Nov 2, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 2nd November 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Mansar Lake Development Plan inaugurated  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Geogrpahy & GS-II – Policies and interventions In news In a move to increase tourism, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, inaugurated the Mansar Lake Development Plan in Jammu and Kashmir. The project is eyed to attract almost 20 lakh tourists every year.  It shall increase employment opportunities also.  Important value additions  Mansar Lake is situated 62 km from Jammu.  It is a lake having a natural border of forest-covered hills.  Surinsar-Mansar Lakes were designated as Ramsar Convention in November 2005. Mansar is of immense importance from Pilgrimage as well Heritage point of view  Discrepancies pointed out in Central Vista Redevelopment Project Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Parliament In news Central Vista Redevelopment project was in news recently when a Senior Advocate argued about the discrepancies in its process in a Supreme Court hearing. Important value additions  The Central Vista  It is a 3 km stretch in the heart of New Delhi that runs from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.  It is flanked by large green spaces and significant structures such as Parliament, the Secretariat buildings and the National Archives. The Central government is redeveloping the three-km-long Central Vista and Parliament.  A common Central secretariat will be constructed for all ministries that are currently spread over many buildings across Delhi. The new Parliament has to be ready by March 2022.  The revamped Central Vista, complete with public amenities and parking, has to be ready by November 2021 and the new common Central secretariat by March 2024. The Parliament House and North and South Blocks will not be demolished, but their usage may change.  The rest of the buildings that came up post-1947, including Shastri Bhavan and Krishi Bhavan, are likely to be demolished. Haryana’s RERA puts cap on Commission in a first of its kind  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Economy In news In a first of its kind order, Haryana’s RERA has put a cap on the commission being charged by the brokers while facilitating a land deal.  Now, no real estate agent in Haryana can charge more than 0.5% commission each from the buyer and the seller per deal. Important value additions  Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act  It took effect in May 2016 to regulate and promote the real estate sector. Objective: It aims to bring about transparency and efficiency in an opaque Industry.  It has a mandate to protect consumer interest, including establishing a speedy redressal system. The Act is applicable all over India, except J&K.;  It applies to all under-construction projects with a plot size above 500 sq. m or projects with 8 apartments or more.  Each state has to set up its own regulator, keeping the central law as the framework.  Real estate agents must be registered with the authority before executing any transaction.  Developers cannot advertise, market, book, sell or invite persons to purchase a plot, apartment or building without registering the project with the regulator.  The project can be cancelled if rules are not regularly followed.  Developers are accountable for after-sale services.  The developer is liable to rectify structural damages for five years. After implementation of RERA, the number of new launches has come down because there is greater pressure on developers to be transparent about the use of money. Asteroid 16 Psyche Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Space In news A recent study has found that asteroid 16 Psyche, which orbits between Mars and Jupiter, could be made entirely of metal.  It is worth an estimated $10,000 quadrillion — more than the entire economy of Earth. Key takeaways  New images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope offer a closer view of the asteroid 16 Psyche, whose surface may mostly comprise iron and nickel, similar to the Earth’s core. Scientists believe that the asteroid may be the leftover core of an earlier planet that lost its crust and mantle after multiple collisions during the creation of our solar system. The exact composition and origins of the asteroid will be uncovered in 2022, when NASA sends an unmanned spacecraft to study it up close. Do you know?  It is located around 370 million km away from Earth.  It is one of the most massive objects in the asteroid belt in our solar system. The somewhat potato-shaped asteroid has a diameter of around 140 miles,  It was first discovered on March 17, 1853, by the Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis and was named after the ancient Greek goddess of the soul, Psyche. Water Aerodrome and Sea-Plane service inaugurated  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Infrastructure In news The Indian Prime Minister inaugurated Water Aerodrome at Kevadia and the Sea-plane Service connecting Statue of Unity in Kevadia with Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad. He also inaugurated Water Aerodrome in Sabarmati Riverfront and the SeaPlane Service from Sabarmati Riverfront to Kevadia. These are part of a series of Water Aerodromes being planned to bring the last mile connectivity. Do you know?  Seaplanes have the ability to land and take-off from water thus offering access to areas that do not have landing strips or runways. Thus it can help in connecting the geographies/regions that have challenges owing to its topography and bring the remotest parts of India into the mainstream aviation network without the high cost of building airports and runways. These smaller fixed wing airplanes can land on water bodies like lakes, backwaters and dams, gravel and grass, thus offering easy access to numerous tourist spots as well. Tectonically Active Zone of Himalayas Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Infrastructure In news Recently, a group of scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun have found that the Indus-Tsangpo Suture Zone (ITSZ) of Himalaya is tectonically active. The suture zone of Himalaya was conventionally thought to be locked. Key takeaways  Sedimentary beds were found to be tilted and thrust broken. Rivers were associated with uplifted terraces. Bedrock shows brittle deformation at much shallower depths. These deformed geological features were dated using the technique of Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL).  Data of seismicity and denudation rate was also reviewed. The region of the ITSZ has been neo-tectonically active since the last 78000-58000 years. The finding will have major implications in terms of earthquake study, prediction, understanding the seismic structure of the mountain chains well as its evolution. Important value additions  Tectonics is the scientific study of the deformation of the rocks that make up the Earth’s crust and the forces that produce such deformation. It deals with the folding and faulting of mountain building, gradual upward and downward movements of the crust.  The ITSZ is a suture zone in the Ladakh region.  It marks the limit of the Indian plate where it collides with the Eurasian plate and is subducted below the latter. Do you know?  Optically-Stimulated Luminescence: It is a late quaternary (geological time period that encompasses the most recent 2.6 million years) dating technique used to date the last time quartz sediment was exposed to light. Seismicity: It refers to the measure of the frequency of earthquakes in a region. Denudation: It is a long term process in which the wearing and tearing of the surface of the Earth take place.  Single Male Parent eligible for child care leave  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Policies and interventions In news Male Government employees who are single parents will now be eligible for child care leave. Key takeaways  Single male parents, includes unmarried employees, widowers and divorcees, who may be expected to take up the responsibility of caring for a child single-handedly. Child care leave can be granted at 100% of leave salary for the first 365 days and 80% of leave salary for the next 365 days. In case of a disabled child, the condition of availing child care leave up to the age of 22 years of the child has been removed.  Now, child care leave can be availed by a government servant for a disabled child of any age. Do you know?  Child Care Leave is treated as earned leave.  It is generally granted to women employees. Women employees having minor children (children upto 18 years of age) may be granted child care leave for a maximum period of two years (i.e. 730 days) during their entire service for taking care of upto two minor children The child care leave is granted either for rearing children or to look after any of the needs of children like examination, sickness etc. Miscellaneous Super Typhoon Goni Recently, Super Typhoon Goni hit the Philippines with authorities warning of “catastrophic” conditions in the region expected to receive the hardest hit.  Nearly a million people have been evacuated. The strongest typhoon of the year so far made landfall on Catanduanes Island.  A week before, Typhoon Molave had hit the same region.  Super Typhoon Since 2009 the Hong Kong Observatory has divided typhoons into three different classifications: typhoon, severe typhoon and super typhoon. A typhoon has wind speed of 64–79 knots (73–91 mph; 118–149 km/h), a severe typhoon has winds of at least 80 knots (92 mph; 150 km/h), and a super typhoon has winds of at least 100 knots (120 mph; 190 km/h). (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2: Indian Foreign Policy The shifting trajectory of India’s foreign policy Context: The Third India-U.S. 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between the Foreign and Defence Ministers of India and the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defence took place in Delhi on October 26-27. Key Outcome of the meeting The signing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for Geo-Spatial Cooperation The two-day meeting also discussed steps to take existing bilateral cooperation, including ‘military to military cooperation, secure communication systems and information sharing, defence trade and industrial issues’, to a new level. With the signing of BECA, India is now a signatory to all U.S.-related foundational military agreements (LEMOA signed in 2016 and COMCASA signed in 2018) Welded together, the foundational military pacts effectively tie India to the wider U.S. strategic architecture in the region.  Critical Analysis of the military pacts Apprehensions about India’s Military Independence: Previous attempts to sign these agreements were resisted on the ground that it would compromise India’s security and independence in military matters. Strategic Autonomy will henceforth sound hollow: Built into the agreements are provisions for a two-way exchange of information that is not aligned with India’s stance on maintaining strategic autonomy. Pulled into wider Anti-China Coalition: The U.S. makes little secret of the fact that the primary push for getting India to sign the foundational agreements was the threat posed by China, and by appending its signature India has signed on to becoming part of the wider anti-China ‘coalition of the willing’. Non-neutrality in Power Politics: India has effectively jettisoned its previous policy of neutrality, and of maintaining its equi-distance from power blocs (US and China). Impacts Indo-Russia Relationship: The impact of India signing on to U.S.-related foundational military agreements, cannot but impact India-Russia relations, which has been a staple of India’s foreign policy for more than half a century. A Arguments in favour of signing these pacts and deepening India-US ties It is argued that there are enough India-specific safeguards built into the pacts, and there is no reason for concern. It may be argued that the new policy is essentially a pragmatic one, in keeping with the current state of global disorder.  It could even be argued that an ideologically agnostic attitude is better suited to the prevailing circumstances of today. Impact on China – Maintaining Peace a tougher challenge China-India relations have never been easy. Since 1988, India has pursued a policy which put a premium on an avoidance of conflicts with China. Even after Doklam in 2017, India saw virtue in the Wuhan and Mamallapuram discourses, to maintain better relations. This will now become increasingly problematic as India gravitates towards the U.S. sphere of influence.  India’s willingness to sign foundational military agreements with the U.S., to obtain high grade intelligence and other sensitive information, would suggest that India has made its choice, which can only exacerbate already deteriorating China-India relations. Several of India’s neighbours (Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh), normally perceived to be within India’s sphere of influence, currently seem to be out of step with India’s approach on many issues. At the same time, both China and the U.S. separately, seem to be making inroads and enlarging their influence here.  The Maldives, for instance, has chosen to enter into a military pact with the U.S. to counter Chinese expansionism in the Indian Ocean region.  Way Ahead West Asia: India needs to ensure, through deft diplomatic handling, that the latest UAE-Israel linkage does not adversely impact India’s interests in the region. India also needs to devote greater attention to try and restore India-Iran ties which have definitely frayed in recent years. Afghanistan: India must decide how a shift in policy at this time would serve India’s objectives in Afghanistan, considering the tremendous investment it has made in recent decades to shore up democracy in that country. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): India, again, will need to try and square the circle when it comes to its membership of the SCO, considering its new relationship with the U.S. Non-Aligned Movement (NAM): Likewise, even though India currently has a detached outlook, vis-à-vis the NAM, and has increasingly distanced itself from the African and Latin American group in terms of policy prescriptions, matters could get aggravated, following India’s new alliance patterns Russia: India can hardly hope to count on Russia as a strategic ally at a time, when Russia-China relations have vastly expanded and a strategic congruence exists between the two countries. India will need to handle with skill and dexterity its relationship with Russia. Conclusion New Delhi’s diplomatic skills will be tested now that the country is effectively a part of the U.S.’s security architecture Connecting the dots: Future of SAARC and BIMSTEC India’s Non-Alignment Policy in the times of increasing Polarisation in world ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2, 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation The road to economic recovery Context: The return of economic activity and declining active Covid-19 cases in India have raised hopes of recovery Is the global resurgence of Covid-19 a threat to the stock market recovery? The stock market has responded enthusiastically with large cap indices trading a little below their pre-Covid highs.  Investment Flows and improving fundamentals have pulled the market to current levels. Undoubtedly, we are not out of the woods.  Factors like the ongoing second wave in the US and Europe, the US election results etc will impact our markets, albeit on a temporary basis. What factors will determine the recovery path for firms? India’s economic recovery will be a function of top-down factors like fiscal and monetary stimulus as well as bottom-up entrepreneurial efforts. Firms with less leverage, good governance, and the ability to raise capital, cut costs with the precision of a surgeon‘s knife, and innovate to adapt in the current situation will not only survive but also prosper. When the pandemic continues, what factors raise hopes of recovery? Active cases are coming down despite normalisation of economic activities. A vaccine breakthrough seems to be on the horizon.  Macroeconomic Stability: Lower oil, gold and Chinese goods imports have made India current account-surplus. Foreign exchange reserves are about to exceed foreign exchange debt.  Foreign Investment: Global firms are opening up their purses for direct as well as portfolio investment.  Agriculture reforms will materially benefit a large rural population.  Labour reforms and postal life insurance schemes are steps in the right direction for India becoming a manufacturing hub. Way Ahead: Areas where Policy focus is needed Credit Transmission: The monetary policy is accommodative but credit transmission needs to improve further.  Borrowing Costs: Policy rates are at lifetime low levels but the cost of borrowing needs to be lowered for below-AA rated borrowers.  Sector Specific Stimulus: Fiscal stimulus has supported growth at the bottom of the pyramid but sectors like travel, tourism, hotel, retailing, aviation, infrastructure etc require more support.  Non-Tax resources: The path of fiscal prudence is important but it needs to be achieved by raising non-tax resources like proceeds from strategic divestment and monetisation of assets, unlocking capital stuck in gold deposits etc. Rule of Law: Ease of doing business has improved but rule of law needs to be improved. Our laws are being made for the lowest common denominator as crooks escape without adequate punishment. This increases the cost of compliance for the rest. Investment cannot pick up sustainably unless rule of law is experienced by investors.  Inequality: Big has become bigger in these challenging times, but eventually small and medium firms need to become competitive and prosper. (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 Where is Mansar lake situated?  Jammu and Kashmir  Orissa  Rajasthan  Himachal Pradesh Q.2 Consider the following statements regarding Real Estate Regulation and Development Act:  The act is applicable all over India.  Each state has to set up its own regulator with its own law as the framework. Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  Q.3 16 Psyche was in the news recently. It is associated with which of the following?  An asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.  Planet Jupiter's newly discovered moon.  Manned spacecraft to be sent to Mars in 2022.  Meteorite that shall enter the Earth's atmosphere in December Q.4 First seaplane project is recently inaugurated in which of the following state of India?  Gujarat  Maharashtra  Kerala  Tamil Nadu ANSWERS FOR 31st October 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 B Must Read About impact of US election results on China: The Hindu About platform workers: The Hindu About French Terror Attack and the nature of French State: The Indian Express

Nov 2, 2020 AIR

United Nations Biodiversity Summit - All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC

ARCHIVES United Nations Biodiversity Summit Search 1st Oct, 2020 Spotlight News Analysis here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx   TOPIC: General Studies 3 Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation Addressing the loss of biodiversity is essential for poverty eradication, sustainable jobs, economic development and meeting the SDGs. The conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits from biodiversity underpin the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Humanity’s dependence on biodiversity is widely recognized and nature is critical for the delivery and success of 14 of the 17 SDGs, including those that relate to food security, health, livelihoods, jobs, water security, the ocean, climate change, and disaster prevention. More than half of the world’s GDP is moderately or highly dependent on nature, through the contributions of nature to people such as pollination, water quality, and natural materials. Construction, agriculture, and food and beverages are the three largest sectors most dependent on nature. In recent years, biodiversity loss has been consistently identified by business leaders as one of the top risks to global business. Degradation of ecosystems, including from deforestation, competing use of land, uncontrolled expansion of agriculture particularly for intensive farming, and infrastructure development, as well as the unsustainable exploitation of wild species have created a ‘perfect storm’ for the spillover of diseases from wildlife to people.  The Decade of Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development provides a critical opportunity to halt biodiversity loss and encourage its sustainable use.  The Summit Theme: Urgent action on biodiversity for sustainable development The summit is first of its kind ever taken place on Biodiversity in the United Nations General Assembly. Objectives: Highlight the crisis facing humanity from the degradation of biodiversity and the urgent need to accelerate action on biodiversity for sustainable development.  Provide an opportunity for Heads of State and Government and other leaders to raise ambition for the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2021. This framework, and its effective implementation, must put nature on a path to recovery by 2030 to meet the SDGs and realize the Vision of “Living in harmony with nature”. The Urgency Recent assessments by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) concluded that species extinction rates are tens to hundreds of times higher now than historical averages, that: 75% of the Earth’s land surface has been significantly altered by human actions, including for example the loss of 85% of the area of wetlands 66% of the ocean area is experiencing multiple impacts from people, including from fisheries, pollution, and chemical changes from acidification India’s Efforts Representing India at the United Nations(UN) Biodiversity Summit on the occasion of 75th anniversary of the UN General Assembly, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar, said that as we are approaching the end of the UN Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020 and there is now an urgent need to accelerate action to conserve biodiversity. The emergence of COVID-19 has emphasized the fact that un-regulated exploitation of natural resources coupled with un-sustainable food habits and consumption pattern lead to destruction of system that supports human life. However, COVID-19 has also shown that Nature can still be conserved, restored and used sustainably. As enshrined in our Vedic scripts “PrakritiRakshatiRakshita” that is if you protect nature, nature will protect you. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, the ethos of non-violence and protection of animals and nature have been suitably enshrined in the Constitution of India and is reflected in several laws and legislations. India aims to restore 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land, and achieve land-degradation neutrality by 2030. India has already set aside extensive area for meeting the conservation objectives, contributing to Aichi Biodiversity Target-11 and the SDG -15. India has established a comprehensive institutional and legal system to realize the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). India has operationalized a system for access and benefit-sharing provisions of the CBD through a national network of 0.25 million Biodiversity Management Committees across the country involving local people and 0.17 million Peoples Biodiversity Registers for documentation of biodiversity. Facts: India, with only 2.4% of the earth’s land area hosts around 8% of the world’s recorded species. In the course of last decade, India has enhanced the combined forest and tree cover to 24.56% of the total geographical area of the country. India has the highest number of tigers in the wild and have doubled its numbers ahead of the deadline of 2022and recently announced the launch of Project Lion and Project Dolphin. Conclusion Investments in biodiversity including through jobs, incentive reform, and policies that boost conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity, and through an inclusive “One Health” approach are essential elements of reducing the risk of future zoonotic outbreaks, and ensure a sustainable, equitable and green recovery of economies. Sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity is key to ensure that no one is left behind. Every person, in every community, depends on biodiversity, but poorer and marginalized groups are those most directly vulnerable to biodiversity loss. Around one third of jobs in developing countries are directly dependent on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and rural and indigenous communities are particularly dependent on nature for their livelihoods and culture. More than a quarter of the global land area is traditionally owned, managed, used or occupied by indigenous peoples, covering one third of all remaining land wilderness areas. Indigenous peoples and local communities therefore have a particularly important role as custodians of nature.  Empowerment of women, currently with limited or no access to resources and opportunities to contribute, is also critical as key actors and agents of change in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, for example through significant and often overlooked roles in fisheries, seed conservation, and harvesting of wild resources, among many other areas. Restoration of biodiversity and implementation of nature-based solutions will be essential to meet the SDGs. Ecosystem degradation is reducing the capacity of biodiversity to address climate change and compromising progress to achieve the SDGs, underlining the urgency of action on biodiversity for sustainable development. Nature-based solutions can contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation, food and water security and to protection from flooding and other extreme events, and they provide key opportunities for integrating biodiversity into actions to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.  Urgent action on biodiversity is needed across all sectors and from all actors. Action on biodiversity for sustainable development is needed by public and private sectors, including from national and sub-national governments, cities, the business and finance world, and civil society. The right conditions for action and innovation at scale, the removal of barriers to change, and deep-rooted shifts in both consumer culture and world views are all elements of the transformations required to secure a sustainable future for people, planet and prosperity. Must Read: Global Biodiversity Outlook – Target 30×30 China’s climate commitment 14th CoP-CBD and Principle of ‘Commons’ Conservation of Migratory Species Connecting the Dots: What measures is India taking to ensure a “One Health” approach (linking the health of people, livestock, and nature) to reduce the risk of future zoonotic pandemics? What are India’s plans to integrate ambitious and accelerated action for biodiversity into your country’s sustainable development efforts? Critically examine. Earth’s living systems as a whole are being compromised. What are your views? Discuss.

Nov 2, 2020 PIB

PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU (PIB) IAS UPSC – 26th October to 31st October – 2020

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 26th to 31st  October, 2020 ARCHIVES GS-1 Newly identified tectonically active zone in Himalayas could alter earthquake study & predictions (Topic: ) The suture zone of the Himalayas or the Indus Suture Zone (ISZ) in the Ladakh region where Indian and Asian Plates are joined has been found to be tectonically active, as against current understanding that it is a locked zone. This could have major implications in terms of earthquake study, prediction, understanding the seismic structure of the mountain chains well as its evolution. A group of Scientists have found through observations and detailed mapping of geological features that the suture zone of Himalaya that was conventionally thought to be locked is tectonically active. They carried out the mapping of the remote regions of Ladakh that forms the most hinterland part of the Himalaya. The study was published recently in the journal ‘Technophysics’. The geologists observed that sedimentary beds are tilted and thrust broken, the rivers are associated with uplifted terraces, and the bedrock shows brittle deformation that occurred at much shallower depths. These deformed geological features were then dated in the laboratory at Dehradun using a technique called Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) (method for carrying Luminescence dating of geological sediments) and data of seismicity and denudation rate reviewed. The combination of field and lab data suggested the region of the Indus Suture Zone (ISZ) has been neo-tectonically active since the last 78000 -- 58000 years and a recent earthquake in 2010 of low magnitude 4.0 near the village of Upshi that occurred due to a thrust rupture. Himalaya were known to be made up of north dipping thrusts like the Main Central Thrust (MCT), the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), and the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT). As per the established models, all of these thrusts except MFT are locked, and overall deformation in Himalaya is being accommodated only along with the MFT. The new findings, which suggest a more remote fault at the suture zone being neo-tectonically active, could call for a serious relook into the existing evolutionary models using new techniques and a larger geological database. GS-2 Basic Exchange And Cooperation Agreement (BECA) signed between India and USA (Topic: International Relations) In news India and the United States signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) recently. Key takeaways BECA, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) and the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) which were signed earlier form foundational pacts for deep military cooperation between the two countries. BECA will help India get real-time access to American geospatial intelligence.  The access will enhance the accuracy of automated systems and weapons like missiles and armed drones. The sharing of information on maps and satellite images will help India access topographical and aeronautical data, and advanced products that will aid in navigation and targeting. This could also be key to Air Force-to-Air Force cooperation between India and the US. Eighteen more individuals declared as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (Topic: Government schemes; Security and related issues) Reinforcing the commitment of strengthening national security and its policy of zero tolerance to terrorism, the Government has declared the following eighteen more individuals as designated terrorists, under the provisions of the UAPA Act 1967 (as amended in 2019) and included their names in the Fourth Schedule of the said Act. These individuals are involved in various acts of terrorism from across the border and have been relentless in their nefarious efforts of destabilizing the country. About Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act The UAPA, an upgrade on the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act TADA (lapsed in 1995) and the Prevention of Terrorism Act – POTA (repealed in 2004) was passed in the year 1967 It aims at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India. Till 2004, “unlawful” activities referred to actions related to secession and cession of territory. The 2004 amendment, added “terrorist act” to the list of offences. Under the act, the investigating agency can file a charge sheet in maximum 180 days after the arrests and the duration can be extended further after intimating the court. Powers to Union Government: If Centre deems an activity as unlawful then it may, by way of an Official Gazette, declare it so. It has death penalty and life imprisonment as highest punishments. 2019 Amendment of UAPA The act was amended to designate individuals as terrorists on certain grounds provided in the Act. Earlier only organisations could be declared as such Not designating individuals as terrorists, would give them an opportunity to circumvent the law and regroup under different name It empowers the Director General of NIA to grant approval of seizure or attachment of property when the case is investigated by NIA Earlier it required the consent of State Police which delayed the process It empowers the officers of the NIA, of the rank of Inspector or above, to investigate cases of terrorism This will help solve the human resource crunch in the NIA. India hosts meeting of SCO Ministers handling economy and foreign trade (Topic: International Relations) The current crisis due to Covid-19 is a clarion call to the SCO countries to leverage the economic strength and explore partnerships that enhance trade and investment in the region.  Cooperation should be continued to enhance intra-SCO trade and investment which would be critical in ensuring the speedy recovery from the aftermath of the pandemic. Every nation’s world view is shaped by its civilization and philosophical tradition.  India’s ancient wisdom sees the world as one family -  Vasudeva Kutumbakam. In the meeting four documents were adopted.  These were:- Statement on the response to Covid-19:  It reinforces the need for greater cooperation for access to medicines and facilitation of trade. Statement on the Multilateral Trading System of Ministers of SCO Countries who are WTO Members: Highlights the importance of the rules based multilateral negotiations. Statement on SCO Cooperation on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR): It relates to cooperation of intellectual property and include sharing information/experience on legislation and enforcement, cooperation in international organisations and other areas. Action Plan for Implementation of MOU to stimulate cooperation within the framework of SCO in the field of MSMEs: It looks at  number of areas of cooperation among MSMEs, including exchange of information, organisation of events and collaboration on research and capacity building. 10th Round of Ministerial UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue (Topic: International Relations) India and the United Kingdom enjoy close bilateral relations in diverse areas. India-UK economic ties are important as together they are two of the world’s top seven economies with a combined GDP of over $5 trillion. India-UK trade has more than doubled since the first EFD in 2007, with bilateral investment supporting over half a million jobs across both countries The Dialogue, inter alia, covered sharing of experiences on corona virus response, to enable both countries to be enriched through experiences of the other and collaboration in the G20 on finance track matters, including through G20 Framework Working Group and Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI).  Issues related to international tax agenda including development of inclusive consensus based solution on the taxation of digital economy was discussed.  Deliberations on furthering of Financial Services Collaboration with special emphasis on Fin-Tech and GIFT City, establishment of an annual India-UK Financial Market Dialogue and measures underway to reform financial markets were also discussed.  Infrastructure development and promotion of Sustainable Finance were also discussed with a focus on green finance.  It was also decided to establish bilateral India- UK Sustainable Finance Forum.  Private sector initiatives under India-UK Financial Partnership (IUKFP) and India-UK Sustainable Finance Working Group were welcomed.  The Dialogue concluded with the formal signing of the Joint Statement by Finance Minister of India Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman and Chancellor of Exchequer of United Kingdom Mr Rishi Sunak. GS-3 ‘Electricity Access in India and Benchmarking Distribution Utilities’ report (Topic: Energy) By: NITI Aayog, Ministry of Power, Rockefeller Foundation, and Smart Power India Based on a primary survey conducted across 10 states––representing about 65% of the total rural population of India and with a sample size of more than 25,000, including households, commercial enterprises and institutions––the report assesses 25 distribution utilities. Aimed at capturing insights from both the demand (electricity customers) as well as supply side (electricity distribution utilities), the report seeks to: Evaluate the status of electricity access in India across these states and distribution utilities along all dimensions that constitute meaningful access Benchmark utilities’ capacity to provide electricity access and identify the drivers of sustainable access Develop recommendations for enhancing sustainable electricity access Key findings of the report: As much as 92% of customers reported the overall availability of electricity infrastructure within 50 metres of their premises; however, not all have connections, the primary reason being the distance of households from the nearest pole. Overall, 87% of the surveyed customers have access to grid-based electricity. The remaining 13% either use non-grid sources or don’t use any electricity at all. The hours of supply have improved significantly across the customer categories to nearly 17 hours per day. Nearly 85% of customers reported to have a metered electricity connection. Access to electricity is observed in 83% of household customers. A satisfaction index was created to assess the overall satisfaction level of customers with utility services. The study suggested that a total of 66% of those surveyed were satisfied––74% of customers in urban areas and 60% in rural areas.  Three key areas to focus on: Learnings from DBT schemes in Punjab Tariff simplification and rationalization Best practices from high-performing Indian discoms Recommendations: Prioritizing the release of new connections for non-household customers Transfer of subsidies or other benefits directly into a customer’s account Enhanced technology-driven customer service Ensuring 100% metering of customers Segregation of feeder lines––the concerned ministry to expedite these to maximize the benefits. Need for long term solutions for management of biomedical waste (Topic: Waste Management) Biomedical waste is a threat to global public and environmental health. Worldwide, it is estimated that at least 5.2 million people, including 4 million children, die each year because of diseases related to unmanaged medical waste. Objective To have a holistic understanding on various facets of waste management in context of COVID-19 along with socio-environmental impacts Managing bio-medical waste to ensure near-zero infections spread among waste management workers There is a need for a  multi-faceted approach which included strict segregation and containment of waste supported by instructional videos, professional training, development and roll-out of Covid-19 specific biomedical waste rules, identification and promotion of suppliers of waste management related goods and services. Considering the Covid-19 pandemic, the surge in infectious waste from healthcare facilities as well as residential and other sectors has become a new major threat to public health and the environment. Improper handling of biomedical wastes from hospitals adds to the spread of Covid-19, and hence safe handling and final disposal of this waste is therefore a vital element in an effective emergency response to the pandemic. Unsafe disposal of healthcare waste not only pollutes the environment but also poses a risk of infectious diseases such as hepatitis, cholera, typhoid, and respiratory complications, which are mainly caused by the reusing of the disposal of medical equipment or by scavenging the medical waste, as reported in different countries. Effective biomedical waste management is critical as it can adversely affect the health of humans.  Proper segregation, safe storage, and disposal of waste are key to the effective management of biomedical waste.  Segregation of waste plays a serious role in improved biomedical waste management.  It is important to scale back the quantity of infectious waste otherwise the quantum of waste will surpass the control of management.  Proper use of medical waste disinfectant equipment by hospitals and medical centres is the need of the hour to contain a future epidemic. Background The sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 has imposed massive health and economic burdens on communities around the world and affected every sector of society, including the waste-water sector. Among all the categories of biomedical waste, liquid wastes pose a serious threat to human health and the environment because of their ability to enter watersheds, pollute groundwater and drinking water when improperly handled and disposed. 75% of the water goes to Agriculture, and there is also a nexus between water and health, especially in the times of COVID 19. Even when the COVID 19 would disappear from the world, water problems would still be there. Science & Technology is not the limiting factor to prevent the use and abuse of water. There are a whole lot of factors like economics of situation, public behaviour, and awareness in the society which need to be focused to prevent the abuse of water Prelims oriented News Infantry Day: 27th October, 2020 Rashtriya Ekta Diwas: 31st October; Observed on the Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, across the country today Recent terrorist attack: Inside a church in Nice, France World’s first scientoon book “Bye Bye Corona”on Coronavirus released: Written by ‘scientoonist’ Dr Pradeep Srivastava, former Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow The 220 pages book contains comprehensive information on novel coronavirus pandemic, its symptoms and its prevention through precautions. ‘Bye Bye Corona’ also has a very interesting chapter on the ‘Art of Living with Coronavirus’ highlighting the methods to deal with the virus in day to day life if it is here to stay for a longer time. The Book offers a perspective insight into the intricacies of the deadly pandemic without scaring the reader. A ‘scientoon’ is a cartoon communication based on science. Scientoons are meant to inform and sensitize people to science and scientific concepts in an intelligible and interesting way Army launches Secure Application for Internet (SAI): In the quest for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, Indian Army has developed a simple and secure messaging application named the “Secure Application for Internet (SAI)”.  The application supports end to end secure voice, text and video calling services for Android platform over internet.  The model is similar to commercially available messaging applications like Whatsapp, Telegram, SAMVAD and GIMS and utilises end to end encryption messaging protocol.  SAI scores over on security features with local in-house servers and coding which can be tweaked as per requirements. 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics: For their contribution in understanding Black Holes:  Roger Penrose (for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity) Andrea Ghez and Reinhard Genzel (for the discovery of a supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy). A black hole A black hole has two basic parts: the singularity and the event horizon. The singularity is at the centre and is where the mass resides. Black holes are of three types, classified on the basis of their mass - Stellar mass black holes, Mid- size black holes and Super Massive black holes. Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory - India and the role of India in the findings and research of black holes. India is part of the biggest research in the world that is working in the field of black holes. The construction of the LIGO is coming up in Hingoli district, Maharashtra. Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory - India is a planned advanced gravitational-wave observatory to be located in India as part of the worldwide network. The LIGO-India project will be built by the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, with a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Science Foundation (NSF), USA, along with several national and international research and academic institutions. The three institutes leading the project in India are Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology in Indore and the Institute of Plasma Research in Ahmedabad. Cabinet approves Memorandum of Cooperation between India and Japan on cooperation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies Will contribute in strengthening bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding in the field of communications and will serve as a strategic initiative for India as Japan is an important partner with “Special Strategic and Global Partnership” status. Will help in cooperation between two countries in various fields like 5G network, telecom security, Submarine cable, standard certification of communication equipment, utilization of latest Wireless Technologies and ICTs, ICTs capacity building, Public Protection and Disaster Relief, Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Block Chain, Spectrum Chain, Spectrum Management, Cooperation on Multilateral platforms etc. Further enhance opportunities for India to get into global standardization process. Cooperation in ICTs technologies will help in strengthening ICTs infrastructure in the country. Cooperation in the development of future submarine cable networks and technologies will help in boosting connectivity of mainland India to remote areas.   The MoC aims to promote human capacity building in field of ICTs and further development of startup ecosystem which will contribute in realizing the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Cabinet approves the Memorandum of Understanding between India and Cambodia on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine The bilateral MoU will encourage cooperation between the two countries through joint initiatives and technology development n the health sector.  It will strengthen bilateral ties between India and Cambodia.  The MoU shall become effective on the date of its signature and shall remain in force for a period of five years. The main areas of cooperation between the two Governments include: Mother and child health; Family Planning; HIV/AIDS and TB; Drugs and Pharmaceuticals; Technology Transfer; Public Health and Epidemiology; Disease Control (Communicable and Non-Communicable); Medical Research and Development, subject to the approval of the National Ethic Committee of Cambodia and to the clearance by concerned Department/Ministry in India; Medical Education; Health manpower development in the field of public health; Training in clinical, para-clinical and management skills India Post and United States Postal Service (USPS) signs Agreement for Electronic Exchange of Customs Data related to postal shipments exchanged between the two countries: The agreement will make it possible to transmit and receive electronic data of international postal items prior to their physical arrival at the destination and would enable customs clearance of postal items in advance in line with the evolving global postal framework.  This will also improve the performance of postal services in terms of reliability, visibility and security. USA is the top export destination for India (~17%) which is also reflected in exchange of goods through postal channel. In 2019, around 20% of outbound EMS and 30% of Letters & Small Packets transmitted by India Post were destined to USA whereas 60% of the Parcels received by India Post were originated from USA. Exchange of Electronic Advance Data (EAD) as per the Agreement will be a key driver towards promoting mutual trade with emphasis on the exports from different parts of India to USA through postal channel considering that USA is a major destination of MSME products, Gems &Jewelry, Pharmaceuticals and other local products from India. This will fulfill a major demand of export industry to expedite customs clearances of export items. Indian Army launches Software for Infrastructure Management Infrastructure development has gained significant importance in many of the Army stations where major works are planned to replace vintage accommodation of pre independence era.  Land has also become a very scarce resource since all cantonments and military stations have now come closer to major population centres.  Presently all functions towards infrastructure development and management to include ascertaining availability of land, planning and monitoring of works, environment conservation and responsive quartering policies are carried out manually, which is not only time consuming but is also in-efficient. Realising that automation is the key to empowering all stake holders to transform and become efficient, transparent and enhance accountability, Indian Army has introduced a software named the “Infrastructure Management System (IMS)’ software which was inagurated by the COAS on the sidelines of the Army Commanders Conference on 28 October 2020. The scope of the software package developed includes the following -  To automate works initiation, preparation of list and its approval by the MoD. To accord administrative approval and monitoring of execution by the CFA. To automate availability of CAO pool accommodation, plan vacation, re-allocation and undertake maintenance. To automate approval of accommodation allocation/extention for children education ground, special children and Battle/Physical casualty. Manage cantonment roads including emergency closure. Make land, works and quartering policies available on line Monitor land encroachment, Old Grant Bungalows, VIP references and transfer/exchange of land. Launch of DST initiative SERB – POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research) It is a scheme to mitigate gender disparity in science and engineering research funding in various S&T programs in Indian academic institutions and R&D laboratories. Integration of the gender dimension in research design has gained considerable attention in the global scenario. Salient features of the SERB-POWER Fellowship:- Target: Women researchers in 35-55 years of age. Up-to 25 Fellowships per year and not more than 75 at any point in time. Components of support: Fellowship of Rs. 15,000/- per month in addition to regular income; Research grant of Rs. 10 lakh per annum; and Overhead of Rs. 90,000/- per annum. Duration: Three years, without the possibility of extension. Once in a career. Salient features of the SERB – POWER Research Grants: POWER Grants will empower women researchers by funding them under following two categories: Level I (Applicants from IITs, IISERs, IISc, NITs, Central Universities, and National Labs of Central Government Institutions): The scale of funding is up to 60 lakhs for three years. Level II (Applicants from State Universities / Colleges and Private Academic Institutions): The scale of funding is up to 30 lakhs for three years. POWER Grant will be regulated through terms of reference conforming to SERB-CRG(Science and Engineering Research Board-Core Research Grant) guidelines.While a Search-cum-Selection Committee constituted for the purpose will help in identifying the POWER Fellowship, the existing Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) mechanism will be used to select the POWER Research Grants. Bundi: Architectural Heritage of a Forgotten Rajput Capital Bundi erstwhile capital of Hada Rajput province known as Hadauti located in south-eastern Rajasthan, is one such place. Bundi is also known as City of stepwalls, blue city and also as Chotti Kashi.  In ancient times, the area around Bundi was apparently inhabited by various local tribes, of which the Parihar Tribes, Meena was prominent.  Later the region was governed by Rao Deva, who took over Bundi from Jaita Meena in 1242, renaming the surrounding area as Haravati or Haroti.  For the next two centuries, the Hadas of Bundi were the vassals of the Sisodias of Mewar and ruled by the title of Rao until 1569, when Emperor Akbar conferred the title of Rao Raja upon Rao Surjan Singh after the surrender of Ranthambore Fort and his submission.  In 1632, Rao Raja Chattar Sal became the ruler, he was one of the most valiant, principled and just kings of Bundi. He built the temple of Keshavarao at Keshoraipatan and Chathra Mahal at Bundi. He became king of Bundi after his grandfather Rao Ratan Singh, as his father Gopinath died while Ratan Singh was still ruling. Rao Chattar Sal died fighting valiantly as the head of his Hada Rajput troopsin the Battle of Samugarh in 1658 along with his youngest son Bharat Singh Rao Bhao Singh, the eldest son of Chhattar Sal succeeded his father to the throne of Bundi. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel India’s first deputy prime minister and the minister of home affairs, went on to truly become—in the words of Shashi Tharoor—“the man who saved India”. By integrating more than 560 princely states, Patel and his secretary of the ministry of states V.P. Menon imparted geographic coherence to India and prevented its Balkanization, a fate which many predicted would befall the newborn state. Sardar Vallabhai Patel along with C Rajagopalachari can be considered as true Gandhians, who followed the footsteps of Gandhi and former’s contributions in the Independence struggle is no less a feat. Patel’s contribution in Independence struggle: Led from front in Kheda and Bardoli satyagraha. Mobilization of masses. Salt Satyagraha and subsequent arrest. Role in Civil Disobedience. Role in defending fundamental rights and civil liberties during his congress presidency. Social work: Untouchability, Women empowerment, Caste discrimination, alcohol ban etc. in Gujarat. Unification: After independence, Sardar Patel become India’s first deputy prime minister and first home minister and placed a very significant role in unification of country. Accession of princely states into Indian Union. Operation Polo. Referendum in case of Junagarh. Effort to settle refugees fleeing Pakistan. Safeguarding and strengthen Civil services. Unifying the nation- A task unmatchable Sardar Patel had the tough task of unifying the 500+ princely states into one homogenous country. The princely states covered almost 48% of the area. Legally, they were not part of British India but subordinate to the British crown. The British gave an option to the princely states to join India or Pakistan. The task of Sardar Patel was very tough from 1947 to 1950. Things were done in a context where lot of fast moving developments were taking place and the task given to him as one of the founders of republic is true. The question of borders was the crucial new question that India had to face because suddenly it had two different borders, one on west which had been drawn up in very haphazard and hasty manner and other in the east, with the creation of east Pakistan, which created a problem with regard to the north east states that were now tenuously linked to rest of India and needed attention. The whole effort of Sardar Patel was to make sure that an already complicated situation on the ground did not get further complicated. It had his commitment to a strong state and a strong union that motivated him to push him where rulers were hesitant, where the population and rulers belonged to different persuasion. There was a certain hesitation as which would be more advantageous option. He made it very clear that those within the borders had only one option and that was India. Thus, if Gandhiji was the father of nation and Nehru was father of Indian state, Sardar Patel could legitimately claim to be father of Indian Union in the sense that it was his tireless efforts over period of 3 years from 1946-1949 that united India through persuasion, through diplomacy, sometimes through coercion and threat of military use. This process was a master stroke in lasting achievement to the building of Indian republic. If no unification? British colonial rule created a haphazard mix of territories and the boundaries that arose from the hazards and the opportunities given by military conquest or treatise with local rulers. However, it made no sense on the ground. One of the planks of INC and national movement was that they would put this in order. They would recognise the socio cultural entities and boundaries and would redraw the map of India. Sardar Patel’s contribution was to create the space for this reorganisation of state because if there were pockets and enclaves and territories which could not be integrated, it would not have made a unified India very difficult, if not impossible. Manipur was an important princely state. So was Tripura. They were active in the national movement but when it came to integration, Sardar Patel was very clear that accession first and then rest would be seen. Thus, his contribution is immense in creating the unified country. However, many of the grievances cropped up later because these initial promises had been betrayed. Contribution in saving J&K for India Those were troubled times when the infiltrators from the other side of the border had begun moving in. One must also remember the delicate international context of the cold war and the various treaties in place. It is against that backdrop and also the enormous journey of the refugee movement and migration from either side of the border. Sardar Patel as the Home Minister was resolutely looking after the protection of the population crossing the borders. His contribution in the Kashmir crisis remains as the taking of bold decision of airlifting of the troops and halting the advance of the infiltrators who had crossed over and occupied a certain portion of Kashmir. Hyderabad crisis Sardar came to know about the local militia, backed by the Nizam of Hyderabad, ransacking villages and holding people to ransom. Thus he ordered the military action against the Nizam of Hyderabad. There was a clear police action taken because of Sardar’s quick decision making power. Had this not been done, Hyderabad would have been become hot bed of instability in the middle of the Deccan and splashing its negative effects in neighbouring areas. Sardar was similarly firm in case of Goa but it was overruled as throwing the Portuguese by the use of armed force somehow did not appeal to the government of that time. But later, as known, there was no option and it had to be done. Offer from Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, offered the several of the bordering Rajas of princely states that they would retain their existence if they came to Pakistan. Sardar Patel countered that, especially the Rajputana princes and Patiala and some parts of Gujarat. Despite Jinnah’s offer which looked lucrative then, Sardar managed to get these princes into India with his skilful combination of diplomatic persuasion of pointing to the larger long term interests of their population and also a certain amount of arm twisting and threats which made it clear that there would be a price to pay if they did not accept the conditions that Indian government was putting to them. In those troubled circumstances where rulers hesitated balancing their own self-interests, their own loyalties, their own identities with the general well-being of their people, this firm intervention helped in making up their minds. Sardar’s persona His strong will and decisiveness makes him stand apart from the crowd. That is why he is called the iron man. That aspect of his personality that he did not shirk at taking unpleasant and tough decisions and at the same time, he was very humane with undivided loyalty to Gandhiji, made him the initial choice as India’s first PM. Sardar Patel asked the princes to join him and gave them a privy purse for one time payout or annual pay out or grant for giving lands and revenues to the union of India. Some sort of compensation was in order because they were going to lose what they lived on and thus their maintenance was to be made. Also, it was needed as the union was being made and hence it was important to get cooperation. The privy purses at that time was seen as a diplomatic move. An administrator by instinct, Patel sought to protect the privileges of the Indian Civil Service officers who were deemed to be compromised on account of their previous services to the British Raj. Sardar Patel was a hard-nosed realist and his clarity of thinking was matched only by Subhas Chandra Bose and B.R. Ambedkar among contemporaries. Sardar’s contribution was recognised at the time and despite the differences that he may have with his colleagues, what is needed to remember that he was a loyal and steadfast soldier of the Indian struggle for independence. He was committed to Gandhiji and so whenever there were differences, he bowed to Gandhiji and his opinion. This has sustained the partnership and helped India find its feet. He died in 1950 and thus in that short period of Indian independence, he made an enormous contribution. In 1991, he was given Bharat Ratna. Related Important events from 1946-1951 (Till Sardar Patel’s death) From 1946 to 1951, there was formation of constitution of India, independence of India and formation of states. Internal consolidation was focused upon. Equally important was the positioning of India on world map. The rise of iron curtain, the beginning of cold war and also the fact that new powers were rising, Afro Asian solidarity was coming into being and India not taking up the offer of UNSC seat and instead of it going to china, this has to be seen in wider context as Nehru was clear at that time that belonged to China. These events marked the final years of Sardar Patel’s life. Patel was among the few to see the dangers from China’s imminent takeover of Tibet. One of the foremost chroniclers of Sino-India relations, John W. Garver records: “Patel advocated a series of practical measures designed to strengthen India’s position: accelerated road building in the frontier areas, strengthening of India’s military capabilities, moves to better integrate the northeastern territories into India.”. Note: Iron Curtain- the Iron Curtain was the name for the boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolized efforts by the Soviet Union to block itself and its satellite states from open contact with the West and non-Soviet-controlled areas. Physically, the Iron Curtain took the form of border defenses between the countries of Europe in the middle of the continent. The most notable border was marked by the Berlin Wall and its Checkpoint Charlie, which served as a symbol of the Curtain as a whole. The events that demolished the Iron Curtain started in discontent in Poland Picture Credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1e/EasternBloc_PostDissolution2008.svg/693px-EasternBloc_PostDissolution2008.svg.png Sarder Vallabhai Patel was a great son of country whose contribution towards Independence struggle and preventing Balkanization of country is worth mentioning for ages to come. Majority of the credit goes to this tall man, if India is able to maintain its Unity and Integrity till today. For his feat he was fondly known as “Iron Man of India”.

Nov 2, 2020 TLP Mains 2020

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 1 Questions[2nd NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 19

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 1 Questions[2nd NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 19   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. C. Rajagoplachari’s efforts to build an anti-Congress front was significant chapter in India’s post-independence political history. Do you agree? Critically comment.  सी. राजगोपालाचारी का कांग्रेस-विरोधी मोर्चा बनाने का प्रयास भारत के स्वतंत्रता-बाद के राजनीतिक इतिहास का एक महत्वपूर्ण अध्याय था। क्या आप सहमत हैं? समालोचनात्मक टिप्पणी करें। 2. What impact did Soviet Union’s disintegration have on India’s foreign policy? Critically analyse.  सोवियत संघ के विघटन का भारत की विदेश नीति पर क्या प्रभाव पड़ा? समालोचनात्मक विश्लेषण करें। 3. Formation of the Northeastern states has contributed greatly to stabilise India’s politico-geographical integrity. Elucidate.  पूर्वोत्तर राज्यों के गठन ने भारत की राजनीतिक-भौगोलिक अखंडता को स्थिर करने में बहुत योगदान दिया है। स्पष्ट करें। 4. The decade of the 1980s was marked by a surge in technological advancements and economic modernisation. Illustrate.  1980 का दशक तकनीकी प्रगति और आर्थिक आधुनिकीकरण द्वारा चिह्नित था। उदाहरण देकर स्पष्ट करें। 5. Do a critical assessment of the coalition era in India’s electoral politics.   भारत की चुनावी राजनीति में गठबंधन युग का समालोचनात्मक मूल्यांकन 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 1, 2020 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Knowing your limitations – Inspirational Educative Articles

Knowing your limitations: Sometimes, more than knowing your strengths, it is important to know your limitations. In a way, it is our limitations that define us not our strengths. Our ego wants us to think that we are invincible and we have the ability to do anything and everything, but reality around us always reminds us of our limitations. Recognizing your limitation is not a weakness, rather it is a sign of strength. When you can find enough courage to be honest with yourself to see your limitations, you are taking steps in the right direction. As they say, in production of anything, a bottleneck is what defines the actual output. The least abundant material is what limits the production, and the weakest part of a chain is where it always breaks; imitations define things, period. By not recognizing your limitation you can blindly believe in your abilities. There is a big difference between over confident and practical. Most times you need to be practical and sensible in dealing with yourself and the world around you. Knowing your limitations can help you be more practical. Just to give a few examples; you would not suddenly wake up one day from bed and say you are going to become a marathon sprinter, a musician, or an astronaut. The reason why you don’t say this is because you know you have never done anything in your life to move yourself in that direction. All of a sudden you cannot develop all the necessary qualities required to succeed. Knowing your limitation is all about looking at your life in totality, to see the kind of life you have lived and where have you spent most of your life’s energies. A little self introspection will give you a clear idea as to what you have you have been doing with your time, what are you good at, what skills you have developed, and which are those areas where you are simply not good at. When we dig deeper into our lives, more than finding strengths and weaknesses, we will discover our biggest limitations, because that is where we get stuck most of the time. Sometimes even just a few limitations can define much of your life. In fact, usually there are only a few limitations that have the ability to keep you where you are, blocking your ability to excel. Instead of just reciting a be positive mantra all the time, it makes more sense to introspect on what you cannot do, what you don’t want to do, why you are not interested in certain things. Sometimes, the negative aspects of your life can reveal more things about you than your positive side. Understanding your life fully is all about knowing your limitations fully and working around it. When you know your limitations, you can easily find ways to overcome it. On the other hand if you are unaware of your limitations, you will waste too much time and energy doing things that you were never meant to be good at. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”

Oct 31, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 31st October 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) PLACID Trials: convalescent plasma therapy shows no positive effects Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Science and Technology  In news Recently, the PLACID Trial, a multicentre randomized controlled trial (RCT), has shown that convalescent plasma (CP) therapy for Covid-19 patients gave no positive effects and did not improve the outcome of the patients. Key takeaways of the trial  The trial results indicate that there was no difference in the 28-day mortality.  Progression of Covid-19 from moderate to severe in patients treated with CP along with basic standard care had no difference when compared to basic standard care alone. The use of CP seemed to improve the resolution of shortness of breath and fatigue in patients with moderate Covid-19. However, this did not translate into a reduction in 28-day mortality or progression to severe disease. The ICMR is now considering removing the option of CPT from the national guidelines. Important value additions  Convalescent Plasma Therapy Convalescent Plasma, extracted from the blood of patients recovering from an infection, is a source of antibodies against the infection. The therapy uses blood from people who have recovered from an illness to help others recover. Blood donated by people who have recovered from Covid-19 has antibodies to the virus that causes it.  The donated blood is processed to remove blood cells, leaving behind liquid (plasma) and antibodies. These can be given to people with Covid-19 to boost their ability to fight the virus. The plasma donor would have to be a documented case of Covid-19 and healthy for 28 days since the last symptoms. PLACID Trial It was conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).  Aim: To investigate CPT’s effectiveness for the treatment of Covid-19. It is the first and largest randomised control trial to be completed in the world. Do you know?  RCT is a trial in which subjects are randomly assigned to one of two groups.  One (the experimental group) receiving the intervention that is being tested, and the other (the comparison group or control) receiving an alternative (conventional) treatment. Kochi-Muziris Biennale: Art exhibition and festival Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Art & Culture In news Kochi-Muziris Biennale was in the news recently.  Its 5th edition has been postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Important value additions  The Kochi-Muziris Biennale  It is an art exhibition and festival.  It is the largest of its kind in South Asia. Organised by: Kochi Biennale Foundation at Kochi, Kerala. The Foundation is a non-profit charitable trust engaged in promoting art and culture and educational activities in India. It works throughout the year to strengthen contemporary art infrastructure and to broaden public access to art across India through a diverse range of programmes. Do you know?  In mythology, Muziris was a port city, among the earliest of its kind in the world.  When Kerala established itself as a major center for spice, the ancient port of Muziris emerged as its hub. Currently, the Muziris Heritage Project is one of the biggest conservation projects in India, where the state and the central governments have come together to conserve a rich culture that is as old as 3000 years or more. The biennale exhibits artworks across a variety of mediums including film, installation, painting, sculpture, etc.  Computation Analysis of Indian Genes published Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Science and Technology  In news Recently, the results from the computation analysis of the 1029 sequenced genomes from India were published in the scientific journal, Nucleic Acid Research. The analysis was carried out by CSIR constituent labs, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. The analysis has found that out of approximately 55.8 million single nucleotide variants in India, around 18.01 million (32.23%) variants are unique and found only in the samples sequenced from India. Thus, India-centric population genomic initiative becomes important. Important value additions  Genome A genome is all the genetic matter in an organism.  It is defined as an organism’s complete set of DNA including all of its genes. Every organism’s genetic code is contained in its DNA, the building blocks of life. Each genome contains all of the information needed to build and maintain that organism. In humans, a copy of the entire genome contains more than 3 billion DNA base pairs. Genome sequencing It means figuring out the order of Adenine, Cytosine, Guanines, and Thymine (DNA nucleotides) in a genome Application: (1) Crucial role for new advancements in medical science; (2) In disease management; (3) Researchers and clinicians can easily detect the disease related to genetic disorder. The study of entire genome sequences will help understand how genes work together to direct the growth, development and maintenance of an entire organism. The genes account for less than 25% of the DNA in the Genome. Thus, knowing the entire genome sequence will help scientists study the parts of the genome outside the genes. Superconductivity achieved at Room Temperature Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Science and Technology  In news Recently, researchers have created a material that is superconducting at room temperature.  It only works at a pressure of 267 Gigapascals (GPa).  Key takeaways  A mixture of carbon, hydrogen and sulfur was put in a microscopic niche carved between the tips of two diamonds (diamond anvil) and laser light was used on them to trigger chemical reactions. To verify that this phase was indeed a superconductor, the group ascertained that the magnetic susceptibility of the superconductor was that of a diamagnet. A superconducting material kept in a magnetic field expels the magnetic flux out its body when cooled below the critical temperature and exhibits perfect diamagnetism. It is also called the Meissner effect which simply means that magnetic lines do not pass through superconductors in a magnetic field. If researchers can stabilise the material at ambient pressure, applications of superconductivity at room temperatures could be achieved and will be within reach. Superconductors that work at room temperature could have a big technological impact, for example in electronics that run faster without overheating. Important value additions  Superconductors A superconductor is a material that can conduct electricity or transport electrons from one atom to another with no resistance. No heat, sound or any other form of energy would be released from the material when it has reached critical temperature (Tc).  The critical temperature for superconductors is the temperature at which the electrical resistivity of metal drops to zero. Examples: aluminium, niobium, magnesium diboride, etc. Applications: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, low-loss power lines, ultra powerful superconducting magnets, mobile-phone towers. Limitations: They need bulky cryogenics as the common superconductors work at atmospheric pressures, but only if they are kept very cold. Do you know?  Meissner Effect: When a material makes the transition from the normal to the superconducting state, it actively excludes magnetic fields from its interior. Direct Port Entry (DPE) facility of V O Chidambaranar Port Trust inaugurated in line with Maritime Vision 2030 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Infrastructure In news Recently, the Union Minister of State for Shipping has inaugurated the Direct Port Entry (DPE) facility of V O Chidambaranar Port Trust (VOCPT). Key takeaways  The state-of-the-art DPE facility is created inside the Truck Parking Terminal which was developed under the ‘Sagarmala’ for issuing customs clearance of export cargo. The facility aligns with the ‘Maritime Vision 2030’ of the Ministry of Shipping. Significance: (1) Reduce logistics cost and increase the velocity of the cargo; (2) Enable direct movement of containers from factories; (3) Help in increasing Ease of Doing Business for the exporters.  Important value additions  Maritime India Vision 2030 It is a ten-year blueprint for the maritime sector which will be released by the Indian Prime Minister at the Maritime India Summit in November 2020. It will supersede the Sagarmala initiative.  It aims to boost waterways, the shipbuilding industry and encourage cruise tourism in India. Maritime Development Fund: It is a Rs. 25,000-crore fund, which will provide low cost, long-tenure financing to the sector with the Centre contributing Rs. 2,500 crore over seven years. Port Regulatory Authority: A pan-India port authority will be set up under the new Indian Ports Act for enabling oversight across major and non-major ports.  Eastern Waterways Connectivity Transport Grid project: It will aim to develop regional connectivity with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. Riverine Development Fund: It will extend low cost, long-term financing for inland vessels with the support of a Riverine Development Fund (RDF) Rationalisation of Port Charges: It will make them more competitive. All hidden charges will be done away with. Promotion of Water Transport (MAINS FOCUS) URBANISATION/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2,3: Urbanization, their problems and their remedies Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Urban Floods: Time for a ‘sponge cities’ mission in India Context: Torrential rains in the third week of October in Hyderabad during which over 50 people died and hundreds of riverbed hutments were flushed away. The scale of destruction has been unprecedented. This experience is not unique to the city of Hyderabad but something that cities across India have been experiencing in recent years.  What are the possible reasons for Urban Floods experienced in Hyderabad? Unprecedented rainfall: The rainfall received in 2020 has been the highest for the month of October in a century. Inability to manage the city’s drainage systems: The floods of October 2020 occurred because discharge of water did not take place on time. And when water was discharged it was in a sudden, uncontrolled manner. To put it bluntly, first sluices did not open and then bunds breached. Antiquated drainage infrastructure: Hyderabad’s century-old drainage system (developed in the 1920s) covered only a small part of the core city. In the last 20 years, the city has grown at least four times its original built-up area and not much was done to address the absence of adequate drainage systems. Neglecting issues of incremental land use change, particularly of those commons which provide us with necessary ecological support — wetlands. This has led to creation of urban terrain which is incapable of absorbing, holding and discharging water. One of the promising ideas to deal with Urban Floods is Sponge Cities The idea of a sponge city is to make cities more permeable so as to hold and use the water which falls upon it. Sponge cities absorb the rain water, which is then naturally filtered by the soil and allowed to reach urban aquifers. This allows for the extraction of water from the ground through urban or peri-urban wells.   In built form, this implies contiguous open green spaces, interconnected waterways, and channels and ponds across neighbourhoods that can naturally detain and filter water These can all be delivered effectively through an urban mission along the lines of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) and Smart Cities Mission What steps need to be taken to take forward the idea of Sponge Cities Mission?   Wetland policy:  In most of our lakes, the shallow ends, which often lie beyond the full tank level, have disappeared.  These shallow ends are best characterised as wetlands; sometimes owned by private individuals, other times existing as ecological commons.  Regardless of ownership, land use on even this small scale needs to be regulated by development control. Watershed management and emergency drainage plan This should be clearly enunciated in policy and law.  Urban watersheds are micro ecological drainage systems, shaped by contours of terrain. Detailed documentation of these Urban watersheds must be held by agencies where natural boundaries instead of governance boundaries (like wards) are used to come up with drainage plan. The Metropolitan Development Authorities, National Disaster Management Authority, State revenue and irrigation departments along with municipal corporations should be involved in such work together. Ban against terrain alteration Lasting irreversible damage has been done to the city by builders, property owners, and public agencies by flattening terrain and altering drainage routes. Terrain alteration needs to be strictly regulated and a ban on any further alteration of terrain needs to be introduced.  Change in material usage Our cities are becoming increasingly impervious to water, not just because of increasing built up but also because of the nature of materials used (hard, non-porous construction material that makes the soil impervious). To improve the city’s capacity to absorb water, new porous materials and technologies must be encouraged or mandated across scales.  Examples of these technologies are bioswales and retention systems, permeable material for roads and pavement, drainage systems which allow storm water to trickle into the ground, green roofs and harvesting systems in buildings.  These not only reduce run-off and the load on infrastructure, but also help keep water in the city for later use. Involvement of other stakeholders Urban floods of this scale cannot be contained by the municipal authorities alone. Nor can they be dealt with by the State government.  It can be managed with concerted and focused investments of energy and resources.  Such investments can only be done in a mission mode organisation with active participation of civil society organisations at the metropolitan scale.  Conclusion We need to urgently rebuild our cities such that they have the sponginess to absorb and release water without causing so much misery and so much damage to the most vulnerable of our citizens Connecting the dots: Urban Infrastructure projects AMRUT yojana The smart cities project is faced with multiple challenges and ambiguities in terms of its financial model, governance and scale. Critically examine. GOVERNANCE/ SCIENCE & TECH Topic: General Studies 2, 3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation On digital governance, don’t repeat mistakes Context:  There have now been two versions of the Personal Data Protection Bill, a report on non-personal data, and a variety of other proposals to regulate the digital economy from telemedicine to e-commerce to drones. At a macro-level though, two key problems may emerge related to digital governance State overreach  State is entrenching itself excessively in the process of regulating the data economy Compulsory Data Sharing: Both the Personal Data Protection Bill as well as the non-personal Data report contains various clauses and suggestions that mandate compulsory data-sharing with the government.  Lessons not learnt: The Industries (Development and Regulation) Act of 1951, gave the State a number of similar regulatory powers to dictate the output and prices of industries. This led to suppressing growth and innovation for decades. Lack of Clarity on Pricing: Almost 70 years later, the data regime is suggesting mandatory sharing of data for businesses on a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND)-based remuneration. It is not clear on how the State will decide on this remuneration. Price Controls: The 4 Vs of data — velocity, volume, veracity and variety — will amplify the problems in setting a price for the data economy. Price controls on data also reduce the incentives for companies willing to invest in the creation of databases — leading to economic and geo-political advantages for other countries India’s past experience tells us that State-led pricing will be anything but FRAND-friendly, and, therefore, the State must step away rather than jump in. Multiple Regulators There is a proposed regulator for non-personal data as well as for e-commerce, in addition to the Data Protection Authority (DPA) to be set up. These regulators may be aimed at different aspects of the data economy, yet the significant overlaps among them can’t be ignored.  Consider an instance where non-personal data linked to an individual’s IP address, which is easily re-identifiable, could be used for targeted advertising for an e-commerce platform.  This could lead to similar battles between regulators as seen in the SEBI and IRDAI on regulating Unit-Linked Investment Plans (ULIPs). IRDAI had to step in because ULIPs were provided by insurance companies and SEBI had to do so because these consisted of money invested in the market generating returns Multiple regulators also lead to the possibility of a lack of oversight, given that each authority presumes another regulator is responsible for regulating that issue.  The Personal Data Protection Bill earmarks mergers and acquisitions as one area where data can be processed without user-consent — but this could have adverse competition and privacy concerns and can largely become an area overlooked by both the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and DPA. Conclusion While keeping the complexities of data in mind, India should not forget the complexities of regulation learnt from its own experience across sectors. Connecting the dots: Non-Personal Data Regulation- Part I and Part II K.S. Puttaswamy Case & Right to Privacy (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:  Convalescent plasma is extracted from the blood of healthy person and transferred to the patient suffering from covid-19.  The recently conducted Placid trial has shown positive results regarding convalescent plasma therapy. Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  Q.2 Consider the following statements:  Muziris emerged as Goa’s hub when it established itself as a major Centre for Spice. Muziris Heritage project is one of the biggest conservation projects in the world. Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  ANSWERS FOR 30th October 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 A Must Read About US exiting Afghanistan: The Indian Express About need for better forecast: The Hindu About French Terror Attacks: The Hindu

Oct 31, 2020 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz 31st Oct 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

Oct 31, 2020 TLP Mains 2020

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - ESSAY [31st OCTOBER,2020] – Day 18

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - ESSAY [31st OCTOBER,2020] – Day 18   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   1. Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts. सफलता अंतिम नहीं है; विफलता घातक नहीं है: यह जारी रखने की हिम्मत है जो मायने रखता है। 2. Freedom cannot be bestowed — it must be achieved. स्वतंत्रता प्रदान नहीं की जाती - इसे प्राप्त करना होता है। 3. Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive. प्रेम और करुणा आवश्यकताएं हैं, विलासिता नहीं। उनके बिना, मानवता जीवित नहीं रह सकती। 4. Real patriotism is a willingness to challenge the government when it's wrong. असली देशभक्ति वही है जो सरकार को तब चुनौती दे जब वह गलत हो। 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 :)

Oct 30, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th October 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Major Global energy companies ask Indian Government to bring natural gas under the GST regime  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Energy; GST; Taxation In news Major Global energy companies have called on the Government of India to bring natural gas under the GST regime at the India energy Forum held recently. Currently petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel, natural gas and crude oil fall outside India’s GST regime. Government officials have also indicated that the government is considering bringing natural gas under the ambit of the GST regime. Benefits of bringing Natural gas under GST regime It would lead to a reduction in the cascading impact of taxes on industries such as power and steel, which use natural gas as an input. It would do away with the central excise duty and different value added taxes imposed by states. This would lead to an increase in the adoption of natural gas which would be in line with the government’s goal to increase the share of natural gas in the country’s energy basket from 6.3% to 15%.  Guidelines unveiled for Awarding Bodies and Assessment Agencies under Skill India Mission Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Policies and interventions  In news Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in collaboration with their unified regulator— National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) unveiled guidelines for the Awarding Bodies (AB) and Assessment Agencies (AA) over a digital conference.  The guidelines aim at establishing quality, improved outcomes and standardizing the processes under Skill India Mission. Important value additions  Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) was formed on November 9, 2014 by the Government of India to focus on enhancing employability of skills. Under its flagship programme, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 2016-2020, the Ministry has trained more than 92 lakh candidates so far. The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) was notified by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on 5th December 2018.  The NCVET acts as an overarching skills regulator which regulates the functioning of entities engaged in vocational education and training. CCEA approves Mandatory Packaging In Jute Materials Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Economy  In news The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved that 100% of the food-grains and 20% of the sugar shall be mandatorily packed in diversified jute bags. Key takeaways  The decision also mandates that initially 10% of jute bags for packing food grains would be placed through reverse auction on the Gem portal. The Government has expanded the scope of mandatory packaging norms under the Jute Packaging Material (JPM) Act, 1987. The approval will benefit farmers and workers located in the Eastern and North Eastern regions of the country particularly in West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya and Tripura. Important value additions  Other Support provided to the Jute Sector The National Jute Board has collaborated with National Institute of Design and a Jute Design Cell has been opened at Gandhinagar. In order to boost demand in the jute sector, Government of India has imposed Definitive Anti-Dumping Duty on import of jute goods from Bangladesh and Nepal with effect from 5th January, 2017. In order to promote transparency in jute sector, Jute SMART, an e-govt initiative was launched in December, 2016 which provides an integrated platform for procurement of Jute sacking by Government agencies. Jute Jute is a rainy season crop. Jute requires a warm and humid climate with temperature between 24° C to 37° C.   Constant rain or water-logging is harmful.   The new gray alluvial soil of good depth, receiving salt from annual floods, is best for jute. Jute is harvested any time between 120 days to 150 days when the flowers have been shed, early harvesting gives good healthy fibers. The jute plant's fibres lie beneath the bark and surrounded the woody central part of the stem.   To extract the fibres from the stem, the process is carried out in the following stages : Dam Rehabilitation And Improvement Project (DRIP) approved Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Infrastructure  In news The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II & Phase III with the financial assistance of the World Bank (WB) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Key takeaways  Objective: To improve the safety and operational performance of selected dams across the whole country, along with institutional strengthening.  The Scheme envisions comprehensive rehabilitation of 736 existing dams located across India.  The Project will be implemented over a period of 10 years duration in two Phases.  DRIP Phase II & Phase III has following components: (1) Rehabilitation and improvement of dams and associated appurtenances; (2) Dam safety institutional strengthening in participating States and Central agencies; (3) Exploration of alternative incidental means to generate the incidental revenue for sustainable operation and maintenance of dams; (4) Project management. Meri Saheli launched Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Social issues  In news Indian Railways has launched “Meri Saheli” initiative for focused action on security of women across all zones.  Objective: To provide safety and security to lady passengers travelling by trains for their entire journey from starting station to destination station. Key takeaways  It is an initiative of Railway Protection Force (RPF).  It entails interaction with lady passengers especially those travelling alone by a team of young lady RPF personnel at the originating station. These lady passengers are briefed about all precautions to be taken during the journey and told to dial 182 in case they face or see any problem in the coach. The platform duty RPF personnel at the stopping stations en-route keep unobtrusive watch over the concerned coaches and berths and if need arises, interact with the lady passengers. Do you know?  The “Meri Saheli” initiative was started as a pilot project in South Eastern Railway in September 2020 and after getting encouraging response from lady passengers, it was extended to all zones SERB – Power scheme for women scientists Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Science and Technology  In news A Scheme titled “SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research)” was recently launched exclusively for women scientists. Ministry: Ministry of Science & Technology Launched by: The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a Statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) Key takeaways  Objective: To mitigate gender disparity in science and engineering research in various S&T programs. It will have two components namely: (1) SERB-POWER Fellowship; (2) SERB- POWER Research Grants. Features of the SERB-POWER Fellowship Target: Women researchers in 35-55 years of age. Up-to 25 Fellowships per year and not more than 75 at any point in time. Components of support: Fellowship of Rs. 15,000/- per month in addition to regular income; Research grant of Rs. 10 lakh per annum; and Overhead of Rs. 90,000/- per annum. Duration: Three years, without the possibility of extension. Once in a career. Features of the SERB – POWER Research Grants POWER Grants will empower women researchers by funding them under following two categories: (1) Level I (Applicants from IITs, IISERs, IISc, NITs, Central Universities, and National Labs of Central Government Institutions): The scale of funding is up to 60 lakhs for three years; (2) Level II (Applicants from State Universities / Colleges and Private Academic Institutions): The scale of funding is up to 30 lakhs for three years. POWER Grant will be regulated through terms of reference conforming to SERB-CRG (Science and Engineering Research Board-Core Research Grant) guidelines. PLI Schemes For Promoting Domestic Manufacturing Of Bulk Drugs & Medical Devices revised Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Science and Technology  In news Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry has revised the Production Linked Incentive Schemes for promoting domestic manufacturing of bulk drugs and medical devices. Key takeaways  In the revised guidelines, the ‘Minimum Threshold’ investment requirement has been replaced by ‘committed investment’ taking into account availability of technology choices which varies from product to product. The change has been made to encourage efficient use of productive capital. The Department of Pharmaceuticals earlier come out with the two Production Linked Incentive Schemes: (1) Production Linked Incentive scheme for promotion of domestic manufacturing of critical Key Starting Materials, Drug Intermediates and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in India; (2) Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Promoting Domestic Manufacturing of Medical Devices. Do you know?  Globally, the Indian pharmaceutical industry is the third largest in terms of volume. (MAINS FOCUS) EDUCATION/ GOVERNANCE/ SCIENCE & TECH Topic: General Studies 2, 3: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education, Human Resources Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life  ASER Survey: COVID-19 impact and Gaps in Learning Context:  Although the Centre has now permitted States to start reopening schools if they can follow COVID-19 safety protocols, the vast majority of the country’s 25 crore students are still at home after seven straight months. What is Annual Status of Education Report? It is the largest citizen-led survey in India facilitated by Pratham NGO. It is also the only annual source of information on children’s learning outcomes available in India today ASER is a household-based rather than school-based survey. This design enables all children to be included – those who have never been to school or have dropped out, as well as those who are in government schools, private schools, religious schools or anywhere else. ASER 2020 was conducted in 26 states and four Union Territories. The phone-based survey was done in September 2020, the sixth month of national school closures. A total of 52,227 rural households and 59,251 children in the 5-16 age group were surveyed. ASER 2020 explored whether this unprecedented situation has caused shifts in children’s enrollment patterns in rural India  Key Finding of 2020 report (rural) are: Shift in enrolments from private schools to government institutions: 69.55 per cent children in the 6-14 age group are enrolled in government schools, up from 66.42 per cent in 2018. Decrease in Enrolment: ASER 2020 shows that 5.5 per cent children are not currently enrolled for the 2020-21 school year, up from 4 per cent in 2018. This difference is the sharpest among the youngest children (ages 6 to 10), possibly because they have not yet secured admission to school. While 1.8 per cent children in this age group were not enrolled in 2018, that has spiked to 5.3 per cent. Digital Divide: The survey found 43.6% of students in government schools without access to a smartphone, while 67.3% of those who received learning materials in these institutions got them over WhatsApp, underscoring the role played by gadgets and connectivity Increased Smartphone penetration not translated into access to Education: The levels of smartphone ownership have almost doubled – from 36.5% in 2018  to 61.8% in 2020, but a third of children with smartphone access still did not receive any learning materials. Parental/community involvement: Almost 75 per cent of children said they received some form of learning support from family members, with older siblings playing a key role. Government worked to respond to crisis:  More than 80 per cent children said they had textbooks for their current grade, this proportion was higher among students enrolled in government schools (84.1 per cent) than in private ones (72.2 per cent). Parental levels of education and resources played a key role in whether children studied at home: About 20% of children whose parents had less than five years of education got learning materials, compared to 46% among parents who had studied beyond Class IX themselves Regional imbalance: In Bihar, less than 8% got such materials from their schools, along with 20% in West Bengal, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. On the other hand, more than 80% of rural children in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and Gujarat received such input. Important Takeaways from the report Evidence based policy making: The data collected could facilitate intervention by the education system in some respects, even if, going forward, schools opt for a hybrid solution of partial reopening and online learning. Expanding availability of textbooks to all, including those who dropped out or are waiting to be formally admitted, will help parents and siblings aid learning.  Bridging the divide on educational aids, now including smartphones, will enable transmission of learning materials, and personal tutorial sessions. Opportunity for Observational Learning: The education system could creatively use opportunities during the current year to broaden learning. Students could use the safety of the open countryside to learn, under guidance from teachers, a host of topics by doing things themselves which helps create strong foundations. Need for Monitoring: When schools re-open, it will be important to continue to monitor who goes back to school, and very importantly to understand whether there is learning loss as compared to previous years, Leveraging Home Support to improve learning: Schools should find ways to build on the home support going forward, given that families provided learning support to children during pandemic, either from parents or elder siblings. Connecting the dots: ASER 2019 report: Fix early learning in government schools AGRICULTURE/ SCIENCE & TECH Topic: General Studies 2,3: Different types of irrigation and irrigation systems  Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life  Precision Agriculture About It is an approach to farm management that uses information technology (IT) to ensure that the crops and soil receive exactly what they need for optimum health and productivity.  It is an approach where inputs are utilised in precise amounts to get increased average yields, compared to traditional cultivation techniques. The goal of PA is to ensure profitability, sustainability and protection of the environment.  PA is also known as satellite agriculture, as-needed farming and site-specific crop management (SSCM). Precision agriculture relies upon specialized equipment, software and IT services.  The approach includes accessing real-time data about the conditions of the crops, soil and ambient air, along with other relevant information such as hyper-local weather predictions, labor costs and equipment availability. Advantages precision farming Helps increase agriculture productivity in sustainable manner Prevents soil degradation Reduction of chemical application in crop production Efficient use of water resources Dissemination of modern farm practices to improve quality, quantity and reduced cost of production Developing favourable attitudes Precision farming changing the socio-economic status of farmers Precision farming in India Some of the schemes like PMKSY’s (Per Drop More Crop) involve Precision Agriculture practices. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has formulated a project entitled “SENSAGRI: SENsor based Smart AGRIculture”. The major objective is to develop indigenous prototype for drone based crop and soil health monitoring system using hyperspectral remote sensing (HRS) sensors.  Drone technology is also being used. It has ability for smooth scouting over farm fields, gathering precise information and transmitting the data on real time basis.  Mobile apps are being used to provide farmers with weather information and provide early warning.  Drawbacks of precision farming High cost Lack of technical expertise knowledge and technology Not applicable or difficult/costly for small land holdings Heterogeneity of cropping systems and market imperfections Conclusion The need of the hour is to adopt state of the art technology to make agriculture sustainable and profitable. Agricultural renaissance can take shape on a strong digital foundation. Adoption of technology will help in sustaining food security and enhanced livelihood opportunities.  In addition, the farming community needs to diversify and take up allied activities like fisheries, dairy and poultry as well to double the on-farm incomes. Connecting the dots: New Farm Bills and Opposition to it (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers.  Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1 Which of the following is/are outside India’s GST regime? Petrol  Diesel Aviation turbine fuel  Natural gas Select the correct code: 1 and 4 only 2, 3 and 4 only 2 and 4 only 1, 2, 3 and 4 Q.2 Consider the following statements regarding Jute cultivation: Jute requires a warm and humid climate with temperature between 24° C to 37° C.   Constant rain or water-logging is helpful for its growth.   Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  ANSWERS FOR 29th October 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 A 3 D Must Read About Farm bills and critical analysis: The Indian Express About deepening of Indo-US defence partnership: The Hindu About declining US power: The Hindu

Oct 30, 2020 TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS [29th OCTOBER,2020] Day 16: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE SYNOPSIS [29th OCTOBER,2020] Day 16: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   1. How are beneficiaries identified for different schemes in India? What are the merits and limitations of the processes adopted for such identifications? Examine. Approach: It is straightforward question; it expects student to write about - in first part write method for identification of beneficiaries for different scheme - in second part write merits - in third part write limitation of these processes  Introduction: Government Schemes in India are launched by the government to address the social and economic welfare of the citizens of this nation. These schemes play a crucial role in solving many socio-economic problems that beset Indian society, and thus their awareness is a must for any concerned citizen. Body: For identification of beneficiaries for different scheme of different ministries wide range of sources used as follows: Dated database based on 2011 numbers: The Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC). he SECC is being used in central schemes such as the Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana to identify beneficiaries. A district-wise comparison with data from the last census conducted in 2011 National Family Health Survey (NFHS 2015-16)  SECC, in principle, remains a targeted approach for welfare delivery mechanism Poverty level under different government data Most of the government initiatives depend on either land records. Merits of current beneficiary identification method are: It promotes equity and reduce favouritism. It brings transparency in identification method.  It increases penetration of scheme or benefits to needy people. It helps in identifying sections of people which needs upliftment.  However, Limitations of current identification method:  Targeted programs create tensions between those who are excluded—some of whom may be among the poor but “missed” by targeting schemes—and the beneficiaries. Many scholars have pointed out the tendency of politicians to abuse targeted programs by converting them into instruments of patronage. Additionally, most of the benefits meant for end-up being elite captured. As, Amartya Sen points out,” benefits that go only to the poor often end up being poor benefits.” SECC database is that it is already eight years old in an economy which is transforming fast, and where some people have climbed up the income ladder while others have fallen down. This means that a SECC-type exercise needs to be repeated at frequent intervals to ensure that it matches current reality. But the more the database is mined for such use, the greater the chances of reporting biases creeping in, as people learn how to game the database to remain within the ‘right’ cut-off limits. Migration– As the schemes are implemented at state level, migration of poor denies them benefits of scheme in another state. Exclusion error– Eligible beneficiaries are excluded from benefits due to infrastructural issues, lack of awareness on part of people, lack of verifiable documents etc. Conclusion: The inherent challenges in any targeting exercise suggests that quasi-universal schemes with simple exclusion criteria based on regular and professionally conducted censuses may be a better bet for a country such as ours. 2. Despite having reasonable success on the food security front, India has fared poorly on the barometer of nutritional security. Why? Analyse. What measures would you suggest to address this anomaly? Approach: When a candidate is asked to Analyse, he/she is expected to break an issue into constituent parts and explain how these relate to one another and present as one summary. The general perception about food security is that it will ensure nutritional security. However, this is not the case on ground level. Hence, here it is expected to show the reasons why India fared poorly on nutritional security. For the intro part, one can start with any report related to food security or nutritional security or one can also start by simply defining what is food security and nutritional security and what are its prospective outcomes. In the main body part it is expected to argue the reasons due to which India fared poorly on nutritional security. To address the problems associated with nutritional security, one needs to give relative measures to ensure nutritional security with it. To fetch more marks, diagrams, tables, graph, any report finding, success stories or best practises can be cited.  Introduction: As per the report  'National Food and Nutrition Security Analysis'  of World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, malnutrition amongst children in India is projected to remain high, despite all the progress made in food security. Which indicates India has fared poorly on nutritional security.  Body: Food security is defined as the availability and the access of food to all people; whereas nutrition security demands the intake of a wide range of foods which provides the essential needed nutrients. As per 'National Food and Nutrition Security Analysis' , Access to nutritious food has not increased due to following reasons.  Food grain yields have risen 33% over the last two decades, but are still only half of 2030 target yields. The consumer’s access to rice, wheat and other cereals has not increased at the same rate, due to population growth, inequality, food wastage and losses, and exports. As a result, the average per capita consumption of energy among the poorest 30% of the population is 1811 kilocalories, much lower than the norm of 2155 kilocalories per day. Hence, it is evident that though India has fared well on food security front, it fared poorly on nutritional security front. Reasons for poor performance on Nutritional security front: Too much emphasis on Under nutrition: For several decades India was dealing with only one form of malnutrition- under nutrition. However, in the last decade, the double burden which includes both over- and under nutrition, is becoming more prominent and poses a new challenge for India. Micronutrient deficiency: Despite positive trends and patterns in improving food security, the prevalence of malnutrition in India remains high, with many people, especially women and children, suffering from micronutrient deficiency. Performance of States: In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh the stunting rate is around 48% and 46% respectively. It shows that in these states almost every 2nd child is stunted.  Whereas in Kerala and Goa, it is only one in five children. Vulnerable and Marginalised sections: There are high rates of stunting among children in the poorest wealth quintile is (51.4%), Scheduled Tribes (43.6%) and Scheduled Castes (42.5%), and children born to mothers with no education (51%). Slow decline of child stunting: Over the last decade, child stunting has reduced at a rate of about 1% per year, the slowest decline among emerging economies. At this rate, 31.4% of children will still be stunted by the 2022 deadline. Almost one in three Indian children under five years will still be stunted by 2022 going by current trends. As per comprehensive 'National Nutrition Survey' conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) to measure malnutrition hard evidence of the coexistence of obesity and undernutrition, among school-going children has been recorded in India.  According to UNICEF, 38% of children younger than five years of age in India are stunted, a manifestation of chronic undernutrition. Stunting and other forms of under-nutrition are thought to be responsible for nearly half of all child deaths globally. Also as per, The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020, Hundreds of millions of people in India cannot afford a healthy or nutritious diet. Which shows that there is access to food. However, there is less or no access to nutritious food.  This analysis confirms the fact that the problem of poor nutrition in India is largely on account of the unaffordability of good diets, and not on account of lack of information on nutrition or tastes or cultural preferences. The reasons for non affordability are different such as more number of people in  a household, less per capita income, etc.  Those we officially count as poor in India – with a cut-off that is lower than the international norm of $1.9 a day – cannot afford a nutrient-adequate diet let alone a healthy diet. Also the Covid-19 pandemic has aggravated this situation as the number of people who cannot afford a healthy diet have risen in the last three months, as employment and incomes collapsed for the majority of workers in the informal sector. India, currently has the largest number of undernourished people in the world i.e. around 195 million. Nearly 47 million or 4 out of 10 children in India do not meet their full human potential because of chronic undernutrition or stunting. Also As per the Global Hunger Index, 2020, India was ranked 94th out of 107 qualifying countries. The situation is grim and the country is battling widespread hunger and thereby aggravating the problem of nutritional security.  Measures to address the anomaly of nutritional security vs. food security: Sustainability of nutritious food productivity: Innovative and low-cost farming technologies, increase in the irrigation coverage and enhancing knowledge of farmers in areas such as appropriate use of land and water should be encouraged to improve the sustainability of food productivity. Redefine poverty line: The Indian poverty line of 2011-12, as defined by the Tendulkar Committee, amounted to ₹33 per day in urban areas and ₹27 per day in rural areas, and corresponded roughly to $1 a day at international PPP prices. It needs to be redefined as per Indian needs.  Agricultural Diversification: Farmers should be encouraged and incentivised for agricultural diversification.  For this the government could improve policy support for improving agricultural produce of traditional crops in the country. For instance, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana initiated with objective of  making farming a remunerative economic activity through strengthening the farmer’s effort, risk mitigation and promoting agri-business entrepreneurship. Major focus is on pre & post-harvest infrastructure, besides promoting agri-entrepreneurship and innovations. It is important to pay attention to the life cycle approach advocated in the National Food Security Act, 2013, particularly the first thousand days in a child’s life when the cognitive abilities of the child are shaped. Otherwise, there may be negative effects on nutritional security in the medium to longer term. The life cycle approach of NFSA is as mentioned below in Figure 1.  Figure 1:Life cycle approach of NFSA Improving forward and backward linkages in agriculture: Storage capacity should be improved to prevent post-harvest losses. Fortification of Food: The targeting efficiency of all food safety nets should be improved, especially that of the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), to ensure that the poorest are included. It should be complimented by fortified food. For instance, Golden rice variety. Child feeding practices should be improved in the country, especially at the critical ages when solid foods are introduced to the diet. For instance, Under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Rs.6,000 is transferred directly to the bank accounts of pregnant women for availing better facilities for their delivery. Fortification, diversification and supplementation may be used as simultaneous strategies to address micro and macronutrient deficiencies.  For instance, POSHAN Abhiyaan, launched in 2017-18, aims to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia and low birth weight babies through synergy and convergence among different programmes, better monitoring and improved community mobilisation. Mid-day Meal (MDM) scheme aims to improve nutritional levels among school children which also has a direct and positive impact on enrolment, retention and attendance in schools. However, lacunas in its implementation are observed which needs to checked. For instance, incidences of mixing large quantity of water with 1 packet of milk powder, Also in one of the schools in Uttar Pradesh Salt was provided as a substitute for sabji with Roti.  The Goal 2 of the 2030 Sustainable Development agenda seeks to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition and double agricultural productivity in the next 15 years.  Conclusion: The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, aims to ensure food and nutrition security for the most vulnerable through its associated schemes and programmes, making access to food a legal right. Though its performance on the front of Food security fared good, its effort to address nutritional security is lacking. Hence, arise the need to implement the NFSA,2013 in its letter and spirit with above mentioned measures to ensure 'Nutrition for all with Food for all'. 3. Without a much deeper technology assimilation, India’s farm sector can’t compete in the global markets. Do you agree? Identify the areas that require such technology assimilation to improve the overall performance of the farm sector. Approach:   In the first part, you need to give your views regarding deeper technology assimilation in India’s farm sector for competing in the global markets. Further in the second part, you need to identify the areas that require such technological assimilation to improve overall performance of the sector. Introduction   Technology has always played a crucial role in every industry in our country. The farm sector is no exception to this. This industry is gaining tremendous benefits from several modern technologies that are arising which is helping it improve its competitiveness in the global markets where multiple interventions have led to improved overall performance of the farm sector. Body  Consequently, it becomes inevitable that without a much deeper technology assimilation, India’s farm sector can’t compete in the global markets due to the following factors: Technology assimilation leads to more precise targeting of pests and diseases - Technological advances in the science of pest control are expected to continue to produce chemical control agents that over time are at least as effective in controlling pests as the ones they replace, but which are also less toxic, less persistent and less mobile through the soil.  Technology assimilation leads to more efficient administering of nutrients - Inorganic fertilisers allowed the separation of crop production from animal husbandry, restored fertility to depleted soils, and contributed to the development of livestock production based on grain and other feed ingredients. Technology assimilation lead to more efficiency – For example, Drones eliminate wastage of time by quickening activities. Agricultural drones are very much useful for farmers in monitoring crop growth and allows to take necessary steps for increasing the production. Farm Mechanisation - India’s massive agricultural potential can be best utilised by increasing productivity through timely and cost-effective field work. To make this possible, agricultural mechanisation plays a principal role.  AI and related technology - With the help of AI and IT, this sector is now advancing rapidly in spaces like satellite monitoring, data analytics and weather simulations. One such major area that has been impacted by both these technologies is ‘precision agriculture’. This area involves collecting and analysing data at the individual plant level. But at the same time, it is important to consider that competitiveness in global markets is not only a function of technology assimilation but other factors too, like – Developed countries are providing huge subsidies to agriculture sector and thereby, create distortions in the international market. The lack of know-how about foreign markets and consumers, coupled with stringent quantitative and qualitative restrictions, make access to international markets difficult. There is definitely a need to look into the food consumption patterns of target markets vis-a-vis Indian produce. Following can be considered with regards to technology assimilation to improve the overall performance of the farm sector in India: Training in good agricultural practices, climate-smart agriculture, agri-input usage, modern packaging facilities, pre-harvest and post-harvest management practices in line with importing country requirements are important. A national contaminant and residue monitoring programme is also proposed to boost spice exports.  Investments through public-private partnerships could prove beneficial in this regard.  In 2015, the EU rejected Indian grape consignments due to the use of a banned chemical, as a result of which scientists at the National Research Centre for Grapes trained farmers in the appropriate use of pesticides through a software called Grapenet. Such intervention are a need of the hour. On the operational front, future actions must include strengthening export infrastructure: investment in cold chains, logistics, etc. The development of integrated food processing facilities might help in pushing processed food, which occupies minimal share in India’s exports. Further, synchronisation of Indian production regimes with target markets in terms of counter-seasonality, quality, consumer behaviour and technical barriers to trade can help attain our targets of enhancing exports and doubling farmers’ incomes. In order to overcome quality hurdles, advanced specialised capacity building programmes for farmers might help. Specialised training programmes refer to those targeted at specific commodities and specific markets. Conclusion:  The new Indian agricultural export policy aims to double agricultural exports from the present $30 billion to $60 billion by 2022 and attain a market size of $100 billion in the next few years which requires bridging the gap between farmers and markets through world-class knowledge and technologies—AI, GIS, remote sensing—backed by appropriate policy measures. 4. Critically evaluate the performance of direct benefit transfers in addressing food security challenges.  Approach:  It expects students to write about the challenges of food security, and role of DBT in addressing those challenges. It also expects students to write issues in DBT to ensure food security.  Introduction: Food security, as defined by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life. Estimates show that while 27.8% of India’s population suffered from moderate or severe food insecurity in 2014-16, the proportion rose to 31.6% in 2017-19. National Food Security Act (2013) provides for reforms in the TPDS including schemes such as Cash transfers for provisioning of food entitlements. Body: Food security challenges in India: Corruption: Diverting the grains to open market to get better margin, selling poor quality grains at ration shops, irregular opening of the shops adds to the issue of food insecurity. Increase in rural-to-urban migration: Nation-wide lockdown in March 2020, migrant workers, among the country's poorest citizens, had a particularly difficult time adhering to lockdown measures faced food insecurity. Large proportion of informal workforce resulting in unplanned growth of slums which lack in the basic health and hygiene facilities, insufficient housing and increased food insecurity. Inadequate distribution of food through public distribution mechanisms (PDS i.e. Public Distribution System): Deserving beneficiaries of the subsidy are excluded on the basis of non-ownership of below poverty line (BPL) status, as the criterion for identifying a household as BPL is arbitrary and varies from state to state. Lack of access to remote areas: For the tribal communities, trans migratory communities, habitation in remote difficult terrains and practice of subsistence farming has led to significant economic backwardness and intensity of food insecurity goes on increasing with extreme climate. Climate Change: Higher temperatures and unreliable rainfall makes farming difficult. Climate change not only impacts crop but also livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, and can cause grave social and economic consequences in the form of reduced incomes, eroded livelihoods, trade disruption and adverse health impacts. Gender inequality: Women are vulnerable on all dimensions of food security: availability, access, utilization and stability. Due to patriarchal pattern in food consumption many times women and girls in household goes through deficiency in food and nutritional level and faces malnutrition condition due to food insecurity. Direct benefit transfer ensures food security:  To reduce the need for huge physical movement of food grains: it reduces the stress on different mode of transport and warehousing challenge from wastage of food grains and spoilage. To provide greater autonomy to beneficiaries to choose their consumption basket in specified area and Identified areas for example tribal community’s different requirement based on their local conditions. To enhance dietary diversity: with money in bank account or cash a household has option to consume different high nutritional food. To reduce leakages: Direct transfer to bank account ensures no intermediary in between therefore fall in leakages. To facilitate better targeting: Benefit is provided directly to needy and vulnerable people with increasing their purchasing power. Eligible households to enable them to purchase food grains from open market. Direct benefit transfer policy can cover the entire country. If implemented effectively, this policy may yield positive outcomes for migrants who were facing food shortage and food insecurity during lockdown phase. Issues in Direct benefit transfer for food security: Diversion of benefit: Direct cash may not be used for intended purpose and can be used in unhealthy ways. For example, the cash instead of food subsidy may be spent on drinking and smoking as most of beneficiary family heads are men. Social exclusion: Still there are many homeless family in urban-rural & tribal areas, which don’t have banking facility and road connectivity. Many daily wages workers involved in manual labor face identification problem due to finger prints during authentication. Lack of adequate documents also leads to exclusion of many poor from banking sector. Difficulty in identifying beneficiary: As of now, only 3% Indians pay income tax. So, determining the income of the rest of the citizens is still a challenge hence making it difficult to identify the deserving beneficiaries. Infrastructure deficiency: Micro ATMs, which were set up to deliver cash benefits at door step are not present in many areas hence many beneficiaries have to travel long to withdraw money. Illiterate vulnerable community: Most of the banks appoints Business Correspondents to enroll beneficiaries in rural areas. They may open more than one account for each beneficiary for incentive. And there are many complaints that they are not giving passbooks to the beneficiaries making them unaware of the scheme. Illiterate beneficiaries are more vulnerable in this case. Zero balance accounts: Bank staff are reluctant to cooperate in opening accounts, especially unprofitable ‘zero balance’ accounts, they are quite unfamiliar with opening and operating bank accounts and they are often seen as supplicants rather than clients. Various socio-cultural factors: Food based discrimination to women and children in different households and varied socioeconomic conditions cannot be fulfilled by Direct benefit transfer.  Way forward: Through Conditional Cash Transfer in identified and specified area. Coupon/token system. 'Bolsia Familia' style of giving benefit preferentially to a female head of household.  Conclusion: DBT has helped the government plug subsidy leakages by eliminating intermediaries and middlemen, which in turn resulted in a savings of about billions for government. Though there are some loopholes involved in Direct Benefit Transfer scheme, this program is an excellent way to ensure that every paisa reach the deserving beneficiaries, if carefully implemented and with appropriate reforms. Aggressive awareness campaign of DBT for food security will help India fight under nutrition and malnutrition and achieve 2nd goal of SDG for zero hunger and build inclusive growth for India. 5. Developing entrepreneurship in the field of livestock and fisheries can be a game changer for the rural economy. Elucidate. Approach: It expects students to write about - in first part write about livestock and fisheries sector - in second part write about how developing entrepreneurship in the field of livestock and fisheries can be a game changer for the rural economy - in third part write way forward. Introduction: Livestock rearing, Dairying, Fisheries activities, along with agriculture, are an integral part of human life since the start of civilization. These activities have helped to improve the food basket and to gain draught animal power. As a result of conducive climate and topography, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Sectors have played a prominent socio-economic role in India. Body: Livestock and fisheries sector of India: Livestock, fishing and aquaculture account for nearly 32% of the overall agricultural GDP and 5% of national GDP. Livestock and fish products together contribute over Rs 7 lakh crore to total value of the agricultural output. The average annual growth rate of Livestock and fisheries sector together is 6 times more than that in the crop sector between 2012-13 and 2016-17. The share of crops in the value of agricultural output has been declining, but that of livestock and fish products is on a steadily upward trend. Developing entrepreneurship in the field of livestock and fisheries can be a game changer for the rural economy because:  Livestock contributed 16% to the income of small farm households as against an average of 14% for all rural households.  Livestock provides a livelihood to two-third of the rural community. It also provides employment to about 8.8 % of the population in India. It will provide self-employment to millions of people especially rural households. It will have contributed significantly to the empowerment of women and has increased their income and role in society. It can be a major risk mitigation approach for small and marginal farmers, particularly across the rain-fed regions of India. It will be at the centre of poverty alleviation programs from equity and livelihood standpoints. A Food and Agriculture Organisation study has shown that one rupee of investment in the livestock sector can generate a return of four rupees. It will be faster than many other sectors of agriculture and continuing this trend will contribute as main sector for development of Indian economy. Livestock productivity has been identified as one of the seven sources of income growth by the Inter-Ministerial Committee under the government’s target of doubling of farmers’ income by the year 2022. Important Initiatives by the Government: Animal Husbandry Startup Grand Challenge To appreciate innovations coming from the villages to expand the dairy sector in India. National Livestock Mission To ensure quantitative and qualitative improvement in livestock production systems and capacity building of all stakeholders. Central Sector Scheme on Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries (CSS) Way forward:  Schemes of integrated approach for enhancing inland fish production and productivity with forward and backward linkages. Large scale adoption of culture-based capture fisheries and cage culture in reservoirs and larger water bodies are to be taken up. Sustainable exploitation of marine fishery resources especially deep sea resources and enhancement of marine fish production through sea farming, mariculture. Encouraging Public-Private Partnership for sustainable livestock rearing. Increasing commercialization of livestock products by improving technologies, increasing market connectivity, processing and storage centre, training etc. By setting up a consortium with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to fund the dairy cooperatives. Conclusion: Livestock and fisheries sector shouldn’t be just a vehicle for poverty alleviation or securing livelihoods. Rather, it must emerge as a platform for creating an army of rural entrepreneurs. Tending to cattle, pigs or poultry may not be seen as glamorous, but earning good money is certainly an attractive proposition. The sector should be pitched as such — livestock for prosperity. TLP HOT Synopsis Day 16 PDF