May 21, 2020 MindMaps

MIND-MAPS: CITIZENSHIP – General Studies 2

MIND-MAPS: CITIZENSHIP – General Studies 2 For Previous Important Topics (Mind Maps) - ARCHIVES Hello Friends, Recently we have come up with a NEW INITIATIVE - BRAINSTORMING THROUGH MIND-MAPS! Mind-map is an incredible powerful thinking tool, an innate human language that will have immense benefit in your preparation. The main idea is to brainstorm different aspects of an issue - think in multi-dimensions; what we call 360 degrees of an issue. The whole of this exercise will unleash your creativity to push your brain cells to recall the data learnt and to make it more relevant for your preparation. It will help you to make your Revision and Retention a far better apart from giving you more Clarity in the topics/issue at hand and improve your Concentration. You can see the drastic impact mind-maps will have in a few weeks, provided you are regular with this exercise. So here we are with Today’s TOPIC! CITIZENSHIP - General Studies 2 NOTE – Instructions to download Mind Maps/Images Right Click on the image and ‘Open image in new tab’ Remove/Delete the resolution part from the URL. Eg. “-1536x757” and Press Enter/Load Again Right Click and Save Image As/Download (You’ll get the maximum resolution) CITIZENSHIP  YOUR PARTICIPATION? – VERY IMPORTANT Unlike what we were doing before, in this initiative we want students to learn and brainstorm through mind-maps (It is not necessary that you use a software/tool to design mind maps. You can prepare mindmaps using a pen and a sheet of paper). We will share the final printable mind map on every Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday (3 times a week). We will also provide specific inputs on your mind maps to improve your skill of mind mapping.  So, Enlist the topics you feel as important for MAINS Issues in Current Affairs you find difficult to understand Share your own mind-maps on the given topics in the comment section of the post published on TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS, and SUNDAYS (every week). We will provide specific inputs on your mind maps to improve your skill of mind mapping. TOPICS FOR THIS WEEK* - Fundamental Rights will be covered in four mind maps which will be posted on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday. To Know More about the initiative, Benefits and How to use a mind-map ->CLICK HERE Together we can, we will. The strength of the community is more powerful than individual effort. We have started it. You have to strengthen it” You can Start sharing Your Mind-maps (get feedback from IASbaba) & Topics of your interest in the comment section below!!   Thank You IASbaba

May 21, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 21st MAY 2020

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 21st May 2020 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) WAG12: Indian Railways' first indigenous electric locomotive Part of: GS-Prelims and Mains GS-III-  Economy, Infrastructure In News: The Indian Railways has operationalised its first 12,000 hp electric locomotive named WAG12.  It is manufactured locally.  Key takeaways: The locomotive made its maiden commercial run between Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Station, UP to Shivpur, UP  India became the sixth country in the world to produce high horsepower locomotive indigenously. It is manufactured at the Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd. (MELPL), Bihar.  It is a joint venture between the French major and the Indian railways holding an equity share of 74% and 26% respectively. It is the largest FDI in the railways sector. WAG12 will allow faster and safer movement of heavier freight trains. Such locomotive has been operationalised on broad gauge track in the world for the first time.  Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia: Report by the UNODC released Part of: GS-Prelims and Mains GS-III-  Economy, Health In News: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recently released the report on “Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia”. Key takeaways: Movement restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to an initial statistical reduction in drug seizures (confiscation).  However, there will be hardly any change in terms of supply in the East and Southeast Asia region. A large proportion of methamphetamine was manufactured, trafficked and consumed without the need for globalised supply chains. An already vulnerable population of drug users may be exposed to additional risks as funding is re-prioritised, access to programmes and services becomes difficult, activities of treatment providers are hampered, and communities concentrate on coping with the effects of the pandemic.  Additional efforts would be required at all levels to carefully analyse methods and trends to understand changes to drug markets. Important value additions: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)  Established in 1997 it is a member of the United Nations Development Group.  Headquarters: Vienna, Austria Functions: To assist the UN in addressing:  interrelated issues of illicit trafficking in and abuse of drugs crime prevention and criminal justice international terrorism political corruption.  These goals are pursued through three primary functions: research, guidance and support to governments through various conventions, treaties and protocols.  CBI alerts States, U.T.s and Central agencies to malicious software threat Part of: GS-Prelims and Mains GS-III-  Security, GS-II- Governance In News: CBI has sent alerts to all the States, Union Territories and the Central agencies on a malicious software threat that uses an update related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key takeaways: The alert related to banking Trojan and Cerberus has been sent on the basis of inputs received from the Interpol.  It is primarily used to steal financial data, such as credit card numbers. This malicious software sends SMS using the lure of COVID-19 related content to download the embedded malicious link.  It can also trick victims into providing personal information and can capture two-factor authentication details.  Important value additions: The International Criminal Police Organisation (commonly known as INTERPOL) is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime control.  Headquartered in Lyon, France, It has seven regional bureaus worldwide and a National Central Bureau in all 194 members states, making it the world's largest police organization.  Nepal’s new official map is “artificial” and unacceptable to India Part of: GS-Prelims and Mains GS-II- International Politics In News: Ministry of External Affairs has claimed that Nepal’s new official map is “artificial” and unacceptable to India. Key takeaways: Nepal’s new political map claimed Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh of Uttarakhand as part of its sovereign territory.  Nepal claims that India has encroached upon this area, claiming tracts of land, and wants Delhi to evacuate population from the location Nepal has been on a collision course with India since Defence Minister has inaugurated a link road to Tibet on May 8th. The newly inaugurated Darchula-Lipulekh link road passes through the disputed region and will cut travelling time to Mansarovar pilgrimage destinations. Nepal asserts the area belongs to it.  Important value additions: India had published a new map on November 2, 2019, representing the political boundaries of the country which showed the status of the newly created Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.  The same map also showed the region of Kalapani as part of the Indian territory. Nepal, however, maintains that not just the Kalapani region, but Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh are parts of its territory as demarcated in the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli (MAINS FOCUS) SECURITY/ GOVERNANCE/ ECONOMY Topic: General Studies 2 &3: Government policies and interventions for development in defence sectors Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources Grasping the Defence Self-reliance Context: COVID-19 has brought to focus the impact of supply chain disruptions caused to defence sectors and increased the necessity for self-reliance Did You Know? For most of the past decade, India was the world’s largest arms importer, accounting for about 12% of global arms imports.  Saudi Arabia jumped to first place in 2018 and 2019, but India still takes over 9% of global imports Why defence self-reliance is necessary for India? India’s external dependence for its defence-preparedness creates vulnerabilities during military crises. Given two hostile neighbours and the threat of terrorism, defence self-reliance is of utmost need Given its great power ambitions, India cannot afford to rely on other powers for defensive purposes There is no dearth of skills as India does have technological capabilities but remains unutilized. Steps taken by Union government to enhance defence preparedness  Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has been created Make in India initiative for promoting indigenous equipment in the armed forces A list of weapons systems for sourcing entirely from Indian manufacturers has been released by the government A separate Budget provision for domestic capital procurement has been made to encourage private defence manufacturers New Defence Procurement Procedures (DPP) 2020 are under formulation  Liberalisation of foreign direct investment in defence manufacturing, raising the limit under the automatic route to 74%,  Way Ahead A time-bound defence procurement process through Overhauling trial and testing procedures to speed up the procurement process  Establishing a professional project management unit Corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board.  OFBs structure, work culture and product range now need to be responsive to technology and quality demands of modern armed forces.  Corporatisation, including public listing of some units, ensures a more efficient interface of the manufacturer with the designer and end user Self-reliance should not be taken to extremes: Thrust for indigenous R&D should coexist with the import of cutting-edge military technologies to safeguard defence vulnerabilities Domestic Procurement: When we import weapon systems, we should plan for the ammunitions and spares for them to be eventually manufactured in India A long-term integrated perspective plan of the requirements of the armed forces is needed to give industry a clear picture of future requirements.  The definition of indigenisation itself needs to privilege technology over value or volume Export Promotion: Investment, Indian or foreign, will be viable only if the door to defence exports is opened, with a transparent policy.  Promoting indigenous research and development through tax incentives To give private industry a level playing field for developing defence technologies, conflicts of interest, created by the role of DRDO as the government’s sole adviser, developer and evaluator of technologies have to be addressed. Conclusion Of the key components of any major reform — money, method and mindset — mindset is the most critical and the most needed to bring transformation in any sector. Connecting the dots: Do you think CDS brings structural changes in army? Challenges in India’s defence trade ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE/ HEALTH Topic: General Studies 2,3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources  Government policies and interventions for development in Health sectors  COVID-19: An opportunity to Biomedical Industry Context: As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks economy, there is enhanced focus on health & biomedical sector, where every country is trying to strengthen its indigenous capacity. Did You Know? In India, presently, a third of all authorised testing labs are concentrated in three states US is aiming for a million daily tests. Germany already has walk-in test centres. Why universal testing is necessary? To contain pandemic: The virus currently has no effective treatment and a safe vaccine is possibly a year away, thus testing is needed to contain the pandemic To restart Economy: The main driver of increased COVID testing globally is the need to make people safe so that they begin to engage in market activities.  To attract investment: Global investment destinations will be influenced by the relative reputation of national testing protocols. Moreover, recovery from infection doesn’t guarantee immunity from future infection. Hence the necessity of multiple and regular testing of workers is needed to protect workplaces Scope for Biomedical Industry to expand Potential for Testing industry: If one only targets urban workers in India, there will be a testing pool of approximately 200 million people. Decentralisation: In India, the number of labs that can test for the virus needs to be increased to at least 2,000 with each lab having the capacity to test 5,000 samples a day. Also, labs need to be spread across country to ensure timely results. Scope for Biomedical R&D: India needs to incentivise its universities, research laboratories and biomedical supply chains to develop cheaper and faster testing methods Employment benefits: Massive testing requires hiring of testers, transporters and contact tracers thus increasing labour demand leading to job opportunities Export Potential: Massive testing will likely be a worldwide phenomenon over the next year or two. Consequently, world demand for testing kits will explode.  MSME boost: Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) can be manufactured by MSMEs at a much cheaper cost provided they are provided adequate governmental support  Complements India’s pharmaceutical Sector: India is already a leading player in global pharmaceutical market. Enhanced strength in biomedical field will make India a strong player in overall Health Sector Conclusion The pandemic could do for the biomedical industry what the Y2K scare did for the Indian IT sector. India needs to give an unambiguous signal to its entrepreneurs about the centrality of this mission Connecting the dots: Medical devices parks in India Generic Medicines and India’s provision of compulsory licensing (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 Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh often seen in news is a disputed territory between India and which other country? Sri Lanka Bhutan Nepal China Q.2) Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was set up on the recommendation of: Santhanam Committee Administrative Reforms Commission of India Gorwala Report Ashok Mehta Committee Q.3) Consider the following statements about CVC and CBI: Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) was established by an executive resolution of the Central government. CVC establishment was recommended by the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was set up by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The establishment of the CBI was recommended by the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption. Which of the above given statements are correct? 1, 2 and 3 only 1 and 2 only 3 and 4 only All of the above Q.4) Consider the following statements about The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)  It assists UN in interrelated issues of illicit trafficking in and abuse of drugs It was established in 1997 and is a member of G-20 Which of the above given statements are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 20th May 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 D 3 A Must Read About safety in workplaces: The Hindu About China’s preparedness in post-COVID world: The Hindu About Social Security for Women: The Indian Express

May 21, 2020 Important Articles

NEW INITIATIVE: Prelims 2020: Babagiri-The Game Show (Season 1 Episode 1)

Hello Everyone, We are pleased to announce a new initiative- BABAGIRI: THE GAME SHOW! The idea behind this program is to make your learning fun and captivating experience at the same time. Through these videos, you will be able to learn so many new things and value addition to your preparation. We wish to cover relevant and most important concepts for upcoming Prelims 2020 through this initiative. You will have a lot of value additions in these episodes.  Hope, you find it useful :) IASbaba

May 21, 2020 AIR

Details of Economic Package announced - All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC

ARCHIVES Details of Economic Package announced Search 17th May, 2020 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx  Topic:  General Studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health General Studies 3 Economic crisis during COVID-19 In News: PM Modi announced Lockdown 4.0 but with a promise of a substantial reduction in restrictions and a whopping Rs 20 lakh crore fiscal package to be announced in a phased manner. The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan economic package is worth Rs 20 lakh crore, which is around 10% of India’s GDP in the 2019-20 financial year. The uncertainty With a nationwide lockdown for the better part of April and May, the total quantum of economic activity in the country — measured by the monetary value of all goods and services produced — has sharply curtailed. Given an uncertain future for the rest of the year, most observers estimate that the Indian economy will contract. That is, it will produce less in 2020-21 than it did in 2019-20. This means the Gross Value Added (GVA is a proxy for the income earned) across sectors — agriculture, industry and services — will fall. As incomes fall, three things will happen. Individuals (like you and me) will cut down their expenditure. In particular, all discretionary expenditure — be it an additional pack of cigarettes or a new car or a house — will come down sharply. Seeing overall demand fall, businesses, which were already not investing, will likely postpone their investments further. The government revenues will take a massive hit. This means that if the government wants to maintain its level of fiscal deficit (the gap between what it earns as revenues and what it spends), it will have to cut its overall expenditure this year. These three types of “expenditures” — by individuals, businesses and government — essentially make up the GDP of India. There is a fourth component called net exports (that is, the net of exports and imports), but with the global demand plummeting as well, this too is unlikely to help matters. Why is there discontent? The government doesn’t seem to be raising its total expenditure — at least not by the quantum required to arrest the sharp decline in GDP. According to an assessment by Prof N R Bhanumurthy of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) and published by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), the way things are going, India’s GVA will contract by a whopping 13% this year under the Base case scenario (see Table 1). The Base case scenario refers to a scenario where governments (both Centre and states) bring down their expenditure in line with their falling revenues to maintain their fiscal deficit target. To lift growth, the governments would have to spend more and counteract the natural downward spiral of the economy. But only if the government spends 3% of the GDP over and above what it promised to do in the Union Budget 2020-21, will the economic growth stay in the positive territory. Short of that, the Indian economy will contract. Of course, higher public spend will come at the cost of higher levels of fiscal deficits and higher inflation, but a growth contraction will come at the cost of widespread economic ruin, job losses and even deaths. Coronavirus changed all the calculations In Budget 2020-21, the Central government planned to spend Rs 30,42,230 crore in the current year. The shortfall on the revenue side would be financed by borrowing Rs 7,96,337 crore. This was the budgeted fiscal deficit, equivalent to 3.5 per cent of GDP.  It was evident that the Government had to borrow more. The government accepted that it will borrow an additional amount of Rs 4.2 lakh crore taking the total borrowing to about Rs 12 lakh crore. The fiscal deficit (assuming no change in the estimate of GDP) would be 5.3 per cent. Cuts that is required: There is no clarity whether the government will make cuts in other items of expenditure. The cuts announced so far will save the government Rs 41,490 crore and will be available for Covid-19-related expenditure. That expenditure will only restore the original level of expenditure and, therefore, will not amount to a fiscal stimulus. Gap-filling: Additional borrowing would be a fiscal stimulus only if it was used to provide cash and other forms of support to the poorest families at the bottom half of the population and to re-start the completely stalled economy. The additional amount of Rs 4.2 lakh crore will be used for ‘gap filling’. The government expects to take a big hit on estimated tax revenues and proceeds of disinvestment. If the ‘gap’ has been estimated at about Rs 4.2 lakh crore, the additional borrowing will fill that ‘gap’. This is unavoidable, but the amount of Rs 4.2 lakh crore certainly cannot be counted as a fiscal stimulus. Details – Special economic and comprehensive package of Rs 20 lakh Crore A clarion call for आत्मनिर्भर भारत अभियान or Self-Reliant India Movement was given; Outlined five pillars of Aatmanirbhar Bharat –  Economy Infrastructure System Vibrant Demography Demand Free food grains supply to migrants for 2 months For the migrant labour, additional food grain to all the States/UTs at the rate of 5 kg per migrant labourer and 1 kg Chana per family per month for two months i.e. May and June, 2020 free of cost shall be allocated.  Migrant labourers not covered under National Food Security Act or without a ration card in the State/UT in which they are stranded at present will be eligible. States/UTs shall be advised to put a mechanism for targeted distribution as envisaged in the scheme.  8 Lakh MT of food-grain and 50,000 MT of Chana shall be allocated. The entire outlay of Rs. 3500 crore will be borne by Government of India. Technology system to be used enabling Migrants to access PDS (Ration) from any Fair Price Shops in India by March, 2021-One Nation one Ration Card Pilot scheme for portability of ration cards will be extended to 23 states. By that, 67 crore beneficiaries covering 83% of PDS population will be covered by National portability of Ration cards by August, 2020. 100% National portability will be achieved by March, 2021.  This is part of PM’s Technology Driven System Reforms This scheme will enable a migrant worker and their family members to access PDS benefits from any Fair Price Shop in the country. This will ensure that the people in transit, especially migrant workers can also get the benefit of PDS benefit across the country. Scheme for Affordable Rental Housing Complexes for Migrant Workers and Urban Poor to be launched Central Government will launch a scheme for migrant workers and urban poor to provide ease of living at affordable rent.  Affordable Rental Housing Complexes will provide social security and quality life to migrant labour, urban poor, and students etc. This will be done through converting government funded houses in the cities into Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) under PPP mode through concessionaire; manufacturing units, industries, institutions, associations to develop Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) on their private land and operate; and Incentivizing  State Govt agencies/Central Government Organizations on similar lines to develop Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) and operate.  2% Interest Subvention for 12 months for Shishu MUDRA loanees- Relief of Rs. 1,500 crore The current portfolio of MUDRA Shishu loans is around Rs 1.62 Lakh crore. This will provide relief of about Rs 1,500 crore to Shishu MUDRA loanee. Rs 5,000 crore Credit facility for Street Vendors A special scheme will be launched within a month to facilitate easy access to credit to Street vendors, who are amongst the most adversely impacted by the present situation for enabling them to restart their businesses.  Under this scheme, bank credit facility for initial working capital up to Rs. 10,000 for each enterprise will be extended. This scheme will cover urban as well as rural vendors doing business in the adjoining urban areas. Use of digital payments and timely repayments will be incentivized through monetary rewards.  It is expected that 50 lakh street vendors will be benefitted under this scheme and credit of Rs. 5,000 crore would flow to them.  Rs 70,000 crore boost to housing sector and middle income group through extension of  Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme for MIG under PMAY(Urban) The Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme for Middle Income Group (annual Income between Rs 6 and 18 lakhs) will be extended up to March 2021. This will benefit 2.5 lakhs middle income families during 2020-21 and will lead to investment of over Rs 70,000 crore in housing sector.  This will create significant number of jobs by giving boost to Housing sector and will stimulate demand for steel, cement, transport and other construction materials. Rs 6,000 crore for Creating employment using CAMPA funds Approximately Rs 6,000 crore of funds under Compensatory Afforestation Management & Planning Authority (CAMPA) will be used for Afforestation and Plantation works, including in urban areas, Artificial regeneration, assisted natural regeneration, Forest management, soil & moisture conservation works, Forest protection, forest and wildlife related infrastructure development, wildlife protection and management etc.  Government of India will grant immediate approval to these plans amounting to Rs 6000 crore. This will create job opportunities in urban, semi-urban and rural areas and also for Tribals (Adivashis). Rs 30,000 crore Additional Emergency Working Capital for farmers through NABARD NABARD will extend additional re-finance support of Rs 30,000 crore for meeting crop loan requirement of Rural Cooperative Banks and RRBs. This refinance will be front-loaded and available on tap.  This is over and above Rs 90,000 crore that will be provided by NABARD to this sector in the normal course. This will benefit around 3 crore farmers, mostly small and marginal and it will meet their post-harvest Rabi and current Kharif requirements. Rs 2 lakh crore credit boost to 2.5 crore farmers  under Kisan Credit Card Scheme A special drive to provide concessional credit to PM-KISAN beneficiaries through Kisan Credit Cards. Fisherman and Animal Husbandy Farmers will also be included in this drive. This will inject additional liquidity of  Rs 2 lakh crore in the farm sector. 2.5 crore farmers will be covered. Source: Click here  Connecting the Dots: Additional borrowing is the key to fiscal stimulus. Explain. The key to the dramatic turnaround in the global financial crisis of 2008 was the fiscal risk. Discuss.  Essay: COVID-19 is the acid test for our political leadership 

May 21, 2020 RSTV Video

Changing Labour and Tax Laws – The Big Picture – RSTV IAS UPSC

Changing Labour and Tax Laws Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Labour reforms In News: The information technology industry has approached the central government ministries to flesh out changes to taxation and labour laws in line with the work-from-home model. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the economy in more ways than one, including the way in which business and life as we know it is conducted. In an effort to stay buoyant, every organization has enabled a wealth of mitigatory measures including adopting the virtual approach in the least disruptive manner. While the coronavirus pandemic forced offices to migrate to WFH, many are expected to continue this even once a solution for the current health crisis emerges.  At least 4.3 million IT workers or half the sector’s workforce would WFH permanently, according to estimates. Industry body Nasscom has been tasked with preparing a detailed report, after which it will go to relevant ministries such as department of telecom and the labour ministry for action. The government categorised the IT industry as essential services and permitted exemptions similar to those granted to units in SEZs and STPIs by the department of telecom.  The successful transition is now prompting large-scale shifts in work models across the industry, with India’s largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) looking at 75% of its workforce working remotely by 2025. The Industry’s Perspective The industry has also requested the government to make permanent several recent concessions extended until July, including relaxation of telecom regulations that allow back-office companies to work from home and move equipment out from designated special economic zones to facilitate remote working. Some of the labour laws may not cater to a work-from-home environment, so (we) need to start looking through a fresh lens Labour laws should be amended in a way to safeguard employees while also providing flexibility to employers. Once work from home is enabled at a large scale, people may want to work for only a certain number of hours a day, as opposed to the norm of 8 hours a day; this could benefit women, university students and handicapped greatly As working from home catches up, people could work for two or even three companies at the same time. So, the government will need to let employers and workers choose NPS (National Pension Scheme) instead of EPFO as a social security scheme, as in NPS a worker can be an employee today and a gig worker tomorrow Current labour laws will need to be revisited to provide industry the flexibility to enable working hours and shift timings.  The role of employer with respect to safety and health measures at the workplace will require a rethink as the home becomes the new workplace. Most organisations will break away from large campuses to distributed centres. Work from home doesn’t mean work from home forever. There will be a Friday meeting, etc. But instead of my campus being 10,000 people in one place, it can be 500 people in a smaller town. Source: Click here Experts are of the view that a shift to a WFH model delivers gains to both the industry and to society as metros are decongested with lower migration from tier II and III cities that could lead to reduced carbon footprint. The Challenges Workspace: As the home environment is not designed to be the replica of the work environment, there are unique challenges in terms of identifying a workstation or conducting work without distractions.  Productivity: Productivity and focus are far more challenging for employees who are staying in small paying guest or co-living developments owing to the complexities of the shared space. The belongingness: The office environment is one that will also nurture a shared sense of purpose and camaraderie for employees, thereby having a positive impact on productivity. Although Work from Home offers relief from commute, businesses can be more efficiently run in a demarcated office setup. This will enable the CRE fraternity to find a bridge between the workspace and the work-from-home space. The demarcated office setup can help improve talent management and the collaborative work experience among other concerns. Data: Data security, during Covid-19 poses a major concern as people working from home are exposed to social engineering and phishing risks and are more likely to use potentially vulnerable services, thus jeopardising the integrity of both the individual and the organization. Data confidentiality is another impeding factor as many firms have client-related restrictions to avail work from home. Mental Health: Research reveals that prolonged duration of working remotely without socializing can adversely impact the mental wellbeing of employees. A framework needs to be developed wherein employees are amply supported such to incorporate physical activity, meditation and creative activities in the interest of wellness Fostering Innovation: With the pace of business changing the way it has, organizations are focused on reinventing themselves continuously. In the workplace, we typically have greater access to technology, interactions with our fellow colleagues, subordinates and a stronger cultural connection—all of which make innovation easier and drive the business forward. Connecting the Dots: Can work from home be the new normal for India? Comment. Discuss the challenges associated with the work-from-home model.

May 20, 2020 60 DAYS PROGRAMME-PRELIMS 2020

IASbaba's ALL INDIA PRELIMS TEST SERIES (AIPTS) and AIPTS+ (Prelims Test Series with Video Discussions) 2021-ENGLISH and HINDI (हिंदी) Admission Open!

Hello Friends,   IASbaba is known for its quality coverage and it is a testimony that we have been able to HIT the bull’s eye in Prelims and Mains both over the period of the last 5 years. The closeness and exact repetition of Questions from our Tests needs no mention. This is acknowledged by many Toppers every year. Well, apart from the fact that many toppers have recommended IASbaba for our quality, the overall results are a testimony of our meticulous planning and dedication towards students. We try to match the standards set by UPSC in our test series by keeping the questions of mixed difficulty level i.e. easy, moderate, difficult, and very difficult. The overall level of the test is kept a notch higher than UPSC so that students of IASbaba can have an edge and can handle uncertainty much better than the rest. If you are able to maintain a good rank in the IASbaba test series, surely you’ll find the actual paper like a stroll in a park. As you all know, in recent times the importance of Current Affairs has increased. Keeping this in mind a Current affairs test is kept every 15th day. This test series caters to both category aspirants – Fresher’s who have just started their preparation and Veterans who have attempted UPSC Prelims before. If there is one thing that separates a person who qualifies the exam and a person who does not is DISCIPLINE!!  The plan has been designed to bring discipline in your preparation and keep it streamlined. You keep walking this path, and it will take you to your goal. “The Difference Between Ordinary and Extraordinary is Practice.. IASbaba’s AIPTS provides you that Perfect Practice Road-Map to reach your Goal !!” CHECK THE QUALITY OF IASbaba’s AIPTS HERE AIPTS - English Question Paper AIPTS - HINDI (हिंदी) Question Paper AIPTS - English Solution AIPTS - HINDI (हिंदी) Solution Hitting the bull’s eye year after year: IASbaba’s journey so far In the last four years, ILP has been bang on target with a hit ratio of more than 65%, a figure remarkably high keeping in mind the unpredictable nature of UPSC. With a knack of getting it right ILP has become a reliable name: Please Note: If you have joined ILP-2021, you don’t have to enroll for AIPTS separately. AIPTS is one of the important features of the ILP Program. ALL INDIA PRELIMS TEST SERIES (AIPTS) – 2021 IMPORTANT FEATURES: 1. ONLINE All India Prelims Test Series (AIPTS) – 2021 is available BOTH in ENGLISH and HINDI (हिंदी). 2. TOTAL NO. OF TESTS = 62 TESTS 3. 52 General Studies (Paper 1) Tests + 10 CSAT (Paper 2) Tests. Out of 62 Tests, 42 tests (32 GS + 10 CSAT) are full length (100 Questions) & 20 Current Affairs Tests with 50 Questions per Test. 4. FREQUENCY OF THE TEST: The Tests on Core Subjects are held every 10 Days and Current Affairs Tests are held every 15 days. 5. STANDARD/QUALITY OF THE TESTS: Questions are graded. easy, moderate, difficult and very difficult. The overall level of the test is kept a notch higher than UPSC so that students of IASbaba can have an edge and can handle uncertainty much better than the rest. 6. CSAT TESTS-10 FULL MOCKS – Given the recent trend, one should not take CSAT lightly. We have meticulously analysed the previous CSAT papers from 2013-2019. Based on that, we have carefully crafted the CSAT papers as per the standard’s, difficulty level and pattern followed by UPSC. 7. DETAILED SOLUTIONS will be provided after each test. The Detailed Solution will also incorporate Techniques to Decipher the Correct Answer (Elimination Technique). The solution document is made very exhaustive and revision friendly at the same time. PDFs of questions and solutions will be sent to registered email ID. It can also be downloaded after taking the tests online. The Detailed Solution itself will act as a Source of learning and Revision. 8. DOUBTS RESOLUTION PAGE- We have a comment section for every question in a Test. So this gives you a scope to clear your doubts which are question-specific. All your doubts will be resolved by IASbaba’s team within 48 hours (maximum). 9. ALL INDIA RANKING – the scores and ranks will be displayed after every test. You can clearly monitor your progress in a continuous manner and get to know where you stand. Since our subscriber base is huge, you will not only get to know the real competition, but will also bring in seriousness and discipline in your preparation. It will keep you on your toes and make you walk the extra-mile’ which is very much important in the journey of UPSC. 10. DETAILED ASSESSMENT OF YOUR PERFORMANCE- For you to analyse your performance we provide 2 tools – Time Analytics and Subject-wise Analytics. As time management is one of the most important factor on the D-Day of the exam. Time Analytics will help you in gauging your efficiency per question. Here, you will be able to know the time you have spent on an individual question, the average time taken by all your peers, and time taken by the topper to solve the same question. This analytics becomes extremely important in both GS and CSAT papers as we believe if you are not able to go through all the questions in the given 2 hours, then it’s a crime! This will also help you in knowing how much time you should spend on the difficult questions, so that you don’t miss out on solving the easier ones. Subject-wise Analytics will help you introspect your strengths and weaknesses in a particular subject. It also helps you in giving more clarity and knowing your subjects better. Based on that, you can work on your weakness and gain more confidence in subjects of your interest. Overall, both the tools will aid you in analysing yourself better interms of the subject and time factor which are two most important factors in cracking UPSC Prelims. ALL INDIA PRELIMS TEST SERIES+ (AIPTS+) 2021 It includes ALL THE FEATURES OF AIPTS (62 Tests) Additionally, each Prelims test (GS & CSAT) will be followed by Discussion classes of that particular test. The video discussion will be uploaded on the test platform. You can view the discussions any number of times till the day of the UPSC Prelims 2021 Exam. PLEASE NOTE: The Video Discussions will be available BOTH in ENGLISH and HINDI (हिंदी).! HOW THE PRELIMS TEST SERIES HAS BEEN DESIGNED/STRUCTURED & HOW TO USE IT EFFECTIVELY? PART – A: The Tests are designed such that, you will be prepared to face any kind of question in real-time. The Daily targets/sub-topics that are mentioned in the course plan/schedule are carefully designed considering the learning capacity of students in a day. Adequate time has been given for revision and consolidation. A few thought-provoking previous year’s questions of UPSC will also be covered as UPSC as a knack of picking up concepts covered in previous year question papers of exams conducted by UPSC. As many Toppers have suggested you MUST strictly adhere to the course plan. If you are following it sincerely, you will be able to streamline your preparation, bring disciple in your studies, and be well-prepared for the D-DAY of the Exam! You will cover the syllabus well on time! By Jan end, you can cover all the core subjects. February and March can be used for solving full-length revision tests (revision time) along with starting your CSAT preparation. Then focus on some grey areas like budget, economic survey, map-based questions, and government schemes. Finally, in the last phase, we will condition you to the actual format of UPSC, wherein you get to solve a mix of all the core subjects and Current Affairs along with CSAT Papers. PART – B: With increasing IMPORTANCE OF CURRENT AFFAIRS (CA) in the exam, we have Current Affairs Test held every 15 days (50 MCQ’s). These 20 Separate CA Tests will help you in quick revision and consolidation. Current Affairs also overlaps with many concepts and topics of core subjects, which will be given due importance in the test series. Example: National Parks, Biosphere Reserves, Summits, Reports, Indexes, Personalities, Important Events, Latest Technologies in news etc. will be covered. PART – C: The FIRST MODULE (July 2020- Jan 2021) – 34 Tests will focus on covering all the CORE SUBJECTS – Polity, History, Economics, Geography, Environment, Science and Technology along with Current Affairs. The SECOND MODULE – REVISION TESTS (Feb 2021- 15th March 2021)- This module focuses on Subject-wise Full-length Tests intended to make the candidates revise the previously covered topics of every core subject. The THIRD MODULE – SPECIAL FOCUS There are some specific topics which are very important from the exam point of view. Atleast 8-10 questions are from these topics every year in UPSC. These include Budget, Economic Survey, Government Schemes, Map-Based Questions based on geography, events, important locations and places in news. The FORTH MODULE – FULL MOCK TESTS. This phase we call it as ‘Art of Being Prepared’. Now that you have equipped yourself with all the ingredients necessary for the UPSC Prelims Exam in Modules 1, 2, 3; the final touches, polishing and last round of revision is required. In this module, we will condition you to the actual format of UPSC, wherein you get to solve a mix of all the core subjects and Current Affairs. By the end of this module not only will you be confident but also be ready to take up any surprises on the D-Day of the exam! PLEASE NOTE: There is no fixed time to take the test. It’s flexible! You can join the PRELIMS TEST SERIES- 2021, There is no deadline! INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING PRELIMS TEST For each test, there will be THREE attempts. Ranks will be calculated based on the very first attempt. Tests will be uploaded on the respective dates as mentioned in the plan. The validity of the tests is from JULY 2020 to June 2021 (or till the day of Prelims 2021, whichever is earlier) You have to take tests/download PDFs between the given period only. In no case, there will be any assistance from our side after the expiry of the program. ILP ONLINE 2021 students need not join ALL INDIA PRELIMS TEST SERIES (AIPTS)-2021 separately, as it already included in the ILP 2021 program.  NOTE: Test Platform will be Activated 1 week before the first test i.e., Activation of Test Platform is on 3rd of July 2020. First Test Date- 10th July 2020 for BOTH English and Hindi Medium. AIPTS 2021- Detailed Course Plan Document and Topic Listing for Prelims AIPTS-2021 SCHEDULE/PLAN TOPIC LISTING FOR PRELIMS FEE DETAILS The pricing remains the SAME, both for English & Hindi (हिंदी) Medium! AIPTS Price: Rs.5,999 + 18 % (GST) = Rs.7,080/- Make Payment - English Make Payment - (हिंदी) AIPTS Plus Price: Rs.7,999 + 18 % (GST) = Rs.9,440/- Make Payment - English Make Payment - (हिंदी) PLEASE NOTE: OFFLINE PAYMENT DETAILS - Please mail us the acknowledgment at ilp@iasbaba.com if making offline payment.  Bank details BANK Name CANARA BANK BANK BRANCH BANGALORE KLE SOCIETY ACCOUNT NAME IASBABA ACCOUNT NUMBER 8418201003836 IFSC CODE CNRB0008418 ACCOUNT TYPE CURRENT ACCOUNT AFTER MAKING PAYMENT ONLINE You will receive a Receipt/Mail with Login Details. Do not worry it may take 2-3 hours time since it is automated. You can always mail for any technical issue on given email ID (below) You will be able to login to your AIPTS account ONLY when the test platform is activated. The platform will be activated one week before the start of the Program. The Program will start on 10th July, 2020. Go through the AIPTS 2021 Detailed Course Plan/Schedule Document and Topic Listing Document. Please Note: If you have joined ILP-2021, you don’t have to enroll for AIPTS separately. AIPTS is one of the important features of the ILP Program. To Know More about ILP Basic, ILP+, ILP Connect, ILP Connect+ -> CLICK HERE FOR ANY QUERIES (Related to ILP/AIPTS): You can reach us on Email id: ilp@iasbaba.com Mobile No: 9035077800/9986193413 (Please call between 10 am – 6 pm ONLY) Office Address: BANGALORE CENTRE: IASbaba’s TLP Centre 2- No. 1443/1444, 2nd Floor, Above Carzspa, Ganapati Circle, Chandra Layout, Vijaynagar, Bangalore 560040. DELHI CENTRE: IASBABA, 5B, Pusa Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi – 110005. Landmark: Just 50m from Karol Bagh Metro Station, GATE No. 8 (Next to Croma Store) All the Best IASbaba Team

May 20, 2020 Important Articles

UPSC PRESS RELEASE : UPSC Civil Services (PRELIMS) Examination 2020 -Revised Schedule of the Examination to be updated on June 5, 2020

This is an OFFICAL ANNOUNCEMENT made by UPSC. Revised Programme of Examinations/Recruitment Tests (RTs)-2020 [including the date of the Civil Services (Prel.) Examination-2020] will be uploaded on 05.06.2020 after assessing the situation.   UPSC_PRESS_RELEASE - UPSC Prelims Exam 2020 - DOWNLOAD   UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION DHOLPUR HOUSE, SHAHJAHAN ROAD, NEW DELHI-110069 PRESS RELEASE MAY 20, 2020 The Commission held a special meeting on May 20, 2020 to review the situation after the third phase of the nation-wide restrictions, due to COVID-19. Taking notice of the extension of several restrictions, the Commission decided that it will not be possible to resume examinations and interviews, for the present. The Commission, however, took note of the progressive relaxations being announced by the Central Government and various States and has decided to review the situation once more, after the fourth period of lockdown. With a view to giving some clarity to candidates of various examinations and interviews, which have been deferred over the last two months, the Commission will issue a revised schedule of examinations in its next meeting to be held on June 5, 2020. Details of the new calendar of examinations will be published on the UPSC website, after the Commission’s meeting on June 5, 2020.   ********   But we would advice students to keep going, to stay focused. We will be with you! We will keep you engaged. We will be re-starting the program's like 60 Day plan, Daily Quiz, and other initiatives in a few days.   P.S: People from Odhisa and West Bengal should stay safe as Cyclone Amphan is hitting the East Coast.  

May 20, 2020 Important Articles

OFFICIAL UPDATE: Revised Programme Date of UPSC Civil Services (PRELIMS) Examination 2020 will be updated on 05.06.2020

Official Update from UPSC- Revised Programme of Examinations/Recruitment Tests (RTs)-2020 [including the date of the Civil Services (Prel.) Examination-2020] will be uploaded on 05.06.2020 after assessing the situation.   But we would advice students to keep going, to stay focused. We will be with you! We will keep you engaged. We will be re-starting the program's like 60 Day plan, Daily Quiz, and other initiatives in a few days.   P.S: People from Odhisa and West Bengal should stay safe as Cyclone Amphan is hitting the East Coast.  

May 20, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th MAY 2020

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th May 2020 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Initiatives to boost Education Sector announced  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Education; Governance In News: Recently, we had discussed reforms in the education sector.  Several other initiatives to boost the education sector were also announced by the Union Finance Minister.  Key takeaways: Manodarpan initiative: It would provide psychosocial support to students, teachers and families for mental health and emotional wellbeing through a website, a toll-free helpline.  A new National Curriculum and Pedagogical Framework for school education, teacher education and early childhood stage shall be prepared to prepare students and future teachers as per global benchmarks.  A National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission will be launched. This will ensure that every child in the country necessarily attains literacy and numeracy of foundation level.  The learning needs of nearly 4 crore children will be covered through this mission in the age group of 3 to 11 years.  Scientists conserve the germplasm of Pinanga Andamanensis  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment In News: The scientists at Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram, 2019 are conserving the germplasm (genetic material of germ cells) of  Pinanga Andamanensis.  This would ensure its continued survival of its original home gets wiped out by a natural calamity. Important value additions  Pinanga Andamanensis It is a critically endangered species.  It is one of the least known among the endemic palms of the Andaman Islands. Its entire population consists of some 600 specimens only.  It naturally occurs only in a tiny, evergreen forest pocket in South Andaman’s Mount Harriet National Park. This elegant palm can be used as an avenue tree for gardens, pavements and homesteads. Image source: The Hindu  J&K Grant of Domicile Certificate Procedure Rules, 2020 notified Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Polity In News: The J&K administration has recently notified the J&K Grant of Domicile Certificate Procedure Rules, 2020.  It also set a fast-track process in motion to issue the certificates within a stipulated time of 15 days. Key takeaways: Eligible non-locals can also apply for the certificate. Domicile certificates were also made a basic eligibility condition for appointment to any post under the Union Territory of J&K.  Any officer not able to issue the certificate would be penalised ₹50,000. The amount would be recovered from his salary. Kashmiri migrants living in or outside J&K can get domicile certificates by producing their Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC), ration card copy, voter card or any other valid document. Bonafide migrants can apply with the Relief and Rehabilitation department by providing documents like electoral rolls of 1988, proof of registration as a migrant in any State in the country or any other valid document.  Less Invasive Surfactant Administration (LISA) Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Health In News: Less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) is a recent medical technique which started at J.K. Lon Government Children’s Hospital in Jaipur.  This technique is used for treatment of lung disease or respiratory distress syndrome among premature babies. Key takeaways: It is developed as a lung protective strategy for respiratory management and ventilation.  It has been observed that mechanical ventilation causes damage to the preterm lungs of newborns. Infants who are showing evidence of increasing respiratory distress and rising oxygen requirement are provided with LISA.  The procedure has yielded encouraging results when it was started initially for newborn children with the birth weight of less than 1,500 grams. The regular application of LISA would help save the lives of premature babies.  Miscellaneous  SwasthVayu CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bengaluru, has developed a BiPAP Non Invasive Ventilator “SwasthVayu” for COVID -19. CSIR-NAL is a constituent of lab of CSIR. The ventilator is a microcontroller-based precise closed-loop adaptive control system with a built-in biocompatible 3D printed manifold & coupler with HEPA filter (Highly Efficient Particulate Air Filter). The portable ventilator was developed in a record 36 days.  Mission Sagar  Indian Naval Ship Kesari recently departed for Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros, to provide food items, COVID related Medicines as part of the Government of India outreach programme.  This deployment, being called as ‘Mission Sagar’, is in line with the Prime Minister's vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region ‘SAGAR.’ Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser (DRUVS) It is an automated contactless UVC sanitisation cabinet developed by Hyderabad based Research Centre Imarat (RCI), a DRDO lab.  It can be used to sanitise mobile phones, iPads, laptops, currency notes, passbooks, envelopes, etc. It provides 360 degree exposure of UVC to the objects placed inside the cabinet.  The RCI has also developed an automated UVC currency sanitising device, called NOTESCLEAN. Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi Road Tunnel  The government has cleared the construction of a ₹658 crore two-lane tunnel road in the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi corridor that would run parallel to the landslip-prone Thamarassery pass that links Kozhikode to Wayanad. (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE/ ENVIRONMENT Topic: General Studies 2 &3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors Reviving the automobile sector Context: In the post-Covid world, electric vehicles will be key not only to breathing new life into the automotive sector but also to decarbonising it Did You Know? By 2050, every second car produced globally would be electrically powered.  Research by Deloitte Global Automotive shows that over 50% of the consumers are still unclear about the safety of the battery and the availability of adequate charging stations leading to slower adoption of E-vehicles Problems of Indian Automobile Sector  In pre-COVID times Declining consumer demand Difficulty in transitioning into BS-VI technology Extinguishing inventories of left-over BS-IV vehicles Credit crunch in the NBFC sector In Post-COVID times Challenges of dealing with a completely new environment – rising protectionism and decline in international trade Decreased purchasing power of consumers Disruption in manufacturing capabilities Issues with inventory management and labour shortages Need for emergency response mechanisms in the backdrop of disrupted global supply chain India and E-Vehicles Strong growth: The EV industry in India managed to post a decent 20% increase in sales in FY20 compared to FY19 Policy Push by government for e-vehicles: The GST council reduced the rates from 12% to 5% for vehicles, and from 18% to 5% for vehicle chargers.  Push by State governments to adopt e-vehicles For ex: Kerala government has instructed all its departments to purchase only e-vehicles from the next financial year. Dedicated schemes like FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) have incentivised local manufacturing and the growth of domestic technology. Electric Vehicles – Prospects in Post-COVID times Personal mobility is going to pick up again post-Covid, as people would avoid mass transport thus giving boost to e-vehicles Driver of growth: In Post-COVID times, fastest growth for automotive sector would come from the e-rickshaws segment that plugs last-mile connectivity. India’s Demographic advantage: Surveys point that younger consumers, particularly females, are more willing to invest in EVs than older generation.  Environmental friendly: Increased environmental awareness among public, especially after COVID crisis, could lead to increased adoption for e-vehicles Way Ahead There should be a further policy push for a visible shift towards increased EV adoption Banks should devise innovative credit schemes to push for such a shift. The government should focus on augmenting the charging infrastructure  Governments should also have in place a scrappage policy that drives new-vehicle sale. Existing automobile companies should make e-vehicles more affordable and maintenance easier, with quick availability of parts (no dependence on import) Conclusion EVs are the only way to decarbonise the transport sector and achieve India’s ambitious target of complete green mobility by 2030. Connecting the dots: EV Batteries – dependence on China for supply of Lithium Challenges with regard to air transport in Post-COVID times ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2,3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors  Financing the Stimulus: Privatization Context: As the government announced COVID relief & stimuli package equivalent to nearly 10% of India’s GDP, there are questions regarding the means to finance it Overall Stimulus provided by Atmanirbhar Bharat Package is as follows: Sectors (Rs. Cr.) Part 1  Support for MSME, EPF, Liquidity scheme for NBFC/HFC/MFI, DISCOMs 5,94,550 Part 2 Foodgrain for Migrants, Interest subvention for MUDRA loans, Support to Street Vendors, NABARD, KCC 3,10,000 Part 3 Food Micro Enterprises, PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, Agri Infrastructure fund, Animal Husbandry etc. 1,50,000 Part 4 and 5 Viability Gap funding, MGNREGA funding 48,100 Sub-Total 11,02,650 Earlier Measures incl PMGKY 1,92,800 RBI Measures (Actual)  8,01,603 GRAND TOTAL 20,97,053 Can government find the money through increase in fuel tax? Government has already increased the excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre in March, hence the space for further increase is less Also, such a move would contradict the very idea of a relief and stimulus package. This is because an increase in the fuel price would affect purchasing power especially that of poor Can government fund the package through borrowings? The rupee is at its lowest level compared to the US dollar and any borrowings will make it harder for the government to pay back its debt Since external borrowings must be paid back in borrowed currency, exports and foreign reserves are generally the only two reliable options to pay back debt. However, with inevitable global slowdown there will be consequent drop in exports which impacts India’s debt repaying ability More overseas borrowing, combined with the industry’s high debt status, could lead to rating agencies downgrading India’s investment ratings On the positive side, India’s foreign reserves stand at an all-time high which could be strategically used to finance its needs Privatization as a route to finance the relief package Governments across the world are resorting to privatisation to fill budgetary gaps According to India’s new Public Sector Enterprises Policy (PSEP), a list of strategic sectors will be notified where there will be no more than four PSUs Before the COVID-19 crisis, the government needed the privatisation money partly because its revenue (from GST among other things) was declining Today, the government needs this money to fund the relief package without excessively crossing the fiscal limits Government is planning the privatization of BPCL, Shipping Corporation of India, Container Corporation of India, THDC, NEEPCO and Air India among other PSUs Challenges with regard to Privatization Revenue from privatisation is a one-off benefit  Generally, only profit-making PSUs are sold at a good price. Successful privatisation requires a prospective buyer. In the present slowdown times, Industrialists are facing problems running their own business Excessive political interference with the private sector makes owning an ex-government entity even riskier thus discouraging participation in privatization process A handful of Indian capitalists who are capable of buying big PSUs leads to sectors of economy coming under the influence of quasi-monopolies Buying of PSUs by few Capitalists could also foster crony capitalism and may even result in the making of oligarchs. Conclusion Funding has to come from privatisation, taxation, loans and international aid. Connecting the dots: 1991 LPG reforms – Critical Analysis Investment Models  (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 With regard to the initiatives recently announced by the Union Finance Minister, consider the following statements: Manodarpan initiative would provide psychosocial support to students, teachers and families.  National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission will benefit students in the age group of 3 to 11 years. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2 Consider the following statements regarding Pinanga Andamanensis:  It is a vulnerable species.  It is found in a remote area of Nicobar Islands. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3 Less Invasive Surfactant Administration (LISA) is a recent medical technique, used for which of the following?  Infants who are showing evidence of increasing respiratory distress COVID-19 patients Pregnant HIV women Young diabetic patients ANSWERS FOR 20th May 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 A 3 A 4 C 5 B 6 D Must Read About changing nature of Chinese Diplomacy: The Hindu About need for social emphasis in medical education curricula: The Hindu About agricultural reforms: The Indian Express

May 20, 2020 Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent and Creativity

Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent & Creativity: POETRY & PAINTING by AKASH DEEP KUJUR

ARCHIVES Hello Friends, You must be aware of the term ‘catharsis’. It is the process of releasing and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions. Recently we have launched a new initiative by the name Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent & Creativity! Today's work is POETRY & PAINTING by AKASH DEEP KUJUR! Well done, Keep it up !!                                 Be creative and find your catharsis in whichever form of creativity you are comfortable with.  It could be anything- a song, a painting, a poem, a story, a dance performance, rangolis, jokes/humor, culinary skills, mimicry and whatnot. There is no limit to creativity. Just unleash and share it with everyone! Why don’t you share your moments of catharsis with us? UPSC is not only about academics but personality as well. And your personality is shaped by the creativity that you possess.   We encourage you to keep the comment section alive by sharing your talents and also by commenting and encouraging the talent of your peers. We are also going to be a regular visitor here and will keep on posting the creative works by our talented team members and staff. NOTE- You can also nominate by tagging anyone (if you know about the talent of your friend or anyone) 🙂 You can share your talent/creativity with us on support@iasbaba.com P.S: Kindly share it in a format that can be published on the website. We believe each one of you have some hidden talent. It’s time that you explore more about yourselves and remain positive throughout this journey. Make the best use of this opportunity! Thank You IASbaba