May 1, 2020 AIR

RBI new announcement to Boost Economy - All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC

ARCHIVES RBI new announcement to Boost Economy Search 17th April, 2020 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx  Topic: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues  Measures to revive the economy during COVID-19  crisis “…In the midst of death life persists, in the midst of untruth truth persists, in the midst of darkness light persists.”  – Mahatma Gandhi, during his famous Kingsley Hall, London address in October 1931 The International Monetary Fund has christened the ongoing economic crisis due to Covid-19 as “The Great Lockdown” and reckons it to be the worst recession that the world would have faced since the Great Depression that happened in the first half of the 20th Century. The total estimated loss to global economic growth is pegged at $9 trillion — more than three times India’s GDP. Earlier, the RBI had announced a flurry of measures essentially trying to do two things:  One, provide regulatory forbearance (that is, greater leniency) in recognising non-performing assets;  Two, it tried to boost the liquidity in the financial system so that businesses do not starve of funds. RBI’s additional measures are aimed to: Maintain adequate liquidity in the system and its constituents in the face of COVID-19 related dislocations Facilitate and incentivise bank credit flows Ease financial stress, and Enable the normal functioning of markets The Measures Liquidity Management 1) Targeted Long-Term Operations (TLTRO) 2.0:  A second set of targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO 2.0) for an initial aggregate amount of Rs. 50,000 crore will be conducted to facilitate funds flow to small and mid-sized corporates, including NBFCs and MFIs, who have been more severely impacted by the disruptions due to COVID-19.  The funds availed by banks under TLTRO 2.0 should be invested in investment grade bonds, commercial paper, and non-convertible debentures of non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), with at least 50 per cent of the total amount availed going to small and mid-sized NBFCs and micro finance institutions (MFIs). 2) Refinancing Facilities for All India Financial Institutions Special refinance facilities for a total amount of Rs. 50,000 crore will be provided to National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and the National Housing Bank (NHB) to enable them to meet sectoral credit needs. This will comprise Rs. 25,000 crore to NABARD for refinancing regional rural banks (RRBs), cooperative banks and micro finance institutions (MFIs); Rs. 15,000 crore to SIDBI for on-lending / refinancing; and Rs. 10,000 crore to NHB for supporting housing finance companies (HFCs). Advances under this facility will be charged at the RBI’s policy repo rate at the time of availment, in order to enable them to provide credit at rates affordable for their borrowers. 3) Reduction of Reverse Repo Rate under Liquidity Adjustment Facility Reverse repo rate has been reduced by 25 basis points from 4.0% to 3.75% with immediate effect, in order to encourage banks to deploy surplus funds in investments and loans in productive sectors of the economy. What is reverse repo rate: The interest offered by the RBI to banks who deposit funds into the treasury; can be used to control the money supply in the country. What is repo rate: It is the rate at which the Reserve Bank of India lends money to commercial banks in the event of any shortfall of funds; used by monetary authorities to control inflation. 4) Raising Limit of Ways and Means Advances of states and UTs Ways and Means Advances (WMAs) Limit of states and union territories has been increased by 60% over and above the limit, in order to provide greater comfort to states for undertaking COVID-19 containment and mitigation efforts, and also to help them plan their market borrowing programmes better. The increased limit will be available till September 30, 2020. What are WMAs: These are temporary loan facilities provided by RBI to help governments tide over temporary mismatches in receipts and expenditure.  Regulatory Measures To lessen debtors’ burden in wake of the pandemic 5) Asset Classification The moratorium period will be excluded while considering 90-day NPA norm for those accounts for which lending institutions decide to grant moratorium or deferment and which were standard as on March 1, 2020. This means that there will be an asset classification standstill for such accounts from March 1 - May 31, 2020. NBFCs will have the flexibility under the prescribed accounting standards to provide such relief to their borrowers. Simultaneously, banks have been asked to maintain higher provision of 10% on all accounts whose classification has been put on a standstill as above, so that banks maintain sufficient buffers What are Non-performing Assets: A classification for loans or advances that are in default or in arrears. A loan is in arrears when principal or interest payments are late or missed. A loan is in default when the lender considers the loan agreement to be broken and the debtor is unable to meet his obligations. Solve: Why are NPAs detrimental for the economy? Examine. 6) Extension of Resolution Timeline Recognizing challenges to resolution of stressed assets or accounts which are or are likely to become NPAs, the period for implementation of resolution plan has been extended by 90 days.  Currently, scheduled commercial banks and other financial institutions are required to hold an additional provision of 20 per cent if a resolution plan has not been implemented within 210 days from the date of such default. 7) Distribution of Dividend Scheduled commercial banks and cooperative banks shall not make any further dividend pay-outs from profits pertaining to FY 2019-20; the decision will be reviewed based on the financial position of banks at the end of the second quarter of the financial year 2019-20. This has been done in order to enable banks to conserve capital so that they can retain their capacity to support the economy and absorb losses in an environment of heightened uncertainty. 8) Lowering of Liquidity Coverage Ratio requirement To improve the liquidity position for individual institutions, Liquidity Coverage Ratio requirement for scheduled commercial banks has been brought down from 100% to 80% with immediate effect.  This will be gradually restored in two phases - 90% by October 1, 2020 and 100% by April 1, 2021. 9) NBFC Loans to Commercial Real Estate Projects The treatment available for loans to commercial real estate projects with respect to the date for commencement for commercial operations (DCCO) has been extended to NBFCs, in order to provide relief to both NBFCs and the real estate sector.  Impact of RBI’s actions Liquidity enhancing measures will ease financial stress and help increase credit flows particularly to NBFC sector The NBFCs have experienced liquidity shortage since banks had not offered them any moratorium for repayment Housing sector: The soft loan to NHB should help bring down the cost of home loans Small businesses can hope for some cheap credit from SIDBI, and the rural-agrarian community from NABARD. Provides comfort to States to plan market borrowing programmes better and undertake better containment and mitigation efforts. Avoids Lazy Banking: Reduction in repo rate will discourage banks from parking their excess liquidity with RBI Relief to borrowers who were worried that opting for the moratorium may turn them into NPAs Challenges Ahead Implementation Challenges: With regard to TLTROs into NBFC, investment-grade NBFC assets will be harder to come by now, which will disincentivize the banks from engaging with TLTROs altogether Insufficient: There is no buy-out of corporate bonds by RBI, and no big largesse for real estate developers Muted demand in Housing sector, hence soft loans to NHB will not yield dramatic results. Consequences of heightened liquidity like Inflation which needs to tackled in future Way Ahead Banks will have to be liberal in extending help for working capital loans and overdrafts to their borrowers, including MSMEs. The government could help by extending a scheme of credit assurance cover that will encourage banks to be more liberal in their lending activity Important value additions:  Monetary Policy Committee It is responsible for fixing the benchmark interest rate in India.  The meetings are held at least 4 times a year.  The committee comprises six members – three officials of the Reserve Bank of India and three external members nominated by the Government of India. Cash Reserve Ratio It is the share of a bank’s total deposit that is mandated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to be maintained with the latter in the form of liquid cash. Targeted Long Term Repo Operations Repo rate is the rate at which Banks borrow from RBI. Generally, these loans are for short durations up to 2 weeks LTRO is a tool that lets banks borrow one to three-year funds from RBI at the repo rate by providing government securities with similar or higher tenure as collateral. It is called ‘Targeted’ LTRO when RBI wants banks opting for funds under this option to be specifically invested in Targeted Sector (Ex: Corporate debt, NBFC, MFI) Connecting the Dots: How can central bank, during a crisis like COVID-19, ensure smoother & quicker monetary transmission? Suggest. What will the impact of money supply be on exchange rate? Discuss. Are the measures taken by RBI to rescue the Indian economy enough? Discuss

May 1, 2020 RSTV Video

Way Forward For Manufacturing Sector – The Big Picture – RSTV IAS UPSC

Way Forward For Manufacturing Sector Archives TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. In News: The year 2020 didn’t get onto the most prosperous start. Most of the countries are under lockdown, widespread travel restrictions, and manufacturing closures have become a commonplace due to the coronavirus outbreak. The global economy, and sectors like tourism and supply chains are in total disarray. First, many manufacturing jobs are on-site and cannot be carried out remotely: The industry is especially vulnerable given that the bulk of its workforce is employed in on-site jobs that cannot be done remotely. Additionally, given the nature of the industry, manufacturers will need to consider how to create social distancing in workplaces that are typically worker-dense (e.g., manufacturing plants, warehouses, material movements and logistics, etc.) Second, slowed economic activity will likely reduce demand for manufacturing products globally: Additionally, manufacturers need to prepare for major global supply chain disruptions. Manufacturers are experiencing continued weakening links in their supply chain, as some vendors and suppliers are facing operational or financial struggles of their own. The Impact it had… COVID-19 is severely impacting manufacturing production in developing countries because: Demand from high-income countries for manufacturing goods and raw materials is decreasing Value chains are being disrupted due to delays in the delivery of necessary components and supplies from more technologically advanced countries Other factors, including policies (e.g. restriction of movement of goods and people), inability of employees to reach the workplace or financial constraints, which affect the normal production process UN economists have estimated a USD 50 billion decrease in manufacturing production in February 2020, and the IMF warns that  The negative economic effects will be felt “very intensively” in developing countries that sell raw materials.  All these negative channels will inevitably have an impact on exports from developing countries.  The losses in export volume will be further intensified by the decline in energy and commodity prices.  UNCTAD projects that developing countries, as a whole (excluding China), will lose nearly USD 800 billion in terms of export revenue in 2020. There is also the case of scarcity of products and a disruption of supply chains: China has been the factory to the world. With companies across the world dependent on China for its manufacturing prowess, brands are already experiencing a hit in their supplies. The change in consumer behaviour as they take protective actions against the virus is likely to have immense social and economic impact. Steps taken by Government to ease conditions for the manufacturing sector to resume operations Allowing industries outside limits of municipalities and municipal corporations to start operations Freeing up transportation of goods Setting guidelines for the movement Stay of labour Matching skill-set of labour to jobs available, at their temporary place of residence This could help companies to re-start operations. Companies, who had cut production, can now plan to bring back operations to normal levels. The Way Forward for Manufacturing The industry needs to prepare for a prolonged recovery. Given the unknown variables of how the COVID-19 pandemic will play out and when containment will be achieved, manufacturers should brace for a trying period and plan for a recovery that may not arrive for at least one year, based on prior crises the industry has experienced. Manufacturers will also need to look beyond their own economic viability. They will need to coordinate closely with the public sector to forge plans that are essential to both public safety and the solvency of their workforce, while keeping the lights on in their operations. This will be relevant to manufacturers of critically important components, parts and finished goods in areas of importance to the nation — especially those supplying to critical infrastructures (e.g., energy and power, transport, communications, food and agriculture, etc.).  Governments have also started to extend support to manufacturing companies. Government stimulus packages announced so far are seen as a welcome step to alleviate the immediate economic damage caused by the pandemic, assisting severely hit businesses and promoting job retention. Policy measures that can bring some relief can be on the lines of –   Extending lines of credit Reducing infrastructure costs Providing short-term funding Lessening the tax burden Providing supply chain support that could assist manufacturers in responding to and anticipating necessary adjustments Manufacturers can expect to enter a new era of closer public-private coordination in order to strike the right balance between producing critical products and protecting public health. Transfer new knowledge throughout the supply chain. Update best practices as the situation evolves and assist suppliers in implementing them.  Connecting the Dots: The deeper into the supply chain, the greater the impact of the outbreak is likely to be. Discuss. How has the Coronavirus impacted the global supply chain? Suggest some structural reforms that will help the sector be better prepared for a crisis of this scale.

May 1, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 1st MAY 2020

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 1st May 2020 Archives Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID), 2019 released Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Society & GS-III – Disaster; Conflicts/Terrorism In News: Recently,  the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre released its annual report on  internal displacement  of people.  Key takeaways: According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre's (IDMC) annual report, around 50 million people worldwide were internally displaced in 2019.  The causes of displacement were conflict or disaster, with coronavirus posing a new threat.  Around 33 million new displacements were recorded in 2019, the highest annual figure since 2012. The IDMC calls on governments to work towards solving conflicts like the civil war in Syria.  It also highlights conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, and Afghanistan. Important value additions: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) It is the world's authoritative source  of data and analysis on internal displacement. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland.  It was established in 1998 as part of the Norwegian Refugee Council, a humanitarian, non-governmental organisation. The Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID) is the annual flagship report of IDMC.  Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 1st MAY 2020 Image source: Click here  Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 1st MAY 2020 Image source: Click here  SLF-MF scheme benefits extended to all banks Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Economy  In News: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended regulatory benefits to all banks under the Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds (SLF-MF) scheme. The extension includes those banks also which are using their own resources to extend liquidity support to the mutual funds.  Important value additions: Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds (SLF-MF) scheme Recently, the RBI had announced Rs 50,000-crore SLF-MF scheme to bailout the mutual funds facing redemption pressure. The scheme was announced in the backdrop of Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund deciding to shut several schemes.  Banks meeting the liquidity requirements of MFs will be eligible to claim all the regulatory benefits available under the scheme.  Mutual Fund A mutual fund is a type of financial vehicle made up of a pool of money collected from many investors to invest in securities like stocks, bonds, money market instruments, and other assets.  Redemption In finance, redemption describes the repayment of any money market fixed-income security at or before the asset's maturity date.  Investors can make redemptions by selling part or all of their investments such as shares, bonds, or mutual funds.  New Parliament project gets Central Vista panel nod Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Parliament In News: The Indian government’s plan to construct a new Parliament building was recently approved by the Central Vista Committee.  The committee is chaired by Central Public Works Department (CPWD) additional director general (works).  The committee met through videoconferencing.  Important value additions: The construction of a new Parliament is a part of the larger revamp of the entire 3-km Central Vista from Rashtrapati Bhavan till India Gate.  The project was proposed by the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry and its construction agency, the CPWD.  The plan includes constructing a new triangular Parliament opposite the existing heritage structure and building a central secretariat for all Ministries. The CPWD said the estimated cost of the project was Rs.922 crore. Raghuram Rajan suggests spending ₹65,000 crore for the poor Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Economy In News: In a recent online conversation with a political leader, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has suggested ways to revive Indian economy in measured manner.  Key takeaways: He cautioned not to have a divided house in challenging times.  He also estimated that India needs to spend about ₹65,000 crore to take care of the vulnerable sections like the migrant workers. He also emphasized that the economy needs to be opened up in a sequential way in working out a balance in fighting the virus and facing the consequences of the economy. He also suggested that India should leverage its Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) network to protect livelihoods, keep people alive.  Miscellaneous  Leukemia  It is a type of cancer found in the blood and bone marrow and is caused by the rapid production of abnormal white blood cells.  These abnormal white blood cells are not able to fight infection and restrict the ability of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells and platelets. It occurs in both adults and children. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 1st MAY 2020 Image source: Click here  Neuroendocrine cancer  It is one form of rare cancer that affects the specialized cells of the body.  These mostly include neural and hormone-producing cells. Neuroendocrine tumors (NET’s) can be found anywhere in the body. However, common occurrences of the tumor include the lungs, pancreas, intestines and rectum.  Bank of Schemes, Ideas, Innovation & Research Portal on MSMEs Union Minister of MSME launched Bank of Schemes, Ideas, Innovation and Research portal on MSMEs. The Portal gives access to all Schemes of Union, State and UT Governments associated with MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises).  It has the provision for uploading Ideas, Innovations & Researches in the sector. Year of Awareness on Science & Health (YASH) National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC), Department of Science & Technology (DST) has launched a programme on health and risk communication ‘Year of Awareness on Science & Health (YASH)’ with focus on COVID-19. The programme is aimed at  minimizing risks at all levels with the help of public communication and outreach activities,  promoting public understanding of safety measures. GI tag for Chak-Hao and Gorakhpur terracotta Chak-Hao, the black rice of Manipur and the Gorakhpur terracotta have bagged the Geogrphical Indication (GI) tag recently.  Chak-Hao has been cultivated in Manipur over centuries.  It is characterised by its special aroma.  It is normally eaten during community feasts.  Chak-Hao has also been used by traditional medical practitioners as part of traditional medicine.  Gorakhpur terracotta is a centuries-old traditional art form, where the potters make various animal figures like, horses, elephants, camel, goat, ox, etc. with hand-applied ornamentation.  Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 1st MAY 2020 Image source: Click here  Image source: Click here  (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE Topic: General Studies 2 & 3: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors  Indian Economy and challenges with regard to resource mobilization Employment Guarantee Programme Context: Due to crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic, workers especially belonging to informal sector have been the worst affected. They are being forced to stay in camps or cramped accommodation, foregoing the comfort of family, food, and mental peace. What should government do now? They should treat labour force not in utilitarian terms but in human terms They should facilitate migrant workers to go home  Government should come up with policies assuring all Indians a measure of livelihood and income security. For Ex: Expanded MGNREGA About MGNREGA It stands for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 It guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members (at least 18 years of age) volunteer to do unskilled work. It has unique legal architecture of being demand-driven, and not budget constrained. It is social security and labour law that aims to enforce the ‘right to work’. It has provision for unemployment allowance, when the state cannot provide work The central government bears the full cost of unskilled labour, and 75% of the cost of material (the rest is borne by the states). Agriculture and allied activities constitute more than 65% of the works taken up under the programme. MGNREGA has helped build rural infrastructure through approximately 10 crore families. Solution to Pandemic: Expanded Employment Guarantee Act Government should use the MGNREGA budget to pay full wages to all active job card holders during the lockdown MGNREGA must be expanded to allow access to any adult seeking any number of days of work during the period of recovery from the COVID crisis. Utilizing the existing provision in act (in the event of calamities) to expand the MGNREGA work by at least another 50 days Work must be guaranteed on demand – No delay in process Payment of part of the wages in subsidised foodgrain enabling cost efficiency for government An Urban Employment Guarantee should also be put in place Home-based activities can be permitted in the expanded employment guarantee programme: making masks, soaps and sanitisers Following Kerala’s success, panchayats and local government units should be empowered and involved in disbursal of funds. This will act as human response to this epidemic Did You Know? In 1975, Maharashtra passed an employment guarantee law with no restrictions on the number of days or people.  To fund this, the legislature identified four taxes to be put into a dedicated employment guarantee fund. A professional tax on all salary earners,  Tax on petrol Sales tax surcharge and Tax on the income of three-crop irrigated farms  The Maharashtra Act served as a model for the MGNREGA although its innovative funding pattern was not adopted Connecting the dots: Rights based governance framework Union Government’s Four Labour Codes  GOVERNANCE/ ECONOMY/ INTERNATIONAL Topic: General Studies 2 & 3: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors  Indian Economy and challenges with regard to resource mobilization  COVID-19: A pandemic patent pool needed Context: Every April 26, World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated. This year provided an opportunity to reflect upon the role of intellectual property (IP) in the ongoing health crisis  Vaccines as solution to Pandemic: Critical Analysis For human life to become normal again, vaccines or medicines are the only permanent solutions. However, there are several obstacles like: Time Constraints: Even by conservative estimates, it will take at least 6-10 months for any vaccine/drug to be available. Scalability: Even when approval for marketing of a vaccine/drug is granted, it will be impossible for it to be made instantly available across the world. National Boundaries: For the product to be available across the world, approvals will be required in each and every country.  Large scale Collaboration: For the vaccine/drug to be available continuous dialogue has to take place among innovators, manufacturers and supply chains. Exclusivity claims: Innovations may be subjected to patent applications around the world to reap commercial benefits, which enhances above constraints What is the purpose of Patents/Intellectual Property? The purpose of creating and recognising patent rights is for the common public good, i.e., innovation should be made public in exchange for a limited monopoly. Thus, patents need to be disclosed to the public in order to enable further research. Dangers of Patents in present times It will create obstacles in delivering the medicine to patients It will result in dividing countries, corporations and international organisations.  Anti-IP sentiment will build up across society, when patents are excessively utilized during public health crisis like this- it is not in the long term interest of IP Solution is Creating a Patent Pool Patent pools are usually effective in aggregating, administering and licensing patents related to specific areas of technology Such pools are usually managed by a central agency and the patents which become part of the pool are readily made available for licensing.  They publish the royalty rates payable for such licences. Anyone who wishes to obtain a licence will be able to approach the pool, agree to the terms, and begin to manufacture and sell the products.  Such pools are prevalent in, for instance, standard essential patents related to telecom and digital innovations. A fruitful endeavour would be to create a global pool of COVID-19-related innovations, managed by a trustworthy international organisation Advantages of Global Patent Pool for COVID-19 It will be in line with the Doha Declaration on Public Health which is a part of the TRIPS agreement.  It ensures countries have the right to implement these innovations without further permission from the patent-holders and without resorting to provisions such as compulsory licensing, state acquisition, etc It will ensure that there are hundreds of manufacturers across the world. As a result, vaccines and medicines will be quickly available.  Though royalties will be at a minimal level, the revenues would be high due to the large population affected by the pandemic Some part of the royalties could then be disbursed to patent owners on a periodic basis and some part could be used to fund further research to deal with such pandemics in future. Conclusion Global patent pool needs the cooperation of not just countries and international organisations but also the hundreds of researchers, innovators, companies and universities involved.  Connecting the dots: Compulsory licensing and India National IPR Policy of India (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 Global report on internal displacement is published by which of the following?  Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre  UNICEF  World Economic Forum  SAARC Q.2 With regard to recently released Global report on internal displacement considered the following statements: Around 50 million people have been displaced worldwide internally. The highest annual displacement has taken place in 2019 since 2012.  Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3 Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre is based in which of the following country? Switzerland  Sweden  Greenland  Russia Q.4 Leukaemia is a cancer, found in which of the following part of the body? Blood and bone marrow  Pancreas  Stomach  Lungs Q.5 Consider the following statements regarding neuroendocrine cancer:  It is a rare form of cancer.  It occurs only in the lungs. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.6 Chak Hao, the black rice is cultivated in which of the following state of India?  Manipur Assam Mizoram  Nagaland ANSWERS FOR 30th April 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 A 3 A 4 C 5 A Must Read About religion and freedom in India: The Hindu About digital platforms conflict with traditional news publishers: The Hindu About plasma therapy: The Hindu

May 1, 2020 60 DAYS PROGRAMME-PRELIMS 2020

DISCUSSION PAGE- IASbaba’s ALL INDIA OPEN MOCK EXAM-2 2020

Hello Friends,  IASbaba’s ALL INDIA MOCK EXAM 2 -UPSC PRELIMS 2020 General Studies Paper I, is now LIVE and many of you are taking the same. This page is Open for the Discussion. You can discuss the concepts and new learnings from the test. You can also clear your doubts by posting your questions in the comment section below. Here is the Time-table for IASBaba's All India Mocks GENERAL STUDIES MOCK 1- Already Conducted on 23rd April GENERAL STUDIES MOCK 2 & CSAT 1- 1st MAY 2020 and  GENERAL STUDIES MOCK 3 & CSAT 2- 7th MAY 2020 GENERAL STUDIES MOCK 4 & CSAT 3- 14th MAY 2020 GENERAL STUDIES MOCK 5 & CSAT 4- 20th MAY 2020 प्रिलिम्स फुल मॉक टेस्ट अब हिंदी में To Know about the All India Mock Tests (GS & CSAT) and To Register for Mocks-> CLICK HERE For Discussion Page of Mock Test -1 -> CLICK HERE   Thank You IASbaba

May 1, 2020 60 DAYS PROGRAMME-PRELIMS 2020

IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan [Day - 53]- IAS Prelims Test Series 2020 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY & CURRENT AFFAIRS

ARCHIVES OF 60 DAY PLAN PRELIMS EXCLUSIVE CURRENT AFFAIRS CLASSES (12 SESSIONS-By Tauseef Sir): STARTING ON 16 APRIL JOIN NOW!   Dear Students, The 60 Days Training has finally begun:) DAY 53 is here! It is time to Introspect, Ideate and Improve!! We have come-up with articles to instil confidence, motivate you in the present situation. Do read these articles. Mark the words/lines in your dairy. These very lines can be the driving force’ in the time of uncertainty. [STRATEGY] MUST READ: 21 Days of Lockdown-What to do? Introspect, Ideate and Improve !! MUST READ: PRELIMS in Testing Times – Don’t Forget the ‘WHY’; IASbaba’s dedicated HOTLINE for Aspirants and Prelims Postponing Rumours Coronavirus[VIDEO]: Awareness, Myths, Solidarity and Message to All UPSC Aspirants by Mohan Sir Founder IASbaba   To ensure that your preparation goes smoothly and keeping up with our promise, we have come up with a Dedicated HOTLINE (Communication channel) - Connect with BABA for all UPSC/IAS Aspirants. From today, you will be able to speak with the Founders and Core Team of IASbaba on telephone regarding ‘any queries’ related to UPSC preparation in general or Subject-specific doubts. This Hotline, will be in addition to the 'ASK YOUR BABA' (#ASKBABA) thread opened on a daily basis for our 60 Day plan. We will try to make sure that with so much going around these days, you have at least one less thing to worry about.   How to make use of HOTLINE and ASK YOUR BABA (#ASKBABA)? There are 2 initiatives which will be running parallely. 1. HOTLINE - Connect with BABA (5pm - 7pm) The communication channel will be open ONLY for 2 hours Daily (except on Sundays - holiday) from 5pm to 7 pm. Please do not make calls before or after the specified time. As we will be occupied with other daily initiatives running on the website and mentorship. Hope you understand our time constraints. Please note that, call facilities are mainly for queries related to preparation per se like strategies, difficulties in reading a subject, what to read, what not to read, how to manage time, revision, motivation etc. You can call on the numbers given below. For any queries related to - UPSC Preparation (Prelims, Mains, Interview) Strategy & Current Affairs – contact 9986190082 Environment & Science and Technology – contact 9986193016 Polity & Economics – contact 9899291288 Geography & History – contact 9591106864 We have separated General Strategy (Preparation per se – Pre, Mains, Interview) and Current Affairs from other subjects. You can make use of the HOTLINE, as per your needs.   2. ASK YOUR BABA (#ASKBABA) - clear your doubts on the 60 Day Platform (Online from 11 am - 10 pm) Use the disqus comment section of that particular day (60 Day post - For Ex: Today is Day 25) to clear all your subject specific doubts of the day. You can post your queries/doubts with #ASKBABA !! Here, doubts related to the 60 day questions or conceptual clarity in a particular subject can be asked. Your doubts will be cleared on real-time basis (or max within hour it will be answered from the subject experts) If you are genuinely finding difficulty interms of preparing with that particular subject, then you can use 5pm-7pm window to make calls. If you are not able to speak to IASbaba's Team, then you can still post your doubts/queries in the same post of the 60 day initiative. As mentioned above, your doubts will be cleared on real-time basis (or max within hour it will be answered from the subject experts). Make the best use of the communication channel (Ask Your Baba/comment section on daily 60 Day post and calls) provided. We will make sure that, all your queries will be answered to. So we have  tried our bit, to ensure your preparation goes smoothly, you can do your bit by keeping in touch with us via phone/ website to keep yourself going, keep yourself engaged and staying positive during the rough times.   How to make the maximum use of this HOTLINE and #ASKBABA (Disqus comment of 60 Day Plan) on Daily basis? Now, that I have solved 30 mcq’s, what to do next?  How to Analyse my Performance? For Answers to the above Questions  ->CONNECT WITH BABA: IASbaba’s Dedicated HOTLINE for UPSC/IAS Aspirants !!   Note- Download the OMR Sheet and attempt the questions exactly like UPSC Prelims. After you are done, please post your OMR in the comment section. Once the solution key is released (5 PM), cross-check the answers and again, comment the marks (you got) in the same comment thread. This will keep you responsible and sincere in days to come. Also, we need more sets of scores for releasing the cut offs in the night so, requesting all of you to sincerely put your scores in comment section.    You can also take part in discussion with peers.   Q.1) Consider the following statements with regard to virus - Virus can infect plant, bacteria and fungus.   Coronavirus is DNA based virus. Virus lacks enzymes essential for the energy production.  Select the correct option - 3 only 1 and 3 only 2 and 3 only All of the above Q.1) वायरस के संबंध में, निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें - वायरस पौधे, बैक्टीरिया और कवक को संक्रमित कर सकता है। कोरोनावायरस, डीएनए आधारित वायरस है। वायरस में ऊर्जा उत्पादन के लिए आवश्यक एंजाइमों की कमी होती है। सही विकल्प का चयन करें - केवल 3 केवल 1 और 3 केवल 2 और 3 उपरोक्त सभी Q.2) Consider the following statements –  Hemoglobin is also found outside red blood cells. The mammalian hemoglobin molecule can bind (carry) up to four oxygen molecules.  Largest amount of CO2 produced in the cell are carried to the lungs as bicarbonate ions dissolved in the plasma.  Both RBC and WBC are produced in bone marrow.  Which of the above is/are correct? 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 only 2, 3 and 4 only All of the above Q.2) निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें - हीमोग्लोबिन लाल रक्त कोशिकाओं के बाहर भी पाया जाता है। स्तनधारी हीमोग्लोबिन अणु, चार ऑक्सीजन अणुओं तक बंधा (carry) हो सकता है। कोशिका में उत्पादित CO2 की सबसे बड़ी मात्रा, प्लाज्मा में घुलित बाइकार्बोनेट आयनों के रूप में फेफड़ों तक पहुंचाई जाती है। आरबीसी और डब्ल्यूबीसी दोनों, अस्थि मज्जा (bone marrow) में उत्पादित होते हैं। उपरोक्त में से कौन सा सही है / हैं? केवल 2 और 3 केवल 1, 2 और 3 केवल 2, 3 और 4 उपरोक्त सभी Q.3) Consider the following elements – Carbon Oxygen Phosphorous Nitrogen Sulphur Boron Which of the above are present in DNA? 1, 2 and 4 only 1, 2, 3 and 4 only 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 only 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 only Q.3) निम्नलिखित तत्वों पर विचार करें - कार्बन ऑक्सीजन फ़ास्फ़रोस नाइट्रोजन गंधक बोरान उपरोक्त में से कौन डीएनए में उपस्थित होता है? केवल 1, 2 और 4 केवल 1, 2, 3 और 4 केवल 1, 2, 3, 4 और 6 केवल 1, 2, 3, 4 और 5 Q.4) Consider the following pairs –  Metal Function  1. Boron Pollen germination  2. Manganese Component of nitrogenase     3.Molybdenum Splitting of H2O to liberate O2 during photosynthesis  4. Zinc Needed for synthesis of auxins Iron Present in Haemoglobin molecule and attach to oxygen and carbondioxide molecules.    Which of the above is/are correctly matched? 1, 4 and 5 only 1, 2, 4 and 5 only  1 and 4 only All of the above Q.4) निम्नलिखित युग्मों पर विचार करें -               धातु                         क्रिया    1. बोरान परागण अंकुरण (Pollen germination)   2. मैंगनीज नाइट्रोजिनेस के घटक (Component of nitrogenase)   3.मोलिब्डेनम प्रकाश संश्लेषण के दौरान O2 को मुक्त करने के लिए H2O का विभाजन   4. जस्ता ऑक्सिन (auxins) के संश्लेषण के लिए आवश्यक   5. लोहा हीमोग्लोबिन अणु में मौजूद होता है तथा ऑक्सीजन और कार्बोनडाईऑक्साइड अणुओं के साथ संलग्न होता है।   उपरोक्त में से कौन सा सही ढंग से सुमेलित है / हैं? केवल 1, 4 और 5 केवल 1, 2, 4 और 5 केवल 1 और 4 उपरोक्त सभी Q.5) Saffron is which part of the flower? Stigma Style Sepal filament Q.5) केसर, पुष्प का कौन सा हिस्सा  होता है? वर्तिकाग्र (Stigma) वर्तिका (Style) फूल की पँखड़ी का भाग (Sepal) रेशा (filament) Q.6) In which of the following ways inflammation can help in fighting infection? The area of infection gets more accessible to leucocytes. Plasma protein accumulates in the inflammated area which creates a protective layer, restricting the movement of virus to other parts of the body. Inflammated tissue sends the signal to T-cells and B-cells to initiate immune response.    Selected the correct option -  1 only 1 and 2 only 1 and 3 only All of the above Q.6) निम्नलिखित में से किस तरीके से सूजन (inflammation), संक्रमण से लड़ने में मदद कर सकता है? संक्रमण का क्षेत्र ल्यूकोसाइट्स के लिए अधिक सुलभ हो जाता है। प्लाज्मा प्रोटीन सूजन वाले क्षेत्र में जमा होती है, जो एक सुरक्षात्मक परत बनाती है, जो शरीर के अन्य हिस्सों में वायरस के संचलन को प्रतिबंधित करती है। सूजन वाले ऊतक प्रतिरक्षा प्रतिक्रिया आरंभ करने के लिए टी-कोशिकाओं और बी-कोशिकाओं को संकेत भेजते हैं। सही विकल्प चुने - केवल 1 केवल 1 और 2 केवल 1 और 3 उपरोक्त सभी Q.7) Which of the following statement (s) is/are correct about "convalescent plasma therapy” ? It was applied for the first time in case of Ebola.  WBC and blood plasma are transferred to the patient from the donor.  Convalescent plasma has the antigen of the infection causing virus.  Select the correct option -  1 only 2 only 2 and 3 only None of the above Q.7) निम्नलिखित में से कौन सा कथन "आक्षेपिक प्लाज्मा थेरेपी" (convalescent plasma therapy) के बारे में सही है? इसे इबोला के मामले में पहली बार लागू किया गया था। दाता से मरीज को डब्ल्यूबीसी और ब्लड प्लाज्मा हस्तांतरित किया जाता है। आक्षेपिक प्लाज्मा में वायरस पैदा करने वाले संक्रमण का एंटीजन होता है। सही विकल्प का चयन करें - केवल 1 केवल 2  केवल 2 और 3 इनमें से कोई भी नहीं Q.8) Which of the following are the functions of the blood plasma? Maintaining blood pressure Delivering important protein for blood clotting Maintenance of pH in the body Carrying oxygen to the body from the lungs.  Select the correct option -  1 and 2 only 1, 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 4 only All of the above  Q.8) निम्न में से कौन से रक्त प्लाज्मा के कार्य हैं? रक्तचाप (blood pressure) बनाए रखना रक्त के थक्के के लिए महत्वपूर्ण प्रोटीन वितरित करना शरीर में पीएच बनाए रखना  फेफड़ों से शरीर में ऑक्सीजन ले जाना। सही विकल्प का चयन करें - केवल 1 और 2 केवल 1, 2 और 3 केवल 1, 2 और 4 उपरोक्त सभी Q.9) Consider the following statements – The RT-PCR test detects the presence of antibodies in a patient to identify the infection RT-PCR tests are effective only in the later stages of the infection after the immune system has responded by synthesizing antibodies. Which of the above given statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.9) निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें - आरटी-पीसीआर परीक्षण (RT-PCR tests) संक्रमण की पहचान करने के लिए एक रोगी में एंटीबॉडी की उपस्थिति का पता लगाता है आरटी-पीसीआर परीक्षण (RT-PCR tests) केवल संक्रमण के बाद के चरणों में प्रभावी होते हैं क्योंकि प्रतिरक्षा प्रणाली एंटीबॉडी का संश्लेषण करके प्रतिक्रिया देती है। ऊपर दिए गए कथनों में से कौन सा सही है / हैं? केवल 1 केवल 2  1 और 2 दोनों न तो 1 और न ही 2 Q.10) Which of the following correctly describe the term ‘herd immunity’ in context of infectious diseases? Immunity towards those diseases which have been already eradicated. Immunity towards that disease which occur every year. Resistance to the spread of a contagious disease as sufficiently high proportion of population has become immune to the disease. Resistance to the spread of a contagious disease as sufficiently high proportion of population has been vaccinated. Q.10) निम्नलिखित में से कौन संक्रामक रोगों के संदर्भ में 'झुंड प्रतिरक्षा' (herd immunity) शब्द का सही वर्णन करता है? उन बीमारियों के प्रति प्रतिरक्षण, जिनका पहले ही उन्मूलन हो चुका है। उस बीमारी के प्रति प्रतिरक्षण, जो हर साल होती है। एक संक्रामक बीमारी के प्रसार के प्रतिरोध के रूप में जनसंख्या का पर्याप्त उच्च अनुपात, रोग के लिए प्रतिरक्षित हो गया है। एक संक्रामक बीमारी के प्रसार के प्रतिरोध के रूप में जनसंख्या का पर्याप्त उच्च अनुपात ko पहले से टीका लगाया गया है। Q.11) Consider the following statements regarding vaccine – A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. A vaccine always contains disease-causing microorganism.  Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect? 1 only 2  only Both 1 and 2  None of the above Q.11) वैक्सीन (vaccine) के बारे में, निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें - एक वैक्सीन एक जैविक तैयारी है, जो एक विशेष संक्रामक रोग को सक्रिय अधिग्रहित प्रतिरक्षा (active acquired immunity) प्रदान करती है। एक वैक्सीन में हमेशा रोग जनित सूक्ष्मजीव होते हैं। ऊपर दिए गए कथनों में से कौन सा गलत है / हैं? केवल 1 केवल 2  1 और 2 दोनों इनमें से कोई भी नहीं Q.12) Consider the following statements with regard to m-RNA Vaccine –  It triggers the body itself into producing some of the viral proteins.  It will be easier and quicker to produce than traditional vaccines.  It can be used against coronavirus.  Select the correct option – 1 only 1 and 3 only 3 only All of the above Q.12) एम-आरएनए वैक्सीन (m-RNA Vaccine) के संबंध में, निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें - यह वायरल प्रोटीन के कुछ उत्पादन में स्वयं शरीर को ट्रिगर करती है। पारंपरिक वैक्सीनों की तुलना में इसका उत्पादन आसान और तेज होगा। इसका उपयोग कोरोनावायरस के खिलाफ किया जा सकता है। सही विकल्प का चयन करें - केवल 1 केवल 1 और 3 केवल 3 उपरोक्त सभी Q.13) Which organelle in the cell other than nucleus contains DNA? Mitochondria Chloroplasts Ribosome Lysosome Select the correct option? 1 only 1 and 2 only 1, 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 4 only Q.13) नाभिक (nucleus) के अलावा, अन्य कौन से कोशिका के अंगों (organelle) में डीएनए होता है? माइटोकॉन्ड्रिया क्लोरोप्लास्ट राइबोसोम लाइसोसोम सही विकल्प का चयन करें? केवल 1 केवल 1 और 2 केवल 1, 2 और 3 केवल 1, 2 और 4 Q.14) Assertion (A) – In three parent baby, embryo would get a small amount of healthy mitochondrial DNA from a woman donor, apart from receiving the usual nuclear DNA from its mother and father Reason (R) - Mitochondria from sperm are destroyed shortly after fertilisation. Select the correct option –  A is true, R is True and A is the correct explanation of R A is true, R is True but A is not the correct explanation of R A is true, R is false A is false, R is true.  Q.14) अभिकथन (A) - थ्री पैरेंट बेबी में, एक महिला दाता से भ्रूण को छोटी मात्रा में स्वस्थ माइटोकॉन्ड्रियल डीएनए मिलेगा, इसके अलावा उसके माता और पिता से सामान्य परमाणु डीएनए प्राप्त होता है। कारण (R) - शुक्राणु से माइटोकॉन्ड्रिया निषेचन के तुरंत बाद नष्ट हो जाते हैं। सही विकल्प का चयन करें - A सही है, R सही है और A, R का सही स्पष्टीकरण है A सही है, R सही है लेकिन A, R का सही स्पष्टीकरण नहीं है A सही है, R ग़लत है A गलत है, R सही है। Q.15) What is the fundamental need of oxygen in animals? Maintenance of blood pressure. Production of new cells. Conversion of food into useful energy. Prevention of cancer Q.15) पशुओं में ऑक्सीजन की मूलभूत आवश्यकता क्या है? रक्तचाप को बनाए रखना। नई कोशिकाओं का उत्पादन। भोजन का उपयोग योग्य ऊर्जा में परिवर्तन। कैंसर से बचाव Q.16) The fundamental property of our immune system is the ability to discriminate “self” from “non-self” so that invading bacteria, viruses and other pathogens can be attacked and eliminated. T-cells, a type of white blood cell, are key players in this defense. T-cells have receptors that bind to structures recognized as non-self and such interactions trigger the immune system to engage in defense. Other proteins functions as brakes on the T-cells, inhibiting immune activation. This intricate balance between accelerators and brakes is essential for tight control. It ensures that the immune system is sufficiently engaged in attack against foreign microorganisms while avoiding the excessive activation that can lead to autoimmune destruction of healthy cells and tissues. James P. Allison in 1990’s observed that CTLA-4 functions as a brake on T cells. He developed an antibody that could bind to CTLA-4 and block its function. This will disengage the T-cell brake and unleash the immune system.  What could be the medical advantage of this inhibition of negative immune regulation?  It can help in fighting new disease like COVID-19 It can be utilised in cancer therapy. It can reduce development of free radicals and aging. Select the correct option – 1 only 1 and 2 only 2 only All of the above Q.16) हमारी प्रतिरक्षा प्रणाली का मूल गुण "गैर-स्व" से "स्व" को विभेद करने की क्षमता है ताकि आक्रमणकारी बैक्टीरिया, वायरस और अन्य रोगजनकों पर हमला किया जा सके और समाप्त किया जा सके। टी-कोशिका, एक प्रकार की श्वेत रक्त कोशिका, इस रक्षा में प्रमुख अभिकर्ता हैं। टी-कोशिकाओं में रिसेप्टर्स होते हैं जो गैर-स्व के रूप में मान्यता प्राप्त संरचनाओं से बंधे होते हैं तथा इस तरह की अंतःक्रिया प्रतिरक्षा प्रणाली को रक्षा में संलग्न करने के लिए ट्रिगर करती है। अन्य प्रोटीन टी-कोशिकाओं पर ब्रेक के रूप में कार्य करती हैं, प्रतिरक्षा सक्रियणता को रोकती हैं। त्वरक और ब्रेक के बीच यह जटिल संतुलन दृढ़ नियंत्रण के लिए आवश्यक है। यह सुनिश्चित करता है कि प्रतिरक्षा प्रणाली अत्यधिक सक्रियता से बचते हुए विदेशी सूक्ष्मजीवों के खिलाफ आक्रमण में पर्याप्त रूप से लगी हुई है, जो स्वस्थ कोशिकाओं और ऊतकों के लिए आत्म-प्रतिरक्षण विनाश का कारण बन सकती है।   जेम्स पी. एलीसन ने 1990 में देखा कि CTLA-4, टी कोशिकाओं पर एक ब्रेक के रूप में कार्य करता है। उन्होंने एक ऐसा एंटीबॉडी विकसित किया जो CTLA-4 से जुड़ सकता है और इसके कार्य को अवरुद्ध कर सकता है। यह टी-कोशिका ब्रेक को नष्ट कर देगा और प्रतिरक्षा प्रणाली को हटा देगा।   नकारात्मक प्रतिरक्षा विनियमन (negative immune regulation) के इस निषेध का चिकित्सीय लाभ क्या हो सकता है? यह COVID-19 जैसी नई बीमारी से लड़ने में मदद कर सकता है इसका उपयोग कैंसर चिकित्सा में किया जा सकता है। यह मुक्त कणों (free radicals) और वृद्धावस्था (aging) के विकास को कम कर सकता है। सही विकल्प का चयन करें - केवल 1 केवल 1 और 2 केवल 2  उपरोक्त सभी Q.17) Which of the following are parts of innate immunity? Skin Acid in the stomach B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes. Cytokine Barriers Antibodies Select the correct option? 1, 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 4 only 1, 2, 4 and 5 only All of the above Q.17) निम्न में से कौन जन्मजात प्रतिरक्षा (innate immunity) का हिस्सा है? त्वचा आमाशय में अम्ल बी-लिम्फोसाइट्स और टी-लिम्फोसाइट्स साइटोकाइन बैरियर एंटीबॉडी सही विकल्प का चयन करें? केवल 1, 2 और 3 केवल 1, 2 और 4 केवल 1, 2, 4 और 5 उपरोक्त सभी Q.18) Consider the following statements –  It is possible to make numerous copies of a DNA molecule in laboratory.  Base excision repair is a cellular mechanism that repairs damaged DNA by in vivo gene editing.  Select the correct option –  1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2  None of the above Q.18) निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें - प्रयोगशाला में डीएनए अणु की कई प्रतियां बनाना संभव है। बेस एक्सिशन रिपेयर (Base excision repair) एक कोशिकीय तंत्र है जो विवो जीन संपादन (vivo gene editing) में क्षतिग्रस्त डीएनए की मरम्मत करता है। सही विकल्प का चयन करें - केवल 1 केवल 2  1 और 2 दोनों इनमें से कोई भी नहीं Q.19) Recombinant DNA is the general name for taking a piece of one DNA, and combining it with another strand of DNA. Recombinant DNA technology allows genes to be transferred: From species of plant to another.  From microorganisms to higher organisms From animals to plants Select the correct answer using the codes given below. 1 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.19) पुनः संयोजक डीएनए (Recombinant DNA) एक डीएनए के एक टुकड़े को लेने के लिए सामान्य नाम है, तथा इसे डीएनए के एक और स्ट्रैंड के साथ संयोजित किया जाता है। पुनः संयोजक डीएनए तकनीक जीन को स्थानांतरित करने की अनुमति देती है: पौधे की प्रजाति से दूसरे में। सूक्ष्मजीवों से उच्चतर जीवों में जानवरों से पौधों में नीचे दिए गए कूट का उपयोग करके सही उत्तर का चयन करें। केवल 1 केवल 2 और 3 केवल 1 और 3 1, 2 और 3 Q.20) There has been widespread resistance in malarial parasite to drugs like chloroquine. This has encouraged attempts to develop a malarial vaccine. However it is difficult to develop an effective malaria vaccine. Which of the following is the most appropriate explanation? Malaria is caused by several species of Plasmodium, mutating at rapid rate.  We lack naturally acquired protective immunity against the plasmodium  Vaccines can be developed only against virus. Plasmodium does not release any nuclear material for antigen development in the body.  Q.20) क्लोरोक्वीन (chloroquine) जैसी दवाओं द्वारा मलेरिया परजीवी का व्यापक प्रतिरोध किया गया है। इसने एक मलेरिया वैक्सीन विकसित करने के प्रयासों को प्रोत्साहित किया है। हालांकि एक प्रभावी मलेरिया वैक्सीन विकसित करना मुश्किल है। निम्नलिखित में से कौन सा सबसे उपयुक्त स्पष्टीकरण है? मलेरिया प्लाज़मोडियम की कई प्रजातियों के कारण होता है, जो तीव्र दर से उत्परिवर्तन करती हैं। हमारे पास प्लास्मोडियम के विरुद्ध प्राकृतिक रूप से अधिग्रहित सुरक्षात्मक प्रतिरक्षा की कमी है वैक्सीन को केवल वायरस के विरुद्ध ही विकसित किया जा सकता है। प्लाजमोडियम शरीर में एंटीजन विकास के लिए किसी भी परमाणु सामग्री को जारी नहीं करता है। Q.21) Consider the following statements: NASSCOM Foundation launched ‘Innovate for Accessible India’ campaign along with Google.  The major objective of this campaign is to empower divyaang people with Apple Cloud, AI and other latest technologies. Which of the statements given above is/are Correct?  1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.21) निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें: नैसकॉम फाउंडेशन ने गूगल के साथ ‘सुलभ भारत के लिए नवाचार' (Innovate for Accessible India) अभियान आरंभ किया है। इस अभियान का प्रमुख उद्देश्य एप्पल क्लाउड, कृत्रिम बुद्धिमत्ता और अन्य नवीनतम तकनीकों के साथ दिव्यांग लोगों को सशक्त बनाना है। ऊपर दिए गए कथनों में से कौन सा सही है / हैं? केवल 1 केवल 2  1 और 2 दोनों न तो 1 और न ही 2 Q.22) Which of the following statements is/are Correct regarding Convalescent plasma therapy? Plasma can also be taken from people infected with HIV, hepatitis or syphilis. The whole blood or plasma from such people is taken, and the plasma is then injected in critically ill patients so that the antibodies are transferred and boost their fight against the virus.  WHO guidelines mandate the donor’s permission before extracting plasma. Select the correct answer using the code given below: 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 2 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.22) निम्नलिखित में से कौन सा कथन आक्षेपिक प्लाज्मा थेरेपी (Convalescent plasma therapy) के संबंध में सही है / हैं? प्लाज्मा को एचआईवी, हेपेटाइटिस या सिफलिस से संक्रमित लोगों से भी लिया जा सकता है। ऐसे लोगों से पूरा रक्त या प्लाज्मा लिया जाता है, तथा फिर प्लाज्मा को गंभीर रूप से बीमार रोगियों में इंजेक्ट किया जाता है ताकि एंटीबॉडी को स्थानांतरित किया जा सके और जिससे वायरस के विरुद्ध उनकी लड़ाई को बढ़ावा मिले। डब्ल्यूएचओ दिशानिर्देश प्लाज्मा निकालने से पहले दाता की अनुमति को अनिवार्य करता है। नीचे दिए गए कूट का उपयोग करके सही उत्तर चुनें: केवल 2  केवल 2 और 3 केवल 1 और 2 1, 2 और 3 Q.23) Earth Hour is an annual event organized by  International Union for Conservation of Nature World Wildlife Fund United Nations Environment Programme World Nature Organization Q.23) अर्थ आवर (Earth Hour) किसके द्वारा आयोजित एक वार्षिक कार्यक्रम है प्रकृति संरक्षण के लिए अंतर्राष्ट्रीय संघ विश्व वन्यजीव कोष संयुक्त राष्ट्र पर्यावरण कार्यक्रम विश्व प्रकृति संगठन Q.24) Which of the following is/are Correctly matched regarding Traditional New Year?   Vaisakhi – Punjab Bohag Bihu – Odisha Puthandu – Tamil Nadu Pana Sankranti – Assam  Select the correct answer using the code given below: 1 and 3 only 2 and 4 only 1, 2 and 3 only 1, 2, 3 and 4 Q.24) पारंपरिक नववर्ष के संबंध में, निम्नलिखित में से कौन सा सही है / हैं? वैसाखी - पंजाब बोहाग बिहू - ओडिशा पुथंडू (Puthandu) - तमिलनाडु पान संक्रांति (Pana Sankranti) - असम नीचे दिए गए कूट का उपयोग करके सही उत्तर चुनें: केवल 1 और 3 केवल 2 और 4 केवल 1, 2 और 3 1, 2, 3 और 4 Q.25) Which of the following is/are the member states of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)? Maldives  South Africa  Oman  Sri Lanka  Indonesia Select the correct answer using the code given below: 1, 2 and 3 only 1,3 and 4 only 1, 2, 4 and 5 only 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Q.25) हिंद महासागर रिम एसोसिएशन (IORA) के सदस्य राज्य निम्नलिखित में से कौन हैं? मालदीव दक्षिण अफ्रीका ओमान श्रीलंका इंडोनेशिया नीचे दिए गए कूट का उपयोग करके सही उत्तर चुनें: केवल 1, 2 और 3 केवल 1, 3 और 4 केवल 1, 2, 4 और 5 1, 2, 3, 4, और 5 Q.26) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Methanotrophs’ They are obligate aerobes that use methane as a sole carbon and energy source. They are generally bacteria and can grow aerobically only. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.26) 'मेथेनोट्रोफ्स' (Methanotrophs) के संबंध में, निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें। वे एयरोबेस को बाध्य (obligate aerobes) करते हैं, जो मीथेन को एकमात्र कार्बन और ऊर्जा स्रोत के रूप में उपयोग करते हैं। वे आम तौर पर बैक्टीरिया होते हैं और केवल वायवीय (aerobically) रूप से बढ़ सकते हैं। सही कथनों का चयन करें केवल 1 केवल 2  1 और 2 दोनों न तो 1 और न ही 2 Q.27) ‘Modified New Pricing Scheme -III (NPS-III) primarily deals with Sugarcane Cotton Urea Paddy Q.27) ‘संशोधित नई मूल्य योजना -III (NPS-III) मुख्य रूप से किससे संबंधित है गन्ना कपास यूरिया धान Q.28) ‘Tectaria macrodonta’ was in news recently in the context of Algal Bloom Whiteflies COVID-19 Neglected Tropical Diseases Q.28) ‘टेक्टेरिया मैक्रोडांटा' (Tectaria macrodonta) हाल ही के समाचारों में किसके संदर्भ में था शैवाल प्रस्फुटन सफेद मक्खियों (whiteflies) COVID-19 उपेक्षित उष्णकटिबंधीय रोग Q.29) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Fourth Branch Institutions’ They are independent bodies, which are charged with performing vital functions of oversight. All these institutes are non-constitutional bodies. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.29) ‘चतुर्थ शाखा संस्थाओं’ (Fourth Branch Institutions) के संबंध में, निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें। वे स्वतंत्र निकाय होते हैं, जिन पर निगरानी के महत्वपूर्ण कार्य करने का प्रभार होता है। ये सभी संस्थान गैर-संवैधानिक निकाय होते हैं। सही कथनों का चयन करें केवल 1 केवल 2  1 और 2 दोनों न तो 1 और न ही 2 Q.30) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Production Linked Incentive (PLI)’ scheme. It will help wooing the large companies to invest in India in mobile phone manufacturing and specified electronic components. It will give India the ability to be as agile as countries like China and Vietnam with respect to manufacturing of products. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.30) उत्पादन संबद्ध प्रोत्साहन (Production Linked Incentive- PLI) योजना के संबंध में, निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें। यह मोबाइल फोन निर्माण और निर्दिष्ट इलेक्ट्रॉनिक घटकों में भारत में निवेश करने के लिए बड़ी कंपनियों को लुभाने में मदद करेगा। यह भारत को उत्पादों के विनिर्माण के संबंध में चीन और वियतनाम जैसे देशों के रूप में दृढ़ रहने की क्षमता देगा। सही कथनों का चयन करें केवल 1 केवल 2  1 और 2 दोनों न तो 1 और न ही 2 DOWNLOAD THE SOLUTION ENGLISH HINDI NOTE- Follow this for Comments Mention- Time Taken after solving the Test After the release of Solution Edit your Comment to Mention-  Correct/Incorrect and Score 2 Marks for Correct/0.66 minus for Incorrect. DOWNLOAD THE 60 DAYS PLAN 2020  PRELIMS EXCLUSIVE CURRENT AFFAIRS CLASSES (12 SESSIONS-By Tauseef Sir): STARTING 15 APRIL- JOIN NOW! All the Best! IASbaba

May 1, 2020 60 DAYS PROGRAMME-PRELIMS 2020

Quick Update: IASbaba’s ALL INDIA OPEN MOCK EXAM in ENGLISH/HINDI (GS & CSAT) -Tomorrow 1st May @ 9.30AM

IASbaba’s ALL INDIA OPEN MOCK EXAM in ENGLISH/HINDI (GS & CSAT) Hello Friends, This is a reminder for tomorrow's (1st May, 2020) PRELIMS Open Mock Exam of General Studies and CSAT (Available BOTH in ENGLISH & HINDI) TOP 100 ranks will be announced on the Website on 3rd May evening. Also, the link to check the Results will be updated in the same post. TO REGISTER FOR THE ALL INDIA MOCKS (English & Hindi) -> CLICK HERE  DISCUSSION PAGE ON MOCK TEST -1 ->CLICK HERE   IMPORTANT NOTE: All the MOCK EXAMS will be ACTIVE till the day of UPSC Prelims Exam 2020. You can take the Mock Tests anytime till that day. But we would suggest you to take it as per the Schedule mentioned above, so that you don’t waste your time, keep the momentum going and bring discipline in your preparation. Only students with VALID Email ids and other mentioned fields can take up the Exam and Ranks will be announced accordingly! Those who had Registered for 1st OPEN MOCK TEST and attempted the Test, which was held on 23rd April, need not register again. They can directly login on the exam day and take the test. Those who want to take the MOCK EXAM OFFLINE, you can login to our test platform, attempt a few questions and end the test online. Then Click on, Get PDF (under Downloads). Both the Question PDF & Solution PDF will be sent to your registered email id. For any Queries – Mail us on support@iasbaba.com   Thank You IASbaba

Apr 30, 2020 Topper's From IASbaba

TOPPER’S STRATEGY (PRELIMS): Muthu Somasundaram, Rank 23 Indian Forest Service (IFoS) 2019, a regular follower of IASbaba

TOPPER’S STRATEGY (PRELIMS): Muthu Somasundaram, Rank 23 Indian Forest Service (IFoS) 2019, a regular follower of IASbaba   Hello Fellow Aspirants, I’m Muthu S and I have secured Rank 23 in Indian forest service exam 2019. I graduated in Industrial Biotechnology in 2015 from AC Tech, Anna University,Chennai and have since been preparing for UPSC CSE. I have given 4 attempts and managed to clear all four prelims. This was the first time I cleared forest service prelims and fortunately cleared the whole exam. One note of caution is that I don’t have any separate strategy or method to clear forest service prelims. I have been following the same set of books and question paper solving strategy for all my attempts. 2019 question paper had a lot of Biotechnology(5) and anthropology(3) questions which gave the extra edge for me, to cross the forest service prelims cut off. Any other day, any other paper, it may not have happened. But the CSE Prelims strategy I have been following since 2016 prelims, has worked for me every year. Each person’s style of studying and revising is different. I’ll explain my strategy briefly. Please don’t take it at face value, compare it with yours, apply and see and then use it if it feels right for you. Here, is my Prelims Marks- Year Cut off Marks 2016 116 117.34 2017 105.33 113.34 2018 98 106 2019 100-102 118-120  (IFS cut off was 116)              As you can see, except for the first attempt, I have got at least 7-8 marks above cut off. But minimum three questions are always usually controversial when the answer key is prepared by institutes and getting those 3 questions wrong will take you out of the race. This fear was there with me every time, expect this year. This cat on the wall situation makes us anxious, confused, and restless. After making the mistake of not preparing till the prelims results came in my first attempt, I learnt the lesson(did not clear mains in 2016) and prepared for mains in the subsequent attempts even if I was in the doubtful range(went to interview in 2017 and 18). With the corona pandemic showing no signs of remission, a typical scenario which would play out in the minds of aspirants right now is - Will the prelims be conducted on time? No no, there is no chance! Will it be in June, July, August? What if they cancel this year’s exam itself? Why should I prepare now with no clarity on when the exam will be? But I had a perfect plan to study for 100 days for prelims, what to do with it. Maybe I should just prepare my optional and wait for the update from UPSC. Next day - Oh God, what if the exam happens on 31st may, why the hell am I preparing for mains now? That’s it Mr X, you have wasted all your time today thinking uselessly while all others would have finished the syllabus. It’s pointless to study now. The Following Day - let me see, what updates I got about the exam in a random forum or group. Looks like everyone is expecting it’ll be months away. I’ll devise a new plan now. This overthinking will go on endlessly without any actual preparation and finally when UPSC gives an update on the date, we may have too much cover in too little time. The main thing is that, everybody goes through this anxiety and restlessness due to the fear of uncertainty, clouding the clarity of our mind especially when we need it to be sharp and clear. It’s normal, you are not the only one going through it. Every aspirant and every person who cleared this exam must have gone through it at some point of time for sure. The only currency we have in this exam is Time and no one can afford to waste. All you need is clarity on, What all you have to cover (unfinished portions) Which books to revise What current affairs booklets to follow  How many question paper solving target you have. Once you have a written list of the above, all you have to do is trust it and go ahead studying. It’s impossible to cover every current affairs. There’ll always be better static books than the one you read. But one constant among all people who clear prelims is that, they follow a limited source material, revise it multiple times and finally trust that what they have covered would be enough. One simple example I can give is, recently a junior of mine asked me, which ncert would be better old or new? I have read only old one. Without reading the new one I cannot compare which is better. But I would never read the new one because I have already read the old ncert multiple times and it’s futile to read the same syllabus in a new book. Does it mean the new ncert is not useful? A big no! Many people clear reading the new one alone. The thing is you have to chose a source, trust and stick to it, if it works out properly (eg.getting the questions right in mock tests means the source you followed is enough ) Now coming to my strategy, I spent more time solving question papers than reading. I follow a very limited amount of basic books and revise it repeatedly.  List of books Polity: Indian Polity- Laksmikanth History: Ancient India Ncert 11th Medival India - TN 11th Spectrum modern India  Geography: India physical environment  Fundamentals of physical geography Past 4 years geography through maps videos Economy: 12th Macro economics Shankar Ganesh book  Current Affairs: Vision PT 365, Iasbaba Environment: Shankar environment Science and Technology: Vision PT 365 Art and culture: Nithin Singhania handwritten notes   My Mantra for Prelims - Question Paper solving  This is one thing I never get tired of doing. I solved whatever question papers I can get my hands on, religiously follow IASbaba's 60 Day Initiative and attend the free All India Mock Tests. Since 2017 I have been an ardent follower of the 60 day plan before Prelims. The quality of the questions is very good and it’s a good program to hone your question solving skills as well as brush up the basics. I want to sincerely thank IASbaba for continuing it as a free initiative and maintaining the quality of the program. There were times when after one attempt’s interview the time for next prelims would be short and I used to solve 4-5 day questions together and make short notes or titbits of the key. You can never take prelims lightly even if you had cleared it earlier, and the 60 day plan was an important part of clearing prelims since 2017 for me, as I used to have sense of satisfaction and confidence if I had completed all the 60 days questions. Many like me are using this program in their own ways.  On the worst days of prelims preparation, I would make sure I solve at least 30 questions and best days even two full-length papers. Further, I would make a note of my new learnings and mistakes of the key, because 100% I knew that I would never see the full key pdf or xerox again in the future. These short notes are the ones I revise every week as it keeps adding. Benefits of question paper solving- Your intuition develops better. Recognizing key words becomes faster. You will get to know your accuracy. For me I used to always get minimum 20 wrong even if I attend 70 questions. 90 plus I get less than 30 wrong, so the accuracy range is 20-30 and I always go for 90 plus questions. Believe me, I know seniors who clear forest prelims by attending less than 80 questions, where their accuracy is phenomenal. Again, each one is different.  Current affairs gets comprehensively covered since question papers will have CA which isn’t in your CA booklet. Over the last 5 years, despite reading spectrum modern history over 15 times, I still find it difficult to remember many things after 7-10 days from the last revision. But economy I understood well and I can’t remember the last time I revised it from a book. It just comes to my mind. That’s how many people differ in different subjects. So it’s normal if you keep forgetting. Don’t be too harsh on yourself! Further, never take your mock tests scores at face value. Don’t lose heart if you get less, don’t get complacent if you get above average. See the mock tests as questions and keep learning. And I very well know people in service who give less than 3 mocks and still clear. An IPS friend of mine gets terrified seeing less score in mock, loses focus for a few days at a stretch and hence his strategy is different, where he revises a lot but solves lesser questions. There is no single perfect strategy in this exam. If someone says it’s there, that’s definitely not true. What I would suggest is,  solve question papers everyday, 3 weeks at a stretch and see if your scores improve well. If it does, go ahead with solving more along with revising the basic books and CA. If it doesn’t show any marked improvement please do get back to the books. Social distancing is nothing new to us. In fact, we can take a class on social distancing 101. That’s our natural habitat. Unless we are called upon by the government to render national service (article 51A(d)) or your district administration calls for volunteers in these testing times, keep your focus right, trust the process and keep up the pace of preparation. Remember the following quote, If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail ! -John wooden May the force be with you!   Thank You Muthu S Rank 23, IFoS

Apr 30, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th April 2020

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th April 2020 Archives Global Terrorism Index (GTI), 2019: India ranks seventh worst terrorism affected country Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Terrorism In News: India is ranked as seventh worst terrorism affected country in Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2019 report.  India is even worse affected than other conflict-ridden countries like Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Palestine and Lebanon. Meanwhile, India's think tank, NITI Aayog has questioned the methodology adopted by the report.  Key takeaways: Deaths from terrorism fell for the fourth consecutive year, after peaking in 2014. Afghanistan has replaced Iraq as the most affected country by terrorism. India has moved to the seventh position from the previous year’s eighth in the annual Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2019. Other countries ahead of India are: Afghanistan (most affected)  Iraq Nigeria Syria Pakistan Somalia Important value additions: The Global Terrorism Index (GTI)  It is a report published annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), a global think tank  It is headquartered in Sydney, Australia. The index provides a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism since 2000.  GTI scores are directly used in the Global Peace Index, the Global Slavery Report, It is also indirectly used in reports of World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness and Global Competitiveness Indices and compilation of Safe Cities Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit. SVAMITVA scheme: a new initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Welfare Schemes In News: Indian Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj has issued guidelines regarding the SVAMITVA scheme.  It is a new initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Important value additions: SVAMITVA scheme  It is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments and Survey of India. It is currently being implemented in six states -  Haryana Karnataka Madhya Pradesh  Maharashtra Uttar Pradesh  Uttarakhand. It aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India for setting the boundaries of the rural lands.  Latest drone survey technology shall be used for mapping of rural housing land.  This scheme will help in streamlining planning and revenue collection in rural areas.  This will also help in resolving property related disputes.  The scheme will enable creation of better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs).  India remains on U.S. Priority Watch List  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Intellectual Property Rights; GS-II – International Relations In News: According to USTR's Annual Special 301 Report, India continues to be on the ‘Priority Watch List’ of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for lack of adequate intellectual property (IP) rights protection and enforcement.  Key takeaways from the report: India remained one of the most challenging economies for IP enforcement and protection.  Though India has made meaningful progress to enhance IP protection and enforcement in some areas over the past year, it did not resolve recent and long-standing challenges, and created new ones. These long-standing concerns were about: innovators being able to receive, maintain and enforce patents particularly in the pharmaceutical sector; copyright laws not incentivising the creation and commercialisation of content;  an outdated trade secrets framework. The report also pointed out high customs duties on medical devices and Information and Communications Technology.  Countries like Algeria, Argentina, Chile, China, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and Venezuela are also on the Priority Watch List. Important value additions: Special 301 Report It is prepared annually by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).  It identifies trade barriers to United States companies and products due to the intellectual property laws, such as copyright, patents and trademarks, in other countries. The Special 301 Report was first published in 1989.   Miscellaneous  Petersberg Climate Dialogue XI  Indian Union Minister for Environment represented India in the first virtual Petersberg Climate Dialogue. It was the eleventh session of Petersberg Climate Dialogue. It is hosted by Germany.  It provides a forum for informal high-level political discussions, focusing both on international climate negotiations and the advancement of climate action. (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL/ SECURITY Topic: General Studies 2: India and its neighborhood- relations.  Security challenges and their management in border areas  Afghan Peace and India’s chances Context: On 16th April 2020, UN Secretariat held a meeting, of what it calls the “6+2+1” group on regional efforts to support peace in Afghanistan. This group includes Six neighbouring countries: China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Two global players: United States and Russia,  Afghanistan itself Did India participate in the meeting? No and this was not the first time that India was absent in such crucial talks  In Dec 2001, India was initially not part of talks that led to Bonn Agreement – that led to establishment of interim authority to govern Afghanistan, after US invasion led to overthrow of Taliban However, India fought back and was able to build consensus to accept Hamid Karzai as the Chairman of the interim arrangement In 2010 London Conference, India left midway when it learnt that meeting had decided to open talks with Taliban Post the talks, India’s efforts led to historic Strategic Partnership Agreement, which was Afghanistan’s first such agreement with any country. Why was India kept of 2020 talks? The reason given was that India holds no “boundary” with Afghanistan However, India was mainly kept out because it never announced its support for the U.S.-Taliban peace process New Delhi’s stand with regard to Afghanistan India’s position that only an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, and Afghan-controlled process can be allowed is a principled one, but has no takers in reality India has supported the Karzai government and later the Ashraf Ghani government, which has been fighting the Taliban India enjoys a generous goodwill among Afghanis due to various developmental projects undertaken by India  What is the basis of India’s goodwill in Afghanistan? The building blocks of India’s goodwill are its assistance in infrastructure projects, health care, education, trade and food security,  Three major projects that have cemented the friendship are:  The Afghan Parliament The Zaranj-Delaram Highway,  The Afghanistan-India Friendship Dam (Salma Dam) The liberal access provided to Afghans to study, train and work in India. India has provided assistance of more than $3 billion in projects The bilateral relationship also has trade of about $1 billion  India has envisaged $20 billion projected development expenditure of an alternate route through Chabahar (Iran) How has India’s strategy on its support to Ashraf Ghani backfired? New Delhi’s excessive reliance on Ashraf Ghani has had a two-fold effect:  India’s voice in the reconciliation process has been limited  It has weakened India’s position with other leaders of the deeply divided democratic setup in Kabul such as the former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah.  Difficulties for India’s Strategic space in Afghanistan The U.S.-Taliban peace deal means that the Taliban has become more powerful vis-à-vis Afghan government, which is not in India’s interest given the Taliban’s close connections with Pakistan India’s presence inside Afghanistan is being threatened anew by terror groups such as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), backed by Pakistan India’s resistance to open talks with the Taliban has made it an awkward interlocutor at any discussion on Afghanistan Peace process Erosion of India’s goodwill due to controversy surrounding Citizenship Amendment Act Way Ahead for India Union Government must consider the appointment of a special envoy to deal with its efforts in Afghanistan India must strive to ensure that its aid and assistance is broad-based, particularly during the novel coronavirus pandemic, even if some lie in areas held by the Taliban. India must make efforts to bridge the Ghani-Abdullah divide, and bringing together other major leaders with whom India has built ties for decades. Failure of this will mean a collapsing opposition to Taliban An understanding between Iran and the U.S. on Afghanistan is necessary for lasting peace, and India could play a mediatory part. Connecting the dots: Role of UN in international Conflicts – Critically analyse Defeat of ISIS- What led to it and its consequences? GOVERNANCE/ ECONOMY/ ENVIRONMENT Topic: General Studies 2 & 3: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors  Indian Economy and challenges with regard to resource mobilization COVID-19: Opportunity for Energy Sector reforms Context: The 9-minute event on April 5th was one PM asked to switch-off lights and light lamps to show respect to COVID-19 warriors. It was interesting for the extent of public participation and expert management of National Electricity grid Pre-Covid, India’s power sector has been facing a mounting financial crisis which has made it more prominent in recent times caused by an expected slowdown. Challenges in Energy Sector The trend of low power demand, now furthered in the post-Covid economy Idle, old, and inefficient coal plants. Plant load factors of Coal plants for the 2019-20 period are at 56%, down from 78% a decade ago. High Industrial Power tariffs –one of the highest in world Heavily subsidised agricultural power tariffs leading to Cross-Subsidisation - High industrial power tariffs to lower the cost of agricultural power Financial health of the DISCOMs (Power Distribution Companies who purchase power from generators & distribute it consumers).  They now owe over Rs 8.8 billion to generators.  Challenges with Renewable Energy (RE) Difficulties of integrating it with National grid given its peak productions & falls. Uncertainty with RE: Weather patterns change and forecasting is never 100% accurate.  Electricity management of RE will be difficult given its fluctuating nature Way Ahead A market-based, automatic mechanism for integration of infirm renewable power into the grid is non-negotiable. Use of Li-ion battery storage to manage power spikes associated with the 175GW of RE planned by 2022 Restructuring of Coal Plants: Some of these old units could be restructured and shut down, based on their generation costs, remaining plant life & modernisation Improving Efficiency: Retrofit power units with flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) to improve the environmental efficiency of old power plants Lower industrial power tariffs to meet the competition. Industrial power in Vietnam is, for example, 40% cheaper than in India Adoption of DBT framework for providing subsidy to agricultural power consumers Utilize the Crisis: Now is an opportunity to bring in fresh Covid-influenced industrial investment from Korea and Japan, which are diversifying away from China. New Legislative Framework: Enactment of proposed Electricity Amendment Bill,2020 and adoption by States with suitable modifications Conclusion The proposed Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020, is an ambitious step in the right direction—with bold moves to  Institute cost-reflective tariffs,  Remove subsidies, and  Strengthen the sanctity of contracts through greater enforcement  Provision of payment security to generators Connecting the dots: UDAY Scheme Paris Climate Goals and India’s commitment towards it (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers.  Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1 Global terrorism index is published by which of the following?  Amnesty International  Bill Gates Foundation  Institute for Economics and Peace  UN Security Council Q.2 SVAMITVA scheme is a new initiative of which of the following ministry?  Ministry of Panchayati Raj  Ministry of Agriculture  Ministry of Urban development   Ministry of Finance Q.3 Special 301 Report is published by which of the following?  United States Trade Representative  World Economic Forum  International Monetary Fund  Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.  Q.4 With regard to Special 301 Report, consider the following statements:  India is placed in US priority watch list. High custom duties on medical devices and Information and Communications Technology were one of the highlights of the report. Which of the above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5 Where is Petersberg located?  Germany  Russia France Italy ANSWERS FOR 29th April 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 C 3 C 4 D Must Read About situation in Brazil: The Hindu About limitation of Online Learning: The Hindu About COVID-19 impact on Women: The Hindu

Apr 30, 2020 PIB

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 20th April to 26th April – 2020

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 20th April to 26th April – 2020 ARCHIVES GS-2 Promulgation of an Ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 in the light of the pandemic situation of COVID-19 (Topic: Governance) Background: During the current COVID-19 pandemic, there have been instances of  Attack on the most critical service providers i.e. members of healthcare services by miscreants, thereby obstructing them from doing their duties Members of the medical community are being perceived as carriers of the virus, and this has led to cases of their stigmatization and ostracization and sometimes worse, acts of unwarranted violence and harassment.   Several States have enacted special laws to offer protection to doctors and other medical personnel in the past. However, Covid-19 outbreak has posed a unique situation where harassment of the healthcare workforce and others working to contain the spread of the disease has been taking place at all fronts, in various places including even cremation grounds.  In this context, the Union Cabinet has approved promulgation of an Ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 to protect healthcare service personnel and property including their living/working premises against violence during epidemics. The President has given his assent for promulgation of the Ordinance.  The ordinance makes acts of violence against the healthcare workers as cognizable and non-bailable offences. Under it, there is also a provision to provide compensation for injury to healthcare service personnel or for causing damage or loss to the property. The investigation into the cases of attack will be completed within 30 days and judgment will be pronounced within one year.  Accused of the attack can attract a punishment ranging from 3 months to 5 years and a fine from 50 thousand rupees to  2 lakh rupees.  A compensation amounting to twice the market value of the damaged property will be taken from the accused if damage is done to the vehicles or clinics. The current Ordinance is intended to ensure that during any situation akin to the current pandemic, there is zero tolerance to any form of violence against healthcare service personnel and damage to property. Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 This law enables states to ban public gatherings, ask schools and large institutions to stop functioning, and issue advisories to companies to explore work-from-home models.   It also gives the state a right to penalise media organisations spreading misinformation.  For background and features, click here. What is an Ordinance? Ordinances are laws that are promulgated by the President of India on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet as per Article 123 of the Constitution. They can only be issued when Parliament is not in session. They enable the Indian government to take immediate legislative action. Ordinances cease to operate either if Parliament does not approve of them within six weeks of reassembly, or if disapproving resolutions are passed by both Houses. It is also compulsory for a session of Parliament to be held within six months. Governor can also promulgate an ordinance under Article 213. It however requires instructions from the President in cases where a passage of similar bill would have required the assent of President. Instances where ordinance can be used: It is meant as a last resort and not a tool to replace the power or functioning of Parliament. It can, generally, be issued only on pressing issues or issues that require immediate consideration that cannot wait for Parliament to assemble and consider the bill. Misuse: Ordinances are used by governments to pass legislation which is currently pending in Parliament, as was the case with the Food Security Ordinance Ordinances are promulgated when there is no consensus in the parliament. For E.g.: the ordinance on altering the Land Reforms Act. Re-promulgation: Re-promulgation of Ordinances raises questions about the authority of the Parliament as the highest law making body. In Wadhwa vs. State of Bihar (1986), the Supreme Court held that it is unconstitutional to re-promulgate ordinances without putting it to vote in the parliament. In the above instances, ordinances are being used to bypass legislature. However, following arguments show how it cannot effectively bypass legislature. Validity- Maximum validity for an ordinance is 6 months and 6 weeks. Restrictions- A constitutional amendment cannot be made through ordinance route. Judicial review- Re-promulgation of ordinance can be deemed unconstitutional by the court.  Not every law or major reforms can be introduced via ordinance route. In Krishna Kumar Singh vs. State of Bihar, SC held that the failure to place an ordinance before the legislature constitutes abuse of power and a fraud on the constitution Dr. BR Ambedkar had opined that the mechanism of issuing an ordinance is devised in order to deal with a situation that may suddenly and immediately arise when Parliament is not in session Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme (Topic: Government Schemes and policies) In News: Rs. 17,793 crores released for 8.89 crore farmer families during the lockdown Central Sector scheme with 100% funding from Government of India Under the scheme income support of Rs.6000/- per year in three equal instalments will be provided to small and marginal farmer families having combined land holding/ownership of up to 2 hectares Definition of the family for the scheme is husband, wife and minor children. State Government and UT Administration will identify the farmer families which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines. The fund will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. Significance of PM KISAN Scheme Support to small and marginal farmers who are largely involved in subsistence farming and struggles to invest in agriculture inputs or technology, Boost the rural consumption and positive for agriculture and allied sectors. Poverty reduction: Cash transfer programmes are an important tool of social protection and poverty reduction. They have an immediate impact on reducing hunger and rural poverty. Better use: This can increase productive investment, increase access to markets and stimulate local economies. Income support can be used to make a repayment or at least activate a bank account which can then receive a loan. Rural development: It can serve as an important complement to a broader rural development agenda, including a pro-poor growth strategy focusing on agriculture. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PM-GKY) (Topic: Government Schemes and policies) In News: In order to provide food security during the prevailing situation due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has decided to distribute pulses to the eligible households under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PM-GKY). About 107,077.85 MT pulses have so far been issued to the States/UTs. What: The ₹1.7 Lakh Crore relief package – named PMGKY- was announced by Union government to alleviate the distress caused by COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare Workers: Insurance cover of ₹50 lakh Food grains to Poor: 80 crore poor people under National Food Security Act will receive five extra kg of wheat or rice and 1 kg of pulses MGNREGA workers (13.63 crore): Wage increased from ₹182/day to ₹202/day Jan Dhan Women Account holders (20.4 crore): DBT of ₹500/ month for next three months  Senior Citizens, disabled & Poor widows (3 crore): Ex-gratia of ₹1000 (through existing pension schemes) Farmers (8.7 crore): Front loading of ₹2000 to them under existing PM Kisan Yojana Ujjwala Beneficiaries (8.3 crore): Free cylinders for next three months Wage earners: Those earning below ₹15000/month in firms having less than 100 workers will receive 24% of their monthly wages into their PF accounts for next three months Construction workers: Centre has directed States to use Construction worker’s welfare fund to give relief to 3.5 crore registered workers Strategy by Government: Government has followed two-pronged approach Ensuring a steady supply of food and cooking gas to poor people Easing cash woes of the vulnerable sections of society Fiscally prudent: By utilizing existing schemes funding for the package is kept within the budget so as to retain control over the deficit  Preserving Financial resources -Given the uncertainty over the length of crisis – government may announce future relief packages to adapt with changing situation Challenges: Modest cash transfer might not be enough given the drying up of incomes for the vulnerable sections of society Implementation issues: People may face difficulties to draw money from their accounts during the lockdown Migrant labourers may find difficulties to access the extra food grain announced Package does not address the challenges being faced by Informal MSMEs and other hard-hit sectors. GS-3 Crisis Management – COVID-19 A. Central Government constitutes 6 Inter-Ministerial Teams  To make assessment of situation and augment State efforts to fight and contain spread of COVID-19 effectively.  IMCTs to focus on complaints of implementation of lockdown measures as per guidelines, supply of essential commodities, social distancing, preparedness of health infrastructure, safety of health professionals and conditions of the relief camps for labour and poor people. The Committees have been constituted  by the Central Government in exercise of the powers, conferred, inter alia, under Section 35(1), 35(2)(a), 35(2)(e) and 35(2)(i) of the Disaster Management Act 2005. B. Surplus rice available with FCI allowed to be converted to ethanol For: Utilization in making alcohol-based hand-sanitizers and for blending in Petrol National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 under Para 5.3 inter-alia envisages that during an agriculture crop year when there is projected over supply of food grains as anticipated by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, the policy will allow conversion of these surplus quantities of food grains to ethanol, based on the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC). What is the Science behind it? Ethanol is considered an effective substance against a large spectrum of microorganisms which can linger on the skin. A 2004 study published in the Clinical Microbiology Reviews journal says the best antimicrobial efficacy can be achieved with ethanol (60-85%), isopropanol (60- 80%) and n-propanol (60-80%).  Alcohol attacks viruses and other disease-causing pathogens by damaging their cell structures. Some alcohols damage the layers that envelop the virus, while some just break down the cells.  The novel coronavirus, for instance, is an enveloped virus surrounded by a fat layer. Lipid membrane viruses—like the coronavirus—can be killed using alcohol-based disinfectants and hand sanitizers. They simply break down the membrane or the layer of fat, leaving the virus unable to infect an individual. C. CSIR supports efforts to develop a drug to save lives of critically ill patients suffering from Gram-negative sepsis CSIR, is now initiating a randomized, blinded, two arms, active comparator-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of the drug for reducing mortality (deaths) in critically ill COVID-19 patients The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved the trial and it will start soon at multiple hospitals It is found to be extremely safe in patients and no systemic side effects are associated with its use. The drug has been shown to reduce the mortality of critically ill patients by more than half. It also leads to faster recovery of organ dysfunction seen in this condition. What happens in Gram-negative sepsis as well as in critically ill COVID-19 patients? There is an altered immune response leading to a massive change in their cytokine profile.  The drug modulates the immune system of the body and thereby inhibits the cytokine storm leading to reduced mortality and faster recovery. D. Cabinet approves Rs. 15,000 Crore for ''India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package" Aim: Mounting emergency response to slow and limit COVID-19 in India through Development of diagnostics and COV1D-dedicated treatment facilities Centralized procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients Strengthen and build resilient National and State health systems to support prevention and preparedness for future disease outbreaks Setting up of laboratories Bolster surveillance activities, bio-security preparedness, pandemic research Proactively engage communities and conduct risk communication activities E. COVID India Seva: An interactive platform to establish a direct channel of communication with millions of Indians amid the pandemic This initiative is aimed at enabling transparent e-governance delivery in real-time and answering citizen queries swiftly, at scale, especially in crisis situations like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  Through this, people can pose queries @CovidIndiaSeva and get them responded to in almost real time. @CovidIndiaSeva works off a dashboard at the backend that helps process large volumes of tweets, converts them into resolvable tickets, and assigns them to the relevant authority for real-time resolution. F. First Mobile Testing Lab for COVID-19 detection Mobile Virology Research and Diagnostics Laboratory (MVRDL) developed by DRDO in association with ESIC Hospital, Hyderabad and Private industry Can process more than 1,000 samples in a day and will enhance country’s capabilities in fighting COVID19. G. Antiviral nano-coatings to be upscaled for making triple layer medical masks & N-95 respirator receives support to combat COVID 19: The use of highly effective antimicrobial nanoparticles on PPEs, masks etc., is a useful application that will provide an extra layer of protection for the high risk settings, such as for the medical workers H. Virucidal coating to prevent COVID transmission: The group will be extending their expertise on developing the molecules that will target the membranes of Covid-19 viral particles selectively. These molecules will then be used for engineering of different surfaces like glass, plastic and textiles including cotton, nylon, and polyester to provide virucidal coating that can potentially inhibit the viral transmission. I. Scientists working on anti COVID drugs using garlic essential oil: Under the Drug discovery platform, in turn, the research will explore separation of therapeutic and valuable medicinal components from the peel and seeds of fruits and utilisation of natural garlic essential oil as a ACE 2 protein inhibitor for preventing SARS-CoV-2 invasion. J. IIT Delhi develops low cost Probe-free Covid 19 detection assay - free Real-time PCR Diagnostic Kit: A testing kit which is at a very low cost for the people of India. The kit will not only empower healthcare services but also support the government in the time of crisis. K. UV disinfection trolley can effectively clean up hospital spaces in combating COVID-19 UV light in the range of wavelengths between 200 and 300 nm is capable of inactivating microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses, thus disinfecting both air and solid surfaces.  Often, chemical disinfectants are not enough to remove the bacteria and viruses found in hospitals and other contamination prone environment.  Rapid decontamination of the used patient-care beds and hospital rooms before admission of subsequent occupants is a major requirement in hospitals in view of the limited availability of beds. Coronavirus is sensitive to UVC light, as in the case of other viruses and bacteria.  The germicidal effects of UVC irradiation with a peak intensity at 254 nm results in cellular damage of the virus, thereby inhibiting cellular replication.  Unlike chemical approaches to disinfection, UV light provides rapid, effective inactivation of microorganisms through a physical process. L. Herbal decongestant spray on mask can protect from suffocation: Wearing a mask for a long time is reportedly causing difficulties in breathing and congestion in the respiratory system.  The main reasons behind this problem include the accumulation of carbon dioxide and humidity in the inner cavity of the mask. When a person breathes in, this goes back to the lungs again. Repetition of this process over a period of time causes discomfort in breathing and congestion.  To address this issue, a herbal decongestant spray has been developed. This formulation helps in clearing the wind pipe and congestion by removing the mucus or cough leading to ease of breathing M. DoPT’s online Corona course: https://igot.gov.in – The training contents of the course include  Basics of COVID Clinical management ICU care management Infection prevention and care Usage of PPE Quarantine and isolation Training for NCC cadets Management of COVID 19 cases Laboratory sample collection and testing Psychological care of patients Paediatric care in COVID Pregnancy during COVID New Technology (Topic: New developments in Technology) A. Fish gills used to develop efficient low-cost electro-catalysts for rechargeable metal-air battery This bio-inspired carbon nanostructure can help overcome the bottleneck in the realization of several renewable energy conversion and storage technologies such as fuel cell, biofuel cell, and metal−air battery. The present strategy enriches a route to synthesize low-cost, highly efficient bioinspired electrocatalyst that is better than commercial Platinum on carbon (Pt/C) catalyst and could be utilized as next-generation nonprecious carbon-based electrocatalyst for energy conversion and storage applications. B. New model to predict ionospheric electron density can help communication/navigation Artificial Neural Networks based global Ionospheric Model (ANNIM) has been developed using long-term ionospheric observations to predict the ionospheric electron density and the peak parameters ANNs replicate the processes in the human brain (or biological neurons) to solve problems such as pattern recognition, classification, clustering, generalization, linear and nonlinear data fitting, and time series prediction, and very few attempts have been made to model the global ionosphere variability using ANNs.  Tracking the variability of the Ionosphere is important for communication and navigation. The ionospheric variability is greatly influenced by both solar originated processes and the neutral atmosphere origin, therefore, difficult to model. Scientists have tried to model the ionosphere using theoretical and empirical techniques; however, the accurate prediction of electron density is still a challenging task. C. Development of ten varieties of Anthurium By: D Vasini Bai, a women innovator from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala by using the cross-pollination method. Anthurium (Anthurium spp.) is a vast group of beautiful blooming plants available in a wide range of colors. The plants of the varieties are having high demands due to its use as indoor decorative plants. They are beautiful but also purify the surrounding air and remove harmful airborne chemicals like formaldehyde, ammonia, toluene, xylene, and allergens. Its importance of removing toxic substances from the air, NASA has placed it in the list of air purifier plants. Study shows that COVID 19 may affect the Central Nervous System causing loss of smell and taste (Topic: Medicine) Scientists of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jodhpur have explored the neuroinvasive nature of the COVID 19 virus SARS-CoV-2 highlighting that loss of smell and taste of infected patients makes their entire Central Nervous System (CNS) and the underlying structures in the brain more prone to viral infection with devastating effects. SARS-CoV-2 is known to interact with a specific human receptor known as hACE2 (human angiotensin-converting enzyme-2) which also happens to be the entry point of the virus and has an almost ubiquitous presence in most human organs ranging from lung parenchyma to nasal mucosa. The brain is also known to express this receptor. Nose and mouth both are very important entry points of the virus, which then may be slowly making its way to the olfactory bulb using the neurons of the olfactory mucosa. The olfactory bulb located in the forebrain is the structure that is chiefly responsible for the sense of smell. This explains the loss of smell associated with many asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 and also may be exposing the CNS to viral infection. The publication highlights that activities like smoking could increase the chances of contracting COVID-19 infection, attributing this to the interactions and co-expression of the hACE2 receptor and the nicotinic receptor, which is stimulated on smoking. Exploring ‘Super-luminous supernovae exploded rapidly and decayed slowly’ (Topic: Space) Researchers at the Arayabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) Nainital an autonomous research institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) Govt. of India found that SN 2010kd, a super-luminous supernova stands out with the amount of mass as well as Nickel ejected during explosion, which is much more than seen in case of normal core-collapse supernovae. What are Supernovae? Supernovae are a kind of energetic explosions where the core of massive stars (a few times to that of mass of our Sun) go to a catastrophic phase of explosion liberating huge amounts of energy.  These events are visible through very far away distances much beyond our own solar system. Super-luminous supernovae are a special type of stellar explosions having energy output 10 or more times higher than that of standard supernovae. NTPC launches Hydrogen Fuel bus and car project for Leh and New Delhi – Invites Global EOI (Topic: Energy; Environment) The move to procure Hydrogen Fuel Cell based vehicles is first of its kind project in the country, wherein a complete solution from green energy to the fuel cell vehicle would be developed. The initiative will also harness renewable energy for generation of hydrogen and develop it's storage and dispensation facilities as part of pilot projects at Leh and Delhi.  The move to launch hydrogen powered vehicles aims at decarbonizing mobility segment.  Hydrogen Fuel Cell based vehicles Like conventional batteries under the bonnets of automobiles, hydrogen fuel cells too, convert chemical energy into electrical energy. From a long-term viability perspective, FCEVs are billed as vehicles of the future, given that hydrogen is the most abundant resource in the universe. Can be recharged faster and also give more mileage than the lithium-ion batteries commonly used in EVs today. The Workings: A fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat, and water. Fuel cells are often compared to batteries. Both convert the energy produced by a chemical reaction into usable electric power. However, the fuel cell will produce electricity as long as fuel (hydrogen) is supplied, never losing its charge. Hydrogen is high in energy, yet an engine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost no pollution. NASA has used liquid hydrogen since the 1970s to propel the space shuttle and other rockets into orbit. Hydrogen fuel cells power the shuttle's electrical systems, producing a clean by product - pure water, which the crew drinks. Criticisms: Hydrogen is more explosive than petrol. The process of making hydrogen needs energy — often from fossil fuel sources. That has raised questions over hydrogen’s green credentials. Think about it:  What are your views on: "Secularism and Harmony” is not "political fashion" but it is "perfect passion" for India and Indians If you were on the Advisory Council of the 15th Finance Commission, what will your views be on the following – Implications of the pandemic for GDP growth in 2020-21 and 2021-22.  Uncertainty about macro variables over time Possible assumptions for tax buoyancy and revenue in the current year and next year What should be the public expenditure fillip to shore up the economy Note: DIKSHA Platform: For augmenting teaching and learning processes VidyaDaan 2.0: For inviting e-learning Content contributions The programme has been launched due to the increasing requirement for e-learning content for students (both school and higher education) especially in the backdrop of situation arising out of Covid- 19 and also due to the urgent need to integrate digital education with schooling to augment learning. Has a content contribution tool that provides a structured interface for the contributors to register and contribute different types of content (such as, explanation videos, presentations, competency-based items, quizzes etc.), for any grade (from grade 1 to 12), for any subject as specified by the states/UTs. White paper by TIFAC to strategize revival of post-COVID 19 Indian economy The Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), an autonomous technology think-tank, under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, is preparing a white paper to strategize revival of post-COVID 19 Indian economy in the following areas – Strengthening Make in India initiatives Commercialization of Indigenous technology Developing a technology-driven transparent Public Distribution System (PDS) Efficient rural health care delivery Reduction of import Adoption of emerging technology domains like AI, Machine Learning, Data Analytics  Facilitating Farmers in Direct Marketing Government of India has been making concerted efforts to facilitate farmers in direct marketing and assure better returns.  There is a need to promote direct marketing without insisting for licensing procedures and facilitate the farmers in timely marketing of farm produce. In order to decongest wholesale markets & to boost the supply chain, following two modules under National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) have been introduced: FPO Module: FPOs can directly trade with e-NAM portal. They can upload produce details from collection centers with picture/quality parameter and avail the bidding facility without physically reaching to the mandis. Warehouse Based Trading Module: Farmers can sell their produce from Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) registered warehouses notified as deemed market, and do not physically bring the produce to the nearest mandis. What is e-NAM? e e-NAM is an innovative initiative in agricultural marketing to  Enhance farmers accessibility digitally to multiple number of markets & buyers To bring transparency in trade transactions with the intent to improve price discovery mechanism, quality commensurate price realization To develop the concept of One Nation One Market for agriculture produce Reach: Today, it has reached 585 mandis across 16 States and 02 UTs. More than 1.66 crore farmers and 1.28 Lakh traders registered on e-NAM platform.  Civil Services Day: 21st April; celebrated as a tribute to the great Sardar Patel - Iron Man of India, who envisioned our administrative framework and emphasised on building a system that is progress-oriented and compassionate Patel’s contribution: Widely considered to be the architect of modern India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played an important role in the integration of all the princely states (especially Hyderabad, Junagadh and Kashmir) into the Indian Union after the British left India in 1947. Provided good governance as an able administrator in diverse fields like modern farming and empowerment of tribal communities Organised peasants from Kheda, Borsad, and Bardoli in Gujarat in non-violent civil disobedience against the British Raj, becoming one of the most influential leaders in Gujarat. He earned the title of “Sardar” after spearheading a no-tax campaign by peasants at Bardoli in Gujarat. He also led the relief and rehabilitation operations when Gujarat was ravaged by floods and worked tirelessly during a plague outbreak in Ahmedabad. He is also remembered as the “patron saint of India’s civil servants” for having established the modern all-India services system. “A civil servant cannot afford to, and must not, take part in politics. Nor must he involve himself in communal wrangles. To depart from the path of rectitude in either of these respects is to debase public service and to lower its dignity,” he had cautioned them on April 21, 1947. Acknowledging the monumental contribution of Patel in nation building, Jawaharlal Nehru said, “History will call him the builder and consolidator of new India.” The remarks Patel made during the Quit India Movement are also relevant today. He said: “We have to shed mutual bickering, shed the difference of being high or low and develop the sense of equality and banish untouchability. We have to live like the children of the same father”. Solve: With great skill and masterful diplomacy and using both persuasion and pressure, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel succeeded in integrating hundreds of princely states with the Indian Union. Discuss. Must Read: Link 1

Apr 30, 2020 Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent and Creativity

Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent & Creativity: PAINTINGS by SWETA KUMARI & SKETCHING by ABHISHEK VERMA

Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent & Creativity 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 PAINTINGS by SWETA KUMARI & SKETCHING by ABHISHEK VERMA ! Well done, Keep it up !! PAINTINGS by SWETA KUMARI       SKETCHING by ABHISHEK VERMA !     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.   To know more about Catharsis -Unlock Your Talent & Creativity' Initiative and the Previous Creative work  -> CLICK HERE 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 and ilp@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