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60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019- Economics and Current Affairs (Day 45)

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - Economics and Current Affairs (Day 45) 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

Important Articles

IASbaba Proudly Sponsors 'WHITE': A Short Film to create Awareness about Eye Donation - Bring Light to Someone's Life!!

IASbaba Proudly Sponsors 'WHITE': A Short Film to create Awareness about Eye Donation     WHITE - A Short film to add value to People’s Life !!! Motto : The Motto of the short film is to highlight the importance and to create awareness amongst people regarding eye donation, which is one of the finest and noblest act of humanity.   We at IAS BABA believe that there is always light at the end of the tunnel so does this short film WHITE.. White  creates awareness on eye donation and motivates people to do the same. Its vision is to provide eye sight to the Blind and transform their life qualitatively !   Motto of the short film matches with the motto of IAS BABA i.e To transform People's lives qualitatively irrespective of their social standing and also to reach nook and corner of the country helping the needy . The Short film provides eye sight to people whereas at IAS BABA, we act as a guiding light to the students to carry forward their UPSC preparation systematically and qualitatively.   We are happy to announce that we were part of this Short film since day one and have been excited to support the cause and the craft. We are happy to share the link of the short film below so that u guys can watch to get inspired and spread the word to help the needy. Please do share the link to create awareness on Eye donation.   White as a short film is beautiful because of 3 reasons :   1.  The cause itself!! i.e Eye donation. An eye for an eye will make entire world blind but donating eye for an eye will make entire world Bright!!   2. Shri Amitabh Bachchan readily agreed to give his voice for the Short film. This is the first time for the legend to help a Bangalore boy, Director MANU NAG in spreading the message without any honorarium!! That itself is the finest act of humanity !!   3. Our National award winner Priyamani has acted brilliantly (on Pro-bono) to convey the message  for the cause !!   It's time that, we too do our part, by pledging our Eye's for the NOBLE Cause!! We , Team WHITE, want to thank IAS BABA for supporting us since day one in all forms to make this dream to become reality today!!  Without IAS BABA's support we don't think such wonderful short film with beautiful message could have been made !! .. Please do keep supporting such good initiatives to add value to the society .. Thank you is an Understatement !!!   - Manu Nag, Director of the Short Film 'WHITE" Thank You IASbaba

Topper's From IASbaba

TOPPER'S STRATEGY: Suthar Raj Rameshchandra , Rank 415, a Scientist at DRDO - IASbaba's OFFLINE (Weekend Batch) Student!

TOPPER'S STRATEGY:   Suthar Raj Rameshchandra , Rank 415. Working as a Full-time Scientist at DRDO and clearing UPSC is no small feat . He was IASbaba's OFFLINE (Weekend Batch) Student! He is an inspiration to many Working Professionals and other aspirants as well, who complain about shortage of time in their preparation!   Hi Friends, I have briefly penned down my strategy. Have shared inputs only which has made a difference in my preparation. I am Suthar Raj Rameshchandra, born and brought up in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Currently working as a Scientist in DRDO, Bangalore. I have done B.tech Mechanical Engineering from NIT, Surat, Gujarat. This was my second attempt and first interview. My Optional was Sociology. The driving force of my preparation was my Mother. I was born to her on 9th Dec 1993 while she had interview of GPSC scheduled in next few days. She couldn't attend the interview owing to my birth and thus I decided to write upsc CSE exam to fulfill her dream. Failure in the first attempt was a positive learning curve for me. I scored 793 in mains and missed the cutoff by a narrow margin. Focused areas during second attempt: (1) Intensive Mains Answer Writing practice. Gave 20 full length tests for General Studies at IASbaba (2) For Optional, made short notes on each topic mentioned in the syllabus and tried linking each topic with other areas of GS syllabus.   Note Making: Didn't make notes for current affairs as I faced challenges while revising them. So focused upon reading daily newspaper thereby followed with Monthly Magazine of IASbaba. Made notes for ethics (from lexicon and subbarao), for Gs3 made sector wise notes (for mains only) focusing on agriculture, industry and services sector etc. I personally believe that for Mains, note making helps confining and streamlining the preparation. As there are many small subtopics in each paper, I tried to make notes on each such topics from internet and reference books.   Prelims strategy: I had to prepare for UPSC while working in a scientific establishment leaving limited time for the preparation. My target wasn't to study for a fix number of hours everyday but making short term targets (say weekly targets) and trying to achieve them. I have always focused upon accuracy in prelims paper and this year it paid me off. I could attempt not more than 69 questions. This year's paper was definitely tricky and even I was unsure of clearing prelims after coming out of the examination Hall!! I would suggest aspirants to try and develop their own strategies while attempting practice tests.   How to Choose an Optional: Majority of aspirants face the problem of selecting a suitable optional. I, myself started preparing for upsc with Mechanical engineering as optional!! Later on, I found difficulty in managing engineering and general studies preparation (personal experience though enough examples of candidates successfully clearing with the said combination) and later changed it to Sociology. I choose sociology due to following reasons: Easily understandable concepts and accessibility of materials for the preparation Guidance from Yeshwant sir on Sociology in the initial phase of the preparation Alignment with topics from General Studies and Essay. I scored an average score of 261 last year in sociology. A word of caution: Paper 2 of Sociology is becoming dynamic year after year. Attempting such questions require interlinking of syllabus with current affairs.   Final Words on Prelims Preparation: With less than 45 days to go for this year's prelims I would ask aspirants to focus on two things (1) refrain from reading anything new and focus on revising as much as possible. Revise at least twice whatever you have read till now. (2) do not attempt more than one test practice paper per day. (3) please stay away from test papers having vague questions as this may demotivate you during this crucial period of preparation. I referred would suggest IASbaba's All India Prelims Test Series or ILP Programme. No matter how low you are scoring in test series, be confident and please remember that you have the hard work of months behind your back to help you sail through this exam.   MARKSHEET: PRELIMS MARKSHEET: MAINS   All the very best!! Suthar Raj Rameshchandra   To read about another inspiring story of a Working Professional (also a Parent) at the age of 30+ who secured Rank 113 in UPSC CSE 2018 -> CLICK HERE  

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd April 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd April 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) CJI violated procedure by hearing own case: SC lawyers Part of: GS Mains II – Issues related to women safety; Several social activists and academics came together to issue a statement demanding an independent probe into the sexual harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. In an emergency hearing the chief justice himself presided over the matter. Refuting the allegations, CJI Gogoi said that there was a “bigger plot” to deactivate the office of CJI. According to critics - “The act of the Chief Justice of India to constitute a special bench headed by himself to hear this issue on the judicial side, rather than constituting a credible and independent inquiry committee, goes against all just and settled principles of law.” If the Court is unable to credibly deal with this challenge, public confidence in the judiciary will be severely eroded. Bimal Jalan committee on RBI’s economic capital framework (ECF) Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Indian Economy and issues related to it; RBI In news: Bimal Jalan panel was formed to address the issue of RBI reserves, one of the sticking points between the central bank and the government. The expert panel to suggest how the central bank should handle its reserves and whether it can transfer its surplus to the government. Jalan panel to submit its report soon. Issue: The government has been insisting that the central bank hand over its surplus reserves amid a shortfall in revenue collections. Access to the funds will allow finance minister to meet deficit targets, infuse capital into weak banks to boost lending and fund welfare programmes. Therefore, the Jalan panel was set up to decide whether RBI is holding provisions, reserves and buffers in surplus of the required levels. Kerala government’s Mission LIFE: an initiative worth serious consideration Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – Government schemes and policies; Infrastructure; Social/Welfare programme In news: Kerala government’s Mission LIFE (livelihood inclusion and financial empowerment) aims to provide shelter and security to the homeless. Under the initiative, the state will be providing shelter to 4.3 lakh families that are without a home. The initiative has been reaping some success. The complex offers decent living space to the homeless and has amenities that are now common in housing complexes elsewhere in the country, including waste management facilities and power back-up. Additionally, the complex also houses a health sub-centre and anganwadi. U.S. ends waiver for India on Iran oil Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – India and US; International Affairs In news: The United States said it will stop in May all waivers that allow eight nations, including India, to buy Iranian oil without facing sanctions, triggering a rise in global crude prices and a slump in Indian markets. The decision is taken by US President Donald Trump to pressure Tehran to give up its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. Analysts said the move is likely to keep crude oil prices elevated for now. India said it is adequately prepared to deal with the impact of the US decision to end waivers that allowed it to buy Iranian oil without facing sanctions. Do you know? India was among eight countries granted waivers from the secondary impact of sanctions for six months to taper their import of Iranian crude to zero. The others were China, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Taiwan, Italy and Greece. India, which is the second biggest purchaser of Iranian oil after China, had agreed to restrict its monthly purchase to 1.25 million tonne or 15 million tonne in a year (300,000 barrels per day), down from 22.6 million tonne (452,000 barrels per day) bought in the 2017-18 financial year. The world's third biggest oil consumer, India meets more than 80 per cent of its oil needs through imports. Iran is its third largest supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia and meets about 10 per cent of its total needs. Global Deal for Nature Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – Role of international organizations; Environment and Climate change In news: A paper published in Science outlines a new “Global Deal for Nature,” officially launching an effort to establish science-based conservation targets covering all of planet Earth, including terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. The Global Deal for Nature proposes a target of 30 percent of the planet to be fully protected under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity by 2030. But because much more of Earth’s natural ecosystems need to be preserved or restored in order to avert the worst impacts of runaway global warming, another 20 percent of the planet would be protected under the GDN as Climate Stabilization Areas (CSAs). Conservation scientists, environmental NGOs, and indigenous groups are urging governments to adopt the GDN as a companion commitment alongside the Paris Climate Agreement approved by nearly 200 countries in 2015. Global Deal for Nature The Global Deal for Nature (GDN) is a time-bound, science-driven plan to save the diversity and abundance of life on Earth. “Pairing the GDN and the Paris Climate Agreement would avoid catastrophic climate change, conserve species, and secure essential ecosystem services. The GDN campaign is being driven by One Earth, an initiative of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation that aims to marshal support from international institutions, governments, and citizens of planet Earth to support ambitious conservation goals. One Earth has launched an online petition drive at globaldealfornature.org along with RESOLVE and indigenous groups to build popular support for the GDN. (MAINS FOCUS) ENVIRONMENT/CLIMATE CHANGE TOPIC: General studies 3 Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Nations are doing less to lower 1.5 degree celsius About Earth Day Each year, April 22 is celebrated as Earth Day. Worldwide, various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day now includes events in more than 193 countries, which are coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network. Do you know? 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. Decline of wildlife population due to human impact: A major concern As per WWF’s Living Planet Index and other studies – 37% of the wildlife population lost in the last 40 years can be attributed to exploitation by humans 31% of the wildlife population lost due to habitat degradation, 13% to complete habitat loss and 7% to climate change Current extinction is 1,000 times higher than what would have been if there were no people Nearly a 1,000 species are lost every year due to anthropogenic reasons, less than one species a year was lost annually 200,000 years ago, before modern humans evolved Developed countries versus developing: At the rate of average global consumption today, we need 1.5 planet Earths to sustain human life, while at the level of consumption in the US, we would need four planets. The worst offenders in the consumption & climate change problem, meanwhile, obstinately refuse to change course. While rich nations have been stepping up conservation efforts, this is at the expense of the developing world. Because, the developing world now undertakes production to cater for not only domestic needs, but also for exports, with an ever-growing ecological footprint. Between 1990 and 2008, a third of all the products of indiscriminate deforestation, viz. timber, beef and soya, were exported from developing nations to the EU. While China, Japan, and the US continue to over-exploit marine resources, West Asian nations, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE have the world’s worst per capita ecological footprint. 17 of the 21 nations that beat the world average in terms of ecological damage caused, are rich nations. The problem is exacerbated by the non-action on the climate change front. Conclusion: According to 'Climate Action Tracker', which analyses individual countries’ performance on meeting a lower than 1.5 degrees Celsius warming future, US and Russia's efforts are ‘critically insufficient’. While Canada and China are making “highly insufficient” efforts, the EU’s performance is “insufficient”. Indeed, only India, Ethiopia and the Philippines are making efforts compatible with a 2 degrees Celsius rise. Earth Day, unfortunately, is little other than tokenism if nations switch off their destructive ways just for a day every year. Without real change, the world is not even on course to reach the 2 degree Celsius target. Connecting the dots: Discuss the factors responsible for long term climate change. What evidences do we have that support current global warming. Explain. Discuss how the World can succinctly respond to address global warming and its impact on climate change? INTERNATIONAL 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 India-China Relations: Second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) In news: India has, once again, decided to not participate in China’s second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) due on April 25. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, is aimed at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes. India’s response to the BRF is deeply rooted in its territorial sovereignty concerns vis-à-vis China and Pakistan. India’s main concern remains the much-controversial CPEC that passes through the PoK. Citing its opposition to the CPEC, India had skipped the Belt and Road Forum in May last year. India’s qualms about BRI’s impact on Indian Ocean India is fearful that BRI would exacerbate Sino-Indian tension in the subcontinent and the Indian Ocean region. India is worried about four specific corridors that constitute major components of the BRI and run across India’s South Asian neighborhood. BRI includes the Trans-Himalayan Economic Corridor, Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor (1990s), Twenty-First Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR), a combination of bilateral infrastructure projects in the Indian Ocean region, and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. India perceives these corridors and the associated infrastructure projects are detrimental to India’s strategic interests. They run close to India’s continental and maritime borders and may affect its security interests and strategic environment. India’s interest Forty seven countries have the Indian Ocean on their shores. The Indian Ocean is the third largest body of water in the world. India’s motto is ‘whoever controls the Indian Ocean dominates Asia’. Indian Ocean is considered to be the key to the seven seas in the twenty-first century; the destiny of the world will be decided in these waters’. Indian Ocean is rich with living and non-living resources, from marine life to oil and natural gas. Its beach sands are rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits. India is actively exploiting them to its economic advantage. It is a major sea lane providing shipping to 90 per cent of world trade. It provides a waterway for heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia, and contains an estimated 40 per cent of the world’s offshore oil production. Therefore, whoever attains maritime supremacy in the Indian Ocean would be a prominent player on the international scene. Thus, it is imperative that India bases its decision strictly on Strategic Autonomy, keeps its own interest at the pivot and take principled & pragmatic decisions by carrying out a SWOT analysis of its decisions and keeping long term benefit & global peace at priority. Connecting the dots: Is India’s stand against China’s Belt-Road initiative justified? Critically examine the issues from the perspective of India’s strategic interests. (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) The theme of Earth Day 2019 is – “End Plastic Pollution” “Protecting the planet’s species diversity” “Beat Plastic Pollution” "Nature for Water" – exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century. Q.2) Which of the following with reference to process of removal of Supreme Court judges are correct? The process for removal of other Supreme Court judges and Chief Justice of India is different. A judge can only be removed on the grounds of proved misbehavior or incapacity. The motion for removal must be supported by a special majority of each House of Parliament. Select the correct answer using code below 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 1,2 and 3 MUST READ Down to earth on the ASAT test The Hindu The court is not above the Constitution The Hindu Need is to empower banking regulator, not curb RBI’s powers Indian Express To improve national security, the government must develop mining Financial Express Reading the clouds: The recent forecast for monsoon in India is a siling lining Financial Express US sanctions and the end of cheap oil Livemint

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019- History and Current Affairs (Day 44)

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - History and Current Affairs (Day 44) 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

Important Articles

MUCH AWAITED ANNOUNCEMENT: IASbaba’s ONLINE Integrated Learning Programme (ILP)- UPSC 2020

Hello Friends, Let us begin by thanking all of you who have made INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAMME (ILP) a grand success !! The year-2019 is a monument year for IASbaba for two reasons. One, way back in 2015 we had said that ILP would stand out as the most comprehensive tool for UPSC preparation and yes now most of you would have realised the same and will realize this in 2019 when Prelims will be over.  Second, the hundreds of successful candidates, specially ILP students who have made us proud by securing top ranks in UPSC Civil Services Examination. We have got 100+ selections in ILP alone in the last 3 years. This year as well, we have many Ranks from ILP.  You can check this year's result here- Click Here  Hear from the Topper’s - the instrumental role that ILP played in their Success.  For those who cannot wait to see the features of ILP platform, to get a glimpse of this platform and other features - click here  We have have been getting numerous emails and queries about the ILP-2020, especially ever since the results were announced. This simply shows the trust you have on us! Since Prelims is round the corner, initially we thought to announce about the ILP, post Prelims exam. But the number of emails we are getting, made us write this post.  This year’s ILP-2020 is going to be big and better for many reasons. This post is to make sure you are prepared for the same and put end to countless emails and queries regarding the same. This year we are coming up with 3 ONLINE Programmes: ILP-2020 FOR VETERANS: Till now, we had a universal ILP for everyone. This year we have planned to start, ILP-Veteran. Features in Brief: Planning will be done in a way that will suit aspirants having spent More than a Year of preparation or who have given Mains/Interview.  As the name says, it’s an integrated Programme focusing both on Prelims and Mains Exam. In the All India Prelims Test Series (AIPTS), questions will be framed from Standard Books and the level of questions would be from easy to moderate to difficult focusing both on concepts and application oriented. Value Added Notes (VAN) and Revision VAN's will cover both Prelims and Mains topics. Babapedia - Prelims Exclusive Mind Maps- Mains Topics Mains Test with Synopsis (No Answer Evaluation) Overall, veterans will have a slightly different approach in terms of Time Table/Schedule, Prelims Test Series, Mains Focus leading to the same goal. ILP-2020 FOR BEGINNERS / WORKING PROFESSIONALS: Features in Brief: The initial phase will focus more on conceptual understanding and building a strong foundation since you are a fresher. Initial coverage will be from basic books (NCERT’s) and it will focus more on conceptual understanding With time, the focus will shift to standard books and Mains aspects in a gradual manner In the Prelims Test Series, questions will initially be from basics texts like NCERTS, later we will shift to standard books and application-oriented themes.  Overall, the planning will be made such that a fresher's and Working Professional's learning curve is given due importance with suitable planning.   Value Added Notes (VAN) and Revision VAN's will cover both Prelims and Mains syllabus Babapedia- Prelims Exclusive Mind Maps- Mains Topics Mains Test with Synopsis (No Answer Evaluation) Overall, for a fresher and Working Professional, the learning curve would be gradual from conceptual understanding to application-oriented depending on the time factor. Note- In no case, there will be different treatment in terms of quality of coverage and sources for ILP-Veteran and ILP-Beginners/Working Professionals. Both the ILP’s will achieve the same goal but in a different manner having a difference of planning, coverage of syllabus in due time. ALL INDIA PRELIMS TEST SERIES (AIPTS) -2020 In the All India Prelims Test Series (AIPTS), questions will be framed from Standard Books and the level of questions would be from easy, to moderate to difficult focusing both on concepts and application oriented. Please note that the, if you have enrolled for ILP- Veterans or Beginnners, then no need to enrol in AIPTS. The AIPTS and Test Series included in ILP- Veterans would be the same quality and coverage. Important Note: Please don’t mail us regarding the details of the programme (as we have already mentioned the intention behind this post above). Kindly wait till the complete plan is announced. The detailed Write-up and Course Plan for ILP- Veterans, ILP - Fresher’s/Working Professionals, AIPTS 2020 will be posted in 1st Week of May 2019 We have set a deadline in terms of the counter shown below. [wpcdt-countdown id="46994"] To get a glimpse of ILP platform - Click here For those, who have been shooting us emails (who cannot wait to ‘join’ our programme :)) and who have complete faith in the ILP programme, can directly make the payment. The  ‘payment’ link is open. We are not increasing the prices this year also (like last year), in spite of huge demand, as we believe in Inclusive Education.  PAYMENT <- CLICK HERE Thank You IASbaba

PIB

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 15th April to 21st April - 2019

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 15th April to 21st April - 2019 ARCHIVES GS-2 Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) By: Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Aim: SBM-G seeks to eliminate open defecation in rural areas by 2019 through improving access to sanitation. Seeks to generate awareness to motivate communities to adopt sustainable sanitation practices, and encourage the use of appropriate technologies for sanitation. Key objectives of SBM-G include: Improving the quality of life in rural areas through promoting cleanliness and eliminating open defecation by 2019 Motivating communities and Panchayati raj institutions to adopt sustainable sanitation practices Encouraging appropriate technologies for sustainable sanitation Developing community managed solid and liquid waste management systems Implementation mechanisms at the five levels will consist of: National Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) State Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) District Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Block Programme Management Unit Gram Panchayat/Village and Water Sanitation Committee – Swachhta Doots may be hired to assist with activities such as identification of beneficiaries, IEC, and maintenance of records. The key components of the implementation of SBM-G will include: Start-up activities including preparation of state plans IEC activities capacity building of functionaries construction of household toilets construction of community sanitary complexes a revolving fund at the district level to assist Self Help Groups and others in providing cheap finance to their members funds for rural sanitary marts, where materials for the construction of toilets, etc., may be purchased funds for solid and liquid waste management. Under SBM-G, construction of toilets in government schools and aganwadis will be done by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ministry of Women and Child Development, respectively. The four major challenges we faced were the 4 Ss: Scale — 550 million people needed to change their behaviour; Speed — the programme had to be implemented in 5 years Stigma — centuries-old taboos, for example, it was impure to have a toilet inside or near the home, needed to be challenged Sustainability — having to make the recently changed behaviour stick. There was little prior experience of doing all this, which made the learning curve, and the degree of difficulty, even steeper. Four clear success factors were the 4 P’s: Political Push: Sanitation was brought into the national consciousness by none other than the Prime Minister of India, and that too in his first major address to the nation. This established sanitation and cleanliness as central to his vision for India. He gave the nation a time-bound goal to work towards achieving a clean and open defecation free India by October 2, 2019. This injected a sense of urgency in the entire administrative system at the Centre, state and district levels and made them prioritise a much-neglected problem. Public finance: India has the world’s largest government rural sanitation budget, in excess of $20 billion. The SBM also provides significant financial incentive to socially and economically weaker sections to construct and use toilets, at Rs 12,000 per eligible household. Partnerships: SBM has built several strategic partnerships to mainstream sanitation in all sectors. Various national and international developmental agencies and corporates have supported the mission. These strategic partnerships have helped the mission spread its learnings and best practices on behaviour-change rapidly, as well as improve implementation across the country. People’s participation: SBM has scaled up sanitation by involving all sections of society from filmstars to sportspersons to religious leaders to the common man. SBM is a classic example of the power of the collective and the extraordinary results that can be achieved when people come together for a common cause. Must Read: Rural Sanitation and Swacchh Bharat Cabinet approves MoU between India and Bolivia on Cooperation in the field of Geology and Mineral Resources: It will provide an institutional mechanism between India and Bolivia for cooperation in the field of Mineral Resources. The MoU provides for exchange of information on resources, laws and policy, organization of seminars to exchange views on development strategies, encouragement of transfer of technologies between the two countries, promotion of value addition, which will enable taking up of activities like documentation and dissemination etc. MoU between India and Cambodia on Cooperation in the field of Communications MoU between India and Bolivia on Cooperation in the Field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy: The MoU will provide a framework for cooperation, and will be mutually beneficial between the two countries for promotion of traditional systems of medicine and homoeopathy. It will lead to promotion and propagation of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy in Bolivia, and will boost the importance of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) systems of Medicine in Bolivia. The MoU will further facilitate exchange of experts for training for the practitioners and Scientists undertaking collaborative research, which will lead to new innovations in drug development and practice in Traditional Systems of Medicine. Cooperation Agreement between India and Denmark in the field of Renewable Energy with focus on Offshore Wind Energy: Objective: To promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of renewable energy with special focus on Off-shore wind. The areas of cooperation would include technical capacity building for management of off­shore wind projects, measures to develop and sustain a highly efficient wind industry, onshore as well as offshore; measures to 'ensure high quality of wind turbines, components, and certification requirements; forecasting and scheduling of off-shore wind The Indo-Danish Centre of Excellence in Integrated Renewable Power would work on Renewable energy resource assessments with focus on onshore and offshore wind; Hybridisation of wind, solar, hydro and storage technologies; integration of renewable energy inch high level of wind energy, Testing and R&D; and skill development / capacity building. Continuation of Phase 4 of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV): The GSLV Programme - Phase 4 will enable the launch of 2 tonne class of satellites for Geo-imaging, Navigation, Data Relay Communication and Space Sciences. The GSLV Continuation Programme - Phase 4 will meet the launch requirement of satellites for providing critical Satellite Navigation Services, Data Relay Communication for supporting the Indian Human spaceflight programme and the next interplanetary mission to Mars. This will also ensure the continuity of production in Indian industry. The operationalization of GSLV has made the country self-reliant in the launching capability of 2 tonne class of satellites for communication & meteorological satellites. The GSLV Continuation Programme will sustain & strengthen the capability and self-reliance in the launching of similar satellites for national requirements including next generation navigation satellites, data relay communication satellites and interplanetary missions. Please Note: 'Nirbhay' Sub-Sonic Cruise Missile It is the sixth development flight trial with objective to prove the repeatability of boost phase, cruise phase using way point navigation at very low altitudes. The missile took off vertically turning horizontally into desired direction, booster separated, wing deployed, engine started, cruised all the intended waypoints. The missile demonstrated its sea-skimming capability to cruise at very low altitudes. Quotes The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu On Governance The crux of the entire governance paradigm is implementation, how well is the delivery mechanism functioning. Explore creative alternatives to the status quo and take steps to strengthen the dialogue with people and make them partners in the progress of the nation. Even for the best of the systems, there is always a possibility to become better. Each citizen and person in country must feel that there was a perceptible improvement in the quality of life, he urged officers to civil services adopt, adapt and scale up best practices to facilitate the common man. Maintain professional competence and become constant learners of technology, policy and the world to serve the people better. Keep learning and absorb the best practices within and outside India, from both the private as well as the public sector On Climate Change Low-carbon, green and climate resilient urban infrastructure is the need of the hour Creation of green infra, solar & water conservation must form part of town planning Promote Public Transport, reduce dependency on fossil fuel Education, entertainment, enhanced medical facilities and employment were the main drivers of migration. He asked for collaborative efforts of governments at state and centre to reduce the divide by providing urban amenities in rural areas. Called for measures to ensure that urban solid waste is converted wealth by learning from the best practices followed globally. One must draw inspiration from our cultural roots, especially the civilizational values that revered and urged us to protect natural resources, he said that adopting green solutions, providing good governance and building urban resilience was the way forward. Need to up-scale climate mitigation measures to reduce climate-related risks in the future.

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - 10% Reservation for EWS and Social Justice

10% Reservation for EWS and Social Justice ARCHIVES Search 13th March, 2019 Spotlight news analysis here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx General studies 2 Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. Parliament and State Legislatures, structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these In News: The BJP-led government has tabled a constitutional amendment bill to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and higher education to economically backward sections among the upper castes – ‘the economically weaker sections of citizens have largely remained excluded from attending the higher educational institutions and public employment on account of their financial incapacity to compete with the persons who are economically more privileged’. The Union Cabinet has approved the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Fourth Amendment) Bill. Now that it has been passed in the Lower House, the Bill will be moved in the Rajya Sabha. The government move comes in the backdrop of an upper caste backlash against the Modi government’s decision against the Supreme Court’s attempt at ring-fencing apprehensions of misuse of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. The Supreme Court move had sparked nation-wide protests from Dalit groups across the country after which the government brought a legislation in the last monsoon session to nullify the SC order. Why: The Bill needs to be passed by a special majority of two-thirds of members present in each House, not less than half the strength in both. Following this, it will have to be ratified by at least half of the state legislatures. It will also have to face legal challenges if any. The Constitution 124th Amendment Bill The bill has to be a constitutional amendment as it overshoots the Supreme Court’s 50% cap on quotas and takes the total to 60%. Any increase from that limit will be subject to judicial scrutiny. Amended two fundamental rights: Article 15, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, caste, sex or place of birth Article 16 which prohibits discrimination in employment in government office The amendment provides for the advancement of the “economically weaker sections” of the society. It also makes a note of the Article 46, which asks the government to promote the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the society. Who comes under the “Economically Weaker Sections”? People who have an annual income of less than Rs.8 lakhs, or People who own less than five acres of farm land, or People who have a house lesser than 1,000 sq feet in a town (or 100 sq yard in a notified municipal area). Criticisms The latest amendment giving reservation to the poor has done away with the constitutionally permitted gatekeeping mechanism of social and educational backwardness and opened up reservation to everyone — irrespective of social backwardness. The solution is to free the reservation policy of the chains of constitutional reasonableness as mandated by the judiciary. This overemphasis on the idea of reservation is marked by four critical aspects that signify a move away from the constitutional scheme of positive discrimination. A complete absence of genuine debate on the question: No party could take a nuanced position on the issue of “reservation for poor”. There is a complete closure of the public debate on reservation. The reservation regime has expanded in many directions: Ironically, most of the times, expansion has contributed to the de-legitimation of the original idea behind reservation. When the reservation policy went beyond SCs and STs, despite the fact that the expansion was justified, it effectively diluted the sharpness of the tool — that it would be employed for extreme cases of discrimination and exclusion. The moral basis of the reservation policy is almost lost. Now, the reservation policy will no more be seen as an intermediate tool to address ingrained social injustice in the Indian social order. The enabling provision in the Constitution was predicated on the logic that the social order is fundamentally unjust and therefore the state should intervene in favour of the most oppressed sections to enable them to compete in the public sphere and stake their claims for a share in public power. This logic is no more applicable. Instead, the logic now is that there are different groups in society and they need to be accommodated, as far as possible, in a proportionate manner. This new logic implies that reservation is not a remedy for traditional social ills but a routine policy tool to arrange political and administrative power. Caste as the primary basis for making claims on the state: Not the injustice perpetrated by the caste system, but caste in itself has emerged as the primary social group for which demands are made, robbing policy-making of the more justifiable bases of deprivation. Instead of an expectation that policy should be directed at and based on some agreed ways of assessing deprivation and its amelioration, now policy can be based merely on the fact that it addresses specific groups. India’s entire public discourse and political calculus are deeply influenced by single-caste considerations. Finally, the language of pseudo-justice being popularised by the “quota-for-poor” policy is symptomatic of a larger failure. It replaces the principle that welfare should be the basic raison d’être of public policy, it hides the colossal failure of the state in handling questions of poverty and deprivation and, at the same time, it indicates a dead end in policy making. As Austin put it, “Among the upper castes-classes, ‘individual rights’ and ‘economic comfort’ have meaning; among the bottom castes-classes…they mean little or nothing”. If the custodians of the constitution do not course-correct immediately, the result will only be social conflict. Connecting the Dots: Reservation appears to be the only answer to all our socio-economic complications. Examine. Essay topic: We have a consensus on reservation and yet social groups continue to agitate for reservation — representing the closure of imagination in public policy-making.

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 22nd April 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 22nd April 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Serial blasts across Sri Lanka Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – International affairs; Security and Terrorism related issues; Indian Diaspora In news: Over 200 people were killed and nearly 500 injured in a series of blasts that shook Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. Churches and luxury hotels were targeted in the deadliest incidents since the civil war ended a decade ago. Blasts occurred in and around the capital Colombo and in the eastern city of No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts. Four Indians among blast victims. Pic: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2019/04/22/DEL/Delhi/TH/5_01/132b6ce8_2888158_101_mr.jpg Pic: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2019/04/22/CNI/Chennai/TH/5_12/8ff74172_1ac952b7_101_mr.jpg China draws up tighter rules on human gene and embryo trials In news: China to consider tougher rules on research involving human genes and embryos. It is the first such move since a Chinese scientist (He Jiankui) sparked controversy last year by announcing he had made the world’s first “gene-edited” babies. Do you know? He Jiankui attracted condemnation from the global scientific community when he said he had used a technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the embryonic genes of twin girls born in November. About CRISPR-Cas9 CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a naturally occurring defence mechanism in bacteria. CRISPR-Cas9 was adapted from this naturally occurring genome editing system. The bacteria capture snippets of DNA from invading viruses and use them to create DNA segments known as CRISPR arrays. The CRISPR arrays allow the bacteria to "remember" the viruses (or closely related ones). If the viruses attack again, the bacteria produce RNA segments from the CRISPR arrays to target the viruses' DNA. The bacteria then use Cas9 or a similar enzyme to cut the DNA apart, which disables the virus. The CRISPR-Cas9 system works similarly in the lab. Researchers create a small piece of RNA with a short "guide" sequence that attaches (binds) to a specific target sequence of DNA in a genome. The RNA also binds to the Cas9 enzyme. As in bacteria, the modified RNA is used to recognize the DNA sequence, and the Cas9 enzyme cuts the DNA at the targeted location. Once the DNA is cut, researchers use the cell's own DNA repair machinery to add or delete pieces of genetic material, or to make changes to the DNA by replacing an existing segment with a customized DNA sequence. Special kits to probe sexual assault cases Part of: GS Mains II – Women safety issues; Government policies and schemes In news: Over 3,100 special kits for collecting blood and semen samples, besides other evidence, to carry out immediate investigation into sexual assault cases have been distributed among the States and Union Territories by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (SAECK) or ‘rape investigation kits’ are designed to carry out immediate medico-legal investigation and aid in furnishing evidence in sexual assault and rape cases. The kits are expected to help law enforcement agencies to ensure effective probe in a timely manner for better prosecution and conviction in sexual assault cases. Animal in news: Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo, Zappey’s Flycatcher and Javan Pond Heron Sighting of news species on the Andaman island chain increased In news: Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcites basalis) is a bird, native of Australia and New Guinea. It is known for its repeated, loud and piercing whistle. It was sighted in a tsunami ravaged coastal forest in the Great Nicobar Island of the Andaman and Nicobar island chain. The sighting was the first recorded instance of the bird in India. Zappey’s Flycatcher It is a song bird that breeds in China and spends the winters in the Malay peninsula, Sumatra and Java. It was spotted six times in different areas of Andaman and Nicobar Islands between December 2017 and March 2018 — at least thrice in pairs. Javan Pond Heron It is usually found in Thailand and Cambodia. It is larger than Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo and Zappey’s Flycatcher Do you know? Sighting of news species on the island chain has gone up since the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, say researchers of the ZSI. The three new records from India from the Andaman and Nicobar Island have been discussed in detail in a recent publication of journal Birding ASIA. Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with just about 0.25 % the country’s landmass, is home to about 350 species of exotic birds. Miscellaneous: 205 rail projects report cost overrun of ₹2.21 lakh crore Part of: Prelims and Mains II – Governance issues In news: According to a latest flash report of the Statistics and Programme Implementation Ministry (MOSPI) – Indian Railways accounts for nearly three-fifths of 344 Central sector projects that are facing huge cost overruns due to delay in implementation for various reasons. Around 205 rail projects report cost overrun of ₹2.21 lakh crore. After the Railways, the power sector reported the second highest incidence of overall cost overrun. Do you know? The MOSPI monitors Central sector projects involving an expenditure of ₹150 crore and above. Medicine labels in regional language In news: In order to counter fake, sub-standard and expired drugs, the Union Health Ministry plans to label medicines in Hindi and regional language. Drug names and expiry date will be in Hindi/regional language. (MAINS FOCUS) 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. Elections; Role of Election Commission and Governance issues. Being fair and transparent Context: Two phases of the 2019 general election have been completed. Since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect, in just the first two phases this time, the Election Commission (EC) has seized cash, drugs, alcohol, precious metals and other items worth Rs 2,600 crore. The amount seized has already surpassed the entire seizures made in the nine phases of the general election in 2014. Huge hauls of drugs were smuggled into Gujarat. Uttar Pradesh is awash with liquor. Tamil Nadu has seen the largest seizures of illicit cash —over ₹514 crore. These vast sums intended to bribe or influence voters prove several things. These sums represent only a fraction of current illegal spending, as the amount seized is just the tip of the iceberg. Bulk of illegal tranches of money, liquor or freebies (which have not been detected by the EC’s machinery or by the vigilance of electoral officials) would have reached their destination. Political players have refined their methods to move their funds to their destinations even before the elections are announced. (They are steps ahead of the EC’s observers or vigilance teams) Rs 70 lakh is the legal upper limit of expenditure per candidate for Lok Sabha elections (prescribed under Rule 90 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961). However, simple arithmetic would show that the seized amount can fully finance up to six to seven candidates from each of the 543 constituencies. Why there is a need to re-examine our rule book? From the above it is clear that, every rule in the book is being broken. There is no transparency on how political parties collect or spend their funds. Limits of candidate spending are exceeded in every single case. EC had deployed over 2,000 Central observers and thousands of vigilance squads were set up – huge cost to exchequer. Major concern: Electoral Bonds Electoral bonds, far from enabling a legitimate and transparent means of political funding, have proved to be the reverse. The EC, in its own affidavit before the Supreme Court, has admitted as much. Electoral bonds are a pathetic admission of government’s failure to curb black money in political funding. Most political parties receive funds from corporates as well as rich individuals. The ruling parties usually get the lion’s share of these funds. The electoral bonds scheme has been designed in such a way as to keep the identity of the donor absolutely confidential. Far from reducing the large-scale corporate funding of elections, the introduction of electoral bonds does not even address this issue. The way ahead: Any serious reform with regard to funding must come from the EC itself. The EC should convene a conference of all stakeholders, including of course all recognised political parties, both Central and State. The list of stakeholders must also include the best constitutional and legal minds in our country. EC has powers inherently enshrined in Article 324 of the Constitution — powers so great that there is arguably no other electoral management body with similar powers. The powers of the EC are so enormous and so all-encompassing that they exceed the powers of the executive in all election-related issues during the course of the election period. Therefore, these powers must be exercised judiciously, fairly and equitably. Connecting the dots: What are various electoral and political funding reforms which need to be undertaken to bring in transparency and accountability in the Indian political environment. Describe. The need for transparency in electoral funding for a level playing field in elections is a fundamental requirement. Discuss. Also suggest measures needed to address the problem of unchecked money power visible during every election. ENVIRONMENT/CLIMATE CHANGE TOPIC: General studies 3 Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Towards a lower GHG future Context According to a World Bank report – Climate change could cost India 2.8 per cent of GDP, and depress living standards of nearly half of its population by 2050, as average annual temperatures are expected to rise by 1-2 per cent over three decades. A number of factors are causing climate change and the efforts to address them have been manifold. Among a number of factors causing climate change, large-scale use of environmentally damaging refrigerants (especially Hydrofluorocarbons) is one of the key areas identified, with a direct impact on the depletion of the ozone layer and subsequently on global warming. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) HFCs have many everyday applications. These include refrigerants to cool cars, appliances and buildings, foam-blowing agents that create cushioning and insulating foam, solvents used in manufacturing to clean and sanitise, and certain specialty propellants used in products like aerosols. When HFCs are released into the atmosphere, they trap GHGs with significant global-warming-potential (GWP) and take years, sometimes decades, to break down in the atmosphere—thus contributing to the overall warming of the planet. Replacing high GWP HFCs with low-GWP HFO alternatives could help avoid up to 0.5°C of warming by the end of this century. Kigali Amendment The Kigali Amendment, an amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, aims to phase out high-global-warming-potential hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a family of potent greenhouse gases (GHG), by late 2040s. India was part of a historic global climate deal that was reached in Kigali, Rwanda, at the 28th Meeting of the Parties (MoP28) to the Montreal Protocol, on substances that deplete the ozone layer. Under this amendment, 197 countries, including India, agreed to a timeline to reduce the use of HFCs by 80-85% of their baselines over the next several decades. The Kigali Amendment provides a significant opportunity to live up to the promise of better environment. It highlights the need to develop new technologies and transition to the use of more environmentally preferable alternatives. Important value additions: A global climate deal was reached in Kigali, Rwanda at the Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP28). The Kigali Agreement amends the 1987 Montreal Protocol that aims to phase out Hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), a family of potent greenhouse gases by the late 2040s. It is a legally binding agreement between the signatory parties with non-compliance measures. It will come into effect from 1st January 2019 provided it is ratified by at least 20-member parties by then. It has shown a considerable flexibility in approach while setting phase-down targets for different economies accommodating their developmental aspirations, different socio-economic compulsions, and scientific & technological capabilities. It has divided the signatory parties into three groups- The first group consists of rich and developed economies like USA, UK and EU countries who will start to phase down HFCs by 2019 and reduce it to 15% of 2012 levels by 2036. The second group consists of emerging economies like China, Brazil as well as some African countries that will start phase down by 2024 and reduce it to 20% of 2021 levels by 2045. The third group consists of developing economies and some of the hottest climatic countries like India, Pakistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia who will start phasing down HFCs by 2028 and reduce it to 15% of 2024-2026 levels till 2047. It also has a provision for a multilateral fund for developing countries for adaptation and mitigation. The Technology and Energy Assessment Panel (TEAP) will take a periodic review of the alternative technologies and products for their energy efficiency and safety standards. India’s position: India is the world’s fourth-largest emitter of CO2. According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the share of space cooling in peak electricity load is projected to rise sharply in India, from 10% today to 45% in 2050. Government has recognised the importance of lowering the country’s GHG emissions as part of an international effort to limit global warming. Govt and NITI Aayog are working towards an India Cooling Action Plan, meant to meet the country’s growing cooling needs in a climate-friendly manner. One of the key focus areas in the Action Plan is in-room air conditioners (ACs). Conclusion: Successful implementation of the Kigali amendment will require a high level of national cooperation from our government, along with industry, research institutes and regulators coming together in sustaining efforts. A cleaner and healthier environment, along with improvements in quality of life, can all support a world of increasing action on climate change. India has been a key partner in the quest for reducing emissions and should continue to take the lead in efforts to protect the planet from climate change. Connecting the dots: Discuss how India can succinctly respond to address global warming and its impact on climate change? What is Kigali Amendment? Why is it a significant step against climate change? 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) Which of the following statements is/are incorrect regarding Kigali agreement? It aims to phase out Chloro fluorocarbons (CFC) by the late 2040s. It is non-binding agreement similar to Paris agreement. It has provisions for penalties for non- compliance. Under it developed countries will provide funding support globally. Choose the appropriate code 1 and 2 3 and 4 1, 3 and 4 None Q.2) Consider the following statements about ‘Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol’ It is legally binding According to the amendment, India will start to phase down Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 2019 and reduce it to 15% of 2012 levels by 2036 Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements with reference to the CRISPR It is a naturally occurring defence mechanism in bacteria. CRISPR-Cas9 technique can be used to cut DNA at specific location. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about CRISPR-CAS9 It is a genome editing technique that can edit DNA at precise locations. It does not modify genes permanently and they can revert back to their original state. Which of the statements above is/are correct? Only 1 Only 2 1 and 2 None MUST READ Workers and refugees are not criminals The Hindu Expropriation in the name of conservation The Hindu On the sexual harassment complaint against CJI Indian Express The danger of silver bullets Indian Express The gold standard for gold reserves Financial Express Strengthening India’s economic fundamental may be the best route to enhance its influence as a strong economy Financial Express

RSTV Video

RSTV IAS UPSC – Tuberculosis (TB)

Tuberculosis (TB) Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the body. TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, or talks. If you have been exposed, you should go to your doctor for tests. You are more likely to get TB if you have a weak immune system. TB is, by and large, easily diagnosable and curable. It is unacceptable that it nevertheless remains the leading causes of death from any single infectious agent worldwide. Each day, thousands of people with TB die, often because of inequitable access to quality diagnosis and treatment. In addition, the rapid emergence of drug-resistant forms of TB (DR-TB) in many countries brings a fresh set of needs including new and comprehensive diagnostic tests and second-line TB drugs, and health systems trained anew to manage DR-TB. Three processes: Infection, Progression, Transmission Infection: Infection occurs when TB bacilli are inhaled. Bacilli may stay in the lungs or travel to other organs. Infection is lifelong, with bacilli lying dormant. This phase is “latent TB”, diagnosed by a tuberculin skin test (TST). The “annual rate of TB infection” (ARTI) is about 1%. Cumulatively, 40% to 70% of us are living with latent TB. From this reservoir pool, a few progress to TB disease, one by one, 5-30 years, average 20 years, later. Progression: Progression occurs when bacilli become active, multiply and cause pathology; now we have “active TB”. Transmission: When active TB affects the lungs, the bacilli find an exit route to the atmosphere, necessary for transmission. Symptoms of TB in the lungs may include A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer Weight loss Loss of appetite Coughing up blood or mucus Weakness or fatigue Fever Night sweats In India: India not only accounts for a fifth of the world’s TB burden, it also has the largest number of people living with multidrug-resistant TB. India has fought to retain its status as a maker and distributor of generic medicines, thereby protecting the right to health of people in developing countries. Indian patent law contains important provisions that help protect and promote public health goals — for example, by overcoming bids by big pharma to evergreen patents of old drugs, through compulsorily licensing for certain drugs, and by permitting pre- and post-grant opposition to patents to challenge unfair patenting practices by big pharma. Reasons for the rising crisis In addition to the failure of political machinery, the other major reasons for this are as follows: Adult and child under-nutrition Lack of active door-to-door detection Shortage of drugs Increasing Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) and Extensive Drug Resistant TB (XDR-TB) Total Drug Resistant TB acting as an assured death warrant Inadequate prescription by doctors and inadequate follow up of proper prescription by patients is aggravating the problem of antibiotic resistance Disease becoming expensive and difficult to treat Poor quality serological tests for diagnosis; poor quality diagnosis and treatment by medical practitioners Delay in implementation of critical programmes under the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) such as expansion of the GeneXpert pilot programme, scaling up of drug sensitivity testing, and the introduction of a child-friendly paediatric TB drug. India’s vision: To end TB by 2025, five years ahead of the World’s Target under SDG’s India’s estimated annual TB burden is 28 lakhs, 27% of the global total; our population is only 18%. Every day 1,200 Indians die of TB — 10 every three minutes. According to Health Ministry data, only 63% of the patients infected with the airborne disease are currently under treatment. Further, 1,47,000 patients are resistant to first- and second-line TB medicines. At the current rate of progress, global targets to eliminate TB by 2030 will be missed by a 150 years. India’s War on TB – The Way Forward Countering Delay in Diagnosis: To block transmission, treatment should begin as soon as a symptom shows up. As cough is a very common symptom of many diseases, doctors don’t think of TB until other treatments fail. Partnership with the private sector is essential for early diagnosis of TB. Universal primary health care, a basic human right, and a diagnostic algorithm for early diagnosis are essential for TB control. To retard progression: Employ the biomedical method is drug treatment of latent TB. Experts recommend an age window of 5-10 years when all children must be screened with TST; those with latent TB must be treated to prevent progression. Private Sector: The private sector has a very crucial role to play in checking the rise of TB as it is the first place a patient from an urban area visits. We need to make them a partner in this fight. Strict guidelines need to be followed to report cases of TB to government. Developing a comprehensive set of national guidelines could strengthen private sector engagement in TB Efforts should be made to map and categorise private practitioners based on the nature of their education, experience and services provided. Private hospitals need to be penalised for failure to report early TB cases to government. This will enhance the accountability of the private players. If cannot provide free treatment, it needs to refer the patient to a government clinic. Identification, focusing, messaging and testing (IFMeT): Key to successful private-public partnerships to fight TB Strengthening research: We urgently require rapid and cost-effective point-of-care devices that can be deployed for TB diagnosis in different settings across the country. Additionally, new drug regimens are necessary for responding to the spread of drug-resistant strains as is an effective vaccine for preventing TB in adults. It is a big challenge in current times, which is due to irregular treatment. Operational research for optimising service delivery is also critical because it is often the case that diagnostics and drugs do not reach those who need them the most. TB with other disease like HIV is difficult to treat and the research needs to be strengthened in this field. The India TB Research and Development Corporation launched in 2016 must play a pivotal role in accelerating these efforts. Technology: Technology has to be introduced and utilized in the most effective manner to ensure early access and monitoring. Ending social stigma: TB is not a health issue alone. It is a broader societal challenge. Patients often hesitate to seek treatment or deny their condition altogether for fear of losing social standing. The consequence is that TB becomes a death sentence for many even though it is a fully curable illness. Women are disproportionately affected with estimates suggesting that 100,000 Indian women are asked to leave their homes every year after being diagnosed with TB. Mass awareness campaigns like ‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega’ can play an important role in breaking social taboos. Local communication channels such as community radios and street plays must also be leveraged. Children should be engaged through anganwadis and schools for disseminating accurate messages about TB to their families. Paediatric TB is often a neglected area. Children come from low socio-economic strata with social stigma and discrimination which needs to be de-stigmatised. Major initiatives taken by India– Shift to Daily regime of medication: With DOT Centres, the treatment will be at individual door level leading to no defaulter. Cash benefit for TB patients & Medical Practitioner: About 35 lakh identified Tuberculosis patients across the country will soon get Rs. 500 every month from the Centre as social support. The cash benefit for social support will cover loss of wages, travel and mainly nutrition. INR 500/- to the private medical practitioner for notification of the disease Will this work: Need to incentivise both the patients and the private practitioners as both the sides will ensure that they stand to gain from the treatment, which, in the long term, might lead to behavioural change. Web-based Application – Nikshay: To enable health functionaries at various levels across the country to monitor TB cases in their areas Patients receive daily SMSes to ensure they continue their medication. The medicines come with a toll free number that is visible only after the medicine has been taken out of the foil pack; patients are required to give the number a missed call. Every missed call is tracked, and when there are too many gaps, the patient is traced, often by treatment supervisors who travel to remote areas on bikes that the programme pays for. Introduction of Cartridge-Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT): It is a revolutionary rapid molecular test which simultaneously detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin drug resistance. This test is fully automated and provides results within two hours. It is a highly sensitive diagnostic tool and can be used in remote and rural areas without sophisticated infrastructure or specialised training. Note: March 24th is celebrated as World Tuberculosis Day 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.