Nov 6, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 6th November 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Prasar Bharati to Launch 51 Education TV Channels Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Education In news In a landmark step, India’s public broadcaster Prasar Bharati entered into a MoU with Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Under the MoU, 51 DTH education TV channels will be available as DD co-branded channels to all DD FreeDish viewers. This move aims to bring quality educational programmes to every household, including those in rural and remote areas. The services will be available free of cost for all the viewers, 24x7, in line with Government’s commitment towards skill development and providing quality education to the last person in the country. Arbitration And Conciliation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 promulgated Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Polity and Governance In news Indian President promulgated the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 to amend Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 further. Key takeaways The Ordinance aims to ensure that all the stakeholders get an opportunity to seek unconditional stay of enforcement of arbitral awards where the underlying arbitration agreement or contract is induced by fraud or corruption. An addition has been made to Section 36 whereby if the Court is satisfied that a prima facie case is made out that the arbitration agreement or contract was induced or effected by fraud or corruption, it will stay the award unconditionally. The ordinance also does away with the 8th Schedule of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 which contained the necessary qualifications for accreditation of arbitrators. Habeas Corpus Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Constitution In news Bombay High Court heard Habeas Corpus plea of a senior journalist, who was arrested in a connection with abetment to suicide case by Police.  Important value additions  The Indian Constitution empowers the Supreme Court to issue writs for enforcement of any of the fundamental rights conferred by Part III of Indian Constitution under Article 32.  Thus the power to issue writs is primarily a provision made to make available the Right to Constitutional Remedies to every citizen. There are five types of Writs: Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari and Quo warranto. Mandamus: A judicial writ issued as a command to an inferior court or ordering a person to perform a public or statutory duty. Prohibition: A writ of prohibition is a writ directing a subordinate to stop doing something the law prohibits. This writ is often issued by a superior court to the lower court directing it not to proceed with a case which does not fall under its jurisdiction. Certiorari: In law, certiorari is a court process to seek judicial review of a decision of a lower court or government agency. Quo warranto: Quo warranto is a prerogative writ requiring the person to whom it is directed to show what authority they have for exercising some right, power, or franchise they claim to hold. Habeas Corpus: It literally means "you may have the body." The writ is issued to produce a person who has been detained, whether in prison or in private custody, before a court and to release him if such detention is found illegal. Do you know? In September, 2018, the Supreme Court reiterated that writ of habeas corpus can't be filed for a person in police custody ordered by a Magistrate.  The Supreme Court bench said that as the custody is awarded by the Magistrate, it cannot be considered unlawful detention. Miscellaneous Moto Tunnel Recently, Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change opened the 129-year-old Moto Tunnel for tourists after its revival at the Ayubia National Park in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It is 250-feet long, 6-feet high and 4-feet wide Moto Tunnel carved out of stones and clay. It is part of the longer ‘nature pipeline walk’ in the Ayubia National Park. Wilamaya Patjxa Female Hunter A female teenager from 9,000 years ago has been identified as the oldest hunter burial found in the Americas.  The finding has overturned the notion that hunting was exclusively a male domain while women only gathered. An analysis of burial records indicates 30-50% hunters from a similar period were female. About 9,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers buried a teenager with hunting tools in the Andes mountains of South America.  When researchers analysed the remains, unearthed in 2018, they found that the hunter was a female, aged between 17 and 19 at her death. During excavations at the high-altitude site Wilamaya Patjxa in Peru in 2018, archaeologists found five burial pits with six individuals. The Wilamaya Patjxa female hunter has been identified as the earliest hunter burial found in the Americas. (MAINS FOCUS) ENVIRONMENT/ INTERNATIONAL Topic: General Studies 2,3: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests  Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation  US and Paris Agreement Context: US formally left the Paris Climate Agreement on 4th Nov 2020, three years after President Donald Trump announced his intention to undo what had been seen as a key achievement of his predecessor Barack Obama. What is the Paris Agreement? In December 2015, 195 countries signed an agreement (came into force on Nov 2016) within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC), dealing with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance Objective: To slow the process of global warming by limiting a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Another crucial point in this agreement was attaining “net zero emissions” between 2050 and 2100. Nations have pledged “to achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century”.  Developed countries were also told to provide financial resources to help developing countries in dealing with climate change and for adaptation measures.  As part of a review mechanism, developed countries were also asked to communicate every two years the “indicative” amount of money they would be able to raise over the next two years, and information on how much of it would come from public financial sources.  In contrast, developing countries have only been “encouraged” to provide such information every two years on a voluntary basis. The agreement also includes a mechanism to address financial losses faced by less developed nations due to climate change impacts like droughts, floods etc. However, developed nations won’t face financial claims since it “does not involve or provide a basis for any liability or compensation”. So, why did the US leave the Paris agreement? During his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump had described the Paris Agreement as “unfair” to US interests, and had promised to pull out of the agreement if elected. So in June 2017, months after his inauguration, Trump announced his government’s decision to quit the accord The US could not immediately exit the Paris Agreement, however, as United Nations rules permitted a country to apply for leaving three years after the accord came into force, i.e. November 4, 2019. The US formally applied to leave on that day, and the departure automatically came into effect on November 4, 2020, at the end of a mandatory year-long waiting period Trend of US retreating from Global leadership role Since Trump Presidency (2016 onwards), US has Quit the U.N. Human Rights Council and U.N. cultural agency UNESCO Pulled out of Paris accord and Iran nuclear deal  Cut funding for the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) and U.N. agency that helps Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)  Opposed a U.N. migration pact What were the criticisms of US’s withdrawal from Paris accord? The step is against the principle of common responsibility. The GHGs emissions done is past puts a moral obligation on US to take strict measures to cut it down in future. The step take by US may result into domino effect, with other nations too withdrawing from the deal. This would bring to standstill one of the most comprehensive deal for climate change. It also provides China an opportunity to show environmental leadership especially with its Climate Commitments made during UN General Assembly in Sep 2020. While US is out of Paris deal, many of the US states and companies still consider themselves party to the deal. Is there any possibility of US joining back the Paris Accord? Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has long maintained that the US would rejoin if he wins the 2020 US Presidential Elections. Thirty days after formally applying to the UNFCCC, the US would again become a part of the Paris framework, and would be required to submit its emission-reduction targets for 2030. Joe Biden, who might possibly replace Trump as US President from 2021, has proposed a $2 trillion spending plan that includes promoting clean energy and climate-friendly infrastructure. India and Climate Emission Despite the accelerated economic growth of recent decades India’s annual emissions, at 0.5 tonnes per capita, are well below the global average of 1.3 tonnes. China’s total C02 emission is 29.51% of the world and per capita emission is 7.7 whereas USA’s total C02 emission is 14.34% of the world and per capita emission is 16.1.  In terms of cumulative emissions, India’s contribution by 2017 was only 4% for a population of 1.3 billion, whereas the European Union, with a population of only 448 million, was responsible for 20%. India is one of the few countries which is currently on track to fulfilling their Paris Agreement commitments. Connecting the dots: International Solar Alliance US to withdraw from WHO HEALTH/ GOVERNANCE/ SOCIETY Topic: General Studies 2, 3: Issues relating to poverty and hunger.  Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections School Closures and Nutrition Fallout Context: As many as 116 million children were impacted due to the indefinite school closure in India in the wake of COVID-19 induced lockdown which disrupted the largest school-feeding programme in the world –Mid Day Meal Scheme. Do You Know? Almost 194.4 million people in India are undernourished, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019 report by the FAO.  A real-time monitoring tool estimated that as of April 2020, the peak of school closures, 369 million children globally were losing out on school meals, a bulk of whom were in India. Pressing Issues Tough to meet the ‘Zero Hunger’ goal by 2030: The recent Global Hunger Index (GHI) report for 2020 ranks India at 94 out of 107 countries and in the category ‘serious’, behind our neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.  Danger of falling enrolment rate: A report by the International Labour Organization and the UNICEF, on COVID-19 and child labour, cautions that unless school services and social security are universally strengthened, there is a risk that some children may not even return to schools when they reopen. About Mid-Day Meal Scheme The scheme aims to improve nutritional levels among school children which also has a direct and positive impact on enrolment, retention and attendance in schools. A mid-day meal in India should provide 450 Kcal of energy, a minimum of 12 grams of proteins, including adequate quantities of micronutrients like iron, folic acid, Vitamin-A, etc. according to the mid-day meal scheme (MDMS) guidelines, 2006.  This is approximately one-third of the nutritional requirement of the child, with all school-going children from classes I to VIII in government and government-aided schools being eligible.  However, many research reports, and even the Joint Review Mission of MDMS, 2015-16 noted that many children reach school on an empty stomach, making the school’s mid-day meal a major source of nutrition for children, particularly those from vulnerable communities.  What happened to MDMS during COVID-19 Pandemic? In orders in March and April 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and closure of schools, the Government of India announced that the usual hot-cooked mid-day meal or an equivalent food security allowance/dry ration would be provided to all eligible school-going children even during vacation. This was done to ensure that their immunity and nutrition is not compromised.  Nearly three months into this decision, States were still struggling to implement this. According to the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) food grain bulletin, the offtake of grains under MDMS from FCI during April and May, 2020 was 221.312 thousand tonnes, 22%, lower than the corresponding offtake during April and May, 2019 (281.932 thousand tonnes).  There were 23 States and Union Territories that reported a decline in the grain offtake from FCI in April-May 2020, compared with corresponding months in 2019.  The State of Bihar, for instance, which lifted 44.585 thousand tonnes in April and May 2019, had no offtake during these two months in 2020. Data and media reports indicate that dry ration distributions in lieu of school meals are irregular . The other worrying angle to the lack of school meals and functioning schools is the fact that there are reports of children engaging in labour to supplement the fall in family incomes in vulnerable households.  Innovative strategies to ensure functioning of MDMS during the pandemic period Local Smallholder Farmer’s involvement The COVID-19 crisis has also brought home the need for such decentralised models and local supply chains. Local smallholder farmers’ involvement in school feeding can be at the helm of such nutrition initiatives.  A livelihood model could be established that links local smallholder farmers with the mid-day meal system for the supply of cereals, vegetables, and eggs. This not only help in meeting protein and hidden hunger needs of children but could also diversify production and farming systems, transform rural livelihoods and the local economy, and fulfill the ‘Atmanirbhar Poshan’ (nutritional self-sufficiency) agenda. School Nutrition (Kitchen) Garden  School Nutrition (Kitchen) Garden under MDMS can be another initiative to provide fresh vegetables for mid-day meals.  Besides ensuring these are functional, what can be done, in addition, is provide hot meals can be provided to eligible children with a plan to prepare and distribute the meal in the school mid-day meal centre.  This is similar to free urban canteens or community kitchens for the elderly and others in distress in States like Odisha.  Also, adequate awareness about of the availability of the scheme is needed.  Conclusion With continuing uncertainty regarding the reopening of schools, innovation is required to ensure that not just food, but nutrition is delivered regularly to millions of children. For many of them, that one hot-cooked meal was probably the best meal of the day. (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: Certiorari is a court process to seek judicial review of a decision of a lower court or government agency. Mandamus: A judicial writ issued as a command to an inferior court or ordering a person to perform a public or statutory duty. Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  Q.2 Moto Tunnel was in news recently. Where is it located? Pakistan Afghanistan Uzbekistan India ANSWERS FOR 5th November 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 D 3 A Must Read About the crucial expertise of CAPFs: The Hindu About Chinese-occupied Kashmir: The Hindu About cancer in the time of support: The Indian Express

Nov 6, 2020 TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS [4th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 21: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE SYNOPSIS [4th NOVEMBER,2020] Day 21: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies) 1. With the help of suitable examples, illustrate the economic linkage effects of food processing industry. Approach: It expects students to write - in first part write about various economic linkages in food processing industry with examples - in second part write about its effects of economic linkages on economy. Introduction: The Food Processing Industry is of enormous significance for India’s development because of the vital linkages and synergies that it promotes between the two pillars of the economy, namely Industry and Agriculture. Body: Economic Linkage of Food Processing Industry: Linkages is a phenomenon which measures the capability of an industry to generate demand for the products of the other industries.  Form the point of view of development strategy, linkages are one of the essential feature of an industry. Linkages are of three types: Forward, Backward and sideways. Forward Linkage:  It is when, the establishment of a processing industry can lead to the development and establishment of the number of advanced stage industries.  Example, Forest Industry, when established as a base industry, results in establishment of vast number of advanced processing industries like: manufacturing of paper, paper bags, stationary, boxes made of paper, cartons, wooden boxes etc. There are many other examples: products such as vegetable oils and rubber are used in a wide variety of manufacturing industries; based on the preparation of hides and skins, tanning operations can be started, as can the manufacture of footwear and other leather goods. Backward Linkage:  The feedback effects generated by a base industry on the development of the base sector is called backward linkage. The development of the food processing industry has many feedback effects on the agriculture sector itself. For Example, once a food processing industry is established, it results in increasing the demand of raw materials provided by the agriculture sector. The establishment of processing facilities is itself an essential first step towards stimulating both consumer demand for the processed product and an adequate supply of the raw material. The provision of transport, power and other infra-structural facilities required for agro-industries also benefits agricultural production. The development of these and other industries provides a more favourable atmosphere for technical progress and the acceptance of new ideas in farming itself. Sideways Linkage:  Sideways linkages are mostly derived from the use of by products and waste products of the main base industrial activity.  For example: many food processing industries using agriculture raw materials produce waste that can be used further in production of fuel, bio-fuels, paper pulp and fertilizer. The production of sugar results in production of molasses as a waste product, which is used by the Alcohol Brewing industry in the production of ethanol. The capacity of Food Processing industry to generate demand and employment in other industries is the important aspect of the processing industry. It works because of processing industry growing potential for activating backward, forward and sideway linkages. Effective and seamless backward, forward and Sideways linkages in food processing industry plug gaps in supply chain in terms of availability of raw material and linkages with the market. With multiplier effects economy is likely to benefit in following ways: Drives rural economy by increasing consumption due to increased income, essential for sustaining economic growth. Decrease in post-harvest wastage losses due to better technologies and improved logistics. Farmers are benefited by better farm gate prices and lower risks due to contract farming. Increase in employment generation in rural areas. Promotes investment in rural infrastructure-power, transport. Food processing can provide boost to exports by   Increasing value addition. Hygiene and best practices. Better compliance to food quality standards and thus expand market base. Stabilize food prices in the economy (food inflation). Consumers will be benefited with access to larger variety of products at reasonable prices. Helps in diversification of crops in agriculture and gives boost to allied enterprises poultry, dairying, fishing and horticulture. This will also help meet nutritional requirement in rural areas. Conclusion: Rising per-capita income, changing life styles and food preferences provide significant opportunities for the growth of FPI. Realising its potential and likely benefits government has come out with SAMPADA yojana. 2. Explain the integrated planning approach for supply chain management in agriculture. Why is it important in the Indian context? Discuss. Approach: It is straightforward question, where it expects students - in first part write about Integrated planning approach for supply chain management in agriculture - in second part why it is important in Indian context. Introduction: Supply Chain is a sequence of flows that aim to meet final customer requirements, that take place within and between different stages along a continuum, from production to final consumption. The Supply Chain not only includes the producer and its suppliers, but also, depending on the logistic flows, transporters, warehouses, retailers, and consumers themselves. In a broader sense, supply chains also includes, new product development, marketing, operations, distribution, finance and customer service. Body: Integrated planning approach for supply chain management in agriculture. Supply chains are principally concerned with the flow of products and information between supply chain member organizations—procurement of materials, transformation of materials into finished products, and distribution of those products to end customers.  Today’s information-driven, integrated supply chains are enabling organizations to reduce inventory and costs, add product value, extend resources, accelerate time to market, and retain customers. The real measure of supply chain success is how well activities coordinate across the supply chain to create value for consumers, while increasing the profitability of every link in the supply chain. In other words, supply chain management is the integrated process of producing value for the end user or ultimate consumer. The agrisupply chain system of the country is determined by different sartorial issues like dominance of small/ marginal farmers, fragmented supply chains, absence of scale economies, low level of processing/value addition, inadequacy of marketing infrastructure etc. Early processing-based supply chain management success included improved relationships between warehousing and transportation within companies as a result of reduced inventory and better response time to customer requests for products and services. Supply chain management then entered a logistics stage where other functional areas within companies joined forces to incorporate manufacturing, procurement, transportation, distribution, and marketing to effectively compete in the marketplace.  This stage was aided by the use of telecommunications, electronic data interface, and other technological advances that made the transfer of information more transparent across the functional areas between companies.  Importance of Integrated Agri-supply chain management in Indian context: In a land where roughly 70% of the population resides in rural areas and half of the nation’s population farms for a living, the importance of India’s agricultural sector cannot be overstated. Despite these massive numbers, the country’s agricultural output has been unable to keep pace with growing demands and global competition. According to the World Bank, “India’s rice yields are one-third of China’s and about half of those in Vietnam and Indonesia. With the exception of sugarcane, potato and tea, the same is true for most other agricultural commodities. There are multiple reasons for this productivity gap, but one significant one is glaring inefficiencies in India’s agricultural supply chains. Logistics play a critical role in any economic sector, but when goods are perishable the supply chain becomes that much more important. Another factor is the overall lack of consolidation that has occurred in the agricultural sector, with the majority of production still operating at the single farmer level. Agriculture supply chain management in India is weak, leading to limited reach of farmers to reach mandis.  Transmission of Price Signals are weak leading to over and under production by farmers.  Too many middle man in the supply chain, leading to artificial price rise and huge differences between the price farmer gets and final consumer pay.  Presence of Asymmetric Information (usually the middle man has more information than both farmers and consumers regarding prices, supplies and stocks available).  Lack of Infrastructure and storage facilities like ware houses and cold chains, leading to post harvest loses.  Skewed distribution of storage capacity between states.  Underdeveloped ICT infrastructure and e-supply chains to transmit right price signals.  Unavailability of Insurance Products to protect goods while on move.  Conclusion: As the Supply Chain involves a number of players, the extent of integration of services depends on the degree of trust and information sharing amongst the players. It is often observed that the big players in their efforts to make vertical/horizontal integration of different activities end up gobbling up the weak ones. So, current requirement is strengthening of the system and process, so that requisite synergies evolve to give benefits to all the partners.  3. What role do technical and exports considerations play in deciding the location of food processing industries? Discuss with the help of suitable examples. Approach: As the directive here is discuss, it is necessary to put forth comprehensive arguments in it. One can start in introduction by explaining food processing industry (FPI) and what factors play a prominent role in deciding the location of FPI.  In the main body part one needs to explain the role of technical and export considerations in deciding location of FPI. To fetch more marks it is necessary to give examples. One can conclude by showing how these factors have played a prominent role in giving impetus for the FPI in India or one can also show how the government schemes are a step in the right direction to supplement these considerations while deciding the location of FPI.  Introduction: Food processing is the transformation of raw ingredients into food, or of food into other forms. Food processing industry in India is a sunrise sector that has gained prominence in the recent years. The FPI is always of enormous significance as it provides vital linkages and synergies almost all the sectors of the economy.  Body: From the perspective of deciding the location of food processing industry varied factors play  role. For instance, availability of raw material, cheap and surplus labour, connectivity, availability of transport, export potential of location and technological advancement etc.  Role of technical considerations to decide location of food processing industry: Where there is a high degree of technical freedom in the choice of location, industries have frequently tended to be located in proximity to the markets because of the more efficient labour supply, better infrastructure and lower distribution costs in the large market centres. For instance, the Maramara region has FPI based on these factors. As the availability of efficient labour is easy, and due to its prime location, it has better connectivity hence, lower distribution cost. The availability of necessary infrastructure for processing, preservation and transport of the raw or processed food is also one of the considerations. As food is a perishable product, it requires the necessary equipments to preserve it for a certain period of time. For instance, the food processing industry and related technical infrastructure developed in the region of Kokan region of Maharashtra is one such example. Technical consideration about the expertise play a prominent role. For instance, the necessary technical expertise available in the region of Darjiling and nearby area contributes for the better quality and variety of tea types to be developed in the region.  The raw material requires preservation for some time, either it through big ware houses or through cold storage chains. These factors also play a role in defining the location of industry. For instance, cold storage chain present in the Nashik and Sangli districts of Maharashtra give impetus to industry of liquor and raisin in those regions.  With production for export, technical freedom factor has often tended to favour the location of processing in the importing country. This tendency has been reinforced by other factors, including the need for additional raw materials and auxiliary materials (particularly chemicals) that may not be readily available in the raw material-producing country; the greater flexibility in deciding the type of processing according to the end use for which the product is required; and the greater regularity of supply and continuity of operations that are possible when raw materials are drawn from several different parts of the world. Export considerations to decide location of food processing industry: Export considerations depend mostly on the demand in the region, connectivity to the region and availability of preservation facility in the region. For instance, Mango Pulp has high demand in the regions of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, and Hong Kong. Depending on it the FPI of mango products are located across the Western and eastern coast of India for better connectivity, cheap transport, high demand. With improved infrastructure, enhanced labour efficiency and growing domestic markets in the developing countries, there is increased potential for expanding such processing in the countries where the raw materials are produced.  In addition, with growing liberalization of world trade, more developing countries will be able to take advantage of lower labour costs to expand their exports of agro-industrial products. For instance, Fruit juice products have more demand in the urban regions, accordingly the fruit juice industries are located mostly on the outskirts of urban areas so that there is easy reach to market is available.  When it comes to export, middlemen play a prominent role. However it they create Nuisance then it becomes highly to difficult to utilise the full export potential. For instance, Lack of timely financing from banks / financial institutions, the fruit-farmer goes to middlemen, who advance money to the take the farm on lease. Then middlemen manipulates selling prices, to enhance their margins. For instance,  Indian Mangoes have wide price fluctuations in Middle-east. Hence, lack of pro export policies also affect the location of FPI.  When it comes to export overseas then regulatory issues also comes in to picture. Which affect the location of industry. For instance, business firm may choose to set up Food processing plant in such  a country where export regulations are favourable to them. Geographical location plays a pivotal role in deciding the export potential and location of industry. For instance, India is geographically close to key export destinations like Middle East, South East Asia who are the major importers of processed food. India is the world's second largest producer of fruits & vegetables after China but hardly 2% of the produce is processed. In spite of a large production base, the level of processing is low (less than 10%). Approximately 2% of fruits and vegetables, 8% marine, 35% milk, 6% poultry are processed. Lack of adequate processable varieties continues to pose a significant challenge to this sector. The  technical and export consideration have a large impact on deciding the location of Food Processing Industry. Considering these things in mind Government of India took some initiatives which supplement the growth of food processing industry in India.  The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is implementing PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana) with the objective to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease agri-waste. Under PMKSY the following schemes are to be implemented, Mega Food Parks, Integrated Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure, Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters, Food Safety & Quality Assurance Infrastructure. For instance, Godavari Food Park, Satara Food Park.  To encourage creation of facilities of setting up cold storage and temperature controlled perishable cargo centres through Public Private Partnership (PPP) Kisan Vision Project is implemented.  Special horticulture trains are started to eliminate the locational disadvantage of food processing industry. For instance, "Banana Train" which  connects Maharahstra to Delhi lauched in Sept.2012. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) an apex organization under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry  focuses on 'export' of scheduled products. Conclusion: Technical and export considerations are critical to decide the location of Food processing industry. They not only play a prominent role by deciding the location but also give an impetus for growth of such industries. With respect to India, Food processing industry is expected to reach $300billion by 2020. Hence, to utilise the advanatge of technical and export considerations Government schemes like PM SAMPADA yojana, mega food parks, cold storage schemes etc., and national mission on food processing are steps in right direction.  4.The agricultural sector has become much more important for harmonious development and stability of the economy. Elucidate.  Approach - It expects students to write about the significance of agriculture sector in India and highlight on agriculture sectors role in harmonious development of people and stability of Indian economy.  Introduction The history of agriculture in India dates back to Indus Valley civilization era where in the present times, the agriculture sector is one of the most important industries in the Indian economy with approximately 60 percent of the Indian population working in the industry, contributing about 18 percent to India's GDP. Body Significance of Indian agriculture in economy - Agriculture for Industrial Development: Agriculture in India has been the major source of supply of raw materials to various important industries of our country. Cotton and jute textiles, sugar, vanaspati, edible oil plantation industries and agro-based cottage industries. Source of Government Revenue: Agriculture is one of the major sources of revenue to both the Central and State Governments of the country. Some other sectors like railway, roadways are also deriving a good part of their income from the movement of agricultural goods. Rural economy: The majority of India’s poor are found in rural areas. And rural economy in many states are immensely dependent on agriculture.  Employment Generation: Most people in India derive their livelihood from agriculture. Agriculture is still the most dominant sector in as much a high proportion of working population continues to depend on agriculture. Over 70 per cent of the rural households depend on agriculture. Diversified Agriculture sector: Tremendous diversification has taken place in agriculture post-independence. At the time of independence, agriculture was dominated by the crop sector but in the following decades, especially after the 1980s, the share of livestock rose sharply. Globalization of Indian Agriculture: Both agricultural exports and imports have registered significant and steady growth in terms of value over this period. The most notable feature of Indian agriculture since the early 1990s is the rising share of agro-trade to agricultural GDP. It is indicative of accelerated globalization of the agricultural sector in India. Consequently, following points demonstrate important issues in agriculture sector for India’s overall harmonious development and stability of Indian economy - Reducing rural poverty through a socially inclusive strategy: Moreover, there are strong regional disparities, the majority of India’s poor are in rain-fed areas or in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic plains. Problems of rural indebtedness and the exploitative practices of the village moneylenders need to be address for overall harmonious development of poor, landless, women, scheduled castes and tribes. Recognize women in agriculture: There is invisibility of gender in Indian agriculture. According to Oxfam (2013), around 80 per cent of farm work is undertaken by women in India. Addressing issues of recognition, absence of land rights and issues of female agricultural labourers for overhauling development of women in agriculture is required. Tribal agriculture: Their families depend on small holding and cursed to spend entire life in misery. Measures needed against depleting forests and stringent forest laws. More diverse programmes under TRIFED can be beneficial for all round development. Sustaining the environment: More extreme events droughts, floods, erratic rains are expected and would have greatest impact in rain-fed areas. Agricultural practices need adapting to reduce soil erosion and increase the absorption of rainfall. Climate change must also be considered for sustainable agriculture practice which will prove sustainable economy. Raising agricultural productivity per unit of land: Productivity will need to be the main engine of agricultural growth as virtually all cultivable land is farmed. All measures for increasing yields, diversification to higher value crops, and developing value chains to reduce marketing costs. Promoting new technologies and reforming agricultural research and extension: Need to replace aging research technique and access to state-of-the-art technologies. Providing connection between research, extension and private sector needed for all round development. Developing Larger land holdings: Due to shrinking agricultural land holdings farmers have limited incentive to adopt capital-intensive farming techniques and exploiting economies of scale are minimal. Larger land would allow farmers to engage in multiple cropping and help diversify their income base thus it will benefit in remunerative farm income. Raising growth rate: From 2002-03 to 2015-16, based on NSSO and NABARD surveys, farmers’ real incomes have increased only by 3.6 per cent per annum. Doubling farmers’ real incomes by 2022-23 over a base of 2015-16 requires a growth rate of 10.4 per cent per annum.  Conclusion To achieve targeted mark of doubling farmer’s income by 2022, the government needs to provide support in case of land, bank loans and other machineries to the small farmers along with reforms to land distribution, water management and food distribution systems which will further enhance productivity and help India meet its growing demand for food and enhance sustainable development. 5. Examine the significance of land records management and its role in urban and rural planning.  Approach:  It expects students to write about the significance of land records management and present its role in urban and rural planning.  Introduction: Post-independence, the responsibility for land administration was transferred to states.  All the records were collected and maintained manually by the respective revenue department. Land administration essentially involves recording, processing and dissemination of information about the ownership, value, and use of land.  The system of land records management varies across states, depending on factors such as historical evolution and local traditions.   Body: Land as an asset is unique because it is immovable, its value depends on its location, and with growing population, its demand keeps increasing, while its supply is limited. Significance of land records management such as: High litigation:  As per World Bank study from 2007 states that some estimates suggest that land-related disputes account for two-thirds of all pending court cases in the country. Proper land record management be will reduce judiciary burden. Development of new infrastructure:  Over the last few decades, the economy of the country has seen a shift from being agrarian based to becoming manufacturing and services based. Land record management will help shift in land use from agriculture to commercial, industrial, and residential, power plants, manufacturing units, build roads, housing, and shopping malls.  Agricultural credit:  Land is often used as collateral for obtaining loans by farmers.  It has been observed that disputed or unclear land titles inhibit supply of capital and credit for agriculture. Small and marginal farmers, who account for more than half of the total land holdings, and may not hold formal land titles, with effective land record management they can get Institutional credit. Benami transactions: White Paper on Black Money (2012) had noted that black money generated in the country gets invested in benami properties.  Unclear titles and non-updated land records enable carrying out property transactions in a non-transparent way. Benami transactions could be pre-empted and eliminated by digitisation of land records and their regular land record management. Land records for Gram panchayat: Land record also play an important role in the financial resilience of Gram Panchayats. Gram Panchayats that are able to generate their own revenues will be able to invest in the needs of their local communities. Housing shortage: The scarcity of affordable housing in urban areas drives the urban poor to live in slums or unauthorised colonies.  These slum dwellers do not have access to a clear land title, or any ownership rights.  Such slums may occupy prime land in urban areas.  Land record management have major role in Rural and Urban planning such as: Under new schemes:  For urban development (Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT), cities are trying to raise their own revenue through property taxes and land-based financing.  This further necessitates the importance of providing a system of clear land titles in urban areas. Which can be achieved through digitization of land records. For example, Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP). Spatial land records:  Spatial land records contain details of a property sketched on a map.  These include land boundaries, plot area, connectivity with roads, presence of water bodies, details of surrounding areas, land use (agricultural, residential, commercial, etc), and land topology. This can help in planning in both urban and rural area. For example, Svamitva (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme Land bank system: Clarity and transparency allow land markets to function efficiently. Financial institutions such as banks benefit if property offered as collateral has no ambiguity in terms of ownership, use and encumbrances. This will beneficial for REITs and InvITs. Land acquisition: In eminent domain-related land acquisition, updated and comprehensive land records can facilitate monetisation of various claims and benefits and facilitate smoother payment of compensation, will be beneficial of urban planning. Land pooling: Transparent land records management with a single window to handle land records will aid online approvals of plans and occupancy certificates, streamline land pooling which in return will benefit cities planning for example Amravati and NCT Delhi. Overall, it becomes easier for the developers and buyers to check on the authenticity of the land or the property.  Conclusion: Population growth, technological and social hazards, and environmental degradation have all to be taken into greater account today by policy makers, resource planners, and administrators who make decisions about the land. They need more detailed land information than has been traditionally available. TLP HOT Synopsis Day 21 PDF

Nov 6, 2020 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz 6th Nov 2020

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

Nov 6, 2020 TLP Mains 2020

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 4 Questions[6th NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 23

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE Hello Friends, Welcome to IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 4 Questions[6th NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 23   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. Belief in democratic processes and institutions is an important political attitude for a civil servant. Elucidate.   लोकतांत्रिक प्रक्रियाओं और संस्थानों में विश्वास एक सिविल सेवक के लिए एक महत्वपूर्ण राजनीतिक दृष्टिकोण है। स्पष्ट करें। 2. What are the different facets of moral attitude? How does moral attitude shape the behaviour of an individual? Illustrate.  नैतिक दृष्टिकोण के विभिन्न पहलू क्या हैं? नैतिक दृष्टिकोण व्यक्ति के व्यवहार को कैसे आकार देता है? उदाहरण देकर स्पष्ट करें। 3. In the age of social media influencers, ethics and morality have taken a backseat. Do you agree? Critically examine.  सोशल मीडिया के प्रभाव के युग में, नैतिकता ने पिछला स्थान ले लिया है। क्या आप सहमत हैं? समालोचनात्मक जांच करें। 4. Effective persuasive skills are a must for a successful career in the civil services. Substantiate.  सिविल सेवा में सफल कैरियर के लिए प्रभावी प्रेरक कौशल बहुत जरूरी हैं। पुष्टी करें। 5. What do you understand by the concept of ‘nudging’ in public affairs? Explain with the help of suitable examples.  सार्वजनिक मामलों में 'नजिंग’ की अवधारणा से आप क्या समझते हैं? उपयुक्त उदाहरणों की सहायता से समझाएँ। 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 5, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 5th November 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) NMM and HPC facilities result in a 50-fold increase in its economic benefits: NCAER Report Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Science and technology In news National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) Report on "Estimating the economic benefits of Investment in Monsoon Mission and High Performance Computing (HPC) Facilities" was recently released.  Released by: Ministry of Science and Technology  With an initial investment of Rs. 1,000 Crores, NMM and HPC facilities result in a 50-fold increase in its economic benefits. Key takeaways of the report A total of Rs. 1000 crores has been invested in setting up National Monsoon Mission(NMM) and High performance Computing (HPC) facilities by Government of India. 76% of the livestock owners are using weather information for taking decisions on modification of shelter; vaccination against seasonal disease; and fodder management.  82% of fishermen reported using Ocean State Forecast (OSF) advisories every time before venturing into sea. Important value additions  National Monsoon Mission Launched by: Ministry of Earth Sciences in 2012. Aim: To improve the forecasting skills by setting up a state-of-the-art dynamic prediction system for monsoon rainfall different time scales. NMM builds a working partnership between the academic and research and development (R&D) organisations, both national and international. Its augmentation with High Performance Computing facilities has helped the country in achieving a paradigm shift in weather and climate modelling for operational weather forecasts. Lakhs of people benefit through Tele-Law Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Governance In news Tele-Law was in the news recently.  Almost 4 Lakh beneficiaries having received legal advice under this through CSCs (Common Service Centres). Important value additions  Tele-Law programme  It was launched by Department of Justice in 2017 to address cases at pre–litigation stage. Under this programme, smart technology of video conferencing, telephone /instant calling facilities available at the vast network of Common Service Centres at the Panchayat level are used to connect the vulnerable communities with the Panel Lawyers for seeking timely and valuable legal advice. It is proactively outreached to groups and communities through a cadre of frontline volunteers provided by NALSA and CSC- e Gov. Statements recorded by officers under the NDPS Act cannot be treated as confessions: SC Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Judiciary In news The SC has given its ruling on whether statements recorded under Section 67 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act can be admissible as confessional statements during criminal trials. Key takeaways  The majority judgment ruled that statements recorded by officers under the NDPS Act cannot be treated as confessions. The majority view held that if confessional statements made under the Act are held as the basis to convict a person, it would be a direct infringement of constitutional guarantees The court also held that when a reference is made to “police officers”, it does not only mean a police officer belonging to a state police force but includes officers who may belong to other departments. The ruling will impact evidence in several cases, including the alleged drugs case being investigated by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) where actor Rhea Chakraborty and 24 others have been named as accused. Pandemics to emerge more often: New Report by IPBES Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Health & GS-III – Science and technology In news In a new report released by the IPBES, the authors have warned that future pandemics will emerge more often, they’ll spread more rapidly, do more damage to the world and kill more people than COVID-19, unless significant measures are taken. Key takeaways of the report The report notes that COVID-19 is at least the sixth pandemic to have taken place in the last century since the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918. Three of the pandemics were caused by influenza viruses, one by HIV followed by SARS and COVID-19.  While the current pandemic’s origins lie in microbes carried by animals, like all pandemics, its emergence has been entirely driven by human activities. There are over 1.7 million currently ‘undiscovered’ viruses that exist in mammals and birds, out of which up to 827,000 could have the ability to infect people. More than 70% of emerging diseases, such as Ebola, Zika and Nipah, are caused by microbes found in animals that spill over due to contact among wildlife, livestock and people. About 30% of emerging infectious diseases are attributed to land use change, agricultural expansion and urbanisation. The report suggests that pandemic risk can be lowered by reducing the human activities that drive loss of biodiversity, by greater conservation of protected areas and through measures that reduce unsustainable exploitation of high biodiversity regions. Important value additions  Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem (IPBES) It is an intergovernmental organization established to improve the interface between science and policy on issues of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Established by: United Nations It functions independently. Formation: 2012. Headquarters: Bonn, Germany. Community in news: Miyas of Assam Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Society In news Recently, a proposed Miya museum reflecting the culture and heritage of the people living in char-chaporis has stirred up a controversy in Assam. Important value additions  Miyas of Assam The ‘Miya’ community comprises descendants of Muslim migrants from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) to Assam. They came to be referred to as ‘Miyas’, often in a derogatory manner. The community migrated in several waves — starting with the British annexation of Assam in 1826, and continuing into Partition and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.  Their Migration has resulted in changes in demographic composition of the region. Years of discontent among the indigenous people led to the six-year-long (1979-85) anti-foreigner Assam Agitation to weed out the “illegal immigrant”, who was perceived as trying to take over jobs, language and culture of the indigenous population. Char-chaporis Char-chaporis are shifting riverine islands of the Brahmaputra.  These are primarily inhabited by the Muslims of Bengali-origin. A char is a floating island while chaporis are low-lying flood-prone riverbanks. While Bengali-origin Muslims primarily occupy these islands, other communities such as Misings, Deoris, Kocharis, Nepalis also live here. Computation of maintenance to estranged wife will include child care: SC Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Society & GS-II – Judiciary In news The Supreme Court recently ruled that Computation of maintenance to estranged wife will include child care. Key takeaways  The Supreme Court said if an estranged wife gave up her job to take care of children and the elderly in the family, then this will have to be taken into consideration by the family court while quantifying monthly interim maintenance payable to her by the husband. The court also found that pleas for grant of interim maintenance were pending in courts for years even though the law stipulated a 60-day window, from the date of issuance of notice by the court to a husband on the estranged wife's application, for grant of maintenance. This is the first time that the highest court has considered the sacrifices made by career women in taking care of children. The SC ruled that this would be an added component for enhancing the grant of interim compensation to her, so that she could lead a life almost akin to what she was used to when all was well in the matrimonial home. Normally, the courts take into account the husband's income and assets while quantifying interim maintenance to an estranged wife. As of now, Neither the Hindu Marriage Act nor the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act specified the date from which interim maintenance was to be granted, leading to exercise of discretion by family courts. ENHANCED PINAKA Rocket successfully flight tested Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Defence and Security In news Enhanced PINAKA rocket has been successfully flight tested from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. Developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO Key takeaways  The enhanced Pinaka along with guidance Pinaka will cover the range between 60 and 90 km.  It will be deployed by the Indian Army. Enhanced version of the Pinaka rocket would replace the existing Pinaka Mk-I rockets which are currently under production. Miscellaneous COVID-19 Shri Shakti Challenge MyGov in collaboration with UN Women, launched the COVID-19 Shri Shakti Challenge in April 2020. Objective: To encourage and involve women led startups to come up with innovative solutions that can help in the fight against COVID19 or solve problems that impact a large number of women. This challenge was hosted on the Innovate platform of MyGov that called for applications from women led startups as well as startups who have solutions that address issues faced by a larger number of women. Mallakhamb This ancient Indian form of sports is drawing in a steady stream of players in the USA due to the efforts of a couple named Chinmay Patankar and Pradnya Patankar. Mallakhamb is one of the few games that is played against gravity.  It functions on a synergy of mind and body, employing every muscle in a way that enables a person to develop speed, stamina and better health. The name derives from the pole used by wrestlers for practising their skills.  Nevertheless, there are two other Mallakhamb styles such as ‘rope mallakhamb’ and ‘hanging mallakhamb’. Its origin can be traced to earlier part of the 12th century.  A mention of wrestlers exercising on wooden poles is found in the Manasholas, written by Chalukya, in 1153 AD. It was revived late in the 19th century by Balambhatta Dada Deodhar, physical instructor to Bajirao Peshwa II. Leishmania donovani Dr Susanta Kar, Senior Scientist, Molecular Parasitology and Immunology, CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow is chosen for this year's Prof.A N Bhaduri Memorial Lecture Award by Society of Biological Chemists (India) for his contributions towards defining the survival tactics of Leishmania Donovan.  Leishmania Donovani is a protozoan parasite that infects macrophages.  It is a causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis (Kala Azar), a lethal infectious disease affecting millions worldwide. (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2,3: Fiscal Policy and Government Budgeting Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure  The financial capacity of States is being weakened Context: Through various means the Union government has substantially reduced the fiscal resource capacity of the States. States need resources to deliver the developmental aspirations of its citizens but unfortunately, the financial capacity of the States is structurally being weakened. Some of the factors that has caused this weakness are: Declining Actual devolution Finance Commissions recommend the share of States in the taxes raised by the Union government. Their recommendations are normally adhered to.  The year 2014-15 commenced with a shock: actual devolution was 14% less than the Finance Commission’s projection. Subsequent devolutions have been consistently less every year, ending the period 2019-20 with a whopping -37% Between 2014-15 and 2019-20, the States got ₹7,97,549 crore less than what was projected by the Finance Commission.  This is an undeniable and substantial reduction of the fiscal resource capacity of the States. Shrinking the divisible pool Various cesses and surcharges levied by the Union government are retained fully by it. They do not go into the divisible pool. This allows the Centre to raise revenues, yet not share them with the States.  CAG has also recently highlighted the misuse of Cess pool by Union Government. For details click here When taxes are replaced with cesses and surcharges, as has been done repeatedly by the government in the case of petrol and diesel, the consumer pays the same price. But the Union government keeps more of that revenue and reduces the size of the divisible pool. As a result, the States lose out on their share.  Between 2014-15 and 2019-20, cesses and surcharges has increased from 9.3% to 15% of the gross tax revenue of the Union government In 2019-20 alone, the Union government expected ₹3,69,111 crores from cesses and surcharges. This will not be shared with the States.  This government has exploited this route to reduce the size of the divisible pool. GST Shortfall The ability of the States to expand revenue has been constrained since the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime was adopted. Under the GST (Compensation to States) Act, states are assured compensation for the gap between revenues at a compounded growth rate of 14 per cent over the base year revenue of 2015-16 and the actual revenues from GST for five years ending June 2022 through levy of cess on demerit and sin goods GST compensation to States will end with 2021-22. But cesses will continue. During 2019-20, the cess collected was ₹95,444 crore. With the abnormal exception of this year, the years ahead will generate similar or more cess revenue. Due to COVID-19 induced lockdown, it is expected that there will be nearly ₹3 lakh crore GST shortfall to the States and the Centre is saying that it will to only compensate ₹1.8 lakh crores. On the other hand, states have been arguing that the Union government should borrow this year’s GST shortfall in full and release it to the States. The entire loan borrowed can be repaid out of the assured cess revenue that will continue to accrue beyond 2022. Consequences Reduced Grants: Apart from the streams discussed above, Central grants are also likely to drop significantly this year. For instance,₹31,570 crore was allocated as annual grants to Karnataka. Actual grants may be down to ₹17,372 crore. Revenue Shortfall: Due to all these reasons, the States may experience a fall of 20%-25% in their revenues this year. Increased borrowings by States: To overcome such extreme blows to their finances and discharge their welfare and development responsibilities, the States are now forced to resort to colossal borrowings. Repayment burden will overwhelm State budgets for several years.  Social Impact: After paying loans and interest, salaries and pensions, and establishment expenses, there will be little available for development and welfare. As a result, adverse consequences will be felt in per capita income, human resource development and poverty Conclusion States are at the forefront of development and generation of opportunities and growth. Strong States lead to a stronger India. The systematic weakening of States serves neither federalism nor national interest. 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 Sugar Industry: Need for export subsidy Context: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s announced that the central government is not considering an extension of its export subsidy for the 2020-21 sugar season. The industry has warned of a ‘vertical collapse’ in the sector due to excessive stock, whose ramification can be felt in the years to come.  Why is the sugar industry rooting for exports even before the start of the season? At the start of the (October-November) sugar season, the industry draws up its balance-sheet and takes into consideration the expected production, the carry forward stock of last season, minus domestic consumption and exports, if any.  This sugar balance-sheet determines the availability of sugar for the next season.  In case of unusually high stock, ex-mill prices remain low for the present season as well as for the upcoming season, which result in liquidity crisis for the sugar sector. 1 Opening Stock this season (2020-21) 107 lakh tonnes 2 Annual Production Estimation (2020-21) 326 lakh tonne 3 Estimated Diversion for Ethanol production 20 lakh tonnes 4 Total available sugar balance in this season (2020-21) = (1+2)-3 413 lakh tonnes 5 Estimated Domestic Consumption in this season 260 lakh tonnes 6 Opening stock of next season (season of 2021-22) = (4-5) 153 Lakh tonnes This unusually high stock in the next season, without an export incentive like a government subsidy, will result in a vertical collapse of the sector. One way of correcting this inventory is to promote export of at least 50 lakh tonne of sugar. Then the opening stock would be 105 lakh tonne, providing the mills a healthy inventory as well as liquidity from exports Why are mills reluctant to export sugar without a government subsidy? The mills’ reluctance stems from the gap between cost of manufacturing and the current price of raw sugar in international markets.  Sugar contracts at international markets are trading at Rs 21-22 per kg, while the cost of production is at Rs 32.  The price mismatch has ruled out any export prospects as this would lead to further loss for the mills. Ironically, mills are facing this problem at a time when Indian sugar has made its mark in the international markets.  Last season, India has reported record sugar export of 60 lakh tonne, of which 57 lakh tonne have already left the the country. The remaining consignment is expected to leave by the end of December. How did the mills manage to export sugar last season? The record export level last season was possible only because of the subsidy programme offered by the central government.  Mills were promised a transport subsidy of Rs 10.448 per kg of sugar exported.  This subsidy had helped mills bridge the difference between production costs and international prices.  Also, the Union Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies was strict about compliance, which led to mills toeing the line in terms of exports. A higher demand in international markets had also seen Indian mills reporting good exports. Have last season’s exports helped mills generate enough liquidity? No. The central government is yet to release the export subsidy due to the mills and the total due is as high as Rs 6,900 crore.  Individual mills had taken loans to facilitate exports and now they have to pay interest to the banks.  Unpaid interest of Rs 3,000 crore for maintaining buffer stock has also hit hard the balance sheet of mills. The Covid-19 pandemic has further delayed the release of subsidy, which has led to many mills not having sufficient liquidity at the start of the season. But why can’t mills concentrate on ethanol production, given the government’s emphasis on the fuel additive? Recently, the central government has announced a Rs 1-3 per litre rise in the procurement price of ethanol. This is the signal given by the government to mills to divert cane towards production of ethanol rather than sugar. Last year, the central government had announced an interest subvention scheme for mills to augment production of ethanol. But diversion to ethanol, although a much-needed move, will require time to materialise, to augment the capacity (building physical infrastructure) With the present capacity, mills can produce 426 crore litres of ethanol, which would require diversion of 15-20 lakh tonnes of sugar. Conclusion While the government’s move to encourage mills towards ethanol production is certainly welcome, it would require more capital and time.  For the current season, in case exports are not made viable, not only will India lose its market share, but mills will certainly feel the liquidity crunch. Connecting the dots: MSP in age of Surplus: Sugarcane Pricing and Milk Pricing (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 National Monsoon Mission is launched by which of the following ministry?  Ministry of agriculture  Ministry of Science and Technology  Ministry of Earth Sciences  Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Q.2 Which of the following diseases are caused by microbes found in animals that spill over due to contact among wildlife, livestock and people?  Ebola  Zika  Nipah HIV  Select the correct code:  1 and 4 only  1 and 3 only  1 and 2 only  1, 2 and 3 only Q.3 Where is the headquarters of Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem situated?  Germany  France  Norway  Switzerland ANSWERS FOR 4th November 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 A Must Read About Star campaigners in Elections and ECI: The Hindu About fixing the rules of economy: The Hindu About arrest of Republic TV Journalist: The Indian Express

Nov 5, 2020 TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS [3rd NOVEMBER,2020] Day 20: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE SYNOPSIS [3rd NOVEMBER,2020] Day 20: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies) 1. With the help of suitable examples, differentiate between ‘rule of law’ and ‘due process of law’. Approach: It is straightforward question – where it expects student to give introduction about concepts in first part – then in body part you need to write differences between these two concept with examples. Introduction: Rule of Law means that Law is supreme and is above every individual. No individual whether if he is rich, poor, rulers or ruled etc. are above law and they should obey it. Due process is the legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights that are owed to a person. Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individual person from it. Body: Difference between rule of law and due process of law:   Rule of law Due process of law Rule of law signifies commitment to certain principles and values. Generally, the rule of law is the principle that no one is above the law and treated equally among citizens. Due process of law checks whether any law in question is fair and not arbitrary. Rule of law symbolises the quest of civilised democratic societies to combine that degree of liberty without which law is tyranny with that degree of law without which liberty becomes licence. If the Supreme Court of India that any law as not fair, it will declare it as null and void. This doctrine provides for more fair treatment of individual rights. A V Dicey in his book The Law of the Constitution (1885) has given the following three implications of the doctrine of rule of law. The due process of law gives wide scope to the Supreme Court to grant protection to the rights of its citizens. 1. Absence of arbitrary power, that is, no man is punished except for a breach of law. The Supreme Court can declare laws violative of fundamental rights and render them void not only on substantive grounds of being unlawful but also on procedural grounds of being unreasonable. 2. Equality before the law, that is, equal subjection of all citizens (rich or poor, high or low, official or non-official) to the ordinary law of the land administered by the ordinary law courts. Under due process, it is the legal requirement that the state must respect all of the legal rights that are owed to a person and laws that states enact must conform to the laws of the land. 3. The primacy of the rights of individual, that is, the constitution is the result of the rights of the individual as defined and enforced by courts of law, rather than constitution being the source of the individual rights. For example, a state might fire someone from a government job, send defendant to prison, revoke a prisoner's parole, or cut someone's social security payments or other welfare benefits. Due process does not prohibit these actions, but it does require that certain procedures be followed before any action is taken. For example, one may be the Prime Minister or the Speaker or the Imam or the Archbishop or a judge or the Sankaracharya or whoever, all are equally subject to the law. That imparts the element of non-discrimination in the concept of the Rule of Law.     Conclusion: In vibrant, inclusive democracy law must be fair, ethical and just. Both Rule of law and Due process of law helping in strengthening of democracy by upholding rights of citizens. 2. In parliamentary proceedings, examine the significance of the ‘question hour’. What was the recent controversy related to it? Discuss. Approach: It is straightforward question it expects student to write about - in first part write significance of question hour - in second part discuss recent controversy related to it. Introduction: Question Hour is the first hour of a sitting session devoted to questions that Members of Parliament raise about any aspect of administrative activity. The concerned Minister is obliged to answer to the Parliament, either orally or in writing, depending on the type of question raised. Body: Importance of Question Hour: The Government is put on its trial during the Question Hour and every Minister whose turn it is to answer questions has to stand up and answer for his or his administration’s acts of omission and commission. Through the Question Hour the Government is able to quickly feel the pulse of the nation and adapt its policies and actions accordingly. It is through questions in the Parliament that the Government remains in touch with the people in as much as members are enabled thereby to ventilate the grievances of the public in matters concerning the administration. Questions enable Ministries to gauge the popular reaction to their policy and administration. Questions bring to the notice of the Ministers many loopholes which otherwise would have gone unnoticed. Sometimes questions may lead to the appointment of a Commission, a Court of Inquiry or even Legislation when matters raised by Members are grave enough to agitate the public mind and are of wide public importance. Recent controversy regarding question hour: The monsoon session of the Parliament has begun from 14th of September. For this Parliamentary session a decision was taken to go without Question Hour. This decision has raised some serious concerns regarding the democratic functioning of the institution. Question hour is an opportunity for the members to raise questions. The decision to skip Question Hour during the Monsoon session of Parliament has earned criticism. With the ongoing issues in our country like the unprecedented decline in GDP and its impact on the economy, the New Education Policy, tensions at the border, rising unemployment, the miseries of migrant labour. Questions regarding all these issues were supposed to be asked in the question hour session with the government. Question hour is a parliamentary device primarily meant for exercising legislative control over executive actions. Over the decades, MP’s have utilised this question hour to throw light on the government functioning. Suspension of the question hour is a straight indication that the opposition will lose the right to question the government. Plus, the Ministers are not liable to reply to the issues raised during the Zero Hour. This would mean that the MPs would not be able to hold the government accountable for its action. This will lead against the spirit of parliamentary democracy. Conclusion: The government is accountable to the parliament. The parliamentary proceedings are meant to hold the government accountable and it should not be suspended or curtailed as it will go against the essence of the Constitution. 3. What is the MPLAD scheme? Critically evaluate its performance in recent years. Do you support the recent decision of the government to suspend MPLADS for two years? Substantiate your views. Approach:  As the question has two specific directives it will be better to answer the question in a straightforward way. In the introduction part one can explain what is MPLAD scheme and how it is implemented. Main body part will have two parts, in the first part one needs to arrive at a fair judgment based on overall performance of MPLAD scheme substantiated with examples and facts. In the second part of the answer it is necessary to put your opinion on the suspension of MPLAD scheme for two years. The opinion should be backed by supporting arguments with examples and facts. In the conclusion one can conclude by explaining the impact of such scheme in brief and stating further course of action for continuation or discontinuation of scheme. The scheme is implemented by Ministry of Statistics and Programme implementation.  Introduction: The Local Area Development Scheme known as MPLADS is a government scheme launched in 1993. This central sector scheme was developed as an initiative to enable the parliament members to recommend developmental work in their constituencies based on locally felt needs. The scheme emphasises on durable assets of national priorities and community needs viz. drinking water, primary education, public health, sanitation and roads, etc.  Body: Features of MPLAD scheme: The MPLADS is a Plan Scheme fully funded by Government of India. The annual MPLADS fund entitlement per MP constituency is Rs. 5 crore. MPs are to recommend every year, works costing at least 15 per cent of the MPLADS entitlement for the year for areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste population and 7.5 per cent for areas inhabited by S.T. population. In order to encourage trusts and societies for the betterment of tribal people, a ceiling of Rs. 75 lakh is stipulated for building assets by trusts and societies subject to conditions prescribed in the scheme guidelines. Lok Sabha Members can recommend works within their Constituencies and Elected Members of Rajya Sabha can recommend works within the State of Election (with select exceptions). Nominated Members of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the country. All works to meet locally felt infrastructure and development needs, with an emphasis on creation of durable assets in the constituency are permissible under MPLADS as prescribed in the scheme guidelines. Expenditure on specified items of non durable nature are also permitted as listed in the guidelines. However, the scheme received a fair criticism from various sections of society and demand for discontinuation due to its gaps in its performance since its inception which is as mentioned below:  The scheme violates one of the cardinal principles, which though not specifically written down in the Constitution, actually permeates the entire Constitution: separation of powers.  Simply put, this scheme, in effect, gives an executive function to legislators (read legislature). The argument that MPs only recommend projects, but the final choice and implementation rests with the district authorities is strange; there are hardly any authorities in the district who have the courage or the gumption to defy the wishes of an MP. The details below, which are some of the observations made by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, in a report made it clear that there are gaps in its implementation.  Utilisation of funds between 49 to 90% of the booked amount; Though the scheme envisages that works under the scheme should be limited to asset creation, 549 of the 707 works test-checked (78%) of the works recommended were for improvement of existing assets. Delays in issuing work orders ranging from 5 to 387 days in 57% of the works against the requirement of issuing the work order within 45 days of the receipt of recommendation by the MP. There are wide variations in the utilisation of the MPLAD amount in various constituencies. A report published in IndiaSpend has some very interesting insights based on data made available to it by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Some of these are: "A year after they took office, 298 of 542 members of the 16th Lok Sabha — India’s lower house of parliament — have not spent a rupee from the ₹5 crore that is set aside annually for them to develop their constituencies." Also, 508 MPs (93.55%) did not, or could not, utilise the entire MPLADS amount from May 4, 2014 till December 10, 2018, in 4 years and 7 months.  Since the MPLADS began in 1993, ₹5,000 crore was lying unspent with various district authorities by May 15, 2015. Added to the data above is fairly widespread talk of money under MPLADS being used to appease or oblige two sets of people: opinion-makers or opinion-influencers, and favourite contractors. Sometimes these two categories overlap. An often-heard tale is that of the contractor being a relative, close friend, or a confidant of the MP, and the contractor and the MP being financially linked with each other. Reports of underutilisation and misutilisation of MPLADS funds continue to surface at regular intervals but there seems to have been no serious attempt to do anything about it till now. There are innumerable instances of misuse of these funds; one prominent example is the construction of a fountain in the open space of an unauthorised settlement, or a jhuggi jhopdi colony, which did not have provision of drinking water. The general belief in the settlement was that the contractor who bagged the contract to build the fountain was related to the local Member of Parliament. Also, The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2000) and the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, headed by Veerappa Moily (2007), recommended discontinuation of the scheme.  Meanwhile the scheme has some of the positive impacts too, they are as mentioned below: Similar to MPLADS, several states have enacted schemes called Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development Scheme (MLALADS) where funds are given to MLAs. According to the ‘Guidelines on Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS)’ published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in June 2016, the MPLAD funds can also be used for implementation of the schemes such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), conservation of water through rain water harvesting and Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana, etc. So, other schemes can be supported by funding through MPLADS. Based on Constitutionality of the Scheme, the MPLADS was challenged in the Supreme Court (SC) in 2010. A five-judge bench of the SC held that: Indian Constitution does not recognise strict separation of powers. Even though MPs have been given a seemingly executive function, their role is limited to 'recommending' works and actual implementation is done by the local authorities. Therefore, the scheme does not violate separation of powers. India has a quasi-federal nature of the Constitution. Article 282 held that both the Union and the State have the power to make grants for a purpose irrespective of whether the subject matter of the purpose falls in the Seventh Schedule provided that the purpose is "public purpose" within the meaning of the Constitution. Also, the Scheme falls within the meaning of "public purpose" aiming for the fulfillment of the development and welfare of the State as reflected in the Directive Principles of State Policy. Also there are robust accountability mechanisms for the scheme as it comes under the RTI Act. In 2018, when continuation of the scheme was approved, the government noted that "the entire population across the country stands to benefit through the creation of durable assets of locally felt needs, namely drinking water, education, public health, sanitation and roads etc, under MPLAD Scheme." Until 2017, nearly 19 lakh projects worth Rs 45,000 crore had been sanctioned under the MPLAD Scheme. Third-party evaluators appointed by the government reported that the creation of good quality assets had a "positive impact on the local economy, social fabric and feasible environment." Further, 82% of the projects have been in rural areas and the remaining in urban/semi-urban areas. There are numerous examples of good implementation of scheme. For instance, Cricket icon and Rajya Sabha member Sachin Tendulkar has sanctioned Rs 2 crore from his Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) fund for revamp of rail foot overbridges in Mumbai here in the backdrop of the Elphinstone Road station stampede. Governments recent move to discontinue MPLADS for 2 years: The central scheme has continued uninterrupted for 27 years. It is budgeted through the government’s finances and continues as long as the government is agreeable. In 2018, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the scheme until the term of the 14th Finance Commission, that is March 31, 2020.  However, the Government of India in the event of struggle against Covid-19 has suspended Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme or MPLADS funds for two years (2020 and 2021) and directed these funds to be transferred to the Consolidated Fund of India.  The Government is seeking to garner around Rs 7,900 crores by suspending the MPLADS for two years. For comparison, this is only 4.5% of the Rs 1.70 lakh crore relief package for the poor announced under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. The government is of view that the transfer of these sums to the Consolidated Fund of India would help judicious deployment of fund, but political opposition has criticized this move, as in their opinion the decision may undermine the decentralized manner of funding local area development. When we see at the implementation gap as highlighted by the CAG report and current grim situation induced by pandemic, the move seems to be a right move in the right direction due to following reasons:  In this pandemic like situation it is better to have more funds in hand for the building infrastructure and facilitating services in the Health sector. For instance, Resident doctors of Hindu Rao Hospital supported by AIIMS staff staged a protest alleging non-payment of salaries. According to the World Bank database, India was the 13th lowest (among 206 for which data was available) in terms of the percentage of total government expenditure that went to health in 2017. At present, Government spending on the healthcare industry stands at 1.15% of the Gross Domestic. Considering the balloon of pandemic this much expenditure on health care sector is meagre amount of money relatively to other sectors.  Hence, it becomes evident that the current move by the government to suspend the scheme for two years is a well thought move.  However, we cannot neglect the objective of MPLADS. It aimed to create durable assets of national priorities and community needs, which also should not stop citing the basic needs of the citizens.  Unless problems such as poor utilisation of funds, irregular sanction of works, delay in completion of works are tackled in an efficient manner, the efficacy of the scheme will remain in doubt.   Conclusion: While resuming the operation of scheme after two years, corruption related factors needs to addressed so that MPLADS full potential can be utilised. Meanwhile, to compensate the loss incurred by suspension of scheme for two years, government needs to put on some constructive work  in the durable assets creation by giving impetus to  its other schemes such as, Accessible India campaign, Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, conservation of water through rain water harvesting and Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana etc.  4. The presiding officers of the legislatures are important functionaries in the constitutional process. Elucidate.  Approach:  It expects students to write about the presiding officers in legislatures and their various important constitutional functions in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.  Introduction Speakership in India dates from the year 1921, Under the Government of India Act, 1919, office of the President of Indian Legislative Assembly came into existence. The Office of the Speaker and Chairman occupies a pivotal position in our parliamentary democracy which necessitates that the holder of these offices of high dignity has to be one who can represent the House in all its manifestations. Body According to the Constitution of India, both offices are vested with immense administrative and constitutional powers, some of which are enumerated below: The Speaker and Chairman presides over the meetings in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively. In other words, the Speaker and Chairman conducts business in their house by ensuring discipline among members. Both offices guard the rights and privileges of the members deciding who should speak at what time, the questions to be asked, thus preserve the freedom of speech and expression in house. In the absence of a quorum in the House, it is the duty of the Speaker and Chairman to adjourn the House or to suspend any meeting, until a quorum is met. The Speaker and Chairman is invested with the immense powers of interpreting the Rules of Procedure. Therefore, rules made by him/her needs to accepted respected in true spirit by members.  The Speaker and Chairman ensures that MPs are punished for unruly behaviour. So that the decorum of the house is maintained. A Speaker and Chairman can also disqualify a Member of Parliament from the House on grounds of defection (under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution). Therefore, matter of defection needs to be dealt impartially by the presiding officer. A Speaker and chairman use his/her power to vote, in order to resolve a deadlock. That is, when the House initiates a voting procedure, the presiding officers does not cast a vote in the first instance. It is only when the two sides receive equal number of votes that the Speaker in Lok Sabha and Chairman in Rajya Sabha vote breaks the deadlock, making his/her position impartial. The Speaker and Chairman nominates the various Chairman of Committees while monitoring the committees’ workings as well in this respect has its huge impact in policy formulations and on various bills. Presiding officers are the ultimate arbiter and interpreter of those provisions which relate to the functioning of the House. His/her decisions are final and binding and ordinarily cannot be questioned, challenged or criticized. The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha Secretariat functions under the control and direction of the Chairman and Speaker. Under the Judges (inquiry) Act, 1968, the Presiding officer has to constitute a Committee, upon receipt of a motion for the removal of a Judge of the Supreme Court or of a High Court, for investigation into the grounds on which the removal of a Judge is prayed for. A member who flouts the Speaker’s and Chairman’s orders or directions may be named by the Speaker and Chairman and in such cases, the member may have to withdraw from the House. Interestingly, there are few special power and functions of Speaker of Lok Sabha such as - The Speaker permits various parliamentary procedures like the motion of adjournment, the motion of no confidence, the motion of censure, among others. The Speaker presides over the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament. Once a Money Bill is transmitted from the Lower House to the Upper House, the Speaker is solely responsible for endorsing his or her certificate on the Bill. In other words, s/he is given the pivotal power to decide whether any Bill is a Money Bill. His/her decision is considered final. The Speaker also decides on granting recognition to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The Speaker decides the agenda that must be discussed in a meeting of the Members of the Parliament. But there have been non-observance of constitutional conventions by the presiding officers in both the Houses, some of which can be seen as given below -  Two critical examples in the Lok Sabha are the presiding officer's arbitrary certification of the Aadhaar Act as money bill and their non-acknowledgement of the Opposition party leader as the statutorily recognised Leader of Opposition.  On the other hand, in the Rajya Sabha, the presiding officer declared the previously mentioned farm bills as passed after a voice vote against which multiple Opposition members had protested. Conclusion India’s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru had said that in a parliamentary democracy, the presiding officer represents the dignity and the freedom of the House and because the House represents the country, the speaker in a way becomes the symbol of the country’s freedom and liberty which clearly highlights their immense constitutional responsibility and importance. 5. What role do department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees play? Explain their significance with the help of suitable examples.  Approach:  It expects students to write about the role and important functions of departmental parliamentary standing committees and present their significance with help of suitable examples.  Introduction: The visible part of Parliament’s work takes place on the floor of the House. This part of Parliament’s work is televised and closely watched.  However, Parliament has another forum through which a considerable amount of its work gets done.  These are known as Parliamentary Committees.  These Committees are smaller units of MPs from both Houses, across political parties. These smaller groups of MPs study and deliberate on a range of subject matters, Bills, and budgets of all the ministries.  Body: There are 24 Department-related Standing Committees (DRSCs). The 17 Departmentally Related Standing Committees were formally constituted with effect from April, 1993.  Role played by departmental related parliamentary standing committee: DRSCs perform three main roles: Examine Bills referred to them; select specific topics related to the ministries and examine implementation by the Government; and examine the budgetary outlays of the departments. They secure more accountability of the Executive to the Parliament. Through Committees, Parliament exercises its control and influence over administration and keeps vigilance over the executive. The Committees aid and assist the Legislature in discharging its duties and regulating its functions effectively, expeditiously and efficiently. They assist the Parliament in thoroughly and systematically scrutinising the matters which could not be discussed on the floor at length. After a Committee completes its study, it publishes its report which is laid in Parliament.  These recommendations are not binding; however, they hold a lot of weight.  For example, the Standing Committee on Health made several recommendations to the National Medical Commission Bill in 2017.  Many of these were incorporated in the recently passed 2019 Bill. Bills and issues that are referred to committees are returned to the House with value addition has huge significance on parliamentary affairs such as: Committees help by providing a forum where Members can engage with domain experts and government officials during the course of their study.  For example, the Committee on Health and Family Welfare studied the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016. As MPs come from varying backgrounds, they may not understand the details around surrogacy such as fertility issues, abortion, etc. The Committee called upon a range of stakeholders including the National Commission for Women, doctors, and to better their understanding of the issues, before finalising their report.  Committees member not bound to party whip. Being outside direct public glare allows members to discuss issues and reach consensus across political party without worrying about constituency pressures. Committees have closed door meetings, which allows them to freely question and discuss issues and arrive at a consensus.  Bill is scrutinised properly before it is passed, our law-making procedure has a provision for Bills to be referred to a DRSC for detailed examination.  Over the years, the Committees have immensely contributed to strengthen the laws passed by Parliament.  For example, the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, overhauling the 1986 law. An earlier version of the Bill had been examined by the Committee on Food and Consumer Affairs, which suggested several amendments such as increasing penalties for misleading advertisements, making certain definitions clearer. DRSCs also examine the budget.  The detailed estimates of expenditure of all ministries, called Demand for Grants are sent for examination to the DRCSs. However, only a limited proportion of the budget is usually discussed on the floor of the House.  In the recently dissolved16th Lok Sabha, 17% of the budget was discussed in the House.  Committees meet throughout the year; they help make up for this lack of time available on the floor of the House. For example, In the last 10 years, Parliament met for 67 days per year, on average.  This is a short of amount of time for MPs to be able to get into the depth of matters being discussed in the House.  The recent decline in the role and performance of standing committees is part of a larger trend visible even before the lockdown, as per India Spend analysis. Traditionally, DRSC function on a non-party basis. Of late, this tradition seems to have broken down and members have started political posturing,” said PDT Achary, former secretary-general of Lok Sabha. National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC) 2002 pointed out some shortcomings of the committees:  (a) low attendance of MPs at meetings. (b) too many ministries under a committee. (c) norms not followed by most political parties while nominating MPs to committees.  (d) the constitution of DRSCs for a year leaves very little time for specialisations. Conclusion: Indian democracy derives its legitimacy by effective functioning of Indian Parliament. Substantial part work of Indian parliament is carried out by these departmental standing committees. Committees have substantially impacted Parliament’s efficacy in discharging its roles, their performance affects the Parliament as an institution that makes laws, holds the Government accountable, and gives sanction for public spending, still there is scope for strengthening the Committee system for overall effectiveness of Indian parliamentary system. TLP HOT Synopsis Day 20 PDF

Nov 5, 2020 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Quiz 5th Nov 2020

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

Nov 5, 2020 TLP Mains 2020

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2 - ENGLISH & हिंदी): UPSC Mains Answer Writing - General Studies Paper 1 Questions[5th NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 22

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[5th NOVEMBER,2020] - Day 22   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. Give a brief description of the distribution and characteristics of the grasslands of the world.   दुनिया के घास के मैदानों के वितरण और विशेषताओं का संक्षिप्त विवरण दें। 2. What role does geology play in the resource endowment of a region? Explain with the help of suitable examples.  भूविज्ञान एक क्षेत्र के संसाधन अक्षय निधि में क्या भूमिका निभाता है? उपयुक्त उदाहरणों की सहायता से समझाएँ। 3. What are gyres? What role do they play in shaping the coastal climate? Explain with the help of suitable examples. गायर क्या होते हैं? तटीय जलवायु को आकार देने में वे क्या भूमिका निभाते हैं? उपयुक्त उदाहरणों की सहायता से समझाएँ। 4. Explain the geomorphic processes leading to the formation of plateaus. How do plateaus affect the climate of a region? Illustrate.   पठारों के निर्माण के लिए अग्रणी भू-आकृति प्रक्रियाओं की व्याख्या करें। पठार एक क्षेत्र की जलवायु को कैसे प्रभावित करते हैं? उदाहरण देकर स्पष्ट करना करें। 5. If you send a probe to explore the ocean floor off the Pacific coast, what surface features would you see? Discuss.  यदि आप प्रशांत तट से समुद्र तल का पता लगाने के लिए एक एषणी भेजते हैं, तो आप किस प्रकार की सतही विशेषताओं को देख पाएंगे? चर्चा करें। P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm everyday. We would also encourage peer reviews. So friends get actively involved and start reviewing each others answers. This will keep the entire community motivated. All the Best :)

Nov 4, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 4th November 2020

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) UPI Transactions crosses 2 billion mark  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Economy In news Recently UPI transactions were in the news. According to the data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the total number of transactions conducted on BHIM-UPI crossed the 2 billion mark in a month in October 2020. Key takeaways  UPI is currently the biggest among the NPCI operated systems.  Other systems include National Automated Clearing House (NACH), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS), Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), RuPay etc. Digital transactions were already increasing but the lockdown imposed due to Covid-19 provided a thrust Also, India’s digital payments industry is likely to grow from Rs. 2,153 trillion to Rs. 7,092 trillion by 2025. Important value additions  National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)  NPCI is an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India.  It is an initiative of RBI and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. It is a “Not for Profit” Company under the provisions of Section 25 of Companies Act 1956 (now Section 8 of Companies Act 2013).  Objective: To provide infrastructure to the entire Banking system in India for physical as well as electronic payment and settlement systems. Do you know?  Challenges of the digital transactions Cybercrime. E.g. Malicious Software Cerberus Fraudulent claims, chargebacks, fake buyer accounts, promotion/coupon abuse, account takeover, identity theft, etc. India's manufacturing output shows the strongest growth  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Economy In news As per the IHS Markit India Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), India's manufacturing output showed the strongest growth in 13 years in October 2020. The Nomura India Business Resumption Index (NIBRI) has also shown improvement. Key takeaways  Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose from 56.8 in September to 58.9 in October.  NIBRI improved to 82.4 in October, a rise of 2.1 points from 80.3 in September. NIBRI is the Japanese brokerage’s weekly tracker of the pace of normalisation of economic activity. Reasons: (1) Increase in Sales; (2) Rise in Export Orders; (3) Improvement in IIP Important value additions  Purchasing Managers’ Index PMI is an indicator of business activity - both in the manufacturing and services sectors. It is calculated separately for the manufacturing and services sectors.  A composite index is also constructed. The PMI summarizes whether market conditions as viewed by purchasing managers are expanding, neutral, or contracting. Purpose: To provide information about current and future business conditions to company decision makers, analysts, and investors. The PMI is usually released at the start of every month.  It is, therefore, considered a good leading indicator of economic activity. Do you know?  PMI is compiled by IHS Markit for more than 40 economies worldwide.  IHS Markit is a global leader in information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide. Ganga Utsav 2020 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Culture & GS-III - Environment In news Recently, the Ganga Utsav 2020 has begun.  It celebrates the glory of the National river Ganga. Key takeaways  The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) celebrates the festival every year. Aim: To promote stakeholder engagement and ensure public participation. It celebrates river Ganga through storytelling, dialogues with eminent personalities, displaying traditional art forms, dance and music performance, etc.  Ganga Task Force (GTF) also conducted an afforestation drive with National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and educational tour for youth. Mini Ganga Quest was also held which was designed to make youth and students aware of environmental issues and explain their role in conservation. Important value additions  River Ganga It is the longest river of India.  It is revered by Hindus as the most sacred river on earth. It originates in the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas as the Bhagirathi River. The Ganga river basin is one of the most fertile and densely populated areas of the world.  The Ganges River Dolphin, an endangered animal, specifically habitats this river. It ends its journey by emptying into the Bay of Bengal. Ganga was declared as the National River of India on 4th November 2008. Initiatives for Good and Vigilant Governance launched Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Governance In news Recently, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has come up with new initiatives for good and vigilant governance on the last day of the Vigilance Awareness Week 2020. Key takeaways  "Ideas Box on Good Governance Practices in a Pandemic” has been launched and operationalised both on the DARPG as well as on the MyGov platform. Social media tweets on the “Best Practices in e-governance” have been launched. Round table discussion on “Satark Bharat, Samriddh Bharat” (Vigilant India, Prosperous India) was held. Important value additions  Vigilance Awareness Week The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) observes the Week every year during the week of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birthday (31st October). Objective: (1) To affirm India’s commitment to the promotion of integrity and probity in public life through citizen participation; (2) To reiterate Government’s resolve to continue the crusade against corruption. Theme for 2020: Satark Bharat, Samriddh Bharat Central Vigilance Commission It is an independent statutory body.  It is only responsible to the Parliament. It is the apex vigilance institution monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government.  It advises various authorities in Central Government organisations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work. It was recommended by K Santhanam Committee  The Parliament enacted the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003. It is composed of a Central Vigilance Commissioner (Chairperson) and not more than 2 Vigilance Commissioners (members). They are appointed by the President on the recommendations of a Committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Home Affairs and the Leader of the Opposition in the House of the People. Tenure: 4 years from the date on which they enter their office or till they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme extended  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Welfare schemes & GS-III - Industries In news The Union Government has extended the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) by one month till 30th November, 2020, or till such time that an amount of Rs. 3 lakh crore is sanctioned under the Scheme, whichever is earlier. Important value additions  Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) The scheme was launched as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package announced in May 2020.  Aim: To mitigate the distress caused by coronavirus-induced lockdown, by providing credit to different sectors.  Objective: To provide fully guaranteed and collateral free additional credit to MSMEs, business enterprises, MUDRA borrowers and individual loans for business purposes to the extent of 20% of their credit outstanding as on 29th February, 2020. Eligibility: Borrowers with credit outstanding up to Rs. 50 crore as on 29th February, 2020, and with an annual turnover of up to Rs. 250 crore. Tenure: Four years, including a moratorium of one year on principal repayment. (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL/ SECURITY Topic: General Studies 2,3: India and its neighborhood- relations.  Security challenges and their management in border areas  The Importance of Gilgit-Baltistan Context: On November 1, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that his government would give “provisional provincial status” to Gilgit-Baltistan region. About Gilgit Baltistan (G-B) The region is claimed by India as part of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu & Kashmir as it existed in 1947 at its accession to India. However, post the 1947-48 war it is being administered by Pakistan. To G-B’s west is Afghanistan, to its south is Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and to the east J&K A Brief History about Gilgit Baltistan Gilgit had been leased to the British by Hari Singh in 1935 as GB was the frontiers of what was then the Soviet-British Great Game territory. The British returned G-B in August 1947 and Hari Singh sent his representative, Brigadier Ghansar Singh, as Governor, and Major William Alexander Brown to take charge of the Gilgit Scouts. On November 1 1947, after J&K ruler Hari Singh had signed the Instrument of Accession with India, and the Indian Army had landed in the Valley to drive out tribal invaders from Pakistan, there was a rebellion against Hari Singh in Gilgit. Gilgit Scouts mutinied against India under the leadership of its commander, Major William Alexander Brown who raised the Pakistani flag and subsequently brought G-B under Pakistani administrative control. Pakistan did not accept G-B’s accession although it took administrative control of the territory After India went to the UN and a series of resolutions were passed in the Security Council on the situation in Kashmir, Pakistan believed that neither G-B nor PoK should be annexed to Pakistan, as this could undermine the international case for a plebiscite in Kashmir. Pakistan also reckons that in the event a plebiscite ever takes place in Kashmir, votes in G-B will be important too. What is the region’s current status? Though Pakistan, like India, links G-B’s fate to that of Kashmir, its administrative arrangements are different from those in PoK.  While PoK has its own Constitution that sets out its powers and their limits vis-à-vis Pakistan, G-B has been ruled mostly by executive fiat. Until 2009, the region was simply called Northern Areas. It got its present name only with the Gilgit-Baltistan (Empowerment and Self-Governance) Order, 2009, which replaced the Northern Areas Legislative Council with the Legislative Assembly. The NALC was an elected body, but had no more than an advisory role to the Pakistan government. Though there were demands in Pakistan to provide provisional provincial status to G-B since long time, many factors made a push towards providing this status now. What do the people in G-B want? The people of G-B have been demanding for years that it be made a part of Pakistan, they do not have the same constitutional rights Pakistanis have. There is virtually no connect with India.  Some have in the past demanded a merger with PoK, but the people of G-B have no real connect with Kashmir either. They belong to several non-Kashmiri ethnicities, and speak various languages, none of these Kashmiri. A majority of the estimated 1.5 million G-B residents are Shias. There is anger against Pakistan for unleashing extremist sectarian militant groups that target Shias There is also discontent amongst G-B people over Pakistan dictating the use of their natural resources. But the predominant sentiment is that all these will improve once they are part of the Pakistani federation. There is a small movement for independence, but it has very little traction Factors that caused Pakistan to change the status of G-B The plan to grant G-B provincial status gathered speed over the last one year. India Factor: The push might have come from India’s reassertion of its claims over G-B after the August 5, 2019 reorgansiation of Jammu & Kashmir Chinese Factor: There are also reports that the change is status is also linked to Chinese interests in the region, whose ambitious project of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CEPC) passes through this region. This region provides Pakistan the only territorial frontier, and thus a land route, with China, where it meets the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.  Domestic Politics: The change in status also comes at a time when Pakistan government is facing protests from opposition parties. This reorganisation of G-B region provides the ruling party the much needed ammunition to bolster its credentials and divert the attention away from protests. Consequences of the changed status It will further strengthen India’s argument for changing the status of Jammu & Kashmir and provides diplomatic heft in international forums like UNSC. Possibility of escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, if tit-for-tat approach is adopted by both countries. It also signals the strengthening of China-Pakistan axis as Pakistan wants to assure China of security for its CPEC infrastructural project Kashmir conflict which was till now bilateral can turn into trilateral conflict especially since China is aggressively pushing for CPEC project which passes through G-B region. Conclusion India’s security agencies and diplomats must view this new development in a serious manner and take necessary steps to safeguard India’s territorial claims over G-B region. Connecting the dots: Pakistan’s new map unveiled in August 2020 and its implication India-Nepal border dispute: Kalapani and Lipulekh EDUCATION/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2,3: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education, Human Resources.  Government policies and interventions for development in Education sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation A financial model for higher education Context: National Education Policy 2020 that aims to achieve gross enrolment ratio of 50% in Higher Education by 2035. Do You Know? Presently, India’s gross enrollment ratio (GER) in higher education is 28%. It lags behind the global average of 38% and behind China’s 51%. 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will admit as many as 15,000 undergraduates this year, while just one state university in the United States (US), Arizona State University, admits 13,500 undergraduates each year. Financial Concerns with Higher Education Inadequate Infrastructure: Achieving the targets in NEP 2020 calls for the scaling up of existing institutions as well as the creation of new premier ones. Need for Money: While the scaling-up of existing institutions and the creation of new institutions require additional budgetary allocations, running them well calls for money on a recurring basis.  Outdated Financing Model: NEP is trying to address this issue of funding by allocating a fixed percentage of GDP for higher education and providing granting administrative autonomy to these institutes. Currently, these institutions receive upwards of 80% of funds from the government. What is needed is a structural overhaul and creation of a diversified financial model for our institutions. Some of the financial models that can be adopted are: Restructuring of Tuition Fees – Use of Income Contingency Loans Tuition fees contribute up to a quarter of the income for the most universities in the US, Australia and Asia.  In the IITs, Tuition fees contributes to only 6-7%, since only a fraction (approximately one-third) of students pay the upper limit of tuition fees. Others pay a much lower amount, based on their social category and economic status. This contribution can be increased not only by increasing the highly subsidised tuition fees, but also by bringing all students into the fee-paying category.  This can be achieved by decoupling students and their families from the upfront financial barriers by offering them collateral-free and interest-free Income Contingency Loans (ICLs) through a centralised financial structure.  Australia’s Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) is a widely-praised ICL model that is managed by the Australian taxation office. The repayments are linked to the debtor’s income level and are collected directly by the Australian tax authorities.  ICLs are different from the education loans offered in the US that have caused massive student debt problems. Research grants/equity investments in startups/technology transfer fees A third of the income could come from the research activities. Though research is primarily government-sponsored, universities in US and France raise up to a third of their research funds from non-government sources HEI like IITs could tap funds from the private sector, invest in and incubate research start-ups, and strengthen technology transfer and intellectual property licensing mechanisms.  Mechanisms such as Foundation of Innovative Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi and Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) at IIT Bombay may facilitate institutional equity investment in deep-tech start-ups.  The recent launch of the world’s most affordable Covid-19 testing kit by IIT Delhi and the supply of over 4.5 million export-quality personal protective equipment by IIT Delhi start-ups are small demonstrations of the potential such investments by HEIs can generate.  Endowment donations Harvard, Stanford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have pioneered the concept of endowments, now adopted by public universities across the world.  An endowment is an aggregation of assets invested by a college or university to support its educational mission in perpetuity.  An institution’s endowment actually comprises hundreds or thousands of individual endowments.  An endowment allows donors to transfer their private dollars to public purposes with the assurance that their gifts will serve these purposes for as long as the institution continues to exist. An endowment represents a compact between a donor and an institution. Endowments are raised not only from the alumni but also from industry, philanthropists and governments.  Last year, IIT Delhi launched an endowment fund with a target of raising $1 billion, that will provide a conservative investment income of ₹700 crore every year.  A successful endowment model will require the creation of fund-raising teams and investment policy changes to overcome bureaucratic hurdles. Conclusion Tuition fees, research grants, and endowment funds should contribute a third each to income of Higher Educational Institutions so as to increase their autonomy and hence their global ranking Connecting the dots: Right to Education Act Operation Digital Board (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers.  Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1 Consider the following statements regarding River Ganga: It originates as Gandak river from Gangotri glacier. The Ganges River Dolphin is found in this river. Which of the above is/are correct?  1 only  2 only  Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2  Q.2 National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is an initiative of: Reserve Bank of India World Bank Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Reliance Group ANSWERS FOR 3rd November 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 C Must Read About India’s dismal score on the Academic Freedom Index and NEP: The Hindu About role of financial sector in moving away from fossil fuels: The Hindu About same sex marriages: The Indian Express

Nov 4, 2020 TLP Mains 2020

SYNOPSIS [2nd NOVEMBER,2020] Day 19: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)

For Previous TLP (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE   SYNOPSIS [2nd NOVEMBER,2020] Day 19: IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing (General Studies)   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. Approach: It expects student to write about - C. Rajagoplachari and Swantantra party - then write about significance of Swatantra party as anti-Congress front in post-independence - in last write lacunas / shortcoming of Swatantra party. Introduction: Rajagopalachari was a freedom fighter, politician, an associate of Gandhi and the final governor general of India. Rajagopalachari parted ways with the Congress in 1957 after being disillusioned by the path it was taking. He founded the Swatantra Party in 1959, which favoured classical liberal principles and free enterprise. Body: Significance of Swatantra party as anti-congress front: The Swatantra Party stands for the protection of the individual citizen against the increasing trespasses of the State. It was an answer to the challenge of the so-called Socialism of the Indian Congress party. It was founded on the conviction that social justice and welfare can be attained through the fostering of individual interest and individual enterprise in all fields better than through State ownership and Government control. It was based on the truth that bureaucratic management leads to loss of incentive and waste of resources. The new party opposed the trend of the ruling Congress Party to adopt the ways and ideals of the Communists in its eagerness to prevent the Communists from going forward. The Swatantra party believed that going over to the enemy is not defence, but surrender. The Swatantra Party, apart from the ideology was a real opposition to the Congress Party so that parliamentary democracy may be properly balanced. The absence of a true opposition has led to the rapid deterioration of democracy into a kind of totalitarianism. Voices have been heard from all quarters calling for a strong opposition and the new party is supplying a felt want. In the 1962 general election, the first after its formation, Swatantra received 6.8 percent of the total votes and won 18 seats in the third Lok Sabha (1962–67). It emerged as the main opposition to the dominant Congress in four states—Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Orissa. By the next general election in 1967, Swatantra had become a significant force in some parts of India; it won 8.7 percent of the votes and became the single-largest opposition party in the fourth Lok Sabha (1967–71) with 44 seats.  Swatantra party demands finally led to LPG reforms of 1991 and economic liberalisation of country: However, inspite of this, Swatantra party not emerged as strong anti-congress front because: Swantantra party was considered as inner branch of congress like pre-independent congres within various ideologies. After death of C. Rajagoplachari in 1972, his party lost its glory and its influence in polity also declined. Conclusion: Despite criticism, Swatantra party provided important impetus to anti-congress front in post-independence period. 2. What impact did Soviet Union’s disintegration have on India’s foreign policy? Critically analyse. Approach: It expects students to write about - in first part in short write about factors which led to disintegration of USSR - in second part write about its impact on India's foreign policy. Introduction: The Soviet Union was established in 1922 by a treaty signed between Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia Soviet Socialist republics and Trans-Caucasian Federation. It later constituted fifteen smaller states. Notwithstanding its achievements, the USSR met its fateful decline in 1991 mainly due to Mikhael Gorbvachev’s economic and political reforms- Perestroika and Glasnost respectively. This led to the end of the cold war between the two superpowers USA and USSR. It was marked by events like the fall of the Berlin Wall and power shift from Soviet centre to the republics. The breakdown of USSR made USA the sole global power, ending the bipolarity in the world order. Body: Factors which led to the disintegration of the USSR: Economic Weakness The weakness of the economy was the major cause of dissatisfaction among the people in USSR. There was severe shortage of consumer items. The reason for economics weakness were the following. Huge military spending. Maintenance of satellite states in Easter Europe. Maintenance of the Central Asian Republics within the USSR. Political Un-accountability The communist party regime (single party rule) for around 70 years turned authoritarian. There was widespread corruption, nepotism and lack of transparency. Gorbachev’s decision to allow elections with a multi-party system and create a presidency for the Soviet Union began a slow process of democratization that eventually destabilized Communist control and contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev’s reforms Once people started to enjoy freedom under Micheal Gorbachev’s reforms, they demanded more. The demand grew into a big force which turned difficult to control. The people wanted to catch up with the west quickly. Rise of nationalism Rise of nationalism among countries like Russia, Baltic republics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Ukraine, Georgia etc is the most important and immediate cause of disintegration of the USSR. The national feeling was strong among the more prosperous areas in USSR and not in Central Asian republics. Ordinary people among prosperous republics didn’t like to pay big price to uplift the backward Central Asian republics. Impact of the disintegration of the USSR on India's foreign policy as follows: India had opened its economy to private sector and foreign investors after 1991. Which helps a lot to India finally starts to grow as world class economy. It’s only after liberalization of economy that India could become the IT hub of the world. Also domestic industries also start flourishing resulting to India’s advance towards a powerful and self-sufficient economy. Upto 1991 India’s defence procurement was about 80% from USSR. After the disintegration of USSR, India started to diversify its defence procurement. Which resulted in competitive bidding and also negotiation power of India increased. Now India had multiple sources form it’s needs. In the Soviet era although India was officially neutral and was not part of any block. But India’s foreign policy was tilted towards USSR. Due to which USA and other members of west block are very reluctant to help India or cooperate India in defence or economic matters. This policy of west also starts changing after the disintegration of USSR. And finally India’s foreign policy starts to balancing itself between east and west. And India starts to transform into a global country from a close socialist one. Before the disintegration of USSR India’s opinion on different topics was often considered soviet influenced although it was unbiased most of the times. For example, India was trying to highlight Pakistan sponsored cross border terrorism at international forums including UN. Post disintegration of USSR India’s image of neutral country improves and so India’s audibility at international level. India also had been closely monitoring the turn-around development taking place in East Asia. India then devised the “Look East” Policy by improving its relationship with the “Asian Tigers” which were predominantly Export led markets. India did not forget its All-weather partner Russia and continued working with it especially in the areas of defence procurement & Russia’s abundance of Natural gas endowments. Later, in the 21st century, the goodwill that India had enjoyed with Russia was translated into improving our relationship with countries in Central Asia owing to its abundance of fissile material resources & capabilities. Conclusion: Hence, the disintegration of the USSR resulted in a phase of USA’s dominance in world politics. Countries like India maintained good relations with Russia post-disintegration and shared the idea of having a multipolar world order. India’s position also improved at international and regional level not in a hegemonic way but as a responsible and powerful country. 3. Formation of the Northeastern states has contributed greatly to stabilise India’s politico-geographical integrity. Elucidate. Approach: The directive here is elucidate, it is expected to explain  in detail,  as a cause effect relationship is given in the question. In the introduction part one can explain the importance of North-eastern states from the perspective of India as the Union of states or one can also explain how does the formation of North-eastern states took place in India. In the main body part one needs to explain the reasons for destabilisation of India's politico-geographical integrity in North-east. Then one can explain how does formation of North-eastern states stabilised these destabilisation factors. In the conclusion one can explain the importance of North-eastern states or can show the feature and state how they have the potential to contribute for India's bright future. For value addition one can highlight the map of North-eastern states in India.  Introduction: North East India is the region situated in the eastern-most part of India comprising of the eight states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. After Indian Independence from British Rule in 1947, the North-eastern region of British India consisted of Assam and the princely states of Manipur and Tripura. Subsequently, Nagaland in 1963, Meghalaya in 1972, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in 1987 were formed out of the large territory of Assam. Manipur and Tripura remained Union Territories of India from 1956 until 1972, when they attained fully-fledged statehood. Sikkim formed part of the North Eastern Region as the eighth state in 2002 and is referred to as the only brother of the seven sisters. Body: North-east is linked with Indian heartland through the 21 km wide Siliguri Corridor, which is commonly known as the chicken neck, created by the Radcliffe line. The corridor is flanked by Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Following Map 1 shows place of North-east in India.  Map 1: Highlighted region of North-eastern states in India Reasons for destabilisation of India's politico-geographical integrity due to North-east: According to the Report of the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission the Northeast represents a state of stable anarchy where the rule of law and other institutions of governance are subverted directly or through collusive arrangements to serve personal or partisan ends of the militants. Regional issues: The inter-tribal conflicts, the youth unemployment and the inability to compete with non-tribal businesses, illegal migration from neighbouring States and countries leading to the competition of resources and land have led to various conflicts and demands of secession/ autonomy. Gaps at national level: The broad racial differences between India and its Northeast and the tenuous geographical link (the chicken neck Siliguri Corridor) contributed to a sense of alienation, a feeling of ‘otherness’ that subsequently gave rise to a political culture of violent separatism. Ethnic tensions: Northeast India is home to more than 50 ethnic rebel groups – a few demanding complete secession from India, others fighting for ethnic identities and homelands and some running the insurgency as an industry to spin easy money without any political ideology. Militants in their formative years voiced genuine grievances of the people such as poor governance, alienation, lack of development and an apathetic attitude from the central government in New Delhi. However, with time and opportunist motives, these have taken forms of insurgencies across the region. Also Border disputes between Assam and its neighbouring States based on ethnicity have led to emergence of violent regionalism demands in the North-east region. For instance, Assam has had a boundary dispute with Mizoram for decades and several rounds of talks have been held since 1994-95 to solve the issue. Different ethnic groups have caused conflicts and insurgency due to tribal rivalry, migration, control over local resources and so on. E.g. inter-tribal conflict between Kukis and Nagas, insurgent groups like NSCN etc.,  Geographical reasons: North east region is not well connected with present Indian mainland. Which creates a feeling of alienation in the citizens. Also, About 99% of the region has international border along Bangladesh, Myanmar, China and Bhutan which create complications in international diplomacy. Developmental reasons: North-east region is poorly developed due to lack of fund from Center/States. Which also led to increasing wide disparities in the states between North-east and in the other parts of India.  The region has over 160 scheduled tribes and over other tribal and sub-tribal communities and groups. The varied culture creates alienation from the mainland and hinder development. The region is predominantly rural with around 84% of the population living in the rural areas.  Military reasons: 50 years ago, on 22nd May 1958, in the face of rising political dissent in the North-east, India decided to add to its laws -the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. This act created a sense of fear among the inhabitants in the North-eastern region.  Formation of North-eastern states and subsequent effect of stabilisation to India's politico-geographical integrity:  Nagaland, being a part of the larger state of Assam, it was the first to experience militancy in pursuit of a grant of autonomy. Under the leadership of the Naga National Council (N.N.C.), headed by A.Z. Phizo, Nagas declared independence around 1951.   However, In 1963, the State of Nagaland was formed by taking the Naga Hills and Tuensang area out of the state of Assam. This was done to satisfy the movement of the hostile Nagas. In Tripura migration of Hindus from the British-ruled East Bengal is believed to have been responsible for reducing the indigenous tribal people in the state to minority status; this development sparked a violent backlash among the indigenous people. In Manipur, Militancy originated in protest against the forcible merger of the former Manipur Kingdom with India. Whereas in Meghalay, The rise of aspirations of tribal autonomy led to the emergence of several insurgent groups in the state, like Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA ) and Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC). The two union territories of Manipur and Tripura and the sub-state of Meghalaya got statehood.  The Meghalaya state was carved out of the Assam state, with an aim to address the unique needs of the major tribes in the region: the Garos, the Jaintias and the Khasis. Also the statehood granted to Manipur proved to be a solution to eliminate the discrimination faced by people of Manipur.  Mizoram was a part of the state of Assam before it was granted statehood in 1987, experienced militancy after the Union government failed to respond positively to its demand for assistance during the massive "Mautam famine". However, the union territory of Mizoram was conferred the status of a full state as a sequel to the signing of a memorandum of settlement (Mizoram Peace Accord) in 1986 between the Central government and the Mizo National Front, ending the two-decade-old insurgency. Neighbouring countries like China and Myanmar are accused of promoting insurgency in the region. However, pacifying the regional aspirations of the states through fulfilment of their demands led to eliminating trust deficit between Centre and North-eastern states,  The issue of Bangladeshi refugees and immigrants has become one of the pivotal importance when it comes in picture with Assam and surrounding states. However, not only the formation of state but exercises like NRC which fulfilled regional aspirations of people of Assam have also contributed for the maintenance of politico-geographical integrity of India.  These exercise have also helped to have cordial and peaceful relations with Bangladesh.  Also some of the military operations with that of neighbouring countries like Myanmar have helped to tackle the problem of insurgency. However, Bhutan remains the only country that successfully dislodged several militant camps of the insurgent  groups through a military operation launched in December 2003. However, some of the following problems still persists in North-eastern region such as:  The state response has effectively curbed violence in North-east. The political nexus have helped them carry out their illicit works. In return, run extortion rackets and all types of other illegal trades and get right to operate within limits with impunity. This results in dismal law and order situation in these areas. It is this absence of rule of law that these groups are still operating. Chances of a political settlement are bleak because of the kind of diversity it holds. While the government’s military options have achieved only minimal results, lack of development continues to alienate the people of the region further from the mainstream. The region has also received little attention from either the national or the international media. Achievements by a separate ministry created by the Indian government for the development of the region remain minimal. Hence, Enhancing  communication and connectivity, infrastructure improvement for better integration of the region with the mainland, stringent law and fast criminal justice system for quick disposal of insurgents attack cases, greater coordination between central forces and state forces for better tactical response becomes of critical importance to ensure a greater political-geographical integrity of India.   Conclusion: North-eastern states due to their strategic location in the geopolitical scenario hold an immense potential to give real shape to the 'Act East policy' besides showing great potential to India's development due to its large talent pool. Over the period of time, formation of states in North-eastern region proved to be beneficial for maintaining political-geographical integrity of India. However, if addressed the current challenges then it will prove to be one of the main engine drivers for the development as well as for maintaining integrity of India.  4. The decade of the 1980s was marked by a surge in technological advancements and economic modernization. Illustrate.  Approach:  It expects students to write about the economic modernization as well as technological advancements in the decade of 1980 with focus on surge in the same and illustrating the same with relevant examples. Introduction The 1980s are considered to have fundamentally altered India’s landscape where the maturing of Indian democracy was witnessed along the rise of the middle class which became a dominant economic and political force. This rise of a new class coupled with consumer explosion, symbolised by the vast emerging urban landscape planted the seeds of an economic revolution as well as technological progress. Body Economic modernization refers to a change of outlook towards earning profit, rational economic activity, frequent use of sophisticated technology and consistent effort to bring about innovative changes in the production system. This also involved technological advancement such as the large-scale application of modern technologies and energy, the mechanization, electrification, and automation of production models, etc. Consequently, the technological advancements in 1980’s can be seen from the following points - Telecommunication:  Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) was established in 1984 to develop state-of-the-art telecommunication technology. Public call office (PCO) booths to connect even the rural areas to the world outside. MTNL was established which helped in the spread of telephone network in 1984.  Computerization in India: India’s supercomputer programme initiated in the late 1980s. This resulted in India setting up C-DAC in 1988, which in 1991, unveiled the prototype of PARAM 800, benchmarked at 5 Glops. Information technology-enabled services (ITES): This sector includes software development, business process outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO). The first software export zone, SEEPZ – the precursor to the modern-day IT park – was established in Mumbai. The companies started solving Y2K issues.  Technological upgradation by government policies: The EVMs were first used in 1982 in Kerala. Agni missile test fired in 1983. Medical technology in India: 1980-90’s, Indian pharmaceutical industry had emerged as one of the most export-oriented sectors in Indian pharmaceutical industry with more than 30% of the production being exported to the foreign market. Automobile sector: In 1983, the first Maruti car rolled off the assembly line in Gurgaon. The government finally signed a joint venture with Suzuki of Japan to produce the vehicle. The Maruti 800 and the demand for it signalled the rise of a new Indian middle class. At the same time, Economic modernisation in 1980’s is reflected from the following points: The main objectives of the Seventh Five-Year Plan were to establish growth in areas of increasing economic productivity and generating employment through "Social Justice". The plan laid stress on improving the productivity level of industries by upgrading of technology. New Electronics Policy (NEP) unveiled in January 1984 had main objectives facilitating technology transfer in the electronics industry, import of computers for government departments, establishing “science cities”/science parks to encourage expatriate Indian technicians to return to country, etc. National Policy on Education (NPE) in 1986 to modernize and expand higher education programmes across the country which involved installments of large scale computers in IITs, IIMs, and CSIR etc.  The Foreign Trade Policy for 1984–1985 contained a software exports shall also be permitted through satellite-based data links with overseas computers. The significance of this policy change was felt soon after.  New Computer Policy (NCP-1984) offered a package of reduced import tariffs on hardware and software, reduction of up to 60% was seen.  It   was announced in 1984 for removing the institutional barriers to “transforming the industry into a ‘virtuous circle’. Modernization in capital and financial market:  Indian government relaxed capital markets in 1982-83 to get more foreign money, particularly from non-resident Indians. Government created the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in 1988. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) was constituted in 1982. 5 banks were nationalised in 1980s. Adverse Issues with regards to above developments: Modernisation and advancement created regional economic disparities with the prosperous zones such as Mumbai-Pune, Bangalore-Chennai, and Ahmedabad.  The 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy brought to fore the real possibility of industrial accidents on a massive scale and importance of regulatory oversight.  New politically-influenced lending decisions led to crony capitalism.  Conclusion: Technological and economic modernisation brought social transformation as newly emerged middle class, new nuclear family system, mass migration and economic transformation such as string of measures aimed at boosting the economy’s competitiveness, removal of price controls, initiation of fiscal reform which led foundation for India economic liberalization in 1990’s. 5. Do a critical assessment of the coalition era in India’s electoral politics.   Approach: It expects students to write about the coalition era in India’s center and state politics and do critical assessment of its implications.  Introduction: In India, after independence, Congress was the dominant party at the national and states level until 1990s. At the national level, Congress as ruling party formulated policies and states implemented those without contention. The dominant party system proved unable to fulfil the desires of the different region. Thus, the centralized nature of the government created a gap between the local aspirations and national policies. In the absence of the decisive clear majority for a single party, Coalition politics became the way forward since 1990's. Body In India, coalition politics entered in two phases.  Janata Party coalition experiment: From 1977 to 1979 it was a period when the Congress lost power at the centre. The Janata Party formed government. It was coalition of various parties. However, the coalition failed to completes its tenure.  Multiparty Coalition Model: 1989 was the benchmark year when the one-party dominance system shattered and the Congress lost power at the centre. The year changed the fate of Indian politics. In India after 1989, multi-party coalitional model has emerged at the national level. Since then the regional parties also formed government with the centre and national parties provided them out-side support in state. It also affected the nature of Indian federalism. Electoral politics indicates that the masses accepted the alliance strategy of national and regional parties. In different regions, people voted according to the alliance combinations. Coalition politics broke the powerhouse image of centre as regional parties dominated in this era. Implications of coalition era in Indian politics Impact on International relations: Regional parties give more importance to their own regional, geographical and economic interest overriding national interest. Examples, Tamilians influence with long-standing Indo-Srilanka relation. West Bengal influenced the Indo-Bangaldesh water sharing agreements. Left front withdraws its support to govt for opposing the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Agreement 2007. Slow Decision Making: It has slowed decision-making. Various cabinet committees and E-GoMs have failed to fast-track decision making in a coalition govt. Policy making at the national level was limited to Common Minimum Programs and indecision has affected the economic growth. Unstable government: It has led to unstable govt. Most of the energy of the govt. goes into keeping itself into power and this might lead to policy paralysis. Politicization on Narrow Issues: Competition has increased in the coalition era with new parties mushrooming up. The politicization was emerged based on narrow interests of the masses like caste, religion, region and language. Manifestos of the parties have become myopic and long-term development was discarded for immediate political gain. Regional Party dominance: Coalition with the regional parties sometimes resulted in dominance of regional parties in centre. Party to assert its own geographical, cultural and economic interests in the political process instead of focussing on the development of the nation as a whole. Mandal-Mandir Politics: These entire sequences of events all the way develops new political structure in India. When one party was trying to appease OBC section of voters the other were focused on religion which completely changed the socio-political structure of India. Decline in Ethical politics: India have huge background of freedom fighter as politicians for whom morals were above the politics. Coalition changed this as parties to remain in power, leaders end up making all sort of compromises, even going to the extent of accommodating leaders with questionable credentials. Thus, it can be said that though the coalition form of Government brings lot of turf between the Centre and State, it was also opportunity to different Socio-Cultural and Economic parties to participate in the Governance of the Nation.  Advantages of the coalition era: Highest economic growth period: This era also saw huge economic growth due to historical political decisions. India’s average economic growth between 1970 and 1980 has been 4.4%. The major political decisions of structural changes and opening India’s economy led to an impressive average growth of 8.8% between 2000 and 2010. Market liberalization changed the fiscal relations b/w centre and states thus making states to compete for investments Bommai case and Article 356: Supreme Court issued the historic order in this case, which in a way put an end to the arbitrary dismissal of State governments under Article 356 by spelling out restrictions. The verdict concluded that the power of the President to dismiss a State government is not absolute. It further invented new era in centre state relations with cooperative federalism.  Inclusive Politics: Coalition politics is inclusive by nature. It has led to progressive social reforms such as implementation of Mandal Commission recommendations, adoption of RTI and RTE legislations, and social security schemes such as MNREGA. Decentralised development: It has led to progressive politics. Decentralisation of power to grassroots by the adoption of 73rd & 74th Constitutional amendment acts. Recognition of regional aspirations: It has led to recognition of regional aspirations, as regional political parties have been able to take part in national govt. Conclusion: In Indian politics after 1989, multi-party coalition model has emerged at the national level. Thus, at the central level regional parties articulated the plurality of the country. It is evident from the electoral politics, local forces in the coalitions have become dominant hence, federal practices of the Indian constitution have become more effective. So Centralized nature of Indian federal polity moved towards cooperative federalism. TLP HOT Synopsis Day 19 PDF