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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 5th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Affairs In News Seven years after India joined negotiations for the 16-nation ASEAN (Association for South East Asian Nations)-led RCEP India dropped out of the agreement, citing its negative effects on “farmers, MSMEs and the dairy sector”. RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between ASEAN and its six FTA partners – China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Ten member states of ASEAN areBrunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam Without India, RCEP accounts for nearly 1/3rd of global GDP. But they have less than a third of the population. Why India opted out? The deal requires the gradual elimination of tariffs which may flood Indian markets with Chinese goods and agricultural produce from oceania, harming local producers Lack of access to Indian services- allowing Indian labour mobility to other countries for services - in the RCEP countries (Services is India’s strong area and has huge potential to tap into RCEP market) Can India join later? Yes, if the issues India has with the deal are resolved SCO joint exercise Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Security In News Pakistan did not participate in the inaugural session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) joint exercise on urban earthquake and rescue in Delhi. Earthquakes have taken more than 2 lakh lives, which account for two-thirds of disaster related mortality in SCO countries. In this background, this joint exercise will be very useful for improving the collective preparedness The SCO, in which China plays an influential role, is also comprised of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan were admitted into the bloc in 2017. Do You Know? Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is a permanent organ of the SCO which serves to promote cooperation of member states against the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. It is headquartered in Tashkent. India has launched Geostationary Satellite to improve communication, weather forecasting, etc. among the South Asian countries. One China Policy Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Federalism In News Vietnam reiterated that it adheres to the one-China policy and expect China to adhere to international law About One China Policy It is a principle whereby China insists Taiwan is an inalienable part of one China to be reunified one day. The policy can be traced back to 1949 and the end of the Chinese civil war. The defeated Nationalists, also known as the Kuomintang, retreated to Taiwan and made it their seat of government while the victorious Communists began ruling the mainland as the People's Republic of China. Both sides said they represented all of China. Since then China's ruling Communist Party has threatened to use force if Taiwan ever formally declares independence, but it has also pursued a softer diplomatic track with the island in recent years. Mutual logistics agreement Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – International Relations In News India and Russia are expected to conclude a mutual logistics agreement and review the setting up of joint ventures for manufacturing spares for Russian defence platforms in India The Agreement on Reciprocal Logistics Support (ARLS) was expected to be signed on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, but was held back. A 50-member industry delegation is accompanying Defence Minister to Russia to explore ways to jointly manufacture spares and components with Russian original equipment manufacturers (OEM) under ‘Make in India’. EEF was established by a decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, in 2015, with the aim of supporting the economic development of Russia’s Far East, and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region For more details on EEF, refer:https://iasbaba.com/2019/09/all-india-radio-air-ias-upsc-eastern-economic-forum/ Auto slowdown Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-III – Economy In News One of the key reasons for the slowdown in the automobile sector is the confusion over the policy on electric cars, the government told a parliamentary panel NITI Aayog had proposed in August the ban sale of three-wheelers with internal combustion engines by 2023 and two-wheelers with engine capacities less than 150 cc by 2025. The 150-cc and below segment forms almost 90% of the two-wheeler market in the country. The industry termed the proposed NITI Aayog plan “unrealistic”, while knocking on the Centre’s door pitching for a EV roll-out road map over a “practical” time frame. Government clarified at many forums that it did not intend to ban sales of vehicles powered by fossil fuels, but the confusion added to the already low consumer sentiment. Some of the reasons attributed to auto slowdown are Auto sales were down because of “curtailment” of automobile loans that so far were easily available. The sharp increase in road tax in many States added to the problem. The switch from BS IV to VI engines for improved emission standards has also led to the slump due to increased cost of production. Miscellaneous New species of tree frog A new frog species named Polypedates bengalensis has been found in a residential area of West Bengal. The new species also named Brown Blotched Bengal Tree was found in two places in West Bengal – Badu, North 24 Parganas District and Khordanahala, South 24 Parganas District. It is named Brown Blotched Bengal Tree Frog from the series of six to nine dark brown blotches that extend laterally from behind the frog’s eye to the vent. The frog’s body colour is yellowish-brown to greenish-brown. Ratnam Pen Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gifted German Chancellor Angela Merkel an exquisite handloom woollen khadi stole from Ladakh and a Ratnam pen. The Ratnam Pen, named after K.V. Ratnam (originally from a family of goldsmiths in Rajahmundry), was made iconic by Mahatma Gandhi. The pen was made in 1934 by Ratnam, by using indigenous materials upon Mahatma Gandhi's request to create a 'swadeshi' (locally made) pen. Mahatma Gandhi had written over 31,000 letters in his quest to take India to its freedom. Many of these letters were written using Ratnam Pen. It is produced even today in its original form by K.V. Ratnam and Sons — Ratnam Ballpen Works, owned by Ratnam’s descendants. Even today, it has a barrel for filling ink using a dropper and the Genius Iridium Nib from Germany. (MAINS FOCUS) GOVERNANCE TOPIC: General Studies 2:  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. Embracing Digital Governance Introduction Due to the rapid rise of the internet and digitization, Governments all over the world are initiating steps to involve information and communication technology (ICT) in all governmental processes. Various government programmes have leveraged ICT on a large scale to transform the public governance ecosystem in the country. Examples of large-scale digital-led successes Transformation brought out in direct and indirect tax regime in the country Government procurement reforms driven through Government e-Marketplace Roll-out of Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat) Participatory governance enabled through MyGov Importance of ICT for effective governance It is a key step towards making the country “Fit for Future” administration becomes a swifter and more transparent process Makes the whole administrative process convenient, efficient, transparent, fully accountable and responsible Improved access to information and better quality of services for citizens It would help in bringing government machinery to the doorsteps of the citizens (expanded reach of governance) It would increase citizen participation in governance Aadhar, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Digital Locker, BharatNet etc India needs to prepare for the next wave of digital governance The next wave of digital governance needs to align itself with the perspective of digitally empowered citizens, businesses and government alike India to become true ‘Digital India’, a paradigm shift in e-governance approach is needed There is a need for shift in approach from the traditional ‘department-centric’ view of service provisioning to a ‘stakeholder-centric’ view driven by their personas (persona-based approach for delivering services) In other words, there is a need to create the next generation service delivery framework, where the governments across all levels reach out to each individual proactively for delivery of services and benefits, and in local language of his/her choice. (creating an unbroken value chain) The data collected from various e-governance initiatives should be used to reduce redundancy in information sought from the businesses and citizens across the value chain, identify trends, improve delivery mechanisms and for better policy planning. India needs a larger framework where the individual’s privacy is respected and data security is ensured. Conclusion Today, India is making rapid strides in adoption of emerging concepts such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, cloud computing, drones, microservices etc, which have a huge potential in transforming governance. Several initiatives are being taken by the government to enhance existing governance mechanisms by leveraging advancements in technology. Such efforts and initiatives are bound to intensify, given the growing challenges in governance and availability of technology in the country. The need is now to converge such efforts and align them with a futuristic governance framework, a framework that has a ‘human-need centric design’. Connecting the dots: India should work towards creating an unbroken value chain to prepare for the next wave of digital governance. Elucidate. INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests  Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Context: India decided to hold the signing off of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) until “significant outstanding issues” were resolved, when all other 15 countries involved in the negotiations stated that they were ready to sign the mega trade deal in 2020. PM narendra modi’s statement: “When I measure the RCEP Agreement with respect to the interests of all Indians, I do not get a positive answer. Therefore, neither the Talisman of Gandhiji nor my own conscience permit me to join RCEP,” . Reasons for not joining: Unsatisfactory negotiations pertaining to India’s trade with China — India has an over $50 billion trade deficit “Inadequate” protection against surges in imports. Industry has voiced fears that cheaper products from China would “flood” the market. India has not received any assurances on its demand for more market access, India’s concerns over non-tariff barriers is not addressed A “possible circumvention” of rules of origin ,the criteria used to determine the national source of a product were not addressed which allow countries like China to pump in more products. India has pushed for other countries to allow greater movement of labour and services for a long , which is not addressed Concerns over unsustainable trade deficits is also not addressed. India already have , bilateral FTAs with most RCEP nations, but it has recorded trade deficits with these countries Domestic industries like dairy industry was expected to face stiff competition from Australia and New Zealand. Way forward: An auto-trigger mechanism that would allow India to raise tariffs on products in instances where imports cross a certain threshold. Lowering and eliminating tariffs on several products from the India which It has expressed Opening the vast Indian market must be matched by openings in some areas where our businesses can also benefit India to safeguard the interests of its domestic industry suggested measures like seeking a 2014 base year for tariff reductions instead of 2013, Using a base year before 2014 would mean a drastic drop in the import duties on these products. This measure must be accepted by RCEP RCEP’s Statement: “All RCEP Participating Countries will work together to resolve these outstanding issues in a mutually satisfactory way. India’s final decision will depend on satisfactory resolution of these issues,” the joint statement by RCEP members said. Connecting the dots : India believes that the RCEP trade deal doesn't provide adequate protection against possible surges of imported goods. Justify. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Featured Comments and comments Up-voted by IASbaba are the “correct answers”. IASbaba App users – Team IASbaba will provide correct answers in comment section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Eastern Economic Forum’ It is an initiative of the ‘ASEAN + 6’ countries. It is an initiative for the purpose of encouraging foreign investment Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about Eastern Economic Forum EEF is an international forum established by Russia in 1991 to support the economic development of Russia’s Far East The Russian Far East comprises the eastern Russian territory between Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Ratnam Pen The pen was made in 1934 by Ratnam, by using indigenous materials upon Mahatma Gandhi's request to create a 'swadeshi' (locally made) pen It is produced even today in its original form which has a barrel for filling ink using a dropper and the Genius Iridium Nib from Germany. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Which of the following countries are members of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation India China Pakistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Select the correct answer from the codes given below 1,2 and 3only 1,2,3 and 4 only 1,2,3 and 5 only All of the above Q.5) Which of the following are considered as the reasons for automobile slowdown observed in early 2019 The sharp increase in road tax in many States The switch from BS IV to VI engines for improved emission standards Falling rural demand due to stagnation in agricultural growth Select the correct answer from the codes given below 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only All of the above MUST READ A rights-based framework to theorise poverty The Hindu Fusing traditional medicine with the modern The Hindu Kerala’s modernity and its discontents The Hindu Stack and blueprint — Building digital infrastructure for national health database IE As Delhi chokes on its air, the lessons Gabon, a West African country offers IE

PIB

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

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

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

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

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

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

Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Lost in Thoughts – Inspirational Educative Articles

Lost in Thoughts: There are two states in which we can live in: We can either be lost in our thoughts or we can be aware of what we are doing. Being lost in thought is the more common of the two. Just take a walk in the city and “people-watch” for five minutes. Interpret nothing, and don’t look for anything in particular - just watch people. If you observe closely, you will see that no one is aware of what they are doing - No one! People are walking, but they are not aware of their walking. People are talking, but they are not aware of their talking. So much life is happening around you, and yet the very life that is going through the process of living is totally oblivious of the fact that it is alive. Everyone is simply lost in thoughts. We are all, in one sense, sleepwalkers. To understand this a little better, let us reflect on the process of sleeping. When you go to sleep—you become unconscious of your body and drift into thoughts. As long as you are asleep, you are not aware of your body; you are just lost in thoughts. Now think about the wakeful state. During daytime, when you’re supposedly awake, something triggers a thought process and for the next 15 or 20 minutes you drift in your thoughts, becoming unaware of your body. Now, going by the definition of sleep, this is also sleep. Remember, sleep is not unconsciousness. Sleep is a state where you are unconscious of your body. You don’t recognize drifting in thoughts during the day as sleep because it’s kind of scary to think this way. But in reality, you drop your body consciousness when you drift into thoughts, which is nothing but the process of going into sleep. The only time you aren’t asleep is when you are in the present moment, being fully awake to what is happening around you. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”

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All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Merger of Banks

Merger of Banks ARCHIVES Search 3rd September 2019 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx     TOPIC: General Studies 3: Bank merger and issues related to it. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. In News: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the consolidation of 10 state-run lenders into four bigger banks. The merger announcement was followed by a move to infuse equity of Rs 55,250 crore in these banks to enable them grow their loan book. Instead of privatising some of these banks or bringing in strategic investors, the government decided that amalgamation is the “best route” to achieve banking sector scale and to support the target of achieving a $5-trillion economic size for India in five years The earlier merger of Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank led to enhanced customization and rationalization of operations without any retrenchment. CASA (current and savings account) growth is 6.9% in the June quarter; retail loan growth is 20.5%, while profitability is around ₹710 crore. PNB, Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and United Bank of India (UBI) will be merged to form the second-largest state-run bank in the country, with a business of ₹17.95 trillion (loans plus deposits) and will be at least 1.5 times that of PNB. The other merger will be between Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank, which will make the fourth-largest bank, with ₹15.2 trillion business. Also, Union Bank will be merged with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank to build India’s fifth-largest public sector bank with ₹14.59 trillion in business. Indian Bank will be merged with Allahabad Bank to make India’s seventh-largest PSB with a business of ₹8.08 trillion. India’s PSB count has now come down from 27 in 2017 to 12.  Logic behind the Merger The government’s move to merger state-owned banks aims to cut operational costs and achieve global scale to support fresh investments, revive growth and meet the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA’s) target to become a $5 trillion economy in the next five years. The proposed mergers of public sector banks initiated by the government will be a win-win for the account holders as they will be able to avail benefit from the best practices of all three lenders. The mergers should help create stronger institutions thereby leading to efficiencies of scale and stronger balance sheets.  Large banks will entail cost advantages by way of economies of scale such as centralised back office processing, elimination of branch overlap, eliminating redundancies in administrative infrastructure, better manpower planning, optimum funds management, and savings in IT and other fixed costs. Large banks will also be able to finance large projects on their own even while staying within the prudential lending norms imposed by the regulator. Some of the concerns Integration of information technology platforms: Integration of technology platform is a crucial factor towards merger of any bank. Punjab National Bank (PNB) currently uses software Finacle 10, while the two other banks use Finacle 7. Management attention and bandwidth of the entities being merged could get split impacting the loan growth and reduce focus on strengthening asset quality in the short term. Unlikely to revive credit flow: The merger of 10 public sector banks (PSBs) into four entities is unlikely to revive credit growth or have meaningful cost synergies, said a report by Credit Suisse. The merger is also unlikely to meaningfully revive the flow of credit to the liquidity pressed non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) as given the already high share of NBFC exposure in constituent banks, all four merged entities will have more than 10% of their loan exposure towards NBFCs. Too big to fail: The financial sector is all inter-connected and a risk in any part of the system is a risk to the entire system. If a large bank were to fail, it could bring down the whole financial sector with it, as was evident from the near death experience following the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, which triggered the global financial crisis. No country can therefore afford the failure of a big bank. The tacit knowledge that the sovereign will be forced to rescue it encourages irresponsible behaviour by big banks. The administrative and logistic challenges of mergers might end up diverting the mind space of bank managements away from their most pressing task at the moment — of managing the NPAs and aggressively looking for lending opportunities. Conclusion: We will become a $5-trillion economy not by growing at our current potential growth rate but by raising it. That requires structural reforms. Structural measures will take time to work their way through the system.  Connecting the Dots: The origin of PSU banking in India was political through an ordinance, its evolution has been political and its future will perhaps be determined by political and economic considerations. Discuss. The nexus between businessmen and politicians is based on a classic exchange of favours: The former help the latter to get access to credit in return for funds for election campaigns. Comment. What are the structural reforms that the Government needs to take to ensure that India reaches the $5-trillion mark? Enumerate.

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Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 2nd November 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 2nd November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Health emergency declared in the Capital Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment In News The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority declared a public health emergency in the Capital as pollution levels entered the ‘severe plus’ category According to the data provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall AQI score of Delhi was 504 which prompted the authorities to consider it as public health emergency as it will have adverse health impacts on all, particularly our children The deterioration in air quality is due to a combination of accumulated toxins because of local pollution, further spiked by bursting of crackers on Deepavali, stubble burning and extremely adverse weather conditions. People are facing symptoms associated with pollution like irritation in the eyes and throat, dry skin, skin allergies, chronic cough and breathlessness EPCA is a Supreme Court-mandated body that has over a dozen members. It was notified in 1998 by the Union Environment Ministry under the Environment Protection Act. Mekedatu Reservoir Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Federalism  In News The Mekedatu Reservoir project envisages building a balancing reservoir in Cauvery River with storage of 67 tmcft. It would also supply drinking water to Bengaluru and Ramanagaram districts, besides generating power. The proposal received the Karnataka Cabinet’s approval in February 2017 and the feasibility report was submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC). CWC has allowed Karnataka to go ahead with the project with the prerequisite that it should get No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA). After obtaining NOC from CWMA, the proposal will be considered by Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, whose concurrence is mandatory for a project on any inter-State river. Karnataka has been contending for the project to help store excess water in Monsoon surplus year. Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project that it would effectively prevent the flow in the Cauvery, the lifeline for agriculture in delta districts, besides being a major drinking water source for several districts. About Cauvery Water Management Authority The CWMA, under the Cauvery Water Management Scheme, 2018, was established one June 1, 2018, under Section 6A of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.  Mandate of CWMA:  To give effect to the decision of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal as modified by the Supreme Court vide its Order, dated 16th February, 2018 Storage, apportionment, regulation and control of Cauvery waters, supervision of operation of reservoirs and regulation of water release. CHAVANG KUT Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains I - Culture In News Chavang Kut, the post-harvest festival of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo communities is being celebrated across North-Eastern states with traditional gaiety and enthusiasm. The festival marks the Anglo-Kuki war centenary year. Chavang stands for ‘autumn’ and Kut mean ‘harvest’. The festival is observed to mark the end of the harvesting season and also to thank deities for a good harvest season. In Manipur, Mizoram and Assam and other parts of country, the festival is organized every year on the first day of November month. It is a state holiday in Manipur. Manipur is home to 29 tribes and it celebrates a number of traditional festivals. Such events not only highlight the vibrant colors of the region, but also play an important role in strengthening bonds between different tribes INDIA GERMANY RELATIONS Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-II – International relations In News German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel visited India from 31 October - 1 November 2019 for the fifth round of Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC). Chancellor Merkel and PM Modi reiterated that the Indo-German Strategic Partnership is based on the common values and principles of democracy, free and fair trade and rules-based international order. They welcomed the success of the ‘Make in India Mittelstand’ (MIIM) Programme which has helped facilitate over 135 German Mittelstand and family-owned companies They acknowledged the successful work under the German Indian Startup Exchange Program and welcomed the introduction of a new German Accelerator (GA) programme "Next Step India”, which could lead to a full programme for German Startups in India. Agreements/MOUs signed Joint Declaration of Intent on: Consultations for the period 2020-2024; Indo-German Partnership for Green Urban Mobility; Cooperation in R&D on Artificial Intelligence; cooperation in the field of prevention of marine litter and Cooperation within the International Smart Cities Network. MoU for Cooperation in Inland, Coastal and Maritime Technology MoU on Establishment of an Academic Collaboration in Ayurveda, Yoga and Meditation. MoU between National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management MANAGE and the German Agricultural Academy DEULA in the city of Nienburg on collaboration in agricultural technical and professional training. Women to be inducted in Army by end-2021 Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-I- Society (Women Empowerment) In News The first batch of 100 women will start training for the Corps of Military Police (CMP) in December and will be inducted by end-2021 Women will be inducted in a graded manner to eventually comprise 20 per cent of total Corps of Military Police and their role will range from probing crime cases to assisting the army in field operations wherever required. So far, women were being inducted only as officers and this is the first time they would be joining the Army as the soldiers or “personnel below officer rank” The Army plans to induct 1700 women Military Police over 17 years Inducting women in combat roles came up in 2015 after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government has taken a "historic" decision to induct women in the Military Police with an aim to enhance their representation in the three services. According to government data, the Army has 3.80 per cent of its workforce as women, the Air Force has 13.09 per cent and the Navy six per cent. TRAI fixes ring timings for mobiles, landlines Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-III – Infrastructure (Communications) In News In a new regulation, the Telecom Regulatory  Authority of India (TRAI), has fixed the ring time for calls made to mobiles at 30 seconds, and those made to landlines at 60 seconds While this is a matter which directly impacts the experience of a mobile phone user, the reduction in ringing time also affects the revenue of the operator.  The operators pay each other an interconnection charge (currently 6 paise/min). The charge is paid by the operator whose customers make a call to the operator whose subscribers receive a call.  In case of a shorter ringing time, a user may miss the call and may need to call the other user back. Hence, making the operator with a ‘shorter ringing time’ gain in interconnection charges. Last month, Bharti Airtel had cut the ringing time for calls made by its subscribers to 25 seconds from about 45 seconds, in retaliation to a similar move by rival Reliance Jio. The rules by TRAI bring to an end a face-off between two major operators Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) It is a statutory body set up by the Government of India under section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997. TRAI is an independent regulator of Telecom Business in India. Aims to regulate telecom services, including fixation/revision of tariffs for telecom services which were earlier vested in the Central Government. It also regularly issues orders and directions on various subjects such as tariffs, quality of service, interconnections, Direct To Home (DTH) services and mobile number portability. Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) The TRAI Act was amended by an ordinance, effective from 24 January 2000, establishing a TDSAT to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI. TDSAT was set up to adjudicate any dispute between a licensor and a licensee, between two or more service providers, between a service provider and a group of consumers, and to hear and dispose of appeals against any direction, decision or order of TRAI Joblessness rises to 3-year high Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-III – Economy In News India’s unemployment rate in October rose to 8.5%, the highest level since August 2016, according to data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)  According to CMIE, the urban unemployment rate for October 2019 stood at 8.9%, slightly higher than the rural unemployment rate of 8.3%. Among States, Tripura and Haryana saw unemployment levels of more than 20% (the highest), while the unemployment was the lowest in Tamil Nadu at 1.1% The CMIE’s figures are in line with the findings of the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey, which had estimated an unemployment rate of 6.1% between July 2017 and June 2018, the worst in 45 years. While employment has been declining, the number of working age people who are “Not in Labour Force, Education and Training” has continued to increase — from about 84 million in 2011-12, it has now crossed 100 million About CMIE It is a leading business information company (privately owned). It was established in 1976, primarily as an independent think tank. CMIE has a presence over the entire information food-chain - from large scale primary data collection and information product development through analytics and forecasting. Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Earlier, the NSSO used to conduct labour surveys quinquennially (5-year).Moreover, the five-yearly surveys used to come with a lag of over one or two years, thus reducing the possibility of timely analysis As the domestic labour market is becoming increasingly sensitive to national and global economic factors, policymakers felt the need to construct labour statistics at more frequent intervals. To fulfil this objective, the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) was initiated by the NSSO beginning April 2017. The PLFS is a continuous survey for generating estimates of labour force indicators on a quarterly basis for urban areas and on an annual basis for both rural and urban areas. Electoral bonds Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-II – Elections In News Electoral bonds worth ₹232 crore were sold in October, taking the total number of bonds sold from March 2018 till October 2019 to 12,313 and the total value to ₹6,128 crore, according to data shared by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) After the Lok Sabha election in May, bonds worth ₹45 crore and ₹232 crore were sold in July and October, respectively. In the run-up to the Lok Sabha election, bonds worth ₹822 crore, ₹2,256 crore and ₹1,366 crore were sold in May, April and March, Mumbai had the highest amount of bonds at ₹1,880 crore, followed by Kolkata at ₹1,440 crore, Delhi at ₹919 crore and Hyderabad at ₹838 crore, while all other cities accounted for ₹1,051 crore from March 2018 till October 2019, Notified in January 2018, the scheme has been offered in 12 tranches from March 2018 till October 2019. The bonds are sold by the State Bank of India and can be bought by Indian citizens or companies. Political parties can then redeem the bonds, which work as anonymous donations For mindmap on Electoral bonds, refer https://iasbaba.com/2018/01/iasbabas-mindmap-issue-electoral-bonds/ (MAINS FOCUS) POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests  Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Context: Deadline approaches for the  negotiations on the final agreement under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as the RCEP countries are expected to finalise in November 2019 The final ministerial meeting prior to that concluded recently, but with no final agreement in place.  The Leaders Summit, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking part, will to be held on November 4 in Bangkok, Thailand. [caption id="attachment_52107" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 2nd November 2019[/caption] Img: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/RCEP.png/500px-RCEP.png Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP): The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and its six FTA partners (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand). RCEP negotiations started in November 2012 at the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia. RCEP member states accounted for a population of 3.5 billion people with a total (GDP) of $49.5 trillion, approximately 39 percent of the world's GDP RCEP will be the world's largest economic bloc. Potential benefits: Brings stability to trade relations  Open up markets of each of the partner countries to the others Disadvantages: At a time when the U.S. and China are involved in a trade war, a trade grouping with China would mean that the other countries, including India, would be forced to take China’s side against the U.S. US and India are currently in talks on a bilateral trade deal, which could be put at risk India’s issues with RCEP: RCEP  would give China greater access to India markets.  Cheap imports from China have already been impacting India’s domestic industry India, under the agreement may reduce duties on 80% of items imported from China. Under this agreement, India would have to cut duties on 86% of imports from Australia and New Zealand India would have to cut duties on 90% for products from ASEAN, Japan and South Korea. There is the fear that companies might be forced to transfer huge royalty sums to foreign partners, instead of paying dividends to Indian shareholders. India would not be able to pursue its data localisation plans. Way forward: India should make clear its stance and stick to it. If it is joining, it should say so and reassure other countries, which would possibly reduce friction during negotiations.  If India is not going to join the group, experts say it should stick to the decision and not change its mind later. Connecting the dots: RCEP will be the world's largest economic bloc, covering nearly half of the global economy. Analyse ENVIRONMENT  TOPIC: General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment  Air pollution in Delhi (part 1) Context: All schools in Delhi will be shut until  (November 5) ,after the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) ordered a complete shutdown of construction in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Greater Noida. The action is part of a series of incremental steps to be taken under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Why? PM 2.5 concentration breached the 300 micrograms per cubic metre mark in the morning. PM( particulate matter): Mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.  Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, are large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye.  Others are so small they can only be detected using an electron microscope. Particle Matter  includes:     PM10 : inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10 micrometers and smaller; and     PM2.5 : fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller. [caption id="attachment_52108" align="aligncenter" width="436"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 2nd November 2019[/caption] Img: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/pm2.5_scale_graphic-color_2.jpg Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP): It was approved by the Supreme Court in 2016, and notified in 2017.  It comprises a series of measures that come into force incrementally as pollution increases. GRAP is an emergency measure. When the air quality moves from the ‘Poor’ to the ‘Very poor’ category, the measures listed under both categories (‘Poor’ as well as ‘Very poor’) have to be followed.  If air quality reaches the ‘Severe+’ stage, GRAP mandates that schools must be shut down, and the odd-even road-space rationing scheme must be implemented. Air pollution in India: Estimated to kill 1.5 million people every year India has the world's highest death rate from chronic respiratory diseases and asthma, according to the WHO.  Air pollution in Delhi: In Delhi, poor quality air irreversibly damages the lungs of 2.2 million or 50 percent of all children The air quality in Delhi, according to a WHO survey of 1600 world cities, is the worst of any major city in the world. Air quality index of Delhi is generally Moderate (101-200) level between January to September, and then it drastically deteriorates to Very Poor (301-400), Severe (401-500) or Hazardous (500+) levels in three months between October to December, due to various factors including stubble burning, fire crackers burning during Diwali and cold weather Connecting the dots: Nation's capital is called as a "gas chamber". Critically analyse (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Featured Comments and comments Up-voted by IASbaba are the “correct answers”. IASbaba App users – Team IASbaba will provide correct answers in comment section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1) Consider the following statements about ‘Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA)’ It was constituted with the objective of ‘protecting and improving’ the quality of the environment and ‘controlling environmental pollution’ in the National Capital Region. It was constituted at the behest of the Supreme Court. It is mandated to enforce Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as per the pollution levels. Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) CHAVANG KUT is a festival celebrated predominantly in which regions/state of India? Jammu & Kashmir Manipur Rajasthan None of the above Q.3) Mekedatu project often seen in news is being planned across which river? Godavari Narmada Barak Cauvery Q.4) Consider the following statements about Electoral Bonds It can be purchased from any of the Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) Interest will be given by the banks on these bonds. Electoral bonds will be valid till next Lok Sabha elections from the date of purchase. Which of the following statements is/are not correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1,2 and 3 Q.5) Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) is conducted by which body/organisation? NITI Aayog CMIE (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy) NSSO (National Sample Survey Office) None of the above MUST READ From bad to worse: On core sector output The Hindu The perils of post-370 diplomacy The Hindu In WhatsApp breach, follow the money trail The Hindu Bill for speedy resolution of water disputes should factor in recent SC verdicts IE On socio-economic indicators, Muslim youth fare worse than SCs and OBCs IE

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