Jun 6, 2019 IASbaba's OFFLINE CLASSES

FAQ’s: Integrated Learning Programme (ILP) OFFLINE -2020 Offline Classroom Programme- ADMISSION OPEN

FAQ’s: Integrated Learning Programme (ILP) OFFLINE -2020 Offline Classroom Programme- ADMISSION OPEN         Many had mailed can we take admission to IASbaba’s OFFLINE Classes now- Yes you can ! Enter your details here   REGISTRATION FORM Payment Link- CLICK HERE For complete Details about IASbaba's  ILP OFFLINE Classes -> CLICK HERE   What makes ILP (Offline) so special? Well! The answer to this question are many. But before we answer that question, let us tell you something about the values we believe in. Quality of guidance, sincerity in efforts and innovation in pedagogy are our core values. We strive hard to integrate these values in our packet of offerings to the student community, something that is clearly visible in our initiatives like ILP, AIPTS, C2C, TLP, DNA and so on. As a result of the success of these flagship initiatives, we started getting requests from many aspirants to move into the offline domain with similar quality, sincerity and innovation. In our effort to meet these demands, we came up with the offline classroom programme. The last three years of this programme have attracted students from different parts of the country (from 22 States) and the number of enrolments have been increasing year by year. This program is meant for those who have completed 0% of syllabus yet determined to succeed in the first attempt itself. Our flagship program ILP OFFLINE is designed to help freshers learn from first principles and build strong basics. This approach helped our students solve several confusing/ambiguous questions of Prelims 2017, 2018, 2019. We believe in smart work. Our classes and materials guide aspirants to get the best results with minimal time and effort. ILP Offline provides end to end integrated preparation with tests, discussions and quizzes modelled in the programme. Highly focused and minute module planning helps you to prepare your syllabus in an integrated manner by the end of March 2020. IASbaba shall be your friend, philosopher, guide and companion during your UPSC preparation. This unique and unparalleled programme will increase your chances manifold, provided you are sincere and highly dedicated. What separates a successful candidate from others is perseverance and that is what is required of you.   Basic Information about IASbaba’s OFFLINE Classes in FAQ format:   When will the classes start? 15th July 2019   Duration of the classes? Totally 15 months programme. It is an incentive-based programme. July – March (9 Months). If you clear Prelims, you will be able to access C2C Mentorship based Mains Answer Writing Programme (3 months) which is relevant for that year mains, followed by Interview Programme (3 Months). If you qualify prelims in the next year of your coaching you will be able to access that years C2C and subsequently Interview Programme   Is this Prelims-Mains-Interview Oriented Classes? Yes, it is an integrated program covering all the 3 Stages of UPSC Preparation. There will be special strategy classes for prelims and mains at appropriate time and Answer writing sessions held at regular intervals.   Will there be regular Tests (Prelims and Mains)? Both Prelims and Mains Tests will be held after the end of each module. Please check the Schedule. Assignments will be given and students have to complete it before attending the next class of the same subject. ILP for Fresher’s/Working Professionals ONLINE Programme 2020 will be given as a complimentary to students who join the Offline Programme. Here, you can access Prelims Test Series (50+ Tests which includes GS and CSAT), Current Affairs -Babapedia (Prelimspedia and Mainspedia), Value Added Notes (VAN).   Schedule : To Download the Schedule -> CLICK HERE   Faculty Profile : The Best part about IASbaba is Faculties are easily accessible. We have the best mentors for the programme who will guide you throughout with the best possible support. IAS/IPS/IRS rank holders, IIT, IIM NIT and RV College alumni who are extremely talented, experienced, dynamic, friendly and accessible who will be providing vastly superior inputs. Strategic classes will be taken by people in Service (IAS/IPS/IRS). Name of Faculty Qualification Teaching Subject Experience in Teaching YESHWANTH G V (Founder of IASbaba) IAS, 2010 Batch;  B- Tech - Electronics and Communication Engineering (NITK Surathkal). PGP - MBA (IIM Bangalore).   Polity, Economics Involved with teaching and mentoring students since 9 Years   MOHAN KUMAR. S (Founder of IASbaba)   B.E in Telecommunication R.V. College of Engineering Current Affairs, International Relations Involved with teaching and mentoring students since 7 Years TAUSEEF AHMAD (Founder of IASbaba) Masters in Chemistry from Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT Delhi) Science and Technology Environment   Involved with mentoring students since 4 Years     ATYAB ALI ZAIDI   B. Tech in Chemical Engineering from NIT, Allahabad. GS –Geography OPTIONAL- Geography Involved with teaching and mentoring students since 5 Years   HIMA BINDU   B.Tech from JNTU, Hyderabad Ancient, Medieval and Modern History; Art and Culture 5 years of experience in teaching History for UPSC Aspirants   POOVENDHAN A   Bachelor of Science IT – KSR college of Technology (Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu)  Post-Independence Involved with teaching and mentoring students since 5 Years   SUMANTH   MA Public Administration Economics 5 years of experience in teaching Economics for UPSC Aspirants   SANDEEP   MA in International Relations Published Paper’s in International Journals Ethics Involved with teaching and mentoring students since 7 Years   RAHUL SAIGAONKER   MTech from NIT-Surathkal, (MA Pol Sci). GS – Internal Security OPTIONAL- Political Science Involved with teaching and mentoring students since 4 Years   SHANTHILAL J   BE from BMS College of Engineering  Bangalore CSAT – Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, Comprehension 8 years of experience in teaching CSAT for UPSC Aspirants Exams Cleared – SBI PO,SSC CGL, IBPS PO DR. NC VAMSHI KRISHNA BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery ) from Sri Sai College of Dental Surgery, Vikarabad. PGDHA from Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences (Hyderabad). OPTIONAL- Sociology   Involved with teaching (Sociology)and mentoring students since 5 Years   P VISHNU VARDHAN M A Anthroplogy OPTIONAL-Anthropology   8 years of experience in teaching for UPSC Aspirants   DR.RAKESH. E.S MSc (Agricultural Science)PhD(Agricultural Extension Management )Alma mater-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New delhi OPTIONAL- Kannada Literature   Teaching Kannada literature Optional subject for UPSC from 2013 (7 Years)   **Serving Officers (IAS/IPS/IRS), have been taking classes on Pro-Bono for the Subjects mentioned below- Environment, World History, Science & Technology Prelims and Mains Strategic Classes   Weekday and Weekend Batch timings? There shall be five sessions every week. Each Session will be 2.5 - 3 hrs. Weekday batch shall have 1 session starting from 10 A.M everyday from Monday to Friday. Weekend batch will have 2 sessions on Saturday starting from 2:00 P.M. and 3 sessions on Sunday starting from 9:30 A.M. Weekday : 10 am – 12.30 noon (Monday – Friday) Weekend : 2pm- 7pm (Saturday) & 9.30 am- 5.30 pm (Sunday)   Where will the Classes be held? Venue: Classes would be conducted in Chandralayout (Weekday Batch) and Vijayanagar (Weekend Batch)   Will Optional Classes be conducted? Yes! For Sociology, Geography, Anthropology, Political Science, Kannada Literature. The Orientation for Optional Classes will be held in July 3rd Week and the Classes will begin on August 1st Week.   For complete Details about Optional Classes and Registration ->  CLICK HERE   Will there be any Extra-curricular activity? Yes, to inculcate the spirit of team work we have Baba Premier League (BPL) Cricket match.   Feedback about the Class:   Is there any Criteria or Eligibility for admission into the class? This program is meant for those who have completed 0% of syllabus yet determined to succeed in the first attempt itself. We do not have “X” criterion of the syllabus that needs to be completed and ‘X’ books to be read to join our programme. An aspirant with Basic English and Aptitude is all we are looking forward to. A FRESHER who has the passion, zeal and perseverance to clear the exam in his/her 1st attempt, one who is honest and dedicated to put in that extra effort can join our Offline Programme. There are many students who are in their final year of graduation who joined the weekend batch and are ready to ace. We believe in the practical transformation of an individual who has no skill and want to assist/impart the required skill in the process.   Mode of Admission: Just like the previous year, we are limiting the intake this time also in order to maintain the quality that we have always strived for. Your payment confirms your admission! Once the payment is done, you can take the print copy of online payment and come to centre along with 2 passport sized photographs, Aadhar card or 10th standard marks card and fill the application form.  (OR) You can visit any of the following centres for admissions or related enquiries: Vijayanagar Centre: 1737/ 37, MRCR Layout, Vijayanagar Service Road, Vijaynagar, Bengaluru-5660040 Chandra Layout Centre: No. 1443/1444, Above Carzspa, 80 Ft. Main Road, Ganapathi Circle, Chandra Layout, Bengaluru- 560040 You can also reach us on  Email id: offline@iasbaba.com  Mobile No.: 9035077800/7353177800 ( Office Timings: 10 am – 6 pm)     When is the last day to make the payment? Last Date to make payment is July 5th, 2019. However, since we take only limited admissions, it’s based on First-cum-First Serve basis. Once we reach the required number the admission closes for the year!   Where to make Online Payment? If you have sorted all your queries, you can directly register/pay through the payment link given below or visit our Office. Payment Link- CLICK HERE   What do we expect from you? Be regular to classes and be dedicated. Read relevant topics/pre-reads before coming to the session. Complete the assignments given by the faculty before coming to the next class. Make the best use of library - have regular discussions with both batchmates and seniors in reading room. Take tests regularly in the slots provided.   What to do until the class starts? Memorise the syllabus. (See - https://iasbaba.com/mind-map/) Read 2 newspapers regularly. (Our suggestion - The Hindu and The Economic Times) Follow Daily News Analysis and Current Affairs Quiz on IASbaba website. Read NCERT text books from class 6 to 10. Go through previous years’ question papers for both prelims and mains (See - https://iasbaba.com/upsc-mains-previous-year-question-papers/ )   We are also providing a set of Basic books for your reference. HISTORY Modern India NCERT – Class 8th (New) – ‘Our Pasts – III’ NCERT-Class 12th ‘Modern India’ (OLD) Tamil Nadu Edition- Class 12th OR Spectrum Modern India – Rajiv Ahir Reference Book: India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra; Plassey to Partition by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay Medieval India NCERT – Class 7th (New) –‘Our Pasts –II’ NCERT – Class 11th ‘Medieval India’ (OLD)- Satish Chandra Tamil Nadu Edition-Class 11th Ancient India NCERT– Class 11th ‘Ancient India’ (OLD)- R.S. Sharma NCERT– Class 12th ‘Themes in Indian History- Part I’ (NEW)- Chapters 1 to 6 Tamil Nadu Edition – Class 11th NOTE: Most part of ‘Culture’ section overlaps with Ancient and Medieval History. Apart from the above mentioned books, you can refer the below link for more information on Culture. You need to study CCRT Website –  CCRT ; Performing Arts and Literary Arts GEOGRAPHY NCERT Social Science, Class 6th (New) ‘The Earth Our Habitat’ NCERT Social Science, Class 7th (New) ‘Our Environment’ NCERT Social Science, Class 8th (New) ‘ Resource and Development’ NCERT Social Science, Class 9th (New) ‘Contemporary India’ NCERT Social Science, Class 10th (New) ‘Contemporary India-Part II’ NCERT – Class 11th (New) Fundamentals of Physical Geography India physical environment NCERT – Class 12th (New) Fundamentals of Human Geography India – People and Economy Atlas: Orient BlackSwan School Atlas (or) Oxford School Atlas Reference Book: Certificate Physical and Indian Geography – Goh Cheng Leong; OLD NCERT Geography – Class 11th and 12th (if you can find them  ) POLITY NCERT – 6th to 8th (for basic understanding) NCERT- Class 9th to 12th (for understanding more on democracy and federalism) Reference Book: Introduction to Indian Constitution – D.D.Basu ECONOMICS Macroeconomics- Class 12th , NCERT NCERT 11th – Indian Economic Development NCERT- Class 9th and 10th (for basics) SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NCERT – Biology – 11th (Unit IV & V only – read basic concepts not technical details) NCERT Biology – 12th (Chapters 4, 5 and rest from 7 to 16 – all important – read line by line except technical details) NCERT – Biology – 12th (OLD) – Chapter 9 onwards NCERT – Physics – 11th (Chap 1,5 & 8) and 12th (Chap 15 only) NCERT – Chemistry – 11th (Chap 1 & 14 only) and 12th (Chap 14 & 16 only) ENVIRONMENT ICSE Board- Environmental studies- Class 10th and 11th NCERT- Geography Books (in 6th to 12th there are lot of chapters on Environment) Reference material : Shankar IAS notes on Environment.   For complete Details about the Offline Classes -> CLICK HERE   Thank You IASbaba

Jun 6, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 5th June 2019 Archives (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. Better implementation of the Right to Education Act Background: In India, the right to education was made a fundamental right by inserting Article 21A by the Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002. It was enabled with the subsequent enactment of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009. However, its implementation has been a challenge for most States as they have discretion in how the Act gets implemented. No child left behind: The RTE Act bears many similarities to the U.S.’s No Child Left Behind Act, including school accountability, assessment standards and teacher training. Like the U.S., in India too States have been given major leeway in deciding the course of implementation. Section 12 (1) (c) of the Act mandates all private schools (except for minority schools) to allocate 25% of their seats to economically weaker sections, i.e. those families with an income of less than Rs. 2 lakh a year, and other disadvantaged groups like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the physically challenged. The State government will then reimburse these schools for students admitted under this provision, at an amount per month that is determined by the State rules. Issues to be addressed: A problem that recurs every year is mandated access to underprivileged sections of society. The process for admission under Section 12 (1) (c) is far from perfect. This is evident in the large number of vacancies in several cities in the country. For instance, on the last day of admissions under the RTE Act, under the first lottery there were 20,835 vacancies in Maharashtra. Despite the use of GIS tagging, several parents complain that the system is faulty in identifying nearby schools. Financial problems continue to mar the system — many schools collect money for textbooks and uniform though this is part of the State-stipulated fees. This is a chain reaction: the Centre is supposed to release up to 70% of the funds for this programme which is often delayed. While moving the system online has led to transparency, in many States the management committee as per the RTE Act has not been notified. RTE rules also state that unfilled seats can be filled again in September but governments have no conspicuous public announcements regarding this. There have also been several grievances regarding the ‘1 km radius’ criterion, especially for rural residents who may not have any private schools in their vicinity. Leading by the example: Tamil Nadu, which has always been at the forefront of educational progress in India, has made certain strides in the implementation of Section 12 (1) (c). It has widened the ambit of “disadvantaged sections” to include HIV positive children and transgenders. A centralised database has been created by the State where people can access all the matriculation (State board) schools in the State which lie within 1 km of their residence. Another notification has been issued to bring all schools affiliated to boards other than State boards under the control of its Director of School Education for RTE implementation. Going forward: The procedure for admission should be made through a single-point window online for all school boards, with computer kiosks to assist parents who may not be able to fill the form online. A mobile application should be built with live information on the number of seats available in each school under the 25% quota. An RTE compliance audit should be conducted for all schools every year by the State Education Department. Any aid given to private schools must be tied to the levels of compliance achieved by the school. Several schools do not adhere to the 25% quota. These schools should be penalised and derecognised if continuous violations occur. Every school should declare prominently that it is RTE compliant — and the admission procedure, including deadlines, should be displayed at the school premises. On the government side of things, funds need to be released in a timely manner, so that it inspires confidence in schools to fill all the vacancies. Conclusion: Section 12 (1) (c) of the RTE Act recognises the need for inclusion, and explicitly establishes responsibility on all stakeholders to contribute towards this goal. Its only after all the stakeholders involved work in cooperation and in true spirit that the RTE Act will serve its purpose. Connecting the dots: Complications related to various provisions of the RTE Act need to be addressed in order to ensure that education in India become inclusive. Elucidate. NATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.  The draft National Education Policy, 2019 In news: The draft National Education Policy, 2019 is out in the public domain, with comments sought from all stakeholders. Drawing inputs from the T.S.R. Subramanian Committee report and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), the K. Kasturirangan Committee has produced a document that is comprehensive, far-sighted and grounded in realities. Unique features of the policy: The draft policy seeks to revamp all aspects of the sector and suggests brave new ideas. The idea that lifelong education is based on four pillars — learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be — has inspired the committee to cover every aspect of the education sector: school, higher, vocational and adult education. It also includes the whole gamut of professional education — engineering, medicine, agriculture, law, etc. Early childhood education: In school education, the idea is to cover children of 3-18 years [instead of the present 6-14 years under the Right to Education (RTE) Act], three years under early childhood care and education (ECCE) and four years under secondary education. Restructuring the 10+2 education structure into a 5+3+3+4 structure so that the five years from ages three to seven or till the end of Std 2 are seen as one “foundational stage”. The next two stages, of three years each, are “preparatory” and “upper primary”, first ensure the acquisition of foundational skills and then their development. These stages are not only consistent with the development of children, but they are also useful to meet the overall goal of ensuring basic learning outcomes stage-by-stage. Higher education: The aim is to double the Gross Enrolment Ratio from 25% to 50% by 2035 and make universities the hubs of research. - Tier I universities/institutions devoted primarily to research and some teaching. - Tier 2 universities devoted to teaching and some research,. - Tier 3 institutions comprising mainly colleges that are to be converted gradually into degree-giving autonomous institutions. Achieve ‘universal foundational literacy and numeracy’ through initiatives like the National Tutors Programme and the Remedial Instructional Aides Programme. Introduction of school complexes, a system of modular Board Examinations to allow flexibility, setting up Special Education Zones in disadvantaged regions, recognising teachers at the heart of the system, moving teacher education into the university system, and stressing the importance of learning new languages are among the key recommendations. The policy recommends community and volunteer participation in collaboration with schools to overcome the current crisis. Schools generally work in isolation from the community they serve. The policy recognises the crucial importance of liberal arts (it recommends setting up five Indian Institutes of Liberal Arts offering four-year courses) and the study of modern and classical languages (it recommends setting up National Institutions for Pali, Prakrit and Persian). It proposes separate institutions for regulation, funding, standard setting and accreditation, a National Research Foundation, and a Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog/ National Education Commission. Vocational education, meant for 50% of the students, is sought to be integrated with school and higher education. Challenges in implementation: Doubling of public funding to 6% of the GDP and increasing overall public expenditure on education to 20% from the current 10%. This is desirable but does not appear to be feasible in the near future given that most of the additional funding has to come from the States. Though innovative financing schemes have been proposed, involving the private sector, how those schemes will shape up remains to be seen. Expanding coverage under the RTE Act is extremely important, but should be introduced gradually, keeping in mind the quality of infrastructure and teacher vacancies. The idea of regulation being brought under the National Higher Education Regulatory Authority, standard setting under the General Education Council and funding under the Higher Education Grants Council may require a revisit so that there is synchronisation with the current Bill for the Higher Education Commission of India. Language issues have to be handled sensitively in view of their emotional overtones, as witnessed recently. Conclusion: The “learning crisis” is very deep. The education system — public and private — has been deteriorating rapidly and has affected the quality of our human resources. If this trend is not reversed, the dysfunctional system will become more and more expensive but will not deliver the goods. It will require a huge commitment and conviction to make it happen. Connecting the dots: Discuss unique features of the draft National Education Policy, 2019. Also comment on the challenges in implementation of suggested recommendations. MUST READ Decolonising the Chagos archipelago The Hindu  Low tactics: on Indian embassy’s Iftar party in Islamabad The Hindu Making science accessible The Hindu  Fixing the education system Indian Express

Jun 6, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 4th June 2019 Archives (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC: General studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Structural reforms for tackling economic slowdown Background: Economic slowdown: Official estimates released recently show GDP growth slowed to a five-year low of 6.8% in 2018-19, even as the unemployment rate rose to a 45-year high of 6.1% in 2017-18. Agriculture gross value added (GVA) growth is estimated at negative 0.1% and manufacturing GVA growth at 3.1% in the January-March quarter. The economy is struggling with an investment and a manufacturing slowdown, rural distress, unremunerative farm incomes, stagnating exports, a banking and financial mess and a jobs crisis. Sales figures from fast moving goods makers and continuing production cuts at car manufacturers confirm that consumption spending have slowed. The economic priority for the new government ought to be credible course correction in policy — its formulation, articulation and the setting of goals. Reforms taken in past: Structural reforms — spanning an overhaul of labour and land policies and a much-needed manufacturing push, ‘Make In India’, for absorbing the slack from the farms — had been abandoned by the end of 2015. The initial energy and enthusiasm gave way to misadventures such as demonetisation and the poorly designed rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. The decrepit public banking system and the problems of the financial sector received little policy attention. Even the insolvency and bankruptcy reform, a sound economic reform, that got rolled out rather gradually and tentatively is already in danger of getting diluted. The Constitution was hurriedly amended for rolling out reservations based on economic criteria and that fiscal giveaways for middle class Indians and farmers dominated the Interim Budget presented in February without considering the magnitude of the challenge on the economic front. Way ahead:  Generating sustainable livelihoods: Public provision of toilets, cooking gas connections and dwellings or Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) wage jobs and income supplement schemes are temporary sources of relief. They are not an economic growth model or strategies for reducing poverty. They can help the poor survive by providing meagre resources for subsistence. Reducing poverty needs economic growth to generate sustainable livelihoods for the poor. And this cannot be remedied by redistributive taxation policies alone. The government’s ‘Make In India’ strategy was a step in the right direction, and needs to be revived. Done right, it can absorb the slack from the farms. Few organised sector jobs get generated in India because industries prefer capital-intensive production despite the economy’s relative abundance of low-wage labour. If production were less capital-intensive, more organised sector jobs would be created. Plus, labour’s bargaining power would improve. The government needs to take up the backlog of economic reforms pending since the first burst in the 1990s. For the role they play in jobs creation, smaller firms ought to be incentivised with easy credit and taxation norms. Data collection Lastly, no evolution of the policy paradigm will be possible if the crisis of credibility in the collection, estimation and presentation of official statistics is not addressed appropriately. Conclusion: The new government must leverage the public trust voters have placed in it to get the economy on track. Structural reforms with meticulous planning and proper implementation will help. Connecting the dots: Official data shows India is facing an economic slowdown. Structural reforms ensuring more job creation will help. Elucidate. NATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Development processes and the development industry- the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. NREGA 3.0: Part I Background: In the run up to the elections, a plethora of redistributive programmes, including farm loan waivers, cash transfers and minimum income guarantees came to the forefront as campaigners sought to suggest solutions for rural distress. Amongst these is a proposal to launch a revised NREGA 3.0, in which 150 days of employment would be guaranteed to the rural poor. Almost 15 years after it was enacted, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) its time we analyse its impact on the poor. What does the NREGA intend to do? Enacted as a legal right, the NREGA’s primary goal is social protection for the most vulnerable. India has had relative success with workfare, with the Maharashtra Employment Guarantee Scheme being the most important precursor to the NREGA. The primary advantage of workfare programmes over farm loan waivers, cash transfers and minimum income programmes is that the poor self-select themselves into the programme, thus reducing the identification costs. The ability of a programme to parsimoniously target the ultra-poor without elaborate means testing is critical for its long-term success, particularly when fiscal resources are scarce. Crucially, the most basic tenet of the NREGA — its self-targeting mechanism — does work. Poorer and disadvantaged households are more likely to seek NREGA work. Issue of demand-supply gap: In practice, however, not all those who demand NREGA work receive it. In 2009/10, almost half the households in rural India wanted NREGA jobs but only a quarter received them, according to estimates by Liu and Barrett (2016). More recently, employment provided under NREGA in 3,500 panchayats in 2017/18 was a third less than that demanded. Impact of NREGA on poverty: Three available national counterfactual-based studies show modest increases in household per capita expenditures and consumption in the first few years of the programme, the picture is entirely different for marginalised groups, who have benefited greatly due to NREGA. A study shows Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe recipients increased their real monthly per capita expenditure by 37 per cent in the lean season of 2008, cutting poverty by almost half. Likewise, state-level studies show NREGA favours the most disadvantaged. The poorest SC/ST households and those with a disabled member saw higher growth in consumption and nutritional intake in the short-run, and in the medium-term, substantially increased their non-financial assets. In Bihar, a study estimates that NREGA reduced poverty by roughly 1 percentage point in 2009. Reducing vulnerability: Aside from its impact on the poorest, NREGA also plays a critical role in reducing vulnerability. Research indicates that NREGA provides employment after an adverse rainfall shock, enables workers to smoothen their consumption with variations in rainfall, and reduces risk during the lean season. Conclusion: Despite been severely rationed, NREGA acts, as per its mandate, as a very desirable social protection mechanism amongst the most disadvantaged classes. Compared to other proposals on the table, NREGA efficiently allows the most disadvantaged to spur their consumption in times of rural distress. As a new administration weighs policy options at a time of rural unemployment and weakening consumption, pre-monsoon, it would be prudent to substantially ramp up NREGA so all those who demand jobs, receive them. Connecting the dots: NREGA provides a vital safety net and the dignity of rightful employment to those who are most vulnerable. MUST READ The sum and substance of job data The Hindu  Crisis defused The Hindu A rocky road for strategic partners The Hindu The changing idea of a university The Hindu The sum and substance of the job data The Hindu

Jun 5, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 3rd June 2019 Archives (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL/ECONOMY TOPIC: General studies 2 and 3 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.   Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Making India energy robust Introduction: India faces a variety of challenges related to energy and environment. Below are some initiatives that the next government could contemplate early on its term. Initiatives to make India energy robust: (On the policy front) Integrating energy and environment policy: This will help doing away with the current siloed approach to energy policy and enable the new government to view the sector through an integrated and holistic lens. It could more easily track and evaluate the systemic implications of changes in any one or more component variable. An “Energy and Environment Security Act” should be passed at the earliest possible opportunity. The objective of such an act should be to bring energy and environment into the national narrative; to set out the road map for managing and mitigating the emergent challenge of balancing economic development and energy demands with the goal of environmental protection; and, to mobilise public support for the policy and regulatory changes required to hasten the transition to a non-fossil fuel based energy system. Decarbonisation, demand management and efficiency should be the watchwords of the new government’s energy policy. The focus should be on generating electricity from solar and wind, incentivising electric vehicles, curtailing diesel consumption in agriculture, enforcing standards and emission norms, redesigning buildings and factories to make them carbon neutral and influencing behavioural change towards energy conservation. The “clean energy fund” which is currently funded through a cess on coal production should be augmented through the issuance of “green bonds” and a clean energy tax. This is to intensify research and development on clean energy technologies (battery storage, carbon capture and sequestration, hydrogen, coal gasification, modular nuclear reactors, etc.) and to fund the transmission and distribution infrastructure required for absorbing the flow of clean energy. The fund is currently managed by the ministry of finance. It should be managed by those who have domain expertise. Energy data is scattered across various government departments. This hinders policy and investment. The new government should establish an integrated energy data centre, whose data should be regularly updated and made available to all players on commercial terms. On International front: Energy diplomacy: The levers of energy and, in particular, oil policy, are today in the hands of autocratic leaders. The local actions of leaders now have global, supply-related ramifications. The new government should, therefore, look to develop a specialised cadre of “energy diplomats.” Unshackling the energy public sector units from intrusive bureaucratic oversight will enable their management to respond with agility to unexpected market developments. Establishing strong personal relations with the leaders of oil exporting states. Increasing domestic capabilities: Intensifying exploration and enhancing recovery: The government should replace the current revenue-sharing model with a production-sharing model for new exploration. It should link investment in the marginal and smaller discovered fields with access to the domestic retail market. It should contemplate bidding out Mumbai High and other major producing oil and gas fields to international players with proven enhanced oil recovery technologies. The current recovery rates of production from these fields are well below the global average. Increasing competition: Coal India Limited (CIL) is a major producer of coal but faces huge legacy issues (labour unions, mafia, politics and organisation) which constrain its ability to fully and efficiently harness the country’s indigenous coal reserves. The new government can allow private sector companies into commercial coal mining. The consequent pressure of competition will bear positively on the performance of CIL. Natural gas: Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) should be unbundled into a monopoly gas pipeline company. It should be divested of its upstream (production/ re-gassification of LNG) and downstream (petrochemicals) operations. The “common access” principle must be fairly enforced. Every player, private or public, must have equal access to gas pipelines. The price of gas should be determined on the basis of market and competitive principles. A gas trading hub should be expeditiously established. Special energy courts should be established to expedite adjudication of disputes and ensure sanctity of contracts. Connecting the dots: India faces a variety of challenges related to energy and environment. In order to make India energy robust actions needs to be taken on policy front. Comment. INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2  India and the World International Relations Policies of developed and developing countries and their impact on India’s interests Indian Economy and related issues India and RCEP Background: India’s participation in the mega-trade agreement, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has long been debated. If finalised, the RCEP will result in the largest free trade bloc in the world accounting for 25 per cent of global GDP and 30 per cent of world trade. Issues: India’s trade deficits with nations have always widened after signing free-trade-agreements (FTAs) with them, citing the cases with ASEAN, Japan, Korea, and Singapore, most of which are RCEP nations. It has also been pointed out that India’s vulnerable agriculture and dairy sectors, which are not in positions to compete with Australia and New Zealand, will be exposed to vagaries of global trade. Indian manufacturing is not competitive enough to face the vagaries of a free trade regime. Even after 27 years of liberalisation, inefficiency prevails due to a host of unimplemented reforms in the product and the factor markets. On the factor side, labour market reforms are incomplete. Labour productivity in manufacturing is still one of the lowest in the world with spatially fragmented labour laws are escalating the costs of doing business. Given this, Indian industry is hardly in a position to compete in the level-playing ground in a free-trade region. Differences: India apprehends that, given its $60-billion trade deficit with China, the RCEP demand to reduce tariffs on 90 per cent of the traded goods to zero will have a disastrous effect on its already struggling MSME sector. India is especially apprehensive about Chinese goods swamping its market, forcing domestic producers to cut production or shut down. India has expressed its reservations over inclusion of e-commerce in the RCEP talks. The RCEP draft is opposed to data localisation, while India fears the monopoly power of digital giants which includes the likes of Tencent and Alibaba. ASEAN+3: India could be out of the mega trade deal (RCEP). China has started pushing for a free trade pact between ASEAN + 3 (which includes the ten-member ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea). This would effectively mean that among the 16 countries negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), all except India, Australia and New Zealand would get included in the proposed pact. China may be trying to push for an ASEAN + 3 arrangement to speedily create a new order in the region with itself at the helm to counter the challenge posed by the US with which it is engaged in a trade war. Conclusion: India’s trade diplomacy needs to be reviewed, with both the US and China applying pressure to secure access to its markets. The earlier multilateral consensus has collapsed. India must support exporters through WTO-compatible means in these uncertain times. Connecting the dots: India’s participation in the mega-trade agreement, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has long been debated. Discuss the issues around it. MUST READ Why minorities feel alienated in India The Hindu As demand slows down Indian Express

Jun 5, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 1st June 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 1st June 2019 Archives (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC: General studies 2 and 3 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Economic Reforms 2.0 Introduction: The BJP now has an overwhelming majority in the Lok Sabha, hopes have picked up again of a radical reorganisation of the economy that improves the “collective good”. There is a long list of reforms that often appear on wish-lists, each discussed for decades. For example, the problems of the railways have been repeatedly documented, their criticality for the economy highlighted, and suggestions for ending the government’s monopoly, splitting it, corporatising it, listing it or privatising it have been made. Administrative reforms were first discussed more than five decades ago. India’s laggard manufacturing has similarly dominated economic literature and the voices of commentators for a long time. The challenges of power distribution: Notoriously inefficient state-government monopolies; or on agriculture, where India’s workforce remains disproportionately large. Moving towards conclusion: There are a few areas where significant background work has been done, and the process needs to move towards conclusion. Labour reforms: More than 40 laws with often contradictory clauses are to be replaced by four new laws (or codes); The first of these (the code on wages) now needs to be legislated. The code on labour could be next. There are some long-standing issues like urban infrastructure and affordable housing where intent has been shown and efforts made, but with limited success so far: Continued focus would be of the essence. The realisation in the past few years that there is scope for significant improvement in the abysmally low direct tax to GDP ratio also needs to see some follow-through. Recent challenges: India’s growing dependence on imported energy: One cannot grow economically without consuming more dense forms of energy, and India either does not have domestic sources of dense energy, or does a poor job in extracting and using them. As a result, import dependency is rising, creating growth risks. PSUs dominated financial systems: The government tried to privatise PSUs by selling the shares to private banks and NBFCs. This had worked (even if unintentionally) in airlines and telecom, but once the NBFCs growth slowed due to a funding crunch, the problems in this approach have become obvious. The recent economic slowdown is perhaps worsened by a lack of financial capacity in the system: A decisive approach on the financial architecture in India is necessary. Slowing foreign capital inflows: Total capital inflows as a share of GDP last year fell back to 2002 levels, and can become a cap on economic growth. The objective should not just be to attract more foreign capital, as it can cause undesirable volatility, but to prudently assess which risks are worth taking, given the changing domestic and global environments. Better measurement and transparency: Everyone being on the same page on where our fiscal deficits are, where our growth is, and if we are creating enough jobs, is important. Even if some of the distrust on growth metrics is politically generated, there is no doubt that the Indian economy is very hard to measure, and that the time spent debating whether the economy is growing or not is a waste. Challenges: Reforms are disruptive, and the more radical ones almost by definition involve uncertainty. Issues in execution can imperil even the best intended changes. Given that reforms use up political capital, or goodwill of the masses, it is tempting to target incremental improvement. Even steps that improve the “collective good” have interest groups that would lose economic power. The losers can exert more pressure in the near term than the beneficiaries whose gains can be more diffuse. Conclusion: Spending the political capital earned by the new government to push through some long pending decisions will act as a stimulus for our economy. Connecting the dots: Various economic reforms have been taken in recent times; the process needs to move towards conclusion. In the same light the recent challenges need to be tackled with in order to make Indian economy robust. Comment. AGRICULTURE/ECONOMY TOPIC: General studies 2 and 3 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies Agri Reforms 2.0 Background: Series of reforms such as e-NAM and the price deficiency payments scheme to deal with farmers’ distress over falling prices were introduced by the last government. The Centre, taking a leaf out of States such as Telangana and Odisha, introduced income support, indicating a paradigmatic shift in the direction of farm support policy. Key Issues and Solutions: Issues of overproduction: A statistical analysis points out that farming has become drought-resilient, with food and horticulture output rising since 2015-16, despite a succession of below-normal or deficient monsoons. The output of milk, fish and eggs have increased sharply over the last decade. Farmers’ income has not improved because of- The absence of demand. Absence of supply chain that can ensure viable farm gate prices while reaching the produce in time to the consumer. Solutions: Agri-marketing reforms need to be foregrounded, going beyond the e-NAM initiative. Measures to promote self-sufficiency in crucial crops such as pulses from a nutritional point of view need to be kept up. Pulses are a big plus for soil fertility and for their low water requirements. The sharp spurt in horticulture output should be sustained by improvements in marketing channels as well as in crop insurance. It is possible to introduce product differentiation in crop insurance schemes. Cold storages need more attention than ever before with rising horticulture potential. The state of food processing parks needs to be reviewed. It should also be ensured that all States implement the Model Agricultural Produce and Livestocks Marketing Act, 2017, and encourage investments in agri-processing. Doing away with APMC yards, without anything to take their place, is not a good idea as Bihar’s experience has shown. Low export growth: Despite record-high food production, policy mis-management has seen agri imports growing at 9.8 per cent CAGR in the last five years while exports growth has been muted at 1.1 per cent CAGR. Institutional reforms such as creation of farmers’ producers organisations can help in breaking credit, logistics and marketing bottlenecks. Centre should come up with long-term policies on exports and imports that help producers deal with non-tariff barriers. Inappropriate crop choices: Subsidies for paddy and cane in rainfed regions, such as free electricity, have led to inappropriate crop choices. The Centre must adopt a holistic approach towards water management and agriculture. Haryana’s incentive scheme for shifting away from paddy is worth emulating. Conclusion: The Centre is on the right track in its farm policies; its policy mix needs to be fine-tuned. Continuity in income support and workable agri-marketing policies are called for. Connecting the dots: While multiple reforms have been taken keep agricultural sector as a priority, more needs to be done. Comment. MUST READ Outlining the first 100 days The Hindu A recipe for growth Indian Express

Jun 2, 2019 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Passion & Success – Inspirational Educative Articles

Passion & Success: Success and failure are two interwoven threads that make up the fabric of life. It is impossible to succeed without failing and it is impossible to fail without aiming to succeed. Success and failure are two faces of the same coin; one cannot exist without the other. If failure is such an integral part of life, then what makes it easier to handle failures? It is said that real failure is when you quit. As long as one is striving, there is always a possibility of success. So in this sense failure is simply the moment when one decides to quit. There should be something integral in the attitude of an individual that makes him accept failure as a part of life and keep striving; the differentiating integral factor is passion. When an individual is passionate about doing or achieving something, failure is simply a minor distraction. When your vision is absolutely crystal clear and you are passionate about achieving it, then failures simply become stepping stones to move on. Most people fail not because they are uniquely disadvantaged with failure; they fail because they didn’t have enough passion to pursue a certain path to its completion, irrespective of multiple failures. If we do not accept failure as a part of life and invest our passions in what we are doing, we will always be intimidated by failures. There is no other bigger differentiating factor between two individuals pursuing a certain path other than passion. Passion is the most important invisible force that shapes a life. It is passion that helps us to solve problems and think creatively. It is passion that gives us the strength to jump over obstacles. It is only passion that can keep us going on a longer run. Without passion, you can achieve some momentary success just as a matter of luck. But without a burning passion to do something, you will never be able to sustain yourself on a longer run. Success is not a sprint, it is a marathon and passion is the fuel that can keep you going. Invest in a long term approach where you are motivated and passionate about achieving something. Spend as much time as possible in revisiting your passion and keeping it alive. One of the most difficult things to do is maintaining the same level of energy and enthusiasm even after repeated failures. There is no rocket science to success. The formula is very simple. Passion multiplied by effort is equal to success. The more the passion, the lesser is the effort needed to succeed. When passion and effort come together, then success is an absolute certainty. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Inner-Revolution and IASBABA.”

Jun 1, 2019 Motivational Articles

MOTIVATION And ALL INDIA MOCK TEST 2 RESULT: It’s just another Sunday!

MOTIVATION And ALL INDIA MOCK TEST 2 RESULT: It’s just another Sunday!   Finally the day has come. Tomorrow you will enter the examination hall with high hopes, riding on your preparation, with an intention to make every moment count. Tomorrow is the day when your intellect, wisdom and skills are tested by UPSC. As your friend, mentor and guide, IASbaba has few suggestions for you:   Don’t get overwhelmed by the occasion. For everyone else, it’s just another Sunday. Your destiny won’t depend on this day alone. Take the exam just like you did in your school days when you hardly bothered about the results. Enjoy the process, give your best and hold no expectation. Please don’t overthink. At the end of the day, it’s another exam. You need to answer what is asked and not get too involved into the thinking of the paper setter behind the questions. If you have prepared well, your first instinct would be correct most of the times. Just because it’s an exam conducted by UPSC, it doesn’t mean that the questions HAVE to be tricky and confusing. Condition your mind and soul. Relax, take rest and meditate to attain a calm state of mind. Don’t be overexcited or over enthused. A stable and calm mind performs better than a highly anxious or excited one. Condition your body. Take proper sleep tonight, drink a lot of water (since its burning heat in most of India), take light food and wear comfortable clothes. Even the most brilliant of minds can’t perform if the body isn’t in proper shape. Don’t think about the cut off during the examination. Give your best and let UPSC decide the cut off. Go to the exam hall with a neutral mindset (without any assumptions). Never discuss the paper during the break. You will have ample time after the second paper to discuss the soul out of the papers.   What you are today is the aggregate of your efforts and hard work that you have put in during the last few months. This is the best version of you, until of course it is overtaken by a better version of yours in the days to come. However, let your present version take on the challenge with full vigour and confidence. It simply means, don’t doubt yourself. If you doubt yourself today, it will count as a betrayal to your self esteem and sincerity. You and only you have the ability to crack this examination and therefore, trust your preparation, have faith in your instincts and let your intelligence perform without any pressure.   MUST READ (MOTIVATION : PRELIMS 2019) – All Possible Scenarios-Where Do You Fall in Exam? The Problem of Benchmarking: How to avoid the most vital blunder in Civil Services Preliminary (CSP) Examination?   ALL INDIA MOCK TEST 2 (Civil Services Exam (Preliminary) Exam 2019 RESULTS -  CLICK HERE (Total students who gave GS test – 5 ,138; CSAT - 1,003. Ignore the marks with 180+)   All the best ! IASbaba Team

Jun 1, 2019 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance: Book Review – A New Earth – Eckhart Tolle

A New Earth: Eckhart Tolle A New Earth is a fascinating vision of Eckhart Tolle for the future of humanity. A vision filled with hope, inclusive consciousness, oneness and awakening. The world needs this book now more than ever before. In times of decreasing trust and increasing conflicts, this book is an eye opener. Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher with a mission and purpose to help individuals awaken to their true purpose. His books are educative and fascinating to read. After the phenomenal success of “Power of Now” “A New Earth” is his new offering in nudging the world a little closer towards spirituality. Eckhart is in a way a new age guru. A real spiritual teacher is one who offers a message that is true and beneficial to people. Eckhart Tolle might not look like a typical spiritual teacher but his message is extraordinarily relevant. A New Earth will open a new world of possibilities for your inner spiritual journey. All of us at some point in time should look inward to understand our lives better. This book will certainly help you in your self introspection.

May 31, 2019 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Awareness and Cure for Haemophilia

Awareness and Cure for Haemophilia ARCHIVES Search 17th April, 2019 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General studies 2 Health 17th April: World Haemophilia Day What is hemophilia? Haemophilia is a mostly inherited genetic disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, a process needed to stop bleeding. This results in people bleeding longer after an injury, easy bruising, and an increased risk of bleeding inside joints or the brain. Because of the genetics involved in the way the sex of a child is determined, men are more vulnerable to haemophilia than women. It cannot be caught or transmitted except through inheritance but can sometimes occur when there is no family history of Hemophilia. About one third of new cases are caused by a new mutation of the gene in the mother or the child. In these cases, there is no previous history of hemophilia in the family. Women who have the hemophilia gene are called carriers, and they can pass it on to their children. If not diagnosed early, the repeated bleeding into joints, bones muscles may lead to synovitis, arthritis and permanent joint deformities. The bleeding itself can lead to wasting and atrophy of muscles. Boys and girls The sex of an individual is determined by a pair of “sex chromosomes” (a chromosome is a DNA molecule that contains genetic information). Females are identified with an XX pair of sex chromosomes, and males with an XY pair. When an X chromosome from the mother pairs up with the father’s X chromosome, the offspring is XX (female); when an X chromosome from the mother pairs up with the father’s Y chromosome, the offspring in XY (male). Haemophilia is caused by a defect in the X chromosome. If a girl is born with one defective X chromosome, her other X chromosome can compensate for it. In such a case, she is a carrier of haemophilia but will not suffer from the condition herself. Only if both her X chromosomes are defective will she suffer from haemophilia herself. On the other hand, if a boy is born with a defective X chromosome, he does not have the second X chromosome to compensate for it, and will suffer from haemophilia. That is the reason haemophilia is more common among men. Haemophilia in India It is a rare disorder worldwide — one type, called Haemophilia A, occurs in about 1 in 5,000 births, while Haemophilia B is even rarer at about 1 in about 20,000 births. A vast number of cases, however, are believed to go unreported, particularly in India. According to the World Federation of Haemophilia’s Annual Global Survey 2017, released in October 2018, there were over 1.96 lakh persons living with haemophilia across the world in 2017. In the country-wise data, India emerges with the highest count at nearly 19,000. 80% cases go unregistered, so that the actual count is close to 2 lakh. Diagnosis India is fast progressing in the field of hemophilia treatment but the core problem is of diagnosis. Tests for diagnosing Hemophilia are not expensive and can be done at district hospitals. There are two types of tests – Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT) Test and Prothrombin Time (PT) Test. The PT and APTT screenings are blood tests that show if the blood is clotting properly. Currently the only challenge is about screening which has a huge gap in the rural parts of India. Management The key to leading a better life with hemophilia is early detection and condition management and the responsibility for that lies with the parents. There is no cure for haemophilia, only management. The disorder can be managed by infusion of clotting factor, using medicines to promote clots and healing, avoiding bleeding, exercising regularly, avoiding contact sports, maintaining good dental hygiene and following safe practices. Medical management of the condition includes infusing blood clotting factor concentrates into the body to prevent bleeding. This is called prophylactic therapy and is administered on the basis of the patient’s weight. It also entails giving injections to the patient whenever they bleed, also called on demand prophylactic therapy. The efficacy of the medicine, contained in vials, is measured in units. Note: ‘Royal disease’: Britain’s Queen Victoria (1819-1901) is the world’s most widely known carrier of haemophilia. From her, the condition spread among a number of European royal families, which is why haemophilia was once known as the “royal disease”. Victoria passed on a defective X chromosome to three of her children. Her son Prince Leopold died at age 30 as a result of loss of blood after injury. Leopold’s daughter, Princess Alice of Albany, was a carrier whose son inherited haemophilia and died at age 21. von Willebrand disease (vWD) is another genetic bleeding disorder in which patients are prone to frequent bleeding such as nosebleeds, bleeding gums, and excessive menstrual periods. Unlike hemophilia, vWD affects men and women equally. Like hemophilia, the severity of vWD depends upon the level of the blood protein. The lower the level of protein in the blood, the more severe is the bleeding.

May 31, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 31st May 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 31st May 2019 Archives (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL/POLITY TOPIC: General studies 2 Refugee issue; Citizenship Amendment Bill. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes. Bill of Rights Background: Towards the end of the previous government’s tenure, a number of controversial bills were introduced in Parliament.  In the social sphere, the government introduced the Transgender Bill, the Surrogacy Bill, and the Trafficking Bill. In each of the cases, the draft legislation was — correctly — introduced with the aim of addressing an existing lacuna in the legal landscape. However, when it came to the content of these bills, consultation with impacted communities was effectively eschewed, and the result was a set of drafts that, far from protecting rights, actively harmed them. Unsurprisingly, therefore, the draft bills were met with a spate of objections and protests. The Transgender Bill: It did away with the fundamental and non-negotiable principle — and one recognised by the Supreme Court in its NALSA judgment — of the right to self-determination of gender identity. Instead, it placed such decisions in the hands of government-appointed committees, extending state control over gender identities rather than liberating or emancipating them. It also contained deeply suspect provisions on gender reassignment surgery.  The Surrogacy Bill: It excluded LGBT individuals from its ambit (despite their recognition as equal citizens under the Constitution by the Supreme Court). It imposed discriminatory age restrictions upon men and women. Also entirely outlawing “commercial” surrogacy (instead of regulating it with appropriate safeguards) opened up space for underground and unreported exploitation of women, effectively creating a black market.  The Trafficking Bill: It criminalised begging without providing any manner of effective alternatives and failed to distinguish between non-consensual trafficking and consensual sex work. It thus opened the door to criminalising livelihoods on the basis of what was effectively a set of narrow, moral objections. The Citizenship Bill: Advertised as a measure for benefiting the vulnerable and the marginalised, the bill would have granted fast-track to citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries, who were Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians — but not Muslims. This was, at a very basic level, illogical and self-contradictory, apart from being clearly discriminatory on grounds of religion: the examples of the Ahmadiyyas and the Baloch in Pakistan make it clear that, just like any other identity, there are communities of Muslims in neighbouring countries who face persecution on the basis of their religious beliefs. Strong movements in the northeastern States — concerned both about the demographic consequences and the anti-secular nature of the bill — ultimately forced the government to not go through with the legalisation. National Register of Citizens: It presumes that the people living in India are interlopers, unless they prove otherwise. The last government was planning to implement it pan-India.  Such a move would be a nightmare of administration and implementation, as the example from Assam has shown. There has been considerable — and continuing — confusion over the methods and form of identity that one can use to “prove” one’s citizenship (including “family trees”, which have been found to have a disproportionate impact upon vulnerable and minority claimants). The overlapping functions of the NRC process and the Foreigners Tribunals have added to the confusion. Core problem: Each of the bills dealt with intimate subjects such as individuals’ decisions of what to do with their body, personal dignity and autonomy, and gender identity. They concerned the rights of some of the most vulnerable and marginalised members of our society. They were drafted without adequately consulting with, or listening to, the members of the communities who were impacted. Instead of guaranteeing and securing the rights of these communities to be free from state interference, they extended the state’s control and domination. They were met by extensive and widespread protests from the communities themselves. What lies ahead? While the government is entitled to frame policies, and draft and implement legislation to enact those policies, there are certain constraints upon how it should go about that task. At the minimum, the voices of those who will be directly impacted by the policy should be listened to and engaged with in good faith. The basic constitutional principles and values ought to be respected. Connecting the dots: In the social sphere, the Transgender Bill, the Surrogacy Bill, and the Trafficking Bill were introduced by the last government. Discuss basic issues with each one of them. Also highlight the importance of engaging with the stakeholders and following basic constitutional principle before re-drafting these bills. NATIONAL/ECONOMY TOPIC: General studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Measuring Employment in India Introduction: Modi 2.0 presents a new window of opportunity to usher in some fundamental reforms for the Indian economy.  A modern dynamic economy requires a robust statistical system to provide precise and real time estimates of several critical indicators. One of these is unemployment — which has been at the heart of prolonged acrimonious public debate in India for several years. Now is the time to move beyond the politics of unemployment to the real and pressing issue of measurement of unemployment. Way ahead: Measurement of economic indicators, for example the unemployment rate, is an apolitical issue that requires statistical expertise of the highest standards. Before the release of any figure, it is imperative to discuss, debate and deliberate the methodological issues around the measurement. For example, to measure the unemployment rate, it is practically impossible to conduct a periodic census of all citizens above 15 years. Therefore, we have to rely on the second-best option of conducting sample surveys, and the natural question is then about the size of the sample survey. Therefore, there can be no credible discussion on changes in unemployment from one period to another in the absence of a paper that outlines in detail the underlying sampling methodology. Even if the sample size issue is addressed to minimise what statisticians call sampling errors (the sample size might not be large enough to address the question of interest), there are issues relating to non-sampling errors. For example, suppose there is a job boom in the economy and the employed overwhelmingly refuse to participate in such surveys or do not answer all questions, then it is possible for the survey to indicate high unemployment. Therefore, non-participation is an important issue and methodological rigour requires for a survey to have transparent strategies to prevent or minimise these errors. Having local and real time socio-economic indicators: India is a large, complex and diverse economy that is undergoing structural transformation. Hence, we are moving towards precision policy-making which requires local and real time socio-economic indicators. The nature and incidence of unemployment, for example, differs from state to state. This requires local measures of unemployment so that economic policies can be tailored depending on local conditions. For instance, unemployment is a rural phenomenon in several states, while in others it is concentrated in urban areas. Involving state governments: The state governments will have to participate along with the central government to have comparable uniform measures of periodic unemployment. Unfortunately, at present, several state governments do not have the capacity to conduct regular surveys. Robust statistical systems will require that we begin to create such local capabilities urgently. It is time to move beyond one-size-fits-all solutions to more inclusive solutions that take into account local conditions. Conclusion: Any figure should be accompanied with a wise and reasoned account of its liability to systematic and fluctuating errors. For a figure as important as the employment-unemployment data, which is to serve as the basis of many important decision, the accompanying account becomes important than the figure itself. To enhance India’s statistical capabilities, India move beyond the politics of it and focus on measuring with precision. Connecting the dots: There is neither credible evidence of a job crisis in India, nor credible evidence of the absence of it. The problem requires a serious effort by the government to address issues of measurement. Comment. MUST READ Capital buffers The Hindu Changing the Earth The Hindu We need a quality revolution in public-policy decision making Livemint