Sep 11, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 11th September 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Motihari-Amlekhganj Pipeline Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – India and its neighbourhood In News PM Modi and his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli inaugurated the Motihari-Amalekhgunj petroleum pipeline through video conferencing. The Motihari-Amlekhganj petroleum product pipeline is the first ever cross-border petroleum products pipeline in South Asia. The 69-km pipeline will transport fuel from Barauni refinery in Bihar's Begusarai district to Amalekhgunj in southeastern Nepal, situated across the border from Raxaul in East Champaran district. The project was first proposed in 1996, but progress was slow. The pipeline will help in tackling the oil storage problem in Nepal. The Amalekhgunj fuel depot will have the capacity to store up to 16,000 kilolitres of petroleum products. It will drastically reduce the cost of transporting fuel to landlocked Nepal from India by doing away with transportation of petroleum products through tankers (as part of an arrangement which is in place since 1973). In 2017, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) signed a petroleum trade agreement to supply about 1.3 million tonnes of fuel annually to Nepal with a promise to double the volume by 2020. Sanjay Mitra Committee Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-II- Governance In news Centre has set up a 3-member panel to oversee the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. On 5th of August, the Centre had announced the abrogation of the special status given to J&K; under Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into the two UTs. The committee will look into the distribution of assets and liabilities of Jammu and Kashmir between two successor Union territories, which will come into existence on 31st of October this year. The committee will be headed by Former Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra. It will have Retired IAS officer Arun Goyal and Retired Indian Civil Accounts Service officer Giriraj Prasad Gupta as members. Five Star Movement (M5S) Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – International Affairs In News M5S is a political party in Italy. It was founded in 2009 due to frustration with the political establishment in a country with a stagnant economy and widespread corruption at the highest echelons. The "five stars" are a reference to five key issues for the party: (1) public water, (2) sustainable transport, (3) sustainable development, (4) right to Internet access, and (5) environmentalism. The M5S is variously considered populist, anti-establishment, environmentalist, anti-globalist and Since June 2018 M5S was in coalition with Right-wing League party, but the League party leader withdraws from the government in August 2019 in the hope of triggering early elections. However, recently M5S members have voted (through its online website) in favour of forming a coalition government with the centre-left Democratic party (PD), who is considered as its traditional rival. (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3:  Bank merger and issues related to it. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. PSB Bank merger – an idea for better policy governance Introduction: On 30th August 2019, finance minister Mrs. Nirmala Sitaraman announced the merging of 10 public sector banks into 4 major banks. The following are the details of the bank mergers. Punjab National Bank + Oriental Bank of Commerce + United Bank of India Canara Bank + Syndicate Bank Union Bank + Andhra Bank + Corporation Bank Indian Bank + Allahabad Bank These banks are merged based on the operating efficiencies, better usage of equity and their technological platforms. The bank merger aims at improving the financial health and increasing their lending capacity to support the economic growth. There are two kinds of mergers – Merging larger banks together and merging smaller regional banks with their regional banks. Merging of banks has been under discussion from past decade but now the decision was taken and implemented to focus more on improving economic stability and growth of our country. Benefits of bank merging: Although our Indian banks are economically small compared to the international banks, merging banks can create risk diversification and creates competitiveness among the banks. Combining weaker banks (based on their balance sheets) with the stronger ones helps to reduce the risk that weak ones are going through. Merging with the strong banks will help to transfer better management practices with the weak banks so that these banks run successfully. Although the merging of the banks have positive impact on the economy, care must be taken that the weak banks does not drag the stronger ones. Also care has to be taken that the weaker banks are able to cope up with the acquiring management practices as they are already facing problem dealing with under performing loans. But this can be overcome by hiring management experts to implement the merger which requires merging all kinds of organizational structure and technical systems to run the banks smoother. Do you know? In India, private sector banks line ICICI, HDFC etc., run successfully compared to public sector banks. The fact being, the public sector banks are operating more in the favor of politicians and financially sound people. On the contrary, private sector banks choose their customers wisely and make different lending strategies to maximize their profit margins. Even the private sector banks are influenced by political and familial connections, they run successfully compared the public sector banks. So in order maximize the profits in public sector banks, they must get less distorted from political pressures and familial connections. What needs to be done? Implementation of the bank merger should constantly work on fixing the problems of nonperforming loans in the weaker ones along with fixing their organizational lacuna in loan recovery at first step. Another problem that needs attention among the traditional banking is the lack of digitalization. Government and RBI must focus on bringing digital modification in financial implementation, savings and investment needs. The digital modification/regulation must be well designed and properly implemented which reduces any moral hazards at work space. Conclusion: Although the bank mergers have taken a huge attention from the media, policy makers and economists, continuous analysis has to be done after implementation. The issues for non performing loans has to be addressed at the grass root level and work together to achieve overall economic growth. Connecting the dots What are the major benefits of bank merger? Discuss. Examine what changes are to be bought in the banks to achieve maximum economic success after merger? EDUCATION/WELFARE TOPIC: General Studies 1 and 2:  Social empowerment Education and Human Resource Management Social Justice – Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors Language Subtitling – Remarkable benchmark for the TV channels Introduction: Starting from August 15th 2019, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) made it mandatory to all 800 Indian TV channels to start language based sub titling. Their target is to grow 10% every year so that they can achieve 50% of the channels having sub titles by the end of 2025. Do you know? India has taken this approach from USA who started sub titling in their channels to help the deaf and aurally challenged population. The policy has come from Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 which made captioning (Sub-titling) is a mandatory for all TV channels. Now the major challenge with the ministry is to ensure that all the state and private channels are bound to this and abide the same rule. Even though USA has started captioning well ahead of India, our country has two significant reasons behind sub-titling - Apart from Brazil, India is one of the major countries in Global South to start sub-titling for the media coverage. India is the first country to establish Same Language Subtitling (SLS) for mass reading education. Key features: SLS in India will play a crucial role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which in turn will contribute to providing quality education thereby improving good reading skills among the viewers. According to 2019 FICCI-EY Media and Entertainment report, Film and general Entertainment contribute to 24% and 53% of viewers respectively and now it is mandatory to have SLS in regional languages for all these contents. SLS in India is going to serve these major goals: Providing daily reading practices for over a billion viewers. Benefiting 500 million weak readers to improve their reading skills. Providing media access to 65 million deaf and aurally challenged population. Improving the local/regional language proficiency among the viewers. Advantages of Sub-titling: According to a recent study, English sub-titling has proved to improve English literacy skills among the viewers compared to dubbing. English channels in India has started adding English sub-titles which has increased the viewership by making ear to grasp unfamiliar English accent. Continuous exposure to SLS among the viewers has proved to improve their English reading skills that were barely able to understand few letters. Continuous and frequent exposures to SLS content to people will eventually increase the readability and understanding of the regional language. United Kingdom has started Turn-On-The-Sub titles (TOTS) program to all the child programs inspired by our country. While we are following US model of sub titling to increase the media access, UK is using our footprints to increase the reading skills among people. India on the contrary is trying to focus on both the aspects – media access along with reading literacy. In India, according to Annual Status of Education Reports (ASER), the standard 5th grade children in rural areas fail to read even 2nd grade texts. So, India must focus on improving the quality education at grass root level with the collective efforts from government, civil population, education institutions and industries. Conclusion: The ministry of Information and Broadcasting along with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has to mandate SLS in all the digital Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms. Although there is English sub-tilting in many of the channels, the regional language sub-titling has to be made mandatory like Kannada sub-titles for Kannada channels and so on. Academic institutions have showed strong evidences how SLS can be used and implemented to achieve media access, reading literacy and language learning. Now the entertainment industries must play a crucial role in adapting SLS for all the audio-visual contents in all Indian regional languages. Connecting the dots: Recently, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) made it mandatory to all 800 Indian TV channels to start language based sub titling. Discuss the benefits of sub-titling especially for India. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Featured Comments and comments Up-voted by IASbaba are the “correct answers”. IASbaba App users – Team IASbaba will provide correct answers in comment section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1) Consider the following statements Motihari-Amlekhganj petroleum pipeline It is transnational pipeline between India and Bhutan The pipeline is the first ever cross-border petroleum products pipeline in South Asia. It will drastically reduce the cost of transporting fuel from India, by doing away with transportation of petroleum products through tankers Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1,2 and 3 Q.2) Sanjay Mitra Committee often seen in the news is related to which of the following area? Disinvestment of Air India Military reforms Bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir into two UT None of the above Q.3) M5S (Five Star Movement) often seen in news in related to which of the following area? Movement in France against exorbitant prices in Five Star hotels Hongkong protests Italy anti-establishment political party None of the above MUST READ Factoring in safety: on stronger worker safety law The Hindu  Facing up to reality The Hindu  All the President’s men The Hindu  Eighteen years on, 9/11 marks the lack of closure to the war in Afghanistan Indian Express Afghanistan Indian Express Valley without Article 370 Indian Express Thermal power industry is brazening out meeting new emission norms Financial Express  Free trade agreements: India’s main challenge will come after RCEP Financial Express Restoring India’s degraded land Financial Express

Sep 11, 2019 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Strengthening bilateral relations between India and France

Strengthening bilateral relations between India and France ARCHIVES Search 23 Aug 2019: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx  TOPIC: General Studies 2 India and its neighbourhood- relations. 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 Bilateral ties between New Delhi and Paris cover a gamut of issues including defense, maritime, space, security, and energy. The two nations have managed to carve out a forward-looking partnership that is aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation on issues such as terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, urbanization, and science and technology. Although the two sides had declared a strategic partnership way back in 1998, Delhi and Paris had struggled to take full advantage of its many possibilities. That has begun to change under Modi and President Emmanuel Macron. The first P-5 country to support India’s claim for a permanent seat in an expanded and reformed UN Security Council Helped India set up the Sriharikota launch site France supports India’s membership of Multilateral Export Control regimes- NSG and MTCR. Its support was vital in India’s admission to MTCR in 2016. France was the only western country to publicly support the 1998 Indian nuclear tests.  Fighter jets bought from Paris form a crucial part of the Indian nuclear air vector.  Most recently, France became the second country, after the United States, to sign a military logistics support agreement with India, in March last year. Under this agreement, the Indian navy will have access to French bases across the Indian Ocean including one in Djibouti. The new French Indo-Pacific strategy advances three key threats to be met by Paris, beyond dealing with North Korean belligerence:  Transnational terrorism Chinese challenges to the multilateral order in the region Climate change First, enhancing bilateral cooperation in strategic sectors: To advance further with the consolidation of civil nuclear cooperation and enhancing space cooperation Cooperation in artificial intelligence and digital revolution  Second, the new commitment to go beyond the buyer-seller relationship in the field of weapons procurement.  When India comes up with clear policies for making arms in India, the synergies between India’s large defence market and the French strengths in armament production would come into full play. Third, political cooperation between India and France is relatively new It began with French support for India in limiting international sanctions on Delhi after its 1998 nuclear tests.  Today, France has emerged as India’s most reliable partner on issues relating to terrorism and Kashmir. Paris has offered unstinted support for India on targeting the sources of violent extremism in Pakistan and helped limit the international backlash against Delhi’s effort to rewrite the rules of engagement in J&K.  Fourth, the relationship between India and France has gone beyond the bilateral to focus on the regional.  Modi and Macron have agreed to intensify maritime and naval cooperation in the Indian Ocean and more broadly the Indo-Pacific— from maritime governance to oceanographic research and from interoperability between their armed forces to capacity building in the littoral. Finally, it is the prospect of global agenda-setting that is beginning to make the India-France strategic partnership very exciting.  After their joint efforts to limit climate change and develop the Solar Alliance, India and France have turned to more ambitious ideas.  The road map on cybersecurity and digital technology provides the framework for long-term cooperation on a set of issues, whose weight is growing by the day. A Two-way Street The relations between Delhi and Paris are not a one-way street. France has reasons to see Delhi as a strong partner on bilateral, regional and global issues. A rapidly expanding economy makes India a valuable commercial partner— in a range of sectors including high technology, defence and the unfolding digital revolution. On the regional front, Paris is as concerned as Delhi at the rising Chinese profile in the Indo-Pacific. It would like to work with India to offer credible alternatives to Chinese economic and military assistance in the region.  On the international front, France is deeply concerned about the breakdown of the global order under relentless assault from Trump’s unilateralism. Macron’s decision to have Modi as a special invitee at the G-7 summit is part of the French effort to mobilise India’s political weight in building a new “alliance for multilateralism” with like-minded countries. Modi and Macron have equal stakes in building on this agenda. Conclusion France also opens the pathway for deeper engagement with Europe on global issues. Since independence, India has experimented with different institutions — including the NAM and BRICS — to shape global norms. The new partnerships with France, Germany and other like-minded countries like Japan would hopefully turn out to be far more consequential for India’s influence on the global stage. The Strategic Partnership has already created a solid foundation; other aspects have now received the much-needed focus. Proper implementation can add to the growing strategic convergence that draws India and France together. Connecting the dots: Discuss how India-France relationship has evolved over time. Outline major aspects.

Sep 11, 2019 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 68

UPSC Quiz - 2020 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 68 Archives Q.1) Which of the following is known as ‘Berne and Paris-plus agreement’? Global Stocktake TRIPS SDGs UNFCC Q.2) ‘Basic structure’ as a new doctrine was laid down by which of the following case? Kesavananda Bharati case Golaknath case Minerva Mills case Shankari Prasad case Q.3) Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to ‘Regulating Act of 1773’ It provided the establishment of Supreme Court at Calcutta  It designated the Governor of Bengal as Governor-General of Bengal The act prohibited servants of EIC from engaging in any private trade or accepting bribes and gifts from native Select the correct statements 1 Only 1 and 2 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 Q.4) ‘MERCOSUR’ is a sub-regional bloc of  Northern Africa Scandinavia Latin America Caribbean Q.5) ‘Tulbul navigation project’ is associated with India and Nepal Bhutan Pakistan Myanmar To Download the Solution - Click here All the Best  IASbaba

Sep 10, 2019 IASbaba's Monthly Current Affairs Magazine

IAS UPSC Current Affairs Magazine AUGUST 2019

IAS UPSC Current Affairs Magazine AUGUST 2019 ARCHIVES Hello Friends, This is the 51st edition of IASbaba’s Current Affairs Monthly Magazine. Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Examination is an important factor in this preparation. An effort towards making your Current Affairs for IAS UPSC Preparation qualitative. We hope you make the best use of it! This edition covers all important current affairs issues that were in news for the month of AUGUST 2019 DOWNLOAD THE MAGAZINE- CLICK HERE

Sep 10, 2019 PIB

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 26th Aug to 7th September – 2019

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 26th August to 7th September, 2019 ARCHIVES GS-2 Wi-fi in Villages (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) The Government has reiterated its commitment in providing Wi-Fi in all the villages through GramNet with connectivity between 10mbps to 100 mbps speed. BharatNet also plans to provide 1 GBPS connectivity, which can be expanded up to 10 GBPS and C-DOT’s XGS-PON will help in a great way to achieve this C-Sat-Fi (C-DOT Satellite WiFi) is based on the optimal utilization of wireless and satellite communication to extend connectivity to the unserved areas including the remote islands and difficult terrains. Besides offering the ease of deployment, the solution is ideally suited to addressing disasters and emergencies when no other means of communication are available, he added. This cost-effective solution does not require the expensive Satellite Phones and can work on any WiFi enabled phone. Similarly, C-DOT’s XGSPON (10 G Symmetrical Passive Optical Network) is an effective solution to fulfil the rapidly increasing demands of high network speeds emanating from the new dimensions of user applications like IPTV, HD Video Streaming, Online Gaming and host of other cloud based services that necessitate the seamless availability of high bandwidth. The third innovation, C-DOT’s Interoperable Set Top Box (CiSTB) will prove to be a boon to the dissatisfied customers who cannot change their Cable TV operator in view of the recurring costs of setting and installing the physical infrastructure afresh. Based on a portable smart card like a mobile SIM, this solution will revolutionize the experience of the Cable TV operators by offering them a high degree of choice, ease and convenience without having to replace the once installed STB. Cabinet approves  Signing of Agreement between India and Peru on Cooperation in the field of Medicinal Plants: India is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of biodiversity and more than 7000 species of plants are estimated to have medicinal usage in folk and documented systems of traditional medicines like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha & Homoeopathy (AYUSH System of Medicine). The Republic of Peru is one of the Latin American Countries which are the biodiversity hotspots in the world and like India, Peru is also having rich biodiversity of medicinal plants and the medicinal plants based traditional medicine practices are prominently practiced by indigenous people. Considering the richness of medicinal plants biodiversity and uses of these resources in Indigenous Traditional Systems of medicines in both countries and to strengthen the bilateral cooperation, the proposed Agreement on cooperation, in the field of medicinal plants is envisaged. Establishment of an International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure: The CDRI will serve as a platform where knowledge is generated and exchanged on different aspects of disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure. It will bring together technical expertise from a multitude of stakeholders. In doing so, it will create a mechanism to assist countries to upgrade their capacities and practices, with regard to infrastructure development in accordance with their risk context and economic needs. Few concrete initiatives work at the intersection of Sendai Framework, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Climate Change Adaptation with a focus on infrastructure. Focus on disaster resilient infrastructure would simultaneously address the loss reduction targets under the Sendai Framework, address a number of SDGs and also contribute to climate change adaptation. Hence, there is a clear niche for a Global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. MoU between India and Guinea on Cooperation in the Field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy: The MoU will enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of Traditional Systems of Medicine. This will be of immense importance to both countries considering their shared cultural heritage. MoU between India and Gambia on Cooperation in the Field of Traditional Systems of Medicine: The MoU will provide a framework for cooperation between India and Gambia for the promotion of traditional systems of medicine and will mutually benefit the two countries in this field. Activities mentioned in the MoU will boost the importance of AYUSH Systems of Medicine in Gambia. As a consequence of the MoU, exchange of experts for training of the practitioners, and Scientists undertaking collaborative research in Traditional Systems of Medicine are expected to lead to new innovations in drug development and practice of Traditional Medicine. Infusion of capital by Government in IDBI Bank: It will help in completing the process of IDBI Bank’s turnaround and enable it to return to profitability and normal lending, and giving Government the option of recovering its investment at an opportune time. GS-3 India pledges to restore 50 lakh hectares of degraded land by 2030 (Topic: Environment Conservation, Climate Change) Desertification is a worldwide problem directly affecting 250 million people and a third of the earth’s land surface.  To fight this menace, India will convert degraded land of nearly 50 lakh hectares to fertile land in next 10 years; it will implement provisions of New Delhi Declaration which is to be adopted at the end of conference and a Centre for Excellence will be established at Dehradun. Main interventions focuses on restoring land productivity and ecosystem services of 50 Lakh hectares by adopting a landscape restoration approach. Aim for no net loss in terms of land degradation for the whole territory of India.   Key National Focus Areas Restoring Productivity of different land cover and land-use classes Ensuring Livelihood security and Improving Farm incomes  Conserve Biodiversity and ecosystem services Sustainable Management of water sources Resilience to Climate change  To Improve soil organic carbon stocks Geographical Focus Areas Drylands, Rain-fed areas, Desert  Rehabilitation of vulnerable ecosystem of Himalayas, Aravalli’s, Western Ghats and Deccan plateau Degraded forests, Scrub and open forest areas Eroded-Coastal areas, Salinity affected areas and Mangroves; wetlands and water bodies Recharge of sub-surface aquifers It is the common resolve of the World to combat desertification and India will lead from the front and move the world in a positive direction, taking into cognizance the support of other countries. Desertification: Degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas (Not the natural expansion of existing deserts) Land Degradation: Deterioration in the quality of land (its topsoil caused usually by excessive or inappropriate exploitation) Causes: Overexploitation, overgrazing, deforestation, and poor irrigation practices Solutions: Prevention of Soil Erosion, Water Resource Management, Sustainable Practices United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – Bonn (Germany) Legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. It is one of the three Rio Conventions along with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).  India became a signatory to UNCCD on 14th October 1994 and ratified it on 17th December 1996.  The main objective of the convention is to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, involving long-term integrated strategies that focus simultaneously, in affected areas, on improved productivity of land, and the rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable management of land and water resources, leading to improved living conditions, in particular at the community level.  The Convention’s 197 parties work together to improve the living conditions for people in drylands, to maintain and restore land and soil productivity, and to mitigate the effects of drought. The UNCCD is particularly committed to a bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in combating desertification and land degradation. Logo by India:  Sapling rising from bottom to top shows progress while the leaves on the top represent life itself, while Sun’s rays depict hope.  Land and water in the logo shows importance as being the source of life.  The hand represents the importance of human involvement for the betterment of life. Note: India hosted the 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)  COP-13: Held in Ordos, China Prelims oriented News Poshan Maah of India: September Best Ministry for Implementation of Swachhata Action Plan for 2018-19: Indian Railways Best Swachh Iconic Place Award: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST), Mumbai India’s longest electrified railway tunnel: Between Cherlopalli and Rapuru railway stations in Andhra Pradesh Ujjwala Yojana achieves target of 8 crore LPG connections 7 months ahead of target date Project 'Bal Basera' for the welfare of children of Construction Workers deployed at AIIMS Rishikesh. Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has signed a MoU with CPWD Officers’ Wives Association for organising heath camps and managing crèches at construction sites in a formal and organised manner on large scale and on pan India basis so that workers and their children could lead a healthy productive life. Launch of Campaign Angikaar & E-Course on Vulnerability Atlas:  Angikaar has been launched for social behaviour change, focusing on issues such as water & energy conservation, waste management, health, tree plantation, sanitation and hygiene for beneficiaries of completed houses under PMAY (U), through community mobilisation and IEC activities.For this purpose, the campaign will converge with schemes and Missions of other Ministries dealing with these subjects. The convergence would especially focus on Ujjwala for gas connection and Ayushman Bharat for health insurance to the beneficiaries of PMAY (U). The e-course on Vulnerability Atlas is offered by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs in collaboration of  School of Planning & Architecture (SPA), New Delhi and Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC). It is a unique course that offers awareness and understanding about natural hazards, helps identify regions with high vulnerability with respect to various hazards (earthquakes, cyclones, landslides, floods, etc.) and specifies district-wise level of damage risks to the existing housing stock. The e-course will be a tool for effective & efficient disaster mitigation & management in the field of Architecture, Civil Engineering, Urban & Regional Planning, Housing & Infrastructure Planning, Construction Engineering & Management and Building & Materials Research. TB Division of the Health Ministry signs MoU with Wadhwani Institute to explore Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solutions in combating TB:  As part of the collaboration, Wadhwani AI would be supporting National TB programme become AI-ready which would include, developing, piloting, and deploying AI-based solutions. It would support the programme in vulnerability and hot-spot mapping, modelling novel methods of screening and diagnostics and enabling decision support for care-givers apart from supporting the RNTCP in adoption of other AI technologies. The Revised National TB Control Programme has been at the forefront of adoption of newer technologies in healthcare. Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides a unique opportunity for the health sector, bringing efficiency, saving resources and bringing accuracy in interpretation and enhancing quality of service delivery. Its use in this sector has an ample scope to improve outcomes, especially in situations where resources are limited. India is committed to ending TB by 2025, five years ahead of the Global Sustainable Development targets. 100% FDI under automatic route for coal mining activities: The decision of 100% FDI under automatic route for coal mining activities including associated processing, infrastructure in the coal sector will help in many ways - The influx of international players will create an efficient and competitive coal market in India.  It is expected to bring state of the art coal mining technology to the country which will help in environmentally sustainable mining.   This decision will also create direct and indirect employment in coal bearing areas and will have a positive impact in the economic development of these regions Lead to energy security of the country as 70% of India’s electricity is generated from thermal power plants. India Launches World’s First Ever Facial Bio-Metric Data Based Seafarer Identity Document: India has become the first country in the world to issue Biometric Seafarer Identity Document (BSID), capturing the facial bio-metric data of seafarers. The new facial biometric technology is a marked improvement over the two finger or iris based bio-metric data, with modern security features.  It will make the identification of the SID holder more reliable and efficient, while protecting their dignity and privacy.   India had made a presentation on this technology at ILO. The new card is in confirmation of the Convention No. 185 of the International Labour Organisation on BSID. India ratified the Convention in October 2015. The shipping sector is seeing major developments in the areas of coastal shipping, inland waterways and other maritime activities. This is leading to generation of employment in the sector, which is evident in the growing number of Indian seafarers in the international shipping industry. The total number of Indian seafarers who were employed on Indian or foreign flag vessels increased from 154349 in 2017 to 208799 this year, showing an unprecedented increase of 35%.   North East Rural Livelihood Project (NERLP) Empowered rural poor and improved livelihoods of about 300,000 rural households in 1,645 villages under 58 development blocks across the eleven districts of four states of Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. Under this project, the Skills development and placement has trained 10462 boys and girls in various job skills and a total of 5494 of them are employed today. NERLP is World Bank aided, multi-state livelihood Rs.683 crore (USD 144.4 million) project under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), launched in 2012. The project aims “to improve rural livelihoods especially that of women, unemployed youth and the most disadvantaged, in four North Eastern States”. The project has focussed on five development strategies, namely, social empowerment, economic empowerment, partnership development, project management and livelihood & value chain developments. Department of Fertilizers to promote Cloth/Jute bags, locally tailored, to reduce the Consumption of Single Use Plastics: An effective ban on single use plastic can happen if an alternative is available in the market.  Cloth/Jute bags, locally tailored and produced can be viable alternative. Women’s self-help groups can easily be trained for tailoring and marketing of such cloth bags (contribute as additional source of income to them). Declaration of certain individuals as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967: Invoking the recent amendments in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Central Government has decided to declare the following individuals as terrorists and add their names to Schedule 4 of the Act: Maulana Masood Azhar : chief, founder and key leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad Hafiz Muhammad: chief, founder and key leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba/Jamat-ud-Dawa Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi: chief operation commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba and one of its founder members Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar: runs an international underworld crime syndicate and is involved in perpetrating acts of terror All of the above are involved in terrorist attacks in India, and have been designated as global terrorists under United Nations. Earlier when terrorist organizations were banned, the individuals associated with it simply changed names and continued to carry out terrorist activities. Quotes On Left Wing Extremism LWE is one of the major internal security challenges faced by the Nation for the last several decades and it has no place in ‘New India’. LWE organizations are against democratic institutions and use violence to subvert the democratic process at ground level. They actively seek to prevent development in the least developed regions of the country. Their strategy is to misguide people and keep them ignorant. From the high 2258 events of LWE violence in 2009, the events have come down to 833 in 2018. The number of deaths dropped from 1005 in 2009 to 240 in 2018. From 96 districts affected by naxal violence in 2010, the number of districts affected was reduced to 60 in 2018. States play a key role in maintaining law and order, therefore, a synergy between the centre and states can effectively address the issue of LWE. Though incidents of LWE violence have come down, focus needs to be kept to eliminate it completely and all efforts need to be maintained by Centre and states in full pace. Strategies being deployed by the Government: Use of advanced technology, sharing intelligence Raising of 66 Indian Reserve Battalions (IRBs) by the centre Capacity building of local forces, since it is strong local forces that can effectively neutralize LWE organizations from their areas. Vigilance and efficiency of the local police in the militancy affected states should be enhanced. Apart from the flagship schemes of various ministries, specific initiatives have been taken by the Central Government for areas affected by LWE, which mainly include improving road and telecom connectivity, financial inclusion, skill development and education. There is a need for accelerating the pace of opening up of schools under Eklavya model as well as ensuring the presence of banking facilities within 5 kms to all citizens. Protection of the rights of local citizens is the priority. States should rationalize their surrender policy to mainstream innocent individuals caught in the trap of LWE violence. Innovative measures need to be employed to prevent IED (Improvised Explosive Device) incidents that have caused significant number of casualties in recent years On Skilled Labour The skilled labour force is vital for the country to make rapid economic progress. The youth need to be trained and imparted skills in tune with the fast-changing technological scenario. With India inching towards becoming the third-largest economy in the coming years, the government and various industry bodies such as CII FICCI, ASOCHAM have to create infrastructure for skilling existing and new entrants to the labor force. There has to be measures to reduce the urban-rural divide in terms of ensuring equitable growth and creating opportunities for youth and students to acquire skills. It is important to nurture the talent of the youth to disrupt the status quo and lead to radical innovations. There is a need to create an enabling environment for innovation to thrive.  Need treat skill development as a National Mission and train the youth, women, and students to support innovation. Higher educational institutions to promote skilling and entrepreneurship among the youth and the academia and the industry to join hands to make students familiar with the skills required for the 21st-century jobs. Personality in News Shri Ram Jethmalani Served as the Union law minister and the minister of urban development in Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. In 2010, he was elected as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.  Jethmalani had played a leading role during the emergency period from 1975 to 1977. He was critical of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi and his sharp commentary against the government earned him an arrest warrant during the time. Known for his contributions in the field of law, Jethmalani came in the spotlight after he got involved with the Nanavati murder case, which was one of the last cases to be heard by a jury in India. It was subsequently abolished in 1959. The case became prominent as it involved a decorated Navy officer KM Nanavati, who killed his wife's lover Prem Ahuja. However, the media trial in the case ensured that Nanavati got massive support from the Parsi community. However, the jury verdict in the case in favour of Nanavati was overruled and legislation was passed subsequently to abolish jury trials in the country. Among the high-profile cases under his belt, he defended Harshad Mehta and Ketan Parekh in the Securities Scam case 1992. Jethmalani also defended senior BJP leader LK Advani in the Hawala scam. Jethmalani served as senior counsel for Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh, who were convicted for the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. While he managed to secure a stay order on their execution orders, the duo was hanged to death a year later. The veteran lawyer had argued on behalf of V Sriharan in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and told the Supreme Court on July 2015 that the suicide bomb attack that killed the former prime minister was "not a crime against India". Jethmalani also garnered attention for defending Manu Sharma, who was the prime accused in the Jessica Lall murder case. Sharma, the son of senior Congress leader Vinod Sharma, was convicted for murdering the model in 1999. He later represented DMK leader Kanimozhi in the infamous 2G scam case, which finally led to the downfall of the UPA government.

Sep 10, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

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

Sep 10, 2019 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

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

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

Sep 9, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

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

Sep 9, 2019 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

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

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

Sep 9, 2019 Important Articles

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

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