Feb 4, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 3rd February 2020

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 3rd February 2020 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Coronavirus: India temporarily suspends e-visa facility for Chinese and foreigners residing in China Part of: GS Prelims –Sci & tech and GS-II - Health  In news: India temporarily suspended e-visa facility for Chinese travellers and foreigners residing in China in view of the coronavirus From Prelims Point of View e-Visa: The India e-Visa is an electronic authorization to travel to India for business, tourism, or medical visits.  When applying for an e-Visa, it is not necessary to submit your passport or other personal documents to the consulate. The e-Visa approval will be issued in advance electronically before your departure to India.  At the immigration checkpoint the actual visa will be placed inside your passport. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 3rd February 2020 Src: Click here Money earned in India by NRIs will be taxed Part of: GS Prelims –Economy  and GS-III - Budget In news : The Finance Bill has proposed three major changes to prevent tax abuse by citizens that don’t pay taxes anywhere in the world — reducing the number of days that an Indian citizen can be granted non-resident status for tax purposes from 182 to 120;  citizens who don’t pay taxes anywhere will be deemed to be a resident;  The definition of ‘not ordinarily resident’ has been tightened. Non-Resident Indian An Indian citizen who is ordinarily residing outside India and holds an Indian Passport. A person is considered NRI if She is not in India for 182 days or more during the financial year Or; If he/she is in India for less than 365 days during the 4 years preceding that year and less than 60 days in that year. Coronavirus : Study on bats and bat hunters in Nagaland  Part of: GS Prelims –Sci & Tech and GS-II – Health  In news: The government has ordered an inquiry into a study conducted in Nagaland by researchers from the U.S., China and India on bats and humans carrying antibodies to deadly viruses like Ebola. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 3rd February 2020 From Prelims Point of View: Filoviruses are a family of non-segmented negative-stranded RNA viruses, with Marburg virus and Ebola virus constituting two different species. In Kerala, 2,130 islands brought under CRZ regime Part of: GS Prelims –Environment   and GS-III - Conservation In news: 2,130 backwater islands of Kerala, including Maradu, have been brought under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) regime thereby imposing curbs on development activities. This is for the first time that the list of the Kerala islands is being drawn up. The list of the islands was prepared by the National Centre for Earth Science Studies Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) CRZ Notification 2018 is based on the recommendations of Shailesh Nayak committee. Coastal stretches of seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers, and backwaters were declared as CRZs under coastal zone regulation notification in 1991. CRZs have been classified into 4 zones for the purpose of regulation: CRZ-I: includes ecologically sensitive areas, where no construction is allowed except activities for atomic power plants, defense. CRZ-II: includes designated urban areas that are substantially built up. Construction activities are allowed on the landward side only. CRZ-III: includes relatively undisturbed areas, mainly rural areas. No new construction of buildings allowed in this zone except repairing of the existing ones. However, constructions of dwelling units in the plot area lying between 200-500m of the high tide line is allowed. CRZ-IV: includes the water area covered between Low Tide Line and 12 nautical miles seaward. Except for fishing and related activities, all actions impugning on the sea and tidal water will be regulated in this zone. Miscellaneous  National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS)  Research centre specialising in biological research (Bangalore) Under the Department of Atomic Energy  Basic and interdisciplinary research in the frontier areas of biology.  The research interests of the faculty are in four broad areas ranging from the study of single molecules to systems biology.  (MAINS FOCUS) Indian Economy Topic: General Studies 3: Government Budgeting. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. Key Highlights of the Economic Survey 2019-20 – Part 2 TARGETING EASE OF DOING BUSINESS IN INDIA A jump of 79 positions to 63 in 2019 from 142 in 2014 in World Bank’s Doing Business rankings. India still trails in parameters such as Ease of Starting Business, Registering Property, Paying Taxes and Enforcing Contracts. Electronics exports and imports through Bengaluru airport illustrate how Indian logistical processes can be world class. The turnaround time of ships in India has almost halved to 2.48 days in 2018-19 from 4.67 days in 2010-11. Suggestions for further Ease of Doing Business: Close coordination between the Logistics division of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Ministry of Shipping and the different port authorities. Individual sectors such as tourism or manufacturing require a more targeted approach that maps out the regulatory and process bottlenecks for each segment. 2019 GOLDEN JUBILEE OF BANK NATIONALISATION: TAKING STOCK Since 1969, India’s Banking sector has not developed proportionately to the growth in the size of the economy. India has only one bank in the global top 100 – same as countries that are a fraction of its size: Finland (about 1/11th), Denmark (1/8th), etc. The onus of supporting the economy falls on the PSBs accounting for 70 % of the market share in Indian banking: In 2019, investment for every rupee in PSBs, on average, led to the loss of 23 paise, while in NPBs (New Private Banks) it led to the gain of 9.6 paise. Solutions to make PSBs more efficient: Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) for PSBs’ employees Representation on boards proportionate to the blocks held by employees to incentivize employees and align their interests with that of all shareholders of banks. Creation of a GSTN type entity that will aggregate data from all PSBs and use technologies like big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning in credit decisions for ensuring better screening and monitoring of borrowers, especially the large ones. FINANCIAL FRAGILITY IN THE NBFC SECTOR Survey investigates the key drivers of Rollover Risk of the shadow banking system in India in light of the current liquidity crunch in the sector. Key drivers of Rollover Risk: Asset Liability Management (ALM) Risk. Interconnectedness Risk. Financial and Operating Resilience of an NBFC. Over-dependence on short-term wholesale funding. Analysis of a diagnostic (Health Score) by quantifying the Rollover risk provides an early warning signal of impending liquidity problems. The Survey prescribes to efficiently allocate liquidity enhancements across firms (with different Health Scores) in the NBFC sector, thereby arresting financial fragility in a capital-efficient manner. Privatization and Wealth Creation Survey examines the realized efficiency gains from privatization in the Indian context and bolsters the case for aggressive disinvestment of CPSEs.  Strategic disinvestment of Government’s shareholding of 53.29 per cent in HPCL led to an increase of around Rs. 33,000 crore in national wealth. Likewise an analysis of the before-after performance of 11 CPSEs which underwent strategic disinvestment from 1999-2000 to 2003-04 show Privatized CPSEs have been able to generate more wealth from the same resources THALINOMICS: THE ECONOMICS OF A PLATE OF FOOD IN INDIA  An attempt to quantify what a common person pays for a Thali across India. A shift in the dynamics of Thali prices since 2015-16. Absolute prices of a vegetarian Thali have decreased significantly since 2015-16 across India; though the price has increased during 2019-20. Post 2015-16: Average household gained close to Rs. 11, 000 on average per year from the moderation in prices in the case of vegetarian Thali. Average household that consumes two non-vegetarian Thalis gained close to Rs. 12, 000 on average per year during the same period. From 2006-07 to 2019-20: Affordability of vegetarian Thalis improved 29 %.  Affordability of non-vegetarian Thalis improved by 18 %. INDIA’S ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE IN 2019-20 GDP growth pegged at 6-6.5% in fiscal year starting April 1, up from 5% in current fiscal To achieve GDP of $5 trillion by 2024-25, India needs to spend about $1.4 trillion over these years on infrastructure Current Account Deficit (CAD) narrowed to 1.5 % of GDP in H1 of 2019-20 from 2.1 % in 2018-19 India’s BoP position improved from US$ 412.9 bn of forex reserves in end March, 2019 to US$ 461.2 bn as on 10th January, 2020. Net FDI inflows was US$ 24.4 bn in the first eight months and Net FPI in the first eight months of 2019-20 stood at US$ 12.6 bn. External Debt Rremains low at 20.1% of GDP as at end September, 2019. The Gross Non performing Advance Ratio: Remained unchanged for Scheduled Commercial banks at 9.3% between March and September 2019 Increased slightly for the Non-Banking Financial Corporations (NBFCs) from 6.1% in March 2019 to 6.3% in September 2019. Bank Credit growth (YoY) moderated from 12.9% in April 2019 to 7.1% as on December 20, 2019. Total formal employment in the economy increased from 8 % in 2011-12 to 9.98 % in 2017-18. About 76.7 % of the households in the rural and about 96 % in the urban areas had houses of pucca structure (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  When the annual Union Budget is not passed by the Lok Sabha ?  The Budget is modified and presented again The Budget is referred to the Rajya Sabha for suggestions The Union Finance Minister is asked to resign The Prime Minister submits the resignation of Council of Ministers Q 2.  What is the difference between “vote-on-account” and “interim budget” ? The provision of a “vote-on-account’’ is used by a regular Government, while an “interim budget’’ is a provision used by a caretaker Government A “vote-on-account’’ only deals with the expenditure in Government budget, while an “interim budget’’ includes both expenditure and receipts Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 only  2 only Both 1 and 2  Neither 1 nor 2 Q 3. Under which one of the following Constitution Amendment Acts, Bodo language was added to the list of languages under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India, thereby raising their number to 22?  Constitution (Ninetieth Amendment) Act Constitution (Ninety-first Amendment) Act Constitution (Ninety-second Amendment) Act Constitution (Ninety-third Amendment) Act ANSWERS FOR 01 FEB 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 C 3 A 4 C MUST READ About Analysis Budget https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/falling-short-of-aspirations/article30722733.ece https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/the-budgets-blurred-social-sector-vision/article30722735.ece https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/opinion-like-the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-that-did-not-bark-11580748596455.html

Feb 4, 2020 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 172

UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 172 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

Feb 4, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 1st February 2020

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 1st February 2020 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) 34th Surajkund International Crafts Mela inaugurated Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I- Culture In News The mela is held in Faridabad, Haryana and this year partner country is Uzbekistan and Himachal Pradesh is the theme-state It is being organized since 1987 to showcase the richness and diversity of handicrafts, handlooms and cultural heritage of India. Surajkund (literal meaning is 'Lake of the Sun') is an artificial Kund ('Kund' means "lake" or reservoir) which is said to have been built by the King Surajpal of Tomar dynasty in the 10th century Surajkund is located on Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli range in Faridabad city of Haryana. Economic Survey  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Economy In News The Economic Survey 2019-20 with the theme of ethical wealth creation was tabled in the Parliament by the Union Minister for Finance.(Details in the mains section) About Economic Survey It is an official government’s report on the state of the economy in the past one year, the key challenges it anticipates, and their possible solutions. The document is prepared by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) under the guidance of the Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Government is not constitutionally bound to present the Economic Survey or to follow the recommendations that are made in it Beijing Declaration  - 25 years of adoption Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I- Society In News The Beijing Declaration was a resolution adopted by the UN at the end of the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995.  The resolution adopted to promulgate a set of principles concerning the equality of men and women. It was a critical turning point in the world’s focus on gender equality and the empowerment of women. Huduma Namba – Kenya’s UID Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I- International Affairs In News New digital identification system (NIIMS) has been launched by Kenyan government whereby each citizen will be assigned a Unique Identification Number (UID) or the “Huduma Namba” (as it is referred to in Swahili) National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) is envisaged as a national population register which will be the single source of information about Kenyan citizens and foreigners resident in the country. Data collected for the purposes of the Huduma Namba includes place of birth, parentage, marital status, education background, employment status and biometrics including fingerprints and a photograph. Kenya has maintained that registering in NIIMS will be necessary to have access to all public services such as healthcare, housing, voting rights, driving license and passport making it difficult and some cases impossible to opt-out of the system Think! India’s Aadhar ecosystem Brexit Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I- International Affairs In News Britain has officially left the European Union (EU) and has become the first country to leave the 28-member bloc. However, nothing will change immediately because of the 11-month transition period (till Dec 31, 2020) negotiated as part of an EU-UK exit deal, 2019 During the transition, the UK will be officially out of the EU and not be represented on EU bodies but would still have the same obligations as an EU member. That includes remaining in the EU customs union and the single market, contributing to the EU’s budget and following EU law. OCI Cardholders Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Indian Polity In News Union government has told the Delhi High Court that Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders do not enjoy fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution The category was introduced by the government in 2005.  The Ministry of Home Affairs defines an OCI as a person who: Was a citizen of India on or after 26th January 1950; or Was eligible to become a citizen of India on 26th January 1950; or Is a child or grandchild of such a person, among other eligibility criteria. Also, an applicant is not eligible for the OCI card if he, his parents or grandparents have ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh. OCI cardholders have been merely granted statutory rights under Citizenship Act,1955 The Government of India via Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2015 merged the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) category with OCI category in 2015. Benefits to OCI Cardholders OCI cardholders can enter India multiple times, get a multipurpose lifelong visa to visit India, and are exempt from registering with Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). If an individual is registered as an OCI for a period of five years, he/she is eligible to apply for Indian citizenship. OCI cardholders can open special bank accounts in India, buy the non-farm property and exercise ownership rights and can also apply for a PAN card. Limitations of OCI cardholders OCI cardholders do not get voting rights, cannot hold a government job and purchase agricultural or farmland. They cannot travel to restricted areas without government permission. (MAINS FOCUS) Indian Economy Topic: General Studies 3: Government Budgeting. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. Key Highlights of the Economic Survey 2019-20 – Part I Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 1st February 2020 Pic Source: India Today WEALTH CREATION: THE INVISIBLE HAND SUPPORTED BY THE HAND OF TRUST Exponential rise in India’s GDP and GDP per capita post-liberalisation coincides with wealth generation. Also, the liberalized sectors grew significantly faster than the closed ones. Survey suggests strengthening the invisible hand by promoting pro-business policies to: Provide equal opportunities for new entrants. Enable fair competition and ease doing business. Eliminate policies unnecessarily undermining markets through government intervention. Enable trade for job creation. Efficiently scale up the banking sector. Introducing the idea of trust as a public good, which gets enhanced with greater use. Policies must empower transparency and effective enforcement using data and technology. ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND WEALTH CREATION AT THE GRASSROOTS India ranks third in number of new firms created, as per the World Bank. About 1.24 lakh new firms created in 2018, an increase of about 80 % from about 70,000 in 2014. A 10% increase in registration of new firms in a district yields a 1.8 % increase in Gross Domestic District Product (GDDP). Entrepreneurship at district level has a significant impact on wealth creation at the grassroots. Literacy and education in a district foster local entrepreneurship significantly:  New firm formation is the lowest in eastern India with lowest literacy rate (59.6 % as per 2011 Census). PRO-BUSINESS VERSUS PRO-MARKETS India’s aspiration to become a $5 trillion economy depends critically on promoting “pro-business” policy and weaning away from “pro-crony” policy, that may favour specific private interests, especially powerful incumbents. Viewed from the lens of the Stock market, creative destruction increased significantly post-liberalisation: Before liberalisation, a Sensex firm expected to stay in it for 60 years, which decreased to only 12 years after liberalisation. Post Liberalisation, every five years, one-third of Sensex firms are churned out, reflecting the continuous influx of new firms, products and technologies into the economy. Pro-crony policies such as discretionary allocation of natural resources till 2011 led to rent-seeking by beneficiaries while competitive allocation of the same post 2014 ended such rent extraction. Crony lending that led to wilful default, wherein promoters collectively siphoned off wealth from banks, led to losses that dwarf subsidies for rural development. UNDERMINING MARKETS: WHEN GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION HURTS MORE THAN IT HELPS Four examples of anachronistic government interventions: Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955 distorts The incentives for the creation of storage infrastructure by the private sector. Movement up the agricultural value chain. Development of national market for agricultural commodities. With raids having abysmally low conviction rate and no impact on prices, the ECA only seems to enable rent-seeking and harassment. Drug Price Control under ECA: The regulation of prices of drugs, through the DPCO 2013, led to increase in the price of the regulated pharmaceutical drug vis-à-vis that of an unregulated but similar drug. Solution: Government, being a huge buyer of drugs, can intervene more effectively to provide affordable drugs by combining all its purchases and exercising its bargaining power. Government intervention in Grain markets: Policies in the food-grain markets led to: Emergence of Government as the largest procurer and hoarder of rice and wheat. Crowding out of private trade. Burgeoning food subsidy burden Inefficiencies in the markets, affecting the long run growth of agricultural sector. The food-grains policy needs to be dynamic and allow switching from physical handling and distribution of food-grains to cash transfers/food coupons/smart cards Debt waivers: Analysis of debt waivers given by States/Centre: Full waiver beneficiaries consume less, save less, invest less and are less productive after the waiver, compared to the partial beneficiaries. Debt waivers disrupt the credit culture. They reduce formal credit flow to the very same farmers, thereby defeating the purpose. Creating Jobs and Growth by Specializing in Network Products Survey says India has unprecedented opportunity to chart a China-like, labour-intensive, export trajectory. By integrating “Assemble in India for the world” into Make in India, India can: Raise its export market share to about 3.5 % by 2025 and 6 % by 2030 Create 4 crore well-paid jobs by 2025 and 8 crore by 2030. Survey suggests a strategy similar to one used by China to grab this opportunity: Specialization at large scale in labour-intensive sectors, especially network products. Laser-like focus on enabling assembling operations at mammoth scale in network products. Export primarily to markets in rich countries. Trade policy must be an enabler (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 Economic Survey It is an official government’s report on the state of the economy in the past one year, the key challenges it anticipates, and their possible solutions Government is constitutionally bound to present the Economic Survey before tabling the Union Budget Which of the above statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Beijing Declaration often seen in news is related to which of the following field? Environment Conservation  Security in South China Sea Gender Equality and Women Empowerment None of the above Q.3) Consider the following statements about Surajkund International Crafts Mela It is being organized since 1987 to showcase the richness and diversity of handicrafts, handlooms and cultural heritage of India. It is being held in Himachal Pradesh in 2020 with partner Country as Maldives Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about Huduma Namba It is a Unique Identity Number provided to each citizen in Kenya It resembles the Aadhar system of India with regard to Centralised databases, use for availing public service and collection of biometric data Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 31 JAN 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 C 3 D MUST READ About Coastal Zone Regulations and Environment Sustainability: The Hindu About Agriculture : The Hindu About Corona virus impact on China: The Hindu

Feb 4, 2020 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 31st January 2020

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 31st January 2020 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) EXERCISE SAMPRITI Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Security In News It is a joint military exercise between India and Bangladesh which is hosted alternately by both countries. The ninth edition will be conducted at UMROI, Meghalaya, India from 03 Feb to 16 Feb 2020 Martyr’s Day Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I- Society, Modern History In News It is observed on 30th January every year in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi and his contributions to the nation. He was assassinated by Nathuram Godse in the Birla House during his evening prayers on 31st Jan 1948 23rd March is also observed as Martyr's Day to pay tribute to three revolutionaries of India namely Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar. Basant Panchami Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I- Society In News Basant Panchami or Vasant Panchami celebrated on 30th Jan marks the beginning of the spring season - Basant means spring and Panchami means "the fifth day" The day is also celebrated as Saraswati Puja It is more popular in Bengal, Odisha and North Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh. Beating Retreat Ceremony Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I- Culture In News It officially denotes the end of Republic Day festivities. It is conducted on the evening of 29 January, the third day after the Republic Day. It is performed by the bands of the three wings of the military, the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, and pipe bands from the Army, and from 2016 a massed formation of bands of the Central Armed Police Forces and the Delhi Police The chief guest of the function is the President of India. E-flows in River Ganga: 4 hydropower projects in upper Ganga violating e-flows Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Environment Conservation In News According to the Central Water Commission(CWC), the hydropower projects violating Ganga ecological flow (e-flow) norms. Vishnuprayag Hydroelectric project – Alaknanda Srinagar Hydroelectric project – Alaknanda Maneri Bhali Phase 2 – Bhagirathi Pashulok - Ganga Mainstream Centre’s ecological flow notification (under Environment Protection Act of 1986) mandates that project developers ensure a minimum supply of water all through the year CWC is the designated authority responsible for the supervision, monitoring, regulation of flows in the rivers About Central Water Commission Central Water Commission is a premier technical organization of India in the field of Water Resources, formed via notification in 1975 It is presently functioning as an attached office of the Ministry of Jal Shakti Country’s First Fruit Train Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Infrastructure In News This is the first time in India where ‘fruit train’ i.e. an entire train is being sent to the gateway port (JNPT) for export. From: Tadipatri Railway Station in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh To: Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai, from where the consignment will be exported to Iran. Cargo: 980 metric tonnes of locally (AP) grown bananas under the brand name “Happy Bananas” The train helps save both time and fuel as 150 trucks would have been required to send a consignment of this size by road to JNPT, which is over 900 km away (MAINS FOCUS) International Affairs Topic: General Studies 2 India and its neighbourhood- relations India-Australia Relationship India-Australia relationship has been traditionally characterised as one of the perpetually unfulfilled promises Historically, India-Australia relations suffered from at least four deep structural impediments. They are: The logic of the Cold War After the end of Cold war, Australia aligned with USA & sided with Pakistan whereas India adopted Non-alignment policy (at times tilting towards USSR). This prevented the growth of India-Australia bilateral relationship Progression in recent times With the end of Cold war in 1991 (disintegration of USSR) and simultaneous opening of the Indian economy, the logic of cold war has vanished India’s adoption of a free-market economic model and India’s growing closeness with the USA has enabled both India & Australia to come out of cold war closet and nurture their relationship India’s nuclear status outside the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This resulted in Australia taking a particularly strong stance against India’s 1998 nuclear tests, which came soon after French nuclear tests in the South Pacific. Progression in recent times However, the 2008 waiver granted to India by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the subsequent lifting by Australia of its uranium ban against NPT non-signatories, and a bilateral civil nuclear agreement between India & Australia in 2014-2015 largely addressed the matter. Absence of people-to-people content - “ The backdrop to this was the “White Australia” policy, which discouraged immigration from Asia Progression in recent times In recent years, however, Indian immigrants have been among the largest contributors to Australia’s population growth. In addition to the massive influx of Indian students, Indian tourists are also visiting Australia in larger numbers. Lack of economic content – It is here that both Nations are yet to exploit the full potential The trade between the two countries has been at a modest $31 billion, largely composed of resources like coal and other minerals. Negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement, which began in 2011, have not moved forward significantly. Weak Spots in Trade relationship The weakest link in India’s exports to Australia is in merchandise. India needs to look at three broad areas First, despite globalisation, markets are country-specific and culturally sensitive. Therefore, Indian companies need to research on Australian consumer expectations and lifestyles before entering the Australian market Second, Australia is a brand-conscious market while India has not created a single consumer brand of international acceptance. Third, innovation is emerging as the single-most-important factor for sustained success in every sphere. Innovation in Cricket like 20/20 format has kept the game alive and popular. Global trade cannot be different. Brighter Prospects in Future with regard to Trade India-Australia trade has been steadily evolving into a new architecture underpinned by developments in digital technology. There has been a noticeable shift in the trade basket from resources to services. Young Australians, like young Indians, carry the compelling vision of 21st-century globalisation, multiculturism and quality education. As a result, the young can see issues like immigration and outsourcing with far more equanimity than the older generation. India Economic Strategy 2035 Report prepared by Peter Varghese, a diplomat and former Australian High Commissioner to India. It observes that no single market over the next 20 years will offer more growth opportunities for Australia than India. Conclusion In recent times there has been a Strategic Convergence between India & Australia due to China’s assertiveness and economic profile, shared concerns about Southeast Asian cohesion, and anxieties about US’s strategic commitment to the Indo-Pacific. This strategic common interest should be expanded to increase the economic interlinkage between the two countries. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in the 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 Central Water Commission It is a premier technical organization of India in the field of Water Resources, formed via notification in 1975 It is presently functioning as an attached office of the Ministry of Home Affairs Which of the above statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Exercise Sampriti is a bilateral military exercise between India and which other country? Sri Lanka Nepal Bangladesh None of the above Q.3) Consider the following statements about Beating Retreat Ceremony It officially denotes the beginning of Republic Day festivities. It is conducted on the evening of 23 January, the third day before Republic Day. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 30 JAN 2020 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 B 3 A 4 C 5 C   MUST-READ About restrictions on free speech: The Hindu About rural poor & consumer expenditure survey: The Hindu About Corona Virus: The Hindu

Feb 3, 2020 AIR

Scope and Status of Inland Waterways and Tourism - All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC

Scope and Status of Inland Waterways and Tourism ARCHIVES Search 13th Jan, 2020 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx    TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation In India Inland waterways have been accorded a central role in maritime development in India. The National Waterways Act 2016, has declared 111 rivers or river stretches, creeks, estuaries in India as National Waterways. Navigation in rivers, lakes and other water bodies by smaller vessels connecting places not far from each other has been around for centuries, and been the mainstay of our inland waterways. In a few cases, especially near ports and coastal areas, this has also evolved to large-scale, commercial shipping. A Good Alternative Development of transport system using the connections between inland waterways is an alternative to automotive communication.  Introducing new types of inland and coastal ships that are technically advanced, environmentally friendly – to decrease the level of harmful emissions and amount of waste, which apart from the economy values also has significant ecological virtues.  Moreover, moving car transport onto waterway routes shall relieve the burden on land roads in international scale, increasing their flow capacity and driving safety and decreasing the level of atmospheric contamination and noise in areas directly adjacent to them. The National Waterways Act  Intends to create such large-scale, commercial shipping and navigation systems in all these 111 waterways. Expected to realise the potential of cargo and passenger traffic, including tourism and cruise, offer seamless connectivity at lower per-unit cost and make transportation more efficient. The project, in its entire implementation and operation phase, would generate a series of forward and backward linkages with prospects to penetrate deep into the economy. The multiplier effect of the investment and its linkages can result in a virtuous cycle of all-round growth.  Vast network: The National Waterways Act mandates the Central Government to regulate these waterways for systematic and orderly development of shipping and navigation activities. Spread across the Eastern, Western, Southern and Central regions of the country, these waterways cover nearly 15000 kilometres across 24 states and two union territories. They include the country’s 138 river systems, creeks, estuaries and related canal systems, and can be utilised as a channel to move passengers and cargo within the country and to the neighbouring countries. Working on Linkages: The waterways are also proposed to be linked to the eastern and western Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), as well as the Sagarmala Project, which aims to promote port-led direct and indirect development. The linkages are being planned in a manner such that commodities and cargo can be swapped/shifted from and to the waterways, the DFCs and road transport. The inland waterway in its full scope is conceived as part of an ambition to link several big infrastructure projects. Increased Investment: Inland waterway network has no continuous connectivity. It requires a multimodal network comprising water bodies and roadways, including culverts, bridges etc, to be developed. This involves investment in a large number of activities to be carried out for infrastructure development. Moreover, the Integrated National Waterways Transportation Grid plans to link many of the national waterways to each other and also to roads, railways and major ports. The capital cost of the Grid is estimated at Rs. 22,763 crores with phase-I (2015-18) estimated at INR 2,631 crore and phase- II (2018-23) at INR 20,132 crore. In addition, setting up of a large number of ports/terminals, riverside jetties, godowns, boat building workshops, repairing yards and ancillary industries, will spur investment opportunities. Advantages A fundamental alteration in the logistics scenario of the country: It represents a ready built infrastructure network, which can be utilised without any further capital investment.  The network requires no green field investment, but only capex for improvement/upgradation. Waterways can decongest roads, including highways by moving cargo away.  Waterways do not involve challenges associated with land acquisition, which has always been a sensitive issue, causing time and cost overruns of numerous projects.  The significant investment which India needs to build its roads/highways infrastructure network can be conserved through increased utilisation of the waterways. User charges can be levied to meet the expenses on maintenance of the waterways. Waterways are a cheaper mode of transportation vis-à-vis the available alternatives, significantly reducing the point-to-point cost of goods transportation.  “Inland water transport is recognised as fuel efficient, cost effective and environment-friendly mode of transport, especially for bulk goods, hazardous goods and over dimensional cargos. It also reduces time, cost of transportation of goods and cargos, as well as congestion and accidents on highways. They are expected to also “help create seamless interconnectivity connecting hinterlands along navigable river coasts and coastal routes” and “are likely to play a crucial role in connecting the north-eastern states to the mainland.” Implementation Challenges Implementation of the national waterways network is, however, fraught with challenges.  The channel draft of the national waterways is not uniform at 2 meters throughout the year, as is required. Some of these rivers are seasonal and do not offer navigability through the year. Around 20 out of the 111 identified national waterways have reportedly been found unviable.  Further, all the identified waterways require intensive capital and maintenance dredging, which could be resisted by the local community on environmental grounds, including displacement fears, thereby posing implementation challenges. Water also has important competing uses, viz. need for living as well as for irrigation, power generation etc. It would not be possible for local government/others to overlook these needs. The exclusive jurisdiction of the Central Government is only in regard to shipping and navigation on inland waterways declared to be ‘national waterways’ by an act of Parliament. Utilisation/sailing of vessels, in other waterways, is within the ambit of the concurrent list or is in the jurisdiction of the respective state governments. As every riverine system is unique and presents diverse challenges, separate studies based on a detailed micro-level review to assess viability need to be done for each, before taking up implementation. An effective waterways network would necessitate drawing up a well-coordinated strategy on lines of complementarity between the national network and other waterways, not declared as such, as well as between waterways and roadways/railways. The said strategy should closely look into the various undercurrents, including competing uses/needs, possible local resistance and also work closely and in coordination with local governments for quick and successful implementation of this important national project. Inland Waterways Authority of India IWAI is the statutory body in charge of the waterways in India. Its headquarters is located in Noida, UP. Its main function is to build the necessary infrastructure in the inland waterways, surveying the economic feasibility of new projects and also carrying out administration and regulation. It undertakes projects for development and maintenance of IWT infrastructure on national waterways through grant received from Ministry of Shipping. 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 Connecting the Dots: Examine the potential of inland water transportation in India.   Do you think national waterways in India must get greater policy attention? Critically examine. Waterways has been the most neglected mode for inland transportation in India. Examine. Discuss the challenges associated with waterways in India. How can their potential be tapped? What are the essential geographic conditions for a waterway? Do Indian rivers fulfill these conditions? Examine.

Feb 3, 2020 RSTV Video

Regulating Artificial Intelligence – The Big Picture - RSTV IAS UPSC

Regulating Artificial Intelligence Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. In News: One of the most powerful men in IT, Sundar Pichai, has backed regulations for artificial intelligence. While Pichai isn’t the first big tech executive to say so publicly, his voice matters, given that Google is arguably the world’s largest AI Company. Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk has been vocal about the need for regulating AI several times in the past. Musk even said that “by the time we are reactive in AI regulation, it’s too late". Microsoft president Brad Smith is another prominent person in tech who has called for regulation of AI.  Pichai, in an editorial, advocated for AI to be regulated keeping in mind both the harm and societal benefits that the technology can be used for. He also said that governments must be aligned on regulations around AI for “making global standards work".  While India has been vocal about the use of AI in various sectors, it is far from regulating it. A 2018 NITI Aayog paper proposed five areas where AI can be useful. In that paper, the think tank also noted the lack of regulation around AI as a major weakness for India.  Despite all the established entry modes into the global market, AI is yet to have a guidepost, be regulated or even be legally understood. Let’s take the example of Sophia: awarded citizenship under the laws governing citizens of Saudi Arabia, will she be permitted to drive from June 2018? Will she be allowed to purchase property? If she commits a crime, equal to the statement she said apparently by error i e, she wanted to destroy humankind, what punishment would be awarded? AI is wholly based on data generated and gathered from various sources. Hence, a biased data set could evidently lead to a biased decision by the system or an incorrect response by a chatbot. The point being, AI is growing mutli-fold and we still do not know all the advantages or pitfalls associated with it which is why it is of utmost importance to have a two-layered protection model: one, technological regulators; and two, laws to control AI actions as well as for accountability of errors. Accountability for Errors Let’s take the example of AI in the form of personalised chatbots. Chatbots are chat-based interfaces which pop up on websites with which customers can interact. These chatbots can either follow a scripted text or through machine learning (ML) and increased interaction deviate from the standard questions to provide a more human-like interaction. In the course of communicating with the chatbot, if a person were to divulge sensitive personal information for any reason whatsoever, what happens to this data? So in the case of an ML chatbot which does not work as per a scripted text and has collected sensitive personal information, who is responsible if Rule 5(3) is breached? The most obvious answer would be the business unit/company because the rules in the 2011 Rules state that “The body corporate or any person who on behalf of the body corporate…” collects information. However, could the business possibly avoid liability by claiming that it was not aware that the chatbot, due to its AI ability of machine learning, had collected sensitive and personal information? We do not have any clear provisions for advanced chatbots which do not work on a scripted text. With the lack of a clear provision in the law, accountability may take a hit. Additionally, what happens if an AI robot is given citizenship in India? Who is responsible for their actions? Or in case of autonomous car accidents, who is responsible for damage to property or harm caused or death of a person? Reflects existing social biases and prejudice Much recent research shows that applications based on machine-learning reflect existing social biases and prejudice. Such bias can occur if the data-set the algorithm is trained on is unrepresentative of the reality it seeks to represent. Bias can also occur if the data set itself reflects existing discriminatory or exclusionary practices. The impact of such data bias can be seriously damaging in India, particularly at a time of growing social fragmentation. It can contribute to the entrenchment of social bias and discriminatory practices, while rendering both invisible and pervasive the processes through which discrimination occurs. Even if estimates of AI contribution to GDP are correct, the adoption of these technologies is likely to be in niches within the organised sector.  These industries are likely to be capital rather than labor intensive, and thus unlikely to contribute to large scale job creation. Will replace low to medium skilled jobs At the same time, AI applications can most readily replace low to medium skilled jobs within the organised sector. This is already being witnessed in the BPO sector – where basic call and chat tasks are now automated. Re-skilling will be important, but it is unlikely that those who lose their jobs will also be those who are being re-skilled – the long arch of technological change and societal adaptation is longer than that of people’s lives. The Way Forward With all the positive impact AI has to offer, it is of utmost importance for the Government of India to establish sound data policies to ensure that the benefits can be materialized by society. Achieving meaningful results will depend on India’s ability to create an environment that fosters the development of AI and builds trust and confidence in the technology. AI systems are only as strong as the quantity and quality of the data that is available to them for training; if data cannot be accessed and shared, then AI will suffer. This means that the government has a critical role to play in the future of India’s AI landscape. Our laws need to be amended or new laws for AI technologies and processes will need to be adopted to fill up existing lacunae in the growing AI space. There is a need to form the basic guidelines which should be met on a national level for any AI activity – indigenous, foreign or even modifications to an open source AI. The guidelines would serve as the foundation for any amendments in the laws or brand new AI laws. In addition to developing AI applications and creating a skilled workforce the government needs to prioritize research that examines the complex social, ethical and governance challenges associated with the spread of AI-driven technologies. Blind technological optimism might entrench rather than alleviate the grand Indian challenge of inequity and growth. In fact the element of end-to-end ‘human involvement’ has been insisted upon by most AI advanced countries such as Canada, in order to ensure accountability and security of AI systems. Connecting the Dots: Analyse the need and challenges in regulating Artificial Intelligence in India.

Feb 3, 2020 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 171

UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 171 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

Feb 2, 2020 PIB

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 20th January to 26th January – 2020

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 20th to 26th January, 2020 ARCHIVES GS-2 Government of India and the World Bank sign USD 210 million loan agreement (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) The Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra and the World Bank signed a loan agreement of USD 210 million to support small holder farmers  Participate in competitive agriculture value chains Facilitate agri-business investments Increase market access and productivity in focus commodities Build resilience of crops to recurrent floods or droughts in the Indian state of Maharashtra The USD 210 million Maharashtra Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project will  Help build capacity of the nodal departments and institutions Increase private sector investments in agricultural value chains Remove constraints for producers and entrepreneurs in accessing emerging domestic and export markets Build the capacity of the state to respond to commodity-price fluctuations by providing access to timely information on markets and production trends Enhance adoption of climate resilient production techniques in the state The project will be implemented in all 36 districts of Maharashtra. Over one million farming households will directly benefit from the project. At least 43 percent of farmers and farm-workers participating in project activities are expected to be women. Specific focus will be given to women-led enterprises and the participation of women in the decision-making processes of farmer producer organizations. Current Situation: Many of these changes have led to several positive developments for Maharashtra where production is labour intensive (example, in horticulture and floriculture), is climate-resilient (pulse-based cropping systems increases resilience, e.g. pigeon pea intercropping leads to higher soil carbon sequestration than monocrop system) and responds to domestic and global market needs. Challenges: However a combination of increasing production and downturn in the commodity prices are affecting farmers’ profitability. Commodities like cotton, soybean, sugar, (covering 44 per cent of the cropped area in Maharashtra), are strongly influenced by global price movements. Broad shifts in the global prices of such commodities affect farmers who then find it difficult to cover the cost of production in many cases. The focus of the project on enhancing the capacity of the state to effectively manage and deliver agricultural technical support and services, increasing credit linkages to formal financing institutions, improving Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards and investing in business development services will help small holder farmers become more competitive and increase their links to organized domestic and export markets. Ministry of Rural Development signs MoU with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)  (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) The MoU reiterates DAY-NRLM and the Foundation’s shared focus on improving the lives of India’s poor and the marginalized with the aim of reducing poverty through institutions of marginalized rural women for promotion of diversified and gainful self-employment while creating skilled wage employment opportunities. Strives to remove barriers such as poor health, gender inequality and lack of opportunities for women’s entrepreneurship while providing them access to financial institutions and markets The foundation’s support will include assistance in improving implementation quality, documenting best practices, and designing of monitoring learning and evaluation. The scheme lays special emphasis on targeting the poorest and the most vulnerable communities, as it recognizes the need to address barriers to their development.  DAY-NRLM is also building social capital and ensuring financial linkages to alleviate poverty and enhance the quality of the life of rural poor women. It has ambitious plans on innovations for alternate channels of financial inclusion like digital finance, creating value chains around rural products, improving market access, rural enterprise and also creating awareness on social development issues and services.   Cabinet approves  MoUs among India, Tunisia and Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission for elections for cooperation in the field of electoral management and administration: The MOUs would promote bilateral cooperation, aimed at building technical assistance/ capacity support for the Independent High Authority for Elections of Tunisia (ISIE) and the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission (PNGEC) for elections for cooperation in the field of electoral management and administration, envisaging cooperation in the field of electoral management and administration and providing a leg-up to such bodies in conducting elections in their respective countries. This would also result in bolstering India's international relations. Model MoU with foreign countries for unilateral/bilateral recognition of Certificates of Competency of seafarers: The unilateral MoU would facilitate unilateral recognition by another country of the certificates issued by the Directorate General of Shipping to Indian seafarers, without seeking similar recognition by India of the certificates issued by that country. Indian Seafarers, therefore, will be eligible to be placed on ships under the flag of that country for employment, thus leading to increased employment opportunities. The proposed bilateral MoU will enable India and another country with which such an MoU may be entered, to mutually recognize maritime education and training, certificates of competency, endorsements, documentary evidence of training and medical fitness certificates, issued to the seafarers who are citizens of respective countries in accordance with the provisions of regulation 1/10 of the STCW Convention. The bilateral MoU would therefore, make the seafarers of both the countries to be eligible for employment on ships of either party based on the certificates so recognized.  India being a seafarer supplying nation with large pool of trained seafarers will stand to be benefitted. Agreement between India and Brazil on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters: The Agreement aims to enhance effectiveness of both the countries in investigation and prosecution of crime through cooperation and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. In the context of transnational crime and its linkages to terrorism, the proposed Agreement will provide a broad legal framework for bilateral cooperation with the Federative Republic of Brazil in investigation and prosecution of crime as well as in tracing, restraint and confiscation of proceeds and instruments of crime as well as the fund meant to finance terrorist acts. Extension, of tenure of the Commission constituted under Article 340 of the constitution to examine the issue of sub-categorization within Other Backward Classes in the Central List The Communities in the existing list of OBCs which have not been able to get any major benefit of the scheme of reservation for OBCs for appointment in Central Government posts & for admission in Central Government Educational Institutions are expected to be benefitted upon implementation of the recommendations of the Commission. The Commission is likely to make recommendations for benefit of such marginalized communities in the Central List of OBCs. All persons belonging to the castes/communities which are included in the Central List of SEBCs but which have not been able to get any major benefit of the existing scheme of reservation for OBCs in Central Government posts & for admission in Central Government Educational Institutions would be benefitted. MoU between India and Brazil for cooperation in the oil and natural gas sector: The MoU will enhance cooperation between the two sides in oil and natural gas sector. Under the MoU, both sides will work towards establishing cooperation in the E&P initiatives in Brazil and India, research & development in this sector, explore collaboration in Liquefied Natural Gas projects in Brazil, India and third countries, and also encourage collaboration in oil energy and environmental issues, including energy policies such as energy efficiency, energy research development and expansion of the regional energy infrastructure networks. Signing of MoU between Brazil and India for bilateral cooperation in the field of early childhood: It will strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries and increase bilateral cooperation on the issues of early childhood care.  Both countries will benefit from exchange of best practices of the respective countries in the field of early childhood. MoU between India and Brazil on Cooperation in field of Geology and Mineral Resources: The MoU will provide an institutional mechanism between Geological Survey of India, Ministry of Mines of the Republic of India and Geological Survey of Brazil – CPRM, Ministry of Mines and Energy of the Federative Republic of Brazil for cooperation in field of Geology and Mineral Resources. GS-3 India achieves complete phase out of one the most potent ozone depleting chemical (Topic: Climate Change) India has successfully achieved the complete phase out of Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-141 b, which is a chemical used by foam manufacturing enterprises and one of the most potent ozone depleting chemical after Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). (HCFC)-141 b is used mainly as a blowing agent in the production of rigid polyurethane (PU) foams. The phase out of HCFC-141b from the country has twin environmental benefits viz.  (i) Assisting the healing of the stratospheric ozone layer (ii) Towards the climate change mitigation due to transitioning of foam manufacturing enterprises at this scale under HPMP to low global warming potential alternative technologies. Steps taken by Government India had proactively and successfully taken the challenge of complete phase out of Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-141 b, which is a chemical used by foam manufacturing enterprises. Nearly, 50 % of the consumption of ozone depleting chemicals in the country was attributable to HCFC-141 b in the foam sector. The polyurethane foam sector has links with important economic sectors related to buildings, cold storages and cold chain infrastructure, automobiles, commercial refrigeration, domestic appliances such as refrigerators, water geysers, thermoware, office and domestic furniture applications, specific high value niche applications etc. In India, the foam manufacturing sector is mix of large, medium and small enterprises having varying capacities, with preponderance of MSMEs. Many of the MSMEs operate largely in the informal sector. As part of the Government’s commitment for moving towards environment friendly technologies, in a significant first, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) brought out a notification in the Gazette of India through which the issuance of import license for HCFC-141b is prohibited from 1st January, 2020 under Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Amendment Rules, 2019 issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. HCFC-141b is not produced in the country and all the domestic requirements are met through imports. With this notification, prohibiting the import of HCFC-141 b, the country has completely phased out the important ozone depleting chemical. Simultaneously, the use of HCFC-141 b by foam manufacturing industry has also been closed as on 1st January, 2020 under the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Amendment Rules, 2014. To ensure minimal dislocation in the sector and for enhancing the capacities of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in converting to low-GWP non-ODS technologies, training and awareness programmes on non ODS and low GWP alternatives to HCFCs including adoption of such alternatives have been organized in close collaboration with Industry and MSMEs will also be facilitated for adequate tie-ups with system houses, laboratories for getting their material tested, etc, in addition to organizing study tours, field visits, etc. Prelims oriented News National Voters’ Day: 26th Jan; Theme: Electoral Literacy for Stronger Democracy Chief Justice of India: Mr. Justice S.A. Bobde President of the Federative Republic of Brazil: Mr Jair Bolsonaro Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep: Ross Island of Andaman & Nicobar Island First Chief Election Commissioner of India: Sukumar Sen; Sh Sen had served as the first Chief Election Commissioner of India from 21st March 1950 till 19th December, 1958. Article 6th of the Paris Convention for the protection of Industrial property of 1883 (1967 Stockholm Act) protects armorial bearings, flags and other State emblems as well as official signs and hallmarks of the States party to the Paris Convention.  The signs published with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) under this act are prevented from being registered or used as trademarks, across the world, without authorization.  KVIC is fighting cases in several countries for violation of the Khadi Mark Regulations. The regulations issued in 2013 by the Ministry of MSME, empowered KVIC to grant ‘Khadi Mark’ registration and take royalties from any producer using the Khadi Mark.  In continuation, KVIC has issued notices against 600 entities in India, including a renowned garment chain and 3 entities in the International market for misusing these symbols and indulging in unfair trade practices in the recent past. Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar: In the aftermath of any disaster, many organisations and individuals work silently but effectively to alleviate suffering of the affected population.  A good deal of work is done in research/ innovations in early warning, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, rescue, relief and rehabilitation.  In order to recognise the excellent work done by individuals and institutions in India in the field of disaster management, Government of India has instituted an annual award known as Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar.  The award is announced every year on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Critically Analyse: Artificial Intelligence can play a significant role in judicial functioning. Consensus is the lifeblood of Democracy. Discuss: Tax Invasion is a Social Injustice to fellow citizens. Netaji Subhash Chandra continues to be the guiding light for Indian youth in 21st century. A movement of ethics must be initiated at all levels in governance of the country. India needs Process Reengineering in governance. The new decade of 2020, has brought a new ray of hope in the life of the Bru-Reang community.

Feb 2, 2020 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – What is a Thought? – Inspirational Educative Articles

What is a Thought? You could have very well asked, “What is life?” or, “What is the universe?” A thought is not an isolated phenomenon - it is not some thing. A thought is not an object that you can point to and say, “This is a thought.” One has to look at the question, “What is a thought?” from the perspective of the questioner. To the one who is questioning, a thought is a mystery, and he wants to understand what it is. Now, who is the questioner? Who really wants to know what a thought is and why? If you actually think about it, you are not the questioner here. The question is coming from a thought. It is as if a thought is seeking to know more about thoughts. Even the question, “What is a thought?” is a part of your thought process, so obviously this cannot be your question. Of course you are asking the question, but in reality the question is simply being asked through you. It is not your desire to know what a thought is, but it is the desire of a thought. This is how deep you are lost in your thoughts. Knowing the difference between you and your thoughts is one of the hardest things to do. Since you are so deeply lost in your thoughts, it is impossible to answer the question, “What is a thought?” directly. The only way for you to understand what a thought is, is by going beyond thoughts completely. When you reach a zone of your mind where there are no thoughts, when you reach the absolute silence of your mind, you will know what a thought is. For a moment, imagine that this light has been on forever. Without turning it off, how can I explain what light is? I can at the most say that light makes things visible, but I can never truly explain what light is. Light is not something you can point to, like an object, and say, “This is light.” Light is a phenomenon that can be recognized only through its effects. The effect of light is that it makes things visible. If you don’t believe that there is such a thing as light, or if you don’t understand what light is, the simplest thing I can do is just switch off this light. In a single moment, you will know what light is - not in terms of what it is made of - but you will know what its function is. Similarly, when your thoughts are turned off, even for a single moment, you will know what a thought is. You will know the purpose of a thought, the meaning of a thought, and why you think so much.

Jan 31, 2020 RSTV Video

Multiple State Capitals & Governance – The Big Picture - RSTV IAS UPSC

Multiple State Capitals & Governance Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. In News: The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020 that intended to give shape to state government's plan of having three capitals —  Executive capital in Visakhapatnam Legislative in Amaravati Judicial in Kurnool The amendments to the Bill proposed by the Opposition Telugu Desam Party were rejected by the House.  The cabinet chaired by Reddy approved  The proposal on three capital cities aimed at “decentralised and inclusive development of all regions of the state” Repealing the Capital Region Development Authority Act and establishes the Amaravati Metropolitan Development Authority.  The ruling YSR Congress Party has also reportedly decided to scrap the state’s Upper House as it is miffed with the Legislative Council stalling bills.  Issue of multiple state capitals [caption id="attachment_56608" align="aligncenter" width="632"] Multiple State Capitals & Governance – The Big Picture - RSTV IAS UPSCMultiple State Capitals & Governance – The Big Picture - RSTV IAS UPSC[/caption] Rationale for three capitals It is against building one mega capital while neglecting other parts of the state. They do not want to develop one area utilising all our available financial resources while other areas suffer due to lack of funds. Historically recommended: According to the government, decentralisation was the central theme in recommendations of all major committees that were set up to suggest a suitable location for the capital of Andhra Pradesh. It had been agreed in the November 16, 1937 Sri Bagh Pact (between leaders of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema) that two university centres should be established in Waltair (Visakhapatnam) and Anantapur in Rayalaseema, and that the High Court and Metropolis should be in the coastal districts and Rayalaseema respectively. In December 2010, the Justice B N Srikrishna Committee, set up to look into the demand for a Telangana state, said Rayalaseema and North Coastal Andhra were economically the most backward, and the “concentration of development efforts in Hyderabad is the key reason for demand of separate states”. In August 2014, the K Sivaramakrishnan Committee appointed to identify locations for the new capital of AP said the state should see decentralised development, and that one mega capital city was not desirable. G N Rao Committee: A Committee constituted by the YSRCP government under former IAS officer G N Rao, in its December 2019 report, recommended three capitals for balanced growth, and four regional commissionerates along the lines of Karnataka. BCG recommendation: The government sought an opinion from the global management consulting firm Boston Consultancy Group, which on January 3, 2020, recommended that Visakhapatnam should be the seat of the Governor, Chief Minister, and all government departments, and a High Court Bench, and have provisions for a Legislative Assembly for use in an emergency; Vijayawada/Amaravati should have the Assembly and a High Court Bench; Kurnool should have the High Court and tribunals. High-powered Committee: A high-power Committee appointed by the government to study the recommendations of the G N Rao Committee and the BCG suggested that the state should be demarcated into zones with separate zonal planning and development boards in order to ensure inclusive development, and that infrastructure projects focussed Rayalaseema and North Coastal Andhra should be prioritised. The issues associated with this Assembly meet: The government argues that the Assembly meets only after gaps of several months, and government Ministers, officers, and staff can simply go to Amaravati when required. However, coordinating between seats of legislature and executive in separate cities will be easier said than done, and with the government offering no specifics of a plan, officers and common people alike fear a logistics nightmare. Distance: The AP Police are headquartered in Mangalagiri, 14 km from Vijayawada, and senior IPS officers who may be required to visit the Secretariat will have to travel 400 km to Visakhapatnam. Likewise, government officers who may have to appear in the High Court will have to travel 700 km to Kurnool, which does not have an airport. All officers and Ministerial staff who may have to be at hand to brief Ministers when the Assembly is in session, will probably have to stay put in Amaravati, leaving behind their other responsibilities in Visakhapatnam. Where else do we see this? South Africa - Three cities serve as capitals of the country– Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial). This arrangement was a result of the Second Boer War (1899-1902) in which Britain annexed the two Afrikaner speaking states -– the Orange Free State and the South African Republic (also called Transvaal Republic). Cape of Good Hope then remained in the British Empire, becoming self-governing in 1872, and uniting with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa in 1910. Sri Lanka - Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the official capital and seat of national legislature, while Colombo is the de facto seat of national executive and judicial bodies. Malaysia - has its official and royal capital and seat of national legislature at Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya is the administrative centre and seat of national judiciary. Maharashtra has two capitals– Mumbai and Nagpur (which holds the winter session of the state assembly).  Himachal Pradesh has capitals at Shimla and Dharamshala (winter).  The former state of Jammu & Kashmir had Srinagar and Jammu (winter) as capitals. Connecting the Dots: Is it easy to scrap the legislative council? Examine this in context with the decision of scrapping of the Andhra Pradesh’s Upper Assembly.