IASbaba's Flagship Course: Integrated Learning Programme (ILP) - 2024  Read Details

Posts

TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS [18th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 33: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE   SYNOPSIS [18th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 33: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   1. What is the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme? Discuss. Why is it important? Approach - A direct question divided into two parts where the first part requires discussion on what is Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme and in the second part, you need to elaborate upon why it is important. Introduction The main constraint in India’s infrastructure sector is the lack of source for finance. Some projects may not be financially viable though they are economically justified and necessary. This is the nature of several infrastructural projects which are long term and development oriented.For the successful completion of such projects, the government has designed Viability Gap Funding (VGF).  Body  Viability Gap Finance means a grant to support projects that are economically justified but not financially viable.The e is designed as a Plan Scheme to be administered by the Ministry of Finance and amount in the budget are made on a year-to- year basis. Such a grant under VGF is provided as a capital subsidy to attract the private sector players to participate in PPP projects that are otherwise financially unviable. Projects may not be commercially viable because of long gestation period and small revenue flows in future. The VGF scheme was launched in 2004 to support projects that comes under Public Private Partnerships.VGF grants will be available only for infrastructure projects where private sector sponsors are selected through a process of competitive bidding. The VGF grant will be disbursed at the construction stage itself but only after the private sector developer makes the equity contribution required for the project. The usual grant amount is up to 20% of the total capital cost of the project. Funds for VGF will be provided from the government’s budgetary allocation. If the sponsoring Ministry/State Government/ statutory entity aims to provide assistance over and above the stipulated amount under VGF, it will be restricted to a further 20% of the total project cost. The lead financial institution for the project is responsible for regular monitoring and periodic evaluation of project compliance with agreed milestones and performance levels, particularly for the purpose of grant disbursement. Recently, the government has expanded the provision of financial support by means of viability gap funding for public-private partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure projects to include critical social sector investments in sectors such as health, education, water and waste treatment. Also, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved continuation and revamping of the Scheme for Financial Support to Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Infrastructure Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme Till 2024-25.  The importance of VGF scheme can be understood from the following points: To promote PPPs in social and Economic Infrastructure leading to efficient creation of assets and ensuring their proper Operation and Maintenance and make the economically/socially essential projects commercially viable.   The scheme would be beneficial to public at large as it would help in creation of the Infrastructure for the country. The new Scheme will come into force within one month of the approval of Cabinet. Proposed amendments under the revamped VGF scheme would be suitably incorporated in the Guidelines for the Scheme.  Revamping of the proposed VGF Scheme will attract more PPP projects and facilitate the private investment in the social sectors (Health, Education, Waste Water, Solid Waste Management, Water Supply etc.).  Creation of new hospitals, schools will create many opportunities to boost employment generation. PPP projects - It will attract more PPP projects and facilitate private investment in the social sectors. Employment and infrastructure - Creation of new hospitals, schools will create many opportunities to boost employment generation. Conclusion The Indian Economy is currently going through a challenging phase as GDP growth has not grown to match India’s potential. Infrastructure spend in India is likely to have a positive spiral and multiplier effect to our GDP growth and is likely to be one of the main devices to unleash India’s economic growth potential where VGF will be an important component to ensure proper infrastructure funding. 2. Examine the recent improvements introduced to the Integrated Child Development Services and Mid-Day Meal schemes.  Approach Student are expected to write about the recent improvements introduced to the Integrated Child Development Services and Mid-Day Meal scheme in first part and examine its implications in the second part.  Introduction Paediatric malnutrition has always been a matter of national concern. Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which India is a party, India has committed to yielding "adequate nutritious food" for children. The formulation of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme is one of the most prestigious and premier national human resource development programs for children under 6 years of age and their mothers.To follow it for further age group GOI introduced Mid-day Meal Scheme (MDM), whichsupplies free lunch on working days for children in primary and upper primary classes.  Body Recent improvements in Mid-day meal scheme: Inclusion of Pre- primary class (Bal Vatika) children under MDM: MDM has been proven to attract children from disadvantaged sections (especially girls, Dalits and Adivasis) to school. The revised National Education policy has proposed that prior to the age of 5 every child will move to a "preparatory class" or "balavatika". The mid-day meal programme shall be extended to the preparatory Classes in primary schools to avoiding classroom hunger and Reducing malnutrition. Inclusion of simple and energetic breakfast under MDM: Children are unable to learn optimally when they are undernourished or unwell. Hence, the nutrition and health of children will be addressed, through healthy meals. New National Education Policy (NEP) has noted that morning hours after a nutritious breakfast can be particularly productive for the study of cognitively more demanding subjects and hence recommended expansion of the mid-day meal scheme to include provisions for breakfast in schools. In locations where hot meals are not possible, a simple but nutritious meal-- groundnuts or chana mixed with jaggery and local fruits may be provided. Recent improvements in Integrated Child Development Services: Digitisation of Anganwadi Centres: The Ministry of WCD has conceptualized a digital platform," Poshan Tracker", which will be an overarching system, providing facilities, services and interlinkages, and thereby also promote real time data with analytics.  Non-formal Pre-School Education in Anganwadi Centres: Children (3-6 years) are provided non-formal Pre-School Education service in all AWCs. The child beneficiaries under the Anganwadi Services Scheme are also provided Supplementary Nutrition as per the guidelines of the Scheme. Monthly Village Health and Sanitation Day and Community Based Events are organised to improve status of nutrition of children. Poshan Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission): Poshan Abhiyaan targets to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies by reducing mal-nutrition/under nutrition, anemia among young children as also, focus on adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana:Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) scheme provides cash incentive amounting to Rs.5,000/- in three instalments directly to the Bank/Post Office Account of Pregnant Women and Lactating Mother in DBT Mode during pregnancy and lactation in response to individual fulfilling specific conditions. The eligible beneficiary also receives the remaining cash incentive as per approved norms towards maternity benefit under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) so that on an average, a woman gets Rs.6,000/-. Out of school Adolescent Girls: Scheme for Adolescent Girls aims at out of school girls in the age group 11-14, to empower and improve their social status through nutrition, life skills and home skills. The scheme has nutritional and non-nutritional components which include nutrition, iron and folic acid supplementation, health check-up and referral services. Mainstreaming out of school girls to join formal schooling bridge course/skill training, life skill education, home management etc. Constraints in implementationof Integrated Child Development Services and MDM: Under performed ICDS: Despite increasing funding over the past three decades, the ICDS fell short of its stated objectives and still faces a number of challenges. Also, though it has widespread coverage, operational gaps mean that service delivery is not consistent in quality and quantity across the country. Child hunger in India: Despite the success of the program, child hunger as a problem persists in India, 42.5% of the children under 5 are underweight. Some simple health measures such as using iodised salt and getting vaccinations are uncommon in India.Many children don’t get enough to eat, which has far-reaching implications for the performance of the country as a whole. Implementation issues: Several media reports have highlighted implementation issues, including irregularity, corruption, hygiene, caste discrimination, etc. Poor food quality:Poor food quality is a major concern, affecting the health of children. There are provisions for regular social audit, field visits and inspections but these are seldom carried out. Conclusion The various vertical health programmes initiated by the Government of India (GOI) from time to time did not reach out to the target community adequately, even though ICDS are there. In order to change this and strengthen the Mid-Day Meal Programme to bring uniformity across the nation, monitoring and evaluation need to be improved, and this requires to be a part of the budget allocation.An enhanced budget that supports the MDM Scheme and the various components associated with the holistic development of the school ecosystem will eventually result in making a positive impact on education.  3. What are the key components of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for electronics manufacturers? Discuss. What sort of economic potential does this scheme hold? Approach: It expects students to write – in first part write about key components of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme – in second part write about what economic potential holds by PLI scheme – in end write challenges which needs to be addressed. Introduction: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)notified PLI scheme on April 2020. Global electronics companies like Samsung, Pegatron, Flex, and Foxconn are in final stages of negotiations to benefit from the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for making mobile phones and certain other specified electronic components in India. Body: Key components of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme: It offers a production linked incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in mobile phone manufacturing and specified electronic components, including Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) units.  It will extend an incentive of 4% to 6% on incremental sales (over a base year) of goods manufactured in India and covered under target segments. It will be active for five years with the financial year (FY) 2019-20 considered as the base year for calculation of incentives. It will be implemented through a Nodal Agency which shall act as a Project Management Agency (PMA) and be responsible for providing secretarial, managerial and implementation support and carrying out other responsibilities as assigned by MeitY from time to time. Eligibility for the scheme- All electronic manufacturing companies which are either Indian or have a registered unit in India will be eligible to apply for the scheme. These companies can either create a new unit or seek incentives for their existing units from one or more locations in India. Any additional expenditure incurred by companies on the plant, machinery, equipment, research and development and transfer of technology for the manufacture of mobile phones and related electronic items will be eligible for the incentive scheme. The investments done by companies on land and buildings for the project will not be considered for any incentives. Following economic potential holds by PLI schemefor electronics manufacturers: The government estimates that with the PLI scheme, domestic value addition for mobile phones is expected to rise to 35-40% by 2025 from the current level of 20-25% and generate additional 8 lakh jobs, both direct and indirect. The scheme will generate approximately 3 lakh direct employment opportunities in next 5 years. Additional indirect employment will be nearly 3 times the direct employment. PLI scheme and other initiatives to promote electronics manufacturing will help in making India a competitive destination for electronics manufacturing and give boost to AtmaNirbhar Bharat. Creation of domestic champion companies in electronics manufacturing under the Scheme will give fillip to vocal for local while aiming for global scale. The scheme is expected to promote exports significantly. Out of the total production of INR 11,50,000 crore in the next 5 years, more than 60% will be contributed by exports of the order of INR 7,00,000 crore. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme is designed to incentivise incremental production for a limited number of eligible anchor entities in each of the selected sectors. These selected entities will invest in technology, plant & machinery, as well as in R&D. The scheme will also have beneficial spill over effects by the creation of a widespread supplier base for the anchor units established under the scheme. Along with the anchor unit, these supplier units will also help to generate massive primary and secondary employment opportunities. The sectors for PLI have been shortlisted on the basis of their potential for economic growth, extent of benefit to the rural economy, revenue and employment generation. A key benefit of the PLI Scheme is that it can be implemented in a very targeted manner to attract investments in areas of strength and to strategically enter certain segments of global value chains (GVCs). This will help bring scale and size in key sectors and create and nurture global champions. However, there are few challenges which needs to addressed: It’s difficult to build a manufacturing nucleus around R&D of semiconductors and compete with MNCs overnight, including high-value components like displays, camera modules and memory chips to be part of India’s manufacturing nucleus; as opposed to assembly and packaging, which is quite doable. Many more companies would like to move their supply chains to India, at least partially if not fully. But, higher employment and economic activity will happen if we start moving the component manufacturing across the value chain, like plastic moulding, metal products etc. Companies may face issues like congested ports, slow turnaround times. India doesn’t have international transhipment points, it's one of the reasons why exporting from India can be expensive. Conclusion: Given the scale of incentives, the electronics manufacturing sector of the country is set to transform in the next few years. Its contribution to the GDP will significantly improve, leading to unprecedented investment and job creation. 4. Mission Karmayogi is a crucial step towards the modernisation of civil services in India. Comment. Approach: It expects students to write about – in first part write about need of themission – in second part write about why it is crucial step towards the modernisation of civil services – in end write challenges before it. Introduction: The Union Cabinet has approved ‘Mission Karmayogi’ - the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB). It is meant to be a comprehensive post-recruitment reform of the Centre’s human resource development. Similar to pre-recruitment changes in the form of the National Recruitment Agency. Body: Need of The Mission There is a need to develop domain knowledge besides administrative capacity in the bureaucracy. There is a need to formalize the recruitment process and match the public service to a bureaucrat’s competence, so as to find the right person for the right job. The plan is to begin right at the recruitment level and then invest in building more capacity through the rest of their career. As the Indian economy grows, it will get more complex to govern; the governance capacities will have to be enhanced proportionately which this reform undertakes. The reforms in the Indian bureaucracy is the need of the hour and It is a major reform undertaken in recent years to transform it. It is crucial step towards the modernisation of civil services because: Tech-Aided: The capacity building will be delivered through iGOTKarmayogi digital platform, with content drawn from global best practices. The platform will act as a Launchpad for the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB). Shift from Rules to Roles: The programme will support a transition from “rules-based to roles-based” Human Resource Management (HRM) so that work allocations can be done by matching an official’s competencies to the requirements of the post. Apart from domain knowledge training, the scheme will focus on “functional and behavioural competencies” as well, and also includes a monitoring framework for performance evaluations. Rule Based to Role Based: The programme will support a transition from rules-based to roles-based HR management, so that work allocations can be done by matching an official’s competencies to the requirements of the post. Domain Training: Apart from domain knowledge training, the scheme will focus on functional and behavioural competencies also. It will provide an opportunity for civil servants to continuously build and strengthen their Behavioural, Functional and Domain Competencies in their self-driven and mandated learning paths. Uniform Training Standard: It will harmonise training standards across the country, so that there is a common understanding of India's aspirations and development goals. Vision for New India: Mission Karmayogi is aimed at building a future-ready civil service with the right attitude, skills and knowledge, aligned to the vision of New India. On Site Learning: It will emphasize on 'on-site learning' to complement the ‘off-site’ learning. Adoption of Best Practices: It will encourage and partner with the best-in-class learning content creators including public training institutions, universities, start-tips and individual experts. However, there are few challenges before it: John Maynard Keynes, the economist, once said that “The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones." There is a tendency in the Bureaucracy to resist the change which challenges their status quo. The bureaucracy too must understand the need of domain knowledge and the importance of moving away from generalist to specialist approach. In today’s world the governance is getting technical with each passing day and hence it’s important that the person in authority too should have the requisite skill and experience in that particular area. Thus, there should be a behavioural change in the bureaucracy too and they must embrace the change as a need of the hour and not an attack on their status quo. Moreover, these online courses must not become another opportunity for the officers to go for the sabbatical leaves. It must be ensured that they are actually attending the courses and participating in it so that the purpose doesn't get defeated. Conclusion: To conclude, the ultimate aim of Mission Karmayogi is to ensure “Ease of Living” for the common man, “Ease of Doing Business” and Citizen-Centricity that is reducing the gap between the government and the citizens. This can only be achieved by regular and constructive involvement by the government and civil servants. 5. What is the Ayushman Sahakar Scheme? Can it transform the status of healthcare in the rural areas? Examine. Approach: As the directive here is examine, it is necessary to find out cause-effect relationship between two things. In the introduction you need to mention in brief about Ayshman Sahakar Scheme, you can state who launched the scheme or who is implementing the scheme or who are targeted beneficiaries. In the main body part, you need to explain about the features of scheme in first half, whereas in the second half you need cover various angles related to the question that whether it can transfer the status of healthcare in rural areas or not. Here you can cite cause effect relationship by stating how and why rural healthcare in the rural areas is lacking and how it will get benefited by the Ayushman Sahkar scheme. In the conclusion, you can show in brief how it will transform healthcare in rural areas in particular and at pan India level in general.   Introduction: Ayushman Sahkar, a unique scheme to assist cooperatives to play an important role in creation of healthcare infrastructure in the country formulated by the apex autonomous development finance institution under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). The scheme is expected  to revolutionize the way healthcare delivery takes place in rural areas.  Body: As per NCDC,  there are about 52 hospitals across the country run by cooperatives. They have cumulative bed strength of more than 5,000. Hence, utilisation of this kind of large health care facility seems a right move. Following are the features of the scheme:  NCDC would extend term loans to prospective cooperatives to the tune of Rs.10,000 crore in the coming years. The NCDC fund would give a boost to provision of healthcare services by cooperatives. The scheme also provides working capital and margin money to meet operational requirements. Any Cooperative Society with suitable provision in its byelaws to undertake healthcare related activities would be able to access the NCDC fund. The scheme covers establishment, modernization, expansion, repairs, renovation of hospital and healthcare and education infrastructure. NCDC assistance will flow either through the State Governments/ UT Administrations or directly to the eligible cooperatives. Status of healthcare in Rural areas:  Healthcare is the right of every individual but lack of quality infrastructure, dearth of qualified medical functionaries, and non- access to basic medicines and medical facilities thwarts its reach to 60% of population in India.  Sixty per cent of primary health centres (PHCs) in India have only one doctor while about five per cent have none, according to the Economic Survey 2018-19. A majority of 700 million people live in rural areas where the condition of medical facilities is deplorable. In rural India, where the number of Primary health care centers (PHCs) is limited, 8% of the centers do not have doctors or medical staff, 39% do not have lab technicians and 18% PHCs do not even have a pharmacist. India also accounts for the largest number of maternity deaths. A majority of these are in rural areas where maternal health care is poor. If we look at the health landscape of India, 92 percent of health care visits are to private providers of which 70 percent is urban population. However, private health care is expensive, often unregulated and variable in quality. Besides being unreliable for the illiterate, it is also unaffordable by low income rural population. CAG’s report on reproductive and child health highlights the dysfunctional aspects of the medical system in rural areas.  To control the spread of diseases and reduce the growing rates of mortality due to lack of adequate health facilities, special attention needs to be given to the health care in rural areas. The need to improve health care sector in Rural areas becomes more critical in the light of Covid-19 like pandemic. However, the Ayushman Sahkar scheme addresses some of these challenges in following ways:  The scheme aligns itself with the focus of the National Health Policy, 2017, covering the health systems in all their dimensions- investments in health, organization of healthcare services, access to technologies, development of human resources, encouragement of medical pluralism, affordable health care to farmers etc.  It has a comprehensive approach in which hospitals, healthcare, medical education, nursing education, paramedical education, health insurance and holistic health systems such as AYUSH will get covered . Ayushman Sahakar scheme fund would also assist cooperative hospitals take up medical / Ayush education there by it will address the issue of low doctor to patient ratio in rural areas.  It is line with National Digital Heath Mission. NCDC’s Ayushman Sahakar would bring transformation in rural areas. By virtue of their strong presence in rural areas, cooperatives utilizing the scheme would bring revolution in comprehensive health care services. Any Cooperative Society with suitable provision in its byelaws to undertake healthcare related activities would be able to access the NCDC fund. NCDC assistance will flow either through the State Governments/ UT Administrations or directly to the eligible cooperatives. Subsidy/ grant from other sources can be dovetailed. Ayushman Sahakar specifically covers establishment, modernization, expansion, repairs, renovation of hospital and healthcare and education infrastructure encompassing various fields of health sector in rural areas. The scheme also provides working capital and margin money to meet operational requirements. The scheme provides interest subvention of one percent to women majority cooperatives. Thereby it is clear that the scheme encompasses an all comprehensive approach to address the issues with respect to health care in rural areas. However, Issues with respect to corrupt practises, diversion of funds i.e. cut practices, awareness generation require a focused attention for the success of this scheme. Hence,  its implementation at the ground level in an organised and more transparent manner is fundamental to success of this scheme. Conclusion: Cooperatives have a strong presence in rural areas, thus, the launch of Aayushman Sahakar scheme to improve healthcare in rural areas is a masterstroke by the government which has a strong potential  to utilise the real potential of co-operatives which have a wide scale presence in rural areas. If implemented in its letter and spirit the scheme would revolutionize the way healthcare delivery takes place in rural areas in particular and at Pan-India level in general.    TLP HOT Synopsis Day 33 PDF

RSTV Video

India-Japan Cyber Security Cooperation – The Big Picture – RSTV IAS UPSC

India-Japan Cyber Security Cooperation Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Global Groupings; International relations In News: India and Japan finalised an ambitious agreement on cyber-security to boost cooperation on 5G technology, critical information infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence, and the two countries pledged to work for a free and open Indo-Pacific with diversified supply chains. The two countries also pledged to work for a free and open Indo-Pacific with diversified supply chains.  The proposed cyber-security agreement will promote cooperation in capacity building, research and development. The Cybersecurity Pact Highlighted the need for robust and resilient digital and cyber systems and in this context, welcomed the finalisation of the text of the cyber-security agreement. The agreement promotes cooperation in capacity building, research and development, security and resilience in the areas of Critical Information Infrastructure, 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), among others. The announcement is expected to draw the attention of the stakeholders in the Indian 5G sector as it gets ready to open up for international operators and especially since there is lack of clarity on possible participation of Chinese technology majors in the 5G arena. The two sides will also share information on countering cyber-security threats and develop joint mechanisms to mitigate threats to information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure.  The two sides will also cooperate on cyber-security at international bodies such as the UN. Significance:  It will build on an existing dialogue with Japan at a time when both countries face challenges from hacking and other threats emanating from countries such as China and North Korea. The problems faced by Hitachi Payment Services in 2016, when malware caused the breach of financial data and comprised the data of 3.2 million debit cards in India, is one example that shows the challenge of cyber-security is a joint one and can only be tackled through joint collaboration. Covers critical information infrastructure, including infrastructure for banks and payment systems, telecommunications and internet, nuclear reactors and energy transmission systems, transport systems such as air traffic control, and water supply systems. These are all essential for the functioning of the economy, polity and society. On the Indo-Pacific region  The two Ministers also exchanged ideas on regional and global issues of “mutual interest and agreed that the strong and enduring partnership between the two countries will play a pivotal role in overcoming challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic”. Reiterated that the Indo-Pacific region has become more important in the current global circumstances, and reaffirmed similarities in their vision.  The ministers emphasised that a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region must be premised on diversified and resilient supply chains; and in this context, welcomed the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative between India, Japan, Australia and other like-minded countries. Reaffirming the similarities in their respective Indo-Pacific visions, that are based on rule of law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Japanese side agreed to be the lead partner in the connectivity pillar of the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) and jointly take both countries’ respective visions for the Indo-Pacific forward The Japanese Foreign Minister highlighted the 50 billion Yen emergency assistance loan and a 1 billion Yen grant for provision of medical support to India that will help India fight COVID-19. He also raised the issue of abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea and asked for early resolution of the issue. Mr. Jaishankar's conveyed India’s support to finding a closure to the issue. Value add points: Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI)  Launched by: Indian Prime Minister at the East Asia Summit (2019). Focus: Maritime Security, Maritime Ecology, Maritime Resources, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, Maritime Transport, etc. Geo-strategic significance of Indian Ocean: Huge resources: The Indo-Asia-Pacific region is the greatest maritime-littoral space that has the largest concentration of population, resources, developing economies, congested sea lanes, and contested territorial spaces. Choke points: The Indian Ocean is home to many choke points, such as the Straits of Hormuz, Straits of Malacca, Lombok and the Sunda Straits. Any disruption in traffic flow through these points can have disastrous consequences. Muslim population: The region is home to most of the world’s Muslim population as well as India, one of the world’s likely “rising powers.”  Nuclear weapon states: The Indian Ocean also is home to the world’s two newest nuclear weapons states, India and Pakistan, as well as Iran, which most observers believe has a robust program to acquire nuclear weapon. Communication: The Indian Ocean is home to important SLOCs and maritime choke points. A large volume of international long haul maritime cargo from the Persian Gulf, Africa and Europe transits through this ocean. Economic significance of Indian Ocean: Fisheries: The people of Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Maldives, and Sri Lanka get more than half of the animal protein in their diets from fish. Mineral resources: Indian Ocean is rising and strengthening because its littoral states possess more than 2/3 of world’s oil reserves and roughly 35% of world’s gas reserves, 60% of Uranium, 40% of gold and 80% of all diamond deposits. Indian Ocean is also important because of the industrial raw materials it possesses including lithium, nickel, cobalt, tin, manganese, phosphate etc Offshore oil: Forty per cent of the world’s offshore oil production takes place in the Indian Ocean basin Connecting the Dots: The quadrilateral posturing by India, the US, Japan and Australia in the Indo-Pacific is critical to counter the aggression of China in the region. Comment. How are strategic alliances taking shape in the Indo-Pacific region? What are the underlying factors of the evolving alliances? Examine. 

TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS [17th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 32: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE   SYNOPSIS [17th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 32: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   1. Discuss the mandate of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). What has been the impact of NGT in recent years? Examine. Approach A straightforward question divided into two parts where in the first part, you need to discuss the mandate of National Green Tribunal (NGT) and in the second part, you need to examine the impact of NGT in recent years. Introduction The National Green Tribunal has been established in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Body  The National Green Tribunal, as per the National Green Tribunal Act is a specialised judicial body equipped with expertise solely for the purpose of adjudicating environmental cases in the country.  Recognising that most environment cases involve multi-disciplinary issues which are better addressed in a specialised forum, the Tribunal was setup as per recommendations of the SC, LC, etc. The Tribunal is tasked with providing effective and expeditious remedy in cases relating to environmental protection, conservation of forests and other natural resources and enforcement of any legal right relating to environment. The Tribunal’s orders are binding and it has power to grant relief in the form of compensation and damages to affected persons. The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice. The Tribunal's dedicated jurisdiction in environmental matters shall provide speedy environmental justice and help reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts. The Tribunal is mandated to make and endeavour for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same.  Initially, the NGT is proposed to be set up at five places of sittings and will follow circuit procedure for making itself more accessible. New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four place of sitting of the Tribunal. It provides relief and compensation for environmental damage involving subjects in the legislations mentioned in Schedule I of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 may approach the Tribunal. Some of the statutes in Schedule I include The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977, The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, etc. The Chairperson of the NGT is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court, Head Quartered in Delhi. Other Judicial members are retired Judges of High Courts. Each bench of the NGT will comprise of at least one Judicial Member and one Expert Member. Expert members should have a professional qualification and a minimum of 15 years’ experience in the field of environment/forest conservation and related subjects The National Green Tribunal has in the short term since its establishment strongly influenced environmental litigation in India.In this regard, the impact of NGT in recent years can be examined from the following points: Since its inception, NGT has emerged as dedicated court for environmental issues where specialisation has allowed quick redressal of matters and also reduced burden on HC’s and SC. It’s judgements have had far reaching consequences and have helped saved fragile environments like in the case of Save Mon Federation Vs Union of India case where the NGT suspended a ₹6,400-crore hydro project to save the habitat of a bird. The Principal Bench of the NGT at New Delhi has given some powerful judgments in the recent years which have strengthened the process of obtaining environmental clearances. For instance, the case of M.P. Patil v. Union of India. The quality of time spent on environmental issues has also be increased as, unlike the Supreme Court, the tribunal has benches in various States, thereby increasing access to all citizens. Also, time bound disposal of cases has helped in improved efficiency to a great extent. But NGT has also been criticised for exceeding its jurisdiction where NGT has been accused of overstepping its jurisdiction and taking actions for which it has not been empowered under the NGT Act.  For example, Ban on sand mining activity in Goa by NGT has been termed as judicial overreach. It would impact the construction industry thereby hampering the developmental activity of the state.  Further, there is a limit to its Jurisdiction where two important acts – Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 have been kept out of NGT’s jurisdiction. NGT hasn’t had full strength. The lack of human and financial resources has led to high pendency of cases - which undermines NGT’s very objective of disposal of appeals within 6 months. Conclusion The NGT has been the most consistent and progressive environmental authority in India. Unlike the Supreme Court, it has lesser delays in resolving the cases before it. It had redefined the role of environmental experts and the criteria to select such experts. Thus, it can be said to have largely successful in implementing its orders and has had tremendous impact in India. 2. Examine the significance of Financial Stability and Development Council for a middle income economy like India.  Apporach: Student are expected to write about the significance of the of Financial Stability and Development Council in first part and critically examine its impact on the middle-income economy like India.   Introduction: Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) is an apex-level body constituted by the Executive Order. The idea to create such body was mooted by the Raghuram Rajan Committee to deal with macro prudential and financial regularities in the entire financial sector of India. Body SignificanceofFinancial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) Bringing stability in the financial sector: Financial stability dissipates financial imbalances that arise in the financial markets as a result of significant adverse and unforeseeable events. Financial stability is paramount for economic growth for developing country, as most transactions in the real economy are made through the financial system. Maintaining financial stabilityin the middle-income country like India is the key of development which is being produced by Financial Stability and Development Council.  Development of the Financial Sector: A solid and well-functioning financial sector is a powerful engine behind economic growth. Financial sector development in developing countries and emerging markets is part of the private sector development strategy to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty.FSDCreviewed the liquidity and solvency position of NBFCs, housing finance companies and micro-finance institutions which ultimately avoids the sudden shock to economy.  Coordination of Inter-Regulatory bodies: FSDC was formed to bring greater coordination among financial market regulators to avoid issues such as IL&FS crisis. The council is headed by the finance minister and has the RBI governor and chairpersons of the SEBI, IRDA, and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority as other members along with finance ministry officials.This FSDC also created the need to establishes more such Inter-Regulatory bodies like international arbitration council developed to regulate financial bodies will be developed underGift city project.  Promoting financial literacy: The institutional structure for India’s Financial Inclusion and Literacy programme is unique as it has an apex body in the Financial Stability and Development Councilmandated to focus on attaining financial inclusion and literacy goals. CoordinatingIndia’s international interface: This body is also coordinatingIndia’s international interface with financial sector bodies like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Financial Stability Board (FSB) and any such bodies decided by the Finance Minister. Even though it has strong hold on financial sector of India, it also faces challenges and also has limitations.  More risk for Financial system: Theresilience of financial systems of India, fiscal support, regulatory flexibility and liquidity provision announced till date have ensured that the financial system is supportive of economic recovery but over regulation on financial bodiesmay present new risks to the financial system. Reinforce the liquidity in domestic financial institutions: There is a possibility that the current economic crisis aroused due to covid 19 may transform from a “liquidity phase" into a “solvency phase". Hence FSDC is expected to take further appropriate measures to bolster the liquidity and capital base of domestic financial institutions which would stabilize financial sectors for long term. More implementation of plans required: Even though this body envisages to strengthen and institutionalise the mechanism between multiple financial controlling bodies, it has yet to achieve completed execution of its given recommendations.  Conclusion The recession ofCovid19 has put pressure on governments and institutions across the globe to regulate their economic assets. In such time this council is seen as India's initiative to be better conditioned to prevent such incidents. Earlier such shocks to the financial system dubbed as ‘once in a lifetime events’ now seem to be more frequent than even ‘once in a decade’, and being caught unprepared in the face of a shock may be regarded as a misfortune, but to be caught unawares more than once may be a sign of carelessness. FSDC therefore becomes important as it prepares developing countries like India to face such crisis.  3. What role do quasi-judicial bodies play in governance? Explain with the help of suitable examples. Approach: It expects students to write - how quasi-judicial bodies can aid in enhancing the governance mechanisms - you can mention suitable examples with points or you can write them separately. Introduction: A quasi-judicial body is a non-judicial body which can interpret law. It is an entity such as an arbitrator or tribunal board, generally of a public administrative agency, which has powers and procedures resembling those of a court of law or judge, and which is obliged to objectively determine facts and draw conclusions from them so as to provide the basis of an official action. Body: Quasi-judicial bodies can aid in enhancing the governance mechanisms by Providing an expert and multidimensional body to address the various technical issues which would be a daunting task for judiciary due to the complexities. Providing an alternate means for dispute resolution. Ease of problem solving which is not marred by the technicalities of the judiciary. A faster dispute resolution process to make the governance more effective. Provide policy suggestions to make the governance more effective. But the quasi-judicial bodies pose the following challenges The authority with the executive in the appointments and determining of conditions of service many lead to committed bodies leading to deteriorating governance standards. The quasi-judicial bodies may lead tribunalisation of justice delivery mechanism leading to diffused justice delivery process impacting the quality of the governance. Examples of Quasi-judicial bodies: National river water dispute tribunal - grants award to share water among disputing states. National human right commission - can investigate human right abuse and recommend steps to be taken. Election commission - mainly functions for control, conduct and supervise election Central administrative tribunal - constituted to look into matter of dispute related to civil servants. Conclusion: Quasi-judicial process can be of great help in strengthening of governance. But it is also necessary to maintain the independence of these bodies so that they can effectively function under their ambit to achieve the objectives. 4. Critically evaluate the mandate and performance of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). Approach: It expects students to write about - in first part write about mandate of the Central Vigilance Commission - in second part write where it's performance is good and - in third part write about issues related to it. Introduction: Central Vigilance Commission is the apex vigilance institution, free of control from any executive authority, monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government and advising various authorities in Central Government organizations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work. Body: Mandate of CVC: It is considered to be the coordinating authority to check Corruption for All India services, Central services, PSUs and other departments. It heads the Delhi Special Police in cases of Corruption. It reviews the grants of prosecution clearance by the government. Recommending disciplinary actions against higher officials of Group A, B, All India services etc. It is basically considered to be the nodal agency to tackle corruption at the national level. The CVC receives complaints on corruption or misuse of office and to recommend appropriate action. Following institutions, bodies, or a person can approach to CVC: Central government Lokpal Whistle blowers It is not an investigating agency. The CVC either gets the investigation done through the CBI or through chief vigilance officers (CVO) in government offices. It is empowered to inquire into offences alleged to have been committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 by certain categories of public servants. Its annual report gives the details of the work done by the commission and points to systemic failures which lead to corruption in government departments. In sync with its mandate CVC has proved to be an effective organization in tackling corruption, it has proved its mettle in the past by the following actions: It has led to smooth appointment of important officers at various posts in the past. It has taken noteworthy action in the past against senior officials, senior personnel and even many politicians. It organises vigilance week every year to create awareness against the menace of Corruption. It acts as a civil court and can act “Suo Moto” The independence of CVC is maintained as it is recruited by an Independent committee consisting of PM, Home Minister, Leader of Opposition etc. However, the expectation that CVC will be an institute which can prove to be “One Stop Solution” to tackle Corruption in the country has been proved to be a hoax, due to the following ineffectiveness: The Decisions of the CVC are not binding on the organizations or ministries. Very low conviction rate has reduced the impact of CVC and its effectiveness. There is huge delay in the cases that CVC handles, hence it does not act as an effective deterrent. CVC is often considered a powerless agency as it is treated as an advisory body only with no power to register criminal case against government officials or direct CBI to initiate inquiries against any officer of the level of Joint Secretary and above. Although CVC is “relatively independent” in its functioning, it neither has the resources nor the power to take action on complaints of corruption. In most cases, the domains and the jurisdiction of the organizations is not clear. Multiplicity of organization leads to work duplication and reduces the effectiveness. The post of Central Vigilance Commissioner has remained vacant for a long period of time. Conclusion: In the recent past, India has emerged as a progressive and vibrant economy. With the rapid growth in all sectors of the economy, huge investments were made in country’s infrastructure; construction, retail and many other sectors in the government. Rapid growth in economy throws up CVCs’ challenges in the fight against the menace of corruption. There is greater need in such times to address the shortcomings in the system of CVC. 5. What is the significance of market regulators in a liberal economy? Illustrate. Approach: As the directive here is illustrate, it is necessary to describe in detail the significance of market regulators in a liberal economy. In the introduction, you can explain about the function of regulatory bodies in brief. In the main body part explain their significance in the context of a liberal economy. Though it is not asked if you mention issues wrt regulatory bodies and subsequent solution, it would fetch more marks.  In the conclusion explain their importance in the context of crisis in brief.   Introduction: Indian economy liberalised in the 1990s and sectoral governance was handed over to regulatory bodies. These bodies played a constructive role in ensuring the free and fair market since then. Also the regulators incentivised private investment by giving them functional autonomy and shielding them from interference. Body: Significance of market regulators in a liberal economy:  Regulatory bodies are independent governmental bodies established by the government in order to set standards in a specific field of activity, or operations and then to enforce those standards. Regulatory agencies may or may not function outside direct executive supervision. For instance, a number of regulatory bodies, ranging from RBI, SEBI, IRDA, PFRDA to TRAI, electricity regulators, CCI, FDA have been set up in India. The policy direction pursued by every regulator has to support the development of the market of the allocated jurisdiction. The main functions of the regulatory bodies are typically identified as Regulations and guidance, Review and assessment, Licensing, Inspection,  Corrective actions ,and Enforcement.  After liberalisation of Indian economy, i.e. after 1990's, Privatisation saw the advent of the 'Indian Regulator' which proved to be the 'nurturer' and 'parent' of its sector. A regulator in a free market economy can handle  a crisis like situation through guidelines, necessary corrective actions etc. For instance, SEBI was instrumental in taking quick and effective steps in light of the global meltdown and the Satyam fiasco. Also, RBI has done an excellent job on the monetary policy side by applying conventional and unconventional policy to handle the Covid-19 crisis.  However, regulation has a dark side too. For instance, improper regulation or failure of regulatory bodies in smoothening the interaction between markets and the State may lead to a new crisis. Regulators also ensure quality control, to watch and regulate the processing, manufacture, distribution, sale and import of manufactured product.  Regulators make regulations to ease competition and enhance the  efficiency in the operation of their respective sectors in a free market economy.  It is evident from Adjusted Gross Revenue  issue of telecoms,  in which  the Supreme Court demanded that telecom companies pay statutory dues worth ₹1.47 lakh crore to the central government. These dues didn’t pile up overnight but stem from a 15-year-old dispute over sharing of revenues between telcos and the government. A well-regulated industry would not be subject to such a large fiscal shock. Despite the fact that in a liberal economy regulators play such an important role, there are some critical issues which the regulators face in a liberal economy: Politicisation of regulatory regime: As economic agents inherently intend to maximise profits, market misconduct happens in every domain. Whenever such incidences occur, they have to be dealt with pragmatically but due to political pressures, policy makers go overdrive and frame restrictive policies and denounce regulators. For instance, the politicisation of such events has made the regulators in India overcautious & frightened in order to dodge any blame game.  Performance: In many cases, non-experts are selected to lead the regulatory bodies thereby affecting technical aspects. Second, the review mechanism for the functioning of the regulatory bodies is not very robust. In particular, it does not include the role of regulators in the development of the market. For instance, a row of question erupted at the time when a civil servant was selected to the post of RBI governor earlier.  Upgrading: The inventions and innovations in the sector and the society at large influence the direction of the market. Hence, regulatory mechanisms need to update in consonance with the above mentioned changes without much delay. If these issues aren't addressed, the development of the mature and well regulated markets will take a serious beating. To solve these issues thereby  to improve the efficiency and efficacy of market regulators in a liberal economy following steps are needed to be taken: Self evaluation by regulators: Regulatory organisations if undertake a self-evaluation of themselves once in a few (say three) years, and put out the conclusions in the public domain for informed discussion and debate will be of more useful for the liberal economy.  Transparency in appointment of heads: The appointment of persons to head regulatory organisations should be attempted in a far more transparent manner.  Regulatory impact assessment (RIA): Adoption of  a systemic approach i.e. RIA to critically assessing the positive and negative effects of proposed and existing regulations and non-regulatory alternatives. Conclusion: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates that the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to a 1.5% slowdown in global growth. The economic impact on liberal economies will be more profound because most of the jobs are informal. In this context, the significance of regulatory bodies becomes more apparent for early recovery of economy from crisis and mitigation of crisis. TLP HOT Synopsis Day 32 PDF

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th November 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Param Siddhi achieves global ranking of 63 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Achievements of Indians in Sci and Tech In news Indian supercomputer Param Siddhi has achieved global ranking of 63 in TOP 500 most powerful non-distributed computer systems in the world. The rankings were released recently. Key takeaways  Param Siddhi is the high performance computing-artificial intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer established under National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) at C-DAC. Conceived by: C-DAC  Developed jointly: Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under NSM. Indian Scientist proposes to have found treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Part of: GS Prelims and GS- II – Health & GS-III – Achievements of Indians in Sci and Tech In news Sandeep Eswarappa, Assistant Professor at IISc, Bengaluru proposes to provide new genetic treatment for duchenne muscular dystrophy. Important value additions  Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe type of muscular dystrophy that primarily affects boys.  Females with a single copy of the defective gene may show mild symptoms. Muscle weakness usually begins around the age of four, and worsens quickly.  Muscle loss typically occurs first in the thighs and pelvis followed by the arms. This can result in trouble standing up. Most are unable to walk by the age of 12.  Scoliosis is also common.  Some may have intellectual disability. Do you know? It is caused by a mutation in the gene for the protein dystrophin.  Dystrophin is important to maintain the muscle fiber's cell membrane. Although there is no known cure, physical therapy, braces, and corrective surgery may help with some symptoms. Karnataka to declassify deemed forests Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environemnt In news Recently, Karnataka Forest Minister announced that the state government would soon declassify 6.64 lakh hectares of the 9.94 lakh hectares of deemed forests in the state (nearly 67%) and hand it over to Revenue authorities. The issue of deemed forests is a contentious one in Karnataka, with legislators often alleging that large amounts of agriculture and non-forest land are “unscientifically” classified as such. Important value additions  While the concept of deemed forests has not been clearly defined in any law including the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, the Supreme Court in the case of T N Godavarman Thirumalpad (1996) accepted a wide definition of forests under the Act. “The word ‘forest’ must be understood according to its dictionary meaning.  According to the Supreme Court, this description covers all statutorily recognised forests, whether designated as reserved, protected or otherwise under Forest Conservation Act. “The term ‘forest land’ occurring in Section 2 of the Act will not only include ‘forest’ as understood in the dictionary sense, but also any areas recorded as forest in the government record irrespective of the ownership. The provisions enacted in the Forest Conservation Act 1980 for the conservation of forest and related matters must apply clearly to all forests. Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge launched Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Policies and interventions In news Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge across 243 Cities to ensure that no life of any sewer or septic tank cleaner is ever lost again owing to the issue of ‘hazardous cleaning'. Key takeaways The Challenge was launched on the occasion of World Toilet Day. Aim: Preventing ‘hazardous cleaning’ of sewers and septic tanks and promoting their mechanized cleaning. Representatives from 243 cities across the country took a pledge to mechanize all sewer and septic tank cleaning operations by 30th April 2021. The initiative is in line with the core of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) The actual on-ground assessment of participating cities will be conducted in May 2021 by an independent agency and results of the same will be declared on 15 August 2021. Cities will be awarded in three sub-categories – with population of more than 10 lakhs, 3-10 lakhs and upto 3 lakhs, with a total prize money of ₹52 crores to be given to winning cities across all categories. Do you know? The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act (2013) and various judgements of Supreme Court prohibit hazardous cleaning, i.e. manual entry into a septic tank or sewer without protective gear and observing operating procedures. India-Luxembourg Summit held Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news Recently the first-ever India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit was held. Key takeaways Luxembourg is a founding member of the EU.  In this context, the two countries exchanged views on further strengthening India-EU relations including forward movement on India-EU trade agreements and investment agreements. The Luxembourg Prime Minister conveyed the intention of Luxembourg to join the International Solar Alliance.  Indian PM also invited Luxembourg to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. The leaders looked forward to the 17th Joint Economic Commission between India and the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union to review the economic and trade relations. Three agreements were signed coinciding with the Summit. The agreements were: (1) MoU between India International Exchange (India INX) and Luxembourg Stock Exchange; (2) MoU between State Bank of India and Luxembourg Stock Exchange; (3) MoU between Invest India and Luxinnovation India and Bhutan to virtually launch RuPay Card phase-2 in Bhutan Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news Prime Ministers of India and Bhutan will virtually launch RuPay Card phase-2 in Bhutan in November, 2020 (20th November). Key takeaways The two Prime Ministers had jointly launched phase-1 of the project during Indian PM’s visit to Bhutan in August 2019. The implementation of phase-1 of RuPay cards in Bhutan has enabled Indian visitors in Bhutan to access ATMs and points of sale terminals across Bhutan.  The phase-2 will now allow Bhutanese cardholders to access RuPay network in India. Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project (MITP) signed Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Policies and Interventions In news The Government of India, the Government of Meghalaya and the World Bank signed a $120 million project to improve and modernise the transport sector of state of Meghalaya. Key takeaways The project will improve about 300 km of strategic road segments and stand-alone bridges by using innovative, climate resilient, and nature-based solutions.  It will also support innovative solutions such as precast bridges to reduce both time and cost of construction. MITP will help Meghalaya develop reliable, climate resilient and safe roads which is crucial for the economic development of the state.  About half of the 5,362 habitations in the state lack transport connectivity. This operation will also support state government's “Restart Meghalaya Mission” to revive and boost development activities affected due to COVID-19 pandemic. (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL/ SECURITY/ DEMOCRACY Topic: General Studies 2,3: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests. Internal Security A world in Chaos & Threats to Democracy Context: The extent to which Mr. Trump has been willing to go in his attempt to negate the election (in which he lost), and the fact that a very sizeable segment of the U.S. population seems to be backing him reflects the threat to Democracy. Threats to Democracy Rise of Identity Politics: Issues of identity, or threats to identity, are becoming an important issue in elections across democracies. Misuse of Technology: Manipulation of grievances by using psychometric techniques (a la Cambridge Analytica), and the use of ‘deep fakes’ made possible through Artificial Intelligence, further enhances the threat to current notions of democracy. Social Unrest: Protests in Thailand, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan Threats to Secularism in Europe: The recent wave of terrorist attacks, beginning with the beheading of a Paris schoolteacher by an Islamic State (IS) supporter, followed by IS violence in Nice, have been a major trigger, raising questions about long-held secular beliefs. Terrorism is resurfacing, and with renewed vigour. The al-Qaeda is again becoming prominent. The IS has returned with attacks in France — Paris and Nice — and in Austria (Vienna) Informational autocracy: Manipulation of information — and also events — to achieve certain desired ends, is becoming a norm in many democratic regimes. Many democratic nations today resort to manipulating data to support or prop up the government’s version of events.  Challenges to Democracy in India High Polarization Rising terrorism threats in J&K aided by Pakistan which pushes for authoritarian tendencies. Borders issues with both China and Pakistan Protests against CAA and NRC Holding of Assembly elections in Gilgit-Baltistan by Pakistan India is being steadily marginalised in Afghanistan, where the control of the Taliban is increasing. Connecting the dots: India’s UN Journey ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2,3: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Indian economy and mobilization of resources Trade protectionism Context: Statements made by Minister of External Affairs hints at trade protectionism with disapproval of free trade and globalization. Tariffs have been increased, FTAs are being demonised, and ‘vocal for local’, which strikes at the heart of international trade and globalisation, is the new mantra. Issues Refusing to sign RCEP India is now truly at the margins of the regional and global economy. Trade multilateralism at the World Trade Organization (WTO) remaining sluggish, FTAs are the gateways for international trade.  By not being part of any major FTA, India cannot be part of the global value chains. India’s competitors such as the East Asian nations, as part of RCEP, are in a far superior position to be part of global value chains and attract foreign investment. Blaming FTAs for deindustrialization of India means the same old issue with Indian industry — which is the lack of competitiveness and absence of structural reforms. India is not that open as perceived India’s applied most favoured nation import tariffs are 13.8%, which is the highest for any major economy. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, on the import restrictiveness index, India figures in the ‘very restrictive’ category. India has initiated anti-dumping measures 972 times (the highest in the world), zealously endeavouring to protect domestic industry. Globalization and India India has been one of the major beneficiaries of economic globalisation — a fact attested by IMF. Post-1991, the Indian economy grew at a faster pace, ushering in an era of economic prosperity.  According to the economist and professor, Arvind Panagariya, poverty in rural and urban India, which stood at close to 40% in 2004-05, almost halved to about 20% by 2011-12.  This was due to India clocking an average economic growth rate of almost 8% with international trade being a major engine of progress. Conclusion Expecting to attract Foreign Investments and adopting a policy of trade protectionism is contradictory in nature. Connecting the dots: Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 (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: Param Siddhi was recently ranked in Top 100 amongst the most powerful non-distributed computer systems in the world. Param Siddhi is the high performance computing-artificial intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer established under National Supercomputing Mission (NSM). Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2 Consider the following statements regarding Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD): It primarily affects females. It is caused by a mutation in the gene for the protein dystrophin. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 19th November 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 A 3 A Must Read About India facing two front threat: The Hindu About bailout of Laxmi Vilas Bank: The Hindu About East Asian Summit: The Indian Express

हिन्दी Initiatives

मासिक पत्रिका सितंबर 2020- 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 SEPTEMBER 2020. 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  

MindMaps

Mind Maps: The Digital Divide - General Studies 3

Mind Maps: The Digital Divide - General Studies 3 For Previous Important Topics (Mind Maps) - ARCHIVES Hello Friends, Recently we have come up with a NEW INITIATIVE - BRAINSTORMING THROUGH MIND-MAPS! Mind-map is an incredible powerful thinking tool, an innate human language that will have immense benefit in your preparation. The main idea is to brainstorm different aspects of an issue - think in multi-dimensions; what we call 360 degrees of an issue. The whole of this exercise will unleash your creativity to push your brain cells to recall the data learnt and to make it more relevant for your preparation. It will help you to make your Revision and Retention a far better apart from giving you more Clarity in the topics/issue at hand and improve your Concentration. You can see the drastic impact mind-maps will have in a few weeks, provided you are regular with this exercise. So here we are with Today’s TOPIC! The Digital Divide - General Studies 3 NOTE – Instructions to download Mind Maps/Images Right Click on the image and ‘Open image in new tab’ Remove/Delete the resolution part from the URL. Eg. “-1536x757” and Press Enter/Load Again Right Click and Save Image As/Download (You’ll get the maximum resolution) The Digital Divide   YOUR PARTICIPATION? – VERY IMPORTANT Unlike what we were doing before, in this initiative we want students to learn and brainstorm through mind-maps (It is not necessary that you use a software/tool to design mind maps. You can prepare mindmaps using a pen and a sheet of paper). We will share the final printable mind map twice a week. We will also provide specific inputs on your mind maps to improve your skill of mind mapping.  To Know More about the initiative, Benefits and How to use a mind-map ->CLICK HERE Together we can, we will. The strength of the community is more powerful than individual effort. We have started it. You have to strengthen it” You can Start sharing Your Mind-maps (get feedback from IASbaba) & Topics of your interest in the comment section below!!   Thank You IASbaba

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz 20th Nov 2020

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative. This is a part of our recently launched, NEW INITIATIVE IASbaba’s INTEGRATED REVISION PLAN (IRP) 2020 – Road Map for the next 100 Days! FREE INITIATIVE! We will make sure, in the next 4 months not a single day is wasted. 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. 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 Important Note: Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) After completing the 5 questions, click on 'View Questions' to check your score, time taken and solutions. To take the Test - Click Here

TLP Mains 2020

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 4 Questions[20th NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 35

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 4 Questions[20th NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 35   We will make sure, in the next 3 months not a single day is wasted. 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 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. Perfect objectivity is an unrealistic goal; fairness, however, is not. Critically comment. पुनर्भव वस्तुनिष्ठता एक अवास्तविक लक्ष्य है; परन्तु निष्पक्षता नहीं। समालोचनात्मक टिप्पणी करें। 2. Tolerance is giving to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself. Elucidate.  सहिष्णुता हर दूसरे इंसान को हर वो अधिकार देना है जो आप अपने लिए चाहते हैं। स्पष्ट करें। 3. Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself. Illustrate. सहानुभूति अपने आप में किसी अन्य व्यक्ति की गूँज खोजने प् संके में है। उदाहरण देकर स्पष्ट करें। 4. There is no higher calling in terms of a career than public service, which is a chance to make a difference in people's lives and improve the world. Comment. सार्वजनिक सेवा की तुलना में कैरियर के संदर्भ में कोई उच्च आजीविका नहीं है, जो लोगों के जीवन में बदलाव लाने और दुनिया को बेहतर बनाने का मौका है। टिप्पणी करें। 5. True compassion means not only feeling another's pain but also being moved to help relieve it. Examine the significance of this statement for a public servant.  सच्ची करुणा का मतलब न केवल दूसरे के दर्द को महसूस करना है बल्कि उसे राहत देने में मदद करना है। एक लोक सेवक के लिए इस कथन के महत्व का परीक्षण 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 Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th November 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) India’s First Green Energy Convergence Project Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment In news Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Ministry of Power and Department of New & Renewable Energy (DNRE), Goa, have signed a MOU to implement India’s first Convergence Project in the State. Key takeaways  Under the MoU, EESL and DNRE will carry-out the feasibility studies and subsequent implementation of decentralized solar energy projects. EESL shall implement the solar energy projects including; (1) establishment of 100 MW of decentralized ground mounted Solar Power projects on government lands to be used for agricultural pumping; (2) replacing approximately 6,300 agricultural pumps with BEE star rated energy efficient pumps; (3) distribute approximately 16 Lakh LED bulbs for rural domestic households. The projects will accelerate the usage of renewable energy sources, especially for agricultural and rural power consumption in the State. 7th round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Kazakhstan held Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news The 7th round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Kazakhstan was held recently. Key takeaways  During the consultations, the two sides reviewed the entire scope of bilateral cooperation within the framework of their Strategic Partnership.  The consultations covered political, economic and commercial, energy, defence, space, consular and cultural matters. A MoU on "Indian Grant Assistance for Implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects in Kazakhstan” was signed. Indian Army rejects report on Microwave Weapons Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news The Indian Army has rejected a report which claimed that the Chinese army had used microwave weapons to drive Indian soldiers away from their positions in eastern Ladakh. Key takeaways  These are supposed to be a type of direct energy weapons.  They aim highly focused energy in the form of sonic, laser, or microwaves, at a target. They use beams of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation to heat the water in a human target’s skin, causing pain and discomfort. A number of countries are thought to have developed these weapons to target both humans and electronic systems. Concerns have been raised on whether they can damage the eyes, or have a carcinogenic impact in the long term. Do you know?  China had first put on display its “microwave weapon”, called Poly WB-1, at an air show in 2014.  The United States has also developed a prototype microwave-style weapon, which it calls the “Active Denial System”. The US apparently deployed such a weapon in Afghanistan, but withdrew it without ever using it against human targets. Important value additions  In a microwave oven, an electron tube called a magnetron produces electromagnetic waves (microwaves) that bounce around the metal interior of the appliance, and are absorbed by the food. The microwaves agitate the water molecules in the food, and their vibration produces heat that cooks the food.  Foods with high water content cook faster in a microwave often than drier foods. Capacity building component of PM-FME Scheme inaugurated Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news Union Minister for Food Processing Industries inaugurated the capacity building component of the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises scheme (PM-FME Scheme). Important value additions  PM-FME Scheme It was launched under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.  It is a centrally sponsored scheme. Aim: (1) To enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry; (2) To promote formalization of the sector; (3) To provide support to Farmer Producer Organizations, Self Help Groups, and Producers Cooperatives along their entire value chain. Vision: To directly assist the 2,00,000 micro food processing units for providing financial, technical, and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25.  GIS One District One Product (ODOP) Digital Map Of India Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Economy In news The Ministry of Food Processing launched the GIS One District One Product (ODOP) digital map of India. Key takeaways  The digital ODOP map provides detailed information about ODOP products to all states and facilitates the stakeholders. The digital map also has indicators for tribal, SC, ST, and aspirational districts. It will enable stakeholders to make concerted efforts for its value chain development. Miscellaneous Hurricane Iota Hurricane Iota made landfall in Nicaragua in Central America recently.  It developed into a category five storm. The Atlantic Hurricane season runs from June to November and covers the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.  The Eastern Pacific Hurricane season runs from May 15 to November 30. Tropical cyclones or hurricanes  Such Cyclones use warm, moist air as fuel.  Therefore, they form over warm ocean waters near the equator. The tropical cyclones that form over the Atlantic Ocean or the eastern Pacific Ocean are called hurricanes.  The ones that form in the Northwest Pacific are called typhoons.  Tropical storms that form in the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea are called cyclones. Hurricanes are categorised on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which rates them on a scale of 1 to 5 based on wind speed. Hurricanes that reach category three or higher are called ‘major hurricanes’ because of their potential to cause devastating damage to life and property.  (MAINS FOCUS) FEDERALISM/ SECURITY Topic: General Studies 2,3: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure Internal Security Unrest along Assam-Mizoram border Context: The recent violence and tension on the Assam-Mizoram border underlines the differences the two States have about their borders. Do You Know? In 1972 Mizoram was carved out of Assam as a Union Territory. Mizoram became a State in 1987. National Highway 306 (Earlier NH 54) connects the State of Assam and Mizoram. Mizoram ferries all its essentials, food grains, transport fuel and various other goods and machines through NH 306 and hence is called the lifeline of Mizoram What triggered the unrest? Three districts of southern Assam’s Barak Valley — Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj — border Kolasib and Mamit districts of Mizoram. On October 9, a farm hut and a betel nut plantation belonging to two Mizoram residents were set on fire in an area bordering Karimganj (Assam) and Mamit districts(Mizoram) Some people from Assam allegedly pelted stones at Mizoram police personnel the following day and Mizoram residents retaliated. Assam-based organisations blocked NH306 and other roads leading to Mizoram. The blockade was lifted on October 22 after negotiations between the two States and intervention by the Ministry of Home Affairs. But Mizoram police’s refusal to withdraw from the disputed areas led to another blockade from October 28.  The situation threatened to get out of control when an Assamese man named Imtiaz Ali Laskar died in custody in Mizoram. While Mizoram claimed he was a drug peddler, Assam said he was a poor firewood collector. Has the tension eased now? The tension eased when personnel of the Border Security Force and Sashastra Seema Bal began patrolling three flashpoints on the border.  The blockade was lifted on November 9. Was it a one-off conflict? No. The last instance of violence along the Assam-Mizoram border was in February 2018, when the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (students’ union) had built a wooden rest-house for farmers in a forest.  Assam police and forest officials demolished the structure, claiming it was in Assam’s territory.  Members of Mizo Student’s union clashed with Assam police personnel, which led to the escalation of tensions. The scale of the violence was larger than earlier intermittent conflicts along the border. Is there any other border conflict of Mizoram? Mizoram has also had border issues with Tripura, particularly over claims and counter-claims over Phuldungsei village in North Tripura district.  The Phuldungsei issue, involving a bid to reconstruct an old temple by the Bru tribal people, had flared up almost at the same time as the 2020 Oct blockade. What is the genesis of the trouble? Assam’s argument Mizoram’s Argument Authorities in Assam say the contested land belongs to Assam according to revenue records.  Authorities from Mizoram said people from Assam violated the status quo – as agreed upon between the two State governments a few years ago – in “no man’s land” to trigger the present crisis. Officials and locals in Assam claim Mizos have been squatting in areas 1-3 km from the inter-State border. Mizoram groups disagree, claiming that the authorities in Assam have been using “illegal Bangladeshis” to move 10-12 km inside their territory Assam follows British-era notification of 1933 for demarcation of boundaries. Mizo leaders say this 1933 notification is not acceptable as their ancestors had not been consulted.  Mizoram insists that the boundary should be demarcated on the basis of a notification in 1875 that distinguished the Lushai Hills (present-day Mizoram and erstwhile district of Assam) from the plains of Cachar.  The notification is derived from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873 that makes it obligatory for Indians from outside to possess a travel document to enter Mizoram.  Are there other boundary issues in the northeast? Assam has had boundary problems with all its north-eastern neighbours, except Manipur and Tripura that had existed as separate entities.  State Reorganisation Post Independence: The primary reason is that the other States, which were all part of Assam during the British rule, have contested the boundaries since they separated from Assam and became full-fledged States over a period of time (Nagaland Statehood in 1963; Meghalaya, Tripura & Manipur Statehood in 1971; Arunachal Pradesh & Mizoram Statehood in 1987) Constitutional Solution Vs Historical grounds: Assam has accepted several recommendations of border commissions set up by the Supreme Court, but other States have been sticking to “historical boundaries” that go back to the period before 1826, when the British annexed undivided Assam and included the hills as its provinces.  Issue of Nagaland: The Nagaland government has been insisting that a 16-point agreement of 1960, which led to the creation of Nagaland, also included “restoration” of all Naga territories that had been transferred out of the Naga Hills after the British annexed Assam in 1826. Issue of Meghalaya: Meghalaya has challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act of 1971, claiming that two blocks in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district belonged to the erstwhile United Khasi and Jaintia Hills created in 1835.  Assam’s point of view: Assam says its neighbours have encroached upon more than 75,000 hectares of land. Revenue records of the Assam government say Nagaland has encroached upon 19,819.62 hectares, Arunachal Pradesh 5,756.02 hectares and Meghalaya 65.62 hectares since 2001. Way Forward Burden borne by common man: The border residents will continue to bear the brunt of the unrest unless an acceptable solution is arrived at. Joint patrolling by police personnel of both the States with Central forces along the inter-State border.  Maintaining Peace & Order: Apart from drawing up the standard operating procedure for guarding the contentious boundary, state governments need to strengthen coordination between the Superintendents of Police of the border districts for prompt action against criminals and anti-social activities that add to the border tension. Connecting the dots: Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Project Naga Issue: Click Here and Here ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) Crisis Context: After the failures of IL&FS, Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative Bank and DHFL, and the bailout of Yes Bank, the RBI has now decided to impose a 30-day moratorium on Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ltd (LVB). RBI has also put in place a draft scheme for amalgamation of LVB with DBS Bank India, a subsidiary of DBS of Singapore and has raised concerns about the safety of the financial system. Why was LVB put under moratorium and amalgamated with DBS Bank? Continuous Losses: The RBI said the financial position of the Chennai-based LVB, which has a network of 563 branches and deposits of Rs 20,973 crore, has undergone a steady decline, with continuous losses over the last three years eroding the bank’s net-worth. LVB posted a net loss of Rs 397 crore in the September quarter of FY21, as against a loss of Rs 112 crore in the June quarter Rising NPAs: Serious governance issues in recent years have led to deterioration in its performance. Almost one fourth of the bank’s advances have turned bad assets. Its gross non-performing assets (NPAs) stood 25.4% of its advances as of June 2020, as against 17.3% a year ago. Low Liquidity: It was also experiencing continuous withdrawal of deposits and low levels of liquidity.  Unable to raise Capital: The bank has not been able to raise adequate capital to address these issues. The bank management had indicated to the RBI that it was in talks with certain investors, but failed to submit any concrete proposal Are depositors and the financial system safe? Assurance & Insurance by RBI: The RBI, which put a cap of Rs 25,000 on withdrawals, has assured depositors of the bank that their interest will be protected. One safety net for small depositors is the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), an RBI subsidiary, which gives insurance cover on up to Rs 5 lakh deposits in banks. Amalgamation will prevent further slide: The combined balance sheet of DBS India and LVB would remain healthy after the proposed amalgamation, with Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) at 12.51% and Common Equity Tier-1 (CET-1) capital at 9.61%, without taking into account the infusion of additional capital. Rising Crisis in Banking Sector The collapse of IL&FS in 2018 had set off a chain reaction in the financial sector, leading to liquidity issues and defaults Punjab & Maharashtra Co-op Bank was hit by a loan scam involving HDIL promoters and the bank is yet to be bailed out. The near-death experience of Yes Bank in March 2020 sent jitters among depositors. The RBI bailed out Yes Bank through a scheme backed by State Bank of India and other banks. Shareholders of LVB and Dhanlaxmi Bank recently firing their chief executive officers in the span of a week. What happens to investors in these banks? Bad Experience for Yes Bank Investors: Shareholders in Yes Bank faced a significant erosion in wealth as the stock price crashed below Rs 10 per share from a peak of Rs 400 per share Near total loss for existing shareholders of LVB: In the case of LVB, equity capital is being fully written off. This means existing shareholders face a total loss on their investments unless there are buyers in the secondary market who may ascribe some value to these.  In its draft scheme for the amalgamation, the RBI said that “On and from the appointed date, the entire amount of the paid-up share capital and reserves and surplus, including the balances in the share/securities premium account of the transferor bank, shall stand written off.” Issues facing old-generation private banks- Lack of strong promoters The functioning of many such banks has been under scrutiny in the last couple of years, as most of them do not have strong promoters, making them targets for mergers or forced amalgamation.  Two other South-based banks – South Indian Bank and Federal Bank – have been operating as board-driven banks without a promoter.  In Karur Vysya Bank, the promoter stake is 2.11% and in Karnataka Bank, there’s no promoter.  The problems in LVB follow the similar challenges faced by Yes Bank as well as Punjab & Maharashtra Co-operative Bank in recent times. What has been the regulatory response to these failures? On July 24, 2004, the RBI, then headed by Y V Reddy, announced a moratorium on private sector lender Global Trust Bank, which was then reeling under huge losses and bad loans. The bank was merged with public sector Oriental Bank of Commerce within 48 hours under an RBI-led rescue plan. Nearly 16 years later, the RBI has followed a somewhat similar approach on resuscitation of the troubled lenders of Yes Bank and now LVB.  The moratorium announcement was followed by a reconstruction plan for Yes Bank and capital infusion by banks and financial institutions, with SBI, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC, Axis Bank and others putting in equity capital in the reconstructed entity.  Will loan stress caused by the pandemic impact the banking system? Business Cycle disrupted: NPAs in the banking sector are expected to increase as the pandemic affects cash flows of people and companies. Differential Impact of Pandemic on Sectors: However, the impact will differ depending upon the sector, as segments like pharmaceuticals and IT seem to have benefited in terms of revenues. NPA accretion in cash-rich sectors like IT, pharmaceuticals, FMCG, chemicals, automobiles is expected to be smaller when compared to areas like hospitality, tourism, aviation and other services. K V Kamath Committee recently came out with recommendations on the financial parameters required for a one-time loan restructuring window for corporate borrowers under stress due to the pandemic. Conclusion While banking observers agree that the RBI has acted whenever a bank or an NBFC faced trouble, the question remains whether it made the interventions swiftly. Connecting the dots: Yes Bank Crisis (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in the comment section) Note:  Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in the 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:  Tropical cyclones that form over the Eastern Pacific Ocean are called typhoons.  Tropical cyclones that form over the Northwest Pacific Ocean are called hurricanes.  Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2 India's first green energy conversions project will be implemented in which of the following state of India?  Goa  Rajasthan  Himachal Pradesh  Odisha Q.3 GIS one district one product digital map of India was recently launched by which of the following Ministry?  Ministry of Food Processing  Ministry of Agriculture  Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium enterprises  Ministry of Science and Technology ANSWERS FOR 18th November 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 A 3 D Must Read About New Challenges: India and Joe Biden: The Hindu About Urban Planning and disease spread: The Hindu About Myanmar’s election results: The Indian Express

TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS [16th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 31: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE SYNOPSIS [16th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 31: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   1. Do you think state funding of electoral campaigns can address the misuse of money power during elections? Critically examine. Approach –You need to examine both sides of the arguments over whether state funding of electoral campaign scan address the misuse of money power during elections with proper substantiation.   Introduction India stands as a model for many emerging democracies around the world.  Free and fair elections are the hallmark of a well-functioning democracy. But there are still a number of areas which need to be strengthened for us to realise the true potential of a well-functioning democracy, one of which is misuse of money power during elections. Body Indian elections are the world’s biggest exercise in democracy but also among the most expensive. India’s campaign spend is only rivalled by the American presidential race, the world’s most expensive election. In this regard, state funding of electoral campaigns can be considered to address the misuse of money power during elections in the following manner - The financing of elections has become a major issue in the past few decades.  This has resulted in lack of transparency, widespread corruption, and the pervasiveness of so-called ‘black money’. Such a phenomenon can be tackled with state funding of elections. NCRWC, 2001 notes that the high cost of elections “creates a high degree of compulsion for corruption in the public arena” and that “the sources of some of the election funds are believed to be unaccounted criminal money. It also states that “Electoral compulsions for funds become the foundation of the whole super structure of corruption”. A major concern associated with the high cost of elections is that it prevents parties and candidates with modest financial resources from being competitive in elections. Thus, state funding will provide for a level playing field for all the players involved. With public funding the State can encourage or demand changes in for example how many women candidates a party fields - In the same way as private donations can come with demands on party or candidate behaviour, the State can use public funds to level the playing field and encourage (or force) political parties to undertake reforms, hold internal elections or field a certain number of women candidates, youth or persons from an ethnic minority on their ballots. If parties and candidates are financed with only private funds, economical inequalities in the society might translate into political inequalities in government - If political parties receive all their income from private donations, there is a risk that socioeconomic differences in the society will translate into differences in representation and access to political power. Political parties and candidates need support in meeting growing costs of campaigning - Politics and political campaigning is an increasingly costly business. Now they need to pay for expensive advertising in newspapers or on posters, or buy time on radio or television to get their message through to the voters. In societies with high levels of poverty, ordinary citizens cannot be expected to contribute much to political parties - If parties and candidates receive at least a basic amount of money from the State the country could have a functioning multi-party system without people having to give up their scarce resources. The Indrajit Gupta Committee on State Funding of Elections had endorsed state funding of recognised political parties and their candidates in elections way back in 1998, but the lack of political will has prevented any serious discussion on this.  But at the same time, state funding of electoral campaigns cannot be seen as ultimate panacea for the misuse of money power during elections as: Public funding increases the distance between political elites (party leadership, candidates) and ordinary citizens (party members, supporters, voters)- When political parties and candidates do not depend on their supporters or members, they might be less likely to involve them in party decisions or consult their opinions on policy issues. Public funding preserves a status quo that keeps the established parties and candidates in power - Public funds are often allocated among political parties and candidates in the national legislature. This may make it more difficult for new political forces to gain representation.  Through public funds, taxpayers are forced to support political parties and candidates whose views they do not share - Many believe that ordinary taxpayers should not be forced to support political parties or candidates that they would never choose to vote for.  Public funds to political parties and candidates takes money away from schools and hospitals to give to rich politicians - Public resources are scarce and needed for everything. To many people, using public funds to give to political parties and candidates would be far down their list of priorities. Political parties and candidates both take the decision and collect the money - The decision to allocate public funds to parties and candidates is most often taken in the national legislature. This means that the political parties and candidates who will collect the money, also take the decision. Political parties risk becoming organs of the State rather than parts of civil society - If all or a substantial amount of the party income comes directly from the State rather than from voluntary sources, political parties risk losing their independence and become organs of the State, thereby losing their ties to the civil society. Way Forward –  The 1999 report of the Law Commission of India concurred with the Indrajit Gupta Commission that only partial state funding was possible at the present time given the economic conditions of the country.  The Report “Ethics in Governance” of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission also recommended that “a system for partial state funding should be introduced to reduce the scope of illegitimate and unnecessary funding of expenditure for elections.” The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, 2001, did not comment on the desirability of State funding of elections but reiterated the point of the Law Commission that the appropriate framework for regulation of political parties would need to be implemented before proposals for State funding are considered.    The Election Commission is not in favour of state funding as it will not be possible to prohibit or check candidate’s own expenditure or expenditure by others over and above that which is provided by the State.  Conclusion While the success of democracy in a complex and large country with widespread poverty and illiteracy has earned India global respect and applause, the country’s democratic process in terms of electoral funding still leaves much to be desired for and the above suggestions can be important in this regard to have fully functioning democracy in true sense. 2. The office of Governor has ceased to be apolitical in recent years. Do you agree? Substantiate your response.  Approach: It expects students to write about office of Governor and how it ceased to became a apolitical in recent years with suitable examples. Introduction: Article 154 of the Constitution envisages Governor as the executive chief of the state.B R Ambedkar called the office of the Governor as the “office of dignity”. His office is the linchpin of Indian Cooperative Federalism.From a long time, the office of the Governor has been at the centre of controversies for several reasons, the most important one being the range of discretionary powers that the holder of the office enjoys. Body: Office of Governor in recent years ceased to be apolitical: Intervention by governors: Most notably, the governors of West Bengal, Puducherry and Maharashtra are in news for the wrong reasons. For example, Maharashtra governor issue over the opening of temple after lockdown in state and controversy over secularism. Non-neutrality of the office of the Governor: The governors are the agents of the Central Government and since most of them are retired politicians belonging to a particular political party, they remain loyal to the people, who appoint them. As a result of it, they try to topple the State Government if it happens to be a Government by the opposition party. Appointment and dismissal of the Chief Minister: Governor appoints Chief Minister, other ministers, Advocate General, Chairmen and members of the State Public Service Commission in the state. After elections in the state, there is a convention to invite the largest party to form government in the state. This convention has been flouted many times at the whim of the governor. Eg: The recent episode Maharashtra where Governor inducted a new government at 5:00 am without ascertaining the requisite numbers for the government. Gubernatorial powers: The task of inviting the largest party/alliance post-election is a discretion of the Governor which is wrought in controversy. Eg: Karnataka, in 2018 election presented a hung assembly. Ultimately the issue had to be resolved in Supreme Court leading to fall of the government that couldn’t prove its majority. Removal of the Governor: Article 156 says that the governor will hold office during the pleasure of the President for five years. President works on aid and advice of the Council of Ministers under Article 74. In effect it is the central government that appoints and removes the Governors. The governor has no security of tenure and no fixed term of office. E.g: The mass changing of the governors of state whenever a new government comes to power at Centre. Advising the President for proclamation of Emergency: The Assemblies of Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh had been placed under suspended animation on the recommendation of the Governor due to alleged failure of Constitutional Machinery (Article 356). However, the State Governments were reinstated by reversal of President’s rule by Supreme Court due to lack of sufficient evidence. Reservation of Bills for Consideration of President: On his/ her discretion, the Governor can reserve a bill passed by the state legislature for president’s assent. However, situations are mentioned in Article 200, when he will reserve the bill, yet he can use, discretion regarding this matter. Governor has discretion to refuse to sign to an ordinary bill passed by the state legislature. Seeking information from the chief minister: With regard to the administrative and legislative matters of the stateMany governors have been criticised for expanding their discretionary powers suo motu. Tamil Nadu (TN) governor Banwarilal Purohit has been criticised for running a parallel administration of universities within TN and appointing vice-chancellors without consulting the state government. He was already under fire for conducting “review meetings” of government schemes. Recommendations of SC Judgements and Committees: SR Bommai vs. Union of India, 1994: The case was about the limits to the Governor’s powers in dismissing a state government under Article 356 of the Constitution. The floor of the Assembly is the only forum that should test the majority of the government of the day, and not the subjective opinion of the Governor. Rameshwar Prasad Case, 2006: Supreme Court was called upon to pronounce its verdict on the validity of the proclamation of President’s Rule and the dissolution of the Assembly in Bihar in 2005. The SC held that the Governor could not decide based on his subjective assessments. Sarkaria Commission Report (1988):  Governor should be an eminent person and not belong to the state where he is to be posted. State chief minister should have a say in the appointment of governor Governor should be a detached figure without intense political links or should not have taken part in politics in recent past. Governor should not be a member of the ruling party. Punchhi Commission (2010): The phrase “during the pleasure of the President” should be deleted from the Constitution. Governor should be removed only by a resolution of the state legislature. Conclusion: The role of governor is indispensable for the successful working of the constitutional democracy. He must refrain from aligning himself to any political ideology.For the smooth functioning of a democratic government, it is equally important to have 'Code of Conduct', 'norms and principles’ the governor must act judiciously, impartially and efficiently while exercising his discretion and personal judgment. 3. India’s Election Commission is an embodiment of institutional excellence and professionalism. Comment. Approach: It expects students to write – in first part write why Election Commission is an embodiment of institutional excellence and professionalism – in second part write challenges faced by Election commission – in end in few words write way forward. Introduction: Election Commission of India plays a crucial role in organising elections. The most significant role of the Election Commission of India is to ensure free and fair elections as per the norms and the Model Code of Conduct. It is in charge of monitoring the actions and activities of the political parties and candidates and try to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in India. Body: Election Commission is an embodiment of institutional excellence and professionalism can be seen from: It plays an important role in stopping the dissemination of misinformation with the help of technological tools. It conducts elections with the highest standard of credibility, freeness, fairness, transparency, integrity, accountability, autonomy and professionalism. It creates awareness about the electoral process and electoral governance amongst stakeholders namely, voters, political parties, election functionaries, candidates and people at large. It plays an important role in stopping the dissemination of misinformation with the help of technological tools. It conducts elections with the highest standard of credibility, freeness, fairness, transparency, integrity, accountability, autonomy and professionalism. It creates awareness about the electoral process and electoral governance amongst stakeholders namely, voters, political parties, election functionaries, candidates and people at large. However, some challenges are faced by Election commission: Allegation of partisan role- The opposition alleged that the ECI was favouring the ruling government in giving clean chits to the model code violations made by the Prime Minister. Lack of capacity- The Election Commission is vested with absolute powers under Article 324, but still has to act according to laws made by Parliament and it cannot transgress the same. E.g. Despite being the registering authority for political parties under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, it has no power to de-register them even for the gravest of violations. Lack of proactive use of authority- The Election Commission had told the Supreme Court that its powers to discipline politicians who sought votes in the name of caste or religion were “very limited”. Way forward: Elections are the bedrock of democracy and the EC’s credibility is central to democratic legitimacy. Hence, the guardian of elections itself needs urgent institutional safeguards to protect its autonomy. It is high time that appointments of election commissioners is depoliticised through a broad-based consultation mechanism. The EC must also be empowered to de-register parties for electoral misconduct. The protection offered to the chief election commissioner must now be extended to other commissioners (added in 1993 and collectively represent the EC) as well. While these reforms may continue to be debated, the EC should not be stooped from asserting the ample authority it currently has under the Constitution. Exercising this authority is not the EC's discretion but a constitutional mandate and democracy's foundation. Conclusion: For the last 15 years, the EC is exercising its powers to full potential and has even increased them. Today the free and fair elections are just because of the working of EC. The internal system of monitoring by neutral and senior government officers has become time tested and been proving to be very useful during elections.  4. Critically evaluate the performance of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in ensuring executive accountability. Approach: It expects students to write about – in first part write how Comptroller and Auditor General of India in ensuring executive accountability – in second part write some issues faced by CAG Introduction: The Constitution of India (Article 148) provides for an independent office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). He is the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department. He is the guardian of the public purse and controls the entire financial system of the country at both thelevels—the Centre and the state. Body: Comptroller and Auditor General of India ensures executive accountability by: Accountability: The accountability of the executive (council of ministers) to the parliament in the sphere of financial administration is secured through audit reports of the CAG. Ensure financial transparency: The CAG ascertains whether money shown in the accounts as having been disbursed was used for the purpose to which they have been charged. Thus, it ensures proper use of money. Fiscal watch: In addition to this legal and regulatory audit, the CAG can also conduct the propriety audit, that is, he can look into the wisdom, faithfulness and economy of government expenditure and comment on the wastefulness and extravagance of such expenditure. Effective check: It is the duty of the CAG to audit all receipts which are payable into the Consolidated Fund of India. The rules and procedures are designed to ensure an effective check on the assessment, collection and proper allocation of revenue. Financial administration: His duty is to uphold the Constitution of India and laws of Parliament in the field of financial administration. The accountability of the executive (the council of ministers) to the Parliament in the sphere of financial administration is secured through audit reports of the CAG. Expose corruption: CAG reports play an important role in exposing corruption and misuse of government money. For example, CAG role played an important role in exposing coal scam. However, some issues faced by CAG: The CAG mostly find his reports hitting the junk pile of government records in the absence of any provision such as Article 141 that confers power to pass any decree and make any order for the purpose of securing the attendance of any person, the discovery or production of any documents, or the investigation or punishment of any contempt of itself on the Supreme Court. There is no deadline for the production of documents and replies nor any contempt proceedings for their denial. The CAG doesn’t have the right to release these reports in the public domain if they are not presented in the legislature within a month of their submission. Nor can CAG enforce any of its findings by decree, akin to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee. Criticism of the CAG is rooted in uneducated opinion and deliberate suppression and/or obfuscation of facts. To that can be added the deep-rooted bureaucratic and political antipathy to accountability. Conclusion: The CAG has to some extent achieved what he set out to do, especially when it comes to redefining the role of the office and the public perception of auditors. Despite the severest limitations, the CAG still creditably survives in the defence of accountability, a knight in shining armour amidst the overwhelming rot. The office is a unique combination of knowledge, integrity, commitment and fearlessness. Indeed, the Comptroller and Auditor-General is India’s second remaining pillar of democracy. 5. Examine the role of the Finance Commission in India’s federal political economy. Approach: As the directive here is examine, it is necessary to cover various angles of the topic. In the introduction you can explain about Finance Commission. In the main body part you need to explain about the  role of  Finance commission, the 'role' in the context of this question indicates how Finance Commission supplements, strengthens India's federal political economy.  Just only mentioning  what functions/role Finance commission performs will not be sufficient. Though only role is asked, from the examination point of view it is necessary to assess Finance Commission's performance and issues related to it. An optimistic conclusion with necessary way forward will fetch you more marks.  Introduction: Finance Commission is a constitutional body for the purpose of allocation of certain revenue resources between the Union and the State Governments. It is time to time established under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution by the Indian President. It is created to define the financial relations between the Centre and the states.  Body: The First Commission was set up in November 1951 under the Chairmanship of K C Neogy, a former member of the Constituent Assembly and diwan of a princely state. The President has appointed 14 more Commissions since then.  Most recent one is the 15th Finance Commission which was constituted by the President of India in November 2017, under the chairmanship of NK Singh. Role of Finance commission in India's federal political economy:  As a federal nation, India suffers from both vertical and horizontal fiscal imbalances. Vertical imbalances between the central and state governments result from states incurring expenditures disproportionate to their sources of revenue, in the process of fulfilling their responsibilities. However, states are better able to gauge the needs and concerns of their inhabitants and therefore more efficient at addressing them. Horizontal imbalances among state governments result from differing historical backgrounds or resource endowments and can widen over time. Unity: Article 1 of the Constitution of India recognises India as a Union of States. Real fairness and equity in the matter of devolution of powers and resources to the States is essential to preserve this stated unity. The foremost objective of the FC is thus an equitable distribution of financial resources between the two units of the Union. Resources - The fundamental tasks relating to income growth, human development, livelihoods, environment, etc are entrusted to the States. At present, the States do not have adequate resources as well as the right to raise such resources to fulfil these tasks. FC's role gains significance in equipping states with adequate resources to take up these major tasks of nation-building. Federalism - The Centre’s capacity to mobilise resources is far greater than that of the States. But states are required to undertake development expenditures that far exceed their revenue generating capabilities. The Constitution entrusts FC with the responsibility of addressing this anomaly and asymmetry in India’s federal system. To ensure same kind of federal political economy in the state, state finance commissions are constituted. The State Finance Commission (SFC) is an institution created by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (CAs) to rationalize and systematize State/sub-State-level fiscal relations in India. Article 243I of the Constitution mandated the State Governor to constitute a Finance Commission every five years. Article 243Y of the Constitution states that the Finance Commission constituted under article 243 I shall also review the financial position of the Municipalities and make recommendations to the Governor. The Commission’s recommendations along with an explanatory memorandum with regard to the actions done by the government on them are laid before the Houses of the Parliament. The FC evaluates the rise in the Consolidated Fund of a state in order to affix the resources of the state Panchayats and Municipalities. The FC has sufficient powers to exercise its functions within its activity domain. As per the Code of Civil Procedure 1908, the FC has all the powers of a Civil Court. It can call witnesses, ask for the production of a public document or record from any office or court. Issues with respect to finance commission: Terms of references are narrow: For instance, The 15th Finance Commission's terms of reference are to recommend a fiscal consolidation roadmap for sound fiscal management. Besides, ensuring to take in to account the responsibility of the Central Government and State Governments to adhere to appropriate levels of general and consolidated government debt and deficit levels. A periodic body: Finance commission is  an important body which looks at the fiscal federalism between centre and states. However, despite being such an important body, it is not a permanent body. A financial trouble can occur any time and we cannot rely on the executive to look at the trouble and then constitute the Finance commission as and when necessary. For instance, the economic upheaval happened due to Covid-19.  Finance commission is a body which ensure federal political economy work as per its functioning requirement. However, appointment of its members are mainly handled by the central government which undermines the role of states.  Recommendations are not mandatory in nature. Which makes the whole exercise of constituting, surveying and reporting a futile exercise if the recommendations are not implemented. For instance, recommendation to constitute a fiscal council was recommended by 13th and 14th Finance Commission. The same recommendation is reiterated by 15th Finance  commission. However, this recommendation is not implemented by the central government yet.  Conclusion: Finance commission is known as a balancing wheel of fiscal federalism in India. However, the issues related to it have questioned the reliance of finance commission's recommendations. To strengthen the functioning of federal political economy it is necessary to look in to the issues related to finance commission and take necessary steps so that the foundation and working of fiscal federalism in India gets strengthened.    TLP HOT Synopsis Day 31 PDF

Website
Terms and Conditions Privacy Refund Policy Learning Management System by Testpress