Oct 7, 2019 PIB

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 30th Sep to 6th October – 2019

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 30th September to 6th October, 2019 ARCHIVES GS-2 NITI Aayog releases School Education Quality Index (SEQI) (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation; Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources) Developed by: NITI Aayog Aim: To bring an ‘outcomes’ focus to education policy by providing States and UTs with a platform to identify their strengths and weaknesses and undertake requisite course corrections or policy interventions. In line with NITI Aayog’s mandate to foster the spirit of competitive and cooperative federalism, SEQI strives to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and best practices across States and UTs.  Developed through a collaborative process, including key stakeholders such as Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD), the World Bank and sector experts, the index consists of 30 critical indicators that assess the delivery of quality education.  These indicators are categorized as below: Category 1: Outcomes Domain 1: Learning outcomes Domain 2: Access outcomes Domain 3: Infrastructure and facilities for outcomes Domain 4: Equity outcomes Category 2: Governance processes aiding outcomes Schooling should result in successful learning outcomes. A credible system of assessment in this regard is crucial to design necessary remedial actions. To ensure the system is geared towards learning, SEQI assigns almost half its weight to learning outcomes. This sends a strong signal across the nation to ensure the focus remains centred on learning outcomes. States’ and UTs’ performance on Learning Outcomes is driven by their results on the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2017. Their performance on Access Outcomes is primarily driven by enrolment ratios at the secondary level and transition rates from upper-primary to secondary level. SEQI also included an analysis of States and Union Territories for each indicator under study. SEQI is envisioned as a dynamic instrument that will continue to evolve. Over time, the relevance of the existing indicators and the availability of data for new indicators will be factored into the index design. In particular, the linkages between policy actions and SEQI indicators will be analyzed to reflect the efforts made by States and UTs to improve school education. AIM NITI Aayog, UNDP India Jointly Launch Youth Co:Lab (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) In a latest initiative to recognize young people as critical drivers of sustainable development, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India launched Youth Co:Lab which aims at accelerating social entrepreneurship and innovation in young India. Through Youth Co:Lab, young entrepreneurs and innovators will get a chance to connect with governments, mentors, incubators and investors, who will help equip them with entrepreneurial skills. The first phase of Youth Co:Lab will focus on six SDGs:  SDG 5 (Gender Equality) SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) SDG 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production) SDG 13 (Climate Action) About Youth Co:Lab: Co-created in 2017 by UNDP and the Citi Foundation, and operational in 25 countries across the Asia Pacific region, the Youth Co:Lab initiative aims to create an enabling ecosystem to promote youth leadership, innovation, and social entrepreneurship. About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): AIM including Self-Employment and Talent Utilisation (SETU) is Government of India’s endeavour to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Its objective is to serve as a platform for the promotion of world-class innovation hubs, grand challenges, start-up businesses and other self-employment activities, particularly in technology driven areas. Launch of Portal PRAKASH (Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony)  (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Aims at bringing better coordination for coal supplies among all stakeholders viz - Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal, Coal India, Railways and power utilities. This is an important step in ensuring adequate availability and optimum utilization of coal at thermal power plants. The Portal is designed to help in mapping and monitoring entire coal supply chain for power plants, viz – Coal Stock at supply end (mines), Coal quantities/ rakes planned, Coal quantity in transit and Coal availability at power generating station Benefits of Portal to the Stakeholders The portal makes available following information on a single platform  Coal company will be able to track stocks and the coal requirement at power stations for effective production planning Indian Railways will plan to place the rakes as per actual coal available at siding and stock available at power stations. Power stations can plan future schedule by knowing rakes in pipe line and expected time to Reach Stock at power generating station Ministry of Power /Ministry of Coal/ CEA/ POSOCO can review overall availability of coal at thermal power plants in different regions Present mechanism to review coal supply situation consists of an inter-ministerial group which has officials from Ministries of Power, Coal, Railways, CEA, power utilities and coal companies. This group holds weekly meetings to review coal supply situation as well as railway logistics. It was observed that this mechanism faced several issues such as scattered information, correctness of data from different organizations, timely availability of data etc. This often led to difficulties in decision making GS-3 Government’s aim to achieve $26 billion Indian defence industry by 2025 (Topic: Defence) Aim: To make a world class domestic defence industry that is self-reliant and less dependent on imports Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016 has been revised to promote domestic defence industry Buy India – Indigenously Designed, Developed & Manufactured (IDDM) has been introduced to promote indigenously designed & developed defence equipments The Defence Industry Corridors are being established to provide state-of-the-art infrastructure for the setting up of defence production facilities. The corridors will not only encourage regional industry but also develop a well-planned & efficient industrial base to promote defence production. Allowing 49% FDI through automatic route and more than 49% FDI through government route Liberalisation of Industrial Licensing to remove barriers for manufacturers, especially SMEs Simplification of ‘Make’ procedure  Notifying ‘Strategic Partnership’ model for Indian entities to develop a long-term partnership with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) Setting up of ‘Defence Investor Cell’ End-to-end online offset processing portal to promote transparency and efficiency Formulation of iDEX framework to encourage Indian Defence Sector innovations Amendments Approved in Electric Vehicle Charging Guidelines and Specifications (Topic: Environment Conservation) Revised guidelines are more consumer friendly as they incorporate a number of suggestions received from various stakeholders. At least one Charging Station should be available in a grid of 3 Km X 3 Km in the cities and one Charging Station at every 25 Km on both sides of highways/roads.  It has been envisaged that in the first phase (i.e. 1-3 years) all Mega Cities with population of 4 million plus as per census 2011, all existing expressways connected to these Mega Cities & important Highways connected with each of these Mega Cities may be taken up for coverage, while in the second phase (3-5 years) big cities like State Capitals, UT headquarters may be covered for distributed and demonstrative effect. Further, important Highways connected with each of these Mega Cities may also be taken up for coverage.  To address the concerns in inter-city travel and long range and/or heavy duty EVs it has been provided that Fast Charging Station for long range and/or heavy duty EVs like buses/trucks etc., shall be installed at every 100 Kms, shall be installed one on each side of the highways/road located preferably within/alongside the Public Charging Station (PCS) mentioned above. Assuming that most of the charging of EVs would take place at homes or at offices where the decision of using Fast or Slow chargers would rest on the consumers, it has been clarified in the guidelines that private charging at residences/offices shall be permitted and DISCOMs may facilitate the same. Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body under Ministry of Power has been nominated as the Central Nodal Agency.  The tariff to be charged, from Public Charging Stations as well as from domestic consumers for domestic charging, by the DISCOMs and the Service Charges to be charged by these PCS from EV users have also been covered in the guidelines.  Please Note Exercise MAITREE: Joint military training exercise between Indian Army (IA) & Royal Thailand Army (RTA) 26th Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria International Day of Older Persons: 3rd October Vayoshreshtha Samman-2019 to the eminent senior citizens and institutions in recognition of their services towards the cause of the elderly persons Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana - under which physical aids and assistive living devices viz. wheel chairs, hearing aids, spectacles, support stickset care distributed to the older persons of below poverty line category. India launches “Green Crackers” in its bid to curb air pollution Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) labs have been successful in developing various environment-friendly fireworks such as sound emitting crackers, flowerpots, pencils, chakkar and sparklers. On one hand we would be using eco-friendly crackers this Deepawali, and, on the other hand our traditional festival celebrations with lights and fire crackers shall remain intact. Millions of homes which are dependent on sale and manufacture of fireworks will also rejoice this festival, thanks to our scientists! 50th International Film Festival of India, 2019 Will witness over 200 best films  from 76 countries, 26 feature films and 15 non feature films in Indian panorama section and around 10,000 people and film lovers are expected to participate in the golden jubilee edition.  Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner Shri. Amitabh Bachchan’s outstanding contribution to Cinema will be honoured and celebrated through a package of his impactful and entertaining films in the 50th edition This year, the Feature Film Jury was headed by acclaimed filmmaker and screenwriter Shri Priyadarshan. The Jury has chosen the film HELLARO (Gujarati) directed by Abhishek Shah as the Opening Feature Film of Indian Panorama 2019. The Non – Feature Jury was headed by well-known documentary FilmmakerShri RajendraJanglay. The Non-Feature film Jury selected the film “Nooreh” directed by Ashish Pandey as the Opening non-feature film of Indian Panorama 2019. The Gandhian Challenge On the 150th birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, AIM, NITI Aayog’s Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) and UNICEF India, including Generation Unlimited, have launched ‘The Gandhian Challenge’. This innovation challenge provides a platform for every child across India to ideate innovative solutions for a sustainable India of their dreams, using Gandhi’s principles. The contest – open for every child in India from 2 October to 20 October – also celebrates 70 years of partnership between Government of India and UNICEF India to enable Every Right for Every Child. Plastic Man of India: Prof Rajagopalan Vasudevan, Professor of Chemistry at Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai Roads constructed using waste plastic are durable against extreme weather conditions, are cost-effective and pothole-resistant Once all the plastic waste is shredded (a technique where all the dust particles are eliminated, and plastic items are shredded into fine pieces) these are heated at 165°c. Next, the shredded pieces are added to bitumen mix, which is also heated at 160°c. The final mix is used for constructing roads. BRAHMOS Supersonic Cruise Missile BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile featuring Indian propulsion system, airframe, power supply and other major indigenous components, was successfully test fired The missile was successfully test-fired for its full range of 290-km during the launch jointly conducted by DRDO and BrahMos Aerospace.  With this successful mission, the indigenous content in the formidable weapon has reached a high value, thus bolstering India’s defence indigenisation and the flagship ‘Make in India’ programme. Jointly developed by India and Russia, the versatile BRAHMOS has been operationalised in the Indian Armed Forces with all the three services. Launch of Consumer App A one-stop solution for consumer grievance redressal at the palm of every consumer across the nation To fast-track consumer grievance redressal process and provide an effective forum for consumers to give their valuable suggestions to the Department on consumer related issues Bullet Resistant Jackets made under PM Modi’s‘Make in India’ initiative India has now joinedselected League of Nations such as US, UK & Germany to have its own standard for Bullet Resistant Jackets. The Jackets have been made using standard (IS 17051: 2018) set by the Bureau of India Standard (BIS) The standard is expected to fulfil the long pending demand of Indian Armed Forces, Paramilitary Forces and State Police Forces and will assist them in streamlining their procurement process. These jackets are light weight weighing between 5 kilograms to 10 kilograms depending on the threat level and are of the best quality in the world. The jackets have a dynamic weight distribution system which makes it feel half its actual weight and also has an easy to open and release system to ensure that the jawans can easily wear and remove the jackets as per their requirement without much effort.  These jackets also allow the jawans to use his weapon with ease while getting a 360 degree protection from bullets. Maximum areal densities for Soft Armour Panel (SAP) and Hard Armour Panel (HAP) has been specified for these jackets. As the critical performance requirements and their evaluation procedures have been clearly brought out in this standard, it will ensure the availability of quality Bullet Resistant Jackets at economical price. Ministry of Tourism launches Audio Guide facility App "Audio Odigos" for 12 sites of India (including Iconic Sites) Audio guide odigo offers Government of India verified content, with visuals & voice over support. With Audio Odigos, tourists will now enjoy a more enriching experience and take back historical insights of the Indian culture and heritage.  The Audio Odigos app contains an inbuilt map of the site for a smooth navigation during the tour.  Listeners will be offered various versions of history like Synopsis, Detailed History and Podcasts. The audio can be chosen in their preferred language & version of the history. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2019 -20 Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds, which will be issued in six tranches from October 2019 to March 2020. The Bonds will be sold through Scheduled Commercial banks (except Small Finance Banks and Payment Banks), Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post offices, and recognised stock exchanges viz., National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange Limited. Electoral Bond Scheme 2018 As per provisions of the Scheme, Electoral Bonds may be purchased by a person, who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India. A person being an individual can buy Electoral Bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.  Only the Political Parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and which secured not less than one per cent of the votes polled in the last General Election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the State, shall be eligible to receive the Electoral Bonds.  The Electoral Bonds shall be encashed by an eligible Political Party only through a Bank account with the Authorized Bank. State Bank of India (SBI), in the XII Phase of sale, has been authorised to issue and encash Electoral Bonds  Electoral Bonds shall be valid for fifteen calendar days from the date of issue and no payment shall be made to any payee Political Party if the Electoral Bond is deposited after expiry of the validity period. The Electoral Bond deposited by an eligible Political Party in its account shall be credited on the same day. Special Focus: Ayushman Bharat PMJAY Ayushman Bharat is a conscious attempt to holistically address health, encompassing prevention, promotion and ambulatory care at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Ayushman Bharat has been designed on the fundamental precepts that prevention is better than cure, and that no one should fall into poverty because of expenditure on healthcare, or die, because they cannot afford treatment. It promises to bring healthcare to the poorest through two components:  Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) delivering comprehensive primary healthcare through the development of 1.5 lakh HWCs PM-JAY, the health assurance scheme delivering secondary and tertiary care to 55-crore people through a health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year.  What are the numbers for the year gone by? More than 20,000 HWCs have been made operational. More than five crore people have been screened for a whole range of common non-communicable diseases.  Under PM-JAY, more than 45 lakh hospital admissions have taken place for cashless treatment in more than 18,000 empaneled hospitals across the country, resulting in savings of more than Rs 13,000 crore for the beneficiary families.  Every three seconds, a beneficiary is being treated, and the numbers continue to rise. Eleven states/UTs have expanded the coverage to include almost all families. In addition, 23 states/UTs have expanded the beneficiary base with the same benefit cover as under PMJAY or lower in some cases. Several states have merged their many ongoing schemes with PMJAY to make implementation simpler for both beneficiaries and participating hospitals. The private sector has played an active role in the early pick up of the scheme. More than half of the empaneled hospitals are private. Over 62 per cent of the treatments have been done by private hospitals. PM-JAY has created a massive demand for private (and public) sector services by making hospital facilities accessible to 55 crore people. With the setting up of 1.5 lakh HWCs by 2022, an expected 1.5 lakh jobs will be created for community health officers, including 50,000 multi-purpose health workers. It has generated an estimated 50,000-60,000 jobs in the first year itself and is expected to add over 12.5 lakh jobs in both public and private sectors over the next three to five years, with 90 per cent of them in the healthcare sector and the remaining in allied sectors such as insurance and implementation support. Release of a National Digital Health Blueprint (NDHB) To ‘manage and analyse’ the big data generated by the Centre’s flagship health programme, Ayushman Bharat Given that doctors in both the public and private sectors regularly complain about the lack of comprehensive records of their patients, the digital registry envisaged by the NDHB could fulfill a longstanding requirement of the health sector.  The proposed data compendium is also in keeping with global trends in healthcare where digital technology is used to make treatment options more personalised and precise.  Big data can also be used to prevent epidemics and improve the efficiency of drugs. What more needs to be done? The ambitious Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) completes a year, with impressive numbers to show but it still faces challenges of sustainability, synchronization and financial fulfilment. Funding Issues: The allocation of just ₹2,000 crore during the current year to the PMJAY cannot provide the promised cover to the large population sought to be included. Not all States and Union Territories are in a position to raise their own share, and a few have not even joined the scheme.  The challenge of funding, therefore, remains. And without adequate budgetary commitments, the implications of pooling the financial risk for such a large segment of the population through insurers or state-run trusts or societies make the outcomes uncertain. Along with delivery and quality, the government will need to adopt innovative funding models for long-term sustainability. While government spending on healthcare in India is one of the lowest in the world at around 1.2% of GDP, the country’s health system is crippled with shortage of workforce, poor infrastructure, compromised quality and unavailability of services. Universal Health Coverage is a must: It is essential to reduce the pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals for expensive treatments by investing in preventive and primary care facilities. Here, the 150,000 health and wellness centres of the National Health Protection Mission can play a valuable role.  The first-order priority should be to draw up a road map for universal health coverage, through continuous upgradation of the public sector infrastructure. Infrastructure issues: There is a severe shortage of medical personnel, including doctors and nurses, as well as a dearth of hospitals and hospital beds. This shortage is especially stark in rural areas.  In many places, primary health centres, community health centres, and sub-centres are located too far from people’s homes. Even in the big cities, patients often have to run from one hospital to another in search of a particular facility or a bed.  Private infirmaries are the preferred option for most, if only because of treatment is assured. The poor, however, typically find themselves shut out not just by steep prices—which Ayushman Bharat expects to overcome—but also invisible class barriers. Scaling Up: The uneven geographic distribution of poor families makes it difficult to find out the real targeted beneficiaries given the uneven geographic distribution of poor families. Inspite of many people having been treated under the scheme, many remain unaware of the programme. There is a need to scale up this programme with quality and sustainability for all stakeholders. We need to strengthen delivery mechanism which includes expansion of private providers’ network, shift towards organized care delivery, innovations, speciality, low cost, and value-based care. Overall Other factors pushing the programme to its limits include increasing population, disease burden, concentration of health services in urban areas, and lack of awareness of the scheme among a major chunk of entitled beneficiaries. The success of the programme will rely on a reformed and adequately resourced public sector to lead implementation, delivery, and monitoring of the scheme. Note: Under the 7th schedule of the Indian Constitution, health is a state subject. Refer: Mindmap Connecting the Dots: National healthcare schemes often dilute the responsibility of the states and overlook the need for preventive measures. Comment. Ayushman Bharat is one of the most ambitious health schemes ever launched in India. What can be the key challenges in proper implementation of this scheme? Examine the status of insurance coverage in India. What is your assessment of the potential of Ayushman Bharat in this regard? भारत में बीमा कवरेज की स्थिति की जांच करें। इस संबंध में आयुषमान भारत की क्षमता का आपका आकलन क्या है?

Oct 6, 2019 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Power of Individuality – Inspirational Educative Articles

Power of Individuality: The question, ‘What exactly does it mean to be an individual?’ is more important now than ever before. We have to explore this question precisely because we have smothered the individual spirit under innumerable collective ideologies. The answer to this question holds the future hope of humanity. If we get this wrong, we can consider ourselves doomed. I heard a story once that beautifully illustrates how important each individual is to existence. Here is that story: “I read the first chapter of 'A Brief History of Time’ when Dad was still alive, and I got heavy boots about how relatively insignificant life is, and how, compared to the universe and compared to time, it didn’t even matter if I existed at all. When Dad was tucking me in that night and we were talking about the book, I asked if he could think of a solution to that problem. “What problem?” “The problem of how relatively insignificant we are.” He said, “Well, what would happen if a plane dropped you in the middle of the Sahara Desert and you picked up a single grain of sand with tweezers and moved it one millimeter?” I said, “I’d probably die of dehydration.” He said, “I just mean right then when you moved that single grain of sand. What would that mean?” I said, “I don’t know, what?” He said. “Think about it.” I thought about it. “I guess I would have moved a grain of sand.” “Which would mean?” “Which would mean I moved a grain of sand?” “Which would mean you changed the Sahara.” “So?” “So?” So the Sahara is a vast desert. And it has existed for millions of years. And you changed it!” “That’s true!” I said, sitting up. “I changed the Sahara!” “Which means?” he said. “What? Tell me.” “Well, I’m not talking about painting the Mona Lisa or curing cancer. I’m just talking about moving that one grain of sand one millimeter.” “Yeah?” “If you hadn’t done it, human history would have been one way ...” “Uh-huh?” “But, you did do it, so ...?”I stood on the bed, pointed my fingers at the fake stars, and screamed: “I changed the universe!” “You did.” An individual is a tremendous force of nature. It is very easy to forget this force if we are too caught up in all the collective ideologies of life. Everybody has fixed ideas of what is possible and what is not. If you simply give in to this collective ideology of others, you will subconsciously accept those limitations for yourself. Believing that the greatest force of existence is the individual is extremely important. When you believe that, you, your mind and application of your thoughts and ideas are more important than ideas floating around you, you will exercise the choice to be an individual. You will discover a unique force of existence within you which is capable of great things. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”

Oct 5, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 5th October 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Fourth bi-monthly monetary policy statement, 2019-20 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Economy In News  Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to reduce the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 5.15 % from 5.40 %  Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands reduced to 4.90 %, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 5.40 %. It also revised its growth forecast for the current financial sharply, from 6.9% projected in the August policy, to 6.1%. Growth forecast for the first quarter of the next financial year was also trimmed to 7.2% from 7.4%. About MPC MPC is a six-member committee constituted by the Central Government (Section 45ZB of the amended RBI Act, 1934). Of these, three members are from RBI while three other members are nominated by the Central Government. The MPC determines the policy interest rate required to achieve the inflation target Before establishment of Monetary Policy Committee, the final decision on interest rates etc. would come from RBI Governor’s desk. The quorum for the meeting of the MPC is four members. Each member of the MPC has one vote, and in the event of an equality of votes, the Governor has a second or casting vote. India’s first e-waste clinic will come up in Bhopal Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-III –Environment Conservation In News The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have joined hands to set up the country’s first e-waste clinic in Bhopalthat would enable segregation, processing and disposal of waste from both household and commercial units. The clinic is being conceived in compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 Electronic waste will be collected door-to-door or could be deposited directly at the clinic in exchange for a fee. The CPCB will provide technical support at the unit Do You Know? It is estimated that 50 million tonne of e-waste will be generated globally in 2018. Half of this is personal devices such as computers, screens, smartphones, tablets. India is ranked 5th in the world among top e-waste producing countries-USA, China, Japan and Germany.The volume of e-waste is growing at an estimated 21 per cent annually. The concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)- under 2016 E-waste (Management) Rules - mandated producers of electrical and electronic equipment to register and specified targets to collect back e-waste generated and to ensure that it is channelised to authorized recyclers ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) CHARGING GUIDELINES Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Infrastructure In News Union Minister for Power has approved amendments in Electric Vehicle Charging Guidelines and Specifications. At least one Charging Station to be available in a grid of 3 Km x 3 Km in the cities and one Charging Station at every 25 Km on both sides of highways/roads. All Mega Cities & expressways connected to these Mega Cities to be taken up for coverage in first phase, other big cities to be taken up in second phase. For inter-city travel, Fast Charging Station to be installed at every 100 Kms. Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body under Ministry of Power has been nominated as the Central Nodal Agency to facilitate installation of Charging Infrastructure. MICROFINANCE Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II –Economy In News RBI has decided to raise the lending limit per borrower from ₹1 lakh to ₹1.25 lakh to enable more borrowers to avail loans from microfinance institutions (MFI) RBI has also proposed to increase the household income limit for borrowers of NBFC-MFIs from the current level of ₹ 1.00 lakh for rural areas to ₹ 1.25 lakh and from present level of ₹ 1.60 lakh for urban/semi urban areas to ₹ 2.00 lakh. RBI said the decision was taken after taking into consideration the important role played by MFIs in delivering credit to those at the bottom of the economic pyramid and enable them to play their assigned role in a growing economy. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are financial companies that provide small loans to people who do not have any access to banking facilities Miscellaneous ChangthangPrahar (assault) It is an all arms integratedexercise in a “super high altitude” area near Chushul in eastern Ladakh, featuring tanks, artillery guns, drones, helicopters and troops, as well as para-drops. The exercise encompassed employment of mechanised forces with force multipliers integrating high technology platforms Changthang is a plateau in western and northern Tibet that extends into SoutheasternLadakh Another major combat exercise called “Him Vijay” will be held by the Army in Arunachal PradeshduringOctober second week, which will see the force testing its new integrated battle groups in mountain warfare in conjunction with the IAF (MAINS FOCUS) INDIA’S FOREIGN RELATION TOPIC: General Studies 2: India and its neighbourhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests India-China informal summit Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping   two-day India-China informal summit The second informal summit between leaders of India and China is scheduled to take place in the coastal town of Mamallapuram, south of Chennai.(first was wuhan)  The summit would take place in the wake of the recent India-US bonhomie and growing China-Pakistan partnership. Why Mamallapuram? Mamallapuram, or Mahabalipuram in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.  An ancient historic town and one of two major port cities by the 7th century within the Pallava kingdom (Pallavas also had trade relations with the Chinese.) Now UNESCO world heritage site and  one of the most visited towns in South India Renowned for its architecture, widely admired across the world. Wuhan was picked by President Xi Jinping as the venue last year to demonstrate China’s economic resilience and might.  Mamallapuram is symbolic of India’s ‘soft power’. Img : https://cdn.kastatic.org/ka-perseus-images/75a502c2daddead167bd72b120b004c9d47801ed.jpg Did you know: Mamallapuram and the Pallava dynasty are also historically relevant, for the earliest recorded security pact between China and India (in the early 8th century) involved a Pallava king (Rajasimhan, or Narasimha Varma II), from whom the Chinese sought help to counter Tibet, which had by then emerged as a strong power posing a threat to China. Issue of concern: Doklam and the disputed border between the two countries remains an issue of concern. China and India continue to compete and have a contradictory outlook on many strategic and civilisation issues. Like Asian security, regional stability and the role of the U.S. in the region The recent announcement by India of an “all arms integrated” exercise ‘codenamed Changthang Prahar (assault)’ in a “super high altitude” area near Chushul in eastern Ladakh, featuring tanks, artillery guns, drones, helicopters and troops, as well as para-drops, is almost certain to be read suspiciously by China. The reopening of the Advance Landing Ground at Vijoynagar in Arunachal Pradesh for the use of military aircraft  A  proposed major combat exercise, in Arunachal Pradesh, in which the new Integrated Battle Groups will be seen in operation  Wuhan summit: The first Informal Summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping was held in Wuhan in 2018  The purpose of meeting was to exchange views on overarching issues of bilateral and global importance and to elaborate their respective visions and priorities for national development in context of current and future international situation. Since the Wuhan Summit, little has changed as far as India-China relations are concerned. Political situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, China, along with countries like Pakistan, remains more intent than ever on ensuring that India has no role to play there. Aftermath  Relations between China and the U.S. have sharply deteriorated.  Majority of nations in the West have cooled off towards China. strengthening of India-Russia ties.  New triangular relationship of Russia, India and Japan. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has also come under increasing attack. Challenges in China: China’s domestic scene is  marked by heightened anxiety The economy is far more fragile than in early 2018, as exemplified by the jitters emanating from China’s equity and currency markets The decline in growth rates. Internal security concerns such as unrest in Tibet, inroads made by radical extremist groups in Xinjiang  Turn of events in Hong Kong  The relentless attack by the U.S. and President Trump on China’s economic practices has aggravated this mood of pessimism. China’s concern: India’s relations with the U.S. have attained a new high.  Relations with Russia have acquired a fresh dimension, incorporating economics alongside a longstanding military relationship. India’s relations with Japan have greatly strengthened.  The Quadrilateral (the U.S., India, Japan and Australia) has gained a new lease of life. Way forward: India, needs to proceed with utmost caution  India must ensure that it does not provoke China to the point where it would be inclined to indulge in ‘adventurism’. China’s efforts are more than likely to be directed towards ‘disruption’, primarily concentrating on disrupting the strategic alliances that India has forged, or strengthened, recently. Conclusion: With preparations and proper handling, the forthcoming meet could, on the other hand, provide India’s leaders with a realistic estimate as to where India-China relations are headed. Connecting the dots: Informal summits have their use as trust-building exercises. Elucidate  RBI TOPIC: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the repo rate Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the repo rate or key lending rate by 25 basis points while maintaining an accommodative stance.  The reverse repo rate was reduced to 4.9%. This is the fifth consecutive rate cut by the apex bank this year, aggregating to 135 bps. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) also cuts GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal year 2019-20 to 6.1% from 6.9% earlier. Highlights of MPC: A repo rate cut allows banks to reduce interest rates for consumers and lowers equal monthly instalments on home loans, car loans and personal loans. Central banks around the world are loosening monetary policy to offset a global slowdown made worse by U.S.-China trade tensions RBI will take a fresh look at cooperative bank regulations and take it up with the government The RBI has allowed domestic banks to freely offer foreign exchange (forex) prices to NRIs The continuing slowdown warrants intensified efforts to restore the growth momentum. On the crisis in the Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative Bank (PMC), the RBI governor said one incident cannot be and should not be used to generalise the health of the co-operative banking sector. PCA(Prompt Corrective Action) is an opportunity for the bank to correct itself. Appealed members of the public and all depositors that our banking system remains sound and stable, there is no reason for unnecessary panic. RBI has decided to create a separate category of NBFC, viz., Non-Banking Financial Company-Micro Finance Institution (NBFC-MFI). It acknowledged “the negative output gap has widened further” Negative output gap: A negative output gap indicates surplus capacity in the economy. A widening of this gap means the industry is unable to use much of its capacity due to poor demand. What is Prompt Corrective Action? To ensure that banks don't go bust, RBI has put in place some trigger points to assess, monitor, control and take corrective actions on banks which are weak and troubled.  The process or mechanism under which such actions are taken is known as Prompt Corrective Action, or PCA. Present scenario: Inflation is well within the target giving space to the RBI to focus on growth Crude oil prices are back in the comfort zone, retreating from the spike in mid-September, and food prices are projected to remain soft on the back of a good monsoon. Crux: If the projection of 6.1% for 2019-20 is to be met, the economy has to grow by about 7% in the second half which does not look very likely. The problem is that the central bank can only facilitate lower rates and push banks to lend. It cannot force borrowers to borrow and this is evident from the soft trends in credit offtake in the last few months. Way forward: Recent measures announced by the government are likely to help strengthen private consumption and spur private investment activity, the continuing slowdown warrants intensified efforts to restore the growth momentum Connecting the dots: Its commentary on the state of the economy and its outlook too has qualitatively changed — from being “optimistic” in April to expressing “concerns” in August and calling for “intensified efforts to restore the growth momentum” in October. Substantiate (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) Changthang Prahar often seen in news is related to which of the following area? India-China joint military exercise India-Mongolia joint army exercise India’s integrated military exercise in Eastern Ladakh None of the above Q.2) Consider the following statements Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) The MPC determines the policy interest rate required to achieve the inflation target It consists of 5 members out of which three are from RBI and the remaining two are nominated by the Central Government 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 India is ranked first in the world with respect to e-waste generation. India’s first e-waste clinic will come up in Bangalore to deal with recycling of e-waste Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 MUST READ Web of deception: On NEET impersonation scam The Hindu For Modi, Houston guaranteed a huge turnout of Indian Americans. Trump may need them to win Texas in 2020 IE Could Pakistan have stayed out of US-led global campaign after 9/11? IE For Gandhi, nationalism was based on understanding what was required for people to be free  IE

Oct 5, 2019 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Tourism in India: Opportunities and Challenges

Tourism in India: Opportunities and Challenges ARCHIVES Search 27th September 2019 here http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx  TOPIC: General Studies 3 Inclusive Development World Tourism Day 2019: Tourism and Jobs — A Better Future For All A report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranks the travel & tourism competitiveness of 140 economies. The biennial “Travel and Tourism Competitive Report” shows that India has made the greatest improvement since 2017 among the top 25 per cent of the countries that were previously ranked, the WEF said in a statement.  Overall, India is ranked 34, up six places from 2017. The study scored countries on four indicators —  Enabling environment Travel and tourism policy and enabling conditions Infrastructure Natural and cultural rankings From a sub-regional perspective, the nation (India) has better air infrastructure (33rd) and ground and port infrastructure (28th), international openness (51st) and natural (14th) and cultural resources (8th). India also greatly improved its business environment (89th to 39th), overall T&T policy and enabling conditions (79th to 69th), infrastructure (58th to 55th) and information and communications technology (ICT) readiness (112th to 105th) Compared to global benchmarks, the country can also add price competitiveness (13th) to its roster of strengths, the report noted.  What aided it? The growth is aided by what India has always been famous for in the West—price competitiveness, or in other words, being a cheap destination that has rich natural and cultural resources.  India’s highest improvement was in enabling environment, by 10 places to 98.  Last year, the Union government issued new rules governing India’s coastlines, which allow temporary tourism facilities like shacks, toilet blocks and drinking water facilities in what were earlier ‘no-development’ zones. Tourism contributes a substantial 10% to India’s GDP, generating about $250 billion. Also, with Ladakh having become a Union Territory, analysts estimate tourist inflow to increase substantially in the region. What are the troubles the sector faces? The least improvement is in infrastructure as well as in natural and cultural rankings, by just three places each, but India’s rank was already high in the latter. Environmental and livelihood concerns continue to plague the sector. While the hospitality industry has ravaged mountains and coastlines across the country - primarily due to over-exploitation - archaic legislations have restrained the industry’s growth. A recent study by the UN blamed over-exploitation of the Western Ghats for the megafloods witnessed in Kerala and parts of Karnataka for two consecutive years. Tourism is the single largest factor behind the over-exploitation of the sensitive Western Ghats ecosystem. There will be tourism only as long as the ‘rich natural and cultural resources’ exist. Legislators and industry players must, hence, promote eco-tourism in the true sense. The most successful example in this regard is Bhutan. While most countries subsidise tourism, Bhutan charges a sustainable development fee from tourists. This helps keep the Himalayan nation an evergreen attraction. The focus on higher tourist arrivals, greater revenues and more tourism-related jobs ignores some real problems related to sustainability, equity and the social impact of tourism. Rising incomes, affordable air travel, hotel and room booking apps, and social media have continued to fuel domestic demand. Supply, in terms of new locations and experiences, however, is lagging. In fact, we are getting “over-touristed" before reaching our tourism potential. Jobs in the Tourism Industry: India has created over 13.92 million jobs in the tourism sector, with over 10 million in education and health sectors. As per the data shared by the Minister of State for Tourism, the tourism sector contributed an estimated 5.06 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country during 2016-17. The gap will be 7.55 lakh in non-managerial level and 1.09 lakh in managerial cadre by 2020-21 in tourism and hospitality sector," as per the data shared by the Ministry of Tourism. The medical tourism sector attracts around 4 million people every year for various health checkups and major surgeries, with a majority from neigbouring countries of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, the Middle East and African countries. Further, the hospitality industry presents huge job opportunities for women, which are bound to increase as a lot of female travelers prefer solo trips The Way Ahead: Travel and tourism can drive economies, but only if policy-makers ensure proper management of their tourism assets, which requires a holistic, multi-stakeholder approach. Tourism’s role in job creation is often undervalued. This is despite the fact that tourism generates 10 per cent of the world’s jobs and is included in the Sustainable Development Goal 8 for its potential to create decent work. Also, if India is to ever close the immense gap between tourism potential and performance, it is vital that politicians and policymakers in state governments focus on creating high-quality experiences, rather than merely collecting entrance fees at monuments built by their olden-day predecessors. We need ways to balance sustainable tourism with socio-economic imperatives. Whatever you do to manage the numbers, the problem of undesirable behaviour remains to be addressed. Sensitize visitors: A combination of mandatory tourist education and strict law enforcement might perhaps work. The state government could require all tour bus operators, arriving rail and air passengers, hotels and resorts to conduct a short statutory briefing. Yes, people might treat it perfunctorily (like safety briefings on airlines), but it can nudge travellers to behave with greater respect and responsibility. More tourism: If there are more destinations that people could go to, then demand would spread out, thus relieving overcrowded locations of pressure and making behavioural changes easier to achieve. But if a new spot is promoted ahead of adequate infrastructure and behavioural norms, it is bound to be ravaged before development. On the other hand, developing a place too early might leave you with a white elephant if demand does not pick up. Prepare for the changing profile of the international tourist: As the WEF report notes, foreign travel is no longer a luxury enjoyed only by wealthy Westerners. The lowering of trade barriers and the rise of the middle class in many emerging economies mean that North America and Europe, which have dominated the travel markets till now, may give way to international travel from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), that covered 140 economies, measures the set of factors and policies that enable sustainable development of travel and tourism sector which contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country. Spain held on to the top spot in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) latest Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR), which ranked 140 countries on their relative strengths in global tourism and travel. Spain was followed by France, Germany and Japan, with the United States replacing the UK in the top five. Others in the top 10 list include the United Kingdom at the 6th place, Australia (7th), Italy (8th), Canada (9th) and Switzerland (10th). The report further added that Asia-Pacific was one of the fastest-growing travel and tourism regions in this year's ranking. Japan remains Asia's most competitive travel and tourism economy, ranking 4th globally, while China is by far the largest travel and tourism economy in Asia-Pacific and 13th most competitive globally (up two spots). Barrier-free tourism In 2018, Kerala Government launched the barrier-free tourism project to make prime tourist spots in the state accessible for people with disabilities.  With the aid of the District Tourism Promotion Council and the Kerala State Industrial Enterprises, many tourist spots were made disabled-friendly. Wheelchair ramps were introduced in beaches and plans were mooted to bring Braille signboards, audio guides, walking sticks and special guides for the differently-abled as part of the project.  This may be a small leap, but things are looking good for differently-abled who are overcoming odds. And, joining the bandwagon are many tour operators who have come up with special packages inclusive of the differently-abled community. Meanwhile, social workers and NGOs that work for differently-abled people feel even if there are packages for the disabled people, most of them do not use them due to financial constraints, safety fears and lack of knowledge related to provisions available. Over-tourism A term coined just a few years ago by Rafat Ali, CEO of Skift, a travel intelligence startup, “overtourism" refers to a situation when the negative consequences of tourism, such as overcrowding, environmental damage, crime and the pricing out of locals, overwhelm the benefits. From Iceland to Thailand, there has been a growing backlash against tourists from the local population. Not xenophobia, but “tourism-phobia". Notable Schemes Swadesh Darshan Scheme, wherein infrastructure will be built around places of tourist interest under the umbrella of 15 themes such as Buddhist Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive or PRASAD scheme that focuses on the development and beautification of identified pilgrimage destinations. Connecting the Dots: What are the challenges that Indian Tourism Industry face? Discuss. The marketing of India as a culinary destination lies in the answer of how to brand Indian cuisine. Examine. More than old structures and natural beauty, tourism is about selling experiences. Do you agree? Substantiate your answer with good case studies. Can India, as a developing country, ever face a problem called Over-tourism? Discuss. How do you think India can become more tourist-friendly?  Assess the potential of rural tourism in India. What measures and precautions should be taken to promote rural tourism? Discuss. Discuss various schemes launched to promote tribal culture and entrepreneurship. How are they performing? Examine. (Answer: Link) Coastal regions of India have great tourism potential. Which coastal topographies attract tourists to the coastal states? Explain by taking suitable examples. What strategies can be adopted to improve the potential of coastal tourism? ‘Sustainable tourism’ has the potential to overtake ‘mainstream tourism’. Critically analyse.

Oct 4, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 4th October 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) PRAKASH PORTAL Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Economy In News PRAKASH stands for ‘Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony’. The Union Minister for Power and the Union Minister for Coal & Mines jointly launched PRAKASH portal for transparency and better coordination in coal supplies to power plants. The Portal aims at bringing better coordination for coal supplies among all stakeholders viz - Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal, Coal India, Railways and power utilities. PRAKASH Portal is developed by NTPC and sources data from different stakeholders such as Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) and coal companies.  VANDE BHARAT EXPRESS Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-III -Infrastructure In News Union government started New Delhi-Katra 'Vande Bharat' Express to give boost to religious tourism in Jammu. Katra is a small townlocated 42 km from the city of Jammu which serves as the base camp for pilgrims who visit Vaishno Devi. The coaches of this train are indigenously manufactured at the Chennai Rail coach factory. Vande Bharat Express has been tested at 180 kmph and can run upto maximum speed of 160 kmph on passenger service. All Coaches are equipped with automatic doors; GPS based audio-visual passenger information system, onboard hotspot, wi-fi for entertainment purposes, and very comfortable seating. This is the second ‘Vande Bharat’ express after the New Delhi - Varanasi semi-high speed train was started in February this year. NH 766 Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Environment Conservation In News NH 766 is a key highway between Karnataka and Kerala that passes through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. Kerala’s Wayanad district has witnessed a series of protests against a ban on night traffic on the forest stretch of NH 766. Although the night ban was first enforced a decade ago, the immediate trigger for the current agitation was a recent Supreme Court direction to the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and NHAI to suggest alternative routes so that NH 766 could be shut down permanently Bandipur Tiger Reserve: Spread over 990.51 sq km, Bandipur Tiger Reserve is part of interconnected forests that include Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu), Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) and Nagarhole National Park (Karnataka). A large variety of wildlife including the elephant moves from one stretch to another, cutting the states. Do You Know? Night traffic would affect behaviour biology such as breeding and parental care of animals, disrupt their life cycle and make them stray to human habitats. Using the central Motor Vehicle Act read with the Karnataka Motor Vehicle Rules, traffic was banned from both sides of stretch from 9 pm to 6 am https://images.indianexpress.com/2019/10/forest.jpg?w=759&h=797&imflag=true In economic growth, Bangladesh leads South Asian group Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II –International Relations In News Since 2016, Bangladesh has been growing at 7%-plus every year, and its growth is likely to cross the 8% mark both in this and the coming year, according to the Asian Development Bankreport. Garments accounted for 84.2% of Bangladesh exports Over this same period, India has seen a secular decline in growth rates, even though an uptick is expected in the coming year. Sri Lanka has been the worst performing South Asian economy in terms of growth Asian Development Bank (ADB) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966. ADB is headquartered in Manila, Philippines. It aims to promote social and economic development in Asia. ADB now has 67 members, of which 48 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside. It is modeled on the World Bank and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed based on member’s capital subscriptions. As of 31 December 2018, Japan and United States hold the largest proportion of shares at 15.571%. China holds 6.43%, India holds 6.32%, and Australia holds 5.77%. ADB provides financing to both Sovereign Nations and private companies. https://images.indianexpress.com/2019/10/Graph.jpg Drone cameras threatening Nilgiris wildlife Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Environment Conservation In News Birds may get injured when they attack drones of photographers which may lead to endangering of species and abandoning nesting sites, Use of drone cameras or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles mounted with filming equipment in forest areas, without the permission of the Chief Wildlife Warden is a criminal offence. Niligiris The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was the first biosphere reserve in India established in the year 1986 It forms a part of Western Ghats shared among Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka Main vegetation of the region is montane grasslands and shrub lands interspersed with shola forests Niligir Tahr (enadangered species) is endemic to Nilgiri hills. It is also State animal of Tamil Nadu Miscellaneous Blood4Pet - mobile app that brings together canine blood donors In order to bridge the gap between canine-blood demand & supply, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Tanuvas)has launched a mobile app — Blood4Pet — to bring ‘pet-parents’ together across the country. There’s also a provision in the app for calculating the amount of blood required. A dog can safely donate blood once in three weeks. The app will help both pet owners and veterinarians to find suitable donors for dogs and thus help save lives of dogs Repatriation Mizoram Bru refugees Over 30,000 Bru, also known as Reang, refugees are now housed in camps in north Tripura, since they fled ethnic violence in Mizoram in September 1997. Initiatives to repatriate the Mizoram Bru refugees back to their homes in Mizoram have failed as the refugee leaders refused to return citing mainly security reasons in their home State. (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Development processes and the development industry- the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) under RTI Purview Context: Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) receiving substantial financing from the government are bound to give information to the public under the RTI Act, the Supreme Court.( D.A.V. College Trust and Management Society Vs. Director of Public Instructions) Institutions like schools, colleges and hospitals which receive substantial aid from the government both directly or indirectly in the form of land at discounted rate are also bound to give information to the citizens under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Why? Several schools and colleges and associations running this educational institution have moved the apex court claiming that NGOs are not covered under the RTI Act Do you know? Non-governmental organisations which were substantially financed by the appropriate government fall within the ambit of ‘public authority’ under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Under this section of the RTI Act, ‘public authority’ means “any authority or body or institution of self-government established or constituted by or under the Constitution and included... any non-government organisation substantially financed directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate government.” ‘Substantial’ means a large portion which can be both, direct or indirect. For instance, if land in a city is given free of cost or at a heavily subsidised rate to hospitals, educational institutions or other bodies, it can qualify as substantial financing. Political parties: The Law Commission opines that political parties are the lifeblood of our entire constitutional system.  Political parties act as a conduit through which interests and issues of the people get represented in Parliament.  Since elections are predominantly contested on party lines in our parliamentary democratic polity, the agenda of the potential government is set by them. Transparency in Political parties: In 2010, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) filed an application under the RTI to all national parties, seeking information about the “10 maximum voluntary contributions”. None of the national political parties volunteered to disclose the information.  Consequently, ADR and RTI activist Subhash Agarwal filed a petition with the Central Information Commission (CIC). In 2013, a full bench of the CIC delivered a historic judgment by declaring that all national parties came under ‘public authorities’ and were within the purview of the RTI Act. Notwithstanding the binding value of the CIC’s, none of the six political parties complied with it Finally, in 2019, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court seeking a declaration of political parties as ‘public authority’ and the matter is sub judice Ambedkar’s remarks: “The working of a Constitution does not depend wholly upon the nature of the Constitution. The Constitution can provide only the organs of State…The factors on which the working of those organs of the State depend are the people and the political parties they will set up as their instruments to carry out their wishes and their politics.” Implication: It can be argued that national parties are ‘substantially’ financed by the Central government.  If an entity gets substantial finance from the government, there is no reason why any citizen cannot ask for information to find out whether his/her money which has been given to the entity is being used for the requisite purpose or not. Connecting the dots: The creation of an ‘informed’ citizenry, containment of corruption and holding of government and its instrumentalities accountable to the governed is a need of hour .Justify. ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and related issues  Investment models Foreign Direct Investment 2.0 Context : Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for the review of Foreign Direct Investment in various sectors. This will result in making India a more attractive FDI destination, leading to benefits of increased investments, employment and growth.    As of now (March 2019), Singapore remains India’s top FDI source, twice that from Mauritius. Situation demanding policy response: Emergence of Internet Multinational Companies (MNCs) such as Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Twitter that are based on ‘winner-takes-all’ platform business models. These firms are characterised essentially by inequitable dynamics, since they distribute most gains to themselves vis-à-vis their host countries. In 1978, the Indian government adopted a policy that required equity dilution by 100% foreign-owned companies. This led to the ‘Listing of MNCs’, and many of which then provided handsome returns to both MNCs and Indian shareholders. In China: China banned Internet MNCs.  China strategically deploys a quid pro quo policy.  MNC firms are mandated to transfer technology, share patents and enter into 50:50 joint ventures with Chinese partners in return for market access. Foreign direct investment (FDI) It is an investment from a party in one country into a business or corporation in another country with the intention of establishing a lasting interest.  Lasting interest differentiates FDI from foreign portfolio investments, where investors passively hold securities from a foreign country.  Foreign direct investment can be made by expanding one’s business into a foreign country or by becoming the owner of a company in another country. FDI 2.0 100% FDI under automatic route is permitted for sale of coal, for coal mining activities including associated processing infrastructure.  The government has allowed 100% FDI through the automatic route for contract manufacturing.  It will augment the Make in India initiative and will attract global companies in India looking to establish alternative manufacturing hubs Merit: FDI 2.0 could deploy ‘List or Trade in India’ as a strategic policy tool to enable Indian citizens become shareholders in MNCs such as Google, Facebook, Samsung, Huawei and others, thus capturing the ‘upside’ they create for their platforms and companies. This is equitable to all, since Indian consumers contribute to the market value of MNCs. Proposals: (List in India): Majority (more than 51%) foreign-owned Indian-listed MNCs could be eligible to domestic company tax rate whereas unlisted MNC subsidiaries could be subjected to a higher tax rate. Many countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand have used tax incentives to attract listing by MNCs.  (‘Trade in India’ i.e. U.S. dollar-denominated parent MNC Shares to be ‘Admitted for Trading’ on Indian bourses): In , Indian investors could buy shares of parent MNCs (where global profits and value get consolidated). This can be permitted within the $250,000 Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) limit. What needs to be done? Indian bourses could admit only S&P 500 stocks. The Mexican Stock Exchange allows trading of international shares listed in other stock exchanges. India could replicate such models Measures for successful implementation of above mentioned “Trade in India”: Permit Indian bourses to implement international trading system on the lines of Mexico.  Parent MNCs in S&P 500 with business interests in India could be mandated to facilitate trading of their shares in India. MNCs would readily agree as it does not envisage listing in India.  For taxation purposes, no distinction should be made between transactions in comparable domestic and foreign securities.  LRS implementation for buying foreign stocks in GIFT City/NSE/BSE could be simplified and work as single click functionality.  Educate Indian investors about the value of diversification of their portfolio in international stocks for achieving better risk adjusted returns.  Problem with implementation: For Indian citizens, U.S. estate taxes @40% apply above portfolio value of $60,000. Solution: National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) could design a sovereign trust for holding parent MNC stocks.  The NSDL could then issue BharatShares to retail investors. Nominees of the government of India would get voting rights in parent MNCs.  In addition, the government could make available a ‘Fully Disclosed Model’ for holding foreign stocks in line with our NSDL/Central Depository Services Ltd (CDSL) system. The prevalent ‘Omnibus model’ carries the risk of U.S broker default because investors’ shares are held in the U.S. broker’s name. For this reason, it could also lead to higher tax liabilities in Indi What is the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of USD 2,50,000? Under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, all resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to USD 2,50,000 per financial year (April – March) for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a combination of both.   Further, resident individuals can avail of foreign exchange facilities for the purposes mentioned in Para 1 of Schedule III of Foreign Exchange Management(Current Account Transactions) Amendment Rules 2015, within the limit of USD 2,50,000 only. Way forward: Increasing Indian equity ownership of MNCs would offer diversification benefits and make Indians more prosperous.  Wealth distribution through mutual funds would create a virtuous cycle of innovative ideas, entrepreneurship, employment, consumption, higher taxes, social and physical infrastructure for the benefit of Indian society.  MNCs would earn the goodwill of Indian consumers while expanding their investor base.  Connecting the dots: List or trade in India’ should be used as a strategic policy tool to enable Indians to become shareholders in MNCs. Comment. (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) NH 766 often seen in news passes through which of the following States of India? Assam and Arunachal Pradesh Gujarat and Maharashtra Karnataka and Kerala None of the above Q.2) Consider the following statements Asian Development Bank (ADB) Japan and India hold the largest proportion of shares ADB  It provides financing to both Sovereign Nations and private companies. 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 Nilgiris The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was the first biosphere reserve in India established in the year 1986 Itsmain vegetation of the region is montane grasslands and shrub lands interspersed with shola forests Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) PRAKASH PORTALoften seen in news is related to which of the following area? Management of Waste Promotion of energy efficient LED lights Coal supply to Power plants None of the above. MUST READ Toilet targets: On ending open defecation  The Hindu Co-operative banks: Is dual regulation the problem? The Hindu  How to read RBI’s monetary policy review The Indian express Subdued GST collections, lower tax devolution will impact state finances, pose macro risks The Indian express

Oct 4, 2019 RSTV Video

RSTV IAS UPSC – Abortion Rights Vs Ethics

Abortion Rights Vs Ethics Archives TOPIC: General Studies 1 Society – Women issues  General Studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector or Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources In News: On July 15th, the Supreme Court agreed to examine the constitutional validity of certain legal provisions that allow abortion only to save the woman's life or in case of abnormal foetus and allegedly violate women's right to health, free reproductive choice as well as privacy. Admitting a writ petition filed by Swati Agarwal, Garima Sekseria and Prachi Vats, the apex court issued a notice to the Centre on their contention that several provisions of the 48-year-old Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971 imposes severe restrictions on the reproductive choice of a woman, her personal liberty and bodily autonomy. In their plea, the petitioners have contended that the right to choose whether to conceive and carry pregnancy to its full term or to terminate it was at the core of one's privacy, dignity, personal autonomy, bodily integrity, self-determination and right to health.       According to the UNICEF India and World Bank data, India has one of the highest numbers of maternal deaths. (45,000 maternal deaths every year or an average of one maternal death every 12 minutes) Unsafe abortions are the third leading cause of maternal deaths in India. An update -  Government has initiated the process for an inter-ministerial consultation on raising the gestation period for terminating a pregnancy to 24 weeks, from 20 at present, in case of health risk to the mother or foetus. The Supreme Court, in 2017, had declined to amend the Medical Termination Pregnancy (MTP) Act which prohibits termination of pregnancy beyond 20 weeks, saying that the issue fell within the legislative realm. The amendment in the MTP act aims to provide equal reproductive rights and also a provision for unmarried females and widows to undergo legal abortion. Presently, woman must seek legal recourse if the pregnancy has gone over 20 weeks to terminate the pregnancy.  Due to slow judicial process a pregnant woman is unable to get the abortion done thus pushing her to depend on illegal service providers for termination of unwanted pregnancies Unsafe abortions: A major concern For women in India, access to abortion has been marred by extreme stigma, lack of awareness about its legality, unavailability of safe services near the community, and high costs charged by providers. Unsafe abortion practices were the third largest contributor of maternal deaths in India. While India has legalised abortion by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, this privilege is clouded by the fact that unsafe abortions remain the third highest cause of pregnancy-related deaths. The Lancet Research shows that half of the pregnancies in India are unintended and that a third result in abortion. Only 22% of abortions are done through public or private health facilities. Lack of access to safe abortion clinics, particularly public hospitals, and stigma and attitudes towards women, especially young, unmarried women seeking abortion, contribute to this. Doctors refuse to perform abortions on young women or demand that they get consent from their parents or spouses despite no such requirement by law. This forces many women to turn to clandestine and often unsafe abortions. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 provides for termination only up to 20 weeks. If an unwanted pregnancy has proceeded beyond 20 weeks, women have to approach a medical board and courts to seek permission for termination, which is extremely difficult. The MTP Act is long overdue for a comprehensive reform. Issue: Pro-choice & Pro-life Pro-choice: are proponents who support choice of child bearer and hence support the cause of abortion at will. Pro-life: are proponents who support life in consideration i.e. the foetus which is considered life from the women’s womb itself. In India, pro-life versus pro-choice debates are confined primarily to academia, as the abortion narrative has been determined by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act. Pro-Choice: This pro-choice endowment was a need based public health strategy aimed at the alarming increase in the population growth before the 1970s. It was also targeted towards preventing maternal deaths from illegal abortions, carried out by back-alley abortionists. India was the first country to launch a family planning programme in 1952. The idea of this programme was to promote the use of contraceptives to delay or space out a pregnancy. Whatever the family planning programme has tried over the years through different marketing strategies has only made a small dent. Sterilisation remains the permanent method of contraception, after she or the family has decided on the desired number of children. Unfortunately, legalised abortion has become a convenient standby, as a woman can cite contraceptive failure to abort an unwanted pregnancy. Beyond the actual cases of true contraceptive failure, the easy access to abortion services has perhaps promoted a certain amount of irresponsibility, with women’s rights often over-riding discussions on the rights of the unborn child. Misuse of Pro-choice: The next saga in India’s abortion narrative was the mis-utilisation of the pro-choice endowment provided by the MTP Act. Son-preference saw voiceless women being coerced to determine the sex of the baby. The upsurge of selective abortion of female foetuses was accompanied by an explosion of imaging technology. Indian towns without life-saving healthcare services invariably have at least one ultrasound clinic. The profusion of ultrasound clinics and sex-selective abortion hastened the decline of the sex-ratio. So alarming was the decline that the Pre-Conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PCPNDT) had to be legislated. Pro-choice versus Pro-life: The pro-life and pro-choice movements primarily come into conflict on the issue of abortion. The pro-life movement argues that even a non-viable, undeveloped human life is sacred and must be protected by the government. Abortion must not be legal according to this model, nor should it be practiced on an illegal basis. The pro-choice movement argues that in pregnancies prior to the point of viability – a point at which the fetus cannot live outside the womb –the government does not have the right to impede a woman’s decision to terminate the pregnancy. The court has observed that in the case of pregnant women, there is a “compelling state interest” in protecting the life of the prospective child. Therefore, the termination of a pregnancy is only permitted when the conditions specified are fulfilled. But from a women’s rights perspective, should not a pregnant mother have the right to decide whether to go through full-term when there is even the slightest chance of a foetal infirmity and not “substantial foetal abnormalities”? It is fair to state that no woman who voluntarily chose to get pregnant is likely to seek an abortion unless there are compelling circumstances. Should not the wishes and desires of the person who will be the caretaker be considered? We need to urgently address this – First, recognise a woman’s right to exercise her choice and protect her by amending the Indian Penal Code to decriminalise abortion for the woman. Second, support and provide last-mile access and availability of safe abortion by widening the provider base as proposed by the pending amendments to the MTP Act. Third, acknowledge the termination of pregnancies with major abnormalities as a part of standard medical care any time in pregnancy as was traditional practice, without having to seek legal exception for each case. Fourth, further grounds should be incorporated for the abortion – for example it should be extended to 24 weeks and not just 20 weeks as other abnormalities may surface then. Finally, identify and avoid potential conflation of the MTP Act with the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act that results in stigmatisation of all doctors providing abortions to ensure women are not denied abortion. Conclusion Awareness amongst women is of paramount importance.  The judiciary and lawmakers need to maintain a secular outlook and strive to ensure that the women citizens of this country have equal citizenship rights in consonance with the Constitution and with accepted international covenants on human rights. These include a right to life for the woman, as also a right to dignity and a right to benefit from scientific progress. Religion and other traditional frameworks are inherently imbued with patriarchy and cannot be used by a secular state to direct its laws and policies. Political parties, which also represent India’s women, have an obligation to take forward the debates on reproductive rights, equality, and access to abortion in political debates as well as in framing laws and policies. The responsibility also lies with civil society and development actors to bring up these issues for public debate and in demands. The silence around unsafe abortions is leading to deaths of women and hides important problems that lie at the intersection of these concerns, such as the formidable barriers for adolescent girls to access reproductive health services, including abortion services. Access to legal and safe abortion is an integral dimension of sexual and reproductive equality, a public health issue, and must be seen as a crucial element in the contemporary debates on democracy. Connecting the Dots: Will liberalizing abortion law help reduce the high number of unsafe abortions in the country or will it lead to more sex election abortions? Is liberalizing the law enough? What are the steps Government should further take? Differentiate between the terms ‘legality’ and ‘legitimacy’ of a decision with the help of suitable examples. What do you mean by the terms pro-life and pro-choice. Discuss the deabte over it in Indian context

Oct 4, 2019 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 85

UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 85 Archives Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)  To take the Test - Click Here

Oct 3, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 3rd October 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 3rd October 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) OPEN-DEFECATION FREE (ODF) Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Health In News On the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, PM Modi announced that rural India and its villages have declared themselves open-defecation free (ODF). What is ODF? A village is ODF when: (i) there are no visible faeces in the village, and (ii) every household as well as public/community institution uses safe technology options for faecal disposal. After a village declares itself ODF, states are required to carry out verification of the ODF status of such a village. This includes access to a toilet facility and its usage, and safe disposal of faecal matter through septic tanks.  Do You know? In 60 months, more than 60 crore people were provided with 11 crore toilets. According to UNICEF report, there is a positive impact, worth Rs 20 lakh crore, on the Indian economy due to the Swachh Bharat campaign.  It has created opportunities of 75 lakh jobs out of which a majority have been availed by the rural population” Vayoshreshtha Samman Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-I - Society In News These are given to eminent senior citizens and Institutions involved in rendering distinguished services for the cause of elderly persons. The series of awards were instituted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in the year 2005 and were elevated to the level of national awards in 2013.  Generally, the awards are conferred by the President of India on the 1st October i.e. on the occasion of International Day of Older Persons (IDOP).  This year Tamil Nadu is given the award for the best State in implementing the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 Tamil Nadu State has set up maintenance tribunals under the Act in each sub-division, but half of the cases are resolved through conciliation. The municipal council of Unhel, in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, will receive the award for the best urban local bodyfor itsprovision of medical services, income generation schemes and pension to seniors.  India hails U.K. verdict on former Nizam Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains I – Modern History In News The case relates to the transfer of £1,007,940 (now worth £35 million) and nine shillings by the Nizam’s envoy and foreign minister in Londonon September 16, 1948 to Pakistan which the bank processed on September 20, 1948 However, Hyderabad’s armed forces had already surrendered to India on September 17, 1948 after a military operation known as “Operation Polo.” Within days of surrender, Nizam sent a message to Bank demanding that the money be transferred back to his account which was objected by Pakistan Do You Know? Nearly 560 Princely states acceded to India at the time of Independence- except Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir. Later these three states were integrated into India through Plebiscite, Military action and Signing of Instrument of Accession respectively India’s external boundaries has changed only three times—when Goa was subsumed into the Indian Union in 1961, Pondicherry in 1962 (officially) and Sikkim in 1975 Inter-State portability for ration cards launched Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II - Governance In News An inter-State portability for ration cards has been launched for Rajasthan and Haryana to facilitate the distribution of foodgrains to beneficiaries of the National Food Security scheme. Labourers in the unorganised sector, migrating from one State to the other in search of work, will mainly benefit from the scheme Do You Know?  In August 2019, Government of India launched the One Nation-One Ration Card scheme on a pilot basis in four States namely Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. This will provide freedom to the beneficiaries as they will not be tied to any one PDS shop and reduce their dependence on shop owners and curtail instances of corruption. Monsoon Prediction Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains I - Geography In News The new monsoon model, called the Coupled Forecast Model (CFS), deployed by the IMD under the National Monsoon Mission (NMM) has failed to forecast the excess rainfall received during August-September 2019. India this year may have recorded its highest monsoon rain in 25 years.  India ended up with 10% more monsoon rain (or 110% of the long period average LPA of 887 mm) than usual National Monsoon Mission (NMM) It was launched by Ministry of Earth Sciences to build an ocean atmospheric model for improved prediction of monsoon rainfall on extended range to seasonal time scale (16 days to one season) and improved prediction of temperature, rainfall and extreme weather events on short to medium range time scale (up to 15 days). Dynamical models also called CFS relies on capturing the interactions between the land, ocean and atmosphere and tracking how the changes in each affect the other for forecasting the monsoon. The land, atmosphere and ocean state at a particulate time, generally March, is mathematically simulated on supercomputers (Prithvi High Performance Computers at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology Pune) and extrapolated into the monsoon months. Pyrofuse Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III –Science & Technology In News Cutting off power in an accident is key in Electric Vehicles to prevent car occupants, rescuers from suffering electric shock Pyrofuse are small devices that “blow out” whole sections of the cable connection to the high-voltage battery by means of miniature explosive charges, thus quickly and effectively shutting off the power circulation For example, if the airbag sensor detects an impact, the tiny devices — measuring no more than 10 mm by 10 mmand weighing a few grams — trigger the pyrofuse. This sets off little explosions that drive a wedge into the high-voltage cable between the battery unit and the power electronics, disconnecting the two.  By thus cutting off the flow of power, the risk of electric shock or fire is fully eliminated. Miscellaneous ‘Einstein Challenge’ Albert Einstein’s famous words on Gandhi: “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth” PM announced Einstein Challenge to ensure the ideals of Gandhi are remembered by future generations In this he invited thinkers, entrepreneurs and tech leaders to take the lead to spread Gandhi’s ideas through innovation. Community fridge To mark Gandhi Jayanti, South Western Railway in association with Feeding India NGO, installed a community fridge at Bangalore Railway Station Anyone can keep excess food in the fridge and people in need of it can take it.  The move will benefit migrant labourers, daily wage workers, and poor people. Bioswale These are vegetated channels to manage rainwater, recommended as long –tern sustainable solution for urban floods (Patna Floods) They are long, channeled depression or trench that receives rainwater runoff and has vegetation (such as grasses, flowering herbs, and shrubs) and organic matter (such as mulch) to slow water infiltration and filter out pollutants Bioswales are the most effective type of green infrastructure facility in slowing runoff velocity and cleansing water while recharging the underlying groundwater table. (MAINS FOCUS) INDIA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS TOPIC: General Studies 2: India and its neighbourhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests India-Bangladesh ties to move to the next level Context: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will embark on a four-day visit to India beginning from with an aim to further intensify bilateral relations between the two countries. There is scope for India-Bangladesh ties to move to the next level, based on cooperation, coordination and consolidation Did you know: Img: https://www.mapsofindia.com/neighbouring-countries-maps/maps/india-bangladesh-map.jpg Bangladesh shares land borders with India to the west, north and the east and Myanmar to the east, whereas the Bay of Bengal lies to its south. Bangladesh’s land border with India is quite long stretching up to 2,582 miles. Indian states Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and West Bengal share the India-Bangladesh border. The country's geography is dominated by the Ganges delta which empties into the Bay of Bengal the combined waters of several river systems, including those of the Brahmaputra and the Ganges The endangered Bengal tiger, the national animal.. The borders of modern Bangladesh were established with the separation of Bengal and India in August 1947, when the region became East Pakistan as a part of the newly formed State of Pakistan following the Boundary of the Partition of India. Later the rise of the Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement led to the Liberation War and eventually resulted in the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent sovereign in 1971 Bengalis, who speak the official Bengali language, make up 98% of the population of Bangladesh Islam is the country's established religion In the recent years Bangladesh has registered notable success in using Microcredit as a tool for poverty alleviation, women empowerment, generation of income through export of RMG, population control, reducing child mortality and combating natural disasters;  The country continues to face the challenges of Rohingya refugee, terrorism, corruption, and erratic climate change India- Bangladesh relations: Common members of SAARC, BIMSTEC, IORA and the Commonwealth.  The two countries share many cultural ties. (esp :Bengali-speaking) In 1971, the Bangladesh Liberation War broke out between East Pakistan and West Pakistan; India intervened in December 1971 on behalf of East Pakistan and helped secure East Pakistan's independence from Pakistan as the country of Bangladesh. Since 2015, the notable developments  have taken like resolution of long-pending land and maritime boundaries. Observed increase in bilateral trade from US$9 billion to US$10.46 billion in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-19, followed by US$7 billion to US$9 billion in FY 2017-18, an increase of 28.5 percent. Present scenario: India and Bangladesh today enjoy one of the best periods of their relationship, with positive development in the areas of diplomatic, political, economic and security relations. The current Bangladesh government has uprooted security threats and acts of insurgency against India  The India-Bangladesh border is one of India’s most secured The signing of the Land Boundary Agreement in 2015 was a milestone Land Boundary Agreement in 2015 Bilateral trade was a little over $9 billion in FY 2017-18 and Bangladeshi exports increased by 42.91%. Indian export of electricity increased by another 500 MW. A 1,600 MW power station with a dedicated transmission system is being developed to boost power trade. Train services are doing well, Five additional bus services were introduced in 2018 Bangladeshi tourists accounted for 21.6% of the total percentage of tourists visiting India in 2018 Bangladesh contributes 50% of India’s health tourism revenue Border killings have decreased. Since 2010, India has approved three lines of credit to Bangladesh of $7.362 billion to finance development projects. Due to bureaucratic red tape, just $442 million has been disbursed till December 2018 Memoranda of understanding were also signed for cooperation between the naval forces. Issues yet to be settled : Teesta Water Sharing Agreement.  Img: https://iasbaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bengal-min.jpg Teesta River  long river that rises in the eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of West Bengal and Sikkim through Bangladesh and enters the Bay of Bengal. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s refusal to endorse water-sharing terms agreed upon by Prime Minister Modi in 2015 has resulted in the current impasse. Read more on Teesta river dispute here : https://iasbaba.com/2015/08/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-15th-17th-august-2015/ National Register of Citizens (NRC) The National Register of Citizens (NRC) has left out 1.9 million Assamese from the list with a group labelled as “illegal immigrants from Bangladesh” living in Assam post-1971.(Bangladesh refuses) Rohingya issue The Rohingya issue and India’s remarks in 2017 on the issue have been upsetting for Bangladesh . The Indian government is concerned over Rohingyas' stay in India for security regions, it is looking for ways to deport over 40,000 Rohingyas living in the country illegally. Way forward: Removal of non-tariff barriers will help Bangladeshi exports such as harmonising the standards for goods accepted by India Approved lines of credit to Bangladesh must be cleared on time Both countries must reach consensus  on the issues like NRC, Rohingya and Teesta rivers. Conclusion: In a neighbourhood where distrust and cynicism prevail over friendship and hope(Pakistan & China), the relationship between the two countries(India & Bangladesh) has given hope for optimism. Connecting the dots: India-Bangladesh relations have matured in the last decade with development in many areas of cooperation. Substantiate. HEALTH TOPIC: General Studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India “open defecation-free”. Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi  said that the villages in India have declared themselves open defecation free.  The prime minister made the announcement in the presence of over 20,000 village heads at an event to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Riverfront in Gujarat. The prime minister said that 99 per cent of rural India was open defecation free Background: Open defecation and contamination of drinking and bathing water has been an endemic sanitary problem in India.  In 2014, India was the country with the highest number of people practicing open defecation, around 530 million people Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) or Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM): A nation-wide campaign in India for the period 2014 to 2019 that aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India's cities, towns, urban and rural areas. The objectives of Swachh Bharat include eliminating open defecation through the construction of household-owned and community-owned toilets and establishing an accountable mechanism of monitoring toilet use. The mission aimed to achieve an "open-defecation free" (ODF) India by 2 October 2019, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, by constructing 100 million toilets in rural India at a projected cost of Rs 1.96 lakh crore (US$28 billion) The mission will also contribute to India reaching Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), established by the UN in 2015. The mission has two thrusts: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan ("gramin" or 'rural'), which operates under the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation; and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan ('urban'), which operates under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Volunteers, known as Swachhagrahis, or "Ambassadors of cleanliness", have promoted indoor plumbing and community approaches to sanitation (CAS) at the village level. In the past five years, the Indian government has built a 100 million toilets. With a country as large as India, this is a big achievement. Survey in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh: Between 2014 and the end of 2018, latrine ownership in the region had increased by 34 percentage points States that had already been declared open defecation-free, the actual coverage was far below 100%. the percentage of people defecating in the open declined by 26 percentage points, but  close to half still reported to be relieving themselves in the open The programme barely managed to bring any change in the behaviour of latrine owners. Like in 2014, about a quarter of people who own a functional latrine continued to defecate in the open Criticisms: With unrealistic targets pushed down from the top, “Swachh Bharat Mission beneficiaries” were  facing coercion. Many rural Indians were threatened with or even denied their legal rights, such as PDS ration, for not building a latrine. Government officials at every level faced immense pressure and threats from their bosses one in every four families told  that they have heard of government benefits being withdrawn for not having a latrine. Conclusion: The spirit of bidding farewell to open defecation as a gift to Gandhi deserves accolades. But we must not forget that there are still miles to go.  India needs to have a sanitation policy that focuses on reducing open defecation. Connecting the dots: How is access to toilet and better sanitation under the Swachh Bharat Mission leading to socio-economic transformation of rural India? Explain. (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) Coupled Forecast Model often seen in news dealt with which of the following area? Flood prediction and Riverbed management Cyber threat predictions Smart Traffic management Weather predictions Q.2) Consider the following statements According to UNICEF report, there is a positive impact, worth Rs 20 lakh crore, on the Indian economy due to the Swachh Bharat campaign  A village is declared Open Defecation Free when there are no visible faeces in the village, and every household as well as public/community institution uses safe technology options for faecal disposal. 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 Vayoshreshtha Samman These are annual awards instituted by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare  It is awarded for eminent senior citizens and Institutions involved in rendering distinguished services for the cause of elderly persons. It is conferred by the President of India on the 1st October i.e. on the occasion of International Day of Older Persons 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) Bioswales often seen in news is related to which of the following area? Management of Oil spills Decomposition of Plastics Management of rainwater None of the above. MUST READ A sound review: On Supreme Court recalling its verdict diluting SC/ST anti-atrocities law The Hindu Raining misery: On ongoing monsoon fury The Hindu Telling Numbers: All the carbon in Earth, and CO2 from volcanoes The Indian express In last five years, Swachh Bharat mission has captured people The Indian express The rising storm Indian Express From protest to governance Indian Express

Oct 3, 2019 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 84

UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 84 Archives Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)  To take the Test - Click Here

Oct 3, 2019 RSTV Video

RSTV IAS UPSC – UK's Constitutional Crisis

UK's Constitutional Crisis Archives In News: Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s brutal battle with lawmakers over Britain’s plan to leave the European Union has led the country into uncharted waters. Along the way, the U.K.’s highest court overturned Johnson’s suspension of Parliament, political norms are being tested and even the Queen has been dragged in. There are more fights ahead over where power resides and how it may be exercised in a country governed by a mass of unwritten rules heaped up over centuries. A defiant Boris Johnson hit back at the UK’s top judges and vowed to take the country out of the European Union next month, despite suffering an unprecedented legal defeat over his Brexit strategy in the highest court in the land.  In a sweeping rebuke to the prime minister, Britain’s Supreme Court ruled that Johnson broke the law when he decided to suspend Parliament for five weeks in the run-up to the October 31 deadline for leaving the EU.  He gave Queen Elizabeth II “unlawful" advice to pause the legislature and his decision wrecked the ability of Britain’s elected politicians to fulfill their crucial democratic role overseeing his government’s actions, the court found. Johnson said he would “obviously" respect the verdict, but retaliated immediately. While Johnson says it is customary for parliament to be suspended - or “prorogued” - before a government outlines its new policy priorities in a Queen’s Speech, his opponents say the timing and length of the suspension is designed to sideline parliament in the countdown to Brexit. Britain has an uncodified constitution, meaning it is largely upheld through convention and precedent. The constitution has changed dramatically down the centuries, with monarchs steadily surrendering their once-vast powers to the government and prime minister of the day. Johnson required Queen Elizabeth’s formal consent to suspend parliament but she was equally required, by custom, to grant it. But there definitely exists – Conflict between representative democracy and direct democracy Will of Parliament; on the other, the will of the people, as expressed in the 2016 referendum on European Union membership Source: https://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/infographic/uk-constitutional-crisis-what-next/  Where does this leave Brexit? If the U.K. and EU don’t reach a negotiated transition agreement by Oct. 19, Parliament has required Johnson to seek an extension, likely until Jan. 31, 2020. That demand is part of a law sponsored by Labour Party grandee Hilary Benn that was passed on Sept. 9. The prime minister has promised to continue negotiating with Brussels, but has also said he’d prefer to be “dead in a ditch” than to ask for more time. Members of Parliament are worried he may try to exploit loopholes to evade the Benn Act, which has been described by some legal experts as “not watertight.” Such a move, if the government attempted it, would set up further legal battles over the power of the prime minister to evade the will of Parliament. Why the UK needs a written constitution? Today, the UK constitution is still a piecemeal collection of conventions and common law open to misuse and abuse. The current crisis demands that we put this right and agree a written constitution that clarifies beyond doubt the separation of legislative, judicial and executive powers and the role, if any, of the monarchy. This would be hugely preferable to the current situation, which requires expensive judicial reviews to decipher the blurring of legal and political power. However a written constitution won’t be a panacea. It will need to be a living document with the flexibility to be interpreted as the world changes. Recent debates on gun control in the US and the right to self-determination in Catalonia demonstrate that constitutions can also be barriers to change if they do not allow for contemporary amendments. 1215: MAGNA CARTA – Issued in June 1215, the Magna Carta was the first document to establish the principle that the monarch was not above the law and to place limits on royal power. Connecting the Dots: The pressure in the British constitutional cooker is intensifying beyond endurance, and all the safety valves are failing. Comment.