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Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz 18th Dec 2020

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

TLP Mains 2020

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 4 Questions[18th DECEMBER,2020] - Day 59

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 4 Questions[18th DECEMBER,2020] - Day 59   We will make sure, in the next 3 months not a single day is wasted. All your energies are channelized in the right direction. Trust us! This will make a huge difference in your results this time, provided that you follow this plan sincerely every day without fail. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. We are giving 5 Mains Questions on Daily basis so that every student can actively participate and keep your preparation focused. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” To Know More about the Initiative -> CLICK HERE SCHEDULE/DETAILED PLAN – > CLICK HERE   Note: Click on Each Question (Link), it will open in a new tab and then Answer respective questions! 1. A flagship government project being headed by you has encountered a tricky problem. The project requires a cloud based server that would cost at least ten crores. The tendering process would take at least three months and the final procurement won’t finalise before 6 months. The project is being monitored by the PMO and you are under a lot of pressure to deliver the project in a time bound manner. The only way to adhere to the timeline is to do away with the tendering process. But to do that, you will be required to create some fake documents to prove that the procurement is too urgent to wait for the tendering process and that doing away with the tendering process is necessary. Your colleagues and seniors tell you that such things are common and you should not hesitate in taking the alternate route. What would you do in this case? Would you go ahead and create the fake documents? Substantiate your response. आपकी अध्यक्षता वाली एक प्रमुख सरकारी परियोजना को एक कठिन समस्या का सामना करना पड़ा है। परियोजना के लिए क्लाउड आधारित सर्वर की आवश्यकता होती है जिसकी लागत कम से कम दस करोड़ होगी। निविदा प्रक्रिया में कम से कम तीन महीने लगेंगे और अंतिम खरीद 6 महीने से पहले नहीं होगी। परियोजना की निगरानी पीएमओ द्वारा की जा रही है और आप पर समयबद्ध तरीके से परियोजना को पहुंचाने का काफी दबाव है। समय-सीमा का पालन करने का एकमात्र तरीका निविदा प्रक्रिया से दूर होना है। लेकिन ऐसा करने के लिए, आपको यह साबित करने के लिए कुछ नकली दस्तावेज बनाने होंगे कि टेंडरिंग प्रक्रिया की प्रतीक्षा करने के लिए खरीद बहुत जरूरी है और टेंडरिंग प्रक्रिया को पूरा करना जरूरी है। आपके सहकर्मी और वरिष्ठ आपको बताते हैं कि ऐसी चीजें आम हैं और आपको वैकल्पिक मार्ग अपनाने में संकोच नहीं करना चाहिए। इस मामले में आप क्या करेंगे? क्या आप आगे बढ़ेंगे और नकली दस्तावेज बनाएंगे? आपकी प्रतिक्रिया का की पुष्टि करें। 2. You are working in a big media house. The channels owned by the house have wide reach across the country. The new CEO of the media house is showing signs of allegiance towards the ruling party of a particular state. You are able to gauge his inclinations by the fact that there is hardly any news item being shown which criticise the action or inaction of the government. You are perturbed by this as you feel that free, independent and unbiased media is the lifeline of a vibrant democracy. Yet you are silent on this issue as your bread and butter is dependent on this job. You can't offend you boss after all. However, one day the limit is breached when the CEO calls you and directs you to stage a false sting operation against the opposition party’s leader. You are also given monetary inducements to follow his directions. When you oppose, he tells you to either do the job or quit the company.  What options do you have in this situation? Which one will you follow? Why? आप एक बड़े मीडिया हाउस में काम कर रहे हैं। घर के स्वामित्व वाले चैनलों की देश भर में व्यापक पहुंच है। मीडिया हाउस के नए सीईओ एक विशेष राज्य के सत्ताधारी दल के प्रति निष्ठा के संकेत दे रहे हैं। आप इस तथ्य से उनके झुकाव को समझने में सक्षम हैं कि शायद ही कोई समाचार आइटम दिखाया गया हो जो सरकार की कार्रवाई या निष्क्रियता की आलोचना करता हो। आप इससे हैरान हैं क्योंकि आपको लगता है कि स्वतंत्र, स्वतंत्र और निष्पक्ष मीडिया एक जीवंत लोकतंत्र की जीवन रेखा है। फिर भी आप इस मुद्दे पर चुप हैं क्योंकि आपकी रोटी और मक्खन इस काम पर निर्भर है। तुम तुम सब के बाद बॉस को नाराज नहीं कर सकते। हालाँकि, एक दिन यह सीमा समाप्त हो जाती है जब सीईओ आपको कॉल करता है और आपको विपक्षी पार्टी के नेता के खिलाफ झूठे स्टिंग ऑपरेशन के लिए निर्देश देता है। आपको उसके निर्देशों का पालन करने के लिए मौद्रिक संकेत भी दिए जाते हैं। जब आप विरोध करते हैं, तो वह आपसे कहता है कि या तो नौकरी करें या कंपनी छोड़ दें। इस स्थिति में आपके पास क्या विकल्प हैं? आप किसका अनुसरण करेंगे? क्यों?

Important Articles

[LEARNING TECHNIQUES] How to Effectively Use SOCIAL MEDIA for UPSC Preparation - The IASbaba Way!

Dear Friends, The world has changed! Isn’t it? The way we consume information, process news, and respond to events has been transformed by the social media revolution. At no time in human history, have we witnessed change at such a rapid pace as we are observing today. As trends change every minute, and we get drowned with information after every click and swipe, we must accept the fact that we have changed, at fundamental levels. At the same time, technology, social media, immediate access to the internet, and smartphones (especially those notifications) are hurting aspirants' ability to focus.  Aspirants, now seem to find it particularly exhausting to read complex or long texts without regular breaks and spending their time on social media platforms.    Therefore, we too decided to adopt new learning techniques to accommodate students raised by technology.  And how are we going to do this? By "meeting aspirants/students where they are" -- on platforms like YouTube, Telegram and Instagram etc.  “SOCIAL MEDIA TO SUPPORT ACTIVE LEARNING” We are pleased to announce a set of initiatives on social media apps that are customised to the needs of the student fraternity, with a mix of syllabus-based and activity-based content that prepares aspirants’ minds to become effective thought leaders of tomorrow.  Each day, we will be updating multiple posts of UPSC Relevant Facts, Content, Quotes, Mind Maps, puzzles, -- in an interactive and fun format that students can relate to and engage with easily.  It will focus on relevant content and important news and developments to keep aspirants informed of current events in India and the world.  Initiative 1: Mind Maps  "Mind maps are great when you need to organize ideas, thoughts, or concepts and see how they are interrelated." Initiative 2: Guess What? Visuals and pictures are among the important methods for improving your memory and it aids to recall what you learnt.  Small exercise of “Guessing” on a regular basis will keep your mind engaged and helps to learn elimination techniques required for Prelims.  Initiative 3: #WhatTheFact Facts and performance figures can be handy to back your ‘opinion’ or ‘views’ especially while answering in MAINS or INTERVIEW.   Initiative 4: Did You Know? ‘Did you know’ section will not only replenish your knowledge but also enhance and sharpen your skills, as you will be aware of a wide range of information and views of scholars and philosophers.  Initiative 5: #BabaGyan Gyan is a powerful tool and without it, one would be lost and would not have a meaningful life. It’s through ‘Gyan’ we learn our way of life. Gyan helps us make everyday choices or decisions.  These initiatives with a striking use of pictures, graphics, and info boxes provide a visual representation of information that is digestible, easy-to-understand, and highlights the important bits.  The content from these creatives or flashcards will be helpful while answering in MAINS, PRELIMS, and INTERVIEW STAGE. It is therefore with great pleasure, we decided to share this small write-up about the exciting initiatives so that it can reach a wider student audience. What are you waiting for? For Important Updates, Tips, Learnings, and Exiting Initiatives, follow us on Social Media! TELEGRAM - CLICK HERE YOUTUBE - CLICK HERE INSTAGRAM - CLICK HERE FACEBOOK - CLICK HERE TWITTER - CLICK HERE Also, SUBSCRIBE to the WEBSITE Below, so that you don’t miss out on important posts! Thank You IASbaba

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 17th December 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Development Projects In Kutch Region Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Policies and Interventions In news Indian Prime Minister laid foundation stones for several development projects in Gujarat recently. Key takeaways Hybrid Renewable Energy Park Hybrid Renewable Energy Park is world’s biggest Renewable Energy Park, being set up close to Indo Pak border, near Khavda village in Kutch district. It will produce 30 Giga watt solar and wind energy on a vast expanse of waste land. Desalination plant A desalination plant shall also be coming up in Kutch district.  This plant aims to convert sea water for potable purposes for a population 8 lakh of 300 villages. It assumes great importance for Kutch peninsula which is perennial rain-deficit area with no other source of water. Fully automated milk processing of Sarhad dairy 130 crore rupees worth milk processing plant of Sarhad dairy, an apex dairy cooperative entity was also inaugurated virtually. This massive 2 lakh litre per day milk processing and packaging facility will come up under Rashtriya Kisan Vikas Yojna. 2020 State Of The Education Report For India: Vocational Education First Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Health In news The ‘State of the Education Report for India 2020: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), was launched virtually by UNESCO New Delhi recently.  Key takeaways The second edition of the State of Education Report focuses on technical and vocational education and training (TVET). India has made considerable progress towards its goal of creating a skilled workforce of 110 million people by 2022, as stated in the National Policy of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (NPSDE), released in 2015.  It is presently training 10 million youth annually. The Report outlines a set of ten recommendations that should be adopted to help achieve the stated vision for TVET in the country. The ten recommendations: Place learners and their aspirations at the centre of vocational education and training programmes Create an appropriate ecosystem for teachers, trainers and assessors Focus on upskilling, re-skilling and lifelong learning Ensure inclusive access to TVET for women, differently abled and disadvantaged learners Massively expand the digitalization of vocational education and training Support local communities to generate livelihoods by engaging in the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage Align better with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Deploy innovative models of financing TVET Expand evidence-based research for better planning and monitoring Establish a robust coordinating mechanism for inter-ministerial cooperation 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment In news The Vice President of India recently inaugurated the 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit. Organised by: GRIHA Council from Hyderabad. Theme: Rejuvenating Resilient Habitats. Purpose: To serve as a platform to deliberate on innovative technologies and solutions which shall help in creating robust mechanisms for developing sustainable and resilient solutions for the benefit of the entire community. The Vice President also launched the SHASHWAT magazine and the book '30 Stories Beyond Buildings' during the event Key takeaways According to the World Green Building Council data, buildings and construction account for 39% of energy-related CO2 emissions in the world. India called for accelerating the process of total de-carbonization of the built environment. It was also opined that roof cooling should be an area of priority for all. In India, over 60% of roofs are made from metal, asbestos, and concrete - thus trapping heat inside buildings and contributing to heat island effect in urban areas. Cool roofs can lower indoor temperatures by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius as compared to traditional roofs. It was also observed that the implementation of Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) has not been uniform across India. The states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were appreciated for taking a lead in this regard. Important value additions Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) It is the national rating system of India for any completed building construction. GRIHA is recognised as India’s own green building rating system in India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  Created By: It was conceived by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and developed jointly with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. GRIHA Council has developed the Building Fitness Indicator (BFI) tool - a free-to-use self-assessment tool that allows organizations to measure the preparedness of workplaces to prevent exposure to COVID-19. Recognition Scheme for Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Health In news Quality Council of India (QCI) at the behest of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has come out with a Scheme for approval of Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies to scale up Hygiene Rating by increasing the number of recognised Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies in the country. Key takeaways FSSAI’s initiative of ‘Food Hygiene Rating Scheme’ is a certification system for food businesses supplying food directly to consumers, either on or off premise. The food establishments are rated based on food hygiene and safety conditions observed at the time of audit. The hygiene rating will be in the form of smileys (1 up to 5) and the certificate should be displayed prominently in the consumer facing area. Aim: To allow consumers to make informed choices pertaining to the food outlets where they eat by encouraging food businesses to improve their hygiene and safety standards. The recognised Hygiene Rating Audit Agency will verify the compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures laid by FSSAI. Important value additions Quality Council of India (QCI) Set up: 1997  Established jointly by: The Government of India and the Indian Industry represented by the three premier industry associations i.e. Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Ministry: The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Objective: To establish and operate national accreditation structure and promote quality through National Quality Campaign.  USA imposes sanctions on Turkey over S-400 Air Defence Missile System Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations & GS-III – Defence and Security In news The United States has imposed sanctions on Turkey on Monday over its acquisition of Russian S-400 air defence systems. Key takeaways The S-400 Triumf is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system (SAM) designed by Russia. It is the most dangerous operationally deployed modern long-range SAM (MLR SAM) in the world, considered much ahead of the US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD). The system can engage all types of aerial targets including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles – UAV, ballistic and cruise missiles - within the range of 400km, at an altitude of up to 30km.  The system can track 100 airborne targets and engage six of them simultaneously. The defence system integrates multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and command and control centre.  It is capable of firing three types of missiles to create a layered defence. India ranks 131 in 2020 UN Human Development Index  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Health; Education In news Human Development Index was released recently. Released by: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). India dropped to 131st spot among 189 countries  India’s HDI value for 2019 is 0.645 which put it in the medium human development category. India had ranked 130 in 2018 in the index. Key takeaways Life expectancy of Indians at birth in 2019 was 69.7 years. Bangladesh has a life expectancy of 72.6 years and Pakistan 67.3 years. India, Bhutan (129), Bangladesh (133), Nepal (142), and Pakistan (154) were ranked among countries with medium human development. Top countries: Norway (1), Ireland (2), Switzerland (3), Hong Kong (4) and Iceland (5) According to the report, India’s gross national income per capita fell to $6,681 in 2019 from $6,829 in 2018 on purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. Indigenous children in Cambodia, India and Thailand show more malnutrition-related issues such as stunting and wasting. Do you know? Human Development Index is the measure of a nation’s health, education, and standards of living Purchasing power parity or PPP is a measurement of prices in different countries that uses the prices of specific goods to compare the absolute purchasing power of the countries’ currencies. Miscellaneous Himgiri ‘Himgiri’ is the first of the three Project 17A ships being built at M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata. It was launched on 14 December 2020. Under the Project 17A program, a total of seven ships are being built with enhanced stealth features, advanced indigenous weapon and sensor fit along with several other improvements. P17A ships are the first gas turbine propulsion and largest combat platforms ever built at GRSE. Vijay Diwas India celebrated Vijay Diwas recently (December 16) to mark victory of 1971 Bangladesh liberation war. In December 1971, the Indian Armed Forces secured a decisive and historic Victory over Pakistan Army, which led to creation of a Nation- Bangladesh and also resulted in the largest Military Surrender after the World War-II. (Mains Focus) INTERNATIONAL/ ECONOMY / GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. The many challenges for new WTO D-G Context:  For the first time in its 25-year history, the World Trade Organization (WTO) will be led by a woman, as both the contending candidates for the Director-General (D-G) post are women, from Nigeria and South Korea respectively.  Challenges for the next DG of WTO are: Competing Interests of Nations: Her job requires balancing the diverse and varied interests of the 164 member countries. Rising Nationalism: She has tough job on reconciling competing multilateral and national visions, for the organisation to work efficiently.  COVID-19 Impact: The next D-G will have to grapple with the global economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and take needed measures to revive falling global economy Reforms: She has to work towards carrying out reforms of the multilateral trading system to maintain the credibility of the institution.  Divide Between north and south: At the core of the divide within the WTO is the Doha Development Agenda(DDA) that is favourable for developing nations. The developed countries are working to jettison DDA in favour of a new agenda that includes, amongst others, e-commerce, investment facilitation, MSMEs and gender.  Restoring the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, especially the revival of its Appellate body, is also crucial for the organisation’s efficient functioning. Restoring Faith of common man: WTO has to demonstrate that it is on the side of the underdog i.e. it’s mission is to enhance the conditions of poor people and not further the agenda of corporates Need for Collaboration in Post COVID world: The COVID-19 crisis has revealed the urgent and enduring need for international cooperation and collaboration, as no country can fight the pandemic alone.  Ensuring Supply Chains are robust: The D-G can help mitigate the effects of the pandemic by giving clear directions on ensuring that supply chains remain free and open, recommending a standard harmonised system with classification for vaccines, and by the removal of import/export restrictions. Removal for IPR barriers for Vaccine distribution: PM Modi’s reiteration that India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will help the whole of humanity will require the D-G to play a responsible role in removing barriers to intellectual property and securing a legal framework within the WTO TRIPS Agreement Conclusion Most imminently, the next D-G will need to build trust among its members that the WTO needs greater engagement by all countries, to stitch fair rules in the larger interest of all nations and thwart unfair trade practices of a few. INTERNATIONAL / SECURITY Topic: General Studies 2,3: India and its neighbourhood India – Bangladesh Context: The Bangladesh marks its liberation war victory day on December 16, it is a good time to look at India-Bangladesh ties. Bangladesh is India’s largest trading partner in South Asia.  Between 2009-10 and 2015-16, the trade deficit grew in India’s favour at a staggering 164.4%.  FDI from India to Bangladesh is $3.11 billion, including Reliance’s $642-million 745 MW gas-fired project and Adani’s $400 million in Mirsarai Economic Zone. Today, India and Bangladesh are better connected and goods are transported by road, rail and river routes using Bangladeshi vessels, trucks and railway.  Recent agreements allow India to ship goods through Mongla port road, rail, and water routes. Issues The border remains sensitive. 294 Bangladeshis were killed on the Indo-Bangla border. Water remains another difficult issue. Bangladeshis have observed the tug-of-war on the Teesta water-sharing issue between the Centre and state. India’s controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) have created a negative impression in Bangladesh of India’s intent. Bangladesh is China’s second-largest arms export destination. Chinese firms have been outbidding their Indian counterparts in infrastructure projects. Conclusion If Indo-Bangla relations are to move to “newer heights”, then unresolved issues have to be dealt with soon. ECONOMY / GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2,3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development. Tax Administration Advance pricing agreements (APAs) An APA is an agreement between a tax payer and tax authority determining the transfer pricing methodology for pricing the tax payer’s international transactions for future years.  An APA can be unilateral, bilateral, or multilateral. They can be entered into for prospective periods and also cover historical years.  Benefits of APA are as follows Proactive Tax payer: APAs involve discussing inter-company transactions with the tax administration on a proactive basis to agree on pricing terms and eliminate any subsequent controversy.  Reduces Compliance Costs: For taxpayers, they carry the benefits of freedom from onerous documentation and tax authority audits, mitigating double tax in some cases and certainty for the business. Reduces Government Expenditure: The government stands to gain through reduced disputes, redirection of scarce administration resources and collecting their fair share of tax  Attracts Foreign investors: APAs boosts country’s attractiveness to investors by providing a definite and predictable policy regime. Good Precedence: India’s APA programme introduced in 2012 has been successful and appreciated by taxpayers and tax administrations globally. The APA annual report for 2018-19 released by the CBDT in November 2019 said 271 agreements yielding Rs 10,000 crore had been signed in six years of filings. Non-adversarial Tax regime: The last 12 months have seen additional APAs being signed. This has reinforced the government’s commitment to a non-adversarial tax regime. Helps businesses tide Economic Uncertainties: For taxpayers, APAs are even more relevant in these times because business-driven restructurings and changing transfer pricing policies can be a compelling reason to pursue APAs.  Helps avoid litigation: With limited resources, companies can choose to invest in getting certainty through APAs as a cost-effective alternative to uncertain and long drawn litigation. Indicates Collaborative Approach of government: APAs are a credible example of how Indian tax authorities and taxpayers have collaborated to find solutions to vexing transfer pricing problems. (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 recently released Human Development Index, 2020: Life expectancy of Indians is much lower than Bangladesh and Pakistan. India’s gross national income per capita increased in 2019 as compared to 2018. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2 Human Development Index, 2020 is released by which of the following? UNESCO UNDP WHO UNFCC ANSWERS FOR 16th December 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 D 3 B Must Read About Child Nutrition: Indian Express About On scrapping of reservation in IIT recruitment: The Hindu About Privacy as fundamental right: The Hindu

RSTV Video

7th Anniversary of India's Mars Mission – Vishesh – RSTV IAS UPSC

7th Anniversary of India's Mars Mission Archives TOPIC: General Studies 3: Awareness in the field of Space – Space Missions Indigenization of technology and developing new technology The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), commonly referred to as Mangalyaan-1, is a space probe launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on November 5, 2013.  The indigenously-built space probe, which is India's first interplanetary mission, has been in the Martian orbit since September 24, 2014.  The mission which is aimed at studying Martian atmosphere helped the ISRO to enter the elite group of space agencies including the Soviet Space Program, NASA and the European Space Agency to reach Mars.  India is the first Asian nation to reach the Mars orbit and the first in the world to achieve it on its first attempt. MOM was launched aboard PSLV C-25 (an XL version of the PSLV), one of the world's best and reliable launch vehicles. The spacecraft is based on the modified I-1-K satellite bus of ISRO which proved its reliability over the years in similar missions like Chandrayaan-1, the IRS and INSAT series of satellites. It carried 850 kg of fuel and 5 science payloads including a Mars Color Camera (MCC) which it has been using to study the Martian surface and atmosphere since entering the orbit successfully. The spacecraft is tracked by the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN), located near Bengaluru and complemented by NASA-JPL's Deep Space Network. MOM showcased India's spacecraft building, rocket launch systems and operation capabilities. The mission's primary objective is to develop technologies required in planning, designing, management and operations of an interplanetary mission. The secondary objective is to explore Martian surface features, mineralogy, morphology and atmosphere using indigenous scientific instruments. Initially planned for a lifetime of 6 months, ISRO extended the mission to another 2-3 years in April 2015 because of the adequate quantity of fuel still left in the spacecraft. Till December 2015, the MOM had completed over 8000 orbits of Mars. Learnings from MoM Helped India’s space agency prepare a Martian Atlas based on the images provided by the orbiter Dust storms on the Martian can rise up to hundreds of kilometres The MOM is the only Martian artificial satellite that could image the full disc of Mars in one view frame and also image the far side of Deimos. The data from MOM has helped produced 23 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Two moons of Mars: Phobos and Deimos Endeavors by other countries UAE: UAE launched the Arab world’s first mission to Mars – Amal (Hope) Took place from the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan, aboard a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ H-II A rocket. Carrying three instruments including a high-resolution camera and a spectrometer, the spacecraft is on an orbital mission to collect data on Martian climate dynamics and help scientists understand why Mars’s atmosphere is decaying into space. Hope is the UAE’s fourth space mission and first interplanetary one. The previous three were all Earth-observation satellites. China: Is planning its first Mars probe, Tianwen-1 (formerly Huoxing 1) It consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover and aims to study Martian topography and geology and determine the composition of the surface material, climate and environment. Will use high-resolution cameras to search for a suitable landing site somewhere in the Utopia Planitia region. It weighs around 240 kg and will carry cameras, a subsurface radar, a spectrometer, a magnetometer, and atmospheric sensors. The USA: The only country that has sent previous missions to Mars, had planned its Perseverance mission on July 30. Will look for signs of habitable conditions on Mars and microbial life in its ancient past. Over its mission duration of one Martian year (687 Earth days), it will collect Martian rock and sediment samples for analysis on Earth. The rover is equipped with specialised equipment to collect data, analyse weather conditions that can help plan for future human missions, and produce oxygen from the carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere. PSLV Technology Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is the third generation launch vehicle of India.  It is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages. It is a four-staged launch vehicle with first and third stage using solid rocket motors and second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines. The PS4 is the uppermost stage of PSLV, comprising of two Earth storable liquid engines. The third stage of PSLV is a solid rocket motor that provides the upper stages high thrust after the atmospheric phase of the launch. PSLV uses an Earth storable liquid rocket engine for its second stage, know as the Vikas engine, developed by Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre. PSLV uses the S139 solid rocket motor that is augmented by 6 solid strap-on boosters. PSLV uses 6 solid rocket strap-on motors to augment the thrust provided by the first stage in its PSLV-G and PSLV-XL variants. However, strap-ons are not used in the core alone version (PSLV-CA). Initially, PSLV had a carrying capacity of 850 kg but has been enhanced to 1.9 tonnes. It comes in the category of medium-lift launchers with a reach up to various orbits, including the Geo Synchronous Transfer Orbit, Lower Earth Orbit, and Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit. All the operations of PSLV are controlled from the Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota. Must read: The uncharted territory of outer space Connecting the Dots: What is PSLV technology? Discuss. What has been the progress with respect to indigenisation of PSLV technology? Examine. Indian space startups have got huge potential. However, there are many challenges that need to be overcome to get into the league of global space giants like the SpaceX. Comment. 

TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS [15th DECEMBER,2020] Day 56: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE   SYNOPSIS [15th DECEMBER,2020] Day 56: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   Q.1 Are citizen charters an effective tool to improve governance? Critically comment.  Approach - It expects students to write about citizen charters and how citizen charter is effective tool to improve governance Introduction The concept of a citizen’s charter was initiated by former British Prime Minister John Major in the year 1991 intended to improve quality of public service. In India, the concept of citizen’s charter was first adopted at a ‘Conference of Chief Ministers of various States and Union Territories’ held in May 1997 in the national capital.  Body Citizen charter - The Citizen’s Charter is a voluntary and written document that spells out the service provider’s efforts taken to focus on their commitment towards fulfilling the needs of the citizens/customers. Citizen’s Charter Components –  Organisation’s vision and mission statements. A business carried out and other such details of the organisation. Explain who are citizens and clients. Statement of services including quality, time-frame, etc. offered to citizens and how to get those services. Grievance redressal mechanisms. Expectations from citizens/clients. Additional commitments like the amount of compensation in case of service delivery failure. Citizen charter an effective tool to improve governance –  It augments the quality of services delivered by incorporating an internal and external monitoring entity. It enhances good governance. It improves the effectiveness of organizations by having measurable standards. Being citizen-centric, it creates a professional and customer-oriented environment for the delivery of services. Citizen Charter increases participation of common man in efficient working of an organisation by making the citizens aware of the aims and goals of the organization. Citizen Charter set standards of service, allowing high expectations from an organisation, pushing them to work diligently. It reduces cost, prevents delay and red tapism and thus promote good governance. It encourages access and promote choice and thus, treat all fairly. The Citizen charter, not an effective instrument in adding value to the governance because –  Poor design & content: Most organisations do not have adequate capabilities to draft meaningful & succinct citizen’s charter drafted by government agencies that are not designed well. Critical information that end-users need to hold agencies accountable are simply missing from a large number of the charter. Lack of public awareness: while a large number of public service providers have implemented citizen’s charter only a small percentage of end-users are aware of the commitments made in citizen charter. Inadequate groundwork: Government agencies often formulate citizens charter without undertaking adequate groundwork in terms of assessing & reforming its processes to deliver the promises made in the charter. Charters was rarely updated: charters reviewed for this report rarely showed signs of being updated even though some documents dating back from the inception of the citizen charter programme nearly a decade ago. End-users & NGOs are not consulted: when charters are drafted civil society organisations and end-users are generally not consulted with charter are being formulated. Resistance to change: The new practices demand significant changes in the behaviour & attitude of the agency & its staff towards the citizen. At times, vested interests work for stalling the citizen’s charter altogether or in making it toothless. The Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011 (Citizens Charter) seeks to create a mechanism to ensure timely delivery of goods and services to citizens. It requires every public authority to publish a CC within six months of the commencement of the Act and levies a penalty of up to Rs 50,000 for failure to render services. Way forward –  Include Civil Society in the process: to assist in improvement in the contents of the Charter, its adherence as well as educating the citizens about the importance of this vital mechanism. Hold officers accountable for results: fix specific responsibility in cases where there is a default in adhering to the CC. Drawing from best practice models such as the Sevottam Model (a Service Delivery Excellence Model) can help CC in becoming more citizen centric. Conclusion A Citizens’ Charter cannot be an end in itself, it is rather a means to an end - a tool to ensure that the citizen is always at the heart of any service delivery mechanism. Thus it is playing a prominent part in ensuring “minimum government & maximum governance”, changing the nature of charters from non-justiciable to justiciable & adopting penalty measures that will make it more efficient & citizen friendly. Q 2. Should ‘code of conduct’ or ‘code of ethics be made legally enforceable for civil servants? Critically examine. Approach - It expects aspirants to write about – in first part write about code of conduct and code of ethics – in second part write about how making code of conduct and code of ethics legally enforceable would be beneficial – in third part write about limitations of Code of conduct and Code of ethics – in fourth part write way forward. Introduction Both Code of Ethics and a Code of Conduct are similar as they are used in an attempt to encourage specific forms of behaviour by employees. Ethics guidelines attempt to provide guidance about values and choices to influence decision making. Conduct regulations assert that some specific actions are appropriate, others inappropriate.   Body CODE OF ETHICS CODE OF CONDUCT It include core ethical values, principles and ideals of the organisation. It is a directional document containing specific practices and behaviour that are followed or restricted under the organisation. Code of ethics is a set of principles which influence the judgement. Code of conduct is a set of guidelines that influence employee’s actions. Code of ethics are wider in nature as compared to code of conduct. Code of conduct are narrow.   Making code of conduct and code of ethics legally enforceable would be beneficial because: Code of ethics acts as a moral compass during decision making. Huge Prevalence of corruption and Lack of probity in public life can be reduced. Officials taking prejudiced decisions or favouring a ideology while discharging official duties will affect the socio-economic justice as envisaged by our Constitution. It increases the accountability and transparency of the officers in their work. Helps to curb the politician- bureaucrat nexus which leads to favouritism, crony-capitalism, and conflicts of interest. Code of ethics would enable employees to make independent judgments about the most appropriate course of action. A particular rule in the Code of Ethics might state that all employees will obey the law. Code of conduct would enable employees to work in compliance with rules and actions are guided by the codes. A Code of Conduct might list several specific laws relevant to specific areas of organisational operations, which employees need to obey. However, the limitations of Code of conduct and Code of ethics are – A forced Code of conduct and Code of ethics will have limited utility as there is a need for improvement of morals, bring in a behavioural change in the officials and politicians Non-compliance of code of conduct derived from Code of Ethics can add to litigations and burden the already judiciary. Not possible to define everything in a code as the scope is too vast leading to ambiguous situations. Way forward – The 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) had proposed the inclusion of a Public Service Code in the draft Public Service Bill, 2007. The commission outlines the desirable qualities that make the civil services efficient. They include impartiality, integrity, dedication to public service, political neutrality, adherence to the highest standards of probity, objectivity, empathy for the weaker section of the public. It highlighted that efforts made by individuals in leadership positions in organization to inculcate these values in within the organization can make a difference. The Public Service code would facilitate the employees to discharge their official duties with competence and accountability, care and diligence, honesty, without discrimination and in accordance with law The statutory backing through Civil Services bill to the Code of Ethics would guide the civil servants towards behaviours, choices and actions that benefit the community. Conclusion In a democracy, all persons holding authority derive it from the people. All public functionaries are trustees of the people. Thus, a code of ethics and code of donduct must be present, however the legal enforcement is a topic which must be well deliberated before implementation. Q 3. Critically evaluate the performance of the Right to Information (RTI) in improving governance in India. Approach - It expects students to write about – in first part write about performance of the Right to Information (RTI) in improving governance in India – in second part write about challenges with respect to RTI – in third part write about measures needed to strengthen RTI. Introduction The path-breaking Right to Information Act came into effect in 2005 with the objective to ensure accountability and transparency in governance. It has been heralded as the most significant reform in public administration in India since Independence.   Body RTI has the very active and vital role in the good governance as follows: Accountability- Making departments, ministries accountable for each action. E.g.: accountability for any delay and seeking the reason Responsibility: RTI ensures responsible government by keeping it under the toes. Transparency: RTI ensures transparent process in information dissemination, eliminating information Asymmetry etc. Equity: It strives towards eliminating any kind of Institutional Elitism. All people regardless of class gets opportunity to seek information. Efficiency and effectiveness: RTI procedures ensures timely dissemination of information with suo-moto declaration by department or ministry. Participation of people in democratic process, a bottom up approach. It helps people in making informed choice. Trust built-up: RTI strengthens the relationship between Principal {Citizen} and Agent {government}. RTI helps the government in self-introspection to improve the governance process. Challenges with respect to RTI – Attacks on Activists: There have been quite a few cases where people were killed. Unless the whistle blower protection act is implemented by notifying the rules, things will not change on ground. Frivolous RTI have been used by politicians to settle score and waste time. Implementation of Section 4: Most studies confirm that more than 50% of the applications filed under the RTI act ask for information that should have been disclosed under Section 4. Like it is emphasized by a sub-committee of Information Commissioners, section 4 implementation is going to be a crucial piece in the success of the RTI act. Measures needed to strengthen RTI –  Reduce pendency: To begin with, the government could take steps to reduce pending appeals. In June 2019, about 31,000 appeals were pending, over 9,000 of those pending for over a year.  CIC as a constitutional body: The currently statutory body must be made a constitutional body to uphold its sanctity. Political parties under RTI: All political parties claim to serve the public but are unanimous in their reluctance to share information with citizens. They must be put under ambit of RTI. Conclusion The preamble of the Act itself provides that “Democracy requires an informed citizenry and transparency of information which are vital to its functioning and also to contain corruption and to hold governments and their instrumentalities accountable to the governed”. The transformation from mere governance to good governance is possible only if the citizens of the country have right and access to information of and participation in the governance. The good governance is the governance in which people are served by their representatives not ruled by their representatives. Q 4. What are your views on the idea of introducing domain specialisation in the Civil Services? Comment. Approach - As the directive here is comment it is necessary to give your opinion on the issue. In the introduction you can explain in brief the context of issue of domain specialisation. In the first half of main body part you can argue in support of introducing domain specialisation in the civil service. In the next half you can argue in support of having a generalist in civil services. A brief about government initiative to address the issue of domain specialisation as a way forward will be an enrichment of the answer. Candidate can conclude by showing the importance of achieving a golden mean to address this issue.   Introduction Centre decided to introduce lateral entry in the highest echelons of the Indian Administrative Service, bringing skilled individuals from the private sector and academia. The decision itself is a historical one. However, the atmosphere of bureaucracy stirred after this due to the  growing debate about the work bureaucrats do and how it is perceived, which culminated in to the debate of generalist v. specialist.  Body Introducing domain specialisation in the civil services: Many within the IAS community have balked at the idea, but some believe that change is long overdue in one of India's oldest institutions. The lack of specialisation across the top tier of Indian bureaucracy is a concern that has remained unaddressed until now.  To counter the tag of "generalists" (lack of domain expertise) attributed to IAS officers, the IAS Association is thinking to lobby the government into posting and transferring officials "according to their technical expertise." IAS officers are 'generalists' who hop from one ministry to another through their careers and do not necessarily have expertise in any area. Sometimes it leads to lacunas in policy formulation area.  For instance, renowned poet and writer Ashok Vajpayi was made the secretary of the culture department in Madhya Pradesh a long time ago. The initiative to open the Bharat Bhavan, which is the hub of creativity in the state, was taken by him. It might not had happened if he was posted in coal ministry.  Arbitrary postings can be debilitating and can affect the career trajectory of civil servants and the general administration. For instance, what is the point of deputing an officer to a ministry where he will learn and understand problems of that ministry in a year's time? And then when he will be transferred to some other ministry, he will take another year to understand problems of that ministry. A parliamentary panel has also recommended that the government bring 'specialised generalists' who have domain-specific knowledge into the civil services to increase the efficiency of the bureaucracy. For instance, introducing lateral entry in to civil services is a step in the right direction.  Besides, the first ARC also indicated, in broad terms, the knowledge and specialization required for staffing posts in each of these areas. The selection of personnel to the eight areas of specialization was to be made through a mid-career competitive examination. In its 'Strategy for New India @75' document, the NITI Aayog has recommended bringing in "domain experts”" into India's otherwise generalist bureaucracy by suggesting that recruits into the civil services be placed in a 'central talent pool', after which candidates can be allocated positions in the government based on their qualification and expertise. Though having a specialist civil servant is the need of the hour, there are some pros of having a generalist in the civil services.  The first is the argument that the best leadership is provided by generalists who have a breadth of understanding and experience. Specialists, no matter how competent, tend to have a tunnel vision and are not equipped to take a broader view. Sure, domain knowledge has to feed into policy-making, but that can be accomplished by domain experts advising the generalist leader in decision-making. In this worldview, a good IAS officer can head the Department of Agriculture as competently as she would the Department of Shipping. Young recruits join the IAS as generalists, acquire breadth and then go on to acquiring depth. Which makes them a more specialised person in the field of their respective work domain. Hence, recruiting a specialist who has narrowed vision to work on multidimensional problems will hamper the system.  Also being a generalist doesn't mean that civil servants don't do a specialist kind work in their respective work domain. For instance, Nikhil Nirmal, the District Magistrate of Alipurduar a lawyer by profession, ably managed dengue outbreaks and enforced food security in the district. Managing specialisation can be a complex challenge. How much specialisation should there be? How should officers be allocated among the specialisations? What should be the weightages for expressed preferences and revealed competencies? Once allocated a specialisation, how should an officer's career be managed? It will make the task of recruitment more cumbersome.  An IAS Officer never remains a 'generalist' as projected. They become specialists in public administration and governance; having unparalleled experience of managing every development scheme at the district and sub-district levels, interacting with people across different demographics, and ensuring coordination between different departments. It is difficult to arrive at a conclusion, whether to introduce domain specialisation in the civil service or not. However, a golden mean has to be obtained. For instance, having a 'generalised specialised' should be a way forward. In this light Governement of India recently launched 'Mission Karmyogi'. The mission is established under the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB). It is aimed at building a future-ready civil service with the right attitude, skills and knowledge, aligned to the vision of New India. The capacity of Civil Services plays a vital role in rendering a wide variety of services, implementing welfare programs and performing core governance functions. Conclusion India's bureaucracy has long been criticised for being obstructionist, and that it has often been an impediment to implementing even well-intended policy initiatives. Bringing 'generalised specialist' in to civil services will strike a right balance while addressing the domain expertise question. Hence, it becomes imperative for India to achieve a golden mean while recruiting the civil servants who will supplement the transition of India in to 'New India'.  Q.5 Should civil servants be active on social media platforms? Share and substantiate your views.  Approach - It expects students to write about use of social media platforms by civil servants. And highlight on whether civil servants should use social media. Introduction Social Media in recent times has become synonymous with Social Networking sites such as FaceBook or MicroBlogging sites such as Twitter. However, very broadly social media can be defined as any web or mobile based platform that enables an individual or agency to communicate interactively and enables exchange of user generated content.  Body As Indian citizens, civil servants are free to express their views in public, subject to their specific service conditions. In this regard, the benefits of Social media use by civil servant can be seen from following points: Show the human side: Social media offers a great opportunity to humanise your department or organisation. Tell stories and let your audience in behind-the-scenes to give your social media page a friendly, personal feel and improve engagement rates. Use images and videos:  Videos and images make your message more interesting and engaging, meaning your audience is more likely to listen to what you have to say. Visual content, therefore, tends to receive more engagement and so is prioritised by social media algorithms, making it more likely that your followers will see your post. Create awareness: Social media can be used by them to create awareness about social welfare programmes as the audience are huge. Social media can help police and administrators to check on and control the mob in panic situation as well as early information about possible communal and ethnic clashes. For example -Bhima koregoan riots incident check by Pune police commissioner by early information through social media. Create accessibility: Social media also acts as platform to reach the sections which are untouched due to geographical locations, environmental conditions, educate and alarm of any Climatic or environmental hazards.  It breaks down boundaries and hierarchies: Social media cuts across traditional silos, making projects or themes more open and accessible. In government, for example, in moments we can access similar activities other civil service departments are doing and the people behind them. Social media is non-hierarchical it doesn’t worry about geographical location, job title or government department. Creates buzz around events: Twitter can hugely enhance how people experience an event. Attendees can ask questions, quote and connect with speakers, provide instant feedback and maintain connections afterwards. Motivate, sharing new ideas: From motivational blogs and leadership tips to things there are heaps of articles out there that can provide new information or a different perspective and social media is the place to find them. Finding and sharing this kind of content benefits people, team and networks. For example IFS officers with popular Twitter accounts are beginning to highlight the nature of their jobs inside dense, remote forests, and the problems and roadblocks they face. However civil servants are needed to be politically neutral and impartiality is the corner stone of the service. So some concerns arise when sensitive issues like communalism, casteist incidents are highlighted in social media because –  It shows their bias and people would perceive it as the civil servant is favouring one community over the other leading to loss of trust in the administration. Even the proposed changes to the rulebook to explicitly treat criticism of government policies on social media as a violation of conduct rules. Public servants are sharing their days through daily and weekly notes; engaging in open dialogue with colleagues, stakeholders, and citizens; and sharing progress and updates in real-time. Endangers anonymity of service and civil servant. It is not the official way to resolve grievances and should be treated as the last resort. It undermines the bureaucratic due process and may open another channel of public service. Their comments might lead to further decisions in the society and violence can crop up. For example Bareilly DM in 2018 Facebook post, questioned the “trend” of raising anti-Pakistan slogans in Muslim localities to foment communal trouble later witnessed violence when 250 kaanwariyas allegedly clashed with Muslims residents. The personal behaviour of public servants can undermine public trust if it causes a reasonable person to conclude that they are unable to serve the government of the day impartially and professionally. For example Shah feasal tweet about rape culture in South Asia. Public servants in their capacity as ‘officers of the state’ are bound by service civil service conduct rules. These rules are different today from what they were in colonial times but they fall far short of today’s digital expectations for sure. Conclusion The invisible civil servant is now becoming more and more visible in this ever evolving complex ecosystem. A number of civil servants are wanting to become visible. The public conduct of any civil servant must uphold the values of the Indian republic and promote the spirit and letter of the Constitution. The higher the civil servant’s authority, the more stringent is the need to be consistent with constitutional morality. TLP HOT Synopsis Day 56 PDF

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz 17th Dec 2020

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

TLP Mains 2020

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 2 Questions[17th DECEMBER,2020] - Day 58

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 2 Questions[17th DECEMBER,2020] - Day 58   We will make sure, in the next 3 months not a single day is wasted. All your energies are channelized in the right direction. Trust us! This will make a huge difference in your results this time, provided that you follow this plan sincerely every day without fail. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. We are giving 5 Mains Questions on Daily basis so that every student can actively participate and keep your preparation focused. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” To Know More about the Initiative -> CLICK HERE SCHEDULE/DETAILED PLAN – > CLICK HERE   Note: Click on Each Question (Link), it will open in a new tab and then Answer respective questions! 1. India’s influential diaspora is a big strategic asset for India. Do you agree? Comment. भारत का प्रभावशाली प्रवासी भारत के लिए एक बड़ी रणनीतिक संपत्ति है। क्या आप सहमत हैं? टिप्पणी करें। 2. Indo-Japan relations have achieved greater strategic heights in recent years. Do you agree? Examine the background. भारत-जापान संबंधों ने हाल के वर्षों में अधिक रणनीतिक ऊंचाइयों को प्राप्त किया है। क्या आप सहमत हैं? पृष्ठभूमि की जांच करें। 3. What are India’s interests in ASEAN? In this regard, what are current impediments and opportunities? Examine. आसियान में भारत के हित क्या हैं? इस संबंध में, वर्तमान बाधाएं और अवसर क्या हैं? जांच करें। 4. What are India’s most critical challenges in WTO? Discuss. What has been India’s response to those? Examine. विश्व व्यापार संगठन में भारत की सबसे महत्वपूर्ण चुनौतियाँ क्या हैं? चर्चा करें। भारत की उन पर क्या प्रतिक्रिया रही है? जांच करें। 5. What are your views on the consistent decline of multilateralism in recent years? How is it impacting global affairs? Discuss. हाल के वर्षों में बहुपक्षवाद की लगातार गिरावट पर आपके क्या विचार हैं? यह वैश्विक मामलों को कैसे प्रभावित कर रहा है? चर्चा करें। P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm everyday. We would also encourage peer reviews. So friends get actively involved and start reviewing each others answers. This will keep the entire community motivated. All the Best :)

RSTV Video

Special Marriage Act – The Big Picture – RSTV IAS UPSC

Special Marriage Act Archives Topic: General Studies 1: Social empowerment Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. In News: The Allahabad high Court, while issuing an order in a habeas corpus writ petition recently, said it is disturbing that one should change one's faith just for the sake of matrimony when two persons professing different religions can marry under Special Marriage Act which is ‘one of the earliest endeavours towards Uniform Civil Code.  The order has come days after another HC judge had observed in another case that religious conversion just for the sake of marriage was not acceptable.   The court made the comments after finding that a Muslim woman had converted to Hinduism, and a month later married as per Hindu rituals.  It had found such an expedient conversion unacceptable, citing a similar 2014 verdict in which the court had questioned the bonafides of conversions without change of heart or any conviction in the tenets of the new religion.  Although the court strayed from the issue at hand, its objective was to underscore that conversion should not become a device. It is indeed salutary as a principle that inter-faith couples retain their religious beliefs separately and opt for marriage under the Special Marriage Act. Meanwhile, four states MP, UP, Haryana and Karnataka are considering bringing a legislation to deal with cases of “love jihad”. Special marriage Act in India In a marriage under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 allows people from two different religious backgrounds to come together in the bond of marriage. The Special Marriage Act, 1954 lays down the procedure for both solemnization and registration of marriage, where either of the husband or wife or both are not Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, or Sikhs. All marriages in India can be registered under the respective personal law Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, Muslim Marriage Act, 1954, or under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. It is the duty of the judiciary to ensure that the rights of both the husband and wife are protected. What is the issue? However, registration of such a marriage under the law requires the marriage officer to first issue a 30-day public notice — with details like name, occupation, age and address — about the intended marriage for invitation of objections from public. The objections are limited to technical aspects like soundness of mind, age and existence of any spouse of the parties intending to register the marriage but the notice at times becomes a reason for life threats for couples fleeing their homes and wanting to marry as per their own choice. Section 6 violates the fundamental right to privacy. Such an apprehension is not unwarranted even though the problem lies not in the spirit but the misuse of the clause. Earlier this year in Kerala, notices of inter-faith marriages under the Special Marriage Act were reported to have been circulated on social media by right-wing groups as instances of ‘love jihad’ and led to communal tensions in some places. There is thus the possibility of bureaucratic corruption leading to such sensitive data falling in unscrupulous hands. The consequences, the tradition of honour killings shows, can be lethal for the couple. In brief, this calls for urgent attention on two pertinent issues:  The constitutionality of making personal information available online The scourge of stoking communal hatred using the reprehensible tag, ‘love jihad.’ PIL against 30-day notice period under Special Marriage Act There is no such provision under personal laws with regard to same-faith marriages. The “objections can be mitigated on the basis of certificates issued by government hospitals” and that the procedure is discriminatory in nature, intended to discourage interfaith marriages like theirs. The petition contends it is “of paramount importance in the current scenario that couples opting for cross-community marriages are adequately protected”. The petition has also urged the court to declare as “illegal, null, void and unconstitutional” the provisions of the Act which lay down the procedure of 30 day notice for inviting objections. The Way Forward Public Notice: Instead of issuing a public notice, can the marriage registrar be authorized to examine the veracity of the application and alert the authorities only when mala fide intent is suspected? Here toso, there must be serious deliberations on the method of assessment of such applications so that a routine examination does not get transformed into an act of surveillance. Love Jihaad: It is important to note that no term called ‘love jihad’ is defined in current Indian laws. During the Parliamentary session in the Lok Sabha in February 2020, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy pointed this out and had even acknowledged that no case of ‘love jihad’ has been reported by any of the central agencies. Article 25 of the Constitution provides the freedom to profess, practice and propagate religion subject to public order, morality and health. Various courts have upheld this view, including the Kerala High Court. The ruling of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which said that the State and its institutions must not be seen as “laying snares and landmines” in the path of consenting adults from different faiths, must be taken as a model to emulate. The tension, however, lies elsewhere. Marriage still requires a societal seal of approval of what is essentially a deeply personal bond. Such approval is predicated upon the possibility of interference. Note: Habeas corpus: A writ of habeas corpus (which literally means to "produce the body") is a court order demanding that a public official (such as a warden) deliver an imprisoned individual to the court and show a valid reason for that person's detention. Connecting the Dots: The loud politics of ‘love jihad’ Uniform Civil Code What is the philosophy behind ‘Love Jihad’? Discuss.

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 16th December 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) India Water Impact 2020 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment In news India Water Impact Summit, held recently, saw many experts from India and abroad sharing their insights on the topic of conservation and development. Key takeaways India Water Impact 2020 is a five-day long summit. Experts and academicians from all over the world discuss and debate issues related to water conservation, water security and river rejuvenation during the summit. The event is co-organised by National Mission for Clean Ganga and Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies. During the event, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research signed MOU with cGanga (think-tank of NMCG) for development of sludge management framework in India. Vision 2035: Public Health Surveillance In India Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment In news NITI Aayog recently released a white paper: Vision 2035: Public Health Surveillance in India. Key takeaways Vision: is to make India’s public health surveillance system more responsive and predictive to enhance preparedness for action at all levels. The white paper lays out India’s vision 2035 for public health surveillance through the integration of the three-tiered public health system into Ayushman Bharat. The building blocks for this vision are an interdependent governance between the Centre and states, a new data-sharing mechanism which involves the use of new analytics, health informatics, and data science including innovative ways of disseminating ‘information for action’. Citizen-friendly public health surveillance system will ensure individual privacy and confidentiality, enabled with a client feedback mechanism. Improved data-sharing mechanism between Centre and states for better disease detection, prevention, and control. India aims to provide regional and global leadership in managing events that constitute a public health emergency of international concern. Species in news: Himalayan Serow Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Biodiversity In news A Himalayan serow has been sighted for the first time in the Himalayan cold desert region of Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. Wildlife officials believe this particular animal may have strayed into the Spiti valley from the Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary, HP  Important value addition Himalayan serow Scientific name: The Himalayan serow, or Capricornis sumatraensis thar It is a subspecies of the mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis). It resembles a cross between a goat, a donkey, a cow, and a pig.  It’s a medium-sized mammal with a large head, thick neck, short limbs, long, mule-like ears, and a coat of dark hair. There are several species of serows, and all of them are found in Asia.  Himalayan serows are typically found at altitudes between 2,000 metres and 4,000 metres. They are known to be found in eastern, central, and western Himalayas, but not in the Trans Himalayan region. It is herbivores.  IUCN Red List status: Vulnerable  It is listed under Schedule I of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which provides absolute protection. Species in news: Indian Gaur Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Biodiversity In news Indian Bison was in news recently. It was seen in Pune’s urban landscape which led to its capture and consequently died due to injury. The sad news of its death has put the spotlight on human-Gaur conflict in the country. Important value addition Indian Gaur Scientific Name: Bos Gaurus. It is one of the largest extant bovines.  It is one of the largest species among the wild cattle. Habitat: Gaurs are found on the forested hills and grassy areas of South to South-East Asia. They are found in India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. The Western Ghats in southern India constitute one of the most extensive extant strongholds of gaur, in particular in the Wayanad – Nagarhole – Mudumalai – Bandipur complex. The gaur is the State Animal of Goa and Bihar. IUCN status: Vulnerable  The Indian Government has included it in the Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972. It is listed in CITES Appendix I. TWG meeting held between India, Iran, and Uzbekistan on Chabahar port Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news The first Trilateral Working Group (TWG) Meeting between India, Iran and Uzbekistan on the joint use of Chabahar Port was held. Key takeaways The Meeting was jointly chaired by Secretary (Shipping), Government of India, Deputy Minister of Transport, Uzbekistan and Deputy Transport Minister of Iran. During the meeting, the participants discussed joint use of Chabahar Port for trade and transit purposes and enhanced regional connectivity. All sides also welcomed India’s proposal to hold "Chabahar Day” on the side-lines of the International Maritime Summit scheduled to be hosted by India in January 2021. The meeting was held as a follow up of decisions taken during the virtual summit held between Indian Prime Minister and President of Uzbekistan recently. Do you know? Chabahar Port is a seaport in Chabahar located in south-eastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman.  It serves as Iran's only oceanic port, and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti. Related articles: Chabahar port and US sanctions: Click here India losing Chabahar project: Click here Iran dropping India from Chabahar Rail Project: Click here DakPay: New digital Payment App Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Governance & GS-III - Infrastructure In news Department of Posts and India Post Payments Bank unveiled a new digital payment app DakPay. Key takeaways DakPay is a suite of digital financial and assisted banking services provided by India Post & IPPB through the trusted Postal (‘Dak’) network across the nation to cater to the financial needs (‘Pay’) of various sections of the society. DakPay UPI app allows users to create UPI ID and link multiple accounts across banks in a single mobile app.  The app facilitates instant money transfers, QR based payments in merchant stores and online shopping on e-commerce websites. Israel establishes diplomatic ties with Bhutan  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news Recently, Israel has established diplomatic ties with Bhutan. Key takeaways Earlier, Israel has supported Bhutanese human resource development since 1982, especially in the area of agriculture development that has benefited hundreds of Bhutanese youths. The two nations established a formal diplomatic relation and agreed to work closely together in various sectors. The two sides will not be setting up embassies and will coordinate through their missions in Delhi. The establishment of diplomatic relations would create new avenues for cooperation between the two countries in water management, technology, human resource development, agricultural sciences and other areas of mutual benefit. As for tourism, Bhutan that limits the number of outsiders who can enter will now likely be more open to Israelis. The ties between the peoples through cultural exchanges and tourism would also be further enhanced. Related articles: Israel-Morocco deal: Click here Sudan and Israel: Click here Bahrain and Israel: Click here Abraham Accords: Click here Doctors witness increased cases of Covid-19 triggered Mucormycosis Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news Recently, doctors have witnessed increased cases of Covid-19 triggered Mucormycosis. The reduced immunity of Covid-19 patients makes them more susceptible to this fungal infection. Important value addition Mucormycosis is also called Black Fungus or Zygomycosis. It is a serious but rare fungal infection caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes. It occurs through inhalation, inoculation, or ingestion of spores from the environment. Mucormycosis does not spread between people or between people and animals. It usually occurs in people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness. Symptoms: One-sided facial swelling and numbness, headache, nasal or sinus congestion, black lesions on nasal bridge or upper inside of the mouth, fever, abdominal pain, nausea and gastrointestinal bleeding. It needs to be treated with prescription antifungal medicine. Often, mucormycosis requires surgery to cut away the infected tissue. There is no vaccine to prevent it. Early detection can prevent loss of eyesight, nose or jaw through clinical intervention. Miscellaneous Geminids Meteor Shower The Geminids meteor shower was in news recently. It is believed to be the strongest of the year which is active from December 4-December 20. The Geminids meteor showers are unique because their origin does not lie in a comet, but what is believed to be an asteroid or an extinct comet.  The Geminids emerge from 3200 Phaethon, which meteor scientists consider to be an asteroid. Meteors are bits of rock and ice that are ejected from comets as they manoeuvre around their orbits around the sun. When a meteor reaches the Earth, it is called a meteorite and a series of meteorites, when encountered at once, is termed a meteor shower. (Mains Focus) JUDICIARY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2: Structure, organization and functioning of the Judiciary Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors Inadequacies of Justice Delivery System. Context:  The citizens of the country expect the Judicial institution and its constituents to be ideal. As a result of the unrelenting focus on the Supreme court, the other inadequacies of the system don’t get as much public attention. A few important ones are dealt with below. 1. Spending on judiciary The issue of spending on judiciary is equated with a call for increasing the salaries of judges and providing better court infrastructure. Such perceptions are unfortunate.  India has one of the most comprehensive legal aid programmes in the world, the Legal Services Authority Act of 1987. Under this law, all women, irrespective of their financial status, SCs, STs and children are entitled to free legal aid. This means that a significant proportion of the population falls — or is supposed to fall — under a free legal aid regime. However, in reality, this law is a dead letter.  There has been little effort on the part of successive governments to provide a task force of carefully selected, well-trained and reasonably paid advocates to provide these services. In comparison, the system of legal aid in the U.K. identifies and funds several independent solicitor offices to provide such services. If support is withdrawn, many solicitor offices that provide these invaluable services would collapse and with that, the rule of law. India is yet to put in place anything similar to this. 2. Poor Judge Population Ratio The U.S. has about 100 judges per million population. Canada has about 75 and the U.K. has about 50.  On the other hand, India has only 19 judges per million population. Of these, at any given point, at least one-fourth is always vacant.  While vacancies to the Supreme Court and the High Courts is hotly debated, hardly any attention is focused on this gaping inadequacy in lower courts which is where the common man first comes into contact with the justice delivery system.  In All India Judges Association v. Union of India (2001), the Supreme Court had directed the Government of India to increase the judge-population ratio to at least 50 per million population within five years from the date of the judgment. This has not been implemented. 3. Access to Justice  Though ‘access to justice’ has not been specifically spelt out as a fundamental right in the Constitution, it has always been treated as such by Indian courts. In Anita Kushwaha v. Pushpa Sadan (2016), the Supreme Court held unambiguously that “life” implies not only life in the physical sense but a bundle of rights that also means right to access justice Further, the court pointed out four important components of access to justice. It pointed out the need for adjudicatory mechanisms. It said that the mechanism must be conveniently accessible in terms of distance and that the process of adjudication must be speedy and affordable to the disputants.  4. Other Issues  A disproportionate amount of attention that is given to the functioning of the Supreme Court, important as it is, distracts from above and similar issues.  Government is yet to draw out a national policy and road map for clearing backlogs and making judicial delivery smooth and efficient Increasing tribunalisation of the justice delivery process The extortionate court fees payable to access justice in civil suits in some States;  The poor integration of technology into the system Conclusion Let us assume that the apex court achieves the distinction of being “ideal” in the near future, of being all things to all people. Still, a fine mind alone is of little avail if the rest of the body lies disabled, as the justice delivery system is today. INTERNATIONAL / SECURITY Topic: General Studies 2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests. India is right to bet on a post-Brexit UK Context: India recently invited the United Kingdom (UK)’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson as chief guest for Republic Day 2021. The visit will take place less than a month after the UK leaves the European Union — with or without a deal. The timing and occasion of the visit signals intent on both sides to develop a genuine partnership. For decades, India-UK relations remained suboptimal because neither side was invested in truly understanding what the other valued. Some of the reasons that led to suboptimal relationship are Kashmir Issue: In India, London’s motivations were — incorrectly — viewed as a former colonial power’s (UK) desire to weigh in on regional issues such as Kashmir by tilting towards Pakistan. Post-Study Work Permit: London scrapped the post-study work permit for international students which led to a sharp drop in Indian student numbers between 2013-17, even as Chinese student numbers swelled based on special visa arrangements. This trend is now reversing as the post-study work permit has been reintroduced. Afghan War: In UK, India’s lack of appreciation for the UK’s security concerns about troops in Afghanistan and radicalisation at home — both of which necessitate a security partnership with Pakistan — remained an irritant. Military Purchases: India’s 2012 decision to purchase the French Dassault Rafale over the UK’s Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet increased the estrangement Brexit: London became busy in its domestic political turmoil and bureaucratic transitions. But whenever it did express interest to augment the relationship, New Delhi refused citing Brexit-related uncertainties. Economic reasons: India has shied away from FTA given London’s emphasis on easy capital flows to and from India, which would hit Indian producers and retailers hard, without entertaining India’s reciprocal demand for liberal labour flows.  PM Johnson’s visit offers an opportunity for a reset. Signing FTAs: Though difficult to achieve in the short-term, both countries have an incentive to explore the viability of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). With both the economies under stress due to the pandemic, they have an incentive to revisit the irritants in signing the FTA. Alternative to RCEP: Trade Agreement with UK offer an alternative as India seeks to reduce economic linkages with China. India’s decision to stay out of RCEP will help capitalise on British, and European, economic overtures China Factor: In addition to economic incentives, London’s sharp downturn in relations with Beijing since the introduction of the draconian national security law in Hong Kong imparts strategic synergy to India-UK relations UK’s Foreign Policy: The UK’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development, and Foreign Policy 2021 has indicated that London must tilt towards the Indo-Pacific. The aim is to augment the UK’s presence in the Indian Ocean Region and work with powers such as India, Japan, and Australia, along with the EU and the US, to counter China. Vaccine Development: India remains a top global exporter of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry and will play an important role in the mass production of the Covid-19 vaccine.  Collaboration in sectors such as digital technology, the climate crisis, and vaccine development will also see a fillip if both countries sign FTA and collaborate together. Conclusion There are miles to go before this partnership realises its true potential, but it is set to become “poll-proof” as India bets on a post-Brexit UK (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 Vision 2035: Public Health Surveillance in India was recently released by which of the following? Ministry of Health NITI Aayog World Health Organisation AIIMS Q.2 Consider the following about Himalayan Serow: It is found in Trans-Himalayan region. Its IUCN status is Threatened Which of the above is/correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3 Where is Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary situated? Rajasthan Himachal Pradesh Uttarakhand Assam ANSWERS FOR 15th December 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 B Must Read About PM-WANI Scheme: The Hindu About lawsuits against big tech: The Hindu About need to develop clear roadmap for disinvestment: Indian Express