Dec 23, 2019 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Constitution Day

Constitution Day ARCHIVES Search 26th Nov, 2019 Spotlight here: Click here TOPIC: General Studies 2 Indian Constitution In News: Constitution Day also known as 'Samvidhan Divas’ is celebrated in our country on 26th November every year, to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India.  By: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment o Objective: The aim is to publicize the glorious and rich composite culture and diversity of our nation. Further, it aims to create awareness of Fundamental Duties as enshrined in the Indian Constitution. As citizens of our great nation, we believe firmly in Gandhian thought that ‘The true source of rights is duty. If we all discharge our duties, rights will not be far to seek’ and as said by Sardar Patel, ‘Every Indian should forget that he is a Rajput, a Sikh, or a Jaat. He must remember that he is an Indian and he has every right in his country but with certain duties’. In 2019: With the collective efforts of the Buddhist Association for the blind and the Saavi Foundation and Swagat Thorat, for the first time the constitution will be made available in Braille. As part of the joint project, the constitution will be made available in five parts in Braille for the benefit of visually challenged individuals. Timeline: On December 6, 1949 the Constitution Assembly was formed and its first meeting was held on December 9. Rajendra Prasad was appointed its President and H C Mukherjee its vice-chairman.  On August 29, 1947, the drafting committee appointed Ambedkar as its chairman and six other members — Munshi N Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Khaitan, Mitter, Muhammed Sadulla, Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer.  The members of the Constituent Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on January 24, 1950.  On November 26, 1949, the Constitution of India was adopted by the Assembly.  On January 26, 1950, the Constitution was enforced. The words 'secular' and 'socialist' were added to the preamble post the emergency in 1976. When the Constitution was adopted in the year 1949, there were no provisions regarding Fundamental Duties to the Citizens though there was a Part III for Fundamental Rights. The Fundamental Duties of citizens were added to the Constitution by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, upon the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee that was constituted by the Government. The Committee suggested that steps needed to be taken to ensure that the individual did not overlook his duties while in exercise of his Fundamental Rights. India’s constitution is the longest written constitution in the world containing 395 Articles, 22 Parts and 12 Schedules. It took around 2 years, 11 months and 17 days to complete the Constitution. At the beginning of each part of the Constitution, Nandalal Bose has depicted a phase or scene from India's national experience and history. After the Constitution was passed, the historic session of the Constituent Assembly ended with the singing of the National Anthem "Jana-gana-mana adhinayaka Jai Hey, Bharat Bhagya Vidhata," by Purnima Banerjee, a veteran freedom fighter and sister of the late freedom fighter, Aruna Asaf Ali. People of India are the ultimate custodians of the Constitution. It is in them that sovereignty vests and it is in their name that the Constitution was adopted. The Constitution empowers the citizen, but the citizen too empowers the Constitution – by following it, by adhering to it, by protecting it, and by persevering to make it more meaningful with words and deeds. The Constitution is nobody’s preserve – and it is everybody’s preserve. The Preamble to the Constitution of India “WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens: JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation; IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.” The Constitution of India declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizen’s justice, equality and liberty and endeavours to promote fraternity.  Connecting the Dots: In what ways does the Indian Constitution provide the framework for an egalitarian state? Explain.   How does the Indian Constitution act as a source of ethical guidance? Explain with the help of suitable examples. The Constitution of India is a creative blending of the nationalist voice and the colonial system of governance. Elucidate.     A constitution by itself is just an inanimate object which comes to life once it is complemented by constitutional morality. Comment.

Dec 23, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd December 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd December 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) School Categorisation by Arunachal Pradesh Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Governance In News In Arunachal Pradesh State where teacher absenteeism has been a major issue in the public education system, schools will be marked ‘hard’, ‘soft’ and ‘medium’-— based on topography, accessibility and degrees of difficulty in staying at the place of posting Geography, lack of infrastructure and reluctance of teachers to work beyond their comfort zones are the reasons for this categorisation According to new teachers posting policy: All new recruits will be given a hard posting for a mandatory three years, inclusive of their probation period.  The next five years will be in schools with levels of medium difficulty, followed by posting in soft schools This ensures need-based distribution of teachers to protect the academic interest of students and optimise job satisfaction among the teachers in a free and transparent manner Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI): Annual Report for 2018-19 released Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III- Economy In News Some of the highlights of the released report are: Life insurance penetration for 2018 was 2.74%, slightly lower than the 2.76% of 2017. Insurance penetration is measured as the ratio of premium (in US$) to GDP (in US$).  Life insurance penetration increased from 2.15% in 2001 to 4.60% in 2009, and has thereafter showed a generally decreasing trend. The insurance density of the life insurance sector in 2018 was $55 (same as previous year). Insurance density is measured as the ratio of premium (in US dollars) to the total population Do You Know? The IRDAI is an autonomous, statutory body established under Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999 It is tasked with regulating and promoting the insurance and re-insurance industries in India. Its headquarters is in Hyderabad, Telangana and is a 10-member body including the chairman, five full-time and four part-time members appointed by the government of India. National Mathematics Day: Tribute to S. Ramanujan Part of: GS Prelims In News December 22, the birth anniversary of India’s famed mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, is celebrated as National Mathematics Day. Ramanujan was born in 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu (then Madras Presidency) in an Iyengar Brahmin family.  At age 12, despite lacking a formal education, he had excelled at trigonometry and developed many theorems by himself.  Living in dire poverty, Ramanujan then pursued independent research in mathematics. In 1914, Ramanujan arrived in Britain who worked with GH Hardy and in 1917, Ramanujan was elected to be a member of the London Mathematical Society.  His work in the number theory is especially regarded. He was recognised for his mastery of continued fractions, and had worked out the Riemann series, elliptic integrals, hypergeometric series, and the functional equations of the zeta function Ramanujan could not get accustomed to the England’s diet, and returned to India in 1919. Ramanujan’s health continued to deteriorate, and he died in 1920 at the age of 32. The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015) was a biopic on the mathematician. Core Catcher: Device to contain nuclear accidents Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III- Energy, Infrastructure, Science & Technology In News Moscow-based Rosatom State Corporation installed a core melt localisation device (CMLD) or “core catcher” at Unit 3 of Tamil Nadu’s Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP). The device is designed to localise and cool the molten core material in case of a meltdown accident. Such an accident occurs when the nuclear fission reaction taking place inside a reactor is not sufficiently cooled, and the buildup of heat causes fuel rods to melt down In 2011, the device was first installed at the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China, which is of Russian design In 2018, a 200-tonne core catcher is being installed Rooppur 1 Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh (India-Russia collaboration which goes into operation in 2023) Winter Solstice: Dec 22 Part of: GS Prelims In News December 22, is Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere It is the day when the North Pole is most tilted away from the Sun. In the Southern Hemisphere, conversely, today is Summer Solstice — in places like Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa, December 22 is the year’s longest day. This situation will be reversed six months after— on June 21/22, the Northern Hemisphere will see the Summer Solstice when the day will be the year’s longest. The Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees away from the perpendicular.  This tilt — combined with factors such as Earth’s spin and orbit — leads to variations in the duration of Sunlight that any location on the planet receives on different days of the year. Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Health In News Afghanistan has become the first country to formally recognize Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP). As per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, IP is designated as the official book of standards for drugs imported and/or manufactured for sale, stock or exhibition for sale or distribution in India. The IP specifies the standards of drugs manufactured and marketed in India in terms of their identity, purity and strength. About Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC)  It is an autonomous institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare which sets standards (in form of IP) for all drugs that are manufactured, sold and consumed in India.  The IP Commission’s mission is to promote public and animal health in India by bringing out authoritative and officially accepted standards for quality of drugs including active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients and dosage forms, used by health professionals, patients and consumers The Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is the Chairperson and the Chairman-Scientific Body is the Co-Chairman of the Commission Hunar Haats: Initiative by Minority Affairs Ministry Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Economy In News Hunar Haat is an exhibition of handicrafts and traditional products made by artisans from the Minority communities. It is organized by Ministry of Minority Affairs. Hunar Haat is organized under USTTADscheme(Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development). The artisans who participate in the event will get national and international markets for their indigenous handmade products through “Hunar Haat”. It has proved to be Empowerment & Employment Exchange for master artisans and craftsmen The theme of the events to be organized between 2019 and 2020 is Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat Government has decided to organise about 100 “Hunar Haat” in the next five years across the country to provide market and employment opportunities (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. Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana  (UDAY): sharp spike in discom losses  Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd December 2019 SRC: Panorama Context: Discom losses, which had progressively reduced in the first couple of years since the scheme’s rollout in November 2015, have rebounded in FY ’19 to nearly double the losses recorded the previous year. Book losses of discoms, which had reduced from Rs 51,562 crore in FY ’16 to Rs 15,132 crore in FY ’18, have nearly doubled this financial year to Rs 28,036 crore, Discoms have also missed the FY ’19 UDAY target to bring down their aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses to 15 per cent. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd December 2019 SRC: IE Reason for failure: The primary reason for failure, as is being recognised in policy circles, is the failure of discoms to collect the full cost that they pay for power — the same issue that had led to the floundering of the previous two schemes. Solutions:  Franchise or PPP models.  The Centre is also likely to back up the new scheme by providing some grant support, which it did not do in UDAY. Problems with the Sector: The massive transmission and distribution losses can be attributed to the following reasons: Inadequate Tariff increases Poor Power purchase planning Sale of power at prices lower than the discom’s procurement costs Political Willingness Lack of timely Subsidy Payments Inefficiencies in metering and billing Illegal Connections Reckless funding by banks to loss-making Discoms Why UDAY? The UDAY Scheme (not compulsory) will pave way for the takeover of the 75 per cent of Discom liabilities by state governments over a two-to-five year period Financing of the Debt: Via bonds with a maturity period of 10-15 years Effects:  It will help relieve debt-ridden discoms It will lead to the acceptance of debts in the balance sheet of the discom while encouraging them to align tariffs to costs and ensuring the sustainable working of the same The utility of UDAY: Unsustainable borrowings should be curbed to put a stop on ever-increasing loss. Under Uday, the future losses can be permitted to finance only when a discom bond is guaranteed by the State Government, thus ensuring that the discom applies a profitable discretion With elements like the guided intervention of the State governments and the graded manner in which it needs to be taken up, the scheme assumes an all-season ongoing approach and not a one-time settlement effort. Certain conditions put across by Uday involves:  Loss reduction needs to be aided by circle-wise targets, feeder and DT Metering as well as upgrading and replacement of transformers Regions with sustained loss reduction should be incentivised (rewarded) by increased hours of supply Other initiatives that can be taken to reduce discom inefficiencies:  Laying down a specific performance-monitoring & compliance mechanism (can be incentivised by additional funding and other inputs) Monitoring of lending by banks to ensure reliable supply of investment Ensure regular tariff setting Energy auditing of feeders Metering of distribution transformers (DT) Elimination of revenue gaps Allow fuel-cost adjustments in final tariffs Reduction in short-term power purchase Liquidation of Regulatory Assets Ensuring advance payments of subsidies Attractive to States: The additional liability will not be considered for assessing fiscal responsibility limits of States The 3 to 4 percentage point reduction in interest rates will serve as a relief Issues with Uday State Subject: Electricity is not a Central subject and thus, the scheme cannot be made a compulsory one- which leaves the door open for unequal working of the Discom per State. No monetary assistance is being provided by the State though states willing to become a part of the scheme will be granted with subsidised funding in the government’s schemes and priority in the supply of coal The conversion of discom debt into bonds is not as difficult as is finding a suitable buyer for those bonds, not enjoying SLR Status additionally IASbaba’s Views: Political unwillingness needs to be fixed and mechanisms need to be strictly followed to plug the loopholes to address the debt-ridden discoms and fix the losses. This restructuring package needs to be designed in a way that it can deal with both; an unexpected tariff shock or an increased burden on the State Government, taking into due consideration the certain measures that needs to be effectively worked out (enumerated above) Connecting the Dots: Do surplus and shortages go together? Analyse In the light of the grave situation of power loss, can State prove to be a beacon of light, leading the path away from the crisis? Discuss POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. NRC + CAA:  Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) & National Register of Citizens (NRC) Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd December 2019 SRC:REDIFF Context: Widespread protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), especially in combination with the proposed all-India National Register of Citizens (NRC). Home Minister Amit Shah recently  told Parliament that a nationwide NRC is on the cards, he distinguished it from the new citizenship law and said the NRC will have no religious filter. It is unclear if the government will bring in a fresh law to mandate a nationwide NRC How does one prove citizenship? In Assam, one of the basic criteria was that the names of applicant’s family members should either be in the first NRC prepared in 1951 or in the electoral rolls up to March 24, 1971.  Other than that, applicants also had the option to present documents such as refugee registration certificate, birth certificate, LIC policy, land and tenancy records, citizenship certificate, passport, government issued licence or certificate, bank/post office accounts, permanent residential certificate, government employment certificate, educational certificate and court records. Why is it called an “updated” NRC? Witness to decades of migration from Bangladesh — formerly East Bengal and then East Pakistan — Assam already has an NRC, which was published in 1951 on the basis of that year’s Census. The only state with such a document, Assam is currently updating it to identify its citizens. The update, mandated and monitored by the Supreme Court, is a fallout of the Assam Accord of 1985, which sets March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date for citizenship. Those who entered Assam before that date are recognised as citizens. Why is Assam different? NRC update was mandated by the Supreme Court in 2013. Assam has a history that is shaped by migration, and the protests there are against only CAA, not against NRC.  The Assam Accord, signed by the governments of Assam and India, and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad in 1985, after a six-year mass movement, essentially declared that a resident of Assam is an Indian citizen if she could prove her presence, or an ancestor’s presence, in Assam before March 25, 1971.  That is the cutoff date for NRC, which CAA extends to December 31, 2014 to non-Muslim migrants from three countries. To prove their or their ancestors’ presence before 1971, applicants in Assam had to produce any one of 14 possible documents: 1951 NRC; or Electoral roll(s) up to March 24, 1971; or Anyone of 12 other kinds of papers, such as land & tenancy records; citizenship papers; passport; Board/University certificate. Cutoff date for a nationwide NRC: According to the Citizenship Act, 1955, amended in 1986, anyone born in India up to July 1, 1987 is an Indian citizen by birth. For those born on or after July 1, 1987, the law set out a fresh condition: one of the parents must be an Indian citizen. By a 2003 amendment, for any individual born on or after December 3, 2004 to be considered an Indian citizen, one parent must be an Indian citizen while the other must not be an illegal immigrant. This does not apply to Assam, due to the cutoff of 1971. For the rest of the country, those born outside the country after January 26, 1950, and residing in India without proper documents is an illegal immigrant. Connecting the Dots: Do you think NRC + CAA are detrimental for the secular nature of the country? What do you think will be the way forward ? (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 Insurance penetration is measured as the ratio of premium (in US dollars) to the total population  Insurance density is measured as the ratio of premium (in US$) to GDP (in US$) Which of the given statement(s) above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements Winter Solstice is usually on December 22nd which is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere During Winter Solstice in Norther Hemisphere the North Pole is most tilted away from the Sun. 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 Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission It is an autonomous institution of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers  Its mission is to promote public and animal health in India by bringing out authoritative and officially accepted standards for quality of drugs. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Hunar Haat is an initiative by which body/ministry? NITI Aayog Union Ministry of Labour Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Union Ministry of Minority Affairs  Q.5) A recent movie titled The Man Who Knew Infinity is based on the biography of ________ (UPSC CSE  2016) S. Ramanuja S. Chandrasekhar S. N. Bose C. V. Raman ANSWERS FOR 21 DEC 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 B 3 D 4 C MUST READ Undoing harms: about criticism on Citizenship Amendment Act THE HINDU Significant reversal: On NCLAT decision on Mistry THE HINDU Ironing out the wrinkles in trade disputes adjudication THE HINDU Finally, an end to data infirmity in the offing? ET Storage facilities for rabi onions must be created on a massive scale IE

Dec 23, 2019 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 141

UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 141 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

Dec 23, 2019 PIB

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 8th December to 15th December – 2019

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 8th to 15th December, 2019 ARCHIVES GS-2 Lok Sabha passes the Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) The Bill seeks to Enhance the punishment for existing offences like illegal manufacture, sale, transfer, etc.; illegal acquiring, possessing or carrying prohibited arms or prohibited ammunition; and illegal manufacture, sale, transfer, conversion, import, export, etc., of firearms.  Proposes to define new offences and prescribing punishment for them, such as for taking away firearms from police or armed forces, involvement in organized crime syndicate, illicit trafficking including smuggled firearms of foreign make or prohibited arms and prohibited ammunition, use of firearms in rash and negligent manner in celebratory gunfire endangering human life, etc.  Enhance the period of arms license from three years to five years and also to issue arms license in its electronic form to prevent forgery. Change in the Amendment: Ownership limit of licensed legal firearms has been increased to two instead of one in the Bill. Why is it significant? The Amendment assumes significance in recent times as Law enforcement agencies have indicated growing nexus between possession of illegal firearms and commission of criminal offences. With the advancement in technology, the fire power and sophistication of illegal firearms have increased significance over the years. The trans-border dimensions of illegal arms trafficking are causing threat to internal security and to prevent the usage of illicit firearms so trafficked has also become a prime concern. To effectively curb crimes related to or committed by using illegal firearms and to provide effective deterrence against violation of law, there is an urgent need to strengthen the existing legislative framework by making appropriate amendments in the Arms Act, 1959. Simultaneously, there is also a requirement for rationalizing and facilitating the licensing procedures for use of firearms by individuals and sports persons. Should the State governments be concerned? The Bill did not usurp the rights of states because in India's Constitution, Arms, firearms and explosives are in the Union List. Regulation of firearms is essential for a law abiding, peaceful society. History of the Act The original law was brought by the British after the Revolution of 1857, in order to prevent such an incident in the future. Gandhi ji also connected the issue of arms ownership with basic rights of Indians and demanded repeal of the Indian Arms Act, 1878, and this demand was included in the eight-point agenda that Gandhi ji presented to Lord Irwin. After independence, it was deemed that there was no need for an armed revolution, and the responsibility of the protection of people would be that of the State, which led to evolution of and amendments in the law. On the enhanced punishment under the Amendment Prison sentence for illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition including smuggled firearms of foreign make or prohibited bore had been increased to prison time between 10 years to life imprisonment.  The theft of weapons from police or armed forces would carry a punishment of 10 years to life imprisonment Illegal manufacturing, sale, conversion, repair, import/export would attract 7 years to life imprisonment Acquiring, possessing, carrying prohibited arms and ammunition to get 7 to 14 years imprisonment Involvement in organized crime syndicate would all henceforth carry the punishment of 10 years to life imprisonment. Involvement in negligent and rash use of firearms or in celebratory firing endangering human life, would attract a fine of Rs. 1,00,000 or imprisonment for 2 years or both. Landmark ‘The Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019’ passed in Parliament (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) India is a leader in the global ship recycling industry with a share of over 30 per cent of the global market. With the enactment of this bill, India will set global standards for safe and sound environmentally-friendly recycling of Ships, as well as ensure adequate safety of the yard workers. This bill will pave the way for more global ships to enter into Indian Shipyards for recycling and boost employment and business opportunities also. The bill will harbinger significant increased number of global ships entering into Indian Shipyards for Recycling. Recycling of Ships will boost business & employment opportunities and strengthen India’s position in the recycling industry. It will raise the brand value of our Ships Recycling Yards located at Alang in Gujarat, Mumbai Port, Kolkata Port & Azhikkal in Kerela. 10% of country’s Secondary steel needs, as an outcome of Recycling of Ships, will be met in an eco-friendly manner. Ships Recycling facilities will become compliant to International standards and Ships will be recycled only in such authorised facilities. The tremendous growth of business activities will contribute to the country’s GDP. Cabinet approves Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) The amendments aim to remove certain difficulties being faced during insolvency resolution process to realise the objects of the code and to further ease doing of business. Impact Amendments to the Code to remove bottlenecks, streamline the CIRP and protection of last mile funding will boost investment in financially distressed sectors. Additional thresholds introduced for Financial Creditors represented by an authorized representative due to large numbers in order to prevent frivolous triggering of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP). Ensuring that the substratum of the business of corporate debtor is not lost, and it can continue as a going concern by clarifying that the licenses, permits, concessions, clearances etc. cannot be terminated or suspended or not renewed during the moratorium period. Ring-fencing corporate debtor resolved under the IBC in favour of a successful resolution applicant from criminal proceedings against offences committed by previous management/promoters. Diversion of Tribal Land for Development Projects (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Nodal Ministry dealing with land acquisition matter: Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Land Resources (DoLR) Land acquisition is undertaken by the Central and State Governments under various Central and State Acts, including the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 and the provisions of the RFCTLARR Act 2013 To address the issue of Land Acquisition and displacement of tribals, Constitutional and legal provisions for safeguarding the rights of tribals to land are already in place as under: - The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, in section 4 (5) states that save as otherwise provided, no member of a forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes or Other Traditional Forest Dweller shall be evicted or removed from the Forest Land under his occupation till the recognition and verification procedure is complete. Government has enacted the RFCTLARR Act, 2013. The purpose of the said Act is to ensure, in consultation with institutions of local self-government and Gram Sabhas established under the Constitution, a humane, participative, informed and transparent process for land acquisition with the least disturbance to the owners of the land and the other affected families and provide just and fair compensation to the affected families whose land has been acquired or proposed to be acquired. Under Section 48 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR Act, 2013 in short), a National Level Monitoring Committee for Rehabilitation and Resettlement has been constituted in the DoLR vide DoLR’s Order No. 26011/04/2007-LRD dated 2nd March, 2015 for the purpose of reviewing and monitoring the implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement schemes and plans related to land acquisition under the RFCTLARR, 2013 and National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007. By way of safeguards against displacement special provisions have been made for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under Sections 41 and 42 of the RFCTLARR Act, 2013 which protect their interests. The RFCTLARR Act, 2013 also lays down procedure and manner of rehabilitation and resettlement. The First Schedule of the RFCTLARR Act provide for compensation for land owners. The Second Schedule provide for element of rehabilitation and resettlement for all the affected families (both land owners and the families whose livelihood is primarily dependent on land acquired) in addition to those provided in the first Schedule. Similarly, the Third Schedule provide for infrastructural amenities for a reasonably habitable and planned settlement in the resettlement area. The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, also provides that the Gram Sabha or the Panchayats at the appropriate level shall be consulted before making the acquisition of land in the Scheduled Areas or development projects and before resettling or rehabilitating persons affected by such projects in the Scheduled Areas; the actual planning and implementation of the projects in the Scheduled Areas shall be coordinated at the State Level. Constitutional provisions under Schedule – V also provide for safeguards against displacement of tribal population because of land acquisitions etc. The Governor of the State which has scheduled Areas is empowered to prohibit or restrict transfer of land from tribals and regulate the allotment of land to members of the Scheduled Tribes in such cases. Measures taken by Government to prevent Crime against Women (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) The Criminal Law (Amendment), Act 2013 was enacted for effective deterrence against sexual offences. Further, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 was enacted to prescribe even more stringent penal provisions including death penalty for rape of a girl below the age of 12 years. The Act also inter-alia mandates completion of investigation and trials within 2 months each. Emergency Response Support System provides a pan-India, single, internationally recognized number (112) based system for all emergencies, with computer aided dispatch of field resources to the location of distress. Using technology to aid smart policing and safety management, Safe City Projects have been sanctioned in first Phase in 8 cities (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai). The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched a cyber-crime portal on 20th September 2018 for citizens to report obscene content. MHA has launched the ‘National Database on Sexual Offenders’ (NDSO) on 20th September 2018 to facilitate investigation and tracking of sexual offenders across the country by law enforcement agencies. In order to facilitate States/UTs, MHA on 19th February 2019 launched an online analytic tool for police called ‘Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences’ to monitor and track time-bound investigation in sexual assault cases in accordance with the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2018. One Stop Centre (OSC) scheme is being implemented across the country since 1st April 2015 which is exclusively designed to provide integrated services such as medical aid, police assistance, legal counselling/ court case management, psycho-social counselling and temporary shelter to women affected by violence under one roof. As per available information, 728 OSCs have been approved by Government of India, 595 OSCs are operational in the country. In addition to the above-mentioned measures, MHA has issued advisories from time to time with a view to help the States/UTs to deal with crimes against women, which are available at www.mha.gov.in. India's Defence Expenditure (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Government is pursuing initiatives to achieve higher levels of indigenization and self-reliance in the defence sector by harnessing the capabilities of the public and private sector industries in the country – According priority and preference to procurement from Indian vendors and liberalization of the licensing regime - Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) accords the highest priority to Buy Indian (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) (IDDM).   The ‘Make’ procedure has been simplified with provision for earmarking projects not exceeding development cost of Rs. 10 crores (Government funded) and Rs. 3 crores (Industry funded) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs); and with provisions for involving private industry as production agencies and technology transfer partners.  Government has also promulgated the policy on Strategic Partnership in the Defence Sector to encourage broader participation of the private sector in manufacture of major defence platforms and equipment. GS-3 Biofuels (Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment) Bio fuels are liquid or gaseous fuels primarily produced from biomass, and can be used to replace or can be used in addition to diesel, petrol or other fossil fuels for transport, stationary, portable and other applications. Crops used to make bio fuels are generally high in sugar (such as sugarcane, sugar beet, and sweet sorghum), starch (such as maize and tapioca) or oils (such as soybean, rapeseed, and coconut, sunflower). National Policy on Biofuel Key provisions: The policy significantly expands the sources from which ethanol can be produced and also allows for blending ethanol from multiple bio feedstock — and not just ethanol produced from sugarcane, as was the case earlier — with petrol. The policy also holds significant potential gains for farmers. Under the new policy, the raw material sourcing net for ethanol is being significantly expanded to include, besides sugarcane juice, sugar beet, sweet sorghum, corn, cassava, damaged wheat, broken rice and rotten potatoes. There is also a bonus for civic administrations, since ethanol can now be produced from municipal solid waste, as well as fuels like bio natural gas. To that extent, the policy can help turn refuse into gold. The policy also envisages using rice and wheat chaff and other biomasses as feedstock for ethanol production. This opens up a large and remunerative market for products on which the farmer was bearing the losses caused by erratic weather and poor storage conditions. Beyond this, used cooking oil can also double up as a feedstock for biodiesel which is welcome since India is one of the world’s largest consumers of edible oil and generates a huge quantity of used cooking oil as waste. Execution will be a challenge: To convert India’s existing biofuel potential into reality, huge investments need to be made in creating bio refinery capacity. However, this is easier said than done. While state-owned oil marketing companies are in the process of setting up 12 bio-refineries, this can only be a base to build on. On the ground, private sector investment in this space has been hampered by financial constraints and lack of cohesive support from the Central to the local level. Creating the requisite supply chain infrastructure to source and efficiently transport low value biomass to the refineries is another challenge. Potential: Poverty reduction: Availability of energy is fundamental to intensifying agriculture, industrial development and pro-poor growth. Locally produced liquid bio fuels, e.g. biodiesel, could lead to national and local benefits such as reduced pressure on forests, reduced dependency on oil imports and limited exposure to volatile international prices. However, large scale production for export is not as likely to have these effects. Employment Opportunities: Bio fuel could offer beneficial employment opportunities, provided Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies are implemented. Small scale production has shown promising results. Brazil’s first biodiesel cooperative, Cooper bio, involves about 25,000 families using castor bean, jatropha, sunflower and other species produced in small scale diversified systems. Opportunities for small-holders: Substituting fuel wood and dung for bio fuels could both increase local energy efficiency, decrease health risks and pressure on forests. In Mali, a community program has developed small scale jatropha plantations that provide not only liquid fuels but also electricity, heat and mechanical power for a variety of local uses. Smallholders could also increase their incomes as bio fuel crops become cash crops, but markets should be accessible, and mechanisms in place to ensure that price increases accrue farmers. Infrastructural Investment in Rural Areas: It is estimated that, one 100klpd bio refinery will require around Rs.800 crore capital investment. At present Oil Marketing Companies are in the process of setting up twelve 2G bio refineries with an investment of around Rs.10,000 crore. Further addition of 2G bio refineries across the Country will spur infrastructural investment in the rural areas. Challenges: Food prices Estimates of the role of bio fuels in the hike of food prices during 2008 have been much debated. It is estimated that 30% (International Food Policy Research Institute) to 65% (World Bank) of the increase in food prices can be attributed to the increased production of bio fuels instead of food. Tenure and Conflicts Large scale bio fuel production often competes with other land and water uses. Power imbalances make it difficult for local communities to negotiate sufficient compensation for e.g. lost land, especially if they hold no formally recognized tenure rights. Indigenous communities and women are particularly vulnerable. Environmental challenges Soil and Water: Many bio fuel crops are highly water intensive. Crops like sweet sorghum, tropical sugar beet and jatropha can grow on drier soils, but may require irrigation and fertilisers to become commercially attractive. Deforestation, climate change and ecosystem services large scale monoculture bio fuel production often leads to deforestation. Rapidly expanding oil palm plantations in South East Asia, considered one of the largest threats to tropical forests and peat lands, serve as alarming examples. These ecosystems store millions of tons of carbon which is released when they are exploited. Deforestation is in turn a major threat to biodiversity, local communities and indigenous groups dependant on biodiversity. Indian government has realised the potential advantages of bio fuel and have taken steps to promote befouls through its recent document National Bio fuel policy .This will  help in realising dreams of doubling farmers income along with reducing dependency on fuel imports . Solve: Discuss how bio-fuels can solve the problem of pollution in India. Given its potential, adequate policy push is required. Analyze. National Missions including National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system (NMSHE) – Efforts undertaken to enhance the ecological sustainability of India and address climate change (Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment) As per the Special Report on ‘The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate’ released in September 2019 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), since about 1950; many marine species across various groups have undergone shifts in geographical range and seasonal activities in response to ocean warming, sea ice change and biogeochemical changes, such as oxygen loss, to their habitats. This has resulted in shifts in species composition, abundance and biomass production of ecosystems, from the equator to the poles. However, in some marine ecosystems, species are impacted by both the effects of fishing and climate changes. The rate of melting varies from glacier to glacier depending on topography and climatic variability of the region. While, the glaciers in the eastern and central part of Indian Himalaya are continuously retreating, some of the glaciers in the Western part of Himalaya are reported to be stable or advancing. Studies show that the Himalayan glaciers are experiencing retreat with significant temporal and special variability. Changes in glacier extent strongly affect the seasonal availability of freshwater, especially during the summer. According to modeling studies, temperatures in the upper Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra basins are projected to increase between 1 to 2°C up until 2050, compared to the baseline period (1998– 2007). Under such conditions, the amount of glacier and snow meltwater will decrease, while the amount of rainfall-runoff will increase, for the upper basins of the Ganges and Brahmaputra. Overall, no significant decrease in runoff is projected until at least 2050 for all of the basins. The government is implementing the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) with a view to enhancing the ecological sustainability of India’s development path and address climate change in all regions of the country. NAPCC comprises, inter alia, of eight National Missions including National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system (NMSHE). National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system (NMSHE) NMSHE is aimed at evolving management measures for sustaining and safeguarding the Himalayan glaciers and mountain ecosystem.  The mission includes enhanced monitoring of the Himalayan ecosystem through establishment of the monitoring network, promoting community based management, human resource development and strengthening regional cooperation.  The Government has prepared guidelines entitled “Governance for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem”, (G-SHE), which has been shared with all the State Governments in the Himalayan region.  33 States and Union Territories including all Himalayan States have also prepared their respective State Action Plan on Climate Change to address the state-specific issues.  The Ministry has notified Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 2019 and the Island Protection Zone Notification 2019 to regulate high impact activities on the coast and in maintaining coastal sustainability. Various Initiatives ‘Green Good Deeds’ initiative: To promote environmental awareness and to mobilize people’s participation for conservation of environment ‘Environment Education, Awareness and Training’: Objective is to promote environmental awareness among all sections of the society and to mobilize people’s participation for conservation of environment. Through the National Green Corps programme, which is one of the components of this scheme, about one lakh fifty thousand Ecoclubs have been established in schools/colleges across the country and nearly 35 lakh students are actively involved in the programmes related to environment protection and conservation. Prelims oriented News Turbulence and Triumph – The Modi Years: Written by Rahul Agarwal and Bharti S Pradhan Special Report on ‘The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate’: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Water: State subject Gujarat Police: 33 percent reservation for women Gandhi Encyclopedia: By National Council of Science Museums, Kolkata for promotion of appropriate Gandhian philosophy and thoughts through social media platforms under 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi commemoration Indian Culture Portal: The first government authorized portal where knowledge and cultural resources of various organizations of Ministry of Culture are now available in public domain on a single platform. From toy carts of the Indus Valley Civilisation to the charkha of Mahatma Gandhi, Indian Culture encapsulates the words of the Shastras and the finesse of Deccan court painters, from the calm on the buddha’s cisage to the battle scars on armours, from rare images of monuments, to bite sized anecdotes and detailed accounts of Indian UNESCO World Heritage Site are available on the portal. Envisioned by the Ministry of Culture Developed by a team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay  Curation of the data by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Sector that received the maximum CSR spent during financial year 2014-15 to 2017-18: Education Army Personnel serving in UN Peacekeeping Operations: 6,026 army personnel are currently serving in the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping operations. During the last five years, 10 Indian personnel have laid down their lives while serving in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. Human Rights Day: Celebrated on the 10th December every year to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948 as the shared standard yardstick to protect human rights across the globe.  The Declaration recognizes that the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of mankind are the foundation of justice, freedom and peace in the world. The United Nations’ theme for this year’s Human Rights Day is: “Youth Standing up for Human Rights.” PSLV successfully launches RISAT-2BR1 and nine commercial satellites in its fiftieth flight: RISAT-2BR1 is radar imaging earth observation satellite weighing about 628 kg. The satellite will provide services in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Disaster Management. The mission life of RISAT-2BR1 is 5 years. The nine customer satellites of Israel, Italy, Japan and USA were precisely injected into their designated orbits. These satellites were launched under a commercial arrangement with New Space India Limited (NSIL).  PSLV-C48 is the 2nd flight of PSLV in 'QL' configuration (with 4 solid strap-on motors). Besides being the 50th launch of PSLV, this launch was also the 75th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Training (PMMMNMTT): The aim of this mission is to provide quality teachers in schools and colleges attract talented people in the education sector and improve quality in teaching. The mission aims to set the teaching standard so that an organized cadre of professional teachers can be created. The objective of this mission is to develop innovative teaching method and high level institutional facilities in all the constituent areas of education. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs): To provide good quality modern education including a strong component of culture, inculcation of values, awareness of the environment, adventure activities and physical education to the talented children predominantly from the rural areas without regard to their family's socio-economic condition. Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure: Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) is implementing the Scheme for “Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure” as one of the components of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana with the objective of reducing post-harvest losses of horticulture & non-horticulture produce and providing remunerative price to farmers for their produce. Rashtriya Gokul Mission: Development and conservation of indigenous bovine breeds, genetic upgradation of bovine population and enhancing milk production and productivity of bovines thereby making milk production more remunerative to the farmers. Data Bank of Farmers: The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare have constituted a Task Force to develop a comprehensive Farmers’ Database for better planning, monitoring, strategy formulation and smooth implementation of schemes for the entire country. This Centralised Farmers Database shall be useful for various activities like issuing soil health cards, dissemination of crop advisories to the farmers, precision farming, smart cards for farmers to facilitate e-governance, crop insurance, settlement of compensation claims, grant of agricultural subsidies, community/village resource centres etc. National Institute of Animal Health: Established by erstwhile Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, GOI (now Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying) To act as a nodal institute to recommend licensing of veterinary vaccines in the country To make available facilities for quality control of veterinary vaccines and diagnostics To make available standards for veterinary biologicals and diagnostics Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) is being implemented by D/o Social Justice and Empowerment (M/o SJ&E) with an objective to provide to senior citizens, belonging to BPL category and suffering from age-related disabilities/ infirmities, with such physical aids and assisted living devices which can restore near normalcy in their bodily functions.  Composite Water Management Index: By NITI Aayog India is undergoing the worst water crisis in its history and nearly 600 million people are facing high to extreme water stress. The report further mentions that India is placed at 120th amongst 122 countries in the water quality index, with nearly 70% of water being contaminated. As per the 5th Minor Irrigation Census (with reference year 2013-14) conducted by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (now Ministry of Jal Shakti), there are 20.52 million wells in the country, which includes dug wells, shallow tube wells, medium tube wells and deep tube wells.  Practices for efficient and sustainable management of water resources such as conjunctive use of surface water and ground water resources, participatory ground water practices, increasing water use efficiency amongst others need to be promoted on a large scale by involving all the stake-holders to deal with future water demand challenges. Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) - a campaign for water conservation and water security Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): Aims at providing functional household tap connections to every rural household by 2024 at the service level of 55 litre per capita per day. This Mission will focus on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level, including creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse in agriculture. National Perspective Plan (NPP) for Water Resources Development which envisages transfer of water from water surplus basins to water deficit basins to improve availability of water. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): Under the water supply component of the Mission, projects related to rain water harvesting, rejuvenation of water bodies specifically for drinking water supply, recharging of ground water, etc., can be taken up by the States/UTs to enhance water supply in the Mission cities. Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY): A Rs.6,000 Crore Central Sector Scheme, for sustainable management of ground water resources with community participation.  The funding pattern is 50:50 between Government of India and World Bank. The scheme envisages active participation of the communities in various activities such as formation of Water User Associations, monitoring and disseminating ground water data, water budgeting, preparation and implementation of Gram-Panchayat wise water security plans and Information, Education & Communication (IEC) activities related to sustainable ground water management. The identified over-exploited and water stressed areas for the implementation of the scheme fall in the States of Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The States have been selected according to a number of criteria, including degree of groundwater exploitation and degradation, established legal and regulatory instruments, institutional readiness, and experience in implementing initiatives related to groundwater management. National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai to undertake studies and research in the area of Coastal Zone Management including coastal resources and environment Strive for being a World Class Knowledge Institution related to coastal zones, environment, resources and processes, To promote integrated and sustainable management of the coastal and marine areas in India for the benefit and wellbeing of the traditional coastal and island communities, and Advice the Union and State Governments and other associated stakeholder(s) on policy, and scientific matters related to Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). National Afforestation Programme By: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) The overall objective of the National Afforestation Programme (NAP) scheme is ecological restoration of degraded forests and to develop the forest resources with peoples’ participation, with focus on improvement in livelihoods of the forest-fringe communities, especially the poor. NAP aims to support and accelerate the on-going process of devolving forest conservation, protection, management and development functions tothe Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) at the village level, which are registered societies. The scheme is implemented by three tier institutional setup through the State Forest Development Agency (SFDA) at the state level, Forest Development Agency (FDA) at the forest division level and JFMCs at village level. The conservation and development of forest primarily involves three strategies – afforestation through natural/artificial regeneration, protection and management.  The ministry is implementing three major schemes for development of forest areas i.e. National Afforestation Programme (NAP) scheme, National Mission for a Green India (GIM) and Forest Fire Prevention & Management Scheme (FFPM).  While NAP is being implemented for afforestation of degraded forest lands, GIM aims at improving the quality of forest and increase in forest cover besides cross sectoral activities on landscape basis. The FFPM takes care of forest fire prevention and management measures. Schemes by Ministry of Women and Child Development to achieve SDG Goals (i) Anganwadi Services Scheme is a unique programme for early childhood care and development. It offers a package of six services, viz. Supplementary Nutrition, Pre-School Non-Formal Education, Nutrition and Health Education, Immunization, Health Check-Up and Referral Services. The beneficiaries under the Scheme are children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers. (ii) PoshanAbhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) targets to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies by reducing mal-nutrition/under nutrition, anemia among young children as also, focus on adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers. (iii) Pradhan MantriMatruVandanaYojana (PMMVY) scheme provides cash incentive amounting to Rs. 5,000 in three instalments directly to the Bank/Post Office Account of Pregnant Women and Lactating Mother(PW&LM) in DBT Mode during pregnancy and lactation in response to individual fulfilling specific conditions. (iv) Scheme for Adolescent Girls aims at out of school girls in the age group 11-14, to empower and improve their social status through nutrition, life skills and home skills. The scheme has nutritional and non nutritional components which include nutrition, iron and folic acid supplementation, health check up and referral service, nutrition and health education mainstreaming out of school girls to join formal schooling, bridge course/ skill training, life skill education, home management etc, counselling/ guidance on accessing public services. (v) National Creche Scheme provides day care facilities to children of age group of 6 months to 6 years of working women. The facilities are provided for seven and half hours a day for 26 days in a month. Children are provided with supplementary nutrition, early childcare education, and health and sleeping facilities. (vi) Child Protection Services Scheme aims to contribute to the improvement in the well-being of children in difficult circumstances, as well as, reduction of vulnerabilities to situation and actions that leads to abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment and separation of children from parent. The Scheme aims to spread awareness regarding the ways and means to prevent all children from child abuse of any kind including child sexual abuse. (vii) Mahila Shakti Kendra scheme empowers rural women through community participation by involvement of Student Volunteers. The scheme is envisaged to work at various levels. At the national and state level, technical support to the respective government on issues related to women is provided. (viii) SwadharGreh scheme targets the women victims of unfortunate circumstances who are in need of institutional support for rehabilitation so that they could lead their life with dignity. (ix) Ujjawala is a comprehensive scheme to combat trafficking with the objective to prevent trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation, to facilitate rescue victims and placing them in safe custody, to provide rehabilitation services by providing basic amenities/needs, to facilitate reintegration of victims into the family and society, to facilitate repatriation of cross border victims. (x) Working Women Hostel aims at providing safe and affordable accommodation to working women. These hostels have Day care facility for the children of inmates too. The Ministry provides financial support for establishing such hostels by NGOs or State Governments. (xi) BetiBachaoBetiPadhao (BBBP) scheme is a tri-ministerial initiative of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development with a focus on awareness and advocacy campaign for changing mindsets, multi-sectoral action in select districts, enabling girls' education and effective enforcement of Pre-Conception & Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act. The specific objectives of the scheme include preventing gender biased sex selective elimination; ensuring survival and protection of the girl child and ensuring education and participation of the girl child. (xii) One Stop Centre (OSC) facilitates access to an integrated range of services including police, medical, legal, psychological support and temporary shelter to women affected by violence. The Scheme is funded through Nirbhaya Fund. (xiii) Women Helpline – The Scheme is being implemented since 1st April, 2015 to provide 24 hours emergency and non-emergency response to women affected by violence through referral and information about women related government schemes/programmes across the country through a single uniform number (181). Quotes: On Democracy  While dissent was the basic quality of democracy, people must follow peaceful, democratic methods and function according to the spirit of the Constitution. There is right to protest in democracy but not for obstructionism The strength of a democracy depends upon the strength of each pillar and the way pillars complement each other. Any shaky pillar weakens the democratic structure – the Legislature, Executive, Judiciary and the Media. On Leaders Mahatma Gandhi once observed, “The history of the world is full of men who rose to leadership, by sheer force of self-confidence, bravery and tenacity”. On Human Rights Effective strengthening of the human rights at the ground level is a collective task of the whole society On Education Universities are great hubs of ideas, but they are not ivory towers. They are part of society and thus remain engaged with social change. The academic community should be engaged in research in areas that create not only a new knowledge base but also a knowledge base that sustains human society. Need to include Gender Studies: Education is not just for employment but also for empowerment and enlightenment of individuals and the society. This will make children respectful and sensitive towards all genders. On Justice There cannot be instant justice but there cannot be constant delays either. There is a need for undertaking court proceedings in local languages so that people can understand it. Supreme Court should have 2-3 benches across India. No constitutional amendment is required for such a move. Currently people have to come to Delhi from all over India to file their cases. They have to stay for many days in Delhi and it is expensive. There is a need to decide upon the certain category of cases in time-bound manner such as the election petitions and criminal cases against sitting MPs and MLAs. Legislative bodies should decide upon the disqualification proceedings under anti-defection law in a time-bound manner

Dec 22, 2019 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Art of watching your breath – Inspirational Educative Articles

Art of watching your breath: Before watching something, you need to know what you are trying to watch. What exactly is the breath? If you have not precisely defined what a breath is, you will not be able to watch it. The problem is not of watching, but of defining what you want to watch. The moment you define something clearly, it’s very easy to watch it. If someone says, “Look over there,” you’ll have a hundred and one questions: “What do you mean over there? Should I look at that bottle, the cup, or the table?” When someone says, “Look at the bottle,” it narrows down your vision a little more. You can still have questions, “Where should I look? Should I look at the cap, the label, or the contents of the bottle?” When you are finally told, “Forget about everything and just focus on the cap of the bottle,” you can begin to focus without any confusion. This might sound very simple, but very few people inquire deeply into their object of observation, and hence are always confused about the process of watching. Apply the same process of inquiry to your breath. Your breath is not a single point; it is a continuum. A breath starts as air from outside, touches your nostrils, enters your body, pauses for a moment, and then leaves the body. Breath is not a single point, but a complete cycle. This is where you need to understand the difference between focus and awareness. If you are just trying to focus, you will always be in confusion because you don’t know what exactly to focus on in this long cycle of breathing. You might ask yourself, “Should I focus on the beginning, the middle, or the end of the breath?” All you have to do is narrow down your definition of breath and focus on either the air touching your nostrils, the pause between two breaths, or the contraction and expansion of your abdomen. You can focus anywhere on the breath, but your entire awareness should be on the process of breathing. The whole activity of breathing and the whole process of breathing should be a part of your awareness. Every time you are confused about what to watch, know that as long as you are fully aware of your breath, you are in meditation. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”

Dec 22, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 21st December 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 21st December 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Operation Prahar: Started by Haryana Police to fight Organised Crime Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III- Internal Security In News Operation Prahar’ is a Haryana police drive to fight organised crime and growing drug menace in the State. Haryana government also announced that a separate “Haryana Narcotics Bureau” would be set up in an attempt to curb drug menace in the State. Do You Know? India's strategic location places it amid two largest sources of illicit drugs in South Asia- Golden Crescent (Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran) on the northwest and the infamous Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos) on the northeast. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 21st December 2019 Src: Click here Dolphin’s Nose: Joint Operation to crackdown on Espionage racket Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Security In News In a joint operation —‘Dolphin’s Nose’ — conducted by the Andhra Pradesh State, Naval and Central intelligence agencies, seven naval personnel and hawala operator were arrested for alleged espionage and suspected links with Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Two of the personnel were from the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) and the rest from the Western Naval Command (WNC). The importance of the Eastern Naval Command (HQ at Vishakapatnam, AP) has grown with the presence of the Ship Building Centre, which builds the Arihant-class nuclear submarines. The ENC is also coming up withstrategic Naval Alternative Operations Base (NAOB)in Visakhapatnam district.  The NAOB and the Arihant Project are listed under the “top-secret” strategic weapons projects and are directly under the control of the Prime Minister’s Office. Apache attack helicopters: India to import more from USA Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II- International Affairs; GS-III- Security In News In early 2020, India will probablysign a deal with Boeing Company of USAfor additional six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, estimated to cost around $930 million. These are in addition to 22 Apaches already being inducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF). It will replace the ageing Russian Mi-35 attack helicopters in service. Feature of Apache helicopters are: It is capable of delivering variety of weapons which include fire and forget anti-tank guided missiles Air to ground Hellfire missiles 70 mm Hydra rockets  Air to air Stinger missiles They are day/night, all weather capable  They also have high agility and survivability against battle damage. Pinaka missile system successfully flight-tested Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Security In News India successfully conducted test firing of the indigenously developed Pinaka missile system from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off the Odisha coast About Pinaka It is developed by DRDO Pinaka is a Multi-Barrel Rocket System to supplement the existing artillery gun at ranges beyond 30 kilometres to make precision hits.  The guided weapon system is equipped with state-of-the-art guidance kit comprising of an advanced navigation and control system.  The system is mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility.  Digital Communications Commission (DCC): Approves auction of Spectrum Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Infrastructure In News The Digital Communications Commission (DCC) approved plans to auction over 8,300 MHz of spectrum, including airwaves to be used for offering 5G services, with a reserve price of ₹5.22 lakh crore. Challenges for the auction are: Spectrum reserve prices 4 to 6 times higher than that of similar spectrum sold recently in several countries  With high levels of debt and prevailing financial stress in the sector, telecom service providers will find it difficult to raise funds to participate in the auctions The quantum of spectrum in the 5G band being put up for auction will be only 175 MHz, ‘woefully inadequate’ for operators to roll out robust 5G networks and services About Digital Communications Commission The Government of India, vide executive resolution has re-designated the Telecom Commission (set up in 1989 by executive order) as the 'Digital Communications Commission'. The DCC consists of a Chairman, four full time members and four part time members. The Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Telecommunications is the ex-officio Chairman of the DCC. The DCC is responsible for: Formulating the policy of Department of Telecommunications for approval of the Government; Preparing the budget for the Department of Telecommunications for each financial year and getting it approved by the Government; & Implementation of Government's policy in all matters concerning telecommunication.  Import Cover: Rises to 10 months Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Economy In News RBI has stated that the foreign exchange reserves has increased to $429.84 billion as at end June 2019 from $412.47 billion as at end March 2019.  As a result, the import cover rose to 10 months compared with 9.6 months Import Cover measures the number of months of imports that can be covered with foreign exchange reserves available with the central bank of the country.  Eight to ten months of import cover is essential for the stability of a currency. (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Awareness in the fields of IT Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security Tech firms facing antitrust issues Context: Google and Amazon are under Scrutiny for their influence on consumer privacy, labor conditions, public discourse and violation of antitrust law Background Silicon Valley giants – Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple – are new age Tech companies which through their data business model have gained tremendous market power and now wield tremendous influence on socio-economic-political aspects of people. This has led regulators across the world to frame guidelines/policies so as to curb their market monopoly power. What are the primary sources of tension between these companies and Governments? There are two sources of tension relating to these four tech firms that have caused alarm across the United States, Europe and elsewhere:  First, that they may have engaged in anti-competitive behaviour over many years thus undercutting smaller potential rivals and holding onto an outsized market share;  Second, that as a result of this metastatic growth, they now have a vast influence on politics, policy and personal reputations across the spectrum, making cost of data privacy breaches by these firms catastrophic.  Concerns of each platform Amazon: It is an online sales platform has disrupted the traditional business of retail sellers and small business. Allegations that Amazon favours its own self-branded products over those of third-party sellers through manipulation of search results. Apple:  Its App Store policies, specifically regarding how Apple ranks search results on that platform, is questioned as it has lead exclusion of certain competing apps from the Store (Ex. Spotify). Questions have also been raised on how Apple determines the share of revenue it takes from in-app purchases Facebook: Regulators have focused their attention on Facebook’s acquisitive streak in capital markets, for example, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enquiry into whether Facebook defensively purchased certain companies to maintain its dominant market position in the social networking ecosystem. Google: This company handles more than 90% of online searches across the world. In recent years concern has grown over the fact that Google has increasingly been sending users to its own sites to answer their queries, including products such as Google Flights and Google Maps. Thus there are allegations of abuse of its dominance in internet search, advertising and its mobile system, to the detriment of rival content producers. The European Union has already fined Google $5.1 billion in 2018. What steps has US authorities taken against these tech giants? The House of Representative’s Antitrust Subcommittee announced a bipartisan investigation into competition and “abusive conduct” in the tech sector. It also made an enormous information demand to all four tech giants, requesting 10 years’ worth of detailed records relating to competition, acquisitions, and other matters relevant to the investigation. Attorneys-General across 50 U.S. states and territories announced a joint antitrust probe into Google and Facebook What is the Political Scenario in USA with regard to these investigations? U.S. President Donald Trump could hardly be considered a tech ally as he warned in August 2018 that tech companies could be in a “very antitrust situation.” In March 2019 U.S. Senator and Democrat Elizabeth Warren announced as part of her 2020 presidential campaign, a plan to break up Amazon, Facebook, and Google. What are anti-trust laws? Antitrust laws also referred to as competition laws developed to protect consumers from predatory business practices. They ensure that fair competition exists in an open-market economy.  These laws have evolved along with the market, vigilantly guarding against would-be monopolies and disruptions to the productive ebb and flow of competition. India’s Anti-Trust Regulation Framework The Competition Act, 2002 is India’s antitrust law. It replaced the Monopolistic and Restrictive Trade Practices Act of 1969. The Act prohibits: anti-competitive agreements; abuse of dominant position by enterprises; and regulates combinations (Mergers and Acquisition), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India. From the provisions under the Competition Act, 2002, the central government has established Competition Commission of India in 2003 which acts as a watchdog of free market economy. In 2018, The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has also imposed Rs.136 crore fine on Google for unfair business practices and for infringing antitrust conduct in India. Way Forward: India should closely follow the proceedings of these cases in USA and learn the necessary jurisprudence and regulatory framework to be imbibed within Indian anti-trust governance structure Justice B.N.Srikrishna Committee report on data protection should be implemented in letter and spirit so as to deal effectively with new age data-centred tech giants. In the light of Supreme Court’s verdict on privacy in K.Puttaswamy case, India should come out comprehensive guidelines on data usage so as to balance the need of digital innovation and individual’s right to privacy. Connecting the dots: Should India also launch Joint Parliamentary committee to investigate whether these tech giants are indulging in anti-competitive trade practices in India? If these tech giants are broken up, would it impact the digital revolution which is witnessed around the globe and also in India? ENVIRONMENT  TOPIC: General Studies 2: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment CoP 25: Climate Emergency Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 21st December 2019 SRC:DTE Context: The 25th annual talks under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), referred to as the Conference of Parties (COP), was recently held in Madrid. It ended without any outcome. It was the 15th meeting of the parties for the Kyoto Protocol (CMP15), and also, it was the second meeting of the parties for the Paris Agreement. The prime objective of the conference is to complete the rule-book to the 2015 Paris Agreement that will become effective in 2020 to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol (comes to an end in 2020). The Paris Agreement: The Paris Agreement was the first legal instrument to set an explicit temperature target. It pushes countries to keep the average global temperature rise to below 2°C over pre-industrial levels and encourages them to limit it to 1.5°C. It does this largely through voluntarily agreed Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs. Even if all NDC commitments are met, the global mean temperatures would still rise by 3.2°C by 2100, estimates the United Nations Environment Programme’s Emissions Gap Report To limit warming to 1.5°C, annual global emissions in 2030 need to be under 25 GtCO2 e while the less ambitious 2°C target requires limiting emissions to 41 GtCO2e.even if all NDCs are met, the annual emissions in 2030 will be 54 GtCO2e. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 21st December 2019 SRC: DTE The question of meeting the Paris Agreement is usually reduced to whether countries are on track to meet the first round of NDCs, which were announced in 2015.  The Agreement requires countries to declare new, progressively ambitious targets every five years and the second round of NDCs are due in 2020. Under the Article 4 of the Paris Agreement — the requirement that each party shall communicate a NDC every five years, and that each successive NDC must be a “progression” beyond the party’s current NDC. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 21st December 2019 SRC : DTE Mexico (1.49 per cent of annual global emissions) currently aims for its 2030 emissions to be 22-36 per cent below levels seen in 2000, and a 50 per cent reduction in 2000 levels by 2050. These targets were submitted as part of a mid-century strategy published in 2016, and Mexico contends they are consistent with the 2°C threshold. South Korea (1.29 per cent of global annual emissions), which published its 2050 strategy in 2009, much before the Paris Agreement legally established the 1.5°C and 2°C thresholds to assess NDCs.  Other significant emitters with a declared intent to update targets in 2020 include South Africa (1.08 per cent of global annual emissions), Nigeria (1.01 per cent), Argentina (0.91 per cent) and Ukraine (0.70 per cent). Conclusion:  Do you think India must follow NDCs? Do you think Paris agreement is a failure? (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 Pinaka Missile system It is developed by DRDO It is a Multi-Barrel Rocket System to supplement the existing artillery gun at ranges beyond 500 kilometres to make precision hits.  Select the correct answer from codes given below. 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about Digital Communications Commission (DCC) It is a statutory body established under Indian Telegraph Act,1885 The Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Telecommunications is the ex-officio Chairman of the DCC. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Which of the following best describes the term ‘import cover’, sometimes seen in the news? It is the ratio of value of imports to the Gross Domestic Product of a country It is the total value of imports of a country in a year It is the ratio between the value of exports and that of imports between two countries It is the number of months of imports that could be paid for by  a country’s international reserves Q.4) Golden Triangle and Golden Crescent often seen in news is related to which field of interest? Gravitational anomalies on earth’s surface USA’s counter-strategy to China’s string of Pearls strategy Illicit drug producing areas in the world None of the above ANSWERS FOR 20 DEC 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 B 3 A 4 C 5 C MUST READ Whither Amaravati?: on three capital cities for Andhra Pradesh The Hindu Net loss: on Citizenship Amendment Act protests The Hindu Sound decision to not raise GST rates ET An impeachment that partisans will Trump ET Gandhiji would have been at the barricades IE Somewhere up above temples touching sky IE

Dec 20, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th December 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th December 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) UNICEF: Ensure Child Rights Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – International Bodies In News Children’s rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, including in peaceful protest, are enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) UNCRC is a human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The Convention defines a child as any human being under the age of eighteen. The treaty came into force in 1990.Currently, 196 countries have signed and ratified it (including India) except the United States (signed but not ratified) UNICEF thus urged its member-states to ensure that children can exercise this right in a safe and peaceful manner. About United Nations International Children’s Education Fund(UNICEF) UNICEF was created in 1946 as International Children’s Emergency Fund (ICEF) by UN relief Rehabilitation Administration to help children affected by World War II UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations in 1953 and is devoted to aiding national efforts to improve the health, nutrition, education, and general welfare of children. Concrete Maturity Meter: To measure the strength of concrete Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Science & Technology In News The Construction Engineering Research Foundation (PCERF)- a non-profit body- has developed the country’s first indigenous Concrete Maturity Meter that determines the strength of concrete used in construction. The device can help in significantly reducing the margin of error in estimating the strength of a structure  It also helps in cutting project costs (10-12%) as it will be available at 30% to 40% of the cost of the foreign maturity meter(₹3 - ₹5 Lakh) that is in use in the market The method to measure concrete strength is based on the principle that concrete strength is directly related to its hydration (temperature) and age (time) The device can also be directly connected to mobile phones so as to suit the techniques and skills of end users in India Exercise INDRA 19’: India-Russia Trilateral Exercise Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II- International Affairs; GS-III- Security In News The air force component of ‘Ex INDRA 19’, a joint exercise between India and Russia, successfully concluded at the Air Force Station in Lohegaon, Pune The exercise provided an opportunity to enhance the IAF’s operational capability, synergise joint operations and improve interoperability with Russian Federation Air Force The INDRA series of exercise began in 2003. It was conducted as a single service exercise alternately between the two countries. However, the first joint Tri Services Exercise was conducted in 2017. The 2019 exercise included joint training in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations under the United Nations mandate. Gandhi prize: Portugal sets up the prize Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I - Culture In News Portugal would launch the prize in order to promote Gandhi’s ideals. Every year, the prize would be inspired by Gandhi’s thoughts and quotes. The first edition of the prize would be dedicated to animal welfare. Gandhi said “the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated” About National Committee for the Commemoration Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th Birth Anniversary The National Committee was constituted for commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at the national and international, presided by the President of India This Committee includes Vice-President, Prime Minister, Chief Ministers of all states, representatives from across the political spectrum, Gandhians, thinkers, and eminent persons from all walks of life.  The Committee also has nine international members, including two former Secretaries-General of the United Nations - Mr Kofi Annan and Mr Ban Ki-Moon. Portuguese Prime Minister is the only foreign Prime Minister to be a part of the committee. National Population Register (NPR): West Bengal Opts out of the exercise Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Governance, Federalism In News The objective of the NPR,is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country.  Usual resident is defined as a person who has resided in a local area for the past six months or more or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next six months or more The database will contain demographic as well as biometric particulars. It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR. Unlike the NRC, the NPR will also include foreigners living in India. The NPR is being developed under the principles of the Citizenship Act of 1955, and the Citizenship Rules set out in 2003 When was it recently conducted? The data for National Population Register was collected in 2010 alongwith the houselisting phase of Census of India 2011.  It has been decided to update the National Population Register along with the Houselisting phase of Census 2021 during April to September 2020 in all the States/UTs except Assam. Criticism: About the government’s capability to manage and protect this information.  Operation Twist: RBI’s Open market operations Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Economy In News RBI will simultaneously buy and sale government securities worth ₹10,000 crore under its open market operations — a move aimed at managing the yields. The RBI will purchase the longer-term maturities, that are trading at a spread of 150 bps (basis points) over the repo rate, and sell the shorter duration ones RBI will buy ₹10,000 crore of 6.45% government bondsmaturing in 2029 so that the yield of these long-term papers will soften It will simultaneously sell ₹10,000 crore of short-term bonds maturing in 2020. Operation Twist is a move taken by U.S. Federal Reserve in 2011-12 to make long-term borrowing cheaper. Industrial Security Annex (ISA): Signed between India and USA Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- International Affairs In News ISA signed between India and the U.S. at the second 2+2 dialogue in Washington, will open the door for U.S. defence companies to partner with the Indian private sector. ISA will enable smooth transfer of classified technology and information between private entities of the U.S. and India. The ISA is a part of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), which India signed with the U.S. long back The ‘2+2’ dialogue is a meeting between the India Ministers for External Affairs and Defence, and the US Secretaries of State and Defence to focus on “strengthening strategic, security and defence cooperation” between the two countries. Other agreements signed during the 2+2 dialogue are Finalisation of Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which will harmonise the two side’s processes for identification, development and execution of projects under the DTTI. Tiger Triumph Exercise: It has been decided to hold the India-U.S. joint tri-services and amphibious exercise ‘Tiger Triumph’ on an annual basis. It was first held in November 2019 as a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise. Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI): USA announced its commitment to being the founding member of the CDRI whose headquarters will be located in India. (MAINS FOCUS) POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries President Impeachment: US President Trump to be impeached Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th December 2019 Src: BBC Context: Donald Trump became the third US President to be impeached. The first was Andrew Johnson in 1868 and then Bill Clinton in 1998. The impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump  was initiated on September 2019 when a whistleblower alleged that Trump may have abused the power of the presidency The House Intelligence Committee released a 300-page impeachment report accusing President Donald Trump of trying to enlist Ukraine to help him in the 2020 presidential election and obstructing the congressional inquiry by trying to cover it up. Why?  A whistleblower alleged that Trump may have abused the power of the presidency by withholding military aid as a means of pressuring newly elected president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to perform two favors:  To pursue investigations of Joe Biden and his son Hunter, To investigate a conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, was behind interference in the 2016 presidential election. More than a week after Trump had put a hold on the previously approved military aid,400mn   He made the aforementioned requests in a July 25 phone call with the Ukrainian president, which the whistleblower alleged was intended to help Trump's re-election bid. US impeachment process The US House of representative (435 members) needs to pass the impeachment motion by a simple majority, after investigation by judiciary committee  The motion of Impeachment then goes to the Senate (Upper House consisting of 100 members), where a trial presided by Chief Justice takes place with representative from House acting as prosecutors and the President & his attorneys presenting his defence A two-third majority in Senate is necessary to convict and remove the President. If the President is convicted, the Vice-President takes over the White House for remaining period of tenure.) Indian Impeachment process In India, President can be impeached for violation of the Constitution (Article 61) The motion for impeaching President can be introduced in any House of Parliament. After the investigation, the motion of impeachment must be passed by a two-thirds majority of the total membership of the House by both Houses of the Parliament. Connecting the dots: Do you think Donald trump has misused the power? What is the difference between Indian and US President Impeachment process? POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. Role of civil services in a democracy. Section 144: Protests  against Citizenship Amendment Act & Section 144 Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th December 2019 SRC: ET Context: As protesters against the Citizenship Amendment Act hit the streets in large numbers in several states , state governments sought to tamp down on the demonstrations by issuing prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code Of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973. Section 144 CrPC: Section 144 CrPC, a law retained from the colonial era,. It empowers a district magistrate, a sub-divisional magistrate or any other executive magistrate specially empowered by the state government in this behalf to issue orders to prevent and address urgent cases of apprehended danger or nuisance. The magistrate has to pass a written directed against a particular individual, or to persons residing in a particular place or area, or to the public generally . In emergency cases, the magistrate can pass these orders without prior notice to the individual against whom the order is directed. Powers under Section 144 CrPC The magistrate can direct any person to abstain from a certain act or to take a certain order with respect to certain property in his possession or under his management.  This usually includes restrictions on movement, carrying arms and from assembling unlawfully. It is generally believed that assembly of three or more people is prohibited under Section 144.  It can be used to restrict even a single individual.  Order passed under Section 144 can remain in force for more than two months from the date of the order Criticisms: It is too broad and the words of the section are wide enough to give absolute power to a magistrate that may be exercised unjustifiably. An aggrieved individual can approach the High Court by filing a writ petition if his fundamental rights are at stake. However, fears exist that before the High Court intervenes, the rights could already have been infringed Imposition of Section 144 to an entire state has also drawn criticism since the security situation differs from area to area. SC Judgements: 1961 in Babulal Parate vs State of Maharashtra and Others The Supreme Court refused to strike down the law, saying it is “not correct to say that the remedy of a person aggrieved by an order under the section was illusory”. 1970 (Madhu Limaye vs Sub-Divisional Magistrate):  a seven-judge Bench the power of a magistrate under Section 144 “is not an ordinary power flowing from administration but a power used in a judicial manner and which can stand further judicial scrutiny”. It ruled that the restrictions imposed through Section 144 cannot be held to be violative of the right to freedom of speech and expression, which is a fundamental right because it falls under the “reasonable restrictions” under Article 19(2) of the Constitution. The fact that the “law may be abused” is no reason to strike it down Conclusion: Section 144 is a useful tool to help deal with emergencies. However, absence of any narrow tailoring of wide executive powers with specific objectives, coupled with very limited judicial oversight over the executive branch, makes it ripe for abuse and misuse. Connecting the dots: Do you think Section 144 is being misused? Do you think Section 144 curbs Fundamental rights? (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 Gandhi Citizenship Education Prize recently in news It has been instituted by United Nations so as to promote Gandhian Ideals The first edition of the prize would be dedicated to animal welfare. Select the correct answer from codes given below. 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about National Population Register It is a register of all citizens of India who are above 18 years of age. It has been decided to update NPR along with the Houselisting phase of Census 2021 during April to September 2020 in all the States/UTs except Assam 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 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child (UNCRC) UNCRC is a human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children India is a signatory of the treaty but is yet to ratify it. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Operation twist recently in news is related to which of the following areas? Indian Military’s strike across Myanmar border against Naga insurgents ISRO’s mission to target and destroy spy satellites RBI’s open market operations to manage bond yields None of the above Q.5) Exercise Indra is joint military exercise conducted by which countries? India and Sri Lanka India, USA and Japan India and Russia None of the above ANSWERS FOR 19 DEC 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 A 3 C 4 D MUST READ Protest and order: on anti-CAA protests The Hindu Not unimpeachable: on Donald Trump's impeachment The Hindu Should the government exit navratna companies? The Hindu Restiveness in Assam has come full circle with the Citizenship Amendment Act IE Implementation of nation-wide NRC will put India in a state of conflict. Govt must step back IE A solution: Two bad banks for the Four Balance Sheet problem IE The NCLAT ruling vexing beyond Tatas ET Against burning woods to protect the wood ET

Dec 20, 2019 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 140

UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 140 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

Dec 19, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th December 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th December 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT): ReinstatesCyrus Mistry as Tata Sons Chairman Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Polity; GS –III - Corporate Governance In News NCLAT along with reinstating Cyrus Mistry (who was removed by the Board of Tata Sons) as Chairman of Tata Sons, also ordered to Tata Sons to go back from ‘private company’ to ‘public company’ Value Addition: About NCLAT NCLAT was constituted under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013.  NCLAT is the Appellate Tribunal for hearing appeals against the orders passed by –  National Company Law Tribunal(s) NCLT(s) under Section 61 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) under Section 202 and Section 211 of IBC.  Competition Commission of India (CCI) – as per the amendment brought to Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013  GST Council: Votes for first time to tax all lotteries at 28% Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Economy; GS-II- Federalism In News GST Council broke its tradition of taking decision by consensus and for first time voted for a proposal to tax all lotteries at a uniform rate at 28% (21-7 in favour) Do You Know? In the first eight months of this financial year, only about 50% of GST collection targets (₹6,63,343 crore) and 60% of compensation cess collection targets have been achieved. The GST Council is a constitutional body established under Article 279A of Indian Constitution The GST Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister. Its other members are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States. Voting Rights Centre: One third of total votes cast States: Two-thirds of the total votes cast (Each state, big or small, will have equal vote) For any proposal to be cleared by the council, it has to get 75 per cent of the vote. Mahadayi Project: Goa gets relief Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II- Federalism  In News Union Environment Ministry kept in suspension its letter issued to Karnataka which had stated no environmental clearance was required for Kalasa Banduri Project. About Kalasa Banduri project The project involves diverting water from Mahadayi river, the lifeline of Goa, into the Malaprabha river. The Kalasa Banduri project is aimed at providing drinking water to three important districts of north Karnataka — Belagavi, Gadag and Dharwad — which go parched in summer due to acute water scarcity. Mahadayi river originates from a cluster of 30 springs at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats in the Belgaum district of Karnataka. Then it enters Goa and finally drains in Arabian sea. Goa state capital Panaji lies on the banks of Mandovi Mahadayi Water Tribunal (MWT) Award in 2018:Karnataka has been allocated 13.5tmcft of water, Goa has been 24tmcft while Maharashtra has been allocated 1.3tmcft. Sahitya Academy: Shashi Tharoor wins Akademi’s 2019 award for English Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I - Culture In News Sahitya Akademi award established in 1954, is a literary honour that is conferred annually by Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of letters. Award is presented to the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the twenty-four major Indian languages recognized by the Akademi (including English). Sahitya Akademi award is the second highest literary honour by the Government of India, after Jananpith award. The Award in the form of an engraved copper-plaque, and cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000/-  The author must be of Indian Nationality.Indian film-maker Satyajit Ray is the designer of the plaque awarded by the Sahitya Akademi. Joint River Commission: Bangladesh gives a miss Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- International Affairs In News Bangladesh has not sent a delegation for the Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting with India which casts doubt over progress of Feni river water sharing agreement Bangladesh had agreed to let India withdraw 1.82 cusecs from the Feni river to supply the border town of Sabroom in the northeastern State of Tripurafor drinking water purposes Feni River is a trans-boundary river that originates in Tripura and flows through Sabroom town and then enters Bangladesh.  (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Indian economy is losing its growth momentum (Part 2) Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th December 2019 SRC: IE Before reading this read part 1 : Link  GDP = C + G + I + (NX) In other words, four drivers determine a country’s GDP. These are: C – the total expenditure (demand) by private individuals  G – the total expenditure (demand) by the Government  I – the total expenditure (demand) on investments made businesses in the country  NX – the net effect of imports and exports Derailed Indian economy in 2016 and 2017 Two reasons  & 4 Balance sheets problem 1. The unresolved TBS problem 2. The fall of NBFCs and the real estate sector Together, they make for the Four Balance Sheet Challenge for the Indian economy Reason for the failure of NBFCs : collapse of ILFS in 2018, with Rs 90,000 crores of debt Reason 1 : NBFCs relied on raising short-term funds ,This leads to a situation called an asset-liability mismatch. For example, an NBFC raises money by selling 6-month debt papers and on-lends this as a car loan with a  tenure of 5 years. This leads to a situation where the NBFC has to roll over (or renew) the 6-month debt paper or raise fresh loans to repay the debt paper. In good times, this happens as a matter of course. But when times are tough, this cycle is broken. Reason 2 : The cycle was broken by a default of some firms of the IL&FS; group. There were fears that this would turn out to be a contagion. Simply put, banks, mutual funds and their investors were afraid that more such entities wouldn’t default. As this fear took hold, many institutions refused to give money to NBFCs. The cost of funds rose by as much as 150 basis points for NBFCs. Impacts of the NBFCs Failure on Indian economy  : NBFCs are playing an increasingly important part in the economy. Their share of credit has increased because they were lending in sectors where banks refused to go or did not want to go.  Now that NBFCs are finding it difficult to raise money or having to pay a huge cost for doing so, this will choke the flow of credit to the economy.  It will hit the MSME sector which is already suffering from the twin blows of demonetisation and the goods and services tax. It will hit consumption demand in the economy( consumption was the primary engine driving the economy).  A reduction in credit further adds to economic slowdown pressures, which are already visible.  Slowdown in credit could lead to another pile of non-performing assets in sectors such as commercial real estate and infrastructure, which could have economy-wide knockdown effects Real estate story: Builders launched numerous projects since the start of mid-2000s in the hope that these flats would be sold But after the Global Financial Crisis, the demand for flats as well as bank funding for builders collapsed. The NBFCs  took the lead in lending to the real estate sector.  By June-end 2019, the real estate sector reached a breaking point with close to 10 lakh unsold units (as against an annual demand of just 2 lakh units) in just the top 8 cities in the country. Real estate sector was unable to pay back to the NBFCs , which, in turn, started defaulting. Conclusion: India’s GDP has been affected by different factors at different times. After Global Financial Crisis, private consumption bailed India out. However, this component – “C” – has become progressively weaker since 2017 and is today the main worry. G or government spending bailed out the GDP but at the cost of hiding the true fiscal deficit.  The “I” or business investment component has been weak since the GFC  sharp repo rate cuts and corporate tax cuts appear ineffective in the short term. The net exports or “NX” component has remained weak all through since the GFC Connecting the dots: Do you think Demonetisation and GST contributed to Indian Economic distress? How do you think Indian economy can be recovered from the distress? POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. Right to information:  ‘Abuse’ of RTI Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th December 2019 SRC:RTI Context: Chief Justice of India said the unbridled use of the Right to Information (RTI) Act had created a sense of “paralysis and fear” in the government.  Paralysis and fear about this Act (RTI). People are not taking decisions CJI said time had come to lay down guidelines on the use of the RTI. Guidelines should be put in place to check the locus of the RTI applicant and put a “filter” on the kind of requests made under the 2005 Act. Justice Bobde said : The court was not against the exercise of the right to information. “But it cannot be an unrivalled right. There is the serious problem of people filing RTI requests with malafide intentions, people set up by rivals,” he said. The RTI Act had become a source of criminal intimidation by people with an axe to grind. “Criminal intimidation is a nice word for ‘blackmail’,” Justice Bobde said. Genesis of RTI: 1975, in State of Uttar Pradesh vs Raj Narain “The people of this country have a right to know every public act, everything that is done in a public way by their public functionaries. They are entitled to know the particulars of every public transaction in all its bearing. Their right to know, which is derived from the concept of freedom of speech, though not absolute, is a factor which should make one wary when secrecy is claimed for transactions which can at any rate have no repercussion on public security.”  It observed, “Voters’ (little man-citizens’) right to know antecedents including criminal past of his candidate contesting election for MP or MLA is much more fundamental and basic for survival of democracy.  RTI Act An applicant making request for information shall not be required to give any reason for requesting the information or any other personal details except those that may be necessary for contacting him. “The information which cannot be denied to the Parliament or a State Legislature shall not be denied to any person ”Bhagat Singh vs CIC in 2007, then Delhi High Court Justice Ravindra Bhat (now a Supreme Court judge) observed: “Access to information, under Section 3 of the Act, is the rule and exemptions under Section 8, the exception.  Section 8 being a restriction on this fundamental right, must therefore be strictly construed. It should not be interpreted in manner as to shadow the very right itself.” SC Judgements: Jayantilal N Mistry vs Reserve Bank of India Public Information Officers under the guise of one of the exceptions given under Section 8 of RTI Act, have evaded the general public from getting their hands on the rightful information that they are entitled to.  The ideal of ‘Government by the people’ makes it necessary that people have access to information on matters of public concern.  DAV College Trust and Managin  vs Director of Public Instructions Declared that NGOs are not beyond the RTI Act. This was based on an examination of the question whether NGOs are substantially financed by the government. Because of this observation, the spotlight falls of several NGOs that have been getting public money and were not covered under the RTI. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) & Anr vs Aditya Bandhopadhyay and Others in 2011 Nearly 60-70 lakh RTI applications are filed in India every year, and activists have questioned whether addressing these would require 75% of the time of government staff.  Several public authorities have used this observation while denying information, ignoring the fact in the same case, the Supreme Court had ordered disclosure of the requisite information. SC : “The nation does not want a scenario where 75% of the staff of public authorities spends 75% of their time in collecting and furnishing information to applicants instead of discharging their regular duties” Girish Ramchandra Deshpande vs Central Information Commission & Ors in October 2012 The performance of an employee/officer in an organisation is primarily a matter between the employee and the employer and normally those aspects are governed by the service rules which fall under the expression ‘personal information’ the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or public interest. if the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer of the Appellate Authority is satisfied that the larger public interest justifies the disclosure of such information, appropriate orders could be passed but the petitioner cannot claim those details as a matter of right Conclusion: A Transparency Audit report submitted to the Central Information Commission (CIC) in November 2018 sought feedback from 2,092 PAs under the CIC to evaluate implementation of Section 4 of the Act. Only 838 (40%) responded and even here, 35% of the PAs fared poorly with little transparency in parameters such as organisation and functions, budget and programme, e-governance, and other information disclosures.  The other key misgiving with RTI implementation has been the persisting problem of vacancies in the CIC and State commissions — the CIC has four vacancies and 33,000 pending cases. After the top court’s directions, this lacuna should be addressed by governments quickly. (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) National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) can hear appeals against the orders passed by which of the following bodies? National Company Law Tribunals Competition Commission of India Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India  Select the correct answer from codes given below. 1 only 1 and 2 only 1 and 3 only 1,2 and 3 Q.2) Consider the following statements about GST Council GST Council is a constitutional body established under Article 279A of Indian Constitution headed by Union Finance Minister Centre has 25% voting power while all the States combined have 75% voting power and for any proposal to be cleared it has to get 66% per cent of the vote. 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 Mahadayi River Goa state capital Panaji lies on the banks of this river The Kalasa Banduri project is planned across this river so as to provide drinking water to Northern Karnataka region Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Feni is a transboundary river between which two countries? India and Nepal India and Bhutan India and Pakistan India and Bangladesh ANSWERS FOR 18 DEC 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 A 3 C 4 D 5 A MUST READ Quick, not hasty: On Kuldeep Singh Sengar conviction The Hindu The last bastions of secular India The Hindu Trump cards in the impeachment deck The Hindu Are fears over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act misplaced? The Hindu Growth as well as a low-carbon economy ET Institutional clash, not democracy, in Pak ET Students who protest against discriminatory laws are real patriots. They offer hope for future IE Discrimination, not justice: Hope this generation does a better job of navigating the struggle than the one that came before IE

Dec 19, 2019 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 139

UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 139 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