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Sep 10, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 10th September 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 10th September 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Salt Consumption Part of: GS Prelims – Health issues In News The study shows that 76.3% of Indian households consumed adequately iodised salt, which is salt with at least 15 parts per million of iodine. The survey also revealed that 13 out of 36 States have already achieved Universal Salt Iodisation or have 90% of households with access to adequately iodised salt. The five worst performers were Tamil Nadu (61.9%), Andhra Pradesh (63.9%), Rajasthan (65.5%), Odisha (65.8%) and Jharkhand (68.8%). The survey was conducted by Nutrition International in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and the Indian Coalition for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders Gujarat produces 71% of salt in the country, followed by Rajasthan at 17% and Tamil Nadu at 11%. The rest of the country accounts for a mere 1% of salt produced. India made fortification of salt with iodine mandatory for direct human consumption in 1992. Iodine is a vital micro-nutrient for optimal mental and physical development of human beings. Deficiency of iodine can result in a range of disabilities and disorders such as goitre, hypothyroidism, cretinism, abortion, still births, mental retardation and psychomotor defects DESERTIFICATION Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-III- Environmental Conservation In News PM Modi addressed the High Level Segment of the 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, held at New Delhi India has raised the target of restoring land with degraded status from 21 million hectares to 26 million hectares (27% of total degraded land) by 2030. Area of India undergoing the process of land degradation, as of 2011-13 is 96.5 million hectares of land – 29% of total geographical area India called upon the leadership of UNCCD to conceive a “Global Water Action Agenda”which is central to the Land Degradation Neutrality strategy. To further develop a scientific approach and facilitate induction of technology to land degradation issues, India has decided to set up a centre for excellence in India at the Indian Council for Forest Research and Education. India became part of the “Bonn Challenge”, a global effort to bring 150 million hectares of the world’s deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030 National Genomic Grid (cancer) Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-II – Issues relating to Health In News Government plans to set up a National Genomic Grid, so as to take cancer research to the next level and make treatment viable for people of different economic classes. The National Genomic Grid for India-specific cancer research will collect samples from cancer patients to study genomic factors influencing cancer and identifying the right treatment modalities for the Indian population. The grid to be formed will be in line with the National Cancer Tissue Biobank (NCTB) set up at the IIT Madras, which is functioning in close association with the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) The grid will have four parts, with the country divided into east, west, north and south The first set of 350 genomic data of stomach and breast cancer patients developed from the 3,000 samples at NCTB will be released by the end of October Indian Skill Development Service (ISDS) Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III - Economy In News The first batch of the Indian Skill Development Services (ISDS) commenced their training program at the Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Mysuru This is the first batch which is joining the ISDS cadre from the Indian Engineering Service Examination conducted by UPSC. ISDS is the newest central government services, which presently has 263 all India posts. This service has been specially created for the Training Directorate of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and is a Group ‘A’ service. The induction of young talent as ISDS officers is one of the special initiatives taken by the MSDE to attract young and talented administrators towards institutionalizing the Skill Development environment in the country (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT TOPIC: General Studies 3: Environment and Ecology, Bio diversity - Conservation, environmental degradation, environmental impact assessment, Environment versus Development Issues relating to deforestation, land use pattern and use of fossil fuel. Carbon emission and global warming related issues The Amazon forest fire – Consequences from global warming and climatic change Context: Forest fire in the Amazon gave an indication for the human community about the devastating effects of deforestation, land-use change and rising fossil fuels emissions. Climate change and its impacts Many cities have seen high temperatures never before experienced Heat waves have accelerated Melting of glaciers (esp. in Greenland) Recent floods in Mumbai, Kerala and North Karnataka Energy and transport are mainly responsible for the accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Fossil fuel emissions and changes in land use patterns – deforestation, industrial agricultural systems and desertification – are major drivers of climate change. IPCC Report Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recently brought out a special report on Climate Change and Land. It covers desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems. According to the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – Cumulative carbon emissions from land-use change since 1750 amounted to almost 180 Gigatonne (Gt), driven largely by the more than six-fold expansion of cropland. Fossil fuel use contributed 375 Gigatonne (Gt) since 1750, that is more than 12 times that of the net cumulative emissions from terrestrial ecosystems. However, the AR5 report also points out that – The net carbon emission of terrestrial ecosystem from deforestation and land-use pattern remains neutral since 1750. Even though the cumulative land-use change increased the levels of carbon emission; it was absorbed from the existing vegetation, thus maintaining the carbon emission level at minimal. According to Global Carbon Project reports – Fossil fuel emits about 9.9 Gt (Gigatonne) of carbon annually to the environment compared to 1.5Gt from land-use change. Terrestrial ecosystem absorbs ~3.8 Gt of carbon annually, indicating carbon emission from fossil fuels remain in the atmosphere compared to other sources. About Global Carbon Project (GCP) GCP is an organisation established in 2001, working on checking the quantity of global greenhouse gas emissions mainly carbon di oxide, methane and nitrous oxide and their causes. Concerns: From the literature in IPCC AR5, carbon emission from deforestation and logging was compensated to carbon absorption from the forest re-growth, thereby keeping the overall carbon emission at 0.11 Gt per year. But the carbon emissions from fossil fuels are majorly leading to global warming and increases the summer temperature remarkably compared to deforestation and land-use change. The emission effect from deforestation and land-use change can be reversed by planting more vegetation, carbon absorption from untouched forest areas and biomass, but the fossil fuel emission from coal, gas, oil cannot be reversed and even cannot be compensated from the existing vegetation. Conclusion: The forest fire in Amazon is not a first time case, but the fact is that the forest fire is increasing year after year devastating larger ecosystem every year. Similar forest fires are seen in Africa (Zambia, Angola, Democratic republic of Congo), Siberia and in Canada majorly due to increase in the summer temperatures. The Amazon forest is a conservator of millions of species of vegetation, animals, birds, ecosystem and biodiversity but preventing deforestation is a real challenge. Use of alternate source of energy in place of fossil fuels may minimize the effects of global warming and reduce carbon emission to the atmosphere. The efforts from developed countries to minimize the use of fossil fuel has been less and according to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), they have achieved only 1.3% reduction in use of fossil fuels in 26 years from 1990. So if the countries join their hands to agree on Paris’s Agreement on climate change which aims to keep the global temperature to 2% at industrial levels and 1.5% at non industrial areas may help to conserve our terrestrial ecosystems and mitigate global warming drastically. Connecting the dots: Discuss the factors responsible for long term climate change. What evidences do we have that support current global warming. Explain. The fight against climate change is more effective at the household level than macro level policy formulations. Do you agree? Substantiate. Critically evaluate the emerging trends in global climate change negotiations. Is the world heading in the right direction in its fight against climate change? Critically examine. (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 Gujarat produces 71% of salt in the country. India made fortification of salt with iodine mandatory for direct human consumption in 1992. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about Bonn Challenge It aims to aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range. India has also joined the voluntary Bonn Challenge pledge. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Indian Skill Development Services (ISDS) ISDS is the newest All India Services, who gets recruited after passing Indian Engineering Service Examination conducted by UPSC. It is special initiative taken by the Ministry of Labour to attract young and talented administrators towards institutionalizing the Skill Development environment in the country Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 MUST READ Giving age-old ties a new shine The Hindu Development matters, but so does identity The Hindu Forging the steel frame The Hindu A minor win for India at WTO The Hindu Bring clarity to carpooling rules if serious about pollution Financial Express Need to relook the current NHAI road-building model Financial Express India expresses concerns over China-Pak Economic Corridor Financial Express

Sep 10, 2019 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 67

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 67 Archives Q.1) ‘Hurricane Dorian’ is associated with which of the following regions Indonesia New Zealand Madagascar Bahamas Q.2) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Lucayan Archipelago’ They are a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 individual tropical islands in the Indian Ocean near Maldives. The sovereignty of the Archipelago is disputed between the United Kingdom and Mauritius. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) The concept of ‘TimeBank was in news recently in context of which of the following States? Madhya Pradesh Sikkim Kerala Manipur Q.4) Which of the following congress leader was called as the “Father of Indian Unrest” by the British and the first to suffer several terms of imprisonment for the sake of the country? Lala Lajpat Rai Swami Dayananda Gopal Krishna Gokhale Lokamanya Tilak Q.5) Which one of the following potteries are associated with Indus Valley Civilisation? Red and Black pottery Painted Grey ware Northern Black Painted ware All of the above To Download the Solution - Click here All the Best IASbaba

Sep 9, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 9th September 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 9th September 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Mega Food Parks Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-III –Food processing In News: Minister of Food Processing Industries inaugurated Telangana’s first food park. It has been set up at a cost of ₹109 crores in Lakkampally of Nizamabad District. This smart agro Food park is estimated to provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to 50,000 youth and benefit one lakh farmers in the region. Do you know? The Mega Food Park Scheme is based on “Cluster” approach and envisages creation of state of art support infrastructure in a well-defined agri / horticultural zone for setting up of modern food processing units along with well-established supply chain. Under the food park scheme, the Centre provides financial assistance of up to ₹50 crore. The main objective of the scheme is to give boost to the food processing sector by adding value and reducing food wastage at each stage of the supply chain with particular focus on perishables. India and South Korea Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – International Affairs In News India and South Korea concluded a military logistics agreement to extend logistical support to each other’s Navies, during the ongoing visit of Defence Minister to Seoul. India will be able to get assured logistic support when it operates in the Indo-Pacific in the ports of South Korea The two countries also formulated a forward-looking road map to take bilateral defence industry cooperation to the next level. It includes proposed areas of cooperation in land, aero and naval systems, R&D cooperation and coproduction of defence equipment. India stressed that South Korea’s ‘New Southern Policy’ and India’s ‘Act East Policy’ will provide a strong framework for future engagement and consolidation of Special Strategic Partnership between the two countries. Miscellaneous ‘Make in India’ metro coach Part of: GS Prelims In News: PM Modi launched Mumbai’s first ‘Make in India’ metro coach, manufactured by the state-run BEML. BEML Limited (formerly Bharat Earth Movers Limited) was established in 1964, is a ‘Miniratna-Category-1’ Public Sector Undertaking of Government of India. It manufactures a variety of heavy equipment, such as that used for earth moving, transport and mining The Company operates under three major Business verticals viz., Mining & Construction, Defence and Rail & Metro. It is headquartered in Bengaluru. BEML has manufacturing plants in Kolar Gold Fields, Bengaluru, Palakkad and Mysore. The indigenous coach, the first of 500 to be delivered to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, was built by BEML at its Bengaluru facility in 75 days. (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Strengthening Local Democracy Background: Democratic decentralisation is barely alive in India. Over 25 years after the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments (they mandated the establishment of panchayats and municipalities as elected local governments) devolved a range of powers and responsibilities and made them accountable to the people for their implementation, very little and actual progress has been made in this direction. Local governments remain hamstrung and ineffective; mere agents to do the bidding of higher level governments. Devolution as per the Constitution: It is not mere delegation. It implies that precisely defined governance functions are formally assigned by law to local governments, backed by adequate transfer of a basket of financial grants and tax handles, and they are given staff so that they have the necessary wherewithal to carry out their responsibilities. Yet, none of this has happened, by a long shot. Key issues: The volume of money set local governments for them is inadequate to meet their basic requirements. Much of the money given is inflexible; even in the case of untied grants mandated by the Union and State Finance Commissions, their use is constrained through the imposition of several conditions. There is little investment in enabling and strengthening local governments to raise their own taxes and user charges. Local governments do not have the staff to perform even basic tasks. Furthermore, as most staff are hired by higher level departments and placed with local governments on deputation, they do not feel responsible to the latter; they function as part of a vertically integrated departmental system. If these structural problems were not bad enough, in violation of the constitutional mandate of five yearly elections to local governments, States have often postponed them. Way forward: Gram sabhas and wards committees in urban areas have to be revitalised. Consultations with the grama sabha should be organised through smaller discussions where everybody can really participate. Even new systems of Short Message Services, or social media groups could be used for facilitating discussions between members of a grama sabha. Local government organisational structures have to be strengthened. Panchayats are burdened with a huge amount of work that other departments thrust on them, without being compensated for the extra administrative costs. Local governments must be enabled to hold State departments accountable and to provide quality, corruption free service to them, through service-level agreements. We cannot have accountable Gram Panchayats, without local taxation. Local governments are happy to implement top-down programmes because they know that if they collect taxes, their voters will never forgive them for misusing their funds. Conclusion: India’s efforts in decentralisation represent one of the largest experiments in deepening democracy. We have given ourselves a reasonably robust democratic structure for local governance over the last two decades and more. It is for us to give life to this structure, through the practice of a robust democratic culture. Connecting the dots: Democracy has not been enhanced in spite of about 32 lakh peoples’ representatives being elected to them every five years. Local governments remain hamstrung and ineffective. Comment. NATIONAL/ENVIRONMENT TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3: Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. India: Buidling resilience against climate change Background: Against scientific warnings, carbon emissions continue to rise in China, the U.S. and India, three of the biggest emitters. Brazil is encouraging — under the false pretext of promoting economic growth — unprecedented deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. Amidst this dangerous setting, global leadership must act with far greater urgency, and countries, including India, ought to switch rapidly from polluting fossil fuels to cleaner renewable energy, while building much stronger coastal and inland defences against climatic damage. In Indian context: India is one of the most vulnerable country to climate change as per HSBC’s 2018 assessment. As global warming worsens, the hardest hit by the resulting floods, storms, heatwaves and droughts will be in India. Measures relating to the climate risk consider the exposure or sensitivity of countries to climate impacts on the one side, and their ability to cope on the other. A number of Indian States have experienced extreme heatwaves in the past three years, and the nation’s capital recently recorded a temperature of 48°C, its hottest day in 21 years. India’s exposure to climate hazards is heightened by the location of its vast coastline in the eye of the storm, across the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. Increasing temperatures and changing seasonal rainfall patterns are aggravating droughts and hurting agriculture across the country. Extreme storms like the one that hit Odisha this year and the floods that swept Chennai in 2015 are the new normal. Way ahead: Building resilience India is not doing enough to boost its coastal and inland defences. It also needs to do more to build resilience in the sectors of agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, energy, transport, health, and education. The priority for spending at the national and State levels for disaster management needs to rise. Adequate resources must also be allocated for implementing climate action plans that most States have now prepared. Conclusion: As the country that is most at risk for climate damage, India should lead in pressing the global community to take sweeping climate action. Meanwhile, the nation must reinforce its infrastructure and adapt its agriculture and industry. Equally, India also needs to replace urgently its fossil fuels with renewable energy. Connecting the dots: India is one of the most vulnerable country to climate change as per HSBC’s 2018 assessment. In this light discuss the urgency for India to build resilience. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Featured Comments and comments Up-voted by IASbaba are the “correct answers”. IASbaba App users – Team IASbaba will provide correct answers in comment section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1) Consider the following statements about Mega Food Park The Scheme is based on “Cluster” approach and envisages creation of state of art support infrastructure in a well-defined agri / horticultural zone It is being implemented by Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries It is a central sector scheme with 100% contribution from Centre Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.2) The 38th north parallel forms the border between which two countries? USA & Canada North Korea & South Korea France & Germany None of the above Q.3) Which of the following Public Sector Undertakings are considered as Navaratna companies in India? National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC) Oil India Ltd Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd BEML Select the correct answer from the codes given below 1, 2 and 3 Only 1, 2 and 4 Only 2 and 3 Only 1, 2, 3 and 4 MUST READ So close, yet so far: On Chandrayaan 2 lander debacle The Hindu Justice Tahilramani: An arbitrary transfer, a graceful resignation The Hindu Abrogation of J&K’s special status is being seen through one prism: The fear of demographic change Indian Express Fast privatisation vital for economic turnaround Financial Express Why India needs to protect its small dairy farmers Financial Express Making a case for green bonds Financial Express What India needs at higher education institutions Financial Express

Sep 9, 2019 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 66

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 66 Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘PUC Certificate’ It is issued to diesel transport vehicles only for complying with the prescribed emission norms. The validity of the test is one year for BS IV vehicles. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Which of the following is not a tributary of River Krishna? Bhima Hemavathi Malaprabha Venna Q.3) ‘SLINEX’ is bilateral maritime exercise between India and Singapore Sri Lanka Senegal South Africa Q.4) Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, introduced the concept of an ‘Arbitration Council of India’. Consider the following statements with respect to it. The Chairperson of the Council will be retired Chief Justice of India The Chairperson will be appointed by the President of India Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme (ITHPC)’ It is a grant-making initiative which contributes to the Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP), a global effort to double tiger numbers in the wild by 2022. It is launched by the ‘International Union for Conservation of Nature’. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution - Click here All the Best IASbaba

Sep 9, 2019 Important Articles

Current Affairs Focus (CAF): The last leg of your journey before the final test !

Current Affairs Focus (CAF): The last leg of your journey before the final test Dear Students, The Civil Services Main (CSM) examination is due in a few days. For the past 12 weeks, you have been practicing 5 questions a day in a planned and systematic manner. If you were consistent during this period, there is no question of you not excelling in the real examination. Hard work and consistency have always been the keys to success. Now, coming to the Mains examination, we want to highlight the significance of current affairs. It is important that you have a good grasp on current affairs for two simple reasons: There can be direct questions from the current affairs. Current affairs can help you in framing better substantiated answers to the static questions. All of you know the significance of current affairs and must have prepared well to learn and memorise them. However, when it comes to putting the information down on the answer booklet, it becomes difficult to structure the answers. To put an end to such an impediment, you need to have adequate practice to handle current affairs questions. Therefore, just like previous years, we are going to provide on a daily basis, 7 questions from current affairs on our website. The name of the initiative is Current Affairs Focus (CAF). These questions will be framed from the latest and the most relevant current affairs. You will be practicing these most probable questions for two weeks and even though the number of questions practiced would be 70-75, it will boost your confidence a lot. The Schedule for CAF is as follows: 9th to 11th Sept: GS 1 Current Affairs 12th to 14th Sept: GS 2 Current Affairs 15th to 17th Sept: GS 3 Current Affairs So, let us start the one final journey before the real test and get better with each passing day. Please Note that, In CAF, Evaluation will not be done nor Synopsis will be provided. Through the questions, you will get to know the most important topics for Mains 2019 related to Current Affairs. But, we would advice you to make the best use of this initiative, by practicing answer writing 7 answers on daily basis on our TLP Platform. The Mock Tests Schedule for TLP – 2019 Phase 2 online will be postponed by 2 days. GS1 and GS2 will be held on September 12th GS3 and GS4 will be held on September 13th Essay on September 14th All the best IASbaba

Sep 8, 2019 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Finding the right teacher – Inspirational Educative Articles

Finding the right teacher: There is a lot of difference between finding a real teacher and finding any other teacher. It is a lot easier to identify a teacher just based on certain qualifications, but it is a lot more difficult to find a teacher who you can judge as competent. For all of the other teachers there is a qualification, there is a way to identify a teacher. If you want a math, physics, or a music teacher, there are very clear qualifications; there are degrees. There are documents that say that he or she is a teacher, so you can find teachers just based on credentials. Even if there aren’t any credentials, there is a way to identify the skill. You can look at the dancer and say, “I love the way he dances. I love the way she dances, and I want to learn from her. There's no way you’re going to learn music from a person who does not know how to play the musical instrument, right? When you interact with the teacher you would immediately get that sense, “Okay, this person knows music; he knows what he is talking about. None of this exists for the real teacher who can transform your life--absolutely none of this. Anyone can claim, anyone can say, “I know what I am talking about. I know my subject well. I know the method, I know how to teach it, and I'm willing to teach.” Especially in today's day and age, there are a lot more people willing to teach, than there are people willing to learn. With the available social media platforms--YouTube and Facebook, it's so easy to become a teacher. Just gather a group of students and start teaching. The problem with all this is, how do you know if you have found the right teacher? Or should you even be looking for the right teacher? Is there a right teacher? The answer is an obvious yes. There are teachers with whom you can have a personal connect and learn tremendously. Just because a lot of things have moved online, it doesn’t mean that you should settle for anything less than the best. Even in the online space, competence and personal connect is extremely important. The single biggest yardstick of judging a teacher should be competence and not qualification. Yes, qualification plays an important part. But there is an ocean of difference between possessing the qualification to teach and knowing how to teach. Teaching is an art which takes totally different skill sets. It is a lot easier to judge a teacher based on the qualification alone but the trick in finding the right teacher is to judge based on competence. The difference appears to be small, but this small difference can make all the difference in your life. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”

Sep 7, 2019 RSTV Video

RSTV IAS UPSC – Test Tube Babies

Test Tube Babies Archives TOPIC:General Studies 3 Science and Technology In news: On August 6th in 1986, India's second test-tube baby, Harsha Chawda, was born in Mumbai. The first baby born through the IVF procedure in India was Kanupriya Agarwal. She was born on October 3, 1978, just weeks after the birth of the world's first IVF baby in England. It was on July 25th, 1978 that British gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe and Nobel Prize-winning physiologist Robert Edwards etched their names in medical history. It's been 41 years since IVF came into being. And since then, an estimated 8 million babies have been born worldwide as a result of this procedure. In-Vitro fertilisation procedure: It involves fertilizing an egg outside the body, in a laboratory dish, and then implanting it in a woman's uterus. Why is there a need? Infertility is known to affect one in eight couples worldwide. In India alone, infertility affects nearly 10 to 15 per cent of married couples. In the traditional natural way, the egg gets fertilised by sperms deposited in the vagina, with the most able sperm entering the egg after travelling through the woman’s uterus and fallopian tubes. The fertilised egg then divides and forms an embryo in the fallopian tube which then travels back to the uterus to get implanted. However, if natural or unassisted conception is not possible, fertility treatment is an option. In an IVF cycle, the sperms that are obtained either from the ejaculated semen sample or sperms that are directly removed from the testis, are either kept in the close vicinity of the egg in petri dishes or are directly injected inside the egg by the embryologist and grown in the lab for five days under the strict supervision of the embryologist (IVF baby’s “first babysitter”). The best looking embryo is selected and transferred by the IVF specialist doctor into the uterus for implantation. Steps involved for IVF Suppressing the natural menstrual cycle: The woman receives a drug, usually in the form of a daily injection for about 2 weeks, to suppress their natural menstrual cycle. Super ovulation: Fertility drugs containing the fertility hormone follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) are given to the woman. FSH makes the ovaries produce more eggs than usual. Vaginal ultrasound scans can monitor the process in the ovaries. Retrieving the eggs: The eggs are collected through a minor surgical procedure known as "follicular aspiration." A very thin needle is inserted through the vagina and into an ovary. The needle is which is connected to a suction device. This sucks the eggs out. This process is repeated for each ovary. In 2011, researchers suggested that collecting 15 eggs from the ovaries in one cycle gives the highest chance of a successful pregnancy. Frozen or donated eggs may also be used. Insemination and fertilization: The eggs that have been collected are placed together with male sperm and kept in an environmentally controlled chamber. After a few hours, the sperm should enter the egg. Sometimes the sperm is directly injected into the egg. This is known as an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Frozen sperm, retrieved through testicular biopsy, may be used. This is believed to be as effective as fresh sperm in achieving a successful pregnancy. The fertilized egg divides and becomes an embryo. One or two of the best embryos are selected for transfer. The woman is then given progesterone or human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) to help the lining of the womb receive the embryo. Embryo transfer: Sometimes, more than one embryo is placed in the womb, if no ideal embryos are available. The transfer of the embryo is done using a thin tube, or catheter. It enters the womb through the vagina. When the embryo sticks to the lining of the womb, healthy embryo growth can begin. The IVF pregnancy is always confirmed with BHCG levels in the blood. Miscarriages The incidence of miscarriages is slightly higher in women with IVF pregnancies despite being under strict supervision and receiving more medications than those with a natural pregnancy. The reasons for this are most likely attributed to the higher incidence of elderly women with some medical conditions like diabetes or hypertension, presence of fibroids and higher incidence of aneuploid embryos (embryos with abnormal number of chromosomes). In-Virto Fertilization (IVF) technique is gaining popularity. Consider the following steps in Women’s IVF process and arrange it in its correct order of occurrence Collecting the eggs Boosting the egg supply Embryo transfer Fertilizing the eggs Select the correct code 1-2- 3-4 2-1- 4-3 2-1- 3-4 1-2- 4-3 Solution (b) Steps in Women’s In-Virto Fertilization (IVF) technique process Suppressing your natural monthly hormone cycle Boosting the egg supply Checking on progress Collecting the eggs Fertilising the eggs Embryo transfer

Sep 7, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 7th September 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 7th September 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) SLINEX Part of: GS Prelims In News Sri Lankan Navy is sending two ships to India to participate in the SLINEX 2019 SLINEX is a bi-lateral maritime fleet exercise between Navies of India and Sri Lanka Since 2005, six successful SLINEX series of maritime exercises have been conducted. 2019 edition is the seventh edition of SLINEX. The week-long SLINEX 2019 exercise will commence on September 7, 2019. The exercise features wide-ranging naval exercises including helicopter operations. This has helped the two Navies in understanding each other's procedures and contributes towards maritime security in the region. Indus Valley Civilizations Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-II – Ancient History In News Study of DNA from skeletal remains excavated from the Harappan cemetery at Rakhigarhi has provided new insights into Indian history The study shows that hunter-gatherers of South Asia (who later formed Harappa Civilization) have an independent origin and are not descendent of Eurasian farmers. The theory of the Harappans having ancient Iranian farmer ancestry thus stands refuted. The study done through DNA analysis of Rakhigarhi thus challenges Aryan Invasion theory Do You Know? In Europe, ancient-DNA studies have shown that agriculture tended to spread through an influx of people with ancestry in Anatolia, in modern day Turkey. In South Asia, however, the story appears quite different. The researchers found an absence of Anatolian-related ancestry. Rakhigarhi in Haryana State, situated 150 km to the northwest of Delhi, is the site of a pre-Indus Valley Civilisation settlement going back to about 6500 BCE In January 2014, the discovery of additional mounds at Rakhigarhi resulted in it becoming the largest Indus Valley Civilization site, overtaking Mohenjodaro (300 Hectares) by almost 50 hectares. MEASLES, RUBELLA Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Issues relating to Health In News Member-countries of the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region have resolved to eliminate measles and rubella by 2023. Measles and rubella are contagious viral infections preventable by vaccine and best known by its distinctive red rash. Eliminating measles will prevent 500,000 deaths a year in the region, while eliminating rubella/ congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) would avert about 55,000 cases of rubella. Bhutan, North Korea, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste have eliminated measles. Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste have controlled rubella. About Measles Measles is a deadly disease which can lead to –Pneumonia, Diarrhoea and other deadly threats The respiratory disease measles remains a leading cause of death among young children, despite the fact that a safe and effective vaccine has been available for 40 years. Measles is an acute illness caused by a virus of the paramyxovirus family. It is one of the most contagious diseases and many children who do not have sufficient immunity contract measles if exposed. During the first few weeks after contracting measles, a child’s immune system becomes weakened, and a normal cold or diarrhoea can become a life-threatening illness. About Rubella Rubella infection during pregnancy can cause congenital deformities in newborn baby, such as Blindness, Deafness, Mental Retardation& Congenital heart disease Rubella is an acute, contagious viral infection. While rubella virus infection usually causes a mild fever and rash illness in children and adults, infection during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, can result in miscarriage, fetal death, stillbirth, or infants with congenital malformations, known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The rubella virus is transmitted by airborne droplets when infected people sneeze or a cough. Humans are the only known host. There is no specific treatment, but the disease can be prevented by vaccination. Global Liveability Index Part of: GS Prelims In News The Austrian capital Vienna has been ranked the ‘world's most liveable city’ for the second year in a row on the annual Global Liveability Index The annual Global Liveability Index of 140 cities around the world, is released by UK’s The Economist news magazine. The index considers more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors spanning categories like stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. For the first time, the index noted the effects of climate change on liveability. New Delhi was ranked at 118th (a drop of six ranks) due to “poor air quality. Mumbai was ranked 119th The least liveable cities were Karachi, Tripoli, Dhaka, Lagos and, at the very bottom, Damascus (Syria). Western Europe and North America continue to be the most liveable regions in the world. (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS TOPIC: General Studies 2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests India-Russia bilateral ties Context: Unveiling the Russian edition of India’s ‘Look East, Act East’ policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged on Thursday to extend a $1 billion Line of Credit to Russia’s Far East region (RFE) Finance Indian business projects in the region, will be the “take-off point for Act Far East”, and will further strengthen bilateral ties. What is the EEF? According to its website, the EEF was established by a decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, in 2015, with the aim of supporting the economic development of Russia’s Far East, and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. The ongoing EEF Summit at the Far Eastern Federal University is the fifth in its history. Among the participants in the Summit are India, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, and South Korea. According to the EEF website, the 2018 Summit was attended by more than 6,000 participants from over 60 countries, and over 220 agreements worth over RUB 3.1 trillion were signed. (Each Russian ruble is almost exactly worth 1 Indian rupee.) The Summits have roundtable conferences, panel sessions, business breakfasts, besides business dialogues and bilateral talks and agreements. Mr. Modi’s visit saw several initiatives being launched towards increasing the value of economic ties between the two countries, which, at approximately $10 billion in terms of bilateral trade, lags far behind their strategic partnership and defence relationship India-Russia relations: Bilateral trades: India’s economic ties with Russia have been struggling with bilateral trade hovering around $10 billion mark. Energy is one area which has the potential to provide stimulus to their ties. On 20th India—Russia Annual Summit India, Russia agree to step up trade to $30 bn by 2025. They also agreed to speed up preparations for signing of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Agreement on Promotion and Mutual Protection of Investments. It was also agreed to intensify work for eliminating trade barriers. Which would be facilitated by the proposed Trading Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Republic of India Defence: India has contracted defence deals worth about $14.5 billion from Russia. New Delhi’s decision to go ahead with the purchase of S-400 missile defence system, worth over $5 billion, despite the threat of US sanctions, underscores the importance India continues to attach to its defence engagement with Russia. Energy sector: Chief among the 50 agreements signed this week were those on energy exploration and procurement, including a specific MoU on cooperation on LNG supplies to India, and a maritime route from Vladivostok to Chennai which will be used for energy trade as well. The two sides also agreed on a five-year ‘roadmap’ for cooperation on prospecting for hydrocarbons and LNG in the Far East and the Arctic, building on a history of Indian investment in oilfields in the region. The emphasis on energy from this region is as much a bid to benefit from explorations and trade routes in the Arctic that are becoming accessible due to global warming, as it is reflective of India’s desire to diversify its energy sources away from an unstable West Asia The investment in the Far East, which is often neglected given that Russia is seen as a European power in the post-Soviet era, also underlines India’s desire to draw Russia into its strategic forays in the Indo-Pacific. Russia and India are also becoming more ambitious by pursuing projects in third countries such as the Rooppur nuclear power project of Bangladesh. The push to ‘Act Far East’ allows India to demonstrate its commitment to an area of concern for Moscow, thus reassuring its traditional partner that in an increasingly polarised world, India is confident of working with multiple alignments, even if they are at cross purposes with each other. Conclusion: The challenge in front of India and Russia is that they need to transform a 20th century partnership and make it fit for the 21st century. Global trends are evolving rapidly and major powers are re-defining their ties with each other to match their contemporary requirements. Connecting the dots: India and Russia have been strategic partners even before cold war era. Critically analyse the defence relation between two countries and what can be possible way forward. (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 Recent studies from Rakhigarhi remains have shown that hunter-gatherers of South Asia were descendent of Eurasian farmers strengthening Aryan Invasion theory. Rakhigarhi, the largest Indus Valley Civilization site is situated in Maharashtra. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Global Liveability Index is released by which body/organisation? World Economic Forum United Nations World Bank None of the above Q.3) Measles and Rubella diseases are caused due to Bacteria Virus Fungus Protozoan parasite Plasmodium. Must Read: The problem of skilling India Indian Express Empowering primary care practitioners The Hindu Easing the pressure The Hindu India needs a globally competitive solar panel industry Financial express

Sep 6, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 6th September 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Nuakhai Part of: GS Prelims In News Nuakhai is an important social festival of Western Odisha and adjoining areas of Simdega in Jharkhand It is observed on the fifth day of the lunar fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada (August–September), the day after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. It is an agricultural festival which is observed to welcome the new rice of the season. The word nua means new and khai means food. During this festival people offer the newly harvested crop called Nabanha to their respective presiding deities and relish different types of delicacies prepared from the newly harvested crop. The Nuakhai Juhar is a major ritual of the festival. It is an exchange of greetings with friends, relatives and well-wishers. Women folk leave bed early to perform the Nukhai rituals with decorating the house with colourful rangoli. Eat Right India Movement Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-II – Issues relating to Health In News What is Eat Right India movement? It is a crucial preventive healthcare measure to trigger social and behavioural change Approach: Through judicious mix of regulatory measures, combined with soft interventions for ensuring awareness and capacity building of food businesses and citizens alike. Why it is needed? - Due to increasing burden of non-communicable diseases including diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases, widespread deficiencies of vitamins and minerals and rampant food-borne illnesses This movement is aligned with the government’s flagship public health programmes such as POSHAN Abhiyaan, Anemia Mukt Bharat, Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Swachh Bharat Mission. As part of campaign, the central food regulator - Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has trained over 1.7 lakh food safety supervisors who will spread awareness and sensitise people and food vendors on food safety FSSAI has also put in place robust regulatory measures under three major pillars: Eat Safe, Eat Health and Eat Sustainably for the programme. For example: FSSAI has prescribed a limit for Total Polar Compounds (TPC) at 25% in cooking oil to avoid the harmful effects of reused cooking oil. Do You Know? Under the Re-Purposed Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) initiative that FSSAI has undertaken with the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, used cooking oil is being converted to bio-diesel. India has set a target of 2022 to be free of industrial trans-fats, a year ahead of the global target set by the WHO POSHAN stands for Prime Minister’s Overreaching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment - is India’s flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescents, pregnant women and lactating mothers by leveraging technology, a targeted approach and convergence. Union Government is celebrating the entire month of September as “Rashtriya Poshan Maah” (National Nutrition Month) to emphasise the need for healthy nutrition. The theme is Complementary feeding. Centralised Technology Vertical (CTV) Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III- Cyber Security In News Government announced that new Centralised Technology Vertical (CTV) would be set up under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at a cost of ₹99 crore The announcement was made during 1st National Conference on cyber-crime investigation and forensics organised by the CBI Objective of CTV: To facilitate real-time information sharing with investigators across the country. It will become operational next year, which would strengthen the hands of authorities to tackle the growing menace of cybercrimes. Do You Know? Union Bank of India's SWIFT (a banking messaging service for international transactions) was targeted by hackers who siphoned off USD 171 million using it in 2016 – considered as India’s biggest international hack CBI who is presently investigating the case has noticed that the crime is spread over seven countries. In terms of magnitude, the UBI cyber heist overtook the hacking of the Bangladesh Central Bank, in which USD 81 million were stolen by hackers Act Far East Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-II – International Affairs In News PM Modi unveiled the 'Act Far East' policy for Russia and announced that India will give a line of credit worth USD 1 billion for the resource-rich region of Russia’s far east. PM Modi is on a two-day visit to attended the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) at Vladivostok - the first by an Indian prime minister. Among the participants in the Summit are India, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, and South Korea. EEF was established by decree of the President Putin in 2015 to support the economic development of Russia’s Far East and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Vladivostok is the largest port on Russia’s Pacific coast, and home to the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy. India is the first country that opened its consulate in Vladivostok MoU was signed between India and Russia to open a full-fledged maritime route between Russia’s eastern port city Vladivostok and Chennai which will help in the upscaling of trade relations between the two nations. Both sides signed various other agreements in the fields of military and technical cooperation, energy and science, LNG Business and LNG supplies, and natural gas https://eurogeologists.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Arkhipova_Figure1-610x330.jpg (MAINS FOCUS) HEALTH Topic: General studies 2 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. Issues relating to poverty and hunger Controlling the hepatitis B virus calls for universal vaccination of new borns Context: On September 3, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Thailand became the first four countries in the World Health Organization’s southeast Asia region to have successfully controlled hepatitis B. Concerns: Despite the introduction of hepatitis B vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Programme in 2002 and scaling-up nationwide in 2011, about one million people in India become chronically infected with the virus every year. According to the Health Ministry, as on February 2019, an estimated 40 million people in India were infected. About hepatitis: Hepatitis is a medical condition in which there occurs inflammation of liver cells and its complications vary with type of infection. There are 5 types of hepatitis viz. A, B, C, D and E. Each type is caused by a different hepatitis virus. Hepatitis viruses is one of the common cause of liver damage. Hepatitis B and C are the most deadly. These two types are mostly responsible for liver damage. Hepatitis viruses B, C and D spread by contact with contaminated blood or body fluids. Hepatitis A and E spreads through unsafe food and drink. Symptoms include yellowing of the skin and eyes, abdominal pain and swelling, yellow urine, pale or dark stools, chronic fatigue, nausea and loss of appetite. WHO has appointed Amitabh Bachchan as its goodwill Ambassador for Hepatitis in South East Asia Region. Prevalence of the disease; Hepatitis B infection at a young age turns chronic, causing over 1,00,000 premature deaths annually from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. A study published in 2013 found lower coverage of hepatitis B vaccine in eight of the 10 districts surveyed. According to the WHO, the coverage of hepatitis B third dose had reached 86% in 2015. However, despite the high vaccination coverage, disease prevalence in children aged less than five years has not dropped below 1%. Reasons for increasing numbers: One of the reasons for this is the sub-optimal coverage of birth dose in all infants within 24 hours of birth. The compulsion to increase birth dose to cut vertical transmission arises from two important reasons — about 70-90% newborns infected this way become chronic carriers of hepatitis B, and about 20-30% carriers in India are due to vertical transmission. But even seven years after the Health Ministry approved the birth dose in 2008, its coverage remained low — 45% in 2015 and 60% in 2016 In the case of institutional delivery, the birth dose vaccine coverage is low — 76.36% in 2017. One of the reasons for the low coverage is the fear of wastage of vaccine when a 10-dose vial is used. Unfortunately, health-care workers are very often unaware of the WHO recommendation that allows hepatitis B open-vial policy.( Opened vials of hepatitis B vaccine can be kept for a maximum duration of 28 days for use in other children if the vaccine meets certain conditions) National Viral Hepatitis Control Program The National Action Plan was developed by experts from across the country, in line with India’s commitment and keeping the global perspective in mind. The Plan provides a strategic framework, based on which National Viral Hepatitis Control Program was framed and launched in July, 2018 under National Health Mission by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. This program is also in line with our global commitment towards achieving Sustainable development Goal (SDG) 3.3. India has affirmed this commitment at the 69th World Health Assembly. The aim of the program is to combat hepatitis and achieve countrywide elimination of Hepatitis C by 2030, achieve significant reduction in the infected population, morbidity and mortality associated with Hepatitis B and C viz. Cirrhosis and Hepato-cellular carcinoma (liver cancer) and Hepatitis A and E. A National Steering Committee was formed to formulate the National Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis in January 2017. Various working groups were formed which looked at various thematic areas. The Plan was formed in consultation with nearly 110 experts, program managers, state officials and community members. The Technical Guidelines is intended to serve as a reference document for practising physicians and provide standardized testing and treatment protocols to ensure consistency in diagnosing and treatment of the disease, in the scientifically most appropriate and cost-effective manner. This will be taken down to the lowest level of health care through the Ayushman Bharat programme The preventive, promotive and curative interventions need to come together, especially since symptoms for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C often remain dormant for long. Vaccination against Hepatitis B to the health care workers and high-risk population will also be initiated under this program. No child should suffer from Hepatitis B. Use of social media and field outreach through mobile vans of the Ministry of I&B; to improve public awareness on the disease. Conclusion: India is one of the few countries in the world to roll out management of Hepatitis B and hepatitis C in a public health approach and offer free diagnostics and drugs lifelong to its beneficiaries. Integrating the interventions within the existing health systems framework under National Health Mission are further complementing the efforts of increasing access to testing and management of viral hepatitis. Coordination and collaboration with other national programs and schemes to provide a promotive, preventive and curative package of services will further augment the government of India’s determined efforts towards achieving the goal. Connecting the dots: “Only healthy people can build a strong and prosperous nation”. Comment. Can Ayushman Bharat prove to be a game changer? Discuss. SECURITY TOPIC:General studies 3: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate. Role of external state and non-state actors (extremists) in creating challenges to internal security. Security challenges and their management in border areas Chief of Defence Staff: Going forward In news: The recent decision to appoint a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), or Permanent Chief of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, satisfies a long-standing demand of the strategic community in India. Post the announcement of the decision, a high-powered panel has been set up by the government under the National Security Advisor (NSA) to draw up the charter of duties of the CDS and to implement the decision. The blueprint for its operationalisation would require intensive deliberation to make sure that no aspect of its implementation is left unaddressed. Structure: The three service chiefs are expected to retain the operational role, but they would be answerable to the CDS, who is most likely to have direct control over the tri-services strategic, space, cyber and special forces commands. He is also expected to spearhead military diplomacy. In a nutshell, he would be responsible for overall defence preparedness and function as the single-point military advisor to the government. Way forward: For CDS to be able to discharge all, or even some of, these functions, several structural and functional changes will have to be made. To begin with, he will need an organisational set up. A lean and thin organisation, with officer-oriented work culture, is needed as it will be less prone to bureaucratic lethargy. The functions to be carried out by the CDS will need to be specified unambiguously. It will be a challenge to strike the right balance between empowering the CDS sufficiently enough to discharge the functions assigned to him and overloading him with an unmanageable charter. Depending on what roles are finally assigned, a number of functions presently being performed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will have to be transferred to his jurisdiction. The modality of their transfer will need to be worked out to prevent disruption in work. The question whether the manpower handling such functions in the MoD should also be transferred will need careful consideration. It may not be desirable to transfer en masse the civilian staff and officers – some of them on deputation from various civil services – who for long have been accused of lack of professional knowledge, expertise and empathy required for carrying out the functions assigned to them. This is not going to change merely by bringing them under the administrative control of the CDS. The CDS would require to interact not only with MoD but also with several other ministries, including External Affairs and Finance, and also with functionaries like the Cabinet Secretary, Defence Secretary, and the National Security Advisor. It would be desirable to lay down protocols and standard operating procedures for such interactions to ensure smooth functioning of the new dispensation under a non-obtrusive system of checks and balances, and to pre-empt contretemps over status, authority and responsibility of various functionaries and organisations. Since one of the most important functions of the CDS would be to build up the capability of the armed forces, the existing capital procurement system will need to be re-engineered. CDS would undoubtedly require financial powers for carrying out whatever other functions are assigned to him. The present system of stratified delegation of financial powers under the revenue segment to the armed forces down the line, while retaining some powers in the MoD, is flawed. Full financial powers must be delegated to the CDS and other functionaries in the armed forces. The CDS is likely to face severe constraints in resource allocation as the need for funds projected by the armed forces has routinely been far higher than the budgetary allocations. The scheme for implementation must require the Ministry of Finance to indicate long-term availability of funds and the CDS to draw up defence plans within the indicated financial parameters. This could well be the biggest challenge for the CDS as he will have to withstand the pressure from the Service Chiefs, as operational commanders, for higher allocation to meet their service-specific requirement. Conclusion: The CDS cannot be a panacea for all problems faced by the defence establishment. However, an effective implementation of the blueprint of the plan by the panel will help Indian defence system to undergo much needed and long-waited reform. Connecting the dots: The recent decision to appoint a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) satisfies a long-standing demand of the strategic community in India. Critically analyze. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Featured Comments and comments Up-voted by IASbaba are the “correct answers”. IASbaba App users – Team IASbaba will provide correct answers in comment section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1) Consider the following statements about Eastern Economic Forum EEF is an international forum established by Russia in 1991 to support the economic development of Russia’s Far East The Russian Far East comprises the eastern Russian territory between Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Nuakhai festival is observed in which part of India? Western Odisha Nagaland Punjab None of the above Q.3) Consider the following statements CBI derives power to investigate from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. Director of CBI has been provided security of two-year tenure in CBI by the CVC Act, 2003 The CVC Act also provides mechanism for selection of Director of CBI and other officers of the rank of SP and above in CBI. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1,2 and 3 Q.4) Consider the following statements The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) is implementing POSHAN Abhiyaan Union Government is celebrating the entire month of September as “Rashtriya Poshan Maah” to emphasise the need for healthy nutrition. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Must Read: Interesting, but risky The Hindu Restoring the bond Indian Express Teaching in the time of consumerism The Hindu Putting the pedal to the metal The Hindu

Sep 6, 2019 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 65

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 65 Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Dadabhai Naoroji’ He was among the key proponents of the ‘Drain of Wealth Theory’. He was the Congress president three times. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) ‘Enforcement Directorate is under the aegis of Ministry of Finance Ministry of Home Affairs Ministry of Corporate Affairs Ministry of Defence Q.3) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Institute of Eminence’ They would be able to admit over 50 per cent of foreign students on merit and deciding the fee charged from foreign students will also be their prerogative They will have the flexibility of course structure in terms of number of credit hours and years to take a degree. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) "Act Far East" policy is associated with Russia Australia ASEAN Taiwan and Hong Kong Q.5) Consider the following statements with respect to ‘'The Eat Right Movement’ It is launched by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) It was launched to combat negative nutritional trends to fight lifestyle diseases. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution - Click here All the Best IASbaba

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