May 15, 2019 RSTV Video

RSTV IAS UPSC – The Revolt of 1857

The Revolt of 1857 Archives TOPIC: General studies 1 Modern Indian History Causes behind the Revolt of 1857 Economic Destruction of traditional Indian Economy Ruin of agriculture by draconian land reforms Annexation of princely states = no patronage for artisans = destruction of Indian handicrafts Loss of status for Zamindars = ashamed to work = anger against British Political Aggressive policies of Subsidiary Alliance , Doctrine of Lapse Rampant corruption and exploitation especially at lower levels of administration (police, local courts etc.) Army Restriction on wearing caste specific clothing and items, Eg. Turban Forced to travel overseas, which was forbidden in Hindu tradition Unequal pay for Indian sepoys + racial discrimination and subordination Newly introduced Enfield rifles had beef fat coatings (trigger point) Socio-Religious Racial discrimination towards native Indians (Theory of White Man’s Burden) Religious propagation by the Christian Missionaries Reforms like Abolition of Sati, Widow-Remarriage Act, and Women’s Education were seen as interference in the traditional Indian Society Taxation on mosques, temples etc. Outside Influences Crimean Wars 1854-56 Punjab Wars 1845-49 First Afghan War 1838-42 The British suffered serious losses in these wars = psychological boost for Indians Causes for the failure of Revolt 1857 It was estimated that not more than one fourth of the total area and not more than one tenth of the total population was affected. South India remained quiet and Punjab and Bengal were only marginally affected. Almost half the Indian soldiers not only did not Revolt but fought against their own countrymen. The revolt was poorly organized with no co-ordination or central leadership. Apart from some honourable exceptions like the Rani of Jhansi, Kunwar Singh and Maulvi Ahmadullah, the rebels were poorly served by their leaders. Most of them failed to realize the significance of the Revolt and simply did not do enough. The rebels represented diverse elements with differing elements with differing grievances (not common). Apart from a commonly shared hatred for alien rule, the rebels had no political perspective or a definite vision of the future. Modern educated Indians viewed this revolt as backward looking, and mistakenly hoped the British would usher in an era of modernisation. Significance of the Revolt The significance of the Revolt of 1857 lies in the fact that it voiced, through violently, the grievances of various classes of people. The British were made to realize that all was not under control in British India. Modern Nationalism was unknown in India, yet the revolt of 1857 played an important role in bringing the Indian people together and imparting to them the consciousness of belonging to one country. It had seeds of nationalism and anti- imperialism, but the concept of common nationality and nationhood was not inherent to the revolt of 1857. One may say that the revolt of 1857 was the first great struggle of Indians to throw off British Rule. It established local traditions of resistance to British rule which were to pave the way for the modern national movement. Hindu Muslim Unity Factor- During the entire revolt, there was complete cooperation between Hindus and Muslims at all levels- people, soldiers, leaders. All rebels acknowledged Bahadur Shah Zafar, a Muslim, as the emperor and the first impulse of the Hindu sepoys at Meerut was to march to Delhi, the Mughal imperial Capital. Rebel and sepoys, both Hindu and Muslims, respected each other’s sentiments. Immediate banning of cow slaughter was ordered once the revolt was successful in a particular area. Both Hindus and Muslims were well represented in leadership, for instance Nana Saheb had Azimullah, a Muslim and an expert in political propaganda, as an aide, while Laxmibai had the solid support of Afghan Soldiers. Thus the events of 1857 demonstrated that the people and politics of India were not basically communal before 1858. Changes made in the British Indian army after the Revolt of 1857 The Revolt of 1857 gave a severe jolt to the British administration in India and made its reorganization inevitable. The Government of India’s structure and policies underwent significant changes in the decades following the Revolt. Changes in Administration: By the Act of Parliament of 1858, the power to govern India was transferred from the East India Company to the British Crown. The authority over India, wielded by the Directors of the Company and the Board of Control, was now to be exercised by a Secretary of State for India aided by a Council. Provincial Administration: The British had divided India for administrative convenience into provinces, three of which- Bengal. Bombay and Madras- were known as Presidencies. The Presidencies were administered by a Governor and his Executive Council of three, who were appointed by the Crown. The other provinces were administered by Lieutenant Governor and Chief Commissioners appointed by the Governor-General. Local Bodies: Financial difficulties led the Government to further decentralize administration by promoting local government through municipalities and district boards. Local bodies like education, health, sanitation and water supply were transferred to local bodies that would finance them through local taxes. Changes in the army: The Indian army was carefully re-organised after 1858, most of all to prevent the recurrence of another revolt. Firstly, the domination of the army by its European branch was carefully guaranteed. The proportion of Europeans to Indians in the army was raised. The European troops were kept in key geographical and military positions. The crucial branches of artillery, tanks and armored corps were put exclusively in European hands. The Indians were strictly excluded from the higher posts. Till 1814, no Indian could rise higher than the rank of a subedar. Secondly, the organization of the Indian section of the army was based on the policy of ‘divide and rule’ so as to prevent its chance of uniting again in an anti-British uprising. A new section of army like Punjabis, Gurkhas and Pathans were recruited in large numbers. BE PRELIMS READY Important Leaders & Place of Revolt Mangal Pandey: Barrakpore Soldiers: Meerut Cant. Bahadur Shah Zafar: Delhi Zeenat Mahal: Delhi Bakhtawar Khan: Delhi Nana Sahib: Kanpur Tatya Tope: Kanpur Azimullah: Kanpur Maharaj Kunwar Singh: Arrah (Bihar) Khan Bahadur Khan: Bareilly Begum Hazrat Mahal: Lucknow Maulvi Ahmadullah: Faizabad Do you know? The Revolt was written about and discussed not only within the confines of India but also in England, France and Germany. Benjamin Disraeli in the House of Commons on 27 July 1857, asked, “Is it a military mutiny, or is it a national revolt?” Karl Marx in the summer of 1857 expressed the same doubt in the pages of New York Daily Tribune: “What he (John Bull) considers a military mutiny”, he wrote, “Is in truth a national revolt”. According to Marxist historians, the 1857 revolt was “the struggle of the soldier-peasant democratic combine against foreign as well as feudal bondage”. Some views such as those of L.E.R. Rees Christians or T. R. Holmes who saw in it a conflict between civilization and barbarism were also forwarded. Safety Valve Theory & 1857 Revolt It was believed that in order to avoid another political crisis like 1857, a vent was required to channelize the discontent of Indians. For this, the retired Civil Servant A O Hume, founder the Indian National Congress. This theory is called: Safety Valve Theory The concept of Safety Valve Theory says that the British had seen the political situation in the country leading to another rebellion on the lines of the Mutiny of 1857; and they wished to avoid such a situation. So, they wanted to provide a platform to the people, where they could discuss their political problems. Indian National Congress was founded by a Retired Civil Servant and not by any Indian. It was said that the INC was started by Viceroy Lord Dufferin with the help of an ex Civil Services member as a “Safety Valve” against the popular discontent. Which revolt was the first to happen, even before the revolt of 1857, and which is also known as The First War of Independence? Ans: The ‘Paika Bidroha’ (Paika rebellion) of 1817 led by Bakshi Jagabandhu [Bidyadhar Mohapatra] in Khurda of Odisha What is Paika rebellion? When the British started tinkering with the revenue system in 1803, the farming community of Odisha rose in rebellion. At that critical juncture, Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar — the military chief of the King of Khurda — led his motley army of Paikas forcing the British East India Company forces to retreat. The rebellion came to be known as Paika Bidroh (Paika rebellion). When did it take place? The rebellion, by the landed militia of Khurda called Paiks, predates the first war of independence in 1857 but did not get similar recognition. It took place when the British East India company wrested the rent-free land that had been given to the Paiks for their military service to the Kingdom of Khurda. Before 1857, there were two wars that acted as a milestone to establish English as the supreme power in India: Battle of Plassey: British (Robert Clive) Vs Siraj ud Daula(Nawab of Bengal) Battle of Buxar: British Vs. Mir Qasim (Nawab of Bengal) & Shuja ud Daula (Nawab of Awadh) Connecting the Dots: The revolt of 1857 was a desperate effort to save India in the old way and under traditional leadership. Critically comment. Was the revolt of 1857 really an effort towards independence? Critically analyse. The year of 1858 can be treated as a watershed in India’s constitutional, political and administrative history. Analyse.

May 15, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 15th May 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 15th May 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. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Resolving the NPA Crisis Background: Non-performing assets (NPAs) at commercial banks amounted to 11.2% of advances, in March 2018. The ratio of gross NPA to advances in PSBs was 14.6%. These are levels typically associated with a banking crisis. Origin of the NPA crisis During the credit boom period of the years 2004-05 to 2008-09 commercial credit (or what is called ‘non-food credit’) doubled. It was a period in which the world economy as well as the Indian economy were booming. Indian firms borrowed heavily in order to avail of the growth opportunities they saw coming. Most of the investment went into infrastructure and related areas — telecom, power, roads, aviation, steel. Businessmen were overcome with exuberance, partly rational and partly irrational. Thereafter, as the Economic Survey of 2016-17 notes, many things began to go wrong. Due to problems in acquiring land and getting environmental clearances, several projects got stalled. Their costs soared. With the onset of the global financial crisis in 2007-08 and the slowdown in growth after 2011-12, revenues fell well short of forecasts. Financing costs rose as policy rates were tightened in India in response to the financial crisis. The depreciation of the rupee meant higher outflows for companies that had borrowed in foreign currency. This combination of adverse factors made it difficult for companies to service their loans to Indian banks. As per the process of provisioning the banks estimate that a particular borrower may not be able to pay back the loan in full and hence make a provision of the amount they could lose (as in that won’t be paid back to banks). Banks start creating provisions on a loan given when the borrower starts defaulting on his repayment instalments. Higher NPAs mean higher provisions on the part of banks. Provisions rose to a level where banks, especially PSBs, started making losses. Their capital got eroded as a result. Without adequate capital, bank credit cannot grow.  Privatisation of PSBs is not the right solution: Since the problem of NPAs is more concentrated in PSBs, some have argued that public ownership must be the problem stating that public ownership of banks is beset with corruption and incompetence. The solution, therefore, is to privatise the PSBs, at least the weaker ones. There are problems with this formulation. There are wide variations within each ownership category. In 2018, the State Bank of India’s (SBI’s) gross NPA/gross advances ratio was 10.9%. This was not much higher than that of the second largest private bank, ICICI Bank, 9.9%. The ratio at a foreign bank, Standard Chartered Bank, 11.7%, was higher than that of SBI. Explanation: PSBs had a higher exposure to the five most affected sectors — mining, iron and steel, textiles, infrastructure and aviation. These sectors were impacted by factors beyond the control of bank management- Infrastructure projects were impacted by the global financial crisis and environmental and land acquisition issues. In addition, mining and telecom were impacted by adverse court judgments. Steel was impacted by dumping from China. Plans to prevent such crises: Wholesale privatisation of PSBs is not the answer to the complex problem. We need a broad set of actions, some immediate and others over the medium-term and aimed at preventing the recurrence of such crises. Resolving the NPAs. Banks have to accept losses on loans (or ‘haircuts’). They should be able to do so without any fear of harassment by the investigative agencies. The Indian Banks’ Association has set up a six-member panel to oversee resolution plans of lead lenders. To expedite resolution, more such panels may be required. An alternative is to set up a Loan Resolution Authority, if necessary through an Act of Parliament. The government must infuse additional capital needed to recapitalise banks. Over the medium term, the RBI needs to develop better mechanisms for monitoring macro-prudential indicators. It especially needs to look out for credit bubbles. Strengthening the functioning of PSBs: Actions needs to be taken to strengthen the functioning of banks in general and, more particularly, PSBs. Governance at PSBs, meaning the functioning of PSB boards, can certainly improve. One important lesson from the past decade’s experience with NPAs is that management of concentration risk — that is, excessive exposure to any business group, sector, geography, etc. — is too important to be left entirely to bank boards. Overall risk management at PSBs needs to be taken to a higher level. This certainly requires strengthening of PSB boards. We need to induct more high-quality professionals on PSB boards and compensate them better. Succession planning at PSBs also needs to improve. Despite the constitution of the Banks Board Bureau to advise on selection of top management, the appointment of Managing Directors and Executive Directors continues to be plagued by long delays. This must end.  Conclusion: The task of accelerating economic growth is urgent and acceleration in economic growth is not possible without addressing the problem of non-performing assets. There is ample scope for improving performance within the framework of public ownership. The above suggested solutions should be focused upon. Connecting the dots: Wholesale privatisation of public sector banks is not the right solution to the issue of NPAs. Comment. NATIONAL/WELFARE TOPIC: General studies 2  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections Issues with Contract farming in India In news: PepsiCo India recently took 11 persons including farmers and traders to court for unauthorised use of its protected potato variety. Following a backlash on the social media, and criticism in the press, PepsiCo India dropped the litigation. Farmers whom PepsiCo India sued were found to be growing its FL 2027 variety, which goes by the trade name FC 5. Legal system: In India: The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPVFR) Act is a uniquely Indian law enacted in 2001, which not only recognises the rights of breeders (for 15 years) in the novel varieties they have developed, but also gives entitlements to farmers. Under the Indian law, farmers virtually enjoy a licence. They can save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share and even sell—in unbranded packaging—the produce or seed, even of a protected variety, grown in their fields. Other countries: On the other hand, the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants primarily protects the rights of breeders while carving out exceptions for farmers. The US, as a country that rewards innovation, has stiff protection for breeders’ rights. Its Plant Variety Protection Act prohibits a person from selling, marketing, offering, delivering, consigning, exchanging or exposing for sale a protected variety without explicit consent from the owner. Issues: Respect for IPRs is necessary for the sustainability of the processing industry. It is unfair for the company if its rivals buys produce from unauthorised growers by paying a slightly higher price because they were saving on royalty payments. India lags in both potato processing and exports, though it is the second-largest potato producer. New proprietary varieties suitable for processing and global palates will not come to India if IPR protection is weak. There is no reason why farmers should profit from intellectual property they don’t own. Importance of Contract farming: It is good for farmers as they get stable prices, better technology and new markets. At times, market prices will be higher than contracted prices but it provides a steady income. Success stories: Contract farmers like PepsiCo India, McCain and HyFun Frozen Foods have incentivised micro-irrigation and other good agronomic practices in areas like Banaskantha where food irrigation was the norm. They have encouraged mechanisation of planting, sowing and harvesting, which is both labour and cost-saving. Techniques like anti-sprouting coating have been popularised. PepsiCo India is the largest procurer of processing quality potatoes. It says it buys 3 lakh tonnes annually. That’s a transfer of Rs 300 crore to 24,000 contract farmers. Corporate involvement in agriculture is necessary for profitable and innovative agriculture. The share of corporate investment in agriculture was just 2%, that of the government was 14% and of farmers 84%.  Way ahead: Group contracts that can be beneficial for both small farmers and companies as these reduce transaction costs and improve compliance to contract terms by both parties. Governments should frame and enforce laws that protect the farmer interest adequately and are sophisticated enough to take into account the changing dynamics of contract farming. Also read: PepsiCo versus potato growing farmers https://iasbaba.com/2019/05/daily-current-affairs-ias-upsc-prelims-and-mains-exam-11th-may-2019/ Connecting the dots: The recent case of PepsiCo suing Indian farmers raises concerns about the laws framed for contract farming. Comment. MUST READ Inching closer to the brink The Hindu Implementation issues in 10% reservation The Hindu Facing the climate emergency The Hindu No apology, please Indian Express

May 15, 2019 60 Days Plan 2019 - Daily Prelims Test

UPSC PRELIMS 2019: General Studies PAPER 1 (OPEN TO ALL FULL MOCK 1)- 60 DAYS PROGRAMME

UPSC PRELIMS 2019: General Studies PAPER 1 (OPEN TO ALL FULL MOCK 1)- 60 DAYS PROGRAMME Hello Friends,  As promised, here we are with the First Full Mock. Before you proceed kindly go through the below suggestions very carefully. (Do leave your comments regarding the Standard & Quality of The Mock while uploading the OMR :) ) Things to Remember Download the Question Paper and take the exam sincerely with a stopwatch by your side. After you are done marking the OMR, take the screenshot of the OMR and upload here in the comment section. (Link: https://iasbaba.com/2019/05/upsc-prelims-2019-general-studies-paper-1-open-to-all-full-mock-1-60-days-programme/) Answer Key/Solution will be updated TONIGHT. So it's better, if you solve it TODAY and upload the OMR.  You have Full-Day (15th May) to solve this Mock and upload your OMR before Solutions are posted at 10 PM. (We are not restricting it to a particular time to have enough flexibility) Once the answer key is uploaded, fill the shared Google Form with your score. Be honest while filling the score. You will be given a LINK to fill your scorecard once ANSWER KEYS/SOLUTIONS are posted (10 PM).  How to increase your productivity in the Mock? Follow this to minimize your negatives? This is applicable to aspirants who have done decent preparation and are worried about negative marking. This is in no way applicable to aspirants who go on to score well beyond cut off every time. They do not need any advice :) Glance through the question paper from Question 1 to 100. Just look at the keywords of the questions without reading the details. It is to make sure you have some familiarity with the paper. It will boost your confidence. Irrespective of the level of the paper, you will be able to confidently solve many questions for sure (provided your preparation is decent) Divide the time into THREE rounds.  First Round: Focus only on those questions in which you have 100% confidence that X is the answer. Mark them first. Remember that these questions in the first round are based on 100% accuracy. (Tick such questions) Second Round: Since you have gone through all 100 questions in the first round, must know a number of questions in which you do not have any idea. These are the questions in which no elimination, no guesses and nothing will work. Cross mark such questions first.  Third Round: You have to spend quality time in this round. Forget about questions (Crossed Marked in 2nd Round) and never turn back to them at any cost. In this round, apply your consolidated knowledge, application of mind, elimination method, intellectual guesses and arrive at the answer.  MUST READ articles for PRELIMS - These articles are exclusively Prelims related, where the UPSC Topper's and IASbaba have shed some light on how to tackle Prelims, Elimination method, How to minimize negatives etc. Make the Best use of the articles below.  All Possible Scenarios-Where Do You Fall in Exam? Shreyans Kumat Rank 4, UPSC CSE 2018 a Regular Follower of IASbaba’s TLP shares his Exclusive PRELIMS Strategy! Final Words and Prelims Tips before the D-Day (3rd June 2018)- Vaibhava Srivastava Rank 1 IFoS and Rank 98 UPSC CSE 2017 Shivashish Kumar Rank 368, UPSC CSE 2018 who has scored 129.34 (2017) and 126.66 (2018) in his 2 attempts shares his PRELIMS EXCLUSIVE Strategy!! Topper Abhijeet Sinha, Rank 19 UPSC CSE 2017 – IASbaba’s ILP Student, who has scored 163 and 152.6 in his 2 attempts shares his Preparation Strategy with special focus on Prelims! Example- last year, UPSC had asked, Which of the following are Sun Temples in India and the third option was Omkareshwar Temple? At first glance, this question might seem very tough for many of you. But if you remember that Omkareshwar (OM- Shiva) and hence it cannot be a SUN Temple. By eliminating option-3, you can arrive at the correct answer because out of four, three options had 3 as the number. Similarly, there are many such questions. So, focus on such questions carefully. Your target should be minimizing negatives. And if the paper seems tough, do not over attempt. Many times senses are put to rest and you read something else while the question is something else :) This happens because of 2 Reasons. 1) You are in a hurry to complete the paper. 2) You are over-confident in a subject. So patiently read the complete question, without any assumptions. Be alert while reading the questions. Correct/Incorrect/NOT Correct should be read clearly. If you know more than 70 questions with confidence, go with it :) Last but not the least, many questions can be answered by using Common Sense, so do apply it :) DOWNLOAD- QUESTION PAPER DOWNLOAD-OMR SHEET ANSWER KEY/SOLUTION-CLICK HERE PLEASE UPDATE YOUR SCORES HERE - CLICK HERE NOTE: Be honest and upload the OMR sheet in the comment section. (Link: https://iasbaba.com/2019/05/upsc-prelims-2019-general-studies-paper-1-open-to-all-full-mock-1-60-days-programme/) Your honesty will let us come up with a correct rank list and cut off. Kindly leave your comments regarding the Standard of The Mock. All the very best! IASbaba

May 15, 2019 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Supreme Court Ruling on Electoral Bonds

Supreme Court ruling on Electoral Bonds ARCHIVES Search 12th April, 2019 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General studies 2 Elections in India Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation In News: SC orders all political parties to disclose to EC details of every donation they receive via electoral bonds till 15th May, 2019 Election Commission had stated that it will support the electoral bond scheme only if the donor’s name is revealed, including amounts, names, and bank details of the donors. Directed the finance ministry to remove the extra five days of bond issuance introduced by the government for the months of April and May. The law allows only a 50-day spread in January, April, July, and October, during which the bonds can be bought. What are Electoral Bonds? Funding of political parties has always been under some kind of suspicion or controversy. Hence in 2017 budget, the government came out with electoral bonds for political donation. The electoral bond scheme, which was introduced through the Finance Act of 2017, allows an individual, or any “artificial juridical person,” including body corporates, to purchase bonds issued by the State Bank of India during specified days of the year. These bonds, which are in the nature of promissory notes, and which are issued in denominations extending from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1 crore, can be donated by the purchaser to a political party of its choice, and the party can then have the bonds encashed on demand. The provisions of the Representation of People Act, the Income Tax Act, the Companies Act and the Reserve Bank of India Act had been amended under the Finance Act, 2017 and Finance Act, 2016 to accommodate the scheme’s objective of keeping the donors identity and details of the political parties receiving the electoral bond anonymous. The amendments create no obligations on the political party to disclose the amount received through electoral bonds to either the poll panel or the income tax department. Purpose: To curb the use of black money in elections. Eligibility of the party to receive Electoral Bonds: Only political parties Registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 Has secured not less than one per cent of votes polled in the last general election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the State The scheme’s salient features included Donor anonymity Elimination of caps on corporate donations Loosening of other regulations (such as revealing donations in corporate profit and loss statements) Why is it in question? Flouts the right to freedom of expression contained in Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution: In a democratic system that does not have publicly-funded elections (such as ours), it therefore becomes crucially important for the public to know who funds political parties, in order to critically evaluate whether that party’s policies are designed to actually serve the public good, or whether they are written to benefit its funders. To break the matter down into its essentials: if a big, multinational corporation (A) donates a huge amount of money to a political party (B), and on coming to power, that political party rewrites the rules in relevant sectors (such as, for example, environmental regulations) benefiting that corporation, then that entire set of transactions must be open to public scrutiny. Secrecy in political funding ensures an asymmetry of information that goes to the root of the democratic process, and the fairness of elections. KYC would work – No, as it will provide the donor’s name but not the source of money Criticism on the judgement: The court’s own justification for its order seems to be that it is a weighty matter that requires detailed consideration. This, however, is self-serving: the challenge was filed more than a year ago, and the court had ample time to hear it in detail before the ongoing general elections, given its weightiness. Conclusion: During the Constituent Assembly debates, BR Ambedkar famously said that the Constitution must guarantee not only one man, one vote, but also, one man, one value. An electoral system that allows limitless, anonymous corporate donations to political parties skews the process irrevocably, and makes a mockery of one man, one value. Must read: IASbaba’s MINDMAP on Electoral Bonds Connecting the Dots: How can electoral bonds help in redefining the process of initiating electoral reforms? Examine. Write an essay: “One Man, One Value” Are Electoral Bonds unconstitutional? Discuss.

May 14, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 14th May 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 14th May 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) China – US Trade War Part of: GS Mains II and III – International affairs; Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests; Economy and related issues In news: China said it would raise tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods from June 1. The announcement comes as a retaliation for the latest round of U.S. tariff hikes and Trump adminstration's plans to target almost all Chinese imports. S. President had also ordered the start of a process to impose new duties on another $300 billion worth of Chinese items. Do you know? China imports fewer U.S. products such as agricultural products and energy, Boeing orders and service trade. Impact: The conflict is seen as a significant threat to global economic growth. The US-China trade war has been a great source of uncertainty for financial markets over the past year. Uncertainty has weighed on investor confidence around the world, and has contributed to losses. The IMF warned a full-blown trade war would weaken the global economy. In news: FCRA Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III - Economy In news: The Union Home Ministry de-registered the Infosys Foundation from the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, after a request in June 2016 following an amendment to the Act. In May 2016, the Government amended the FCRA Act with retrospective effect from 2010. Do you know? The Foreign Contribution Regulations Act or FCRA is a law enacted by Parliament to regulate foreign contribution (especially monetary donation) provided by certain individuals or associations to NGOs and others within India. The act, in its consolidating form, was originally passed in 1976 and majorly modified in 2010. The government has used the act over the years to freeze bank accounts of certain NGOs who it found were affecting India's national interest for wrong purposes. The Home ministry cancelled the registration of several US-based NGOs after it was found that they were diverting the money received into funding protests at Tamil Nadu’s Kudankulam against a nuclear power plant, an Indo-Russian joint venture. Impact: As per the FCRA Act 2010, all NGOs are required to be registered under the Act to receive foreign funding. According to terms stipulated in the FCRA, an organisation cannot receive foreign funding unless it is registered under the 2010 Act, except when it gets government approval for a specific project. Pooram Festival Part of: GS Prelims and Mains I - Indian culture and heritage; Art Forms In news: Thousands of people gathered to witness the grand opening of the famed Thrissur Pooram, considered as the mother of all temple festivals. ‘Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran’, the controversial elephant which was earlier denied permission to take part in the festivities by the authorities on health grounds, ‘opened’ the annual festival at the ancient Vadakkumnathan temple here. Marking the ritual heralding of Pooram, Ramachandran, the tallest elephant of the state, pushed open the southern entrance of the shrine. The Thrissur Pooram falls on May 13 this year. The main event of the annual ‘pooram’ begins with the 10.5 foot tall elephant pushing open the gate of the temple, with the idol of ‘neithilakkavilamma’ atop it. Key points: About Thrissur Pooram: It is an annual Hindu temple festival held in Kerala, India. It is held at the Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur every year on the Pooram day – the day when the moon rises with the Pooram star in the Malayalam Calendar month of Medam. It is the largest and most famous of all poorams. ‘MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative’ Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III - Science and Technology In news: The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) launched ‘MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative’, a project for mapping every tissue of the human body to help understand better the roles of tissues and cells linked to various diseases. The Human Atlas Initiative aims at creating a database network of all tissues in the human body from the available scientific literature. The student community, who will be the backbone on assimilating the information, will be trained and imparted with skills to perform annotation and curation of information that will ultimately form the online network. Do you know? DBT has invested Rs 13 crore shared between two institutions in Pune – National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) and Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER), Pune. Besides, Persistent Systems Limited has co-funded the project and is developing the platform, and has contributed Rs 7 crore. It is a project that involves scientific skill development for annotation, science outreach along with handling big data. The programme will involve gaining better biological insights through physiological and molecular mapping, develop disease models through predictive computing and have a wholistic analysis and finally drug discovery. CTBTO invites India to be an observer Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II - International Organization In news: The executive secretary of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) has invited India to be an observer in the CTBT. Being an observer would give India access to data from the International Monitoring System — a network which when complete will consist of 337 facilities (321 monitoring stations and 16 radionuclide labs) located in 89 countries. This system can detect even small nuclear explosions using seismology, hydroacoustics, infrasound and radionuclide technology. Important Value Additions: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) CTBTO is the preparatory commission which establishes global verification regime to monitor compliance with the CTBT. The verification regime includes a global network of 330 plus monitoring facilities using seismic, hydroaucostic, infrasound and radionuclide technologies. Over 330 stations in 89 countries have been built to monitor for signs of nuclear explosions around the globe round the clock. International Monitoring System (IMS) The International Monitoring System (IMS) monitors the Earth’s crust, listens the atmosphere and oceans and sniffs the air for traces of radioactivity. The monitoring system produces data that have many applications, from disaster early warning to scientific research on the Earth’s inner structures, climate change or meteors, to name just a few of the potential uses. It is also making contributions to the nuclear safety field. After the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, CTBTO data provided timely information on the radioactive emissions from the crippled plant and their global dispersion. DNA database coming up for Indian rhino Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III - Environment and Biodiversity; Conservation of Animals In news: The Union Environment Ministry has embarked on a project to create DNA profiles of all rhinos in the country. By 2021, the project’s deadline, the Indian rhino could be the first wild animal species in India to have all its members DNA-sequenced. The project’s proponents include World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) and the Centre-funded Wildlife Institute of India (WII). The exercise would be useful in curbing poaching and gathering evidence in wildlife crimes involving rhinos. Do you know? There are about 2,600 rhinos in India, with more than 90% of the population concentrated in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park. The project is a subset of the Centre’s larger, ongoing rhino conservation programme. Since the 1980s, the government has been trying to move a significant number of rhinos out of Kaziranga in the interest of the species’ conservation, threats from poaching and challenges to their habitat. Outside Kaziranga, there are about 200 rhinos in West Bengal, 40 in Uttar Pradesh and 1 in Bihar. There are three species of rhinos, of which only one — the Indian rhino — is found in the country. The rhinos were once abundant and well-distributed in the country. However poaching reduced its numbers to about “200 wild animals by the end of the 20th century”. In news: Strait of Hormuz It is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points. On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman. (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. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. The risk of India slipping into a middle-income trap  Context: The warning by Rathin Roy, a member of an economic panel advising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that India could be headed for a “structural crisis" has sparked a debate on whether the economy’s days of high single-digit growth rates are a thing of the past. The “middle-income trap": It is a scenario where middle-income groups in an economy who have been shouldering the domestic consumption story so far by purchasing cars, automobiles and air-conditioners, etc., gradually stop doing so on account of loss of confidence or fear of income loss. India’s growth has mostly been driven by demand generated by 100 million-odd people at the top of the country’s socio-economic pyramid. But that demand has begun to exhaust itself, and so India could slip into a “middle-income trap". This is a risk that emerging economies are said to be vulnerable to. As a country runs out of new sources of growth after an initial burst of rapid expansion, it finds itself unable to break into a higher-income league. In India right now, the relatively weak offtake of everything, from cars and apartments to suds and toothbrushes, points to a slowdown in consumption. Fall in private consumption, muted rise in fixed investment and sluggish exports have led to slowdown in the econom The World Bank's lower middle income range for countries is defined as per capita gross national income (GNI) of between $996 and $3,895. As per 2017 figures, the income of an average Indian was in the vicinity of $1,795, which placed the country well below the halfway mark. The risk runs deeper; the possibility that India will remain stuck at the middle income range has now started appearing more real. Reason behind: Wealth inequality and the hierarchical distribution of income in developing countries has long been identified as a growth barrier. The greater the gaps between strata, by this analysis, the slower the upward mobility of families that are at lower levels. Such economies typically experience lopsided expansion, with the positive fallout of an economic boom on top often failing to reach those below. Sustaining growth requires the mass mobilization of financial as well as human resources, and if inequality is acute, the latter tend to come up short. This phenomenon is exemplified by Brazil and South Africa, among a few others. These countries increased their economic output at a fast clip for several years at a stretch, but large sections of their population did not see their lives get better. They got left behind. India appears to have undergone something similar. Way ahead: The best insurance against the risk of slipping into a middle-income trap, however, would be to address mobility restraints at lower levels of the socio-economic pyramid. Improving the quality of healthcare, education and skill development for the deprived masses is much required. Policymakers must not use the trap story as an excuse for poor near-term growth. The country should do all it can for a badly needed uptick. Conclusion: Not taking action now would mean India will never be another China or South Korea but could begin replicating basket cases like South Africa or Brazil where large swathes of poor population are powering not growth, but crime. Failure at this stage could leave India stagnant in a lower middle-income bracket. If this is to be an “Asian century", India must stay in the reckoning. Connecting the dots: What do you understand by the term ‘middle income trap’? Do you think the risk of India slipping into the trap is real? Highlight the reasons behind. INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2  International Relations Policies of developed and developing countries and their impact on India’s interests The Global ‘War on Terror’: Not a right approach to fight terrorism Introduction: The world needs to be united on the issue of terrorism and resolve contradiction. The brutal attacks on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka, for which the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility, have reignited discussion on the global ‘War on Terror’. The attacks in Sri Lanka underline the many cracks in the concept of a global ‘War on Terror’, and raise questions on what it has achieved. The Global ‘War on Terror’: The term was coined by former U.S. President George W. Bush after the September 11 attacks in 2001. It is an international military campaign that was launched by the US government after the 9/11 attacks. Issue: The original mission that the War on Terror was named for is floundering. Not only has the coalition of about 60 countries that sent troops and offered logistical support failed to end terrorism in Afghanistan, it appears it is preparing to hand the country back to the oppressive Taliban regime that it defeated in December 2001. This, despite the fact there is no guarantee that the terror groups living in safe havens in Pakistan will not also have the run of Afghanistan once the coalition pulls out. 46 nations joined to defeat Saddam Hussein in Iraq in 2003, and 19 were a part of a coalition that ousted Muammar Qaddafi from power in Libya in 2011. The U.S. and allied countries were sidetracked by the ‘Arab Spring’ in 2011, which led them to bolster anti-Bashar al-Assad groups in Syria. This eventually paved the way for the IS to establish a ‘Caliphate’ in territories in Syria and Iraq. The next coalition was formed to fight the terror of the IS. The number of global terror attacks per year went up from 1,000 in 2004 to 17,000 in 2014. It is clear that the countries in question — Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Iraq — are far from free of the spectre of terrorism. Rather than helping fight pan-Islamist terror groups, the War on Terror appears to help the IS and al-Qaeda more, giving them a footprint far bigger than their actual abilities. This helps them recruit and radicalise Muslim youth from around the globe, and allows them to own terrorists around the world as their own. Approaches to fighting terror: Changing the narrative of a “fight for Islam” is required. According to the Global Terrorism Database, of the 81 terror attacks in which more than 100 were killed (high casualty) since 2001, more than 70 were carried out in Islamic or Muslim-majority countries. The War on Terror thus appears to be a concept propagated mostly by pan-Islamist groups and extremists of other religions as a motive for terror attacks. Governments in countries affected by terrorism must not subscribe to this narrative blindly. It is necessary for countries fighting terrorism to learn more closely from their differences, rather than try to generalise from experience. Example 1: Comparing European states like the U.K., France and Belgium, where hundreds of immigrant Muslims have enlisted for the IS, to South Asian states like India, where Muslim populations are indigenous and only a few dozen are believed to have left for Syria, is akin to comparing apples and oranges. The world community must address contradictions in the War on Terror. For 20 years, the world has failed to agree on a common definition of terrorism at the United Nations. This has held up the passage of the Indian-sponsored proposal for a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. Contradictions examples- Example 1- Despite the fact that Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar has been targeting Indians incessantly for years, China allowed his UN Security Council designation as a global terrorist only after mentions of his attacks in India were removed. Example 2- The U.S. is focused on billing Iran the “world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism”, while states like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that have funded and sheltered Islamist terror groups are still treated as “frontline allies” on terror. Conclusion: Despite all their resources and expertise, the alliance of the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand that share global intelligence was unable to see the impending threat in Sri Lanka. Unless the world is truly united on the issue and resolves such contradictions, the global War on Terror will only be as strong as its weakest link. Connecting the dots: The world needs to be united on the issue of terrorism and resolve contradiction. Comment. MUST READ Private, public and political morality The Hindu Redactive pricing audit and the GAGs duties The Hindu INS Viraat controversy threatens to disturb equipoise in civil-military relations Indian Express The Gwadar warning Indian Express Coordination as a hurdle for the #MeToo movement Livemint Geostrategic concerns complicate US China trade Livemint

May 14, 2019 RSTV Video

RSTV IAS UPSC – Chabahar Port & US Sanctions

Chabahar Port & US Sanctions Archives TOPIC: General studies 2 India and its neighborhood- relations, International 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, Indian diaspora. In News: The strategic Chabahar port project, being developed by India in Iran, is a separate exception and will not be impacted by US President Donald Trump's decision not to renew exemptions that let eight countries including India to buy Iranian oil without facing tough American sanctions. The United States has said Chabahar is exempted from sanctions to help Afghanistan’s economic development and facilitate India’s investment in the port. This exception relates to reconstruction assistance and economic development for Afghanistan. These activities are vital for the ongoing support of Afghanistan's growth and humanitarian relief The effort to build up Afghanistan's economy is also aimed at reducing Kabul's dependence on foreign aid and putting a major dent in the illicit opium trade that has been a major source of revenue for the Taliban insurgency. Iran is India's third-largest oil supplier behind Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Iran supplied 18.4 million tonnes of crude oil during April 2017 and January 2018 (first 10 months of 2017-18 fiscal). What US wants from Iran? Iran should totally give up its right to enrich uranium and close down all nuclear facilities including those engaged in research for peaceful purposes. Iran should curtail and eradicate its ballistic missile programme and radically change its west-Asia policy to fall in line with American preferences in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. However, Iran has stood up to unprecedented sanctions for four decades and remained unbowed. What are the potential issues? Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has a track record of using Iran’s air and sea ports to smuggle goods. If the past is precedent, the regime may redirect the funds generated by trade at Chabahar to its weapons programs and regional proxies. The IRGC’s ubiquitous role in the Iranian economy, combined with its well-documented history of sanctions evasion, requires India to monitor the port rigorously. If all else fails – United States can The United States can aid India’s effort in monitoring the port. For instance, Washington can provide export control and cargo inspection expertise to help New Delhi detect possible Iranian subversion. The Trump administration can also pressure India by requiring Indian companies to place funds in escrow accounts in order to make sure they can pay U.S. fines if they fail to comply with sanctions. Likewise, the Trump administration can require India to issue certifications that no IRGC affiliates are active in Chabahar. Though the U.S. would have limited means to verify or enforce such certifications independently, the requirement would force India to go on the record. In so doing, it would give Washington a political basis to take even harsher measures to pressure New Delhi, if all else fails. For example, America could threaten to revoke the Chabahar project’s exemption, thereby exposing New Delhi to U.S. secondary sanctions. America could also rescind the waiver it gave India that allows it to keep importing 300,000 barrels per day of Iranian crude despite U.S. sanctions. Chabahar Port: Crucial gateway for India’s objectives About Chabahar Port Located on the Makran coast South-eastern coast of Iran It is relatively underdeveloped free trade and industrial zone (compared to the sprawling port of Bandar Abbas further west) For India, Chabahar is of strategic importance for two reasons: First, it is the nearest port to India on the Iranian coast, which provides access to the resources and markets of Afghanistan and Central Asia. Second, it is located 76 nautical miles (less than 150km) west of the Pakistani port of Gwadar, being developed by China; this makes it ideal for keeping track of Chinese or Pakistani military activity based out of Gwadar. (See fig: http://www.joc.com/sites/default/files/resize/field_feature_image/chabahar-400×299.JPG) Conclusion: Chabahar port holds significant economic promise for India, the United States, and the region. But the lack of adequate safeguards to protect the port from IRGC activity may undermine not only U.S. sanctions on Iran, but also the U.S.-India relationship. Washington and New Delhi should work together to prevent such an outcome. Connecting the Dots: The signing of the much anticipated bilateral pact with Iran for the development of Chabahar port is a significant step towards securing India’s strategic and economic interests. Comment. How can India ensure that its relations with the US and Iran, and particularly its energy interests are not affected? Suggest. How do global sanctions operate? How does it affect India’s interests? Comment in the light of US sanctions against Iran.

May 14, 2019 PIB

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 6th May to 12th May - 2019

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 6th May to 12th May – 2019 ARCHIVES Prelims Oriented News Vietnam’s Capital: Honoi Chintan Baithak: A meeting with the stakeholders of Renewable Energy (RE) sector 9th National Voters' Day: 25th January 2019 Celebrated all over the country on January 25th every year since 2011 to mark the Foundation day of Election Commission of India (January 25, 1950) Purpose: Encourage, facilitate and maximize the enrolment What are Bye-elections? By-elections are elections conducted to fill elected offices that have become vacant between general elections. This may happen due to Resignation Death or dismissal of the person holding the office until then What are Snap Elections? A snap election is an election called earlier than expected. Generally it refers to an election in a parliamentary system that is called when it is not required either by law or convention, usually to capitalize on a unique electoral opportunity or to decide a pressing issue. It differs from a recall election in that it is initiated by politicians (usually the head of government or ruling party) rather than voters, and from a by-election in that the winners will serve an entire term as opposed to the remainder of an already established term. Since the power to call snap elections usually lies with the incumbent, they usually result in increased majorities for the party already in power having been called at an advantageous time. However, snap elections can also backfire on the incumbent and resulting in a decreased majority or even the opposition winning or gaining power. As a result of the latter cases there have been occasions in which the consequences have been the implementation of fixed term elections. India CEO Forum on Climate Change Organized by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) A pioneering initiative of the government, inviting industry representatives, exchanged views on climate change issues and discussed opportunities to collaborate in regard to fulfilling India’s national as well as international climate change commitments. India and U.S. Hold Bilateral Trade Meeting Bilateral trade in Goods and Services registering a growth of 12.6% from $ 126 billion in 2017 to $142 billion in 2018 US Trade Winds Indo-Pacific Business Forum and Mission initiative 2019: The forum will bring together distributors, representatives and partners and enable them to increase sales by taking part in business-to-business meetings US - India SME Forum: The new bilateral private sector led Small Business Interaction initiative that would pave the way for collaboration and partnership between the U.S. and Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the areas of manufacturing and services. Initiatives by Commerce Ministry to Boost Trade with African Countries Statistics India’s total trade with the African region during 2017-18 was USD 62.69 billion (8.15% of India’s total trade with the World). India’s share of exports to African countries as a percentage of India’s total exports to the world was of the order of 8.21% in 2017-18.   Africa region’s share in India’s total imports from the World accounted for 8.12% in 2017-18. As per the latest available estimates, the current strength of the Indian Diaspora in the African countries is 2.8 million out of those 2.5 million are PIOs and rest 220967 are NRIs. Total overseas Indians are 30.83 million of which 17.83 million are PIOs and 13 million are NRIs. (Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, 2016). Indian Diaspora in Africa constitutes 9.11% of the total Diaspora of India. Opportunities for India It has the world’s largest land mass, 54 countries, a population growing to be almost equivalent to that of India, huge mineral resources, oil wealth, a youthful population, falling poverty levels and increasing consumption patterns. Africa has a huge demand for new business models for market entry, stable market access, entrepreneurship and investments in transport, telecom, tourism, financial services, real estate and construction. The major issues highlighted by the Indian Business Community in these 11 countries are: Improving the Line of Credit system and developing a facility for an affordable and competitive funding. Setting up of Indian Banks/financial institutions in Africa Enhanced Buyers’ Credit facility for promotion of trade between the two regions Reviewing and liberalizing visa policies from both sides Need for direct flights between the India and African countries Exploring the possibility of rupee trade to address the issue of shortage of dollars in region. Creation of common database of buyer-suppliers in the two regions for facilitating matchmaking for enhancement of bilateral trade. Development of a robust trade dispute settlement mechanism More frequent and structured country/sector specific trade exhibitions in Africa Establishment of country chapters of FICCI or CII in Africa Frequent visits of policy makers, chamber of commerce and investors for familiarization with local business and investment regime for informed decisions WTO Ministerial Meeting of Developing Countries Participants: Sixteen developing countries, Six Least Developed Countries (LDC)(Argentina, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Brazil, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, China, Egypt, Guatemala, Guyana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Uganda)and DG Purpose: To sort out issues related to multilateral rule-based-trading system by bringing together the developing countries and Least Developed Countries on a single platform and work together to address these issues. In the recent past, there have been increasing unilateral measures and counter measures by members, deadlock in key areas of negotiations and the impasse in the Appellate Body, which threaten the very existence of Dispute Settlement Mechanism of the WTO and impact the position of the WTO as an effective multilateral organisation. The current situation has given rise to demands from various quarters to reform the WTO. This meeting also provides an opportunity to the developing countries and LDCs to build consensus on how to move forward on the WTO reforms, while preserving the fundamentals of the multilateral trading system enshrined in the WTO. The deliberations will aim at getting a direction on how to constructively engage on various issues in the WTO, both institutional and negotiating, in the run up to the Twelfth Ministerial Conference of the WTO to be held in Kazakhstan in June 2020. 20th Conference of Regional Heads of Customs Administration (RHCA) of Asia Pacific Region of the World Customs Organisation (WCO)  India hosted this Conference in its capacity as Vice-Chair of the Asia Pacific Region of WCO which it assumed on 1st July, 2018 for a two-year period. Purpose: The Conference took stock of the progress made in carrying forward the programmes and initiatives of WCO to promote, facilitate and secure cross-border trade in the Region and the capacity building and technical assistance required by Member Administrations to achieve these goals. Discussions on: The strategic priorities of the Asia Pacific Region Deliberated on the work programs of the Vice-Chair, ROCB & RILO Security related issues Trade facilitation E-commerce Performance measurement Trusted trader programmes Emerging technological and logistical challenges in the fields of trade facilitation and Customs Administrations The Conference also facilitated Bilateral Meetings between the Member States. India and China sign protocol for Export of Indian Chilli Meal Both sides appreciated each other’s concerns and agreed to resolve market access issues expeditiously in order to achieve the vision of the leaders of both India and China by promoting a more balanced trade. Protocols signed between India and China on Agricultural Commodities Mango Grapes Bitter Gourd Basmati rice & Non-Basmati Rice Rapeseed meal Fish meal/ Fish oil Tobacco Leaves Chilli Meal Launch of Fourth Scorpene Class Submarine – VELA Part of the ongoing ‘Make In India’ programme, which is being actively implemented by the Department of Defence Production (MoD) The submarine was towed to Mumbai Port Trust, for separation from the pontoon, after which she will undergo rigorous trials and tests, both in harbour and at sea before delivery to the Indian Navy. The Scorpene class of submarines can undertake multifarious tasks typically undertaken by any modern submarine which include anti-surface as well as anti-submarine warfare.

May 13, 2019 AIR

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

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

May 13, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

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

May 13, 2019 RSTV Video

RSTV IAS UPSC – Pepsico v/s Potato Farmers

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