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Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 54

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 54 Archives Q.1) Chogyal Dynasty is associated with Sikkim Karnataka Nagaland Haryana Q.2) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Biosimilars’ They are also called as ‘Generic Drugs’ They are copies of synthetic drugs. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Which one of the following statements appropriately describes the “fiscal stimulus”?  It is a massive investment by the Government in manufacturing sector to ensure the supply of goods to meet the demand surge caused by rapid economic growth It is Government’s intensive action on financial institutions to ensure disbursement of loans to agriculture and allied sectors to promote greater food production and contain food inflation It is an extreme affirmative action by the Government to pursue its policy of financial inclusion It is an intense affirmative action of the Government to boost economic activity in the country Q.4) The Amazon rainforest is spread over which of the following countries? Brazil Peru Colombia Uruguay Select the correct code: 1 and 2 1, 2 and 3 1, 3 and 4 2, 3 and 4 Q.5) Doyang Lake, famous as a roosting site for longest travelling raptors Amur Falcons is located in which state?  Nagaland Manipur Meghalaya Arunachal Pradesh To Download the Solution - Click here All the Best  IASbaba

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 21st August 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Aadhaar-social media profile linking Part of: GS Mains II - Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability In News There is growing demand to link social media profiles of users with their Aadhaar numbers to check circulation of fake, defamatory and pornographic content, as well as material that is anti-national or related to terror activities. As a result, petitions - to link aadhar & user profile - have been filed against Social media platforms (like Facebook) in different High Courts of India Facebook has in turn filed a plea in Supreme Court, to transfer all such petitions pending before different high courts to Supreme Court for adjudication. Facebook contended that there were four petitions - two in the Madras High Court and one each in the Bombay and the Madhya Pradesh High Courts - on the issue. There was a risk that the different High Courts may arrive at conflicting decisions on the issue of Aadhaar linkage. It would be better to have the SC take the final call.  The Supreme Court stressed the need to find a balance between the right to online privacy and the right of the State to detect people who use the web to spread panic and commit crimes. Governments response on the issue is crucial given that SC has upheld the right to privacy as a fundamental right in 2017 Electric Vehicles Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Economy In News Low-quality Chinese batteries could slow down India’s EV drive Chinese government has nudged its battery makers to move up the value chain by recalibrating its subsidy regime. China used to provide subsidies to e-scooters with small batteries of short range and with 25kmph speed. Now they have stopped the subsidies on those low-technology EVs and are providing subsidies only to high-range, high-density batteries and to EVs with a longer range As a result, manufacturers of older models unable to sell their products in their domestic market (China) are exporting their low quality batteries to India As batteries dominate costs of electric vehicles, some Indian developers tend to buy poor quality Chinese modules to meet cost pressures and timelines. This comes against the backdrop of India’s FAME 2 scheme—to expand commercial vehicle fleet—announced with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore in March. It is imperative to get cell cost and parameters like energy density (size and weight), lifecycles, safety, temperature tolerance right, so that its batteries are manufactured in India and suited to Indian conditions. Do You know? India is currently giving final touches to a plan to build Tesla-style giga factories to develop its own domestic battery manufacturing ecosystem.  This involves a raft of incentives such as concessional financing options, friendly tax regimes and a suitable basic customs duty safeguard According to NITI Aayog, India will need six such gigawatt-scale facilities (of 10GWh each) by 2025 and 12 by 2030.  Besides electric vehicles, such battery storages will cater to electricity grids, given the intermittent nature of electricity from clean energy sources such as solar and wind.  Lake Conservation Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Environmental Conservation In News The Odisha Wetland Authority has approved implementation of an integrated management plan for Chilika and Ansupa lakes at an estimated cost of Rs 180 Crore. Chilika, country’s largest brackish water lagoon, is spread over 1,100 sq km. Lakhs of tourists visit the lake to watch endangered Irrawaddy dolphins and migratory birds during winter Ansupa, Odisha’s largest freshwater lake, is spread over almost 2 sq km. Ansupa is famous for its sweet water fish and is also the wintering ground for 32 species of migratory birds. The five-year management of lakes is intended at strengthening livelihood of thousands of fishermen relying on the two water-bodies. Besides, tourism promotion and conservation of ecology will be taken up. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) & Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS III - Science and Technology In News Treating drug-resistant tuberculosis – like MDR-TB and XDR-TB - got a boost after U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug Pretomanid.  Pretomanid is only the third new anti-TB drug approved for use by FDA in more than 40 years. The drug was developed and tested in clinical trials by New York-based non-profit organisation TB Alliance The duration of treatment for drug-resistant TB can be drastically cut from 18-24 months to just six-nine months when pretomanid drug is used along with two already approved drugs — bedaquiline and linezolid.  The all-oral, three-drug regimen can also vastly improve the treatment success rate (presently it is 30% -50%) and potentially decrease the number of deaths due to better adherence to treatment. Do You know? Worldwide, TB has surpassed HIV-AIDS as the leading cause of death due to infectious diseases. In 2017, over 13 lakh people died of the disease. People with TB who do not respond to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, which are first-line TB drugs are said to have MDR-TB.  People who are resistantto isoniazid and rifampin, plus any fluoroquinolone and at least one of three injectable second-line drugs (amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin) are said to have XDR-TB.  According to WHO reports an estimated 4.5 lakh people across the world have MDR-TB and nearly 37,500 people have XDR-TB.  India has 24% of MDR-TB cases in the world. (MAINS FOCUS) URBANISATION  Topic: General studies 2 Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections Urbanise India to eliminate poverty CONTEXT: Sustainable urbanisation can mobilise India’s potential. The world is at 55.3% urbanisation on average, whereas India lags at 34%. India must systematically urbanise and provide mass-employment to its large population in high-growth sectors like industry and services.  Can we grow enough food with a reduced agriculture workforce? World Bank data shows that with only 1.3% of its workforce in farms, the US produces enough food to feed double its population.  In 2017, median farming household income was $75,994, which exceeded the $61,372 US household median.  China, with 27% of its workforce involved in farming, produces 500 million tonnes of food every year with less arable land than India. India, in comparison, produces 290 million tonnes of food with a 43% agriculture workforce when 20% would suffice.  With higher yield and productivity, a smaller agriculture workforce will earn comparably with industry and services. The case for urbanisation is evident when we examine state-wise data.  The accompanying graphic shows urban percentage, per-capita GSDP, higher education Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), and Total Fertility Rate (TFR) for representative states.  GER is an indicator of human capital development; crucial for high-growth sectors like services.  TFR indicates whether a population is shrinking or expanding and is vital to policy planning,  States in the South-West zones: These states are more urbanised. All above the 31% all-India average. These states also have low TFR, considerably below the national average of 2.18. Low fertility and high GER has resulted in better educated, smaller populations that are earning more than their northern counterparts. Tamil Nadu (TN): It has India’s highest GER, at 48.6, and one of the lowest TFRs, at 1.7. In 2011 itself, we can see TN is most urbanised at 48.4%, with an already-high GER of 40. No other big Indian state attained a GER of 40 even in 2017-18. Rapid urbanisation has boosted TN’s enrolment in higher education. However, regressive focus on caste politics has taken away from growth.  Though TN had the second-highest per-capita GSDP in 2011-12, growth is lower compared to states like Karnataka and Telangana, which are driven by services.  The TN government must converge on using high GER and urbanisation to drive its strong industry legacy and build a large services sector. Karnataka: Karnataka is an intriguing case. With one of the highest per-capita GDPs at Rs 2 lakh in 2017-18 and a reasonably high urban percentage at 38%, a reality check indicator is its lower GER of 27.8.  Data from RBI and the Economic Survey show 60% of Karnataka’s GDP comes from Bengaluru and the services sector—driven by IT and other technological drivers.  Like most southern states, TFR is low; but, the state sees significant immigration. Despite its large services sector, by defocusing on human capital  Karnataka’s government is placing natives in an unfortunate situation of being unable to compete for the best jobs in their state.  Karnataka must focus on urbanisation and development of human capital to remedy this, which will further boost the state’s impressive growth trajectory. Gujarat: Gujarat is another unusual case—high urbanisation at 43% but lower-than-average GER of 20.1. Gujarat’s steady growth and high per-capita GSDP of Rs 2 lakh are driven by its phenomenal industry sector, which accounts for more than half of GVA.  High dependency on industry, and not services, which contribute only 35% of GVA, means Gujarat’s growth will start slowing down when automation and other factors kick in.  With a TFR of 2.03, Gujarat’s population downturn is not as steep as southern states. Without the development of human capital, Gujarat is in danger of lagging in the future.  The answer to this is investing in higher education and building a strong services sector to complement its industry. Northern states  Punjab: Punjab stands out among northern states. It boasts a high urban percentage (37.5%), high GER (30.3) in 2017-18, and one of the lowest TFRs (1.62).  Despite this, Punjab still relies heavily on agriculture; its services and industrial output is lower than that of southern states.  With indicators of high urbanisation, high GER and low population growth, Punjab can easily make the transition to a high-growth economy focused on services, with the right policies. North-Central-East zones  Other states in the North-Central-East zones mostly have low urbanisation and low GER. The lack of urbanisation has resulted in a shortage of industry and services sectors and low per-capita GDP.  The populations in these states will keep growing in the foreseeable future, indicated by higher TFRs. Without employment options in high-growth sectors, these large populations cannot rely on agriculture or industry alone for growth. Services are a must. Uttar Pradesh has made a valiant effort to develop human capital—GER rose from 17.4 to 25.9 in six years.  Now, policies to boost output with labour-intensive industries (LIIs) and services to provide formal employment can increase growth. Bihar : Bihar is a troubling case study on the effects of low urbanisation and human capital. Only 11.3% of the population is urban. GER is the lowest in India and hardly growing—from 12.5 to 13 in six years. Per-capita GSDP is lowest, at `42,000 in 2017-18. Despite having fertile land, Bihar’s agriculture sector cannot grow because it is disorganised with a large number of dependents.  With India’s highest TFR—3.41—Bihar’s expanding population is condemned to a sub-aspirational existence due to the state’s stagnant economy.  Bihar needs special attention from the Centre, with focused schemes to organise the agricultural industry, urbanise and educate the masses, and provide mass employment through LIIs. Madhya Pradesh has set a good example here by prioritising agrarian growth as well as instituting LIIs to provide mass employment Conclusion: It is clear that every state—irrespective of prosperity or geographical location—is diverse. We are now in an era where the role of the Centre is increasingly limited, and state spending is growing. Each state must evaluate its economy—workforce distribution, sectoral contribution, demographics, formal employment, higher education and specialisation, unique growth drivers—and set a development plan. Connecting the dots: For India to make urbanisation sustainable, it must first tackle the problems of multiplicity of jurisdictions, weak revenue base and human resource capacity deficit that impact most of its cities. Analyse. How to harness the benefits of Urbanisation for more economic development. Discuss AADHAAR TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections Aadhaar –social media link Context: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stressed the need to find a balance between the right to online privacy and the right of the State to detect people who use the web to spread panic and commit crimes. A Bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Ghose expressed concern over the dangers of the dark web. The Bench’s comments were in response to submissions by Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government along with advocate Balaji Srinivasan, about the need to link social media profiles of registered users with their Aadhaar numbers, and if required, have platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp share the 12-digit unique identity with law enforcement agencies to help detect crimes. Arguments of Mr.venugopal in favour of linking Aadhaar with social media profiles: The linking of social media profiles with Aadhaar is needed to check fake news, defamatory articles, pornographic materials and anti-national and terror contents in the online media. He said the government found it a challenge to trace the ‘originator’ of such online content. The services of social media platforms, which were used to circulate such content, was the need of the hour. Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Kapil Sibal, representing social media platforms, said they had moved the Supreme Court for the sole purpose of transferring the proceedings pending in High Courts to the apex court for adjudication. Multiple cases: Facebook contended that there were four petitions — two in the Madras High Court and one each in the Bombay and the Madhya Pradesh High Courts — on the issue.  The court, as the highest court in the country, and not the High Courts, should decide the issue that affected the privacy of an online user.  A decision of the top court would cover the entire span of the country and would uniformly apply to all the States. Mr. Sibal said a decision of the Indian courts would have global ramifications. Both lawyers pointed out that a nine-judge Constitution Bench had declared privacy as a fundamental right associated with life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Mr. Venugopal asked why social media platforms have decided to approach the Supreme Court at this point of time.  Aadhaar : It is a 12 digit individual identification number issued by UIDAI (Unique identification authority of India) on behalf of Government of India  It will serve as identity and address proof anywhere in India.  It is available in 2 forms, physical and electronic form i.e. (e-Aadhaar).  Any resident (a person who has resided in India for 182 days, in the one year preceding the date of application for enrollment for Aadhaar) of India irrespective of age, sex, class can avail it.  The UID authority will authenticate the Aadhaar number of an individual, if an entity makes such a request.  A requesting entity (an agency or person that wants to authenticate information of a person) has to obtain the consent of an individual before collecting his information. Benefits of Aadhaar  JAM trinity –  Jan DhanYojana, Aadhaar and Mobile numbers – This will make the government support to poor more targeted and less distortive. Identification of the beneficiaries of the government’s welfare schemes – Aadhar will help to remove fake and duplicates identities. It can be used to filter the list of beneficiaries and stop the leakage of public money. To tackle the black money issue – Use of Aadhar in financial transactions can reduce the menace of black money in the country. In Income tax return – Use of Aadhar in income tax filing will reduce the number of documents needed. It can make the process more efficient and cost-effective way. In Opening a bank account – There is no need to collect multiple identity proofs or run around for documentation. Your humble Aadhaar Card is ample proof of your identity and address. In getting subsidies directly to the bank account – By linking Aadhar with bank accounts, subsidies like LPG will get credited to bank account directly. To get pension money on time – By just registering with the Aadhaar number, pension-related documentation process will be eased and a timely payout of pension money can be ensured. The issue of digital Life certificate – Aadhar number can be used to get a digital life certificate. It will help pensioners without the hassle of physically going to the bank and submitting the life certificate. Easy Provident Fund disbursement – The Aadhaar will ensure that the Provident Fund money is not diverted and is disbursed directly to the pensioner’s account. Accepted as a proof of address by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for investing in stock market. Mapping development parameters – In critical sectors of the country like healthcare and education, Aadhar can be used to map the development process. It can help to map skilled manpower, based on the vocational training acquired by the individual, to suitable job vacancies/ skill requirements of the State.  Legislative Backing for Aadhaar: How will it help? The Narendra Modi government introduced the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016 in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The legislation seeks to provide statutory backing to Aadhaar and enable targeted delivery of subsidies and other benefits to the intended beneficiaries. The Bill was introduced as a money Bill in the Lower House as it can be tabled and passed only in the Lok Sabha. However opposition parties have expressed concerns about calling Aadhar as Money bill. The issue of privacy has also been one of the sticky points in this regard. The article briefly deals with the issues involved. What makes the Aadhaar platform suitable for direct benefit transfer? It is transparent and has the potential to eliminate leakage. It does so by assigning a unique identity number to each resident. The identity remains unique because of the inclusion of biometrics like finger prints and iris. The platform offers benefits like portability to the beneficiaries. There are three important issues that are debated around: Tabling the Aadhaar as money bill the government is setting up a dangerous precedent. With this, the Rajya Sabha cannot make amendments to money bill passed by the Lok Sabha and can only make recommendations. It also has to return money bills to the Lok Sabha within 14 days from the date of their receipt, thus ensuring a time-bound process. Privacy concerns around the Aadhaar project have been numerous, given that it requires the use of biometric information such as fingerprints and iris scans of citizens. Critics claim that without appropriate checks and balances, this information isn’t secure, and that it can be misused by the state itself—to profile people. There needs to have a effective robust law to protect privacy of the citizens. The efficacy of biometric finger print is another issue that is not properly addressed. UIDAI in its various reports has come up with certain glitches that it faced during taking biometric details of a person. There are instances where people (especially in Villages) fail get proper thumb impression, apparently making them not eligible for subsidies. The government should come up with innovative solutions to address this issue The Supreme Court upheld the validity of India’s ambitious biometric identity project, ‘Aadhaar’, saying it benefited the marginalized and poor, but sharply reined in a government push to make it mandatory for various services. Aadhaar is meant to help benefits reach the marginalised sections of the society and takes into account the dignity of people not only from personal but also from community point of view. The panel ruled the programme had merits, but struck down provisions in the act that made its use mandatory in applications for services ranging from bank accounts to mobile telephone connections and school admissions. The court also ruled unconstitutional the use of Aadhaar by companies to establish an individual’s identity. Where is Aadhaar going to be required? Section 7 which states Aadhar is mandatory for any government scheme that draws out of the consolidated fund of India. This means that if you want to avail benefits such as ration, LPG subsidy, MGNREGA, you have to furnish your Aadhaar number or your Aadhaar enrollment ID. An individual has to furnish their Aadhaar number or the enrollment ID while filing Income Tax returns. It has made Aadhaar-PAN card linking mandatory as well as the requirement of Aadhaar when applying for PAN card. This is an indirect link to banks, where PAN card number is mandatory. It is this part that, in a way, makes it mandatory for you to obtain an Aadhaar number. What of the Aadhaar Act has the court struck down? Section 33(1) which allows disclosure of information, including identity and authentication records, if ordered by a court not inferior to that of a District Judge. Individuals should be given the opportunity of a hearing. Section 33(2) which allowed identity and authentication data to be disclosed in the interest of national security on direction of an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India. A Judicial Officer (preferably a sitting High Court Judge) should be associated with it and that the government should bring in legislation to this effect. Section 47 which referred to cognizance of offences. Under this Section, no individual was allowed to file a complaint if he/she felt their data was leaked or misused. The law only allowed the court to take cognizance of a complaint filed by UIDAI or anyone authorised by it. Any individual will now be allowed to file a complaint if he/she feels their data has been compromised. Section 57 refers to the use of Aadhaar data by any “body corporate or person” to establish the identity of an individual. Justice Sikri, in his judgment, found this section to be unconstitutional. It was under this provision that private companies like Paytm and Airtel Payments Bank sought Aadhaar details from customers. The court also ruled that authentication record should not be kept beyond the period of six months and the provision that allowed archive records for five years has been struck down. It has excluded storage of meta-data of transactions by individuals. This banning means UIDAI cannot collect data sets and mine it for more data or analysis. It has also struck down data sharing with corporates. The Supreme Court also called for Parliament to draft and pass a data protection law immediately. “We have also impressed upon the respondents to bring out a robust data protection regime in the form of an enactment on the basis of Justice BN Srikrishna (Retd.) Committee Report with necessary modifications thereto as may be deemed appropriate.” Connecting the dots: Are privacy concerns over Aadhaar valid? Critically examine. Recently government tabled Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016 as a money bill in the Lok Sabha thus completely bypassing Rajya sabha. Do u think this act of the government is harmful for the fedarilism of India. Comment. Address the outstanding issues associated with converting Aadhar in to an Act of Parliment? (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) In which case did Supreme Court ruled unanimously that privacy is a constitutionally protected right in India? K.S.Puttaswamy v Union of India. Kesavananda Bharati Vs State of Kerala. Indira Sawhney & Ors v. Union of India. None of the above Q.2) Pretomanid, bedaquiline and linezolid often seen in the news is related to which of the following? News vaccines for Malaria Banned drugs used in Poultry industry Treatment of drug resistant Tuberculosis None of the above Q.3) FAME India scheme is being implemented by which Union Ministry? Prime Minister’s Office Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Ministry of Electronics and IT Must Read Justice delayed Indian Express China and its quasi-colony Indian express The monk who shaped India’s secularism The Hindhu The competition law and data advantage conundrum Live mint

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 53

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 53 Archives Q.1) ‘Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA)’ is associated with BIMSTEC BBIN ASEAN SASEC Q.2) The term ‘Public Charge’ in relation with immigration was in news recently. It is associated with Poland United States of America France Australia Q.3) International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was set up by United Nations Environment Programme  World Economic Forum World Meteorological Organization Food and Agricultural Organization Select the correct code 1, 2 and 4 1, 3 and 4 1 and 4 1 and 3 Q.4) Which of the following products/services were developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)? RuPay BHIM Unified Payments Interface Immediate Payments Service (IMPS) *99# Select the correct code 1, 2, 4, and 5  2, 3, 4 and 5 1, 2, 3 and 5 All of the above Q.5) The end aim of ‘helicopter money’ is to Increase inflation Decrease inflation Boost consumer demand and spending Select the correct code: 1 and 3 2 and 3 1 Only 2 Only To Download the Solution - Click here All the Best  IASbaba

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - SANKALP Scheme- to Enhance Skill Development

SANKALP scheme- to enhance skill development ARCHIVES Search 4th August 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. Skill development; Education, Human Resources development SANKALP: Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion  The Scheme: SANKALP is an outcome-oriented centrally sponsored programme of Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) with a special focus on decentralised planning and quality improvement. It focuses on the overall skilling ecosystem covering both Central & State agencies.  SANKALP aims to implement the mandate of the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM). SANKALP has total project size of $675 million, including World Bank assistance of $500 million, in two tranches of $250 million each. Under SANKALP four key result areas have been identified viz:  Institutional Strengthening (at National, State & District level);  Quality Assurance Quality Assurance of skill development programs Inclusion of marginalised population in skill development Expanding Skills through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) The scheme has a six-year implementation schedule, and aims to  Create convergence among all skill training activities Improve quality of skill development programmes through building a pool of quality trainers and assessors model curriculum and content Establish robust monitoring and evaluation system for skill training programs, and more Enhancement of inclusion of underprivileged and marginalized communities including women, Scheduled Castes (SCs)/Schedule Tribes (STs) and Persons with Disabilities (PWD). It will also develop a skilling ecosystem that will support the country’s rise in Ease of Doing Business index. Across the country All 36 States/ UTs across country have submitted their consent for participation in SANKALP First year grants released by Ministry to 9 States (namely Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Manipur, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh).  Grants of Rs 10 lakh each also released to 117 aspirational districts under Aspirational Skilling Abhiyaan.  A robust IT system namely “Skill India Portal” has also been developed under SANKALP to capture and converge skill data. Way forward: Efforts need to be taken for strengthening the District Skilling ecosystem.  The perception of youth towards skilling needs to be improved. District Skill Committee (DSC) can play a pivotal role in counselling youth in their districts. MPs can be involved to review the performance of the District Skill Committee (DSC) and the different skilling efforts in their districts.  Training of the trainers is a key component of the ecosystem and same needs to be strengthened. The skill training centres should have quality infrastructure and the certificate issued to the candidate should be valued.  SANKALP can assist in converging the skilling efforts across different schemes of the ministries.  Further, the demand mapping of skilling requirements across sectors and geographies needs to be ascertained. Do you know? Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid foundation stone of the country’s first Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh to make India the Skill Capital of the World. About Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) The IIS is being opened by the Union Skill Development Ministry in partnership with the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore. The idea of IIS was conceptualised by PM Modi during his visit to Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education. Its primary objective is to empower India’s youth to be more employable and self-sustainable. The Union Skill Development Ministry has planned to set up six such institutes across country in coming years. Must Read:  SHREYAS Skill India: Learning to Compete

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th August 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Sulphur dioxide Pollution Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Environmental Pollution In News A new report by Greenpeace India shows that India is the largest emitter of sulphur dioxide in the world More than 15% of all the anthropogenic sulphur dioxide hotspots detected by the NASA OMI satellite (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) lies in India Almost all of these emissions in India are because of coal-burning The vast majority of coal-based power plants in India lack flue-gas desulphurisation technology to reduce air pollution The Singrauli, Neyveli, Talcher, Jharsuguda, Korba, Kutch, Chennai, Ramagundam, Chandrapur and Koradi thermal power plants or clusters are the major emission hotspots in India India had introduced, for the first time, sulphur dioxide emission limits for coal-fired power plants in December 2015.  But the deadline for the installation of flue-gas desulphurisation (FGD) in power plants has been extended from 2017 to 2022. Of the world’s major emitters, China and the United States have been able to reduce emissions rapidly. They have achieved this feat by switching to clean energy sources. https://images.indianexpress.com/2019/08/awsw.jpg?w=517&h=587&imflag=true Direct Tax Code 2.0 Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Economy In News The Task force headed by Akhilesh Ranjan submitted its Direct tax code (DTC) report to Finance Minister  In order to review the Income-tax Act, 1961 and to draft a new direct tax law in consonance with the economic needs of the country, a Task Force was constituted by the Government in November, 2017. Proposed DTC to have far fewer sections than over 700 in the Income Tax Act Addressing disruption caused by the US tax reforms last year, the panel has pressed for a corporate tax cut for domestic and foreign firms to 25 per cent. Presently it is 30 per cent for large companies and 40 per cent for foreign firms. However, foreign firms may have to pay branch profits tax on the amount repatriated to their foreign partner.  The panel has recommended Dividend distribution tax may be done away with. The task force suggested replacing the concept of assessing officer with assessment units, besides faceless scrutiny of cases picked through centrally and randomly allotted mechanism. Aimed at reducing tax litigation, it proposes a new concept of settling disputes through mediation between the taxpayer and a collegium of officers. Do You know? The US had cut the rate from 35 per cent to 21 per cent last year FM in 2019-20 Union budget had cut corporate tax for firms with an annual turnover of up to Rs 400 crore to 25 per cent from 30 per cent, covering 99.3 per cent companies.  Large companies (turnover larger than Rs 400 Crore) continue to be taxed at 30% along with surcharges & cess. Legislative Councils Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Indian Federalism In News The Madhya Pradesh government has indicated that it plans to initiate steps towards creation of a Legislative Council.  Currently, only six states have Legislative Councils  Under Article 169, Union Parliament has the power to create or abolish the Legislative Council on the basis of resolutions adopted by special majority in the Assembly of the concerned State. Under Article 171 of the Constitution, the Legislative Council of a state shall not have more than one-third of the number of MLAs of the state, and not less than 40 members.  Like Rajya Sabha, it is a permanent House and its members are elected indirectly by people Favour of Second House: It can help check hasty actions by the directly elected House, and also enable non-elected individuals to contribute to the legislative process Against Second House: A Legislative Council can be used to delay legislation, and to park leaders who have not been able to win an election. Do You Know? Unlike Rajya Sabha which has substantial powers to shape non-financial legislation, Legislative Councils lack a constitutional mandate to do so; Assemblies can override suggestions/amendments made to a legislation by the Council Andhra Pradesh’s Legislative Council, set up in 1958, was abolished in 1985, then reconstituted in 2007. The Odisha Assembly recently passed a resolution for a Legislative Council.  Proposals to create Councils in Rajasthan and Assam are pending in Parliament. https://images.indianexpress.com/2019/08/1-13.jpg Parker Solar Probe Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS III - Science and Technology In News On August 12, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed a year in service. It is part of NASA’s “Living With a Star” programme that explores different aspects of the Sun-Earth system. The probe seeks to gather information about the Sun’s atmosphere which will help better understand Sun It is also the closest a human-made object has ever gone to the Sun. The mission’s central aim is to trace how energy and heat move through the Sun’s corona and to study the source of the solar wind’s acceleration. The mission is likely to last for seven years during which it will complete 24 orbits Do You know? Arranged in layers, the sun varies in temperature: It is hottest at its center, and cooler in its outer layers — until it strangely reheats at the fringes of the sun's atmosphere (Corona) The centre of the Sun: about 15 million kelvin (K). Radiative Zone: Temperature falls from about 7 million to about 2 million K across this zone. Convection Zone: drops from 2 million K to 5800K in this zone. Photosphere: about 5800K, although sunspots are about 3800 K  Chromosphere: 4300 to 8300 K from inside edge to outside edge Corona (outermost layer of the Sun): about 2 million K (MAINS FOCUS) ENERGY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests General Studies 3: Infrastructure: Energy Renewable hybrid energy systems as a game changer  Context: India recently conducted two auctions for wind/solar hybrid projects. Both the auctions were under-subscribed, with bids totalling 1.56GW awarded to SB Energy, Adani Green Energy and Renew Power, against a total of 2.4GW on offer. Renewable hybrids can play a key role in helping India accelerate the decarbonisation of power generation and lowering the cost of electricity in the medium term. India has added 65-70GW of wind and solar capacity so far, with wind and solar contributing 9.5% of generated energy in May 2019. If the government target of 175GW is achieved by 2022, this share could exceed 15-16%. Renewable energy has three inherent challenges First, it relies on intermittent sources, producing energy only when the sun is shining or wind is blowing Second, its output is constrained to specific hours of the day;  Third, its use leads to lower utilization of transmission lines. This can create issues in matching peak power demand with renewable output (e.g. in evening hours when solar energy is not available), and raise costs of transmission.  Renewable hybrids can be one solution to the above issues.  A hybrid system can combine wind, solar with an additional resource of generation or storage. Let us take an example: in India, we observe that solar output is maximum between 11am and 3pm, while wind output is highest in late evening and early morning. Peak demand for power is reached in the evening hours of 6-9pm, which cannot be catered to by either wind or solar. If we can store some energy during excess renewable generation hours and release it into the grid during peak demand hours, the combined “hybrid" system can produce 24x7 clean energy in response to varying levels of demand through the day. The storage can take many forms, such as batteries, pumped hydro or mechanical storage through flywheels.  The intermittency of wind and solar could also be balanced by adding a fast ramping source of power; for example, an open cycle gas turbine.  The overall output of the hybrid system can thus be matched against a required load on an hourly basis. In this way, it can provide both base load and flexible power. Key notes: Hybrid systems are expected to become increasingly cost competitive, driven by reducing costs of battery storage and solar energy. India’s ministry of new and renewable energy released a solar-wind hybrid policy in 2018. This provides a framework to promote grid-connected hybrid energy through set-ups that would use land and transmission infrastructure optimally and also manage the variability of renewable resources to some extent. India is not the only country planning hybrid projects; 50-plus hybrid projects of MW-scale have already been announced or are under construction globally, with Australia and US being the leaders.  For larger capacities or longer duration balancing, pumped hydro is a viable storage solution, but is restricted by the lack of suitable physical locations. If the economics of hybrid systems do approach the above levels, our analysis indicates that they can potentially be competitive with 30-40% of existing coal-fired stations in India.  They can therefore become a viable solution to meeting future baseload power requirements, all at zero carbon emissions and future cost-inflation proof. Several leading Indian corporates are also showing active interest in increasing their usage of clean power if round-the-clock solutions are available. Connecting the dots: What policy and regulatory changes need to be made so that India can fully capture the potential of this interesting disruption in the energy sector? Should India continue to build new coal-fired plants to meet base load requirements, or could renewable hybrids take a significant share? Discuss. ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Bonds, yields, and inversions As talk of a recession gets louder globally, bond yields are being keenly watched. A government bond yield curve most accurately reflects what investors think about current and future economic growth prospects. What are bonds? A bond is an instrument to borrow money. It is like an IOU.  A bond could be floated/issued by a country’s government or by a company to raise funds. Since government bonds (referred to as G-secs in India, Treasury in the US, and Gilts in the UK) come with the sovereign’s guarantee, they are considered one of the safest investments.  As a result, they also give the lowest returns on investment (or yield). Investments in corporate bonds tend to be riskier because the chances of failure (and, therefore, the chances of the company not repaying the loan) are higher. What are bonds yields? Simply put, the yield of a bond is the effective rate of return that it earns. But the rate of return is not fixed — it changes with the price of the bond. But to understand that, one must first understand how bonds are structured. Every bond has a face value and a coupon payment. There is also the price of the bond, which may or may not be equal to the face value of the bond. What is happening to US govt bond yields at present? What does it signify? The global economy has been slowing down for the better part of the last two years. Some of the biggest economies are either growing at a slower rate (such as the US and China) or actually contracting (such as Germany). As a result, last week, US Treasury bond yields fell sharply as there was confirmation of slowdown in Germany and China. Reason: investors, both inside the US and outside, figured that if growth prospects are plummeting, it makes little sense to invest in stocks or even riskier assets. It made more sense rather, to invest in something that was both safe and liquid (that is, something that can be converted in to cash quickly). US Treasury bonds are the safest bet in this regard. So, many investors lined up to buy US Treasury bonds, which led to their prices going up, and their yields falling sharply. The fall in the yields of 10-year government bonds showed that the bond investors expected the demand for money in the future to fall. That is why future interest rates are likely to be lower. A lower demand for money in the future, in turn, will happen only when growth falters further.  So government bond yields falling typically suggest that economic participants “expect” growth to slow down in the future. And what is a yield curve, and what does it signify? A yield curve is a graphical representation of yields for bonds (with an equal credit rating) over different time horizons. Typically, the term is used for government bonds — which come with the same sovereign guarantee. So the yield curve for US treasuries shows how yields change when the tenure (or the time for which one lends to the government) changes. If bond investors expect the US economy to grow normally, then they would expect to be rewarded more (that is, get more yield) when they lend for a longer period. This gives rise to a normal — upward sloping — yield curve  What then is yield inversion, and what does it mean? Yield inversion happens when the yield on a longer tenure bond becomes less than the yield for a shorter tenure bond. This, too, happened last week when the 10-year Treasury yield fell below the 2-year Treasury yield. A yield inversion typically portends a recession. An inverted yield curve shows that investors expect the future growth to fall sharply; in other words, the demand for money would be much lower than what it is today and hence the yields are also lower. How good is yield inversion at predicting a recession? Although US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was quoted as saying Monday that “eventually there’ll be a recession but this inversion is not as reliable, in my view, as people think”, yet US data show historically that barring one episode in the mid-1960s, a yield inversion has always been followed by a recession. Connecting the dots: What are bond yields? Why are bond yields tumbling around the world? How rising bond yields will impact the savings? (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 Assertion (A): India is the largest emitter of sulphur dioxide in the world Reason (R): India does not have sulphur dioxide emission limits for coal-fired power plants. Select the correct answer from the codes given below? Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation for A Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A A is true but R is false. A is false but R is true. Q.2) Consider the following statements Nearly half of all States in India have legislative Council Under Article 169, President has the power to create or abolish Legislative Council 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 Parker Solar Probe It is launched by NASA as part of “Living With a Star” programme It is the closest a human-made object has ever gone to the Sun  The mission’s central aim is to trace how energy and heat move through the Sun’s corona Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 only 1 and 3 only 1,2 and 3 Must Read: Suggestions to rescue India from a structural slowdown Live Mint India biggest emitter of sulphur dioxide: report using NASA data Indian Express Something special The Hindu India, China review border situation  The Hindu

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 52

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 52 Archives Q.1) ‘Okjokull glacier’ was in news recently. It is associated with New Zealand Sweden Iceland Russia Q.2) “SATAT” initiative is under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas Ministry of Corporate Affairs Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs Ministry of Commerce and Industry Q.3) The mandate of ‘BASIC countries’ is Climate Change UNSC Reforms Climate Change WTO Negotiations Anti-Protectionism Q.4) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘NISHTHA’, which was recently in news. It is aimed at training non-engineering graduates for jobs in the market. It is launched by the Ministry of Skill Development Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Ashok Chawla Committee is concerned with  Army Pay Scales Long Term Food Policy Banking Supervision Allocation of Natural Resources To Download the Solution - Click here All the Best  IASbaba

PIB

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 4th Aug to 18th August – 2019

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 4th to 18th August – 2019 ARCHIVES GS-2 Government of India, Govt. of Tripura and National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT- SD) Sign Memorandum of Settlement (Topic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.) NLFT has been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act since 1997 and has been involved in violence, operating from their camps across the international border. NLFT has been responsible for violent activities including 317 insurgency incidents in which 28 security forces and 62 civilians lost their lives during the period 2005-2015. Peace talks with NLFT were initiated in 2015 and there has been no violence by NLFT since 2016. NLFT (SD) has agreed to abjure the path of violence, join the mainstream and abide by the Constitution of India. It has agreed to the surrender of its 88 cadres with their weapons. The surrendered cadres will be given surrender benefits as per the Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation Scheme, 2018 of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The State Government of Tripura will help the surrendered cadres in housing, recruitment, education etc. Government of India will consider the proposals of Tripura State Government regarding economic development of tribal areas of Tripura. Government brings Resolution to Repeal Article 370 of the Constitution (Extremely important) (Topic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.) Bills & Resolutions to remember Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Order, 2019 {Ref. Article 370(1) of Constitution of India} – issued by President of India to supersede the 1954 order related to Article 370. Resolution for Repeal of Article 370 of the Constitution of India {Ref. Article 370 (3)} Jammu & Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill, 2019 {Ref. Article 3 of Constitution of India} Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2019 Read the comprehensive coverage here: Article 370 Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Aim: To protect the rights of consumers by establishing authorities for timely and effective administration and settlement of consumers’ dispute The Bill will replace the more than three decades old Consumer Protection Act, 1986, and will provide a better mechanism to dispose consumer complaints in a speedy manner and will help in disposal of large number of pending cases in consumer courts across the nation. Proposes setting up of a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers as a class. The CCPA would make interventions to prevent consumer detriment arising from unfair trade practices. The agency can also initiate class action, including enforcing recall, refund and return of products. The Bill also envisages simplified dispute resolution process, has provision for Mediation and e-filing of cases.  The Consumer will be able to file cases in the nearest commission under the jurisdiction of which he resides. For the first time there will be an exclusive law dealing with Product Liability. A manufacturer or product service provider or product seller will now be responsible to compensate for injury or damage caused by defective product or deficiency in services. Additional swift executive remedies are proposed in the bill through CCPA. There are provisions for deterrent punishment to check misleading advertisements and adulteration of products. Product liability provision to deter manufacturers and service providers from delivering defective products or deficient services. The Bill also enables regulations to be notified on E-commerce and direct selling with focus on protection of interest of consumers. National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill 2019 (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Licence to practice: Section 32 of the NMC Act 2019 allows the proposed NMC, which will replace the Medical Council of India, to grant “limited licence to practice medicine at mid-level as a community health provider”. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) sees it as encouraging quackery. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 30 calling for the Bill to be redrafted, the IMA wrote: “We are deeply concerned about granting non-medical ‘persons connected with modern scientific medical profession’, licence to practise modern medicine… This is nothing but legalising and promoting quackery in India… Who will guarantee that these ‘legalised quacks’ will work in villages only?… National Medical Commission Bill will open the floodgates for licencing 3.5 lakhs ‘legalised quacks’. This amounts to ‘licence to kill’.” Bridge course: Doctors have expressed concerns about the licence mentioned in Section 32 being another name for a contentious “bridge course”. Such a course has been proposed in the original version of the Bill. It would have allowed practitioners of homoeopathy and Indian systems of medicine to go on to practice allopathy. In the new Bill, the bridge course has been dropped as per the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, which wrote: “The Committee is of the view that the bridge course should not be made a mandatory provision in the present Bill. However, the Committee appreciates the need to build the capacity of the existing human resources in the healthcare sector, to address the shortage of healthcare professionals so as to achieve the objectives of the National Health Policy, 2017. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the State Governments may implement measures to enhance the capacity of the existing healthcare professionals including AYUSH practitioners, BSc (Nursing), BDS, B Pharma etc. to address their State specific primary healthcare issues in the rural areas.” Exit examination The original Bill had proposed a licentiate examination for doctors, and the IMA had expressed concerns about it then too. The new Bill proposes a single exit exam – the final MBBS exam, which will work as a licentiate examination, a screening test for foreign medical graduates, and an entrance test for admission in postgraduate programmes. It also provides for just one medical entrance test across the country In the letter, IMA wrote: “The Bill condenses final year MBBS exam, Licentiate exam. and PG NEET into one examination. This effectively removes the opportunity to reappear for PG selection. Moreover, the examination being objective in nature, increases the workload and stress level of the students manifold. Allowing foreign medical graduates to take the same examination will be an injustice… The current system allows medical graduates to practise irrespective of the status of his/her PG NEET.” Changes in the CSR Act (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) The main recommendations include – Making CSR expenditure tax deductible Provision for carry forward of unspent balance for a period of 3 – 5 years Aligning Schedule 7 with the SDGs by adopting a SDG plus framework (which would additionally include sports promotion, Senior Citizens’  welfare, welfare of differently abled persons, disaster management and heritage protection) Balancing local area preferences with national priorities Introducing impact assessment studies for CSR obligation of 5 crore or more Registration of implementation agencies on MCA portal Developing a CSR exchange portal to connect contributors, beneficiaries and agencies, allowing CSR in social benefit bonds, promoting social impact companies, and third party assessment of major CSR projects The Committee has emphasized on not treating CSR as a means of resource gap funding for government schemes.   The Committee discourages passive contribution of CSR into different funds included in Schedule VII of the Act. It has emphasized on CSR spending as a board driven process to provide innovative technology based solutions for social problems.   The Committee has also recommended that companies having CSR prescribed amount below Rs. 50 lakh may be exempted from constituting a CSR Committee.   The Committee has also recommended that violation of CSR compliance may be made a civil offence and shifted to the penalty regime. Cabinet approves  Ratification of the amended Framework Agreement of the ISA for opening up the ISA membership to all countries that are members of the United Nations: Opening of membership of the ISA to all countries that are members of the United Nations will put solar energy in global agenda with universal appeal for developing and deploying solar energy. Expanding membership will make the ISA inclusive, where to all countries that are members of the United Nations could member. It will further lead to ISA initiative benefitting the world at large. MoU between India and Tunisia on Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes:  This Agreement shall enable the following cooperation in space science, technology and applications including areas, such as remote sensing of the earth; satellite communication and satellite-based navigation; Space science and planetary exploration, use of spacecraft and space systems and ground system; and application of space technology. The Agreement would lead to setting up of a Joint Working Group, drawing members from Department of Space/ISRO, India and the National Centre for Cartography and Remote Sensing, Tunisia which will further work out the plan of action including the time-frame and the means of implementing this MoU. Prelims Oriented News World Biofuel Day: 10th of August; this year the theme of the World Biofuel Day is “Production of Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil (UCO)” Founding father of ISRO: Dr. Vikram Sarabhai – Vikram lander will land on Moon as a tribute to Vikram Sarabhai from crores of Indians BASIC countries: Brazil, South Africa, India and China 5th National Handloom Day: 7th August, 2019 – to honour the handloom weavers in the country and also highlight India’s handloom industry. National Handloom Day seeks to focus on the contribution of handloom to the socio economic development of the country and also increase the income of weavers. UNIDO and National Institute of Solar Energy to partner for skill development program: The agreement is part of the ongoing MNRE-GEF-UNIDO project implemented jointly by UNIDO and to support capacity building and skill development of technical manpower in the Concentrated Solar Thermal Energy Technologies (CST) which are being used to replace conventional fossil fuels e.g. coal, diesel, furnace oil etc. and save costs and emissions in the industrial process heat applications. Four New Products get GI Tag PalaniPanchamirtham from Palani Town in Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu State: PalaniPanchamirtham, an abishegaPrasadam, from Palani Town is one of the main offerings in the Abisegam of Lord Dhandayuthapani Swamy, the presiding deity of ArulmiguDhandayuthapaniswamy Temple, situated in palani Hills, Palani Town in Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu. It is a combination of five natural substances, namely, banana, jaggery sugar, cow ghee, honey and cardamom in a definite proportion. It is prepared in a natural method without addition of any preservatives or artificial ingredients and is well known for its religious fervour and gaiety. This is the first time a temple ‘prasadam’ from Tamil Nadu has been bestowed with the GI tag. Tawlhlohpuan and Mizo Puancheifrom the state of Mizoram: Tawlhlohpuan, a medium to heavy, compactly woven, good quality fabric from Mizoram is known for warp yarns, warping, weaving & intricate designs that are made by hand. Tawlhloh, in Mizo language, means 'to stand firm or not to move backward’. Tawlhlohpuan, which holds high significance in the Mizo society, is produced throughout the state of Mizoram, Aizawl and Thenzawl town being the main centre of production. Mizo Puanchei, a colourful Mizo shawl/textile, from Mizoram, is considered as the most colourful among the Mizo textiles. It is an essential possession for every Mizo lady and an important marriage outfit in the state. It is also the most commonly used costume in Mizo festive dances and official ceremonies. The weavers insert the designs and motifs by using supplementary yarns while weaving to create this beautiful and alluring textile. Tirur Betel leaf from Kerala: Tirur betel vine from Kerala, which is mainly cultivated in Tirur, Tanur, Tirurangadi, Kuttippuram, Malappuram and Vengara block panchayaths of Malappuram District, is valued both for its mild stimulant action and medicinal properties. Even though it is commonly used for making pan masala for chewing, it has many medicinal, industrial and cultural usagesand is considered as a remedy for bad breath and digestive disorders. GI is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. Such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to its origin in that defined geographical locality. GI products can benefit the rural economy in remote areas, by supplementing the incomes of artisans, farmers, weavers and craftsmen. India’s rural artisans possess unique skills and knowledge of traditional practices and methods, passed down from generation to generation, which need to be protected and promoted.The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has taken several initiatives in this regard and is actively involved in promotion and marketing of GIs. Expansion of Rotavirus vaccine to the entire country: Government is committed to ending morbidity and mortality in children due to diarrhoea by 2022. Strengthening routine immunization is an essential investment in India’s children and will ensure a healthy future of the country. Why: In India, every year 37 out of every 1000 children born are unable to celebrate their 5th birthday, and one of the major reasons for this is diarrheal deaths. Out of all the causes of diarrhoea, rotavirus is a leading cause of diarrhoea in children less than 5 years of age. It is estimated that rotavirus cause 8,72,000 hospitalizations; 32,70,000 outpatient visits and estimated 78,000 deaths annually in India. Diarrhoea is one of the biggest killers in children and Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of severe diarrhoea in children less than 2 years of age.  Rotavirus vaccine along with proper sanitation, hand washing practices, ORS and zinc supplementation will go a long way in reducing the mortality and morbidity due to diarrhoea in children. Three doses of rotavirus vaccine are provided along with other vaccines, free of cost under UIP at one and half month, two and half moth, and three and half month of age of child. Swachh Survekshan 2020 – To be conducted in Jan 2020; the fifth edition of the annual cleanliness survey conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Alongside, the Swachh Survekshan 2020 Toolkit, SBM Water PLUS Protocol and Toolkit, Swachh Nagar – an integrated waste management app and AI enabled mSBM App were also launched. Moving beyond ODF, ODF+ and ODF++, the Water PLUS protocol aims to provide a guideline for cities and towns to ensure that no untreated wastewater is released into the environment thereby enabling sustainability of the sanitation value chain. This is in line with the Government’s focus on water conversation and reuse under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan and also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals on clean water and sanitation   National Policy on Biofuels: Envisages production of biofuel from UCO Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is implementing a strategy to divert UCO from the food value chain and curb current illegal usage. The benefits of transformation of UCO will help bring health benefits as there would be no recycling of the UCO, employment generation, infrastructural investment in rural areas & cleaner environment with reduced carbon footprint. Biofuels have the benefits of reduction of import dependence, cleaner environment, additional income to farmers and employment generation. Biofuel programme also compliments Government of India’s initiatives for Make in India, Swachh Bharat and increasing farmer’s income.  A number of initiatives have been undertaken to increase production and blending of biofuels since 2014. In India, the same cooking oil is used for repeated frying which adversely affects the health due to formation of polar compounds during frying. These polar compounds are associated with diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, liver diseases among others. UCO is either not discarded at all or disposed off in an environmentally hazardous manner choking drains and sewerage systems The National Policy on Biofuels - 2018 envisages a target of 5% blending of Biodiesel in HSD by 2030. In order to achieve the blending target, 500 crore litres of Biodiesel is required in a year. Stubble Burning: There has been a considerable reduction in crop residue burning incidents in 2018. Various efforts under the Central Sector Scheme on ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the State of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh & NCT of Delhi’, the paddy residue burning events have reduced by 15% and 41% in 2018 as compared to that in 2017 and 2016, respectively in all these States as per the satellite data.  More than 4500 villages in Punjab and Haryana was declared as Zero Stubble Burning Villages during 2018 as not a single crop burning incident was reported from these villages during the year. DRDO successfully flight-tests state-of-the-art Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles against live aerial targets: The systems have been tested in final configuration with RADAR mounted on a vehicle & missiles on the launcher. The systems are equipped with indigenously-developed Phased array radar, Inertial Navigation System, Data Link & RF seeker. The entire mission was captured by various Electro Optical Tracking Systems, Radar Systems and Telemetry Systems. The system is being developed for Indian Army with search and track on move capability with very short reaction time. Samagra Shiksha-Jal Suraksha Drive: It is a time bound campaign with a mission mode approach. This concept of water conservation is essential for students so that they can understand the importance of water and how it is shaping their lives meaningfully, thereby enabling them to participate in water conservation activities in their day to day lives. To educate students learn about conservation of water To sensitize Students about the impact of scarcity of water To empower Students to learn to protect the natural sources of water To help every Student to save at least one litre of water per day To encourage Students towards judicious use and minimum wastage of water at home and school level 66th National Film Awards Gujarati film Hellaro wins Best Feature Film Award Badhaai Ho bags award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment Hindi movie Padman declared Best Film on Social Issues Aditya Dhar wins Best Director Award for Uri: The Surgical Strike Ayushman Khurana and Vicky Kaushal jointly win Best Actor Award for their performances in Andhadhun and Uri: The Surgical Strike Keerthy Suresh bags Best Actress trophy for her performance in Telugu movie Mahanati Marathi movie Paani wins the award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/ Preservation. Kannada film Ondalla Eradalla gets Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration Uttarakhand declared Most Film Friendly State Quit India Movement In July 1942, the Congress Working Committee met at Wardha and a resolution was passed which was termed The Wardha Resolution. It is also known as Quit India Resolution which demanded, “The British Rule in India must end immediately.” And it declared that free India “will assure the success by throwing his great resources in the struggle for freedom and against the aggression of Nazism, Facism and perialism”. Thus, Quit India was about enabling India’s greater participation in the war for peace and in the war of liberation from fascism and nascism. Quit India was a civil disobedience movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8, 1942, demanding an end to British rule in India. While message of quit India was loud and clear, the call of ‘do or die’ infused the masses with a life of its own. Factors that led to attitude change of Mahatma Gandhi from non-compromising peaceful Gandhi to aggressive Gandhi: Non-Cooperation Movement: Abrupt end of NCM due to Chauri-Chaura incident and aftermath Split of Congress: Swarajya Party. Simon Commission: Assault against protestors. Salt Satyagraha. Round Table Conferences: Gandhi – Irwin Pact. Individual Satyagraha: Gave confidence about the strength of masses and by then people were prepared for long struggle. World wars: British true intentions were visible during the course of 2nd world war and Cripps Mission. Bengal Famine and Britishers non-empathy towards India and turning away supply to war. Youths turning violent and losing patience. Mass ready for direct confrontation All the above factors slowly one after another turned Gandhian and fellow citizens impatient, also millions perished during the Bengal famine, these things enraged Gandhi and he finally gave a call for direct confrontation with a call for “Do or Die”. Circumstances for the launch of the movement: Failure of Cripps mission: Cripps mission was sent from Britain to negotiate with Indian leaders to support Britain in WW-2. Indian National congress has declared Purna Swaraj as final goal in Lahore session in 1928 and was not ready to concede on this. While British government was promising only dominion that too after war. Escalation of Prices and food shortage: WW-2 has increase demand of goods which lead to escalation of prices. Food and other good were supplied to soldiers from India and common people have bear it repercussion in form of high prices. Public was more ready for mass based movement than our leaders. Advancement of Japan: Japan was advancing toward India after subjugating South East Asia. Indian saw it as opportunities to over-throw the British. The British saw the threat it posed and arrested all the major national leaders before the dawn of the day, the whole movement was carried out by the masses without the leaders. Impact of the movement: QIM demoralized British government to rule India. People participated without any guides and attacked the symbols of British authority. In many places self-rule local governments were established. This pressurized British government to accept demands of congress. So, the British lifted Ban on Congress and National leaders were released from prison. Paved the way for constitutional proposal of the Cabinet Mission. Latter Constituent assembly was organized on the Mission’s recommendations. Relent on INA Trails: The British were in favor to punish every participant on treason charges but due to QIM has forced the British to be relent on trial. What role did students play in India’s freedom struggle? In 1848 Dadabhai Naoroji founded ‘The student’s scientific and historical society, as a forum for discussion. The student’s strike at King Edward Medical College ,Lahore was first student strike against discriminatory practice of English against Indians. With the increased colonizers interference, the student movements also increased between 1906 to 1918 when 184 persons out of which 68 were students were convicted in Bengal in connection with revolutionary activities. Swadeshi Movement organised students and gave a revolutionary outlook such as boycott colleges, British goods, students clubs etc. In 1912 All India College Students Conference nailed the students’ commitment to work for freedom with moto of “Swaraj first, education after”. Student Christian Movement against western colonialism with aim to orient students with Christian faith. When Gandhiji launched his campaign against the Rowlett act and Jallianwala bagh atrocities, students participated in big numbers. Gandhiji called the students to withdraw from school and colleges. Students from all over the country responded promptly and boycotted schools and colleges. Hindu Students Federation and All India Muslim Students Federation also added voice in freedom struggle by putting demands of students on the basis of their religious ideologies. Quit India Movement got largest support of students .They successfully shut down colleges and get involved in most of leadership responsibilities eq- Matagini Hazra, Aruna Asaf Ali, Garimella Satya Narayana etc. They also provided link between underground leaders and movement  The youth of India was not confined to Indian boundaries but also supported freedom struggle from nation abroad eq. Bhikaji Kama, Lala Hardayal etc. Students also played very important role in various campaign launched by Gandhiji against the British such as no tax campaign 1921, the civil disobedience movement, the Dandi satyagraha of 1930 etc.  In 1936, the all India student Federation, the first Student Organisation of India, was born in order to support the Indian National Congress in its struggles. How did Gandhi’s arrival change the discourse of the nationalist movement?  Change in discourse of national movement: Gandhi rejected violent nationalism. Gandhi used terms like swaraj, swadeshi, and Indian civilization instead of nation. Gandhi’s nationalism was based on satya, ahimsa, karmayoga, ramarajya, tapasya, and moksha etc. Class movements to mass movements: champaran satyagraha (1917), Kheda movement (1918), Khilafat movement (1919), non- cooperation movement (1920), civil-disobedience movement (1930), Quit India movement(1942) – these all were mass movements. Gandhiji boycotted foreign goods. Passive resistance and non-violence became motto. Love the enemies and voluntary surrendering to authorities became norm. National movement was inclusive and representative: Women participation: thousands of women came out of their homes and participated in salt satyagraha. Working class and professionals participated: lawyers, teachers, professors also joined the national movement. Students also boycotted class and participated in the movement in large scale. All religion participated: irrespective of religion and caste all people took part in mass movement. Business class participated: gave financial assistance and rejected imported goods. Some of the flaws in Gandhi’s ideology: Alliance with Muslim league on religious grounds during non-cooperation movement strengthened the Muslim league as an independent entity, though it brought leaders together but failed to bring Hindus and Muslims together. Support of Gandhiji to WW-I – British government didn’t do anything substantial instead brought Black act. Failure to commute death sentence of Bhagat singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru to Life imprisonment. Though cause of opposition to communal award was good but system of joint electorate didn’t let true representatives of depressed classes to lead. Gandhi’ arrival was watershed in the national movement; it changed the discourse in significant way. It can be holistically said national movement was inclusive and representative as it covered whole India and its people. Connecting the dots: Analyse the significance of Quit India movement in India’s struggle for independence. During the Quit India movement, the masses were united irrespective of their background. However, today, when India faces much severe challenges, the unity seems elusive. Identify the major challenges faced by Indian society today and how can they be forced to ‘Quit India’? Must Read: Quit India Movement and India Today

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th August 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Iran-West tensions Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – International relations An Iranian oil supertanker that was seized by the UK nearly a month ago amid escalating tension between Tehran and the West, was released on Sunday and was moving away from Gibraltar. The ship, now renamed Adrian Darya 1, was previously known as Grace 1. It has a cargo of at least $130m worth of light crude oil.  British Royal Marines had seized the vessel in Gibraltar in July on suspicion that it was carrying oil to Syria, a close ally of Iran, in violation of EU sanctions. The decision came after Gibraltar's government said it had received written assurances from Iran that the ship would not be headed for countries "subject to European Union sanctions". Do You Know? Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and headland, on Spain's south coast.  In 1704, Anglo-Dutch forces captured Gibraltar from Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession on behalf of the Habsburg claim to the Spanish throne. The territory was ceded to Great Britain in perpetuity under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 The seizure of Grace 1 triggered a sharp deterioration in relations between Iran and the United Kingdom.  Tehran subsequently detained the British-flagged tanker in what was seen as a tit-for-tat move. That tanker, the Stena Impero, is still in Iranian custody. US court had issued a warrant for the seizure of the Iranian Oil tanker, on the grounds that it had links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which US has designated a "terrorist" organisation. Gibraltar's government however said that it could not comply with the US court’s warrant because of European law. http://www.operationworld.org/files/ow/maps/lgmap/gibr-MMAP-md.png India-Bhutan Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS II – International relations In News PM Modi during his recent visit to Bhutan has said that that India and Bhutan are “natural partners” in bringing prosperity to their peoples The two countries also signed 10 MoUs to expand their bilateral relationship and infuse new energy in their ties. Some of the key MoUs include: Inauguration of the Mangdechhu hydroelectric power plant. Most of the electricity generated by it will meet the energy requirements of Bhutan and the surplus electricity will be exported to India.  Launch of the RuPay Card in Bhutan to further enhance bilateral relationship in digital payments, and trade and tourism.  Currency Swap limit increased: additional $100 million will be available to Bhutan under a standby swap arrangement to meet the foreign exchange requirement. Space cooperation: Inauguration the Ground Earth Station and SATCOM network, developed with assistance from ISRO for utilization of South Asia Satellite in Bhutan.  MoU signed for interconnection between India’s National Knowledge Network and Bhutan’s Druk Research and Education Network.  Geographical indication (GI) Part of: GS Prelims In News The Geographical Indication (GI) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has recently registered 4 new GIs. Palani Panchamirtham: Palani Panchamirtham, an abishega Prasadam, is one of the main offerings for the presiding deity of Arulmigu Dhandayuthapaniswamy Temple, situated in palani Hills in Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu. It is a combination of five natural substances, namely, banana, jaggery sugar, cow ghee, honey and cardamom in a definite proportion. This is the first time a temple ‘prasadam’ from Tamil Nadu has been bestowed with the GI tag. Tawlhlohpuan: Tawlhlohpuan is a medium to heavy, compactly woven, good quality fabric from Mizoram. It is known for warp yarns, warping, weaving & intricate designs that are made by hand. Tawlhloh, in Mizo language, means 'to stand firm or not to move backward’  Mizo Puanchei: Mizo Puanchei is a colourful Mizo shawl/textile, from Mizoram. It is an essential possession for every Mizo lady and an important marriage outfit in the state. It is also the most commonly used costume in Mizo festive dances The weavers insert the designs and motifs by using supplementary yarns while weaving to create this textile  Tirur Betel leaf: Tirur betel mainly cultivated in Malappuram District of Kerala, is valued both for its mild stimulant action and medicinal properties. Even though it is commonly used for making pan masala for chewing, it has many medicinal, industrial and cultural usages. Know India programme (KIP) Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS I – Indian Society In News A group of Indian Origin youth have visited India under the 54th Edition of KIP, scheduled from 1st August to 25th August, 2019 in association with the partner sates of Punjab and Haryana KIP is a 25-day orientation programme organized by the Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the states of India. The objective of the programme is to make Indian diaspora (aged between 18-30 years) aware about India, its cultural heritage, art and to promote awareness about the progress made by India in various fields such as Industry, Education, ICT, Climate and Power & Renewable Energy etc. Since 2004, the Ministry has conducted 53 editions of KIP with participation of 1821 Overseas Indian youth.  In 2016, the scheme was revamped to increase duration from 21 to 25 days, with a 10-day visit to one or two States and preference given to PIOs from Girmitiya countries.  Since 2016, six KIPs are being organised in a year. A maximum of 40 Indian Diaspora youth are selected for each programme and provided full hospitality in India. Do You Know? “Girmitiyas” or Indentured Labourers, is the name given the Indians who left Indian in the middle and late 19th Century to serve as labourers in the British colonies, where the majority eventually settled. Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago are known as Girmitiya Countries.  (MAINS FOCUS) ENVIRONMENT TOPIC: General Studies 3 Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Plastic Pollution Context: Worldwide, 75 per cent of all plastic produced is waste, and 87 per cent of this is leaked into the environment. In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for freeing India from “single-use plastic”. Concerns: A study by the University of Newcastle, Australia, and published by the World Wildlife Foundation this year concluded that an average person may be ingesting 5 grams of plastic every week.  Over one-third of plastic waste ends up in nature, especially water, which is the largest source of plastic ingestion according to the report.  India ranks number three in terms of plastic fibres found in a sample of tap water – 82.4 per cent of tap water sampled in India contained over four plastic fibres per 500 ml What is the present scenario of plastics? Plastics are organic polymers of high molecular mass and are usually synthetic, mainly derived from petrochemicals. Due to their low cost, ease of manufacture, versatility, non-corrosiveness and imperviousness to water, plastics are used for multiple purposes at different scales. Presently, over one million plastic bags and one million plastic bottles are used every minute worldwide. About 50% of the plastics used are single use (disposable) which constitute 10% of the total waste generated. And of the 7 billion tons of plastic waste generated, only 9% was recycled, 12% incinerated, and 79% accumulated in landfills or the environment. What is the impact of plastics on environment? The plastics, mostly single use plastics are carried down the rivers to the oceans and this accounts for two thirds of the plastic waste present in the oceans. This affects the marine ecosystem as fishes are killed when they swallow plastic particles. Also the economic impact due to plastic pollution is high especially in fisheries and tourism sector. Another direct impact of plastic pollution is on the land, as it degrades slowly and leaches chemicals into surroundings and groundwater. Drinking water samples in different parts of the world including India reveal presence of up to 83% micro plastic concentrations. What measures can be taken to reduce plastic pollution? Plastic use cannot be entirely eliminated from day to day activities, but safe disposal, reuse and reducing the quantity can be done. Policies should be made to restrict plastic production and encourage recycling. Since plastics are used by the common man, a behavioural change is necessary and segregation of household waste must be made mandatory. Awareness has to be created on the dangers of plastics hazards and to opt for sustainable and biodegradable products. Incentives for developing eco-friendly substitutes (cloth/paper/jute bags, leaves/areca leaf plates, paper straws), scientific as well as financial support must be provided. India’s Stand: India went big in their commitment to Beat Plastic Pollution today, with an announcement to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by 2022. This unprecedented ambitious move against disposable plastic will drastically stem the flow of plastics from 1.3 billion people and business in the fasted growing economy in the world. India has 7,500 km of coastline – the 7th longest in Asia. As part of this commitment, the government will establish a national and regional marine litter action campaign as well as a program to measure the total marine plastic footprint in India’s coastal waters. Partnership between UN Environment and BCCI to ‘green cricket’ across the country – aims to reduce cricket’s environmental impact by greening operations and engaging fans and cricketers in green initiatives Government to begin a five-year exercise to compute district-level data of the country’s environmental wealth. The data will be used to calculate every State’s ‘green’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) The government has also launched a ‘green skilling’ programme – Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP), under which youth, particularly school dropouts, would be trained in a range of ‘green jobs’. GSDP aims to get 80, 000 people imparted green skills and in filling the skill gaps in the environment sector. Green Skill Development Programme will go a long way in reaping the demographic dividend of the country; GSDP to cover nearly 5 lakh people by 2021. Pledge to make 100 national monuments litter-free. What is the way forward? As individuals: We can reduce our plastic pollution and be more environmentally conscious by avoiding single-use plastics (e.g. straws, cups, cutlery, etc.) and packaging materials (e.g. polybags). Instead we can use jute bags, glass bottles or jars, steel or ceramic cutleries and utensils, and paper-made tetra packs. The private sector needs to invest more in producing alternatives and biodegradable plastics and in phasing out the production of plastic. More research and technology investment and development is required to make alternatives to plastic that are economically viable and affordable. The government should play a leading role by enacting strong policies and regulations that will encourage a more sustainable model for the design and production of plastics – Local bodies mandated under rules to ensure segregation, collection and transfer of waste to registered recyclers have spectacularly failed to fulfil their responsibilities.  The State Level Monitoring Committees provided for under the rules have not been made accountable. The waste management framework is dysfunctional. Technical and financial incentives from the government are instrumental for the transformation of the existing production system to a more sustainable one. Connecting the dots: “India’s environmental diversity and riches are universally recognised but have never been quantified.” Discuss this in context of the decision taken to calculate every State’s ‘green’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP). What do you mean by plastic roads? What are its benefits? POLITY 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. Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions. How states are split into seats Context: With J&K; reorganised, all eyes are on how Election Commission will proceed with delimitation of constituencies Since the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir state into the Union Territories of J&K; and Ladakh, delimitation of their electoral constituencies has been inevitable. While the government has not formally notified the Election Commission yet, the EC has held “internal discussions” on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, particularly its provisions on delimitation. What is Delimitation? Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and state Assembly seats to represent changes in population. In this process, the number of seats allocated to different states in Lok Sabha and the total number seats in a Legislative Assembly may also change.  Objective of delimitation The main objective of delimitation is to provide equal representation to equal segments of a population.  It also aims at a fair division of geographical areas so that one political party doesn’t have an advantage over others in an election. Delimitation is carried out by an independent Delimitation Commission.  The Constitution mandates that its orders are final and cannot be questioned before any court as it would hold up an election indefinitely. How is delimitation carried out? Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census. Once the Act is in force, the Union government sets up a Delimitation Commission made up of a retired Supreme Court judge, the Chief Election Commissioner and the respective State Election Commissioners.  The Commission is supposed to determine the number and boundaries of constituencies in a way that the population of all seats, so far as practicable, is the same.  The Commission is also tasked with identifying seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; these are where their population is relatively large.  All this is done on the basis of the latest Census and, in case of difference of opinion among members of the Commission, the opinion of the majority prevails. The draft proposals of the Delimitation Commission are published in the Gazette of India, official gazettes of the states concerned and at least two vernacular papers for public feedback.  The Commission also holds public sittings. After hearing the public, it considers objections and suggestions, received in writing or orally during public sittings, and carries out changes, if any, in the draft proposal. The final order is published in the Gazette of India and the State Gazette and comes into force on a date specified by the President. How often has delimitation been done in the past? The first delimitation exercise in 1950-51 was carried out by the President (with the help of the Election Commission), as the Constitution at that time was silent on who should undertake the division of states into Lok Sabha seats.  This delimitation was temporary as the Constitution mandated redrawing of boundaries after every Census. Hence, delimitation was due after the 1951 Census. Pointing out that the first delimitation had left many political parties and individuals unhappy, the EC advised the government that all future exercises should be carried out by an independent commission.  This suggestion was accepted and the Delimitation Commission Act was enacted in 1952. Delimitation Commissions have been set up four times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002. There was no delimitation after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses. Why was there no delimitation then? The Constitution mandates that the number of Loksabha seats allotted to a state would be such that the ratio between that number and the population of the state is, as far as practicable, the same for all states.  Although unintended, this provision implied that states that took little interest in population control could end up with a greater number of seats in Parliament.  The southern states that promoted family planning faced the possibility of having their seats reduced. To allay these fears, the Constitution was amended during Indira Gandhi’s Emergency rule in 1976 to suspend delimitation until 2001. Despite the embargo, there were a few occasions that called for readjustment in the number of Parliament and Assembly seats allocated to a state. These include statehood attained by Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in 1986, the creation of a Legislative Assembly for the National Capital Territory of Delhi, and creation of new states such as Uttarakhand. Although the freeze on the number of seats in Loksabha and Assemblies should have been lifted after the 2001 Census, another amendment postponed this until 2026.  This was justified on the ground that a uniform population growth rate would be achieved throughout the country by 2026.  So, the last delimitation exercise — started in July 2002 and completed on May 31, 2008 — was based on the 2001 Census and only readjusted boundaries of existing Loksabha and Assembly seats and reworked the number of reserved seats. Why is delimitation for Jammu and Kashmir in the news now? Delimitation of Jammu and Kashmir’s Lok Sabha seats is governed by the Indian Constitution, but delimitation of its Assembly seats (until special status was abrogated recently) was governed separately by the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution and Jammu and Kashmir Representation of the People Act, 1957.  As far as delimitation of Loksabha seats is concerned, the last Delimitation Commission of 2002 was not entrusted with this task. Hence, J&K; parliamentary seats remain as delimited on the basis of the 1971 Census. As for Assembly seats, although the delimitation provisions of the J&K; Constitution and the J&K; Representation of the People Act, 1957, are similar to those of the Indian Constitution and Delimitation Acts, they mandate a separate Delimitation Commission for J&K.; In actual practice, the same central Delimitation Commission set up for other states was adopted by J&K; in 1963 and 1973. While the amendment of 1976 to the Indian Constitution suspended delimitation in the rest of the country till 2001, no corresponding amendment was made to the J&K; Constitution.  Hence, unlike the rest of the country, the Assembly seats of J&K; were delimited based on the 1981 Census, which formed the basis of the state elections in 1996.  There was no census in the state in 1991 and no Delimitation Commission was set up by the state government after the 2001 Census as the J&K; Assembly passed a law putting a freeze on fresh delimitation until 2026. This freeze was upheld by the Supreme Court.  The J&K; Assembly has 87 seats — 46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu and 4 in Ladakh. Twenty-four seats are reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The freeze, some political parties argue, has created inequity for Jammu region. Conclusion: This month, the Union government scrapped the state’s special status and turned J&K; into a Union Territory. Under this law, delimitation of Loksabha and Assembly seats in J&K; UT will be as per the provisions of the Indian Constitution. The Act also states that in the next delimitation exercise, which is expected to kick start soon, the number of Assembly seats will increase from 107 to 114. The increase in seats is expected to benefit Jammu region. Connecting the dots: Discuss the problems with Delimitation? suggest the measures to over the problems? (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) Know India Programme is organised by which Union Ministry? Ministry of Human Resource Development Ministry of Culture Ministry of External Affairs Ministry of Home Affairs Q.2) Consider the following statements about Geographical Indication Tag GI is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. GI products can benefit the rural economy in remote areas, by supplementing the incomes of artisans, farmers, weavers and craftsmen. Palani Panchamirtham is the first temple ‘prasadam’ in India to have been bestowed with the GI tag. Which of the statements given above are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1,2 and 3 Q.3) Mangdechhu hydroelectric power plant is located in which country? India Nepal Bhutan Bangladesh Q.4) Strait of Gibraltar connects which two water bodies ? Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean Mediterranean Sea Red Sea Select the correct answers from the codes given below. 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 2 and 4 only Must Read: ‘India, Bhutan are natural partners The Hindu What is NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Indian Express ‘The Idea of India’ is failing The Hindu Taking on TB  The Hindu

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 51

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 51 Archives Q.1) ‘Cher Chera festival’ is associated with Chhattisgarh Odisha Jharkhand Telangana Q.2) Which of the following are recognised ‘Sikh takhts’? Akal Takht (Amritsar) Takht Hazur Sahib (Nanded) Takht Patna Sahib (Bihar) Select the correct code: 1 only 1 and 2 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 Q.3) Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) is often in news in the context of India and USA Israel Japan France Q.4) Consider the following statements about Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) It was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International IBAs are places of international significance for the conservation of birds and other biodiversity A site can be listed as an IBA only if it holds a population of a species categorized by the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered Select the correct statements 1 Only 1 and 2 1, 2 and 3 2 and 3 Q.5) Consider the following statements about Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) Executive Council is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary Political Council is chaired by the Prime Minister The directives of the NCA are to be operationalised by the Strategic Forces Command under the control of a Commander-in-Chief of the rank of Air Marshal Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 None of the above To Download the Solution - Click here All the Best  IASbaba

Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Creative Thinking – Inspirational Educative Articles

Creative Thinking: One of the greatest tools we all possess as human beings is our ability to think. At the same time since everybody thinks, it does offer any unique advantage unless one is willing to learn, unlearn, relearn and alter the process of thinking. In this sense, thinking is not power, thinking about thinking in the right way is! Is there any right way of thinking? If there is, then what is it? Certainly there can be right and wrong way of thinking. To give a simple example, positive thinking is good and negative thinking is obviously bad. There is no arguing about the benefits of positive thinking, we all know it. So we know that there are different types of thinking, some good and some bad. There is positive and negative thinking, there is thinking focused on the past and thinking focused on the future, there is thinking about your strengths and thinking about your weakness, there is thinking about success and worrying about failure. Above all this one of the most advanced way of thinking is ‘thinking creatively’ Firstly, what is creativity? Creativity is the very process of creation. Creativity is not any isolated department of life. Creativity is the energy through which existence creates. It is an effortless form of creation. What is the fundamental difference between nature creating and a human being creating? The fundamental difference is in the effort involved. While nature creates without any effort man has to put in a lot of effort to create. This is mainly because we have forgotten that we are also a part of nature and the creative force that is flowing through us is the same force through which even nature is creating. When we forget that we are the source of our creativity, everything we create becomes an effort. Now back to creative thinking. Creative thinking is an approach to life where you truly believe that your thinking is a part of existence and it is simply happening through you. In this understanding, you don’t create thoughts rather existence creates it for you. All you do is acknowledge a thought. Seriously, think about this for a minute. Is it really possible for you to create a thought? We never create a thought. A thought happens and we simply acknowledge it. Throughout the day we have countless thoughts but we only remember a handful of them. Creative thinking is knowing fully that your thoughts are a part of the existential process and there is absolutely no effort involved in generating them. When you let go of the effort of thinking, it becomes a lot easier to let go of thoughts that are not useful for your progress. The single biggest problem with us is, just because we think that we have created a thought and it belongs to us, we find it very difficult to let go of it. When we acknowledge the fact that thoughts simple happen, just like the movement of clouds, it becomes a lot easier to pick and choose thoughts that are beneficial for us. This way of thinking without thinking is creative thinking! “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”

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