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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 11th November 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2020 to be held virtually Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Science and technology In news The fourth edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2020 is scheduled to be held in December. It will be held virtually this year given the ongoing pandemic. Ministry: Minister of Information Technology  Key takeaways Jointly organized by: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAT). The event will see 50+ participating countries, 110 + Global Speakers, Start-ups over the three day programme. Theme: "Inclusive Innovation - Smart, Secure, Sustainable" IMC is considered the largest Digital Technology Forum in Asia for bringing together the industry, Government, academia, and other ecosystem players to discuss the latest industry technology trends around major themes such as SG, Artificial Intelligence (Al), Internet of things (loT) etc. Do you know? COAI was constituted in 1995 as a registered, non-governmental society.  Vision: To establish India as the global leader of mobile communications infrastructure, products and services and achieving a national tele density of 100%, including broadband. All the Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) to be covered under the Energy Conservation (EC) Act, 2001 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Energy sector In news The Union Ministry of Power, Government of India has issued a notification to cover all the Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) under the preview of the Energy Conservation (EC) Act, 2001. Key takeaways  The notification was formulated in consultation with Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). According to it, all entities having issued distribution license by State/Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission under the Electricity Act, 2003 (36 of 2003)" are notified as Designated Consumers (DCs). After this notification, all the DISCOMs will be governed under the various provisions of EC Act, such as Appointment of Energy Manager, Energy Accounting & Auditing etc. for each DISCOMs. Earlier, the DISCOMs whose annual energy losses were equal to or above 1000 MU were only covered as DCs. Now with this notification, the number of DISCOMs covered under the EC Act will increase from 44 to 102. Important value additions  Bureau of Energy Efficiency It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Power, Government of India. It assists in developing policies and strategies.  Objective: Reducing the energy intensity of the Indian economy. Saffron bowl to expand to the North East soon Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Geography & GS-III – Agriculture In news The saffron bowl, which was so far confined to Kashmir, may soon expand to the North East of India. Plants which were transported from Kashmir to Sikkim, acclimatized there and are now flowering in Yangyang in the Southern part of Sikkim.  Key takeaways  Saffron production has long been restricted to a limited geographical area in the Union territory of J&K. Though the National Mission on Saffron focused on several measures to improve its farming, the measures were still limited to the specified areas of Kashmir. North East Centre For Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous body under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India supported a pilot project to explore the feasibility of growing saffron in North East region of India, with the same quality and higher quantity. The Botany and Horticulture department of Sikkim Central University carried out tests to understand the soil and actual pH conditions of Yangyang of Sikkim and found it comparable to saffron growing places of Kashmir. Important value additions  Saffron It is a plant whose dried stigmas (thread-like parts of the flower) are used to make saffron spice. Saffron cultivation is believed to have been introduced in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrants around the 1st Century BCE. It represents the rich cultural heritage of the J&K region. It is a very precious and costly product. It is referred to as ‘bahukam’ in ancient Sanskrit literature. It is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of J&K. Uses: (1) It rejuvenates health; (2) It is used in cosmetics and for medicinal purposes. It is usually cultivated during June and July and at some places in August and September. Saffron grows well at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level.  It needs 12 hours of sunlight. It grows in many different soil types but thrives best in calcareous (soil that has calcium carbonate in abundance), humus-rich and well-drained soil with a pH between 6 and 8. Temperature: Ranging from 35 or 40 degree Celsius in summer to about –15 or –20 degree Celsius in winter. It also requires adequate rainfall that is 1000-1500 mm per annum. Do you know?  Pampore region, in India, commonly known as Saffron bowl of Kashmir, is the main contributor to saffron production, followed by Budgam, Srinagar, and Kishtiwar districts. Denmark records SARS-CoV-2 infections that are associated with farmed minks Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Biodiversity In news Denmark, which has recorded more than 55,000 cases of COVID-19, has also recorded over 200 human cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants that are associated with farmed minks. Important value additions  Mink These are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals.  Genera: Neovison and Mustela.  Family: Mustelidae.  This family also includes weasels, otters and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the American mink and the European mink. The European mink is listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered due to an ongoing reduction in numbers. Do you know?  Denmark is the world’s largest mink producer, with a 15-17 million strong mink population across 1,100 farms.  Peace Deal brokered Between Armenia And Azerbaijan Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations; Health In news Russia brokered a new peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan.  The two countries have been in a military conflict for over six weeks over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. Key takeaways  As per the new peace deal, both sides will now maintain positions in the areas that they currently hold.  It means a significant gain for Azerbaijan as it has reclaimed over 15-20% of its lost territory during the recent conflict.  Further, under this agreement, all military operations are suspended.  Russian peacekeepers will be deployed along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor that connects the region to Armenia. Important value additions  Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) Russia’s role in the conflict has been somewhat opaque since it supplies arms to both countries and is in a military alliance with Armenia called the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). CSTO is an intergovernmental military alliance that was signed on 15 May 1992. In 1992, six post-Soviet states belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States signed the Collective Security Treaty (also referred to as the "Tashkent Pact" or "Tashkent Treaty"). Members: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. Headquarters: Moscow, Russia. Thirty Meter Telescope Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Science and technology; Space In news 2020 Physics Nobel Laureate Prof. Andrea Ghez had worked closely with Indian astronomers on the design of back-end instruments and possible science prospects of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project being installed at Maunakea in Hawaii. Key takeaways  TMT project is an international partnership between CalTech, Universities of California, Canada, Japan, China, and India.  “Thirty Metre” refers to the 30-metre diameter of the mirror, with 492 segments of glass pieced together. Once completed, it would be three times as wide as the world’s largest existing visible-light telescope.  The larger the mirror, the more light a telescope can collect, which means, in turn, that it can “see” farther, fainter objects. It would be more than 200 times more sensitive than current telescopes.  It would be able to resolve objects 12 times better than the Hubble Space Telescope. Application: The study of exoplanets Do you know?  Already the site of a number of observatories and 13 large telescopes, Mauna Kea is considered sacred by native Hawaiians who believe that such constructions defile the Mauna Kea Mountain. If the Thirty Metre Telescope cannot be built on Mauna Kea Mountain in Hawaii, Spain’s Canary Islands is a backup site. (MAINS FOCUS) HEALTH/ ECONOMY/ DISASTER MANAGEMENT Topic: General Studies 2,3: Issues relating to Health and disaster management Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.  Strengthening public health capacities in disasters Context: Much of Europe is witnessing a menacing second wave of COVID-19, which is seemingly worse than the first. Second Wave and Challenges  Desensitised Public: Living with the pandemic for months together has had a desensitising effect on the collective psyche. Reduced Urgency: Owing to such ‘desensitisation’, disasters that are not sudden and striking – like the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic- tend to be minimised.  Impacting Disaster Management Framework: Unfortunately, the above two has characterised and thus weakened India’s disaster management framework in dealing with many pressing public health issues. India’s Disaster Management Framework In 2005, India enacted the Disaster Management Act(DMA), which laid an institutional framework for managing disasters across the country  What hitherto comprised largely of reactive, ad hoc measures applied in the event of a disaster, was to be replaced under the Act with a systematic scheme for prevention, mitigation, and responding to disasters of all kinds.  Disaster management considerations were to be incorporated into every aspect of development and the activities of different sectors, including health.  The Disaster Management Act is one of the few laws invoked since the early days of COVID-19 to further a range of measures — from imposing lockdowns to price control of masks and medical services. Concerns w.r.t Disaster Management Framework: While some headway has indeed been achieved with the enactment of Act, the approach continues to be largely reactive, under-emphasizing of Public Health concern and presence of significant gaps in terms of medical preparedness for disasters. Experience of using DMA during Pandemic and lessons learnt Drawbacks in private sector Health services and their continuing development are oblivious to the possibility of disaster-imposed pressures. Non-dependability of Private Sector during Crisis times: Since the capping of treatment prices in private hospitals in May, many instances of overcharging by hospitals in India have surfaced, in some cases even leading to suspension of licences.  Private Sector Significance in future road map of Public Health Policy: Dependability of private sector is important since the future development of hospital care services is being envisaged chiefly under publicly financed health insurance, which would very likely be private-sector led Structural Weakness in Private Sector:  A large majority of private hospitals in the country are small enterprises which cannot meet the inclusion criteria for insurance. Many of these small hospitals are also unsuitable for meeting disaster-related care needs.  Incompatibility between Disaster Preparedness and Profit: Disaster preparedness does not make a strong “business case” for hospitals, which prefer to invest in more profitable areas Lesson Learnt: Strong public sector capacities are therefore imperative for dealing with disasters. There is a strong case for introducing a legal mandate to strengthen public sector capacities via disaster legislation Weakness in DMA DMA fails to identify progressive events (which nevertheless cause substantial damage, often more than sudden catastrophes) as disasters, thus neglecting pressing public health issues such as tuberculosis and recurrent dengue outbreaks Had they been identified as disasters, they would have attracted stronger action in terms of prevention, preparedness, and response Inadequate Integration with primary care: Primary care stands for things such as multisectoral action, community engagement, disease surveillance, and essential health-care provision, all of which are central to disaster management. This area of disaster management, especially relevant for low-income setting, has been overlooked. Lesson Learnt: Making primary health care central to disaster management can be a significant step towards building health system and community resilience to disasters. Also, synergies with the National Health Mission with the Disaster Management Act in 2005, could be worth exploring. Conclusion While the novel coronavirus pandemic has waned both in objective severity and subjective seriousness, valuable messages and lessons lie scattered around. It is for us to not lose sight and pick them up. (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 India Mobile Congress is jointly organised by which of the following? Department of Telecommunications Cellular Operators Association of India Council of Scientific & Industrial Research Both (a) and (b) Q.2 Saffron plants were recently transported from J&K to one of the North eastern regions of India where they acclimatized and flowered. Where were the plants transported? Sikkim Arunachal Pradesh Assam Tripura Q.3 Consider the following statements regarding growth conditions of Saffron: It needs 8 hours of daily sunlight. It grows well only in summer. Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  ANSWERS FOR 10th November 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 A Must Read About 15th Finance Commission’s report: The Hindu About India and COVID-19 vaccine: The Hindu About Central Bank Policy and Judicial Review: The Indian Express

TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS [9th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 25: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE   SYNOPSIS [9th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 25: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   1. Do you think India’s multilingual society creates social and political tension? Critically comment.  Approach - It expects students to write about India’s multilinguistic aspect in its social spectrum, and critically analyze whether multilingual society creates social and political tension. Introduction Indian multilingualism dates back historically to ancient times when ethnic groups and races came in contact with one another through migration from one region to another. Political compulsions and social re-structuring might have contributed a little to its growth, multilingualism in India was largely a product of close contact between the language families from the earliest recorded history.  Body Multilingual society creating social and political tension: North-south divide:  There is a north-south divide mainly due to attempts of imposition of Hindi as the link-language of India. Opposition to Hindi as a national language from representatives from southern states was fierce. When 1965 came around, the debate on national language had transformed into a movement against Hindi imposition. Narrow and parochial outlook: Politicians, possessing narrow and parochial outlook and certain regional political parties create linguistic feeling among the people of a locality and exploit their sentiments at the time of election and in matters of various political issues. Politics with Language-in-Education: The centre’s order in April 2017 making Hindi compulsory in all Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) affiliated schools till the secondary level evoked various responses. Some asserted that the policy was contradictory to the right to education, which gives the student the right to choose their set of languages. Regionalism: Linguism has promoted local identity. The regional differences have come in the way of national integration. Extreme sense of regionalism has resulted in parochialism and ethno centricism. Exploitation of people by Politicians: Language has evoked psychological and emotional feelings among people. Politicians are promoting the spread of only particular languages through monetary inducements. They exploit the sentiments of people at the time of election. Erosion of national feeling: Linguistic loyalty has come in the way of national integration. Thus, interstate boundary dispute, river dispute has become common. Example Difference of opinion among people speaking Kannada and Marathi in Belgaum. Demand for separate states: Extreme sense of Linguism has caused linguistic conflicts. Such conflicts are quite often supported by politicians. For Example, Demand for a separate state by people of “north Karnataka” region. Threat to sovereignty: Linguism is posing a severe threat to the integrity of the country. On the basis of language people have become more self-centred without thinking of the progress of the country. In Some states the regional language is being used even for administrative purposes, which causes a major problem to people who do not belong to that particular state. Language based dominance: Usage or prominence of a particular language often reflects the dominance of one community in the Indian society. For example, Sanskrit, most of the times has been associated with the dominance of Brahmanism in society. Purity notion:  The idea of ‘purer’ forms of language and its distinction from ‘dialects’ propagates the influence of a particular caste or community which marginalises all the other ‘impure’ forms. English based discrimination: While English is considered a language, which is devoid of caste conscious vocabulary, it is also known as the language of educated elites and has created a new class divide. Majority of the jobs being created in India, particularly in the service sector are dominated by English language speakers. Linguistic based political and social agitation in society has different functional benefits: Creation of state which are homogeneous in nature improved the functioning of the state and govt. has been able to better connect with the masses in the language in which they understand. For ex. creation of Gujarat from Bombay resulted into betterment of people. The Division of states linguistic basis removed the major discord and disharmony among people. For ex. separation of Andhra from Madras addressed the agitation and protest by Telugu people. It led to creation of state regional parties which can raise their voice in the Parliament. Hence, a more cooperative federalism and participative democracy thrived epitomizing unity in diversity. It provided opportunity to the states to protect and promote their regional language which brought satisfied cultural aspiration of masses. For ex. recent adoption of Odia language as official language by Odisha. Dravidian and anti-Hindi movement in South India, which opposed caste-based society and Hindi was also seen as a language that perpetuates a ‘backward’ culture of caste and gender oppression. Conclusion Linguistic diversity has been a critical aspect of the multiculturalism that has been the defining characteristic of India through the ages. Diversity is undoubtedly strength of our democracy. The cultural bonds need to be strengthened through enhanced and continuous mutual interaction between people of varied regions. This encourages reciprocity and secures an enriched value system of unity amongst people of different States. 2. What do you understand by professional code of conduct? Is it always good to act as per one’s professional code even if it contradicts the conscience of a person? Examine. Approach - It expects students to write about professional code of conduct in the first part and write about situations in which conscience contradicts with one’s professional code with appropriate example.  Introduction Codes of conduct represents the set of enforceable rules that should be followed by a person in an organisation. Codes, along with other measures, have helped some companies dig themselves out of scandals, and have helped many companies build a healthier work climate and reputation. Body Professional code of conduct:  Ethical principles underpin all professional codes of conduct. Ethical principles may differ depending on the profession; for example, professional ethics that relate to medical practitioners will differ from those that relate to lawyers or real estate agents. However, there are some universal ethical principles that apply across all professions, including honesty, trustworthiness, loyalty, respect for others, adherence to the law, doing good and avoiding harm to others and accountability. Professional codes of conduct draw on these professional ethical principles as the basis for prescribing required standards of behaviour for members of a profession. They also seek to set out the expectations that the profession and society have of its members. The intention of codes of conduct is to provide guidelines for the minimum standard of appropriate behaviour in a professional context. Codes of conduct sit alongside the general law of the land and the personal values of members of the profession. Contradiction between professional code of conduct and conscience:  Soldiers on the border have to follow orders from their command even if it doesn’t suit their conscience. As it is necessary to avoid create larger issues of breakdown of organisation’s functionality.  Conscience is the part of your mind that tells you whether what you are doing is morally right or wrong. It is based on personal set of values which may differ person to person. However, code of conduct is devised for the larger institutional objectives for optimal functioning.  It is often necessary to follow professional code of conduct to avoid questions about legality of action. To fulfil needs and demands of the profession.  However, sometimes following professional code might create crisis of conscience. Crisis of conscience is time when someone is worrying because they think that they have done something unfair or morally wrong. It may demoralise the individual and lower her spirit.  E.g. if economically distressed patient need admission in private hospital but she doesn’t have required money to deposit before admission in emergency situation, following code of conduct may result into refusal to the patient while following conscience by management or doctor might save life of patient, which is larger objective of health services organisation.  Conclusion Conscience is beyond law; it focuses on following spirit of law rather than sticking to letters of law. Even in the civil services, experience over a period of time suggests there is need of code of ethics along with the code of conduct to realise mission to serve people. 3. Is it possible to differentiate between ethics in private and public life? Critically Examine. Approach It is strait forwards question, where it expects student to write about - in first part, how ethical standard are found to be different while in second part, mention how ethical standards that should be similar in both private and public life. Introduction Each private and personal relationship has its own irreplaceable value. Each of it has its own unique history, character, and set of implicit and explicit understandings about what is to be expected of the parties to it. Individuals should be ethical in both private and public relationships. In doing so, they should also try to achieve a right balance between private and public ethics. Body Ethical standards are found to be different for private and public life: Choosing private interests: When it comes to private interests, individuals tend to act with personal motive and are ignorant of its effects on the public as a whole. Openness and transparency: Private lives are influenced by closed choices, secretive decisions and emphasize privacy whereas public lives delve on openness and transparency and hence render more accountability to one another. In private life, ambitions and goals, constraints and difficulties, of an individual sometimes result in a compromise of values. Freedom of choice enables the individual to make quick choices suited for them, sometimes even foregoing ethical values, just to achieve the end result in a faster pace. Public relationships are more instrumental such as organizational colleagues, politicians, strangers, and others outside of one’s relatively narrow circle of intimacy. It is the action of getting along with people we constantly come in touch with whereas private life is almost completely based on what the individual thinks is right. Example: Keshub Chandra Sen opposed child marriage but married his own underage daughter to Maharaja of Cooch Bihar. Consequently, his followers abandoned him and founded Sadharan Brahmo Samaj (1878). Thus, if there is inconsistency in the public life and private life of a person, it leads to disastrous outcomes. However, some ethical standards that should be similar in both public and private life: In both public and private life, an individual should have a sense of moral obligation in the interest of overall welfare of everyone around, and not resort to extreme actions which destroy the harmonious fabric. Virtues of compassion, cordialness, basic civic sense etc. are important in any sphere of life, and help one’s wholesome growth as both a private individual and a peer in general. In both private and public spheres of life one should have highest sense of integrity and not be influenced by any outside individual or organization which might affect their performance. Both have to have utmost honesty and sincerity in their actions and both have to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that affects their respective private and public lives. Example: Following fundamental duties by an individual like respecting national flag, not destroying public property, protect environment, wildlife etc. should be done irrespective of private or public space. Conclusion Some ethical values should be followed in both spheres of an individual irrespective of the consequences, and some are based on their matter of influence over the individual’s life. Nevertheless, any action by an individual must be logical and work on self-betterment and contribute to the larger welfare of the public life he/she is involved in. 4. Co-existence of spiritualism and materialism is a sui generis Indian social characteristic. Elucidate. Approach - As the directive here is elucidate a cause effect relationship is given in the question. Here it is expected to bring out the connection more clearly by citing evidence and examples. The term sui generis indicates 'uniqueness'. Here, it is expected to show how coexistence of spiritualism and materialism is a unique Indian social characteristic.  Introduction When we speak of Spiritualism, we are usually talking about a life with inner peace. Spiritualism means dropping of the greed. Materialism means exactly opposite where one goes for continuous accumulation of assets till the end of life. As both the 'ism' are exactly opposite to each other, they are believed to exist on two different poles. However, that is not the case with India, where spiritualism and materialism co-exist in a society. Body India is popularly known to be a land of spirituality, particularly to the West. However, Indian history from ancient times to the present day shows that the developments of materialistic and non-materialistic culture have been going on alongside. Following are the features due to which it is observed that Co-existence of spiritualism and materialism is a sui generis Indian social characteristic.  Spiritualism provides a foundational philosophy based on which a person looks at her life in a very different way. For instance, I am happy when my family, friends and society is happy. This little thought is prevalent in India. Which shows that emotion of happiness has more value than acquiring money, property. Which shows that though materialism exists in Indian society, spiritualism also exists in parallel.  One of the reasons for co-existence of spirituality and materialism is the poverty in India. For instance, the spiritualism comes in to picture when a person seeks peace of mind or a break from stressed daily routine. Continual existence of poverty and a will to come out of poverty makes people more hardworking. For instance, many of the people in India wish to come out of the vicious economic cycle posed by poverty. In order to do so their nature and character of work changes from healthy work environment to stressed work environment.  Which leads them to turn to spiritualism to come out of this stressed environment.  In terms of Buddhist philosophy, a term called 'suffering' has to be looked in detail. When people achieve what they want they become happy. But this happiness is temporary. When they again feel stressed up, they turn towards spirituality. For instance, the tradition of Vipassana observes followers from varied backgrounds. It is of no surprise that most of the people belong to so called rich class which has acquired humongous wealth. It shows how those who professed and cherished materialism now continue to live their life with spirituality. The verse of 'Karmnyewadhikaraste ma Faleshu kadachan' from Bhagwadgeeta, is itself a manifestation of what we call the coexistence of spirituality with that of materialism. Here, Lord krishna is suggesting a way of life for people who are living a materialistic life should have a spiritualistic point of view.  The Charvaka school of thought is the main profounder of materialistic view to achieve salvation. They argued against the need to achieve the salvation. They propounded that living in this life contended with what we achieve is the real salvation that one can achieve. They propounded that enjoying the worldly pleasures is the real salvation. However, it didn't happened in India, as many people have not completely adhered to this philosophy.  One of the reasons for coexistence of both the philosophies is the Indian value of 'tolerance'. Which is the core element of Indian civilisation. Indian society believes in the philosophy of 'live and let live'. Hence, the value of tolerance forms the one of the foundational values on which spiritualism and materialism co-exist.  The geographical extent of India also plays a prominent role in maintaining co-existence of spiritualism and materialism. For instance, India is surrounded on its three sides by water and in the north lies the giant and wide range of Himalayas. This geography made India vulnerable to different disasters. Which led people to be more spiritual. However, only being spiritual in life will not help hence practically material culture also prevailed to sustain in life.  Social Interdependence: One of the great themes pervading Indian life is social interdependence. The social interdependence has paved the way for coexistence of spiritualism and materialism. For instance, People are deeply involved with others, and for many, the greatest fear is the possibility of being left alone, without social support. This social interdependence has created a situation where people respect others views and neglect what hampers this social interdependence.  Merger of Traditions with modern system: Globalization might have bought with it a surge of modern values and practices, but traditionalism is still prevalent and preserved in India. Which led to co-existence of spiritualism with materialism.  The Underlying Theme of Unity in Diversity which is the basis for the continuance of culture in India. Indian society has challenged the scepticism of many political thinkers post-independence that were doubtful regarding India’s amalgamation as one nation amidst vast differences and big numbers of ethnic groups, languages, culture and diversity. For instance, we observe Mutual celebration of religious festivals despite religious differences, and the rise of Cosmopolitan culture in metros. The Indian society has survived in the face of diversity, thanks to its accommodative values of tolerance and mutual respect that have existed from the early times. The co-existence of various philosophies including atheistic, religious and materialistic, symbolizes the society that must have existed in those times. It's not just about the values and principles cherished in our history. But our constitution also supports the coexistence of Spiritualism with materialism. For instance, our preamble grants liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship besides not prohibiting anyone from acquiring a private property.  Hence, it can be said that, some people in our neighbourhood are some of the most materialistic people. However, there exist some very spiritual people in India too. Buddha took the path of enlightenment because of the prevalent materialism in his age. Hence, it is right to say that materialism and spiritualism co-exist in India. Conclusion In a general observation over the globe it is observed that materialism rules the world. However, India forms to be an exceptional example where spiritualism and materialism co-exist in society. This co-existence is not only sui generis of Indian social characteristic but also a way of life where people live in a harmonious society of diverse thoughts and practices.  5. Segmental division of the India society is a complex social phenomenon. Do you agree? Critically comment.  Approach - It expects students to write about segmental division of Indian society i.e.  Jati system. With critically analyzing it write about how its complex social phenomenon and its changing nature. Introduction The society is divided into various segments of small and big social groups. Each of these segments are a well-developed social group. In India caste system is the major segmental division of the society, as in ancient India it was four-fold segment but in later days it became highly complex social phenomenon that is called jati.  Body The Segmental division of Indian society is highly complex, which is reflected from the following points: Number of Jatis - There are perhaps more than 3000 jatis in India and there is no one all-Indian system of ranking them in order of status. Occupation based on jati - Each jati has some unique job, but not everyone in the jati performs it. Thus, there are barbers, carpenter, and Brahmins. Based on local phenomenon - A jati is identified in a local setting by whom its members will accept food and water from and to which jatis its members will give food and water. Different jati have different social status in different villages or region. Jati as dynamic - The jati system is not static in which all groups stay in the same position. There is mobility in the system and jatis have changed their position over the centuries of Indian history. A jati can improve its position in the class system by advancing economically and emulating social groups with money and power. For example, Sanskritization and Westernisation. Mythical account of its origins - Each jati typically preserves a mythical account of its origins and a distinctive set of life-cycle rites observed by its members. Each is overseen by a local council that oversees and enforces a set of rules governing, and acceptable occupation. Many competing hierarchies - Castes that are lower down the scale do not accept the degrading status accorded to them. Caste arithmetic in politics designed to show that caste alliances emanate from secular and political factors and not from primordial loyalties. Hierarchies that may then develop are an expression of politico-economic power and may change with alterations therein. Jati-class overlap - New socio-economic realities taking on new and insidious forms jatis with different type of class upper lower and largely middle class. New identities and associational forms - Formation of caste associations such as Jat Sabha. Rise of jati politics across country makes sure that caste as a system is not forgotten. It was the Britishers who messed up this system completely their census fixed a jati somewhat arbitrarily in some Varna. Though there are many ill-effects of the jati system, it has positives and simple unified implications also, some of which are discussed below - Such as social resilience and social capital. A flexible system of jati where occupational value determines its market price was a good idea. An ossified system still seems to be functional, and can disappear with urbanization.  Kinship and trust are the bases of these jati-based networks. People are much more liable to trust those whom they have kinship with, and willing to loan them small amounts of money. And that trust is almost never violated, because excommunication would be intolerable. It was the best device to organize within one society people of different cultural levels. It prevented the country from splitting up into warring racial units. It integrated Indian society into one vast and variegated community and provided the country with a sure basis of security and continuity whereby a stable and orderly organization of society could be possible. It has fostered the spirit of co-operation and fellow-feeling among members of the same jati. By helping the poor and needy, it minimises envy or unhappiness. Conclusion Considering that jati offer solidarity and psychological strength to various jati groups, even if the jati-based discrimination is diffused through the legislative enforcement the divisions of identity will be difficult to erase. Political will is the need of the hour. This would make sure that caste-based politics are reduced. Awareness has to be created among adults. Also value based education emphasising on equality must be inculcated to young minds.   TLP HOT Synopsis Day 25 PDF

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz 11th 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 1 Questions[11th NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 27

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 1 Questions[11th NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 27   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. Development of bicultural identity is an important effect of globalisation in India. Elucidate.  द्विसंस्कृतिय पहचान का विकास भारत में वैश्वीकरण का एक महत्वपूर्ण प्रभाव है । स्पष्ट करें। 2. Poor people’s involvement in local associations and inter-community cooperation mechanisms can contribute to social empowerment. Do you agree? Substantiate.  स्थानीय संगठनों और अंतर-सामुदायिक सहयोग तंत्र में गरीब लोगों की भागीदारी सामाजिक सशक्तिकरण में योगदान कर सकती है। क्या आप सहमत हैं? पुष्टि करें। 3. Examine the role of economic competition, especially among the lower and middle class strata, in fuelling communal ideology.  सांप्रदायिक विचारधारा को बढ़ावा देने में, विशेष रूप से निम्न और मध्यम वर्ग के स्तर के बीच आर्थिक प्रतिस्पर्धा की भूमिका की जांच करें। 4. In a pluralistic society, the best way to promote secularism is to expand religious freedom rather than strictly practicing state neutrality. Do you agree? Critically comment.  एक बहुलवादी समाज में, धर्मनिरपेक्षता को बढ़ावा देने का सबसे अच्छा तरीका राज्य की तटस्थता का सख्ती से अभ्यास करने के बजाय धार्मिक स्वतंत्रता का विस्तार करना है। क्या आप सहमत हैं? समालोचनात्मक टिप्पणी करें। 5. Linguistic aspirations have played a major role in promoting regionalism. Analyse. भाषाई आकांक्षाओं ने क्षेत्रवाद को बढ़ावा देने में प्रमुख भूमिका निभाई है। विश्लेषण 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 – 10th November 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Department of Telecom eases rules for other service providers Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Infrastructure In news The Department of Telecom eased rules for other service providers (OSP) in the business process outsourcing (BPO) and information technology-enabled services (ITes). Key takeaways  OSPs are companies or firms which provide secondary or tertiary services such as telemarketing, telebanking or telemedicine for various companies, banks or hospital chains. The new rules remove the registration requirement for OSPs.  Such BPOs that are engaged only in data work have been taken out of the category of OSPs altogether. With the government recognising OSP employees as extended or remote agents, companies providing such services will no longer have to carry the additional compliance burden of providing the details of all such employees to the DoT. There will be no need for renewal of licenses and therefore foreign companies can be invited to set up or expand their other service providing units in India. This important change, which takes data-based OSPs completely out of the ambit of BPOs would mean that such firms can function like any other service firm without the strict and cumbersome guidelines such as presence of agent on location. Indian diplomat elected to UN Advisory Committee On Administrative And Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations; Important organisations In news Recently, Indian diplomat Vidisha Maitra was elected to the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ).  ACABQ is a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly. Key takeaways The UN General Assembly appoints members of the Advisory Committee. Members are selected on the basis of broad geographical representation, personal qualifications and experience. The Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, which deals with administrative and budgetary issues, made the recommendation  She has been elected for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2021. India was also elected recently to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for a two-year term beginning January 2021. Important value additions  Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) ACABQ consists of 16 members appointed by the Assembly in their individual capacity. ACABQ ensures that fund contributions to the UN system are put to good effect and that mandates are properly funded. Functions: (1) To examine and report on the budget submitted by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly; (2) To advise the General Assembly concerning any administrative and budgetary matters referred to it. DRDO develops Fire Detection and Suppression System (FDSS) Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Disaster Management In news The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a technology called ''Fire Detection and Suppression System (FDSS)'' for passenger buses.  Key takeaways  FDSS technology can detect fire in buses in less than 30 seconds and extinguish it in 60 seconds thereby reducing the risk to life and property to a significant extent. Demonstrations were given on water mist-based FDSS for passenger compartment and aerosol-based FDSS for engine fire. The FDSS for passenger compartment comprises a water tank of 80 litre capacity, a 6.8 kg nitrogen cylinder pressurised to 200 bar installed at appropriate location in the bus. The FDSS for engine comprises an aerosol generator with which the fire suppression could be achieved within 5 seconds of the system activation. Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) Missile installed inside the DRDO Bhawan Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Defence & Security In news Recently, Defence Minister inaugurated a model of an anti-satellite missile at the DRDO Bhawan.  The anti-satellite missile system is seen as a symbol of national technological advancement Important value additions  ‘Mission Shakti’ was India’s first ever Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile Test successfully conducted on 27th March 2019 from Dr AP J Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. A fast-moving Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) was neutralised with pinpoint accuracy. This was a highly complex mission, conducted at extremely high speed with remarkable precision. The successful conduct of Mission Shakti made India the fourth nation in the world with the capability to defend its assets in outer space. Miscellaneous U.S Presidential Elections Democrat Joe Biden has been declared the winner of the 2020 US presidential election, defeating Donald Trump, to become the 46th President of the United States. Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris has also secured her position as the first woman to be the Vice President of the USA. Harris, is also credited to be the first woman of Indian-American and African-American origin to be a member of the United States Senate. The electoral college representatives elected by the popular votes will cast their votes to officially elect the new president on the 14th of next month. The new president will thereafter assume office on the 20th of January next year after the inauguration ceremony. Ministry Of Ports, Shipping And Waterways Indian Prime Minister has said that the Government of India is changing the name of the Ministry of Shipping.  It will be known as the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL/ ECONOMY Topic: General Studies 2, 3: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.  Lessons from Vietnam and Bangladesh Context: Bangladesh has become the second largest apparel exporter after China, while Vietnam’s exports have grown by about 240% in the past eight years.  Reason for Vietnam’s success story A less inexpensive workforce Open trade policy mainly through Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) which ensure that its important trading partners like the U.S., the EU, China, Japan, South Korea and India do not charge import duties on products made in Vietnam Domestic laws modified to attract foreign firms: Foreign firms can compete for local businesses. For example, EU firms can open shops, enter the retail trade, and bid for both government and private sector tenders. They can take part in electricity, real estate, hospital, defence, and railways projects.  FDI linked export strategy: In 2019-20, Vietnam received investments exceeding $16 billion. As a result, Vietnam’s exports rose from $83.5 billion in 2010 to $279 billion in 2019. Success Story of Bangladesh In Bangladesh, large export of apparels to the EU and the U.S. make the most of the country’s export story.  The EU allows the import of apparel and other products from least developed countries (LDCs) like Bangladesh duty-free.  India, as a good neighbour, accepts all Bangladesh products duty-free (except alcohol and tobacco). Sadly, Bangladesh may not have such advantages in four to seven years as its per capita income rises and it loses the LDC status. Bangladesh is working smartly to diversify its export basket.  Which elements of Vietnam and Bangladesh models can India emulate? Supporting Large firms: The key learning from Bangladesh is the need to support large firms for a quick turnover. Large firms are better positioned to invest in brand building, meeting quality requirements, and marketing. Small firms begin as suppliers to large firms and eventually grow. Focus on Specific Sectors to kick start trade: Vietnam has changed domestic rules to meet the needs of investors. Most of Vietnam’s exports happen in five sectors which has helped increase its growth in trade. In contrast, India’s exports are more diversified which are slow to grow but nevertheless provides resilience to global shocks in long term. Vulnerabilities in Vietnam’s growth model High export to GDP ratio (EGR). Vietnam’s EGR is 107%. Such high dependence on exports brings dollars but also makes a country vulnerable to global economic uncertainty.  The EGR of large economies/exporting countries is a much smaller number. The U.S.’s EGR is 11.7%, Japan’s is 18.5%, India’s is 18.7%. Even for China, with all its trade problems, the EGR is 18.4% Lack of Organic economic growth: The quick build-up of exports in Vietnam resulted from large MNC investments. But most of its electronics exports are just the final assembly of goods produced elsewhere. In such cases, national exports look large, but the net dollar gain is small Conclusion India, unlike Vietnam, has a developed domestic and capital market. To further promote manufacturing and investment, India could set up sectoral industrial zones with pre-approved factory spaces. Even if India follows an Open Trade Policy, it should have a healthy mix of domestic champions and MNCs. While export remains a priority, it should not be pursued at the expense of other sectors of the economy.  INTERNATIONAL/ ECONOMY/ SECURITY Topic: General Studies 2,3: India and its neighborhood- relations.  Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests ‘Strategic comfort’ with the Maldives Context: The visit of Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to the Maldives is significant for taking forward bilateral relations Under Maldivian President Ibrahim Solih, bilateral cooperation, especially on the economic front, has become a ‘model’ that New Delhi can adopt to make the government’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy a sustained success. India’s strategic interests in Maldives are: Geographical Proximity: Maldives is very close to the west coast of India -it is barely 70 nautical miles away from Minicoy and 300 nautical miles away from India’s West coast. Hence a friendly relationship is needed to avoid any maritime territorial disputes. Value Addition: The one-time claim of Maldives to Minicoy Island was resolved by the Maritime Boundary Treaty of 1976 between the two countries, whereby Maldives has recognized Minicoy as an integral part of India. Close to Commercial Sea lines of Communication: Its situation at the hub of commercial sea-lanes running through Indian Ocean (particularly the 8° N and 1 ½° N channels). Therefore, close cooperation of Maldives government is needed for prevent piracy in the region and ensure safety of trade routes Third Country’s interference: Maldives potential to allow a third nation’s naval presence in the area imbues it with significant strategic importance to India, where India considers itself as an unofficial security guaranteer in the region. Radicalization and Threat of Terrorism: Radicalisation grew rapidly during last decade and it was often said that archipelago accounted for one of the highest numbers of foreign fighters in Syria in terms of per capita. India can ill-afford a neighbour which fails to check Islamic radicalisation.  Indian Diaspora: Indians are the second largest expatriate community in Maldives with an approximate strength of around 25,000 (accounting for ~5.6% of Maldivian population). Close cooperation with Maldives is also important for safety & security of Indians staying in Maldives Multi-lateral Forum: Maldives is also a member of SAARC. It is important for India to have Maldives on board to maintain its leadership in the region. Through the decades, India has rushed emergency assistance to the Maldives Operation Cactus: In 1988, when armed mercenaries attempted a coup against President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, India sent paratroopers and Navy vessels and restored the legitimate leadership under Operation Cactus. The 2004 tsunami was another occasion where India sent its assistance in terms of food and supplies to rebuild the region The 2014 Drinking Water Scarcity in Male was prevented from becoming an humanitarian disaster when attended by India sent packaged drinking water to Maldives through five C17 and IL17 transport aircrafts of the Indian Air Force COVID-19 Assistance: At the peak of the continuing COVID-19 disruption, India rushed $250 million aid in quick time. New Delhi also rushed medical supplies to the Maldives, started a new cargo ferry and also opened an air travel bubble Political Challenges in Bilateral Relationship Abdulla Yameen (presently leader of opposition Party and jailed for corrption) was in power when the water crisis occurred. Despite early strains in relations, India rushed help on a humanitarian basis.  Anti-India Protests by Opposition camp: Now, the Yameen camp has launched an ‘India Out’ campaign against New Delhi’s massive developmental funding for creating physical, social and community infrastructure Internal Rumblings in Ruling Party: India should be concerned about the protests as well as the occasional rumblings within the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of Mr. Solih. The political instability in the ruling party can impact the country’s ties with India. Conclusion Despite challenges, India can take respite in the ‘strategic comfort’ of the ‘India First’ policy of the Solih government.  Given India’s increasing geostrategic concerns in the shared seas, India should be proactive in taking forward the multifaceted cooperation with its maritime neighbour. (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 Recently, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a technology called ''Fire Detection and Suppression System (FDSS)''. For which purpose is it developed? For passenger trains For passenger buses For high rise buildings For navy ships Q.2 Consider the following statements: ‘Mission Shakti’ was India’s first ever Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile. India is the only nation in the world with the capability to defend its assets in outer space. Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  ANSWERS FOR 9th November 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 A 3 C Must Read About NGT ban on sale and use of firecrackers: The Hindu About Ethiopia’s political situation: The Hindu About significance on Voltaire in the wake of rising fanaticism: The Indian Express

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz 10th 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

PIB

PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU (PIB) IAS UPSC – 1st November to 7th November – 2020

Press Information Bureau(PIB) IAS UPSC – 1st November to 7th November – 2020 ARCHIVES GS-2 Health Ministry’s telemedicine service eSanjeevani completes 7 lakh consultations (Topic: Govt. schemes and initiatives; Health) With over 10,000 consultations being recorded on eSanjeevani per day, it is shaping into the largest OPD services set up in the country. An innovative intervention to deliver health services, eSanjeevani has started making impact in smaller towns and rural areas. It is a national telemedicine service that offers tele-consultations enabling patient to doctor consultations from the confines of their home, as well as doctor to doctor consultations.  This eSanjeevani platform has enabled two types of telemedicine services viz. Doctor-to-Doctor (eSanjeevani) and Patient-to-Doctor (eSanjeevani OPD) Tele-consultations  The former is being implemented under the Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centre (AB-HWCs) programme.  The telemedicine platform is hosting over 40 online OPDs, more than half of these are speciality OPDs which include Gynaecology, Psychiatry, Dermatology, ENT, Ophthalmology, antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the AIDS/HIV patients, Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) etc. The need and impact While telemedicine is beneficial for the patients, it also is favourable for the doctors practicing telemedicine as it limits the contact with patients who are present virtually.  Removed the requirement of doctor to be at a specific location to provide services Enables States especially the ones with large geographical area, to better management of their human resources Through eSanjeevani, patients desirous of seeking medical consultations are placed in a virtual queue and upon their turn can see a doctor who is available virtually but present in another city.  Each online OPD consultation generates an ePrescription which can be used to buy medicines or go for diagnostic investigations. States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have already issued government orders to ensure that ePrescriptions are honored. India-Italy Virtual Summit (Topic: India and other countries) A Virtual Bilateral Summit between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Italy Prof. Giuseppe Conte was held on 6th November, 2020. The Summit provided an opportunity to the two leaders to comprehensively review the broad framework of the bilateral relationship. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation against common global challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic. They discussed on –  The leaders discussed a wide range of issues including political, economic, scientific & technological, space and defence cooperation.  On regional and international issues, both sides agreed to coordinate closely at multilateral fora especially G-20. Italy will assume the Presidency of G-20 in December 2021 followed by India in 2022.  Together, India and Italy will be part of the G20 Troika from December, 2020.  India welcomed Italy’s decision to join ISA as soon as the ratification process is completed. 15 MoUs/Agreements in various sectors such as energy, fisheries, ship building, design etc. were signed coinciding with the Summit. Cabinet approves  Rs 1810 crore Investment Proposal of 210 MW Luhri Stage-I Hydro Power Project Located on river Sutlej which is situated in Shimla & Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh This project will generate 758.20 million units of electricity annually. The power generated from the Project will help in providing Grid stability and will improve the power supply position.  Besides adding valuable renewable energy to the Grid, the project would also lead to reduction of 6.1 lakh Tons of carbon dioxide from environment annually, thus contributing to improvement in air quality. The construction activities of the project will result in direct & indirect employment to around 2000 persons and will contribute to overall socio-economic development of the State.  Further, Himachal Pradesh will benefit with free power worth around Rs. 1140 crore from Luhri Stage-I Hydro Electric Project, during Project Life Cycle of 40 years.  The Project Affected Families will be provided with 100 units of free electricity per month for ten years. Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between India and Spain to develop scientific and technical collaborations in astronomy The activities to be carried out under this MoU will lead to (i) new scientific results; (ii) new technologies; (iii) Capacity building through increased scientific interaction and training; (iv) joint scientific projects etc. The joint research projects, training programmes, conferences, seminars etc. under the MoU will be open to all qualified scientists, students and technologists and will be supported solely on the basis of scientific merit and experience.   The development of segmented telescope technologies as well as the development of robotic telescopes and other future potential specific collaborations. Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between India and United Kingdom on cooperation in the field of Telecommunication/ICTs The MoU will contribute in strengthening bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding in the field of Telecommunications/ICTs.  Post-Brexit, the MoU is also aiming for enhanced scope of cooperation and opportunities for India. The Parties have identified the following areas of common interest for cooperation in:- Telecommunications/ICT policy and regulation; Spectrum Management; Telecommunication connectivity including mobile roaming; Telecommunications/ICT technical standardizations and testing & certification; Wireless Communications; Technological development in Telecommunications/ICT including 5G, Internet of Things/Machine to Machine, Cloud Computing, Big Data etc,; Security of Telecommunication Infrastructure, Security in the provision and use of telecommunication services; Building capacity in high technology areas and exchange of expertise wherever possible; Collaboration and Sharing of information on Research & Development on emerging technologies and innovation where appropriate; Exploring opportunities for joint work in signatory countries and third countries on Telecommunications/ICT; Facilitating Trade, investment and technology activities through Telecommunication/ICT industry delegations and visits, events, exhibitions etc. as mutually agreed; and Other forms of cooperation in Telecommunications/ICT as mutually agreed upon by the Parties Memorandum of Understanding between India and Israel on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine The MoU covers the following areas of cooperation: Exchange and training of medical doctors and other health professionals; Assistance in development of human resources and setting up of health care facilities; Exchange of information regarding regulation of pharmaceutical, medical devices and cosmetics; Sharing expertise for vulnerability assessment for health of citizens against climate risk and public health actions targeted towards mitigation and adaptation; Sharing of expertise for facilitating climate resilient infrastructure as well as providing support for development of 'Green Healthcare' (climate resilient hospitals); Promote mutual research in various relevant areas; and Any other area of cooperation as may be mutually decided upon. Each Party shall encourage the participation of the representatives of their countries in round tables, seminars, symposia, workshops and conferences on issues of cooperation, organized by the other Party's relevant bodies. Memorandum of Understanding between India and United Kingdom on cooperation in the field of Medical Products Regulation The MoU will help in establishing a framework for fruitful cooperation and exchange of information between the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and the United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (UKMHRA) of United Kingdom in matters relating to Medical products regulation in line with their international responsibilities. The main areas of cooperation between the two Regulatory Authorities include the following: Exchange of safety information, including Pharmacovigilance where there is a particular safety concern related to the other party. This includes safety concerns relating to medicines and medical devices. Participation in scientific and practical conferences, symposia, seminars and fora organized by India and the United Kingdom Exchange of information and cooperation on Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Good Clinical Practices (GCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Distribution Practices (GDP) and Good Pharmacovigilance Practices (GPvP) Capacity building in mutually agreed areas. Promote an understanding between the Parties of each other's regulatory framework, requirements and processes; and to facilitate future regulatory strengthening initiatives for both Parties. Exchange of information on laws and regulations regarding medicines and medical devices Information exchange to support efforts to control unlicensed exports and imports Coordination at the international fora It would facilitate better understanding of the regulatory aspects between the two sides and could help in increased cooperation in the field of medical products regulation and better coordination in international fora. GS-3 Bamboo – A part of India’s Growth Story (Topic: Major crops, Agricultural Marketing) India is destined to play a major role in Post-COVID economic resurgence and North Eastern Region will play a crucial role in it with full exploitation of huge Bamboo resources. It is imperative to make Bamboo a Pan India perspective for its growth and utilization. Bamboo will be the new fuel of New Engine that is North East for India’s growth story. Recently, 22 bamboo clusters in 9 states were virtually inaugurated  States covered: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Karnataka. Ministry: Union Ministry for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare A logo for the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) has also been released. Government’s Efforts India is the world’s second-largest cultivator of bamboo after China, with 136 species and 23 genera spread over 13.96 million hectares, according to the State of Environment report 2018.  The National Bamboo Mission, under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, has been initiated to provide a boost to livelihood and environmental acreage.  Additionally, in 2017, Parliament ‘declassified’ bamboo as ‘a tree’ on non-forest lands. Similarly, a scheme called SFURTI (Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries) is being implemented by the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in order to boost traditional industries and bamboo artisans. Amendment has been brought about in the 100 year old Indian Forest Act brought about by the Central government in 2017, as a result of which, home grown bamboo has been exempted from it in order to enhance livelihood opportunities through bamboo. Bamboo Technology Parks were also set up in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh – Objective: To make Bamboo basketry, Agarbatti and Bamboo Charcol. A Mega Bamboo Industrial Park at Ghati near Jammu and Bamboo Technology Training Centre will also come up in the region. It will provide direct employment to nearly 25 thousand people. Bamboo shoots  Bamboo shoots are emerging as high-value and safe edibles. They are being grown globally along with all other value-added bamboo products. The protein content in fresh bamboo shoots, considered as nutraceutical, can range between 1.49-4.04%.  They also contain 17 amino acids, eight of which are essential for the human body. Important value additions According to the National Bamboo Mission, India has the highest area (13.96 million hectares) under bamboo and is the second richest country after China in terms of bamboo diversity with 136 species.  The annual production of bamboo in India is 14.6 million tonnes and the bamboo-rattan industry in the country was worth ₹28,005 crore in 2017. Bamboo could be among the cheapest immunity boosters for increasing the human body’s resistance to viral attacks. Bamboo sticks may be reduced to bamboo bales so that moisture is removed therefore making transportation easier and further cheaper as also increasing its calorific value.  Do you know? The bamboo is considered the grass of life in the northeast India. Bamboo has been a key ingredient in new antimicrobial soaps and hand mists developed by Filipino scientists to fight the novel coronavirus. The term ‘nutraceutical’ is used to describe medicinally or nutritionally functional foods. Bamboo shoots are the edible sprouts of the perennial grass. Ganga Utsav 2020 (Topic: Environment) The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) celebrates the festival every year. Aim: To promote stakeholder engagement and ensure public participation. It celebrates river Ganga through storytelling, dialogues with eminent personalities, displaying traditional art forms, dance and music performance, etc.  Ganga Task Force (GTF) also conducted an afforestation drive with National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and educational tour for youth. Mini Ganga Quest was also held which was designed to make youth and students aware of environmental issues and explain their role in conservation. Ganga Rejuvenation Monitoring Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has observed that the pollutants are still being discharged into the river Ganga, despite several directions of various courts. Constitutional Right: Pollution-free environment is the constitutional right of every citizen and constitutional obligation of States. However, the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal are certainly failing in providing pollution free Ganga. Monitoring: The NGT has directed the above states to periodically monitor the rejuvenation of the Ganga. Joint Meetings: It has also called for periodic joint meetings of the above states to consider vital issues like pooling of human resources and sharing best practices for rejuvenation of Ganga. The meetings shall be focussed on preventing discharge of sewage and other pollutants in Ganga directly or through its tributaries or drains connected thereto. Initiatives Taken to Clean Ganga: Ganga Action Plan: It was the first River Action Plan that was taken up by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 1985, to improve the water quality by the interception, diversion, and treatment of domestic sewage. The National River Conservation Plan is an extension to the Ganga Action Plan. It aims at cleaning the Ganga river under Ganga Action Plan phase-2. National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA): It was formed by the Government of India in the year 2009 under Section-3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. National Ganga Council (NGC) The National Ganga Council (NGC), which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met for the first time at Kanpur since its inception in 2016, with the proposal to save and enhance the population of the Gangetic Dolphin The council also discussed the concept of “River Cities” and an action plan to provide sewer connection to every household in towns along the Ganga and its tributaries. The council consists of chief ministers from five states along the Ganga — Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Jharkhand along with nine Union ministers and NITI Aayog vice-chairman. The central objective of the council is to work on the “protection, prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution in River Ganga and its rejuvenation to its natural and pristine condition and to ensure continuous adequate flow of water”.  About Gangetic River Dolphins The Gangetic river dolphins were officially discovered in 1801 and are one of the oldest creatures in the world along with some species of turtles, crocodiles and sharks, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). In 2009, the Gangetic dolphins were declared India’s National Aquatic animal It is placed under the “endangered” category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).  The Gangetic river dolphins can only live in freshwater and prefer deep waters  They are blind and catch their prey in a unique manner, using ultrasonic sound waves. River Ganga It is the longest river of India.  It is revered by Hindus as the most sacred river on earth. It originates in the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas as the Bhagirathi River. The Ganga river basin is one of the most fertile and densely populated areas of the world.  The Ganges River Dolphin, an endangered animal, specifically habitats this river. It ends its journey by emptying into the Bay of Bengal. Ganga was declared as the National River of India on 4th November 2008. Successful launch of PSLV-C49/EOS-01 Mission (Topic: Space technology) India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its fifty first flight (PSLV-C49), successfully launched EOS-01 along with nine international customer satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota on November 07, 2020.  PSLV-C49 is the 2nd flight of PSLV in 'DL' configuration (with 2 solid strap-on motors). PSLV-C49 lifted-off from the First Launch Pad of SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota . After 15 minutes and 20 seconds, EOS-01 was successfully injected into its orbit.  Subsequently, nine commercial satellites were injected into their intended orbits.  After separation, the two solar arrays of EOS-01 were deployed automatically and the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network at Bengaluru assumed control of the satellite. In the coming days, the satellite will be brought to its final operational configuration. EOS-01 is an earth observation satellite, intended for applications in agriculture, forestry and disaster management support. The nine customer satellites from Lithuania (1), Luxembourg (4) and USA (4) were launched under a commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). Enhanced version of PINAKA Rocket System successfully Flight Tested (Topic: Space technology) Developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Development of Enhanced Pinaka system was taken up to achieve longer range performance compared to earlier design with reduced length.  The design and development has been carried out by Pune based DRDO laboratories, namely  Armament Research and Development Establishment, ARDE and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, HEMRL. A total of six rockets were launched in quick succession and the tests met complete mission objectives. Rockets tested have been manufactured by M/s Economic Explosives Limited, Nagpur, to whom the technology has been transferred. All the flight articles were tracked by Range instruments such as telemetry, radar and Electro Optical Tracking Systems which confirmed the flight performance. Enhanced version of the Pinaka rocket would replace the existing Pinaka Mk-I rockets which are currently under production. Prelims oriented News President of Tanzania: H.E. John Pombe Magufuli MALABAR-2.0 Phase 1 of the Exercise MALABAR 20 involving participation by Indian Navy (IN), United States Navy (USN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is set to commence off Visakhapatnam in Bay of Bengal from 03 to 06 November 2020. MALABAR series of maritime exercises commenced in 1992 as a bilateral IN-USN exercise. JMSDF  joined MALABAR in 2015. The 2020 edition will now witness participation of the RAN in this joint maritime exercise. The exercise, being conducted as a ‘non-contact, at sea only’ exercise in view of COVID-19 pandemic, will showcase the high-levels of synergy and coordination between the friendly navies, which is based on their shared values and commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order. MALABAR 20 Phase 1 would witness complex and advanced naval exercises including surface, anti-submarine and anti-air warfare operations, cross deck flying, seamanship evolutions and weapon firing exercises. Mission Sagar - II The Government of India is providing assistance to Friendly Foreign Countries to overcome natural calamities and COVID-19 pandemic, and towards the same INS Airavat is carrying a consignment of 100 Tonnes of food aid for the people of Sudan. Mission Sagar-II, follows the first ‘Mission Sagar’ undertaken in May-June 2020, wherein India reached out to Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros, and provided food aid and medicines. As part of Mission Sagar-II, Indian Naval Ship Airavat will deliver food aid to Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea.  Mission Sagar-II, is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region ‘SAGAR’ and highlights the importance accorded by India to relations with her maritime neighbours and further strengthens the existing bond. The Indian Navy is progressing this mission in close coordination with the Ministries of Defence and External Affairs, and other agencies of the Government of India. 360o video-immersive experience in circular dome and Digital Exhibits on Mahatma Gandhi: Installed at Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat, in New Delhi; this was part of two-year long commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Country’s first demonstration plant which produces compressed biogas from biomass: Developed by Praj technologies in Pune Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) Scheme: A major credit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector. Any individual above 18 years of age is eligible to avail benefits of the program. Prasar Bharati signs MoU with Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics To ensure: Education for all Under the ambit of this MoU, 51 DTH education TV channels comprising of Swaymprabha (22 channels) (M/o Education), e-Vidya for classes 1 to 12 (12 channels) of NCERT, Vande Gujarat (Govt. of Gujarat) (16 channels) and DigiShala under M/o Electronics and IT (1 channel) shall be available as DD co-branded channels to all DD FreeDish viewers. This move aims to bring quality educational programmes to every household, including those in rural and remote areas. The services will be available free of cost for all the viewers 24x7, in line with Government’s commitment towards skill development and providing quality education to the last person in the country. Five years of historic decision to implement OROP Brought in: To benefit more than 2.5 million ex- servicemen and war widows; Armed Forces Personnel retired upto 30.06.2014 were covered under this Order. OROP implies that uniform pension be paid to the Armed Forces Personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service regardless of their date of retirement.  Thus, OROP implies bridging the gap between the rate of pension of current and past retirees at periodic intervals. India is a signatory to the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change As part of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), India has three quantitative climate change goals viz.  Reduction in the emissions intensity of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level,  Achieving about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030 and  Creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030 New online system of MSME/Udyam Registration More than 11 lakh MSMEs have successfully registered themselves by now. This portal is seamlessly integrated with CBDT and GST networks  as also with the GeM. It may be noted that through this integration, now MSME registration is a totally paperless exercise. 3.72 lakh enterprises have registered under Manufacturing category whereas 6.31 lakh enterprises under Service sector. The share of Micro Enterprises is 93.17% whereas Small and Medium Enterprises are 5.62% and 1.21% respectively. 7.98 lakh enterprises are owned by Male whereas 1.73 lakh enterprises by Female entrepreneurs. 11,188 enterprises are owned by Divyangjan entrepreneurs. The Top 5 Industrial sectors of registrations are – Food Products, Textile, Apparel, Fabricated Metal products and Machinery & equipments. 1,01,03,512 persons have been given employment by these registered units. 5 leading States for Udyam registrations are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. 132nd birth anniversary of Prof. C.V. Raman An acclaimed Physicist, Nobel laureate and Bharat Ratna recipient who was instrumental in India’s growth in the field of science and Physics in particular Sir C.V. Raman is known to have placed India on the world Science map. He was the first person from Asia to be awarded a Nobel Prize in any field of science for his work on Raman Effect.  The Raman effect has been very useful in many areas of science.  It was found that when light was passed through a substance, a series of colours were seen that could be thought of as a fingerprint of the substance.  This idea has been used in chemistry, medicine, biology and many other areas of science to find out what a substance is made of. National Science Day is celebrated every year on 28 February by the Government of India to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’. designated 28 February as in 1986. On this day, Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’ for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930 Other contributions Professor C V Raman was first to investigate the harmonic nature of the sound of the Indian drums such as the Tabla and the Mridanga. Raman also discovered the quantum photon spin which later proved the quantum nature of light. Today Raman spectroscopy, which relies on these ‘fingerprints,’ is used in laboratories all over the world to identify molecules and to analyze living cells and tissues to detect diseases such as cancer. Iy is being used in life sciences, nuclear science, drugs, bomb-detection, in forensics, in disease diagnosis and in RNA/DNA diagnosis. In 1943, he established the ‘Raman Research Institute’, near Bangalore. Raman and his student, Nagendra Nath, provided the correct theoretical explanation for the acousto-optic effect (light scattering by sound waves), in a series of articles resulting in the celebrated Raman–Nath theory. Modulators, and switching systems based on this effect have enabled optical communication components based on laser systems. Raman was a great scholar, physicist and mentor who not only received Noble Prize for his work Raman’s effect but also encourages and trained hundreds of students in the field of science. He founded the Indian Journal of Physics and the Indian Academy of Sciences. In 1947, he was appointed as the first National Professor by the new government of Independent India. Films Division is paying tribute to him by streaming a biopic, C.V. Raman (18 Min./ English) – The documentary on Prof Raman throws light into his life and works including the groundbreaking work he did in the field of light scattering which later became famously known in the scientific community as ‘Raman Effect’.

TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS [6th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 23: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE SYNOPSIS [6th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 23: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   1. Belief in democratic processes and institutions is an important political attitude for a civil servant. Elucidate. Approach: It is straightforward question, where it expects students - to write about why Belief in democratic processes and institutions is very important political attitude for civil servant and give examples to support your view. Introduction: Political Attitude is the way of thinking in terms of political gains and losses. It is belief and action system that decides an action fruitfulness based on electoral gains. Political attitude on positive side can lead to showing zero tolerance toward corruption, pro-poor, welfare for weaker sections, listening to public grievances, but on negative side political attitude can take shape of regionalism, communalising public to polarise them during election. Body: Belief in democratic process and institutions: India is a democratic country where the power lies with the people. The power is exercised through the elected representatives who have the command to manage them for a specific period.  Civil servants are the face of any government. Their attitude towards the citizenry becomes a reflection of the state. The civil servants are the backbone of our country and are expected to be partners who work and carry out the policies of the government.  Civil servant should have political attitude like Liberal, democratic, plural, secular, humble, peace loving which will determine the strength of democratic process. It determines his belief in vibrancy in democracy. He constitutes the most vital pillar of good governance. His political attitude like faith in democratic process of our country is very crucial. The importance of civil servant’s political attitude in our country develops from the factors like civil servant’s service to society, Advice to political leadership, Effective policymaking and Co-ordination between different institutions of governance. Civil servant’s belief in various democratic institutions are key to good governance.  Democratic institutions like Gram Sabha plays pivotal role. For example, Gram Sabha in Orissa decline permission to mine in Malkangiri area. Recently, Election commission removed Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath star campaigner status but he appeal to Supreme court against it, and SC stays ECI order revoking 'star campaigner' status. Civil servant often comes under political pressure, transfer, threat but belief on institutions like judiciary will give way for independent functioning. Eg: Parakash Singh case - SC order states to setup Independent investigation authority in states for police complaints. Openness, transparency is important democratic process which are ensured by institutions like central information commission, hence civil servant should give complete access to information under RTI.  Conclusion: The above attitude of civil servant benefits the society in long run and increase the trust of people/society on bureaucracy and civil servant. 2. What are the different facets of moral attitude? How does moral attitude shape the behaviour of an individual? Illustrate. Approach: It expects students to write about - in first part write about different facets of moral attitude - in second part write about how moral attitude shape behaviour of individual. Introduction: Moral attitudes are grounded in moral beliefs of “Right” and “wrong” action. Moral attitudes are stronger than moral principles. It has been well documented that ethical values are the highest among all types of natural values. Moral values include Goodness, purity, truthfulness, humility of man rank higher than genius, brilliancy, exuberant vitality and the beauty of nature or of art, than the stability and power of a state. Body: Different facets of moral attitude: Goodness: Anything which is inherently bad even though may bring some positive effects can never be justified, as it is bad. Similarly, if a good thing brings about suffering, it should be tolerated just because the thing is inherently good. Goodness of means and ends makes the deed really a good one Reverence: One must hold reverence to all forms of life. Respect should not be limited to family members, peers, superiors but moral attitude should be such that one must be able to respect all forms of life and all kinds of good deeds Faithfulness: The greatest thing that one can earn is trust of others. So being trustworthy and investing trust on others requires a positive disposition towards faith to be able to perform our roles in all spheres of life. Tolerance: One must be able to accommodate diverging views, be able to behave morally with others whose views are diametrically opposite to that of ours. Lack of such attitude leads to fanatic behaviour leading to disputes, riots etc. Moral attitude shape behaviour of individual as follows: Moral attitudes encourage a person towards Altruism, volunteerism, social service.  It encourages people to help others in which they find happiness. Eg: Mother Teresa Impact of moral attitude also depend upon nature of socialisation and stages of moral development in society. Therefore, some positive moral attitude is: Empathy, it leads to action. We not only sympathies with an individual but also understand his/her pain and which led to action. Peace: - It help us in resolving critical situation with ease without any violence. Honesty: - If an individual is honest with them-self then it will led to commitment and honestly at work place. e.g. Suppose Mr/Ms. X is DM of tribal area and government is planning to build a road through jungle and that's the only option available. Since s/he have above moral attitude then s/he will understand tribal people sentiment but at the same time knows roads significance hence will honesty try to pursue tribal to best of his ability in a peaceful manner. Negative impact of moral attitude are that person can use such attitude to defend violence behaviour and insanity and still society will accept it because moral attitude is a strong emotions. It motivates a person towards riots, massacre and terrorism. Since moral attitude is tied with strong sentiments, people do not get along with those who do not share their moral attitude. Conclusion: Moral attitude is important aspect of good citizen and civil servant. This will help public servant to bring good governance practice in whole of his life and public service career. 3. In the age of social media influencers, ethics and morality have taken a backseat. Do you agree? Critically examine. Approach: As the directive here is critically examine, it is necessary to look deep at both aspects of the issue then arrive at fair judgment. In the intro part one can explain  who are social media influencers and how they influence society, people etc. It is necessary to connect social media influencers with our syllabus point of social influence and persuasion. In the main body part both aspects of the issue needs to be deeply checked and before conclusion a fair judgment with examples has to be given. One can conclude by showing how social media influencers can play a prominent role in maintaining ethics and morality in the world. Introduction: Social media Influencers are people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic. They make regular posts about that topic on their preferred social media channels and generate large followings of enthusiastic, engaged people who pay close attention to their views. For instance, Footballer Chritiano Ronaldo  keeps his fans committed to his content with regular updates on his life and football practise sessions. Body: Social influence is the change in behaviour that one person causes in another, intentionally or unintentionally. Social influence and persuasion are the most efficient tools to bring about change in the participation levels of people in policy implementation. However in the age of social media we are witnessing a wide scale impact of social media influencers.  A Social media influencer has the tools and authenticity to attract many viewers consistently and can motivate others to expand their social reach. An influencer may be anyone from a blogger to a celebrity to an online entrepreneur.  Their audience isn't limited to their actual followers; they can connect with the followers of their followers who share their content. As a result, they engage in many sponsored posts, allowing them to be paid for what they share on social media.  Also, Social media influencers can have a significant impact on brand outreach considering influencers garner more social engagement than the advertising brand's account. Ethics and Morality at the backseat in the age of Social media influencers:  Spread of Hate: In this super competitive age of 21st century, survival of human beings is threatened by many factors. Hate speech and spreading fake news through social media handles became one of them. For instance, Social media influencer Jessy Taylor had to face wrath of people over her racist comments.  Growth of insensitivity: Human is a social animal and lives in a society which is interdependent. However, due to social media influencers sensitivity of human beings is getting hampered. For instance, many of the time a buzz on twitter is seen when attack on minority community takes place. Many of the social media influencers on twitter insensitively took the sides of convicts or criminals who did some of the horrible crimes against minorities.  Social media influencers even attain lowest level of not following ethics and morality in the social media sphere. For instance, a beauty YouTuber went to the worst rated salon in her area and claimed to get a skin infection, but was accused of lying by the owners. One such insane act is a famous YouTuber family sold replicas of their actual baby online, and people were weirded out. The Ingham Family, who have 1.2 million subscribers on YouTube, made a life-like replica doll of their four-month-old baby Jace in collaboration with dollmaker Mary Shortle. Some fans love the idea of getting their own Jace clone, complete with birth certificate and nappies. Others were horrified, calling it "unbelievably weird," "creepy," and "irresponsible." Throughout our life we heard this saying that 'lying is crime', however, in the age of social media influencers, 'lying is a trend'. For instance, Carissa Pinkston, a 20-year-old model for Rihanna's Savage X Fenty brand, made transphobic comments on Facebook, saying trans women aren't real women. She then backtracked and claimed to be transgender herself. People are getting mesmerised by the kind of glamour they can achieve through Social media influencing. For instance, An Instagram influencer who documented her motorcycle crash was accused of sponsoring the posts and glamorizing the accident. In this age it is also becoming difficult to understand who lies and who is telling the truth. For instance,in a recent controversy where the Baba ka dhaba owner got recognition due to a Youtuber was applauded by the public at large. However, the same owner later on accusd the Youtuber for cheating and stealing his money.  Role of society on shaping children personality is of utmost importance. However, recent instances of exposing nudity and behaving in an unethical way through tik tok like social media platforms left a bad impact on children's mind. It seems like social media influencers have left the ethics and morality.  Many of the social media influencers claim that they are more animal friendly or humane in nature but in reality they act in double standard way. However, a youtuber  through her vlog demonstrated how to eat a live octopus. It's an inhumane act where people are getting less sensitive towards the animals.  The basis of ethics and morality lies in respecting the individual. However, the incidence of a youtuber vs tik toker where they abused each other shows that both have left this basic principle and forgot to show respect to each other.  The rise of influencer marketing even led this issue to the next level. For instance, people are just running behind money. To get money they can do whatever they want. Marketing through social media platforms is such a move. For instance, the term 'influencer marketing's increased by 325% in Google search in 2017.  Social influence is one of the biggest tools to change the whole picture of society. It works in three types, i.e. Compliance, Identification and Internationalisation. We can relate the Identification, and internationalisation types with respect to social media influencers. For instance, people worship celebrities and follow them, the kind of social media influence celebrities have is identified by the public and they follow them. Though we have seen many incidences where social media influencers left a negative impression wrt ethics and morality. There are many incidences where they uphold the ethics and morality.  Ethics and Morality  upheld in the age of Social media influencers: Social influence in swachh bharat: Many of the social media influencers understood their responsibility towards the society and took part in promoting Swachh bharat abhiyan.  It shows they adhered moral responsibility. In some of the tragic incidences social media used their spread and reach to aware people about the gravity of the tragic incidences and what we should do when these kind of situations occur. For instance, Hathras tragedy.  Social media influencers even many of the times used their social media handles to spread the message against evils in society and spread awareness. For instance, campaign of selfie with daughter is one such example where people campaigned against female infanticide and promoted the campaign of 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'.  It highlights that they adhered to their moral responsibility. Our prime minister also uses his influencing reach on social media to promote government campaigns and spread awareness.  For instance, wide scale use of social media influence by PMO to spread awareness regarding COVID-19 pandemic.  Following this move, social media influencers in India and across the globe too spread awareness regarding norms to follow during COVID-19. For instance, bollywood celebrities through their collective effort created a short film cum message to spread awareness regarding covid-19 pandemic. From the above mentioned arguments and examples it is evident that in the age of social media influencers ethics and morality have not taken a back seat, instead they promoted ethics and morality.  Conclusion: 'Technology is a two edged sword', hence it depends on the user who uses it and in which way the user use it. Though, ethics and morality have taken the back seat in the age of social media due to some irresponsible social media influencers, it is even upheld by some other social media influencers in the society. It's not a problem of the age of social media influencers but it's the problem of the way in which social media influencer uses their social influencing potential. Hence, it is of no doubt that the righteous and judicious use of social media influencing will bring sweet fruits of peace and harmony in the society there by ensuring ethics and morality take their front seat. 4. Effective persuasive skills are a must for a successful career in the civil services. Substantiate.  Approach - It expects students to write about persuasive skills and how effective persuasive skills are useful for successful career in the civil services with suitable examples. Introduction Persuasion is the process of convincing someone else to carry out an action or agree with an idea. Civil servant uses persuasion by written or oral communication to convince others to change their point of view, agree to a commitment and facilitate group decision-making. Body Effective persuasion skills are: Emotional intelligence. Effective communication. Active listening. Logic and reasoning. Interpersonal skills. Negotiation. Agitate. Establish trust and develop credibility. Use rhetoric and repetition. Nudging. Develop obedience, conformity and compliance. How effective persuasive skills are helpful in a successful career in the civil services: With Emotional intelligence: Controlling his emotions and channelise them in a positive way to ensure Krishnan Kumar district collector of Ganjam Odisha persuaded many people to leave their house during Phailin cyclone. With Nudging behaviour: Interventions can help individuals or communities to change behaviour. This tool was used by Parameswaran Iyer IAS in SBM to persuade people practising open defecation in India. Nudged into changing their behaviour to using the toilets provided under the programme. With developing conformity: Creating value of Obedience, to follow orders for maintaining law and order and harmonious environment. IPS officer Shivdeep lande took strong action against eve teasers and has arrested many criminals, worked towards women safety and took on the pharmaceutical mafia, under his tenure, the crime rate of Patna dropped drastically. Persuasion through negation skills: Need to influence others as part of role or negotiate with different stakeholder. For example, Diplomacy by foreign secretary, an Negotiation skills builds rapport and helps in achieving the goal. For instance, S. Jaishankar is known for his diplomacy skills, a reflection of his good communication skills. Use of rhetoric and repetition: Social Media is playing a major role today in persuading people with use of hashtags for good deeds. For Examples Gaurang rathi Varanasi IAS created campaign of “Wall of Gratitude" #MyDeCoronaChamps on social media to thank Corona warriors and help them against problems such as residential issue of health worker. With Effective communication: "Chuppi Todd" ('Break Silence') Initiative by Arif Shaikh SSP, Raipur in a bid to cope up with serious problem during the Covid-19 lockdown period. Use of telephonic communication to immediately address such as Domestic violence. Conclusion Persuasion consistently produces better results with bringing change in people’s internal beliefs and feelings. Effective Persuasion is skill which made many civil servants successful in career with assessing people’s needs, building rapport, focusing on the benefits, countering objections, and finding common ground.  5. What do you understand by the concept of ‘nudging’ in public affairs? Explain with the help of suitable examples.  Approach: It expects students to write about the concept of Nudging and give suitable examples of nudging tool used in India’s public affairs. Introduction: Nudging is very innovative tool to bring behavioral changes in masses. A relatively subtle policy shift encourages people to make decisions that are in their broad self-interest. It is not about penalizing people financially if they do not act in certain way. It is about making it easier for them to make a certain decision whilst allowing them to have ‘free will’. Body Concept of Nudging: Humans, being not so rational, often need encouragement or intervention called a nudge to get going and do what is best for the country or society. The ‘Nudge Theory’ recognizes this behavioral trait. It says that people, rather than being forced, can be encouraged and influenced to pursue or desist from certain actions through nudges.  Nudges are not mandates. Therefore, while there is encouragement, there is no compulsion to comply and people have the freedom to choose other options. E.g., Putting fruit at eye level counts as nudge. Banning junk food does not. While it is finding increasing applications, the ‘Nudge Theory’ has gotten its share of criticisms too. Among other things, critics accuse it of being used to manipulate behaviors. There is also the risk of the authorities using nudges to promote what is in their own best interest rather than the Nation. Nudging can be used to drive favorable behavior and avoid unfavorable ones, without resorting to drastic interventions such as penal action or outright bans. Examples of nudging in public affairs: Tax breaks under Section 80C are a nudge to encourage people to invest in financial instruments such as the Public Provident Fund and equity-linked savings schemes, in place of gold or property. Insurers use the ‘nudge’ of lower premiums on life covers to encourage customers to keep away from smoking. Stretching this a bit, mutual fund SIPs, by making regular investing the default option, are also a nudge to investors to avoid panicking during market falls. The not-so-effective SC ban on sale of firecrackers in Diwali season in Delhi could have been avoided had people been ‘nudged’ well in advance into realizing the adverse effect on air quality and public health due to widespread firecracker usage. Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has emphasized behavior change in addition to the construction of toilets. It has succeeded in part because it has provided information, made the use of toilets more attractive, appealed to people’s emotions, emphasized new social norms, publicly celebrated Swachhata champions, and prominently connected the reform project to some of Gandhi’s teachings about cleanliness. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative, designed to address the decline in the child sex ratio and promote the empowerment of girls and women. A central goal has been to promote a social norm in favor of celebrating girls, rather than viewing them as burden. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) of India launched an awareness campaign ‘Not all animals migrate by choice’. Under this, ‘Not all animals migrate by choice’ has displayed at major airports across the country. The campaign aims at creating awareness and garnering public support for the protection and conservation of wildlife, prevention of smuggling and reduction in demand for wildlife products.  Conclusion: Often, inertia, lack of knowledge, or poor incentives leads us to select sub-optimal choices. If a nudge helps us choose an option that is also socially desirable, it could mean better public healthcare, civic sense and social harmony.   TLP HOT Synopsis Day 23 PDF

TLP Mains 2020

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 1 Questions[10th NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 26

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 1 Questions[10th NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 26   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. True emancipation of women can occur only if representation of women in the political process and institutions increase substantially. Do you agree? Critically comment.  महिलाओं की सच्ची मुक्ति तभी हो सकती है जब राजनीतिक प्रक्रिया और संस्थानों में महिलाओं का प्रतिनिधित्व पर्याप्त रूप से बढ़े। क्या आप सहमत हैं? समालोचनात्मक टिप्पणी करें। 2. What is the National Population Register (NPR)? What is the need of having the NPR? How is it different from census? Examine.  राष्ट्रीय जनसंख्या रजिस्टर (NPR) क्या है? एनपीआर की क्या आवश्यकता है? यह जनगणना से कैसे अलग है? जांच करें। 3. Why does India fare poorly on the Global Hunger Index despite having surplus food? Analyse. What measures would you suggest to address this paradox? Discuss.   अभिशेष खाद्य संसाधन होने के बावजूद भारत ग्लोबल हंगर इंडेक्स पर पीछे क्यों है? विश्लेषण करें। इस विरोधाभास को दूर करने के लिए आप क्या उपाय सुझाएंगे? चर्चा करें। 4. What reforms would you suggest for improving the institutions of urban governance in India? Substantiate with help of suitable examples.  भारत में शहरी शासन की संस्थाओं में आप क्या सुधार सुझाएंगे? उपयुक्त उदाहरणों की सहायता से पुष्टि करें। 5. What are the social problems associated with the objectification of women in popular and social media? Examine. लोकप्रिय और सोशल मीडिया में महिलाओं की वस्तुकरण से जुड़ी सामाजिक समस्याएं क्या हैं? जांच 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 :)

Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance: Book Review – Who will cry when you die – Robin Sharma

Who will cry when you die? The monk who sold his Ferrari became an international best seller inspiring millions to pursue a more spiritual and meaningful way of life. “Who will cry when you die?” is an extension of the life lessons from the monk who sold his Ferrari. Robin Sharma has unique wealth of experiences from his Indian roots and American way of life. He has an unusual ability to offer profound spiritual teachings in a simple and subtle modern form. This is book is no exception in his long list of successful books. There are certain basic principles that each and every individual has to cultivate in order to experience a life of happiness, peace and abundance. Success is a mindset and there are specific ways of cultivating it. Robin Sharma offers pathways to one’s inner freedom and success. If you are looking for ways to make your life more meaningful, add a few additional good habits, or get rid of some bad ones, this book can help you do that. “Who will cry when you die?” is engaging and informing. Give it a try.  

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