Nov 19, 2020 PIB

PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU (PIB) IAS UPSC – 8th November to 14th November – 2020

Press Information Bureau(PIB) IAS UPSC – 8th November to 14th November – 2020 ARCHIVES GS-2 Aatma Nirbhar Bharat 3.0. (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman has announced 12 key measures, as part of Government of India’s stimulus to the economy, under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat 3.0.  The net stimulus announced today amounts to ₹ 2.65 Lakh crore. The total stimulus announced by the Government and Reserve Bank of India till date, to help the nation tide over the COVID-19 pandemic, works out to ₹ 29.87 lakh crore, which is 15% of national GDP. Out of this, stimulus worth 9% of GDP has been provided by the government. Atmanirbhar Bharta Rozgar Yojana:  The new employees hired by the EPFO-registered organisations will receive benefits during COVID-19. If the EPFO registered establishments take in new employees or those who lost jobs earlier will get benefits from government. Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) for MSMEs, businesses, MUDRA borrowers and individuals (loans for business purposes), has been extended till March 31, 2021.  New Credit Guarantee Scheme: A credit guarantee support scheme for health care sector and 26 sectors stressed due to COVID-19 pandemic was also launched. Under this new credit scheme, banks will be able to lend to stressed companies from 26 sectors identified by the K.V. Kamath committee earlier this year. Production-Linked Incentive: The PLI scheme worth ₹ 1.46 lakh crore is being offered to 10 champion sectors which will help boost the efficiency and competitiveness of domestic manufacturing. A total amount of ₹ 1.5 lakh crore has been earmarked across sectors, for the next five years. Pradhan Mantri Awaaz Yojana Urban: An additional outlay of ₹ 18,000 crore over budget estimate towards PM Awaaz Yojana Urban has been announced which will help ground 12 lakh houses and complete 18 lakh houses. This will create additional 78 lakh jobs and improve the production and sale of cement and steel. Income Tax Relief for Developers and Home Buyers for houses up to ₹ 2 crore which provides an incentive to the middle class to buy homes. Equity Investment in Debt Platform by NIIF: The government will make ₹ 6,000 crore equity investment in debt platform of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), which will help NIIF raise ₹ 1.1 lakh crore by 2025 for financing infrastructure project Total Support: It comes at a time when the worst seems to be over and the economy seems to be transitioning from the normalisation of economic activity stage to the growth recovery stage. The support totalled  ₹2.65 trillion. IFSC Authority approves the International Financial Services Centre Authority (Banking) Regulations, 2020 (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) The IFSC Authority, after detailed deliberations, approved the International Financial Services Centres Authority (Banking) Regulations, 2020. Banking constitutes one of the major focus areas of IFSC and is expected to drive and facilitate the other constituent operations in the IFSC in due course. A self-contained regulation laying down the major principles of banking operations at IFSCs is thus an important step in the IFSC reaching its desired potential. The Authority approved the draft banking regulations at its meeting today, which paves the way for putting in place the rules for the various aspects of banking operations that would be permissible at the IFSC. The salient aspects of the Banking Regulations include: Laying down the requirements for setting up IFSC Banking Units (IBUs) Permitting persons resident outside India (having net worth not less than USD 1 Million) to open foreign currency accounts in any freely convertible currency at IFSC Banking Units (IBUs) Permitting persons resident in India (having net worth not less than USD 1 Million) to open foreign currency accounts in any freely convertible currency at IFSC Banking Units (IBUs) to undertake any permissible current account or capital account transaction or any combination thereof under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of the Reserve Bank of India. Laying down the permissible activities of IBUs including credit enhancement, credit insurance, and sale , purchase of portfolios, engage in factoring and forfaiting of export receivables and undertake equipment leasing, including aircraft leasing Permitting the Authority to determine business that a Banking Unit may be permitted to conduct in INR with persons resident in India and persons resident outside India, subject to settlement of the financial transaction in relation to such business in freely convertible foreign currency. Cabinet approves Continuation and Revamping of the Scheme for Financial Support to Public Private Partnerships in Infrastructure Viability Gap Funding VGF Scheme The revamped Scheme is mainly related to introduction of following two sub-schemes for mainstreaming private participation in social infrastructure: Sub scheme -1: This would cater to Social Sectors such as Waste Water Treatment, Water Supply, Solid Waste Management, Health and Education sectors etc. These projects face bankability issues and poor revenue streams to cater fully to capital costs. The projects eligible under this category should have at least 100% Operational Cost recovery.  Sub scheme -2: This Sub scheme will support demonstration/pilot social sectors projects. The projects may be from Health and Education sectors where there is at least 50% Operational Cost recovery. In such projects, the Central Government and the State Governments together will provide up to 80% of capital expenditure and upto 50% of Operation & Maintenance (O&M) costs for the first five years.  Since the inception of the scheme, 64 projects have been accorded 'final approval' with Total Project Cost of Rs. 34,228 crore and VGF of Rs. 5,639 crore. Till the end of Financial Year 2019-20, VGF of Rs. 4,375 crore has been disbursed. Benefits: The aim of the scheme is to promote PPPs in social and Economic Infrastructure leading to efficient creation of assets and ensuring their proper Operation and Maintenance and make the economically/socially essential projects commercially viable. The scheme would be beneficial to public at large as it would help in creation of the Infrastructure for the country. Impact: Revamping of the proposed VGF Scheme will attract more PPP projects and facilitate the private investment in the social sectors (Health, Education, Waste Water, Solid Waste Management, Water Supply etc.).  Creation of new hospitals, schools will create many opportunities to boost employment generation. 20th Summit of SCO Council of Heads of State (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) Chaired by: The President of the Russian Federation Mr. Vladimir Putin This was the first SCO Summit held in Virtual Format and third meeting that India participated after becoming a full member in 2017. Prime Minister Modi –  Highlighted the imperative of a reformed multilateralism to meet the expectation of a world suffering from the social and financial after-effects of the pandemic. India, as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, beginning from 1 January 2021, will focus on the theme of ‘reformed multilateralism’ to bring about desirable changes in global governance. Reiterated India’s firm belief in regional peace, security and prosperity and raising voice against terrorism, smuggling of illegal weapons, drugs and money-laundering. He mentioned that India’s brave soldiers participated in about 50 UN peacekeeping missions and India's Pharma industry supplying essential medicines to more than 150 countries during the pandemic. Underlined India’s strong cultural and historical connect with the SCO region and reiterated India’s firm commitment towards strengthening connectivity in the region with initiatives like International North-South Transport Corridor, Chabahar Port and Ashgabat Agreement. He also extended full support to observing the 20th anniversary of SCO in 2021 as the "SCO Year of Culture” and spoke of India’s own initiatives to hold the first SCO exhibition on Shared Buddhist Heritage to be organized by National Museum of India, SCO Food Festival in India next year and the translation of Ten regional language literary works into Russian and Chinese. Expressed India’s readiness to host the next regular Meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government on November 30, 2020 in virtual format. India has also proposed to set up a Special Working Group on Innovation and Startups and a Sub Group on Traditional Medicine within SCO. He elaborated on India's vision of a "Aatma Nirbhar Bharat" (Self-reliant India) in the post-pandemic world that could prove to be a force multiplier for the global economy and the economic progress of the SCO region. 17th ASEAN India Summit (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) Current chair: H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam Underlined the centrality of ASEAN in India's Act East Policy –  Noted that a cohesive, responsive and prosperous ASEAN is central to India's Indo-Pacific Vision and contributes to Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).  Underscored the importance of strengthening convergence between India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific, to ensure a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.  He also invited the ASEAN countries to cooperate on various pillars of India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). On COVID-19 Highlighted India's response and broader support to the international community, and welcomed ASEAN's initiatives to fight the pandemic.  Prime Minister announced a contribution of US$ 1 million to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund. On connectivity Underscored the importance of greater physical and digital connectivity between ASEAN and India Reiterated India's offer of US$ 1 billion Line of Credit to support ASEAN connectivity On trade and investment, underlined the importance of diversification and resilience of supply chains for post-COVID economic recovery. The ASEAN leaders – Acknowledged India’s contribution towards promoting peace and stability in the region and welcomed India’s support to ASEAN centrality.  The Leaders also welcomed the adoption of the new ASEAN-India Plan of Action for 2021-2025. The discussions also covered regional and international issues of common interest and concern, including South China Sea and terrorism.  Both sides noted the importance of promoting a rules-based order in the region including through upholding adherence to international law, especially the UNCLOS.  The leaders affirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, safety and security in the South China Sea,and ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight. GS-3 Saffron bowl of India extends to the North East (Topic: Agriculture) The saffron bowl, which was so far confined to Kashmir, may soon expand to the North East of India. Plants from seeds transported from Kashmir to Sikkim and acclimatized there are now flowering in Yangyang in the Southern part of the North-East state. Saffron production has long been restricted to a limited geographical area in the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Pampore region, in India, commonly known as Saffron bowl of Kashmir, is the main contributor to saffron production, followed by Budgam, Srinagar, and Kishtiwar districts. Saffron has traditionally been associated with the famous Kashmiri cuisine. It’s its medicinal values were considered as part of the rich cultural heritage of Kashmir. As saffron growing was confined to very specific areas in Kashmir, its production remained limited. Though the National Mission on Saffron focused on several measures to improve its farming, the measures were still limited to the specified areas of Kashmir. The corms were irrigated during the month of September and October, which ensured timely corm sprouting and good flower yields. The matching of climatic and geographical conditions between Pampore (Kashmir) and Yangyang (Sikkim) led to the successful sample farming of Saffron in Yangyang. The project also focused on post-harvest management and value addition of saffron so that quality saffron drying and efficient post-harvest processing can improve saffron recovery, thereby improving its production. Further, detailed analysis and testing of all parameters, including soil testing, quality, quantity, and possible value addition are planned, for immediate results and extrapolation of the project to other parts of the North East Region along with Micro Food Enterprises. Saffron It is a plant whose dried stigmas (thread-like parts of the flower) are used to make saffron spice. Saffron cultivation is believed to have been introduced in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrants around the 1st Century BCE. It represents the rich cultural heritage of the J&K region. It is a very precious and costly product. It is referred to as ‘bahukam’ in ancient Sanskrit literature. It is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of J&K. Uses: (1) It rejuvenates health; (2) It is used in cosmetics and for medicinal purposes. It is usually cultivated during June and July and at some places in August and September. Saffron grows well at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level.  It needs 12 hours of sunlight. It grows in many different soil types but thrives best in calcareous (soil that has calcium carbonate in abundance), humus-rich and well-drained soil with a pH between 6 and 8. Temperature: Ranging from 35 or 40 degree Celsius in summer to about –15 or –20 degree Celsius in winter. It also requires adequate rainfall that is 1000-1500 mm per annum. Do you know?  Pampore region, in India, commonly known as Saffron bowl of Kashmir, is the main contributor to saffron production, followed by Budgam, Srinagar, and Kishtiwar districts. Demonetisation helped to reduce black money (Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources) Demonetisation has helped reduce black money, increase tax compliance and formalization and given a boost to transparency. These outcomes have been greatly beneficial towards national progress.    Indian astronomers collaborated with Nobel laureate on Thirty Meter Telescope Project (Topic: Space) 2020 Physics Nobel Laureate Prof. Andrea Ghez had worked closely with Indian astronomers on the design of back-end instruments and possible science prospects of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project being installed at Maunakea in Hawaii, which can revolutionized the understanding of the universe and the enigmas in it. The Thirty-meter telescope (TMT) project is an international partnership between CalTech, Universities of California, Canada, Japan, China, and India; through the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). To provide facilities with even greater capabilities to gather the observations needed to answer new and emerging questions in astronomy and physics in general. Indian scientists develop energy efficient smart screens from discarded groundnut shells (Topic: Science and Technology) Indian scientists have developed an eco-friendly smart screen from groundnut shells that could help not only in preserving privacy but also in energy conservation by controlling light and heat passing through it and reducing air conditioning load. In the smart screen application, liquid crystal molecules were confined in a polymer matrix. The matrix was built using cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) which were prepared from discarded groundnut shells. The refractiveindex of the liquid crystal molecules along a particular direction were altered by the application of an electric field. In the absence of the electric field, there was a mismatch between refractive indices between those of the polymer and the liquid crystal, leading to the scattering of light.  Upon application of a few volts of an electric field, the liquid crystal molecules underwent a direction change resulting in the matching of refractive indices, and the device became transparent almost instantaneously.   When the field was turned off, the system quickly recovered the scattering state. This reversible change between the two states available at the flip of a switch occurred over thousands of cycles, with essentially no change in contrast or switching speed. The device they developed, employed the same principle that causes fog on winter mornings. This happens only when the water droplets are of right size, and it can co-exist along with air. The incoming light sees these two as materials of different refractive indices and thus gets scattered, giving a foggy appearance. Similarly, the polymer and the liquid crystal should co-exist in the right size to create the required optical properties for the smart screen. While, in principal, the device could be developed from any cellulose or agricultural waste, due to certain properties of groundnut waste, the smart screen developed from groundnut waste has been found to be most efficient. The device can be employed for a whole range of possible applications, especially in energy conservation by controlling the amount and window of infrared light that is permitted to pass. For example, while a window having this technology would remain transparent to the entire visible region, undesirable levels of heat radiation could be significantly reduced, keeping the enclosure cool. Prelims oriented News U.S President: Joe Biden US Vice President: Kamala Harris Ministry of Shipping renamed: As Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (as in most of the developed countries the Ministry of Shipping handles Ports and Waterways) National Ayurveda Day: The Ministry of AYUSH, since 2016, has been observing the "Ayurveda Day" every year on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti (Dhanteras). Dedicated two future-ready Ayurveda institutions to the nation - the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar and the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur. Both the institutes are premier institutions of Ayurveda in the country. The former has been conferred the status of an Institution of National Importance (INI) by an Act of Parliament and the latter that of an Institution Deemed to be University (De novo Category) by the University Grants Commission (UGC) Highlights importance of developing evidence-based research structures for Ayurveda for a leading global role in the 21st century WHO to set up Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India Ro-Pax terminal: At Hazira RO-PAX service between Hazira and Ghogha has made dreams come true for the people of Saurashtra and South Gujarat, as the journey is shortened from 10-12 hours to 3-4 hours. This will save time and expenses will also be reduced.  About 80000 passenger trains and 30000 trucks will be able to take advantage of this new service in a year. Fruits, vegetables and milk can now easily be transported and pollution will also be reduced due to this service. Unveiling of A-Sat Missile Model ‘Mission Shakti’ was country’s first ever Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile Test successfully conducted, where a fast-moving Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) was neutralised with pinpoint accuracy. This was a highly complex mission, conducted at extremely high speed with remarkable precision. The successful conduct of Mission Shakti made India the fourth nation in the world with the capability to defend its assets in outer space. The fifth Scorpene submarine of Project-75 - ‘Vagir’ launched Vagir, ex-Russia, named after the Sand Fish, a deadly deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 3, 1973, and was decommissioned on June 7, 2001, after almost three decades of yeoman service to the nation.  The state-of-the-art technology utilized in the rebuilt Scorpene has ensured superior stealth features (such as advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimised shape etc.) and the ability to launch an attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons.  The attack can be launched with both torpedoes and tube launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface.  The stealth of this potent platform is enhanced by the special attention provided to her characteristic underwater signatures. These stealth features give it an invulnerability, unmatched by most submarines.  Scorpene submarines can undertake multifarious types of missions i.e Anti-Surface warfare, Anti-Submarine warfare, Intelligence gathering, Mine Laying, Area Surveillance etc. The Submarine is designed to operate in all theatres of operation, showcasing interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force. It is a potent platform, marking a transformational shift in submarine operations. With the launch of Vagir, India further cements its position as a Submarine Building Nation and MDL has more than lived up to its reputation as 'Warship and Submarine Builders to the Nation' This is totally in sync with the current impetus of the Government towards 'Make in India' and 'Aatma Nirbhar Bharat'. QRSAM Missile System Achieves Major Milestone Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) System has achieved a major milestone by a direct hit on to a Banshee Pilotless target aircraft at medium range & medium altitude. The missile launch took place from ITR Chandipur on 13th Nov 2020 at 1550 hrs off the Odisha Coast.  The missile is propelled by a single stage solid propellant rocket motor and uses all indigenous subsystems. The Missile is canisterised for transportation and launch using a mobile launcher capable of carrying 6 canisterised missiles. All QRSAM weapon system elements like Battery Multifunction Radar, Battery Surveillance Radar, Battery Command Post Vehicle and Mobile Launcher were deployed in the flight test. The system is capable of detecting and tracking targets on the move and engaging target with short halts. The system is designed to give air defence coverage against strike columns of Indian Army. The radar tracked the Banshee target from farthest range and missile was launched when target was within kill zone and achieved the direct hit with terminal active homing by RF Seeker guidance. Various DRDO labs DRDL, RCI, LRDE, R&DE(E), IRDE, ITR have participated in the test. The weapon system elements have been realized through Defence PSUs BEL, BDL and private industry L&T. The missile system is fully indigenous with active RF Seekers, Electro Mechanical Actuation (EMA) systems sourced from various industries. The Radar is four walled Active Phased Array Radar. All range Tracking stations, Radar, EOTs & Telemetry Stations monitored the flight parameters. NTPC develops Geo-polymer aggregate from fly ash: NTPC Ltd, India’s largest power producer and a PSU under Ministry of Power, has successfully developed Geo-polymer coarse aggregate from fly ash.  India’s demand for these aggregate touches close to 2000 million metric tons mark every year. The aggregate developed by NTPC from fly ash will help in meeting the demand to a great extent and also will reduce the impact on environment caused by Natural aggregates which require quarrying of natural stone. In India, every year, approximately 258 MMT of ash is produced by the coal fired thermal power plants. Out of this around 78% of the ash is utilised and the balance remains unutilised which remain in ash dykes. NTPC is exploring alternate ways to utilise the remaining ash which includes the current research project to generate aggregates using more than 90% ash. The Geo-polymer aggregates finds its extensive usage in construction industry turning the ash eco-friendly. These aggregates are extremely environment friendly and does not require any cement for application in concrete where the fly ash based Geopolymer mortar acts as the binding agent. The Geo-polymer aggregates will help in reducing carbon emission and has great potential for reduction of water consumption. Doorstep Service for submission of Digital Life Certificate through Postman launched The facility to submit life certificate online through Jeevan Pramaan Portal was launched in 2014 with the objective to provide a convenient and transparent facility to pensioners for submission of Life Certificate.  In order to make this facility available across the country, DoPPW roped in the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) and utilise its huge network of Postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks in providing doorstep facility to pensioners for submission of life certificate digitally. Skill India Commences Training of 3 Lakh Migrant Workers From 116 Districts Identified Across 6 States under Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan Aim: To empower migrant workers and rural population in the post-COVID era through demand-driven skilling and orientation under Centrally Sponsored and Centrally Managed (CSCM) component of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 2016-2020. Over 200 training partners are delivering trainings across 116 districts in6 states Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme introduced PLI Scheme has been introduced in the following 10 key sectors for Enhancing India’s Manufacturing Capabilities and Enhancing Exports – Atmanirbhar Bharat Will make Indian manufacturers globally competitive Attract investment in the areas of core competency and cutting-edge technology Ensure efficiencies Create economies of scale Enhance exports and make India an integral part of the global supply chain Priority Sectors Implementing Ministry/Department   Advance Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery NITI Aayog and Department of Heavy Industries   Electronic/Technology Products Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology 2. Automobiles & Auto Components Department of Heavy Industries 3.   Pharmaceuticals drugs Department of Pharmaceuticals 4. Telecom & Networking Products Department of Telecom 5. Textile Products: MMF segment and technical textiles Ministry of Textiles 6. Food Products Ministry of Food Processing Industries 7.   High Efficiency Solar PV Modules Ministry of New and Renewable Energy 8. White Goods (ACs & LED) Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade 9. Speciality Steel Ministry of Steel Quotes India has Moved from Tax-Terrorism to Tax-Transparency: Prime Minister The long period of slavery had made the relationship between tax payer and the tax collector that of exploited and exploiters.  Quoting Goswami Tulsidas “बरसत हरसत सब लखें, करसत लखे न कोय तुलसी प्रजा सुभाग से, भूप भानु सो होय” meaning when clouds rain, the benefit is visible to all of us; but when clouds are formed, the sun absorbs the water but does not cause inconvenience to anyone, the Prime Minister said governance should not cause inconvenience when collecting tax from the common people; but when that money reaches the citizens, then people should feel its benefits in their lives.  Over the years, the government has moved ahead with this vision and today's taxpayer is witnessing huge changes and transparency in the entire tax system.  When the taxpayer does not have to wait months for a refund and gets a refund within a few weeks, then he feels transparency. When he sees that the department has resolved the age-old dispute on its own, then he feels transparency. When he enjoys faceless appeal, then he feels tax transparency. When he sees that income tax is continuously decreasing, then he feels more tax transparency. While unveiling statue of Swami Vivekananda at JNU Campus – PM Modi Ideology should never be put before national interest It is natural to be proud of one’s ideology still, on the subjects of national interest, our ideology should be seen standing with the nation not against it.  In the history of the country, whenever a difficult time arose before the country, people of every ideology came together in the national interest. People of every ideology stood united under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom struggle. They fought for the country together. The country saw the same solidarity during the Emergency. Former Congress leaders and activists were also present in the movement against the Emergency. There were RSS volunteers and Jana Sangh people. Socialists and communists too came together. In this solidarity, no one had to compromise on ideology. There was only one purpose - national interest. Therefore, whenever there is a question of national unity, integrity and national interest, taking decisions under the burden of any ideology will lead to the loss for the nation. Idea-sharing and flow of new ideas should remain uninterrupted Our country is the land where seeds of different intellectual ideas have sprouted and thrived. It is necessary for the youth to strengthen this tradition. Due to this tradition, India is the most vibrant democracy in the world

Nov 18, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 18th November 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Arunachal Pradesh records the best sex ratio Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Society In news The three north-eastern states top the 2018 report on “Vital statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System (CRS)”. Prepared by: The Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India Arunachal Pradesh has recently recorded the best sex ratio in India with 1,084 females born per 1000 males. It is followed by Nagaland at 965 females and Mizoram at 964. Key takeaways  The sex ratio is the number of females per 1000 males.  It is an important indicator to map the gender gap of a population. Lowest sex ratio has been reported by Manipur (757), Lakshadweep (839) and Daman & Diu (877), followed by Punjab (896).  Other North-Eastern states: Assam- 904, Meghalaya - 942 and Tripura - 945. Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) signed between Japan and Australia  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news Japan and Australia have signed a landmark defence deal in a bid to counter China's growing influence in the South China Sea and over the Pacific island nations. Key takeaways  Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) comes weeks after foreign ministers of the Quad alliance, which includes the US and India, met in Tokyo. The pact allows Japanese and Australian troops to visit each other's countries and conduct training and joint operations.  Australian Prime Minister said that the treaty will strengthen their security ties and facilitate cooperation between defence forces. The two sides also agreed on the need for a framework to allow Japanese military to protect Australian forces if needed. BRICS adopts new Counter-Terrorism Strategy Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news The five-nation grouping BRICS has adopted a new counter-terrorism strategy to effectively deal with terrorism. Key takeaways  Objective: (1) To complement and strengthen the existing bilateral and multilateral ties among the BRICS countries; (2) To make a meaningful contribution to the global efforts of preventing and combating the threat of terrorism. The BRICS countries reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security and that any act of terrorism committed is a crime and has no justification. They also recognized that the international community should take the necessary steps to enhance cooperation to prevent and combat terrorism, including cross-border movement of terrorists. Do you know?  BRICS is the acronym coined to associate five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Additional Judges appointed as Permanent Judges of Allahabad HC under Article 217 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Constitution In news President of India recently appointed 28 Additional Judges as Permanent Judges of Allahabad High Court through Article 217(1) of the Indian Constitution.  Important value additions  Article 217 (1) Every Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the State, and, in the case of appointment of a Judge other than the chief Justice, the chief Justice of the High court. Every Judge of a High Court shall hold office, in the case of an additional or acting Judge, as provided in Article 224, and in any other case, until he attains the age of sixty two years Provided that a Judge may, by writing under his hand addressed to the President, resign his office; a Judge may be removed from his office by the President in the manner provided in clause ( 4 ) of Article 124 for the removal of a Judge of the Supreme Court; the office of a Judge shall be vacated by his being appointed by the President to be a Judge of the Supreme Court or by his being transferred by the President to any other High Court within the territory of India. (MAINS FOCUS) JUDICIARY/ RIGHTS Topic: General Studies 2: Structure, organization and functioning of the Judiciary Supreme Court interpretation of Article 32 over the years Context: Recently, Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde observed that it is “trying to discourage” individuals from filing petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution.  The observation came during the hearing of a petition seeking the release of journalist Siddique Kappan, who was arrested with three others while on their way to Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, to report on an alleged gangrape and murder. What is Article 32? It is one of the fundamental rights listed in the Constitution that each citizen is entitled.  Article 32 deals with the ‘Right to Constitutional Remedies’, or affirms the right to move the Supreme Court by appropriate proceedings for the enforcement of the rights conferred in Part III of the Constitution. It states that the Supreme Court “shall have power to issue directions or orders or writs, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari, whichever may be appropriate, for the enforcement of any of the rights conferred by this Part” The Article cannot be suspended except during the period of Emergency. Significance of Article 32 The Article is included in Part III of the Constitution with other fundamental rights including to Equality, Freedom of Speech and Expression, Life and Personal Liberty, and Freedom of Religion.  Only if any of these fundamental rights is violated can a person can approach the Supreme Court directly under Article 32. In the Constituent Assembly debates, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar said that without article 32 this Constitution would be a nullity. He further said that “It is the very soul of the Constitution and the very heart of it” Article 32 is one of the greatest safeguards that can be provided for the safety and security of the individual. Since Article 32 gives a person the right to approach the Supreme Court as a remedy if fundamental rights are violated, “it is a right fundamental to all the fundamental rights” guaranteed under the Constitution. Can High Courts be approached in cases of violation of fundamental rights? Both the High Courts and the Supreme Court can be approached for violation or enactment of fundamental rights through five kinds of writs In civil or criminal matters, the first remedy available to an aggrieved person is that of trial courts, followed by an appeal in the High Court and then the Supreme Court. When it comes to violation of fundamental rights, an individual can approach the High Court under Article 226 or the Supreme Court directly under Article 32. Article 226, however, is not a fundamental right like Article 32. What have been the Supreme Court’s observations on Article 32? In Romesh Thappar vs State of Madras (1950), the Supreme Court observed that Article 32 provides a “guaranteed” (SC cannot refuse) remedy for the enforcement of fundamental rights. During the Emergency, in Additional District Magistrate, Jabalpur vs S S Shukla (1976), the Supreme Court had said that the citizen loses his right to approach the court under Article 32 Recent trends In the case of the journalist Siddique Kappan, the court asked why the petitioners could not go to the High Court. It has sought responses from the Centre and the UP government, and will hear the case later this week. In another case invoking Article 32, filed by a Nagpur-based man arrested in three cases for alleged defamatory content against Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and others, the same Bench directed him to approach the High Court first. In another matter, three-judge Bench of SC had issued a contempt notice to the Assistant Secretary of the Maharashtra Assembly who, in a letter to Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, had questioned him for approaching the top court against the breach-of-privilege notice. The court had then said that the right to approach the Supreme Court under Article 32 is itself a fundamental right  The above instances have been cited by Citizen Activists to criticize the working of Judiciary where access to Justice at apex level is liable to influence and power. Conclusion Constitutional experts say that it is eventually at the discretion of the Supreme Court and each individual judge to decide whether an intervention is warranted in a case, which could also be heard by the High Court first. Connecting the dots: Judicial Reforms: Click here and here INTERNATIONAL/ ECONOMY Topic: General Studies 2, 3: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. Shifting sands for Asian economies Context: Discussions on the post-pandemic global economy have often predicted that China’s appeal as a business destination would fade, losing favour as the global manufacturing hub. What was the expectation about realigning global supply chains? Dispersing of Production locations away from China: Arguments have been made that production would be dispersed to other appealing locations mostly in Asia, and even to those outside.  Shift to labour Abundant economies: It was expected that this relocation of production would benefit emerging labour-abundant economies, as labour costs in China are increasing. China+1 Strategy: The combination of trade war and the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in firms establishing relatively small-scale operations elsewhere. This is perceived as a buffer against being completely dependent on China, referred to as the ‘China +1’ strategy. Some labour-intensive industries, such as textiles and apparels, have been moving to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka but trends in other industries show that businesses have mostly remained in China. Why China still retains dominance in Global Supply Chain? There are three reasons for firms to remain in China but wants to purse China+1 Strategy: Ease of Business in China: First, starting an enterprise and maintaining operations in China are much easier than elsewhere.  Agility: Second, Chinese firms are nimble and fast, which is evident from the quick recovery of Chinese manufacturing after the lockdown.  Shifting production centres requires time: Third, many global companies have spent decades building supply chains in China. Hence, getting out would mean moving the entire ecosystem, which involves time and expenditure.  This China+1 strategy of global firms has led to an intensification of competition among Asian economies to be that ‘plus one’ in the emerging manufacturing landscape. India faces three challenges in this race. Task of increasing Domestic Public Investment According to the IMF, increasing public investment by 1% of GDP could boost GDP by 2.7%, private investment by 10%, and employment by 1.2%, if investments are of high quality and if existing public and private debt burdens do not weaken the response of the private sector.  In India, even before the pandemic, the growth in domestic investments had been weak, and this seems to be the opportune time to bolster public investments as interest rates are low globally and savings are available.  Private investments would continue to be depressed, due to the uncertainty on the future economic outlook, which underscores the need to undertake high-quality public investments. India Needs Overhaul in Trade Policy Presently, world trade had been rattled by tendencies of rising economic nationalism and unilateralism leading to the return of protectionist policies.  A revamped trade policy needs to take into cognisance the possibility of two effects of the RCEP: the ‘Walmart effect’ and a ‘switching effect’.  Walmart Effect: This would sustain demand for basic products and help in keeping employee productivity at an optimum level, but may also reduce wages and competition due to sourcing from multiple vendors at competitive rates.  Switching effects would be an outcome of developed economies scouting for new sources to fulfil import demands, which requires firms to be nimble and competitive. Trade policy has to recognise the pitfalls of the present two-track mode, one for firms operating in the ‘free trade enclaves’ and another for the rest. A major fallout of this ‘policy dualism’ is the dampening of export diversification.  The challenge is to make exporting activity more attractive for all firms in the economy. Need to increase women’s participation in the labour force.  While India’s GDP has grown by around 6% to 7% per year on an average in the recent years, educational levels of women have risen, and fertility rates have fallen, women’s labour force participation rate has fallen from 42.7% in 2004–05 to 23.3% in 2017–18. This means that three out of four Indian women are neither working nor seeking paid work.  Globally, India ranks among the bottom ten countries in terms of women’s workforce participation.  When Bangladesh’s GDP grew at an average rate of 5.5% during 1991 and 2017, women’s participation in the labour force increased from 24% to 36%. India could gain hugely if barriers to women’s participation in the workforce are removed, for which the manufacturing sector should create labour-intensive jobs that rural and semi-urban women are qualified for. Conclusion The intensity of competition is evident from the fact that after India passed three labour code Bills on September 23, Indonesian Parliament on October 5 passed a legislation that slashes regulations contained in more than 70 separate existing laws, to open up the country to more foreign investment.  India’s approach to the changed scenario needs to be well-calibrated.  Connecting the dots: Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (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 report on Vital statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System  Arunachal Pradesh has recorded the highest sex ratio in India.  Daman and Diu has recorded the lowest sex ratio in India. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2 Reciprocal Access Agreement was recently signed between which of the following countries?  Japan and Australia  USA and Australia  India and USA  India and Japan Q.3 Which of the following country is not a part of BRICS?  Brazil  Russia  China  Japan ANSWERS FOR 17th November 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 D 3 C 4 A Must Read About Constitutional Fault lines: The Hindu About T-Cell immunity: The Hindu About criticism of Judiciary: The Indian Express

Nov 18, 2020 TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS [13th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 29: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE SYNOPSIS [13th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 29: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   1. Examine the significance of political impartiality for a civil servant in a democracy.  Approach - As the directive here is examine, it is necessary to cover various angles of the topic/issue to assess its implication.  In the introduction you can explain the meaning political impartiality. In the main body part it is expected to show the significance of political impartiality for a civil servant in a democracy. In the conclusion you can conclude by stating the implication of practising political impartiality in brief.  Introduction Political Impartiality implies principle of working without reservation and with devotion to the success of every government and its policies. It basically means you are not partial to any particular party or government.  Body Significance of Political Impartiality for a civil servant in a democracy: Upholds constitutional values: Political impartiality helps a civil servant to uphold constitutional values and prevent unwanted interference of authoritarian government.  It helps in upholding rule of law and makes the civil servant accountable to law and law alone. Thereby it helps a civil servant to act in impartial way by keeping aside her views and inclinations.  Political impartiality helps the civil servant to be in accordance with the constitutional provisions including Article 14, 15. For instance, any political pressure to favour or not to favour a particular group of society would be handled impartially only if the civil servant is politically impartial all along. Political Impartiality brings in objectivity and often when funds are to be allocated, a politically impartial civil servant would not favour a particular political party's demand to grant fund to their respective constituency even when it does not need developmental fund.   Political Impartiality keeps up the morale of the civil servant and with the sense of righteousness, the works get done efficiently. A positive environment is created in the office and a conducive work culture is created. Majoritarianism prevention: In a diverse country like India, minority voices can be suppressed if the civil servant becomes partial towards the political party which represents majorities’ interests.  Effective implementation of schemes: An impartial civil servant will not hesitate to implement the schemes or government programmes in their letter and spirit even if a particular political party opposes to its implementation. For instance, a civil servant needs to devise a strategy for auctioning coal blocks. That civil servant needs to check the modus operandi which has to be followed by her peers while allocating coal blocks.  However, if a political interference comes in to picture to modify this modus operandi then at that time a politically impartial civil servant would take impartial decision without professing partisanship.  It also helps a civil servant to give correct and objective advice to the political representative, which in turn it will assure the more effective and efficient decision making by political representatives.  Controls corruption: Political Impartiality keeps the civil servant free from nepotism, political-corporate nexus and corruption. The examples are is Sagayam IAS of Tamilnadu cadre or Ashok Khemka of Haryana.  Conclusion Present-day civil servants need to perform multiple functions of giving suggestions to political representatives, addressing public grievances, institutionalization of the socio-economic changes. In this scenario there might come some situations where Political Impartial attitude of civil servant gets challenged due to the whims of political leadership. Hence, to secure and profess the democratic values of equality, justice, and liberty political impartiality is of critical importance in a democracy.  2. Integrity requires self-discipline and will power to resist the temptation. Illustrate.  Approach - It expects students to write about - define integrity in your own words - then write why integrity requires self-discipline and will power to resist the temptation - give suitable examples to support your argument. Introduction Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions.  Body Integrity require self-discipline: Self-discipline and having control on mind helps from prevention of lust. Eg: soldiers can protect themselves from Honey trapping. To be self-discipline it is important to practice properly and regularly code of conduct. E.g. - civil servant need to be disciplined towards their approach of working. It has greater importance as it encourages person and co-workers which leads to boost performance and right directions towards goal. It is important to hold positive attitude and right aptitude for efficient working as it will enable to control emotional situation, better understanding, ability to cope up with stress and conflict. Integrity require will power to resist temptation: Willpower to act calmly in all conditions prevent anger to taken over and helps in taking good decision in all condition. In a conflict of interest situation, one should not use his position to benefit one’s family, relatives, friends etc. One should resist temptation of promotion or transfer. Eg: Durga Shakti Nagpal To not fall prey to pleasure. E.g.: students getting diverted from correct goal. Giving respect to one’s own decision. E.g.: continuous struggle for perfection and not giving up. Conclusion Thus, integrity requires both self-discipline and will power. It can be inculcated at a tender age by parents, teachers etc. so that person is shaped into an adult with integrity. 3. Why is non-partisanship a foundational value for the civil service? Substantiate. Approach - It is straightforward question where it expects students to write about importance of non-partisanship as a fundamental value for civil services. Give relevant examples to support your argument. Introduction Although Non-partisanship synonymous with impartiality in general parlance, it has special connotation that it indicates apolitical behaviour by civil servant and non-prejuridist behaviour. Civil servant shouldn't indulge in politics although they should understand politics. Body Main role of bureaucracy is to transform into action, in this regard they have to serve all sort of citizens like rich, poor, educated, illiterate, different cast, religion. In parliamentary democracy, there are multiparty system which is elected every 5yr. Therefore, CS should remain impartial otherwise, pre-judice will increase in country, policies will not have made on basis of merit and state may not remain neutral. There can't be sense of justice, inclusive development and good governance. If country faces chaos, tension, conflict largely due to pre-judist administration. There are many recent examples: Panchkula incident: administration was soft; prison authorities are soft on high-profile image. Jat protest in Haryana and soft response of by administration. Vigilantism in country and lack of administrative response. Keeps away from controversy: The major advantage of this value is that it removes all scope of controversy that a public servant may encounter during his time of service. Neutral nature of work will keep issues away from public fanfare. Ex: If a public servant gives permission for holding rally to a particular political party and denies the same for another, it will create controversy. By maintaining neutrality this can be avoided. Keeps balance between sections of society: In multi religious and multicultural society such as India there are many issues that arise between two groups, which may result in tension. The public official must exercise his duty by maintaining distance from both the parties in order to maintain peace. Ex: Religious procession is one of the many events where different groups show their strength. During this time the public official must be ready to take rational decisions without favouring one party over the other. Upholds dignity of position: Government is ruling body that needs to maintain distance from getting involved too closely with public. If that barrier is broken, the value and dignity of the position will be compromised. Ex: Members of UPSC should keep distance from candidates who they know personally. If any links are established, then reputation of the body will be under threat. Conclusion Non-partisanship is very fundamental for imbibing sense of justice and feeling of dignity among people. Its responsibility of administration to ensure a sense of justice prevail in society. That's possible when administration remain impartial. 4. What sort of emotional aptitude is needed for a successful career in the civil services? Examine. Approach - As the directive here is examine, it is necessary to cover various angles related to the issue or topic in detail. In the introduction you need to tell what is emotional aptitude and its importance for a civil servant in brief. In the main body part it is necessary to tell what kind of emotional aptitude needed for a successful career in the civil services. In the conclusion you can tell its necessity and how it will yield more benefits if implemented in other fields. Introduction Emotional aptitude refers to inherent intellectual ability of a person to deal with sensitive issues or to handle a delicate situation. Emotional aptitude helps to perceive emotions in oneself and others accurately thereby enabling use of emotions to facilitate thinking and take decisions accordingly. Hence, emotional aptitude becomes the essential quality for a civil servant to lead a successful career.  Body Following are the types of emotional aptitude needed for a successful career in the civil services:  Emotional aptitude for analytics: This sort of emotional aptitude helps to bring together various data sets and derive a conclusion out of it. For instance, IPS officer need to understand the way in which a crime is perpetrated. Once she understands it then it becomes easy to take decision accordingly.  Emotional aptitude for Human Relations: A civil servant daily meets hundreds of people. She must have an innate potential to deal with the issues they face. If she carries the emotional burden of her Home's problems and the anger bursts out on other people then it is of no use.  Having an emotional aptitude to deal with these many people will help her to distinguish between genuine demands and not genuine demands. For instance, if two persons comes to an officer in demand of getting a home under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna. One of them is in dire need of home whereas the other one is looking to get benefit out of it and then rent the house to other person to earn more money. Here this emotional aptitude comes in to picture.  Emotional Aptitude for Articulations: Meeting the news media representatives, public representatives is a part of daily curriculum of civil servant. A civil servant needs to understand what to speak, what not to speak, how to speak, when to speak and when not to speak.  For instance, articulation to a knowledgeable professional is done in different way as compared to articulation to a rural person. For instance, if a civil servant speaks about technicalities of GDP calculation to an agriculture professional then she will understand what a civil servant is saying, but if that same civil servant goes and talk about technicalities of GDP calculation to a villager/rural person then it might possible that the villager/rural person will not understand what a civil servant is saying.  Emotional Aptitude for Technology Assimilation: A civil servant needs to understand the technology assimilation and its effect on people's lives. For instance, Himmat is a safety app launched by Delhi Police for the safety of women. It creates a sense of security at back of the mind of women that, yes there is somebody from government side who will come to help me if something goes wrong. When a civil servant understands this emotion or feeling then she/he will definitely strive to have this kind of app or facility in his/her jurisdictional area. But if somebody doesn't understands it then that civil servant will not assimilate technology well.  Emotional aptitude also helps to imbibe the foundational values of civil servants. For instance, integrity, impartially, objectivity, dedication, compassion, empathy.  Foundational values are the choices to be made by the civil servant to strongly hold the superstructure called civil service.  One of the fine example of having an emotional aptitude can be cited in the career of IAS Amit Gupta who started the campaign of 'Daliya Jalao', to liberate the manual scavengers and moving towards total sanitation.  Through this campaign he burnt the baskets and brooms allotted to manual scavengers, he facilitated a rehabilitation package for them which led to social inclusion of manual scavengers and technological assimilation by converting the latrines in to flush latrines. As a result 2750 manual scavengers were liberated from the menial job of manual scavenging.  Conclusion The horizon of responsibilities of civil servant is wide and far reaching. At ground level the job of civil servant becomes more difficult as one problem has different dimensions. In this light the emotional aptitude becomes necessary to handle the situation carefully and decide accordingly. Examples of plenty of civil servants can be cited who have this kind of ability or developed it over the period of time and led a successful career. Hence, it can be said that, different kinds of emotional aptitude are necessary for a civil servant to lead a successful career.  5. While attitude is associated with character or virtues; aptitude is associated with competence. Elucidate. Approach – You need to elucidate upon the attitude and aptitude aspects where attitude’s association with character or virtues is shown as well as aptitude’s association with competence is highlighted.  Introduction Attitudes are generally positive or negative views of a person towards a person (including oneself) place, thing, or event (the attitude object) while Aptitude is the suitability, natural ability or capacity to learn especially potential rather than existing capacity to perform some function, whether physical, mental or a combination of the two, given the necessary education or training. Body Aptitude is the ‘ability to learn’ and attitude is the ‘desire to learn’, i.e., aptitude basically tells about the potential ability to learn or acquire a skill while, attitude tells about a person’s desire to perform or learn. Suppose you see a group of people protesting against a road accident on a nearby highway. The mental construct that you create for/against the protesting crowd is an attitude you just generated. While attitude is associated with character or virtues; it is a reflection of one's personality, aptitude is associated with competence; it determines if the person can develop desired skills to do a task. For e.g. an aptitude for mathematics and reasoning is essential for success in engineering field. Similarly, civil service requires a certain specific aptitude for success. Attitude is a psychological phenomenon which can be positive, negative or neutral. On the other hand, aptitude can be mental (general mental ability) or physical. Both attitude and aptitude can be nurtured. Attitude is significant in many ways. First of them is because of the functions it serves which will be dealt in detail later. Attitude is also significant because it helps us understand the basic framework of society around us e.g. Low sex ratio in Haryana can be attributed the negative attitude of society towards girls.  Further attitude is significant for it creates avenues of comparison between oneself and their peer group e.g. Social acceptance to a new boy in a group is given only after their attitudes towards similar situations is on same lines. On the other hand, Aptitude is component of competency to do certain task at a certain level. Having an aptitude for a particular job increases the probability for success as it leads to fast learning of skills required for the job with less effort. In short, it is aptness to succeed in a special field of activity.  While attitude underpins the character, virtues and moral values; aptitude determines if the person would develop desired skills to do a task. Right attitude means knowing what you are capable of accomplishing. A study by Leadership IQ revealed that 46% of hired people are likely to fail in the first 12-18 months on the job. The high failure rate is not because they lack skills or knowledge, but because they do not possess the right attitude. Attitude alone is not sufficient, one must be certain that he has learned the required skills. Aptitude is important as it provides the requisite flexibility, passion and leadership skills that can make or break a candidate’s fulfilment of their job description. In a constantly changing work environment, aptitude is crucial if one wants to succeed. If you have the potential to learn new skills and develop them over a time, success will not be far. But attitude often takes precedence because the right attitude helps influence other aspects like emotional intelligence, leadership, team spirit, fraternity, empathy, compassion, which are very vital for a civil servant. For example, the ability to fit in with the culture and values of the company or organisation is crucial which demands a positive attitude to adapt. Many opportunities are lost, withheld, and forfeited because of attitude than from any other cause.  Conclusion Both the right skills (aptitude) and the disposition (attitude) are equally important to excel in a particular field. In a diverse country like India, it is the right blend of the two inherited and acquired qualities respectively that go hand in hand in determining the gains and losses in a person’s life and help shaping the progress of one’s life. TLP HOT Synopsis Day 29 PDF

Nov 18, 2020 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

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

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

Nov 18, 2020 TLP Mains 2020

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 2 Questions[18th NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 33

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[18th NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 33   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. What is the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme? Discuss. Why is it important?  वायबिलिटी गैप फंडिंग (वीजीएफ) योजना क्या है? चर्चा करें। यह महत्वपूर्ण क्यों है? 2. Examine the recent improvements introduced to the Integrated Child Development Services and Mid-Day Meal schemes.  एकीकृत बाल विकास सेवा और मिड-डे-माइल योजनाओं में हाल ही में किए गए सुधारों की जाँच करें। 3. What are the key components of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for electronics manufacturers? Discuss. What sort of economic potential does this scheme hold?   इलेक्ट्रॉनिक्स निर्माताओं के लिए उत्पादन लिंक्ड प्रोत्साहन (पीएलआई) योजना के प्रमुख घटक क्या हैं? चर्चा करें। यह योजना किस प्रकार की आर्थिक क्षमता रखती है? 4. Mission Karmayogi is a crucial step towards the modernisation of civil services in India. Comment.   भारत में नागरिक सेवाओं के आधुनिकीकरण की दिशा में मिशन कर्मयोगी एक महत्वपूर्ण कदम है। टिप्पणी करें। 5. What is the Ayushman Sahakar Scheme? Can it transform the status of healthcare in the rural areas? Examine.   आयुष्मान सहकार योजना क्या है? क्या यह ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में स्वास्थ्य सेवा की स्थिति को बदल सकता है? जांच करें। P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm everyday. We would also encourage peer reviews. So friends get actively involved and start reviewing each others answers. This will keep the entire community motivated. All the Best :)

Nov 17, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) India adds two more Ramsar sites Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment In news India has recently added two more Ramsar sites.  One is Lonar lake in Maharashtra which is the only crater lake of India.  The other is Sur Sarovar, also known as Keetham lake in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Important value additions  The Ramsar Convention  It was signed on 2nd February, 1971.  It is one of the oldest inter-governmental accords signed by member countries.  Objective: To preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance. It is named after Ramsar, the Iranian city where the treaty was signed.  Places chosen for conservation under it are given the tag ‘Ramsar site’. The aim of the Ramsar list: To develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits. Do you know?  Recently, Kabartal in Bihar’s Begusarai district was recognised as a wetland of international importance.  It is the first such wetland in the state, under the Ramsar Convention, according to the Union Environment Ministry. The Asan Conservation Reserve in Dehradun, the first wetland from Uttarakhand to be recognised by Ramsar convention, was added to the list in October this year. Place in news: Peru Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Geography In news Peru’s fifth president in five years, Manuel Merino, was forced out of power, just five days after taking office, as massive protests swept Peru over alleged bribery - charges on the Presidet.  Important value additions  Peru It is a country in western South America.  It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. Peru is a megadiverse country with habitats ranging from the peaks of the Andes mountains vertically extending from the north to the southeast of the country to the tropical Amazon Basin rainforest in the east with the Amazon river. The country forms part of The Pacific Pumas, a political and economic grouping of countries along Latin America's Pacific coast that share common trends of positive growth, stable macroeconomic foundations, improved governance and an openness to global integration. Its Capital is Lima. Place in news: Puerto Rico Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Geography & GS-II – International Relations In news For the third time in ten years, the United States territory of Puerto Rico has voted in favour of statehood, and thus be treated at par with the current 50 states of the country. Important value additions  Puerto Rico It is an unincorporated territory of the United States. Puerto Ricans have been citizens of the United States since 1917, and can move freely between the island and the mainland. As it is not a state, Puerto Rico does not have a vote in the U.S. Congress, which governs the unincorporated territory with jurisdiction under the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950. It is located in the northeast Caribbean Sea.  It includes the eponymous main island and several smaller islands, such as Mona, Culebra, and Vieques. The capital and most populous city is San Juan. Do you know?  Originally populated by the indigenous Taíno people, Puerto Rico was colonized by Spain following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493. In 1898, following the Spanish–American War, the United States acquired Puerto Rico, which remains an unincorporated territorial possession, making it the world's oldest colony. China’s Railway work Near Arunachal Border Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations In news China has begun work on a strategically significant railway line.  It will link Sichuan province with Nyingchi in Tibet, which lies close to Arunachal Pradesh border. Key takeaways  This will be the second such route linking Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) with mainland China. Earlier Qinghai-Tibet railway line connected Lhasa to the hinterland. The railway line will largely improve the efficiency and convenience of China's military personnel and material transportation and logistical supplies in the border area. Thus, China might be at an advantageous position. The fragile ecological environment along the project line, may have ecological concerns for India. Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile System successfully test-fired  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Defence & Security In news Recently, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test-fired Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile system (QRSAM). Key takeaways  QRSAM is a canister-based system.  It means that it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments. In the canister, the inside environment is controlled, thus along with making its transport and storage easier, the shelf life of weapons also improves significantly. The system is capable of detecting and tracking targets on the move and engaging targets with short halts. It is a short range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.  It is primarily designed and developed by DRDO to provide a protective shield to moving armoured columns of the Army from enemy aerial attacks. The entire weapon system has been configured on a mobile and is capable of providing air defence on the move. It has been designed for induction into the Army.  Do you know? It has a range of 25 to 30 km.  It also consists of two radars - Active Array Battery Surveillance Radar and Active Array Battery Multifunction Radar - with one launcher. Both radars have 360-degree coverage with “search on move” and “track on move” capabilities. The system uses a single stage solid propelled missile.  Miscellaneous Statue Of Peace The Indian Prime Minister unveiled ‘Statue of Peace’ to mark the 151st Birth Anniversary celebrations of Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj. He was a  Jain Acharya.  The statue is made from Ashtadhatu i.e. 8 metals, with Copper being the major constituent.  It is installed at Vijay Vallabh Sadhana Kendra, Jetpura, in Pali, Rajasthan. Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj (1870-1954)  He led an austere life as a Jain Saint working selflessly and dedicatedly to spread the message of Lord Mahavira. He also worked relentlessly for the welfare of masses, the spread of education, eradication of social evils, wrote inspiring literature and gave active support to the freedom movement and the cause of Swadeshi. Jolly Grant Airport Environmental activists and local residents in Uttarakhand are opposing the cutting of trees for a project to expand Dehradun’s Jolly Grant airport. Dehradun Airport is also known as Jolly Grant Airport.  It is also known as the Air Gateway of Garhwal and plays an important role in the tourism of Uttarakhand. The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority has proposed the expansion of Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun with the aim of upgrading it to meet international standards. It is proposed to take over 87 hectares of forest land in Doiwala village in Dehradun district, and another 17.41 hectares of non-forest land for the project. (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL/ ECONOMY Topic: General Studies 2, 3: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. India and RCEP Context: 15 countries came together and signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on the sidelines of an online ASEAN summit hosted by Vietnam on 15th Nov 2020. Even as India opted to stay out after walking out of discussions last year, the new trading bloc has made it clear that the door will remain open for India to return to the negotiating table. What is RCEP? RCEP was originally being negotiated between 16 countries — ASEAN members and countries with which they have free trade agreements (FTAs), namely Australia, China, Korea, Japan, New Zealand and India. Objective: The purpose of the deal is to create an “integrated market” spanning all 16 countries. It would make it easier for products and services of each of these countries to be available across this region.  Mega Trade deal: It was described as the “largest” regional trading agreement as the countries involved account for almost half of the world’s population, contribute over a quarter of world exports, and make up around 30% of the global GDP. Negotiations to chart out this deal had been on since 2013, and India was expected to be a signatory until its decision in November 2019 to stay out of the deal. Why did India walk out? Unfavourable Balance of Trade: India has trade deficits with 11 of the 15 RCEP countries, and some experts feel that India has been unable to leverage its existing bilateral free trade agreements with several RCEP members to increase exports. Fear of Dumping of Chinese Goods: India has already signed FTAs with all the countries of RCEP except China. This is the major concern for India, as after signing RCEP cheaper products from China would have flooded the Indian market. Non-acceptance of Auto-trigger Mechanism: In order to deal with the imminent rise in imports, India had been seeking an auto-trigger mechanism that would have allowed India to raise tariffs on products in instances where imports cross a certain threshold. However, other countries in RCEP were against this proposal. Lack of Consensus on Rules of Origin: Rules of origin are the criteria used to determine the national source of a product. India was concerned about a “possible circumvention” of rules of origin. The deal did not have sufficient safeguards to prevent routing of the products. Protecting domestic industries:  Throughout the negotiations, the dairy industry demanded protection as the industry was expected to face stiff competition from Australia and New Zealand when the deal was signed. Similarly, steel and textiles sectors have also demanded protection. MFN Status:  India wanted RCEP to exclude most-favoured nation (MFN) obligations from the investment chapter, as it did not want to hand out, especially to countries with which it has border disputes, the benefits it was giving to its strategic allies  Issue of Market Access: RCEP also lacked clear assurance over market access issues in countries such as China and non-tariff barriers on Indian companies. Lack of Commitment to resolve above issues: India had been “consistently” raising “fundamental issues” and concerns throughout the negotiations and was prompted to take this stand as they had not been resolved by the deadline to commit to signing the deal.  No deal better than bad agreement: India’s stance was based on a “clear-eyed calculation” of the gains and costs of entering a new arrangement, and that no pact was better than a “bad agreement”. How far is China’s presence a factor for India’s decision? Apart from economic reasons (fear of dumping), escalating tensions with China are a major reason for India’s hardened position on the deal. China’s participation in the deal had already been proving difficult for India due to various economic threats, the clash at Galwan Valley has soured relations between the two countries.  The various measures India has taken to reduce its exposure to China would have sat uncomfortably with its commitments under RCEP Why is RCEP important for China? China is trying to overcome Covid-19 disruptions and resurrect the supply chain mechanism and possibly put pressure on US President-elect Joe Biden.  The Indo-Pacific so far ran on twin tracks of economy and security with economy on a weak wicket.  China is trying to strengthen the economic base while the US is focussed on the security aspects.  For India, RCEP hardly makes a difference as it has FTAs with ASEAN, and CEPAs (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements) with Japan and South Korea already. What can the decision cost India? Indirectly benefits China: RCEP is a China-backed trade deal, signing it without India will further strengthen China’s economic power. It will affect India’s neighbourhood as China already tries to influence the region through its deep pockets. Impact on India’s Act East Policy: There are concerns that India’s decision would impact its bilateral trade ties with RCEP member nations, as they may be more inclined to focus on bolstering economic ties within the bloc.  Losing out on Large Market: The move could potentially leave India with less scope to tap the large market that RCEP presents —the size of the deal is mammoth, as the countries involved account for over 2 billion of the world’s population. Impact on other initiatives:  There are also worries that India’s decision could impact the Australia-India-Japan network in the Indo-Pacific. It could potentially put a spanner in the works on informal talks to promote a Supply Chain Resilience Initiative among the three. What are India’s options now? Can Join in future: Japan worked hard to keep the RCEP agreement “open for accession by India” and also said that India may participate in RCEP meetings as an “observer”. Observer in RCEP meetings: RCEP signatory states said they plan to commence negotiations with India once it submits a request of its intention to join the pact “in writing”, and it may participate in meetings as an observer prior to its accession. RCEP not connected to its vision on Indo-Pacific: Indian government has made it clear that India was not about to step back from its Act East policy, nor was the decision on RCEP connected to its approach to the Indo-Pacific Exploring other alternatives: There is also a growing view that it would serve India’s interest to invest strongly in negotiating bilateral agreements with the US and the EU, both currently a work in progress. Conclusion When India chose to stay out of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2017, there was much commentary that India might be isolating itself. Three years later, India’s position has been recognised by like-minded democracies, and many have said that India’s decision was prescient. Likewise, India’s decision on RCEP which was based on principles will be recognised by other like-minded countries. Instead of sitting out and building tariff walls across sectors, it must prod and incentivise the industry to be competitive, and get inside the RCEP tent at the earliest opportune moment. Connecting the dots: US-India Trade Deal: Threat to Dairy Sector SOCIETY/ GOVERNANCE/ ECONOMY Topic: General Studies 1, 2 ,3: Role of women in society and their associated issues. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.  Women Employment Context: The year 2020 marks the anniversary of two major events concerning the status of women.  First, it is nearly fifty years since the Committee on the Status of Women in India (CSWI) submitted the report ‘Towards Equality’ to the United Nations (UN), which focused on women-sensitive policymaking in India, providing a fresh perspective on gender equality.  Second, it is the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, a benchmark for analysing the condition of women and State-led empowerment.  Issues of Women’s Economic Participation Economic Growth not translating into employment: India’s female employment trends do not resonate with its high economic growth, low fertility, and rise in female schooling. Declining Female Labour Force Participation rate: Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), 2018-19 shows that women faced a decline in labour participation rates (from 2011 to 2019) in rural areas from 35.8% to 26.4%, and stagnation in urban areas at around 20.4%. Low Global Ranking:  Furthermore, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report ranks India at 149 among 153 countries in terms of women’s economic participation and opportunity.  Wage Gap: The gender wage gap is the highest in Asia, with women 34% below men (for equal qualification and work), according to a 2019 Oxfam report. This stifles women’s labour force participation, despite the guarantees of India’s Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.  Feminisation of Agriculture: Agriculture that is an almost completely informal sector employs nearly 60% of women, who form the bulk of landless labourers, with no credit access, subsidies, little equipment, and lack of social security measures. Abysmal Land ownership: Only about 13% of women tillers owned their land in 2019. Low participation in Manufacturing Sector: Manufacturing employs (almost completely informally) only around 14% of the female labour force. Care work dominates Women’s participation in Service Sector: According to the National Sample Survey (NSS) 2005, over 60% of the 4.75 million domestic workers are women. Unequal gender division of household work: Women spend (an unpaid) three times (as per NSS) or even six times (as per OECD) more time than men in household work.  Overburdened Healthcare work: According to WHO, 70% of the world’s healthcare and social workers are women. In India, women are indispensable as frontline ASHA workers, but they are underpaid and overworked. Disproportionate impact of Pandemic: In India, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) showed that 39% of women lost their jobs in April and May compared to 29% of men, in the context of the ongoing pandemic. Criticism of recently passed three labour codes w.r.t women issues  The laws are expected to transform labour relations, but they only end up ‘easing business’.  The codes acknowledge neither the gender wage gap nor non-payment of wages and bonuses, and ignore informal (mostly women) workers in terms of social security, insurance, provident fund, maternity benefits, or gratuity.  Though ‘allowing’ women to work night shifts, there is little focus on accountability and responsibility Even protection from sexual harassment at workplace is missing.  Maternity benefits remain unchanged from the 2017 amendment, with an insensitively formulated adoption leave policy that grants leave to women who adopt infants under the age of three months, ignoring that most children are much older at the time of adoption. Conclusion The recent labour codes disregard women’s work conditions.  Gender cannot be wished away, since every policy and code affects a giant proportion of India’s workforce — both paid and unpaid, acknowledged and unacknowledged. (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 was recently added to Ramsar sites?  Lonar lake  Asan conservation reserve  Kabar Tal  Sur Sarovar  Select the correct code  1 and 3 only  4 only  1 and 4 only  1 and 2 only Q.2 Andes mountain passes through which of the following countries of South America? Venezuela  Peru  Argentina  Brazil  Columbia  Select the correct code:  1, 2 and 3 only  3 and 4 only  1, 2 and 4 only  1, 2, 3 and 5 only Q.3 Consider the following statements regarding Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile System (QRSAM): QRSAM is a canister-based system.  The system is capable of detecting and tracking targets on the move and engaging targets with short halts. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4 Recently, statue of peace was unveiled in which of the following state of India by the Indian Prime Minister?  Rajasthan  Gujarat  Uttar Pradesh  Bihar ANSWERS FOR 16th November 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 B Must Read About lessons from Pulwana and Balakot attack: The Hindu About need for policy framework in step with technology: The Hindu About Herd Immunity debate: The Indian Express

Nov 17, 2020 MindMaps

Mind Maps: Central Information Commission - General Studies 2

Mind Maps: Central Information Commission - General Studies 2 For Previous Important Topics (Mind Maps) - ARCHIVES Hello Friends, Recently we have come up with a NEW INITIATIVE - BRAINSTORMING THROUGH MIND-MAPS! Mind-map is an incredible powerful thinking tool, an innate human language that will have immense benefit in your preparation. The main idea is to brainstorm different aspects of an issue - think in multi-dimensions; what we call 360 degrees of an issue. The whole of this exercise will unleash your creativity to push your brain cells to recall the data learnt and to make it more relevant for your preparation. It will help you to make your Revision and Retention a far better apart from giving you more Clarity in the topics/issue at hand and improve your Concentration. You can see the drastic impact mind-maps will have in a few weeks, provided you are regular with this exercise. So here we are with Today’s TOPIC! Central Information Commission - General Studies 2 NOTE – Instructions to download Mind Maps/Images Right Click on the image and ‘Open image in new tab’ Remove/Delete the resolution part from the URL. Eg. “-1536x757” and Press Enter/Load Again Right Click and Save Image As/Download (You’ll get the maximum resolution) Central Information Commission YOUR PARTICIPATION? – VERY IMPORTANT Unlike what we were doing before, in this initiative we want students to learn and brainstorm through mind-maps (It is not necessary that you use a software/tool to design mind maps. You can prepare mindmaps using a pen and a sheet of paper). We will share the final printable mind map twice a week. We will also provide specific inputs on your mind maps to improve your skill of mind mapping.  To Know More about the initiative, Benefits and How to use a mind-map ->CLICK HERE Together we can, we will. The strength of the community is more powerful than individual effort. We have started it. You have to strengthen it” You can Start sharing Your Mind-maps (get feedback from IASbaba) & Topics of your interest in the comment section below!!   Thank You IASbaba

Nov 17, 2020 AIR

RAISE 2020 Artificial Intelligence Summit - All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC

ARCHIVES RAISE 2020 Artificial Intelligence Summit Search 5th Oct, 2020 Spotlight News Analysis here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx   TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. RAISE 2020 (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment): A global meeting of minds to exchange ideas and chart a course for using AI for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment in areas like Healthcare, Agriculture, Education and Smart Mobility, among other sectors. AI is the branch of computer science concerned with developing machines that can complete tasks that typically require human intelligence. With the explosion of available data expansion of computing capacity, the world is witnessing rapid advancements in AI, machine learning and deep learning, transforming almost all sectors of the economy. According to independent studies, AI has the potential to raise India’s annual growth rate by 1.3% and add USD 957 billion to the country’s economy by 2035.At a global level, AI is expected to unlock USD 15.7 trillion in productivity by 2030. India has a large young population that is skilled and eager to adopt AI. The country has been ranked second on the Stanford AI Vibrancy Index primarily on account of its large AI-trained workforce. Our leading technology institutes like the IITs, IIITs and NITs have the potential to be the cradle of AI researchers and startups. India’s startups are innovating and developing solutions with AI across education, health, financial services and other domains to solve societal problems. Key aspects for developing a robust AI framework are:  Legality, efficiency and transparency of data sourcing Ensuring integrity, privacy and confidentiality of the data collected Responsible and accountable data access Putting in place an organized data monetization framework Expectations from AI -  AI-first businesses: AI will dominate the core of the next exponential enterprises, rewriting the fundamentals of the establishment and this is the opportunity to capture. We are seeing that AI-first businesses are becoming monopolies. Financial services have been rule-based till date. However, financial institutions are using AI based technologies as 'Decision Making Support', which is helping us to really fast-pace the whole process. UIDAI is developing a face authentication system which will be available to all the Aadhaar holders. The goal is to make it extremely secure and make it available for all smartphone users in the country.  The system can then be used by other financial service providers to strengthen their own AI ecosystem. Making life easier for Differently-abled: Disabilities can be permanent, temporary or situational.  By innovating for people with disabilities, we are innovating for us all. By ensuring that technology fulfils its promise to address the broadest societal needs, we can empower everyone – not just individuals with disabilities – to achieve more. We need to focus our efforts on developing AI that makes this world more inclusive, accessible and affordable for the especially-abled. Economic Growth: The combination of AI and Data can deliver 10% of our USD 10 trillion economy aspiration, or USD 500 billion in value over the next 4-5 years. India is perhaps the only country in the world where the opportunity for AI in agriculture is as large as it is in banking. AI and Women: AI research is dominated almost entirely by men. Globally, only 22% of AI professionals are women. Now, after COVID 19 has led to rapid digitization, the need to focus on digital inclusion has never been clearer AI in India Barriers -  Trust issues Lack of clarity on development and deployment processes  The Way Forward Championing a culture of machine learning, identifying use cases, using data, and providing platforms to startups and the public sector to build applications should be the key priority to accelerate responsible Al adoption There is possibility for ‘responsible’ AI if best practices such as ethical framework, redressal system, open data, collaborations, and others are followed by the ecosystem. There should be availability of open data and the way to use open data can help the overall progress in the use of machine learning. to be able to rise from fears of AI, companies and organisations need to have the right answers on ‘what computers should do and what computers should not do’, and have strategies in place to keep implementing that in any setup. Nothing can be perfect and it is impossible to predict all aspects of the technology. Hence, a strong, post-deployment monitoring system is required to have best practices in place when it comes to AI Key Initiatives by Indian Government National Artificial Intelligence Portal It has been jointly developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM). It will work as a one stop digital platform for sharing of resources such as articles, startups, investment funds in AI etc.  Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Youth: By the Ministry of Electronics and IT It is designed to reach out to students from Government schools pan India and provide them with an opportunity to become part of the skilled workforce in an inclusive manner. It aims to help reduce the skill gap, while enabling youth to create meaningful social impact solutions. It also intends to provide a platform for relevant AI skill-sets and access to required AI tool-sets to make youth digitally ready for the future. It is open to students of class 8th to class 12th from Central and State government-run schools (including KVS, NVS, JNV) from across the country. It will be implemented in a phase-wise manner.  In its first phase, each State will nominate 10 teachers as per the eligibility criteria. India joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) India joined the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI or Gee-Pay) as a founding member to support the responsible and human-centric development and use of Artificial  It is an international and multi-stakeholder initiative to guide the responsible development and use of AI taking into account human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation, and economic growth. This is also a first initiative of its type which involves better understanding of the challenges and opportunities around AI using the experience and diversity of participating countries. It will be supported by a Secretariat.  It will be hosted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, as well as by two Centers of Expertise- one each in Montreal and Paris. Must Read: Regulating Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence: The Way Ahead SOLVE: Weaponisation of AI India has a unique advantage to harness its enormous digital capital for AI-driven development, which is “bottom-up and inclusive”. Do you agree? Explain. How can artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques help in improving e-governance? Illustrate with the help of suitable examples.  

Nov 17, 2020 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

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

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

Nov 17, 2020 TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS [12th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 28: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE   SYNOPSIS [12th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 28: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   1. Examine the factors that led to the rising tide of nationalism in 18th and 19th century Europe.  Approach - It expects students to write about the factors that led to the rising tide of nationalism in 18th and 19th century in Europe. Introduction National awakening in Europe grew out of an intellectual reaction to the Enlightenment that emphasized national identity and developed a romantic view of cultural self-expression through nationhood. Nationalism was the ideological impetus that, in a few decades, transformed Europe. Rule by monarchies and foreign control of territory was replaced by self-determination and newly formed national governments.  Body Nationalism emerged as a force, which brought about sweeping changes in the political and mental world of Europe. The French Revolution and the Idea of the Nation: The first clear expression of nationalism came in Europe with the French Revolution in 1789. The political and constitutional changes that came in the wake of the French Revolution led to the transfer of sovereignty from the monarchy to a body of French citizens. French revolutionaries introduced various measures and practices that could create a sense of collective identity amongst the French people like, “Idea of Fatherland”, new French flag and uniform system of weights and measures was adopted. Through a return to monarchy, Napoleon had destroyed democracy in France, but in the administrative field he had incorporated revolutionary principles. The Aristocracy and the New Middle Class: aristocracy was the dominant class on the continent. This powerful aristocracy was a small group but the majority of the population was made up of the peasantry. On the wake of Industrialisation, new social groups formed as a working-class population, and middle classes made up of industrialists, businessmen, professionals. It was among the educated, liberal middle classes that ideas of national unity following the abolition of aristocratic privileges gained popularity.  Mass Political Movements: After 1880 the debate about the national question becomes important with the need to mobilize voters for different political parties and to gain adherents for new ideologies whether among socialists or minor linguistic and national groupings. In the later stage of mass politics and national movements, the state played an active role. Electoral democracy, which undermined the liberal theory of the nation. Nationality and Language: The choice of a dialect or language as the medium of official communication led to public or state support for its propagation, specially through the school system. In earlier periods, language had been less divisive because literacy levels were very low. The expansion of the secondary school system and the state choice of the official or national language in schools became a source of great conflict among rival ethnic linguistic groups within multi-ethnic states like Austria- Hungary and in Eastern Europe in general. Growth of the press: There was the growth of the press, which fostered both democratic and nationalist ideas in Europe as the number of publications, and the size of the reading public grew steadily. The policies of the state became matters of public concern as public instruction and public employment increased the size of the liberal middle class. State- based patriotism: In older states like Britain and France a state- based patriotism itself encouraged a sense of nationalism during the course of the 19th century. Popular perceptions of natural-cultural differences, political and national characteristics contributed to both nationalism and national chauvinism in the late 19th century in countries regardless of whether they were liberal capitalist states like Britain or second wave late industrializing stales like Germany. Economic and Military rivalry: Nationalism of the 19th century was also linked to the economic and military rivalry of Britain and Germany. The naval building competition between these two Powers and the general desire of the more right wing governments in Germany and Italy to catch up with the British and French who had industrialized early and thus acquired vast colonial possessions. The aggressive nationalism of the conservative regimes in the late industrializing countries like-Germany helped to encourage nationalist sentiment throughout Europe. Conclusion Nationalism aligned with imperialism, led Europe to disaster in 1914 with WW I. Meanwhile, many countries in the world, which had been colonized by the European powers in the 19th century, began to oppose imperial domination. The Idea of Nation-State accepted further by many countries in the world and Nationalism became the base for Freedom struggle of India as well as other nations.  2. The rise of capitalism was a natural corollary of colonialism. Do you agree? Substantiate your views. Approach - It expects students to write - in first part write about how Colonialism give rise to capitalism while in second part mention about how other factors are also responsible for rise of capitalism. Introduction Colonialism is the policy of a country seeking to extend or retain its authority over other people or territories, generally with the aim of economic dominance. Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. This phenomenon led the economic subjugation of one country over another to give it shape of colonialism. Body Colonialism gave rise to capitalism: Britain, Portugal and other European countries started making colonies in 15th and 16th Century but, capitalism came to prominence in 18th century only. Industrial revolution revolution in England urges mother country to search for raw materials and resources. E.g.: British colonies of India, Sri Lanka. Creating market: British after Industrial revolution, created market in colonies for finished cotton product. Factory system: imperialist established factories to promote economy. E.g.: Japanese cotton factories in Philippines in 19th century. Investment: from other countries invested in colonies to reap dividends. E.g.: Dadabhai Naoroji's Drain of wealth theory cites foreign capital investment in India. Slave trade was one of earliest forms of capitalist arrangement for exchange of goods between Africa, Caribbean and America. But, apart from capitalism there were other reasons like: Rise of nationalism and power rivalries among European nation. Technological invention like steam engine, spinning jenny gave further push to capitalism. New sea route like Suez Canal which led to increase in trade and it gave further impetus to capitalism. Conclusion Thus capitalism and colonialism are closely related. It can be seen in modern world too where many poor African nations are under 'neo-colonial' domination of capitalist firms of west. 3. Do you agree with the assertion that German expansionism was the root cause of World War II? Critically examine. Approach - It is straightforward question where it expects student to write about - in first part write about how German expansionism led to World War 2 - while in second part write about other causes of World War 2. Introduction Historians from many countries have given considerable attention to studying and understanding the causes of World War II, a global war from 1939 to 1945 that was the deadliest conflict in human history. The immediate precipitating event was the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany on September 1, 1939, and the subsequent declarations of war on Germany made by Britain and France, but many other prior events have been suggested as ultimate causes.   Body German expansionism led to World War 2: Treaty of Versailles Following World War, I, the victorious Allied Powers met to decide Germany’s future. Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles. Under this treaty, Germany had to accept guilt for the war and to pay reparations. Germany lost territory and was prohibited from having a large military. The humiliation faced by Germany under this treaty, paved the way for the spread of Ultra-Nationalism in Germany.  Rise of Nazism Adolf Hitler, the Leader of the German National Socialist (Nazi) party, preached a racist brand of fascism. Hitler promised to overturn the Versailles Treaty, restore German wealth & glory and secure additional Lebensraum (“living space”) for the German people, who he contended deserve more as members of a superior race. In 1933 Hitler became the German Chancellor, and in a series of subsequent moves established himself as dictator. Moreover, in 1941 the Nazi regime unleashed a war of extermination against Slavs, Jews, and other elements deemed inferior by Hitler’s ideology. Policy of Appeasement Hitler openly denounced the Treaty of Versailles and began secretly building up Germany’s army and weapons. Although Britain and France knew of Hitler’s actions, they thought a stronger Germany would stop the spread of Communism from Russia. An example of appeasement was the Munich Agreement of September 1938. In the Agreement, Britain and France allowed Germany to annex areas in Czechoslovakia where German-speakers lived. Germany agreed not to invade the rest of Czechoslovakia or any other country. However, in March 1939, Germany broke its promise and invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. Even then, neither Britain nor France was prepared to take military action. However, other factors were also responsible for World war 2: Failure of the League of Nations The League of Nations was an international organization set up in 1919 to keep world peace. It was intended that all countries would be members and that if there were disputes between countries, they could be settled by negotiation rather than by force. The League of Nations was a good idea, but ultimately a failure, as not all countries joined the league. Also, the League had no army to prevent military aggression such as Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia in Africa or Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in China. Great Depression of 1929 The worldwide economic depression of the 1930s took its toll in different ways in Europe and Asia. In Europe, political power shifted to totalitarian and imperialist governments in several countries, including Germany, Italy, and Spain. In Asia, a resource-starved Japan began to expand aggressively, invading China and manoeuvring to control a sphere of influence in the Pacific. Rise of Fascism Victors’ stated aims in World War I had been “to make the world safe for democracy,” and post-war Germany was made to adopt a democratic constitution, as did most of the other states restored or created after the war. In the 1920s, however, the wave of nationalistic, militaristic totalitarianism known by its Italian name, fascism. It promised to minister to peoples’ wants more effectively than democracy and presented itself as the one sure defence against communism. Benito Mussolini established the first Fascist, European dictatorship during the interwar period in Italy in 1922. Conclusion Though Hitler's expansionist tendency played crucial role in causing world war 2 but there were other driving and parallel reasons too. Such casual problems should be checked by whole world so that there won't be any world war 3. 4. Critically evaluate the role of USA, as a global leader, in ensuring peace and stability post World War II.   Approach - As the directive here is critically evaluate it is expected to come to a decision based on the overall analysis of the pros and cons backed by evidence. In the introduction you can explain how after World War II USA emerged as a global leader besides stating how peace and stability got threatened after World War II. In the first half of main body part you can argue how USA as a global leader ensured peace and stability. In the second half you can argue how USA as a global leader did not ensured peace and stability. In the conclusion you can explain how these developments changed the International politics.  Introduction At the end of World War II, the British Empire was too weak and too dispirited to continue as a global imperial power subsequently sun on the British empire set and a confidently prosperous, well-armed America assumed leadership of the West—and did so while creating a U.S.-led international order which impacted the International politics to a considerable extent.  Body World War II brought about changes in the status of countries and continents. Britain and France lost their positions of pre-eminence as superpowers and yielded place to the USA and the USSR.  USA as a global leader ensured peace and stability:  Impetus to decolonization: After the war, Britain and France were confronted with various domestic and external problems. The domestic factor was that both of them could no longer hold onto their respective colonies. However, one of the major external factor was the pressure from USA. Which forced these Colonizers to decolonise their colonies. For instance, USA pressurised Britain to decolonise India and supported India's demand to be an independent country.  The establishment of the UN and dominance of USA on the institution was the major factor due to which peace and stability was ensured on the global politics.  Due to its strong economic condition USA emerged as a strong leader. The strong economy of USA not only helped it to maintain its status as a global leader but ensured that global economy did not get hampered by change in the global market.  In the immediate post–World War II era, U.S. foreign aid concentrated on Europe. The Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) provided economic and military aid to European countries to assist in their recovery from the war. Also to streamline, monitor and regulate world trade and economy establishment of World bank and IMF in the leadership of USA ensured that global trade will get regulated and would take place in the favour of everyone. These institutions not only regulated the flow of money in the global economy but ensured its monitoring too.  Propagation of modern values of democracy: After World War II, it was likely possible that many of the decolonised nations will go under authoritarian regime. However, USA's soft power of democracy and its long cherished values of liberty, equality were appreciated and acquired by the newly independent nations.  After World War II, United States provided foreign assistance and other tools to aid and rebuild post-war Japan. Between 1946 and 1952, USA invested $2.2 billion in Japan's reconstruction effort. Contribution in technology: The unprecedented and swift development in technology ensured that the pace of development on the world scale improves. For instance, the research and development in the computer field by USA led to creation of wide scale job opportunities and a larger world market for technological evolution. It ensured peace and stability by closing the income gap.  USA as a global leader did not ensured peace and stability: The rivalry between USA and Russia doesn't needs a special introduction. After second world war, cold war started between USA and USSR to prove their mettle on the global scale. This tussle was not limited to the ground but it reached up to the space.  This escalation of tension between USA and Russia led competition between two countries to develop highly nuclear powered weapons. It also led to creation of military alliances between different countries. For instance, NATO was created by USA to tackle the spread of USSR in the East European countries. Rise of ideological battles: For instance, to tackle the spread of communism USA opened up a front in Vietnam. Which is termed as a greatest mistake in the history of USA. This tackling of ideological battle was not limited to the South Asian countries but it reached in the backyard of USA with the rise of communism in Cuba.  USA also entered in alliance with South Korea against North Korea. It led to rise of dangerous and unpredictable authoritarian regime on the global politics. For instance, the current reactionary policies of Kim Jong-Un are an answer to the aggressive policies adopted by USA.  USA's role in the Gulf war to secure its oil interest is world known. It has led the gulf and Middle East Asian countries in to upheaval of political order. For instance, despite after 30 years of invasion, Middle East is still facing the brunt of Gulf war.  USA's invasion in Afghanistan and Iraq aggravated these situations which led to emergence of new terror groups on the global politics. For instance, Rise of Al-Qaeda, Taliban and ISIS are the examples.  USA not only destabilised world order through its military power but it also destabilised world order and hampered peace by putting a strong hold on world economy by maintain it's hegemony on the global economic institutions such as IMF, WB and WTO.  It also controlled International politics and tried to maintain the international politics in its favour by dominating United Nations through financial funding. It even led to taking unilateral decisions by USA on some of the world issues due to its economic stronghold. For instance, The U.S. government contributed just over $10 billion to the United Nations in 2018. USA projected itself as a champion of democracy, it also claims to spread and protect democracy on the global order. However, its undemocratic behaviour at the international institutions such as United Nation's questions their principles. For instance, USA quit UN human rights council.  It also disturbed the Unanimity and stability on environmental grounds by pulling itself out of Paris agreement.  Its current standoff with China based on economic terms, also known as 'trade war' is hampering the global economy and changing the global economic calculations. For instance, many of the US origin companies are changing their manufacturing base from China to other countries. In this way it is hampering the global peace and stability.  Conclusion USA as a global leader after World War II emerged to be a responsible global power as it is evident from the subsequent establishments of global institutions and USA's prominent role in their establishment. However, self-centred aggressive international relations policy of USA also created upheavals on international table.  This policy of USA has done more harm than good. Hence, arises the need of a multi-polar world order which will push for reforms in the global institutions such as UN thereby ensuring peace and stability on the international table.  5. How did the Cold War shape contemporary global politics? Discuss. Approach - A straightforward question where in you need to first explain Cold war and then further discuss about its role in shaping the contemporary global politics.         Introduction The Cold War was a period of confrontation that took place between 1945 and 1990 between the USA and its allies mainly the Western countries and the then Eastern bloc spearheaded by the Soviet Union (USSR). The two powers did not fight or used weapons against each other, it was fought through Nuclear Arms race, proxy wars, ideological influence and propaganda war. It, therefore, had a great impact on the world. Body Beyond the easily re-surfacing rhetoric on a ‘new Cold War’ when referring to the Western world’s relationship with Russia, the bipolar conflict (1945-1989) shaped the international system in tangible ways that remain highly relevant today.  The concrete legacy of the Cold War rotates around three elements:  Nuclear weapons and the related arms control and non-proliferation treaties – Proliferation of nuclear weapons technology as well as consequent measures to control it are a legacy of cold war period still affecting the world order today. For example, North Korea & Iran under non-proliferation radar.  Local conflicts with long-lasting consequences – Conflicts during the cold war period sustained into post-cold war time period with devastating consequences for larger world order. For example, The North Korean- South Korean standoff is a local standoff which persists in its effects on the nearby region of north-eastern Asia. International institutions that continue to play a key role today – The major institutions that govern the ‘West’ – NATO and the EU – are both rooted in the bipolar era, and the sense of community, belonging and shared values that characterise them was forged throughout the decades. Current instability in the world’s hotspots – from the Korean peninsula to Afghanistan – cannot be understood, nor future courses charted, without turning to the Cold War in search for the roots and causes of today’s dilemmas.  The last Soviet leader Michael Gorbachev had envisioned a reformed and more open Soviet Union that could have become part of a new pan-European structure, which he called the “common European home.”  This inherently conveyed the idea of building close links between the Soviet Union and the then European Community in the transition to a post-Cold War era.  The dissolution of the Soviet Union did not lead to a new European structure that included Russia (and the former Soviet republics). On the contrary, NATO expanded into the former Soviet space at a pace unforeseen and unexpected even in the West.  Therefore, it can be argued that not only the Cold War but also the way in which the Cold War ended had a long-lasting negative impact on the Western world’s relationship with Russia.  A world produced by the Cold War, by the anxieties and energies that found expression in the laboratories, boardrooms, government offices, think-tanks and universities tasked with managing a permanent state of emergency. The geopolitics may be different, but the technology, infrastructure, and worldview that built up and hardened during the Cold War era are still with us, embodied in the everyday devices we take for granted, and the precarious identities they suggest. Conclusion The longest conflict of the twentieth century, the Cold War affected everything, from political ideology, foreign and domestic policy, to the presidency and the personal lives of people around the world. With the collapse of the Iron curtain in Eastern Europe, the unification of Germany, the fragmentation and subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union have all but eliminated the Cold War. International cooperation during the first Gulf War demonstrated that even before the end of the Soviet Union, co-operation of nations around the world can be hopeful possibility. TLP HOT Synopsis Day 28 PDF