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IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 18th February 2020 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Women Army officers eligible for permanent commission Part of: GS Prelims –Society and GS-II- Women Empowerment In News: Supreme Court: Dismissed the Union government’s submissions that women are physiologically weaker than men as a “sex stereotype” Declared that Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers are eligible for permanent commission and command posts in the Army irrespective of their years of service. The court found the remarks in the note not only constitutionally invalid but also discriminatory, affecting the dignity of women officers. More details – Refer the Mains Focus section Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 18th February 2020 IASbaba’s Value Addition: Prejudice & Stereotype : Prejudice refers to certain attitudes towards an individual or a group of individuals. Stereotype refers to allocation of particular roles to an individual or group of individuals. For example, some have a prejudice towards women that they are weak. This leads to their role allocation in the society and certain jobs have been stereotyped for women-receptionists, teachers, nurse etc. Prejudice and stereotypes lead to social inequality and exclusion. For example, if women are stereotyped as nurses, teachers and receptionists, they stand no chance of becoming an IAS, IPS, Astronaut, diplomat, scientist and soldier. India’s bird population suffers long-term decline Part of: GS Prelims –Environment and GS-III- Conservation In news: State of India’s Birds 2020 (SoIB) assessment states : Over a fifth of India’s bird diversity, ranging from the Short-toed Snake Eagle to the Sirkeer Malkoha, has suffered strong long-term declines 80% loss among several common birds every bird species that was found to be increasing in numbers over the long term, 11 have suffered losses Rufous-fronted Prinia, Nilgiri Thrush, Nilgiri Pipit and Indian vulture were confirmed as suffering current decline The common sparrow have become rare in cities and urban areas. reasons for this is a decrease in insect populations as well as nesting places Threat loss of habitat due to human activity, widespread presence of toxins, including pesticides; Hunting and trapping for the pet trade.. From Prelims Point of View: Rufous-fronted Prinia : IUCN (least concern ) Nilgiri thrush: IUCN (Endangered ) Nilgiri pipit : IUCN (Vulnerable ) Indian vulture : IUCN (Critically Endangered ) Peninsular command Part of: GS Prelims –Polity and GS-II- Defence In news: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) talked about : A road map for restructuring the Armed Forces that would holistically counter threats along the borders with China and Pakistan as well as in the Indian Ocean, backed by logistical agreements with other countries. An Indian Ocean-centered Peninsular Command, possibly formed by merging the Eastern and Western Naval Commands Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 18th February 2020 SRC: Maps of India Chief of Defence Staff (CDS): Cabinet Committee on Security approved the creation Principal military adviser to the defence minister Appointed in a four-star rank at par with the three service chiefs Permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) Function as the Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority Google to end ‘Station’ programme Part of: GS Prelims –Sci & Tech and GS-III- IT In news: Google Started the ‘Station’ programme to bring free public Wi-Fi to 400 busiest railway stations in India. Now decided to gradually wind down the service globally What ? Google believes that better data plans and improving mobile connectivity have made it “simpler and cheaper” for users to get online. The programme was kick-started in India in 2015 as a partnership between Google, Indian Railways and RailTel to bring fast and free public WiFi. Govt. plans research on ‘indigenous’ cows Part of: GS Prelims –Polity and GS-II- Govt Policy In news: Government has unveiled a programme to research on ‘indigenous’ cows. (SUTRA PIC or Scientific Utilisation Through Research Augmentation-Prime Products from Indigenous Cows) Funded by multiple scientific ministries, the initiative, SUTRA PIC, is led by the Department of Science and Technology Five themes: Uniqueness of Indigenous Cows, For Medicine and Health, For Agricultural Applications, For Food and Nutrition, Cows-based utility items. Aims To perform scientific research on complete characterisation of milk and milk products derived from Indian indigenous cows Scientific research on nutritional and therapeutic properties of curd and ghee prepared from indigenous breeds of cows by traditional methods; development of standards for traditionally processed dairy products of Indian-origin cow No headway in India-U.S. trade talks Part of: GS Prelims –Economy and GS-III- Trade In news: Concerns : liberalising e-commerce, and investment norms for retail Medical device price caps levied by India, a rationalisation of tariffs levied by both sides, Greater market access for U.S. agricultural and dairy products. Full restoration of GSP (Generalised System of Preferences) From Prelims Point of View Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Umbrella that comprises the bulk of preferential schemes granted by industrialized nations to developing countries. Reduced Most Favored Nations (MFN) Tariffs or duty-free entry of eligible products exported by beneficiary countries to the markets of donor countries. GSP was adopted at UNCTAD in New Delhi in 1968 UNCTAD United Nation Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964. It supports developing countries to access the benefits of a globalized economy more fairly and effectively. (MAINS FOCUS) Topic: General Studies 2: Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions (Judicial Overreach Vs Judicial activism) Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Women in Armed Forces Context The Supreme Court has asked government to adhere to its own stated policy on granting permanent commission to women in the Short Service Commission (SSC) At present, the women officers are allowed permanent commission (PC) only in two branches of the Indian Army, namely the Judge Advocate General and Army Education Corps. The remaining eight branches that will open up for women SSC officers in the army are Corps of Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Army Ordinance Corps and the Intelligence Corps What is Short Service Commission? It is an option of joining the Army and serving as a Commissioned Officer for 10 years At the end of 10 years a person has two options - Either to get elected for a Permanent Commission or opt out. Those not selected for Permanent Commission have the option of a 4 years extension. They can resign at any time during this period. A Permanent Commission means a career in the Army till you retire Women in Army: Background of the case 1992: Induction of Women officers into Army started. Women were commissioned for a period of five years in certain chosen streams through Women Special Entry Scheme (WSES) WSES had a shorter pre-commission training period than their male counterparts who were commissioned under the Short Service Commission (SSC) scheme. 2003: PIL was filed before the Delhi High Court for grant of permanent commission (PC) to women SSC officers in the Army 2006: WSES scheme was replaced with the SSC scheme, which was extended to women officers. Women were commissioned for a period of 10 years, extendable up to 14 years Women were however, restricted to roles in streams specified earlier — which excluded combat arms such as infantry and armoured corps. While male SSC officers could opt for permanent commission at the end of 10 years of service, this option was not available to women officers Impact of such a system: Women were kept out of any command appointment (they could only reach up to the level of Colonel) Women could not qualify for government pension, which starts only after 20 years of service as an officer. 2008: Defence Ministry passed an order saying PC would be granted prospectively to SSC women officers in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) department and the Army Education Corps (AEC) (2 out of 10 streams in PC) 2010: Delhi High Court Order: Women officers of the Air Force and Army on SSC who had sought permanent commission but were not granted that status, would be entitled to PC at par with male SSC officers. This order was subsequently challenged by government in the Supreme Court and also did not implement the High Court order even though it was not stayed by the apex court. August 15, 2018: Prime Minister Modi announced that permanent commission would be granted to serving women officers of the armed forces. However, it was not implemented on the ground which led the SC to pass the present judgement Basis of arguments put forth by the government in the Apex Court while arguing against Women’s inclusion in Permanent Commission are: Women were kept out of command posts on the reasoning that the largely rural rank and file will have problems with women as commanding officers. Limitations of judicial review on policy issues Occupational hazards SSC is merely a support cadre Biological arguments: Rationalization on physiological limitations for employment in staff appointments. Deployment of women officers was not advisable in conflict zones where there was “minimal facility for habitat and hygiene. (Despite the fact that 30% of the total number of women officers are deputed to conflict areas) Implications of Supreme Court ruling: The court rejected all the above arguments of the government as discriminatory and against Article 14 of the Constitution Women on a par with male officers: SC has done away with all discrimination for grant of PC in 10 non-combat wings in the army, bringing women on par with men. Opening of command positions would necessarily kick-start a flurry on activities within the military. Military secretary’s branch will have to begin with reorganising cadre management to accommodate women officers It has also removed the restriction of women officers only being allowed to serve in staff appointments, which is the most significant and far-reaching aspect of the judgment. Conclusion The bigger shift will have to take place in the culture, norms, and values of the rank and file of the Army, which will be the responsibility of the senior military and political leadership. Connecting the dots! Representation of Women in Parliament/Legislature – Should SC also pass an order mandating 33% of legislature seats to be reserved for Women. Possible consequences of the ruling on Societal prejudices on women Topic: General Studies 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. Indian Railways’ Corporate Train model Context Indian Railways plans to offer as many as 500 trains to private operators over the next five years. The Kashi Mahakal Express is the country’s third ‘corporate’ train after the two Tejas Express trains between Delhi-Lucknow and Mumbai-Ahmedabad. All these three trains are run by PSU IRCTC How does the model work? In this model, the corporation takes all the decisions of running the service — fare, food, onboard facilities, housekeeping, complaints etc. Indian Railways is free from these encumbrances and gets to earn from IRCTC a pre-decided amount, being the owner of the network. This amount has three components- haulage, lease and custody. In other words, IRCTC has to pay Indian Railways a sum total of these three charges, roughly Rs 14 lakh for the Lucknow Tejas runs in a day (up and down) and then factor in a profit over and above this. What powers does IRCTC have? Being a corporate entity with a Board of Directors and investors, IRCTC insists that the coaches it gets from Railways are new and not in a run-down condition, as is seen in many trains. In this model, IRCTC has full flexibility to decide the service parameters and even alter them without having to go to Railway ministry or its policies. IRCTC gets the freedom to decide even the number of stoppages it wants to afford on a route, depending on the needs of its business model. The Lucknow Tejas, for instance, has two stops, whereas the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas has six stops. These stops are business decisions. Is this the same model for private tain operators? Private players may not need to pay lease and custody charges as it is expected that they will bring in their own rolling stock. Companies will have to bid for a network of routes and bids will be finalized on a revenue-sharing model. They (companies) will have to pay the haulage (charges for using tracks) charges at ₹686 per km to the railways. Along with this, they will have to have a portion of their revenue. Infrastructure, maintenance and safety will be handled by the railways. Private train operators will be allowed to procure trains, operate and maintain them, provide better on-board experience and services to passengers, in terms of food, comfort, entertainment, among others. Companies will also have freedom to decide the fare Necessity/Merits of such plans To meet growing passenger demand: Indian Railways runs around 13,000 passenger trains every day and an additional requirement of 3,000-4,000 trains is estimated. Over the next five years, after the two dedicated freight corridors are operationalised and a lion’s share of freight trains move to the corridors, a lot of capacity will free up in the conventional railway lines for more passenger trains to run to cater to the demand. Private train operators will bring with them the technical and managerial expertise which leads to optimum utilization of resources. The step is also expected to boost private investment in the sector It will also ease burden on government finances and helps reduce the loss of Indian Railways (because of under-recovery of cost due to low fares and hefty overheads) It will create the environment for enhanced service quality and user experience for the passengers Way Ahead Government needs to create an enabling ecosystem (policies, banking, infrastructure provision, regulation, ease of doing business) to tap the full potential of private players in railway sector. Connecting the dots! Bibek Debroy Committee Should government insist on “Made in India” rakes for private players who wish to enter the sector? – Critically analyse (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. In the context of Indian wild life, the flying fox is a Bat Kite Stork Vulture Q 2. Consider the following fauna of India: Indian Vulture Nilgiri thrush Nilgiri Pipit Which of the above is/are endangered? 1 and 2 only 1 only 1, 2 and 3 None Q 3. ‘Station’ programme to bring free public Wi-Fi busiest railway stations in India started by Ministry of IT Google Wipro Infosys ANSWERS FOR 17 FEB 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 C 3 C Must Read About Children’s right to Protest: The Hindu About Trump & US politics : The Hindu About Telecom Sector’s Troubles: The Hindu
Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 8th to 16th February, 2020 ARCHIVES GS-2 The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare conducts the tenth round of the National Deworming Day (NDD) (Topic: Government policies and interventions in Health) The NDD is implemented with an objective to reduce the prevalence of Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH), commonly called the parasitic intestinal worms, among all children and adolescents. Infections with the main STH – roundworm, whipworm and hookworms – contribute to 50.1 lakh disability adjusted life-years (DALYs) worldwide (WHO, 2010). One DALY can be thought of as one lost "healthy" year from a life. In India, over 22 crore children under 14 years are at risk of STH infections (WHO, 2017). Launched in 2015, the NDD is the largest public health program implemented on a single day reaching crores of children and adolescents through two NDD rounds every year. This year today, 19 states took up activities to reach 9.35 crore of the target population. Implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Human Resource Development, NDD is a key intervention of Anemia Mukt Bharat. Its success and impact lie in convergence with the Swachh Bharat Mission. NDD presents opportunities to further policy dialogue on health and nutrition as a way of supplementing efforts under POSHAN Abhiyaan. Deworming through Albendazole is an evidence-based, globally-accepted, effective solution used to control worm infections in all children. However, it can have minor side effects and some children, especially those with high worm infections, might experience nausea, mild abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. Eradication of Child Labour (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) The Government has amended the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 and enacted the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 which came into force with effect from 1.9.2016. The Amendment Act, inter-alia, provides for complete prohibition of work or employment of children below 14 years of age in any occupation and process and prohibition of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes. The Amendment Act also provides for stricter punishment for employers for violation of the Act and has made the offence as cognizable. After strengthening the legislative framework through amendment in Child Labour Act, the Government has also framed the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2017 which, inter-alia, specifies the duties and responsibilities of State Governments and District Authorities to ensure effective enforcement of the provisions of the Act. The Government has also devised a Standard Operating Procedure as a ready reckoner for trainers, practitioners and enforcing and monitoring agencies. National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme The Ministry of Labour and Employment is also implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme since 1988 for rehabilitation of child labourers. Under the NCLP, the children in the age group of 9-14 years are rescued/withdrawn from work and enrolled in the NCLP Special Training Centres, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meal, stipend, health care, etc. before being mainstreamed into formal education system. The children in the age group of 5-8 years are directly linked to the formal education system through a close coordination with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. PENCIL (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour) To ensure the effective enforcement of the provisions of the Child Labour Act and smooth implementation of NCLP Scheme, a dedicated online portal named PENCIL (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour) is developed in order to make the NCLP successful through better monitoring and implementation. The Portal connects Central Government to State Government(s), District(s), all Project Societies and the general public. “State of the World's Children Report 2019”of UNICEF (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Under 5 Mortality Rate in India is 37 per 1,000 live births against Global average of 39 per 1,000 live births in 2018, which translates to more than 8 lakhs under 5 deaths in India. Major causes of child mortality in India are: Prematurity & low birth weight (29.8%) Pneumonia (17.1%) Diarrheal diseases (8.6%) Other non-communicable diseases (8.3%) Birth asphyxia & birth trauma (8.2%) Injuries (4.6%) Congenital anomalies (4.4%) Ill-defined or cause unknown (4.4%) Acute bacterial sepsis and severe infections (3.6%) Fever of unknown origin (2.5%) All Other Remaining Causes (8.4%) Globalization, urbanization, inequities, humanitarian crises and climate shocks are driving unprecedented negative changes in the nutrition situation of children around the world. Schemes by Government of India to tackle this crisis – Prime Minister Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment (POSHAN): To prevent and reduce stunting, underweight and low birth weight by 2% per annum and the reduction of anaemia by 3% per annum. The Anganwadi Services scheme provides a package of six services i.e. Supplementary Nutrition, Pre School Non-formal Education, Nutrition and Health Education, Immunization, Health checkups and referral services. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna (PMMVY) to improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy: In order to address child mortality and morbidity – Strengthening essential new-born care at all delivery points, establishment of Sick New-born Care Units (SNCU), New-born Stabilization Units (NBSU) and Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) units for care of sick and small babies Home Based New-born Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care of Young Children (HBYC) by ASHAs to improve child rearing practices and to identify sick new-born and young children Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for first six months and appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices are promoted under Mothers’ Absolute Affection (MAA) in convergence with Ministry of Women and Child Development. Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is being supported to provide vaccination to children against life threatening diseases such as Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, Measles, Rubella, Pneumonia and Meningitis caused by Haemophilus Influenza B. The Rotavirus vaccination has also been rolled out in the country for prevention of Rota-viral diarrhoea. Mission Indradhanush is targeted to immunize children who are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated i.e. those that have not been covered during the rounds of routine immunization for various reasons. Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0 is rolled-out as per road-map for achieving 90% full immunization coverage across the country. Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) have been set up at public health facilities to treat and manage the children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) admitted with medical complications. Defeat Diarrhoea (D2) initiative has been launched for promoting ORS and Zinc use and eliminating the diarrhoeal deaths by 2025. Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) initiative for reduction of Childhood morbidity and mortality due to Pneumonia. Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy as a part of Poshan Abhiyan aims to strengthen the existing mechanisms and foster newer strategies to tackle anaemia, which include testing & treatment of anaemia in school going adolescents & pregnant women, addressing non nutritional causes of anaemia and a comprehensive communication strategy. National Deworming Day (NDD) is implemented biannually every year for deworming of children (one to nineteen year of age). All the children from 0 to 18 years of age are screened for 30 health conditions classified into 4Ds - Diseases, Deficiencies, Defects and Developmental delay under “Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakaram” (RBSK) to improve the quality of survival and to reduce out of pocket expenditure of families. District early intervention centre (DEIC) at district health facility level are established for confirmation and management of the 4D’s. Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs) are observed for provision of maternal and child health services and awareness on maternal and child Health and nutrition education through mass and social media to improve healthy practices and to generate demand for service uptake. Name based tracking of mothers and children till two years of age is done through RCH portal to ensure complete antenatal, intranatal, postnatal care and immunization as per schedule. Promotion of Institutional deliveries through cash incentive under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) which entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to absolutely free delivery including Caesarean section, post-natal care and treatment of sick infants up to one year of age. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) is another maternity benefit programme under which cash incentive is provided to pregnant women and lactating mothers. Highlights of Annual Report of PMJAY (Topic: Government policies and interventions in Health) Strong Policy Framework: All packages prone to fraud are reserved for public hospitals or need mandatory pre-authorization and require detailed documentation before claims are paid. National Anti-Fraud Unit (NAFU) has been created supported by State Anti-Fraud Units (SAFUs) Beneficiary Empowerment: Beneficiary empowerment is done by system generated messages to each beneficiary at the time of – e-card creation, hospitalization and discharge. Feedback is collected through outbound calls and letters after treatment Regular monitoring of empanelled hospitals: Utilization data is analysed on different triggers and results are shared with States for carrying out due diligence Capacity building of the states is done on medical audits and Joint medical audits of hospitals are done to identify any wrong doing. Fraud Control IT enhancements: Bio-authorization has been made mandatory at the time of admission and discharge. Pilot of the same is done in 20 states and full implementation is done in 10 states. Investigation app has been made functional in 16 states for prompt medical audits Standard treatment Guidelines have been created for 30 abuse prone packages. Use of Artificial Intelligence: Partnership has been made with analytics companies to develop algorithms that can use big data to identify suspect transactions & entities. This would go through Rule engines, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning techniques. SAS has been selected as a partner to develop a comprehensive Fraud Analytics and Forensics solution to detect fraud proactively. Steps Taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs for Police Modernization (Topic: Modernization of Police) While ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State Subject as per schedule VII to the constitution of India, in order to supplement the efforts of the States for equipping and modernizing of their police forces, under the scheme of ‘Assistance to States for Modernisation of Police’ {erstwhile scheme of Modernisation of Police Force (MPF)}, the States have been provided central assistance for training gadgets, advanced communication, police buildings, police housing, mobility, and forensic equipment etc. as per the proposals of the State Governments in accordance with their strategic priorities and requirements. The Union Government has created an all India digital network –Crime & Criminal Tracking Networking System (CCTNS) in 15152 out of 15985 police stations of the country which has digitised police processes like registering complaints, FIRs, Investigation details, etc. 100% FIRs are being recorded in 14,992 police stations. Launched Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) which integrates the process of speedy justice by facilitating data-exchange between the courts, police, prosecution, jails and the forensic laboratories With a view to achieve the objectives of completion of police investigation within two months of filing FIR by police for sexual assaults, Government has facilitated monitoring of timelines in police investigation through the Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO) Portal, using CCTNS data. ITSSO is available to law enforcement agencies and gives details on pending cases. Launched a National Database of Sexual Offenders (NDSO) for law enforcement officers. NDSO allows tracking of repeat and habitual sex offenders as well as initiate preventive measures against sexual offences. A cyber-crime portal is also functional. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Iceland in the field of Sustainable Fisheries Development The MoU will strengthen the existing friendly relations between India and Iceland and will enhance consultation and cooperation on Fisheries including consultation on bilateral issues. Creation of facilities for exchange of scientists and technical experts and their proper placement, especially in areas of estimating Total Allowable Catches in off shore and deep sea areas; Provision of training to fisheries professionals from key fisheries institutions in the various management aspects on areas of modern fisheries management and fish processing Exchange of scientific literature research findings and other information. Exchange of experts / expertise to study the prospects of fishing. Processing and marketing of products from high seas fisheries for entrepreneurship development. Protocol amending the Agreement between India and Sri Lanka for avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income Impact: Updation of preamble text and inclusion of Principal Purpose Test, a general anti abuse provision in the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) will result in curbing of tax planning strategies which exploit gaps and mismatches in tax rules. Details: The existing DTAA between India and Sri Lanka was signed on 22nd January, 2013 and entered into force on 22nd October, 2013. India and Sri Lanka are members of the Inclusive Framework and as such are required to implement the minimum standards under G-20 OECD BEPS Action Reports in respect of their DTAAs with Inclusive Framework countries. Minimum standards under BEPS Action 6 can be met through the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (MLI) or through agreement bilaterally. India is a signatory to the MLI. However, Sri Lanka is not a signatory to the MLI as of now. Therefore, amendment of the India-Sri Lanka DTAA bilaterally is required to update the Preamble and also to insert Principal Purpose Test (PPT) provisions to meet the minimum standards on treaty abuse under Action 6 of G-20 OECD Base Erosion & Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project. Background: The existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between India and Sri Lanka was signed on 22nd January, 2013 and entered into force on 22nd October, 2013. India and Sri Lanka are members of the Inclusive Framework and as such are required to implement the minimum standards under G-20 OECD BEPS Action Reports in respect of their DTAAs with Inclusive Framework countries. Minimum standards under BEPS Action 6 can be met through the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (MLI) or through agreement bilaterally. India is a signatory to the MLI. Cooperation Agreement signed between India and Portugal in the field of Maritime Transport and Ports (Topic: Agreement with other countries) It will open avenues for cooperation to promote Maritime Transport between the two countries for better operation of their merchant fleets, cooperation to harmonize and unified their position with International Organization Institution, forums and conferences related to Maritime and Port activities. It will also help both the countries to coordinate accession to international conventions so that the objectives of this Agreement can be strengthened. GS-3 Blue Revolution (Topic: Fisheries sector) Neel Kranti (Blue Revolution) plan to triple the country’s earning from fish exports; aims at increasing fish production by 50 per cent to 15.2 million tons and triple the export earnings through the same to Rs 1 lakh crore by year 2020. The scheme adopted a two-pronged approach: Sustainable capture fishery to harness marine and inland water resources and expanding the horizon of fish farming through increased coverage, enhanced productivity, species diversification and better market returns. The major components of the CSS on Blue Revolution scheme are as under: Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture, Development of Marine Fisheries, Infrastructure and Post-harvest Operations, iii. National Scheme for Welfare of Fishermen Monitoring, Control and Surveillance and other need-based Interventions (MCS), Institutional Arrangement for Fisheries Sector, Strengthening of Database & Geographical Information System of the Fisheries Sector (SoDGIS), vii. National Fisheries Development Board and its activities(NFDB) Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) Will be established under the Department of Fisheries for a robust fisheries management framework Will address critical gaps in the value chain, including infrastructure, modernisation, traceability, production, productivity, post-harvest management, and quality control India and Fishery India is the world’s second-largest fish producer with exports worth more than Rs 47,000 crore. Fisheries are the country’s single-largest agriculture export, with a growth rate of 6 to 10 per cent in the past five years. Its significance is underscored by the fact that the growth rate of the farm sector in the same period is around 2.5 per cent. The ‘fisheries and aquaculture sector’ is recognized as the sunshine sector in Indian agriculture. It stimulates growth of number of subsidiary industries and is the source of livelihood for a large section of economically backward population, especially fishermen, of the country. It helps in increasing food supply, generating adequate employment opportunities and raising nutritional level. It has a huge export potential and is a big source of foreign exchange earnings for the country. Fishery is basically a State subject and the primary responsibility for its development mainly rests with the State Governments. Challenges and issues facing the fisheries development Lack of accurate data on assessment of fishery resources and their potential in terms of fish production Slow development of sustainable technologies for fin and shell fish culture Low yield optimisation Harvest and post-harvest operations Landing and berthing facilities for fishing vessels Welfare of fishermen India to host the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) (Topic: Environment; international agreements and forums) What is it: An environmental treaty under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme Theme: Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome them home COP 13 logo: Inspired by ‘Kolam’, a traditional art form from southern India. In the logo, Kolam art form is used to depict key migratory species in India like Amur falcon, humpback whale and marine turtles. The mascot for CMS COP13: Gibi - The Great Indian Bustard; it is a critically endangered species which has been accorded the highest protection status under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. As the host, India shall be designated the President for the next three years. The Government of India is Signatory to the Convention on Conservation of Migratory wild Animals (CMS) since 1983. The Government of India has been taking necessary actions to protect and conserve migratory marine species. The COP Presidency is tasked to provide political leadership and facilitate positive outcomes that further advance the objectives of the Convention, including steering efforts towards implementing the Resolutions and Decisions adopted by the Conference of Parties. Seven species that include Dugong, Whale Shark, Marine Turtle (two species) have been identified for preparation of Conservation and Recovery Action Plan. The Indian sub-continent is also part of the major bird flyway network, i.e, the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) that covers areas between the Arctic and Indian Oceans, and covers at least 279 populations of 182 migratory water bird species, including 29 globally threatened species. Migratory species of wild animals move from one habitat to another during different times of the year, due to various factors such as food, sunlight, temperature, climate, etc. The movement between habitats, can sometimes exceed thousands of kilometers/miles for some migratory birds and mammals. A migratory route will typically have nesting sites, breeding sites, availability of preferred food and requires the availability of suitable habitat before and after each migration. India is home to several migratory species of wildlife including snow leopard, Amur falcons, bar headed Geese, black necked cranes, marine turtles, dugongs, humpbacked whales, etc. and has signed non legally binding MOU with CMS on the conservation and management of Siberian Cranes (1998), Marine Turtles (2007), Dugongs (2008) and Raptors (2016). India and Norway to work jointly towards mitigating marine plastic litter and microplastics (Topic: International agreements to deal with climate change) Actions that target climate change and air pollution at the same time pose a win-win situation. The two sides recognized that such actions should be stepped up, and agreed to work together to raise this agenda. They recognized that the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol for phasing down use of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) could prevent up to 0.40C of warming by end of the century, Further, noting that universal ratification of Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol shall allow realization of its full potential. If managed properly, the ocean holds the key to meeting many of the Sustainable Development Goals. Integrated ocean management is central to achieving a sustainable blue economy. In 2019 Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Solberg welcomed the signing of the MoU on India-Norway Ocean Dialogue and the establishment of the Joint Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development. The two Ministers were pleased with the progress that has been made under this MoU, including the establishment of the Marine Pollution Initiative. They were particularly satisfied that Norway and India will sign a Letter of Intent on integrated ocean management including sustainable Blue Economy initiatives. Noted the importance of delivering concrete, scalable solutions for ocean health and wealth at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon on June 2020 Further noted the importance of sustainable management of chemicals and waste and welcomed the cooperation between India and Norway on the implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and on the minimisation of discharge of marine litter. The Ministers emphasized a shared understanding of the global and urgent nature of marine plastic litter and microplastics and underlined that this issue cannot be solved by any one country alone. They are committed to supporting global action to address plastic pollution and exploring the feasibility of establishing a new global agreement on plastic pollution. The Ministers agreed to support and work together with other political leaders to prompt a global and effective response to curb the direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity loss. They agreed to work together to deliver an ambitious, strong, practical and effective global biodiversity framework at COP15 of CBD to be held in Kunming, China, in 2020. Stressed that international supply chains and finance must de-invest from deforestation and destruction of nature and invest in companies and projects that improve smallholder livelihoods while promoting sustainable production and consumption. They agreed to continue the discussion on forests and deforestation free supply chains. Norway and India will explore areas of cooperation in forestry and linking the same with climate change Prelims oriented News: Deendayal Upadhyay Memorial: Varanasi Improvement in Sex Ratio: As per Census conducted by Registrar General of India, the trend in sex ratio has improved to 943 in 2011 from 926 in 1991. Nikshay Poshan Yojana: 500 rupees per month is being provided to All TB patients towards nutritional support for the duration of their treatment. 750 rupees is being provided to all TB patients in tribal notified blocks towards travel support is an ongoing scheme since the twelfth plan. Cervical and Breast Cancer Cases in Women As per National Cancer Registry Program data of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the estimated number of incidence of Breast and Cervical cancer for the country during the last three year is given below: Year 2016 2017 2018 Estimated Breast cancer cases 1,42,283 1,50,842 1,59,924 Estimated Cervical cancer cases 99,099 1,00,306 1,01,536 Health is a State subject and the Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments to prevent and control cancer. National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) - Awareness generation for Cancer prevention, screening, early detection and referral to an appropriate level institution for treatment. For cancer the focus is on three cancers, namely breast, cervical and oral. BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise -2020 Member states: India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka & Myanmar This exercise will provide a platform for member states To evaluate existing capabilities Share best emergency response practices Improve existing emergency preparedness Strengthen regional response mechanism To conduct risk assessment in the context of cultural heritage sites at the time of disaster In order to bring in a feel of real disaster scenario, "simulated exercise sites including villages & Heritage Site (Konark Sun Temple)”were set up at Ramachandi Beach in Puri to depict flooded localities and houses due to the flood disaster. Large number of simulated dummy structures including multi-storied buildings and houses were erected in inundated condition with marooned people & livestock at the exercise site to reflect the real disaster scenario and ultimately it was helpful to all the participating teams to become familiar to preserve the damage cultural heritage during disasters. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY-PDMC): Focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation viz. Drip and Sprinkler irrigation. The Government provides financial assistance @ 55% for small and marginal farmers and @ 45% for other farmers for installation of Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation systems. In addition, some States provide additional incentives/top up subsidy for encouraging farmers to adopt Micro Irrigation. Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM): To boost the farm mechanization in the country, under which subsidy is provided for purchase of various types of Agricultural implements and machinery used for tillage, sowing, planting, harvesting, reaping, threshing, plant protection, inter cultivation and residue management. Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi: A special Scheme to support the efforts of the Governments of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi to address air pollution due to stubble burning and to subsidize machinery for the farmers for in-situ management of crop residue Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme: Enables farmers to purchase agricultural inputs and draw cash to satisfy their agricultural and consumption needs. The KCC Scheme has since been simplified and converted into ATM enabled RuPaydebit card with, inter alia, facilities of one-time documentation, built-in cost escalation in the limit, any number of drawals within the limit, etc. Setting Up of National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency To address the present challenges in water sector, revision of National Water Policy has been envisaged by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti The main objective of the National Water Policy is to take cognizance of the existing situation in water sector, to propose a framework for creation of a system of laws and institutions and for a plan of action with a unified national perspective in planning, management and use of water resources. Water quality of river Ganga is assessed as per primary water quality criteria for outdoor bathing notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF & CC) in terms of potential Hydrogen (pH) (6.5-8.5), Dissolved Oxygen (DO) (≥5mg/L), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) (≤3mg/L) and Faecal Coliform (FC) (≤2500 MPN/100ml). Under the Namami Gange Programme, the monitoring of water quality of river Ganga is carried out by State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) Cleaning of river Ganga is a continuous process and under the Namami Gange Programme, several initiatives have been taken by Government of India which includes abatement and control of pollution at the source of pollution generation by adopting activities such as establishment/ upgradation of Wastewater Treatment Plants for the towns located on Ganga main stem and its tributaries, river front development, construction of Ghats and crematoria surface cleaning activities and solid waste management. Due to various pollution abatement initiatives taken by the Government under the Namami Gange Programme, the water quality assessment of river Ganga in 2019 has shown improved water quality trends as compared to 2014. Saakshar Bharat Programme: Under the programme, against the overall target of making 7 crore adult non-literates to be made literates, around 7.64 crore learners successfully passed the biannual Basic Literacy Assessment Tests conducted by National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) between August, 2010 to March, 2018 and were certified as literates. In order to improve the female literacy rate in the country, the scheme of Saakshar Bharat was implemented in the rural areas of 410 districts in 26 States and one UT, that had adult female literacy rate of 50 per cent and below as per Census 2001, with special focus on women and other disadvantaged groups. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme: For promotion of adoption of electric/hybrid vehicles (xEVs) in India Phase-II of FAME India Scheme is being implemented for a period of 3 years from 01st April, 2019 with a total budgetary support of Rs. 10,000 crore. This phase will mainly focus on supporting electrification of public & shared transportation, and aims to support through subsidies approx. 7000 e-Buses, 5 lakh e-3 Wheelers, 55000 e-4 Wheeler Passenger Cars and 10 lakh e-2 Wheelers. With greater emphasis on providing affordable & environment friendly public transportation options for the masses, the scheme will be applicable mainly to vehicles used for public transport or those registered for commercial purposes in e-3W, e-4W and e-bus segments. However, privately owned registered e-2W will also be covered under the scheme as a mass segment. To promote electric/ hybrid vehicles (including shared mobility) use in various part of the country: (i) Under new GST regime, GST on EVS is reduced from existing 12% rate to 5% as against the 28% GST rate with Cess up to 22% for conventional vehicles. (ii) Ministry of Power has allowed sale of electricity as service for charging of electric vehicles. This will provide a huge incentive to attract investments into charging infrastructure. (iii) The Government has also granted exemption to the Battery Operated Transport Vehicles and Transport Vehicles running on Ethanol and Methanol fuels from the requirements of permit. (iv) The Government has proposed exemption of registration fees for battery operated/electric vehicles to promote the use of eco-friendly vehicles in the country. (v) In the budget of 2019-20, the Finance Minister announced for providing additional income tax deduction of Rs 1.5 lakh on the interest paid on loans taken to purchase electric vehicles. Scheme for ‘Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India’ Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture is the nodal agency SNA is collaborating with Zonal Cultural Centers of Ministry, collating and preparing a list of ICH elements for National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage Along with this establishment of an ‘Indian Institute for Culture’ is at conceptual stage and a mission called National Culture Mapping portal is being conceptualized for aggregating art forms and artists. It is in pilot phase. UN World Pulses Day: 10th Feb In order to ensure proper value for the produce, Government has raised the MSP by one-and-a-half times based on recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee. eNAM has been strengthened with a view of One Nation One Market which has provided farmers access to better and wider market area ensuring a fair price. Already 585 Mandis have joined the eNAM portal and another 400 Mandis will be added soon. To strengthen the logistics associated with the Agriculture sector, a new Kisan Rail has been announced in this budget which will benefit both the Agriculture and Horticulture sectors. The biggest role in increasing pulses production is to be played by country’s R&D, as technology is the major driving force in increased production than the price factor. The Global Pulse Confederation (GPC), established in 1963 in France, is now headquartered at Dubai since 2009. It is a non-profit Confederation to promote production, consumption, awareness and trade of pulses, representing every component of supply chain related to the pulse industry such as growers, traders, govt bodies, trade promotion entities, processors and consumers. Solve: Critically examine the reasons for low productivity of pulses in India. Guru Ravidas Guru Ravidas was a North Indian mystic poet-sant of the ‘bhakti movement’ during the 14th to 16th century CE. Venerated as a guru (teacher) in the region of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh the devotional songs of Ravidas made a lasting impact upon the bhakti movement. He was a poet-saint, social reformer and a spiritual figure. He is considered as the founder of 21st-century Ravidassia religion, by a group who previously were associated with Sikhism He gave the people a message of peace, harmony and fraternity. He made people aware of the evils of discrimination and urged overcoming them.
UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 182 Archives Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) To take the Test - Click Here
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 17th February 2020 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Masood Azhar & family missing, Pak. tells financial watchdog FATF Part of: GS Prelims –Polity and GS-II- International organization In news: Pakistan has informed the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) that Masood Azhar, founder of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and his family are “missing”. Listed as a designated terrorist by the United Nations Security Council 1267 Committee The FATF is now reviewing Pakistan’s case to see if it fulfils the global standards criteria to combat terror-financing. The FATF is chaired by China. JeM had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 last year when 40 CRPF personnel were killed in a car bombing. Timeline: Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 17th February 2020 Src: the hindu From Prelims Point of View: FATF (Financial Action Task Force) Established in 1989 by a Group of Seven (G-7) Summit in Paris To examine and develop measures to combat money laundering. Recently in 2012 it expanded its mandate to incorporate efforts to combat terrorist financing, Secretariat is housed at the OECD headquarters in Paris. United Nations Security Council resolution 1267 Adopted unanimously on1999 the Council designated Osama bin Laden and associates as terrorists Established a sanctions regime to cover individuals and entities associated with Al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden and/or the Taliban wherever located NH 66 expansion hit more lives, ecology than estimated Part of: GS Prelims –Economy and GS-III- Infrastructure In news: The expansion of National Highway 66 (NH 66) from Karwar to Kundapura has impacted many more lives and livelihoods of coastal families of Uttara Kannada It was argued that the construction of the highway would bring development in all areas it passed through and led to economic growth of the region The project Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report did not estimate the population that would be affected by environmental impacts, instead giving only the estimate of people who would be affected by land acquisition for the project. From Prelims Point of View: NH 66 Runs roughly north–south along the western coast of India Connects Panvel (a city south of Mumbai) to Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari), Passing through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Elephantine conflict Part of: GS Prelims –Environment and GS-III- Conservation In news: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change West Bengal, Odisha and Assam — account for about half of both human and elephant deaths in the overall human-elephant conflict in the country,. Past five years 2,361 human deaths were recorded in elephant attacks across the country ,48% fatalities were from these three States, Unnatural deaths of elephants (mainly due to poaching, train accidents, electrocution and poisoning), 53% occurred in these three States alone. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 17th February 2020 Src: the hindu Baba’s Value addition: The Indian elephant One of three extant recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant and native to mainland Asia Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List the wild population has declined by at least 50% since the 1930s to 1940s Threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation. Project Elephant. Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)flagship elephant conservation programme — Project Elephant. Launched in 1992, Centrally-sponsored scheme Primarily aimed at protecting elephant, their habitats and corridors Addressing issues of man-animal conflict and welfare of domesticated elephants. Recent years project has run aground. Convention on Migratory Species Part of: GS Prelims –Environment and GS-III- Conservation In news: India will host the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP13) A major United Nations wildlife conference Theme“Migratory species connect the planet and together we welcome them home”. From Prelims Point of View Signed in 1979 in Germany and is known as the Bonn Convention Environmental treaty of the UN that provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats Only global convention specialising in the conservation of migratory species, their habitats and migration routes. Appendix I of the Convention lists ‘Threatened Migratory Species’. Appendix II lists ‘Migratory Species requiring international cooperation’ (MAINS FOCUS) International Affairs Topic: General Studies 2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests Indo- US relationship: Developed Tag on India & its implications Context U.S. has removed more than a dozen countries, including India, from its list of countries that are classified as “developing” for trade purposes. These countries will now be classified instead as “developed” economies, thus stripping them of various trade benefits. What is developing country status? The office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) maintains a list of countries that it classifies as developing, developed, and least-developed. Countries that are classified as developing are allowed to export certain goods to the U.S. without being hit by punitive tariffs that are usually imposed on goods from developed countries The “developing country” status owes its origin to the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, which authorised the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) to help poor countries develop faster. These benefits were extended further under the World Trade Organization wherein rich countries agreed to grant trade benefits to countries that classified themselves as poor. About two-thirds of countries that are members of the WTO classify themselves as “developing” countries and avail benefits. Benefits of GSP to India Indian exporters benefit indirectly – through the benefit that accrues to the importer by way of reduced tariff or duty free entry of eligible Indian products Reduction or removal of import duty on an Indian product makes it more competitive to the importer – other things (e.g. quality) being equal. This tariff preference helps new exporters to penetrate a market and established exporters to increase their market share and to improve upon the profit margins, in the donor country. Why is India being stripped of this status? India has traditionally been one of the largest beneficiaries under the GSP, with over 2,000 goods having been exempted from import tariffs (until it was stripped off in 2019). This has also been one of the reasons for India having trade surplus with USA, whereby the Trump administration wants to reduce the gap Trump administration has argued that countries like India and China have witnessed significant growth in the last few decades and thus are not more developing countries USA has further cited the share of global trade enjoyed by India and China and their membership in the G20 club to argue that they enjoy significant economic power Impact of US decision The task of reclaiming the lost GSP benefits now becomes even harder. It will increase the overall tax burden on Indian goods entering USA, thus making it costlier than before. It will pressurize India to open its market to US goods Ex: India offered to scale back tariffs on American dairy and other products after the U.S. complained about the restricted access that American companies have. It will add further pressure on the global economy, which has already witnessed a slowing of growth this year. It may further lead to entrenched Trade war if those countries which were stripped off their developing status, also increases tariffs on US goods Conclusion With both the U.S. and its various warring trading partners looking to protect their domestic producers rather than consumers who benefit from lower tariffs, escalations of trade war seem likely. Connecting the dots! US-China Trade war Developing Status – should it be based on mere economic progress or on broader socio-economic indicators? Governance Topic: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Awareness in the fields of IT Data Encryption: Its impact on Child Safety Online Context After Facebook announced end-to-end encryption for Facebook Messenger and Instagram, a coalition of child protection organisations and experts from all over the world sent a letter to its CEO expressing concerns about company’s proposals. The encryption proposed will not impact Facebook’s main social platform but all its Messaging services like Facebook Messanger, Instagram Direct and Whatsapp. What is end-to-end encryption? It is a system of locking messages wherein only those who are communicating can view them. Encryption kicks in the minute the message is sent, and only unravels for the intended recipient. No third party can decrypt the message, including platform administrators and law enforcement agencies. It can only be shared through screenshots. The advantage with this kind of encryption is that it ensures online privacy. What it is being criticised? Protection to anti-social content: Paedophiles and persons who wish to exchange child sex abuse material are permanently shielded, as are terrorists and an infinite variety of scam artists. It will be difficult to trace distributors of child pornography/terrorist content. Such a move will not allow the due process of monitoring for content that is not safe for children. Contradictory provision of Service: Limiting the ability of companies themselves to detect and prevent behaviour which contravenes their own terms of services is wrong and makes a mockery of the very idea of having terms of service in the first place Conclusion The true test will be to pick that mode of encryption that will ensure privacy but address concerns of online safety too Did You know? The Rajya Sabha ad-hoc committee that went into the issue of pornography on social media and its effect on children has called specifically to permit breaking of end-to-end encryption to trace distributors of child pornography. In 2018, Facebook made 16.8 million reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), leading to 2,500 arrests and 3,000 children being safeguarded in the U.K alone. Connecting the dots! Privacy Vs Ability to monitor anti-social content (Ethical Dilemma for Societies) Justice Sri Krishna Committee on Data protection Facebook’s Free Basics Campaign and Issue of Net Neutrality (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. A present group of nations known as G-8 started first as G-7. Which one among the following was not one of them? Canada Italy Japan Russia Q 2. With reference to Indian transport systems, consider the following statements: Indian railway system is the largest in the world National Highways cater to 45 percent of the total and transport demand National Highway No. 7 is the longest in the country Which of these statements are correct ? 1 and 2 1 and 3 2 and 3 1 , 2 and 3 Q 3. Which among the following National Highway routes is the longest? Agra-Mumbai Chennai-Thane Kolkata-Hajira Pune-Machilipatnam ANSWERS FOR 15 FEB 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 A 3 C 4 D Must Read About Electoral Process and Data: The Hindu About China & its media : The Hindu About restructuring of MEA: The Hindu
Education & Aspiring India Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education In News: In the Union Budget 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has suggested speedy implementation of the new education policy, besides several measures that will bring in a paradigm shift in the educational systems and creation of employment in India and abroad. By 2030, India will have the largest working-age population in the world Around 35-50 million children are out of school and 40 per cent of adolescent girls are not attending school. It is an integral part of the three themes -- Aspiration, development, compassion – of this year’s budget. According to the Economic Survey, The average annual expenditure of the government for primary education is Rs 1,253 per child, whereas private institutions spend Rs 12,889 per child. It indicates why government schools perform poorly and gradually close down. As per the recent 2019-2020 statistics, the compliance rate for implementing the Right to Education Act is just 12 per cent The Economic Survey has also pushed for Privatisation of education More flexible labour regulation Better connectivity to villages to fast-track entrepreneurship at the bottom of the administrative pyramid Money allocation Earmarked Rs 99,300 crore for the education sector In the previous Union Budget, the government's allocation for the sector was Rs 94,800 crore. Skill Development Earmarked about Rs 3,000 crore from the above mentioned figure for skill development About 150 higher educational institutions will start apprenticeship embedded degree/diploma courses by March 2021 and will start a programme whereby urban local bodies across the country would provide internship opportunities to fresh engineers for a period up to one year. A project preparation facility for infrastructure projects involving young engineers and management graduates will be set up Focus on Healthcare Academics: The Budget took cognizance of the human resource shortage in healthcare — both general practitioners and specialists. It announced a viability gap funding which will be extended to attach a medical college to every hospital through a PPP model. The Skill Development ministry will begin bridge courses including language-requirement courses to address overseas demand for nurses, paramedics and caregivers Infrastructure Steps would be taken to enable sourcing External Commercial Borrowings and FDI so as to able to deliver higher quality education. Foreign funding avenues to supplement the present public expenditure in the sector can help harness the potential of the sector and exploit this demographic dividend to its fullest. Institutions that are ranked within top 100 in the National Institutional Ranking framework will start degree level full-fledged online education programme for students of deprived section of the society. A National Police University and a National Forensic Science University have also been proposed in the domain of policing science, forensic science, cyber-forensics etc. Indian Institute of Heritage and Conversation to be set up as a Deemed University. The computer-based Common Eligibility Test will be rolled out for the recruitment to non-gazetted posts. The online test will be carried by an independent agency, the National Recruiting Agency. Study in India: Ind-SAT examinations would be held in Asian and African countries, so as to enable overseas students to apply to Indian institutions for academic programmes. Must Read: Salient Features of New National Education Policy
UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 181 Archives Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) To take the Test - Click Here
Controlling Your Chatterbox Mind: My mind is a constant chatter of thoughts. I mean, I can’t stop the mind, and when I sit to meditate, my mind goes on overdrive; there’s a song playing in the background, someone is there with a megaphone, and people are talking. How do I get them to shut up so that I can be still and meditate? When you say, “My mind is noisy,” you are right! You need to understand that the mind is nothing but noise. If you were to take away all the noise, all the distractions, and all the happenings in your mind, then where is the mind? There would be absolutely no mind, what Buddha called the state of “no-mind”. To understand the nature of the mind, first you need to investigate the mind: What does it want? How does it function? What is its motive? The mind has always been the master, and wants to continue to be the master. When you sit quietly, it wants to be in charge, so it tells you to do this or that, and constantly pushes you to think about something. When you tell the mind to keep quiet and say, "This is my time for meditation, why don’t you just relax and be quiet?” you are literally threatening the existence of the mind, or at least that is how the mind perceives it and retaliates with, “No, I don’t want to be quiet. Why are you sitting quietly, anyway? You’re just wasting time. I don’t understand this sitting quiet thing.” This conversation, this noise, is what you need to observe. The objective of meditation is not to run away from this noise, but to understand what it is. Not understanding the mind is the actual fuel that drives the mind. The more time you spend understanding the mind, the less noisy it becomes. The mind loves to function in darkness; it wants to remain elusive, and hidden. The moment you begin observing the mind through meditation, it’s as if you are lighting a lamp in the dark. The mind is like a monster that cannot stand bright light; it wants to remain hidden. In that hidden nature, it wants to make you do a lot of things. Once you begin watching your mind, it reveals its true nature and loosens its grip on you. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”
FASTag Mandatory For All Vehicles Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes In News: The ministry of road transport and highways has made the use of FASTags—essentially windshield stickers with embedded radio frequency chips that can be read by sensors at toll plazas—mandatory and cash counters will be steadily shrunk at the 500-plus toll plazas around the country to make cashless payments the norm. Now that FASTags are mandatory and new cars anyway come with these attached, road-pricing should actually be easier to implement everywhere. What is FASTag? It is the Electronic Toll Collection program on toll plazas by National Highway Authority of India. Works on the principle of Radio Frequency Identification Process: The tag needs to be affixed to the windscreen of the vehicle in such a way that the sensor at the toll plaza can read it. The tag can be purchased from official Tag issuers or participating Banks and if it is linked to a prepaid account, then recharging or top-up can be as per requirement. As per NHAI, FASTag has unlimited validity. A FASTag is linked to a bank account. When a vehicle passes through a toll, an SMS with date, time and place of transaction will be sent to the owner of the vehicle. In January 2019, state-run oil marketing companies IOC, BPCL and HPCL have signed MoUs enabling the use of FASTag to make purchases at petrol pumps. Benefits: FASTags are likely to reduce the nation’s GDP loss by bringing down loss of fuel while waiting at toll plazas. Doing away with cash collections as cash collections are often used by toll operators to pay off politicians who may have done them some favours. Road-pricing will be easier to implement everywhere. Reduce congestion: If every FASTagged car is charged, say, ₹10 every time it enters or exits a congested zone, money will be generated that will not only fund a small part of the expansion in public transport infrastructure, but also help reduce congestion and pollution. Promotes digital payments and makes it easier to keep tabs on vehicles and the toll booths. Cost of storage and transportation of cash as well as manpower at the toll booths comes down. It helps avoid traffic build-up at toll booths and save fuel expended by vehicles during the wait. Reports indicate that the government plans to use data from the devices used in electronic toll collection to monitor traffic and rework its toll policy as well. The Way Forward The expanding use of FASTags for the payment of toll on highways should be seen as an opportunity to formulate and articulate a clear strategy on road-pricing and public transport. Once the scheme works well with cars, two-wheelers and three-wheelers, too, should be brought within the ambit of city road pricing. Better rules in place: What states ought to do is regulate pricing less and focus more on improving things such as safety and security, including the setting up of call centres to help customers in distress. There also ought to be heavier punishments for drivers refusing to ply when it suits them. Allow private cars that are currently underused to be converted to part-time Ubers and Olas. This will expand the idea of shared mobility at a much lower cost to both customers and drivers—and boost jobs for drivers. Note: The world’s first electronic toll plaza began operations in Norway in 1986. Japan was the first Asian Country to begin it in 2001 and China started in 2014. Connecting the Dots: The future of mobility is shared, tolled and publicly-funded mass transport. Discuss. Can technologies that eliminate human intervention in governance completely obviate the need of establishing a value driven administration? Critically examine.
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 15th February 2020 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Following SC rap, telcos asked to pay AGR dues immediately In news: The Supreme Court ordered contempt proceedings initiation against Telcom companies for failing to pay even a “single penny” to the government in Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues, worth ₹1.47 lakh crore, despite an October 2019 judgment. Timeline: Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 15th February 2020 SRC: The Hindu From Prelims Point of view: Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) The usage and licensing fee that telecom operators are charged by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) divided into spectrum usage charges and licensing fees ( 3-8 %) Bone of contention: The definition of AGR has been under litigation for 14 years. As per DoT, the charges are calculated based on all revenues earned by a telco – including non-telecom related sources such as deposit interests and asset sales. As per Telcos, insist that AGR should comprise only the revenues generated from telecom services. AGR is very Important in Mains Perspective too , it will soon be covered in Mains section India’s position on Global Hunger Index alarming: VP In news: Vice president: India ranks 102nd on the Global Hunger Index, Despite high food production. Nutritional security requires measures to improve protein and vitamin deficiencies Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 15th February 2020 SRC: The Hindu From Prelims Point of view: Global Hunger Index (GHI) Report Prepared by the Concern Worldwide (an Irish agency) and the Welt Hunger Hilfe (a German organization) The report is based on four GHI indicators namely, undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality. India’s child wasting rate was extremely high at 20.8% - the highest India’s rank has slipped from 95th position (in 2010) to 102nd (in 2019) Child wasting Child wasting refers to the share of children under the age of five who are wasted, i.e, they have low weight with respect to their height, reflecting acute undernutrition. New structure for Military Affairs In news: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), procurement cases will be put up as prioritised by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Formal structure comprising civil and military officials for the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) headed by the CDS (At present, we have an interim structure, they have no financial power) The proposed DMA will have a Secretary, Transformation and Coordination, which will be the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), Additional Secretary and five Joint Secretaries. Additional Secretary will be a three-star officer while the Joint Secretaries include three officers, one from each service of the rank of Major General or equivalent ,Major Gen. From Prelims Point of view: Department of Military Affairs: The DMA will be the fifth department in the Ministry after the Department of Defence, the Department of Defence Production, the Department of Defence Research and Development and the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare. The DMA’s mandate includes promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the Services; facilitating restructuring of the military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about a jointness in operations, including through the establishment of joint/theatre commands and promoting use of indigenous equipment The DMA would deal with The armed forces; The integrated headquarters of the Ministry, comprising the Army, Naval and Air and defence staff headquarters; The Territorial Army; and Works relating to the three services and procurement exclusive to them, except capital acquisitions Defence Acquisition Council Highest decision-making body in the Defence Ministry Decides on new policies and capital acquisitions for the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) and the Indian Coast Guard. Minister of Defence is the Chairman of the Council. Formed, after the Group of Ministers recommendations on 'Reforming the National Security System', in 2001, post Kargil War (1999). Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) (Important for Mains) Link 1: https://iasbaba.com/2020/01/chief-of-defence-staff-cds-the-dual-hatted-role/ Link 2 : https://iasbaba.com/2020/01/chief-of-defence-staff-cds-gen-bipin-rawat-appointed-as-first-cds/ Indian pangolin In news: scientists have radio-tagged the Indian pangolin, an endangered animal Tagging the animal will help understand the habits of the reclusive, nocturnal animal Radio-tagging is part of a joint project by the forest department and non-profit organisation, the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT). IASBaba’s Value addition Ninth ‘World Pangolin Day’ on 15th February, 2020. Celebrated in February every year to raise awareness of pangolins and bring together stakeholders to help protect these species from extinction. From Prelims Point of view: Indian pangolin: Has thick scaly skin Hunted for meat and used in traditional Chinese medicine. Pangolins are among the most trafficked wildlife species in the world. Out of the eight species of pangolin, the Indian and the Chinese pangolins are found in India. Both these species are listed under Schdule I Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. IUCN Red List Indian Pangolin: Endangered Chinese Pangolin: Critically Endangered (MAINS FOCUS) Governance Topic: General Studies 2: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies Elections: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act. Criminalisation of Politics Context A two Judge Bench of Supreme Court delivered a Judgment on the contempt petitions regarding non-compliance of the directions of a Constitution Bench of SC in Public Interest Foundation and Ors. v. Union of India, 2018 The 2018 Judgement had given the following pronouncements There is lack of information about rising criminalisation of Politics among the citizenry Rapid Criminalisation of Politics cannot be arrested by merely disqualifying tainted legislators but should begin by cleansing Political Parties Ordered Political Parties to publish the criminal details of their candidates in their respective websites and print as well as electronic media for public awareness. Increase in the incidence of criminals in politics Year Percentage of MPs with Criminal Cases pending against them 2004 24% 2009 30% 2014 34% 2019 43% The Court in its present judgement issued the following directions in exercise of its constitutional powers under Articles 129 and 142: It shall be mandatory for political parties [at the Central and State election level] to upload on their website detailed information regarding individuals with pending criminal cases, who have been selected as candidates. They also have to mention reasons for such selection over people with clean background The reasons as to selection of candidates shall be with reference to the qualifications, achievements and merit of the candidate concerned, and not mere "winnability" at the polls This information shall also be published in newspaper (one local & one national) and on the official social media platforms of the political party, including Facebook & Twitter. These details shall be published within 48 hours of the selection of the candidate or not less than two weeks before the first date for filing of nominations, whichever is earlier. The political party concerned shall then submit a report of compliance with these directions with the Election Commission within 72 hours of the selection of the said candidate. Non-compliance of these directions shall be brought to notice of SC by Election Commission on the grounds of Contempt of Court Merits of the Judgement It is in line with a series of judgments aimed at preserving the purity of the election process: Asset disclosure, NOTA option, Special courts for quick disposal of cases involving elected representatives It increases the information available for Citizens which enables him to take informed choice while choosing his representative. Helps bring structural changes in electoral system which are long-term in nature Criticism of the Judgement Judicial Overreach: An election is an issue to be decided between parties, candidates and the voters. The courts should have no say in the matter, except in particular cases where the Representation of the People Act is violated Threatens autonomy of Election System: By making them enforceable under Article 142 of the Constitution – failure to produce demanded documents risks attracting Contempt of Court – SC threatens to undermine the autonomy of the system of elections and elected legislature. Infringe on ECI: Candidates are already required to file their details in affidavits with the Election Commission. This order could infringe upon the role of the poll watchdog. Selection of candidates is subjective matter: The suitability of candidates is a subjective matter, and the justification required by the SC can only be an opinion, and not an objective fact, making the court’s order effectively unenforceable. Conclusion SC is in danger of overstepping limits and boundaries, rather it should be limiting itself to exerting moral force on political parties. De-criminalisation of politics cannot be achieved by judicial fiat alone, rather there has to be changes from within the Political parties. Connecting the dots! Internal Democracy of the Political Parties Decline in the institution of Parliament Governance Topic: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Awareness in the fields of IT Digital ID systems and Algorithmic Governance Context For the first time in world, court in the Netherlands stopped a digital identification scheme for reasons of exclusion. This is of significance especially at a time when identity, citizenship and privacy are pertinent questions in India & worldwide What was the scheme? SyRI (System Risk Indicator) was developed by The Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs in 2014 to weed out those who are most likely to commit fraud and receive government benefits Legislation passed by Dutch Parliament allowed government agencies to share 17 categories of data about welfare recipients such as taxes, land registries, employment records, and vehicle registrations with a private company. The company, called “The Intelligence Agency”, used an algorithm to analyse data for four cities and calculate risk scores. Elevated risk scores were sent to relevant government arms, which stores these on government databases for a maximum of two years. The government, in that time period, could open an investigation on the targeted person. What were the arguments in court? Civil society groups and NGOs launched a legal attack on this case of algorithmic governance The allegation was that the algorithm would begin associating poverty and immigrant statuses with fraud risk. The Dutch government defended the programme in court, saying it prevented abuse and acted as only a starting point for further investigation instead of a final determination. The government also refused to disclose all information about how the system makes its decisions, stating that it would allow gaming of the system. The court found that opaque algorithmic decision-making puts citizens at a disadvantage to challenge the resulting risk scores. Judgement of the Court The court ruled that SyRI was violative of principles of transparency and data minimisation laid out in their General Data Protection Regulation. While the Hague district court found using new technology to control fraud was acceptable, it held SyRI was too invasive and violative of the privacy guarantees Significance of the Judgement This decision sets a strong legal precedent for other courts to follow, especially when Digital ID systems are being rolled out at a fast pace in places like Kenya, Philippines, Nigeria, Mexico, and more This is one of the first times a court anywhere has stopped the use of digital technologies by welfare authorities on human rights grounds Impact on India Similar to the Supreme Court’s Aadhaar judgment setting limits on the ID’s usage, the Hague Court attempted to balance social interest with personal privacy. However, the Aadhaar judgment was not regarding algorithmic decision-making; it was about data collection. India’s pending data protection regulation, being analysed by a Joint Select Committee in Parliament, could learn from the judgement about the need to regulate governments use of digital technologies for welfare activities. Conclusion The ruling demonstrates that parliaments ought to look very closely at the ways in which governments use technology in the social security system, to protect the rights of their citizens. Did You know? Due to General Data Protection Regulation, European tech initiatives have been stalled, including a facial recognition system on students in Sweden and France. However, attempts to ban facial recognition in cities such as San Francisco, USA have not had the same success as in Europe due to loopholes in US regulations A system somewhat paralleling the Dutch SyRI system was a risk-scoring software being used by US court systems to establish bail times. The US Supreme Court declined to hear a related case in 2017. Connecting the dots! Justice B.N.Srikrishna Committee Report Facial recognition used on large scale by China on Uyghurs Algorithmic Governance (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q 1. With reference to India, which one of the following statements is NOT correct? IPCL is India's largest petrochemical company RIL is the largest private sector company in India MTNL is listed on NYSE BSNL is the first telecom service organization in India to launch a nationwide cellular service at one time Q 2. Consider the following statements. The number of post office in India is in excess of 1 lakh. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) was formed in the year 2000. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was established in the year 1997. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1, 2 and 3 1 and 2 1 only 3 only. Q3. Which of the following is/are the indicator/indicators used by IFPRI to compute the Global Hunger Index Report? Undernourishment Child stunting Child mortality Select the correct answer using the code given below. 1 only 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 1 and 3 only Q 4. Consider the following statements: Toothless mammals such as Pangolins are not found in India. Indian Pangolin is the only species of Pangolins found in India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 14 FEB 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 D Must Read About Significance of Data: The Indian Express About Fighting Corona Virus : The Hindu About growth of Asian economies: The Hindu
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