Feb 20, 2021 Motivational Articles

[MI-STORIES]MOTIVATIONAL AND INSPIRATIONAL STORIES - Your Response Matters!

For Previous Story -> CLICK HERE Inspirational Stories: Here is the Ninth story from the new series of Inspirational and Motivational stories. One of the oldest known forms of communication is story telling. There is something primordial within us that loves stories and their tremendous impact. In this series, we aim to bring you the best of real-life stories that can inspire and motivate you. Stories always try to teach us something useful. It is one of the best ways of learning from other's mistakes and avoiding our own. Although each story has its own moral, in the comments section you can share your opinion on the moral of the story. If you are able to see something that others might have missed, you can share it for the benefit of all. Apart from just reading these awesome stories, you can also share some of the stories that have inspired you. If we find the story appropriate and useful, we will share it with all. More importantly, read these stories every week without a miss, and stay inspired.   So here is the Ninth story - Your response matters!   “Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the boiled eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her he asked. ‘Daughter, what do you see?’ ‘Potatoes, eggs, and coffee,’ she hastily replied. ‘Look closer,’ he said, ‘and touch the potatoes.’ She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face. ‘Father, what does this mean?’ she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity– the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. ‘Which are you,’ he asked his daughter. ‘When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?’ What do you think is the moral of the story?

Feb 20, 2021 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th February 2021

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Proposal to amend the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 approved Part of: GS Prelims and  GS- I – Society & GS - II – Policies and Interventions In news The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to amend the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 to introduce measures for strengthening Child Protection set-up to ensure best interest of children. Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development Key takeaways  The amendments include authorizing District Magistrate (DM) to issue adoption orders under Section 61 of the JJ Act, in order to ensure speedy disposal of cases.  The DMs have been further empowered to ensure its smooth implementation.  Eligibility parameters for appointment of CWC members have been defined.  Previously undefined offences have been categorised as ‘serious offence’.  Several difficulties faced in implementation of various provisions of the Act have also been addressed. UK to conduct first Human Challenge Trials for COVID-19 Part of: GS Prelims and GS- II Health & GS - III – Biotechnology In news The UK is set to conduct the first COVID-19 human challenge trials (HCT) within a month from now. Conducted by: UK government’s Vaccines Taskforce, Imperial College London, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and the clinical company called hVIVO. Key takeaways  The trial was first announced in October 2020. In this study, over 90 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18-30 will be deliberately exposed to small amounts of the virus in controlled settings,  Objective: To test treatments and vaccines. In this way, the participants are “challenged” by the virus. This is not the same as standard vaccine clinical trials. Significance: HCTs are able to give more precise information about the disease and its effects on humans, and also give results about the efficacy of vaccines on infected humans. Process of delimitation in respect of UT of J&K Part of: GS Prelims and GS - II – Governance; Election; Constitution In news Delimitation Commission held a meeting recently with the Associate Members from UT of J&K.  Objective: To seek their suggestion on the process of delimitation in respect of the UT.  Important value additions  Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and state Assembly seats.  Objective of delimitation: To provide equal representation to equal segments of a population; fair division of geographical areas so that one political party doesn’t have an advantage over others in an election. Constitutional provisions: Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.  Delimitation is carried out by an independent Delimitation Commission.  Delimitation Commissions have been set up four times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002  There was no delimitation after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses. WCCB wins Asia Environmental Enforcement Award-2020 Part of: GS Prelims and GS - III – Environment In news The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has received the Asia Environmental Enforcement Award-2020.  Awarded by: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Key takeaways  WCCB got the award twice in three years.  It has been awarded this year under the Innovation category. Important value additions : Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) It is a statutory body constituted under the WildLife (Protection) Act, 1972. Ministry: Ministry of Environment and Forests. Mandate: To combat organized wildlife crime in the country. Headquarter: New Delhi Regional offices: Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Jabalpur WCCB has developed an online Wildlife Crime Database Management System to get real time data to analyse trends in wildlife crimes across India. This system has been successfully used for carrying out operations such as Operation Save Kurma, Thunderbird, Wildnet, Lesknow, Birbil, Thunderstorm, Lesknow-II etc resulting in huge seizures of Tiger/Leopard Skin/bones, Rhino Horn, Elephant Ivory etc. Hyderabad emerges as Tree Cities Of The World Part of: GS Prelims and GS - III – Environment In news Hyderabad has won a green contest among cities in India, and emerged one of the ‘Tree Cities of the World’. Key takeaways  Awarded by: Arbor Day Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Hyderabad has maintained urban forestry under its Haritha Haram programme and its Urban Forest Parks plan. The city was evaluated on five metrics: ‘Establish Responsibility’, ‘Set the Rules’, ‘Know What You Have’, ‘Allocate the Resources’, and ‘Celebrate the Achievements’. (Mains Focus) INTERNATIONAL/ ECONOMY Topic: GS-2: India and its neighbourhood GS-3: Indian Economy CECPA between India and Mauritius Context: Cabinet approved the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) between India and Mauritius which is aimed at liberalising trade between the two countries. About the agreement Kind of a free trade agreement: CECPA, similar to FTA, will cover 310 export items for India, including foodstuff and beverages, agricultural products, textile, base metals, electricals and electronic items, plastics and chemicals, etc. Includes Trade and Services: In such agreements, the two trading partners cut or eliminate duties on a host of products besides liberalising norms to promote services trade.   Covers all aspects: It will cover trade in goods, rules of origin, trade in services, Technical Barriers to Trade like Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, dispute settlement, movement of natural persons, telecom, financial services, customs procedures and cooperation in other areas. Mauritius will benefit from preferential market access into India for 615 products, including frozen fish, speciality sugar, biscuits, fresh fruits, juices, mineral water, beer, alcoholic drinks, soaps, bags, medical and surgical equipment, and apparel.  This instance will be India’s first such trade pact with an African nation. Economic Relationship between India and Mauritius Bilateral trade between the countries had dipped to $690 million in 2019-20 from $1.2 billion in 2018-19.  While India’s exports in 2019-20 aggregated to $662 million, imports stood at just $27.89 million.   Mauritius imports petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, cereals, cotton, electrical machinery, apparel and clothing accessories, while India’s imports include iron and steel, pearls, precious/semi-precious stones, etc.  Mauritius was also the second largest source of foreign direct investment into India in 2019-20, accounting for around $8.24 billion (about Rs 57,785 crore) for the year. INTERNATIONAL/ ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: GS-2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests GS-2:  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. GS-3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment Australia Vs Facebook: News Media Bargaining Code Context: Australian PM Morrison has launched a global diplomatic offensive to drum up support for Australia’s proposed law (News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code Bill 2020).  The bill mandates a bargaining code that aims to force Google and Facebook to compensate media companies for using their content Australian PM has reached out to Indian and Canadian PM to discuss on such type of regulations. Australia’s legislation – Voluntary Mechanism was not the solution Back in 2017, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recommended a voluntary code with an aim to address the negotiating skew between major digital platforms and media businesses Based on these recommendations, the Australian government in 2019 asked various stakeholders and the ACCC to develop this voluntary code. The ACCC, however, pointed out in April 2020 that the businesses were not likely to reach an agreement voluntarily. This paved way for drafting a mandatory code. The provision of mandatory code requiring Google & FB to enter into payment negotiations with media companies — with an arbiter mandated to adjudicate if no agreement is reached — or face heavy fines, has met with resistance.  The arbiter is deemed important mainly for smaller publishers who may face a negotiation skew with the platforms. European authorities have specifically linked payments to copyright, without putting a forcing device into the agreements.  Australia’s code, on the other hand, is almost entirely focused on the bargaining power of news outlets vis-à-vis the tech majors, and has some coercive features as well. What is the core issue between Tech Giants and Regulators? While links to news may not be direct advertising money-spinners for Facebook or Google, both see the presence of news as an important aspect of audience engagement with their products. Google and Facebook are two of the largest and most profitable companies in history – and each holds far more bargaining power than any news publisher. The news media bargaining code sets out to undo this imbalance. The fight in Australia is in fact, centred on how much control these companies would be able to retain on their payout process — operational aspects such as deciding the quantum of payments for news feed sources, and having to reveal changes in their algorithm Response by Tech Giants Threatens: In January 2021 when bill was being introduced, Google threatened to remove its search engine from Australia, and Facebook warned it could block Australian users from posting or sharing news links. Arguments of Google & FB: They say that the media industry was already benefiting from traffic routed to them by the digital platforms, and that the proposed rules would expose the Internet companies to “unmanageable levels of financial and operational risk”. Conciliatory position of Google: Google has backtracked and has moved ahead to sign a deal with one of the News Corporation Retaliation by FB: However, Facebook— which has 17 million users in Australia — retaliated with a news blackout, blocking all news links on its platform. Consequences of FB’s actions: In the process, FB also ended up silencing some emergency services, and reportedly removed posts from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, state health departments, fire and rescue services, charities, and emergency and crisis services. The Debate in India According to a FICCI-EY report for 2020, there are 300 million users of online news sites, portals and aggregators in the country — making up approximately 46% of Internet users and 77% of smartphone users in India at the end of 2019. With 282 million unique visitors, India is the second largest online news consuming nation after China.  In India, digital advertising spends in 2019 grew 24% year-on-year to Rs 27,900 crore and are expected to grow to Rs 51,340 crore by 2022. A substantial discussion on the impact of intermediary platforms on the health of news media outlets is yet to begin in any meaningful way. Conclusion Australia’s legislation sets a precedent in regulating social media across geographies, and is being closely watched the world over. Connecting the dots: Dominance of Big Tech: Click here Google Search Monopoly: Click here (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers.  Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1 Which of the following city has been awarded the ‘Tree Cities of the World’?  Hyderabad  Surat Indore Mumbai Q.2 Consider the following statements regarding Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB): It is a statutory body.  Wildlife Crime Database Management System analyses trends in wildlife crimes.  Which of the above is or are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  ANSWERS FOR 19th February 2021 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 A 3 A 4 C Must Read On defamation and acquittal of Priya Ramani: The Hindu On role and mandate of IITs and unrealistic expectations: The Hindu About globalisation’s impact on languages: The Indian Express

Feb 20, 2021 UPSC Interview Discussion-TRP

[INTERVIEW INITIATIVE] Think, Rethink and Perform (TRP) [DAY 5] 2020 for UPSC/IAS Personality Test!

ARCHIVES (of TRP) - > CLICK HERE Those who have appeared for UPSC Mains 2020, fill up the Google form given below. Students who fill the form will be added to a telegram group so that there can be healthy discussions with other students who will be appearing for the Interview/Personality Test. Also, Mohan sir, Bureaucrats and Ex-Bureaucrats will be interacting one on one with all the students who will be appearing for the same. REGISTER HERE – CLICK HERE   Interview Discussion: Think, Rethink and Perform; (TRP)- Day 5 Set 1: Ask these questions to yourself; contemplate and come out with a concrete answer (not to be discussed on this forum). Invest at least 30 minutes on this set of questions.  Usually people try to follow some idol from the field they want to enter into. For example an aspiring cricket might have Sachin Tendulkar as his/ her idol, a badminton player might revere  Saina Nehwal. Now you are an aspiring civil servant. Who is your idol from the civil services? Do you even have one? Think about it.   What in your opinion should an ideal civil servant be like. Can you picture the image?  Why in your opinion civil servants become corrupt in due course of their career? Have you wondered that this might happen to you as well.  Set 2: Analyse the following issue:  Would you agree with the assertion that India’s standing as a global power has improved because of its vaccine diplomacy? Does it make sense to export vaccines out of India without vaccinating the India’s entire population? If yes, why?   We expect you to discuss the above question (Set 2) in the comments below and come out with a balanced view of the issues. Thank You IASbaba

Feb 20, 2021 TLP Mains Answer Writing

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1 – ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – ESSAY [20th FEBRUARY,2021] – Day 36

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 1 – ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – ESSAY [20th FEBRUARY,2021] – Day 36 We will make sure, in the next 100 days not a single day is wasted and your mains preparation is solidified. All your energies are channelized in the right direction. Trust us! This will make a huge difference in your results this time, provided that you follow this plan sincerely every day without fail. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. 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 1. Big Data and Artificial Intelligence: Applications and potential.  बिग डेटा और आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलिजेंस: एप्लिकेशन और क्षमता।  2. Role of technology in making India’s energy mix sustainable.  भारत के ऊर्जा मिश्रण को सतत बनाने में प्रौद्योगिकी की भूमिका।  3. COVID-19: How has it changed the world?  COVID-19: इसने दुनिया को कैसे बदल दिया है?  4. Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort. खुशी उपलब्धि के आनंद और रचनात्मक प्रयास के रोमांच में निहित है।

Feb 20, 2021 Ace The Prelims (ATP)

Ace The Prelims (ATP) – 2021– PRELIMS – [20th February, 2021] – Day 42

ARCHIVES Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s Ace The Prelims (ATP) – 2021 – PRELIMS & MAINS – [20th February, 2021] – Day 42   UPSC Quiz - 2021 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz 20th February 2021 UPSC CSAT Quiz – 2021: IASbaba’s Daily CSAT Practice Test – 20th February 2021 UPSC Static Quiz – 2021: IASbaba’s Daily Static Quiz (PYQs) – Economy [Day 42]   The way ATP molecules provide energy to every single cell of our body and help us in achieving our day to day tasks, similarly, the ‘Ace the Prelims (ATP) 2021’ Programme will help in providing energy and direction to your prelims preparation and push you beyond the cutoff of Prelims 2021. Ace the Prelims (ATP) – 2021 will include Daily Static Quiz (PYQs) Daily CSAT Practice Test Daily Current Affair Quiz 60 Days Plan (starts from 2nd week of March) To Know More about Ace the Prelims (ATP) 2021 - CLICK HERE   Thank You IASbaba

Feb 20, 2021 Daily Static Quiz

UPSC Static Quiz – 2021: IASbaba’s Daily Static Quiz (PYQs) – Economy [Day 42]

ARCHIVES DAILY STATIC QUIZ (PYQs) It will cover PYQs all the topics of static subjects – Polity, History, Geography, Economics, Environment and Science and technology. Daily 5 questions (Monday to Saturday) will be posted from static topics (PYQs) The questions will be in the quiz format so you will be able to answer them directly on the portal. Schedule Week 1 – Polity Week 2 – Economics Week 3 – History and Art & Culture Week 4 – Geography Week 5 – Environment and Science & Technology Same cycle will be repeated from Week 6. Make the best use of the initiative. All the best! To Know More about Ace the Prelims (ATP) 2021 - 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

Feb 20, 2021 IASbaba’s Daily CSAT Quiz

UPSC CSAT Quiz – 2021: IASbaba’s Daily CSAT Practice Test – 20th February 2021

ARCHIVES Daily CSAT Practice Test Everyday 5 Questions from Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension will be covered from Monday to Saturday. Make the best use of the initiative. All the best! To Know More about Ace the Prelims (ATP) 2021 - 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

Feb 20, 2021 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2021 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz 20th February 2021

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. 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 Ace the Prelims (ATP) 2021 - 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

Feb 19, 2021 Important Articles

[UPDATE] BABA'S GURUKUL - Congratulations for those who are slected for the Next Round (Personality Test)!

Dear Students, Thank you all for such an overwhelming response for BABA'S GURUKUL - Connect to Conquer!! For UPSC IAS 2021.  Over 4200 students had registered and around 2432 had taken the Entrance Test on 14th and 18th February in our online portal and offline Centres (Bangalore, Delhi, Lucknow). Based on your performance we have shortlisted 150 students to the next round - Personality Test. Congratulations to all those who have got selected for the next round of BABA'S GURUKUL - Connect to Conquer. Confirmation Mails have been sent to the Selected Students for the Personality Test.  For any Queries: Email id: ilp@iasbaba.com Contact No. : 8429688885/9169191888 (10 Am – 6 Pm) Please do not make calls before or after the given timing. Thank You IASbaba

Feb 19, 2021 RSTV Video

National Family Health Survey 2020 – Discussion – RSTV IAS UPSC

National Family Health Survey 2020 Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies related to Health In News: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released the first set of findings from the fifth and the latest round of the National Family Health Survey, conducted in 2019-20.  The survey, providing detailed information on population, health, and nutrition for states and Union Territories, was conducted after a gap of about three years.  The first sets of findings were released for 22 states and Union territories, which together are home to almost half of the country’s population. It includes big states like Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal, but does not include the country’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh.  Objective: To provide reliable and comparable datasets on health, family welfare and other emerging issues.   Four rounds of NFHS (1992–93, 1998–99, 2005–06 and 2015–16) have been successfully completed in India.   The state factsheet released include information on 131 key indicators. These important indicators on population, health and family welfare, nutrition and others will help track progress of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country. The key results from the State/UT factsheets are as follows: The Total Fertility Rates (TFR) has further declined since NFHS-4 in almost all the Phase-1 States and UTs. The replacement level of fertility (2.1) has been achieved in 19 out of the 22 States/UTs and only 3 states viz. Manipur (2.2), Meghalaya (2.9) and Bihar (3.0) have TFR above replacement levels now. Overall Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) has increased substantially in most States/UTs and it is the highest in HP and WB (74%). Use of modern methods of contraception has also increased in almost all States/UTs. Unmet needs of family planning have witnessed a declining trend in most of the Phase-1 States/UTs. The unmet need for spacing which remained a major issue in India in the past has come down to less than 10 per cent in all the States except Meghalaya and Mizoram. Full immunization drive among children aged 12-23 months has recorded substantial improvement across States/UTs/districts. More than two-third of children are fully immunized in all the States and UTs except Nagaland, Meghalaya and Assam.  In almost three-fourths of districts, 70% or more children aged 12-23 months are fully immunized against childhood diseases. Due to the launch of Mission Indradhanush, India has achieved the following – There is increase in the per cent of women receiving the recommended four or more ANC visits by health providers in many States/UTs. This percentage has increased in 13 States/UTs between 2015-16 to 2019-20. Institutional births have increased substantially with over four-fifth of the women delivering in institutions in 19 States and UTs.  Institutional delivery is over 90 per cent in 14 out of the total 22 Sates and UTs. Almost 91% of districts recorded over 70% institutional deliveries of births in the 5 years preceding the survey. Along with an increase in institutional births, there has also been a substantial increase in C-section deliveries in many States/UTs especially in private health facilities. Sex ratio at birth has remained unchanged or increased in most States/UTs. Majority of the states are in normal sex ratio of 952 or above. SRB is below 900 in Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, DNH & DD. Child nutrition indicators show a mixed pattern across states. While the situation improved in many States/UTs, there has been minor deterioration in others. Drastic changes in respect of stunting and wasting are unlikely in a short period. Anaemia among women and children continues to be a cause of concern. More than half of the children and women are anaemic in 13 of the 22 States/UTs. It has also been observed that aanaemia among pregnant women has increased in half of the States/UTs compared to NFHS-4, in spite of substantial increase in the consumption of IFA tablets by pregnant women for 180 days or more. For both women and men, there is a lot of variation in the high or very high random blood glucose levels across States/UTs. Men are more likely to have slightly higher blood glucose levels in the range of high or very high compared to women. The percentage of men with high or very high blood glucose is highest in Kerala (27%) followed by Goa (24%). Prevalence of elevated blood pressure (hypertension) among men is somewhat higher than in women. The percentage of households with improved sanitation facility and clean fuel for cooking has increased in almost all the 22 States/UTs over the last four years (from  2015-16  to  2019-20). The Government of India has made concerted efforts to provide toilet facilities to maximum households through Swachh Bharat Mission, and improved household environment through Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in the country. For instance, the use of cooking fuel has increased more than 10 percentage point in all the States and UTs during the last 4 years with over 25 percentage point increase in states of Karnataka and Telangana. Women’s empowerment indicators portray considerable improvement across all the States/UTs included in Phase 1. Considerable progress has been recorded between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 in regard to women operating bank accounts.  For instance, in the case of Bihar the increase was to the tune of 51 percentage point from 26 per cent to 77 per cent. More than 60 per cent of women in every state and UTs in the first phase have operational bank accounts. The darker side With a debilitating death toll and an economic recession, India has had among the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is anecdotal evidence that the pandemic and lockdown measures have led to new complications related to food consumption and food security for impoverished Indians. But an express indication of the possible scale of the crisis can be gleaned from the data from the newly released National Family Health Survey 2019-20 which was conducted before the pandemic and its impact.  The partially released early data from NFHS-5 for 22 States/Union Territories — data for U.P., M.P. Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jharkhand and Odisha are not yet out — shows a disappointing record on metrics such as child nutrition and adult anthropometric measurements, suggesting the exacerbation now of an already fraught situation.  NFHS-5 shows that four key metrics for the nutritional status of children declined in 2019-20 compared to levels in 2015-16 (NFHS-4) in many of the surveyed States.  Gujarat, Maharashtra and West Bengal recorded an increase in the percentage of anaemic and wasted (low weight for height) children compared to even the 2005-06 survey.  In the key indicator of childhood stunting, there has been an increase in 13 of the 22 States/UTs in comparison to NFHS-4, with a noticeable improvement only in Bihar and Assam. Even here, the reduction in stunting numbers is lower than the government’s targets. Bihar has shown a promising decline of 5.4 % points in stunting, but still retains the highest percentage of stunted children (42.9%) among big States. Conclusion: The persistence of poor anthropometric measures related to hunger and nutrition suggests that existing programmes to address them, such as POSHAN Abhiyaan, will need a push and focus to meet targets such as the 2%-point decrease in childhood stunting every year. More importantly, the complications arising out of the pandemic should make the Centre and States refocus on welfare delivery as a concerted strategy to eradicate hunger and extreme poverty. This is an imperative that would not just meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal targets but will also ensure the well-being of citizens in a country that showed significant promise in combining economic growth and general welfare in the last couple of decades before encountering major reversals lately. Connecting the Dots: Early data from NFHS-5 show decline in key anthropometric and nutrition indicators. Critically examine.