IAS Baba

May 13, 2019 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Awareness about Autism

Awareness about Autism ARCHIVES Search 16th April, 2019 Public Speak here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General studies 2 Health World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD): 2nd April Theme: ‘Assistive Technologies, Active Participation’ About one in every 160 children has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as per the World Health Organisation (WHO). In India alone, one in 68 children is reportedly diagnosed with ASD, and yet not many people are aware of the mental condition. For the uninitiated, autism is a serious developmental disorder that impacts the nervous system and affects one’s cognitive, emotional and physical health. It results in challenges associated with social skills and communication, both speech and non-verbal. Autism has many sub-types, with each autistic person having his or her unique strengths and challenges. In India, autism is generally misdiagnosed and misunderstood due to the low awareness and misconceptions surrounding it. The diagnosis of children with autism is done late, which results in challenging treatment, and the cure seems to be impossible. ASD is seen to occur more often in boys than in girls. The exact cause of autism and the other ASDs is still not known. Studies indicate that autism is heritable. A lifelong and chronic disorder, it’s treatable but not curable by modern medicine. The severity of symptoms varies significantly among children with ASD. Lack of Awareness leads to failure in early diagnosis Despite the high prevalence of autism spectrum disorder all around the world, the healthcare options, and technologies that are available to manage this neurodevelopmental disorder barely reach half of all the population diagnosed with this condition. Moreover, the lack of information about ASD also leads to delayed diagnosis, which poses a huge challenge to the patients and their caregivers. If a child is showing repetitive behavior, is self-abusing or biting or head-banging, it should be taken as the first signs of autism. The development of child will be normal but the social engagement of the child will be delayed. In some cases the deformity or slow growth of muscles could be your prime sign of autism, coupled with no social engagement. Children with autism start speaking later than other children and their interaction with other similar-aged children is on the lower side. In some cases, autism may co-occur with genetic conditions and about 20-30 per cent of children with autism may develop epilepsy as they reach adulthood. What are the red flag symptoms? Very early indicators that require evaluation by an expert include: Delayed babbling or pointing by age of 1 No single meaningful word by 16 months, or two-word phrases by the age of 2 Delayed or no response to name Loss of language or social skills Poor eye contact Excessive lining up of toys or objects No smiling or social responsiveness Restricted interest like playing with cars, spinning, using gadgets Repetitive movements like hand flapping, posturing If the child plugs their ears when they hear high pitched noises like mixer, vacuum cleaner, pressure cooker whistle Difficulty in chewing, and fussy eating with some food texture like meat, soya or paneer The Diagnosis While there is no single blood test to diagnose autism, the doctor needs to look into certain disorders in which children have similar features in addition to other signs of that disorder, like Tuberous sclerosis, Landau-kleffner syndrome (a form of epilepsy), other childhood epilepsies, some metabolic and genetic disease to diagnose further. The doctor will conduct some blood tests, hearing assessment, or EEG depending upon the presenting features and assessment. Treatment Options Medication: Several groups of medications like atypical anti-psychotics and mood stabilisers are used to treat behavioral problems such as temper tantrums and aggression associated with ASD. Psychotherapy: Behavioural therapy has been found to be most helpful in treating children with ASD. Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) and Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) focus on language development, social skills and appropriate behaviours. These are all supportive and skill building forms of therapy designed to help children with ASD.

May 13, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 13th May 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 13th May 2019 Archives (MAINS FOCUS) GEOGRAPHY/ENVIRONMENT TOPIC: General studies 1 and 3 Urbanisation and its impacts Policy interventions and issues arising out of their design and implementation Environment conservation; Community-led conservation Protecting forest fringes Context: India is among the fastest urbanising major countries and forest-rich nations of the world. The current trend of fast-paced, spatial urban expansion will pose a severe sustainability challenge in coming years, as the proximity between forests and the cities is increasing. Across India, many more critical wildlife habitats and biodiversity areas are going to face a direct impact from cities in the near term. Do you know? In major cities such as Gurugram, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Bengaluru, forests have already faced the brunt of encroachments, roads and highways, local extinction of wildlife, contamination of water bodies, and disturbances originating from the urban neighbourhoods. Dense neighbourhoods have expanded up to the fringe of the forest – for example, Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai, Bannerghatta in Bengaluru, and the Guindy National Park in Chennai. How to address these challenges? Effective implementation of urban programmes such as ‘Smart Cities’. The policy makers should include some of the below provisions to tackle such challenges in the new draft Forest Policy, 2018. City-forest cooperation and notifying eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) around protected areas. Inter-departmental collaboration of the forest departments, urban bodies and civil society. Urban masterplans must recognise land use at forest fringes, according to ESZ guidelines. Cities should secure wildlife corridors and ‘green belts’ that connect urban forests with a wider natural landscape. Most importantly, urban residents need to create social fences by strongly advocating for forests in their cities. Conclusion: Urban planners and city administrators have ignored the fact that forests are natural shock-absorbers that provide green relief to our grey cities, shield them from the effects of climate change, and aid in urban issues such as air pollution, scarcity of drinking water, flood control and ‘heat islands’. Prioritising forest-city proximity will put the onus on cities to incorporate nature in their design. Integrating forests with urban planning and governance provides an opportunity to shape cities that not only cater to citizens, but also have the citizens actively involved in shaping the city’s future. Connecting the dots: Many critical wildlife habitats and biodiversity areas are facing direct impact from cities and fast-paced, spatial urban expansion. Suggest and discuss what measures are necessary to address such sustainability challenges. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TOPIC: General studies 3 Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Artificial Intelligence and its disastrous consequences Introduction: Artificial Intelligence (AI) or AI-powered robots are going to take over our lives one day. They are going to run our factories, diagnose our illnesses, drive our cars, provide enjoyable company and even sex for the lonely, and replace large numbers of us in our jobs. But if these AI gigs mess up, whom can we sue and ask for damages? Case study 1: Stock investment AI program Hong Kong tycoon Samathur Li Kin-kan is suing the man who sold him on a stock investment AI program that lost Li a lot of money. A supercomputer, K1, would search real-time news and social media to gauge investor sentiment and predict US stock futures, then instruct a broker to execute trades. Li is now suing Tyndaris Company for allegedly exaggerating what the supercomputer could do. However, Tyndaris denies the charges. Several global fund management companies have started using AI in the last few years. However, there can also be totally out-of-the-blue incidents. Markets are often irrational, and move on the basis of rumours or “market sentiment". AI programs make their decisions by studying history, past patterns and expect these to continue. If there are no obvious similar events in their databases, they would be stumped. Case study 2: AI in healthcare In 2018, a major healthcare AI vendor's internal documents were leaked. It revealed that the computer's algorithms had produced erroneous and unsafe cancer treatment recommendations in multiple cases. Increasingly, doctors are relying on sophisticated algorithms to make healthcare recommendations—a practice dubbed “black box medicine.” But even the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) can get it wrong. Machine-learning algorithms are designed by humans, after all, and trained on data sets that have been collected and selected by humans, who are capable of bias and mistakes. In healthcare, those mistakes can be costly—and even fatal. Conclusion: AI is set to make deep inroads to every field. AI is now an independent decision-making entity, much like a person whose parents have only paid for a basic education and lifetime unlimited internet access. It has a ton of legal implications. Even regulation raises a whole set of serious issues. How can governments regulate and ensure the quality of medical AI? For sure, human laws are currently ill-equipped to handle. Connecting the dots: “With great power comes great responsibility. Technology is in itself just a tool; what matters is how we use it.” Discuss in the context of AI. Can Artificial Intelligence become a potential threat to economy? Examine. What do you mean by Artificial Intelligence? Discuss its potential benefits and associated risks. Also highlight the challenges in adoption of AI in Indian context. MUST READ Of shells, companies and GDP The Hindu The War on Terror is in peril The Hindu After Fani Financial Express The relocation of state capitals could boost India’s economy Lievmint The middle income trap that India must avert Lievmint

May 13, 2019 RSTV Video

RSTV IAS UPSC – Pepsico v/s Potato Farmers

Pepsico v/s Potato Farmers Archives TOPIC: General studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections In News: A variety of potatoes developed by FMCG giant Pepsico’s India division has triggered a patent-infringement battle in the country. The snacks and beverages major has sued a few farmers in Gujarat for growing potatoes which the company uses to make its Lay’s chips. The MNC had sought Rs 1 crore each from four farmers for cultivating the FC5 potato variety. The particular potato requires lower moisture content as it is used to make snacks as potato chips. In an Ahmedabad commercial court, the company claimed it is the registered breeder of FC5 under India’s Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act. PepsiCo has been developing and registering a variety of potatoes in India since the production of Lay’s took a hit in 2008. The overall supply of potatoes was hit that year due to crop failure in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Punjab. The company currently works with 24,000 farmers across the country in states like West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Haryana, and Chhattisgarh. The Potato Conundrum The variety The patent is for the potato plant variety FL-2027 (commercial name FC-5). Pepsi’s North America subsidiary Frito-Lay has the patent until October 2023. For India, PIH has patented FC-5 until January 2031 under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001. The allegation & defence PIH, which has a buyback agreement with Gujarat farmers, accused the 11 farmers — three of whom earlier had contracts with the company — of illegally growing, producing and selling the variety “without permission of PIH”. One of the accused farmers had said the agreement was that PIH would collect potatoes of diameter greater than 45 mm, and that farmers had been storing smaller potatoes for sowing next year. Four other farmers, who were slapped with Rs 1.05 crore lawsuits, said they got registered seeds from known groups and farmer communities and had been sowing these for the last four years or so, and had no contractual agreement with anyone. They said they learnt they were growing a registered variety only when they got a court notice on April 11. Link: https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/pepsi-backs-off-in-row-with-potato-farmers-1556802023315.html Activists’ view In the days that followed the lawsuits, activists, farmer unions and other organisations cited Section 39(1)(iv) of the PPV&FR Act in defence of the farmers. The section states: “Notwithstanding Anything contained in this Act — a farmer shall be deemed to be entitled to save, use, sow, resow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected under this Act in the same manner as he was entitled before the coming into the force of this Act, provided that the farmer shall not be entitled to sell branded seed of a variety protected under this Act.” Organisations said the Act was tailored to give farmers free access to seeds. Cases & announcement A court in Deesa, Banaskantha, had appointed court commissioners to investigate the premises of two farmers as well as two cold storages. In Aravalli, a court had issued a summons notice to five farmers. In Ahmedabad, the commercial court had extended an ex-parte ad-interim injunction on four Sabarkantha farmers until June 12, barring them from growing or selling FC-5. On Wednesday, the Gujarat government reportedly held out-of-court settlement talks with the company, which eventually announced the withdrawal of cases. It has withdrawn six cases against nine of the farmers, and its officials will meet state government authorities Friday to discuss an arrangement. The corporate giant's offer had two terms. One, farmers should stop growing the registered potato variety and surrender their existing stocks. And if they wished to continue, they must enter PepsiCo's collaborative farming programme where they buy seeds from the company and sell the produce back to it. A misguided action? PepsiCo may be concerned about competitors using its patented potato variety, but targeting the weakest element in the chain, the small farmer, may not be the best remedy. For the first time in India, a group of farmers has been sued over intellectual property rights violation. The stakes are high since it will set a precedent, but to begin with, PepsiCo seems to have filed the case with an inaccurate understanding of existing Indian laws. By seeking damages of over ₹1 crore from each of them—a sum they are unlikely to earn even in a lifetime—it may have committed a cardinal sin, that too in the middle of a general election. To gather evidence, the company carried out a sting operation by hiring detective agencies to pose as buyers who lured growers by offering them a higher price, farmer groups have alleged. According to them, PepsiCo should have collected evidence to nail its competitor, instead of suing farmers. Farm activists have also argued that while the potato variety was introduced in India in 2011, it was only registered five years later in 2016; therefore, it is natural that it spread among farmers who are not under any contractual arrangement with the company. Conclusion: There should be absolutely no compromise on farmers' rights and seed sovereignty. The state government should make the Act as the basis of any settlement, if at all, and anything less than that is unacceptable. It would have failed all the farmers in India and not just the sued farmers if it succumbs to corporate lobbying. The government should put into place clear mechanisms to avoid a repetition of this episode in future. For this, all Certificates of Registration should explicitly state that such a Certificate and any rights associated with it are conditional to certain other sections of Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers Rights (PPV&FR) Act 2001. Loopholes in the PPVFR Act must be plugged. They are being misused by some in the seed industry to avoid paying royalties or to sell seed that is not approved by regulators. Also, it is worth understanding that farmers cannot throw away the undersize potatoes of varieties (including protected ones) which the contract buyers reject. They will save some for own use; the rest they will sell for consumption or as seed. Such sales are kosher, because the contract buyers got the right of first refusal. Update: PepsiCo withdraws lawsuit against 4 Indian potato farmers Note: UPOV — International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants — is an organisation that works to promote new plant varieties. India is not a part of this Union because of the conflicting laws in place which protects the interest of breeders as well as farmers under The Protection of Plant Variety and Farmers Right Act, 2001. India had designed a sui generis law in compliance with the WTO’s TRIPS Agreement (Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights), which is the PPV&FR Act, 2001. Under this statute, farmers’ apriori rights with regard to seeds and planting material have been clearly protected under Section 39 of the said Act.

May 13, 2019 PIB

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 22nd April to 5th May - 2019

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 22nd April to 5th May – 2019 ARCHIVES Be Prelims Ready Elections in India Under representation of people’s act: Canvassing (asking public for favourable vote) near the polling booth is a cognizable offense – police can arrest without court permission. No person can publicize election matter through TV, radio etc. 48 hours before the conclusion of polls. Under RPA act, EC is empowered to cancel/countermand polling in case of bribery, muscle power, booth rigging etc. malpractices. It doesn’t need to consult/seek permission from governor or any other authority in such cases. Section 33: Candidate can contest from two Constituencies. Section 70: He has to give up one seat, if he wins both. Indelible Ink: Silver nitrate on skin = Reacts with the salt present on skin and forms silver chloride Not soluble in water, and cannot be washed off with soap, water, alcohol, nail polish removal etc. First president to cast his vote: KR Narayan (1998) Lok Sabha Election cost is borne by: Union government Cost of Law & Order maintenance during election is borne by: State governments Use of form 20 in the elections: To check polling station wise result Right to vote and to be elected in India is a: Constitutional Right Appointed by the President, the Prime Minister is by convention supported by the party or political alliance having a majority of seats in the Lok Sabha or lower house of parliament. BHAVIK (EVM) were first used in the 1997 election and became the only method of voting in 2004. The EVMs save time and report results. NOTA On 27 September 2013, the Supreme Court of India judged that citizens have the right to a negative vote by exercising a "None of the above" (NOTA) option. This was the result of petitioning from the Electoral Commission and the People's Union for Civil Liberties from 2009. Absentee voting: No provision in India VVPAT Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines are used during election process to verify that the vote polled by a voter goes to the correct candidate. VVPATs are a second line of verification particularly and are particularly useful in the time when allegations around Electronic Voting Machines’ tampering crop up. Parties have been making regular demands for VVPATs to be used during elections after alleging EVMs may not be completely secure and tamper proof. VVPAT system gives instant feedback to the voter showing that the vote polled has in fact been allotted against the candidate chosen. The introduction: Swamy case – In 2013, in the Subramanian Swamy case, the Supreme Court held that the paper trail through VVPAT of votes cast was an indispensable requirement of free and fair elections. It was the SC which pushed EC into introducing the VVPATs in the first place. Supreme Court had faced stiff opposition from the Election Commission while bringing in VVPATs. Working procedure of VVPATs After a voter presses the button on the EVM against the chosen candidate, the VVPAT prints a slip containing name of the candidate and the election symbol and drops it automatically into a sealed box. The machines give the chance for the voter to verify their vote. The machine is placed in a glass case in a way that only the voter can see it. The slip is displayed to the voter for seven seconds after which the VVPAT machine cuts it and drops in into the storage box with a beep. The machines can be accessed, though, by the polling officials and not by the voter. The Election Commission of India has not conceded to any allegation that the EVMs used for polling can be tampered with. However, VVPATs have been used in some elections in a bid to counter all allegation of tampering. The Supreme Court of India, meanwhile, has for long held a supportive and extra cautious stand when it comes to voting. It had directed the EC in 2013 to introduce VVPAT in Lok Sabha Elections 2014 to improve voter confidence and ensuring transparency of voting. It was used in some phases but not in the entire polling process. Must Read Articles: EC’s new norms laudable Importance of Voting Model Code of Conduct Role of Judiciary in ensuring Free and Fair Election Elections and Women Card State financing for fair and transparent poll funding Election Reporting by Indian Media Mindmaps: Electoral Bonds Electoral Reforms Qualifications for elections Cyclone ‘FANI’ In news: Odisha state government evacuated over 11 lakh people from low-lying areas in 15 districts. The administration of coastal states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are bracing up to tackle the “extremely severe cyclone”. Tropical Cyclones Formation Tropical cyclones form over oceans with surface temperatures above 26°C as strong low pressure systems that can reach diameters of more than 500 km. Evaporation of immense amounts of water vapour under these high temperature conditions and the related condensation aloft provide ample energy for the cyclone dynamics, leading to high wind speed and extreme precipitation. These usual natural phenomena are occurring more frequently than usual due to various anthropogenic and changing natural factors. Nature and Particulars: It is a weather system of low pressure, originating in the tropics within a single air mass, but may move into temperate waters if water temperature is high enough to sustain it. Tropical cyclone gets its energy from latent heat of condensation. The energy in an average hurricane may be equivalent to more than 10,000 atomic bomb, the size of Nagasaki bomb. These storms range in size from a few kilometres to several hundred kilometres in diameter. In the middle is an eye that can be as large as 65km across. The total area involved may be as much as 52000 sq km. the tropical cyclones originate between 10o and 25o latitudes in both the hemispheres. Conditions conducive for tropical cyclone: A source of warm, moist air derived from tropical oceans with sea surface temperature normally near to or in excess of 27 °C Winds near the ocean surface blowing from different directions converging and causing air to rise and storm clouds to form Winds which do not vary greatly with height – known as low wind shear. This allows the storm clouds to rise vertically to high levels; Presence of Coriolis force, provides energy to rotate or curve in anti-clockwise (in the northern hemisphere) or clockwise (in the southern hemisphere) How was Titli Cyclone different from usual cyclones? Indian Meteorological Department declared Titli cyclone a rarest of the rare occurrence and categorised it as ‘very severe cyclone’. Wind speed of normal tropical cyclone ranges around 118-120 km per hour. But Wind speed of Titli Cyclone was around 150 km per hour, which is rare occurrence. Reoccurrence or re-emergence: Usually cyclones die after landfall. But Titli Cyclone reemerged again after landfall on Odisha coast. Turned in Northeastern direction: Usually cyclones die after landfall, but Titli took a Northeast turn and continued. These are some of the reasons because of which Titli Cyclone has been declared as rare occurrence. Temperate Cyclones Temperate cyclones are atmospheric disturbances with low-pressure centres occurring in the in the middle latitudes. The polar fronts created due to contrasting air masses (warm tropical air mass & cold, dense polar air mass) are responsible for the origin and development of temperate cyclones. Temperate cyclones are associated with blizzards in North America and western disturbances in India. Different parts of temperate cyclones are associated with varying weather conditions because of different types of air masses and varying temperature conditions. Warm Frontal Precipitation: With the arrival of warm front of the cyclone heavy showers begin with nimbostratus clouds. Warm air rises slowly along the front. Hence the precipitation is slow, gradual but of long duration. Warm sector: Sky becomes cloudless and clear but there may be some occasional drizzles. There is sudden rise in air temperature and increase in the specific humidity of the air but air pressure decreases remarkably. Cold front: With the arrival of cold front temperature decreases. As cold air pushes the warm air upward, sky is again covered with clouds which soon start precipitation. Cold frontal precipitation: Since warm air is forcibly lifted upwards sky becomes overcast with cumulonimbus clouds. Heavy downpour with thunder and lightning. Precipitation is of short duration. Cold sector: Sharp fall in temperature. Sky becomes cloudless and hence clear. How do Cyclones get their names? World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has a process in which countries give a list of name suggestions from time to time. Countries like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan and Thailand submit a list of names to the regional tropical cyclone committee for the cyclones developing in the North Indian Ocean. All the eight countries have suggested eight names for naming future cyclones. The name Fani for this cyclone was suggested by Bangladesh. Fani means snake. Cyclone Titli which caused damage in Andhra Pradesh and parts of Odisha last year was named by Pakistan. Cyclone Ockhi hit Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu in 2017. It was named by Thailand. The next cyclone will be named Vayu. Colour coded weather warning system Yellow level weather alerts To notify those who are at risk because of their location and/or activity, and to allow them to take preventative action For weather conditions that do not pose an immediate threat to the general population, but only to those exposed to risk by nature of their location and/or activity. Orange level Indicates the weather conditions which have the capacity to impact significantly on people in the affected areas All recipients in the affected areas should prepare themselves in an appropriate way for the anticipated conditions. Red level Severe weather warnings (a comparatively rare event) implies that recipients take action to protect themselves and/or their properties. This is usually done by moving their families out of the danger zone temporarily (evacuation), by staying indoors or by other specific actions aimed at mitigating the effects of the weather conditions. It is in the case of a red weather alert that we could see serious disruption to public transport, road closures and school closures. Pabuk Cyclone: In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where a ‘yellow alert’ was issued Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES) It is an international and intergovernmental institution, owned and managed by its Member States, for the generation and application of early warning information. RIMES evolved from the efforts of countries in Africa and Asia, in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, to establish a regional early warning system within a multi-hazard framework for the generation and communication of early warning information, and capacity building for preparedness and response to trans-boundary hazards. RIMES was established on 30 April 2009, and was registered with the United Nations on 1 July 2009. RIMES operates from its regional early warning center located at the campus of the Asian Institute of Technology in Pathumthani, Thailand. RIMES caters to differential needs and demands of its Member States by enhancing capacities for end-to-end multi-hazard early warning, in particular: Hazard monitoring, detection, analysis, prediction, and forecasting Risk assessment Potential impact analysis Generation of tailored risk information at different time scales Risk communication Application of tailored risk information in decision-making Who currently chairs the RIMES Council: India National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) NCRMP was started by the Ministry of Home Affairs to mitigate vulnerability to the cyclone and hazards prone coastal communities. After the formation of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), management of the project was transferred to NDMA in September, 2006. NCRMP-I covers States of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. NCRMP-II covers States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and West Bengal. The project is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs through National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and executed by the respective State Disaster Management Authorities at the State level. The project is partly funded by the World Bank. Objectives of NCRMP The overall objective of the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (‘NCRMP’) is to minimize vulnerability to cyclones and make people and infrastructure disaster resilient in harmony with conservation of the coastal eco-system in the cyclone hazard prone States and Union Territories of India. Solve: What makes coastal India more susceptible to tropical cyclones? Discuss. Also examine the strategies to mitigate tropical cyclones. Note: Indian Automative Industry: Sunshine industry in India contributing to over 7.5% to country's GDP Creation of new automotive test centres in the country under NATRIP project, is an important step forward by the Government to support the need of the automotive industry in the backdrop of tightening regulatory framework and technology shift driven by market forces. ICAT is an important element of the automotive sector, with its world-class infrastructure and domain expertise providing services in development, testing, validation and homologation. ICAT’s vision is to emerge as a leading R&D centre in Asia, working together with the automotive industry in developing state-of-the-art technologies.

May 12, 2019 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Staying Relaxed – Inspirational Educative Articles

Staying Relaxed: Very few things are as important as staying relaxed in today’s fast, complex and confusing world. It is very easy to get lost in the constant noise of daily living and forget that the best of who we are comes from a relaxed, calm and composed state of mind. Nothing significant has ever been achieved from a disturbed and agitated state of mind. Relaxation is the key to harnessing the best part of our selves. When we are relaxed, we think clearly, solve problems, act rationally and handle great challenges. On the contrary when we are agitated and disturbed, we more often than not mess up something. How often has this happened in your life when you have done something stupid in a disturbed state of mind and then regretted doing it? Similarly how often have you been able to solve problems and handle situations better when you are in a calm and relaxed state of mind? It is very important to understand that we human beings are products of our emotional states. Nothing determines our course of life more than how we act during different states of our minds. Knowing and understanding the constantly changing nature of our mind will help us deal with it better. There is absolutely no disputing the benefits of having calm and relaxed personality. So, how do we cultivate the habit of staying relaxed? How do we deal with our fast paced modern lifestyle? How do we bring relaxation into our lives? What exactly we can do to relax? First and foremost, the secret of relaxation is learning how to stay in the present moment. Mental disturbance and agitation is simply a result of our mind racing either into the past or into the future. When we are constantly oscillating between the past the future, mental disturbance is a natural consequence. Learning how to focus on the present moment is one of the greatest skills you can develop in order to stay calm and relaxed. Here are a few tips you can use: Be mindful of what is happening around you all the time. This will ensure that you are not being surprised and disturbed. When you are aware of what is happening around you, you will be in more control of your life. Take responsibility for your actions. Instead of indulging in a blame game, accept responsibility and make the necessary changes. When you are in a disturbed state of mind, do not make any important decisions. Learn how to identify disturbed state of mind and slowly transform it into a neutral and then positive experience. Deal with your mind slowly and gradually. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Inner-Revolution and IASBABA.”

May 11, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 11th May 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 11th May 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Gujarat facing massive water crisis Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and Ecology; Conservation In news: Gujarat is facing a massive water crisis due to rising mercury levels and severe heat wave. Water scarcity is acute especially in Saurashtra region, Kutch, North Gujarat and parts of tribal pockets in central and South Gujarat. Gujarat is in the midst of a major water shortage. Except river Narmada, all other water bodies and dams have negligible water. Navy joins exercises in South China Sea Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – International affairs; Security/Defence In news: Navy ships INS Kolkata and Shakti carried out Group Sail with the naval ships of Japan, the Philippines and the U.S. in the South China Sea (SCS) from May 3-9. The Group Sail exercise showcased India’s commitment to operating with like-minded nations to ensure safe maritime environment through enhanced interoperability. The coordinated “group sail” included Indian guided missile destroyer INS Kolkata and fleet tanker INS Shakti, American destroyer USS Williams P Lawrence, Japanese helicopter carrier JMSDF Izumo and destroyer JMSDF Murasame and Philippines frigate BRP Andres Bonifaci. Do you know? Indian Navy warships INS Kolkata and tanker INS Shakti had took part in the Chinese international fleet review. (was held at Qingdao, China on April 23) They later took part in the Phase I of the maritime security field training exercise under the aegis of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) from May 1 to 3 off South Korea. India to add 3 million tech jobs by 2023 In news: According to Indian Staffing Federation (ISF), the apex body for the ‘flexi’ working industry – Indian tech industry will add another three million new jobs in the next five years. With the additions, the size of the country’s tech army will be 7 million by 2023. All these new jobs would come up in digital technology areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, Internet of things (IOT), data science, analytics, big data, blockchain and augmented reality. Jobs would also be created in newer technology areas that are presently unknown but are expected to emerge and evolve in the next few years. (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL/WELFARE TOPIC: General studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections PepsiCo versus potato growing farmers Context: Multi-billion dollar conglomerate PepsiCo had sued 11 farmers, asking them to pay ₹1.05 crore each as damages for ‘infringing its rights’ by growing the potato variety used in its Lays chips. Farmers groups had launched a campaign calling for government intervention. According to the farmer groups, the law allows them to grow and sell any variety of crop or even seed as long as they don’t sell branded seed of registered varieties, and warned that the case could set a precedent for other crops. After pressure from farmers’ groups, PepsiCo has decided to withdraw cases against about 10 farmers in Gujarat and Rajasthan who were allegedly cultivating its FC-5 variety — registered by it under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act 2001 (PPVFRA) — for their own use. PepsiCo’s Case The patent is for the potato plant variety FL-2027 (commercial name FC-5). Pepsi’s North America subsidiary Frito-Lay has the patent until October 2023. For India, PepsiCo India Holdings (PIH) has patented FC-5 until January 2031 under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR;) Act, 2001. PIH, which has a buyback agreement with Gujarat farmers, accused the 11 farmers — three of whom earlier had contracts with the company — of illegally growing, producing and selling the variety “without permission of PIH”. The agreement was that PIH would collect potatoes of diameter greater than 45 mm from the farmers who had contracts with the company. However, random farmers got registered seeds from known groups and farmer communities. They had been sowing these for the last four years or so, and had no contractual agreement with anyone. They learnt they were growing a registered variety only when they got a court notice on April 11. Current status According to Section 39 of Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act 2001 (PPVFRA), “A farmer shall be deemed to be entitled to save, use, sow, resow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected under this Act in the same manner as he was entitled before the coming into force of this Act: Provided that the farmer shall not be entitled to sell branded seed of a variety protected under this Act.” (However, the seeds in case, were not sold as branded seeds.) Section 42 says: “A right established under this Act shall not be deemed to be infringed by a farmer who at the time of such infringement was not aware of the existence of such right.” (This makes any claim of damages tenuous.) Indian PPV & FRA law is aimed at facilitating the growth of the seed industry, ensuring the availability of high-quality seeds, as well as securing the livelihood and plant varieties of the farmers. Conclusion: Therefore, it was apparent that PepsiCo never had a strong legal case against farmers growing its registered potato variety without entering into a contract. The government should put into place clear mechanisms to avoid a repetition of this episode in future. There should be absolutely no compromise on farmers’ rights and seed sovereignty. INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2 International Relations Policies of developed and developing countries and their impact on India’s interests New clouds over the Persian Gulf: Iran threatens to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal Introduction Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran will withdraw partially from the landmark nuclear deal of 2015. Iran’s decision to reduce its commitments to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the P5+1 agreement, comes as a reaction to the U.S.’s attempts in recent weeks to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero. Why the issue? The issue started after US President Donald Trump pulled out from the nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Iran had the option of walking out too. But it did not. Iran had hoped that the European powers as well as Russia and China might help limit the effects of America’s renewed hostility. Europeans had criticised the US withdrawal, affirmed that Iran was in compliance with the nuclear agreement, and offered to sustain economic engagement with Iran if Tehran stayed true to the deal. China and Russia had also criticised the US decision as unilateral and arbitrary. Trump administration went on to re-impose sanctions on Iran. Now, Iran is demanding the remaining signatories of the deal — the U.K., China, France, Germany and Russia — to ease the restrictions on its banking and oil sectors in the next 60 days. In case the five endorsers of the deal decide not to act in favour of Iran, the authorities of Tehran will remove the caps on uranium enrichment levels and resume work on the Arak nuclear facility. Impacts: Iran’s partial withdrawal from the nuclear agreement is aimed at convincing US's allies in Europe as well as its competitors that time is running out to save the deal. Iran’s plans are very clear, and they put an end to long and laborious multilateral negotiations which put strict limits on Iran’s nuclear activities in return for lifting most international sanctions. By resuming its uranium enrichment operations, Iran could be taking a huge risk, putting at danger its diplomatic relations with Europe and playing the game of the Trump administration that has been taking a hard line against Tehran. Consequently, Iran might be economically isolated, but the message coming out from Russia is that Iran is not alone. US sanctions against Iran will certainly result in the development of cooperation between Russia and Iran, but also with countries like Turkey which are important to American foreign policy. US sanctions are likely to hit the earnings of Iran’s major metals companies, which will have immediate impact on the Iranian government’s revenues and also will deteriorate the balance sheets of Iran’s heavily indebted metals and mining companies. This situation will be followed by mass unemployment, especially among blue-collar workers employed by state-owned enterprises who form the backbone of Iran’s economy. For Donald Trump and his aides, the outcome of their confrontation with Iran is clearly to deprive the Iranian regime of the funds it can use to impose its hegemony around West Asia, but also to put pressure on the everyday life of Iranian citizens. Troubled times are ahead for Iran, West Asia and the global market. Connecting the dots: Rivalries and tensions between the US and Iran could throw some challenges to India’s dealings in West Asia. Analyse. Discuss the likely causes and impacts of Iran pulling out of historic 2015 nuclear deal or P5+1 agreement. MUST READ Resolving India’s banking crisis The Hindu Picking up the pieces after Cyclone Fani The Hindu A confession in Iran Indian Express Making contract farming suitable for farmers Financial Express

May 11, 2019 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance: Book Review – The feeling of what happens – Antonio Damasio

The Feeling of What Happens: Antonio Damasio is a brilliant writer who explores the intricate and complex topic of consciousness in this fascinating and revealing book. What is the source of consciousness? How does brain create consciousness? What is the nature of perception and when do we acquire the sense of self? are some of the topics he explores. Antonio Damasio is a professor of neuroscience who studies brain and consciousness. This is an intriguing and engaging book which goes deep into the fundamental questions of thought, emotions, feelings and consciousness. There is so much happening inside us that has to be illuminated. This book illuminates several dimensions of life. It takes years of study and hard work to unravel the mysteries of the mind. Antonio’s experience as a neuroscientist gives him a unique advantage of exploring the nature of the mind first hand. He has shared his experiential learning here for the benefit of all. Read and enjoy this beautiful book.

May 10, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 10th May 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Chandrayaan-2 will carry 14 payloads from India Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Science and Technology; Space Missions In news: According to ISRO – Chandrayaan-2, the lunar lander mission planned to be launched during July 9-16, will have 14 Indian payloads or study devices. The 3,800-kg spacecraft includes an orbiter which will circle the moon at 100 km; a five-legged lander called Vikram that will descend on the moon on or around September 6; and a robotic rover, Pragyan, that will probe the lunar terrain around it. ISRO has chosen a landing area at the hitherto unexplored lunar south pole, making it the first agency to touch down at the south pole if it succeeds in its first landing attempt. Do you know? Chandrayaan-2 will be India’s second outing to the moon. ISRO will send the mission on its heavy lift booster, the MkIII, from Sriharikota. Pic: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2019/05/11/DEL/Delhi/TH/5_05/d15da60b_2930604_101_mr.jpg Fani’s fury creates four new mouths in Odisha’s Chilika Lake Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and Ecology In news: The extremely severe cyclone Fani has created four new mouths in Chilika Lake connecting to the Bay of Bengal. Chilika Lake is considered to be Asia’s largest brackish water lake. Chilika Development Authority (CDA) officials have started studying the impact of saline ingression into the lake. Do you know? Rise in salinity would alter Chilika’s ecosystem, as it will lead to increase in productivity. Trump raises tariffs on Chinese goods Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – International affairs; Economy and related issues In news: The trade war between the U.S. and China took a turn for the worse as the Trump administration increased tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. Trade war has been haunting the global economy since 2018, hurting investors’ confidence worldwide. Do you know? One of the big immediate risks of the U.S.-China trade war for India and a number of other countries may be “trade diversion”. That means products and merchandise, hit with retaliatory or counter-retaliatory tariffs by the U.S. and China respectively, will get diverted or even dumped on markets like India. Miscellaneous: Amazon unveils space vision, moon lander In news: Jeff Bezos, who heads both Amazon and space company Blue Origin, unveiled a lunar lander that he said would be used to transport equipment, and possibly human beings, to the south pole of the moon by 2024. Space agencies prepare to return humans to the moon and top engineers are racing to design a tunnel boring machine capable of digging underground colonies for the first lunar inhabitants. Harsh conditions on the surface of the moon mean that, once up there, humans need to be shielded from radiation and freezing temperatures in structures which maintain atmospheric pressure in a vacuum. (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL/TECHNOLOGY TOPIC: General studies 2 and 3 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology EVs are an idea whose time is yet to come Introduction: Electric vehicles (EVs) are hailed as the future of mobility, considering its important role in containing carbon emissions and hold off global warming. India has an EV conversion policy in place. Last month, the Indian government announced the second phase of its Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles (FAME-2) scheme, aimed at weaning various modes of public transport off fossil fuels. About FAME India Scheme and 1st phase of FAME FAME India Scheme [Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India] was implemented with the objective to support hybrid/electric vehicles market development and Manufacturing eco-system. The phase-I of the scheme was designed for a period of 2 years i.e. FY 2015-16 and FY 2016-17 commencing from 1st April 2015. However, the scheme, which was initially upto 31st April 2017, was extended upto 31st March, 2019 or till Notification of FAME-II, whichever is earlier. Department of Heavy Industry implemented FAME-1. The Phase-II of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME-India) Scheme proposes to give a push to electric vehicles (EVs) in public transport and seeks to encourage adoption of EVs by way of market creation and demand aggregation. Total outlay of Phase-I of the FAME-India Scheme was enhanced from Rs. 795 Crore to Rs. 895 Crore. However, Fund allocated was 580 crores. FAME-2 Under FAME-2, incentives are offered to manufacturers of three-wheelers, four-wheelers and buses that run on electric power. Department of Heavy Industry to implemented FAME-2. Do you know? The latest guidelines issued by the department of heavy industries insist that to avail of the benefits under the scheme – Half of all EV components (especially, lithium batteries and charging units) must be manufactured within the country. (to boost domestic production) However, for local companies, it remains risky to invest a lot of money in plants to make such products without clarity on the specifications that are likely to become industry standards across the world. This is an emerging industry even for western countries or China. The Chinese government has provided generous tax incentives and subsidies to car makers and consumers alike to make things happen. It also restricted the sale of fossil-fuel cars. Its EV industry is set to boom. India’s position India has no major firm making controllers, batteries or magnet motors; nor has sufficient lithium reserves. Therefore, EV success is hard and calls for an entirely new strategy. EVs are still too costly to replace fossil fuel vehicles in the broad consumer market. Local EV makers would be better off waiting for component standardization and then forging tie-ups with successful foreign players to achieve volumes and the viability granted by economies of scale. Instead of an incentive scheme that tries to electrify public transport systems and prod the local manufacturing of parts, Indian policy would achieve more by assessing the global state of play, working out which battery and motor designs will come to dominate, and then setting up a grid to support a market switchover bit by bit as EV costs fall. Also interchangeable batteries would ease the process, as would a reliable network of charging stations where drained batteries could be swapped with fully-charged ones in a jiffy, as a plug-in-and-wait model would demand too much patience. Indian policy should finely calibrate interplay of regulatory and market forces. Premature electrification is best avoided. As of now, India’s goal of clearing its city streets of fumes looks a distant dream. Connecting the dots: Discuss in brief how vehicular pollution can be controlled by adopting a strategic roadmap. Also suggest measures to boost hybrid/electric vehicles in India. India’s automotive industry is headed for an inflection point. To make India an EV hub setting up the required infrastructure is most crucial. Discuss. NATIONAL/HEALTH ISSUE TOPIC: General studies 2 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 Issues and policies related to health Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate What a new Lancet study reveals about HIV and ART? Introduction: According to a new Lancet study – Extending anti-retroviral therapy (ART) outreach with early testing and support for HIV treatment could help eradicate the disease. Condomless sex between serodifferent couples in which the HIV-positive partner was receiving virally suppressive ART didn’t result in HIV transmission from seropositive partner to the seronegative one. Serodifferent couple means one person is living with HIV and the other person is HIV-negative. In simple words, if the person living with HIV is on effective ART treatment, his viral load will drop and he will be HIV-undetectable. This means he cannot pass on HIV. Therefore, a HIV negative person will not be at risk if they have sex with someone who is HIV-undetectable. Significance of Lancet study to India Approximately 2.1 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in India, and only 79% are aware of their HIV status—and just 56% receive ART. Build awareness that ART intervention at an early stage could help stop transmission, and thus, preventing new infections altogether could become easier. The finding by Lancet helps to remove stigma and discrimination surrounding the disease. Measures taken by India In 2017, India moved to the ‘test and treat’ protocol prescribed by the WHO, which meant every HIV-positive individual within the country was to be put on ART treatment. India had adopted the UNAIDS 90-90-90 goal, under which, by 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90% of all people with HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression. NACO’s Link Workers Scheme under which volunteers from at-risk groups were trained to link their communities with HIV information, commodities and services. Conclusion: Despite a marked rise in ART coverage, many people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) are unable to access the clinics. India needs to make the most of ART by ensuring a 100% outreach, and adherence. Connecting the dots: What is HIV and how is it a life threatening disease? How has India battled against HIV? Critically examine. Discuss some of the provisions of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Act of 2017. Elaborate on the Policy actions initiated by the government w.r.t. HIV AIDS and the necessary concerns associated. Highlight the provisions of the recent legislation. MUST READ By established law and procedure The Hindu Endless war: on U.S. putting pressure on Taliban The Hindu Soldiers for peace Indian Express SC must re-examine procedure to probe allegations against CJI Gogoi Indian Express Economic data: Govt should focus on accuracy than speed Financial Express How US steadily upping the game to counter China Financial Express

May 9, 2019 Topper's From IASbaba

TOPPER'S STRATEGY: Rohit Kumar, Rank 469 UPSC CSE 2018 –a Regular Follower of IASbaba's initiatives (IASbaba’s TLP Student)!

TOPPER'S STRATEGY: Rohit Kumar, Rank 469 UPSC CSE 2018 –a Regular Follower of IASbaba's initiatives (IASbaba’s TLP Student)! "Hard work beats talent if talent doesn't work hard". This is very true in case of UPSC preparation. Irrespective of our background, we need to word hard to achieve the feat in this examination. We may be competing with the guy who is a working professional or IITian or IIM pass out. We should keep this in mind, this examination is a good level setter so we get a fair chance of selection irrespective of level of competition, if we are honest to ourselves. Coming from humble background and very little exposure to English as a medium of writing and speaking it was a mammoth task before me to even thinking about cracking this examination. This is because of popular perception about the examination that it needs very good English. But, these difficulties were the part of preparation and with the kind support of family, friends and platforms like IASBABA, it became a reality for me. Background: I am Rohit Kumar and secured 469th rank in CSE 2018. I am from a small town in Hamirpur District of Uttar Pradesh. I did my primary and secondary education from the government school in my village. Then, due to unavailability of higher secondary schools in neighbourhood, I shifted to Kanpur. I completed by secondary education from M. D. B. Inter College Umri Kanpur (Nagar). After completing this, I sat for JEE examination but couldn't clear with a wide margin. Then I joined coaching in Kanpur itself and cleared it. I got IIT Delhi as my first preference. I also did job as software developer in Vmock Inc in Gurugram for 3 months so as to get exposure of private sector and have financial ease. I started preparing for UPSC since September 2016. I joined coaching (Vajiram for GS and DIAS for Chemistry) because till last year of my graduation, I didn't even know the basics of UPSC like who elect President ? Or What is capitalism? You are amazed, right ? But what can you expect from a person coming from a rural background and have never read anything other than what is written in syllabus. Preparing for just 8 months or so, I had written prelims in 2017 with very much lack of confidence and result was expected. I couldn't clear prelims by 2 marks. Mistakes in my First Attempt and Learnings: There was the only one mistake that I sat for examination. One is not expected to clear prelims with just 8 months of preparation and specially the person like me who doesn’t know A B C D of UPSC. I feel, one should sit the examination only when he is confident enough otherwise why to waste attempt. Anyway, one can clear prelims with bit of a luck, but Mains will be a big hurdle for him since it require good understanding of concepts. Apart for this, I did not attempt good number of questions in that attempt and did only one test series. My learning is that we should do two test series of any institutes for prelims and keep revising the questions which we are not able to do. We should be well versed with the NCERTs (specially modern history, Ancient History, Geography). For Current Affairs, I followed Vision monthly CA. I kept my sources limited but revised them for good number of times. In last month, I followed IASBABA 60 days plan so that important topics are not left. Apart from doing hard work, we should also keep ourselves energetic by participating in any one sports, talking to loved one. This is necessary in prelims because we have to keep so many things in mind and it is possible only when we are stress free. Further, try to attempt as many questions as you can. This strategy worked for me, I attempted 92 questions this year. And during examination, keeping believing in yourself, take deep breath, these things really work !! My GS strategy: Before starting for mains, please have a look on the syllabus. This will guide your preparation and help in writing questions according to need. For mains, two things are needed, first is to complete the paper in time and second is to write quality answers. While former can be managed via test series, later can be managed by writing in peer review platform. IASBABA helped me in writing quality answers by providing review of answers and motivating me for best answer 'Award' (For beginners, If you will write best answer, your answers will be highlighted and will be given place in compilations). Paper1: mostly covered by NCERTs. For history (modern, ancient, world), social issues, geography NCERTs are enough. But this basics should be supplemented by the current event. (For example: if you read migration topic from NCERT then should cover issues of migration from CA such as Gujrat violence, fake news etc.) Try to give as many examples as you can. Paper2: Polity (LaxmiKant is just enough), IR (mostly CA) and Governance (I read ARC reports, NITI Aayog three Year plan and CA) Paper3: Economy (my coaching notes + CA + budget), Environment (Shankar book + CA) Paper4: Lexicon book (revised for 5-6 times, made short notes), IASBABA TLP compilation for last one year (I gained lot of confidence of writing answer of ethics and got examples for several issues) I would recommend to do preparation in integration rather than separately studying for prelims for 3 months before prelims and then starting for mains. This is because of the nature of exam these days, we find many questions in prelims which can be solved only when we have deeper knowledge of syllabus of mains. Other than this, making short notes of each material that you read is very much needed. This saves time for us and help in recalling all the important points during revision. For a beginner, it is necessary to go through all the basic NCERTs so that we can get the feel of syllabus and key terms which play vital role in writing mains answers. My strategy was to divide equal time among all GS (2 Hrs each) and Optional (4 Hrs) + 4 Hrs (For answer writing and newspaper). This was the broader time division and it fluctuated specially one month before mains. I kept Sunday easy for me with target of writing two essays, just to regain energy for next whole week. My Optional strategy: My optional is Chemistry. I chose this because had interest in this subject since my JEE preparation. While choosing optional, apart from performance of optional (give this less preference), interest is very much required. It is because, you have to read it for 2-3 years regularly and this is not possible without interest. For optional, I did coaching from DIAS chemistry in Delhi. Apart from coaching, Basic NCERTs and required books I read. If anyone interested in detailed strategy for chemistry, mail me at below address. Role of IASBABA: During this attempt, this platform helped in Prelims and Mains preparation. For prelims, I followed 60 days plan of IASBABA and made short notes out of it. For Mains, it helped me a lot. I liked the TLP platform (Mains Answer Writing Platform) very much, here one can write 5 questions daily and these answers will be reviewed by peers and BABA itself. I feel it is like fun to write in this platform because of several other aspirant like us. They keep me motivated not only by reviewing but also by guiding me at every steps. For ethics, TLP platform is unique because it helped me to get several examples for particular question by viewing others' answers. And everyone know ethics paper is all about examples. Here, I would like to thank mona sharma (@disqus_5OJJlWz6nx), @disqus_ISHAQ_ALI @ZyotiSingh and IASBABA for all the support and motivation. (please tag all if possible). My suggestions and few tips before prelims: Don't forget your true friends, family and loved ones even during preparation because they give positive energy to us. Further, keep limit to your sources and keep revising them. Make small targets and complete them, this will not let stress win over you. In prelims, most of the aspirants are able to solve 50 questions, but key lies to solve other 20 or 30 questions. Here comes the role of educated guesses that we make. It is the need of examination I feel, it is very difficult to get cutoff marks without this. For educated guess, apart from knowledge, confidence and alertness is the key. So, night before prelims sleep well, take some energy drink with you during examination and finally don't fear too much. If prelims is tough, then it is tough to all and if easy then easy for all, so be balanced. Prelims Marksheet: Mains Marksheet: Thank You Rohit Kumar

May 9, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 9th May 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Iran says it will not honour nuclear curbs Part of: GS Mains II – International affairs; Security issues In news: Iran said it had stopped respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 deal with major powers until they find a way to bypass renewed U.S. sanctions. The announcement came as the US imposed sweeping unilateral sanctions against Iran. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said that it no longer considered itself bound by the agreed restrictions on stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Part of: GS Mains III – Environment and Ecology; Human impact on biodiversity and ecosystem In news: According to global assessment report of the (IPBES) – Human beings have aggressively exploited nature. Species belonging to a quarter of all studied animal and plant groups on earth are gravely threatened (due to human impact). Ecosystem losses have accelerated over the past five decades universally Any devastation to tropical areas, which are endowed with greater biodiversity than other regions, is worrisome. If the world continues to pursue the current model of economic growth without factoring in environmental costs, one million species could go extinct, many in a matter of decades. Concerns: Catastrophic erosion of ecosystems is being driven by – unsustainable use of land and water direct harvesting of species climate change pollution and release of alien plants and animals in new habitats The global rate of species extinction is at least tens to hundreds of times higher today than the average rate over the past 10 million years, and it is accelerating alarmingly. Marine plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980, affecting at least 267 species, including 86% of marine turtles, 44% of seabirds and 43% of marine mammals. Ecological economists have always warned about ever-increasing consumption which courts modifying terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems to suit immediate needs, such as raising agricultural and food output and extracting materials. Such modifications severely affect other functions such as water availability, pollination, maintenance of wild variants of domesticated plants and climate regulation. US and China account for half of world’s military spending Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – International affairs; Defence/Security issues In news: According to think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) – Total world military expenditure rose to $1,822 billion in 2018, representing an increase of 2.6% from 2017. The five biggest spenders in 2018 were the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, India and France, which together accounted for 60% of global military spending. Military spending by the US increased for the first time since 2010, while spending by China grew for the 24th consecutive year. In 2018, India increased its military spending by 3.1% to $66.5 billion while military expenditure by Pakistan grew by 11% (the same level of growth as in 2017), to reach $11.4 billion in 2018. Pic: https://images.indianexpress.com/2019/05/defence.jpg In news: Pattachitra paintings Context Cyclone Fani teared down artists’ village in Odisha. Many pieces of art (especially Pattachitra, a traditional cloth-based scroll painting) in heritage hub have been damaged. About Pattachitra Pattachitra is a general term for traditional, cloth-based scroll painting, based in the eastern Indian state, Odisha. In the Sanskrit language, "Patta" literally means "cloth" and "Chitra" means "picture". Most of these paintings depict stories of Hindu deities. The Pattachitras are known for its intricate designs and was given the GI tag in 2008. These paintings are made on a canvas, which is prepared by mashing an old cotton cloth and palm leaves. When the canvas dries up, it is hardened using a paste of tamarind, turmeric, chalk and granite powder. The colours used in these paintings are made from from coal, conch shells, turmeric, chalk powder, leaves of selected plants and soft stones. Person in news: Subhash Kapoor ASI identifies rare Indian artefacts seized from smuggler In news: A range of Indian antiquities and artefacts that were smuggled by Subhash Kapoor have been identified by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) during a team’s recent visit to the United States. Idols dating back to the Gupta period (5th-6th Century AD) to terracotta objects of the Harappan culture were seized by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement of U.S. Department of Homeland Security from the storage of Kapoor. The smuggler was extradited to India and is currently in the custody of Tamil Nadu police, the ASI said. (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate India-US ties face tough terrain Below are some of the major issues between India and US Issues in India-US trade 1. U.S.’s decision to not extend Iran sanctions waivers to India This decision will have notable implications for India-U.S. relations, given the importance of New Delhi’s energy relationship with Tehran. 2. U.S.’s decision to withdraw GSP benefits for Indian exports Trump administration decided to withdraw GSP benefits for Indian exports in retaliation for Indian tariffs that the U.S. deemed to be prohibitively high US has also expressed deep discontent over India’s policies on e-commerce, intellectual property rights and data localisation. 3. India’s tariff structure According to Trump administration, India was at number 13 in the list of US export markets because of its “overly restrictive market access barriers”. India’s average applied tariff rate was “the highest of any major world economy”. According to World Trade Organisation (WTO) data, India’s average applied tariff is now around 13.5% — and there are plans to move towards ASEAN tariff rates progressively (approximately 5% on average). Over the last five years, however, there has been a move by the government to increase duties on a number of items. 4. Disputes under the WTO Seven disputes between India and US are at various stages of the Dispute Settlement Mechanism under the WTO. These pertain to – poultry and poultry products from the US countervailing duties against India’s export of steel products measures against import of solar cells and modules under the National Solar Mission, the US’s Sub-Federal Renewable Energy Programmes US measures concerning non-immigrant visas India’s export promotion schemes and the US tariff hike on steel and aluminium products. 5. Capping prices of cardiac stents and knee implants In 2017, India capped the prices of cardiac stents and knee implants, slashing prices by over 70% and 60% respectively. The move impacted US giants like Abbott, Medtronic and Boston Scientific. 6. Walmart issue and data localization Two other issues that the US side has specifically raised during the latest round of negotiations are the “treatment of Walmart after their acquisition of Flipkart”, and the problems on data localisation reportedly faced by companies such as MasterCard and Visa. Impact: India will scale up oil imports from other top producers GSP withdrawal will have minimal impact on India’s economy (we have covered comprehensively in previous month DNA articles) S.-India CEO Forum and the India-U.S. Commercial Dialogue is expected to ease tensions However, a full-fledged strategic partnership, which both countries endorse, will be difficult to achieve amid such multiple and long-standing disconnects on the trade and economic side. Conclusion: Bilateral ties should go beyond technology transfers, arms sales, joint exercises, and foundational agreements on defence in order to achieve a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership. India-U.S. relations have potential to extend well beyond security, especially initiatives ranging from clean energy to innovation. The U.S. and India have long struggled to agree on what a strategic partnership should look like. Any strategic partnership must be broad-based, with trust and cooperation present across a wide spectrum of issues and not just limited to close collaborations in the guns-and-bombs category. In this regard, a true strategic partnership remains, at least for now, elusive between India and the U.S. Connecting the dots: India’s “US” policy has seen both continuity and change. Comment. India and US share a strong strategic partnership in the changing global order. Critically analyse. Has the dynamics of Indo-US relations changed after the election of Donald Trump as the President? Critically evaluate. (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) Pattachitra is A cloth-based scroll painting of Odisha A traditional dance form of Odisha Block painting of Buddhism faith Paintings done on dry leaves and preserved Q.2) With regard to ‘Pattachitra’ consider the following statements These are paintings based on Hindu mythology and specially inspired by Jagannath and Vaishnava sect. Pattachitra is registered under the identity of Odisha Pattachitra (GI tag). Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 None MUST READ A travesty of justice The Hindu A wake-up call on proprietary seeds The Hindu Forcing a woman to adhere to purdah system is unconstitutional, so is dragging one out of it Indian Express How China, followed by India, has led greening efforts across world Indian Express Democratic values and the role of our educational institutions Livemint

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