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IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 18th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) AGRIDEX Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Economy In News National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) has launched India’s first agri index — ‘NCDEX Agridex’, for easy reference to price variations in agricultural commodities. Launched with a composition of 10 leading liquid contracts on the NCDEX platform at present which will be tradable after being approved by SEBI Leading commodities such as guar seed, guar gum, soybean, chana, mustard seed, and jeera, etc, will be the index’s constituents. For indices, the NCDEX has partnered with NSE Indices, a leading index service provider, as a third party, to maintain and disseminate real-time NCDEX Agridex values. Futures trading on Agridex will enhance overall liquidity on the exchange platform The NCDEX’s index launch is in continuance with Sebi’s plan to broaden its horizon in commodities trading through the introduction of a new set of players and products GERMANY’S CLIMATE PROTECTION ACT Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Environment In News The German parliament passed the Climate Protection Act in an attempt to reach its climate target by 2030 This will be Germany’s first climate action law. With this bill, a price on carbon emissions in the transport and heating sectors will be imposed along with some other measures to combat climate change. The bill consists of emissions targets for different sectors of the economy such as transport, energy and housing. Flying domestically and within Europe will be made more expensive, due to increase in aviation tax. From 2021, companies that market diesel and petrol, heating oil and natural gas in the country will need to obtain pollution rights for the amount of greenhouse gases they emit. This will be regulated through a national emissions trading mechanism Do You Know? Germany wants to save over 55 % of its greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990. Recently, New Zealand passed the Zero-Carbon Law in a bid to comply with its Paris climate accord commitments and become a carbon-neutral nation by the year 2050. However, unlike New Zealand, where the bill was passed with near-unanimous support, the same was not the case with Germany, where the opposition voted against it For more details, refer: https://iasbaba.com/2019/11/daily-current-affairs-ias-upsc-prelims-and-mains-exam-11th-november-2019/ Seismometer Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains I - Geography In News The seismometer, which helps measure the magnitude of an earthquake, and several other key instruments installed at the Jayakwadi dam have stopped functioning properly. Jayakwadi dam is a multipurpose project located on Godavari river, where the water is mainly used to irrigate agricultural land in the drought-prone Marathwada Region of Maharashtra state. Also other instruments, like the piezometer (to measure liquid pressure), earth pressure cell (to monitor total pressure in earthfill dams) and slope meter, have been out order for the last two years The seismometer was installed at the Jayakwadi dam after the devastating earthquake in Killari in Latur district in 1993. This instrument is powerful as it has a range of 10,000 km. In the past, it has recorded the epicentres of earthquakes in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia and Nepal. Voluntary model code of conduct Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II - Polity In News Supreme Court is hearing case on whether Cabinet Ministers at both the Central and State levels should have a “voluntary model code of conduct” which addresses their private and public activities. The Court is examining if “greater restrictions” should be imposed on the right of free speech and expression of high public functionaries to protect the citizen’s fundamental right to lead a dignified life. The question was framed after family members of the Bulandshahr rape case victim complained about former Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan’s public statements that the rape case was part of a political conspiracy against the then state government The lawyers arguing for petitioners asked the court to direct the government to frame the code of conduct for Cabinet Ministers, with the Cabinet head ensuring a collective responsibility for the activities of the individual Ministers. Union Ministry of Home Affairs already has a code of conduct for Ministers, which is essentially concerned with financial discipline, that is narrow and inadequate. It should be enlarged to include the private & public activities of the Ministers in general. Minimum operating price Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III - Economy In News In an effort to create a level playing field for online and offline retailers, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has written to government seeking implementation of a “minimum operating price” (MOP) MOP is the price consisting of landing price, operational cost and reasonable profit margin and below the MOP no product should be sold in the market The traders' body alleged that e-commerce companies and brands in collusion with banks, by charging much lower price (through deep discounts) than the actual market value is depriving the government of GST and other revenue. Other measures recommended by CAIT are: Cash back on credit cards given by the banks should also be made applicable to offline trade. There should not be any kind of exclusivity either for online or offline trade. Upgrade or buyback offer by brands should remain the same for both offline and online trade. All schemes of the brands should be made available to online and offline trade in a transparent manner Government should constitute a Regulatory Authority to regulate and monitor all verticals of retail trade including small retail, big retail, e-commerce and direct selling besides MOP, and if anyone wants to offer any scheme, the same should be approved by the Regulatory Authority. Insurance companies to merge as planned Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III - Economy In News Finance Minister reiterated that the government would move forward on the merger of the three state-run general insurance companies as announced in the previous Budget. In the February 2018 Budget, the government had announced a plan to merge three public sector general insurance firms—National Insurance, United India Insurance and Oriental Insurance. Subsequently, it planned to list the merged entity on the stock exchanges. However, there has been little progress on the merger since, even as the financial health of the firms deteriorated in terms of losses, falling market share and poor solvency ratios. There is a need for immediate recapitalisation as per their current balance sheet position, according to which they are either on or below the minimum required insolvency ratio of 1.5 According to rough estimates, the need for immediate recapitalisation is at least Rs 2,000-3,000 crore in each of the companies, while the collective requirement is close to Rs 12,000-13,000 crore. The three sets of challenges identified are integration of work culture, rolling out common software, and rationalisation of branches. In total, the three insurers have close to 6,000 offices across the country. Miscellaneous Rajya Sabha: The Journey since 1952 It is a publicationbrought out by the Rajya Sabha secretariat to mark the 250th session of the Upper House that begins from18th Nov 2019. Some of the interesting facts about the house are: Rajya Sabha’s first sitting was on May 13, 1952. The longest debate on any given subject till date was on the government’s failure to provide adequate security to former PM Rajiv Gandhi in wake of his assassination at Sriperumbudur by LTTE cadres. The debate went on for 12 hours and four minutes on June 4, 1991. The Upper House which on March 9, 2010, cleared the Women’s Reservation Bill that proposes to reserve 33% of all seats in Lok Sabha for women, has a dismissal record itself in terms of women members. In 2014 it had the highest number of women members at 31 and in 1970 the lowest at 14. Under Congress governments from 1952-1969 and again between 1972-1977, there was no leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha since no opposition parties had enough members to stake claim to the position. In 67 years of it’s existence, the Upper House has expelled only three members Rajya Sabha has sat beyond midnight on nine occasions and so far its longest sitting was on December 17, 1981 when the House sat till 4.43 a.m. to debate and clear Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to ensure that normal life of people is not obstructed by strikes and shutdowns. (MAINS FOCUS) SOCIETY TOPIC: General Studies 1: Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. The Sabarimala review Context: A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court referred Kerala's Sabarimala temple case to a larger bench of seven judges, with a 3:2 majority. The bench did not stay the judgment passed on 28 September 2018 that had lifted the ban on entry of women between age 10 and 50 to the temple. Women can still visit the shrine until the larger bench decides on the matter. Sabarimala case previous judgment: ”Right to pray” in the temple for women between 10 and 50 years of age won over the ‘right to wait’ campaign as the Supreme Court condemned the prohibition as “hegemonic patriarchy”. Patriarchy cannot trump freedom to practice religion Logic behind the ban: The restriction imposed on entry of women in Sabarimala is because of the nature of the deity worshipped there as a ‘naishtika brahmachari’ (celibate). Some argue that it is not because of any discriminatory attitude towards women based on biological factors such as menstruation. But many are of the opinion that it is due to the age-old practice and belief that the presence of women deviated men from celibacy. This places the burden of a men’s celibacy on women thus, stigmatising women and stereotyping them. Individual dignity of women could not be at the mercy of a mob. Morality was not ephemeral. It transcended biological and physiological barriers. SC underlines the Constitution’s transformative power (Points can be used in mains answer and essay) The Constitution protects religious freedom in two ways – It protects an individual’s right to profess, practise and propagate a religion Assures similar protection to every religious denomination to manage its own affairs. Observations made by the Judges: The argument that the practice is justified because women of menstruating age would not be able to observe the 41-day period of abstinence before making a pilgrimage failed to impress the judges. To Chief Justice Dipak Misra, any rule based on segregation of women pertaining to biological characteristics is indefensible and unconstitutional. Devotion cannot be subjected to the stereotypes of gender. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said stigma built around traditional notions of impurity has no place in the constitutional order, and exclusion based on the notion of impurity is a form of untouchability. On freedom of religion The Supreme Court dismissed the argument that the prohibition was an essential part of religion. The Chief Justice said the inclusion of women, rather than their exclusion, is the essential part of the Hindu religion. By allowing women to enter Sabarimala temple for offering prayers, the nature of Hindu religion would not be fundamentally altered or changed in any manner. The devotees of Lord Ayyappa are exclusively Hindus and do not constitute a separate religious denomination. This temple is a public religious endowment. The right to practise religion, as claimed by the thanthris and worshippers, must be balanced with and yield to the fundamental right of women. The prohibition violated Section 3 of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Act, 1965, which stated that “places of public worship” like the Sabarimala temple should be open to “all sections and classes of Hindus.” The law recognises an idol or deity as a “juristic person which can own property and can sue and be sued in the court of law”. But it “does not mean the deity necessarily has constitutional rights”. Fundamental rights are meant for individuals, not deities or idols. Generally, the right to freedom of religion of both individuals and groups is recognised as an intrinsic facet of a liberal democracy. The Constitution memorialises these guarantees in Articles 25 and 26. The former recognises a right to freedom of conscience and a right to freely profess, practise, and propagate religion, subject to common community exceptions of public order, morality, and health, and also, crucially, to the guarantee of other fundamental rights. Article 25(2)(b) creates a further exception to the right. It accords to the state a power to make legislation, in the interests of social welfare and reform, throwing open Hindu religious institutions of public character to all classes and sections of Hindus. Article 26, on the other hand, which is also subject to limitations imposed on grounds of public order, morality, and health, accords to every religious denomination the right, among other things, to establish and maintain institutions for religious purposes and to manage their own affairs in matters of religion. Dissenting opinion Justice Indu Malhotra, the lone woman judge on the Constitution Bench, dissented with the majority opinion. She held that the determination of what constituted an essential practice in a religion should not be based on the “personal views” of judges. She held that essentiality of a religious practice or custom had to be decided within the religion. It is a matter of personal faith. India is a land of diverse faiths. Constitutional morality in a pluralistic society gives freedom to practise even irrational or illogical customs and usages. Connecting the dots: It is not the courts but the people who must restore to Indian polity its reasoned, secular character. Analyse IR TOPIC: General Studies 2: Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries Constitutional crisis in Srilanka [caption id="attachment_52829" align="aligncenter" width="321"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 18th November 2019[/caption] Src: AFP A constitutional crisis began in Sri Lanka when President Maithripala Sirisena appointed former president and member of parliament Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister October 2018 before formally dismissing the incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe, resulting in two concurrent Prime Ministers. Wickremesinghe and the United National Party (UNP) viewed the appointment as illegal, and he refused to resign. Sirisena's sudden decision instigated "political turmoil in the country", and drew international criticism Wickremesinghe, the majority of the parliament, and opposition parties refused to acknowledge his removal and the appointment of Rajapaksa, stating that Sirisena's move was unconstitutional. Wickremesinghe claimed that he still commands a majority in parliament and requested that Speaker of the Parliament Karu Jayasuriya convene parliament immediately. Sirisena ignored all calls and prorogued parliament, delaying its meeting till 16 November. After an attempt to form a new cabinet of ministers with Rajapaksa as Prime Minister failed, Sirisena attempted to dissolve parliament. The UNP declared the move unconstitutional and subsequently the Supreme Court stayed Sirisena's dissolution until December 2018, when it ruled that the move was unconstitutional and illegal. Rajapaksa backed down from claiming the office and Wickremesinghe was once again reinstated, ending the crisis after 7 weeks of political and economic turmoil. Can we call it a Constitutional crisis? Sirisena’s decisions are unlikely to pass the test of the courts since the constitution explicitly bars early dissolution of the House unless two-thirds of its members vote for it. However, events are moving at a pace that may make it impossible to restore status quo even if the court overrules the president’s decisions. Whatever be the judicial outcome, the ongoing chaos threatens to push Sri Lanka back to a state of political uncertainty that it cannot afford. Though it has been a decade since the war in the north ended, there has been limited progress on the resolution of issues that nearly split the country on ethnic lines. The sudden developments in Sri Lanka have thrown into uncertainty the few steps that the country finally took this year to address post-war issues of transitional justice and rehabilitation, which it had committed to at the UN Human Rights Council in 2015. As President, Rajapaksa had invited UN censure for not doing enough on this front. Instead, after winning the war against the LTTE in 2009, he unleashed a majoritarian triumphalism that dashed all hopes for reconciliation. Difference between the Constitution of India and Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, which had a Constitution like India’s, changed it to one more like the French Constitution, where the President chooses the Prime Minister who has to command confidence of Parliament. But there is no way to remove the President. The consequences of Sirisena’s decision go beyond a mere change of regime; it may lead to a reversal of the structural changes in the polity achieved since 2015. Conclusion South Asia has been the home of religions preaching nonviolence but its politics has been very violent. There have been regional disputes, competing nationhoods as well as communal conflicts. India has asked that democratic values and constitutional process be respected. This is due to the fact that further chaos could derail Colombo’s slow progress towards rebuilding its economy and healing the wounds of the civil war. Afterall, a peaceful neighbour is always beneficial for a country like India. Connecting the dots: Dissolution of Sri Lanka’s Parliament negates the letter and spirit of constitutional reforms. Comment (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) What is Piezometer used for? To measure liquid pressure To measure magnitude of earthquake To measure atmospheric pressure None of the above Q.2) Consider the following statementsabout AGRIDEX It is released by NITI Aayog in collaboration with Bombay Stock Exchange It will help in easy referencing the price variations in agricultural commodities. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements In the February 2018 Budget, the government had announced a plan to merge three public sector general insurance firms The challenges identified for the merger are integration of work culture, rolling out common software, and rationalisation of branches Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about Minimum Operating Price (MOP) Itis the price consisting of landing price, operational cost and reasonable profit margin and below which no product should be sold in the market MOP is currently being regulated by Competition Commission of India in collaboration with State governments Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements The fourth schedule of the constitution deals with the allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha to the states and Union territories. Under article 75(3) of the Constitution, the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 16 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 B 3 C 4 A 5 B MUST READ The return of the Rajapaksa regime The Hindu Secularism in the time of security The Hindu Quality on tap: On report of Ministry of Consumer Affairs The Hindu Back to the Rajapaksas: On Gotabaya Rajapaksa's victory The Hindu Poshan Abhiyaan promises to revive traditional food systems across the country while addressing malnutrition IE With the economic centre of gravity shifting to states, India’s growth hinges on cooperative federalism IE
Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 11th to 17th November, 2019 ARCHIVES GS-2 Golden Leaf Award in the Most Impressive Public Service Initiative category for the year 2019: Tobacco Board of India (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) To Tobacco Board of India, for its efforts to initiate various sustainability (green) initiatives in Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco cultivation in India The Golden Leaf Awards were created to recognize professional excellence and dedication in the tobacco industry by Tobacco Reporter, an international magazine in the year 2006. Tobacco Board got this award for its best outstanding public service in sustainability to the industry for its - Initiatives on natural farming in tobacco cultivation for production of organic tobaccos, Improving the soil health through green manuring, Introduction of 365 days green cover in tobacco cultivation, Promotion of advanced nursery technologies- Green Tech nurseries, Elimination of Non-Tobacco Related Material (NTRM), Elimination of pesticide residues in tobacco by encouraging residue free tobacco cultivation, energy conservation initiatives resulting in energy savings of 25%, Development of greenery through mandatory planting of trees by tobacco farmers and tobacco trade and educating and guiding farmers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Tobacco Board believes that these unique initiatives pioneered by Tobacco Board for the overall benefit of the farming community and sustenance of the tobacco industry as a whole are proving to be promising in achieving the ultimate goal of sustainability. India is the world's fourth largest producer of FCV tobacco. About 88,000 FCV tobacco farmers and their families in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are dependent on this crop for their livelihood. In order to address the negative effects of tobacco cultivation that extend beyond those on health to economic problems and environmental degradation and to ensure sustainability, Tobacco Board has taken various initiatives relating to extension activities – Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Natural farming in tobacco cultivation for production of organic tobaccos(on the lines of ZBNF now being advocated by Government of India) 365 days green cover in tobacco cultivation Promotion of advanced nursery technologies Elimination of Non-Tobacco Related Material (NTRM) Elimination of pesticide residues Energy conservation initiatives Development of greenery with growers and trade and initiated a series of measures for achieving sustainability in the sector Tobacco Board is a statutory body established under Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The main functions of the Board include regulating the production and curing of Virginia tobacco in India, implementation of extension and developmental activities for improving the yields and quality of tobacco, facilitating sale of tobacco through e-auctions on the auction floors of the Board, undertaking various grower welfare measures and export promotion of tobacco and tobacco products. MELPL – Visionary Indo – French Collaboration (Largest FDI Project of Railways) (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Indian Railways has entered into Procurement cum Maintenance Agreement with Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd. (MELPL), a joint venture of Indian Railways and M/s Alstom. As part of largest Foreign Direct Investment project of Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways and Alstom came together in 2015 to transform the heavy freight transportation landscape of the country. A landmark agreement worth 3.5 billion Euro was signed to manufacture 800 electric locomotives for freight service and its associated maintenance. As part of the project, factory along with township has been set up in Madhepura, Bihar with capacity to manufacture 120 locomotives per year. The project will create more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in the country. More than Rs 2000 Crores invested in the project already by the company. Benefits of Project Indian Railways have taken decision to have 12000 horse power twin Bo-Bo design Locomotive with 22.5 T (Tonnes) axle load upgradable to 25 Tonnes with design speed of 120 kmph. This locomotive will be game changer for further movement of coal trains for Dedicated Freight Corridor. With the success of this project it will boost the “Make in India” programme of the Government of India. This will further develop ancillary units for locomotive components. The project will allow faster and safer movement of heavier freight trains. It will haul 6000T trains at maximum speed of 100 kmph. With 100% electrification, the new locomotive will not only bring down operational cost for Railways, the locomotive will also reduce the congestion faced by Indian Railways. This will be used to haul heavier trains such as coal and iron ore. Launch of UNESCO MGIEP Digital Learning draft Guidelines at the General Conference in Paris (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) On the occasion of the 40th UNESCO General Conference, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Union Minister, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, launched the first of its kind ‘Industry Guidelines on Digital Learning (discussion draft)’ at the Ministerial Roundtable on ‘Media and Information Literacy and Games in the Digital World’. The Roundtable was jointly organized by the Government of Finland and the Government of India, in partnership with UNESCO Headquarters and UNESCO’s category 1 institute, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP). The Draft Guidelines were developed by UNESCO MGIEP, based in New Delhi, responding to the Vizag Declaration on Digital Learning adopted at TECH 2018, an international conference co-organized by UNESCO MGIEP and the State Government of Andhra Pradesh. Building on the neurosciences of learning, which shows that parts of the brain can be ‘wired’ or ‘trained’ in intellectual as well as emotional intelligence, the Institute promotes the whole-brain approach to learning and harnesses the power of digital technologies to enable innovative pedagogies. Technology is increasingly permeating our everyday lives. Leveraging the power of technology is key to high quality, inclusive and equitable education. According to a KPMG and Google report, the EdTech market in India is set to grow to $1.96 billion with around 9.6 million users by 2021, from $247 million and 1.6 million users in2016.The massive influx of digital learning resources has made the task of selecting appropriate digital learning games, applications or tools difficult for teachers, parents and school leaders. These challenges highlight the importance of creating a set of guidelines for educational technology developers to integrate principles of good learning with digital pedagogies that are aligned with the values of peace, non-discrimination and sustainable development as enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Prelims oriented News TIGER TRIUMPH: India US joint Tri services Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise Exercise DUSTLIK-2019: Indo-Uzbekistan Joint Field Training Exercise (FTX)-2019 Analysis of the legislative work done by the Upper House since it came into being in 1952 A total of 3,818 Acts of Parliament have been made since the first general elections in 1952 First Bill passed : The Indian Tariff (Second Amendment) Bill, 1952 First Bill concerning social change: The Special Marriages Bill, 1952 First Constitution Amendment Bill passed by Rajya Sabha: The Constitution (Second Amendment) Bill, 1953 for readjustment of representation in Lok Sabha by increasing the size of population per constituency. Chairman Shri Venkaiah Naidu said; “Indeed, Rajya Sabha has all through been a lively and sagacious institution. It should continue to function with even greater vigor and zeal towards fulfilling the aspirations of the people, especially, the younger ones. Still, some missed opportunities may not be ruled out. We need to learn from the experience of the last 67 years and strive to make our Parliament even more effective towards building a New India which compares favorably with the better placed in the comity of the nations. Time is the essence in doing so and for making up for the missed opportunities.” Swachh – Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan To strive to make our beaches clean and create awareness amongst citizens about the importance of coastal ecosystems, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) are undertaking a mass cleanliness-cum-awareness drive in 50 identified beaches under the “Swachh – Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan”, from 11th -17th November, 2019. The identified beaches are in 10 coastal States/Union Territories (UTs) namely Gujarat, Daman & Diu, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. The beaches have been identified after the consultation with the States/UTs. Launch of winter-grade diesel suitable for extreme winters of up to -30O Celcius for Ladakh Region Motorists in high-altitude sectors like Ladakh, Kargil, Kaza and Keylong face the problem of freezing of diesel in their vehicles when winter temperatures drop to as low as -30o Celsius. Indian Oil has come up with an innovative solution to this problem by introducing a special winter-grade diesel with a low pour-point of -33o Celsius, which does not lose its fluidity function even in extreme winter conditions. The new status will accelerate the pace of holistic development of the region and bring prosperity to the people at par with the rest of India. Availability of winter-grade diesel will promote tourism and smooth transportation in Ladakh Region during extreme winters - big step towards promoting ease of living Launch of iDEX portal: Would provide wider publicity and better visibility of iDEX activities and enable more efficient running of future challenges through better information management. The iDEX initiative of the Department of Defence Production was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in April 2018 with the objective to encourage and nurture innovations in the Indian Defence sector and create an ecosystem where Startups, MSMEs and individual innovators could interact easily with the Indian defence establishment and provide the latest technological innovations for specific challenges experienced in operational environments through co-development and co-production of innovative solutions. “The human mind is the most powerful and creative laboratory which tests millions of ideas on a daily basis. And when ideas are given the wings of freedom and the flight of imagination, new and innovative solutions are created” Governing Body of International Treaty of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA): ITPGRFA also known as Seed Treaty, is a comprehensive international agreement for ensuring food security through the conservation, exchange and sustainable use of the world's plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), as well as the fair and equitable benefit sharing arising from its use. It also recognizes farmers' rights, subject to national laws. Personality in news T N Seshan Born in Thirunellai, Palakkad district of Kerala, he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1996. T N Seshan was credited for enforcing the model code of conduct to reign in muscle and money power during elections during his tenure as the 10th CEC. Seshan also waged war against the tendency of politicians to flout the model code of conduct, which they were supposed to abide by. Polling was suspended in a Madhya Pradesh constituency as a serving governor campaigned for his son, ultimately leading to his resignation. In Uttar Pradesh, a minister was forced to quit the dais at a rally as the campaign period had just ended. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Period: 28 May 1883 – 26 February 1966 Cause of Death: Fasting (Sallekhana Prayopavesa) He was commonly known as Veer Savarkar (“brave” in his native Marathi language) An Indian independence activist, politician, lawyer, writer, and the formulator of the Hindutva philosophy Championed atheism and rationality and also disapproved orthodox Hindu belief. In fact, he even dismissed cow worship as superstitious. Savarkar was a radical and his Hindutva too was a radical break in the Hindu thought: anti-caste, reformist, modernist and futuristic. It was a modern Hindu response to the modern world Organised a youth group named ‘Mitra Mela’ In London, Veer Savarkar inspired his fellow Indian students and formed an organisation ‘Free India Society’ to fight against Britishers for freedom. Was against foreign goods and propagated the idea of Swadeshi. In 1905, he burnt all the foreign goods in a bonfire on Dussehra. Provided legal defence to Madan Lal Dhingra, who was accused in a murder case of a British Indian army officer named Sir William Hutt Curzon Wyllie. Veer Savarkar also founded the two-nation theory in his book ‘Hindutva’ calling Hindus and Muslims two separate nations. In 1937, Hindu Mahasabha passed it as a resolution. In 1937, he also became the president of ‘Hindu Mahasabha’. A fierce critic of the Indian National Congress (INC) and Mahatma Gandhi; opposed the ‘Quit India Movement’ and later objected to INC’s acceptance of Indian partition. He proposed the co-existence of two nations in one country. Hindutva The main challenge thrown by the British rule and colonial modernity under the pale of capitalism was for Hindus to justify their existence as a society. Who were they? Could Hindus survive in a modern world dominated by the expansionist organised religions, nations and nation-state? Savarkar responded to these challenges. The coming together of various pagan traditions as Hinduism to meet the challenge of the Abrahamic monotheism is a centuries-old process. Savarkar consolidated it under a new ideological construct. He wielded it into a coherent political construct, Hindutva that aimed to answer the challenges of the modern world, especially the charge of the colonialists that India is not a nation and hence unworthy of self-rule. For India to be able to resist imperialism, a nation had to be born. For Savarkar, that nation was a Hindu Rashtra. Only a Hindu nation transcending caste, regional and linguistic barriers was capable of resisting imperialism. No longer would invading armies roam around the countryside; no longer would India be a playground for colonial powers; no longer would its people and cities be pulverised by warlords for they would have to face a powerful Indian state created on the foundation of a Hindu nation. And the foundation of this Hindu nation was Hindutva. Savarkar was a radical and his Hindutva, too, was a radical break in Hindu thought: anti-caste, reformist, modernist and futuristic. It was a modern Hindu response to the modern world. 50 years of imprisonment – Kaala Paani Savarkar wrote a book titled “The History of the War of Indian Independence”- wrote about the guerilla warfare tricks used in 1857 Sepoy Mutiny. While the book was banned by Britishers, Madama Bhikaji Cama published the book in Netherlands, Germany and France, which eventually reached many Indian revolutionaries. Savarkar was arrested in 1909 on charges of plotting an armed revolt against the Morle-Minto reform. He also tried to escape by diving in the water but was arrested. He was sentenced to two life sentences i.e. 50 years in the cellular jail of Andamans, also known as Kala Pani, in 1911. Death – 1964: Savarkar declared his wish to attain Samadhi and started hunger-strike on February 1, 1966 and passed away on February 26, 1966. He believed that his purpose of life is solved as India has gained Independence. In 2002, Port Blair airport at Andaman and Nicobar’s Island was renamed after Veer Savarkar International Airport. Quotes The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu On inclusive development Labourers and farmers contribute to economy not only through their hard work, but they also create demand in the economy as consumers. Therefore, it is necessary to increase their purchasing power to give a further fillip to the inclusive development. Concentration of wealth in few hands leads to disbalance in economy and resentment in society Highlighting that both capital and labour are important for wealth creation, the Vice President called for cooperation and harmony between the two. Citing Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Trusteeship, he said that wealth is not for individual luxury rather it is collectively owned by the community and should be used for the welfare of public. New legislative architecture is being created for a transparent, sustainable, efficient, high growth inclusive economy. Noting that India has the third largest pool of Start-ups, he said that new Start-up actors are emerging in our economy. Institutions like Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and Bhartiya Kisan Sangh should spread awareness about various Government programs and should train the workers and farmers in new technologies Lauding various organisations created by Shri Dattopanth Thengri such as – Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat, Bhartiya Adhivakta Sangh and Sanskar Bharti, the Vice President said that democracy should not merely remain limited to casting of votes, rather people should be actively involved in national affairs. Such organizations help in giving constructive voice to people’s aspirations. On Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam He called upon the students to rise above the divisions of caste, creed, religion etc. and imbibe the virtues of ‘Sharing and Caring’ in line with the Bharatiya Philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva kutumbakam’. Shri Naidu opined that our education system must mould ideal and responsible citizens, who are socially conscientious with a national outlook. He told the children that they were the future of the nation and asked them to inculcate Indian values and understand and respect India’s great heritage, culture and traditions. Women’s education and empowerment was a pre-condition to the nation’s development. Describing women’s education as a priority mission, he said that no compromises can be made when it comes to providing the women of the country equal opportunities for growth. They should get an equal platform to contribute to the progress of the nation On Journalism Urged the media to not color news with views and stressed the need to maintain objectivity, fairness and accuracy. The neutrality and sanctity of newsrooms should be upheld at all times. The cardinal principle of journalism is to present fair, objective, accurate and balanced information to the reader and viewer without journalists assuming the role of the gatekeepers. Sensationalism, biased coverage and paid news have become the modern-day afflictions of the media, adding that under no circumstances can slanted and opinionated reporting be termed as ‘interpretative reporting’. Maintaining that freedom and responsibility cannot be considered as inseparable, he opined that media must not only act as the watchdog to protect democracy but must also act as the true champion of the underdog. It has to be in the vanguard of fighting the ills that are plaguing the society. Media landscape has transformed dramatically over the years and so have the values of journalism. In the past, journalism was treated as a mission for the nation’s service. In view of the critical role journalism plays in protecting democracy and in serving the larger good of the society, we should strengthen this important fourth pillar by ensuring that ‘truth’ is never compromised
India & West Asia - New Frontiers Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests ; India and the World ; India and its neighbourhood- relations. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests In News: India and Saudi Arabia have inked over a dozen agreements in several key sectors including oil and gas, defence and civil aviation to bolster their ties as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held extensive talks with the Kingdom's top leadership during which a Strategic Partnership Council was established to coordinate on important issues. Saudi Arabia has, for some time now, been looking for new friends in the East. The disappointing response of the United States after half of the kingdom’s oil production was knocked out by drone attacks last month, or when the West cornered Riyadh on the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year, has only driven it to look east. India is also achieving its strategic goals alongside trade with Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the bilateral ties between India and the UAE too have reached new heights. Having prospered for several decades, it has more recently advanced into a sterling partnership spanning multiple dimensions, with both countries firmly committed to expanding collaboration in new sectors. Not just Saudi and the UAE, the whole of West Asia is looking to engage with India and explore new frontiers. West Asia Geopolitically West Asia occupies an important position in international relations due to its geographical location and proximity to continents and countries – South Asia, China, Central Asia, Europe, and Africa. The region is strategically significant due to its enormous energy resources, trade route links to different parts of the world and the fact that it is a place of origin for the Abrahamic religions. It is the world largest oil-producing region accounting for 34% of world production, 45% of crude oil exports and 48% of oil proven reserves. All powers seek a stake in the affairs of the region due to the abundance of natural resources. It is also a region plagued with instability largely due to the involvement of external forces, and sometimes due to internal conflicts. West Asia & India India’s commercial and cultural relations with the region have ancient roots. People to people contacts were established between the two great civilizations in those early days when the merchants of the Kulli culture in Southern Baluchistan and the early Sumer dynasties were in existence. Later the period between the rise of Islam in the 7th century A.D. to about the 10th century A.D. may be termed as the golden age of trade relations between India and the Arab world. An important factor influencing India’s foreign policy is her socio-cultural affinity of Indian Muslims owing to – Macca and Madina located in this region. Every year more than a lakh Indian Muslims go for Hajj, providing a binding force between two regions. For the past four decades trade, energy and human resource have been the principal drivers of India’s economic relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (G.C.C.). India has been heavily dependent on energy supplies from the region, while Indian expatriates have constituted a substantial share of the regional labor market. Remittances from the region were last estimated to be fifty percent of the total of 80 million USD coming to India. The Islamic countries in our western neighbourhood are challenged by sectarian (Shia-Sunni), civilisational (Persian-Arab-Turkish) and religious (Jewish-Islamic), rivalries and tensions. India has skilfully conducted its diplomacy, avoiding taking sides in sectarian and civilisational differences, while advocating reconciliation between contesting states. There are two ways that India has been engaging with the region in terms of geopolitical strategy – It has been making allies and collaborating economically with countries to safeguard its energy security. It has been engaging selectively in socio-political contacts. As one of the largest diaspora population in the region, it is one of the largest targets for India’s practice of soft-power diplomacy. India’s soft power is clearly visible in terms of culture, language, skills, Bollywood, food, yoga, its democratic character, neutrality, and non-interference, international law and multilateral diplomacy to name a few. India’s rise in high-tech sectors is reflected in the senior positions Indian experts hold in the Gulf, where professionally and technically qualified Indians are significantly engaged in the knowledge-based economic projects, such as Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ). The India-UAE bilateral relationship has evolved into a significant partnership in the economic and commercial spheres. India-UAE trade is around $52 billion, making India the largest trading partner of UAE, while UAE is India’s third largest trading partner, after China and the US. The UAE is significantly, the second largest export destination of India, with exports of over $30 billion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Saudi Arabia last week for his second visit in three years. If during his first visit in 2016, King Salman conferred Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian award on him, his second visit saw him participate in the high-profile Future Investment Initiative Summit, dubbed ‘Davos in the Desert,’ an initiative of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The crown prince had also visited India earlier this year in February. The fact that this visit happened against the backdrop of India’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan’s desperate attempt to internationalise the issue makes Modi’s visit to Riyadh even more significant. India’s trade ties with Saudi Arabia have been growing and the relationship is no longer merely a buyer-seller one, though energy remains the driver of the engagement with Saudi Arabia being India’s second-biggest supplier of oil after Iraq. Saudi Arabia is now India’s fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade at $27.48 billion in 2017-18 and Saudi investment to the tune of around $100 billion is in the pipeline in areas ranging from energy, refining, petrochemicals and infrastructure to agriculture, minerals and mining. During Modi’s visit, two important pacts were signed: While the first was a preliminary agreement between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd and Saudi Aramco that will result in a greater Saudi role in setting up a second fuel reserve facility in Karnataka, The second was between the West Asia unit of India’s Indian Oil Corporation and Saudi Arabia’s Al Jeri company for downstream sector cooperation. Modi also announced the formation of the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council that will be led by the leaderships of both countries to “help India address its expectations and aspirations.” Conclusion Both India and Saudi Arabia are re-defining their foreign policy priorities at a time of global and regional turmoil. For New Delhi, Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf states are becoming key interlocutors in the Middle East. Developing stronger ties with Saudi Arabia has been an important diplomatic achievement in Modi’s first term. And for Riyadh, India is one of the eight major powers with which it wants to forge strategic partnerships as part of its Vision 2030. The reform agenda of Prince Mohammed offers an opportunity for the PM to lend the relationship a durable strategic dimension. It is not surprising, therefore, that there is a new energy in India-Saudi bilateral partnership. Connecting the Dots What importance does the West Asian region hold for India’s economic and strategic interests? Discuss. Also elaborate upon the role of past economic and cultural ties in shaping India’s relations with West Asia today. The recent engagements of India and UAE embark India’s Look West Policy but it equally defines GCC’s Look East Policy for the greater Indian engagements with West Asia. Elaborate Analyse the geostrategic and economic significance of the region for India. What initiatives have been taken recently to impart momentum to India’s ties with West Asia? Rivalries and tensions in the Islamic world could throw some challenges to India’s dealings in West Asia. Analyse. How did newly found petroleum resources change the fate of Southwest Asian nations? Discuss.
UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 116 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
Change is Real: Observe what is happening around you. Try not to bring in all your accumulated knowledge, ideas and concepts. Just observe, as if you are looking at things for the first time. When you look at the tree, the sky, the sun, or the earth, don’t separate them. Just look and you will see the dreamlike quality of life. Reality is a painting on water. The only thing real about the reality around you is its constantly changing nature. That itself should tell you that you are not in a fixed reality. If you are living in a fixed, physical, absolute, objective reality, there should be at least a few moments when things are not changing. If you’ll notice closely, things are changing all the time. You can never capture the same moment of life twice. Try this: Pick up your camera, go outside, and try to capture the same thing two-seconds apart. If you can do it, then you have found reality. Take a photo, give yourself a two-second gap, and then take a second photo. You will see that these two photographs are different. The clouds would have changed, a few leaves would have moved, a new bird might be sitting on that tree, or something else would have changed. This means that no two photographs are ever the same; no two moments of life are ever the same. There is nothing fixed in your reality - Nothing at all. Everything is constantly churning. Everything is moving and changing, and you are just a part of this change. To know this process of life in its entirety, you have to move away from all the concepts and ideas you have accumulated. You have to experientially grasp reality just the way it is presenting itself to you. Conceptually, what is the sun? It is an object at the center of the solar system. It is keeping the planets in orbit, and it produces light and heat which sustains life. Conceptually, that is all there is to the sun. But when looked at personally, the sun is a totally different phenomenon. Similarly, when you accept that change is the only reality of life and look at the changes that are happening around you in relation to you, life will make perfect sense. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 16th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Consumer expenditure survey 2017-18 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Economy In News The government has decided to scrap the National Statistical Office’s (NSO’s) consumer expenditure survey conducted in 2017-18 over “data quality” The ministry is separately examining the feasibility of conducting the next consumer expenditure survey in 2020-21 and 2021-22 after incorporating all data quality refinements in the survey process The findings of the report, published by few media, showed consumer spending falling for the first time in over four decades in 2017-18. The government has, however, termed it a “draft” report. About Consumer Expenditure Survey The Survey generates estimates household Monthly Per Capita Consumer Expenditure (MPCE) and the distribution of households and persons over the MPCE classes. It is designed to collect information regarding expenditure on consumption of goods and services (food and non-food) consumed by households The government uses this dataset to estimate poverty and inequality in the country, apart from using it for changing the base year for gross domestic product (GDP). The previous round of survey took place in 2011-12. Consumer expenditure surveys are normally conducted with a gap of five years. But in 2011-12, the survey was conducted after two years, as 2009-10, when the previous round of the survey took place, was a drought year Did You know? In early 2019, the government merged the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) into National Statistical Office (NSO). It was done to streamline and strengthen the present nodal function of MOSPI with respect to Indian official statistics system and bring in more synergy by integrating its administrative functions within the ministry The CSO headed used to bring out macro-economic data like economic (GDP) growth data, industrial production and inflation. The NSSO conducted large-scale surveys and brings out reports on health, education, household expenditure and other social and economic indicators. 2022 Commonwealth Games Part of: GS Prelims In News The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) wants to skip the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The IOA’s unprecedented step came after the organisers of the 2022 CWG, which will be held in Birmingham, dropped shooting from the programme in June. Instead, they have included women’s cricket, para table tennis and beach volleyball. The decision to drop shooting was taken primarily because the organisers were keen to include those sports for which Birmingham and the wider West Midlands region had the facilities. Britain’s tough gun laws, which makes it very tough for athletes to enter the country with weapons, were a deterrent as well But India did not accept this logic. Shooting has been the source of one-fourth of India’s medals at the Commonwealth Games. It has been argued that removal of shooting will see a steep fall in India’s position on the overall medal’s tally. If India actually withdraws from the Games, athletes will be the ones most affected. Not only will they be robbed of competing in a major international event, they will miss out on other incentives as well Athletes winning medals at the CWG receive hefty prize money, with centre earmarking Rs 30 lakh for gold medallists, Rs 20 lakh for silver winners and Rs 10 lakh for bronze medallists Do You Know? It is a standard practice for the hosts to choose sports in which they are strong. For example, in 2010, India excluded basketball and triathlon from the programme and added tennis, archery and wrestling. Four years before that, Australia had dropped wrestling Wholesale and retail inflation Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III - Economy In News Recent data shows that the two rates are diverging - The WPI inflation for October has touched a 40-month low (0.16%). But retail inflation(CPI) in the country for the same month has touched a 16-month high. This essentially means that while prices are falling or growing at a marginal rate at the wholesale level, the trend reverses at the retail consumer level, where prices are growing at a faster rate every successive month. This deceleration in wholesale prices has happened despite a significant jump in wholesale food prices.WPI food inflation rose to 7.6 per cent essentially led by surge in prices of vegetables and pulses But what continued to pull down overall wholesale inflation number was the continued “deflation” (that is, prices falling from one month to the next) in manufactured goods. Reasons for such divergence Some part of the difference between the wholesale and retail inflation trends is explained by the way these indices are made. For instance, food articles have a much higher weight — over 45 per cent — in CPI or retail inflation index. In WPI, their weight is less than 30 per cent. So even a similar spike in food prices will show up a much higher impact in the retail inflation index (CPI) than the wholesale inflation index. Then there are other items such as “services” which have a weight of about 30 per cent that can only be found in retail inflation. A spike in these prices obviously bumps up only the retail inflation while leaving the wholesale inflation unaffected Has this happened before? Between 2012 to 2015 there was a growing divergence between retail and wholesale inflation indices. By October 2015, wholesale inflation was negative — that is, actual prices were declining — while retail inflation was over 7 per cent. While raging food inflation was a contributor, the spike in services such as education and medical facilities was the biggest reason for this divergence in 2015. Impact on Policy making If the RBI looks at retail inflation, which is at 4.6 per cent and is expected to stay above the 4 per cent mark till March 2020, it would be expected to raise interest rates and bring down inflation. But if it were to look at WPI, the policy advice would be completely different. The RBI would then be expected to cut rates further CBI Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III - Security In News The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has set up an Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) Prevention/Investigation Unit. The unit, which will function under the agency's Special Crime Zone in Delhi, will collect and disseminate information on online child sexual abuse and exploitation. It will also probe such offences covered under the IPC, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Information Technology Act, apart from other relevant laws. About CBI It is the premier investigating agency of India. It investigates several economic crimes and special crimes. It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions The CBI traces its origin to the Special Police Establishment (SPE) which was set up in 1941 by the Government of India. The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 transferred the superintendence of the SPE to the Home Department and its functions were enlarged to cover all departments of the Govt. of India. The DSPE acquired its popular current name, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), through a Home Ministry resolution dated 1.4.1963. Since 1987, there are two investigation divisions in the CBI, namely, Anti-Corruption Division and Special Crimes Division, the latter dealing with cases of conventional crime, besides economic offences. Forest Act of 1927 Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II - Governance In News The Union Environment Ministry withdrew a draft amendment that proposed updates to the Indian Forest Act, 1927. Some of the contentious issues in the proposed amendments to the act are: Forest officers can issue search warrants, enter and investigate land within their jurisdiction Forest officers will get indemnity for using arms to prevent forest-related offences Forest officials will get powers to remove tribals from areas earmarked for conservation It will allow government to open any patch of forest it deems fit for commercial operations Imposition of forest development cess of up to 10% of the assessed value of mining products removed from forests, and water used for irrigation or in industries. This amount would be deposited in a special fund and used exclusively for reforestation and forest protection measures These proposed provision drew flak from activists, tribal welfare organisations as well as from State governments which led Central government to drop the proposal. Miscellaneous NDRF The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will soon come up with a specialized unit in each battalion to help preserve monuments and other heritage structures battered by disasters This is apart from its basic responsibility of rescue and restoration. There will be a set of personnel in each battalion of NDRF who will get the basic training on preserving monuments. These personnel will have some sort of insights as to how to preserve heritage structures in the pre and post disaster scenario About NDRF It was formed in 2006 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 It is a specialized force to tackle all types of disaster, including nuclear, biological and chemical disasters. It is involved in Search and rescue operations and Supplying of relief materials to the victims. (MAINS FOCUS) POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure. Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein. Anti-defection law Context: Supreme Court upheld speaker's decision to disqualify 17 MLAs who defected from Congress, JDS The defection led to the fall of Congress-JDS coalition govt in Karnataka Congress called the BJP govt, which later came to power, an illegal govt The MLAs, however, can contest the upcoming bypolls. SC : Under Article 193 has been discussed, Not making nay observation regarding the merits of disqualification. As such, there is no doubt that disqualification relates to date when the act takes place. The speaker in the exercise of powers does not have the power to indicate the period for which a person is barred from contesting an election Background: Assembly elections in 2018 resulted with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 104 seats. The INC and JD(S) formed a majority coalition government after the election, with a combined 120 of the 224 seats. Karnataka speaker had disqualified the 17 legislators of the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition ahead of a trust vote in July. The then chief minister HD Kumaraswamy had resigned after losing the trust vote, which paved the way for the BJP-led government in the state under BS Yediyurappa. Bypolls to 15 out of these 17 assembly seats which fell vacant following the disqualification of MLAs are scheduled on December 5 and candidates are required to file their nomination papers between November 11 and November 18. These disqualified MLAs recently approached the apex court seeking a direction to the Election Commission to postpone the assembly bypolls for these 15 seats till the pronouncement of verdict in the matter. Some of these disqualified MLAs had argued in the apex court that they have an "indefeasible right" to resign as members of the assembly and the decision by the then Speaker to disqualify them smacks of "vengeance" and "mala fide". Anti defection law: If the member voluntarily gives up membership of the party on whose ticket s/he is elected. If the member votes or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction of his/her party. Disqualification may be avoided if the party leadership condones the vote or abstention within 15 days. After disqualification: If a member of the current House (15th legislative assembly) is disqualified, it means s/he cannot contest any election to the 15th House. However, s/he can contest the next assembly election (to the 16th House). Also, Article 164 (1B) of the Constitution states a member who has been disqualified cannot be made a minister till the expiry of his or her term, or till s/he is re-elected. If an MLA is disqualified on conviction for certain offences, he will be disqualified for a period of six years under Section 8 of the Representation of People’s (RP) Act. But Section 8 (4) of the RP Act gives protection to MPs and MLAs as they can continue in office even after conviction if an appeal is filed within three months. Time limit : The law does not specify a time-period for the presiding officer to decide on a disqualification plea. Resignation vs disqualification If an MLA is disqualified, then s/he cannot be a minister in the new dispensation without being re-elected If an MLA resigns s/he can be inducted as a minister and get elected to either House of the legislature within six months. Connecting the dots: In Karnataka’s recent defection case, the legislators have sent a sworn affidavit saying that they have resigned. Should this not bring the matter to rest? Analyse POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. National Education Policy 2019 (Part 1) Features: Four chapters focussing on school education; higher education; other key areas like adult education, technology and promotion of arts and culture; and a section on making it happen by establishing an apex body and the financial aspects to make quality education affordable for all. The commitment to double the government expenditure on education from about 10% to 20% over a 10-year period is still insufficient, given the enormity of the challenge, it is an unprecedented commitment to the sector. Dr. K. Kasturirangan committee: The Committee was constituted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in June 2017. The report proposes an education policy, which seeks to address the challenges of: (i) access, (ii) equity, (iii) quality, (iv) affordability, and (v) accountability faced by the current education system. Draft Education policy: The draft Policy provides for reforms at all levels of education from school to higher education. It seeks to increase the focus on early childhood care, reform the current exam system, strengthen teacher training, and restructure the education regulatory framework. It also seeks to set up a National Education Commission, increase public investment in education, strengthen the use of technology and increase focus on vocational and adult education, among others. Key observations and recommendations School Education The Committee observed several quality related deficiencies in the existing early childhood learning programmes. These include: (i) curriculum that doesn’t meet the developmental needs of children, (ii) lack of qualified and trained teachers, and (iii) substandard pedagogy. This will consist of: (i) Guidelines for up to three-year-old children (for parents and teachers), and (ii) Educational framework for three to eight-year-old children. This would be implemented by improving and expanding the anganwadi system and co-locating anganwadis with primary schools The Right to Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act): Currently, the RTE Act provides for free and compulsory education to all children from the age of six to 14 years. The draft Policy recommends extending the ambit of the RTE Act to include early childhood education and secondary school education. This would extend the coverage of the Act to all children between the ages of three to 18 years. Continuous and comprehensive evaluation and the no detention policy must be reviewed. It states that there should be no detention of children till class eight. Instead, schools must ensure that children are achieving age-appropriate learning levels. Curriculum framework: The current structure of school education must be restructured on the basis of the development needs of students. (i) five years of foundational stage (three years of pre-primary school and classes one and two), (ii) three years of preparatory stage (classes three to five), (iii) three years of middle stage (classes six to eight), and (iv) four years of secondary stage (classes nine to 12). The Committee noted that the current education system solely focuses on rote learning of facts and procedures. Hence, it recommends that the curriculum load in each subject should be reduced to its essential core content. This would make space for holistic, discussion and analysis-based learning. School exam reforms: The Committee noted that the current board examinations (i) Force students to concentrate only on a few subjects, (ii) Do not test learning in a formative manner, and (iii) Cause stress among students. The draft Policy proposes State Census Examinations in classes three, five and eight. Further, it recommends restructuring the board examinations to test only core concepts, skills and higher order capacities. These board examinations will be on a range of subjects. The students can choose their subjects, and the semester when they want to take these board exams. The in-school final examinations may be replaced by these board examinations. School infrastructure: The Committee noted that establishing primary schools in every habitation across the country has helped increase access to education. However, it has led to the development of very small schools (having low number of students). This will ensure that resources such as infrastructure and trained teachers can be efficiently shared across a school complex. Teacher management: The Committee noted that there has been a steep rise in teacher shortage, lack of professionally qualified teachers, and deployment of teachers for non-educational purposes. Recommends that teachers should be deployed with a particular school complex for at least five to seven years. Further, teachers will not be allowed to participate in any non-teaching activities (such as cooking mid-day meals or participating in vaccination campaigns) during school hours that could affect their teaching capacities. Regulation of schools: The draft Policy recommends separating the regulation of schools from aspects such as policymaking, school operations, and academic development. It suggests creating an independent State School Regulatory Authority for each state that will prescribe basic uniform standards for public and private schools. The Department of Education of the State will formulate policy and conduct monitoring and supervision. Higher Education According to the All India Survey on Higher Education, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education in India has increased from 20.8% in 2011-12 to 25.8% in 2017-18. The Committee identified lack of access as a major reason behind low intake of higher education in the country. It aims to increase GER to 50% by 2035 from the current level of about 25.8%. Key recommendations in this regard include: The Committee proposes setting up the National Higher Education Regulatory Authority (NHERA). This independent authority would replace the existing individual regulators in higher education, including professional and vocational education. This implies that the role of all professional councils such as AICTE and the Bar Council of India would be limited to setting standards for professional practice. The role of the University Grants Commission (UGC) will be limited to providing grants to higher educational institutions. Currently, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an accreditation body under the UGC. The draft Policy recommends separating NAAC from the UGC into an independent and autonomous body. In its new role, NAAC will function as the top level accreditor, and will issue licenses to different accreditation institutions, who will assess higher educational institutions once every five to seven years. All existing higher education institutions should be accredited by 2030. Establishment of new higher educational institutions: Currently, higher educational institutions can only be set up by Parliament or state legislatures. The draft Policy proposes that these institutions could be allowed to be set up through a Higher Education Institution Charter from NHERA. This Charter will be awarded on the basis of transparent assessment of certain specified criteria. All such newly constituted higher educational institutions must receive accreditation as mandated by NHERA within five years of being established. Restructuring of higher education institutions: (i) Research universities focusing equally on research and teaching; (ii) Teaching universities focusing primarily on teaching; and (iii) Colleges focusing only on teaching at undergraduate levels. All such institutions will gradually move towards full autonomy - academic, administrative, and financial. Establishing a National Research Foundation: The Committee observed that the total investment on research and innovation in India has declined from 0.84% of GDP in 2008 to 0.69% in 2014. India also lags behind many nations in number of researchers (per lakh population), patents and publications. Conclusion: Education, for most of us, is a necessary public good central to the task of nation building and, like fresh air, is necessary to make our communities come alive; it should not be driven solely by market demand for certain skills, or be distracted by the admittedly disruptive impact, for instance, of Artificial Intelligence. This form of education should be unshackled from the chains of deprivation, and “affordable” education, for instance in JNU, is vital to ensure access to even the most marginalised sections of our country. Education policy, in essence, must aim to produce sensitive, creative and upright citizens who are willing to take the less-travelled path and whose professional “skills” will endure revolutions in thinking and technology. Connecting the dots: New education policy misses a critical chance to address inequalities in system. 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) Household Consumer Expenditure Survey is brought out by which Organisation/Union Ministry? NITI Aayog Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation Reserve Bank of India Ministry of Labour Q.2) Consider the following statementsabout divergence between WPI and CPI India is witnessing for the first time the divergence in rates between WPI and CPI, where WPI inflation is at only 0.16% while retail inflation(CPI) is at 4.6% One of the reason for such divergence is price surge in services which have a weight of about 30 per cent that can only be found in retail inflation Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Recently, it has set up an Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) Prevention/Investigation Unit which will collect and disseminate information on online child sexual abuse and exploitation Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) It was formed under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 It is trained to tackle all types of disasters except nuclear, biological and chemical disasters which is handled by National Security guards Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements Common Wealth Games (CWG) The 2022 CWG will be held in Melbourne, Australia India wants to skip the CWG-2022 because shooting has been removed from the games which has been the source of one-fourth of India’s medals at the Commonwealth Games Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 15 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 D 3 A 4 B MUST READ Five-in-one: On BRICS summit The Hindu Crossed wires: On telecom industry crisis The Hindu Groping in the dark on the economy The Hindu The revival plan for BSNL and MTNL does not inspire confidence IE Kartarpur presents an opportunity for normalisation of India-Pakistan ties IE
National Water Policy Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation General Studies 3: Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Water Pollution, Wastewater management In News: The Centre plans to come out with an updated version of the National Water Policy with key changes in water governance structure and regulatory framework, besides setting up a National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency. There is a need to update the National Water Policy of 2012 in the light of new challenges, especially the adverse effects of climate change. Hydrological boundaries, rather than administrative or political boundaries, should be part of the water governance structure in the country, and the Centre is currently talking to the States to build a consensus Building consensus among the States within the Constitutional framework is a pre-condition for making the changes as water conservation, along with water harvesting and judicious and multiple use of water, are key to tackling the water challenges that India faces. Calling for the rejuvenation and revitalisation of traditional water bodies and resources through the age-old conservation methods. There is a need for disseminating modern water technologies in an extensive fashion. In terms of water trade, that water-surplus States such as Chhattisgarh can gain by sharing the resource with the deficient ones. There is a need for policy changes for giving incentive to crops using less water. Participatory groundwater management should be promoted in a big way to maintain quality and sustainability. Causes of Water Scarcity Overuse of Water: In developed countries per capita water consumption is far more than developing and poor countries. An average U.S. family wastes 13,000 gallons of water every year. Geographical distribution: Usage depends on availability of water; Canadian households use an average of 91 US gallons each day, while American households use just over 100 gallons. Contrast this to Israel, where water supplies are limited, which uses an average of only 36 gallons per household per day. Pollution of Water: 80 percent of wastewater from human activities is discharged into waterways without any pollution removal. Bangalore water crisis was due to pollution in city’s lakes and rapid urbanisation. Conflict: Water stress in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq are examples of water crisis due to conflicts. War disrupts the infrastructure as well as administration. Distance: Areas that are considered to be desert, or areas that are secluded deal with water scarcity because they just aren’t close to anywhere that has water. Women in sub-Saharan Africa collectively spend about 40 billion hours a year collecting water. This significantly impacts their employment opportunities. Drought: A drought is an area which is not getting enough rainfall to be able to sustain the life that is residing there. Some areas are in perpetual drought, whereas other areas may be dealing with a drought on occasion. Some examples of it are from India itself, Marathwada region in Maharashtra is usually under drought conditions throughout the year. Another classic example is the recent water crisis in Cape Town, South Africa, major reason here was drought. Climate Change: Due to climate change and rising temperature there is change in global weather pattern and monsoon. Leading to drying up of rivers and reservoirs. Floods too affect the usability of water. Current Development Ensuring India's water security and providing access to safe drinking water to all Indians is a priority. A major step in this direction has been the constitution of Jal Shakti Ministry. This new Ministry will look at the management of our water resources and water supply in an integrated and holistic manner and will work with states to ensure 'Har Ghar Jal', to all rural households by 2024 under 'Jal Jeevan Mission' The new ministry has been formed by merging the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. All water related works will be merged under one ministry. The new ministry will encompass issues ranging from providing clean drinking water, international and inter-states water disputes, to the Namami Gange project aimed at cleaning Gang and its tributaries, and sub tributaries. The Way Ahead Efficiency in Agriculture: The agricultural sector consumes over 85 per cent of the available water today in India, and there is enormous scope to save water here through improved efficiency. Shifting cropping pattern from water-intensive to less water consuming crops can save significant amount of water. Micro-irrigation method (drip and sprinkler) of rice cultivation promises to enhance water use efficiency with increased crop productivity. Rainwater harvesting is one of the cheapest and easiest ways of augmenting water stock. Investing and promoting water-recycling technologies and storm water capturing schemes should also be given utmost emphasis. The proposed water conservation fee on groundwater extraction is definitely a right step in the direction of regulating water use. Strict pollution control enforcement: User-centric approach to water management, especially in agriculture Decentralisation of irrigation commands, offering higher financial flows to well-performing States through a National Irrigation Management Fund Steady urbanisation calls for a new management paradigm – augmenting sources of clean drinking water supply and treatment technologies that will encourage reuse. Rethink water management Creative and imaginative governance in the form of building larger storage dams which can store excess water in lesser time is the need of the hour. People should be sensitised about the judicious use of water and educated about water-retention dams and other conventional structures such as eari, bawli, talab, anict, dam etc. to store water. The old practice of rainwater harvesting should also be popularised. Tamil Nadu has made mandatory installation of water harvesting structures in every house and this must be replicated in other States as well. Investing and promoting water-recycling, storm-water capturing technologies and micro-irrigation techniques in crop cultivation can also solve the problem of water scarcity. The cost effective method of reviving the traditional small water bodies under the age old practice of Kudimaramath should be given top priority. Note: First state to have water policy: Meghalaya; to address water issues, conservation, and protection of water sources in the state. Water is a State subject Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water for all by 2030. By definition, this means leaving no one behind. ‘Composite Water Management Index’: This index is an attempt to budge States and UTs towards efficient and optimal utilization of water and recycling thereof with a sense of urgency.The Index and this associated report are expected to: Establish a clear baseline and benchmark for state-level performance on key water indicators Uncover and explain how states have progressed on water issues over time, including identifying high-performers and under-performers, thereby inculcating a culture of constructive competition among states Identify areas for deeper engagement and investment on the part of the states. The Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) is a major step towards creating a culture of databased decision-making for water in India, which can encourage ‘competitive and cooperative federalism’ in the country’s water governance and management. Must Read: A jan andolan for water Significance of Jal Shakti Abhiyan India’s Worst Water Crisis Urbanisation leading to Water Crisis Connecting the Dots: Integrated Water Management is a tool for poverty reduction & sustainable economic development. Discuss. Many parts of the country are facing severe water crisis and drought conditions. There are many traditional water harvesting and conservation practices in various parts of India which can be employed locally to fight the ongoing crisis. Can you identify few such practices? Also mention the states where they are more prevalent. Addressing the deepening drought, agrarian distress and water-management are critical not just for our governments to survive but for us to survive our governments. Comment.
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 15th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Doctrine of Essentiality Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Polity In News A five-judge Bench led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi decided to refer the Sabarimala review petitions to a larger Bench of seven judges. This decision reopens not only the debate on allowing women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple but also on the courts role in interfering in religious matters. The doctrine of "essentiality" was invented by a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court in the 'Shirur Mutt' case in 1954. The court held that the term "religion" will cover all rituals and practices "integral" to a religion, and took upon itself the responsibility of determining the essential and non-essential practices of a religion. The idea of providing constitutional protection only to those elements of religion which the court considers “essential” (as determined by Court) is problematic in so far as it assumes that one element or practice of religion is independent of other elements or practices. Scholars of constitutional law have also argued that the essentiality/integrality doctrine has tended to lead the court into an area that is beyond its competence, and given judges the power to decide purely religious questions. Some of the contentious questions/issues which a larger seven- judge bench now needs to answer are: Whether a court can probe if a practice is essential to a religion or should the question be left to the respective religious head; Should “essential religious practices” be afforded constitutional protection under Article 26 (freedom to manage religious affairs) To what extent court can recognize the PILs filed by people who do not belong to the religion of which practices are under the scanner. To examine the “interplay” between the rights to religion and equality India’s first Geochemical Baseline Atlas released in Hyderabad Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III –Environment In News In a first, CSIR- National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad has brought out the ‘Geochemical Baseline Atlas’ of India for environment management purpose. The 44 maps of oxides and trace elements over the entire nation aim to document the concentration and distribution of the chemical elements in the soils of India. The map trace elements from top soil i.e. top 25 cm depth and bottom soil at 100 cm depth from the year 2006 to 2011. With human activities and natural processes continuously modifying the chemical composition of our surroundings, the maps will form the backbone for environment managementparticularly the land use policies by government. It will help in understanding how soil pollution is contributing to groundwater contamination. It will also help in finding out if the damages are caused by a particular industry in the region and thus helps government take appropriate action The baseline map of India will help to plan the land use in different parts of the country. For example, a toothpaste manufacturing industry, which use high concentration of Strontium, cannot be in a place where soil is already having high baseline concentration of Strontium This is the third map among the series of maps published by NDRI. Earlier, The Gravity map of India and Seismic map of India were released by the research institute. Stubble Burning Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III - Environment In News The Punjab government has decided to pay ₹2,500 per acre as compensation to small and marginal farmers, who have not burnt paddy residue in the ongoing harvesting season Farmers’ unions and agriculture experts feel that the move may not fetch the desired results as the compensation is only to those who own land up to five acres The government data shows that between October 1 and November 13, as many as 48,689 cases of farm fires were reported in Punjab. Last year, during the same period there were 44,845 such incidents Stubble burning, close to the autumn season every year, has been a key contributing factor to air pollution across the northern region, including Delhi. For management of paddy straw, the Centre and the State government are providing subsidised agro-machines and equipment to farmers and cooperative societies to achieve zero burning, yet farmers continue to burn the crop residue claiming lack of alternatives. The long term solution lies in alternative uses of residue for which the State government needs to infuse investment so as utilize the stubble collected Ex: bioethanol production, fodder for animals,use for bedding material for animals, mushroom cultivation and so on. Diabetes Atlas Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II –Health In News The ninth edition of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetes Atlas was released on the occasion of International Diabetes Day (Nov 14th) The worldwide prevalence of diabetes was estimated at 463 million in the age group of 20-79 years, or in other words, one in 11 adults. 10% of global health expenditure is spent on diabetes (USD 760 billion) One in six people with diabetes in the world is from India India is at number two (&will continue till 2045) with an estimated 77 million diabetics, whereas China leads the list with over 116 million diabetics. The IDF has stressed the urgency to develop and implement multi-sectoral strategies to combat the growing epidemic with increased focus on prevention. In addition to people with diabetes, India also has a huge burden of pre-diabetics. If the authorities target them with information on the right lifestyle options to help keep blood sugar, lipids and blood pressure under control, India can prevent at least a third from developing diabetes. AboutInternational Diabetes Federation (IDF) It is an umbrella organization of over 240 national diabetes associations in 168 countries and territories The Federation’s activities aim to influence policy, increase public awareness and encourage health improvement, promote the exchange of high-quality information about diabetes, and provide education for people with diabetes and their healthcare providers. IDF is associated with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations and is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). TOBACCO BOARD OF INDIA Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Health In News Tobacco Board of India has been awarded the Golden Leaf Award in the Most Impressive Public Service Initiative category for the year 2019, for its efforts to initiate various sustainability (green) initiatives in Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco cultivation in India The Golden Leaf Awards were created to recognize professional excellence and dedication in the tobacco industry by Tobacco Reporter, an international magazine in the year 2006. Awards are granted on an annual basis to companies that have achieved outstanding performance in five categories - most impressive public service initiative, most promising new product introduction, most exciting newcomer to the industry, most outstanding service to the industry and the BMJ most committed to quality award. About Tobacco Board of India Tobacco Board is a statutory body established underTobacco Board Act of 1975 and is headquartered in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. The board functions under the overall guidance of Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The main functions of the Board include regulating the production and curing of Virginia tobacco in India, improving the yields and quality of tobacco, facilitating sale of tobacco through e-auctions, undertaking various grower welfare measures and export promotion of tobacco. India stands 3rd in production of tobacco and in exports. Brazil and USA are ahead of India. Tobacco and tobacco products earn approx Rs.20,000 Cr. to the national exchequer by way of excise duty, and approx.Rs.5000 Cr. by way of foreign exchange every year. Miscellaneous VASHISHTHA NARAYAN SINGH The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has condoled the passing away of renowned Mathematician Dr. Vashishtha Narayan Singh. Born in 1942, Vashishtha Narayan Singh had been suffering from schizophrenia for long time. In 1963, he completed his PhD on “on cycle vector space theory” from the University of California and worked at NASA. The 74-year-old is said to have challenged Einstein's theory of relativity. After returning to India he worked as an Associate Professor in IIT-Kanpur and Kharagpur and atIndian Statistical Institute, Kolkata About Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality. Because the causes of schizophrenia are still unknown, treatments focus on eliminating the symptoms of the disease. (MAINS FOCUS) SOCIETY TOPIC: General Studies 1: Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. Supreme Court’s Sabarimala verdict Context: A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court referred Kerala's Sabarimala temple case to a larger bench of seven judges, with a 3:2 majority. The bench did not stay the judgment passed on 28 September 2018 that had lifted the ban on entry of women between age 10 and 50 to the temple. Women can still visit the shrine until the larger bench decides on the matter. Issue: Sabarimala Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to deity Ayyappan S ituated at Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India. In the past, women devotees of menstruating age were not permitted to worship here, this ban being said to be out of respect to the celibate nature of the deity in this temple. A Kerala high-court judgement had legalized this interpretation, and forbade women from entering the temple since 1991. In September 2018, a judgement of the Supreme Court of India ruled that all pilgrims regardless of gender, including women in the menstruating age group, should be allowed entrance to Sabarimala. The Constitution bench of the Supreme Court held that any exception placed on women because of biological differences violates the Constitution - that the ban violates the right to equality under Article 14, and freedom of religion under Article 25. This verdict led to protests by people who oppose the verdict. Several women attempted to enter Sabarimala despite threats of physical assault against them but failed to reach the sanctum sanctorum. Two women belonging to the previously barred age group finally entered the temple defying protests on 2 January 2019 with the help of police through the back gate. Temple was closed for purification Article 25(2)(b) creates a further exception to the right. It accords to the state a power to make legislation, in the interests of social welfare and reform, throwing open Hindu religious institutions of public character to all classes and sections of Hindus. Article 26, on the other hand, which is also subject to limitations imposed on grounds of public order, morality, and health, accords to every religious denomination the right, among other things, to establish and maintain institutions for religious purposes and to manage their own affairs in matters of religion. Judgement: The debate about the constitutional validity of practices entailing into restriction of entry of women generally in the place of worship is not limited to this case, but also arises in respect of entry of Muslim women in a Durgah/Mosque In the 2018 Sabarimala verdict, the majority opinion authored by then CJI Dipak Misra defined ‘morality’ in Article 25 to mean constitutional morality. Article 25 reads, “Subject to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion”. Referring to Article 25(1), the 2018 judgment said: “We must remember that when there is a violation of the fundamental rights, the term ‘morality’ naturally implies constitutional morality and any view that is ultimately taken by the Constitutional Courts must be in conformity with the principles and basic tenets of the concept of this constitutional morality…” According to the essential religious practices doctrine evolved by the court in the 1950s, practices and beliefs considered integral by a religious community are to be regarded as “essential”, and protected under Article 25. In the 2018 Sabarimala judgment, the majority opinion held that barring certain women from entering the temple owing to the celibate nature of Lord Ayyappa was not an essential religious practice. Justice R F Nariman, in his concurring opinion, had observed that when there is internal dissent on a practice, its essentiality to the religion becomes questionable. For example, to determine whether the Swami Narayan Satsangis could bar non-Satsangi Harijans from entering their temples, a civil court examined evidence whether the Satsang constituted a religious denomination. In Ismail Faruqui v Union of India (1994), the court determined that offering prayers in a mosque was not an essential religious practice of Islam and upheld the law under which the Centre acquired the disputed land in Ayodhya. Connecting the dots: The Supreme Court’s decision to refer the Sabarimala issue to a larger Bench underscores the need for a thorough review and wider consultation on the earlier verdict that allowed entry of women in the 10-50 age group into the hill shrine. Analayse POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Context: India decided to hold the signing off of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) until “significant outstanding issues” were resolved, when all other 15 countries involved in the negotiations stated that they were ready to sign the mega trade deal in 2020. PM narendra modi’s statement: “When I measure the RCEP Agreement with respect to the interests of all Indians, I do not get a positive answer. Therefore, neither the Talisman of Gandhiji nor my own conscience permit me to join RCEP,” . Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP): [caption id="attachment_52365" align="aligncenter" width="358"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 9th November 2019[/caption] Src: Wikimedia The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and its six FTA partners (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand). RCEP negotiations started in November 2012 at the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia. RCEP member states accounted for a population of 3.5 billion people with a total (GDP) of $49.5 trillion, approximately 39 percent of the world's GDP RCEP will be the world's largest economic bloc. Purpose: The purpose of RCEP is to create an “integrated market” spanning all 16 countries, making it easier for products and services of each of these countries to be available across this region. ASEAN says the deal will provide “a framework aimed at lowering trade barriers and securing improved market access for goods and services for businesses in the region”. The negotiations are focussed on areas like trade in goods and services, investment, economic and technical cooperation, intellectual property, competition, dispute settlement, e-commerce, and small and medium enterprises. Trade deficits : [caption id="attachment_52366" align="aligncenter" width="451"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 9th November 2019[/caption] Img : sent by mail India runs large trade deficits with at least 11 of the 15 RCEP members China accounts for $53 billion of India’s $105 billion trade deficit with these. Reasons for not joining: Unsatisfactory negotiations pertaining to India’s trade with China — India has an over $50 billion trade deficit “Inadequate” protection against surges in imports. Industry has voiced fears that cheaper products from China would “flood” the market. India has not received any assurances on its demand for more market access, India’s concerns over non-tariff barriers is not addressed A “possible circumvention” of rules of origin ,the criteria used to determine the national source of a product were not addressed which allow countries like China to pump in more products. India has pushed for other countries to allow greater movement of labour and services for a long , which is not addressed Concerns over unsustainable trade deficits is also not addressed. India already have , bilateral FTAs with most RCEP nations, but it has recorded trade deficits with these countries Domestic industries like dairy industry was expected to face stiff competition from Australia and New Zealand. Milk issue of India: Milk is the India’s largest “crop”. In 2018-19, the estimated production of milk, at 187.75 million tonnes (mt). The value of milk output (Rs 5,63,250 crore at an average farm-gate rate of Rs 30/kg) Milk is a source of liquidity for farmers, as it is sold daily and generates cash to take care of routine household expenses, unlike other crops that are marketed only once or twice a year. Concern: Milk matters equally to consumers in India, because it meets the animal protein/fat requirements of a significant portion of the population that is vegetarian. As incomes rise, the demand for milk goes up even more. If dairy products are covered under an RCEP deal, India may have to allow members of the bloc greater access to its market, whether through phased duty reductions or more liberal tariff rate quotas (TRQs). There is an already existing TRQ for milk powder, which enables import of up to 10,000 tonnes per year at 15% customs duty, and quantities beyond that at the regular rate of 60%. The Indian dairy industry is resisting any enhanced TRQs or other import concessions, even if extended only to RCEP countries, as opposed to the US or European Union. Way forward: An auto-trigger mechanism that would allow India to raise tariffs on products in instances where imports cross a certain threshold. Lowering and eliminating tariffs on several products from the India which It has expressed Opening the vast Indian market must be matched by openings in some areas where our businesses can also benefit India to safeguard the interests of its domestic industry suggested measures like seeking a 2014 base year for tariff reductions instead of 2013, Using a base year before 2014 would mean a drastic drop in the import duties on these products. This measure must be accepted by RCEP Conclusion: India needs a strategy that brings together the economic and political aspects of its strategic thinking at this time where global economy is in challenge RCEP could perhaps end up doing to dairy what the free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) did in palm oil, fear many in the industry in India. At a time of global uncertainties and challenges to multilateralism and the international economic order, a negative message on RCEP would undermine India’s plans for economic growth. Connecting the dots: Economic isolation is not an option for India and It must move towards bilateral trade pacts. Analyse. RCEP will be the world's largest economic bloc, covering nearly half of the global economy. Analyse India believes that the RCEP trade deal doesn't provide adequate protection against possible surges of imported goods. Justify (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1) Consider the following statements about Doctrine of Essentiality It was invented by a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court in the 'Shirur Mutt' case in 1954. Under this doctrine, the Court took upon itself the responsibility of determining the essential & non-essential practices of a religion and offered Constitional protection to only those religious practices which was considered as essential to religion. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statementsabout ninth edition of International Diabetic Federation’s Diabetes Atlas 10% of global health expenditure is spent on diabetes One in six people with diabetes in the world is from India The atlas offers projections that continue to put India at the second slot right up to 2045 Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1,2 and 3 Q.3) Consider the following statements India stands third in the production of tobacco after Brazil and USA Tobacco Board is a statutory body which works under the overall guidance of Ministry of Agriculture and farmer’s welfare. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about Geochemical Baseline Atlas It is released by NITI Aayog in collaboration with Ministry of Earth Sciences It will help in finding out future contaminations due to industries across the country, thereby enabling the Government and policymakers to leverage it in planning the land use. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 14 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 B 3 A 4 C 5 A MUST READ Review and reference: On Sabarimala review pleas The Hindu Open, all the same: On CJI office and RTI Act The Hindu Peace bought by an unequal compromise The Hindu Grounding All Those Conspiracy Theorists ET Unaffordable Shortage Of Women Geeks ET It is unclear how Finance Commission can now make an award treating the UT of J&K as a state IE
UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 115 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
