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TLP Mains Answer Writing

SYNOPSIS [29th March,2021] Day 67: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE SYNOPSIS [29th March,2021] Day 67: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies) 1. What are rare earth metals? What are their applications? What are the issues with its extractions? Discuss Approach A simple and straightforward question where in the candidate needs to explain what are rare earth metals along with their applications in the first part of the answer while discussing the issues with the extractions of these metals in the second part of the answer. Introduction Rare earth metals are metals obtained from a group of 15 elements referred to as the lanthanide series in the periodic table of elements. Scandium and yttrium, while not true rare earth elements, are also included. REEs are key components in many electronic devices that we use in our daily lives, as well as in a variety of industrial application. Body Rare earth metals comprise seventeen chemical elements — anthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, etc. Despite their classification, most of these elements are not really “rare”. One of the Rare Earths, promethium, is radioactive. As essential and functional materials, rare earth elements have been named "The Vitamins of Modern Industry". In this regard, their applications can be seen from the following points – The manufacturing of permanent magnets represents the single largest and most important end use for REMs, accounting for 38% of total forecasted demand. Permanent magnets are an essential component of modern electronics used in cell phones, televisions, computers, automobiles, wind turbines, jet aircraft and many other products.  They are used as phosphors in many consumer displays and lighting systems, and are also used in fluid cracking catalysts and catalytic converters in the oil and automotive industries and medical industry. Rare Earth metals are used in space shuttle components, jet engine turbines, and drones. Cerium, the most abundant Rare Earth element, is essential to NASA’s Space Shuttle Programme. REE are also vital for many defence technologies, including precision guided munitions, targeting lasers, communications systems, airframes and aerospace engines, radar systems, optical equipment, sonar, and electronic counter measures. Scandium is used in televisions and fluorescent lamps, and yttrium is used in drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. According to the Rare Earth Technology Alliance (RETA), the estimated size of the Rare Earth sector is between $10 billion and $15 billion. In this regard, some issues with regards to its extraction can be seen from the following points – Low Concentration: Global rare-earth reserves are at more than 130 million metric tons. However, most of those reserves either are too low in concentration to be extracted economically, or they are not readily accessible, such as metals locked away in deep-sea manganese-based nodules or hydrothermal deposits. Extraction Costs: REMs are found in a variety of minerals, but not all are equally suitable for economic development. REMs are generally found in concentrations below what is economically viable for extraction at current prices using available technology. Environmental factors: Extraction and mining of rare earth metals involves similar land-use exploitation, environmental damage and ecological burden as any other mining operation. They are mined using extremely energy-intensive processes, spewing carbon emissions into the atmosphere and toxins into the ground. Geopolitical Issues: China is the world’s largest producer of REEs, accounting for over 60% of global annual production, estimated at 132,000 tonnes for 2019. It withheld the supply of Rare Earths to Japan after their dispute over Senakaku Islands, which alerted the world to use of rare earths for geopolitical purposes. Supply Monopoly: China remains virtually the only producer of the valued heavy REMs. China imposed export restrictions on REE between 2010 and 2014, resulting in dramatic increases in REE prices during those years. This leads to uneconomical trends in other countries for rare earth extraction. China’s intents of hegemony, non-solidarity with other nations does not augur well for the environment in general, as well as for geo-politics and global renewable energy usage and scenarios. Its intents on doing the same with its vast rare earth reserves will be detrimental. Way Forward – Recycling of these rare earth metals for continuous usage for various technologies is a good option that can be considered. Diversifying the supply chain of Rare Earth Metals around the world, especially focusing on the same in India. Conclusion Rare earths have become indispensable and, in many cases, irreplaceable components of materials that are essential in modern life. Thus the usage of these metals, which form a critical part of the renewable energy revolution should be handled with careful, sincere and cleaner measures if the way forward has to be greener and environment-friendly. 2. With the help of suitable examples, discuss the applications of robotics in agriculture.   Approach Candidates are expected to write about use of robotics in agriculture and then with the suitable examples discuss the application of robotics in agriculture. Introduction Agriculture is quickly becoming an exciting high-tech industry technology it is developing rapidly, not only advancing the production capabilities of farmers but also advancing robotics and automation technology as we know it. Body Robotics in agriculture: An agricultural robot is a robot deployed for agricultural purposes. Agricultural robots automate slow, repetitive and dull tasks for farmers, allowing them to focus more on improving overall production yields. Harvesting and picking is one of the most popular robotic applications in agriculture due to the accuracy and speed that robots can achieve to improve the size of yields and reduce waste from crops being left in the field. Many agricultural robotic advancements use machine vision technology to avoid hazards, identify crops, and even determine if they are ready to be harvested.  Applications of the robotics in the agriculture: Weeding: Combatting weeds and making sure crops have room to grow is a constant struggle for farmers. For example Using computer vision and a variety of mechanical tools, the robot plucks out individual weeds instead of using chemicals. Spraying: Similar to manual weeding robots, smart sprayers are typically paired with computer vision cameras to identify weeds for targeted herbicide applications. For example Sophisticated systems can even identify specific plants and activate only the relevant application nozzles. This means less waste, reduced herbicide resistance, and more efficient application across fields. Picking: Strawberries, like many berries and tender fruits/veggies, demand a very intensive harvesting program. Harvesting these crops require a lot of labour and time, both of which are often in short supply. The harvest process is quite intense, and farmers often run short of workers due to the backbreaking nature of the harvest. Seeding: Automated drone seeders are mostly used in forestry industries right now, but the potential for more widespread use is on the horizon. They are also able to plant much more efficiently with a team of two operators and ten drones capable of planting 400,000 trees a day. Robotic Harvesting: The robotic system utilizes soft-touch robotics and a lidar sensing system to detect ripe apples, leaving out unripe fruits during the picking process. For example AI-enabled robots are being widely deployed on tomato farms in Japan, and have reduced the on-field labour time by 20%. Other applications: Nursery planting, crop analysis, animal husbandry, dairy farming, drone service, harsh terrain resilient farming etc. PAAMA Agrico under Made-in-India Agri-Equipments has designed the world-class soil titling blades used in rotovators and cultivators. It enables a Robot to weld blades enabling the precision function ensuring uniformity in production while facilitating repeatability function each time. GRoboMac indigenously developed Robot has been designed in such a way that the computerised vision detects and locates the precise 3D coordinates of the bloomed cotton from the images of the cotton plant. A robotic arm uses these coordinates to pick the cotton and the arm, then uses a vacuum for precision picking of cotton and avoids picking any other contaminant. Shortcomings of such applications in India: It will also reshape the definition of farmworkers Substitution of technology may put farmers out of their jobs and render difficulties to the already suffering state of unemployment. The capital-intensive nature of Robotics. And high cost of procuring imported hardware components as well as training personnel. It runs on increasing further Inequality among small and large landowners. Loss of various traditional, yet effectively resilient methods suitable for Indian agriculture. Conclusion Embracing new technologies like robotic will be a key factor in the changing face of Indian agriculture. Therefore, any policy measure on this front needs to be carefully designed and implemented. It is important to consider all stakeholders and have collaborated measures in making robotics and other technologies in agriculture affordable sustainable and properly understood by the end users and the farmer. 3. What are the potential applications of artificial intelligence in the field of medicine? Discuss. Approach- Question is straight forward. Candidate is required to give application of AI in medicine with the help of suitable examples and answer can be concluded with predicting use of AI in various fields.   Introduction A broad spectrum of intelligent technologies like Artificial Intelligence has managed to penetrate into different industries in this information and technology-oriented era. Healthcare is no exception. It is witnessing the rapid integration of AI over a couple of years. According to a CB Insights Report, 86% of the life science companies, healthcare providers, and technology vendors are relying on Artificial Intelligence technologies. The healthcare systems will be spending $54 million on an average, on different AI projects. Body Potential applications of AI in medicine 1. Diagnose diseases Machine Learning particularly Deep Learning algorithms– have recently made huge advances in automatically diagnosing diseases, making diagnostics cheaper and more accessible. Machine Learning algorithms can learn to see patterns similarly to the way doctors see them. A key difference is that algorithms need a lot of concrete examples – many thousands – in order to learn. So Machine Learning is particularly helpful in areas where the diagnostic information a doctor examines is already digitized. Detecting lung cancer or strokes based on CT scans. Assessing the risk of sudden cardiac death or other heart diseases based on electrocardiograms and cardiac MRI images. Classifying skin lesions in skin images, Finding indicators of diabetic retinopathy in eye images. 2. Develop drugs faster Developing drugs is a notoriously expensive process. Many of the analytical processes involved in drug development can be made more efficient with Machine Learning. This has the potential to shave off years of work and hundreds of millions in investments. AI has already been used successfully in all of the 4 main stages in drug development-Identifying targets for intervention, Discovering drug candidates, Speeding up clinical trials, Finding Biomarkers for diagnosing the disease. Machine Learning can speed up the design of clinical trials by automatically identifying suitable candidates as well as ensuring the correct distribution for groups of trial participants. Algorithms can help identify patterns that separate good candidates from bad. 3. Personalize treatment Different patients respond to drugs and treatment schedules differently. So personalized treatment has enormous potential to increase patients’ lifespans. But it’s very hard to identify which factors should affect the choice of treatment. Machine Learning can automate this complicated statistical work – and help discover which characteristics indicate that a patient will have a particular response to a particular treatment. So the algorithm can predict a patient’s probable response to a particular treatment. The system learns this by cross-referencing similar patients and comparing their treatments and outcomes. The resulting outcome predictions make it much easier for doctors to design the right treatment plan. 4. Improve gene editing Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR), specifically the CRISPR-Cas9 system for gene editing, is a big leap forward in our ability to edit DNA cost effectively – and precisely, like a surgeon. Machine Learning models have been proven to produce the best results when it comes to predicting the degree of both guide-target interactions and off-target effects for a given sgRNA. This can significantly speed up the development of guide RNA for every region of human DNA. Conclusion AI is already helping us more efficiently diagnose diseases, develop drugs, personalize treatments, and even edit genes. But this is just the beginning. The more we digitize and unify our medical data, the more we can use AI to help us find valuable patterns – patterns we can use to make accurate, cost-effective decisions in complex analytical processes. 4. How do cryptocurrencies work? What are the issues with their regulation? Comment.  Approach  Explain the working of cryptocurrencies. Also mention issues with their regulations. Comment means you have to give your views and support them with evidence. Introduction: Cryptocurrency is a kind of digital money that is designed to be secure and, in many cases, anonymous. It is a currency associated with the internet that uses cryptography, the process of converting legible information into an almost uncrackable code, to track purchases and transfers. Body: How do cryptocurrencies work? Cryptocurrencies use decentralized technology to let users make secure payments and store money without the need to use their name or go through a bank. They run on a distributed public ledger called block chain, which is a record of all transactions updated and held by currency holders. Units of cryptocurrency are created through a process called mining,  which involves using computer power to solve complicated math’s problems that generate coins.  Users can also buy the currencies from brokers, then store and spend them using cryptographic wallets. Issues with their regulations: There are big concerns about digital coins as a source of fraud. They are also entirely unregulated and some are open to market manipulation.  Speculators who buy digital coins should be aware they could lose all their money. While Bitcoin is decentralized, it is highly volatile at the same time. One of the most common practical uses of cryptocurrency is to finance illegal activities, such as buying illegal goods on the dark web.  Many black market internet stores accept payments in cryptocurrency because they can be highly anonymous and do not require cash to change hands. Hackers have taken advantage of digital coins and can target exchanges and accounts, in one case crashing  one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges.  Conclusion: Cryptocurrencies are known for being secure and providing a level of anonymity. Transactions in them cannot be faked or reversed and there tend to be low fees. Their decentralized nature means they are available to everyone, although they can be complicated to set up and few stores accept them for spending. 5. What are sounding rockets? How do they function? Discuss their applications. Approach: Question is very simple and straight forward in its approach students are expected to write about sounding rockets their functioning and applications with proper explanation. Introduction: Sounding rockets take their name from the nautical term "to sound," which means to take measurements. Since 1959, NASA-sponsored space and earth science research has used sounding rockets to test instruments used on satellites and spacecraft and to provide information about the Sun, stars, galaxies and Earth's atmosphere and radiation. Body: These rockets are basically divided into two parts: a solid-fuel rocket motor and a payload. Many of the motors used in sounding-rocket programs are surplus military motors, which keep down the cost of the rocket. The payload is the section that carries the instruments to conduct the experiment and sends the data back to Earth. These rockets produce higher-quality microgravity conditions for longer periods than airplanes, or drop towers, and tubes. An experiment is placed on the rocket, which is launched and then allowed to free-fall back to Earth. Functioning and applications- A sounding rocket follows a parabolic arc, like the aircraft, but goes above the Earth's atmosphere, where air drag does not disturb microgravity conditions. The typical flight profile of a sounding rocket is the following: subsequent to a launch and as the rocket motor uses up its propellants it separates from the vehicle; the payload continues into space after separation from the motor and begins conducting the experiments; when the experiments are completed, the payload re-enters the atmosphere and a parachute is deployed, bringing the payload gently back to Earth; the payload is then retrieved (by retrieving the payload a considerable saving can be achieved because the payload or parts of the payload and experiments can be refurbished and flown again). The main difference between a sounding rocket and an orbital launch vehicle is the velocity reached. In fact, a sounding rocket does not reach the velocity (in terms of (km/s)) needed to go into orbit, and after achieving the maximum altitude comes back to Earth. The experiments experience several minutes of microgravity before the rocket re-enters the atmosphere. Acceleration levels are usually around 10−5 g. Therefore, sounding rockets provide a reasonably economical means of conducting engineering tests for instruments and devices used on satellites and other spacecraft, prior to their use in more expensive activities. Also, because of their low cost and short mission lead time, they are valuable tools for undergraduate and graduate students conducting research in the microgravity environment. They also serve as easily affordable platforms to test or prove prototypes of new components or subsystems intended for use in launch vehicles and satellites. With the establishment of the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1963 at Thumba, a location close to the magnetic equator, there was a quantum jump in the scope for aeronomy and atmospheric sciences in India. ISRO started launching indigenously made sounding rockets from 1965 and experience gained  was of immense value in the mastering  of solid propellant technology. In 1975, all sounding rocket activities were consolidated under the Rohini Sounding Rocket (RSR) Programme. RH-75, with a diameter of 75mm was the first truly Indian sounding rocket, which was followed by RH-100 and RH-125 rockets.  The sounding rocket programme was the bedrock on which the edifice of launch vehicle technology in ISRO could be built. It is possible to conduct coordinated campaigns by simultaneously launching sounding rockets from different locations. It is also possible to launch several sounding rockets in a single day. Conclusion: Not only are sounding rocket missions carried out at very low cost, but also the payload can be developed in a very short time frame -- sometimes as quickly as 3 months. This rapid response enables scientists to react quickly to new phenomena (such as observing the Shoemaker-Levy comet impact to Jupiter) and to incorporate the latest, most up-to-date technology in their experiments. TLP HOT Synopsis Day 67 PDF

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 31st March 2021

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Nacaduba Sinhala Ramaswamii Sadasivan Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III – Biodiversity  In news  A group of lepidopterists have found a new butterfly species in India. Key takeaways  The species is named Nacaduba sinhala ramaswamii Sadasivan, It was discovered in the Agasthyamalais in the Western Ghats  The new taxon of Lycaenid butterflies belongs to the Nacaduba genus. Line Blues are small butterflies belonging to the subfamily Lycaenidae.  Their distribution ranges from India and Sri Lanka to the whole of south-eastern Asia, Australia and Samoa. It is the first time that a butterfly species was discovered by an all-Indian research team from the Western Ghats. Do you know? Lepidopterology is a branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies. Someone who studies in this field is a lepidopterist or an aurelian. 'Investment Opportunities in India’s Healthcare Sector ' Report  Part of: GS Prelims and GS – II – Health In news NITI Aayog Released Report ‘Investment Opportunities in India’s Healthcare Sector’. Key takeaways  The report outlines the range of investment opportunities in various segments of India’s healthcare sector, including hospitals, medical devices and equipment, health insurance, telemedicine, home healthcare and medical value travel. India’s healthcare industry has been growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of around 22% since 2016.  At this rate, it is expected to reach USD 372 billion in 2022. In the hospital segment, the expansion of private players to tier-2 and tier-3 locations, beyond metropolitan cities, offers an attractive investment opportunity. Digha & Kankarbagh Sewage Projects Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Infrastructure  In news Financing agreements for developing STPs and Sewerage networks for Digha and Kankarbagh zones of Patna were signed recently. Key takeaways  The scope of the project includes development of Sewage Treatment Plants of 150 MLD capacity along with sewerage network of over 453 km in the Digha and Kankarbagh zones of Patna, one of the most populous cities on the banks of the river Ganga. This is the first of its kind project which comprises a mix of Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (‘DBOT’) scope and Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) scope. With its implementation, all the sewage zones of Patna city will be covered with sewerage network and sewage treatment capacity.  It shall help in achieving the objective of the Namami Gange program of preventing any untreated wastewater entering the river Ganga. Related articles: Mega development projects under Namami Gange Mission Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) scheme Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III – Economy  In news The Central government plans to issue a 14-digit identification number to every plot of land in India within a year. Key takeaways  It will subsequently integrate its land records database with revenue court records and bank records, and Aadhaar numbers on a voluntary basis.  The Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) scheme has been launched in 10 States in 2021 It will be rolled out across India by March 2022 It is being described as “the Aadhaar for land” — a number that would uniquely identify every surveyed parcel of land and prevent land fraud, especially in rural India The identification will be based on the longitude and latitude of the land parcel, and is dependent on detailed surveys and geo-referenced cadastral maps. This is the next step in the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), which began in 2008 and has been extended several times as its scope grew. The Jharkhand State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2021 Part of: GS Prelims and GS – II – Policies and interventions  In news The Jharkhand government announced 75% reservation in private sector jobs with a salary of up to Rs 30,000 for locals. Key takeaways  The bill will treat shops, establishments, mines, enterprises, industries, companies, societies, trusts, Limited Liability Partnership firms and any person employing ten or more persons as the private sector and an entity. Every employer needs to register employees on a designated portal who are receiving gross monthly salary or wages not more than Rs 30, 000 — or as notified by the government from time to time — within three months of this bill coming into force. No local candidate will be eligible to avail 75% benefit without registering herself in the designated portal. The bill defines a local candidate as a person who belongs to Jharkhand and is registered on the designated portal. The employer may claim exemption where an adequate number of local candidates of the desired skill qualification or proficiency are not available. Miscellaneous Vajra Prahar 2021 The 11th edition of Indo-US Joint Special Forces Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR was conducted recently at Bakloh, HP  The joint exercise is conducted alternatively between India and the United States. Objective: To share the best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics and to improve interoperability between the Special Forces (Mains Focus) ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: GS-3: Corporate Governance GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.  Corporate Governance: Minority Shareholders rights: Tata Vs Mistry Brief Background of the Tata Vs Mistry dispute Cyrus Mistry’s family Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) owns 18.46% equity capital in Tata Sons, the main holding company of Tata Group. 66% of Tata Sons is owned by Tata Trusts, currently controlled by Ratan Tata, the group’s former Chairman December 2012-Appointment of Mistry: Cyrus Mistry is appointed Chairperson of Tata Sons Limited. October 2016- Removal of Mistry: He is sacked from the post of Executive Chairperson by most of the Board of Directors. February 2017- Case filed against Tata Sons: The shareholders vote for Mistry’s removal from the board of Tata Sons during an extraordinary general meeting. Mistry, subsequently, files a suit under various sections of the Companies Act, 2013, alleging oppression and mismanagement in Tata Sons. July 2018- Tatas win in NLCT: The Mumbai Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) dismisses Mistry’s plea against Tata Sons. While rejecting his allegations, NCLT rules that the Board of Directors are competent enough to remove him as Chairman. The tribunal also states that it found no merit in the arguments on mismanagement in Tata Sons December 2019- Tatas lose in NCLAT: The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) overturns the NCLT judgment, and states that Mistry’s removal as Chairman of Tata Sons was illegal.  NCLAT also found that the affairs of Tata Sons were conducted in a manner prejudicial and oppressive to its minority shareholders, namely Cyrus Mistry & his family companies, as well as to the interests of the company itself. January 2020- Appeal to SC: Tata Sons and Ratan Tata challenge the NCLAT decision before the Supreme Court saying that the NCLAT verdict undermined Corporate Democracy and the rights of its Board of Directors.  Subsequently, the Supreme Court stays the NCLAT judgment to reinstate Mistry as the executive chairman of Tata Sons. September 2020: The Supreme Court restrains Mistry’s Shapoorji Pallonji Group from pledging its shares in Tata Sons to raise funds. March 2021: Final Verdict on the case  What were the allegations/ concerns raised by Mistry? Rights of Minority Shareholder’s oppressed: SP Group had also alleged that Tata Sons was being run and operated in a manner which was “oppressive” and “prejudicial” to the rights of minority shareholders. It was alleged that the removal of Cyrus Mistry meant oppression of minority shareholders. Article 75 of the Articles of Association of the Tata Group. Article 75 gives the company the right to purchase shares from a minority or a small shareholder at a fair market value. Fearing that the Tata Group may use it to try and buyout the SP Group, the latter urged the company law tribunals and the Supreme Court to not allow Article 75 to be used. Decisions disproportionately impacted minority shareholders: Apart from this, the Mistry camp had also alleged that the Tata Group had taken several commercial decisions which did not yield the desired result and thus resulted in more loss for the minority shareholders than the majority shareholders. What was the decision of the Supreme Court? No Entitlement to seat on Board:  Discussing the rights of minority and small shareholders and their importance in the board of a company, the Supreme Court held that minority shareholders or their representatives are not automatically entitled to a seat on the private company’s board like a small shareholder’s representative. This meant that SC set aside NCLAT order and dismissed the appeals of Mistry & SP Group.  Small Vs Minority Shareholder:  SC noted that the provisions contained in the 2013 Companies Act only protects the rights of small shareholders of listed companies by asking such companies to have on their board at least one director elected by such small shareholders Small shareholders, according to the Companies Act, is a shareholder or group of shareholders who hold shares of nominal value of not more than Rs 20,000. Since the Mistry family and the SP Group were not “small” shareholders, but “minority shareholders”, there was no statutory provision which gave them the “right to claim proportionate representation,” on the board of Tata Sons. No Right to Proportionate Representation SC noted that the right to claim proportionate representation is not available for the SP Group even contractually, in terms of the Articles of Association.  Neither SP Group nor CPM (Cyrus Pallonji Mistry) can request the Tribunal (NCLAT) to rewrite the contract, by seeking an amendment of the Articles of Association.  The Articles of Association, as they exist today, are binding upon SP Group and CPM Impact of the Judgement The Supreme Court has not negated the concept of quasi-partnership or a contractual agreement.  Though the judgment does not directly impact the right of minority shareholders, it does mean that going ahead, such shareholders will have to ensure that they have a contract with the majority shareholders or the promoters of the company to ensure they have adequate representation on the board. Connecting the dots: Corporate Social Responsibility SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY/ ECONOMY Topic: GS-3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.  GS-3: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, LIDAR Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges to the Earth. LiDAR uses a pulsed laser to calculate an object’s variable distances from the earth surface.  LiDAR follows a simple principle — throw laser light at an object on the earth surface and calculate the time it takes to return to the LiDAR source. Given the speed at which the light travels (approximately 186,000 miles per second), the process of measuring the exact distance through LiDAR appears to be incredibly fast. These light pulses — put together with the information collected by the airborne system — generate accurate 3D information about the earth surface and the target object. There are three primary components of a LiDAR instrument — the scanner, laser and GPS receiver. Other elements that play a vital role in the data collection and analysis are the photodetector and optics.  Two Types: Airborne LiDAR installed on a helicopter or drone for collecting data and Terrestrial LiDAR systems installed on moving vehicles or tripods on the earth surface for collecting accurate data points. Applications of LiDAR Oceanography: LiDAR technology is used to map the land and is used to measure seafloor and riverbed elevations. LiDAR is also used for calculating phytoplankton fluorescence and biomass in the ocean surface, which otherwise is very challenging. Digital Elevation or Terrain Model: Terrain elevations play a crucial role during the construction of roads, large buildings and bridges. LiDAR technology has x, y and z coordinates, which makes it incredibly easy to produce the 3D representation of elevations to ensure that concerned parties can draw necessary conclusions more easily. Agriculture: Typical applications of LiDAR technology in the agriculture sector include analysis of yield rates, crop scouting and seed dispersions. Besides this, it is also used for campaign planning, mapping under the forest canopy, and more. Security: LiDAR is used by military for carrying out various security operations near the national borders. Rescue Missions: When the authorities want to know the exact depth of the ocean’s surface to locate any object in the case of a maritime accident or for research purposes, they use LiDAR technology to accomplish their mission Advantages of using LiDAR Data can be collected quickly and with high accuracy: LiDAR is an airborne sensing technology which makes data collection fast and comes with extremely high accuracy as a result of the positional advantage. Surface Data has a higher sample density: LiDAR gives a much higher surface density compared to other methods of data collection such as photogrammetry. This improves results for some kinds of applications such as flood plain delineation. Capable of collecting elevation data in a dense forest: LiDAR technology is capable of collecting elevation data from a densely populated forest thanks to the high penetrative abilities. This means it can map even the densely forested areas. Can be used day and night: LiDAR technology can be used day and night thanks to the active illumination sensor. It is not affected by light variations such as darkness and light. This improves its efficiency. It is not affected by extreme weather: LiDAR technology is independent of extreme weather conditions such as extreme sunlight and other weather scenarios. This means that data can still be collected under these conditions and sent for analysis. Does not have any geometry distortions It can be integrated with other data sources It has minimum human dependence Surface data has a higher sample density Can be used to map inaccessible and featureless areas Disadvantages of LiDAR High operating costs in some applications Ineffective during heavy rain or low hanging clouds because of the effects of refraction. However, the data collected can still be used for analysis. Degraded at high sun angles and reflections Unreliable for turbulent breaking waves as it will affect the reflection of pulses No International protocols Very large data sets which are difficult to interpret. The laser beams may affect human eye in cases where the beam is powerful Requires skilled data analysis techniques Low operating altitude of between 500-2000m (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1 Consider the following statements regarding Namami Gange: It aims at providing comprehensive and sustainable solutions for a cleaner ecosystem along the stretch of towns and villages on the Ganga stem. It is being implemented by NITI Aayog.  Which of the above is or are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  Q.2 Hybrid Annuity Model is a mix of which of the PPP models: EPC – Engineering Procurement and Construction BOT – Build Operate Transfer DBFO – Design Build Finance Operate BOO – Build Own Operate Select the correct answer from codes given below: 1 and 2 only 1,2 and 3 Only 1 and 3 only 1 and 4 only Q.3 Nacaduba Sinhala Ramaswamii Sadasivan, a new butterfly species, recently in news, was found in which of the following region of India? Eastern Ghats Western Ghats Himalayas North East ANSWERS FOR 30th March 2021 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 A 3 A Must Read On academic excellence: The Hindu On India-Bangladesh Relationship: The Hindu On India-Myanmar relations: Indian Express

UPSC Interview Discussion-TRP

[INTERVIEW INITIATIVE] Think, Rethink and Perform (TRP) [DAY 13] 2020 for UPSC/IAS Personality Test!

ARCHIVES (of TRP) - > CLICK HERE Those who have appeared for UPSC Mains 2020, fill up the Google form given below. Students who fill the form will be added to a telegram group so that there can be healthy discussions with other students who will be appearing for the Interview/Personality Test. Also, Mohan sir, Bureaucrats and Ex-Bureaucrats will be interacting one on one with all the students who will be appearing for the same. REGISTER HERE – CLICK HERE   Interview Discussion: Think, Rethink and Perform; (TRP)- Day 13 Set 1: Ask these questions to yourself; contemplate and come out with a concrete answer (not to be discussed on this forum). Invest at least 30 minutes on this set of questions.  What is your idea of an ideal life partner? What qualities should she/he possess?  Do you have those qualities in you first?  What is your opinion about live-in relationship?  Set 2: Analyse the following issue:  The minority question has marked the political discourse in India for the past many decades. However, the socio-economic indicators of the minorities don’t add up to tell a happy picture despite the promises made by the political class. Why? What underlies this challenge? Is it appeasement or majoritarianism? Or is it something else? Think about it.  We expect you to discuss the above question (Set 2) in the comments below and come out with a balanced view of the issues. Thank You IASbaba

TLP Mains Answer Writing

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1 – ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies Paper 3 Questions [30th March,2021] – Day 68

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1- ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies 3 Questions [29th March 2020] – Day 68 We will make sure, in the next 100 days not a single day is wasted and your mains preparation is solidified. All your energies are channelized in the right direction. Trust us! This will make a huge difference in your results this time, provided that you follow this plan sincerely every day without fail. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. We are giving 5 Mains Questions on a daily basis so that every student can actively participate and keep your preparation focused. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” To Know More about the Initiative -> CLICK HERE SCHEDULE/DETAILED PLAN – > CLICK HERE Note: Click on Each Question (Link), it will open in a new tab and then Answer respective questions! 1. Discuss the contributions of contemporary Indian scientists in the field of space technology. अंतरिक्ष प्रौद्योगिकी के क्षेत्र में समकालीन भारतीय वैज्ञानिकों के योगदान पर चर्चा करें। 2. Examine the recent achievements of Indian scientists in building indigenous weapon systems. स्वदेशी हथियार प्रणालियों के निर्माण में भारतीय वैज्ञानिकों की हालिया उपलब्धियों की जाँच करें। 3. What are the factors that have contributed towards India’s global leadership role as the vaccine capital? Discuss. वैक्सीन कैपिटल के रूप में भारत के वैश्विक नेतृत्व की भूमिका में योगदान देने वाले कारक कौन से हैं? चर्चा करें। 4. What were the key objectives of the Chandrayaan mission? What were the key learnings from the project? चंद्रयान मिशन के प्रमुख उद्देश्य क्या थे? परियोजना से महत्वपूर्ण सीख क्या थी? 5. Discuss the geopolitics of the Suez Canal during the aftermath of WWII. द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध के बाद स्वेज नहर के भू-राजनीति पर चर्चा करें। P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm everyday. We would also encourage peer reviews. So friends get actively involved and start reviewing each others answers. This will keep the entire community motivated. All the Best :)

IASbaba's Monthly Magazine

मासिक पत्रिका जनवरी 2021- हिन्दी IASbaba सामयिकी

ARCHIVES Hello Friends,   Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Examination is an important factor in this preparation. An effort towards making your Current Affairs for IAS UPSC Preparation qualitative. We hope you make the best use of it! This Hindi edition covers all important current affairs issues that were in news for the month of जनवरी/JANUARY 2021. Kindly leave your feedback in the comment section below on the new design and presentation of the magazine. We would love to hear from you 🙂 DOWNLOAD THE MAGAZINE- CLICK HERE To get Regular Updates from IASbaba, follow- TELEGRAM Channel – https://t.me/IASbabaOfficialAccount YOUTUBE  –  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChvbVdio9Wgj7Z3nQz1Q0ZQ FACEBOOK  – https://www.facebook.com/iasbaba/ Also, SUBSCRIBE to the WEBSITE Below, so that you don’t miss out on important posts! Thank You IASbaba  

IASbaba Prelims 60 Day Plan

IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan - IAS Prelims Test Series 2021 - ECONOMICS, CURRENT AFFAIRS & CSAT [Day 9]

For Previous (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends,    [embed]https://https://www.youtube.com/embed/x5ldu2jV8N0[/embed] ARCHIVES OF 60 DAYS NOTE: IASbaba's 60 DAY questions will be posted around 10 AM. The solution will be released around 6 PM Daily.  Let us pledge to make it a big game-changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days! Note- Download the OMR Sheet and attempt the questions exactly like UPSC Prelims. After you are done, please post your OMR in the comment section. Once the solution key is released (around 6 PM), cross-check the answers and, comment the marks (you scored) in the same comment thread. This will keep you accountable, responsible and sincere in days to come.  You can also take part in the discussion with peers.   ECONOMICS [DAY 9] - Click Here NOTE- Follow this for Comments Mention- Time Taken after solving the Test After the release of Solution, Edit your Comment to Mention-  Correct/Incorrect and Score 2 Marks for Correct/0.66 minus for Incorrect. What IMPACT can the ‘60 Day’ have on the final results? We will explain by taking a small example. Imagine you are sitting in the examination hall, appearing in Prelims Paper I. You have attempted 70 questions already but still unsure about a few. Then you stumble upon a question that was asked in 60 Day (and believe us, it has happened to hundreds of students countless times). You choose the right answer and submit your paper hoping for the best! Eventually, you go on to clear Mains as well as Personality Test and secure a good rank as well. When the cut off gets announced by UPSC, you realize that you have scored just one mark more than the cut off! Yes, that one mark can change your life (and it has done so to many of our students in the past). Now, imagine the kind of impact 60 to 80 marks can have! Isn’t that so fascinating to imagine?   One’s level of preparedness is always different for different subjects. Even within a subject, one’s comfort level may vary with topics. For example, one might be more comfortable in solving questions of Polity than Economics and within Polity also, one might be at ease with questions on fundamental rights than Parliament. The level of comfort and ease that one has with a subject/ topic gets manifested in the examination. However, there is no conscious effort by aspirants to micro analyze these aspects. Now, coming to the second aspect i.e. the mistakes that one commits in answering MCQs, it can be said that there are mainly four reasons behind incorrect responses in the OMR sheet. They are: Lack of information Lack of analytical ability Silly mistakes Excessive risk-taking Let’s analyze them one by one: Lack of information: You simply don’t know the information. You are clueless and that’s why you don’t attempt the question. For example, you may have never come across a regime called the ‘Wassenaar Agreement’ during your preparation and you can’t do much about it. The lack of information is pardonable and rectifiable. You can read more and gather more information. That is within your reach. Lack of analytical ability: You know the concept but the question is a twisted one and you are not able to apply the concept. For example, in a question asking you to identify the climate type of a region based on certain given parameters like precipitation, temperature, and air density, you might find it difficult to mark the correct option even if you are aware of all the options given in the question! That is clearly a lack of application and you can overcome it by developing a habit of framing questions in your mind while you study any topic. Silly mistakes: This habit is unpardonable. You know the concept, you become happy, you misread the question, you mark the incorrect answer and you are out of the race! Such mistakes reveal your hurriedness while answering the question. A simple mistake of reading ‘chose the incorrect option’ as ‘chose the correct option’ can destroy your chances. It means that you need to have patience and focus while attempting the paper. Excessive risk-taking: You are confused between the options and just in order to increase your attempts, you make wild guesses and try your luck only to repent eventually. Risk-taking is an art and one must be very careful while doing the guesswork in confusing questions. If you are not lucky enough, it can spoil your chances. You will realize that these problems will have different meanings for different people. For example, one might find a lack of information as the main culprit in answering wrong the questions on Culture while in Polity, lack of analytical ability is usually the culprit. The point here is that you must analyse your preparation on these yardsticks by applying them on different subjects/ topics. If one is having a headache, he/ she can’t have the same medicine for fever. Isn’t it. This is where our revamped '60 Day’ comes into the picture. It will give you an opportunity to micro analyze your preparation and perform better in the examination. Finally, it is up to you to take advantage of this framework. We are sure of only one thing- if you follow this program, assess yourself on the basis of the given framework and keep improving your weaker areas, success will be yours. We are providing you with the right platform, the right guidance, and the right competition. Do you have the right motivation to make full use of this initiative? We think you have. Come, be a part of this initiative and take the first step towards SUCCESS! Importance of self - tracking: We could have provided all of you with login id and passwords to monitor your daily performance in the 60-day program. Instead, a simple and most beautiful way which Disqus provides is profile based commenting! Yes, we have seen the most successful candidates who have taken the maximum benefit from this program monitoring themselves by commenting on their answers in the box given (Disqus comment). And reviewing their performance themselves once in 10 days on the progress meter. DOWNLOAD THE 60 DAYS PLAN 2021   All the Best! IASbaba  

TLP Mains Answer Writing

SYNOPSIS [26th March,2021] Day 65: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE   SYNOPSIS [26th March,2021] Day 65: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   1. Why is it important to have a value driven bureaucracy? Explain. Approach Candidates are expected to write about what is bureaucracy and value driven bureaucracy. Then mainly explain the importance of the value driven bureaucracy. Introduction Max Weber, defines bureaucracy as a highly structured, formalised, and also an impersonal organisation. He also instituted the belief that an organisation must have a defined hierarchical structure and clear rules, regulations, and lines of authority which govern it. Body Value driven bureaucracy – Values-driven bureaucracy lead from a deep sense of purpose and a demonstrated commitment to life-affirming values, such as honesty, integrity, excellence, courage, humility, trust, care for people and social and environmental responsibility. This can be observed in the civil service conduct rules 1965 in India. For promoting political neutrality, promoting the principles of merit, fairness and impartiality in the discharge of duties, accountability and transparency. Importance of the value driven bureaucracy – Value driven officers of civil services maintains confidentiality of information in relation to one’s duties as required by existing laws and rules. It presents cognitive list of “do’s and don’ts" include being responsive to the public particularly to the weaker sections being courteous and maintain good behaviour with the public. It stresses on “minimum government and maximum governance", besides making the administration more people friendly and more transparent. It creates clean and deft administration, besides efficient delivery of state services through a toned bureaucracy. Such bureaucracy commit themselves to and uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and democratic values, defend and uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of state, public order, decency and morality. Value driven Bureaucrats maintain integrity in public service take decisions solely in public interest and use or cause to use public resources efficiently, effectively and economically declare any private interests relating to his public duties and take steps to resolve any conflicts in a way that protects the public interest. It mandate officials not to place themselves under any financial or other obligations to any individual or organisation which may influence him in the performance of his official duties not misuse his position as civil servant and not take decisions in order to derive financial or material benefits for himself, his family or his friends. It refrain them from doing anything which is or may be contrary to any law, rules, regulations and established practices. Value driven officials make choices, take decisions and make recommendations on merit alone act with fairness and impartiality and not discriminate against anyone, particularly the poor and the under-privileged sections of society. For example Delhi head constable Seema traced 63 missing children in the last three months, reuniting them to their families. Going beyond her routine policing duties despite case not been registered in her unit.  It provides no affinity to a particular class or ideology. Even in the post-retirement period, public officials could make significant interventions for more noble purposes underlying the good society even without joining a particular brand of formal politics that has scant regard for constitutional principles such as freedom from fear and human dignity. Conclusion Thus Values-driven bureaucracy offers a platform for public servant to unleash there potential by serving as a catalyst for personal development and transformation and by encouraging public servant to engage their values, sense of purpose and intrinsic motivation to be part of something that contributes positively to society. 2. In a law driven administration, what role does ethics play? Illustrate. Approach  Question is straight forward in nature. Candidate can illustrate relationship between law and ethics and with the help of suitable examples role of ethics in administration can be stated. Introduction Laws and ethics both serve similar purposes of guiding human conduct so as to make it conducive to civilized social existence. They enforce a sense of right and wrong. Laws refer to the set of codified norms which are enforced by the state. They act as external obligations. On the other hand, ethics refer to the set of norms which guide our internal compass and judgements. Body Relationship between law and ethics – Laws and ethics both serve similar purposes of guiding human conduct so as to make it conducive to civilized social existence. They enforce a sense of right and wrong. Laws refer to the set of codified norms which are enforced by the state. They act as external obligations. On the other hand, ethics refer to the set of norms which guide our internal compass and judgements. Both are derived from certain common sources like religion, community values, cultural context, sense of justice, etc. However, ethics can also be a result of one’s own evolution, personal experiences, personal choices, etc. While laws apply uniformly to all, ethics can vary from person to person and they change more frequently than laws. In case of a breach of law, the state is within its right to punish. Hence, they work as a medium of retributive justice. On the other hand, ethics are not enforceable. Many laws are representative of ethics of the time and have been shaped by what is considered ethical. The idea that everyone is equal before law is derived from the value that human are born equal. At the same time, laws have shaped ethics. They have been used to counter regressive doctrines. Eg. When Sati was abolished, it was not an unethical practice and derived its legitimacy from religion. But appropriate laws eventually forced to stop the unethical practices. Significance of ethics in administration – Laws alone are not enough to promote ethical behaviour. Laws can never be so exhaustive to cover each and every scenario possible. Hence, there will always be scope for discretion. In such scenarios, ethical behaviour should come from within. The ethical standards of Impartiality and objectivity bring merit into organization. thereby, increasing predictability, which improves economic efficiency. E.g. e-filing of tax returns, online tenders etc. Public resource utilization: ethical use of resources ensures the efficient and effective development of society without corruption. It makes the one holding public office accountable for his/her actions. E.g. RTI, social audits to involve public and enhance transparency in resource utilization. Outcomes for society are better when the decisions of public office holders are made fairly and on merit and not influenced by personal and private interests. Commitment and dedication to work improves the administration. E.g. Ramkumar IAS brought in new ideas to develop dadenggre district of Meghalaya though personally it was difficult. Law is just set of rules but ethics is set of guiding principles when it comes to personal discretion and when faced with the dilemma. Ethics in law driven administration guides the personal conscience. Conclusion Laws can make an action lawful or unlawful. But to test the basis of law, ethics are required. A law can be unethical for eg. During freedom struggle many laws were made to supress the nationalistic voices. Today we can see laws have many loopholes and some are arbitrary in nature. To ensure welfare of society and the marginalised, an element of ethics is must in law driven administration. 3. Examine the factors that create avenues for corruption in the civil service? Can regulations alone tackle the challenge of corruption? Critically examine.  Approach Since the question has asked you to critically examine you should throws light on the negatives and positives where an aspirant needs to examine both sides of an issue and come to a balanced conclusion. Introduction The history of the civil services in this country is replete with outstanding tales of courage, toil, sweat and blood. Great civil servants played a pivotal role in building a modern infrastructure from scratch, maintaining law and order and preserving the unity and integrity of the country. It is indeed a tragic fall for the services from such heights. Recently, in a rare journalistic scoop, a list of civil servants who were under investigation for corrupt practices by the anti-corruption beaureu was made public by the media.  Body  Factors that create avenues for corruption in the civil service – Lack of Effective Leadership and economic stability in India  Unemployment, Poverty And Hunger Very Less Educational Institute and Medical Infrastructure. Vast Size of Population in India Is Biggest Cause of Corruption In India. Another Big Cause of Corruption in India Is nexus between political parties and Industrialist. Emergence of political elite who believe in interest-oriented rather than nation-oriented programmes and policies is Another Big reason of Corruption in India. Low Pay Scales And Wages Lack of Fundamental Rights Awareness in People of India Lack of Transparency in Deals and Affairs Lack of Independent detective agency and accountability Lack of enough powers to the judicial system in India Can regulations alone tackle the challenge of corruption? Public servants in India can be penalized for corruption under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and   The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988 Prohibits benami transactions. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 penalizes public Servants for the offence of money laundering. India is also a signatory (not ratified) to the UN Convention against Corruption since 2005. The Convention covers a wide range of acts of Corruption and also proposes certain preventive policies. But these regulations are alone not enough. Other steps needed to deal with corruption includes – Give Good salary to Government Employees Bring transparency In Indian Economic System Try To make Indian Society Cashless More Number of Online transactions and provide bill For Every transactions Bring Political parties Under RTI Set Eligibility For Indian Politician Increase in Digital And E Governance Transparent tax structure by clean and clear enforcement Bring More Transparency In Govt Job Recruitment Keep Inflation low Speed up the judgement and increase the courts Citizenship cancellation could be a highest level of punishment if their crime score reaches a certain extent. Conclusion The Civil Servants thought of themselves as Guardians, in the Platonic sense : “ All who are in any place of command in so far as they are indeed rulers, neither consider nor enjoin their own interest but that of the subjects on behalf of whom they exercise their craft….”The pressing need of the hour is to make the bureaucracy truly accountable and separate the crime investigation process from political control. Only then will the citizen regain a level of confidence in the governance process. Until then, no matter how many times people reject a government or party, no matter how often they give vent to their anger and frustration through public protests, demonstrations, and at times violence, the real character of governance does not seem to change; the local public servant behaves in the same manner as always ¾ corrupt, greedy, arrogant and arbitrary. 4. In your opinion what should be the key values for a bureaucracy? Substantiate your views. Approach Question is straight forward in its approach students are expected to explain the key values for bureaucracy, also it is important to substantiate views by making use of examples. Introduction Values are essential components of organisational culture and are instrumental in determining, guiding and informing behaviour. For bureaucracies, adherence to high-level public service values can generate substantial public trust and confidence.The ethics and values for the civil services have to be of higher standards, unique and properly structured from those for the citizens or other sectors of the society because civil servants have special obligations to the community. Body Values for bureaucracy – Integrity- Integrity is the fundamental moral concept in civil services. It is an important basis of ethical behaviour and ethical competency. It is associated with the value of being honest and maintain strong moral principles. Integrity includes financial integrity, professional integrity and intellectual integrity. Ethics and integrity are closely related. An ethical person having strong moral values is bound to be a man of integrity. Impartiality- Impartiality is a norm of justice holding that decisions should be based on objective standards, instead of on the basis of bias, prejudice, or preferring the advantage to one person over another for unsuitable reasons. Impartiality is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions. Impartiality means that civil bureaucrats in carrying out their official work, including functions like procurement, recruitment, delivery of services etc., should take decisions based on merit alone. Impartiality implies that the behaviour of, and treatment by a bureaucrat to any individual or entity has to be exclusively on the basis of merit. An administrator has to take numerous major decisions such as recruitment, procurement and allotment. To make such decisions effective and efficient, there has to be absolute impartiality. Non-Partisanship- Non-partisanship is not being precisely owned or allied with any group, party or cause. Non-partisanship can be called political neutrality. Non-partisanshipinfers that the officer is to do his task without any fear of, or favour to any political party. The values of the administrator will flow from the constitution not from the philosophy of any political party. Non-partisanship is the process of not involving any political party even if the person has strong faith in any political thought. Objectivity- Objectivity is founding advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence. It entails that a truth remains true universally, independently of human thought or approaches. It is established that objective decisions are not impacted by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts. Taking an objective approach to an issue means having due regard for the known valid evidence (relevant facts, logical implications and viewpoints and human purposes) pertaining to that issue. If significant valid evidence is denied or counterfeit, an objective approach is incredible.  Dedication- Dedication is the eminence of people to be devoted or loyal to a duty or purpose, thought or action. Dedication is vital personality trait of an individual. In organizational framework, faithful employees work towards achieving the organizational goals. Dedication will carry person through a lack of motivation. It is his ability to continue acting when motivation is lacking. Dedication will drive to certain task rapidly. Empathy- Empathy is described as understanding what others are feeling. Empathy is the capability to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within the other person’s frame of reference. In general term, empathy is about being able to accurately hear out and understand the opinions, feelings and concern of other people in society. Tolerance- Tolerance is a great feature of civil servants. Tolerance comprises of allowing people to exercise their rights, religious or constitutional. Tolerance teaches us to exercise restraint in sensitive matters. Tolerance is defined as a fair and objective outlook towards those whose lifestyle differs from person. It refers to the skills person need to live together peaceably. Compassion- Compassion is a feeling of empathy towards another person. It is the emotion that people feel in response to the suffering of others which in turn motivates a desire to help. Compassion is a process of connecting by identifying another process. This identification with others through compassion can lead to increased enthusiasm to do something in an effort to relieve the distress of other. Recently launched mission Karmayogi aims to impart modern values and  envisages to prepare bureaucracy for the future by making them more creative, constructive, imaginative, innovative, proactive, professional, progressive, energetic, enabling, transparent and technology-enabled. Conclusion It can be recognized that above core values support good government and guarantee the accomplishment of the highest possible standards in all that the Civil Service does. This in turn helps the Civil Service to gain and maintain the respect of ministers, Parliament, the public and its clienteles. The civil servants have to abide by a common set of values which can cater to larger interests of society at large and to achieve social, political and economic justice. 5. Has there been a decline in the overall integrity and values of bureaucracy in India? Critically comment. Approach The candidate needs to comment upon whether there has been a decline in the overall integrity and values of bureaucracy in India and also give some counter arguments to the same for showcasing a balanced perspective. Introduction Bureaucrats need to maintain neutrality and impartiality in their working to ensure the triumph of democracy where upholding the values of bureaucracy becomes important to face the number of serious challenges from diminishing human capital in Indian bureaucracy.  Body Public administration has become a key agency for development in most of the developing countries where Bureaucracy contributes immensely to development by serving as adviser, inventor, and decision-maker.  But over a period of time, Indian bureaucracy seems to be in decline in terms of overall integrity and values, which can be detrimental to the democratic institutions as well as constitutional ethos of the administration in India. Over the years, whatever virtues the civil servants possessed – integrity, political neutrality, courage and high morale – are showing signs of decay. Some civil servants are deeply involved in partisan politics. For example, Supreme Court even called CBI as caged parrot which speaks for its masters. Further, there has been a deviation from bureaucrat’s professional ethics due to multiple factors like personal ambitions, security of tenure, lack of accountability, political interference, greed, etc. For example, recent incident involving API Sachin Waze in terror case. Here, political interference can be considered one of the major factors for the decline where transfers have been used as instruments of reward and punishment by politicians, as tools for controlling and taming the bureaucracy.  Specialisation is an important facet of bureaucracy in the Weberian scheme, but in the Indian context the ‘generalist’ IAS officers are the ultimate mavens in all administration branches, which contributes to professional inadequacies leading to decline in values for compromise. Also, unprecedented security of tenure for Indian bureaucrats has led to a work culture where productivity and accountability are side-lined and lethargic work culture is imbibed which eventually is leading to decline in values. At the same time, it is important to note that the above discussion is not an overall trend but refers to a section of civil servants, whereas the major section of bureaucratic structure sees mostly honest and upright officers with proper values and integrity. These civil servants are the “doers”. For example, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan led by the redoubtable Parameswaran Iyer is creating an impact. Fortunately, it is becoming visible as well.  Further, the thrust on efficiency and integrity in the Indian Railways by its chairman Ashwani Lohani, is also yielding results. One can witness the impact of the changes he has brought about in the functioning of the Railways.  The team of Indu Bhushan and Dinesh Arora, engaged in implementing the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana Abhiyan as part of Ayushman Bharat, provides another example of honest and efficient working.  COVID-19 Pandemic also saw the recognition of bureaucrats work and their sacrifices as the frontline workers. For example, in Odisha, V. K. Pandian, private secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, led Odisha to become the first state to go for a 40 per cent lockdown following an analysis of the geographical spread of people who came from abroad in March. These are honest and efficient bureaucrats committed to the cause for which they are paid for from the public exchequer. They are performing their tasks as professionals. Their crusading spirit is directed towards the tasks assigned to them.  However, unfortunately, there are an equal numbers of bureaucrats who stop at just being honest, which also becomes an issue as professionalism is replaced with virtue signalling instead of completing the task at hand. Way Forward – Implementing and popularising the All India Service (Conduct) Rules, 1968 for All-India Service officers of IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service in its true sense. Coming up with more measures like Mission Karmayogi, in accordance with 2nd ARC’s recommendations for improving the value system as well as work culture of bureaucrats. A government servant’s promotion, career advancement and continuance in service should be linked to his actual performance on the job and the dead wood should be weeded out where the promotions should be merit based. Officers need to be motivated and empowered by giving them more responsibility and decision-making authority. Conclusion Bureaucrats should consider their role as public servants and maintain high standards of ethics as well as professionalism to serve the people in the true sense for striving towards achieving the ideals of ‘New India’.   TLP HOT Synopsis Day 65 PDF

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th March 2021

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) Part of: GS Prelims and GS – II – International Relations  In news India will attend the 9th Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process on Afghanistan. Location – Tajikistan Important value additions  The Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) is an initiative of Afghanistan and Turkey, which was officially launched at a conference hosted by Turkey in Istanbul in 2011. Since then, Afghanistan supported by 14 Participating Countries of the Heart of Asia Region, 16 Supporting Countries beyond the region and 12 Regional and International Organizations are leading and coordinating this Process. It is a platform for promoting regional security, economic and political cooperation centred on Afghanistan through dialogue and a set of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs). De facto Secretariat: The Directorate General for Regional Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan The geographical area covering the 15 Participating Countries of the HoA-IP is defined as the Heart of Asia Region.  It is one of the biggest regions in the world with a collective geographical area covering around 27% of the land area of the Earth. Do you know?  As the lead country for Trade, Commerce and Investment Confidence Building Measure under HoA-IP, India has made concerted efforts for strengthening regional connectivity for the greater economic integration of Afghanistan with the region. A dedicated Air Freight Corridor between cities of India and Afghanistan and operationalisation of Chabahar Port in Iran are steps in that direction. External affairs minister also visited the Dushanbe-Chortut Highway Project and lauded the work being done by Border Roads Organisation under Indian grant assistance.  The 8-lane highway will decongest Dushanbe. India delivers COVID-19 vaccines for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNPKF)  Part of: GS Prelims and GS – II – International Relations  In news India delivered on its promise of 2,00,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNPKF) worldwide, sending a shipment bound for Copenhagen. Important value additions  UN Peacekeeping Force (UNPKF)  UN peacekeepers provide security and the political and peace building support to help countries make the difficult, early transition from conflict to peace. Principles: (1) Consent of the parties; (2) Impartiality; (3) Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate Present status: There are currently 12 UN peacekeeping operations deployed. Do you know?  For its services, UN Peacekeeping has also received the Nobel Peace Prize. UN peacekeepers are often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets or helmets. India abstains from voting on Resolution 46/L1  Part of: GS Prelims and GS – II – International Relations  In news India abstained from voting on a resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that makes a wide-ranging and damaging commentary on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. Key takeaways  Resolution 46/L1 has decided, among other things, to “strengthen” the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to collect evidence and develop possible strategies for future accountability processes for gross violations of human rights in Sri Lanka. It refers to “persistent” lack of accountability for rights abuses committed through the years by “all parties” in Sri Lanka.  Most seriously, it expresses a lack of confidence in the ability of the present government to address the shortcomings. Among the 14 countries that abstained were Japan, Indonesia, Bahrain and Nepal.  Among the 11 that voted against were China, Cuba, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia, and Venezuela. Do you know?  This is the 8th resolution on Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council since the end of the war against the LTTE in 2009. India’s record of voting on these resolutions shows the ups and downs of New Delhi-Colombo relations, the pressures on coalitions in India, the influence of politics and parties in Tamil Nadu, and the ebb and flow of regional and international geopolitics. MICE Roadshow - Meet in India'; Chhatrasal Convention Centre  Part of: GS Prelims and GS – I – Culture  In news The ‘Chhatrasal Convention Centre at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh was recently inaugurated Inaugurated by: Ministry for Tourism and Culture and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh   Developed under: Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism. Key takeaways  The Ministry of Tourism has framed ‘Development of Iconic Tourist Destinations Scheme’ a Central Sector Scheme for development of nineteen identified iconic destinations in the country following a holistic approach. They will also launch “MICE Roadshow – Meet in India” Brand and Roadmap for the Promotion of India as MICE Destination (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. Miscellaneous Indo-Korean Friendship Park  India’s First Indo-Korean Friendship Park was jointly inaugurated by Republic of Korea and India at Delhi Cantonment.  It is in Delhi Cantonment. The park is significant for it being a symbol of strong India-South Korea friendly relations.  It is also a monument to India’s contributions as part of 21 countries which participated in Korean war 1950-53, under the aegis of the UN.  One of the pillars in the park encompasses Nobel Laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s narration of Korea as “The Lamp of the East” which was published in Korean daily “Dong-A-llbo” in 1929.  (Mains Focus) EXECUTIVE/ GOVERNANCE Topic: GS-2: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive  GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Reforms in the bureaucracy A look at Defence Bureaucracy reform - CDS Nearly 20 years after the recommendation of the Kargil Review Committee on higher defence management, Prime Minister announced the decision to create the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in 2019 The decision was not so simple as many within the defence establishment were opposed to the idea of concentrating military decision-making in one person. General Bipin Rawat was appointed as the first CDS for three years on January 1, 2020 and was also made Secretary of the newly-created Department of Military Affairs (DMA) CDS was tasked with delivering on military reforms through transparent need-based hardware acquisition and creation of theatre commands for better synergy among the land, air and sea-based forces The idea was to cut through bureaucratic red-tape and speed up decision-making in the defence ministry.  What are the major concerns with Indian bureaucratic system?  Lacks Result Orientation: The Indian bureaucracy continues to be driven by process rather than the outcome. Lacks sensitivity & responsiveness to Public’s needs: The disconnect between the common man and the bureaucracy has not reduced as the bureaucrats are more interested in keeping the file perfect Colonial Hangover: The bureaucracy still continues its legacy of British imperial past as officers sometimes function as part of an occupying power without any awareness of the position on the ground.  Lacks Domain Expertise: In the age of AI and multi-formatted information, bureaucrats generally have inadequate domain knowledge of their areas of work often leading to inefficient policy making. Status-quoist in their attitude: Serving bureaucrats resist infusion of fresh blood and ideas to guide them in their emerging roles and have inadequate communication especially with the Indian youth.  Challenges even with existence of Political Will: Many ministers say they find their bureaucrats behaving like the permanent opposition, determined to tire out the political executives through excessive reliance on procedures & process.  For ex: It took more than one year for the government’s human resource manager, the department of personnel and training, to make key appointments to the department of military affairs.  Way Ahead Appoint Third ARC: It is time for government to appoint the third administrative reforms commission to institute cutting-edge reforms in the Indian bureaucracy. And this time, government should make sure that the recommendations are actually implemented - and not just on paper like the second administrative reforms Incentivize better performing civil servants: It is time for government to separate the wheat from the chaff by incentivising deserving senior officials through an alternative fast-track career progression channel. This will also lower the age profile of the top officials.  Alternate System of Promotion: The government should also consider promotions to higher levels, that is additional secretary or secretary-level posts from a pool of four to five batches together and not on a year-by-year basis as is done now. This will give the government a larger pool of officials to make their selection.  Contractual Appointments System: Perhaps, appointments at additional secretary or secretary-level could also be offered on a contract basis for five to ten years with compensation for premature separation or termination on each side. This will ensure accountability in terms of delivery on the ground. Expand Lateral Entry: While the government has inducted officers through lateral entry at joint secretary levels or below, this should be encouraged at an additional secretary or secretary-level as a laggard top official will ensure that the lateral entrant has no work Conclusion India should have a new result-oriented bureaucracy when the nation celebrates the 75th year of Independence as the present architecture needs to be torn down and rebuilt Connecting the dots: Mission Karmayogi POLITY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: GS-2: Working of Executive & Parliamentary Accountability Parliamentary Committees Context: India’s Parliament recently passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which significantly increases the powers of the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) of Delhi Despite the nature of the sweeping changes this bill proposed, it was not sent to a parliamentary committee, and there was no formal consultation with stakeholders, civil society, or experts before it was quickly rushed through both Houses of Parliament Importance of Committees Thorough analysis of issues: Most MPs are generalists who rely on advice from experts and stakeholders before taking decisions. Therefore, committees are meant to help MPs seek expertise and give them time to think about issues in detail.  Ensures all parties voice their opinion: All committees have MPs representing different parties, in roughly the same proportion as their strength in Parliament Feedback from multiple stakeholders: When bills are referred to these committees, they are examined closely and inputs are sought from various external stakeholders, including the public. Less burden of populistic posture: By virtue of being closed-door and away from the public eye, discussions in committee meetings are also more collaborative, with MPs feeling less pressured to posture for media galleries. Put pressure on government: Although committee recommendations are not binding on the government, their reports create a public record of the consultations that took place and put pressure on the government to reconsider its stand on debatable provisions. Issues Referring bills to committees is not mandatory: In the Indian system, unfortunately, it is not mandatory for bills to be sent to committees. It’s left to the discretion of the Chair — the Speaker in the Lok Sabha and Chairperson in the Rajya Sabha Worrying Trend of sidelining Parliamentary Committees: Sidelining committees is increasingly becoming the norm in India. Only 25% bills were referred to committees in the 16th Lok Sabha (2014-2019) as compared to 60% in the 14th (2004-2009) and 71% in the 15th Lok Sabha (2009-14). Risk of weakening Parliament: In the constitutional scheme of things, Parliament is supposed to maintain oversight on the government and keep its power in check. By circumventing due diligence in Parliament, we run the risk of weakening democracy. Direct discussion not a substitute for committee deliberation: The 16th Lok Sabha (2014-19) worked for over 1,615 hours, 20% more than the previous Lok Sabha, and passed 133 bills, 15% more than the 15th Lok Sabha. Thus, MPs are spending more time on direct deliberations on the floor of the House. However, these cannot be a substitute for committee deliberations as floor discussion lacks thorough analysis and also most MPs are not subject-matter experts.  Brute Majority: By giving discretionary power to the Chair to decide whether the bill has to be sent to committee or not, the system has been especially rendered weak in a Lok Sabha where the ruling party has a brute majority. Way Forward Sweden Model: In countries such as Sweden and Finland, all bills are sent to committees. In Australia, a selection of bills committee, which includes members from the Opposition, is tasked with identifying the bills that should go to committees. Need to uphold quality Governance & Parliament relevance: Scrutiny by Parliamentary Committees is necessary to uphold the quality of legislation, and by extension, the quality of governance in the country. A strong committee system is probably the only way to ensure Parliament’s relevance in the law-making process.  (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1 Heart of Asia - Istanbul process is an initiative of which of the following countries? Afghanistan and Tajikistan  Afghanistan and India  Turkey and India  Afghanistan and Turkey Q.2 Resolution 46/L1, recently seen in news, is associated with which of the following? Human Rights abuse in Sri Lanka  Myanmar coup  Saudi Arabia's resolution against Houthis  United Nations’ resolution to fight covid-19 Q.3 Chhatrasal convention centre was recently inaugurated in which of the following state of India?  Madhya Pradesh  Uttar Pradesh  Rajasthan  Chhattisgarh ANSWERS FOR 29th March 2021 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 C Must Read On Mumbai’s COVID-19 surge: The Hindu On water crisis and sustainable agriculture: Indian Express

IASbaba Prelims 60 Day Plan

IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan - IAS Prelims Test Series 2021 - GEOGRAPHY, CURRENT AFFAIRS & CSAT [Day 8]

For Previous (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends,  [embed]https://[/embed] ARCHIVES OF 60 DAYS NOTE: IASbaba's 60 DAY questions will be posted around 10 AM. The solution will be released around 6 PM Daily.  Let us pledge to make it a big game-changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days! Note- Download the OMR Sheet and attempt the questions exactly like UPSC Prelims. After you are done, please post your OMR in the comment section. Once the solution key is released (around 6 PM), cross-check the answers and, comment the marks (you scored) in the same comment thread. This will keep you accountable, responsible and sincere in days to come.  You can also take part in the discussion with peers.   GEOGRAPHY [DAY 8] - Click Here NOTE- Follow this for Comments Mention- Time Taken after solving the Test After the release of Solution, Edit your Comment to Mention-  Correct/Incorrect and Score 2 Marks for Correct/0.66 minus for Incorrect. What IMPACT can the ‘60 Day’ have on the final results? We will explain by taking a small example. Imagine you are sitting in the examination hall, appearing in Prelims Paper I. You have attempted 70 questions already but still unsure about a few. Then you stumble upon a question that was asked in 60 Day (and believe us, it has happened to hundreds of students countless times). You choose the right answer and submit your paper hoping for the best! Eventually, you go on to clear Mains as well as Personality Test and secure a good rank as well. When the cut off gets announced by UPSC, you realize that you have scored just one mark more than the cut off! Yes, that one mark can change your life (and it has done so to many of our students in the past). Now, imagine the kind of impact 60 to 80 marks can have! Isn’t that so fascinating to imagine?   One’s level of preparedness is always different for different subjects. Even within a subject, one’s comfort level may vary with topics. For example, one might be more comfortable in solving questions of Polity than Economics and within Polity also, one might be at ease with questions on fundamental rights than Parliament. The level of comfort and ease that one has with a subject/ topic gets manifested in the examination. However, there is no conscious effort by aspirants to micro analyze these aspects. Now, coming to the second aspect i.e. the mistakes that one commits in answering MCQs, it can be said that there are mainly four reasons behind incorrect responses in the OMR sheet. They are: Lack of information Lack of analytical ability Silly mistakes Excessive risk-taking Let’s analyze them one by one: Lack of information: You simply don’t know the information. You are clueless and that’s why you don’t attempt the question. For example, you may have never come across a regime called the ‘Wassenaar Agreement’ during your preparation and you can’t do much about it. The lack of information is pardonable and rectifiable. You can read more and gather more information. That is within your reach. Lack of analytical ability: You know the concept but the question is a twisted one and you are not able to apply the concept. For example, in a question asking you to identify the climate type of a region based on certain given parameters like precipitation, temperature, and air density, you might find it difficult to mark the correct option even if you are aware of all the options given in the question! That is clearly a lack of application and you can overcome it by developing a habit of framing questions in your mind while you study any topic. Silly mistakes: This habit is unpardonable. You know the concept, you become happy, you misread the question, you mark the incorrect answer and you are out of the race! Such mistakes reveal your hurriedness while answering the question. A simple mistake of reading ‘chose the incorrect option’ as ‘chose the correct option’ can destroy your chances. It means that you need to have patience and focus while attempting the paper. Excessive risk-taking: You are confused between the options and just in order to increase your attempts, you make wild guesses and try your luck only to repent eventually. Risk-taking is an art and one must be very careful while doing the guesswork in confusing questions. If you are not lucky enough, it can spoil your chances. You will realize that these problems will have different meanings for different people. For example, one might find a lack of information as the main culprit in answering wrong the questions on Culture while in Polity, lack of analytical ability is usually the culprit. The point here is that you must analyse your preparation on these yardsticks by applying them on different subjects/ topics. If one is having a headache, he/ she can’t have the same medicine for fever. Isn’t it. This is where our revamped '60 Day’ comes into the picture. It will give you an opportunity to micro analyze your preparation and perform better in the examination. Importance of self - tracking: We could have provided all of you with login id and passwords to monitor your daily performance in the 60-day program. Instead, a simple and most beautiful way which Disqus provides is profile based commenting! Yes, we have seen the most successful candidates who have taken the maximum benefit from this program monitoring themselves by commenting on their answers in the box given (Disqus comment). And reviewing their performance themselves once in 10 days on the progress meter. PLAN 2021 All the Best! IASbaba

TLP Mains Answer Writing

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1 – ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies Paper 3 Questions [29th March,2021] – Day 67

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1- ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies 3 Questions [29th March 2020] – Day 67 We will make sure, in the next 100 days not a single day is wasted and your mains preparation is solidified. All your energies are channelized in the right direction. Trust us! This will make a huge difference in your results this time, provided that you follow this plan sincerely every day without fail. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. We are giving 5 Mains Questions on a daily basis so that every student can actively participate and keep your preparation focused. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” To Know More about the Initiative -> CLICK HERE SCHEDULE/DETAILED PLAN – > CLICK HERE Note: Click on Each Question (Link), it will open in a new tab and then Answer respective questions! 1. What are rare earth metals? What are their applications? What are the issues with its extractions? Discuss दुर्लभ पृथ्वी धातुएँ क्या हैं? उनके उपयोग क्या हैं? इसके खनन के साथ क्या मुद्दे हैं? चर्चा करें 2. With the help of suitable examples, discuss the applications of robotics in agriculture. उपयुक्त उदाहरणों की सहायता से, कृषि में रोबोटिक्स के अनुप्रयोगों पर चर्चा करें। 3. What are the potential applications of artificial intelligence in the field of medicine? Discuss. चिकित्सा के क्षेत्र में कृत्रिम बुद्धिमत्ता के संभावित अनुप्रयोग क्या हैं? चर्चा करें। 4. How do cryptocurrencies work? What are the issues with their regulation? Comment. क्रिप्टोकरेंसी कैसे काम करती है? उनके विनियमन के साथ क्या मुद्दे हैं? टिप्पणी करें। 5. What are sounding rockets? How do they function? Discuss their applications. ध्वन्यात्मक रॉकेट क्या हैं? वे कैसे कार्य करते हैं? उनके अनुप्रयोगों पर चर्चा करें। P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm everyday. We would also encourage peer reviews. So friends get actively involved and start reviewing each others answers. This will keep the entire community motivated. All the Best :)

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