Apr 28, 2021 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 28th April 2021

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Andaman and Nicobar gets Large Area Certification Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III - Economy  In news 14,491 ha area under Car Nicobar and Nancowry group of islands in Union Territory of Andaman &Nicobar Islands becomes the first large contiguous territory to be conferred with organic certification under ‘Large Area Certification’ scheme.  Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) is working to identify Traditional Organic Areas to transform them into certified organic production hubs. Important value additions  Large Area Certification (LAC) programme Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under its flagship scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) has launched a unique quick certification programme “Large Area Certification” (LAC) to harness these potential areas. LAC is a Quick certification process that is cost-effective and farmers do not have to wait for 2-3 years for marketing organic certified products. Under LAC, each village in the area is considered as one cluster/group.  Documentations are simple and maintained village-wise. All farmers with their farmland and livestock need to adhere to the standard requirements and on being verified get certified en-mass without the need to go under conversion period. Certification is renewed on annual basis through annual verification by a process of peer appraisals  RBI fixes the tenure of top functionaries in a private sector bank Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Banking In news The RBI has fixed the tenure of MD, CEO and whole-time director (WTD) in a private sector bank at 15 years and prescribed the maximum age of 70 years for such functionaries. Key takeaways  These directives form part of the instructions issued by the RBI with regard to the chair and meetings of the board, composition of certain committees of the board, age, tenure and remuneration of directors, and appointment of the WTDs. The RBI would also come out with a Master Direction on Corporate Governance in banks in due course. The post of the MD & CEO or WTD cannot be held by the same incumbent for more than 15 years. Thereafter, the individual will be eligible for re-appointment as MD & CEO or WTD in the same bank, if considered necessary and desirable by the board, after a minimum gap of three years, subject to meeting other conditions. It added that during this three-year cooling period, the individual shall not be appointed or associated with the bank or its group entities in any capacity, either directly or indirectly. Also, the maximum age limit for chairman and non-executive directors has been fixed at 75 years. Breakthrough Infection Part of: GS Prelims and GS – II - Health & GS-III - Sci & tech  In news The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has reported that around two to four of 10,000 people given two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have tested positive for the disease. Contracting COVID-19 after vaccination is known as breakthrough infection. Important value additions  Breakthrough infections are infections that occur in people who have been vaccinated. Such cases are not out of the ordinary as the vaccines that have been approved so far the world over are made to protect against disease and not the transmission of the virus. Phase 3 clinical trials conducted before vaccines which were approved showed a fairly constant proportion of infections among those vaccinated. In the AstraZeneca trial, for instance, 30 out of 5,807 vaccinated — about 0.5% — were symptomatic and tested positive 14 days after the second shot. Oxygen extracted from the carbon dioxide in Martian atmosphere Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Sci & tech; Space In news NASA has extracted oxygen from the carbon dioxide in the thin Martian atmosphere. Key takeaways  The unprecedented extraction of oxygen on Mars was achieved by a device called Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE)  It is aboard Perseverance, a six-wheeled science rover. It produced about 5 grams of oxygen, equivalent to roughly 10 minutes’ worth of breathing for an astronaut. NASA is planning that future human missions would take scaled-up versions of Moxie with them to the Red Planet rather than try to carry all the oxygen needed to sustain them. Mars' atmosphere is dominated by carbon dioxide (CO₂) at a concentration of 96%.  The expectation is that it can produce up to 10 grams of O₂ per hour. This is the first extraction of a natural resource from the environment of another planet. (Mains Focus) SOCIETY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: GS-1: Society & Population issues GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Maharashtra’s Two-Child Norm Context: A woman officer from the Maharashtra Prison Department was dismissed from service after an inquiry revealed that she violated the Maharashtra Civil Services (Declaration of Small Family) rules because she suppressed the information from the authorities that she has three children. What is the ‘two children’ service rule for Maharashtra government employees? Maharashtra is one of the few states in the country that have a ‘two children’ policy for appointment in government jobs or even for the elections of some local government bodies.  The Maharashtra Civil Services (Declaration of Small Family) Rule of 2005 defines a small family as wife, husband and two children and stipulates that a person is not eligible for a job with Maharashtra Government if he or she has more than two children after 2005. The rules mandate filing a small family declaration at the time of applying for a government job.  The definition of child under these rules does not include adopted children.  The rules also empower the state government to give relaxation in ‘just and reasonable’ manner and mandates recording such reasons. Other states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Gujarat, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Assam have similar kind of children policy for appointment to government services Analysis of the Provision Leading by example: These mandatory norms were formulated for Civil servants with an intention to set an example before citizens for following two-child policy for population control.  Tool of Population Control: As a policy it was also meant to discourage people from having more than two children by barring them from the prospects of government service.  Penal Provisions to deter violations: There have been many cases in the past where employees have continued lying about the number of children by using various means. Some people have also been charged with IPC provision for ‘criminal breach of trust by public servants Lackadaisical Implementation: The disqualifications of serving employees under the rules has been done in rare cases. In most instances, cases come to light when someone complaints to authorities about an employee having more than two children. Conclusion While only a few states in the country have made mandatory rules for government employees and local level elections, the two child norm is something that calls for more informed consensus on the issue and wider implementation.  INTERNATIONAL/ ECONOMY Topic: GS-2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests GS-3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources Global Minimum Corporate Tax Rate Context: US has proposed for a global corporate minimum tax rate and is working with G20 countries to agree on a global minimum, which it said could help end a "30-year race to the bottom on corporate tax rates. WHY A GLOBAL MINIMUM TAX? Major economies are aiming to discourage multinational companies from shifting profits - and tax revenues - to low-tax countries regardless of where their sales are made. Increasingly, income from intangible sources such as drug patents, software and royalties on intellectual property has migrated to these jurisdictions, allowing companies to avoid paying higher taxes in their traditional home countries. With a broadly agreed global minimum tax, the US administration hopes to reduce such tax base erosion without putting American firms at a financial disadvantage, allowing them to compete on innovation, infrastructure and other attributes. The Trump administration took a first stab at capturing revenues lost to tax havens with a U.S. corporate offshore minimum tax in 2017. The "Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income," or GILTI, tax rate was only 10.5% - half the domestic corporate tax rate. WHERE ARE INTERNATIONAL TAX TALKS? The Paris-based OECD has been coordinating tax negotiations among 140 countries for years on two major efforts: setting rules for taxing cross-border digital services and curbing tax base erosion, with a global corporate minimum tax part of the latter. The OECD and G20 countries aim to reach consensus on both fronts by mid-year, but the talks on a global corporate minimum are technically simpler and politically less contentious. Since the talks are consensus based, countries are expected to go along with agreement no matter how unpalatable it may be for some low tax countries. The minimum tax is expected to make up the bulk of the $50 billion-$80 billion in extra corporate tax that the OECD estimates companies will end up paying globally if deals on both efforts are enacted. HOW WOULD A GLOBAL MINIMUM TAX WORK? The global minimum tax rate would apply to companies' overseas profits. Therefore, if countries agree on a global minimum, governments could still set whatever local corporate tax rate they want. But if companies pay lower rates in a particular country, their home governments could "top-up" their taxes to the agreed minimum rate, eliminating the advantage of shifting profits to a tax haven. US has said it wants to deny exemptions for taxes paid to countries that don't agree to a minimum rate The OECD said last month that governments broadly agreed already on the basic design of the minimum tax although the rate remains to be agreed. International tax experts say that is the thorniest issue. Other items still to be negotiated include whether industries like investment funds and real estate investment trusts should be covered, when to apply the new rate and ensuring it is compatible with the 2017 U.S. tax reforms aimed at deterring tax-base erosion. WHAT ABOUT THAT MINIMUM RATE? The Biden administration wants to raise the U.S. corporate tax rate to 28%, so it has proposed a global minimum of 21% - double the rate on the current GILTI tax. It also wants the minimum to apply to U.S. companies no matter where the taxable income is earned. That proposal is far above the 12.5% minimum tax that had previously been discussed in OECD talks - a level that happens to match Ireland's corporate tax rate. The US is eyeing to get $2.5 trillion in 15 years by raising corporate tax rates from 21% currently to 28%. However, doing so in isolation will put the US at a disadvantage vis-à-vis tax havens. Therefore, it wants everyone to follow its lead. Not Good for Low Income/Middle Income Countries Multinationals are a source of foreign direct investment. These corporations help to generate demand with efficient utilisation of resources and create employment in low-income countries. Nations have used their freedom to set corporation tax rates as a way to attract such businesses. Smaller countries such as Ireland, the Netherlands and Singapore have attracted footloose businesses by offering low corporate tax rates. The global minimum tax rate will finish off every opportunity for such countries whose only weapon to attract these companies is lower taxes.  In a world where there are income inequalities across geographies, a minimum global corporation tax rate could crowd out investment opportunities. A lower tax rate is a tool for India to alternatively push economic activity. If the proposal comes into effect, India may experience a longer economic hangover than other developed nations with less ability to offer mega stimulus packages. The policy itself puts a question on globalisation as it will be beneficial only for the US to become a monopoly. Connecting the dots: Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS) (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 Which Union Territory became the first large contiguous territory to be conferred with organic certification under ‘Large Area Certification’ scheme?  Puducherry  Daman and Diu Jammu and Kashmir  Andaman and Nicobar Islands  Q.2 Consider the following statements regarding Large Area Certification (LAC) programme: It is programme under scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY).  Under LAC, each village in the area is considered as one cluster/group.  Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  Q.3 Which of the following is correct about Breakthrough infection?  It is an infection that occurs in people who have been vaccinated with two doses. It is an infection that occurs in people who have not been vaccinated. It is an infection that occurs in people who have been vaccinated once. It is an infection that occurs in people who have been infected with Covid-19 once. Q.4 On which Planet was oxygen extracted recently from its atmosphere for the first time? Jupiter  Neptune  Mars Saturn ANSWERS FOR 27th April 2021 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 A 3 A Must Read On U.S. COVID-19 aid to India: The Hindu On Armenian genocide: The Hindu On need for woman Chief Justice: Indian Express

Apr 28, 2021 AIR

Economic Survey - All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC

ARCHIVES Search 30th January, 2021 Spotlight News Analysis here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx Saving Lives and Livelihoods amidst a Once-in-a-Century Crisis India focused on saving lives and livelihoods by its willingness to take short-term pain for long-term gain, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic Response stemmed from the humane principle that: Human lives lost cannot be brought back GDP growth will recover from the temporary shock caused by the pandemic An early, intense lockdown provided a win-win strategy to save lives, and preserve livelihoods via economic recovery in the medium to long-term. Strategy also motivated by the Nobel-Prize winning research by Hansen & Sargent (2001): a policy focused on minimizing losses in a worst-case scenario when uncertainty is very high India’s strategy flattened the curve, pushed the peak to September, 2020. After the September peak, India has been unique in experiencing declining daily cases despite increasing mobility V-shaped recovery, as seen in 7.5% decline in GDP in Q2 and recovery across all key economic indicators vis-à-vis the 23.9% GDP contraction in Q1 COVID pandemic affected both demand and supply: India was the only country to announce structural reforms to expand supply in the medium-long term and avoid long-term damage to productive capacities Calibrated demand side policies to ensure that the accelerator is slowly pushed down only when the brakes on economic activities are being removed A public investment programme centered around the National Infrastructure Pipeline to accelerate the demand push and further the recovery Upturn in the economy, avoiding a second wave of infections - a sui generis case in strategic policymaking amidst a once-in-a-century pandemic State of the Economy in 2020-21: A Macro View COVID-19 pandemic ensued global economic downturn, the most severe one since the Global Financial Crisis. The lockdowns and social distancing norms brought the already slowing global economy to a standstill. Global economic output estimated to fall by 3.5% in 2020 (IMF January 2021 estimates). Governments and central banks across the globe deployed various policy tools to support their economies such as lowering policy rates, quantitative easing measures, etc. India adopted a four-pillar strategy of containment, fiscal, financial, and long-term structural reforms: Calibrated fiscal and monetary support was provided, cushioning the vulnerable during the lockdown and boosting consumption and investment while unlocking A favourable monetary policy ensured abundant liquidity and immediate relief to debtors while unclogging monetary policy transmission As per the advance estimates by NSO, India’s GDP is estimated to grow by (-) 7.7% in FY21 - a robust sequential growth of 23.9% in H2: FY21 over H1: FY21 India’s real GDP to record a 11.0% growth in FY2021-22 and nominal GDP to grow by 15.4% – the highest since independence: Rebound to be led by low base and continued normalization in economic activities as the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines gathers traction Government consumption and net exports cushioned the growth from diving further down, whereas investment and private consumption pulled it down The recovery in second half of FY2020-21 is expected to be powered by government consumption, estimated to grow at 17% YoY Exports expected to decline by 5.8% and imports by 11.3% in the second half of FY21 India expected to have a Current Account Surplus of 2% of GDP in FY21, a historic high after 17 years On supply side, Gross Value Added (GVA) growth pegged at -7.2% in FY21 as against 3.9% in FY20: Agriculture set to cushion the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Indian economy in FY21 with a growth of 3.4% Industry and services estimated to contract by 9.6% and 8.8% respectively during FY21 Agriculture remained the silver lining while contact-based services, manufacturing, construction were hit hardest, and recovering steadily India remained a preferred investment destination in FY 2020-21 with FDI pouring in amidst global asset shifts towards equities and prospects of quicker recovery in emerging economies: Net FPI inflows recorded an all-time monthly high of US$ 9.8 billion in November 2020, as investors’ risk appetite returned India was the only country among emerging markets to receive equity FII inflows in 2020 Buoyant SENSEX and NIFTY resulted in India’s market-cap to GDP ratio crossing 100% for the first time since October 2010 Softening of CPI inflation recently reflects easing of supply side constraints that affected food inflation Mild contraction of 0.8% in investment (as measured by Gross Fixed Capital Formation) in 2nd half of FY21, as against 29% drop in 1st half of FY21 Reignited inter and intra state movement and record-high monthly GST collections have marked the unlocking of industrial and commercial activity The external sector provided an effective cushion to growth with India recording a Current Account Surplus of 3.1% of GDP in the first half of FY21: Strong services exports and weak demand leading to a sharper contraction in imports (merchandise imports contracted by 39.7%) than exports (merchandise exports contracted by 21.2%) Forex reserves increased to a level so as to cover 18 months worth of imports in December 2020 External debt as a ratio to GDP increased to 21.6% at end-September 2020 from 20.6% at end-March 2020 Ratio of forex reserves to total and short-term debt improved because of the sizable accretion in reserves V-shaped recovery is underway, as demonstrated by a sustained resurgence in high frequency indicators such as power demand, e-way bills, GST collection, steel consumption, etc. India became the fastest country to roll-out 10 lakh vaccines in 6 days and also emerged as a leading supplier of the vaccine to neighbouring countries and Brazil Economy’s homecoming to normalcy brought closer by the initiation of a mega vaccination drive: Hopes of a robust recovery in services sector, consumption, and investment have been rekindled Reforms must go on to enable India realize its potential growth and erase the adverse impact of the pandemic India’s mature policy response to the ‘once-in-a-century’ crisis provides important lessons for democracies to avoid myopic policy-making and demonstrates benefits of focusing on long-term gains Does Growth lead to Debt Sustainability? Yes, But Not Vice- Versa! Growth leads to debt sustainability in the Indian context but not necessarily vice-versa: Debt sustainability depends on the ‘Interest Rate Growth Rate Differential’ (IRGD), i.e., the difference between the interest rate and the growth rate In India, interest rate on debt is less than growth rate - by norm, not by exception Negative IRGD in India – not due to lower interest rates but much higher growth rates – prompts a debate on fiscal policy, especially during growth slowdowns and economic crises Growth causes debt to become sustainable in countries with higher growth rates; such clarity about the causal direction is not witnessed in countries with lower growth rates Fiscal multipliers are disproportionately higher during economic crises than during economic booms         Active fiscal policy can ensure that the full benefit of reforms is reaped by limiting potential damage to productive capacity Fiscal policy that provides an impetus to growth will lead to lower debt-to-GDP ratio Given India’s growth potential, debt sustainability is unlikely to be a problem even in the worst scenarios Desirable to use counter-cyclical fiscal policy to enable growth during economic downturns Active, counter-cyclical fiscal policy - not a call for fiscal irresponsibility, but to break the intellectual anchoring that has created an asymmetric bias against fiscal policy Does India’s Sovereign Credit Rating Reflect Its Fundamentals? No! The fifth largest economy in the world has never been rated as the lowest rung of the investment grade (BBB-/Baa3) in sovereign credit ratings: Reflecting the economic size and thereby the ability to repay debt, the fifth largest economy has been predominantly rated AAA China and India are the only exceptions to this rule – China was rated A-/A2 in 2005 and now India is rated BBB-/Baa3 India’s sovereign credit ratings do not reflect its fundamentals: A clear outlier amongst countries rated between A+/A1 and BBB-/Baa3 for S&P;/ Moody’s, on several parameters Rated significantly lower than mandated by the effect on the sovereign rating of the parameter Credit ratings map the probability of default and therefore reflect the willingness and ability of borrower to meet its obligations: India’s willingness to pay is unquestionably demonstrated through its zero sovereign default history India’s ability to pay can be gauged by low foreign currency denominated debt and forex reserves Sovereign credit rating changes for India have no or weak correlation with macroeconomic indicators India’s fiscal policy should reflect Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s sentiment of ‘a mind without fear’ Sovereign credit ratings methodology should be made more transparent, less subjective and better attuned to reflect economies’ fundamentals Inequality and Growth: Conflict or Convergence? The relationship between inequality and socio-economic outcomes vis-à-vis economic growth and socio-economic outcomes, is different in India from that in advanced economies. Both inequality and per-capita income (growth) have similar relationships with socio-economic indicators in India, unlike in advanced economies Economic growth has a greater impact on poverty alleviation than inequality India must continue to focus on economic growth to lift the poor out of poverty Expanding the overall pie - redistribution in a developing economy is feasible only if the size of the economic pie grows Healthcare takes centre stage, finally! COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of healthcare sector and its inter-linkages with other sectors - showcased how a health crisis transformed into an economic and social crisis India’s health infrastructure must be agile so as to respond to pandemics - healthcare policy must not become beholden to ‘saliency bias’ National Health Mission (NHM) played a critical role in mitigating inequity as the access of the poorest to pre-natal/post-natal care and institutional deliveries increased significantly Emphasis on NHM in conjunction with Ayushman Bharat should continue An increase in public healthcare spending from 1% to 2.5-3% of GDP can decrease the out-of-pocket expenditure from 65% to 35% of overall healthcare spending A regulator for the healthcare sector must be considered given the market failures stemming from information asymmetry Mitigation of information asymmetry will help lower insurance premiums, enable the offering of better products and increase insurance penetration Information utilities that help mitigate the information asymmetry in healthcare sector will be useful in enhancing overall welfare Telemedicine needs to be harnessed to the fullest by investing in internet connectivity and health infrastructure Process Reforms India over-regulates the economy resulting in regulations being ineffective even with relatively good compliance with process         The root cause of the problem of overregulation is an approach that attempts to account for every possible outcome Increase in complexity of regulations, intended to reduce discretion, results in even more non-transparent discretion The solution is to simplify regulations and invest in greater supervision which, by definition, implies greater discretion Discretion, however, needs to be balanced with transparency, systems of ex-ante accountability and ex-post resolution mechanisms The above intellectual framework has already informed reforms ranging from labour codes to removal of onerous regulations on the BPO sector Regulatory Forbearance an emergency medicine, not staple diet! During the Global Financial Crisis, regulatory forbearance helped borrowers tide over temporary hardship Forbearance continued long after the economic recovery, resulting in unintended consequences for the economy Banks exploited the forbearance window for window-dressing their books and misallocated credit, thereby damaging the quality of investment in the economy Forbearance represents emergency medicine that should be discontinued at the first opportunity when the economy exhibits recovery, not a staple diet that gets continued for years To promote judgement amidst uncertainty, ex-post inquests must recognize the role of hindsight bias and not equate unfavourable outcomes to bad judgement or  malafide intent An Asset Quality Review exercise must be conducted immediately after the forbearance is withdrawn The legal infrastructure for the recovery of loans needs to be strengthened de facto Innovation: Trending Up but Needs Thrust, Especially from the Private Sector India entered the top-50 innovating countries for the first time in 2020 since the inception of the Global Innovation Index in 2007, ranking first in Central and South Asia, and third amongst lower middle-income group economies India’s gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (GERD) is lowest amongst top ten economies India’s aspiration must be to compete on innovation with the top ten economies The government sector contributes a disproportionately large share in total GERD at three times the average of top ten economies The business sector’s contribution to GERD, total R&D; personnel and researchers is amongst the lowest when compared to top ten economies This situation has prevailed despite higher tax incentives for innovation and access to equity capital India’s business sector needs to significantly ramp up investments in R&D; Indian resident’s share in total patents filed in the country must rise from the current 36% which is much below the average of 62% in top ten economies For achieving higher improvement in innovation output, India must focus on improving its performance on institutions and business sophistication innovation inputs JAY Ho! PM‘JAY’ Adoption and Health outcomes Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) – the ambitious program launched by Government of India in 2018 to provide healthcare access to the most vulnerable sections demonstrates strong positive effects on healthcare outcomes in a short time PM-JAY is being used significantly for high frequency, low cost care such as dialysis and continued during the Covid pandemic and the lockdown. Causal impact of PM-JAY on health outcomes by undertaking a Difference-in-Difference analysis based on National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-20) is following: Enhanced health insurance coverage: The proportion of households that had health insurance increased in Bihar, Assam and Sikkim from 2015-16 to 2019-20 by 89% while it decreased by 12% over the same period in West Bengal Decline in  Infant Mortality rate: from 2015-16 to 2019-20, infant mortality rates declined by 20% for West Bengal and by 28% for the three neighbouring states Decline in under-5 mortality rate: Bengal saw a fall of 20% while, the neighbours witnessed a 27% reduction Modern methods of contraception, female sterilization and pill usage went up by 36%, 22% and 28% respectively in the three neighbouring states while the respective changes for West Bengal were negligible While West Bengal did not witness any significant decline in unmet need for spacing between consecutive kids, the neighbouring three states recorded a 37% fall Various metrics for mother and child care improved more in the three neighbouring states than in West Bengal. Each of these health effects manifested similarly when we compare all states that implemented PM-JAY versus the states that did not Overall, the comparison reflects significant improvements in several health outcomes in states that implemented PM-JAY versus those that did not Bare Necessities Access to the ‘bare necessities’ has improved across all States in the country in 2018 as compared to 2012 It is highest in States such as Kerala, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat while lowest in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Tripura Improvement in each of the five dimensions viz., access to water, housing, sanitation, micro-environment and other facilities Inter-State disparities declined across rural and urban areas as the laggard states have gained relatively more between 2012 and 2018 Improved disproportionately more for the poorest households when compared to the richest households across rural and urban areas Improved access to the ‘bare necessities’ has led to improvements in health indicators such as infant mortality and under-5 mortality rate and also correlates with future improvements in education indicators Thrust should be given to reduce variation in the access to bare necessities across states, between rural and urban and between income groups The schemes such as Jal Jeevan Mission, SBM-G, PMAY-G, etc. may design appropriate strategy to reduce these gaps A Bare Necessities Index (BNI) based on the large annual household survey data can be constructed using suitable indicators and methodology at district level for all/targeted districts to assess the progress on access to bare necessities. Fiscal Developments India adopted a calibrated approach best suited for a resilient recovery of its economy from COVID-19 pandemic impact, in contrast with a front-loaded large stimulus package adopted by many countries Expenditure policy in 2020-21 initially aimed at supporting the vulnerable sections but was re-oriented to boost overall demand and capital spending, once the lockdown was unwound Monthly GST collections have crossed the Rs. 1 lakh crore mark consecutively for the last 3 months, reaching its highest levels in December 2020 ever since the introduction of GST Reforms in tax administration have begun a process of transparency and accountability and have incentivized tax compliance by enhancing honest tax-payers’ experience Central Government has also taken consistent steps to impart support to the States in the challenging times of the pandemic External Sector COVID-19 pandemic led to a sharp decline in global trade, lower commodity prices and tighter external financing conditions with implications for current account balances and currencies of different countries India’s forex reserves at an all-time high of US$ 586.1 billion as on January 08, 2021, covering about 18 months worth of imports India experiencing a Current Account Surplus along with robust capital inflows leading to a BoP surplus since Q4 of FY2019-20 Balance on the capital account is buttressed by robust FDI and FPI inflows: Net FDI inflows of US$ 27.5 billion during April-October, 2020: 14.8% higher as compared to first seven months of FY2019-20 Net FPI inflows of US$ 28.5 billion during April-December, 2020 as against US$ 12.3 billion in corresponding period of last year In H1: FY21, steep contraction in merchandise imports and lower outgo for travel services led to: Sharper fall in current payments (by 30.8%) than current receipts (15.1%) Current Account Surplus of US$ 34.7 billion (3.1% of GDP) India to end with an Annual Current Account Surplus after a period of 17 years India’s merchandise trade deficit was lower at US$ 57.5 billion in April-December, 2020 as compared to US$ 125.9 billion in the corresponding period last year In April-December, 2020, merchandise exports contracted by 15.7% to US$ 200.8 billion from US$ 238.3 billion in April-December, 2019: Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL) exports have contributed negatively to export performance during the period under review Non-POL exports turned positive and helped in improving export performance in Q3 of 2020-21 Within Non-POL exports, agriculture & allied products, drugs & pharmaceutical and ores & minerals recorded expansion Total merchandise imports declined by (-) 29.1% to US$ 258.3 billion during April-December, 2020 from US$ 364.2 billion during the same period last year: Sharp decline in POL imports pulled down the overall import growth Imports contracted sharply in Q1 of 2020-21; the pace of contraction eased in subsequent quarters, due to the accelerated positive growth in Gold and Silver imports and narrowing contraction in non-POL, non-Gold & non-Silver imports Fertilizers, vegetable oil, drugs & pharmaceuticals and computer hardware & peripherals have contributed positively to the growth of non-POL, non-Gold & non-Silver imports Trade balance with China and the US improved as imports slowed Net services receipts amounting to US$ 41.7 billion remained stable in April-September 2020 as compared with US$ 40.5 billion in corresponding period a year ago. Resilience of the services sector was primarily driven by software services, which accounted for 49% of total services exports Net private transfer receipts, mainly representing remittances by Indians employed overseas, totaling US$ 35.8 billion in H1: FY21 declined by 6.7% over the corresponding period of previous year At end-September 2020, India’s external debt placed at US$ 556.2 billion - a decrease of US$ 2.0 billion (0.4%) as compared to end-March 2020. Improvement in debt vulnerability indicators: Ratio of forex reserves to total and short-term debt (original and residual) Ratio of short-term debt (original maturity) to the total stock of external debt. Debt service ratio (principal repayment plus interest payment) increased to 9.7% as at end-September 2020, compared to 6.5% as at end-March 2020 Rupee appreciation/depreciation: In terms of 6-currency nominal effective exchange rate (NEER) (trade-based weights), Rupee depreciated by 4.1% in December 2020 over March 2020; appreciated by 2.9% in terms of real effective exchange rate (REER) In terms of 36-currency NEER (trade-based weights), Rupee depreciated by 2.9% in December 2020 over March 2020; appreciated by 2.2% in terms of REER RBI’s interventions in forex markets ensured financial stability and orderly conditions, controlling the volatility and one-sided appreciation of the Rupee Initiatives undertaken to promote exports: Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Improvement in logistics infrastructure and digital initiatives Money Management and Financial Intermediation Accommodative monetary policy during 2020: repo rate cut by 115 bps since March 2020 Systemic liquidity in FY2020-21 has remained in surplus so far. RBI undertook various conventional and unconventional measures like: Open Market Operations Long Term Repo Operations Targeted Long Term Repo Operations Gross Non-Performing Assets ratio of Scheduled Commercial Banks decreased from 8.21% at end-March, 2020 to 7.49% at end-September, 2020 The monetary transmission of lower policy rates to deposit and lending rates improved during FY2020-21 NIFTY-50 and BSE SENSEX reached record high closing of 14,644.7 and 49,792.12 respectively on January 20, 2021 The recovery rate for the Scheduled Commercial Banks through IBC (since its inception) has been over 45% Prices and Inflation Headline CPI inflation: Averaged 6.6% during April-December, 2020 and stood at 4.6% in December, 2020, mainly driven by rise in food inflation (from 6.7% in 2019-20 to 9.1% during April-December, 2020, owing to build up in vegetable prices) CPI headline and its sub groups witnessed inflation during April-October 2020, driven by substantial increase in price momentum - due to the initial disruptions caused by COVID-19 lockdown Moderated price momentum by November 2020 for most sub groups, coupled with positive base effect helped ease inflation Rural-urban difference in CPI inflation saw a decline in 2020: Since November 2019, CPI-Urban inflation has closed the gap with CPI-Rural inflation Food inflation has almost converged now Divergence in rural-urban inflation observed in other components of CPI like fuel and light, clothing and footwear, miscellaneous etc. During April-December, 2019 as well as April-December, 2020-21, the major driver of CPI-C inflation was the food and beverages group: Contribution increased to 59% during April-December, 2020, compared to 53.7% during April-December, 2019   Thali cost increased between June 2020 and November 2020, however a sharp fall in the month of December reflecting the fall in the prices of many essential food commodities State-wise trend: CPI-C inflation increased in most of the states in the current year Regional variation persists Inflation ranged from 3.2% to 11% across States/UTs during June-December 2020 compared to (-) 0.3% to 7.6% during the same period last year. Food inflation driving overall CPI-C inflation due to the relatively more weight of food items in the index. Steps taken to stabilize prices of food items: Banning of export of onions Imposition of stock limit on onions Easing of restriction on imports of pulses Gold prices: Sharp spike as investors turned to gold as a safe haven investment amid COVID-19 induced economic uncertainties Compared to other assets, gold had considerably higher returns during FY2020-21 Consistency in import policy warrants attention: Increased dependence on imports of edible oils poses risk of fluctuations in import prices Imports impacting production and prices of domestic edible oil market, coupled with frequent changes in import policy of pulses and edible oils, add to confusion among farmers/producers and delay imports Sustainable Development and Climate Change India has taken several proactive steps to mainstream the SDGs into the policies, schemes and programmes Voluntary National Review (VNR) presented to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development Localisation of SDGs is crucial to any strategy aimed at achieving the goals under the 2030 Agenda Several States/UTs have created institutional structures for implementation of SDGs and also nodal mechanisms within every department and at the district levels for better coordination and convergence Sustainable development remains core to the development strategy despite the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic crisis Eight National Missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) focussed on the objectives of adaptation, mitigation and preparedness on climate risks India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) states that finance is a critical enabler of climate change action The financing considerations will therefore remain critical especially as the country steps up the targets substantially The goal of jointly mobilizing US$ 100 billion a year by 2020 for climate financing by the developed countries has remained elusive The postponement of COP26 to 2021 also gives less time for negotiations and other evidence-based work to inform the post-2025 goal Despite overall growth in the global bond markets, green bond issuance in the first half of 2020 slowed down from 2019, possibly as a result of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic International Solar Alliance (ISA) launched two new initiatives – ‘World Solar Bank’ and ‘One Sun One World One Grid Initiative’ - poised to bring about solar energy revolution globally Agriculture and Food Management India’s Agricultural (and Allied Activities) sector has shown its resilience amid the adversities of COVID-19 induced lockdowns with a growth of 3.4% at constant prices during 2020-21 (first advance estimate) The share of Agriculture and Allied Sectors in Gross Value Added (GVA) of the country at current prices is 17.8% for the year 2019-20 (CSO-Provisional Estimates of National Income, 29th May, 2020) Gross Capital Formation (GCF) relative to GVA showing a fluctuating trend from 17.7 % in 2013-14 to 16.4 % in 2018-19, with a dip to 14.7 % in 2015-16 Total food grain production in the country in the agriculture year 2019-20 (as per Fourth Advance Estimates), is 11.44 million tonnes more than than during 2018-19 The actual agricultural credit flow was ₹13,92,469.81 crores against the target of ₹13,50,000 crores in 2019-20. The target for 2020-21 was ₹15,00,000 crores and a sum of ₹ 9,73,517.80 crores was disbursed till 30th November, 2020: 1.5 crore dairy farmers of milk cooperatives and milk producer companies’ were targeted to provide Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) as part of Prime Minister’s AatmaNirbhar Bharat Package after the budget announcement of  February 2020 As of mid January 2021, a total of 44,673 Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) have been issued to fishers and fish farmers and an additional 4.04 lakh applications from fishers and fish farmers are with the banks at various stages of issuance The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana covers over 5.5 crore farmer applications year on year Claims worth Rs. 90,000 crore paid, as on 12th January, 2021 Speedy claim settlement directly into the farmer accounts through Aadhar linkage 70 lakh farmers benefitted and claims worth Rs. 8741.30 crores were transferred during COVID-19 lock down period An amount of Rs. 18000 crore have been deposited directly in the bank accounts of 9 crore farmer families of the country in December, 2020 in the 7th installment of financial benefit under the PM-KISAN scheme Fish production reached an all-time high of 14.16 million metric tons during 2019-20: GVA by the Fisheries sector to the national economy stood at ₹2,12,915 crores constituting 1.24% of the total national GVA and 7.28 % of the agricultural GVA Food Processing Industries (FPI) sector growing at an Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) of around 9.99 % as compared to around 3.12 % in Agriculture and 8.25 % in Manufacturing at 2011-12 prices during the last 5 years ending 2018-19 Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana: 80.96 crore beneficiaries were provided foodgrains above NFSA mandated requirement free of cost till November, 2020. Over 200 LMT of foodgrains were provided amounting to a fiscal outgo of over Rs. 75000 Crores AatmaNirbhar Bharat Package: 5 kg per person per month for four months (May to August) to approximately 8 crores migrants (excluded under NFSA or state ration card) entailing subsidy of  Rs. 3109 crores approximately Industry and Infrastructure A strong V-shaped recovery of economic activity further confirmed by IIP data The IIP & eight-core index further inched up to pre-COVID levels The broad-based recovery in the IIP resulted in a growth of (-) 1.9 % in Nov-2020 as compared to a growth of 2.1 % in Nov-2019 and a nadir of (-) 57.3 % in Apr-2020 Further improvement and firming up in industrial activities are foreseen with the Government enhancing capital expenditure, the vaccination drive and the resolute push forward on long pending reform measures AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan with a stimulus package worth 15 % of India’s GDP announced India’s rank in the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Index for 2019 has moved upwards to the 63rd position in 2020 from 77th in 2018 as per the Doing Business Report (DBR): India has improved its position in 7 out of 10 indicators Acknowledges India as one of the top 10 improvers, the third time in a row, with an improvement of 67 ranks in three years It is also the highest jump by any large country since 2011 FDI equity inflows were US$49.98 billion in FY20 as compared to US$44.37 billion during FY19: It is US$30.0 billion for FY21 (up to September-2020) The bulk of FDI equity flow is in the non-manufacturing sector Within the manufacturing sector, industries like automobile, telecommunication, metallurgical, non-conventional energy, chemical (other than fertilizers), food processing, petroleum & natural gas got the bulk of FDI Government has announced a Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme in the 10 key sectors under the aegis of AatmaNirbhar Bharat for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities and exports: To be implemented by the concerned ministries with an overall expenditure estimated at Rs.1.46 lakh crores and with sector specific financial limits Services Sector India’s services sector contracted by nearly 16 % during H1: FY2020-21, during the COVID-19 pandemic mandated lockdown, owing to its contact-intensive nature Key indicators such as Services Purchasing Managers’ Index, rail freight traffic, and port traffic, are all displaying a V-shaped recovery after a sharp decline during the lockdown Despite the disruptions being witnessed globally, FDI inflows into India’s services sector grew robustly by 34% Y-o-Y during April-September 2020 to reach US$ 23.6 billion The services sector accounts for over 54 % of India’s GVA and nearly four-fifths of total FDI inflow into India The sector’s share in GVA exceeds 50% in 15 out of 33 States and UTs, and is particularly more pronounced (greater than 85%) in Delhi and Chandigarh Services sector accounts for 48% of total exports, outperforming goods exports in the recent years The shipping turnaround time at ports has almost halved from 4.67 days in 2010-11 to 2.62 days in 2019-20 The Indian start-up ecosystem has been progressing well amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, being home to 38 unicorns - adding a record number of 12 start-ups to the unicorn list last year India’s space sector has grown exponentially in the past six decades: Spent about US$ 1.8 billion on space programmes in 2019-20 Space ecosystem is undergoing several policy reforms to engage private players and attract innovation and investment Social Infrastructure, Employment and Human Development The combined (Centre and States) social sector expenditure as % of GDP has increased in 2020-21 compared to last year. India’s rank in HDI 2019 was recorded at 131, out of a total 189 countries: India's GNI per capita (2017 PPP $) has increased from US$ 6,427 in 2018 to US$ 6,681 in 2019 Life expectancy at birth improved from 69.4 years in 2018 to 69.7 years in 2019 The access to data network, electronic devices such as computer, laptop, smart phone etc. gained importance due to online learning and remote working during the pandemic Major proportion of workforce engaged as regular wage/salaried in the urban sector during the period of January 2019-March 2020 (quarterly survey of PLFS) Government’s incentive to boost employment through AatmaNirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana and rationalization and simplification of existing labour codes into 4 codes Low level of female LFPR in India: Females spending disproportionately more time on unpaid domestic and care giving services to household members as compared to their male counterparts (Time Use Survey, 2019) Need to promote non-discriminatory practices at the workplace like pay and career progression, improve work incentives, including other medical and social security benefits for female workers Under PMGKP announced in March, 2020, cash transfers of upto Rs.1000 to existing old aged, widowed and disabled beneficiaries under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) An amount of Rs. 500 each was transferred for three months digitally into bank accounts of the women beneficiaries under PM Jan Dhan Yojana, totalling about Rs. 20.64 crores Free distribution of gas cylinders to about 8 crore families for three months Limit of collateral free lending increased from Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 20 lakhs for 63 lakh women SHGs which would support 6.85 crore households Wages under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA increased by Rs.20 from Rs.182 to Rs.202 w.e.f. 1st April, 2020 India’s fight against COVID-19: Initial measures of lockdown, social distancing, travel advisories, practicing hand wash, wearing masks reduced the spread of the disease Country also acquired self-reliance in essential medicines, hand sanitizers, protective equipment including masks, PPE Kits, ventilators, COVID-19 testing and treatment facilities World’s largest COVID-19 vaccination drive commenced on 16th January, 2021 using two indigenously manufactured vaccines

Apr 28, 2021 TLP Mains Answer Writing

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1 – ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies Paper 3 Questions [28th April,2021] – Day 93

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1- ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies 3 Questions [28th April 2020] – Day 93 We will make sure, in the next 100 days not a single day is wasted and your mains preparation is solidified. All your energies are channelized in the right direction. Trust us! This will make a huge difference in your results this time, provided that you follow this plan sincerely every day without fail. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. We are giving 5 Mains Questions on a daily basis so that every student can actively participate and keep your preparation focused. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” To Know More about the Initiative -> CLICK HERE SCHEDULE/DETAILED PLAN – > CLICK HERE Note: Click on Each Question (Link), it will open in a new tab and then Answer respective questions! 1. How does India’s complex geography in the border regions aggravate the internal security challenges. Discuss. सीमावर्ती क्षेत्रों में भारत का जटिल भूगोल आंतरिक सुरक्षा चुनौतियों को कैसे बढ़ाता है। चर्चा करें। 2. How has organised crime evolved in recent years? How does organised crime manifest itself? Analyse. हाल के वर्षों में संगठित अपराध कैसे विकसित हुआ है? संगठित अपराध कैसे प्रकट होता है? विश्लेषण करें। 3. Discuss the security challenges posed by insurgent groups. What has been the strategy of the government to tackle them? Examine. विद्रोही समूहों द्वारा उत्पन्न सुरक्षा चुनौतियों पर चर्चा करें। उनसे निपटने के लिए सरकार की क्या रणनीति रही है?  जांच करें। 4. Discuss the recent efforts undertaken by the government to address the security challenges in border regions. सीमा क्षेत्रों में सुरक्षा चुनौतियों को दूर करने के लिए सरकार द्वारा किए गए हाल के प्रयासों पर चर्चा करें। 5. What role do intelligence agencies play in securing the country? Illustrate. देश को सुरक्षित बनाने में खुफिया एजेंसियों की क्या भूमिका है? चित्रण 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 :)

Apr 28, 2021 IASbaba Prelims 60 Day Plan

IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan - IAS Prelims Test Series 2021 - ECONOMICS, CURRENT AFFAIRS & CSAT [Day 33]

For Previous (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends,  ARCHIVES OF 60 DAYS NOTE: IASbaba's 60 DAY questions will be posted around 10 AM. The solution will be released around 5 PM Daily.  Let us pledge to make it a big game-changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days!  Note- Download the OMR Sheet and attempt the questions exactly like UPSC Prelims. After you are done, please post your OMR in the comment section. Once the solution key is released (around 5 PM), cross-check the answers and, comment the marks (you scored) in the same comment thread. This will keep you accountable, responsible and sincere in days to come.  You can also take part in the discussion with peers.   ECONOMICS [DAY 33] - Click Here NOTE- Follow this for Comments Mention- Time Taken after solving the Test After the release of Solution, Edit your Comment to Mention-  Correct/Incorrect and Score 2 Marks for Correct/0.66 minus for Incorrect. What IMPACT can the ‘60 Day’ have on the final results? We will explain by taking a small example. Imagine you are sitting in the examination hall, appearing in Prelims Paper I. You have attempted 70 questions already but still unsure about a few. Then you stumble upon a question that was asked in 60 Day (and believe us, it has happened to hundreds of students countless times). You choose the right answer and submit your paper hoping for the best! Eventually, you go on to clear Mains as well as Personality Test and secure a good rank as well. When the cut off gets announced by UPSC, you realize that you have scored just one mark more than the cut off! Yes, that one mark can change your life (and it has done so to many of our students in the past). Now, imagine the kind of impact 60 to 80 marks can have! Isn’t that so fascinating to imagine?   One’s level of preparedness is always different for different subjects. Even within a subject, one’s comfort level may vary with topics. For example, one might be more comfortable in solving questions of Polity than Economics and within Polity also, one might be at ease with questions on fundamental rights than Parliament. The level of comfort and ease that one has with a subject/ topic gets manifested in the examination. However, there is no conscious effort by aspirants to micro analyze these aspects. Now, coming to the second aspect i.e. the mistakes that one commits in answering MCQs, it can be said that there are mainly four reasons behind incorrect responses in the OMR sheet. They are: Lack of information Lack of analytical ability Silly mistakes Excessive risk-taking Let’s analyze them one by one: Lack of information: You simply don’t know the information. You are clueless and that’s why you don’t attempt the question. For example, you may have never come across a regime called the ‘Wassenaar Agreement’ during your preparation and you can’t do much about it. The lack of information is pardonable and rectifiable. You can read more and gather more information. That is within your reach. Lack of analytical ability: You know the concept but the question is a twisted one and you are not able to apply the concept. For example, in a question asking you to identify the climate type of a region based on certain given parameters like precipitation, temperature, and air density, you might find it difficult to mark the correct option even if you are aware of all the options given in the question! That is clearly a lack of application and you can overcome it by developing a habit of framing questions in your mind while you study any topic. Silly mistakes: This habit is unpardonable. You know the concept, you become happy, you misread the question, you mark the incorrect answer and you are out of the race! Such mistakes reveal your hurriedness while answering the question. A simple mistake of reading ‘chose the incorrect option’ as ‘chose the correct option’ can destroy your chances. It means that you need to have patience and focus while attempting the paper. Excessive risk-taking: You are confused between the options and just in order to increase your attempts, you make wild guesses and try your luck only to repent eventually. Risk-taking is an art and one must be very careful while doing the guesswork in confusing questions. If you are not lucky enough, it can spoil your chances. You will realize that these problems will have different meanings for different people. For example, one might find a lack of information as the main culprit in answering wrong the questions on Culture while in Polity, lack of analytical ability is usually the culprit. The point here is that you must analyse your preparation on these yardsticks by applying them on different subjects/ topics. If one is having a headache, he/ she can’t have the same medicine for fever. Isn’t it. This is where our revamped '60 Day’ comes into the picture. It will give you an opportunity to micro analyze your preparation and perform better in the examination. Finally, it is up to you to take advantage of this framework. We are sure of only one thing- if you follow this program, assess yourself on the basis of the given framework and keep improving your weaker areas, success will be yours. We are providing you with the right platform, the right guidance, and the right competition. Do you have the right motivation to make full use of this initiative? We think you have. Come, be a part of this initiative and take the first step towards SUCCESS! Importance of self - tracking: We could have provided all of you with login id and passwords to monitor your daily performance in the 60-day program. Instead, a simple and most beautiful way which Disqus provides is profile based commenting! Yes, we have seen the most successful candidates who have taken the maximum benefit from this program monitoring themselves by commenting on their answers in the box given (Disqus comment). And reviewing their performance themselves once in 10 days on the progress meter.  DOWNLOAD THE 60 DAYS PLAN 2021 All the Best! IASbaba    

Apr 27, 2021 TLP Mains Answer Writing

SYNOPSIS [20th April,2021] Day 86: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE   SYNOPSIS [20th April,2021] Day 86: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   1. What are the key tools of accountability in public administration? Discuss. How effective these tools have been? Critically examine. Approach- Question is straight forward. Candidate can define accountability and discuss the tools with the help of suitable examples while examining their effectiveness. Introduction Accountability is a form of liability that refers to who and for what and what is accountable, which is understood as the obligation of the holder of the trust to provide accountability, presenting and reporting all activities that are his responsibility to the party who provides the trust has the authority to hold such accountability. Body Key tools of accountability Right to information act, 2005- The path-breaking Right to Information Act which has come into effect in 2005 has been heralded as the most significant reform in public administration in India in the last 72 years. RTI Act has lent voice to the aspirations of ordinary citizens in issues of governance. It gave the common people a defining power to shape the government schemes and policies. RTI is the most effective instrument to check corruption where the citizen has the right to take the initiative to seek information from the state. The Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011 (Citizens Charter)- seeks to create a mechanism to ensure timely delivery of goods and services to citizens. It requires every public authority to publish a CC within six months of the commencement of the Act and levies a penalty of up to Rs 50,000 for failure to render services. Social audit- A social audit is a way of measuring, understanding, reporting and ultimately improving an organization’s social and ethical performance. A social audit helps to narrow gaps between vision/goal and reality, between efficiency and effectiveness. Social audit fixes accountability of public servants, increases efficacy and effectiveness of local development programmes. Lokpal- The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 provided for the establishment of Lokpal for the Union and Lokayukta for States. These institutions are statutory bodies without any constitutional status. They perform the function of an "ombudsman” and inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for related matters. Jurisdiction of the Lokpal included the Prime Minister except on allegations of corruption relating to international relations, security, the public order, atomic energy and space. To what extent tools of accountability have been successful? RTI- The act did brought some accountability but it lacks structural and functional robustness The Information Commissions were envisioned as the watchdogs in the implementation of the RTI act. CIC currently has more than 30,000 pending cases. Delay in appointments of Information Commissioners has resulted in huge vacancies.  The Amendments under the 2019 bill will lead to the dismantling RTI as they empower the Central government to unilaterally decide tenure, salary, allowances and other terms of service of Information Commissioners. The Commission which is vested by law with status, independence and authority, will now function as a department of the Central government. Shortcomings of Citizens charter- Devoid of participative mechanisms - in a majority of cases, not formulated through a consultative process with cutting edge staff who will finally implement it. Lack of public awareness: only a small percentage of end-users are aware of the commitments made in the CC since effective efforts of communicating and educating the public about the standards of delivery promise have not been undertaken. Social audit- The scope of social audits is highly localised and covers only certain selected aspects. Social audits are often sporadic and ad hoc. Monitoring is informal and unprocessed. The findings of social audit cannot be generalised over the entire population. Lokpal- The institution of lokpal has tried to bring a much needed change in the battle against corruption in the administrative structure of India but at the same time, there are loopholes and lacunae which need to be corrected. Five years have passed since the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013 was passed by parliament, but not a single Lokpal has been appointed till date indicating the lack of political will. The 2013 act did not provide concrete immunity to the whistle blowers. The provision for initiation of inquiry against the complainant if the accused is found innocent will only discourage people from complaining. Conclusion The Indian democracy remains procedural democracy. The well charted tools of accountability seems effective in their structure but lack tooth when it comes to the actual implementation of the acts. Lack of political will and lack of awareness among people are the reasons for the ineffectiveness. The superstructure of procedures in the acts will fail to bring the expected results unless they are provided with the necessary infrastructure and the spirit to work in a free environment.  2. How does transparency strengthen local governance? Explain. Approach Since the question is asking you to explain, it expects you to basically clarify a topic.  Introduction  Transparency, in a business or governance context, is honesty and openness. Increasing transparency at the local level has come to be recognised as an important element in tackling some of the challenges to sustainable development. Transparency improves governance because it enhances citizen participation, fosters greater accountability and helps combat corruption.  Body  WAYS IN WHICH TRANSPARENCY CAN STRENGTHEN LOCAL GOVERNANCE INCLUDE: Poor transparency at the local level increases the exclusion of poor and marginalised citizens and limits their access to resources and opportunities. Conversely, access to information can empower them. With transparency, access to relevant, up-to-date information can create a basis for natural exchange, allowing both official and the public to better access decisions taken and policies implemented. Transparency can help build trust between civil society and local government and improve the responsiveness of urban authorities. This will support greater engagement by citizens and the private sector. Greater transparency can also bring benefits to government themselves, directly or indirectly. Therefore, transparency is also considered to be a key component of public policy and efficiency. By promoting better access to information, transparency improves the accountability of all actors to development goals and each other. Free and guaranteed access to information enables citizens, the media and law enforcement agencies to use official records as a means to uncover cases of corruption and maladministration. Increasing transparency increases the risk of detection of corrupt practices and this can act as a deterrent to future corruption. Corruption can be tackled by activities to enhance transparency and accountability at the local level. These can be developed within ‘local integrity systems’ that involve all stakeholders. Transparency offers a strategic entry point for promoting good urban governance and encouraging public participation. The more a local government can provide in the way of transparency, the more it increases trust, honesty, and integrity in the government leaders. Conclusion Transparency is also inextricably linked to governance, one definition of which is "a way of implementing policies through cooperation whereby representatives of the government, market and civil society participate in mixed public and private networks”. Transparency is an important principle of good governance since a degree of clarity and openness about how decisions are taken can help to build the capacity of the poor and/or marginalised to play a role in policy formulation and implementation; to influence these decisions that affect their lives; and to encourage decision- and policy-makers to exercise their power for the greater good. 3. What are the current institutional measures for ensuring transparency in policy making? Discuss.  Approach: The question demands to explain the current measures of transparency in the policy making in the country. The answer should mention about the CBI, CVC, Lokpal and RTI as main parts and also include social audit and CAG as other accountability and transparency measures.  Introduction: Transparency and accountability in administration are sine qua non of participatory democracy. Government secrecy fosters disbelief of government on the part of the citizenry and transparency eliminates the wall of secrecy built against the common people by those holding power. Accountability goes beyond the mere responsibility of delivery of a task or service. It also means answerability if a service is not delivered in a timely and efficient manner such that it becomes a burden.  Body: UNDP describes governance as “a system of values, policies and institutions by which a society manages its economic, political and social affairs through interactions within and among the state, civil society and the private sector.”  Transparency is broadly accepted as a major principle of good governance. Transparency allows stakeholders to collect information that may be critical to uncovering abuses and defending their interests. Likewise, transparency increases accountability of the Government officials.  Transparency means that the criteria, process and systems of decision-making are openly known to all in a public manner. Citizen’s charter becomes an important measure for transparency in institutional setup. The declaration of Right To Information Act (2015) set the stage for transparency in the functioning of the government and its various agencies. Under this Act, access to information from a public agency has become a statutory right of every citizen. Major Initiatives to Enhance Transparency in India include – Right to Information Act, Public Services Bill, Citizens Charters, e-Governance, e-Bhoomi, e-Choupal, e-procurement. Transparency is required to make the system of public service delivery effective. However, sheer knowledge of what entitlements are, and who is responsible for fulfilling them, is not sufficient to ensure that public services are passably and effectively delivered to the ‘intended’ recipients The RTI has been seen as a landmark evolvement to empower public on information relating to public authority [under section 2[h]). Its recent expansion by including CJI under its ambit shows its relevance. Citizen charters have ensured a way for transparent and citizen centric administration. For instance, on measures of grievance redressal, etc. The e – governance have ensured it by- Transparency through online public procurement.  Delivery of welfare schemes through JDY and thus avoiding leakages and corruption. Models like PRAGATI for good and efficient public service and governance system. Conclusion: There is imperative need to strengthen and widen the national public information infrastructure through developing information networks for wider access of digital information through wider use of information technologies. Changing the mindset of the government employees is important. This will be addressed to organizing programmes for orientation, training and capacity building.  States may be advised to establish an independent public grievance redressal authority to deal with complaints of delay, harassment and corruption. Accountability is the complementary function of Transparency. Further, if the system of governance is transparent enough it would promote accountability, transparency and accountability are linked vis-a-vis its mission of an organization where the main objective of achieving public welfare needs to be prioritised. 4. What are citizen charters? Are they effective? Critically examine. Approach A simple and straightforward question where in the candidates need to explain what are citizen charters in the first part of the answer while in the second part, they need to critically examine the aspect of their effectiveness with proper substantiation. Introduction The concept of a citizen’s charter was initiated by former British Prime Minister John Major in the year 1991 intended to improve quality of public service. In India, the concept of citizen’s charter was first adopted at a ‘Conference of Chief Ministers of various States and Union Territories’ held in May 1997 in the national capital. Body Citizen charter is the written voluntary declaration by service providers highlighting the standards, timeline, grievance redressal mechanism and other service-related information. An ideal citizen’s charter must contain: Vision and mission statement of the organization, information about the nature and quality of service delivery, the time frame within which the service must be delivered, expectations from the client and grievance redressal infrastructure in case of noncompliance. Effectiveness of Citizen’s Charter – Quality of service: It promotes good governance. It increases organizational effectiveness and performance by making a public commitment to adhere to measurable service delivery standards. E.g. Bangalore police responding to distress calls within 10 minutes.  Accountability: It enhances accountability by providing citizens with a clear understanding of service delivery standards, including timetables, user fees for services, and options for grievance redress. E.g. Timely delivery of Pizza failing which it will be free. Service Monitoring: It creates a way for both internal and external actors to objectively monitor service delivery performance. It ensures better service quality and grievance redressal. E.g. Details of services provided under municipality. Reduce corruption: It increases government revenues by ensuring that the money citizens pay for services goes into the government’s coffers (and not into employees’ pockets). E.g. online payments, refunds as a promise under charter. Citizen Charter increases participation of common man in efficient working of an organisation by making the citizens aware of the aims and goals of the organization. It sets standards of service, allowing high expectations from an organisation, pushing them to work diligently. Grievance redress mechanism: makes the organization communicate with the public and improve itself based on complaints and feedback. This creates an organizational culture of learning from mistakes as well as promote participative governance. Citizen charter, not an effective instrument – Lack of public awareness: While a large number of public service providers have implemented citizen’s charter only a small percentage of end-users are aware of the commitments made in citizen charter. Charters was rarely updated: charters reviewed rarely showed signs of being updated even though some documents dating back from the inception of the citizen charter programme nearly a decade ago. Inadequate groundwork: Government agencies often formulate citizen’s charter without undertaking adequate groundwork in terms of assessing & reforming its processes to deliver the promises made in the charter. Just a formality: The general perception of organisations which formulated Citizens’ Charters was that the exercise was to be carried out because there was a direction from the top. They are nothing but pious statements of intention which do not contain any objective goals. Unrealistic Charter: In some cases, the standards/time norms of services mentioned in Citizens’ Charter were either too lax or too tight and were, therefore, unrealistic and created an unfavourable impression on the clients of the Charter. Resistance to change: The new practices demand significant changes in the behaviour & attitude of the agency & its staff towards the citizen.  No legal backing: The Citizen’s Charter is not legally enforceable and, therefore, is non-justifiable.  This had made them toothless tool to the citizens.  But citizen charter being a complete failure is an exaggeration. It has produced and is a reason for many reforms and successes like – Sevottam model as suggested by 2nd ARC and 6th pay commission has been adopted by many ministries and departments. Citizen charter of Indian post is one of the success stories. As a next step to citizen charter, states like Madhya pradesh, Kerala etc., have passed right to service. Citizen report card, Jan Bhaagidaari in cities like Bangalore, Delhi etc., are offshoots of citizen charter. Way Forward – Include Civil Society in the process: to assist in improvement in the contents of the Charter, its adherence as well as educating the citizens about the importance of this vital mechanism. Hold officers accountable for results: fix specific responsibility in cases where there is a default in adhering to the CC. Conclusion Therefore, with effective implementation strategy, simplified meticulous design and deployment of enthusiastic staff and with adequate awareness campaigns, possible external audits, we can go a long way in making Citizen Charter a tool for better governance. 5. What role do civil servants play in India’s electoral democracy? Illustrate. Approach: Candidates are expected to write about civil servants in democracy in India and illustrate on the role of the civil servants in the electoral democracy of India. Introduction In a democracy, the civil services play an extremely important role in the administration, policy formulation and implementation, and in taking the country forward towards progress and development. Body Polling personnel: The majority of polling personnel are temporary staff recruited from virtually every branch of government. They comprise teachers, engineers, clerks, accountants, administrative and support staff from across departments including government laboratories and hospitals, security and police personnel, bus drivers, railway staff, anganwadi workers responsible for early childhood care as well as primary healthcare workers. Nearly five million polling personnel and police forces, according to the Election Commission of India’s 2016 annual report. In the 2014 general election, the staff deployed in polling booths alone numbered 37,31,897, not counting the vast numbers of security and other personnel. Role of civil servant in electoral democracy: Government staff are deployed because they would be subject to the control and discipline of the government at all times as per former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi. Employees from the private sector were deliberately kept out of election duties as no administrative control could be exercised over them once the elections were over. The Election Commission of India consists of the chief election commissioner and two election commissioners all senior bureaucrats. They are supported by a secretariat that is composed in part of officials transferred from other departments and those recruited directly into the Commission. This apex body decides the schedule, the election process and its monitoring, the codes of conduct and their enforcement, how the electorate is registered and identified and how grievances are addressed. It deputes general observers, expenditure observers and police observers to the states as well as expenditure monitoring committees and poll code monitoring staff to all 543 constituencies. Despite the tight control over all staff and agencies involved, the conduct of a general election is a remarkably decentralised affair. Government officials at the state and district levels play important roles. At the state level, the Election Commission is represented by a chief electoral officer again a senior bureaucrat. They are assisted by several special and deputy chief electoral officers. Together, with nodal officers on deputation, they oversee voter registration and education, deal with political parties active in the state, approve campaign material and activities, monitor the media, enforce the code of conduct and address grievances. In a general election, the Parliamentary constituency sees maximum action. Here, the returning officer is in charge. The district administration handles the details – hiring cars, organising wheelchairs, randomising the selection of polling staff and electronic voting machines, enforcing the model code and investigating its violations, receiving and scrutinising nomination papers, securing the machines and finally, organising counting. The Presiding Officer is responsible for setting up the Polling Station and conduct a mock poll before the polling commences. He/she has to ensure that voting compartments are properly arranged and cables connecting balloting units and VVPATs to their respective Control Units are clearly visible.  The Presiding Officer is also responsible for ensuring the polling begins and ends at the fixed time and that there is no delay. He/she should also keep an eye on voters, making sure no one goes away without voting. He/she also has to periodically check that ballot units and VVPATs have not been tampered with. The officer also seals the EVMs and election records and hands them over to the Returning Officer at the reception centre. It is a special job profile created under the EC guidelines where the micro observer reports deviations in the polling process in the polling station to the General Observer of the constituency. They are appointed in sensitive polling areas. Mostly retired civil servants are appointed. The returning officer of a parliamentary or assembly constituency is responsible for the conduct of elections in the parliamentary or assembly constituency concerned as per the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Returning officer is the statutory authority to conduct the polling, counting process and to decide validity of ballot paper and election commission has no power to overrule him or her. Conclusion The permanent Executive who form the civil servants are the backbone of the administration in a country. It is with this branch of executive that the common man mostly comes into contact with and it is through this branch that the national government establishes its contacts with the rank and file of citizens. TLP HOT Synopsis Day 86 PDF

Apr 27, 2021 Important Articles

[CONNECT WITH BABA] IASbaba’s Dedicated HOTLINE, #ASKBABA, Phone-a-Friend for UPSC/IAS Aspirants!!

Hello Friends, When everyone thought that this year things are going to be fine and the situation will be normal, we are hit by a monstrosity that is right now belittling human existence. We are back to the lockdowns and there is large-scale panic, distress, and pain. It could have been avoided, but what did not happen, did not happen. Now is the time when every single one acts like a hero and saves lives. The best way you can do this is to not get out of your houses unnecessarily. Remember, you are civil services aspirants, in the coming time, you are going to take charge of such disasters. You need to learn how to control yourself now and be disciplined. Students are also anxious about the UPSC Prelims exam, whether it will be held on time or not. Honestly, in our opinion, it should be postponed. The situation is worsening. The virus is there in the air and every second person is infected. In such a situation, students shouldn’t be called to any center to take the exam. The crisis that we face today is a momentous occasion for mankind. Good times are bound to come; we are not very far away from it. Together we can overcome this crisis. All that we need is active support from all of you! It is time to Introspect, Ideate and Improve!! We are all driven by certain desires or aspirations. This driving force has the ability to get us going despite the odds. So, to ensure that your preparation goes smoothly and keeping up with our promise, we are coming up with a Dedicated HOTLINE (Communication channel) – Connect with BABA for all UPSC/IAS Aspirants,  #AskBaba – you can ask your queries related to 60 Day plan and 'Phone-a-Friend' - talk to our Mental Health Expert and Counsellor.   Details are as follows – HOTLINE, ASK YOUR BABA (#ASKBABA), PHONE A : Modus of Operandi 1. HOTLINE – Connect with BABA ( Monday – Friday between 10 am – 6pm) With this hotline, you will be able to speak with the Core Team members of IASbaba on the telephone regarding ‘any queries’ related to UPSC preparation in general or how to approach a particular subject or current affairs. Unlike last year where we opened the hotline for 2 hours, this year the communication channel will be open from 10 am – 6 pm daily (excluding Saturday and Sunday – holidays). Please do not make calls before or after the specified time and date, as we will be occupied with other daily initiatives running on the website and mentorship. Hope you understand our time constraints. Please note that, call facilities are mainly for queries related to preparation per se like strategies, difficulties in reading a subject, what to read, what not to read, how to manage time, revision, motivation etc. Note: Subject-specific queries will not be entertained. As in, don’t expect a mentor to teach you a concept on phone. Eg. Don’t ask, Sir, explain the phenomenon of Temperature Inversion. You can call on the numbers given below. Contact Number: 8882913399 2. ASK YOUR BABA (#ASKBABA) – clear your doubts on the 60 Day Platform (Online from 11 am – 10 pm) Use the disqus comment section of that particular day (60 Day post) to clear all your subject-specific doubts of the day. Here, doubts related to the 60 day questions or conceptual clarity in a particular subject can be asked. Your doubts will be cleared on real-time basis (or max within 2 hours it will be answered from the subject experts) 3. 'Phone a Friend' - You can talk to our Counsellor/Mental Health Expert  ( Monday – Friday between 2:00 – 4:00 pm). Our mental health determines how we think feel and act and is important at every stage of life from childhood to adulthood. Good mental health is when you feel positive about yourself and cope well with everyday pressures. During these trying times of social distancing, we need emotional support at all stages of life. Anxiety is natural in the present scenario. But don’t you worry. You can speak with an expert about anything regarding anxiety, depression, etc. The counsellor will be available from Monday – Friday between 2:00 – 4:00 pm. Our mental health expert is Swetha S. K. She has an experience of delivering educational assistance and instructions to various levels of learners. She is a certified counsellor who is committed to providing students with the necessary tools to achieve academic goals, instilling confidence, love of learning, building self-esteem and self-awareness. She is an empathetic person with a passion to listen, who is sensitive about feelings and emotions, and believes in empowering and being congruent. Feel free to speak with her. Contact Number: 8882913399   How to make the maximum use of this HOTLINE and #ASKBABA (Disqus comment of 60 Day Plan) on Daily basis? From Babaji: Regularly (from Monday to Saturday- 6 days a week), questions are posted between 10:30 am. 35 Mcq’s ( 20 mcqs Subject specific, 10 mcqs Current Affairs related and 5 mcqs from CSAT) are posted per day. As a Student: Inorder to simulate exam like scenario, download the OMR sheet which is published along with the post. Set the stop-watch to 35 minutes and solve the 35 mcq’s and post your OMR Sheet or number of questions attempted on the disqus comment. Also importantly use this daily thread (disqus comment) to clear your doubts related to the subject of the day. For instance, the subject on Monday (30th April) is Polity, so you can post all your queries/doubts related to that subject and we have a dedicated team, who will clear all your doubts on the same day. This makes it a meaningful learning as your doubts are cleared on real-time basis (or max within 2 hours it will be answered from the subject experts). Please don’t shy away from posting your scores. Nobody will judge you based on that. As time and again we have reiterated that 60 day plan is a ‘training ground’  for knowing your weak spots and then working to address those before the final battle. You need to be true to yourself, ready to accept your weakness, only then will you be able to progress and learnings can happen.   Now, that I have solved 30 mcq’s, what to do next? This will be your next obvious question. Once you devote 35 minutes on 60 Day Initiative, focus on your day to day reading like Newspaper or follow our initiatives (Daily Current Affairs, PIB, AIR, RSTV, Yojana/Kurukshetra). Later, you can focus on the static/core subjects of your choice – Polity, History, Economics, Geography, Environment & Science and Technology. If you are following 60 Day plan, then you will not have any issues with regard to covering the syllabus comprehensively and on time! The Solutions are purposefully posted around 5 PM to simulate exam-like scenario and create seriousness in the students. Once the solution is updated (in the same post of 60 Day plan) around 5 PM. Cross-check your answers with the Solution and post your score in the same comment thread as you had posted earlier. There are 2 advantages on posting your score – It makes you more accountable (which is very important to keep a check on your preparation). And you can see the incremental increase in your score on a day to day basis which will lead to sure shot success in Prelims. As you all know ’60 Day’ is a peer-driven initiative and by participating actively, you are placed to get better with each passing day. Your ACTIVE Participation will motivate the entire student community to prepare in the time of uncertainty prevailing right now. NOTE- Follow this in the Comment Section. Mention- Time Taken after solving the Test After the release of Solution Edit your Comment to Mention-  Correct/Incorrect and Score 2 Marks for Correct/0.66 minus for Incorrect. P.S: Hotline, #AskBaba, 'Phone-a-Friend' will be functional from tomorrow (28th April 2021). Thank You IASbaba

Apr 27, 2021 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 27th April 2021

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Groundwater depletion may reduce winter cropping intensity Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III - Environment  In news Groundwater depletion may reduce winter cropping intensity by 20% in India. Key takeaways  India is the second-largest producer of wheat in the world, with over 30 million hectares in India dedicated to producing this crop.  Some of the important winter crops (Rabi crops): wheat, barley, mustard and peas. But with severe groundwater depletion, the cropping intensity or the amount of land planted in the winter season may decrease by up to 20% by 2025 The international team studied India’s three main irrigation types on winter cropped areas: dug wells, tube wells, canals, and also analysed the groundwater data from the Central Ground Water Board.  They found that 13% of the villages in which farmers plant a winter crop are located in critically water-depleted regions. These villages may lose 68% of their cropped area in future if access to all groundwater irrigation is lost.  The results suggest that these losses will largely occur in northwest and central India. Disaster Management Act invoked for liquid oxygen  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Disaster management  In news Invoking the Disaster Management Act, the Centre ordered States that all liquid oxygen, including the existing stock with private plants, should be made available to the government and will be used for medical purposes only. Important value additions  Liquid oxygen is abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries It is the liquid form of molecular oxygen It has a pale blue color It is strongly paramagnetic- it can be suspended between the poles of a powerful horseshoe magnet. Because of its cryogenic nature, it can cause the materials it touches to become extremely brittle. Liquid oxygen is also a very powerful oxidizing agent: organic materials will burn rapidly and energetically in liquid oxygen.  It was used as the oxidizer in the first liquid-fueled rocket invented in 1926 by Robert H. Goddard, an application which has continued to the present. In commerce, it is classified as an industrial gas and is widely used for industrial and medical purposes. It is obtained from the oxygen found naturally in air by fractional distillation in a cryogenic air separation plant. It is the most common cryogenic liquid oxidizer propellant for spacecraft rocket applications, usually in combination with liquid hydrogen, kerosene or methane. Cyber Crime Volunteer Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III - Cyber security  In news The Union Home Ministry has said it does not maintain a centralised list of volunteers enrolled under the cybercrime volunteer programme since the police is a “State subject” under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. Key takeaways  The Ministry, through its cybercrime grievance portal, aims to raise a group of “cybercrime volunteers” to flag “unlawful content” on the Internet. A digital rights group, the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), has said the programme enables a culture of surveillance and could create potential social distrust by encouraging civilians to report the online activities of other citizens The programme was expected to include 500 volunteers, 200 “cyber awareness promoters” and 50 “cyber experts”. Cybercrime Volunteers Programme is a constituent of The National Cybercrime Ecosystem Management Unit.  The unit is part of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) scheme launched by Union Home Minister in January 2020. India's Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) dispatched to Indonesia  Part of: GS Prelims and GS – II - International Relations & GS-III - Defence and security  In news The Indian Navy dispatched its deep submergence rescue vessel (DSRV) from Visakhapatnam to support the Indonesian Navy in the search and rescue efforts for its submarine KRI Nanggala that went missing with 53 personnel aboard. Key takeaways  KRI Nanggala (402) is a diesel-electric attack submarine of the Indonesian Navy, one of two Cakra-class submarines (Type 209 design). The boat is named after the Nanggala, a divine and powerful short spear that was owned by Prabu Baladewa (the elder brother of Kresna), a recurring character in wayang puppet theatre. Important value additions  Deep submergence rescue vessel (DSRV) India is amongst the few countries in the world capable of undertaking search and rescue of a disabled submarine through a DSRV. Indian Navy’s DSRV system can locate a submarine up to 1,000-metre depth utilising its state-of-the-art side scan sonar and remotely operated vehicle. After the submarine is successfully located, another sub module of DSRV — the submarine rescue vehicle (SRV) — links with the submarine to rescue the trapped personnel. The SRV can also be used to provide emergency supplies to the submarine. Miscellaneous Marib  Yemen’s Houthi rebels have taken full control of the northwest Kassara battlefield, advancing close to the centre of Marib city despite heavy casualties. Marib is the capital city of Marib Governorate, Yemen It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Sabaʾ which some scholars believe to be the ancient Sheba of biblical fame.  It is located in the region of the Sarawat Mountains. Marib and its surrounding oil fields make up the last significant pocket of government-held territory in the north, the rest of which is under rebel control. Exercise Varuna – 2021 The 19th edition of the Indian and French Navy bilateral exercise ‘VARUNA-2021’ is being held in the Arabian Sea from 25th to 27th April 2021. From the Indian Navy’s side, guided missile stealth destroyer INS Kolkata, guided missile frigates INS Tarkash and INS Talwar, Fleet Support Ship INS Deepak, with Seaking 42B and Chetak integral helicopters, a Kalvari class submarine and P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft, will participate in the exercise. VARUNA-21 highlights growing bonhomie and showcases increased levels of synergy, coordination and inter-operability between the two countries  (Mains Focus) ENVIRONMENT/ INTERNATIONAL Topic: GS-2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests  GS-3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation  India-U.S. Climate Partnership Context: Recently, the Leaders' Summit on Climate was convened by the US President virtually. 40 world leaders, including the Prime Minister of India, were invited to the event to underscore the urgency of stronger climate action. At the Summit US and India launched a new high-level partnership, the “U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership” Key Features of the Partnership are: It envisages bilateral cooperation on strong actions in the current decade to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement The Partnership will proceed along two main tracks:  The Strategic Clean Energy Partnership, co-chaired by Secretary of Energy Granholm,  The Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue, co-chaired by Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. The partnership will work together in achieving ambitious climate targets of both countries USA has set an economy-wide target of reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions by 50–52 percent below 2005 levels in 2030 (announced in this summit) India has set a target of installing 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030  The Partnership will aim to Mobilize finance and speed clean energy deployment;  Demonstrate and scale innovative clean technologies needed to decarbonize sectors including industry, transportation, power, and buildings;  Build capacity to measure, manage, and adapt to the risks of climate-related impacts. The partnership could also create templates of sustainable development for other developing countries. US has also announced in this summit to double its public climate financing to developing countries and triple public financing for climate adaptation in developing countries by 2024. India’s Position w.r.t Climate Change Although China, the U.S. and India are the top three emitters of CO2 in absolute terms, the U.S. has a much greater per capita emission statistic than China and India.  India’s per capita carbon footprint is 60% lower than the global average. It is because our lifestyle is still rooted in sustainable traditional practices, India is among the few countries whose NDCs or Nationally Defined Contributions are 2-degree-Celsius compatible India is targeting a 2030 GDP emissions intensity (i.e., volume of emissions per unit of GDP) that is 33%-35% below 2005 levels. It also seeks to have 40% of power generated from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. Conclusion Through this collaboration, US and India aim to demonstrate how the world can align swift climate action with inclusive and resilient economic development, taking into account national circumstances and sustainable development priorities. Connecting the dots: China’s Climate Commitment INTERNATIONAL/ GOVERNANCE Topic: GS-2: Foreign Policy GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. What went wrong with India's vaccine diplomacy? Context: In the Second Wave, India’s growing coronavirus deaths have taken the sheen of the government’s diplomacy during the COVID-era. With more than three lakh new cases a day, India is the country with the biggest surge at present India’s COVID Diplomacy Lifted restrictions on HCQ Drug: India lifted its ban on exports of the drug HCQ, when there was demand for it across the world. Medical Assistance: India sent medical teams to countries in the neighbourhood to assist the government to tackle the rising cases of COVID-19 Vaccine Supply: Under its massive Vaccine Maitri programme, India exported more than 66 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 95 countries worldwide. Of these about 10 million were grants from the government, 20 million were sent as part of the global COVAX facility, and the rest 36 million were commercial export Forefront of multilateral diplomacy efforts: The Quad plan aims for production of one billion vaccines to be offered to South East Asian countries Fight at WTO: India-South Africa are putting efforts at the WTO to have all vaccine patents (TRIPs) waived for the coronavirus pandemic duration  What were actions by other countries? China has exported 80 million doses to about 60 countries, but only after it managed its own internal COVID-19 crisis.  The European Union (EU) has exported 113.5 million doses to 43 countries, but the EU is made up of 27 countries.  The worst affected United States, which through the use of executive orders and its Defense Production Act, made domestic production and use of COVID-19 vaccines and pharma supplies its priority, refusing exports at present. So why is the government now facing criticism for its diplomacy?  Prematurely declaring Victory: Government did not anticipate the current second wave crisis and sent out the wrong message internationally when on January 29th, during his speech at the Davos forum, PM Modi said that the country had won the war on COVID-19. At the time, India was seeing about 11,000 new cases a day nationwide and 1.5 lakh active cases. Today that number has grown to 3 lakh new cases and 24 lakh active cases on an upward trend.   Poor Preparedness on domestic & Trade front: India did not leverage its strengths over the past few weeks to ramp up hospital bed strength, pharma supplies and oxygen production through imports and for not halting those exports like pharmaceuticals and oxygen, that were needed the most. Wrong time to launch Vaccine Maitri Programme: Indian launched Vaccine Maitri programme at exactly the same time as the domestic vaccination programme began, without properly estimating the need or the urgency of vaccinating the whole population of India. In all, 66 million vaccine doses were exported, while India’s entire vaccine programme over three months from mid-January to mid-April has given 130 million doses. This means that at the very least, India exported what could have been used for a month of vaccinations domestically. Vaccine Exporter to Vaccine Importer: As the government has declared vaccines for all over 18 years to be opened up from May 1, India has gone from being a vaccine exporter, to needing vaccine imports, including the Russian Sputnik vaccine, U.S. developed Johnson and Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer and others.   Cancelled Diplomatic Meeting: Lack of awareness of the problem was most obvious in the international visits that were planned during this period — visits to India by Rwanda President Kagame, Danish PM Frederiksen, UK PM Johnson, Japanese PM Suga, all of which have had to be cancelled. What is the government’s defence? The government’s defence, expressed by EAM S. Jaishankar is — India cannot ask the world for help, for vaccine supplies if it is not willing to export its own product to help others.  Counter Arguments:  India is the world’s second most populous country, and after the U.S., has the highest number of cases, active cases and deaths. If it helps its own citizens, it will take a large load off the global pandemic worry.  U.S. response on why it wasn’t exporting excess vaccines, was that it is "not only in US interest to see Americans vaccinated, it's in the interests of the rest of the world to see Americans vaccinated." The same should be true for India and Indians. Connecting the dots: Vaccine Nationalism ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: GS-3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources Capital expenditure: Necessity & Challenges Context: The recent budgetary allocation towards capital expenditure at Rs 5,54,236 crore in FY2021-22(BE) is a rise of 34.5% over FY2020-21. Necessity To recover from Slowdown: This move is significant against the backdrop of the economic slowdown caused due to the Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with a decline in employment ratio. Value Creation: The creation of capital assets generates future cash flows for the economy and adds to value creation. Multiplier Effect: Capital expenditure is expected to achieve this through a multiplier effect (a change in rupee value of output with respect to a change in rupee value of expenditure). Multiplier effect works through expansion of ancillary industries and services. Employment generation: Increased Capital expenditure through multiplier effect leads to job creation and also facilitates labour productivity.  Macroeconomic Stabilizer: Thus, capital expenditure is an effective tool for countercyclical fiscal policy and acts as a macroeconomic stabilizer. Concerns/Challenges Time Lag to have effect: This multiplier effect of increased capital expenditure will not take into account the time-lag to kick in, capacity availability in the industry, and undisposed inventory and work in progress before the pandemic-induced lockdowns. Inadequate Spendings by people: The multiplier effect loses value if people hold idle cash out of fear of unforeseen expenses and survival paramountcy during possible future lockdowns. Inflation: Inflation-induced price rise, particularly in food and health, could also affect the multiplier impact as households would tend to give them priority over other consumption items. Bureaucratic Procedural Hurdles: Project implementation costs and time taken is higher in India, which further impacts the multiplier effect of increased capital expenditure Quality Issues: Poor quality necessitates recurring maintenance costs attached to a project after its completion. Way Ahead Timely Implementation: Emphasis on timely implementation of projects within the earmarked outlay by strengthening monitoring, redressal mechanisms and processes for controlling project delays. Easing Process: Optimising project management processes of all the key stakeholders, including implementation agencies, state governments, vendors and others will ensure efficiency during project implementation. Ensuring quality control, which, in turn, will result in capital assets providing benefits over a longer term following the multiplier effect.  Managing Revenue Expenditure: The maintenance, repair and operation (MRO) expenditure, which is part of revenue expenditure, will have to be monitored during project implementation. One also needs to cut down on inefficient revenue expenditure and focus on creating a balanced and stable virtuous cycle, which can have positive knock-on effects over the long term. (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 Which of the following is/are Rabi crops?  Wheat Barley Mustard Rice  Select the correct code  1, 2 and 4 only  2, 3 and 4 only  1, 2 and 3 only 1, 2, 3 and 4  Q.2 Consider the following statements regarding liquid oxygen: It is strongly paramagnetic Organic materials burn very slowly in liquid oxygen. Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  Q.3 Exercise varuna is held between India and which of the following country? France UK Russia USA  ANSWERS FOR 26th April 2021 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 C 3 A Must Read On the idea of minimum global corporate tax: The Hindu On complexities of herd immunity: The Hindu On RBI’s dilemma between targeting growth vs inflation: Indian Express

Apr 27, 2021 RSTV Video

US Strategic Policy for Indo Pacific Region – The Big Picture – RSTV IAS UPSC

Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Effect of policies of developed countries In News: With just a week to go before its end, the Trump administration had declassified a sensitive document on the U.S. Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific from 2018.  The 10-page document, declassified in part by US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, outlines objectives and strategies with regard to China, North Korea, India and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region.  Framed more than two years before the India-China military standoff along the Line of Actual Control, the strategy makes more than 20 mentions of India – seeing it as pre-eminent in South Asia… taking on the leading role in maintaining Indian Ocean security. And in this regard the document says the United States will build a stronger foundation for defence cooperation, expand defence trade and ability to transfer defence technology to enhance India’s status as a Major Defence Partner, increase cooperation on shared regional security concerns and encourage India’s engagement beyond the Indian Ocean Region.  On the other hand, China is the primary state actor of concern outlined in the document. As per the Framework, Beijing is increasingly pressuring Indo-Pacific nations to subordinate their freedom and sovereignty to a "common destiny" envisioned by the Chinese Communist Party. India and U.S.  In the document, treaty allies — such as South Korea — are front and centered, and India is clubbed with other smaller South Asian powers under the “Expanding Partnerships in the Indian Ocean Region” header. However, in the 2018 SFIP – and more consistent with the 2017 National Security Strategy – India’s role is magnified, no doubt to the delight of the commentariat in New Delhi, if not the Narendra Modi government. Interestingly, as an action point, it notes the need to provide India with support through “diplomatic, military and intelligence channels to help address continental challenges such as the border dispute with China…” This claim is consistent with what has been known for a while in Indian strategic circles – and with statements made by outgoing U.S. ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster, on January 5, incidentally the same day O’Brien declassified the SFIP. However, all the talk of maintaining “U.S. strategic primacy in the Indo-Pacific” (which the SFIP links with the U.S. position globally) will likely raise a few eyebrows in New Delhi. As the Modi government untiringly reminds its audiences, India’s preference is for a “multipolar Asia in a multipolar world.” This dissonance becomes even more glaring when one considers the fact that the SFIP talks about aligning U.S Indo-Pacific strategy with India’s. Modi has repeatedly made it clear that his vision for the region is “inclusive” as is not “directed at anyone.” It is unlikely he’d sign up for a project to maintain U.S. regional primacy. How the US sees China The US sees China as a strategic competitor bent on circumventing international rules and norms and a key security concern across the Indo-Pacific region, where Beijing wants to establish “new, illiberal spheres of influence”, according to the document. According to the US Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific, one of the main national security challenges for the US in the region is maintaining its primacy and promoting a “liberal economic order while preventing China from establishing new, illiberal spheres of influence”. Under President Donald Trump, the US adopted a confrontational approach to China on both trade and security issues and called out Beijing for not doing enough to contain the initial spread of the Coronavirus in early 2020. The incoming Biden administration hasn’t fully spelled out its China policy though most experts believe president-elect Joe Biden will be less confrontational even as he counters challenges from Beijing. The strategy document states that China “seeks to dominate cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence and bio-genetics”, and use them in the “service of authoritarianism”. China’s dominance in these technologies poses “profound challenges to free societies”, and China’s proliferation of “digital surveillance, information controls, and influence operations will damage US efforts to promote our values and national interests in the Indo-Pacific region” and even in the Western hemisphere, the document adds. The strategy also envisages China taking “increasingly assertive steps to compel unification with Taiwan”. In a specific section on China, the document points to US efforts to counter China in the trade and military spheres, including Beijing’s industrial policies and “unfair trading practices” that distort global markets, and its use of military force against the Washington and its allies or partners. On the military front, the US’s objective is deterring China “from using military force against the United States and US allies or partners”, and developing capabilities and concepts to “defeat Chinese actions across the spectrum of conflict”. In order to counter China’s intelligence activities, the US will equip its allies and partners to counter “China’s clandestine activities in their countries” and expand American intelligence and law enforcement activities that counter “Chinese influence operations”. The US will also help allies and partners develop high standards in counterintelligence, counter-proliferation, cyber-security and industrial security. While seeking to maintain American industry’s innovation edge vis-a-vis China, the US will work with allies and like-minded countries to “prevent Chinese acquisition of military and strategic capabilities; broaden the scope of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to cover venture capital and other forms of investment by China; and adopt domestic policies that promote growth in key technologies”. In order to promote US values across the Indo-Pacific to counterbalance Chinese models of government, the US will develop “public and private messaging and promote initiatives that show the benefits of democracy and liberty...including economic, technologic, and societal benefits”, and coordinate efforts to “protect and promote internationally recognized rights and freedoms”. The US will also enhance its engagement in the Indo-Pacific while “educating governments, businesses, universities, Chinese overseas students, news media, and general citizenries about China’s coercive behaviour and influence operations around the globe”, and invest in capabilities that “promote uncensored communication between Chinese people”. On Russia The document identifies Russia (which it termed a “Revitalized Malign Actor”) as one of the four key challenges in the United States — China, North Korea, and “transnational challenges” being the other three. It notes: “Despite slow economic growth due to Western sanctions and decreasing oil prices, Russia continues to modernize its military and prioritize strategic capabilities – including its nuclear forces, A2/AD systems, and expanded training for long-range aviation – in an attempt to re-establish its presence in the Indo-Pacific region,” going on devote a laundry-list of complaints about Russian behavior. And yet, the document clearly states: “Russia will remain a marginal player relative to the United States, China, and India.” So, Russia is a threat in a public document but not one in a classified one?  Connecting the Dots: US’s Indo-Pacific strategy Strong India, in cooperation with like-minded countries, would act as a counterbalance to China. Comment.

Apr 27, 2021 TLP Mains Answer Writing

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1 – ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies Paper 3 Questions [27th April,2021] – Day 92

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1- ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies 3 Questions [27th April 2020] – Day 92 We will make sure, in the next 100 days not a single day is wasted and your mains preparation is solidified. All your energies are channelized in the right direction. Trust us! This will make a huge difference in your results this time, provided that you follow this plan sincerely every day without fail. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. We are giving 5 Mains Questions on a daily basis so that every student can actively participate and keep your preparation focused. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” To Know More about the Initiative -> CLICK HERE SCHEDULE/DETAILED PLAN – > CLICK HERE Note: Click on Each Question (Link), it will open in a new tab and then Answer respective questions! 1. With the internal security threats emanating from communication networks, what steps can be taken to regulate their misuse without violating the right to privacy and freedom of expression? Discuss.  संचार नेटवर्क से निकलने वाले आंतरिक सुरक्षा खतरों के साथ, निजता के अधिकार और अभिव्यक्ति की स्वतंत्रता का उल्लंघन किए बिना उनके दुरुपयोग को विनियमित करने के लिए क्या कदम उठाए जा सकते हैं? चर्चा करें। 2. Comment on the role played by media and social networking sites during the COVID pandemic. COVID महामारी के दौरान मीडिया और सोशल नेटवर्किंग साइटों द्वारा निभाई गई भूमिका पर टिप्पणी करें। 3. Why is fake news considered a serious internal security threat? Analyse. नकली समाचार को एक गंभीर आंतरिक सुरक्षा खतरा क्यों माना जाता है? विश्लेषण करें। 4. What are the security challenges posed by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain? Discuss. कृत्रिम बुद्धिमत्ता और ब्लॉकचेन जैसी उभरती प्रौद्योगिकियों द्वारा उत्पन्न सुरक्षा चुनौतियाँ क्या हैं? चर्चा करें। 5. What are the most common international destinations used for money laundering? What measures have been taken to control it? मनी लॉन्ड्रिंग के लिए सबसे आम अंतरराष्ट्रीय गंतव्य कौन से हैं? इसे नियंत्रित करने के लिए क्या उपाय किए गए हैं? 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 :)

Apr 27, 2021 Yojana

IAS UPSC YOJANA & KURUKSHETRA Magazine ‘MARCH’ 2021

Hello Friends, Here we are with the MARCH 2021, edition of Yojana and Kurukshetra. Yojana/Kurukshetra: MARCH 2021 – Download