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Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 29th April 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 29th April 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Tannery industries shut to prevent their effluents from contaminating the Ganga Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and ecology; Pollution In news: Kanpur contributes the highest pollution load among all of the cities of Uttar Pradesh, which itself accounts for 75% of the pollution load in the Ganga. Consequently, Kanpur has garnered about ₹1,000 crore of funds — more than any other city — from the ₹20,000 crore-plus Namami Gange Programme, the government’s flagship programme to clean the river. NGT and CPCB had pointed out that chromium content from tanneries lead to contamination of river Ganga. About Namami Gange Programme The government launched the Namami Gange Programme, an integrated conservation mission with a budget of Rs. 20,000 crore to accomplish the objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of the Ganga. The project covers eight states and seeks to fully connect all 1,632 Gram Panchayats along the Ganga to a sanitation system by 2022. It is a flagship programme of Government of India with a renewed impetus to decrease river pollution and conserve the revered river ‘Ganga’. SC: filthy language not criminal intimidation Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Polity In news: Supreme Court recently held that – ‘abusing a person with filthy language alone does not constitute the offence of criminal intimidation’. The judgment held that - the threat must be with intention to cause alarm to the complainant to cause that person to do or omit to do any work. Mere expression of any words without any intention to cause alarm would not be sufficient to bring in the application of this section. In other words, intentional insult must be of such a degree that it should provoke a person to break the public peace or commit any other offence. The mere allegation that the appellant came and abused the complainant does not satisfy the ingredients of criminal intimidation. Srinagar-Leh NH open for traffic after 4 months Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Geography In news: The 434-km strategic Srinagar-Leh National Highway, connecting the Kashmir Valley with the Ladakh region was thrown open after being closed for over four months due to heavy snowfall. Zojila Pass, at 11,516 feet above sea level, connects the picturesque Kashmir Valley with the cold Indus valley desert through the 434-km long Srinagar-Leh road. Border Road Organisation was involved in the snow clearance operation. Do you know? Zojila: Asia’s longest bi-directional road tunnel Zoji La will provide all-weather connectivity between Ladakh and Kashmir. It is said to be Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel Situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway The project, on completion, would lead to enormous boost in employment as local businesses will get linked to the national market and the beautiful region is able to receive round-the-year tourist traffic. It will also be of strategic value to the armed forces. Part of Bharatmala project The government has set an ambitious target of construction of 35,000 km of national highways in the next five years involving an investment of Rs 5,35,000 crore under Bharatmala. Miscellaneous: Karnataka’s Ishad mango is becoming rare In news: Karnataka’s local mango variety called Ishad, the pulp of which has been extracted for over a century for making value-added products, is facing the threat of becoming rare in its homeland, Ankola. Reason for this - competition from hybrid varieties. The production of pulp dropped from 20,000 tins a year a decade ago to between 10,000 to 12,000 tins now, owing to shortage of mangoes, as the trees are becoming rare. The mango has two variants — Kari Ishad, which has thin skin, more pulp and is sweeter, and Bili Ishad, which has thick skin and has less pulp and sweetness. (MAINS FOCUS) ENVIRONMENT/CLIMATE CHANGE TOPIC: General studies 3 Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Impact of Climate Change and Global Warming Why the world needs to deal with climate change, now? Context: The below article focuses on – All types of disastrous impacts of climate change or global warming on all forms of life on planet Earth. What environmental calamities are currently happening and what are very likely to happen in the future if ‘climate change’ is not tackled in right earnest with all urgency? Concerns: We are aware that nothing is being taken seriously by the world political leaders and particularly rich nations (esp. US President Donald Trump), even though it is their rampant overconsumption, pollution and food wastage over more than 150 years (since the advent of the Industrial Revolution) that has greatly contributed to climate change. The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently reported that energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2018 rose by 1.7% to 33.1 billion tonnes from the previous year—the fastest since 2013. We had earlier covered (in our previous DNAs’) about the latest UN report ‘Global Environment Outlook 6 (GEO 6)’ According to GEO 6, the current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under Paris Agreement (2015) are just a ‘third’ of carbon emissions mitigation required to keep the average global temperature rise below 2 degree Celsius over pre-industrial levels. It means even if NDCs are fulfilled, the temperature will still shoot up to 2.7-3 degrees and may even go beyond 3 degrees with the US withdrawing from the agreement. The report emphasises adverse health impacts for all people in the world (1,000 crore by 2050) due to environmental degradation of atmosphere, land, oceans and biodiversity, which would be of irreversible nature. Status of India India may fail to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) despite its many national action plans to achieve them. About 60 crore people in India depend on perennial rivers, which are in jeopardy due to glaciers receding and the ground water resources too being adversely affected. If the world fails to keep the temperature rise under 2 degrees Celsius, rivers of the world (such as Yellow, Ganges, Yangtze, Yamuna and Mekong) would shrink. There would be more uncontrollable droughts, floods, intense landslides and avalanches. India is likely to see the greatest extremes because of its vulnerability and crores of Indians would have to move. The vast areas of Indo-Gangetic plains will become non-liveable by the middle and the end of this century. A rise beyond 1.5 degrees would mean heat waves, heavy rainfall, water shortage, reduced farm output, coral bleaching and sea levels rising. Coastal nations and agricultural economies like India, already facing climate extremes, would bear the greatest burnt. Linkage between climate change and social tensions Another aspect of severely adverse impacts of climate change – it will lead to conflicts among civilian population the world over. World Meteorological Organisation in its recent annual report has particularly focused on this issue of linkage between climate change and social tensions creating imbalances and instability in many parts of the world in the future. This is because climate change adversely affects agriculture, fishing, etc, and thus livelihood; coastal areas get submerged due to rise in sea levels and water scarcity is created. All this induces migration to other parts of the region or urban areas, leading to riots over limited resources. Rebel activities and Maoist movements may gain momentum because of climate-related impact on livelihood pushing up migration of civilians to cities, adding to strife. Conclusion: To conclude, rich nations must sufficiently enhance their existing NDCs. They have the financial power to do so. India and China should combine efforts and play strong leadership role by bringing all nations on a common platform at COP 26 in 2020, which would a critical moment for our planet. This is the only way to save humanity. Connecting the dots: Critically analyze why the world needs to deal with climate change in right earnest with all urgency. Critically evaluate the emerging trends in global climate change negotiations. Is the world heading in the right direction in its fight against climate change? Critically examine. NATIONAL/POLITY TOPIC: General studies 2  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. Role of Constitutional bodies (Election Commission) and Judiciary (Supreme Court); Elections Role of Judiciary in ensuring Free and Fair Election Introduction: Free and fair election is the bedrock of democracy, as it legitimates the democracy through citizen's right to vote. Democratic legitimacy is periodically renewed and the foundations of the republic remain stable with the exercise of the citizen's right to vote and voting must take place as part of a free and fair election, which is ensured by Election Commission of India and complemented and enabled by the Supreme Court, where ECI lacks power and political will does not want reform due to parochial narrow political gain. Enabling role of Supreme Court to Free and Fair Election: In many judgments over the years, the court has set out the enabling conditions that guarantee that voting remains a meaningful activity. For example – SC had held that the citizen's right not to be arbitrarily denied the vote. Therefore, the court has held that voting is a fundamental freedom guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. The right to know (thus, requiring compulsory declaration of certain information by candidates) and The right to a secret ballot (that has prompted the court to order the inclusion of a NOTA, or None of the Above option). From the above judgments and ruling, the Supreme Court has reminded us many times, public faith in the electoral process is crucial to the continued survival of republican democracy, and it is these institutional safeguards that come together to ensure it. However in recent conduct of Indian courts reveals an unfortunate gap between judicial rhetoric and actual enforcement. Judicial Inaction in ensuring Free and Fair Election: Electoral Bond issue: The electoral bond scheme allows limitless, secret donations to political parties, including (and especially) by corporations. It strikes a dagger through the heart of the right to know, because it denies to voters the knowledge of who funds the people who ask for their vote. The electoral bonds scheme was challenged immediately after it came into force; the Supreme Court, however, held off on hearing the case until a few weeks ago, and then it postponed the case to after the elections, citing a paucity of time. In the meantime, significant sums of anonymous donations have come in through electoral bonds, and an overwhelming percentage of them have gone to the ruling party. Totaliser Machines Case and Right to Secret Ballot: Scholar Mukulika Baneriee had pointed out as early as 2017, and as journalist Ishita Trivedi demonstrated more recently, political parties are now able to determine voting outcomes at the level of individual booths because of the use of EVMs without totaliser machines. This destroys the very concept of the secret ballot, and makes threats to distorting the electoral process. However, when in 2018 a case was filed before the Supreme Court asking for the use of totaliser machines in elections — that would restore the secrecy of the ballot — the court dismissed it without even according it a hearing. Freedom to Vote: The issue of voter deletions surfaced late last year, especially in the context of Assembly elections in Telangana, where the Election Commission of India (EC) itself admitted to the existence of the problem due to unaudited software to cleanse the electoral rolls. Accordingly, a case has been filed before the High Court, asking that the EC be required to reveal the source code of the algorithm it was using, and open it up for auditing. Months have passed, the general election has come, but the High Court has failed to decide the petition. Conclusion: With recent electoral issues it seems that judiciary have dodged and ducked the issues, instead of solving them. While in popular imagination, the primary role of the courts is to protect the fundamental rights of individuals against the state, another — equally critical — task of courts is to ensure that the ground rules of electoral competition, which are necessary to ensure free and fair elections, are maintained. This, therefore, is an arena where courts have to be even more vigilant than usual, because what is at stake is the foundational legitimacy of democracy itself. Connecting the dots: Analyze the complementary role of Supreme Court in ensuring free and fair election along with Election Commission of India. Illustrate the contribution of Election Commission and Supreme Court in strengthening electoral democracy in India. MUST READ The government’s anti-corruption scorecard The Hindu An ineffectual angel The Hindu The government’s anti-corruption scorecard The Hindu Women don’t need saving  Indian Express From Plate to Plough: Cow and cane Indian Express Farm production: Are we growing enough pulses? Financial Express Cyberspace danger: Can we really prevent internet fraud?  Financial Express The case against Chinese apps eyeing Indian smartphones Livemint

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Launching of EMISAT – A Boost to Space Technology

Launching of EMISAT – A Boost to Space Technology ARCHIVES Search 12th March, 2019 Public Speak here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General studies 3 Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. Security challenges and their management in border areas Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. The Launch EMISAT and 29 other commercial satellites have been launched to orbit onboard the polar rocket PSLV-C45. This is a first-of-its-kind mission for the space agency as it tried to put the satellites in three different orbits in one single satellite launch mission. Following the success of this mission, ISRO is eyeing orbital experiments, including on maritime satellite applications. EMISAT A very powerful electronic intelligence/surveillance satellite which has been developed in India jointly by ISRO and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) under Project KAUTILYA. To measure the electromagnetic spectrum and to read the location of radar emitters both ground and naval – This capacity will help India in surgical warfare which is supposed to have become a permanent option for India to check Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. EMISAT is modelled after an Israeli spy satellite called SARAL (Satellite with ARgos and ALtika), according to a report. The main capability of EMISAT is in signal intelligence — intercepting signals broadcast by communication systems, radars, and other electronic systems on the ground from hundreds of kilometers away in space. The Ka-band frequency that EMISAT is sensitive to allows it to scan through ice, rain, coastal zones, land masses, forests and wave heights relatively easily The unique features First, it was the first time ISRO launched a rocket that injected satellites in three different orbits. Second, the fourth and last stage of the rocket will function as a satellite itself for some time, instead of being rendered junk after ejecting its payloads. The fourth stage is what remains of the rocket after most of it is discarded — in three stages — during the flight to reduce weight, after running out of the propellant they carry. Significance of the achievement Reaching three different orbits gives ISRO a new technological edge. It demonstrated its capability to reuse the fourth-stage engines multiple times, and also showed that the guidance and navigation systems aboard the launch vehicle could be used for much longer times than in earlier missions. In practical terms, it will help ISRO pack its future rockets with multiple satellites even if they require to be placed in very diverse but precise orbits. Currently, this could be done only in multiple missions. The foreign satellites include a majority from the US, and the rest are from Lithuania, Spain, Switzerland and goes to show India as an attractive destination when it comes to launching satellites. The global commercial space market is an expanding one and India’s advantage with the PSLV gives it an edge when it comes to launching these nanosatellites. Also, it is a reconnaissance intelligence satellite meant to keep a watch on and provide location inputs on enemy radar sites deep in the enemy territory, a function that was done by using electronic warfare planes until now. Project Kautilya — For Space Borne ELINT System which involves the development of Electronic Intelligence payload for integration on an indigenous minisatellite. The ELINT includes recordings and analysis of intercepted signals and helps create an RF signature of a radar which can, in turn, be used for locating and quickly identify the radar in subsequent encounters. The project is named after the ancient Indian economist who emphasised the importance of spying for a king to protect his kingdom. Connecting the Dots: Space is considered to be the fourth frontier. Any effort to weaponise it would pose serious security threats to the world as whole. Do you agree? Examine India’s preparedness to tackle such threats.

60 Days Plan 2019 - Daily Prelims Test

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - Polity and Current Affairs (Day 49)

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - Polity and Current Affairs (Day 49) 60 Day plan has been published on the website (www.iasbaba.com -Click here). Since we have come up with the 'Quiz Format', it will not be feasible to publish it on the app. For feasibility and getting to know where you stand among your peers (we have a leaderboard which gives your marks and rank) it would be advisable to take the test on the website. All the best. make the best use of the initiative ! Before taking the Test, read the post below, ARCHIVES Hello Friends,  The most beloved 60 Days for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019  has finally begun :) Once again the time has come for the battle (Prelims). And who else than your best companion in the last preparatory phase for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 i.e 60 days plan. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.  Hope the message given above makes sense to you all. The productive utilization of this programme demands consistency, honesty, faith and strong determination to be in the process of learning and unlearning. You might not be fully prepared to solve all the questions but the learning and unlearning through these questions will prepare you for the real battle on 2nd June 2019. You have to unlearn your repetitive mistakes, gut feeling on which you mark doubtful questions. You have to learn new things and also those concepts that you were very sure of but somehow because of traps in the option, got it wrong. You have to learn 'how to convert knowledge into marks' (Because most of the times, after ending the exam, you regret making mistakes in known concepts).  Secondly, keep a long distance from following too many things at this point. It will always backfire. Once you are here, put complete faith and follow this initiative along with whatever you were doing. It is very important to consolidate your preparation with many revisions. Simply following many things will leave you in despair. You can cross check this with veterans. Everything that seems attractive is not productive. You should always go for productivity. Be wise! Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days of this plan! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to type/post their answers in the comment box on a daily basis. There were huge participation and discussion below the test post. Putting answers in the comment box has been very effective to self-track yourself after updating the score. In the end, you can cross check your performance through Disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time-bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last few months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out a few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How can you make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 25 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in the UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So, make effort to know the answers to all questions. Do not cheat :P DETAILED MICRO ANALYSIS MATRIX SAMPLE- is given here. You can download this and do an assessment for yourself (the excel sheet must be modified as per this years planning. The provided excel sheet is only for reference).  DOWNLOAD You can copy paste the same format/modify as per your need in Google Spreadsheet and update it on daily basis. Feedback talks about daily test results. Follow-up talks about daily target achieved from sources and the number of revisions to do/done and dates. Sources column is to ensure that aspirants do not run behind various sources and follow the same throughout. Would like to end on this quote:  Either you run the day or the day runs you.  Are you ready? Let's start! Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)  You can post your comments in the given format  (1) Your Score (2) Matrix Meter (3) New Learning from the Test

Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Mind Games – Inspirational Educative Articles

Mind Games: “If you don’t want to know the answer to the question, then don’t ask the question.” I had a boss years ago who used to say, “If you don’t want to know the answer to the question, then don’t ask the question.” At first I thought that was a stupid saying but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Let’s say for example that you ask your significant other, “In all your relationships, who have you been the closest to?”. They answer with a matter-of-fact honest answer that it was their high school sweetheart, who left them for someone else. Nothing else has changed, your significant one still acts the same way toward you, but you just heard them say something that you hadn’t heard before. It changes the way you feel inside, doesn’t it? We get so caught up in constantly “doing things” that we forget that most of what we perceive as reality is in fact the part of life that we can’t see, like happiness, jealousy, sadness, joy, anger, and love. Dealing with these tidbits of information that are unsettling to us can be a challenge. That’s where having a regular routine of sitting quietly and letting the mind relax helps out. When you sit quietly and just watch your thoughts it’s easier to keep thoughts from upsetting you. After practicing this for some time, you’ll see how your mind goes on its own little tangents, coming up with things you don’t want to think about, nonsensical things, and how you perceive and react to this “inner world” is what you have complete control over. It’s what is known as “the mind game”. When you wake up in the morning, it’s totally up to you to start each day fresh or pick up baggage from the day, weeks, or even years before. Forcing our minds to take a break from thinking is the secret to controlling what we think, and sitting quietly on a regular basis is the method of forcing our minds to take a break and stop controlling our lives. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Inner-Revolution and IASBABA.”

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Generic Medicines- A fillip to India’s healthcare system

Generic Medicines- A fillip to India’s healthcare system ARCHIVES Search 12th March, 2019 Public Speak here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC:  General Studies 2 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health  General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment Indigenization of technology No government can allow market forces a free hand in the pricing of medicines. Affordability of medicines has to be ensured so that no person in need of it has to suffer. This is especially true in India where a large number of people are still poor. The present government has been focussing on making medicines affordable by making them available through Jan Aushadhi Kendras, enabling price control of essential medicines, promoting prescription of generic medicines by medical practitioners and focussing on a conducive intellectual property regime (IPR). What are Generic drugs? Nearly all drugs have three types of names, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the non-proprietary or generic, most commonly the International Non-proprietary Name (INN) administered by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the brand name. Some countries, such as the U.S., Britain and Japan, have their own generic names or approved names. Once patents have expired, companies other than the original manufacturer can produce and sell the drug. This usually results in significant reduction in costs. These off-patent drugs are called generics internationally. However, the term ‘generic’ has a different meaning in India’s pharma trade. Medicines marketed exclusively with INN names are called generics or generic medicine. The WHO advocates generic prescribing as part of an overall strategy to ensure rational medical treatment and prescribing tailored to local conditions. In India, there are many barriers to rational prescribing. Generic drugs tend to cost less than branded ones. These drugs form the largest segment of the Indian pharmaceutical sector. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and ever-rising costs of hospitalisation and medicines are responsible for the growth of the generic drugs market. Directive on prescriptions Mandatory Name on packaging: Due to sustained efforts by the government to put in place a legal framework to promote generic medicines, the Medical Council of India issued a directive in September 2016, making it mandatory — by amending the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 — to prominently mention the generic names of drugs along with brand names in prescriptions. There is an advisory to State drug controllers that all branded drugs, imported or domestically manufactured, should mandatorily have generic names mentioned in bold letters while packaging. Balance between health of consumers and financial health of pharmaceuticals: The instrument of price control is also being used to restraint companies from pricing their medicines exorbitantly. ‘Every few years, the Health Ministry, in consultation with experts, draws up a National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). These medicines, deemed essential for the treatment of common conditions, automatically come under price control. Under NLEM 2015, a total of 376 drugs are under price control. In addition, the government has the power to bring any item of medical necessity under price control — paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. This provision was used to regulate the prices of cardiac stents and knee implants’. There has been an attempt by the government to strike a fine balance between the health interests of consumers and the financial health of Indian pharmaceutical companies. India as a supplier: India has also emerged as the low-cost supplier of medicines to other countries and is the largest provider of generic medicines globally in terms of volume. The Indian pharmaceutical sector industry supplies over 50% per cent of the global demand for various vaccines, 40% of generic demand in the U.S. and 25% of all medicines in the U.K. At present, over 80% of antiretroviral drugs (used globally to combat AIDS) are supplied by Indian pharmaceutical firms. Patents and rights: A serious threat to affordability of medicines comes from big global firms. These pharmaceutical companies and their governments have been trying to lobby with the Indian government to make patent protection more stringent despite the fact that both compulsory licensing and prohibition of evergreening, provided under the Indian Patents Act, 1970, are valid under the TRIPS agreement of the World Trade Organisation. India has resisted any change in its intellectual property laws that can have the effect of making medicines unaffordable. Challenges we Face Will of the pharmicists: There is the moral hazard that pharmacists will dispense the brand which offers them the biggest margin. The current diktat by the MCI therefore will not reduce prices for the consumer. Brand names ensure quality: This belief is ill-founded. The recent quality survey by the government found 26 of 32 samples from a particular plant of a prominent multinational drug company to be not of standard quality (NSQ). The most effective way to maintain quality is to have periodic testing and stringent disincentives for poor quality. The best insurance for good quality is good regulation. Bioavailability and Bioequivalence: Some argue that bioavailability and bioequivalence (BA and BE) of generics may not be equal to the original brand. Bioavailability refers to the rate and extent to which the active ingredient of the drug present becomes available at the site of action of the drug. In order for a new generic drug to be licensed, it has to be bioequivalent to the reference drug. It means that BA of the generic drug is similar to that of the reference drug. Of the approximately 800 useful drugs known to modern medicine, bioequivalence is really only important for a few drugs with low solubility and high or low permeability, so the debate about BA and BE is somewhat misinformed. The Way Ahead Self-certification: The government should require companies to self-certify their drugs to indicate whether they are in fact bioequivalent. A simple logo on the drug’s packaging to indicate whether a drug has been tested for proof of bioequivalence, along with the trial ID number listed on the Clinical Trials Registry India, should be made mandatory. Awareness of the consumer: The challenge for the government is to balance its policy objectives of taking the power of the doctor away to prescribe brand name drugs with the reality that generic drugs in India are of questionable quality. The solution does not lie in more laws, but in providing more information to the consumer. Drug regulators in India have a vast trove of information on substandard drugs which they need to release into a searchable database. If this information is made available over the Internet, the government will truly empower hospital procurement officers, pharmacists and patients with information required to avoid products of manufacturers with a poor-quality record. Go Digital: The government must seriously consider using IT tools to network all 36 drug regulators into one integrated national database. This can then be accessed by every citizen over a smartphone. The essence of the ‘Digital India’ initiative is to empower the citizen. What better way to do this than to provide them with information that will protect them from substandard drugs? Conclusion It is increasingly clear that the segment of the pharmaceutical market where we will see demand grow the fastest in the coming years is products that treat non-communicable diseases. We should, therefore, strive to promote strong, indigenous producers of complex generics and biosimilars as this has enormous potential to improve public health in emerging markets. The core issues are affordable access to medicines and their rational prescription and use. These objectives require an enlarged list of essential and life-saving medicines under price control, elimination of all irrational FDCs, no brands for drugs off patent, and briefer officially approved names to make it easier for doctors to prescribe generics including the rational FDCs. Must read: How are drug prices regulated? Connecting the Dots: What are generic drugs? Why generic drugs are essential for a developing country like India? India is a very long way from realising its potential for bio-pharmaceutical innovation. Do you agree? Discuss. Is the ‘generics-only model’ a panacea for India’s disease burden? Are we willing to trade affordability for quality and safety? Examine.

Topper's From IASbaba

PRELIMS TIPS:TOPPER’S STRATEGY- Shivashish Kumar Rank 368, UPSC CSE 2018 who has scored 129.34 (2017) and 126.66 (2018) in his 2 attempts shares his PRELIMS EXCLUSIVE Strategy!!

PRELIMS TIPS: TOPPER’S STRATEGY-Shivashish Kumar Rank 368, UPSC CSE 2018 who has scored 129.34 and 126.66 in his 2 attempts shares his PRELIMS EXCLUSIVE Strategy!! My two cents on Prelims. Hello all, this is Shivashish Kumar, AIR 368 in UPSC CSE -2018. In my previous attempts, i got 125+ score in prelims (2017, 2018), that too at a time when "prelims is becoming more and more tedious and extensive", and so would like to share my 2 cent on it. 1. Newspapers are irreplaceable Choice of newspaper can be different, time of the day when one want to read it can be different, time one want to devote to it can also vary but one should not ignore it. To give an example the explained section in Indian express last week about the recent black hole image is amazing. So lucid and so easy to comprehend which we cannot expect from current affair magazines. It pays back by helping you eliminate options in a few questions. 2. Current affair from more than 1 source I used to read monthly current affair magazine, and then re-read it a few times once we switch to prelims mode(mostly 3 month before exam) so that the information get settled easily in brain and any possibility of confusion in examination hall can be minimized. However, considering the growing expand of the paper and lesser margin for error, supplement it with prelims revision module from some other source, which will help one revise the known information as well as add some more in the repository 3. Test series I can proudly call myself one of the biggest fan of IASBaba 60 days prelims programme. The way it covers the entire course exhaustively and the huge database of question it provides alongwith the detailed explanations and related information is a bliss in itself. To add to it, daily cut-offs, full tests, words of praise from babaji, a sense of competition with your peers and yourself and healthy discussions provides an ideal mix of knowledge and comfort. Along with it, one can solve 1-2 test series available in the market especially as a mean to revise the static portions. 4. Static portions are extremely important Current affairs are limitless. One can reach a comfortable position but cannot rely on it totally. Based on the level of difficulty, current affair can even be surprising. And herein static part can act a saviour. Portions like modern history, polity and economy are relatively easy to command over. There are limited resources for them and barring a few,questions are mostly straightforward and from these standard sources. The more one is comfortable with static portions, the more one can be sure about their chances. And as an added benefit, it will also help in mains and interview. For me, the best way to achieve confidence in these was through solving test series papers. Once done with any part of syllabus try to solve the Prelims test series papers and IASBABA 60 day test for that portion. Learn from the mistakes, comprehend the explanation thoroughly and re read the book/chapter if one find that they are making several mistakes in any part or it was difficult to recall while giving test 5.The art of guessing To be honest,its not possible to know all the questions and all the right options every single time. At a time when even 0.67 marks can be detrimental, one cannot afford to leave a question which they know partially, neither can one afford to loose marks due to negative answers. And herein the art of smart guessing can help. One has to learn it. Different people can have different style of elimination and picking options, and that develop only when we solve lots of test series and try to practice this art in mocks and exam like situation. Open tests can be a good way to experiment with it. Smart guessing though require knowledge and understanding which we gain by adopting the earlier discussed steps. Coming from an engineering background, Paper 2 of prelims did not pose much difficulty to me but still I used to solve a few practice paper before the exam to avoid catastrophic damage.I will suggest the same to everyone. Trust me, I have done nothing special except these. But I have done it very sincerely and religiously. Revision is the key in prelims and sooner or later,we will all realise that! Some Basic Thumb Rules ( These would help when solving Prelims Mcq's) 1. First few questions may be difficult, last few may be easy, it doesn't matter. Find out all the easy questions in the first iteration and circle it. Go for a bit tedious one (wherein confused between 2 options) and take calculated risks in second iteration. In the last iteration, try to decode questions based on common sense, option based elimination, splitting the word etc. 2. Give a few mocks in exam like conditions, at UPSC exam timings, with OMR sheets and in full 2 hours. It will prepare you for resisting the temptation of over attempting or mistakes in filling bubbles. 3. A few questions can be solved by elimination techniques or applying common sense. Finding out such questions is a skill needed in prelims. Refer to Abhijeet Sinha Sir (has beautifully explained  it) -IASbaba’s ILP Student, who has scored 163 (2016) and 152.6 (2017) in his 2 attempts!! 4. Don't give any mocks in the final week. Rather concentrate fully on revising the already given mocks, static notes, current affairs etc 5. At times, we become complacent once we start scoring 120 around in mocks. This can be disastrous especially in the last few weeks. One need to self assess the quality of tests and if the test appears to be easy, push the horizon. Aim for 150 then. This will keep one at their toes till the final day. 6. Usually it is advised to attempt more than 90 questions in general as this is a safe position. However, if you are someone who looses significant marks in negative, this is not for you. Practice mocks and find a optimum  range for you. However, don't be rigid on that. Change it to an extent based on the quality of paper. What to study at this juncture? 1. Now that only a month is left, prime focus should be on solving mock papers(1 Test Paper (AIPTS) + Iasbaba's 60 days questions) 2. Daily revision of current affair(one module /day) and static notes 3. Use Google extensively whenever you come across some new science  term, or global organisation, Flora fauna etc and update them in your notebook (can refer to gktoday for this) 4. In the last 2 weeks, make sure to revise all your mocks and daily questions, as well as the organisations and other facts collected 5. Last week must be left completely for revision with no new tests, and daily time allocation for maps and rivers. Prelims is not a exam of selection, but only a test of elimination. Don't panic and give your best. You just need 55-60% marks, which is not that difficult. You will sail through. All the best to all of you. I wish we all come out with flying colour and make everyone proud. You can reach out to me at shivashishkr1@gmail.com for any feedback or doubt. Thank You Shivashish Kumar

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 27th April 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 27th April 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Government schemes and programmes; Education reforms In news: GIAN was launched by Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) in 2015 It aims to boost the quality of higher education in India, facilitate participation of high quality international academicians for delivering short-term courses and programs in Indian institutions Do you know? Under GIAN, initially 500 international faculties will be engaged in conducting courses and later in subsequent years 1000 faculties would be engaged throughout India. GIAN aims at tapping the talent pool of scientists and entrepreneurs to engage with the institutes of higher education in India Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty (VAJRA) scheme Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Government schemes and programmes; Education reforms In news: Launched by Ministry of Science and Technology VAJRA scheme enables NRIs and overseas scientific community to participate and contribute to research and development in India. Do you know? The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology will implement the Scheme. Foreign researchers of Indian origin or otherwise can collaborate with faculties in public funded Indian institutions. Public funded academic institutions and national laboratories will be eligible for hosting the VAJRA Faculty. The VAJRA faculty can reside in India for a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 3 months a year. Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Government schemes and programmes; Education reforms In news: Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur is the National Coordinating Institute to implement the SPARC programme. SPARC aims at improving the research ecosystem of India’s higher educational institutions by facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian institutions and the best institutions in the world. Under this Scheme, 600 joint research proposals will be awarded for 2 years to facilitate research collaboration between Indian research groups with the best in class faculty and renowned research groups in the leading universities of the world Do you know? The Ministry of Human Resource Development had recently launched the web portal of the scheme – “Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC)”. 1 million species risk extinction due to humans: draft UN report Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and conservation; Role of International Organization or NGO/CSOs In news: According to a draft UN report – Up to one million species face extinction due to human influence. It warns about how humanity has undermined the natural resources upon which its very survival depends. The accelerating loss of clean air, drinkable water, forests, pollinating insects, protein-rich fish and storm-blocking mangroves poses no less of a threat than climate change. The report warns of “an imminent rapid acceleration in the global rate of species extinction”. The direct causes of species loss, in order of importance, are shrinking habitat and land-use change, hunting for food or illicit trade in wildlife body parts, climate change and pollution, the report finds. Do you know? April 22 is celebrated as Earth Day The theme of this year’s Earth Day is ‘protecting the planet’s species diversity’. The theme is important one considering nearly half of 177 mammal species surveyed in a study saw their distribution fall by more than 80% between 1900 and 2015. Scientists strongly believe that the planet may be in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, and unlike other times in the past, this could be largely anthropogenic. (MAINS FOCUS) HEALTH ISSUE 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 Issues and policies related to health Battling malaria Introduction: In 1987, the pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline began testing a vaccine to target the malaria parasite. The initiative received support from the WHO, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the international NGO PATH. The collaboration bore fruit on April 23, 2019, when health workers in Malawi rolled out the first vaccine against the viral disease. Do you know? A total 3,60,000 children across three African countries — Malawi, Ghana and Kenya — will be covered every year with the vaccine. (pilot countries) The vaccine (named RTS,S) has taken three decades to come to fruition, and is the first one ever against a disease that kills 4,35,000 people a year, most of them children. India ranks high in the list of countries worst affected by the mosquito-borne disease. In 2018, 3,99,134 cases of malaria and 85 deaths due to the disease were reported in India, according to data from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme. Every year, April 25 is celebrated as World Malaria Day, to consolidate and re-strengthen efforts to control the disease. Malaria has been in existence since the last 1,00,000 years and despite the progress made by science and medicine in controlling the disease, it continues to be the biggest killer of mankind. About RTS,S vaccine RTS,S aims to trigger the immune system to defend against the first stages of malaria when the Plasmodium falciparum parasite enters the human host’s bloodstream through a mosquito bite and infects liver cells. The vaccine is designed to prevent the parasite from infecting the liver, where it can mature, multiply, re-enter the bloodstream, and infect red blood cells, which can lead to disease symptoms. According to WHO, the malaria vaccine has the potential to save tens of thousands of children’s lives. About NGO PATH PATH is an international nonprofit team of innovators which advises and partners with public institutions, businesses, grassroots groups, and investors to tackle the world’s toughest global health problems, including malaria. PATH’s Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) works with various stakeholders towards the development of a malaria vaccine. Why is malaria such a major global public health challenge? Malaria is a potentially life-threatening parasitic disease caused by the parasites Plasmodium viviax (P.vivax), Plasmodium falciparum (P.falciparum), Plasmodium malariae (P.malariae), and Plasmodium ovale (P.ovale), transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. In its most virulent form, malaria is a difficult disease to deal with. Plasmodium falciparum, the most dangerous of the virus, replicates very fast in the human body. This means if a person infected with the virus does not get diagnosed urgently, the infection assumes fatal or near fatal proportions rapidly. Unlike bacteria, parasites evolve complex ways to evade the immune system. The malaria parasite passes through multiple life stages, each of which presents a unique challenge to vaccine developers. Moreover, inside the human body the virus changes shape making it very difficult for the proteins produced by a vaccine to target the pathogen. Malari remains one of the world’s leading killers, claiming the life of one child every two minutes. Children under the age of 5 are at greatest risk from its life-threatening complications. The poorest children suffer the most and are at highest risk of death. Limitations of the new vaccine In clinical trials, the new vaccine reduced malaria cases by less than 40 per cent — the measles vaccine, by comparison, is 97 per cent effective and the chickenpox vaccine prevents almost 100 per cent of severe cases of the disease. Another issue with the vaccine is that children need four doses. Critics of the vaccine argue that four trips to a clinic could be tough for families in rural Africa. Conclusion: Once the pilots have been completed, the WHO will review the results and come out with its recommendations for the use of the vaccine. For a country like India, the key question though is likely to be as much the efficacy of the vaccine as its cost. The vaccine is also a significant intervention given that the WHO estimates that climate change will exacerbate the mortality caused by the disease. Connecting the dots: While India has successfully eliminated small pox and polio over time. It is time coordinated efforts are put in to eliminate malaria. Discuss the challenges associated with the same. Also, suggest measures to address these challenges. India has suffered from a major burden of malaria for decades, but the World Malaria Report 2018 of the World Health Organisation shows that sustained public health action can end the epidemic by 2030. Critically comment. HEALTH ISSUE 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 Issues and policies related to health How South-East Asian countries spearheading the global push to end TB Context: Each of the WHO South-East Asia Region’s member states have played a critical role in the global push to end TB by or before 2030. For example, in 2017, health ministers from across the region issued a call for action, highlighting the measures needed to contain and fight the disease. By next year it came up with a statement of action, which pledged intensified efforts to achieve that outcome, even as domestic funding reached unprecedented levels. In the same year, at the UN General Assembly, member states vigorously canvassed for a political declaration on the fight against tuberculosis, which was subsequently endorsed. Region-wide commitment, resolve and action is to be commended. It is also vitally important. Do you know? The South-East Asia Region is the world’s most TB-affected region. The life-threatening disease has serious social, political and economic impacts. Significantly, TB remains the region’s leading cause of death and lost productive years in the crucial 15-49-year-old age group, impacting the prospects of individuals, families, communities and countries. The region is also home to a growing number of drug-resistant cases of the disease. According to UN’s Political Declaration on TB, member states’ should ensure that by 2022 – 18 million TB patients are diagnosed and effectively treated; more than 500,000 patients with drug-resistant TB are successfully treated; and preventive treatment is provided to around 12 million people at risk of developing the disease Steps needed to meet these challenges: Intensifying active case-finding, especially amongst high-risk groups, is essential. Intensified case-finding can dramatically reduce case incidence while also ensuring all patients receive quality treatment. Member states should develop a joint roadmap on how they can harness novel diagnostics to find missing cases, as well as how people-centred treatment can be provided to all. Covering all groups at risk of developing TB with preventive treatment should also be prioritised. All plans should be aligned with WHO guidelines, which recommends treating childhood, adolescent and adult contacts of TB cases, alongside other at-risk groups such as people living with HIV or those who are immuno-compromised. All partners should support the supply of first-line drugs via south-south cooperation, precisely as India has offered to do. Royalty-free technology transfers will improve access to diagnostics and the efficacy of outreach. Community engagement, including capacity building, must be a core priority of all countries. Connecting the dots: Tuberculosis can be one of the major hurdles in converting the human capital in India to Demographic Dividend. Highlight the reasons for the rising TB problem and suggest measures to eliminate the problem. TB remains one of the leading causes of death from any single infectious agent worldwide. Comment on the national and global efforts to eliminate the disease by 2035. (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) Which among the following is the first State in the country where the WHO will collaborate for elimination of malaria? Bihar Uttar Pradesh Punjab West Bengal Q.2) National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) is an umbrella programme for prevention and control of vector borne diseases. Vector borne diseases that are being targeted are: Malaria Dengue Lymphatic Filariasis Kala-azar Which of the above options is/are correct? 1, 2 and 3 only 2, 3 and 4 only 1, 3 and 4 only All the above Q.3) World Malaria Report is released by WHO Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Roll Back Malaria Partnership None of the above Q.4) Consider the following pairs Disease : : Pathogens Tuberculosis : : Virus Malaria : : Protozoa Chicken pox : : Bacteria Which of the pairs given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 only 1 and 3 only 1 only Q.5) The new vaccine RTS,S is associated with - Malaria Tuberculosis HIV Dengue Q.6) Health Ministries, NGOs and private sector representatives from 120 countries have signed the Moscow declaration of WHO. The target of declaration is To eradicate polio from the world till 2030 To eradicate vector borne infections To eradicate Tuberculosis by 2030 To end deaths by hunger in the world by 2030 Q.7) Consider the following statements about ‘VAJRA’ Scheme It is an outreach programme, conceived to hook children early on to science and research. Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology will implement the Scheme Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 MUST READ The long wait for safety: tracking the Safe Cities programme The Hindu Lessons from a military encounter The Hindu Danger of Islamic State (IS) expansion in the Subcontinent Indian Express Gap between expectations and realisation could undermine governments Indian Express Five steps that India needs to take to improve learning outcomes Financial Express How behavioural science bettering the impact of govt policies worldwide? Financial Express

60 Days Plan 2019 - Daily Prelims Test

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - Environment and Current Affairs (Day 48)

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - Environment and Current Affairs (Day 48) 60 Day plan has been published on the website (www.iasbaba.com -Click here). Since we have come up with the 'Quiz Format', it will not be feasible to publish it on the app. For feasibility and getting to know where you stand among your peers (we have a leaderboard which gives your marks and rank) it would be advisable to take the test on the website. All the best. make the best use of the initiative ! Before taking the Test, read the post below, ARCHIVES Hello Friends,  The most beloved 60 Days for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019  has finally begun :) Once again the time has come for the battle (Prelims). And who else than your best companion in the last preparatory phase for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 i.e 60 days plan. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.  Hope the message given above makes sense to you all. The productive utilization of this programme demands consistency, honesty, faith and strong determination to be in the process of learning and unlearning. You might not be fully prepared to solve all the questions but the learning and unlearning through these questions will prepare you for the real battle on 2nd June 2019. You have to unlearn your repetitive mistakes, gut feeling on which you mark doubtful questions. You have to learn new things and also those concepts that you were very sure of but somehow because of traps in the option, got it wrong. You have to learn 'how to convert knowledge into marks' (Because most of the times, after ending the exam, you regret making mistakes in known concepts).  Secondly, keep a long distance from following too many things at this point. It will always backfire. Once you are here, put complete faith and follow this initiative along with whatever you were doing. It is very important to consolidate your preparation with many revisions. Simply following many things will leave you in despair. You can cross check this with veterans. Everything that seems attractive is not productive. You should always go for productivity. Be wise! Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days of this plan! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to type/post their answers in the comment box on a daily basis. There were huge participation and discussion below the test post. Putting answers in the comment box has been very effective to self-track yourself after updating the score. In the end, you can cross check your performance through Disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time-bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last few months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out a few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How can you make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 25 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in the UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So, make effort to know the answers to all questions. Do not cheat :P DETAILED MICRO ANALYSIS MATRIX SAMPLE- is given here. You can download this and do an assessment for yourself (the excel sheet must be modified as per this years planning. The provided excel sheet is only for reference).  DOWNLOAD You can copy paste the same format/modify as per your need in Google Spreadsheet and update it on daily basis. Feedback talks about daily test results. Follow-up talks about daily target achieved from sources and the number of revisions to do/done and dates. Sources column is to ensure that aspirants do not run behind various sources and follow the same throughout. Would like to end on this quote:  Either you run the day or the day runs you.  Are you ready? Let's start! Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)  You can post your comments in the given format  (1) Your Score (2) Matrix Meter (3) New Learning from the Test

Topper's From IASbaba

TOPPER’S STRATEGY and MOTIVATION: Rahul Sankanur, Rank 17 UPSC CSE 2018 – Inspiring Journey of the Topper from Karnataka, had been to Interview twice, before clearing the exam in his 4th Attempt!!

TOPPER’S STRATEGY/MOTIVATION: Rahul Sankanur, Rank 17 UPSC CSE 2018 – Inspiring Journey of the Topper from Karnataka, had been to Interview twice, before clearing the exam in his 4th Attempt!!   Hello Everyone, I am Rahul Sankanur. I have secured AIR 17 in UPSC CSE 2018. My optional is Anthropology. About Myself My father S.V.Sankanur is a retired Govt servant and my mother Savita Sankanur is a Home Maker. I hail from Hubli town of Karnataka. Due to the transferrable nature of my father’s job, I did my schooling in Hidkal of Belagavi district , Khanapur town and in Mysuru. Later, I did my Engineering in R.V. College, Bangalore. I also worked for 2 years in an IT company after which I decided to pursue studying for CSE. Unlike most of the aspirants who have an IAS/IPS officer( or an incident) that inspired them, I had none. Factors such as simplicity of my father, secular and egalitarian outlook of my mother and overall family’s service orientation influenced me to aspire for a life based on public welfare. Also, my stay in Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, Mysuru and subsequent study of Swami Vivekananda literature further strengthened the resolve for public service. Though I wanted to do public service, I wasn’t sure how exactly it is to be done. Various options were available like joining NGO while I work in Private, CSE etc. It was only during my 3rd year of Engineering that I started thinking seriously about CSE. After graduation, the job I got was interesting. But I soon realized that I could not dedicate time to pursue my passion. Therefore I quit my job and started full time preparation for CSE. My CSE Journey CSE-’15 - Prelims - Mains - Personality Test - NOT IN FINAL LIST CSE-’16 - Prelims - Mains - Personality Test - NOT IN FINAL LIST CSE-’17 - Prelims - Mains - DIDN’T CLEAR MAINS Got a gap of 4 months till CSE-’18 CSE-’18 - Prelims - Mains - Personality Test - All India Rank  - 17th What went Wrong in Previous attempt? Every success story is a story of great failures. I believe I am a good example for it. Let me dwell on the mistakes I did in my CSE journey: Mistakes in MAINS: I had a lackadaisical approach towards answers writing and always felt I could ‘manage’ it in exams(which I never could). My writing speed was slow and handwriting was really bad(especially towards the end of paper). In Mains,the content and quality of last 4-5 answers in every paper was very bad due to bad time management. Mistakes in PERSONALITY TEST : I followed the same strategy that I followed for Mains. I would only read current affairs magazines instead of forming my own opinion on various issues. Though it may sound silly, another problem I faced was that, I was quite hesitant to speak in front of elders. This affected me in answering in front of panel members in Personality Test. I would not express myself openly and would give single sentence answers. This led to average scores in Personality test. What went Right in this attempt? In previous attempts, I was in the cycle of going through Prelims-mains-Personality Test and Failure. Therefore, I didn’t get time to improvise on the mistakes I committed. In third attempt when I didn’t get through Mains, I knew I had around 4 months time till next prelims and I had to make best use of it. The following conversation with my college friend was an eye opener. Friend: Hey Rahul, 2 interviews and 3 mains, yet you aren’t getting into the list. What’s going wrong? Myself: I have no idea buddy. I think I am doing everything but things are not falling in place. Friend: okay. Let me ask you something. Tell me what is stupidity ? Myself: !!!!!!. Friend: Stupidity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different result. Somehow , this statement stuck a chord. All previous attempts, I was following the same approach and was expecting that I succeed , which didn’t happen. As I had decided this would be my last attempt, I though of doing things a bit differently. I knew my weakness was answer writing (including handwriting). I was confident that I can manage Prelims so I took the risk of allocating only 30-35 days for Prelims. I joined Insights test series(between Feb and Apr). Though the papers weren’t evaluated, discussion after writing test helped. I had also realised that my optional score in previous attempts were above average . So I did some value addition in time available to get few more marks. Once Prelims was over, I joined a Test series. Slowly, I started getting good scores which boosted my confidence. Also, I tried to improve my handwriting. On those days when there was no tests, I would write static answers (TLP) from IASBaba website. This exercise enabled me to practice writing and since I wrote few questions, it didn’t consume lot of time. For optional subject, I spent very less time. I didn’t join test series nor did I do any value addition post prelims. I was confident that with improvement in writing speed, I will get additional 10-20 marks (which I subsequently got). Once I cleared Mains exam , I again wanted to change strategy for Personality test preparation . I used to spend 75-85 days for Personality test preparation in previous attempts. This time, I travelled to different places (my hobby) and spent more time with my friends. This exercise helped in becoming more composed. Also, as I spent less time in discussions with others aspirants,the ‘INTERVIEW HEAT’ didn’t affect me lot. CIVIL SERVICES EXAM-UNDERSTAND YOURSELF TO SUCCEED CSE is not a test of our intellectual ability , but a test of one’s personality. The pressures from outside is immense. To succeed, one ought to be patient and persistent and this can be achieved if one understands oneself. For instance, spending time with friends , listening to music acted as a stress buster for me . So I made it a point to have them in my routine each day. What I want to convey is that , each one of us has to make our own strategy based on our personality. Something(like studying in night) may work for some but may not work for others. Some lessons I learnt which I would like to convey: 1. FOR NEW CANDIDATES:  When you begin preparation, give greatest importance to understanding basics. Initially, you may not understand current affairs as your basics won’t be strong. I know of candidates who would discuss and debate on GST but didn’t know the difference between Direct and Indirect Tax. These candidates didn’t fare well. Atleast for the first 3-4 months into preparation, don’t attempt answer writing. Later , you can slowly start with simple conventional questions (for eg: difference between Parliamentary and Presidential form of Government )and later , questions based on current affairs. Without any inhibition, ask lots and lots of questions. This CSE journey is going to be a challenging journey. It will have its highs and lows. People will doubt your abilities. But always have your goal motivate you. Also, this journey will enable you to make great friends. You will be amazed with the dedication and hard work which you will be putting in the time to come. 2. FOR VETERANS: I can feel the pain, helplessness and frustration that is you are It is indeed tough. For me, music , spirituality, meditation, reading Swami Vivekananda literature helped. Try to identify what may help you to stay focused and positive. There should be some reasons for which you have not been able to get into the list. It may be clarity in basics, low scores in essays, answer writing or inability to express in Personality test. You need to first identify it. You may take the help of your friends, seniors or other support staff to identify it. Be open to inputs from everyone, even if coming from a person who is not doing CSE preparation. Let your ‘Seniority’ in CSE preparation not block the knowledge inflow. 3. PRELIMS: Paper-1 broadly has Conventional static questions and Current Affairs questions. There is a trend wherein aspirants give lot of importance to Current affairs. But if we see Prelims paper, UPSC is asking such current affairs questions which aren’t mentioned in most of Current affairs magazines. Therefore,one should give equal importance to Static questions. As we have the books from which these static question come, we should aim to make no mistakes in static questions. Generally, when we write mock tests, we tend to look only at our marks and our relative performance. Mocks will be more effective if we analyse the mistakes committed and identify why we made mistake e. was the mistake committed due to carelessness in reading or was in due to lack of understanding etc. Generally, we tend to read those subjects in which we are already good at :). it is here that we need to really identify our weaknesses and give more importance to them. Mantra to clear Prelims:-”Concept Clarity,Limited Sources, MULTIPLE REVISIONS”. 4. MAINS: Here again, identifying our mistakes is the key. For some it may be answer writing, for some it may be basics. Some may have issue with optionals and essays. Present trend in GS is that the UPSC is asking very generic questions. When such questions are asked, we tend to give generic answers leading to average marks. It is here that we need to become creative and mention interesting examples, facts, figures to get those extra 1-2 marks. Let the answer structure be as simple as possible. You may follow the below mentioned structure: Introduction consisting of Definition/Interesting fact/Present Context Main body wherein you may write in points format. If sub-questions are asked, answer them separately. Conclusion may be some recommendations/some emulative models etc. GS-4 (Ethics Paper): Let your answers be written in Indian context i.e. try to have more Indian examples, Indian thinkers etc. Also, it is recommended to give day-to-day examples for ethics answers. It will convey a message to evaluator that the aspirant has understood the question. PERSONALITY TEST It took me 2 summons to UPSC Bhavan to realise that its not an Interview but Personality Test. What they are looking for is not a candidate who is perfect in facts but a honest and compassionate aspirant. The biggest issue you will face is not ‘knowledge deficit’ but concerns such as ‘lack of confidence, panic’. It is better to introspect on one’s personality, one’s strengths and weaknesses than spend time mugging up facts. if one is composed in front of the panel, decent marks can be obtained. MY SUPPORT SYSTEM I would like to thank Pruthvik Shankar(IPS-2017 Batch) who guided me in the course of preparation. His guidance in answer writing helped me get good marks. Also, his energy and humility was and is ever inspiring. My friends played a great part in securing this rank. Mention should be made of Rajavardhan K, Praveen, Naveen Kumar, Madhu, Prateek and many more who had faith in me when I doubted myself the most. I would like to end with some Swami Vivekananda’s quotes which guided me in my preparation. -The greatest sin is to think that your are weak. -Conquer yourself and the whole universe is yours. -Arise,Awake and stop not until the goal is achieved. MARKSHEET - MAINS MARKSHEET - PRELIMS Thank You Rahul Sankanur

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 26th April 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 26th April 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Former SC judge A.K. Patnaik to probe ‘conspiracy’ against CJI Part of: GS Mains II – Accountability and transparency; Social Justice In news: SC appointed its former judge, Justice A.K. Patnaik, to probe ‘conspiracy’ against CJI. Over 250 women, including lawyers and activists, had penned a letter to the SC, demanding a special, impartial inquiry into the allegations against Gogoi under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013. According to the activists, CJI Gogoi’s request for an in-house committee violates the 2013 Act that requires an outside, independent panelist to probe allegations of sexual assault. Do you know? Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) comprising 6,000 lawyers passed a resolution stating that the CJI violated legal procedure by hearing a case against himself. The SCBA also asked the SC to take necessary legal action for an unbiased hearing against Gogoi. There is a need for a judicial accountability mechanism for the high courts and Supreme Court through a constitutional amendment, as in so many countries. There must be a procedure to answer the adage Quis custodiet ipsos custodes: Who will be the custodian of the custodians? CCMB working on cell-based meat or ‘Clean Meat’ Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and conservation; Science and Technology; Food security In news: The country’s first project to research on cell-based meat, also called clean meat, would be taken up at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). Department of Biotechnology (DBT) decided to give ₹4.5 crore for the two-year work as the initial grant. The National Research Centre on Meat would partner with the CCMB in the pioneering work to develop cultured meat, which is said to be equivalent to conventional animal meat in terms of taste and feel, with the only difference being in the method of production. Clean meat would be produced through cellular agriculture with cells sourced from animals and cultivated into meat. Hence, it promises to revolutionise the food system by providing protein without harming the environment. The Atal Incubation Centre of the CCMB is working towards promoting clean meat sector. It aims to feed 10 billion people by 2050 by creating a platform for tasty, affordable protein. Do you know? Cell-based meat companies across the world are receiving significant government support, with the governments of Netherlands, Japan and Israel among others investing in clean meat companies. Additionally, the regulatory authorities of countries like the US are deliberating on the path to market these products. These efforts reflect the potential of the clean meat sector to provide future generations with sustainable nutrition. Bt brinjal being grown in Haryana: activists Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and conservation; Science and Technology; Food security In news: Genetically modified (GM) brinjal is being illegally grown in the Fatehabad district of Haryana, according to anti-GM activists. They demanded that Central and State regulatory agencies immediately take action to stop the cultivation, investigate the spread of the illegal variety and destroy all such crops, seeds and saplings as dangerous biohazards entering the food chain. Do you know? Brinjal has been genetically modified by inserting a protein gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis to give protection against certain pests. Bt Brinjal, which was developed in India by Maharashtra-based seed company Mahyco, was on the verge of becoming India’s first GM food crop, when the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee cleared it for commercialisation in 2009, before doubts about the long-term impact on consumer health and plant biodiversity led the then Environment Minister to slap an indefinite moratorium on the crop. Himas or Khasi kingdoms to revisit 1947 agreements Part of:  GS Prelims and Mains II – Polity; Tribal/Welfare issues; Centre versus state In news: A federation of 25 Himas or Khasi kingdoms that have a cosmetic existence today, plan to revisit the 1948 agreements that made present-day Meghalaya a part of India. The revisiting is aimed at safeguarding tribal customs and traditions from Central laws in force or could be enacted, such as the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Do you know? The 25 Khasi states had signed the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement with the Dominion of India between December 15, 1947, and March 19, 1948. The conditional treaty with these states was signed by Governor General Chakravarty Rajagopalachari on August 17, 1948. The Khasi states, though, did not sign the Instrument of Merger unlike most other states in India. After independence, Khasi states had to sign documents beginning with the Standstill Agreement that provided a few rights to the states. Though the Constitution has provided self-rule to a considerable extent through tribal councils, there has been an increasing demand for giving more teeth to the Khasi states. WHO says one in 10 children did not get vaccinated in 2016 Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Role of International Organization; Social/Health issue In news: Despite immunisation being one of the most successful and cost-effective means to help children grow into healthy adults, worldwide 12.9 million infants — nearly 1 in 10 — did not receive any vaccination in 2016. According to WHO, infants missing the first dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine means putting them at serious risk of these potentially fatal diseases. Do you know? Global vaccination coverage remains at 85%, with no significant changes during the past few years. An additional 1.5 million deaths could be avoided if global immunisation coverage improves. According to WHO in 2017, the number of children immunised — 116.2 million — was the highest-ever reported. Immunisation prevents illness, disability and death from vaccine-preventable diseases including cervical cancer, diphtheria, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, rubella and tetanus. World’s forests are ‘in emergency room’: study Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and conservation; Role of International Organization or NGO/CSOs In news: According to a study and data from Global Forest Watch – The world lost 12 million hectares of tropical tree cover last year It was the fourth highest annual decline since records began in 2001 Indigenous communities are considered to be the most vulnerable to losing their homes It warned that the planet’s health was at stake Do you know? Global Forest Watch (GFW) is an open-source web application to monitor global forests in near real-time. GFW is an initiative of the World Resources Institute (WRI), with partners including Google, USAID, the University of Maryland (UMD) and many other academic, non-profit, public, and private organizations. Global Forest Watch originally began in 1997 as an initiative to establish a global forest monitoring network, convened by the World Resources Institute and partners. Scientists track Indian Ocean’s plastic Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and conservation; Pollution In news: Indian Ocean is the world’s biggest dumping ground for plastic waste, but where the trash ultimately ends up has remained a mystery, scientists say. According to researchers, unique characteristics of the southern Indian Ocean pushes floating plastics towards the western side of the ocean, where it leaks past South Africa into the South Atlantic Ocean. Because of the Asian monsoon system, the southeast trade winds in the southern Indian Ocean are stronger than the trade winds in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. In the northern Indian Ocean, the simulations showed that there may be an accumulation in the Bay of Bengal. It is also most likely that floating plastics will ultimately end up on beaches, transported by the reversing monsoon winds and currents, researchers said. Do you know? Studies show that atmospheric and oceanic attributes of the Indian Ocean are different to other ocean basins and that there may not be a concentrated garbage patch. Antarctic penguins suffer huge breeding failure Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and animal conservation; Biodiversity In news: The second largest Emperor penguin colony (Halley Bay colony in the Weddell Sea, Antartica) in the world has suffered a “catastrophic” breeding failure. According to research, nearly all chicks born over three years died as their icy Antarctic habitat shrinks. Do you know? Halley Bay has long been home to one of the largest emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica, second only to Coulman Island in the Ross Sea. Over the past 60 years that researchers have been observing the Halley Bay colony, between 14,300 and 23,000 pairs have flocked to the site's sea ice to breed. About Emperor Penguin It is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species. Feathers of the head and back are black and sharply delineated from the white belly, pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ear patches. Like all penguins it is flightless with wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat. IUCN Status: Near threatened. Miscellaneous Maruti to dump ‘dirty’ diesel models from 2020 In news: Maruti Suzuki, which is the largest car maker in the country, plans to stop manufacturing diesel-powered vehicles from the next financial year. It cited uncertainty over demand for such vehicles due to “significant” increase in price once the new BS VI emission norms kick in. There have been efforts to ban diesel vehicles older than 10 years and environmental activists say that diesel is a more polluting fuel. (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL/ENERGY TOPIC: General studies 2 and 3  India and the World International Relations Policies of developed and developing countries and their impact on India’s interests Energy and Infrastructure US sanctions and the end of cheap oil Context: The Trump administration has decided not to renew any of the oil waivers it had granted earlier. In other words, the temporary exemption granted to India and seven other countries from US sanctions on purchase of Iranian oil to end shortly. And the countries that do not stop buying Iranian oil by then could face American strictures. Implications: The removal of Iranian oil from India’s energy sourcing basket may have major implications. India has been a major importer of Iranian oil. India imports more than 10% of its crude oil from Iran, so the government faces the immediate challenge of having to find alternative suppliers to meet its huge energy needs. The price of Brent crude oil to increase further, which will have negative impact on India’s current account deficit, fiscal deficit and inflation in the wider economy. The rise in the price of oil will automatically increase the price of the commodity. The currency could be impacted if the trade and current account deficits were to widen. An increase in the import bill will tend to put pressure on the rupee. The big concern is that the substitute crude suppliers — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Nigeria and the US — do not offer the attractive options that Iran does, including 60-day credit, and free insurance and shipping. The challenge is to secure an alternative supplier at competitive terms in an already tightening global situation. The way ahead: India in order to protect its interests in the ever-volatile global oil market, will need to take steps to diversify its supplier base and also work towards increasing domestic sources of energy supplies. Opening up the renewable energy sector for more investments will also help avoid over-dependence on oil from the global market to meet the country’s ever-increasing energy needs. Another key area for Delhi to focus on is setting up of large-scale refineries to process crude oil. India may increase its dependency on oil imports from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at a time when the West Asian nations plan to increase their investments in India. In addition, US shale production may offer India a reprieve, with the world’s third largest oil importer upping its bets on American supplies. In an uncertain geopolitical landscape accompanied by unpredictable behaviour by state actors today, India will constantly need to recalibrate policy and balance relations to ensure its interests are maintained. Connecting the dots: How can India ensure that its relations with the US and Iran, and particularly its energy interests are not affected? Suggest. What do you understand by the term ‘energy mix’? Elucidate it’s importance for India in fighting out the ensuing energy crisis. NATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2 Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary The case for comprehensive reforms of our judicial system Context: We are aware of issues confronting the judiciary Issues confronting the judiciary: Slow delivery of justice and pendency in courts Abnormal delays that amount to justice being doubly blind Inadequate infrastructure and lack of facilities for judicial functionaries Insufficient budgetary provision Vacancies or delays in promotional appointments Resourceful defendants are seen escaping culpability not necessarily on merit, but due to their ability to quickly manage judicial processes to their advantage Without self-discipline and enforceable timelines, non-judicial staff are also found taking advantage of the prevailing opaqueness Disposal delays largely occur when lawyers seek unnecessary processes and repeated adjournments. Often, lawyers are found trying to influence the conduct of courts. State and central governments are held responsible for the above issues. However, a scrutiny of higher financial allocations in the last 10-15 years, including hikes in salaries of judicial officers vis-à-vis other state services, does not suggest that visible improvements in facilities have led to noticeably faster disposal of pending cases. The courts cannot hold governments responsible for vacancies or delays in promotional appointments either, since the Supreme Court and respective high courts now exercise full control over judicial appointments. Elected governments are blamed for even judicial mal-administration, including the pendency pile-up. Conclusion: Therefore, it is time to examine the functioning of courts and signs of an increasing loss of public faith in the judiciary. The judiciary needs to overhaul and regulate itself, as none other is empowered to do this under the constitutional architecture as interpreted by apex court. It is also time to make genuine procedural changes to discourage the prioritization of a few high-profile cases, fix timelines for submissions by litigants, bring in IT-based automation, have petitions registered online and pload digitally-signed copies of every court order. It is equally essential to impose punitive measures on those who indulge in frivolous litigations, document-faking, perjury, contempt of court, and the like. Connecting the dots: Judiciary is no longer a ‘secret’ organisation when it comes to its functioning. Discuss the various transparency initiatives taken by Indian judiciary. A fundamental shift is required in the way courts are administered. Discuss. The role of a robust judiciary in a nation’s development is pivotal. Discuss. (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) A genetically engineered form of brinjal, known as the Bt-brinjal, has been developed. The objective of this is (2011) To make it pest-resistant To improve its taste and nutritive qualities To make it drought-resistant To make its shelf-life longer Q.2) Other than resistance to pests, what are the prospects for which genetically engineered plants have been created? (2012) To enable them to withstand drought To increase the nutritive value of the produce To enable them to grow and do photosynthesis in spaceships and space stations To increase their shelf life. Select the correct answer using the codes given below: 1 and 2 only 3 and 4 only 1, 2 and 4 only 1, 2, 3 and 4 Q.3) Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is the apex regulator of genetically modified seed. GEAC is established under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Science and Technology Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Trade and Commerce Q.4) Transgenic plants are the ones Generated by introducing foreign DNA into a cell and regenerating a plant from that cell. Produced after protoplast fusion in artificial medium Grown in artificial medium after hybridization in the field Produced by a somatic embryo in artificial medium Q.5) Consider the following statements about Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, 2013 The Act uses a definition of sexual harassment which was laid down by the Supreme Court of India in Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997). It is compulsory for any organisation with 10 or more employees to set up an internal complaints committee for addressing complaints of sexual harassment. It covers all women, across formal and informal employment, including clients, customers, domestic workers, contractual employees, volunteers, probationers, trainees, and interns. Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.6) Himas or Khasi kingdom was in news recently. They are associated with which of the following state? Meghalaya Assam Arunachal Pradesh Tripura Q.7) Which among the following is considered to be the second largest Emperor penguin colony in the world? Weddell Bay colony Halley Bay colony Coulman Island colony Davis Bay colony MUST READ The IS shadow: On Sri Lanka Easter bombings The Hindu Breaking new ground: The Madras High Court’s recent judgment on LGBTQ community The Hindu Vision for our cities Indian Express Real estate can lead conservation efforts in environmental sustainability Financial Express Are there limits to policy-induced growth? 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