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RSTV IAS UPSC – Pneumonia

Pneumonia Archives TOPIC: General studies 2 Public Health issues Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. The air sacs may fill with fluid or pus (purulent material), causing cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing. A variety of organisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, can cause pneumonia. Pneumonia can occur in young and healthy people, but it is most dangerous for older adults, infants, people with other diseases, and those with impaired immune systems. [caption id="attachment_52259" align="aligncenter" width="551"] RSTV IAS UPSC – Pneumonia[/caption] Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/-/media/kcms/gbs/patient-consumer/images/2016/05/18/13/02/ww5r032t-8col-jpg.jpg  Signs and symptoms of pneumonia: Chest pain when you breathe or cough Confusion or changes in mental awareness (in adults age 65 and older) Cough, which may produce phlegm Fatigue Fever, sweating and shaking chills Lower than normal body temperature (in adults older than age 65 and people with weak immune systems) Nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea Shortness of breath Treatment Treatment depends on the type and severity of the pneumonia. Bacterial types of pneumonia are usually treated with antibiotics. Viral types of pneumonia are usually treated with rest and plenty of fluids. Antiviral medications can be used in influenza. Fungal types of pneumonia are usually treated with antifungal medications. Prevention Along with vaccinations, physicians recommend: Regular hand washing Covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing Refraining from smoking Eating healthfully Exercising 5 days a week Staying away from the sputum or cough particles of others with pneumonia Is pneumonia contagious? The germs that cause pneumonia are contagious. This means they can spread from person to person. Both viral and bacterial pneumonia can spread to others through inhalation of airborne droplets from a sneeze or cough. One can also get these types of pneumonia by coming into contact with surfaces or objects that are contaminated with pneumonia-causing bacteria or viruses. One can contract fungal pneumonia from the environment. However, it doesn’t spread from person to person. Pneumonia vs. Bronchitis Pneumonia and bronchitis are two different conditions. Pneumonia is an inflammation of the air sacs in your lungs. Bronchitis is the inflammation of your bronchial tubes. These are the tubes that lead from your windpipe into your lungs.

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 6th November 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 6th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Alzheimer Disease Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II -Health In News China has approved the first home-grown drug “Oligomannate (GV-971)” for the treatment of "mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that typically affects people older than 65. When it affects younger individuals, it is considered early onset.  The disease destroys brain cells and nerves, and disrupts the message-carrying neurotransmitters. Eventually, a person with Alzheimer’s loses the ability to perform day-to-day activities. Symptoms include memory loss, difficulty in completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, problems in speaking and writing, decreased or poor judgment, and changes in mood and personality. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, because its exact causes are not known.  Most drugs being developed try to slow down or stop the progression of the disease. Disqualification of MLAs Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Polity In News President Ram Nath Kovind has rejected a petition demanding disqualification of 11 AAP MLAs of Delhi Legislative assembly for allegedly holding office of profit.  The decision of the President rejecting the plea is based on an opinion rendered by the Election Commission. In March 2017, a man had filed a petition seeking disqualification of 11 AAP MLAs, claiming that they were enjoying office of profit by being co-chairpersons of district disaster management authorities in 11 Delhi districts. Economic slowdown may lighten India’s carbon burden Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Economy In News Carbon dioxide emissions are poised to grow at their slowest — a 2% rise from last year — since 2001 due to a lower demand for coal in power and manufacturing sector The rise in C02 emissions from India saw wild swings — from 7.7% in 2014 to 3.5% the next year and then back to 7.8% in 2018. This is the first time that emissions are expected to grow below 3% from the previous year. The combined total of coal sales from state-owned mines to consumers outside the power sector and imports of coking coal and coke fell 14% in 2017 and rose 15% in 2018. But it increased by just 3% in the first eight months of 2019, Do You Know? Wind generation rose by 17% in the first six months of 2019 compared to the same period a year earlier, with solar up 30% and hydro increasing by 22% According to International Energy Emissions Agency: India’s per capita emissions were about 40% of the global average and contributed 7% to the global carbon dioxide burden. The U.S., the largest emitter, contributed 14%. As per its commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, India has promised to reduce the emission intensity of its economy by 33-35% of 2005 levels by 2030. It has also committed to having 40% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. Ban proposed on sale, ads of junk food in schools Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Health In News Aimed at enabling children to eat and grow healthy, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) released draft regulations titled Food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and healthy diets for School Children) Regulations, 2019. It has proposed to restrict the sale and the advertisement of food products, which are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), in school premises and within 50 meters of the school campus. HFSS food includes deep fried foods such as french fries, fried chips, sugar-sweetened carbonated or non-carbonated beverages, ready-to-eat foods, noodles, burgers, pizzas and confectionery items among others. Schools should adopt a comprehensive programme for promoting healthy diets among children. The school campus should be converted into ‘Eat Right School’ focussing on local and seasonal food and no food waste as per the specified benchmarks. As about 8% of schoolchildren are obese, FSSAI has also proposed that children have to be encouraged to consume balanced diet in the school as per the guidelines issued by the National Institute of Nutrition. The regulator has also proposed setting up a sub-committee by the State Level Advisory Committee to monitor the implementation of these regulations and to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food to school children in the draft regulations. About FSSAI It is an autonomous statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the administrative Ministry of FSSAI. It lays down science based standards for articles of food and regulating manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale and import of food so as to ensure safe and wholesome food for human consumption. Indian lungs under extreme stress Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-II - Health In News Acute respiratory infections (ARI) accounted for 69.47% of morbidity (the condition of being diseased) last year which was the highest in the communicable disease category, leading to 27.21% mortality. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal reported a large number of patients and fatalities due to ARI as per the National Health Profile-2019. ARI includes respiratory illness such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, heart disease, asthma, wheezing, coughing and difficulty in breathing. According to World Health Organisation, acute respiratory infection is a serious ailment that prevents normal breathing function and kills an estimated 2.6 million children annually every year worldwide. The foetus receives oxygen from the mother, and if she is breathing polluted air, it can increase the health risk of unborn babies. Pregnant women in the first trimester need to be more careful as risk increases and pollution can cause a medical condition called intrauterine inflammation.  Prenatal exposure to pollutants increases risk of pre-term delivery and low birth weight, factors that can lead to developmental disabilities later on About National Health Profile NHP is an annual publication of the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) The NHP covers demographic, socio-economic, health status and health finance indicators, human resources in the health sector and health infrastructure. It is also an important source of information on various communicable and non-communicable diseases that are not covered under any other major programmes. For more details on NHP 2019, refer to https://iasbaba.com/2019/11/daily-current-affairs-ias-upsc-prelims-and-mains-exam-1st-november-2019/#National_Health_Profile_NHP_2019 [caption id="attachment_52251" align="aligncenter" width="413"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 6th November 2019[/caption] https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2019/11/06/CNI/Chennai/TH/5_09/96a869f9_3301927_101_mr.jpg Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GCTOC) Bill’ Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-III - Security In News President has given his assent to the GCTOC Bill, which was considered as controversial anti-terror legislation passed by the Gujarat State in March 2015. The Bill, earlier named as the Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Bill, failed to get the presidential nod thrice since 2004 when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of the State.  In 2015, the Gujarat government re-introduced the Bill by renaming it the GCTOC, but retained controversial provisions such as empowering the police to tap telephonic conversations and submit them in court as evidence The provisions of the Bill would prove crucial in dealing with terrorism and organised crimes such as contract killing, ponzi schemes, narcotics trade and extortion rackets. Some of the key provisions of the act are: The intercepted telephonic conversations would now be considered legitimate evidence Creation of a special court as well as the appointment of special public prosecutors.  The bill provides for attachment of properties acquired through organised crimes. It also empowers authorities to cancel transfer of properties.  Other provisions of the Act is the admissibility of confession made before a police officer as evidence. Nomad film festival Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-I - Society In News “Challenging the stigma. Changing the narrative” is the motto of the Nomad Film Festival.  One of India’s most sharply focussed, the festival is dedicated to showcasing films dealing with the de-notified and nomadic tribes of the country. The idea is to harness cinema in directing focus on their struggles and problems, to change the mindset of people about them and help fight the slurs and blots associated with them; misconceptions like they are criminal tribes, thieves and law-breakers. The films could be about identity politics but the larger aim is to help the tribal people find a strong creative voice. However, the acuteness of the festival’s vision and its commitment also makes it disadvantaged in another way because there are very few films made on the de-notified tribes, nomads or gypsies. About Denotified tribes The term, ‘De-notified and Nomadic Tribes’, can be traced to the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA) of 1871. The colonial government notified nearly 200 tribal communities to be hereditary criminals and subjecting them to constant harassment by the administration. After India gained Independence, these tribes were ‘de-notified’ from the list of Criminal Tribes, and, hence, the term The CTA was repealed and the Habitual Offenders Act (HOA) was enacted in various States. Given their centuries-old tradition of constant movement, they often do not possess any residential proof, which leaves them out of the majority of the government’s schemes. To address various issues faced by them, the first National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Tribes (NCDNT) was constituted in 2003, and reconstituted two years later under the chairpersonship of Balkrishna Renke, which submitted its report in 2008. The recommendations found an echo in the Idate Commission, constituted with the similar mandate in 2015. (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests  A victory for the dairy sector Context: India’s withdrawal from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is considered as a major victory for the farmer’s organisations, trade unions, MSME organisations and civil society groups, which had protested against the free trade agreement. RCEP would have proven suicidal for India’s dairy sector. India’s average bound tariff for dairy products is about 63.8% while its average applied tariff is 34.8%. Joining RCEP would have bound India to reduce that level to zero within the next 15 years [caption id="attachment_52250" align="aligncenter" width="430"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 6th November 2019[/caption] Img: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/RCEP.png/500px-RCEP.png Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP): 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. Global Milk Trade scenario Developed countries account for 79% of the total world export of milk. Major players are the U.S., the EU, Australia and New Zealand.  A country like New Zealand exports 93% of its milk production.  On the other hand, developing countries account for 80% of the world’s total milk imports.  Though India is self-sufficient in milk production, China imports about 30% of its milk requirement. About 51% of the global trade of milk, 45% of the global trade of skimmed milk powder (SMP), 38% of the global trade of butter oil, 35% of the global trade of cheese takes place in the RCEP region. Thus, some of the major players in the global milk trade are in the RCEP region. Why Australia and New Zealand have deep interest in RCEP agreement? They were deprived of the lucrative markets in the U.S. after the demise of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), have had a deep interest in the RCEP agreement. Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) was the proposed trade deal among the 12 Pacific Rim nations - Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. However, US withdrew from the deal in Jan 2017. India’s dairy Sector – A self-sufficient sector India’s dairy sector provides livelihood to about 70 million households. A key feature of India’s dairy sector is the predominance of small producers. In 2017, if the average herd size in a dairy farm was 191 in the U.S., 355 in Oceania, 148 in the U.K. and 160 in Denmark, it was just 2 in India Yet, due to Operation Flood after the 1960s, India’s contribution to world milk production rose from 5% in 1970 to 20% in 2018. As a result, India does not import or export milk in any significant quantity. In 2033, India’s milk production would rise to 330 MMT while its milk demand would be 292 MMT. Thus, India is likely to be a milk-surplus country by 2033 RCEP and possible impact on India’s dairy sector In recent years, private players particularly multi-national firms are opening shops in India. Swiss firm Nestlé was the largest private purchaser of milk in India in 2019. The French milk firm Lactalis entered India in 2014 and has taken over Tirumala Milk Products in Hyderabad, Anik Industries in Indore, and Prabhat Dairy. At present, these firms are forced to buy milk from Indian farmers. The reason is that the applied tariff for dairy products in India is about 35%.  The bound tariff would have fallen to zero if the RCEP had come into effect. It would have then been far more profitable for firms to import milk from New Zealand or Australia rather than buy it from Indian farmers. The unit cost of milk production is relatively low in countries like New Zealand because of extensive grazing lands (which reduce feed costs), mechanised operations and the advantages of economies of large-scale production, and the high productivity of milch animals According to estimations made by Amul, if free imports of skimmed milk powder from New Zealand are permitted, the average price for milk received by an Indian dairy farmer would fall to ₹19/l (presently it is ₹30/l). Also livelihoods of people would be impacted. There are 70 million households dependent on dairy in India, the corresponding number is just 10,000 in New Zealand and 6,300 in Australia.  Way forward: India needs to reduce the unit cost of milk production improved feeds, mechanised operations and increasing the productivity of milch animals. India should ensure that its concerns are addressed if it wants to join RCEP in future, by providing adequate room for India government to protect Indian farmers. Connecting the dots: Joining RCEP would have had high socio-economic costs on Indian dairy farmers. Elaborate. NATIONAL/POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Judicial Reforms Context: On Nov 5th, 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind signed a warrant to appoint Justice Sharad A. Bobde as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI).  The appointment of Justice Bobde as the CJI gives fresh hope to all the stakeholders in the administration of justice. It comes at a time when the Supreme Court’s standing amongst the people has greatly eroded. The Contemporary Controversies Multiple controversies in the realm of judicial appointments and transfers have surfaced in the past four-five years raising concerns about the faltering institutional autonomy of the members of higher judiciary in India’s constitutional democracy. Judiciary has stopped being the protector of the fundamental and other constitutional rights. Judiciary has failed to act as the guardian of the rule of law. Its biased role and involvement in politically sensitive cases (involving citizens, opposition parties, activists and executive actions in day-to-day governance) is criticized. It has failed to restore constitutional rights and values in letter and spirit. The absolute power of the CJI to constitute benches and allocate cases as the master of the roster is often criticized.  B R Ambedkar was right in saying that although the CJI is a very eminent, person, “the Chief Justice is a man with all the failings, all the sentiments and all the prejudices which we as common people have…”  Key points: An independent and strong judiciary is a basic feature of the Constitution.  The Restatement of Values of Judicial Life (as adopted by the Full Bench of the Supreme Court on May 7, 1997) states that “justice must not be merely done but also must be seen to be done.” The behaviour and conduct of members of the higher judiciary must re-affirm people’s faith in the impartiality of the judiciary. Every judge must at all times be conscious that he/she is under the public gaze. “Elected political executives are considered as the chief threat to democracy today”.  The way ahead/Conclusion The new CJI should function as the master of the roster in an independent and objective manner. It is high time that the judiciary steps up to fulfil its constitutional defence role and ensure that the Constitution is not reduced to just another legal document.  The SC is held in the highest regard and must live up to its legacy by making necessary corrections. Connecting the dots: If the judiciary is strong, the constitutional values of India can be successfully upheld. Critically examine. (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 Alzheimer Disease It is a progressive brain disorder whereby a person loses the ability to perform day-to-day activities. India has approved the first home-grown drug “Oligomannate (GV-971)” for the treatment of "mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements The decision on a petition under the anti-defection law is taken by the Chairman/Speaker of the House, while a decision on disqualification petition on office of profit under government allegedly being held by a member is taken by the Election Commission Decisions by Chairman/Speaker regarding disqualification of members under anti-defection law is outside the purview of Judicial review. 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 India’s per capita emissions were about 40% of the global average and contributed 7% to the global carbon dioxide burden. India has promised to reduce the emission intensity of its economy by 33-35% by 2030, compared to 1991 levels Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Idate Commission and Renke Commission dealt with which of the following areas? Reorganisation of States on linguistic basis Repealing of AFSPA in North-eastern India and Kashmir. Identification & welfare of De-Notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities Women and Child empowerment Q.5) Consider the following statements about Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) It is established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Recently it has proposed that foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) cannot be sold to children in school canteens/mess premises/hostel kitchens or within 50 m of the school campus. Ministry of Food processing is the administrative Ministry of FSSAI. Select the correct answer from the codes given below 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only All of the above ANSWERS FOR 05 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 C 3 C 4 C 5 D MUST READ What makes doing business easier The Hindu Safe, for now: On India opting out of RCEP The Hindu Back to the blackboard: On NEET crisis The Hindu Providing sexuality education The Hindu Corridor of hope Indian Express Signing the RCEP agreement would have given more substance to India’s Act East policy Indian Express In RCEP negotiations, Delhi has been consistent. It is right to put its own interests first Indian Express The truth about air pollution in Delhi Financial Express RCEP didn’t make much sense for India Financial Express

IAS UPSC Current Affairs Magazine OCTOBER 2019

IAS UPSC Current Affairs Magazine OCTOBER 2019 ARCHIVES Hello Friends, This is the 53rd edition of IASbaba’s Current Affairs Monthly Magazine. Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Examination is an important factor in this preparation. An effort towards making your Current Affairs for IAS UPSC Preparation qualitative. We hope you make the best use of it! This edition covers all important current affairs issues that were in news for the month of OCTOBER 2019 DOWNLOAD THE MAGAZINE- CLICK HERE

Topper's From IASbaba

TOPPER’S STRATEGY: Chitra Mishra Rank 20, CSE 2018- History Optional Paper I – 300/500 (PART 3)

TOPPER’S STRATEGY: Chitra Mishra Rank 20, CSE 2018- History Optional Paper I – 300/500 (PART 3)   On behalf of the student community, we would like to thank Chitra Mishra, Rank 20 for sharing her History Optional (Paper II), MAP ACTIVITY- Notes and Strategy AND NOW History Optional (Paper I) with IASbaba, so that it would benefit many aspirants who are preparing for Mains with History as their Optional. It's a Kind Gesture and very few people do this.  READ PART 1 HERE- CLICK HERE READ PART 2 HERE - CLICK HERE DOWNLOAD HISTORY OPTIONAL Part 3-> CLICK HERE Thank You Chitra Mishra Rank 20, CSE 2018

RSTV Video

RSTV IAS UPSC – Telecom Sector Challenges & Way Forward

Telecom Sector Challenges & Way Forward Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation In News: In a setback to telecom service providers, the Supreme Court allowed the Centre's plea to recover adjusted gross revenue of about Rs 92,000 crore from them. A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, upheld the definition of adjusted gross revenue formulated by the Department of Telecom.  In July, the Centre had told the apex court that leading private telecom firms like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and state-owned MTNL and BSNL have pending licence fee outstanding of over Rs 92,000 crore till date.  Industry body COAI has expressed deep disappointment over the SC ruling and termed it the last straw in contributing to the sector's financial distress. It added that it remains to be seen whether the industry -- which is reeling under a daunting debt of about Rs 4 lakh crore and is in dire financial straits -- will be able to recover from this setback.  The bench made it clear that there would no further litigation on the issue and it would fix a time frame for calculation and payment of dues by the telecom companies. A Perspective behind the issue Several impediments stand in the way of providing broadband to the masses. With a debt pileup of $119 billion and a capital expenditure line up of $17 billion for FY19-20 (excluding the spectrum spend), telcos need to find new monetization models to survive. The telcos experienced one level of disruption in the recent upsurge in data usage. While data usage is increasing substantially and is expected to reach an average of 7GB per subscriber per month by FY20, the ongoing price war and lack of enough data monetization is also resulting in continuous decline in average data realization, which is expected to reach 12.4 paise per MB by FY20. Telecom is the second highest revenue earner for the government, after income tax: The sector is expected to contribute as much as 90 per cent of the government’s non-tax revenue. Digital India programme is also almost completely dependent on the telecom sector. The roll-out of broadband and Internet services requires enormous investments to the tune of ₹2.5 lakh crore over the next 3-5 years for spectrum, technology, equipment and fibre-optics backbone. Therefore, the financial health of the telecom industry has to be safeguarded. A significant change in the lives of Indians: Mobility services have brought significant changes to the lives of people. Farmers and fishermen are able to get produce to markets better and secure better prices. The sector employs as many as 4 million people, more than half of which are indirectly employed. What are the challenges? Gross revenue of telecom operators slipped 7.13 percent in 2018, while license fee and spectrum charges that the government collects from them fell 10.29 percent and 17.7 percent, respectively, during the year. High competition post-entry of Reliance Jio led other telecom players to drop in tariff rates both for voice and data. High Right-of-Way (ROW) cost: Sometimes, states governments charge a huge amount for permitting the laying of fiber, etc. Over the Top (OTT) applications such as WhatsApp, OLA and so on do not need permission or a pact with a telecommunications company. This hampers the revenue of telecommunication service providers. Huge fluctuations in the duties on Telecom Equipment which contribute to connecting the whole system from the central server to the consumer. India has very little penetration of fixed-line in its network whereas most of the developed countries have a very high penetration of fixed lines. Timeframe of policy execution: Government have withdrawn a lot of things to benefit telecom sector but by the time it gets executed to the market, it becomes too late. Lot of duties creating lot of unemployment which has given birth to a lot of dissatisfaction Solutions Infrastructure: There should be an enhanced limit of 50 Mbps download to every citizen in the country by 2022. State governments should create adequate Telecom infrastructure to fulfil the NDCP mission. New Players/Private companies need to enter the market and start building infrastructure on shareable basis. In all the cities and towns, there is requirement of ‘duct construction’ for laying of optical fibres. India needs to have the in-house development and manufacturing capability. Policies and Planning: Originally, the fixed-line was operating on copper cables which is very expensive compared to optical fibre which is cheap.  There needs to be increased fibre penetration  Need to prepare ground for easy and cheap right-of-way permissions The download speed needs to improve and IT penetration has to increase  To exploit the full potential of 4G system, India needs more synergies in terms of the executions of planning in telecom sector. Components which are bridging the gap between the service providers and the consumers’ needs to be cost effective, consumed well and futuristic The policies need to be executed and aligned well at all respective levels including states and at central levels. Tariff needs to be increased and be put in slabs as per the requirement of different sections. More focus should be given to the research and development of new technologies with dependency of India decreasing in imported goods and equipment  To be seen as an essential service and not a revenue generator: The need of the hour is for the government to see the sector as an essential service and not a revenue generator. Deloitte, in a report on the economic impact of mobile phones, estimates that for a given level of mobile penetration, a 10 per cent substitution from 2G to 3G increases GDP per capita growth by 0.15 percentage points. Similarly, doubling of data use leads to an increase in GDP per capita growth rate of 0.5 percentage points. And further, a 10 per cent increase in penetration of increases total factor productivity in the long run by 4.2percentage points. Improved policies and regulations: There is an urgent needs for a regulatory environment which facilitates innovation and investment, and addresses the financial woes of the sector. The Way Forward With traditional revenue streams maturing, redesigning business models is the need of the hour. Telcos should leverage the gold mine of data that it has and move up the technology stack by providing platforms and applications to create industry-specific solution using the emerging technologies. Given the plethora of applications that will be driven by 5G, network and service quality will be of critical importance in the networks of tomorrow. Today, India has significant grounds to cover in terms of speed, latency, and 4G coverage. Some of the critical actions would be to  Upgrade infrastructure, including backhaul fiberisation Effective placement of cell sites for maximum coverage to demand heavy areas Confluence of networks Virtualization of network architecture Deployment of new technologies, such as carrier aggregation, MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) etc., to raise throughput Adoption of AI and machine learning (ML) technologies to improve network performance Being the only stakeholder, with an obvious path to full connectivity for the consumer, makes telcos a necessary part of any future consumer proposition, regardless of who owns the platform. The path forward is leveraging this strength while navigating the potholes of regulation, changing technology and consumer dynamics. Note: AGR: Telecom operators are required to pay licence fee and spectrum charges in the form of ‘revenue share’ to the Centre. The revenue amount used to calculate this revenue share is termed as the AGR. According to the DoT, the calculations should incorporate all revenues earned by a telecom company – including from non-telecom sources such as deposit interests and sale of assets. The companies, however, have been of the view that AGR should comprise the revenues generated from telecom services only and non-telecom revenues should be kept out of it. Connecting the Dots: The dismal scenario in the telecom industry is largely due to the gap between intent and execution. Examine the statement in detail. Communication is critical to national security.’ In light of this statement, critically analyse the importance telecom sector in India.

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 5th November 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 5th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Affairs In News Seven years after India joined negotiations for the 16-nation ASEAN (Association for South East Asian Nations)-led RCEP India dropped out of the agreement, citing its negative effects on “farmers, MSMEs and the dairy sector”. RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between ASEAN and its six FTA partners – China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Ten member states of ASEAN areBrunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam Without India, RCEP accounts for nearly 1/3rd of global GDP. But they have less than a third of the population. Why India opted out? The deal requires the gradual elimination of tariffs which may flood Indian markets with Chinese goods and agricultural produce from oceania, harming local producers Lack of access to Indian services- allowing Indian labour mobility to other countries for services - in the RCEP countries (Services is India’s strong area and has huge potential to tap into RCEP market) Can India join later? Yes, if the issues India has with the deal are resolved SCO joint exercise Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Security In News Pakistan did not participate in the inaugural session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) joint exercise on urban earthquake and rescue in Delhi. Earthquakes have taken more than 2 lakh lives, which account for two-thirds of disaster related mortality in SCO countries. In this background, this joint exercise will be very useful for improving the collective preparedness The SCO, in which China plays an influential role, is also comprised of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan were admitted into the bloc in 2017. Do You Know? Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is a permanent organ of the SCO which serves to promote cooperation of member states against the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. It is headquartered in Tashkent. India has launched Geostationary Satellite to improve communication, weather forecasting, etc. among the South Asian countries. One China Policy Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Federalism In News Vietnam reiterated that it adheres to the one-China policy and expect China to adhere to international law About One China Policy It is a principle whereby China insists Taiwan is an inalienable part of one China to be reunified one day. The policy can be traced back to 1949 and the end of the Chinese civil war. The defeated Nationalists, also known as the Kuomintang, retreated to Taiwan and made it their seat of government while the victorious Communists began ruling the mainland as the People's Republic of China. Both sides said they represented all of China. Since then China's ruling Communist Party has threatened to use force if Taiwan ever formally declares independence, but it has also pursued a softer diplomatic track with the island in recent years. Mutual logistics agreement Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – International Relations In News India and Russia are expected to conclude a mutual logistics agreement and review the setting up of joint ventures for manufacturing spares for Russian defence platforms in India The Agreement on Reciprocal Logistics Support (ARLS) was expected to be signed on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, but was held back. A 50-member industry delegation is accompanying Defence Minister to Russia to explore ways to jointly manufacture spares and components with Russian original equipment manufacturers (OEM) under ‘Make in India’. EEF was established by a decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, in 2015, with the aim of supporting the economic development of Russia’s Far East, and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region For more details on EEF, refer:https://iasbaba.com/2019/09/all-india-radio-air-ias-upsc-eastern-economic-forum/ Auto slowdown Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-III – Economy In News One of the key reasons for the slowdown in the automobile sector is the confusion over the policy on electric cars, the government told a parliamentary panel NITI Aayog had proposed in August the ban sale of three-wheelers with internal combustion engines by 2023 and two-wheelers with engine capacities less than 150 cc by 2025. The 150-cc and below segment forms almost 90% of the two-wheeler market in the country. The industry termed the proposed NITI Aayog plan “unrealistic”, while knocking on the Centre’s door pitching for a EV roll-out road map over a “practical” time frame. Government clarified at many forums that it did not intend to ban sales of vehicles powered by fossil fuels, but the confusion added to the already low consumer sentiment. Some of the reasons attributed to auto slowdown are Auto sales were down because of “curtailment” of automobile loans that so far were easily available. The sharp increase in road tax in many States added to the problem. The switch from BS IV to VI engines for improved emission standards has also led to the slump due to increased cost of production. Miscellaneous New species of tree frog A new frog species named Polypedates bengalensis has been found in a residential area of West Bengal. The new species also named Brown Blotched Bengal Tree was found in two places in West Bengal – Badu, North 24 Parganas District and Khordanahala, South 24 Parganas District. It is named Brown Blotched Bengal Tree Frog from the series of six to nine dark brown blotches that extend laterally from behind the frog’s eye to the vent. The frog’s body colour is yellowish-brown to greenish-brown. Ratnam Pen Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gifted German Chancellor Angela Merkel an exquisite handloom woollen khadi stole from Ladakh and a Ratnam pen. The Ratnam Pen, named after K.V. Ratnam (originally from a family of goldsmiths in Rajahmundry), was made iconic by Mahatma Gandhi. The pen was made in 1934 by Ratnam, by using indigenous materials upon Mahatma Gandhi's request to create a 'swadeshi' (locally made) pen. Mahatma Gandhi had written over 31,000 letters in his quest to take India to its freedom. Many of these letters were written using Ratnam Pen. It is produced even today in its original form by K.V. Ratnam and Sons — Ratnam Ballpen Works, owned by Ratnam’s descendants. Even today, it has a barrel for filling ink using a dropper and the Genius Iridium Nib from Germany. (MAINS FOCUS) GOVERNANCE TOPIC: General Studies 2:  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. Embracing Digital Governance Introduction Due to the rapid rise of the internet and digitization, Governments all over the world are initiating steps to involve information and communication technology (ICT) in all governmental processes. Various government programmes have leveraged ICT on a large scale to transform the public governance ecosystem in the country. Examples of large-scale digital-led successes Transformation brought out in direct and indirect tax regime in the country Government procurement reforms driven through Government e-Marketplace Roll-out of Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat) Participatory governance enabled through MyGov Importance of ICT for effective governance It is a key step towards making the country “Fit for Future” administration becomes a swifter and more transparent process Makes the whole administrative process convenient, efficient, transparent, fully accountable and responsible Improved access to information and better quality of services for citizens It would help in bringing government machinery to the doorsteps of the citizens (expanded reach of governance) It would increase citizen participation in governance Aadhar, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Digital Locker, BharatNet etc India needs to prepare for the next wave of digital governance The next wave of digital governance needs to align itself with the perspective of digitally empowered citizens, businesses and government alike India to become true ‘Digital India’, a paradigm shift in e-governance approach is needed There is a need for shift in approach from the traditional ‘department-centric’ view of service provisioning to a ‘stakeholder-centric’ view driven by their personas (persona-based approach for delivering services) In other words, there is a need to create the next generation service delivery framework, where the governments across all levels reach out to each individual proactively for delivery of services and benefits, and in local language of his/her choice. (creating an unbroken value chain) The data collected from various e-governance initiatives should be used to reduce redundancy in information sought from the businesses and citizens across the value chain, identify trends, improve delivery mechanisms and for better policy planning. India needs a larger framework where the individual’s privacy is respected and data security is ensured. Conclusion Today, India is making rapid strides in adoption of emerging concepts such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, cloud computing, drones, microservices etc, which have a huge potential in transforming governance. Several initiatives are being taken by the government to enhance existing governance mechanisms by leveraging advancements in technology. Such efforts and initiatives are bound to intensify, given the growing challenges in governance and availability of technology in the country. The need is now to converge such efforts and align them with a futuristic governance framework, a framework that has a ‘human-need centric design’. Connecting the dots: India should work towards creating an unbroken value chain to prepare for the next wave of digital governance. Elucidate. INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests  Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership 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,” . 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. 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 RCEP’s Statement: “All RCEP Participating Countries will work together to resolve these outstanding issues in a mutually satisfactory way. India’s final decision will depend on satisfactory resolution of these issues,” the joint statement by RCEP members said. Connecting the dots : 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:  Featured Comments and comments Up-voted by IASbaba are the “correct answers”. IASbaba App users – Team IASbaba will provide correct answers in comment section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Eastern Economic Forum’ It is an initiative of the ‘ASEAN + 6’ countries. It is an initiative for the purpose of encouraging foreign investment Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about Eastern Economic Forum EEF is an international forum established by Russia in 1991 to support the economic development of Russia’s Far East The Russian Far East comprises the eastern Russian territory between Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean 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 Ratnam Pen The pen was made in 1934 by Ratnam, by using indigenous materials upon Mahatma Gandhi's request to create a 'swadeshi' (locally made) pen It is produced even today in its original form which has a barrel for filling ink using a dropper and the Genius Iridium Nib from Germany. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Which of the following countries are members of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation India China Pakistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Select the correct answer from the codes given below 1,2 and 3only 1,2,3 and 4 only 1,2,3 and 5 only All of the above Q.5) Which of the following are considered as the reasons for automobile slowdown observed in early 2019 The sharp increase in road tax in many States The switch from BS IV to VI engines for improved emission standards Falling rural demand due to stagnation in agricultural growth Select the correct answer from the codes given below 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only All of the above MUST READ A rights-based framework to theorise poverty The Hindu Fusing traditional medicine with the modern The Hindu Kerala’s modernity and its discontents The Hindu Stack and blueprint — Building digital infrastructure for national health database IE As Delhi chokes on its air, the lessons Gabon, a West African country offers IE

PIB

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 28th October to 4th November – 2019

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 28th October to 4th November, 2019 ARCHIVES GS-2 Release of 15 point Reform Charter – New Political normal to enable effective functioning of the Parliament and State Legislatures (Topic: Functioning of the Parliament) Poor attendance in the legislatures and the quality of debates: To ensure attendance of at least 50% of their legislators all through the proceedings of the Houses by adopting a roster system. This suggestion came in the context of Parliament being forced to be adjourned due to lack of quorum of the required presence of 10% of the strength of the Houses. A thorough review of the Anti-Defection Law to rectify the grey areas like incentivising legislators to resort to actions inviting expulsion from the party besides providing for time bound disposal of defection cases by the Presiding Officer. Building consensus on simultaneous polls to let unfettered governance Enacting for reservation of women in legislatures Making rules that automatically take effect against erring members in case of interruptions and disruptions Regular publication of reports by the Secretariats of Legislatures on the attendance of Members and their participation in debates Doing away with the winnability as the sole criterion for selecting contestants by the parties to address the concern of rising number of legislators with criminal record Frequent disruptions, Points of Order without a point, Adjournment Motions and interruptions betray political immaturity, exhibitionism, excessive fondness for the limelight and inadequate appreciation of the need to utilise the opportunity of serving the public interest. National Digital Health Blueprint (NDHB) (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Government of India is committed to ensuring high quality healthcare, accessible to all upto the last mile. The digital health interventions are accelerating this transformation and have a huge potential for supporting Universal Health care. The need of the hour is to create an ecosystem which can integrate theexisting disparate health information systems and show clear path for upcoming programmes. There is a need to ensure convergence across these IT systems to monitor and provide health services in a robust and efficient manner.  Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has initiated efforts in the direction of a comprehensive, nationwide integrated e-Health system under National Digital Health Blueprint. NDHB will help in providing a common platform for integration of existing applications in health domain and data which has existed in silos, either in public health facility, or, in private healthcare facility, in India.  It was also updated that building on the initial document of “National Health Stack” (NHS) by NitiAayog, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has defined clear timelines, targets and the resources required for this digital convergence of Healthcare programmes in India. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at Uzbekistan (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) India called upon the member countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to strengthen and implement all existing international laws and mechanisms, without exceptions or double standards, to combat terrorism and its enablers. Terrorism continues to disrupt our societies and undermine our developmental endeavors.It is important for SCO countries to come together to deal with this menace The process of globalisation has opened up immense opportunities for the growth of SCO members, but also brought to the fore multidimensional, complex and transnationalthreats affecting developing countries. All members needs to work together in defeating challenges liketerrorism, climate change, endemic poverty, under development, pandemics and inequality. India voiced the Government’s resolve of providing an enabling economic ecosystem for partner countries to invest and do business in India. He listed out various initiatives taken by the Government in this regard including relaxing FDI reforms, allowing 100 per cent foreign investment in coal mining and contract manufacturing, easing sourcing norms for single-brand retailers and approving 26 per cent overseas investment in digital media. We strongly support the initiative to facilitate cooperation among small and medium-sized enterprises within the SCO.Food industry is another potential area of collaboration. SCO members can work together for technology and investment support to food processing and put in a supporting logistics chain India is ready to share its experience and expertise in skill development and capacity building in areas such as telemedicine, medical tourism, resource mapping, launching of satellites, agricultural education and effective and affordable pharmaceuticals. Finance, hospitality and tourism services also present significant opportunities. Reiterated the Government’s commitment to a transparent, rules-based, open, inclusive and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation at its centre. Invited SCO Member states to join the ‘Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure’. India has taken the initiative of launching the coalition to assist countries in upgrading their capacities for developing resilient infrastructure. It will address the loss reduction targets under the Sendai Framework, besides contributing to climate change adaptation. India would be holding Joint Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue exercise of SCO member States along with SCO Expert level meeting on disaster prevention About SCO: SCO: Formerly the Sanghai Five and formed in 1996, the SCO has eight members today including India and Pakistan, which became part of it in 2017. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the then security and economic architecture in the Eurasian region dissolved and new structures had to come up.  The original Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.  The SCO was formed in 2001, with Uzbekistan included. It expanded in 2017 to include India and Pakistan. Since its formation, the SCO has focused on regional non-traditional security, with counter-terrorism as a priority: The fight against the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism has become its mantra. Today, areas of cooperation include themes such as economics and culture. How does membership of the SCO help India? In a world riven by geopolitical contestations, SCO membership provides India a vital counter to some of the other groupings it is a part of, balancing out its stated policy of pursuing “multi-alignments”. It is a platform also for alignments on issues such as energy security, connectivity and trade. With India indicating that it sees little use for SAARC, the SCO provides the only multilateral platform for it to deal in close proximity with Pakistan and Afghanistan. For India, two important objectives are counter-terrorism and connectivity. These sit well with the SCO’s main objective of working cooperatively against the “three evils”.  India wants access to intelligence and information from SCO’s counter-terrorism body, the Tashkent-based Regional Anti-Terror Structure (RATS).  A stable Afghanistan too is in India’s interest, and RATS provides access to non-Pakistan-centred counter-terrorism information there. Connectivity is important for India’s Connect Central Asia policy.  Energy cooperation dominates its interest – and it’s in China’s neighbourhood. But India will also have to deal with an assertive China, which will push its Belt and Road Initiative during the summit. SCO membership also bolsters India’s status as a major pan-Asian player, which is boxed in the South Asian paradigm. 8th Indo German Energy Forum (IGEF) 2019 (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) The Forum took note of the ongoing cooperation under the following four sub-groups: Sub Group-I: Flexibilization in Thermal Power Plants. Sub Group-II: Renewable Energies Sub Group-III: Demand side energy efficiency and low carbon growth strategies Sub Group-IV: Green Energy Corridors The Forum also finalized the roadmap for future collaboration between the two countries which, inter-alia, include Flexibilisation of existing coal fired power plants, promoting niche markets for Solar Energy, promotion of energy efficiency in buildings through ECBC, building materials and credit lines for financing corresponding measures and RE evacuation through state-of-the-art intra-state and inter-state transmission grid infrastructure. Prelims oriented News Next Chief Justice of India: Shri Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde New President of Argentina: Alberto Fernández Shri Girish Chandra Murmu: Sworn in as first Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Shri Radha Krishna Mathur: Sworn in as first Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh ICEDASH: Ease of Doing Business monitoring dashboard of the Indian Customs helping public see the daily Customs clearance times of import cargo ATITHI: Easy to use mobile app for international travelers to file the Customs declaration in advance National Research Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders: Erragadda, Hyderabad UNESCO has designated Mumbai as a member of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of FILM and Hyderabad in the field of GASTRONOMY UCCN, created in 2004, is a network of cities which are thriving, active centres of cultural activities in their respective countries. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of 246 cities. The member cities that form part of the Network come from all continents and regions with different income levels and populations. They work together towards a common mission: placing creativity and the creative economy at the core of their urban development plans to make cities safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 7 categories for recognition under UCCN are as follows- Crafts and Folk Arts Design Film Gastronomy Music Media Arts Literature Previously, 3 Indian cities were recognized as members of UCCN, namely- Jaipur- Crafts and Folk Arts (2015) Varanasi- Creative city of Music (2015) Chennai- Creative city of Music (2017) Ministry of Culture is the nodal Ministry of Government of India for all matters in UNESCO relating to culture. Dustlik 2019 The first-ever India-Uzbekistan Joint Exercise at Tashkent in Uzbekistan “Terrorism is a global problem. There are many examples where some countries have adopted terrorism as their state policy. The need of the hour is to condemn and isolate such countries,” said Shri Rajnath Singh. Raksha Mantri affirmed  India’s commitment of developing a state-of-the-art IT complex in Armed Forces Academy of Uzbekistan for the benefit of their soldiers. India’s enhanced support to Uzbekistan in Military Medicine Science Facts:  In the nucleus of each cell, the DNA molecule is packaged into thread-like structures called chromosomes. Each chromosome is made up of DNA tightly coiled many times around proteins called histones that support its structure. Communication link set up through Infrared signals - Wireless infrared communications refers to the use of free-space propagation of light waves in the near infrared band as a transmission medium for communication. This attempt is dedicated to Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman and Satyendra Nath Bose. Like all other electromagnetic waves, radio waves travel at the speed of light in vacuum. They are generated by electric charges undergoing acceleration, such as time varying electric currents. Radio waves are generated artificially by transmitters and received by radio receivers, using antennas. This attempt is dedicated to Jagadish Chandra Bose. India International Science Festival - IISF, organized jointly by Science & Technology -related Ministries and Departments of the Government of India and Vijnana Bharati (Vibha), is an annual festival to celebrate the achievements of India’s scientific and technological advancements with students, innovators, craftsmen, farmers, scientists and technocrats from India and abroad. India’s first global Mega Science Exhibition: ‘Vigyan Samagam’ in Kolkata; The Exhibition will highlight India’s contribution to the world’s science, technology and innovation, and researches in the areas of high energy physics, nuclear physics, astronomy and astrophysics, nuclear energy etc. It will also showcase that DAE not only works on nuclear technologies, but also works on fundamental science and research; and the wide-ranging connectivity of DST across institutional and disciplinary barriers across the country. The Kung Fu Nuns of the Drukpa Order: Some of the Himalayas’ most prominent human rights advocates, recently received the Asia Society’s prestigious Game Changer Award in New York on 30th October 2019 for their path-breaking work to empower women and dismantle gender stereotypes in the Himalayas.  The Nuns use Jigme as their first name and the meaning of Jigme is  ‘fearless’. The Kung Fu Nuns represent a new generation of Buddhists who use their teachings to take real action and effect meaningful change in the world by promoting gender equality and environmentalism.  With this recognition, the Kung Fu Nuns join the likes of iconic Indian leaders Indra Nooyi, Mukesh Ambani, and Dev Patel, who have also been honored by the Asia Society in previous years for breaking the glass ceiling with their courage and inspiring their fellow citizens. The Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual leader and founder of the Drukpa order, encouraged his nuns to train in Kung Fu to build confidence as leaders. In doing so, he flouted centuries of Buddhist tradition that barred nuns from physical exercise. They are the only Buddhist nuns in the world to practice Kung Fu. The nuns use their martial arts expertise to challenge gender roles in India’s conservative culture. National Corporate Social Responsibility Awards: The NCSRA has been instituted by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to recognize outstanding contribution in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Six priority pillars of blue economy: Fisheries and Aquaculture Renewable Ocean Energy Seaports and Shipping Offshore Hydrocarbons Seabed Minerals Marine Biotechnology Blue economy includes intangible economic benefits such as carbon sequestration, coastal protection, cultural values and biodiversity. Oceans already account for significant trade, commerce and offshore oil and gas, fishing, under sea-cables and tourism, emerging industries such as aquaculture, marine biotechnology, ocean energy and sea-bed mining have the potential to create jobs and spur worldwide economic growth. There is a need to give a strong thrust to research activities and innovation in the areas of ocean energy, marine biology and bio technology for India to become a leader in those sectors. India’s exports of marine products to China has tripled and touched almost USD 800 million, in the first nine months of 2019, as per the data released by China’s customs authority recently. India’s marine exports are expected to cross USD 1 billion mark by the end of this year. Embassy of India has been promoting various products such as Indian grapes, sugar, rice, pharmaceuticals, tea, oil meals, IT and ITeS in which India has proven global strength but little market share in China.    Maps of newly formed Union Territories of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh, with the map of India Released [caption id="attachment_52204" align="aligncenter" width="449"] Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 28th October to 4th November, 2019[/caption] Personality in News Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel  The birthday of India`s Iron Man is being observed as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day since the year 2014. First Deputy Prime Minister of India Widely considered to be the architect of modern India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played an important role in the integration of all the princely states (especially Hyderabad, Junagadh and Kashmir) into the Indian Union after the British left India in 1947. Provided good governance as an able administrator in diverse fields like modern farming and empowerment of tribal communities Organised peasants from Kheda, Borsad, and Bardoli in Gujarat in non-violent civil disobedience against the British Raj, becoming one of the most influential leaders in Gujarat. He earned the title of “Sardar” after spearheading a no-tax campaign by peasants at Bardoli in Gujarat. He also led the relief and rehabilitation operations when Gujarat was ravaged by floods and worked tirelessly during a plague outbreak in Ahmedabad. He is also remembered as the “patron saint of India’s civil servants” for having established the modern all-India services system. “A civil servant cannot afford to, and must not, take part in politics. Nor must he involve himself in communal wrangles. To depart from the path of rectitude in either of these respects is to debase public service and to lower its dignity,” he had cautioned them on April 21, 1947. Acknowledging the monumental contribution of Patel in nation building, Jawaharlal Nehru said, “History will call him the builder and consolidator of new India.” The remarks Patel made during the Quit India Movement are also relevant today. He said: “We have to shed mutual bickering, shed the difference of being high or low and develop the sense of equality and banish untouchability. We have to live like the children of the same father”. Unification: After independence, Sardar Patel become India’s first deputy prime minister and first home minister and placed a very significant role in unification of country. Accession of princely states into Indian Union Operation Polo Referendum in case of Junagarh Effort to settle refugees fleeing Pakistan Safeguarding and strengthen Civil services Connecting the Dots ‘Statue of Unity’ is as tall as the person it is dedicated to. Describe the contribution of Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel in the Independence Struggle of India and its unification. With great skill and masterful diplomacy and using both persuasion and pressure, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel succeeded in integrating hundreds of princely states with the Indian Union. Discuss. The strong man of India who made Idea of India possible was Sardar Patel—‘the Bismarck and architect of modern India’. Substantiate

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 4th November 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 4th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) NRC exercise Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Federalism In News Chief Justice of India said that the Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) process, meant to identify illegal migrants was “neither a new or novel idea” but only an attempt to update the 1951 list. The court’s intervention led to the publication of the final citizenship list on August 31. Over 19 lakh out of the 3.29 crore applicants in Assam were excluded from the final NRC list. These people face uncertain days ahead trying to prove their Indian citizenship through appeals filed in foreigners’ tribunals. NRC is the register containing names of Indian Citizens. It was prepared first in 1951 after the conduct of the Census of 1951. It is used to identify who is a bona fide Indian citizen and those who fail to enlist in the register will be deemed illegal migrants. For more details on NRC issue, refer https://iasbaba.com/2019/09/all-india-radio-air-ias-upsc-national-register-of-citizens/ Lone wolf attacks Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Security In News A high alert has been issued to security forces across the country by central intelligence agencies, warning of possible ‘lone wolf’ attacks by Islamic State (IS) operatives A "lone wolf" is a terrorist who carry out attacks alone without having any direct contact with any organisation. Home Ministry has noted the reported nexus between home-grown terror outfits and Pakistan-based extremist organisations in terms of procurement of weapons, technology and training has added a new dimension to the threat scenario. The recent withdrawal of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Articles 370 and 35A and the earlier pre-emptive air strike on non-military targets inside Pakistan by Indian Air Force had considerably enhanced the threat from terror outfits DUSTLIK-2019 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Security In News Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Uzbekistan counterpart presided over the Curtain Raiser of the first-ever India-Uzbekistan Joint Exercise - Dustlik-2019. The joint military exercise focused on counter-terrorism starts on November 4 and will continue till November 13, at Chirchiq Training Area near Tashkent. The exercise will enable sharing of best practices and experiences between the Armed Forces of the two countries and would lead to greater operational effectiveness. India and Uzbekistan also concluded an MoU on cooperation in the field of Military Medicine between the Armed Forces of the two countries. GAGAN - GPS aided geo-augmented navigation Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Federalism  In News About 500 passenger locomotives of the South Central Railway (SCR) have been fitted with the newly developed Real-time Train Information System (RTIS) to monitor precise speeds and movement throughout the journey It has been developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CIRE) with the help ofGAGAN system The new system has facilitated automatic transmission of details on speed and movement of trains to the central control office. About GAGAN GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN), developed by ISRO and Airports Authority of India(AAI) is a regional Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS). The GAGAN’s goal is to provide a navigation system to assist aircraft in accurate landing over the Indian airspace and in the adjoining area and applicable to safety-to-life civil operations.  GAGAN is inter-operable with other international SBAS systems. GAGAN covers the area from Africa to Australia and has expansion capability for seamless navigation services across the region. GAGAN makes airline operations more efficient and effective, increase air safety, and fuel efficiency. Dhanush regiment Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III - Security In News The Army, which began inducting the indigenously upgraded Dhanush artillery guns, will have the first regiment in place by March 2020 and will get all 114 guns by 2022 Dhanush is the indigenously upgraded variant of the Swedish Bofors gun imported in the 1980s. Dhanush is a 155 mm, 45-calibre towed artillery gun with a range of 36km and has demonstrated a range of 38 km with specialised ammunition.  It is fitted with an inertial navigation system having global positioning system-based gun recording and auto-laying, an enhanced tactical computer for on-board ballistic computations, an on-board muzzle velocity recording, an automated gun sighting system equipped with camera, thermal imaging, and laser range finder. NavIC Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-III – Science & Technology In News ISRO and its commercial arm Antrix Corporation Ltd. are poised to commercialise India’s regional navigation satellite system, NavIC. Antrixhas recently floated two separate tenders to identify industries that can develop dedicated NavIC-based hardware and systems. NavIC (Navigation in Indian Constellation) is the Indian system of eight satellites that is aimed at telling business and individual users where they are, or how their products and services are moving.  The indigenous positioning or location based service (LBS) works just like the established and popular U.S. Global Positioning System or GPS, but within a 1,500-km radius over the sub-continent. The early set of commercial NavIC users would potentially be transporters of resources such as mined ore, coal and sand in various States, who are presently using GPS system In 2018, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways mandated that all national-permit vehicles must have such tracking devices. As a pilot, many fishing boats have been fitted with these devices that have a unique texting facility. Positive developments ISRO announced that Qualcomm Technologies Inc., a leading producer of semiconductor chips, had developed and tested NavIC-friendly chipsets across its user bases and that it would add NavIC to them. Certification of the Indian NAVIC system by the 3GPP (The 3rd Generation Partnership Project), a global body for coordinating mobile telephony standards. (MAINS FOCUS) POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Telecom sector and (Adjusted gross revenue) AGR Context: On October 24, the Supreme Court upheld the Department of Telecom (DoT)’s interpretation of “adjusted gross revenue” (AGR), which came as a huge blow to telecom service providers.  Following the order, the telcos are now staring at dues of an estimated Rs 1.4 lakh crore, which needs to be paid to the government within three months.  Most industry players and analysts have argued that the payout of the huge amount could be the finishing touch for the already distressed sector. Adjusted Gross Revenue  AGR: Adjusted Gross Revenue refers to gross income adjusted for standard deductions.  In India, AGR has specifically become important for telecom companies since the payment made to the government is on the basis of the AGR.  Crux: The definition of AGR has been under litigation for 14 years. The telecom companies currently argue that AGR should include income only from telecom operations and not include income from other activities such as rent, sale etc.  As per DoT, the charges are calculated based on all revenues earned by a telco – including non-telecom related sources such as deposit interests and asset sales. Telcos, on their part, insist that AGR should comprise only the revenues generated from telecom services. Currently, telecom operators pay 8% of the AGR as licence fee, while spectrum usage charges (SUC) vary between 3-5% of AGR. Current status: The total amount to the government is to be paid  by about 15 operators. 10 of them have either closed operations or are undergoing insolvency proceedings in the last 14 years. So the government is unlikely to recover the entire amount of dues owed to it. Telecom stress: The telecom industry is under a debt of over Rs  4 lakh crore  Seeking a relief package from the government. Way forward: The government recently announced setting up of a Committee of Secretaries to examine the financial stress in the sector, and recommend measures to mitigate it. The Committee of Secretaries, headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, will have Secretaries of Ministries of Finance, Telecommunication and Law, among others as members and look at “all aspects” of the financial stress.  It will also consider some of the long-standing demands of the industry, including granting a delay in payment of dues for spectrum for the next two financial years (2020-21 and 2021-22).  The committee will also look at demand of a reduction in the SUC and universal service obligation fund levy. What if no relief? If the government does not announce any relief measures for the sector, Vodafone Idea would be in a “precarious situation”, adding that there is a strong possibility that the Indian telecom market could eventually have only two private players. Connecting the dots: Supreme Court order backing the Department of Telecom’s definition of adjusted gross revenue hit the telcos. Critically Analyse ENVIRONMENT  TOPIC: General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment  Air pollution in Delhi (part 2) Context: All schools in Delhi will be shut until  (November 5) ,after the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) ordered a complete shutdown of construction in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Greater Noida. Causes of poor air quality Lack of active monitoring  Motor vehicle emissions wood-burning fires, fires on agricultural land, exhaust from diesel generators, dust from construction sites, burning garbage. The Badarpur Thermal Power Station, a coal-fired power plant, is another major source of air pollution in Delhi.  In view of the detrimental effect to the environment, the power plant has been permanently shut down since 15 October 2018   The drift/mist emissions from the wet cooling towers is also a source of particulate matter as they are widely used in industry and other sectors for dissipating heat in cooling systems. 10% of Delhi population uses wood, crop residue, cow dung, and coal for cooking. (Census-India, 2011}  Agricultural stubble burning    Heavy metal rich fire-crackers Effects: Nearly 2.2 million children in Delhi have irreversible lung damage due to the poor quality of the air.   Pollution can lower children's immune system and increase the risks of cancer, epilepsy, diabetes and even adult-onset diseases like multiple sclerosis Poor air quality is a cause of reduced lung capacity, headaches, sore throats, coughs, fatigue, lung cancer, and early death. Control measures: All Delhi schools will remain shut for few days No construction and demolition work for next few days All diesel generator sets banned for the next few days, except at hospitals and in emergencies.  The coal-based Badarpur power plant shut down.     The Environment Department will launch an app to monitor the burning of leaves Vacuum cleaning of roads  Water sprinkling.    Significant incident  In December 2017 during a test match between Sri Lankan and Indian cricket teams in New Delhi, Sri Lanka players began to feel breathing problems and several players vomited both in the rest rooms and in the field and had to use face masks until the match was stopped. Connecting the dots: Urgent correctives are needed, or lethal winter pollution will become the new normal. Justify (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Featured Comments and comments Up-voted by IASbaba are the “correct answers”. IASbaba App users – Team IASbaba will provide correct answers in comment section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1) Consider the following statements about GAGAN – GPS Aided geo-augmented navigation. It was developed by ISRO and Airports Authority of India(AAI)  It covers the area from Africa to Australia and has expansion capability for seamless navigation services across the region. It makes airline operations more efficient and effective, increase air safety, and fuel efficiency. Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Consider the following statements about NaVIC It is India’s own Regional Navigation Satellite System It is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in India as well as the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Dhanush artillery gun It is the indigenously upgraded variant of the Swedish Bofors gun imported in the 1980s. It has a range of nearly 150 kms Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) DUSTLIK is join military exercise conducted between India and _________ Kazakhstan Turkmenistan  Uzbekistan Mongolia Q.5) Consider the following statements about National Register of Citizens (NRC) NRC is the register containing names of Indian Citizens. It was prepared first in 1963 after the conduct of the Census of 1961. Over 19 lakh out of the 3.29 crore applicants were excluded from the updated NRC list (in Assam) published in August 2019. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 MUST READ Pegasus misadventure: On WhatsApp snooping scandal The Hindu Intransigence as villain of the peace? The Hindu Privatisation is not the question The Hindu The trouble with business IE Amending and updating the 1981 Air Act will help in the battle against pollution. IE

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - The World Economic Forum's 33rd India Economic Summit

The World Economic Forum's 33rd India Economic Summit ARCHIVES 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. Theme: Innovating for India: Strengthening South Asia, Impacting the World The World Economic Forum and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) jointly organised the 33rd India Economic Summit in Delhi on October 3 and 4, 2019. The influential attendees convened to address issues of significance including geopolitical shifts, inclusive growth, digitisation, climate change, automation and Industry 4.0, innovation and entrepreneurship among others. The discussions at the summit ranged from India-US trade relations, to India’s economic reforms, to the digital divide in the internet economy to more pressing issues such as healthcare innovation, sustainable mobility, skill development and the economic slowdown. The programme also underlined South Asia's relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and highlight how the two regions, defined by their demographic and digital dividends, will shape the world's collective future. Key takeaways WEF’s Drone Delivery India Pilot To Begin In 2020: The government of Telangana in collaboration with Apollo Hospitals and the World Economic Forum has formalised the plan for a six-month pilot called ‘Medicines from the Sky’, starting in 2020.  The project aims to explore the use of drones to increase access to healthcare for communities across the Telangana state. To create an ecosystem for drone applications, WEF has collaborated with multiple drone startups which also include Indian startups such as Marut Drones, India Flying Labs, Asteria, Adani, Aarav Unmanned Systems, IO Techworld, and Ideaforge. Marut Drones, India Flying Labs and GEN India are specifically contributing to the ‘Medicines from the Sky’ project. India Needs To Find More Balance In Ecommerce Policy: US Secy Wilbur Ross – India needs to bring in more balance in its ecommerce policy and consider the timing of the changes in regulations. I think it is the question of how rapidly things change. It is a question of proportionality, question of timing, and a question of balance.  Responding to the US administration’s comments on FDI in ecommerce rules and that India needs to reconsider them, India’s commerce minister Piyush Goyal said that because of India’s market conditions, the government has to be very clear on creating ecommerce regulation to protect smaller retailers.  Small retail affects the livelihoods of about half the Indian population when one considers the families impacted, he added. Corporate Tax Cut Alone Cannot Revive Economy: India Inc While the government’s corporate tax cuts were welcomed by companies, the summit saw many corporate leaders expressing their views on how corporate cut alone would not be enough to revive the economy. Reduction in corporate tax rate would be good but personal tax rate should also be cut down as the slowdown in demand is now clearly visible.  The government should provide more stimulus even if it means increasing the fiscal deficit. Sequoia, Kalaari Partners Urge Govt to Allow Startup IPOs Even without Profitability: Sequoia Capital India’s Shailendra Singh said that many Indian tech unicorns are at a very big disadvantage because the Indian public markets are designed to reward only profit-making companies. Whereas, a global company such as Uber or Lyft has the opportunity to go public and tap global markets, despite not showing profits. Interestingly in a separate session, Vani Kola of Kalaari Capital also brought up the need for structural reforms in how the startups access capital, especially in the context of public and private capital. India’s DPIIT Secy Hopes To Have 1 Lakh Startups By 2024: Guruprasad Mohapatra, secretary at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade of India (DPIIT) said that there are 50,000 registered startups in India, and there will be 50K more by 2024 at this pace. Mohapatra said this change has been accelerated since 2015-16 when a new policy came into effect. Further, he said that the government is committed to spreading its startup mission to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in the next five years.  The government is working on providing technology startups with room to experiment and develop without setting tight regulatory boundaries, as it did with the IT sector and the aviation sector earlier, he added. Amitabh Kant Says Govt. Working To Ensure Funding For Indian Startups: NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said that the government is pushing for public sector disinvestment and asset monetisation in a radical way. He also mentioned how the government is working to ensure that startups are never starved for funding in India. And one of the ways could be to allow public participation in Indian startups. Beyond the Startup India initiative and funding, Kant also emphasised on the need for startups in India to have the courage to enter the international market and take risks. India To Become World’s Largest EV Market: WEF-Ola Mobility Survey Giving a breather to the electric vehicle (EV) industry players and their concerns of market adaptability of the electric cars, the World Economic Forum has released a report stating that Indian has the potential to become the largest EV market in the world. The role of government is crucial for accelerating adoption. Right now, the uptake of electric vehicles is slow due to the high upfront cost and range anxiety, but a long-term investment in research and development (R&D) will create sustained growth. WEF Survey Found Indians Most Optimistic About Tech Globally: According to an opinion poll by the World Economic Forum (WEF), people from India are among the world’s most optimistic about technology. The opinion poll was prepared and commissioned by SAP and Qualtrics in conjunction with this year’s India Economic Summit.  With more than 10,000 respondents from 29 countries, the poll found that Indian respondents are exceptional in terms of their optimism.  They are also some of the least sceptical in the world about the motives of technology companies. In fact, more than two-thirds don’t feel that technology companies only want to make money. Note: The India Social Entrepreneurs of the Year 2019: Shanti Raghavan & Dipesh Sutariya of EnAble India EnAble India changed the mindsets of 729 businesses and built frameworks for inclusion in universities and government agencies for the employment of persons with disabilities in formal and informal sectors across India. World Economic Forum Established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland It is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation and engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Confederation of Indian Industry CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, playing a proactive role in India's development process. Founded in 1895, it has around 9000 members, from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from around 276 national and regional sectoral industry bodies. It works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering industry, Government, and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes. Connecting the Dots: ‘The entire neighbourhood, minus one, has been a fairly good story for regional cooperation.’ Discuss.