMEs across the country to improve their productivity, quality and sustainability.  The Centre has assigned an outlay of ₹500 crore for the period from fiscal FY 21-22 to FY 25-26. Key highlights of the scheme: financial assistance to pharma clusters will be provided for the creation of Common Facilities to improve the quality and to ensure the sustainable growth of clusters. To upgrade the production facilities of SMEs and MSMEs so as to meet national and international regulatory standards. support for clusters for creation of common facilities with the focus on R&D Labs, Testing Laboratories, Effluent Treatment Plants The units supported under this scheme is expected to act as Demonstration Firms for the pharma clusters and MSE Pharma Industries, to develop on quality and technology up-gradation fronts. News Source: Livemint (News from PIB) India – Canada to re-launch the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) Part of: GS-II: India and Canada Context: India and Canada will formally re-launch the negotiations for India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and also consider an Interim Agreement or Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA) that could bring early commercial gains to both the countries.   Help in expanding bilateral trade in goods and services through unlocking the potential across sectors.  The Interim Agreement would include high level commitments in goods, services, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, and dispute settlement, and may also cover any other areas mutually agreed upon. Both countries agreed to undertake intensified work with respect to the recognition of Canada’s systems approach to pest risk management in pulses and market access for Indian agriculture goods such as sweet corn, baby corn and banana etc. Canada also agreed to examine expeditiously the request for Conformity Verification Body (CVB) status to APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) for facilitating Indian organic export products.  Establish resilient supply chains in critical sectors  Emphasised enhancing cooperation in sectors such as pharmaceuticals and critical and rare earth minerals as well as in areas like tourism, urban infrastructure, renewable energy and mining.  Noted the role of strong people-to-people ties between the two countries, including movement of professionals and skilled workers, students, and business travellers, in strengthening the bilateral economic partnership. Agreed to work closely to provide sustained momentum to building linkages and strengthen cooperation across sectors to harness full potential of the trade and investment relationship between India and Canada. News Source: PIB Coronal Mass Ejections Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-III: Science & Technology In News: Indian researchers have developed a simple technique of separating the constant background of the Solar Colona and revealing the dynamic corona. Significance of the Development Improve efficiency of identification of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) -- events in which a large cloud of energetic and highly magnetized plasma erupts from the solar corona into space, causing radio and magnetic disturbances on the earth.  Give a clear picture of the characteristics of CMEs and make their study easier. Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are dynamic structures in the Solar Corona and are capable of driving the Space Weather in near-Earth space.  The density of the outermost layer of the atmosphere of the Sun – Corona – decreases with distance radially outwards.  As the intensity of the corona observed in white light depends on the density of particles in the atmosphere, it decreases exponentially.  If the contrast between the constant corona and transient CMEs is not high, detection of CMEs becomes a challenge. This method, which subtracts the constant background, brings out the transient corona, followed by dividing the result by an azimuthally uniform background to reduce the radial decrease in intensity.  A combination of these two steps allows us to identify the structures such as CMEs throughout the field of view of the coronagraph images. News Source: PIB (Mains Focus) ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE GS-3: Infrastructure: Energy GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Nuclear Energy: Misguided Policy Context:  On December 15, 2021, the Indian government had informed Parliament that it plans to build “10 indigenous reactors in fleet mode” and had granted “in principle approval” for 28 additional reactors, including 24 to be imported from France, the U.S. and Russia. Given the post-Fukushima global and national trends in the nuclear industry, such a policy seems misguide What was Fukushima Nuclear disaster? On 11th March 2011, multiple reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan suffered severe accidents after an earthquake and a tsunami.  Those reactors were quickly “shut down” following the earthquake. But their radioactive cores continued producing heat and eventually melted down because the tsunami knocked out the cooling system. Why India’s push towards nuclear energy is misguided? Capital Intensive: Nuclear power plants are capital intensive that requires billions of dollars of investment. Cost Overruns: Recent nuclear builds have suffered major cost overruns. Ex: V.C. Summer nuclear project in South Carolina (U.S.) where costs rose so sharply that the project was abandoned — after an expenditure of over $9 billion. Cheaper Alternatives: The cost of alternative renewable-energy technologies has reduced drastically. Nuclear energy costs at least ₹ 15 per unit excluding transmission costs. In contrast, solar power is now made available at ₹2.14 per unit. (₹4.30 per unit with storage). If nuclear electricity is to be sold at a competitive rate, it would have to be greatly subsidised by the Indian government, which operates all nuclear plants through the Nuclear Power Corporation of India.  Against the global trend: In 1996, 17.5% of the world’s electricity came from nuclear power plants; by 2020, this figure had declined to just around 10%. In 2008, the U.S. government projected an expansion of nuclear capacity to 114.9 gigawatts by 2030; in 2021, it predicted that capacity would contract to 83.3 gigawatts. Failure of Indo-US Nuclear deal: The government had predicted in 2010 that nuclear capacity in India would reach 35 gigawatts by 2020 (Installed capacity today is only 6.78 GW). Such targets were based on the expectation that India would import many light-water reactors after the India-U.S. civil nuclear deal. But, the deal has not led to the establishment of a single new nuclear plant. High Cost of Nuclear Disaster: A nuclear disaster might leave large swathes of land uninhabitable — as in Chernobyl — or require a prohibitively expensive clean-up — as in Fukushima, where the final costs may eventually exceed $600 billion. Liabilities of Supplier: Concerns about safety have been heightened by the insistence of nuclear suppliers that they be indemnified of liability for the consequence of any accident in India.  Climate Concerns: Nuclear power is not the right choice to “adapt” to climate change, which requires resilience in power systems.  In 2020, a windstorm caused the Duane Arnold nuclear plant in the U.S. to cease operations. The frequency of such extreme weather events is likely to increase in the future. It is also not the appropriate choice for mitigating India’s carbon emissions since it cannot be deployed at the necessary scale. Local Protests: Safety concerns following the Fukushima accident have led to protests against each planned reactor.  Conclusion Given the inherent vulnerabilities of nuclear reactors and their high costs, it would be best for the Government to unambiguously cancel its plans for a nuclear expansion Connecting the dots: The Status of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty India’s Nuclear Doctrine  Nuclear fusion and the recent breakthrough  Progress of Indo-US Nuclear Deal INTERNATIONAL/ SECURITY GS-2: International Relations Rupee-rouble trade arrangement What is Rupee-Rouble trade arrangement?  Rupee-rouble trade is a payment mechanism which can allow Indian exporters to be paid in Indian rupees for their exports to Russia instead of standard international currencies such as dollars or euros.  Under this arrangement, a Russian bank will need to open an account in an Indian bank while an Indian bank will open its account in Russia. Both sides can then mutually agree to hold currency worth a specified amount in the local currencies in their respective accounts.  If the specified amount is say, $100 million, then the Russian bank’s account in India will have rupees worth that amount while the Indian bank’s account in Russia will have roubles worth that amount. Once the payment mechanism is in place, the Indian exporter can be paid in rupee from the Russian bank’s account in India and imports from Russia can be paid for with roubles from the Indian bank’s account in Russia. Has it been attempted before?  India has attempted the rupee-rouble payment mechanism with Russia on a very small scale earlier for a few items like tea. But it has happened in normal times and never on a large commercial scale. A rupee-rial payment mechanism, however, had successfully worked in India’s trade with Iran when economic sanctions were imposed on Iran by West in 2012. India successfully used the mechanism for partly paying for its oil purchase from Iran.  This worked well for several years till the Trump regime placed product-specific sanction on oil trade with Iran and India stopped its purchases from the country. How critical is the rupee-rouble mechanism for India?  It is important for India to have an alternative payment mechanism in place with Russia as the US, the EU and the UK have blocked at least seven Russian banks from accessing the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) SWIFT is a global secure interbank system that communicates payment instructions and enables transactions between banks from all the countries around the world.  An estimated $500 million is pending for goods already shipped by Indian exporters and it is now not possible to get the payment through the regular SWIFT channel.  Since transaction with Russia cannot be carried out in international currencies such as the dollar or the euro, a rupee payment mechanism will determine if the trading will continue or not. What are the problems that may crop up?  The fluctuation in the value of rouble could make it difficult to implement the rupee-rouble payment mechanism.  Firstly, it will be difficult to decide a fair exchange rate between the rupee and the rouble.  Moreover, if the value of the rouble continues falling sharply, then trading may not happen as the rouble in the Indian bank’s Russian account will lose value. This is a risk that India will have to take if it decides to go ahead and put a rupee payment mechanism in place. At present, there is only a sanction against the use of SWIFT. There is nothing to bar India from trading with Russia using alternatives such as a barter system or a rupee-rouble payment mechanism.  However, if the sanctions turn product-specific, then it may be difficult for India to use this arrangement What are the strategic ramifications for India? The world would see this as an arrangement by India to by-pass the sanctions post-Russia’s invasion of Ukraine The US and the EU are already unhappy with India for abstaining at the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Commission on all resolutions that criticise Russia for invading Ukraine If India helps Russia flout economic sanctions, it may then be accused of siding with Russia and this could hurt New Delhi’s diplomatic relations with the Western powers. Connecting the dots: Russia-Ukraine Stand-off Russia-Ukraine War impact, beyond oil Ukraine Crisis and Economy  India-Russia Military alliance   Indo-US defence deals (Down to Earth: Climate Change) March 9: More than 75% of Amazon rainforest near tipping point, may transform into dry savanna: Study - https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/more-than-75-of-amazon-rainforest-near-tipping-point-may-transform-into-dry-savanna-study-81876  TOPIC: GS-3: Environment, Conservation, Climate Change More than 75% of Amazon rainforest near tipping point, may transform into dry savanna: Study In News: More than 75 per cent of the Amazon rainforest has been likely heading towards a tipping point since the early 2000s, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change. It may be losing its ability to bounce back from extreme events such as drought or fire, threatening to become a dry savanna-like ecosystem. This transition might not bode well for the Amazon’s rich biodiversity, carbon-storing potential and global climate change. The researchers used satellite data and statistical tools to arrive at these findings. The Amazon’s rainforest is home to 30 per cent of the world’s species, comprising 40,000 plant species, 16,000 tree species, 1,300 birds and more than 430 species of mammals. The Amazon basin Covering over 6 million square kilometres, it is nearly twice the size of India. The Amazon rainforests cover about 80 per cent of the basin  Also, it is home to nearly a fifth of the world’s land species and about 30 million people including hundreds of indigenous groups and several isolated tribes. The basin produces about 20% of the world’s flow of freshwater into the oceans This is not the first time A previous study predicted that a tipping point would occur when the rainforest witnesses roughly 20-25 per cent of deforestation. Deforestation is on the rise. According to reports, it totalled 430 square kilometres in January 2022, five times higher than the same month last year. What will happen if this continues? This loss will affect the amount of rainfall. Trees take up water through the roots, releasing it into the atmosphere, influencing precipitation over South America, Boers explained. The rainforest is also a carbon sink — a place that absorbs more carbon dioxide than it releases. It plays an essential role in combating climate change. But increasing temperatures due to human-induced climate change and deforestation are pushing the rainforest to transform into a carbon source: Places that release more CO2 than they absorb. The researchers warn that the forests could release vast amounts of CO2 if they partially transform into dry habitats. The analysis showed that the indicators of tipping points go up faster in areas with less rainfall and closer to human land use. This suggests that drier conditions might drive resilience loss.  Human land-use activities — direct removal of trees, construction of roads, and fires — could be another contributor, according to the researchers. It has been on the rise since 2010. Conclusion It’s not too late to act. Priority should be placed on – Reducing deforestation will protect the forest’s threatened parts and boost Amazon rainforest resilience.  Limiting global greenhouse gas emissions is also necessary to safeguard the Amazon. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1 Consider the following statements regarding Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC): It is a disarmament treaty that effectively bans biological and toxin weapons by prohibiting their development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use. The BWC was the first multilateral disarmament treaty to ban the production of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. Which of the above is or are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  Q.2 Where is Pangong Tso lake located?  Nepal  Tibet Ladakh Jammu Q.3 Which of the following is known as the ‘lungs of the planet’? Congo rain forest Savanna grasslands Amazon rainforest  Rain forests of North-East India ANSWERS FOR 12th March 2022 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 C 3 C Must Read On resumption of international flights: The Hindu On Russia-Ukraine conflict sparking global food crisis: The Hindu Businessline

Mar 12, 2022 Motivational Articles

[MI-STORIES]MOTIVATIONAL AND INSPIRATIONAL STORIES - The Carpenter!

For Previous Story -> CLICK HERE Inspirational Stories: Here is the story for this week from the new series of Inspirational and Motivational stories. One of the oldest known forms of communication is story telling. There is something primordial within us that loves stories and their tremendous impact. In this series, we aim to bring you the best of real-life stories that can inspire and motivate you. Stories always try to teach us something useful. It is one of the best ways of learning from other's mistakes and avoiding our own. Although each story has its own moral, in the comments section you can share your opinion on the moral of the story. If you are able to see something that others might have missed, you can share it for the benefit of all. Apart from just reading these awesome stories, you can also share some of the stories that have inspired you. If we find the story appropriate and useful, we will share it with all. More importantly, read these stories every week without a miss, and stay inspired.   So Here is the story for this week - The Carpenter! A carpenter who was nearing retirement told his boss that he was ready to end his career and spend his time with his wife and family. He would miss his work, but he felt it was time to spend his time with the people who were important to him. His boss was saddened by this news, as this carpenter had been a good, reliable employee for many years. He asked the carpenter if he could do him a favor and build just one more house. The carpenter reluctantly conceded, even though his passion for building had faded. While he was building this last house, his normal work ethic faded and his efforts were mediocre, at best. He used inexpensive and inferior materials and cut corners wherever he could. It was a poor way to finish such a dedicated career that he once had. When the carpenter was finished, his boss came to look at the house. He gave the key to the carpenter and said, “This house is my gift to you for all of the hard work you have done for me over the years.” The carpenter was astonished. What do you think is the moral of the story?

Mar 12, 2022 हिन्दी - Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC हिन्दी Quiz– 2021: IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz 12th March 2022

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE करेंट अफेयर्स के प्रश्न 'द हिंदू', 'इंडियन एक्सप्रेस' और 'पीआईबी' जैसे स्रोतों पर आधारित होते हैं, जो यूपीएससी प्रारंभिक परीक्षा के लिए बहुत महत्वपूर्ण स्रोत हैं। प्रश्न अवधारणाओं और तथ्यों दोनों पर केंद्रित हैं। दोहराव से बचने के लिए यहां कवर किए गए विषय आम तौर पर 'दैनिक करंट अफेयर्स / डेली न्यूज एनालिसिस (डीएनए) और डेली स्टेटिक क्विज' के तहत कवर किए जा रहे विषयों से भिन्न होते हैं। प्रश्न सोमवार से शनिवार तक दोपहर 2 बजे से पहले प्रकाशित किए जाएंगे। इस कार्य में आपको 10 मिनट से ज्यादा नहीं देना है। इस कार्य के लिए तैयार हो जाएं और इस पहल का इष्टतम तरीके से उपयोग करें। याद रखें कि, "साधारण अभ्यर्थी और चयनित होने वाले अभ्यर्थी के बीच का अंतर केवल दैनक अभ्यास है !!" Important Note: Comment अनुभाग में अपने अंक पोस्ट करना न भूलें। साथ ही, हमें बताएं कि क्या आपको आज का टेस्ट अच्छा लगा । 5 प्रश्नों को पूरा करने के बाद, अपना स्कोर, समय और उत्तर देखने के लिए ‘View Questions’ पर क्लिक करें। उत्तर देखने के लिए, इन निर्देशों का पालन करें: 1 - 'स्टार्ट टेस्ट/ Start Test' बटन पर क्लिक करें प्रश्न हल करें 'टेस्ट सारांश/Test Summary'बटन पर क्लिक करें 'फिनिश टेस्ट/Finish Test'बटन पर क्लिक करें अब ‘View Questions’बटन पर क्लिक करें - यहां आपको उत्तर और लिंक दिखाई देंगे। To take the Test - Click Here

Mar 12, 2022 TLP Mains Answer Writing

IASbaba’s Think Learn Perform (TLP - Phase 1) 2022 - UPSC Mains Answer Writing General Studies Paper 4 Questions [11th March, 2022] – Day 40

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Everyone,  TLP being an integral formula for success for many toppers over the years including Rank 1 is no secret. In their ‘must to-do' list for the UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination, TLP by far occupies the first place. 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 standard before you write the actual Mains. You already know the features of TLP. Just to reiterate briefly, we will post 3 questions daily for a certain number of weeks (12 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. From this year we have integrated the TLP free answer writing page in the main website itself, unlike previous years. So all the answers should be posted under the questions for the evaluation. Join our bandwagon, you won’t regret it. To Know More about TLP  -> CLICK HERE Note: Click on Each Question (Link), it will open in a new tab and then Answer respective questions! 1. Objectivity is an important pillar of journalistic ethics. Do you agree? Substantiate your views. (10 Marks) निष्पक्षता पत्रकारिता नैतिकता का एक महत्वपूर्ण स्तंभ है। क्या आप सहमत हैं? अपने विचारों की पुष्टि करें। 2. In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher. Comment. (10 Marks) सहनशीलता के अभ्यास में, दुश्मन सबसे अच्छा शिक्षक होता है। टिप्पणी करें। 3. Compassion is the basis of morality. Elucidate. (15 Marks) करुणा नैतिकता का आधार है। स्पष्ट करें। P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time 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 :)

Mar 12, 2022 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 12th March 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

Mar 11, 2022 Important Articles

[FREE WORKSHOP] Know Everything about cracking KPSC - KAS 2023 on 13th March (Sunday) at 11 AM.

Hello Everyone The biggest problem which freshers face in the beginning, is how to start their preparation? There are so many sources, topper’s strategies, online guidance, and whatnot. Hence, in order to provide a streamlined approach, IASbaba is organizing a FREE Workshop 'Know Everything about cracking KPSC - KAS 2023' on 13th March (Sunday) at 11 AM. Agenda of Workshop Interaction with the Toppers and Serving Bureaucrats How to crack KPSC-KAS in First Attempt? Interaction with Toppers and Serving Bureaucrats When we want to excel in a certain field, we have our role models. We look up to them and try to be like them, as our dream is their reality. The field of Civil Services is no different. We are honored that two Apeksha Pawar (KAS) - RANK 3 and Abhishek V (KAS) - RANK 4  have obliged us by agreeing to have an open discussion with the aspirants. They will be discussing about their vast experience in the system, the perks of the service, and its problems too. You will be able to ask your queries regarding Civil Services and about the attitude that a civil servant should have. How to crack KPSC-KAS in First Attempt? In this session, we will be discussing about the approach towards KPSC-KAS. How should you plan and integrate your prelims and mains preparation? Workshop Details Date and Time – 13th March (SUNDAY) at 11 AM Venue of the Workshop: TLP CENTRE – Second floor, 80ft Main Road, Ganapathi Circle, Vijayanagar, Chandra Layout, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040 Please Register here for the Workshop – CLICK HERE KPSC KAS Full-Fledged CLASSROOM (PRELIMS & MAINS) FOUNDATION COURSE 2022-23 - CLICK HERE For More Details/Queries Email us at: support@iasbaba.com Mobile No: 91691 91888 (Please call between 10 am – 5:30 pm ONLY) Thank You  IASbaba

Mar 11, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 11th March 2022

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) RBI’s $5 billion dollar-rupee swap Part of: Prelims and GS-III Economy Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently conducted a $ 5 billion dollar-rupee swap auction as part of its liquidity management initiative. The action has led to infusion of dollars and sucking out of the rupee from the financial system.  It will reduce the pressure on inflation and strengthen the rupee. What happens during the swap auction? The RBI sold $5.135 billion to banks on March 8 and simultaneously agreed to buy back the dollars at the end of the swap settlement period.  When the central bank sells dollars, it sucks out an equivalent amount in rupees, thus reducing the rupee liquidity in the system.  Liquidity means the availability of liquid assets in the market. Dollar inflow into the market will strengthen the rupee which has already hit the 77 level against the US dollar. The swap auction can be done in the reverse way also when there is shortage of liquidity in the system.  The RBI then buys dollars from the market and releases an equivalent amount in the rupees. News Source: IE National Medical Commission (NMC) Part of: Prelims and GS-II Health Context:  National Medical Commission (NMC) recently removed the upper age limit for appearing in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) [NEET-UG]. National Medical Commission (NMC) National Medical Commission (NMC) is an Indian regulatory body of 33 members which regulates medical education and medical professionals.  It replaced the Medical Council of India on 25 September 2020. The Commission grants recognition of medical qualifications, gives accreditation to medical schools, grants registration to medical practitioners, and monitors medical practice and assesses the medical infrastructure in India. About National Eligibility cum Entrance Test It is an all-India pre-medical entrance test for students who wish to pursue undergraduate medical (MBBS), dental (BDS) and AYUSH (BAMS, BUMS, BHMS, etc.) courses in government and private institutions in India and also, for those intending to pursue primary medical qualification abroad. The exam is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA). News Source: TH Place in news: Weddell Sea Part of: Prelims  Context: Scientists say they have found the sunken wreck of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance, more than a century after it was lost to the Antarctic ice. The vessel lies 3,000 meters below the surface of the Weddell Sea. About Weddell Sea Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean and contains the Weddell Gyre. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of Coats Land and the Antarctic Peninsula. Various ice shelves, including the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, fringe the Weddell sea. Some of the ice shelves on the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula had completely disappeared by 2002. The Weddell Sea has been deemed by scientists to have the clearest water of any sea. News Source: TH (News from PIB) Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN-2022: An annual exercise between Indian Army and Japanese Ground Self Defence Force Captive Employment Policy under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-II: Government schemes and policies ‘Captive Employer’,  is a first of its kind initiative aimed at addressing the vision of a dynamic and demand-based skilling ecosystem catering to the requirements of industry partners assuring sustainable placements for rural poor youth.  The initiative is a shot in the arm for the DDU-GKY programme, assuring post-training placement of candidates for a minimum of six months with a minimum CTC of Rs 10,000/-. The model will allow the industry to source trainees as per their requirement with active support from States/UTs and train them as per the requirement of their own organizational/industry/ subsidiaries /operational need and provide candidates with assured placement.  It will also allow employers to select rural youth and skills & deploy them in one of their establishment/subsidiaries. About Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) A nationwide placement-linked skill training program funded by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India (GoI).  DDUGKY seeks to build the placement linked skills of the poor rural youth and place them in wage employment across various sectors of the economy.  The programme has an outcome led design with guaranteed placements for at least 70% trained candidates and is moving towards minimum mandatory certification. The DDU-GKY scheme mandates one-third of the total candidates being trained under the scheme to be women. Also, even though the scheme targets rural poor youth in the age group of 15-35 years, the upper age limit for women candidates is 45 years. Cumulatively 11.44 lakh youth have been trained and 7.15 lakh youth have been placed till 31st January 2022. News Source: PIB Carbon capture and utilization Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-III: Science & Technology Context: Indian Scientists have discovered a strategy to synthesize novel solid adsorbents for CO2 capture and utilization. Prof. Banerjee’s group from IISER-Kolkata, has discovered special types of nanoparticles or microparticles which can capture CO2 in their micro and mesoporous voids. Carbon capture and utilization are growing fields of research focusing on reducing CO2 emissions.  Although several industrial advancements have already been demonstrated, none of the technologies can provide an economically viable and complete CO2 capture and utilization solution. Therefore, fundamental research on novel solid adsorbents might offer a critical material for CO2 capture and CO2 utilization. News Source: PIB (Mains Focus) POLITY/ GOVERNANCE GS-2: Issues relating to development and management of Water GS-2: Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure Water Management needs a Hydro-Social approach Context: The freshwater resources are under stress, the principal driver being human activities in their various forms. What approach is required for water management? It is globally estimated that the gap between demand for and supply of fresh water may reach up to 40% by 2030 if present practices continue. The latest UN World Water Development Report, 2021, titled ‘Valuing Water’, has called for proper valuation of water by considering five interrelated perspectives:  water sources water infrastructure  water services  water as an input to production and socio-economic development  sociocultural values of water What are the anthropogenic factors that influence a freshwater system? The anthropogenic factors directly influencing a freshwater system are engineering of river channels irrigation and other consumptive use of water widespread land use/land cover change change in an aquatic habitat point and non-point source pollution affecting water quality Inefficient use of water resources in all sectors reduction in natural storage capacity deterioration in catchment efficiency What approach can be taken to rectify the water imbalance? The intra- and inter-basin transfer (IBT) of water is a major hydrological intervention to rectify the imbalance in water availability due to naturally prevailing unequal distribution of water resources within a given territory. There has been nearly 110 water transfer mega projects that have either been executed (34 projects) or being planned/under construction (76 projects) across the world. The National River Linking Project of India (mooted in 1970 and revived in 1999) is one of those under construction.  What are some of the issues with IBT of water approach? Contestation of Surplus & Deficit basin: The basic premise of IBT is to export water from the surplus basin to a deficit basin. However, there is contestation on the concept of the surplus and deficit basin itself as the exercise is substantially hydrological. Population growth, urbanisation, industrialisation and declining rainfall are raising concerns on the surplus character of a basin. Lack of Grey water usage: It is estimated that 55% to 75% of domestic water use turns into grey water. This can be treated and used efficiently given the huge quantity involved. Capacity utilisation of water infrastructure: By 2016, India created an irrigation potential for 112 million hectares, but the gross irrigated area was 93 million hectares. There is a 19% gap, which is more in the case of canal irrigation.  In 1950-51, canal irrigation used to contribute 40% of net irrigated area, but by 2014-15, the net irrigated area under canal irrigation came down to less than 24%.  Ground water irrigation now covers 62.8% of net irrigated area.  The average water use efficiency of irrigation projects in India is only 38% against 50%-60% in the case of developed countries. Rice and wheat, accounting for more than 75% of agricultural production use 2,850 m3/tonnes and 1,654 m3/tonnes of water, respectively. Global average is 2,291m3/tonnes & 1,334m3/ tonnes in the same order. The agriculture sector uses a little over 90% of total water use in India. In industrial plants, consumption is 2 times to 3.5 times higher per unit of production of similar plants in other countries.  Similarly, the domestic sector experiences a 30% to 40% loss of water due to leakage. Sensitive Nature of the issue: Water projects are politically charged and manifest an interplay of social relations, social power, and technology. Way Ahead The need of the hour is Source sustainability Renovation and maintenance of traditional water harvesting structures Strengthening grey water management infrastructure Groundwater recharge Increasing water use efficiency and reuse of water. Involve non-state actors in decision-making processes Conclusion A hybrid water management system is necessary, where (along with professionals and policy makers) the individual, a community and society have definite roles in the value chain. The challenge is not to be techno-centric but anthropogenic. Can you answer the following questions? Do you think river interlinking is the most suitable way forward for water management in India? Critically examine.  The idea of interlinking the rivers to fight droughts and floods in various parts of the country might be economically prudent but its ecological fallouts outweigh the other benefits. Critically comment INTERNATIONAL/ SECURITY GS-2: International Relations Turkey’s Stakes in Ukraine War Context: The foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia are to meet for talks on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. The talks will be held in “trilateral format”: that is, with Turkey present in the room as a mediator. Ukraine has not yet confirmed that it will attend. Irrespective of whether the meeting takes place and its outcome, Turkey’s interest in the crisis, particularly in playing the role of mediator, is of significance How is the relationship between Turkey and Russia? Turkey, as the gateway between Europe and Asia, is a country of many parts. It is a member of NATO, and was at one time thought to be a natural fit for membership in the EU. Turkey is also increasingly a religious conservative state, whose authoritarian leader wants to turn the clock back to Islamism. Tensions between Turkey & Russia Russia is a friend of Turkey but also an age-old geopolitical rival, going back to the Russo-Ottoman wars.  For Turkey, Moscow’s annexation of Crimea has been a nagging concern. Turkey’s President has said Turkey will never recognise this “illegal” action. Russia’s proximity to the PKK, the Turkish Kurdish rebel group, from the Soviet Union days is a major irritant for Turkey.  In Syria, Russia and Turkey fought on opposite sides, Russia to preserve the Bashar al-Assad presidency, and Turkey on the side of groups fighting him.  Russia-Turkey battle for supremacy in the region was played out in the small territory of Idlib in north-western Syria on the border with Turkey. Growing Partnership Russia is now among Turkey’s main trade partners. Turkey’s economy depends heavily on imports from Russia. In 2019, their bilateral trade was about $ 16.4 billion, and the biggest item imported from Russia was refined petroleum. There is a gas pipeline now under the Black Sea from Russia to Turkey.  In 2020, Turkey bought the S 400 Triumf surface-to-air missile defence system from Russia, and was sanctioned by the United States under its CAATSA law. Russia is building a nuclear power plant in Ayukku in southern Turkey. How is the relationship between Turkey & Ukraine? Turkey is also a close trading and strategic partner of Ukraine.  Their bilateral trade in 2019 was about $ 2.15 billion, with Turkey a major exporter to Ukraine. The biggest export in 2019 was refined petroleum.  Turkey also supplies Ukraine with a lethal missile carrier drone, which Ukraine has been using against Russian tanks during the current conflict. In February 2022, when matters were reaching a boiling point between Ukraine and Russia, Turkey’s President made a visit to Ukraine, and signed a Free Trade Agreement and an agreement to co-manufacture the armed long-range Bayrakthar drone in Ukraine. Russia has been angry with Turkey for arming Ukraine.  What is Turkey’s position in the conflict between Russia & Ukraine? Turkey has described the Russian invasion of Ukraine as unacceptable and a blow to regional peace.  Turkey has rejected Russia’s recognition of the “republics” of Luhansk and Donetsk. Turkey was one of the 80 sponsors of the General Assembly resolution titled “Russian Aggression in Ukraine”. Turkey also invoked clauses of the 1936 Montreux Convention, a convention that put Turkey in charge of the Bosphorous and Dardanelles Straits, to bar the passage of warships through the Bosphorous Straits. But Turkey has also said that under the terms of the convention, it cannot stop warships of the Black Sea littoral countries – Russia is one of them – from returning to their home base.  Turkey has not joined the sanctions against Russia  Further, Turkish President has said Turkey cannot abandon ties with either Ukraine or Russia. Why is Turkey keen to mediate? In its efforts to mediate, Turkey is seeking to take on the role of the regional leader.  It may also help Erdogan shed his bad boy image in the West, where he is ranked alongside the authoritarian leaders of the world.  It is also seeking to protect its considerable economic interests in the region, the stability of the Black Sea and the Turkish straits, its defence relations with both countries, and its oil and gas supplies from Russia. Connecting the dots: Russia-Ukraine Stand-off Russia-Ukraine War impact, beyond oil Ukraine Crisis and Economy  India-Russia Military alliance   Indo-US defence deals (Down to Earth: Health) March 4: Postpartum haemorrhage remains leading cause of maternal deaths in Kerala: Report - https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/postpartum-haemorrhage-remains-leading-cause-of-maternal-deaths-in-kerala-report-81873    TOPIC: GS-2: Health Postpartum haemorrhage remains leading cause of maternal deaths in Kerala: Report In News: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) has been a leading cause of maternal deaths in Kerala for the better part of the last decade, according to a report prepared by the Kerala Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The report titled Confidential Review of Maternal deaths was released last year. Seventeen of the 133 maternal deaths recorded in 2019-2020 were due to PPH and 19 were due to suicide. According the National Health Portal of India, PPH accounts for 35 per cent of all maternal deaths. Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) PPH is defined as a “blood loss of 500 ml or more within 24 hours after birth, while severe PPH is defined as a blood loss of 1,000 ml or more within the same timeframe,” by the World Health Organization. The incidences of postpartum haemorrhage are 1-5 percent only. It most often happens after the placenta is delivered, but it can also happen later. What causes postpartum haemorrhage? Once a baby is delivered, the uterus normally contracts and pushes out the placenta.  After the placenta is delivered, these contractions help put pressure on the bleeding vessels in the area where the placenta was attached.  If the uterus does not contract strongly enough, these blood vessels bleed freely and as a result the proper constriction of the vessels does not happen and they keep bleeding profusely. This is the most common cause of PPH.  If small pieces of the placenta stay attached, bleeding is also likely.  Postpartum hemorrhage may also be caused by: Tear in the cervix or tissues of the vagina Tear in a blood vessel in the uterus Hematoma formation Inversion of uterus Blood clotting disorders Placenta problems PPH in Kerala In spite of near total hospital deliveries, very good antenatal coverage, improvement in blood transfusion facilities and many developments in technology to arrest the bleeding,” deaths due to PPH have remained a persistent concern. PPH deaths were highest in the 20-29 age group. This is also the age group that has the highest number of deliveries. At 46 per cent, atonic PPH — “failure of the uterus to contract following delivery” leading to excessive bleeding — is the most common type of obstetric haemorrhage. Moreover, a third of PPH deaths were recorded in caesarean births, highlighting “the importance of practicing safe caesarean section technique and postoperative monitoring.” The report said: In interpreting the cause of death, the primary cause is taken into consideration even though the final cause also may be relevant. For instance, a patient who had atonic PPH and later obstetric hysterectomy, recovered but died after a few days due to pulmonary embolism; we have taken the stand that it should be included under PPH as it was the primary cause which set the ball rolling. The Way Forward PPH being a leading cause of maternal death is not only a country-wide trend but has also been seen in other low-income countries.  The incidences of PPH can be prevented by proper management, correcting anaemia, involving a trained doctor for delivery and sensitising pregnant women regarding regular checkups during pregnancy.  A combination of quality antenatal care, skilled care at birth by active management of third stage of labour, the availability of high-quality emergency obstetric care (with trained medical personnel and adequate infrastructure) and improved access to these services are essential to save many maternal lives. Government needs to create a wide array of support network for pregnant women – right from  Access to good quality nutrition - Lots of protein, iron, calcium rich food builds their stamina to deal with complications. Reducing cases of Anaemia Provision of access to good antenatal care Counselling for both parents to have 2-3 years gap between babies Tertiary care provision at all government hospitals Pregnant women should be motivated for monthly check up and have their delivery at nearby hospitals.  Grassroots level workers should be appointed at village level to educate women about this. Can you answer the following questions? One Indian woman dies every 5 minutes from postpartum hemorrhage. Suggest ways to prevent this country-wide trend. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1 Consider the following statements regarding National Medical Commission (NMC): National Medical Commission (NMC) is an Indian regulatory body of 33 members which regulates medical education and medical professionals.  It replaced the Medical Council of India on 25 September, 1995. Which of the above is or are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  Q.2 Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN-2022 was conducted between which of the following? India and Nepal  India and Maldives  India and Japan  India and Vietnam  Q.3 Weddell Sea is part of the which of the following ocean? Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean  Southern Ocean Arctic Ocean ANSWERS FOR 11th March 2022 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 C 3 C Must Read On war & its consequences: The Hindu On importance of Start-ups: Indian Express

Mar 11, 2022 TLP Mains Answer Writing

SYNOPSIS [10th March,2022] Day 39: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE SYNOPSIS [10th March,2022] Day 39: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   1. How did Covid exacerbate the vulnerabilities of some sections of the society? Explain with the help of suitable examples.  Approach-  Candidates need to write about the vulnerable section in the society. And then highlight how due to the pandemic there difficulties got exacerbated with help of suitable examples.  Introduction  The vulnerable groups which are exposed to their vulnerabilities during COVID-19 pandemic are- Women, Children, Students, Aged, Disabled, Poor migrants, unorganised sectors workers,  People living with ailments and Sexual Minorities. The COVID-19 pandemic affected these vulnerable sections of population differently.  Body  While children’s health appears less impacted by COVID-19 than older adults, children’s education are interrupted, protective structures disrupted and their families and communities placed under stress by health and economic burdens.  COVID-19 pandemic, increased girls’ and young women’s duties caring for elderly and ill family members, as well as for siblings who are out of school.   Girls, especially those from marginalised communities and with disabilities, may be particularly affected by the secondary impacts of the outbreak. It also put at women at greater risk of exploitation, child labour and gender-based violence. The impact on older adults is notable. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data from April 2020, more than 95% of COVID-19 deaths were among people over 60 years of age, and more than half of all deaths occurred in people of 80 years-plus. One of the most important problem we encountered was that the overburdened cities and containment which made migrant workers to walk for there home.   The risk of contagious diseases was more potent urban slums these areas as residents also suffer from a lack of basic services such as safe drinking water and sanitation. With respect to Indian economy, It lost 124 million jobs in March and April, primarily in the informal sectors comprising small traders and wage labourers; employment was also lower in self-owned businesses and salaried employees, too, lost jobs. Conclusion Hence, we can say that COVID-19 pandemic’s impact differs in its scale in different sections of people. But, the most affected one’s are the people who belonged to the vulnerable section of population. As ensuring the healthcare and providing adequate means of livelihood for all is one of the responsibility of the government. Poor people and migrant workers can’t be left outside this ambit. 2. The basket of basic necessities of the poor has expanded in the last two decades. Do you agree? Do you think the current welfare schemes reflect this transformation? Critically examine.  Approach  Students are expected to write about the multiple necessities of the poor in the today’s time with respect to multidimensionality of the poverty. Then highlight the few government initiatives to tackle it. Also as question demands to critically examine students should highlight the loopholes in poverty alleviation schemes.  Introduction  Poverty is a state or condition in which a person lacks the resources for a minimum standard of living. Traditionally, the term poverty refers to lacking enough resources to provide the basic necessities of life – food, clean water, shelter and clothing. But modern economists extend the basket of basic necessities to include access to health care, education and even transportation for example multidimensional poverty index.  Body Reasons for expansion of basket of the poor: Economic growth does not always reduce poverty or deprivation. Several studies have found that economic growth is not strongly associated with a reduction in other deprivations, such as child malnutrition or child mortality. Poverty as multidimensional: Poor people describe ill-being to include poor health, nutrition, lack of adequate sanitation and clean water, social exclusion, low education, bad housing conditions, violence, shame, disempowerment and much more. For example, an area in which most people are deprived in education requires a different poverty reduction strategy from an area in which most people are deprived in housing conditions. Welfare schemes reflecting the new transformed needs: Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana:  National Rural Urban Livelihood Mission:  Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana:  Integrated Child Development Program, Midday Meal scheme etc are also providing food to the needy sections like children and women. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) Despite such new transformed schemes is Incidence of extreme poverty: While a large number of poverty alleviation programmes have been initiated, they function in silos.  There is no systematic attempt to identify people who are in poverty, determine their new transformed needs.  The resources allocated to anti-poverty programmes are inadequate and there is a tacit understanding that targets will be curtailed according to fund availability.  There is no method to ensure that programmes reach everybody they are meant for. Lack of proper implementation and right targeting of new scheme. For example due there is right to education policy with different schemes but due to digital divide and pandemic there is learning loss.  There has been a lot of overlapping of schemes. Every year a huge number is added to the population pool of the country. This renders the scheme ineffective. Conclusion If the hurdles are addressed with effective implementation of decentralized planning  and localized initiative, it can surely give positive results. We have to address the structural loopholes and build movement in masses for the inclusive growth and prosperous society.  3. Explain the significance of regional connectivity with neighbours for India’s strategic and economic interests. Approach Candidates need to comment or give his views critically (covering both positive and negative sides) about India’s policy of strategic autonomy or non-alignment being just a prettified language for ducking hard choices. Introduction From a policy of strategic insulation and neglect during much of the Cold War, and a reluctant embrace of regionalism thereafter, India’s regional policy has now shifted irreversibly towards strengthening cross-border relations. Progress has been significant (reviewed ahead), and even unprecedented, including the laying of new pipelines, building electricity networks, upgrading port, rail, and airport infrastructure, and reinvigorating people-to-people exchanges. The significance of regional connectivity with neighbours for India’s strategic and economic interests This sorry state of connectivity today reflects decades of geostrategic divergence, political nationalism and economic protectionism. The first and most important driver of the new connectivity policy is a geostrategic response to China and its unprecedented linkages across the subcontinent. Breaking into what was India’s sphere of influence, Beijing has massively expanded its diplomatic, economic, and political footprint across South Asia. The second driver of India’s connectivity policy is economic growth and the disproportionate size and centrality of its market in the region. Rising consumption levels and infrastructure modernisation are rapidly shrinking South Asia’s geography. Conversely, with decreasing time and cost to trade, there are also increasing incentives to deepen cross-border economic relations. The third and last driver of the connectivity approach is shaped by a cultural vision that claims to reactivate India’s past centrality as a civilisational power.  Complementing the geostrategic and economic factors examined above, this “Indic” approach to connectivity has strived to activate new people-to-people contacts across the region. Today, the demand for regional cooperation is higher than ever and the opportunities far more meaningful than they were 10 or 20 years ago.  India will have to make informed choices to articulate why, where, and on what terms connectivity matters in the region.  Most importantly, an effective Indian connectivity strategy will hinge on expert knowledge, research and data on the region. Thanks to China there is now a growing interest in India’s neighbouring countries and the neglected field of South Asian studies is experiencing a slow revival in universities, think tanks, and diplomatic and military training institutes but far more is needed. Sambandh, Brookings India’s regional connectivity initiative, attempts to address these demands and challenges by supporting a more strategic Indian approach to enhancing regional connectivity.  Sambandh’s research strives to support policymakers and other stakeholders to sequence connectivity initiatives, identify priorities, monitor implementation, and increase effectiveness.  The focus is on India’s regional neighbourhood, the first concentric ring of the strategic mandala theory.  India’s global priorities—whether in the wider Gulf region, the Indian Ocean, or Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific—are bound to falter unless the country connects first with its immediate periphery. Conclusion Connectivity is vital. It does more than just enhance trade and prosperity. It unites a region. India has been at the crossroads for centuries. We understand the benefits of connectivity. There are many connectivity initiatives in the region. If these have to succeed, we must not only build infrastructure, we must also build bridges of trust.   TLP Synopsis Day 39 PDF