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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 29th SEPTEMBER 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Foundation day of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) celebrated Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Welfare Schemes In news The foundation day of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) was recently celebrated as “Kaushal Se Kal Badlenge” (25th September). Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development Key takeaways  Agripreneurship (entrepreneurship in agriculture) Programme was inaugurated. Guidelines regarding Captive Employment under DDU-GKY were released. Guidelines for Promotion of Integrated Farming Cluster (IFC) were also released Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for capacity building of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)/StartUps and providing incubation support in rural areas was signed. Do you know? Captive employers are businesses which can employ 500 or more in their own organisation or one of their subsidiaries and have suitable in-house training facilities. Integrated Farming is a combined approach aimed at efficient sustainable resource management for increased productivity in the cropping system. It has multiple objectives of sustainability, food security, farmer’s security and poverty reduction by involving livestock, vermicomposting, organic farming, etc. Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict (Map-based) Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news Recently, territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has re-erupted with heavy clashes. Armenia and Azerbaijan are part of Transcaucasia or South Caucasia. It is a geographical region in the vicinity of the southern Caucasus Mountains on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia consisting of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus are a strategically important mountainous region in south-east Europe. For centuries, different powers in the region - both Christian and Muslim - have vied for control there. Do you know?  Nagorno-Karabakh region has 95% of the population as ethnically Armenian and is controlled by them but it is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Image source: Click here Sandalwood Spike Disease Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Issues related to agriculture In news India’s sandalwood trees are facing a serious threat due to Sandalwood Spike Disease (SSD). The natural population of sandalwood in Marymoor Sandal Forest of Kerala and various reserve forests in Karnataka, including MM Hills (Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary), are heavily infected with SSD. Important value additions Sandalwood Spike Disease It is an infectious disease which is caused by phytoplasma. Phytoplasmas are bacterial parasites of plant tissues.  They are transmitted by insect vectors and involved in plant-to-plant transmission. There is no cure as of now for the infection. The infected tree will have to be cut down to prevent the spread of the disease. Multi-stakeholder body recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Telecommunication In news Recently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended the creation of a multi-stakeholder body (MSB) to ensure that Internet access providers adhere to the provisions of net neutrality. Key takeaways  The MSB should be set up as a non-profit entity. Possible functions: (1) To provide advice and support to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in the monitoring and enforcement of net neutrality principles; (2) To investigate complaints regarding the violation of net neutrality; (3) To help DoT in the maintenance of a repository of reasonable traffic management practices. MSB could include telecom service providers, Internet service providers, content providers, researchers, academic and technical community, civil society organisations, and the government. MedSpark in Kerala Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Health; Schemes In news MedSpark, one of the first medical device parks in the country will be set up in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.  Key takeaways  Established by: (1) Department of Science and Technology (DST); (2) Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), an autonomous institute of the DST; (3) Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. (KSIDC)  Fundings: From the state and central governments  Functions: (1) Focus on the high-risk medical device sector; (2) Provide a full range of services for the industry like research and development support, testing, and evaluation of medical devices; (3) Create an enabling support system for manufacturing support, technology innovation, and knowledge dissemination. Plastic Parks Scheme launched Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Interventions related to Climate change and Pollution In news The Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers has approved setting up of 10 Plastic Parks in the country. The Parks are being set up in the states of: Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh. A Plastic Park is an industrial zone devoted to plastic enterprises and its allied industries. Implemented by: A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) shall complete the setting up of the Plastic Park in a period of three years from the date of final approval. Key takeaways Plastic Parks shall enable the plastic sector to move up the value chain and contribute to the economy more effectively. Major Objectives: (1) Increase the competitiveness, polymer absorption capacity and value addition in the domestic downstream plastic processing industry through adaptation of modern measurers; (2) Achieve environmentally sustainable growth through innovative methods of waste management, recycling, etc. The Central Government provides grant funding up to 50% of the project cost, subject to a ceiling of Rs. 40 crore per project. The remaining project cost is funded by the State Government, beneficiary industries and by loan from financial institutions. Temple belonging to Kakatiya Dynasty converted Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Art & Culture In news A temple constructed by Emperor Ganapati Deva, a ruler of Kakatiya dynasty, in Dharanikota (Andhra Pradesh) has been converted into an abode of local goddess Balusulamma (Goddess Durga). The presiding deity at this 13th-century temple was Kakati Devi, the tutelary deity of Kakatiya rulers. Due to ravages of time and for no upkeep, the presiding deity got damaged.  The villagers of Dharanikota, who had no knowledge about the past of the temple, installed Balusulamma idol and started worshipping. Important value additions  Kakatiya Dynasty Kakatiyas is an Andhra dynasty that flourished in the 12th century CE.  The Kakatiya dynasty ruled from Warangal (Telangana) from CE 1083-1323. They were known for the construction of a network of tanks for irrigation and drinking water and thereby gave a big boost to the overall development of the region. Hundreds of Hindu temples were built under the patronage of Kakatiya kings like Ganapati Deva, Rudrama Devi and Prataparudra of Kakatiya dynasty. E.g. Examples: (1) Thousand Pillar Temple or Rudreshwara Swamy Temple, Telangana. It is a star-shaped, triple shrine (Trikutalayam) dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva and Surya. (2) Ramappa Temple, Warangal, Telangana; (3) Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, Telangana African Elephant dying due to Cyanobacteria Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment; Biodiversity In news Recently, neuro-toxins in water produced by cyanobacteria killed more than 300 African elephants in the Okavango delta region, Botswana, South Africa. Important value additions  Cyanobacteria They are blue-green algae. They are found naturally in soils and all types of water. These organisms use sunlight to make their own food. In warm, nutrient-rich (high in phosphorus and nitrogen) environments, cyanobacteria can multiply quickly. Toxic blue-green algae are occurring more frequently as climate change drives up global temperatures. The African elephant It is the largest animal walking the Earth. Their herds wander through 37 countries in Africa. IUCN Status: Vulnerable  African elephants in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe: CITES Appendix II Botswana It is a landlocked country of southern Africa. The semi-arid Kalahari Desert covers about 70% of Botswana's surface. It is home to mostly different types of acacia trees; animals like lion, cheetah, leopard, hyena, antelopes, meerkats, as well as many birds species and reptiles. It is also home to the tribes like- San people (Bushmen), Tswana, Kgalakgadi, and Herero people. Okavango Delta: It is one of the world's largest inland deltas. Do you know? Neuro-toxins are substances that damage, destroy, or impair the functioning of neural tissue. An algal bloom is a rapid increase in the population of algae or cyanobacteria in an aquatic system. Image source: Click here Gilgit-Baltistan to Become a Pakistani Province (Map-based) Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news Recently, Pakistan has decided to elevate Gilgit-Baltistan’s status to that of a full-fledged province. Gilgit-Baltistan is one of the disputed territories of India. Key takeaways Gilgit-Baltistan is an autonomous region now and with this elevation, it will become the 5th province of the country. Currently, Pakistan has four provinces - Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh. This elevation will lead to adequate representation from the province on all constitutional bodies, including the National Assembly and the Senate. The Government will also start working on the Moqpondass Special Economic Zone (SEZ) under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). India has held that the Government of Pakistan or its judiciary has no locus standi on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it. Miscellaneous Jnanpith Award The 55th Jnanpith award was handed over to poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri. Akkitham became the sixth writer to bring Jnanpith to Malayalam literature. Jnanpith Award is given by Bharatiya Jnanpith, a literary and research organization based in Delhi. It is given annually to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". It is bestowed only on Indian writers writing in Indian languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India and English. Scrub Typhus Recently, Scrub Typhus (Bush Typhus) was in the news. It is a bacterial disease which has caused 5 deaths and 600 infections in Nagaland’s Noklak district bordering Myanmar. Caused by: Orientia tsutsugamushi (Bacteria) Spread through bites of Larval Mites of family trombiculid, also called Chiggers. Symptoms: Fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes rash. Occurrence: Rural areas of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, China, Japan, India, and northern Australia. Treatment: Antibiotics. No vaccine available. I-ATS (Automatic Train Supervision) indigenously-built The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) launched ‘i-ATS’ (Automatic Train Supervision).  It is an indigenously-built communication-based train control signalling technology for the metro. It will significantly reduce the dependence of Indian metros on foreign vendors dealing with such technologies. It can work with train control and signalling systems of various suppliers.  (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2,3: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prics and food security The basis of MSP Context: The newly passed farm trade Bill - Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill - has raised concerns that farmers may no longer be assured MSP for their crop What is Minimum Support Price (MSP)? MSP is the price set by the government to purchase crops from the farmers, whatever may be the market price for the crops. MSP is declared by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs before the sowing time on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) Support prices generally affect farmers’ decisions indirectly, regarding land allocation to crops, quantity of the crops to be produced etc MSP assures farmers agricultural income besides providing a clear price signal to the market The major objectives are to support the farmers from distress sales and to procure food grains for public distribution.  What is Procurement Price? Sometimes, the government procures at a higher price than the MSP. Here, the price will be referred as procurement price.  The procurement price will be announced soon after the harvest.  Normally, the procurement price will be higher than the MSP, but lower than the market price.  The price at which the procured and buffer stocke food grains are provided through the PDS is called as issue price. What are the Farmers demanding with regard to MSP? They are demanding for a provision in the new law safeguarding the continuance of the existing minimum support price (MSP)-based procurement regime. A mere sentence in the new law to the effect that nothing in this Act shall stop the government from announcing MSPs and undertaking crop purchases at these rates as before. What does the new law say about MSP? The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill does not give any statutory backing to MSP. There isn’t even a mention of either “MSP” or “procurement” in the Bill passed by Parliament Government has justified the move stating that the new legislation has “nothing to do with MSP”. Instead, its objective is simply to grant farmers and traders the freedom of choice to sell & buy agricultural produce outside the premises of APMC mandis. MSP and procurement, according to government, are entirely separate issues MSP was not part of any law before. Nor is it part of any law today. Is there any legal backing for MSP? The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA), provides a legal basis for the public distribution system (PDS) that earlier operated only as a regular government scheme. The NFSA made access to the PDS a right, entitling every person belonging to a “priority household” to receive food grains at cheaper rates MSP, by contrast, is devoid of any legal backing. Access to MSP, unlike subsidised grains through the PDS, isn’t an entitlement for farmers. They cannot demand it as a matter of right. The government can procure at the MSPs if it wants to. There is no legal compulsion. Nor can it force others (private traders, organised retailers, processors or exporters) to pay What is the basis of MSP then? It is only a government policy that is part of administrative decision-making. The government declares MSPs for crops, but there’s no law mandating their implementation The Centre currently fixes MSPs for 23 farm commodities based on the CACP’s recommendations —  7 cereals - paddy, wheat, maize, bajra, jowar, ragi and barley 5 pulses - chana, arhar/tur, urad, moong and masur 7 oilseeds - rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, safflower and nigerseed 4 commercial crops - cotton, sugarcane, copra and raw jute CACP itself is not any statutory body but is an attached office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It can recommend MSPs, but the decision on fixing (or even not fixing) and enforcement rests finally with the government. What is speciality about Sugarcane crop? The only crop where MSP payment has some statutory element is sugarcane This is due to its pricing being governed by the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966 issued under the Essential Commodities Act. That order, in turn, provides for the fixation of a ‘fair and remunerative price’ (FRP) for cane during every sugar year (October-September). But even the FRP — which, incidentally, was until 2008-09 called the ‘statutory minimum price’ or SMP — is payable not by the government.  The responsibility to make FRP payment to farmers within 14 days of cane purchase lies solely with the sugar mills. Has there been any move to give MSP legislative backing? The CACP, in its price policy report for the 2018-19 kharif marketing season, had suggested enactment of a legislation conferring on farmers ‘The Right to Sell at MSP’.  This, it felt, was necessary “to instil confidence among farmers for procurement of their produce”.  That advice was however not accepted by government. Conclusion Along with market reforms for agricultural marketing envisaged through new farm bills, government should also increase the public farm infrastructure which will pose a tough competition in the free market. Connecting the dots: Ashok Dalwai Committee on Doubling Farmer’s income National Food Security Act INTERNATIONAL/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 3: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.  UN and the retreat from multilateralism Context: The United Nations commemorated its 75th anniversary on September 21, 2020. Challenges to UN are Leadership withdrawal from West The challenge to multilateralism is coming not from the have-nots, but the main stakeholders of the system. The U.S., which created the international system as we know today, is no longer willing to be its “guarantor of last resort”. U.S. President Donald Trump has stressed repeatedly on “America First” and suggested that others too should put their countries first. The U.S. is not alone in withdrawing from multilateralism. Brexit has shown that nationalism remains strong in Europe China not poised to occupy the space left by US China’s assertion of a role on the world stage is not an embrace of the idea of multilateralism.  Its flagship Belt and Road Initiative consists of a series of bilateral credit agreements with recipient countries with no mechanism for multilateral consultation or oversight Increasing Polarisation of World President Trump has often highlighted China’s culpability in the spread of the pandemic.  He pointed out that China had banned internal flights but allowed international flights from Wuhan to continue. This set the stage for the spread of COVID-19. President Xi’s sought to project the fight against COVID-19 as a matter of collective responsibility of the international community.  US-China Trade war has further increased the animosity between two countries and threatens to split the world into two economic camps Resource Crunch for UN Over 40 UN political missions and peacekeeping operations engage 95,000 troops, police, and civil personnel. To be effective, they have to be put on a sound financial basis.  The UN peacekeeping budget, a little over $8 billion, is a small fraction of the $1.9 trillion military expenditure governments made in 2019. There was an outstanding assessed contribution of $1.7 billion for peacekeeping activities by the end of the financial year Prospects for Public-Private partnership model for UN seems bleak Most of the humanitarian assistance, developmental work, and budgets of the UN specialised agencies are based on voluntary contributions. Hence, there are calls for increasing public-private partnerships The UN provides ‘public goods’ in terms of peace and development often in remote parts of the world and there may not be enough appetite on the part of corporations to fund UN initiatives SDGs and Climate Goals are threatened COVID-19 pandemic has brought in its wake the deepest recession the world has seen since the 1930s This has made it more difficult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the UN had adopted.  Way Ahead The retreat from multilateralism would undermine the UN’s capacity to face diverse challenges. We need to support reform not only to expand the permanent members’ category of the Security Council but also to revitalise the role of the General Assembly, as it gives greater political space for developing countries. Connecting the dots: Declining Significance of SAARC – reasons and consequences (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers.  Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1 Recently, “Kaushal Se Kal Badlenge” Program was in the news. It is related to which of the following scheme? Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana Atal Innovation Mission Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Ujjwala Scheme Q.2 Nagorno-Karabakh region was recently in news. It is associated with which of the following? Iran Sanctions Turley-Greece Conflict Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Oil spill in Mediterranean Sea Q.3 Sandalwood Spike Disease is an infectious disease which is caused by phytoplasma. Consider the following regarding Phytoplasmas: Phytoplasmas are fungal parasites of plant tissues. They are transmitted by insect vectors. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4 Plastic Parks scheme is launched by which of the following Ministry? Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate change Ministry of Urban Affairs Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers Ministry of Agriculture ANSWERS FOR 28th September 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 C 3 D 4 C Must Read About Modi and Imran Speeches at UNGA: The Hindu About Sri Lanka’s Constitutional Amendment and India’s appeal to it: The Hindu About India losing clout in neighbourhood: The Indian Express

PIB

PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU (PIB) IAS UPSC – 21st September to 27th September – 2020

PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU (PIB) IAS UPSC – 21st September to 27th September – 2020 ARCHIVES GS-1 Rules relaxed for divorced daughters to receive Family Pension (Topic: Women empowerment) Rules have been relaxed for divorced daughters to receive Family Pension and now a daughter will be entitled to receive the Family Pension even if the divorce had not finally taken place but the divorce petition had been filed by her during the lifetime of her deceased parent employee/pensioner. The earlier Rule provided for payment of Family Pension to a divorced daughter only if the divorce had taken place during the lifetime of deceased parent pensioner or his spouse. The new circular will not only bring ease in the life of pension receiving individuals but also ensure respectable and equitable rights for the divorced daughters in the society. Orders have also been issued for grant of Family Pension to a Divyang child or sibling even if the Disability Certificate is produced after the death of the pensioner parent but the disability had occurred before the death of the parents. All Pension Disbursing Banks have been instructed to provide doorstep Life Certificate to those pensioners who are unable to visit the bank. GS-2 Historic reform in Medical Education: National Medical Commission (NMC) constituted (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.) Historic reform in the field of medical education has been effected by the Union Government with the constitution of the National Medical Commission (NMC), along with four Autonomous Boards. With this, the decades old institution of the Medical Council of India (MCI) stands abolished.  Along with NMC, the four Autonomous Boards ofUG and PG Medical Education Boards, Medical Assessment and Rating Board, and Ethics and Medical Registration Board have also been constituted to help the NMC in day to day functioning. This historic reform will steer medical education towards a transparent, qualitative and accountable system. The basic change that has happened is that the Regulator is now 'selected' on merits, as opposed to an 'elected' Regulator.  Men and Women with impeccable integrity, professionalism, experience and stature have been now placed at the helm to steer the medical education reforms further. Lok Sabha passes 3 Historic and path breaking Labour Codes (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.) The 3 bills which were passed in the Lok Sabha today are  1. Industrial Relations Code, 2020  New conditions for legal strike – no person employed in an industrial establishment shall go on strike without a 60-day notice and during the pendency of proceedings before a Tribunal and sixty days after the conclusion of such proceedings. Earlier such restrictions applied only to public utility services. Raised the threshold for requirement of a standing order — rules of conduct for workmen employed in industrial establishments — from the existing 100 to 300 workers Reskilling Fund – To set up a re-skilling fund for training of retrenched workers with contribution of the employer of an amount equal to 15 days last drawn by the worker. 2. Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020  To employ women in all establishments for all types of work. They can also work at night, that is, beyond 7 PM and before 6 AM subject to the conditions relating to safety, holiday, working hours and their consent To Promote Formalisation: Issuing of appointment letter mandatorily by the employer of an establishment to promote formalisation in employment Inclusion of inter-state migrant workers in the definition of worker: Inter-state migrant workers are defined as the worker who has come on his own from one state and obtained employment in another state, earning up to Rs 18,000 a month.  The proposed definition makes a distinction from the present definition of only contractual employment. Portability Benefits: An Inter-State Migrant Worker has been provided with the portability to avail benefits in the destination State in respect of ration and availing benefits of building and other construction worker cess However, the Code has dropped the earlier provision for temporary accommodation for workers near worksites.  It has though proposed a journey allowance — a lump sum amount of fare to be paid by the employer for to and fro journey of the worker to his/her native place from the place of his/her employment 3. Social Security Code, 2020 National Social Security Board which shall recommend to the central government for formulating suitable schemes for different sections of unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers No more ambiguities: The bill has defined various terms like “career centre”, “aggregator”, “gig worker”, “platform worker”, “wage ceiling” , etc. Social security for gig workers: Also, aggregators employing gig workers will have to contribute 1-2 per cent of their annual turnover for social security of workers These bills are part of Government’s earnest desire to bring much needed labour welfare reforms in the country which has not been done for the last 73 years.  What are the concerns raised over the new labour codes? Dilutes rights of Workers: Workers in small establishments (with up to 300 workers) will have their rights watered down with no protection of trade unions, labour laws.  Workers safety safeguards diluted: The new rules will enable companies to introduce arbitrary service conditions for workers. Corporate Friendly: The new rules provides more flexibility to employers for hiring and firing workers without government permission Restricts Freedom of Speech: Restrictions on strikes and demonstrations is akin to assault on the freedom of industrial actions.  Ambiguity about reskilling Fund: The Code lacks clarity on the substantive and procedural aspects of reskilling Fund which will fizzle out like the National Renewal Fund in the 1990s Women’s Safety: Allowing women to work during night time inspite of various safeguards imposed may increase their vulnerability to sexual abuse. National Biopharma Mission (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.) Aim: To transform the health standards of the country through affordable product development and bring 5-7 biopharmaceutical products closer to market. Objectives and goals of the Mission are: Specific Product development under vaccines, biosimilars and medical devices Building shared infrastructure for product testing, characterization and manufacturing Promoting scientific research through establishment of translational research consortia and development of novel biopharmaceuticals and devices Skill development though trainings  Creating and enhancing technology transfer and intellectual property management. The Mission is supporting small and medium enterprises for biopharmaceutical product development, enhancing industry academia interlinkages and providing opportunities to translate knowledge into products/technologies for vaccines, biotherapeutics, devices and diagnostics. The indigenous manufacturing is promoted through the supported shared facilities for process optimization, clinical grade manufacturing of Biologics, Analytical testing labs, cell line repository, prototyping facilities, large animal testing facilities and medTech zone for manufacturing devices and diagnostics at large scale. These high capital facilities provide easy access to equipment and infrastructure thus encouraging indigenous  manufacturing. Technology transfer offices have been established to support technology transfer and support entrepreneurship. Financial and mentorship support has been provided to industry and academia for indigenous product development. This includes projects on development of components of upstream and downstream biologics manufacturing, such as engineered cell lines, media, resins and bioreactors which are currently in-licensed, requiring huge capital. To boost innovation, Mission is also supporting development  of novel biologics, novel vaccines and medical devices like MRI,  ventilators,  diagnostic probes and Medical grade camera. PM addresses United Nations General Assembly (Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.) Seventy-five years ago an institution was created for the entire world for the first time in human history and a new hope arose from the horrors of war.  Being a founding signatory of the UN Charter, India was part of that noble vision which reflected India’s own philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ - which sees all creation as a family. While much has been achieved, the original Mission remains unfulfilled. And the far-reaching declaration that we are adopting today acknowledges that work still needs to be done: in preventing conflict, in ensuring development, in addressing climate change, in reducing inequalities, and in leveraging digital technologies. The declaration also acknowledges the need for reform of the United Nations itself. Without comprehensive reforms, the UN faces a crisis of confidence and today’s challenges cannot be fought with outdated structures. For today’s interconnected world, we need a reformed multilateralism: that reflects today’s realities; gives voice to all stakeholders; addresses contemporary challenges; and focuses on human welfare. India looks forward to working with all other nations towards this end. India-Sri Lanka’s Virtual Bilateral Summit (Topic: India and its neghbourhood.) Discussed bilateral relations and regional & international issues of mutual concern Both leaders agreed that the current situation presented a fresh opportunity to give added impetus to bilateral relations. India reaffirmed its continued commitment for all possible support to Sri Lanka for minimising the health and economic impact of the pandemic. Recognizing that BIMSTEC is an important platform for regional cooperation linking South Asia with South East Asia, both leaders agreed to work together to ensure a successful BIMSTEC Summit to be hosted under the Chairmanship of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka welcomed India’s grant assistance of US$ 15 million for promotion of Buddhist ties between the two countries. The grant will assist in deepening people-to-people linkages between the two countries in the sphere of Buddhism including inter alia through construction/renovation of Buddhist monasteries, capacity development, cultural exchanges, archaeological cooperation, reciprocal exposition of The Buddha’s relics, strengthening engagement of Buddhist scholars and clergy etc. India called on the Government of Sri Lanka to address the aspirations of the Tamil people for equality, justice, peace and respect within a united Sri Lanka, including by carrying forward the process of reconciliation with the implementation of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka. PM Mahinda Rajapaksa expressed the confidence that Sri Lanka will work towards realizing the expectations of all ethnic groups, including Tamils, by achieving reconciliation nurtured as per the mandate of the people of Sri Lanka and implementation of the Constitutional provisions. For imparting further impetus to the bilateral relationship, the two leaders agreed to: Enhance cooperation to combat terrorism and drug trafficking including in the fields of intelligence, information sharing, de-radicalization and capacity building. Continue the fruitful and efficient development partnership in accordance with the priority areas identified by the Government and people of Sri Lanka and to further broad base the island wide engagement under the Memorandum of Understanding for Implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP) for the period 2020-2025. Work together to expeditiously complete construction of 10,000 housing units in the plantation areas, which was announced during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Sri Lanka in May 2017. Facilitate an enabling environment for trade and investment between the two countries and to deepen integration of supply chains in the backdrop of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Work towards early realization of infrastructure and connectivity projects including in the sectors of Ports and Energy through close consultations as per the Bilateral Agreements and MoUs, and strong commitment towards a mutually beneficial development cooperation partnership between the two countries. Deepen cooperation in renewable energy with particular emphasis on solar projects under the US$ 100 million Line of Credit from India. Strengthen technical cooperation in the areas of agriculture, animal husbandry, science & technology, health care and AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) as well as skill development by increased training of professionals thereby realizing the full potential of the demographic dividend in both the countries. Further strengthen people-to-people ties by exploring opportunities in the field of civilizational linkages and common heritage such as Buddhism, Ayurveda and Yoga. Government of India will facilitate visit of a delegation of Buddhist pilgrims from Sri Lanka in the inaugural international flight to the sacred city of Kushinagar, which has recently been announced as an International Airport recognizing its significance in Buddhism. Facilitate tourism by enhancing connectivity and by early establishment of an air bubble between the two countries to resume travel, bearing in mind threat posed by Covid-19 pandemic and to take all necessary preventative measures. Continue engagement to address the issues related to fishermen through regular consultation and bilateral channels according to the existing frameworks and shared goals including the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Strengthen cooperation between armed forces of the two sides including through mutual exchange of personnel visits, maritime security cooperation and support to Sri Lanka in the spheres of defence and security. India, Denmark sign MoU on Intellectual Property cooperation (Topic: Bilateral relations between India and Denmark) This MoU will go a long way in fostering the cooperation between India and Denmark, and provide opportunities to both countries to learn from the experience of each other, especially in terms of best practices followed in the other country. It will be a landmark step forward in India’s journey towards becoming a major player in global innovation and further the objectives of National IPR Policy, 2016. The MoU aims at increasing IP co-operation between the two countries by way of: Exchange of best practices, experiences and knowledge on IP awareness among public, authorities, businesses and research and educational institution of both countries. Collaboration in training programmes, exchange of experts, technical exchanges and outreach activities. Exchange of information and best practices on processes for disposal of applications for patents, trademarks, industrial designs and Geographical Indications, as also the protection, enforcement and use of IP rights. Cooperation in the development of automation and implementation of modernization projects, new documentation and information systems in IP and procedures for management of IP. Cooperation to understand how Traditional Knowledge is protected; including the use of traditional knowledge related databases and awareness raising of existing IP systems. GS-3 Launch of Centralized Farm Machinery Performance Testing Portal (Topic: Agricultural Marketing) Developed by: Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare Aim: To improve services of farm machinery testing institutions and bringing out transparency in the entire process of testing and evaluation of machines. Features: Facilitate applying for testing of machinery online. Ensure Transparency in the entire processes of testing. Faster Feedback Help in Reducing testing Time Reduced Business Expenses of Agricultural Manufacturers Testing Efficiency Improvement Thoroughness in Testing Flexible Access – Officers concerned at Ministry and manufacturers can monitor testing activities from anywhere with internet access. Agricultural mechanization is a central indispensable support to make farm operations efficient and productive. It contributes in increasing the efficiency and productivity of all direct as well as indirect inputs used in the crop production system besides, reduction in drudgery associated with various farm operations. Parliament passes the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Topic: Agricultural Marketing) The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 with provisions to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities was passed by Rajya Sabha. The EC (Amendment) Bill 2020 aims to remove fears of private investors of excessive regulatory interference in their business operations. The freedom to produce, hold, move, distribute and supply will lead to harnessing of economies of scale and attract private sector/foreign direct investment into agriculture sector. It will help drive up investment in cold storages and modernization of food supply chain. This bill will create a positive environment not only for farmers but also for consumers and investors. Legislation will help in more investment in cold storages, modernization of food supply chain, bringing price stability, create competitive market environment and prevent wastage of agri-produce. This amendment will also help to achieve the government’s promise to double the farmer’s income by promoting investment in this sector and promote ease of doing business. Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe)  (Topic: Space and technology) Government has launched the Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to promote private investment and innovation in the space sector. IN-SPACe will facilitate and support the Private Sector in the following ways: Provide technical support Share cash intensive facilities Allow to establish temporary facilities in DOS premises Allow to bid for requirements coming from NSIL Partner in science and space exploration missions IN-SPACe is the Institutional and Regulatory mechanism established by Government to facilitate greater private participation. Financial provisions are not covered under this mechanism. Private players can participate in: Building satellites Building launch vehicles Carry out launches Develop Applications & provide space based services Develop subsystem and systems for space sector activities Prelims oriented News Vasa Ghana, Guduchi Ghana and Vasa-Guduchi Ghana: Elements that are being tested for therapeutic management of symptoms in Covid-19 positive cases by the Ministry of AYUSH JIMEX 20: Bilateral Maritime Exercise Between Japan and India AHSP Transfer of Pinaka Weapon System from DRDO to DGQA: Pinaka is a free flight artillery rocket system having a range of 37.5 km. Pinaka rockets are launched from a multi barrel rocket launcher which has capability to launch salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds. Faceless Income Tax Appeals: All Income Tax appeals will be finalised in a faceless manner under the faceless ecosystem with the exception of appeals relating to serious frauds, major tax evasion, sensitive & search matters, International tax and Black Money Act. Part of “Transparent Taxation - Honoring the Honest” From e-allocation of appeal, e-communication of notice/ questionnaire, e-verification/e-enquiry to e-hearing and finally e-communication of the appellate order, the entire process of appeals will be online, dispensing with the need for any physical interface between the appellant and the Department. The Faceless Appeals system will include allocation of cases through Data Analytics and AI under the dynamic jurisdiction with central issuance of notices which would be having Document Identification Number (DIN). Indigenous Manufacturing of Medical Equipments India is 86% import-dependent on Medical Devices/equipments. The various segments of devices/equipments imported are Electronics Equipment, Surgical Instruments, Conusumable& Disposables, IVD Reagent and Implants. Various schemes/initiatives have been formulated to promote domestic manufacturing of medical devices/equipments and attract large investment in the sector: National Biopharma Mission. DBT-AMTZ COMManD [Covid-19 Medtech Manufacturing Development] Consortia launched by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) with Andhra Pradesh Med-tech Zone (AMTZ). National Biomedical Resource Indigenisation Consortium constituted as a Public Private Partnership. BioNEST scheme of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Promoting Domestic Manufacturing of Medical Devices. Scheme for "Promotion of Medical Devices Parks" National Rural Health Mission Launched to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to the rural population, especially the vulnerable groups making the public health delivery system fully functional and accountable to the community human resources management community involvement decentralization rigorous monitoring & evaluation against standards convergence of health and related programmes from village level upwards innovations and flexible financing and also interventions for improving the health indicators National Handicrafts Development Programme [NHDP]:  Base Line Survey & Mobilization of Artisans under Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana  Design & Technology Up-gradation  Human Resource Development  Direct Benefit to Artisans  Infrastructure and Technology Support  Marketing Support & Services  Research and Development Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme [CHCDS]: Mega Cluster Integrated Development and Promotion of Handicrafts Projects (Special Projects) Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs), is a Bank-led initiative, enabling a trainee to take bank credit and start his/her own micro-enterprise. RSETI program is currently implemented through 585 RSETIs by 23 Leading Banks (both Public Sector and Private Sector as well as few Gramin Banks) in 33 States/UTs covering 566 districts in the country. Training in RSETI is being imparted for 61 courses aligned with National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). Out of 61 courses as many as 38 following courses are exclusively suitable for women candidates for taking up-self-employment ventures after being trained in these courses. Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP): a majorcredit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector.Any individual above 18 years of age is eligible to avail benefits of the program. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH): Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare is implementing Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) under which financial assistance is provided for various horticulture activities including setting up of cold storages.  Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY): Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing the Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure as one of the component of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) with the objective of reducing post-harvest losses of horticulture & non-horticulture produce and providing remunerative price to farmers for their produce.  Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched during 2015-16, by Central Government with an overarching vision to ensure access to some means of protective irrigation for all agricultural farms in the country, and to produce ‘Per Drop More Crop’, thus bringing much desired rural prosperity. Four components of PMKSY are – Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP) Per Drop More Crop Watershed Development PMKSY not only focuses on creating sources for assured irrigation, but also creating protective irrigation by harnessing rain water at micro level through ‘Jal Sanchay’ and ‘Jal Sinchan’. PMKSY adopts State level planning and projectised execution that allows States to draw up their own irrigation development based on District Irrigation Plans and State Irrigation Plans.  New finding on Blazars—the brightest jets in the universe  The short term optical flux stability detected in some of the brightest jets in the universe could provide clues to the processes close to black holes. Blazars are one of the most luminous and energetic objects in the universe powered by material falling onto a super-massive black hole at the center of the host galaxy – the luminosity being because of their a jet composed of ionized matter traveling at nearly the speed of light towards an observer (the Earth). Six scientists spanning over three countries--- India, Serbia, and the USA studied some of the brightest blazers called TeV (Tera-electron Volt) blazars and found that they stand out as a semblance of stability of brightness among the blazar family in the short duration. While their brightness varies in the long duration, they maintain their brightness levels in short duration. Blazars are among one of the most favourite astronomical transient objects, and their study could provide clues to the processes happening close to the black hole, not visible through direct imaging. Development of a new low cost method of upscaling most conductive material‘graphene’ while preserving its single layered properties Graphene, the one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms, which is a boon for energy storage, coatings, sensors as well as superconductivity, is difficult to produce while retaining its single layered properties. A new low-cost method of upscaling production of graphene while preserving its single layered properties, developed by Indian scientists, may reduce the cost of producing this thinnest, strongest and most conductive material in the world. Raman spectroscopy---a technique to understand whether a graphene species has single layer like behaviour arising because of no interlayer interaction and electron diffraction--a technique to study the morphology of the given twisted system. Observing fascinating properties of twisted multilayer graphene such as visible absorption band, efficient corrosion resistance, temperature-dependent transport, influencing the crystalline orientation of source material, helped the JNCASR team to understand the landscape of the given twisted multilayer graphene system. A miracle material, given its strength, electrical conductivity and elasticity Graphene is a form of carbon and a super-strong, ultra-light material discovered in 2004 Graphene consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, each atom bound to its neighbours by chemical bonds.  It enables flexible electronic components, enhances solar cell capacity, and promises to revolutionise batteries. It is a two-dimensional material and has good electrical conductivity. It is one of the thinnest but strongest materials tested so far. The best conductor of heat at room temperature and also the best conductor of electricity known Applications:  For detecting Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) — a progressive brain disorder for which there is currently “no objective diagnostic test.” Widely used in making solar cells, light-emitting diodes, touch panels and smart windows. Graphene supercapacitors serve as energy storage devices with a capacity for faster charging and longer life span than traditional electrolytic batteries.  Water filtration and purification, renewable energy, sensors, personalised healthcare and medicine, to name a few. Highly inert and so can act as a corrosion barrier between oxygen and water diffusion. Qn: Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Graphene oxide’ It is used in energy storage devices It is used in desalination of water It is not toxic and hazardous for the environment Solution: All of the above Qn: Which of the following statements are correct about the GraphAir technology? It is the process of making Graphene from Soya bean oil. It is a new process developed to clear heavy metal impurities from air using Graphene filters. It is the process of making graphene by collecting CO2 from ambient air. None of the above Solution: (a) Scientists from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have made world’s strongest material graphene commercially more viable by using soybean. They have developed a novel “GraphAir technology” which transforms soybean oil, a renewable, natural material into graphene films in a single step. Earlier, graphene was produced in a highly-controlled environment with explosive compressed gases that required long hours of operation at high temperatures and extensive vacuum processing. This production process was costly and was major roadblock in its commercialisation. The technology grows graphene film in ambient air with a natural precursor, making its production faster and simpler. Soybean oil breaks down into a range of carbon building units when heat is applied. It makes it essential for the synthesis of graphene films Personality in News Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Political ideologies The key element was humanism in political thought. His thoughts are relevant in today’s circumstances in national life of India. He was a political leader but more than it, he was a fundamental political thinker. India’s 1947 independence is political independence but Pandit Upadhyay is one of those thinkers in India who exercised on Swaraj of ideas. It means decolonisation of ideas, i.e. decolonisation of Indian minds. India was free politically but ideologically, colonial hangover was there. His relevance lies in the fact that in political, social and cultural discourse, he introduced basic concept of Indian philosophy. For example- he propounded in 1950 that there should not be artificial differences between left and right. This concept is irrelevant for India. In 2016, in latin America and EU, political thinkers are deliberating that left and right distinctions are artificial and damaging political discourse. He conceptualised that politics can’t free from ethics. Deendayal Upadhyay were known for his organisational skills as after death of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, he managed Bhartiya Jan Sangh for 15 years. Doctrine of integral humanism According to Upadhyay ji, Integral Humanism is different from western ideologies. Most of western ideologies is based on materialism. They emphasise on development in economic term and eventually every individual is treated as economic man. His social contacts, his cultural milieu and special bent of mind is ignored in this theory. Economic without ethics and political discourse without morality are creating crisis in society. Therefore he propounded that every economic theory and policy should be in context of specialism, local tradition and nature and temperament of people. In Indian thought he said- dharm kaam arth moksh- all four are important. If there is balance between them, there is social equilibrium. Dharma and religion are different in Indian context. Dharma is more related to morality of person in individual and collective life. It is less about religion. But religion in western countries is more concerned about sects. There is difference between sects and dharma. No society can live without dharma but can live without religion. Dharma is above religion. On this, he propounded Integral Humanism. It means that an individual’s development should be in all four areas- dharm, kaam, arth and moksh Alternative of Congress In 1960, Deendayal Updhyay started polarisation against congress. He actualised it by 1965 and by 1967, there was anti-congress regime. He is called architect of non-congress movement along with Ram Manohar lohiya. In 1967 election, for the first time after independence, in the hindi belt of India, a political non-congress government was formed. Thus, Deendayal Upadhyay paved a way for non-congress alternative in India. It was not opportunism. According to him, there should be diversity in democracy. There shouldn’t be one leader-one party-one policy. This is detrimental for democracy. He believed in India’s tradition and culture and was not against modern tech but he wanted policies which suited Indian requirements and conditions. His approach was also constructive but at the same time he was not soft when it came to principles. For example, In Rajasthan, he had expelled 6 MLAs of Jan Sangh out of 8MLAs because they were opposing Zamindari abolition act. For him, quality mattered than quantity. He was a Philosopher, journalist, sociologist, economist, thinker, and worked dedicatedly for organisation and with principles. For him, morality in public life was important. In 1950s, there was a proposal to merge Jan Sangh and Swatantra party, Hindu Mahasahba and Ram Rajya Karpatri maharaj as these parties constituted 16% vote. But Deendaayal Updhyay objected the merger. The reason was that Shyama Prasad Mukherjee had asked Hindu Mahasabha to open its door for all religions but it didn’t agree. So Deendayal Updhyay objected to it. According to him, Ram Rajya Karpatri maharaj’s cottage was run from palaces which was not acceptable to Deendayal Upadhyay in politics. He believed in purity in politics and principle. This is the difference between contemporary politics and Upadhyay ji. He sacrificed LS seat for values in politics. His message should be spread across the political parties for casteless politics, communalism les politics. He stood for politics which should be value based. This is why Jan Sangh got credibility due to his value based politics. The present government is following his ideal through Last mile delivery-Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas- Development for all. Deendayal Upadhyay also talked about cottage industries, village based industries where people could be self reliant. This is reflected in Gandhiji’s philosophy also. He gave three cardinal principles for Indian politics: Decentralisation– Basic for indian republic. So village central development is there. Thus, agri should be given prime importance. Diversity in social and cultural ideas. It should not be an environment of uniformity. Because he followed this principle, he appealed to most population. Planning should be decentralised. Bottom top approach was proposed so that real needs can be known. These things are to be adopted in new context because new political discourse is posing threat to culture, society and community life. This is why Deendayal Upadhyay is more relevant in neo-liberal era. He practiced what he preached and today’s contemporary politics needs to learn it too. Father of Indian Space Programme: Dr Vikram Sarabhai His important contribution includes –  Initiation of space research and development of nuclear power in India. He convinced the Government of India to form the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) in 1962 and was the first chairperson of the committee. INCOSPAR was later renamed as Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969. He played an advisory role in the new setup. Vikram Sarabhai founded the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad on November 11, 1947. He was only 28 at that time. He was also Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.  He played a major role in the creation of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Some of the other most well-known institutions established by Dr. Sarabhai are: Community Science Centre, Ahmedabad Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad Faster Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR), Kalpakkam Varaiable Energy Cyclotron Project, Calcutta Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), Jaduguda, Bihar As a result of Dr. Sarabhai’s dialogue with NASA in 1966, the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) was launched. Dr. Sarabhai started a project for the fabrication and launch of an Indian Satellite. As a result, the first Indian satellite, Aryabhata, was put in orbit in 1975 from a Russian Cosmodrome. “Sarabhai” Crater is named after Dr Vikram Sarabhai and around 250 to 300 kilometres east of this Crater is where the Apollo 17 and Luna 21 Missions had landed. As per the ISRO sources, the Sarabhai Crater captured in 3D images shows that the Crater has a depth of around 1.7 Kms taken from its raised rim and the slope of Crater walls is in between 25 to 35 degree. These findings will help the Space Scientists to understand further the process on the lunar region filled with lava. Dr Sarabhai famously said, “We must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to the real problems of man and society.” When India strives to become more ‘Atma-nirbhar’, we realize the significance of his words.

RSTV Video

Agriculture Reforms – The Big Picture – RSTV IAS UPSC

Agriculture Reforms Archives Topic: General Studies 2: Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure  Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Context: Three Bills on agriculture reforms were introduced in the Parliament to replace the ordinances issued during the lockdown  The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020  The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 What do the ordinances entail?  The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance has following provisions  Opens up agricultural sale and marketing outside the notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis for farmers Removes barriers to inter-State trade  Provides a framework for electronic trading of agricultural produce.  Prohibits State governments from collecting market fee, cess or levy for trade outside the APMC markets. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance relates to contract farming. It has following provisions Provides framework on trade agreements for the sale and purchase of farm produce.  The mutually agreed remunerative price framework envisaged in the legislation is touted as one that would protect and empower farmers. The written farming agreement, entered into prior to the production or rearing of any farm produce, lists the terms and conditions for supply, quality, grade, standards and price of farm produce and services. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance  Removes cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities. The amendment will deregulate the production, storage, movement and distribution of these food commodities.  The central government is allowed regulation of supply during war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamity, while providing exemptions for exporters and processors at such times as well. Imposition of any stock limit on agricultural produce must be based on price rise. A stock limit may be imposed only if there is a 100% increase in retail price of horticultural produce; and a 50% increase in the retail price of non-perishable agricultural food items Why are these bills being opposed? Against the Spirit of Cooperative federalism Since agriculture and markets are State subjects – entry 14 and 28 respectively in List II – the ordinances are being seen as a direct encroachment upon the functions of the States  The provisions are viewed as against the spirit of cooperative federalism enshrined in the Constitution. Justification by Centre: The Centre, however, argues that trade and commerce in food items is part of the concurrent list, thus giving it constitutional propriety. End of MSP Critics view the dismantling of the monopoly of the APMCs as a sign of ending the assured procurement of food grains at minimum support prices (MSP). To the Centre’s ‘one nation, one market’ call, critics have sought ‘one nation, one MSP’. Critics argue that ensuring a larger number of farmers get the MSP for their produce and addressing weakness in the APMCs, instead of making these State mechanisms redundant is the need of the hour. Justification:  This law nowhere states that the current system of minimum support price (MSP)-based procurement of foodgrains (essentially wheat and paddy) by government agencies would end. Such purchases in state-regulated APMC (agricultural produce market committee) mandis will continue as before. The APMCs wouldn’t stop functioning either; nothing prevents farmers from selling their produce or traders and processors from buying in these mandis. All the law does is provide farmers an alternative platform to sell. This could be a factory premise/processing plant, produce collection centre, cold storage, warehouse, silo or even the farmgate. Transactions in such “trade areas” will not be charged APMC market fee or cess. These levies shall apply only in trades that take place within the boundaries of the regulated market yards or mandis set up under the respective state APMC acts. No mechanism for price fixation The Price Assurance Bill, while offering protection to farmers against price exploitation, does not prescribe the mechanism for price fixation.  There is apprehension that the free hand given to private corporate houses could lead to farmer exploitation. Critics are apprehensive about formal contractual obligations owing to the unorganised nature of the farm sector and lack of resources for a legal battle with private corporate entities. Food security undermined Easing of regulation of food items would lead to exporters, processors and traders hoarding farm produce during the harvest season, when prices are generally lower, and releasing it later when prices increase.  This could undermine food security since the States would have no information about the availability of stocks within the State. Critics anticipate irrational volatility in the prices of essentials and increased black marketing. No consultation = Mistrust Several reforms at the level of the central government as well as at the State level have been introduced and welcomed by farmers. However, in this particular case, the issue is not about the Bills; it is also about the process of their introduction.  The government has failed to have or hold any discussion with the various stakeholders including farmers and middlemen.  This is also true when it comes to consultation with State governments even though the subject of trade and agriculture are part of subjects on the State list. The attempt to pass the Bills without proper consultation adds to the mistrust among various stakeholders including State governments. Entry of two of the biggest corporate groups (Adani and Reliance) in food and agricultural retail What are the farmers’ concerns? Farmers are apprehensive about getting Minimum Support Price for their produce. Other concerns include the upper hand of agri-businesses and big retailers in negotiations, thus putting farmers at a disadvantage. The benefits for small farmers from companies are likely to reduce the engagement of sponsors with them. The farmers also fear that the companies may dictate prices of the commodities.  What farmers need and are asking for is legally guaranteed remunerative prices, that the government should commit within the same legislation to maximum procurement of various commodities tied with local food schemes, market intervention from the state, agri-credit reforms to benefit small and marginal holders and particular neglected regions, as well as reforms in crop insurance and disaster compensation. It is also important to empower FPOs as enabled players in the market and keep them out of the purview of overzealous regulation. Important value additions Article 246 adopts a threefold distribution of legislative power between the Union and the states. The subject-wise distribution of this power is given in the three lists of the Seventh Schedule of the constitution: List-I- the Union List List-II- the State List List-III- the Concurrent List Connecting the dots: Will the dismantling of APMC monopoly actually lead to these mandis becoming redundant? Will it result in corporate agri-businesses establishing direct connection with farmers and eliminating market intermediaries? Discuss.  Corporatisation of agriculture

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 96]

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative. This is a part of our recently launched, NEW INITIATIVE IASbaba’s INTEGRATED REVISION PLAN (IRP) 2020 – Road Map for the next 100 Days! FREE INITIATIVE! We will make sure, in the next 4 months not a single day is wasted. All your energies are channelized in the right direction. Trust us! This will make a huge difference in your results this time, provided that you follow this plan sincerely every day without fail. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” To Know More about the Initiative -> CLICK HERE SCHEDULE/DETAILED PLAN – > CLICK HERE Important Note: Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) After completing the 5 questions, click on 'View Questions' to check your score, time taken and solutions. To take the Test - Click Here

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 28th SEPTEMBER 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 passed Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Health In news Parliament passed the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 recently. Key takeaways  The bill amends the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.  The bill repeals the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance that was promulgated in April this year. It shall include protections for health care service personnel combating epidemic diseases.  It expands the powers of the Central Government to prevent the spread of such diseases. The legislation makes harm, injury, hurt or danger to the life of health care service personnel as a cognizable and non-bailable offence. It has provisions of imprisonment from 3 months to 5 years and a fine between Rs. 50,000 to 2 lakh rupees. Persons convicted of offences under the bill will also be liable to pay compensation to the health care service personnel whom they have hurt. Social Security Code, 2020 passed Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Society & GS-II - Schemes In news Lok Sabha passed the Social Security Code, 2020 recently. Extending the reach of Employees' State Insurance Corporation: Efforts have been made to provide right to health security under ESIC to maximum possible workers The facility of ESIC would now be provided in all 740 districts. At present, this facility is being given in 566 districts only. Establishments working in hazardous sectors would mandatorily be linked with ESIC, even if there is only one worker working in it. Provision for linking unorganised sector and Gig workers with ESIC.  Extending the reach of Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO): EPFO’s coverage would be applicable on all establishments having 20 workers.  At present, it was applicable only on establishments included in the Schedule. Option to join EPFO is also being given to establishments having less than 20 workers. Schemes would be formulated for workers coming under the category of ‘Self-employed’ or falling under any other category under the aegis of EPFO. Other key takeaways  Provision has been made to formulate various schemes for providing comprehensive social security to workers in unorganised sector.  A “Social Security Fund” will be created in order to implement these schemes. Provision for Gratuity has been made for Fixed Term Employee and there would not be any condition for minimum service period for this. Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 passed Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Schemes; Education In news Rajya Sabha passed the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.  It has been already passed by Lok Sabha. Key takeaways  The Bill seeks amendment to the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act, 2014 and the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-private Partnership) Act, 2017. The Bill seeks to declare five IIITs set up under the PPP mode in Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala, and Raichur as institutions of national importance. Currently, these institutes are registered as Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and do not have the power to grant degrees or diplomas.  On being declared institutions of national importance, the five institutes will be granted the power to grant degrees. The central government will contribute 50% towards the expenses of institutes functioning under the PPP mode.  35% will be borne by the states and 15% by the industries. As a special impetus to North Eastern states, the central government will bear over 57% of the expenses whereas industries will contribute around 7% to the Institutes there. Rashtriya Raksha University, Bill 2020 passed Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Schemes; Education In news Parliament has passed the Rashtriya Raksha University Bill 2020.  Key takeaways  The Bill establishes the Raksha Shakti University, Gujarat established under the Raksha Shakti University Act, 2009. The Bill declares the University to be an institution of national importance.  The Bill also repeals the 2009 Act.  The Bill provides for several authorities under the University.  These include: (1) The Governing Body to frame the broad policies and programmes of the University; (2) The Executive Council will be the principal executive body (3) The Academic Council will specify the academic policies of the University. The functions of the University include: (1) Providing instructions and research in police sciences, including coastal policing and cyber security (2) establishing and maintaining colleges (3) Prescribing courses, holding exams, and granting degrees and other distinctions. Industrial Relations Code, 2020 passed Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Industries In news Lok Sabha passed the Industrial Relations Code, 2020. Efforts made by the Government under the code for quickly resolving disputes  Provision for two members instead of one member in the Industrial Tribunal.  Provision for taking the matter straight to the Tribunal in case the dispute is not resolved at conciliation stage.  Implementation of award in 30 days after Tribunal award. After recognition of Fixed Term Employment, workers will get the option of Fixed Term Employment instead of contract labour.  Under this, they would get benefits of hours of work, salary, social security and other welfare benefits like a Regular Employee. A provision for “Negotiating Union” and “Negotiating Council” has been made for undertaking negotiation on any dispute. Do you know? Provision has also been made for giving recognition to Trade Unions at Central and State level. Trade Unions would be able to contribute more affirmatively and more effectively.  Provision for Re-Skilling fund has been made in the law for the first time for re-skilling those workers who have been fired from their jobs, so that they are able to get employment again. Code On Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020 passed Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Industries In news Lok Sabha passed the Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020. Key takeaways  Free health check-up once a year by the employer for workers who are older than a certain age. Legal right for getting Appointment Letter to workers.  Cine Workers have been designated as Audio Visual Worker, so that more and more workers get covered under the OSH code.  National Forensic Sciences University Bill 2020 passed Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Schemes; Education In news Parliament has passed the National Forensic Sciences University Bill, 2020 recently.  Key takeaways  The Bill shall establish the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University (Gandhinagar) and the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences (New Delhi) as a National Forensic Sciences University in Gujarat. The Bill declares the University to be an Institution Of National Importance. This university will work for the capacity building in the field of forensic science and promote research. Health in India report released Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Health In news ‘Health in India' report was recently released.  Released by: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation   Objective: To gather basic quantitative information on India’s health sector. Key takeaways  Around 7.5% of Indians reported that they were suffering from ailments. Rural India: 6.8%  Urban India: 9.1%. Religion based classification Zoroastrian community: Most susceptible to ailments. (31.1%)  Jains: 11.2% Sikhs: 11%;  Christians: 10.5% Muslims: 8.1% Buddhists: 8% Hindus: 7.2% Sex based classification Women remain more susceptible to suffering from ailments than men. Rural India: 6.1% of males and 7.6% of women  Urban India: 8.2% of males and 10% of females  Do you know? Definition of ‘ailment’ by the survey The survey defines ailment as any deviation from a person’s state of physical and mental well-being. The ‘Proportion of Persons who Responded as Ailing’ (PPRA) in a 15-day period when they were approached by the surveyors, were registered as those suffering from ailments. Miscellaneous Destination North East-2020 Union Home Minister inaugurated the "Destination North East -2020".  The Union Home Minister is also the Chairman of the North-East Council. Ministry: Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.  Objective: To take the North East Region to other parts of the country. Aim: To introduce various cultures of the country to each other along with the tourist destinations of the North East. Theme: The Emerging Delightful Destinations which speaks of the tourism destinations emerging stronger and more attractive when the Sector picks up momentum. (MAINS FOCUS) ENVIRONMENT/ ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2,3: Environmental Conservation Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation The benefits of a carbon tax Context: China, the largest carbon dioxide emitter, announced that it would balance out its carbon emissions with measures to offset them before 2060. The spotlight is now on the U.S. and India, countries that rank second and third in emissions.  Do You Know? India ranks fifth in the Global Climate Risk Index 2020. Between 1998 and 2017, disaster-hit countries reported $2.9 trillion in direct economic losses, with 77% resulting from climate change, according to a United Nations report.  What are India’s commitments to tackle Climate Change? India has committed to 40% of electricity capacity being from non-fossil fuels by 2030 India has also committed lowering the ratio of emissions to GDP by one-third from 2005 levels It has agreed to enhance its forest cover which will absorb 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2, the main gas responsible for global warming) by 2030. A Stronger Action is required – Pricing Carbon It is in India’s interest to take stronger action before 2030, leading to no net carbon increase by 2050. A smart approach is pricing carbon which can be done in following ways: Emission Trading One way to price carbon is through emission trading, i.e., setting a maximum amount of allowable effluents from industries, and permitting those with low emissions to sell their extra space.  It is a market-based approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for reducing the emissions of pollutants. This is in contrast to command-and-control environmental regulations imposed by governments Carbon Tax Another way is to put a carbon tax on economic activities — for example, on the use of fossil fuels like coal, as done in Canada and Sweden.  A carbon tax is a fee on the carbon content of fossil fuels It is a powerful monetary disincentive that motivates transition to clean energy across the economy, simply by making it more economically rewarding to move to non-carbon fuels and energy efficiency. Example: Canada imposed a carbon tax at $20 per tonne of CO2 emissions in 2019, eventually rising to $50 per tonne. This is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by between 80 and 90 million tonnes by 2022. The fiscal gains from pricing carbon can be sizeable. A carbon tax at $35 per tonne of CO2 emissions in India is estimated to be capable of generating some 2% of GDP through 2030.  Carbon Tariff on Imports Big economies like India should also use their global monopsony, or the power of a large buyer in international trade, to impose a carbon tariff as envisaged by the EU Focusing on trade is vital because reducing the domestic carbon content of production alone would not avert the harm if imports remain carbon-intensive Conclusion By reducing carbon emission through carbon pricing there are immense health benefits. A significant part of more than 3 % percent of India’s GDP currently spent on pollution-induced diseases will inevitably come down Connecting the dots: Paris Climate Deal Draft EIA notification and its impact on environmental standards ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development. Government Budgeting Economic Situation Context: Global growth prospects for 2020 have been projected by a number of multilateral institutions and rating agencies including that for India.  Real GDP Growth Numbers Pandemic Devastated Growth: India’s growth in the first quarter of 2020-21 at (-) 23.9% showed one of the highest contractions globally Real GDP Growth Projection: Reserve Bank of India’s Survey of Professional Forecasters estimate 2020-21 real GDP growth for India in the range of -5.8% to whereas Goldman Sachs projects it as -14.8%. OECD in its September 2020 Interim Economic Outlook has projected a contraction of -10.2% in FY21 for India Inflation Projection for this Fiscal The latest data released by the Ministry of Statistics indicate a Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate of 6.7% for August 2020.  The average CPI inflation during the first five months of 2020-21 is estimated at 6.6%.  Given the injection of periodic liquidity into the system and the inflation trends, the year as a whole may show a CPI inflation of close to 7%. Since deflator-based inflation tends to be lower than the CPI inflation, it may be about 5% or less. Are there sectors which hold hope for growth revival? There was hope that some key sectors such as agriculture and related sectors, public administration, defence services and other services may perform normally or better than normal given the demand for health, relief and revival expenditures However, the recently released national income figures for Quarter I of 2020-21 hold no such hope The most surprising in the Q1 data is that the sector ‘Public Administration, Defence and other Services’ contracted at (-) 10.3%. This means that there was no fiscal stimulus.  Independent estimates show that States’ capital spending fell by 43.5%.  The worsening of the fiscal deficit appears to be because of decline in revenue than increase in expenditure Revenue Erosion In the first quarter of 2020-21, the Centre’s gross tax revenues contracted by (-) 32.6% and the CAG-based data pertaining to 19 States show a contraction of (-) 45% in their own tax revenues.  The revenue calculations of the Budget were made on the assumption that the nominal income of the country would grow at 10%.  With the prospect of a contraction even in nominal growth (-5%), tax revenues of the Centre would show a considerable shortfall as compared to the budgeted amounts.  Some estimates indicate that the tax and non-tax revenue and non-debt capital receipts in the current fiscal may fall well short of the budget estimates by an amount higher than ₹5-lakh crore Only way out: The combined fiscal deficit of the Centre and the States will have to make up for the shortfall in tax and non-tax revenues, if the level of budgeted expenditures is to be maintained. Fiscal Deficit In order for the central government to maintain the level of budgeted expenditure and also provide for additional stimulus, its fiscal deficit may have to be increased to close to an estimated 8.8% of GDP. If one adds the Centre’s and States’ fiscal deficit, the combined fiscal deficit amounts to 13.8% of GDP. It may be noted that the Centre’s fiscal deficit to GDP ratio for the Q1 of 2021 was 17.4%. The Centre’s fiscal during the first four months of 2020-21 as a per cent of annual budgeted target was at 103.1%. How to fund the high fiscal deficit?  There are not adequate resources to support a fiscal deficit of nearly 14% of GDP.  All this will therefore require substantial support from the RBI which will have to take on itself, either directly or indirectly, a part of the central government debt In the direct mode, the RBI takes on the debt directly from government at an agreed rate.  In indirect mode the RBI would operate only in the secondary market through the OMO (open market operations) route. OMOs involve the sale and purchase of government securities to and from the secondary market by the RBI to adjust the rupee liquidity conditions Both direct monetisation of debt and OMOs involve expansion of money supply that can potentially result in inflation. Conclusion The economic situation warrants enhanced government expenditure; the policy challenge is to minimise the growth fall Connecting the dots: Balance of Payment Crisis of 1991 2008 Global Financial Crisis (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers.  Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1 Consider the following statements regarding Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which was passed recently: The legislation makes harm, injury, hurt or danger to the life of health care service personnel as a cognizable and bailable offence. It has provisions of imprisonment from 3 months to 1 year  Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2 The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to establish IIITs under PPP mode in which of the following cities? Surat Bhopal Bhagalpur Agartala Lucknow Select the correct code: 1, 2, 3 and 5 only 1 and 5 only 1,2,3 and 4 only 3, 4 and 5 only Q.3 In which of the following state will the Raksha Shakti University be established? Assam Maharashtra Uttar Pradesh Gujarat Q.4 Consider the following statements regarding Health in India report recently released: The least percentage of people suffering from any ailment belongs to Hindu community. Women are more susceptible to suffering from ailments than men in both rural and urban India. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 26th September 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 B 3 D 4 D Must Read About improving medical education: The Hindu About Supreme Court’s failure to come to rescue of citizens: The Hindu About Farmer’s freedom to sell: The Indian Express

AIR

Urban infrastructure projects AMRUT Yojana - All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC

ARCHIVES Urban infrastructure projects AMRUT Yojana Search 15th Sep, 2020 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx    Topic: General Studies 1: Urbanization, their problems and their remedies General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation What is Urbanisation? The Census of India, 2011 defines urban settlement as, all the places which have municipality, corporation and cantonment board or notified town area committee. Additionally, all the other places which satisfy following criteria: A minimum population of 5000 persons ; At least 75 % of male main working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits ; and A density of population of at least 400 persons per square kilometre Urbanisation: A transformative force – By 2030, 600 million Indians, or 40 per cent of the country’s population, would be residing in urban areas. If this urbanisation is to happen in a planned manner, we will need to build 700 to 900 million square meters of properly designed residential and commercial space in urban areas every year from now to 2030. It is imperative that the country moves from being a “reluctant urbaniser” to one that embraces urbanisation as a transformative force that can deliver an improved quality of life for all its citizens. About Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), which ‘replaces’ the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, will give the States and the Union Territories the liberty and flexibility in formulation, approval and execution of projects. AMRUT adopts a project approach to ensure basic infrastructure services relating to water supply, sewerage, storm water drains, transport and development of green spaces and parks with special provision for meeting the needs of children. Implementation of this mission will be linked to promotion of urban reforms such as e-governance, constitution of professional municipal cadre, devolving funds and functions to urban local bodies, review of building bye-laws, improvement in assessment and collection of municipal taxes, credit rating of urban local bodies, energy and water audit and citizen-centric urban planning in cities other than the 100 smart cities. Under this project, 10% of the budget allocation will be given to states/union territories as incentive based on achievement of reforms during the previous year. The purpose of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) is to Ensure that every household has access to a tap with the assured supply of water and a sewerage connection. Increase the amenity value of cities by developing greenery and well maintained open spaces (e.g. parks) and Reduce pollution by switching to public transport or constructing facilities for non-motorized transport (e.g. walking and cycling). All these outcomes are valued by citizens, particularly women, and indicators and standards have been prescribed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA ) in the form of Service Level Benchmarks (SLBs). Some of the major achievements - Online Building Permission System (OBPS)- To facilitate Ease of Doing Business in construction permits Replacements of Street Lights with LED lights- Led to energy savings and reduction in CO2 emission.  Credit Rating- Cities with lower rating are following measures to improve their performance so that they become credit worthy and raise funds for their projects.  Raising of bonds leads to improved governance, accounting systems, finance, transparency, accountability and delivery of services in the ULBs. It will also enhance their self-dependence and confidence to serve the citizens.  Jan Shakti Abhiyan-Urban  In order to address the national issue of water scarcity, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) has undertaken Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) from 1st July 2019. The aim is to make water conservation measures a Jan andolan, through extensive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities across the country in 754 water-stressed cities.  Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) - to recharge ground water sources and to store water Reuse of treated wastewater Rejuvenation of water bodies- to clean and rejuvenate defunct wells and water bodies Plantation- to mobilise the local community members to conduct plantation drives across the cities. PM Modi inaugurate seven urban infrastructure projects in Bihar Sewerage treatment plants at Beur and Karam-Leechak in Patna city Water-related projects in Siwan and Chhapra  Foundation stones were also laid for water supply projects in Munger and Jamalpur  River Front Development Scheme under Namami Gange in Muzaffarpur About Smart Cities Mission It is an innovative initiative under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The Mission covers 100 cities for the duration of five years starting from the financial year (FY) 2015-16 to 2019-20. It aims to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local development and harnessing technology as a means to create smart outcomes for citizens. Objective: To promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of Smart Solutions. Do you know? Low-cost interventions such as pop-up cycle lanes and non-motorised zones and community-led cycle rental schemes would be explored. The finance portal will get financial statements of all cities on a single platform. This will enable sharing and learning of best practices and helps urban local bodies in accessing market funds.  Important achievements in the five years of Smart Cities Mission About 31% of projects identified under the Smart Cities Mission have been completed About 33% of urban housing sanctioned through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) have been completed Under the Smart Cities Mission, 5,151 projects worth Rs. 2 lakh crore had been identified in 100 cities.  So far around 4,700 projects worth Rs. 1.66 lakh crore or 81% of the total projects had been tendered and 1,638 projects worth Rs. 27,000 crore had been completed. Through the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), the government had provided 79 lakh household water tap connections and 45 lakh sewer connections. Global Innovation Index 2020 released India’s rank: 48th India has climbed 4 spots.  With this, India ranked in the top 50 countries for the first time in the Global Innovation Index. World’s most-innovative economies: (1) Switzerland, (2) Sweden, (3) USA, (4) UK and (5) Netherlands. India ranks in the top 15 in indicators such as ICT services exports, government online services, graduates in science and engineering and R&D-intensive global companies. India is the lower middle-income economy with the highest innovation due to universities like IIT Delhi and Bombay, IIS Bengaluru and other top scientific publications. Do you know? India was at the 52nd position in 2019 and was ranked 81st in the year 2015.  The WIPO had also accepted India as one of the leading innovation achievers of 2019 in the central and southern Asian region. The 2020 edition of the GII presents the annual innovation ranking of 131 economies. Its 80 indicators explore a broad vision of innovation, including political environment, education, infrastructure and business sophistication. The theme of GII, 2020 – Who Will Finance Innovation?  Must Read: Pandemic and Urbanisation Connecting the Dots: Smart Cities mission The smart cities project is faced with multiple challenges and ambiguities in terms of its financial model, governance and scale. Critically examine.

TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS GS Paper 3 FULL MOCK[28th September,2020] : IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing

  SYNOPSIS GS Paper 3 FULL MOCK[28th September,2020] : IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing   1. How severe is the unemployment crisis in India? Examine. What measures would you suggest to address the problem of unemployment in India? Discuss.   Introduction India had an unemployment rate of 7.16% according to data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). (Data released in January, 2020) Body Severity of unemployment in India: Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic: Sub-optimal demand in a weak economic environment is aiding the employment crisis Adverse Impact on Growth: India’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by a historic 23.9% in June 2020 quarter according to official data, which has lead to job losses and increasing unemployment Increasing unemployment year by year: Unemployment number has doubled since 2016 — from 79.7 lakh to 1.5 crore being unemployed in the past three years. Core Sectors Impacted: The construction sector contracted by 50%, manufacturing by 39.3%, and trade, hotel and transport segment fell by 47%. Youth Potential going waste: The most amount of unemployment is seen in the age group 24-29 years — 32.59 per cent. High Unemployment in Urban areas: Urban unemployment crept up to 9.83% in August 2020 whereas rural unemployment rate was 7.65%, according to monthly unemployment data released by CMIE Highest in last four decades: The assessment by the National Sample Survey Office conducted between July 2017-June 2018, showed the unemployment rate stood at 6.1 percent, the highest since 1972-73. Under employment: India also has lesser jobs for those who are more educated — 14.6 per cent of the graduates in our country who are actively looking for jobs are unemployed Measures to address the problem of unemployment in India: Encourage Self-employment: Easy access to loans, target small-business, start-ups or female entrepreneurs. MSME Sector: It is this sector which is labour intensive and decentralised in nature according to local strengths. Governments needs to identify MSME clusters and equip them with better capabilities like Finance, electricity, Infrastructure, marketing etc Education, Health and Employment Generation: the expansion of education and health care not only promotes accumulation of human capital and thereby contributes to growth of output, it will also generate a good deal of employment opportunities. Skilling and re-skilling: Fourth Industrial Revolution will make 75 million jobs obsolete by the year 2022 but will also create 133 million new jobs — a net gain of 58 million. Thus, in order to sustain in the industry, it is crucial for employees to reskill or upskill to stay industry-relevant. Financial literacy: Introduce money early on and give them goals and responsibilities for managing their finances Digital divide: Disparity of resources affects developing countries the most, which is a result of the availability of limited resources and the backwardness of certain communities. Note: You can mention other measures as well like Sector specific packages for labour intensive sectors like leather & textile industry, reduction in repo rates by RBI to increase Credit growth, agricultural reforms, International agreements for labour migration, promoting innovation etc Conclusion Everyone —big corporate houses, entrepreneurs, employees and authorities—will have to show a strong commitment. Then it will have a positive impact on job creation and revival of the economy 2. What is ‘Thalinomics’? What are the major findings of this year’s Economic Survey with respect to food affordability? Discuss.  Introduction “Thalinomics: The economics of a plate of food in India” – an attempt to quantify what a common person pays for a Thali across India.  Thalinomics captures the economics of a plate of food in India. The survey analysed data from the Consumer Price Index for industrial workers for about 80 centres in 25 states/ Union Territories from April 2006 to October 2019 to arrive at the cost of a thali as part of ‘Thalinomics Body Major findings from economic survey: Savings: A vegetarian household saved Rs 10,887 on an average per year, assuming five individuals had two thalis a day, while households eating nonvegetarian thalis saved Rs 11,878 a year Improved Affordability: The affordability of a vegetarian thali improved by 29% between 2006-07 and 2019-20 and that of a non-vegetarian thali by 18% over the 13-year period. Across the board gains: Both across India and the four regions – North, South, East and West – we find that the absolute prices of a vegetarian thali have decreased since 2015-16 though it increased during 2019. This is owing to the sharp downward trend in the prices of vegetables and dal in contrast to the previous trend of increasing prices Southern region with highest gains: The highest gain in any year was in the Southern region for a vegetarian Thali in 2018-19 of around 12 per cent of annual earnings of a worker. Cheapest thali in Jharkhand: Jharkhand topped the list of states with the most affordable thalis in both categories in April-October 2019. Two vegetarian thalis for a household of five in Jharkhand required about 25% of a worker’s daily wage. Prices of cereals and vegetables: The prices of Cereals have been mentioned to be declining at a steady rate; the inflation has accelerated in all other components except vegetables. Initiatives for Enhancing Productivity of Agriculture and Efficiency of Agricultural Markets: Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PMAASHA) Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) - Per Drop More Crop Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) Soil Health Card e-National Agricultural Market (e-NAM) National Food Security Mission (NFSM) National Food Security Act (NFSA) Conclusion Food is not just an end in itself but also an essential ingredient in the growth of human capital and therefore important for national wealth creation. ‘Zero Hunger’ has been agreed upon by nations of the world as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). This goal (SDG 2) is directly related to other SDGs such as Goal 1 (No poverty), Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 5 (Gender equality), Goal 12 (Responsible consumption and production), Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Goal 15 (Life on Land). 3. What is an expansionary budget? When does an economy normally need an expansionary budget? Explain. How would you assess this year’s budget on the yardstick of ‘reviving demand in the economy’? Critically comment.   Introduction Expansionary budget is when the government expands the money supply in the economy using budgetary tools to either increase spending or cut taxes—both of which provide consumers and businesses with more money to spend. Expansionary fiscal policy includes tax cuts, transfer payments, rebates and increased government spending on projects such as infrastructure improvements. Expansionary Policy is based on the ideas of Keynesian economics, particularly the idea that the main cause of recessions is a deficiency in aggregate demand. Body Need of expansionary budget: Boosts Aggregate Demand: Expansionary policy seeks to stimulate an economy by boosting demand by putting more money into the hands of Consumers and firms.  Popular tool for managing low-growth periods: Higher liquidity and disposable income, and increased employment can pull us out of the economic slowdown problem. Business Friendly: Reduction and reform of direct individual and corporate taxes, and indirect taxes. Counter-Cyclical Measure: To counterbalance the natural depression in spending and economic activity that takes place during a recession Challenges with Expansionary Budget Burden on Future Generation: An expansionary fiscal policy leads to higher budget deficits as the money supply is usually increased through increased borrowing. Loaded with Uncertainty: Gauging when to engage in expansionary policy, how much to do, and when to stop requires sophisticated analysis and involves substantial uncertainties.  Can lead to Inflation: Expanding too much i.e. putting more money into economy can cause side effects such as high inflation or an overheated economy. Needs time to become effective: There is also a time lag between when a policy move is made and when it works its way through the economy. Possibility of Misuse: Like any government policy, an expansionary policy is potentially vulnerable to information and incentive problems. Problems such as rent-seeking and principal-agent problems easily crop up whenever large sums of public money is being pumped into the system 2020-21 Budget Currently for individuals under the age of 60 years, there is zero tax up to an annual income of Rs 2.5 lakh. Base corporate tax for existing companies has been reduced to 22 per cent from 30 per cent, and to 15 per cent from 25 per cent for new manufacturing firms. Assessment: Tax collections in the current fiscal may fall short of targets by as much as Rs 2 lakh crore. Income and corporate tax collections are likely to miss FY2020 targets by as much as Rs 1.5 lakh crore while indirect taxes may fall short by about Rs 50,000 crore on drop in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in a sluggish economy. The exchequer was shaved off Rs 1.45 lakh crore as the government slashed corporate tax rates up to 10 percentage points, the biggest reduction in 28 years Conclusion With economic slowdown resulting in slippages in direct and indirect tax collections the next financial year is expected to pose challenges on the fiscal front. Expansionary fiscal policy is having short and long term implications. Structural reforms are need of the hour. 4. For debt sustainability, the rate of growth of debt must not be faster than the rate of growth of the economy. Do you agree? Substantiate your assessment?  Introduction:  Indian Economy is suffering from one of its worst phases with sharp fall in demand. India Rating’s FY21 GDP growth forecast of negative 11.8 per cent will be the lowest GDP growth in the Indian history. India’s ever rising debt has rubbed salt to the wound.  The whole idea of Deficit on Current account is due to high expenditure which is balanced by loans. This results in heavy debts and interest paid on these debts create current account deficit. Body: With slowdown in GDP growth rate, India’s debt dynamics are now at the risk of being unsustainable. Intergenerational Equity disturbed: While debt grows at a rate higher than the growth rate of the economy, then interest payments increases. This further reduces the future government’s (next generation) ability to borrow funds. India’s debt to GDP ratio was 69% in the year 2019-2020. A higher debt growth rate further increases this ration which is not a sound macroeconomic management. This proves the necessity to narrow down Debt or increase GDP. Fiscal Prudence Lost: Non adherence to Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act has made things worse. At least after N.K. Singh committee has relaxed Fiscal deficit norms, commitment to fiscal prudence needs to be stronger. Unrealistic Tax Targets: High growth rate is also important as it is the basis for tax projections. When the nominal growth rate is over-estimated, as it was last year, tax officials are given unrealistic targets which can result in witch hunting thus driving away foreign investment Sovereign Ratings: Increasing debt rate indicates that economy is not managed properly which leads to downgrading of government securities by rating agencies. This deters foreign investment flowing into the country. Economic Collapse: If the debt rate increased without being stabilised then the value of currency falls rapidly which precipitates the economic collapse leading to social & political unrest (Ex: European Union’s Greece Crisis in 2012) Nevertheless, during extreme situations when the economy is under recession then debt has to grow at a rate faster than GDP growth rate as a part of Expansionary policy to revive economy. However, such measure should be limited to short term and discontinued over medium term else, the above challenges will be faced by the Nation Conclusion: Thus, government needs to take certain steps to cease and reduce its debts. Such as setting up of a fiscal council, which would be an independent body that would examine the government’s revenue, expenditure and borrowing and make estimates of its borrowings. Also setting up of a deeper bond market that hits the government hard if it falters on its commitments to debt sustainability. 5. India suffers from the problem of overproduction of cereals. Do you agree? What can be done to make the spread of farm produce more diverse and nutritious? Suggest.  Introduction: Green Revolution in post-independence was started and rightly achieved food self-sufficiency. Humongous increase in production of rice and wheat especially in the region of Punjab, Haryana and Western U.P solved the problem of farm income as well as food crisis. Body: But it came with its own side effects in socio economic and environmental domain such as: Diversity of production was stopped and focus was laid on quantity of production rather than quality. This led to depletion of soil nutrition without replenishment. Lack of diversity led to a new problem of hidden hunger also known as malnourishment. Its focussed approach led to regional imbalances in the economy where western and more fertile eastern India remain backward Depletion of ground water table due to water intensive farming in rainfed region has posed a long term problem of water stress.  It is therefore important to diversify the farm produce which can be done as following: Allied activities need to be introduced in agriculture such as cattle rearing, poultry farming for protein supplements. Farming itself should be diversified through inter cropping, relay farming or mixed cropping to replenish soil nutrients. Zero Budget Natural Farming is one of the principal solutions to persisting problems in agriculture. The problems that it can tackle include overuse of fertilizer, pesticide, depletion of water table, etc. Food fortification can increase the nutrition content of farm produce, e.g Golden Rice has increased content of iron as well zinc, etc. Conclusion M.S Swaminathan committee has recommended crop diversification to achieve remunerative income for farmers. Government has also come up with food fortification in collaboration with Russia. Other Lab extension services shall also help India to tackle the dual problem of malnourishment as well as mono cropping of cereals. 6. What are the conventional means of infrastructure financing? What measures have been taken in recent years to expand and innovate in the area of infrastructure financing? Discuss.  Introduction: Infrastructure financing in India has been a nightmare for both the public and private players in the field. One of the principal reasons for its non-performance is very long gestation period after which profits are incurred. Also rising Non-Performing Assets have left little room for private companies to take greater risk which in turn has led to failure of Public Private Partnership model. Body: Government has taken several steps in this area such as: Various investment models such as Build Operate Transfer or Design Build Operate Transfer have been offered which has not been able to pull private sector in this arena due to disproportionate risk sharing with Private sector Special Economic Zone were created as a separate production and export unit which have become underutilized and hotbeds of corruption. Public Sector banks have played a key role in financing infrastructure projects which has caused an asset liability mismatch. These often led to stalling of projects. But recently government has taken several steps such as following have worked: Creation of National Infrastructure Investment Fund for commercially viable greenfield, brownfield or stalled infrastructure projects. Infrastructure Debt Fund which as investment vehicle for channelizing investment in infrastructure investments. They are sponsored by commercial banks and NBFCs in India. Development Finance Institutions to boost economic growth and increase long term finances for infrastructure projects. Hybrid Annuity Model was launched in which initial 40% of the investment shall be taken up by government and rest 60% shall be returned by govt to private sector in fixed annual instalments. This ensures proportionate risk sharing between private as well as public sector. Vijay Kelkar committee was formed that gave comprehensive reform agenda for improving PPP structure. The committee recommended sector specific regulators, National PPP Policy Conclusion: According to Economic Survey, India must spend $200 Billion annually in infrastructure sector. To achieve the target of $10 trillion economy size by 2032, a robust and resilient infrastructure system is required, supported by adequate private investments. As the country has only been able to put $100 to 110 billion annually into infrastructure development, this huge investment gaps of about $90 billion in the space needs funding through “innovative approaches” from private sector. 7. How is the global outbreak of the Coronavirus affecting the economy in general and livestock sector in particular? Examine. How can the trends be reversed? Suggest.  Introduction: Since first being recorded late 2019 in China, the Covid-19 coronavirus has spread around the world, and been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. By early spring, Europe had become the worst-affected region, with Italy and Spain particularly hard hit. India recorded its first patient on 31st January 2020 and has the second highest case load in the world Body The disease is easily transmitted from human to human and thus to stop its spread, it’s vital to control movement of people. Such measure has crippled the economy and has brought it to a standstill. IMF projection for global GDP has dropped down to 1.6 % in 2020. Its effect is witnessed across various sectors including: Tertiary sector - This is one of the worst affected sectors especially tourism that is considered to be the cause of the spread. In case of India, contribution of services sector to GDP is maximum at approximately 60% which has been almost brought to a standstill. Secondary sector - such as heavy industries have also come to a halt. Manufacturing slump would have long term consequences resulting in huge demand supply gap. Various rating agency have projected IIP growth to be less than 4%. Trade - The virus has resulted in “disaster diplomacy” affecting most nations that are highly dependent on China such as India. This has resulted in lack of availability of electronic items, organic fertilizers and most importantly active pharmaceutical ingredients (which forms the basis of most medicines in India). Primary sector especially agriculture and allied has been hit hard with slump in global demand. India is one of the largest exporter of wheat, rice along with fisheries and shrimps. Global trade halt has brought the primary sector in danger. Livestock sector that is considered as an asset in farm as they bring supplementary income has been interrupted with falling demand especially for poultry sector. Poultry sector has faced unprecedented decline. Fake news linking the spread of Covid-19 to chickens have cost the Indian poultry market over ₹1.6 billion a day. Culturally, Indian society has blamed broiler chicken for spread of any zoonotic disease even chickungunya. Dairy sector has been hampered by hindrance in supply chain as transport has been curbed. Also, perishability of milk is very high resulting in quicker loss of milk or milk products. Feed sector has also become victim to fake news. Poultry and livestock sector have lowered the demand for fodder and feed. As many poultry owners have started to produce their own feed, they have stopped sourcing raw materials like soybean, corn from the market, impacting the farmers too. Conclusion: Amongst the short term measures, adoption of TTT (trace, test and treat) could be helpful in stopping the spread to a great extent. Also, government has announced economic stimulus package amounting to 20 Lakh Crore rupees.  Long term measures demand increase in investment in health sector, a meagre 1.15% would be of no use. Also, very importantly, India should now include the impact of international tourism on health sector.  India needs to scale up health test at rural areas so as to avoid the disease being spread in India’s hinterland region where Health infrastructure is weak 8. What is the Kisan Rail proposed in the latest annual budget? How will it be developed and deployed? What advantages would accrue to the farmers of the country by the Kisan Rail?  Introduction: The Kisan Rail is being launched by the Government of India to set up national cold supply chain in the country. The Centre is planning to transport fish, milk and meat under the scheme. The scheme is to be implemented under Public-Private Partnership. It is in line with the target of Doubling Farmer income by 2022. Body: Government has formed a committee under Ministry of Agriculture along with representatives of Indian Railways to work on the modalities of the scheme. The scheme was already being implemented by Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) as a Corporate Social Responsibility in Nasik, Maharashtra. Some of thebenefits linked to the scheme include: It would significantly reduce losses especially for horticultural products which are of higher economic value. This would also increase farmer income thereby help in realising the dream of Doubling Farmer income thereby reduce poverty Higher income would give flexibility to farmer to increase investment in fields which would in turn increase yield. Also, increased nutrition through food diversification would help in tackling hidden hunger and malnourishment. Conclusion Kisan rail scheme has been designed to capitalise the untapped potential of allied sector. This is expected to solve multiple problems of supply chain with respect to farmers giving them higher returns. Yet there are certain challenges associated to the scheme such as fund allocated to the scheme is not clear. The plan of implementation has not been clarified such as nodal authority, fund sharing between centre and states, etc. Government needs to remove some confusion for its better implementation 9. What is deepfake? What technology does it use? Explain. Why is it a cause of serious concern? Examine.  Introduction: Deep fake is a technological invention that began with Apps that can produce image of a person after or before few years. This has been modified using the technology of Artificial Intelligence to inculcate fake audios and spread fake news.  The came to limelight after harassment news of journalist Rana Ayyub were published. Deepfake technology was used to superimpose her image on a pornographic site compromising her integrity. Body: It is much more dangerous than fake news itself. Since it is used to combine and superimpose existing images and videos onto source images or videos using a machine learning technique known as generative adversarial network. It is a cause of serious concern as it is extremely difficult to identify the whether it is fake or real. As it minutely mimics lip movement even up to the extent of blink of eye. It compromises individual’s identity and reputation. For example the case of Rana Ayyub. Misrepresentation of information especially leaders can cause havoc not only inside the country but also outside. This can disturb national integrity or international security. Cybercrime can be one of the direct consequence such as phishing or identity theft that becomes much easier with the use of the technology. Conclusion: It reinforces the Liar’s Dividend principle that suggests that in addition to fuelling the flames of falsehoods, faking is actually legitimized through this. With increase in technological interference in daily life, it has become mandatory for the government to regulate such acts with strict criminal punishments. 10. What is zero budget natural farming? What are its advantages and limitations? Can it be adopted as a viable farm practice in India? Critically comment.   Introduction Zero Budget Natural Farming is a method of farming where the cost of growing and harvesting plants is zero. This means that farmers need not purchase fertilizers and pesticides in order to ensure the healthy growth of crops. Body Component of ZBNF: Bijamrita (Seed Treatment using local cow dung and cow urine) Jiwamrita (applying inoculation made of local cow dung and cow urine without any fertilizers and pesticides) Mulching (activities to ensure favourable microclimate in the soil) Waaphasa (soil aeration). Advantages of ZBNF: It reduces farmers’ investment. It also protects the soil from degradation- uses biological pesticides instead of chemical-based fertilizers. It also reduces dependence on purchased inputs as it encourages use of own seeds and locally available natural fertilizers. It is viable in all climatic conditions- requires only 10 per cent water and 10 per cent electricity. Instead of commercially produced chemical inputs, the ZBNF promotes the application of jeevamrutha — a mixture of fresh desi cow dung and aged desi cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour, water and soil — on farmland. This is a fermented microbial culture that adds nutrients to the soil, and acts as a catalytic agent to promote the activity of microorganisms and earthworms in the soil. Promotes soil aeration, minimal watering, intercropping, bunds and topsoil mulching and discourages intensive irrigation and deep ploughing Limitations of ZBNF: Fewer yields compared to usual farm practicing. Need some access to irrigation and owned at least one cow of their own. Large-scale training camps need to be organised to educate farmers in the method. Multi-location studies are needed to scientifically validate the long-term impact and viability of the model before it can be scaled up and promoted country-wide Viable in India: Less cost: According to National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data, almost 70% of agricultural households spend more than they earn and more than half of all farmers are in debt. To get rid off debt: In States such as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, levels of indebtedness are around 90%, where each household bears an average debt of ₹1 lakh. Challenges: Not suitable for all places: Difficult to use ZBNF in all soil types and climatic conditions. Cow is must for ZBNF: need of an Indian breed cow, whose numbers are declining at a fast pace. Fewer funds by government: Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, which was meant to promote organic farming and soil health, has been allocated Rs 325 crore only. Conclusion Government of India has been promoting organic farming in the country through the dedicated schemes of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) since 2015-16 and also through Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). 11. What is the genome mapping project? What are the intended benefits of this project? Discuss.  Introduction A genome is an organism’s complete set of DNA, including all its genes. It contains all the information needed to build and maintain that organism. By sequencing thegenome, researchers can discover the functions of genes and identify which of them are critical for life. The essence of all genome mapping is to place a collection of molecular markers onto their respective positions on the genome. Body Benefits: To build “reference genome”: To fully understand the type and nature of diseases and traits that comprise the diverse Indian population. Huge data base: Derive greater knowledge from information and serve the purpose of enabling better treatment outcomes. Precision Healthcare: GIP will help in the development of personalised medicine, anticipating diseases and modulating treatment according to the genome of patients. Cancer Treatment: Identification of mutations linked to different forms of cancer. The design of medication and more accurate prediction of their effects can be foreseen. Common diseases: Identifying gene and genetic variations for common diseases and thus improve general healthcare. Sustainable agriculture: Better understanding of genetic basis of plants related to yield, susceptibility to pests etc. This can reduce dependence on chemicals. Deeper Understanding of Ecology: Traversing from the world’s tallest mountain range to warm seas through multiple bio-zones, this project could provide much information on the interplay of species and genetic groups within them Bioarchaeology, Anthropology, Evolution, and Human Migration: Study evolution through germline mutations in lineages. DNA Forensics (Identification): Identify potential suspects whose DNA may match evidence left at crime scenes Agriculture, Livestock Breeding, and Bioprocessing: Understanding plant and animal genomes will allow us to create stronger, more disease-resistant plants and animals — reducing the costs of agriculture and providing consumers with more nutritious, pesticide-free foods Associated Challenges Fear of Scientific Racism: Scientific studies of genes and classifying them could reinforce racial/caste stereotypes and allow for politics and history to acquire a racial twist. Data & Storage: After collection of the sample, the anonymity of the data and questions of its possible use and misuse would need to be addressed. Political Misuse: In India a lot of politics is now on the lines of who are “indigenous” people and who are not. A Genome India Project could add a genetic dimension to the cauldron Medical Ethics: In a project that aims only to create a database of genetic information poses a risk of doctors privately performing gene modification. Selective breeding or Eugenics has always been controversial for long, as recently a Shenzhen-based scientist, created the world’s first gene-edited babies, has been sentenced to three years in prison. Conclusion India launched its first human genome mapping project, a move that will help researchers get closer to developing effective therapies for treating diseases such as cancer. In the first phase of the initiative called the Genome India project, the genomic data of 10,000 Indians will be catalogued 12. What are the highlights of the World Air Quality Report, 2019? Should the findings be a cause of concern for India? Critically analyse. Introduction World Air Quality Report 2019 was released by the pollution tracker IQAir and Greenpeace. The report is based on information of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) data as acquired from ground-based air quality monitoring stations with high data availability. Body Highlights of World Air Quality Report, 2019: South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Western Asia carry the highest burden of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution overall. Bangladesh emerges as the most polluted country for PM2.5 exposure. Pakistan, Mongolia, Afghanistan and India follow behind respectively, deviating from one another by less than 10%. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes an estimated 7 million premature deaths a year globally, mainly as a result of increased mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancers and respiratory infections. According to it, around 90% of the global population is breathing unsafe air. Major findings related to India: Six cities from India are in the top ten. (Ghaziabad, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Greater Noida, Bandhwari) 21 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world are located in India with Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region ranked the world’s most polluted. (PM 2.5 concentration measurement of 110.2 in 2019) In November, air quality index (AQI) level exceeded 800 in certain parts of New Delhi, which was more than three times the "hazardous" level. National air pollution in India has decreased by 20% from 2018 to 2019, with 98% of cities experiencing of varying levels of improvement. No Indian cities included in this report met the WHO target for annual pollution exposure (10ug/m3) during 2019. Conclusion India launched a National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 that commits to reducing air pollution in 102 most polluted cities by a maximum of 30% by 2024. India additionally joined the UN’s Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) as the 65th member to collaborate with global leaders on air pollution solutions 13. Why is the bird population dwindling in India? What will be its adverse ecological impacts?  Introduction: Over three-fourths of the 146 bird species whose populations were tracked over the last five years declined in numbers, according to The State of India’s Birds 2020 report. More than 1500 birdwatchers uploaded their data to eBird, an online repository of bird sightings. These data were collated with supporting information such as taxonomic grouping, habitat, endemicity and diet, to create a detailed picture of each species Body Some species such as common sparrow has shown stable population in rurban and rural areas whereas other such as. The long-term trend shows that more than half of bird species have declined in past 25 years. The short-term trend shows that nearly 80 per cent of the species have declined in the past five years. Some of the prominent reasons for such decline include: Habitat destruction has been the principle reason for dwindling population of birds. Water birds suffer from lack of habitat for loss of wetlands whereas tree living birds have lost habitat for deforestation. Pesticide and medicine overuse has killed many birds, the most popular being vultures who have been brought to critically engendered or extinct status due to the use of Diclofenac, a painkiller. Pesticides such as Carbamate and Carbofuran are known to kill approx. 2-3 million million birds annually. Tall glass buildings often creates confusion to birds who assume them to be continuation of sky. Approximately 1 million migratory birds have been killed due to glass skyscrapers. Urban heat island has increased the temperature of the overall urban spaces. This has lead to disappearance of a number of common bird species such as koel, cuckoo. Hunting is one of the prominent causes for decline of exotic birds such as Amur Falcon in Pangti village near Doyang reservoir in Nagaland. Extreme whether events such as cyclone Fani has resulted in 81% decline in population of sandbar-nesting birds along a 40-km stretch from Baideshwar to Kakhadi along the Mahanadi river. Some of the visible consequences of dwindling bird population include:  Vultures are known to remove animal carcasses, thus known to be behaving like first level decomposers. Reduction in their number will impact the food chain. Birds also act as bio indicators, indicating health of an ecosystem. e.g Great Indian Bustard are bio indicators of grassland ecosystem. Reduction in their number means distorted indication of the ecosystem Birds also act as natural pest control measures. They directly feed on plant eating pests thereby maintaining the healthy balance of ecosystem. Decrease in such bird population reduces the productivity of crop thus increasing the dependence on chemicals Birds are very good pollinators, popular amongst them include the names of humming bird, honeyeaters, etc. Reduction in their number will impact the natural growth of plant species in the ecosystem Conclusion: Although there are few good news such as critically endangered species of birds such as Forest Owlet have been reported from more places. One cannot undermine the fact that birds in India are significant not only in ecological terms but also in cultural view, as many societies in India pray some or the other form of birds. Efforts should be taken to find out hotspot of decline and area specific action should be taken rather than one size fits all approach. 14. What were the factors that led to the disappearance of the Asiatic cheetah from India? Discuss. What are your views on the recent Supreme Court ruling on Asiatic cheetah? Critically comment.  Introduction Asiatic Cheetah are grassland habitat animal that were extinct from India soon after its independence by around 1950s. Their last population were seen in central Madhya Pradesh and present day Chhattisgarh. IUCN has declared the species to be extinct in wild. This has made India to lack 1 of one the Big 4 that includes Bengal Tiger, Indian leopard, Asiatic lion and Asiatic Cheetah. Body: The primary cause for their extinction in India, according to UNCCD has been declared as desertification. Yet there are other major cause associated to its disappearance such as: Coursing- Cheetahs could be tamed easily thus it was used for a sport called coursing. As a fastest animal, they could run fast, capture prey and thereby help in hunting of animals. Captive breeding was impossible for Asiatic Cheetah which made its conservation efforts not very productive.  But their inability to breed while in captivity meant that wild cheetahs needed to be constantly trapped from their natural habitats, especially cubs, to keep the sport alive over centuries. Recently Supreme court has allowed re-introduction of African cheetahs from Namibia into the Indian habitat on an experimental basis. The decision came after 7 years, with a fear that it would be difficult for them to adapt to the new climate. Also that they would come in conflict with parallel programme of lion re introduction in the area. Re-introduction would come up with its pros such as: The most important benefit would be, conservation of grassland ecosystem as it is an umbrella species.  India would be able to restore its, species genetic diversity with the presence of the big four. This in turn would promote eco-tourism in India The environmental benefits would also add up, as the forest food chain would get another predator. India is also home to the world’s largest free-roaming populations of livestock. Bringing back the cheetah will focus attention on pastoralism, and in doing so, help restore India’s natural heritage. Conclusion: Yet, the risk associated in their re-introduction is also very serious. Change in their climate would be the greatest setback. Also, they would meet competition for food from the rest predators of forest life, given the lack of biodiversity. Also, Asiatic lions are also at risk themselves even though they also are counted under umbrella species. It is thus, imperative to make favourable habitat for them before introducing the species to the alien land. 15. What if a global epidemic like the Coronavirus affects India? What are the existing measures and mechanisms in place to mitigate such potential disasters? Critically examine.  Introduction: Coronavirus is a deadly viral disease that originated in China and belongs to the family of SARS and MERS. The patient shows the symptoms of pneumonia in which cough gets stuck in lungs and the patient finds difficulty in breathing. The disease can easily spread from human to human through sputum or even if the patient touches his nose or mouth and then touches an object, the object become carrier of the disease. Body: From china, the disease has travelled to various countries. India reported its first case from Kerala on 31st January. This bring the question regarding preparedness of health facility towards any pandemic as this. Some of the mechanism that are in place include: At health facility level Sanitation have been prioritized at every level. Intensive awareness campaign is being carried out to control the spread. National Institute of Virology labs are fully equipped to test the virus and that all State and district health authorities have been alerted. Hospitals are equipped with ventilator facility and oxygen cylinders. Also, several institutions are donating spaces for the upkeep of patients such as Indian Railways, ICAR, etc. At government level International flights have been suspended temporarily and tourists are undergoing a thorough checkup.  A 24*7 helpline has been setup for public enquiry. The call center will monitor the list of caller along with the area from which they are calling.Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) officer would carry out clinical enquiry. Regular contact tracing is being carried out to minimise transmission from corona positive patients. Conclusion: The population density of India is a primary concern that increases the chance of increased infection. So far no vaccination has been developed as virus has the ability to undergo mutation which makes its genetic structure flexible. Until, the vaccines are developed, precaution is the only key to safety. However, the long term measure could be to increase the hospital facility and increase in number of beds. Sanitation should be brought to priority and public expenditure to health should be increased from a mere 1.5% to at least the target of 2.5%. 16. With the help of suitable examples, examine the role that technology can play in counterinsurgency and counterterrorism measures.    Introduction The challenges for India’s internal security are left wing extremism, insurgencies in the Northeast India, cross border terrorism and militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, global and national trends in terrorism, management of India’s international borders and security of its coasts. Body Examples: Ethnic clashes in Assam in 2012: offensive clips and hate messages that triggered panic and mass exodus of north east Indians from large parts of India that created larger chaos. Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013: morphed video on YouTube was used to fan communal riots in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh and led to mass panic Misuse of social media in 2014: the arrest of a Bangalore based executive, Mehdi Masoor Biswas, accused of being the man behind terror group Islamic State’s (ISIS) most influential Twitter handle in India, @ShamiWitness brought to surface the extent of the threat posed by the misuse of social media at home. Burhan Wani case in 2015: Became the new face of Kashmiri militancy by adopting the overt war of ideas and used social media to campaign for his cause. Left Wing Extremism: Maoists do not only disrupt stability, but also engage in illegitimate trade like weapon and ammunition trafficking which affects the economy. Technology to counter insurgency and terrorism: Social media labs: through social media labs the root cause of the message/ audio-video can be traced. Space Technology for Border Management: (i) Island development and security (ii) Border Surveillance (iii) Communication and Navigation (iv) GIS and Operations Planning System (v) Border Infrastructure Monitoring. BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated Quick response team Interception Technique) under CIBMS (Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System): It consists of five types of sensors- radar, electro optics, unattended ground sensors, OFC based sensors and mini aerostat. CyberDome project: It is a technological research and development centre of Kerala Police Department, conceived as a cyber centre of excellence in cyber security, as well as technology augmentation for effective policing. The Cyberdome will act as an online police patrol. Through its Anti-Cyber Terror Cell and a cybersecurity training unit, its officers will generate intelligence on various cyber threats in near real time and track fugitives online by monitoring their online activities, including social networking sites. Military Satellites: (IRNSS)-based GPS will provide navigation facilities for operational parties in high altitude, remote and difficult borders, and Maoist affected areas. Example: GSAT 7, Microsat-R, Cartosat 1 and 2 series, Risat-1 and Risat 2 e-Surveillance Projects: National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), Central Monitoring System (CMS), Internet Spy System Network and Traffic Analysis System (NETRA) of India, National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIPC) of India, National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) of India, Tri Service Cyber Command for Armed Forces of India, Cyber Attacks Crisis Management Plan Of India. Conclusion No intelligence organisation can remain static in the face of growing technological complexity, geopolitical uncertainty, the changing nature of terrorism, and increasing media intrusion. To deal with internal-security threats, the first responders are police. Police must be well trained along with updated technologies. 17. How can social media platforms be made to play a more positive and constructive role for India’s internal security? Suggest.  Introduction According to market research firm techARC, India had 502.2 million smart phone users as of December 2019, which means over 77 per cent of Indians are now accessing wireless broadband through smart phones.  Body Examples: To inform and engage with citizens to build secure communities which share information. Example: Government initiatives and schemes  India has witnessed the potential of the social media in co-ordinating large scale protests across the country with the ‘India Against Corruption’ movement led by Anna Hazare in 2011. In Delhi gang rape incident in 2013 where a large number of protestors mobilised themselves with the help of social media. A propaganda video released by ISIS shows alleged Indian Jihadists fighting in Syria and calling for more Indian recruits to join the cause. The threat has really come to bear upon India and has proved that social media has become a potent tool for radicalisation by terror groups. Constructive role of social media for India’s internal security: Rumour detection: Ensure presence to combat misuse of social platforms to spread malicious rumours which may trigger problems for internal security and law and order, and prepare standard operating procedures for times of emergency. Example: Mob lynching Track problems: Posts which are liked, commented and shared can be tracked on all social networking websites. Other reasons: traffic management, issue advisories, and to understand public opinions, crime investigation, intelligence, and public relation/ reputation management To prevent cyber crimes: To use data available freely on social media platforms to gauge the mood of citizens on issues, predict patterns and possible flash points of disturbances, and prevent and react to cyber-crimes. Social media labs: Social Media labs have identified the offensive video and established its manipulation, thereby helping officials correct the spread of rumours and plant an effective counter offensive in terms of an information campaign Challenges: Multiplicity of fake profiles: person sitting in any corner of world can access the social media and can fake profile. Huge spread in less time: Social media’s capacity to spread information at extremely high volumes and velocities needs to be tapped. Negative effect: harassment, bullying, fraud, cyber-crimes are common in social media platforms. Complicated networks: multiple stakeholders, regulation, framework of the internet are difficult to trace. Conclusion Social Media, with all its benefits and the potential for more, is definitely a boon to our world, however misuse or irresponsible usage can have negative effects on an Internal security 18. What are the prevalent threat perceptions with respect to India’s cyber security? Discuss. What are the measures in place to address the challenges? Examine.  Introduction There are 730 million internet users in India. Storage Density doubles every 12 months and Bandwidth is doubling every 12 months. These are having huge implications in cyber world. Body Prevalent perception on cyber security: Online banking frauds ATM skimmers Cheating in online purchasing Cyber bullying and harassment Phishing attacks account for more than 80% of reported security incidents Fake advertisement and online frauds Cyber threats: IoT-Based Attacks: The IoT attack surface is the sum total of all potential security vulnerabilities in IoT devices and associated software and infrastructure in a given network, be it local or the entire Internet Ransomware: Ransomware attacks generally involve the attacker infecting a victim’s systems with a piece of malware that encrypts all of their data. The victim is then presented with an ultimatum—either pay the ransom or lose their data forever. AI-Enhanced Cyber threats: AI fuzzing (AIF) and machine learning (ML) poisoning are all set to be the next big cybersecurity threats. Machine Learning Poisoning: Machine learning models typically use data that is crowd-sourced or taken from social media. They also exploit usergenerated information such as satisfaction ratings, purchasing histories, or web traffic. Deepfake: ‘Deepfake’ is a fake video or audio recording that cybercriminals use for illicit purposes. For instance, amateurs and criminals have created deepfakes by swapping people’s faces in videos or altering its audio track. Internal Attacks: The inside access that employees have make them capable of inflicting great harm if they choose to abuse their access privileges for personal gain. Or, they may accidentally allow their user accounts to be compromised by attackers, or unknowingly download dangerous malware onto their workstations. DDoS Attacks: Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks remain a significant cyber threat to many organizations. These attacks are designed to overwhelm a victim’s network resources so they cannot process legitimate traffic on their network Measures to control cyber threats: Establishment of National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) for protection of critical information infrastructure in the country. Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) has been launched for providing detection of malicious programmes and free tools to remove such programmes. Issue of guidelines for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) regarding their key roles and responsibilities for securing applications / infrastructure and compliance. Conducting regular training programmes for network / system administrators and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) of Government and critical sector organisations regarding securing the IT infrastructure and mitigating cyber attacks. Cyber Surakshit Bharat program was in association with the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) Conclusion Cyber security is not the responsibility of only government it is the responsibility of each individual to secure their data. India should contemplate being a part of the Budapest convention- Convention on Cybercrime- international treaty addressing the issue of internet and cyber crimes. Additionally, it could endorse and also facilitate private entities to endorse the recent Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace which is involved in developing common principles for securing cyberspace 19. Describe the different levels of nexus and types of links between organised crime cartels and terrorist organisations. Why is the nexus a serious internal security challenge? Examine.  Introduction Organized crime can be transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. Some of the organised crimes are drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking, illegal gambling counterfeiting and money laundering, cyber crime, pornography etc. Body Different levels of nexus types of links between organised crime cartels and terrorist Organisations: Geographical: Turkey is a bridge country for illegal immigrations, human smuggling, drug and arms trafficking. Turkey is not a heroin producer country. Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran are the main producers of opium in Asia. According to experts, approximately 80% of produced drugs in “Golden Crescent” pass through Turkey to Europe.  Ethnic: Kurdish people live on the borders of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. Kurdish people, who speak the same language, same ethnic background but also share the same ideologies with the PKK (The Kurdistan Workers’ Party), has been a significant facilitating factor for them to play an active role in organized crimes. Religious: The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) has close relationship with Afghan and Central Asian criminal groups to ensure the safe shipment of heroin. Commercial terrorism: Terrorism financing is the provision of funds or providing financial support to individual terrorists or non-state actors. Money laundering, hawala system, counterfeiting of currency is also included.  Criminal activities for operational motivation: Both of them have different aims, but also the state, law and public order are the common enemies of them. In this regard, organized crime (OC) groups use terrorist’s tactics to ensure instability to their goals. Example: In Italy Sicilian Mafia carried out a series of car bomb attacks in Italian mainland near historic sites such as the Uffizi Galleries in Florence and the church of St. John Lateran in Rome; plans were laid to blow up the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  International link: Dawood Company has established relations to numerous terrorist groups including Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). After 1993, ordinary organized crime group was change to terrorist group. He also accused of bomb attack in Mumbai in 1993.  Travel support and protection: To reach their targets easily by counterfeiting travel passport, different department bureaucrats are involved.  Narco terrorism: Terrorist groups, or associated individuals, participate directly or indirectly in the cultivation, manufacture, transportation, or distribution of controlled substances and the monies derived from these activities. Cyber terrorism: The communication revolution through the Internet. Publication of terrorist ideologies and ideas propaganda- raising funds, recruiting, geotargetting, planning and discussion Terrorist groups: separatist terrorist groups (ETA, IRA, PKK), revolutionary terrorists (Red Brigades, RAF, FARC), religious terrorist groups (Holly Warriors, Jihad, Boko Haram, ISIS) and transnational terrorist groups (Al- Qaida). Challenges to internal security: Places in India that are prone to terrorism: Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, north eastern states, red corridor areas. Lone wolf attack: They may be influenced or motivated by the ideology and beliefs of an external group and may act in support of such a group They built links with other terrorist groups: Including the People’s War Group (PWG), the Communist Party of India -Maoist and the communist groups based in neighbouring Nepal. Naxalism: Huge influence on naxalism to spread the malicious ideas and they are easily biased. Parallel government: Funding, taking money from people by extortion, smuggling small arms, homemade explosives and landmines. Narcoterrorism: Terrorism in Punjab has also been aided by drug money and smuggling of drugs from Afghanistan through Pakistan. Money Laundering: Money laundering is at the centre of all terrorist activity, because it is the common denominator of all other acts. Fake currency: Currency counterfeiting in different places leading to instability in the economy Conclusion Check on online information, curbing terror financing, strengthening institutional framework, coordinated approaches at national and regional levels, capacity building are need of the hour 20. What are the deficiencies in India’s institutional framework designed to tackle internal security challenges. While identifying at least three such deficiencies, suggest ways that can address these deficiencies.  Introduction Cross border trafficking, ethnic groups opting for secessionist movements, separatists’ movement, insurgency in Kashmir, illegal migration, organised crime are few examples that are posing problems to internal security. Body Challenges of institutional framework in India to tackle internal security: Constitutional provisions: Intelligence bureau is considered the nodal counter terror agency and works closely with the state police and the central paramilitary forces on counterterrorism intelligence. However, it cannot fully execute this function because it has no legal authority to investigate an offence, arrest anyone or prosecute them in court. The Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s premier external intelligence agency, operates under the cabinet secretariat and, thus, reports to the prime minister. Rivalries between the IB and the RAW often hamper overall intelligence. Intelligence sharing between the centre and states happens through the state offices of the IB and the Subsidiary Multi-Agency Centres (SMAC) – personnel shortages have hindered their efficacy. Intelligence sharing depends on the goodwill of the states: if a state is unwilling to cooperate with the central government, it cannot be forced to do so. Legislative provisions: The major legislation to deal with terrorism in India is the UAPA. India’s experiments with TADA, POTA and UAPA have failed to deliver the desired results. There have been allegations that these anti-terror laws are designed to shield or harass a particular community. Tussle between ministries: The turf war between the intelligence agencies operating under different government ministries contributed to the difficulty in establishing National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC). Criminal justice system: Poorly trained and understaffed police force and insufficient modern equipment at their disposal Police infrastructure: Acute shortage in their ranks, police personnel are required to work long hours, without a break, and rarely get to take their weekly off, leaving them stressed and frustrated. This has a huge bearing on their professional responsibilities, including counterterrorism duties Suggestions Police are first responders they need to have modern equipment and training. The curriculum at police academies should also be constantly updated. The government must consider setting up a separate ministry or special importance in the given ministry due to increased importance. National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) must be established and fully operationalised Robust policy in judicial system, forensics, cyber law, constitutional amendments are required. Intelligence, military, and police organisations together contribute to counterterrorism efforts- coordination of all three is must. Conclusion Intelligence, physical security, coordination amongst agencies, investigation and crisis management are considered the most important components of internal security. If the intelligence apparatus fails to provide early warning of the issue the physical-security machinery should be able to prevent insurgency. TLP HOT Synopsis_FULLMOCK_3 PDF

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 95]

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative. This is a part of our recently launched, NEW INITIATIVE IASbaba’s INTEGRATED REVISION PLAN (IRP) 2020 – Road Map for the next 100 Days! FREE INITIATIVE! We will make sure, in the next 4 months not a single day is wasted. All your energies are channelized in the right direction. Trust us! This will make a huge difference in your results this time, provided that you follow this plan sincerely every day without fail. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” To Know More about the Initiative -> CLICK HERE SCHEDULE/DETAILED PLAN – > CLICK HERE Important Note: Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) After completing the 5 questions, click on 'View Questions' to check your score, time taken and solutions. To take the Test - Click Here

Important Articles

UPSC Prelims 2020: IASbaba’s ALL INDIA MOCK EXAM - 5 QUESTION PAPER & SOLUTION

Dear Students On the request of many students, we are providing the Questions and Solutions of Mock Exam 5 (UPSC Prelims 2020) in PDF format. Please find the PDFs (Questions & Solutions) of All India Full Mock -5. Questions - CLICK HERE Solutions - CLICK HERE   For More OPEN MOCKS (FREE FOR ALL) -> CLICK HERE    The question paper is made on similar lines of UPSC. The questions are designed with different difficulty levels – easy, moderate, difficult, and very difficult. This was done so that you can understand how to pick the questions for the attempt and how to leave the very difficult ones. There are several questions that could be solved using the elimination method so that even if you don’t remember the exact fact, through logic, you can get to the correct answer. P.S: We would request you take the test in a 'stipulated time' and 'wearing a mask' so that you are used to it and face any issues during the exam. All the Best :) IASbaba

IASbaba's Courses

COMPILATION, FINAL SESSION [SESSION 30] & THANK YOU NOTE - IASbaba's RAPID REVISION SERIES (RRS) of 500 HIGH PROBABLE TOPICS for UPSC PRELIMS 2020 – A FREE YouTube Initiative!

Hello Everyone, Thank you for the overwhelming response and it is always special when we start an initiative and people shower their love and appreciation.  We really hope that this RAPID REVISION SERIES (RRS) initiative has helped you to revise important topics and focus on crucial areas.   We would like to thank all ‘BABAITES’ for their love and positive criticism which keeps us encouraged and pushes us to bring the top-notch content.   We would like to tell you that a lot of thought process and research goes in picking up right topics and quality content, aligning with the UPSC trend and predicting the probable questions for the upcoming examination.   We have tried our best to select very high probable topics with the aim to provide you with an arsenal of information so that you can enter the exam hall with confidence that you will be able to solve even the most difficult questions posed in front of you.     We suggest that before prelims you must have multiple revisions, especially Rapid Revision Series - 500 High Probable Topics, 60 Days Tests and Integrated Revision Plan (IRP)    After your Prelims, we will be starting with TLP Phase II free initiative and TLP+ (for Mains 2020 Aspirants). And for 2021 aspirants, who want to join Test Series-based (Prelims & Mains) Mentorship Programme you can join TLP Connect (Prelims cum Mains) or TLP+ (Mains Exclusive) 2021. Trust us, we will make sure that, after the Prelims, not a single day is wasted and this will make a huge difference in your results this time and we will be waiting for you!!  Freshers can join e-CLP or ILP 2021 programmes.      Note: Let's meet on our portal/website after Prelims, to discuss UPSC Prelims 2020 Paper; Solutions to the questions; Until then stay safe, be cool and confident, keep the JOSH high, be an achiever!! We wish you all the very best in your endeavours!!   [VIDEO] Session 30 (Topics 491-500) - IASbaba's RAPID REVISION SERIES (RRS) of 500 HIGH PROBABLE TOPICS for UPSC PRELIMS 2020 To Download PPT PDF - IASbaba's RRS Session 30 (Final Session) To Download FINAL COMPILATION - IASbaba's RRS Final Compilation     Kindly leave your feedback in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you 🙂 All the Best :)    You can also go through the below important links, especially for aspirants appearing for UPSC Prelims 2020- PRELIMS SIMPLIFIED SERIES (Part 1,2,3): How to crack UPSC PRELIMS- IMPORTANT TIPS & TRICKS (using Common Sense – KCT Approach) by Mohan Sir  -> CLICK HERE MUST WATCH – STRATEGY [VIDEO]: PRELIMS  Tips (Do’s & Don’ts) from Mohan Sir -> CLICK HERE