May 6, 2019

UPSC IAS 2020: INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAMME (ILP) ONLINE-2020, All India Prelims Test Series (AIPTS) 2020- Surprising Features (ADMISSIONS OPEN!)

UPSC IAS 2020: INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAMME (ILP) ONLINE-2020, All India Prelims Test Series (AIPTS) 2020- Surprising Features (ADMISSIONS OPEN!) Better and Bigger with Surprising New features this Year (ILP -2020)!!! “Achievers don’t do different things, they do things differently” Integrated Learning Programme (ILP) OFFLINE -2020 Offline Classroom Programme- ADMISSION OPEN - Click Here Dear Friends, Yes!! The wait is finally over! The wait for the most reliable, effective and affordable programme for UPSC  2020 preparation – ILP 2020. Let us begin by thanking all of you who have made ILP a grand success beginning from the year 2016. The years 2018 and 2019 is a monument year for IASbaba for two reasons. One, way back in 2015 we had said that ILP would stand out as the most comprehensive tool for UPSC preparation and yes now most of you would have realised the same in 2018. Two, when the storm brews and brews strong, its IASbaba who has been standing tall! 200+ selections in the span of just three years (2016, 2017, 2018) including Ranks 4, 5, 6 and 9 in TOP 10. 100+ selections in ILP alone. This year as well, we have many Ranks from ILP. You can check this year’s result here- Click Here And our offline classroom program which has delivered and built as the most trusted in the whole of the South! People working in regular organisations and attending our weekends batches have cleared the exam! That’s why IASbaba is the smartest tool around!! Hundreds of time we have told students not to depend on mere last minute tools, some compilations or series (which UPSC tracks) and blindly trust them and finally end up in the ditch. Aspirants fail to realise that it is not the last minute miracle but consistent effort throughout the journey. It is the process that is important. It is the process that is sustainable. And yes ILP is that!! And this is not a mere coincidence, we have done it year on year from the day of our genesis. Year on Year ILP has proven to be the indestructible tool!! Hitting the bull’s eye year after year: In the last three years, ILP has been bang on target with a hit ratio of more than 65%, a figure remarkably high keeping in mind the unpredictable nature of UPSC. With a knack of getting it right ILP has become a reliable name: 2016 Prelims: 68+ questions 2017 Prelims: 70+ questions 2018 Prelims- 63+ questions 2019 Prelims- Wait for it! Our Hit Ratio in Mains and Prelims- 2017, which is close to 85 % and 70% respectively – How IASbaba was helpful in Mains 2017  and 68+ in UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2017-How IASbaba Helped One to Get MAINS Call! Our Hit Ratio in Mains and Prelims- 2018, How IASbaba was helpful in Mains 2018 and 60+ in UPSC Prelims 2018 82+ UPSC CSE 2018 TOPPER’S from IASbaba Hear from the Topper’s - the instrumental role that ILP played in their Success.    See what our current followers have to say about ILP Programme: So many good things are going to end this year! The series of superheroes films from the Marvel universe reached its finale with Avengers Endgame. The Game of Thrones saga is going to complete its trip in another two episodes. The much loved Star Wars series is also going to end its 42 years long journey this year. Well, that’s the law of nature. Everything good comes to an end but leaves an impression that stays forever. What has been so striking about these cinematic marvels is that with each passing year, they set the benchmark higher, generated more and more anticipation, enlarge their fan base, got loved by millions of audiences. That is what is excellence- the desire to do better and better without any sense of complacency.   Something similar is happening to us as well. When the Integrated Learning Programme (ILP) was first launched in 2015, we were overwhelmed by the faith and support bestowed upon by our followers. That gave us the push to do even better. With each passing year, we have improved ILP, introduced unparalleled features and in return our support base has grown manifold. Each year, we generate a lot of anticipation, receive thousands of mails and get appreciation from hundreds of candidates. Like all good things, ILP has been able to leave its unparalleled mark in the ecosystem of UPSC preparation. ILP as a  tool of civil services preparation is not only unique but also necessary to have. Let us see how.   We are all living in a competitive world. While there are many reasons for the stiff competition that exists everywhere, we can’t afford to overthink it. We need a committed vision, a dedicated mindset and sincere efforts to succeed in different walks of life. One such walk of life for the young generation of India is the coveted civil services. With the opportunities, powers and perks on offer, the civil services attract a substantial number of aspirants. In fact for a measly 700-800 seats, lakhs of aspirants appear in the civil services examination. It translates into a success rate of merely 0.15-0.16%! No other prominent examination has such a low success percentage. Despite such low rates of success, the number of aspirants is actually increasing. There are numerous examples of well settled, highly paid individuals leaving their jobs and preparing for civil services. It only shows the ever-increasing popularity of civil services and the associated rise in competition.   What is the best way to face this competition? The answer, of course, is- hard work! But is that enough? Hard work is necessary but never a sufficient factor for success in civil services. What one needs is SMART work. What does smart work mean? Try to understand this. Smartness is a paradigm that is changing everything around us. Smart solutions are changing the way we live. Take for example the spectrum of mobile applications that we use. These smart apps help us to order food, book a cab, request home cleaning, hire consultants, read books online, listen to music or watch films anywhere anytime and so on! These changes have been so rapid that the present generation of kids don’t even realise the way in which even the smallest of our needs took so much time and efforts to be met. The key idea here is that with “smartness” being the buzzword, the preparation for civil services can’t be left untouched. Unfortunately, the domain of civil services preparation could hardly integrate the smartness paradigm within its fold. The age-old traditional ways and means of preparation have been failing the candidates. Novelty and innovation were missing from this field.   IASbaba takes pride in the fact that we revolutionised the paradigm of civil services preparation by introducing the Online Integrated Learning Programme (ILP)- our flagship online initiative that is smart, accessible, affordable and highly effective. In the three years of ILP, we have become an integral part of numerous success stories. ILP was launched with a vision to enable a candidate sitting in the remotest corner of the country to have a shot at Rank 1 in the civil services examination. With ILP, an internet connection, an electronic data device and the determination to work hard are what one needs to taste success in UPSC. We are delighted that we have been able to positively transform the ecosystem of civil services preparation with ILP. But what makes ILP so special? How is it different from other initiatives? How does it increase your chances in civil services examination? Well, the answer is simple! ILP acts as your longtime partner in preparation, ever ready and capable to help you at each stage of your preparation- day by day, hour by hour. It reduces your efforts, micromanages your time in the most productive way and allocates your attention in a well-defined priority. It makes your preparation planned, seamless and enjoyable! As every Year, this year too there are Surprises - we are coming up with 3 ONLINE Programmes: ILP-VETERANS ILP-FRESHERS ALL INDIA PRELIMS TEST SERIES BASIC FEATURES OF ILP PROGRAMME  Integration of prelims, mains and interview preparation: Smartness is to integrate your preparation in a common string of theme based understanding of concepts. ILP has been designed minutely to meet this need. You will prepare for concepts in entirety keeping in mind the needs and orientation required for each stage of the examination. Detailed Study Plan (First to introduce day wise micro planning): Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. ILP does the planning for you in the most systematic and logical way. The plans are made to keep you on track as well on your toes. In the plan, you will get pointwise coverage of the syllabus, sources to refer and focus areas. Comprehensive Value Add Notes (VAN): With our value add notes (VAN), you will be able to declutter the complexity of UPSC syllabus. The VANs are high-quality specialised reading materials to give you an edge over your competitors. VANs have been designed intelligently to give separate prelims and mains focus pointers to make your understanding seamless and smooth. You need not look beyond sources other than the standard ones and our VAN. Babapedia for comprehensive current affairs coverage: All your current affairs woes will be gone with Babapedia (PRELIMS)- one of its kind compendium of current affairs. It gets updated on a daily basis. You will never be required to do the drudgery of note making for current affairs. The only thing required of you is to log into your ILP account every morning and go through the precise and crisp current affairs notes updated daily on Babapedia! Isn’t that awesome? Mainspedia (Mains Data hub): One of its kind platform (New Feature this Year) for Mains Answer Writing Skills; best data organisation and usage for examination. It is arranged and organized into various subtopics for all the contemporary aspects related to Paper 1, 2, 3 and 4. Under each topic, various subsections will be created and it will be updated regularly for you to have the best material/data at one place. You can keep making your own notes taking inputs from the data updated in Mainspedia on a regular basis. Mainspedia will have inputs from all possible contemporary issues and from all possible resources like newspapers, government websites etc. Abhivyakti (The social media of ILP) for query resolution and discussions: Each year we have a vibrant and engaging ILP community. Abhivyakti gives the ILP members a platform to get their queries addressed by IASbaba and peers and also initiate discussions/debates on important issues. You can shift your attention away from the time-wasting online forums that take away the sheen from your preparation. Prelims mock tests with detailed solutions: High-quality tests with detailed solutions will help you keep a track on your preparation. You will also get the chance to compete with thousands of sincere aspirants from the ILP community. Mains mock tests with detailed synopsis: What makes ILP even more special is the integration of mains mocks. With the VAN and mains mocks with detailed synopsis, your mains preparation will always be on track. Essay guidance and many more: We always strive to deliver more than we promise. You will be getting many surprises during your engagement with ILP.   ILP 2020 - Veterans Considering the importance of aspirants who are not fresher or beginner, we have modified the ILP-Planning to suit aspirants who fall under this category. Note that content and quality-wise, there will be no difference between ILP-Veterans or Freshers. The only difference will be in approach and planning. Content delivery and focus will vary accordingly. DETAILED STUDY PLAN-MICRO PLANNING OF SYLLABUS It is a detailed plan covering the Prelims Syllabus which will take care of your overall preparation in the form of planned targets, sources to refer and introspective tests. This is the heart and soul of ILP-2020 that needs to be followed with utmost sincerity. Sources- The sources to be referred have been kept to the minimum. It has been done to prevent a candidate from wasting their precious time in going through the repetitive and irrelevant sources available in the market. Revision- Due consideration has been given for Revision that will help to consolidate what you have learnt in a week’s time. Since the process is long and intensive, the lack of revision can be fatal. Therefore, we have given adequate room for revision and consolidation. VALUE ADD NOTES (VAN)- MAINS & PRELIMS MIND MAPS FOR MAINS MAINSPEDIA (MAINS DATAHUB) - ONE OF ITS KIND PLATFORM FOR MAINS ANSWER WRITING SKILL, BEST DATA ORGANIZATION & USAGE FOR EXAM. BABAPEDIA- PRELIMS CURRENT AFFAIRS ABHIVYAKTI (THE SOCIAL MEDIA OF ILP) PRELIMS TEST- 40 General Studies Tests and 10 CSAT Tests. IASbaba is known for its quality coverage and it is a testimony that we have been able to HIT the bull's eye in Prelims and Mains both over the period of last 4 years. The closeness and exact repetition of Questions from our Tests needs no mention. The Prelims Tests are designed carefully and with a lot of efforts to match the standards set by UPSC. Through these tests, the candidates will be able to gauge their performance and standing on a regular basis. Detailed solutions will be provided after the tests. Detailed Solution Techniques to Decipher the Correct Answer (Elimination Technique). Since the scores and ranks will be displayed after every test, one can clearly monitor his/her progress in a continuous manner. All India Ranking and Detailed Assessment of your performance based on Subject Areas will be provided so that one can introspect the strength and weaknesses in their preparation level. REVISION TEST AND FULL MOCK TESTS Tests intended to make the candidates revise the previously covered topics shall be posted on a regular basis along with detailed solutions, scores and ranking (as per the given Plan) CSAT TESTS-10 FULL MOCKS MAINS MOCKS AND SYNOPSIS- Before and after Prelims (More than 35 in numbers). Note that ILP does not include Mains Answer Evaluation. For Evaluation, interested aspirants can join our C2C Mains Answer Evaluation Programme which will start in November 2019. Till then consolidate your preparation through ILP and Mainspedia. Along with that, you can participate in our flagship TLP programme also. ESSAY GUIDANCE- MODEL ESSAY & MAINSPEDIA CONTENT NOTE- Post-Prelims Plan for Mains will be provided once UPSC finalize the Examinations Dates IMPORTANT NOTE ILP-Platform Activation will be done by 28th June 2019. (Programme starting on 1st July) Activation of Test Platform- 14th July 2019 First Test Date- 15th July 2019   Go through the ILP 2020- Veterans- Detailed Course Plan Document, Mainspedia Document and Topic Listing Document.    DOWNLOAD- ILP-VETERANS COURSE PLAN DOWNLOAD-MAINSPEDIA DOWNLOAD-TOPIC LISTING FOR PRELIMS ILP 2020- Freshers Considering the importance of aspirants who are fresher or beginner, we have modified the ILP-Planning to suit aspirants who fall under this category. Note that content and quality-wise, there will be no difference between ILP-Veterans or Freshers. The only difference will be in approach and planning. Content delivery and focus will vary accordingly. DETAILED STUDY PLAN-MICRO PLANNING OF SYLLABUS It is a detailed plan covering the Prelims Syllabus which will take care of your overall preparation in the form of planned targets, sources to refer and introspective tests. This is the heart and soul of ILP-2020 that needs to be followed with utmost sincerity. Sources- The sources to be referred have been kept to the minimum. It has been done to prevent a candidate from wasting their precious time in going through the repetitive and irrelevant sources available in the market. Revision- Due consideration has been given for Revision that will help to consolidate what you have learnt in a week’s time. Since the process is long and intensive, the lack of revision can be fatal. Therefore, we have given adequate room for revision and consolidation. VALUE ADD NOTES (VAN)- MAINS & PRELIMS MIND MAPS FOR MAINS MAINSPEDIA (MAINS DATAHUB) - ONE OF ITS KIND PLATFORM FOR MAINS ANSWER WRITING SKILL, BEST DATA ORGANIZATION & USAGE FOR EXAM. BABAPEDIA- PRELIMS CURRENT AFFAIRS ABHIVYAKTI (THE SOCIAL MEDIA OF ILP) PRELIMS TEST- 52 General Studies Tests and 10 CSAT Tests. IASbaba is known for its quality coverage and it is a testimony that we have been able to HIT the bull's eye in Prelims and Mains both over the period of last 4 years. The closeness and exact repetition of Questions from our Tests needs no mention. The Prelims Tests are designed carefully and with a lot of efforts to match the standards set by UPSC. Through these tests, the candidates will be able to gauge their performance and standing on a regular basis. Detailed solutions will be provided after the tests. Detailed Solution Techniques to Decipher the Correct Answer (Elimination Technique). Since the scores and ranks will be displayed after every test, one can clearly monitor his/her progress in a continuous manner. All India Ranking and Detailed Assessment of your performance based on Subject Areas will be provided so that one can introspect the strength and weaknesses in their preparation level. REVISION TEST AND FULL MOCK TESTS Tests intended to make the candidates revise the previously covered topics shall be posted on a regular basis along with detailed solutions, scores and ranking (as per the given Plan) CSAT TESTS-10 FULL MOCKS MAINS MOCKS AND SYNOPSIS- Before and after Prelims (More than 35 in numbers). Note that ILP does not include Mains Answer Evaluation. For Evaluation, interested aspirants can join our C2C Mains Answer Evaluation Programme which will start in November 2019. Till then consolidate your preparation through ILP and Mainspedia. Along with that, you can participate in our flagship TLP programme also. ESSAY GUIDANCE- MODEL ESSAY & MAINSPEDIA CONTENT NOTE- Post-Prelims Plan for Mains will be provided once UPSC finalize the Examinations Dates IMPORTANT NOTE ILP-Platform Activation will be done by 28th June 2019. (Programme starting on 1st July) Activation of Test Platform- 14th July 2019 First Test Date- 15th July 2019   Go through the ILP 2020- Freshers- Detailed Course Plan Document, Mainspedia Document and Topic Listing Document.    DOWNLOAD-ILP-FRESHER COURSE PLAN DOWNLOAD-MAINSPEDIA DOWNLOAD-TOPIC LISTING FOR PRELIMS All India Prelims Test Series (AIPTS) 2020   FINE PRINTS OF ALL INDIA PRELIMS TEST SERIES (AIPTS) 2020 All India Prelims Test Series-2020 is available in ENGLISH only (For Hindi, we will announce after Prelims 2019) Total Number of Tests- 40 General Studies (Paper 1) + 12 CSAT (Paper 2) Tests = Total 52 There will be a detailed solution for each test. PDFs of questions and solutions will be sent to registered email ID. It can also be downloaded after taking the tests online. To be part of All India Ranking, one has to appear for the exam as per mentioned Rank Publish Date (preferably before the next test date). For each test, there will be THREE attempts. Ranks will be calculated based on the very first attempt. There is no fixed time to take the test. It’s flexible. Tests will be uploaded on the respective dates as mentioned in the plan. The validity of the tests is from July 2019 to June 2020. You have to take tests/download PDFs between the given period only. In no case, there will be any assistance from our side after the expiry of the programme. You can join AIPTS 2020 anytime. There is no deadline. ILP 2020 users need not join AIPTS 2020. IMPORTANT NOTE Test Platform will be activated 1 day before the first test. Activation of Test Platform- 14th July 2019 First Test Date- 15th July 2019   Go through the AIPTS 2020- Detailed Course Plan Document and Topic Listing for Prelims Document   DOWNLOAD-AIPTS-2020 COURSE PLAN DOWNLOAD-TOPIC LISTING FOR PRELIMS FEE DETAILS Like last year, we have not increased the FEE of ILP and AIPTS, not even the taxable amount.  The FEE remains the same for both Veterans and Freshers. ILP 2020-FRESHERS- 10K+Tax ILP 2020- VETERANS-10K+Tax AIPTS 2020-  6K + Tax PAYMENT <- CLICK HERE For any query related to ILP 2020 contact us at ilp@iasbaba.com Offline Payment Details: Please mail us the acknowledgement at ilp@iasbaba.com if making offline payment.  Bank details BANK Name CANARA BANK BANK BRANCH BANGALORE KLE SOCIETY ACCOUNT NAME IASBABA ACCOUNT NUMBER 8418201003785 IFSC CODE CNRB0008418 ACCOUNT TYPE CURRENT ACCOUNT   For Civil Services aspirants, the launch of ILP every year brings in new energy and motivation. More than anyone else, the aspirants residing in the remotest parts of the country now feel that they have a chance. IASbaba feels proud to have played a part in building this confidence. The reach of ILP and its success has crossed the boundaries of coaching hubs of India. We hope that this year too, ILP plays an even better role in the success of aspirants.  ILP is EMPOWERMENT What to Do after You Join? Course Plan Document is given. Start preparing as per the plan Go through Previous Years Papers (Both Prelims and Mains) Start Optional Preparation also. Read Newspapers and Daily Current Affairs of IASbaba So what are you waiting for? Come, join us and let us write your success story! On an ending note, we reiterate our AIM – “To help an aspirant preparing in the remotest part of the country to secure Rank 1” All the best IASbaba Team

May 6, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 6th May 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 6th May 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Person in news: Swami Atmabodhanand Why in news? Swami Atmabodhanand, a 27-year-old hermit in Haridwar, has broken his 194-day fast in protest against sand mining and the upcoming dams on key rivers that feed the Ganga. Atmabodhanand had begun fasting days after G.D. Agrawal, 86, a former professor and hermit, died of a heart attack on October 11 after a 111-day fast. The fasting activists had demanded that all hydroelectric projects along the Alaknanda, Dhauli Ganga, Mandakini and Pindar rivers be stopped and legislation to protect the Ganga be enacted. Anti-dumping duty put on saccharine In news: Finance Ministry has imposed an anti-dumping duty of $1,633.17 per tonne on the import of saccharine from Indonesia. Saccharine is a compound most commonly used in sugar-substitute sweeteners. Indonesia, until recently, accounted for a large chunk of India’s saccharine imports. The product under consideration has been exported to India from subject country below their normal values and consequently, the domestic industry has suffered material injury. India, U.K. in talks to build a naval supercarrier In news: India and U.K. to build a new state-of-the-art aircraft carrier along the lines of Britain’s HMS Queen Elizabeth as part of the ongoing ‘Make in India’ negotiations. The talks are under way for the Indian Navy to buy detailed plans for the 65,000-ton British warship to build a so-called “copycat supercarrier” to be named INS Vishal in 2022. Do you know? Second supercarrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is now being built at Rosyth dockyard in Scotland where HMS Queen Elizabeth was assembled. The new naval carrier would serve alongside India’s 45,000-ton carrier INS Vikramaditya — bought from Russia in 2004 — and the currently under-construction 40,000-ton INS Vikrant, and could give India a larger carrier fleet than Britain. (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL/ECONOMY TOPIC: General studies 2 and 3 Important International institutions, agencies and forums, their structure, mandate. Economic Developments WTO issues: Talking fair trade in Delhi Introduction: India to host the second mini-ministerial meet of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Do you know? 12th WTO Ministerial Conference will be held in June 2020 at Astana, Kazakhstan. 11th Ministerial Conference (Buenos Aires, December 2017) collapsed despite efforts by 164 WTO members to evolve a consensus on several issues. The U.S. had refused a reduction in subsidies and also pulled back on its commitment to find a perennial solution to public stockholding. Major areas and issues needs to be addressed: The 2nd mini-ministerial meet will be held to discuss the interests of developing and least developed countries in global trade. US had accused that developing countries like India and China benefit from exemptions meant for the poorer nations. Therefore, this meet acts as a preparatory meeting to set a common agenda at the 12th Ministerial Conference which will be held next year. Negotiations on issue of subsidies and public stockholding – issues central to developing and less developed countries. The other issues under discussion will relate to protectionist measures, digital trade, fisheries, subsidies, environmental goods, standardisation and implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and other matters ripe for negotiation and agreement, mainly investment facilitation. Issue of agricultural subsidies WTO replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) as an international organisation mainly to overcome tussles over trade interests. The economies of the developing and less developed world (with little bargaining power) were unable to gain market access in most of the developed economies (which were influential in negotiations), especially when it came to agricultural commodities. However, there is still deadlock on the issue of agricultural trade negotiations. The disagreements between developed countries (the European Union and the U.S.) and developing countries (Malaysia, Brazil and India) to discipline the farm regime in their favour continue, thereby threatening the WTO’s comprehensive development agenda. The expectations of developing countries from trade also get belied due to sizeable support by the developed nations to their farmers in a situation of market failure and other uncertainties. The support through subsidies tends to bring distortions in commodity prices. According to OECD, the quantum of subsidies by developed nations vary from $300 to $325 billion annually, which is much higher than that estimated for developing countries. This has become a bone of contention in trade talks as farm lobbies in the U.S., Europe and Japan have steadily exercised political clout to influence officials and lawmakers to continue giving subsidies to farmers. Stringent non-tariff measures (NTMs) Another major concern is that developed countries design and implement stringent non-tariff measures (NTMs) which exacerbate the problems faced by poor countries that are willing to export. NTMs significantly add to the cost of trading. Developing economies are unable to compete in international markets and hardly gain from sectors with comparative advantage such as agriculture, textiles and apparels. Conclusion: Therefore, in the 2nd mini-ministerial meet, developing countries are willing to break the deadlock on these issues and are preparing a common ground to jolt the mandate of the global trade body. India, in particular, seeks amendment of laws on unilateral action by members on trade issues and a resolution of the WTO’s dispute settlement system. The Delhi meeting can be a breakthrough if members negotiate these issues in a convergent manner. The meeting is expected to lead to policy guidance on issues such as global norms to protect traditional knowledge from patenting by corporates, protection through subsidies, e-commerce, food security and continuation of special and differential treatment to poor economies. The time is opportune for developing countries to voice their concerns and push for a stable and transparent environment for multilateral trade. India must do its homework to focus on the unresolved issues and address the newer ones which are of interest to developed nations, mainly investment facilitation. Connecting the dots: Are we witnessing the decline of WTO in an era of heightened regional cooperation and bilateral alliances? Critically examine. The Protectionist stand of Developed nations and assertiveness of Developing countries has left the WTO ineffective, Comment. Do agricultural subsidies have a distorting effect in free markets? Illustrate. INTERNATIONAL/SOCIAL ISSUE TOPIC: General studies 1 and 2 Capitalism, Socialism Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health. Why we need socialism today? Context: The below article deals with Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels ideas of socialism and the negatives of capitalism. The author believes that country like India, which is plagued with various social problems, need socialism rather than capitalism today. Key facts: May 5, 2018 marked 200th birth anniversary of Karl Marx, German Philosopher, revolutionary, sociologist, historian, and economist. Marx is known for his popular work - The Communist Manifesto, the most celebrated pamphlet in the history of the socialist movement. He also was the author of the movement’s most important book, Das Kapital. Ideas of Marx and Engels: Marx was not like other philosophers who interpreted the world in various ways; he made it a point to change it. Marx questioned the role of religion in society and contributed to his desire for social change. Marx and Friedrich Engels laid the formulations for the theory and practice of scientific socialism. They applied dialectics to the study of human society and human consciousness. They strove for the liberation of humanity from all forms of discrimination and exploitation. They argued that Parliament should be used as a forum to articulate the concerns of the working people. Marxism as a science, as an ideology, and as a methodology keeps demonstrating its relevance every day. The march of capitalism and its limitations After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, some proclaimed that there was no alternative to neoliberalism. Since then, the so-called triumphant march of neoliberal capitalism has seen many hurdles. For instance, 2008 financial crisis. The worst victims of this march of capitalism and its consequent crises have always been the disadvantaged sections. This shows the presence of class conflict in society. The vulnerabilities of the disadvantaged are a creation of capitalism itself. Neoliberalism has led to unprecedented inequalities and disparities. Indian context: In India, liberalisation of the economy was initiated on the premise that the seemingly socialist and centrally planned economy had outlived its utility and that private ownership and market forces would efficiently replace public sector undertakings and provisions. Such an opening up of the economy was also tried in other parts of the world with only one consequence — unprecedented concentration of wealth in the hands of a few and a marked shift in the actual centres of power. Crony capitalism soon made fast inroads into the policymaking and inequality increased. According to Credit Suisse Research Institute’s Global Wealth Report, India is the second most unequal society in the world 1% of the Indian population owns 51.5% of the wealth in the country Top 10% own about three-fourths of the wealth On the other hand, the bottom 60%, the majority of the population, own 4.7% of the total wealth Public education and health are the worst hit by capitalism Education spending by the Centre has been showing a downward trend. Instead of expanding higher education horizontally (to more far-flung areas of the country) and vertically (to the disadvantaged sections of society), the Central government is allowing the Higher Education Financing Agency to allow the private sector to dominate the education sector and make higher education a distant dream for the deprived classes. Similarly, in the health sector, the government has chosen private insurance companies and private healthcare lobbies as its partners, effectively taking away the attention from public healthcare infrastructure and its upgradation. Conclusion: In a country like India, which is plagued with social problems such as widespread poverty, a deepening agricultural crisis, a very high unemployment rate, and abysmal health indicators, giving away public sector assets to private players and shifting the discourse away from realising socialism could prove fatal for a vast majority of the population. India is doing badly on many parameters — nutrition, peace, human development, and press freedom — while a section of the media is celebrating improvement in the Ease of Doing Business Index, rather than Human Development Index. In other words, ensuring that people live a decent life is subordinate to ensuring that business becomes easier for crony capitalists. Providing employment to the youth, providing remunerative prices to farmers, ensuring social justice to the marginalised sections, and creating a conducive environment for the overall development of society should be the major focus of the government. However, the government has presided over the gradual undermining of constitutional institutions, the giving away of national assets to the private sector and the increase in violence against minorities. Marx and Engels wrote in The Communist Manifesto: “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles... [where] oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight.” It is the duty and the responsibility of socialism to carry on that struggle for humanity, and to bring politics back to where it belongs — to the people. Only by saying a big ‘no’ to brutal capitalism and by following what the Constitution envisages in its Preamble — social justice — can we remedy the problems that we face today. Connecting the dots: What do you understand by crony capitalism? What are its adverse impacts on the society? Discuss. The romance for socialism had done more bad for the contemporary socio-economic landscape in India than good. How far do you agree with this assessment? Critically examine. Is Karl Marx still relevant today? What are his major contributions? ‘The history of the hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggle.’ Critically comment on this Marxian thesis. (Only for Sociology Optional) MUST READ Surviving Fani: on Odisha government's preparedness The Hindu Indian civil services run the risk of producing just clones who seek precedence not innovation in work Indian Express ‘In Good Faith: The Socratic question’  Indian Express America versus the rest Indian Express Why the Reserve Bank is playing with fire with currency swaps Livemint

May 5, 2019

IAS UPSC Current Affairs Magazine APRIL 2019

IAS UPSC Current Affairs Magazine APRIL 2019   ARCHIVES Hello Friends, This is the 47th edition of IASbaba’s Current Affairs Monthly Magazine. Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Examination is an important factor in this preparation. An effort towards making your Current Affairs for IAS UPSC Preparation qualitative. We hope you make the best use of it! This edition covers all important current affairs issues that were in news for the month of APRIL 2019 DOWNLOAD THE MAGAZINE- CLICK HERE  

May 5, 2019 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – How To Stay Motivated – Inspirational Educative Articles

How to stay motivated? Why is it difficult to stay inspired and motivated all the time? What is it in the nature of life that makes it so hard to be motivated all the time? Let us try and understand the science of motivation. More importantly let us try and understand why we lose the ability to stay motivated all the time as we grow up. There is no debate in the argument that we were a lot more motivated during our younger days. Irrespective of our age now, we can all reflect back on the time when we had more energy and enthusiasm. We can all recollect a time from our past when were a lot more inspired and motivated. So what is it that makes it difficult for us to stay inspired as we grow up? One important reason is our changing understanding of life. As we grow, our understanding of life changes and accordingly our attitude towards what inspires and motivates us changes. Since the very definition of growing up is a process of changing, staying motivated all the time is a big challenge. This does not mean that there is no way for us to stay inspired and motivated all the time. The trick to staying inspired all or rather most of the time lies in our mind. Our mind holds the key to the secret of our motivation. If we are able to understand the nature of our minds clearly, we will be able to learn how to keep ourselves motivated. As far as the mind is concerned, motivation is simply a state. In fact our mind does not understand motivation at all. The only thing it understands and recognizes is different states of our mind. Mainly, it recognizes positive and negative states. For the mind, being in a positive state of mind corresponds to being motivated. Similarly being in a negative state of mind corresponds to demotivation and lack of enthusiasm. It is amazing how much time, money and effort is spent in trying to motivate people. One of the biggest challenges every organization faces is keeping its people inspired and motivated. Most people understand motivation as a surge of energy; hence fall into the age old trap of instant energizing, only to lose their energy all too quickly. We cannot approach our personal motivation as a quick surge of energy. Rather, we have to understand it is a way of keeping our mind in a positive state of mind. The biggest secret to motivation is knowing the difference between a negative state of mind and a positive state of mind. When we know what triggers a negative or a positive state of mind, it becomes possible for us to control our motivation levels. The easiest way to stay motivated is by listening to continuous conversation of our minds and not encouraging negative conversation. This sounds too simplistic to work, but it works brilliantly. Just by listening to our thoughts we can weed out negative and unnecessary conversations and cultivate an internal atmosphere of positivity and energy. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Inner-Revolution and IASBABA.”

May 4, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 4th May 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Only 10 of 100 Ganga sewage projects completed Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and Biodiversity; Conservation; Pollution; Government schemes and programmes; Governance issues In news: The NDA government has only finished 10 of the 100 sewage infrastructure projects commissioned after 2015 under the Namami Gange mission, according to records. Nearly ₹23,000 crore has been sanctioned of the ₹28,000 crore outlay for sewage management work. Commissioning of sewage treatment plants (STP) and laying sewer lines are at the heart of the mission to clean the Ganga. However, river-front development, cleaning ghats and removing trash from the river, which are just the cosmetic side of the mission make up about for ₹1,200 crore of the mission outlay. Do you know? The bulk of the projects completed were those commissioned before the Ganga mission began work in earnest under programmes such as the Ganga Action Plan-1 and Ganga Action Plan-2, which began in 1987 and 1996 respectively. Asia-Pacific to grow 5.7% this year: ADB Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – Economy; International Affairs In news: According to Asian Development Bank – Asia-Pacific region is expected to power ahead growing at 5.7% this year The bank’s lending grew to a record $21.6 billion in 2018, 10% higher compared to 2017. Strategy 2030 plan of ADB It focuses on six key areas – operational and action plans for the private sector, addressing remaining poverty and inequality, accelerating progress in gender equality, continuing to foster regional cooperation and integration, expanding private sector operations and using concessional resources effectively (MAINS FOCUS) HEALTH ISSUE TOPIC: General studies 2 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health. Welfare schemes, mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections General Studies 3 Inclusive growth and issues arising from it Why capping stent prices is no cure Context: Healthcare in India is in urgent need of a paradigm shift. In the recent past, the sector has seen some significant policy announcements, with the government trying to finally make healthcare accessible and affordable. Price capping of medical devices has been at the forefront of these announcements. India heavily relies on medical device imports to meet its healthcare needs. Therefore capping of medical devices is an important policy announcement. Benefits of capping stent prices: Price control is necessary under the failed and exploitive market system characterised by exorbitant, irrational and restrictive trade margin. India, in order to achieve its long-term goal of Universal Healthcare Coverage, it needs better equipment, skill development and policies that support medical innovations. Price capping will minimise the expenditure in the health sector and allow more people to benefit from it. Coronary artery disease (CAD) in India has become a major public health problem. (incidence of high morbidity and mortality). Therefore, price cap on coronary stents have helped a larger number of patients from lower-income groups undergo life-saving angioplasty since their number went up sharply after the price-regulation move. It also allows transparency and better government control and audit ease. Why capping stent prices is no cure? India is still battling healthcare challenges like availability of adequate infrastructure, trained professionals, rapidly changing disease burden and catastrophic out-of-pocket expenses. (Needs comprehensive reforms in other areas too) The medical device market in India is under-penetrated, and access to quality and affordable medical service remains a challenge. For instance, there has been a drastic fall in the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the medical device sector (according to recent reports). Drug-eluting stents are mostly manufactured by medical-device MNCs and after capping stent price many have either pulled out their state-of-the-art stents from the Indian market or have announced plans to do so. Now, at this point, where India imports 70% of its medical devices, the industry is dependent on the global community for the inflow of technology and innovation. While the domestic industry finds its feet in this market, the access of these devices to patients cannot be paused. If a high-quality stent by a global manufacturer becomes inaccessible to the patients, it can have severe implications on the health of millions. Do you know? The capping slashed the price of drug-eluting stents by as much as 70%. Top-rung MNCs pulling their products out of the Indian market also has serious implications for patients in the country. Conclusion: Well-considered price control is a positive step, but more needs to be done. Government is progressing towards increasing access and adoption, improving quality, and lowering healthcare delivery costs in the country. However, healthcare policies are not about what serves the short-term purpose, but what works for the people in the long run. Critics argue that subsidising stents at public hospitals based on income could have been better alternative in order to solve the problem of lower-income patients, who are more likely to opt out of life-saving procedures because of high stent costs. The lack of pricing freedom in medical devices sends out signals to the international investing community that regulatory action in India could be a potential threat. Connecting the dots: Indian healthcare framework needs a comprehensive regulatory framework that goes beyond price control. Other key elements of healthcare- insurance coverage, healthcare infrastructure etc.- must be stressed upon. Analyze. Without pharmaceuticals’ market reform, Universal Healthcare Coverage will be a distant dream. Elucidate. The recent measure of price control on medical devices is seen as anti-market practice. Critically discuss the need for such measures in a welfare state like India. Will it inhibit innovation in the field? Justify. 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. For a simpler GST Introduction: The collections from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in April for economic activity in March scaled a new high. The GST inflows of ₹1,13,865 crore in April are the highest recorded since the tax regime was introduced in July 2017. This is the second consecutive month of GST mop-up topping Rs 1 lakh crore-mark and 10 per cent higher than Rs 1.03 lakh crore collected in April 2018. However, the unorganised sectors, especially the small traders and producers, are the ones facing adverse impacts. The large and medium-scale producers who are expected to benefit the most from GST are confused since hundreds of changes have been announced from the time it was launched. Even chartered accountants and lawyers who are to help businesses cope with GST are often left befuddled. More and more cases are being filed in courts due to lack of clarity and varying interpretations. Do you know? The government suspended the more difficult parts of the GST provisions — like e-way bill, GSTR2 form — for a while. Government recently raised the limit for registration under GST from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh and for the composition scheme from Rs75 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore to exempt most small businesses. Many tax rates have been brought down. But the problems persist because they are structural and not just a result of poor implementation. The way ahead: The proponents of GST believe that the problems are temporary and that structural changes take time to give dividends. GST is the biggest reform in India, no matter what the difficulties, they maintain that eventually all will be well. GST needs a structural change with effective implementation. In order to encourage greater compliance, there must be efforts to make it easier for small firms to remain in the tax net by cutting down the time and energy required to fill myriad tax returns. Connecting the dots: How will GST impact the economy of India in short term. Critically analyse. Do you think the present GST tariff structure addresses the generally regressive nature of indirect taxes? Critically examine. Enumerate the salient features of proposed new GST law. Discuss the challenges to be faced due to GST implementation. MUST READ An image makeover of the Belt and Road Initiative The Hindu A new fault line in post-war Sri Lanka The Hindu  False dawn: On India’s crucial security challenge Indian Express A rashomon election Indian Express Will China Export its Illiberal Innovation? Financial Express/Tribune

May 3, 2019 IASbaba's OFFLINE CLASSES

ADMISSIONS OPEN: IASbaba's OPTIONAL OFFLINE CLASSROOM PROGRAMME 2019-2020 – SOCIOLOGY, GEOGRAPHY, ANTHROPOLOGY, KANNADA LITERATURE, POLITICAL SCIENCE

IASbaba's OPTIONAL OFFLINE CLASSROOM PROGRAMME 2019-2020   Choosing the right optional is just like choosing the perfect spouse. Yes! You read it right. Love, compatibility and trust are the most important factors when you choose your life partner. You must also choose your optional based on these factors. You must love your optional, manning you should have interest in the subject. You can’t be feeling burdened because of of your optional. The textbooks must attract you so much so that you can’t live without them a single day! Then you must have compatibility with the subject. What it means is that you can’t afford to get irritated or perplexed by the requirements of your optional. For example, if you are an engineering graduate and you have always detested abstract theories, Philosophy isn’t be the subject for you. If you are pathetic in drawing, you should stay away from Geography. If you aren’t good with memorising facts, stay away from History. Similarly, if you have always appreciated poetry and love reading literature, you can think of taking one of the languages as your optional. If you have a mathematical bent of mind, you can think of taking the science subjects as your optional. If you like to know about nature, places and people, you must think of Geography as your go to subject. Finally you must have never ending trust on your optional. You must repose your complete faith in your optional and only then it will pay dividends to you. It simply means that you need to put in maximum effort, internalise the essence of the subject, master the art of writing answers and leave it to the subject to pay you back in the form of handsome marks. You can’t prepare your optional with inhibitions and doubt. So, if you haven’t tested your optional on these there parameters, please go back and spend some time to do the same. Come back with a strong conviction about the optional that you have finally chosen and only then start your journey. Please Note that all the OPTIONAL'S will have Test Series included and One-One Mentorship with the Respective Faculties!! SOCIOLOGY OPTIONAL  We will be starting off with SOCIOLOGY OPTIONAL OFFLINE CLASSES from 4th August 2019 (Sunday). ORIENTATION Class will be held in the month of July (2nd Week). The classes will be taken by Dr. Vamshi Krishna Sir (a Topper himself in Sociology in UPSC 2014, 2015), BDS, M.A (Sociology) Working as Assistant Administrative officer at CSIR NAL. Associated with IASBABA since its inception. Dr.Vamshi writes on social issues on blogs. Regular contributor to Research gate and Academia.edu on social issues useful for researchers and social scientists. You can read REVIEWS of his classes - Link 1, Link 2 FEATURES OF THE PROGRAMME: The duration of the program would be from August 2019 to February 2020 (7 MONTHS) Notes will be dictated in easy answer writing format and value-added notes (VAN) would be provided. (Includes contemporary case studies, extra concepts, Govt. Schemes etc.) 10 Mains tests with a mix of sectional and Full length including discussion, evaluation and feedback Complete coverage of topics with focus on contemporary trends to inculcate Sociological Imagination necessary to tackle any type of Question in the examination. The focus will be on paper 2 where the majority of students face a problem [lack of material, application of paper 1 concepts, dynamic part (current affairs). One on One discussion with mentor with focus on Answer writing improvement. The focus will be on building sociological concepts and answer writing especially for first time aspirants with focus on competing with experienced candidates on equal footing in Mains 2020.   Duration of the Class: August 2019 to February 2020 (7 MONTHS) Timings: Classes will be held on WEEKENDS ONLY (to facilitate even working professionals). Initially it will be held only on Saturday's, once students get acclimatized with the classes, it will be Saturdays/Sundays (10am-5pm) MODE OF ADMISSION : Interested students can fill up the registration form (below). Once registered you will get an invite, with the payment link. Once the payment is done, send the acknowledgement to offline@iasbaba.com. This confirms your enrollment to the program.  (OR) You can directly come to the office and make the payment and confirm your admission. The Office address and Contact details are mentioned @ the end of the post. REGISTRATION FORM –> CLICK HERE   GEOGRAPHY OPTIONAL  We will be starting off with GEOGRAPHY OPTIONAL OFFLINE CLASSES from 3rd August 2019 (Saturday). ORIENTATION Class will be held in the month of July (2nd Week). The purpose of this write up is twofold- to help you understand the merits of Geography as an optional and share the details of the comprehensive Geography Offline Classroom Programme. But before we let you know the merits of Geography as an optional, please remove the notions and biases from your mind that might have developed as a result of your discussions on various online forums and maybe with your friends and seniors. UPSC doesn’t intentionally “butcher” a subject. All the optionals have their distinct advantages and drawbacks but by no stretch of imagination would UPSC give preference to one optional over the other. What may happen though is that some optionals might have scored more than the others in a particular year but that trend gets reversed also. That is the unpredictability of the Civil Services Examination that we have to live with. In fact, till the time optionals remain a part of CSE, this unpredictability will remain. So, learn to live with it rather than blaming it. Most of the times, the answers to one’s failure or unexpected performance lies within and not externally. So the message is clear for all the sceptics- before blaming UPSC for its so called “bias” for or against any optional, try to find the reasons of not doing well by looking inward! So coming to the point, let us enumerate the merits of Geography as an optional to help you decide whether it’s the subject for you: 1. Geography is scoring: If you maintain the essence of Geography in your answers, it will definitely fetch you good marks in Mains. 2. Geography is interesting: You will have a fun ride with geography as most of the concepts relate to the physical and social environment of which you are an integral part. 3. Geography has maximum overlap with GS syllabus: If you prepare Geography optional, more than 30-40% of your GS syllabus is automatically prepared. Moreover, you develop better perspectives for Essay paper and interview as well. 4. Geography is logic driven and scientific: Unlike some other humanities subjects, study of Geography entails logic, scientific theories and empirical evidences. This makes Geography easy to understand and apply. 5. Geography has abundance of sources to refer: There is no dearth of quality materials and good books in Geography. You don’t have to dig too much into bookstores to find good books on Geography. Now, having discussed the merits, let us tell you what we have in store for your optional preparation. If you have already decided to choose Geography as your optional, we are pleased to offer 14 weeks of complete end to end guidance for Geography optional in the form of our comprehensive Offline Guidance Programme. The basic features of the programme are: It will be a classroom based program spanning 3 to 4 months. In a week, total number of classroom sessions conducted will be 6 (sessions/week). Each session will be of 3 hours Duration. Classes will be conducted on 4 days (2 days on the weekdays & 2 days on the weekends) Perspective driven classroom sessions. Each session will comprise of intensive conceptual learning, discussion on previous year questions, quizzes, discussions etc. Master the technique of using the 6 tools of Geography to score really high in Mains. Value add notes(VAN) and Synopsis on selected topics. You can download the Tentative SCHEDULE - CLICK HERE   Duration of the Class: August 2019 to November 2019 (4 MONTHS) MODE OF ADMISSION : Interested students can fill up the registration form (below). Once registered you will get an invite, with the payment link. Once the payment is done, send the acknowledgement to offline@iasbaba.com. This confirms your enrollment to the program.  (OR) You can directly come to the office and make the payment and confirm your admission. The Office address and Contact details are mentioned @ the end of the post. REGISTRATION FORM –> CLICK HERE   ANTHROPOLOGY OPTIONAL  We will be starting off with ANTHROPOLOGY OPTIONAL OFFLINE CLASSES from 3rd August 2019 (Saturday). ORIENTATION Class will be held in the month of July (2nd Week). The classes will be taken by P. Vishnu Vardhan sir (M.Ain ANTHROPOLOGY) . He has an experience of teaching Anthropology since last 8 years at various Reputed institutes at Hyderabad and also teaches at Unacademy Plus. Under his guidance several civil aspirants have cleared with flying colours with anthropology optional. Attended UPSC Interview three times with anthropology as optional and scored high marks (324/500) in 2014 year.   Why Anthropology as Optional? Anthropology subject is not new to students because the topics present in the syllabus are the things which we observe in our daily life like marriage, kinship, family etc. Hence the subject will be interesting and  the syllabus will be connected to everybody. Since last 5 to 6 years the 8-10% of the students who cleared CSE is from Anthropology Optional. 80% of the Preparation will be static and 20% will be Dynamic, hence High scoring. The track record from the previous results also proved that anthropology is high scoring optional. The questions in the final mains exam will be direct and there won’t be any round tripping of questions, hence any average student can answer the questions easily. There is proper availability of material and resources in the market. MOST IMPORTANT, It covers 30% of General studies syllabus as well.   FEATURES OF THE PROGRAMME: The duration of the program would be from August 2019 to November 2019 (4 MONTHS COURSE) Class Notes will be given and regular Hand outs will be distributed  10 Mains tests with a mix of sectional and full length including discussion, evaluation and feedback. Each and every word in the syllabus will be covered comprehensively. Special emphasis on Applications (anthropological thinkers/theories) and Current affairs  Special emphasis will be on PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY. Special care will be taken on Non science background students for physical anthropology The focus will be on Interaction and not on Monologue. One on One discussion with mentor with focus on Answer writing improvement. The focus will be on building concepts and answer writing especially for first time aspirants with focus on competing with experienced candidates on equal footing in Mains 2020. ANTHROPOLOGY SYLLABUS PAPER 1 1)BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION AND CULTURAL EVOLUTION OF MAN - 1st UNIT 2) SOCIO CULTURAL EVOLUTION (2,3,4,5 UNITS) 3) ANTHROPOLOGICAL THOUGHT (6,7,8 UNITS) 4) PHYSICAL CHAPTERS(9-12) PAPER 2 1)BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION AND CULTURAL EVOLUTION OF MAN  IN INDIA- 1st UNIT 2)INDIAN SOCIETY(2-5) 3)TRIBAL  CHAPTERS(6-9)   Duration of the Class: August 2019 to November 2020 (4 MONTHS) Timings: Classes will be held on WEEKENDS ONLY (to facilitate even working professionals). Saturdays/Sundays (9am to 1pm and 2.30pm to 6.30pm.) MODE OF ADMISSION : Interested students can fill up the registration form (below). Once registered you will get an invite, with the payment link. Once the payment is done, send the acknowledgement to offline@iasbaba.com. This confirms your enrollment to the program.  (OR) You can directly come to the office and make the payment and confirm your admission. The Office address and Contact details are mentioned @ the end of the post. REGISTRATION FORM –> CLICK HERE   KANNADA LITERATURE OPTIONAL  The Kannada Literature OPTIONAL classes will be conducted by a renowned faculty Dr.Rakesh.E.S MSc, PhD. (a Topper himself in Kannada Literature in UPSC 2008, 2010). He has been guiding, teaching and mentoring students since 2010. Famously called by the students fraternity as a one-stop destination for Kannada literature Optional subject. His rich experience in teaching, his depth of understanding the subject and his interpretation skills in literary context has helped many students to get into the All India Services, Central Services and State Civil services. The one-one discussion sessions of Dr.Rakesh is well appreciated across by the students fraternity because of its fruitfulness with respect to doubt solving nature. His list of successful students includes Sachin.K (AIR-652, 2018) Ashok (AIR-711, 2019) Chanappa IPS, GuruPrasad IRS, Anoop Shetty IPS, Vishnu Gowda IRPS, Dyamappa IRS and many more! We will be starting off with KANNADA LITERATURE OPTIONAL OFFLINE CLASSES from 1st August 2019 (Thursday). ORIENTATION Class will be held in the month of July (2nd Week).   Key Highlights of the Class guidance Programme: 1) The optional subject Kannada literature will be taught in the philosophical and Literary context to ensure,the students develop the critical analytical ability while writing answers. 2) The techniques of answer writing in the PAPER-2 by utilising the principles and ideologies mentioned in the PAPER-1 will be taught in the class room sessions. 3) Since many students  from  non literary backgrounds (Science & Commerce graduates) are opting for kannada literature for in depth understanding of the subject in a comprehensive way and to solve the doubts, the class room teaching involves discussions and debates. 4) The study materials(Notes) issued in the class room includes the • Critical analysis of the best books • Notes of the Mysore University • Model answers of the selected candidates of UPSC. 5) Unit Tests will be conducted after completion of each unit of the syllabus (Total 8 tests from both the Paper's will be conducted).To enhance the answer writing capability of the students discussion sessions are held after evaluating the papers. 6) Since Personality test is a part of the examination process to infuse philosophies &  thoughts through literature, guest lecturers will be taken by senior writers and intellectuals. 7) Interaction sessions with the successful candidates (Topper’s) of the UPSC exam is part of the class room teaching programme. MODE OF ADMISSION : Interested students can fill up the registration form (below). Once registered you will get an invite, with the payment link. Once the payment is done, send the acknowledgement to offline@iasbaba.com. This confirms your enrollment to the program.  (OR) You can directly come to the office and make the payment and confirm your admission. The Office address and Contact details are mentioned @ the end of the post. REGISTRATION FORM –> CLICK HERE   POLITICAL SCIENCE and INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (PSIR) OPTIONAL  Choosing optional for Civil services mains exam is extremely crucial job. If you have decided that POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS is the subject for you, you have taken the right decision…!!!! The classes will be taken by Mr. Rahul Saigaonker, a topper himself in Political Science in UPSC 2016, MTech from NITK Surathkal, (MA Pol Sci). He has keen interest in 21st century Public policy issues and has 5 years of teaching experience. PSIR is undoubtedly a good subject to choose as an optional. We have few things to reinforce your faith in your decision. You may like to read the following points that will strengthen your conviction about PSIR: PSIR is highly relevant and interesting subject with reference to a career in civil services. PSIR is also a high scoring subject in UPSC mains. PSIR has huge overlap with GS syllabus. For instance, Paper I part B of PSIR totally overlaps with Indian polity and governance. Paper II of PSIR will help one in preparing for IR for general studies. Various political thinkers we study in PSIR will help immensely in ethics paper also. PSIR will greatly help in developing better perspectives for Essay paper and Personality test. We will be starting off with POLITICAL SCIENCE OPTIONAL OFFLINE CLASSES from 1st August 2019 (Thursday). ORIENTATION Class will be held in the month of July (2nd Week). FEATURES OF THE PROGRAMME: Complete coverage of UPSC Syllabus of PSIR in just 4.5-5 Months. Special focus on coverage of contemporary theories and commentaries especially in Paper-1 Part-A and Paper-2 Part-A. Weekly Tests and dedicated focus on answer writing. Discussion of previous year UPSC question papers. Optional Test Series including 10 Tests (6 Sectional & 4 Mock). To Download the Schedule (Tentative) -> CLICK HERE OUR APPROACH: This course has been specially designed for those who are interested in opting Political Science as optional. (No need of prior academic background of the subject). We will provide comprehensive study material as class lecture notes and there will, also be printed notes of basic material of the subject. The course will put exclusive focus on understanding basic notions and theories in PSIR clearly. Our classes will help students, in connecting and correlating different concepts and theories which is extremely necessary in UPSC mains. There will be extraordinary attention on answer writing with continuous feedback and improvement. There will be weekly One on One discussion with mentor. The focus will be on bringing conceptual clarity and answer writing especially for first time aspirants so that they can compete with experienced candidates on equal footing in Mains 2020. Duration of the Class: August 2019 to December 2019 (4.5-5 MONTHS) Timings: Classes will be held on Weekdays. (Timing will be notified). MODE OF ADMISSION : Interested students can fill up the registration form (below). Once registered you will get an invite, with the payment link. Once the payment is done, send the acknowledgement to offline@iasbaba.com. This confirms your enrollment to the program.  (OR) You can directly come to the office and make the payment and confirm your admission. REGISTRATION FORM –> CLICK HERE Please Note that all the OPTIONAL'S will have Test Series included and One-One Mentorship with the Respective Faculties!!   OFFICE ADDRESS : Admission can be done at 2 Centres ! Vijayanagar Centre: 1737/ 37, MRCR Layout, Vijayanagar Service Road, Vijaynagar, Bengaluru-5660040 Landmark: Vijayanagar Metro station or Above Apple Showroom Chandra Layout Centre: No. 1443/1444, Above Carzspa, 80 Ft. Main Road, Ganapathi Circle, Chandra Layout, Bengaluru- 560040 FOR QUERIES: You can also reach us on Email: offline@iasbaba.com Contact No.: 9035077800/7353177800 (10 AM to 5.30 PM)   Thank You IASbaba

May 3, 2019 IASbaba's OFFLINE CLASSES

QUICK UPDATE: POLITICAL SCIENCE AND KANNADA LITERATURE - IASbaba’s OPTIONAL OFFLINE CLASSROOM PROGRAMME 2019-2020

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND KANNADA LITERATURE - IASbaba’s OPTIONAL OFFLINE CLASSROOM PROGRAMME 2019-2020    To know about SOCIOLOGY, GEOGRAPHY, ANTHROPOLOGY -> CLICK HERE   Please Note that all the OPTIONAL'S will have Test Series included and One-One Mentorship with the Respective Faculties!! POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (PSIR) OPTIONAL Choosing optional for Civil services mains exam is extremely crucial job. If you have decided that POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS is the subject for you, you have taken the right decision…!!!! The classes will be taken by Mr. Rahul Saigaonker, a topper himself in Political Science in UPSC 2016, MTech from NITK Surathkal, (MA Pol Sci). He has keen interest in 21st century Public policy issues and has 5 years of teaching experience. PSIR is undoubtedly a good subject to choose as an optional. We have few things to reinforce your faith in your decision. You may like to read the following points that will strengthen your conviction about PSIR: PSIR is highly relevant and interesting subject with reference to a career in civil services. PSIR is also a high scoring subject in UPSC mains. PSIR has huge overlap with GS syllabus. For instance, Paper I part B of PSIR totally overlaps with Indian polity and governance. Paper II of PSIR will help one in preparing for IR for general studies. Various political thinkers we study in PSIR will help immensely in ethics paper also. PSIR will greatly help in developing better perspectives for Essay paper and Personality test. We will be starting off with POLITICAL SCIENCE OPTIONAL OFFLINE CLASSES from 1st August 2019 (Thursday). ORIENTATION Class will be held in the month of July (2nd Week). FEATURES OF THE PROGRAMME: Complete coverage of UPSC Syllabus of PSIR in just 4.5-5 Months. Special focus on coverage of contemporary theories and commentaries especially in Paper-1 Part-A and Paper-2 Part-A. Weekly Tests and dedicated focus on answer writing. Discussion of previous year UPSC question papers. Optional Test Series including 10 Tests (6 Sectional & 4 Mock). To Download the Schedule (Tentative) -> CLICK HERE OUR APPROACH: This course has been specially designed for those who are interested in opting Political Science as optional. (No need of prior academic background of the subject). We will provide comprehensive study material as class lecture notes and there will, also be printed notes of basic material of the subject. The course will put exclusive focus on understanding basic notions and theories in PSIR clearly. Our classes will help students, in connecting and correlating different concepts and theories which is extremely necessary in UPSC mains. There will be extraordinary attention on answer writing with continuous feedback and improvement. There will be weekly One on One discussion with mentor. The focus will be on bringing conceptual clarity and answer writing especially for first time aspirants so that they can compete with experienced candidates on equal footing in Mains 2020. Duration of the Class: August 2019 to December 2019 (4.5-5 MONTHS) Timings: Classes will be held on Weekdays. (Timing will be notified). MODE OF ADMISSION : Interested students can fill up the registration form (below). Once registered you will get an invite, with the payment link. Once the payment is done, send the acknowledgement to offline@iasbaba.com. This confirms your enrollment to the program.  (OR) You can directly come to the office and make the payment and confirm your admission. The Office address and Contact details are mentioned @ the end of the post. REGISTRATION FORM –> CLICK HERE   KANNADA LITERATURE OPTIONAL The Kannada Literature OPTIONAL classes will be conducted by a renowned faculty Dr.Rakesh.E.S MSc, PhD. (a Topper himself in Kannada Literature in UPSC 2008, 2010). He has been guiding, teaching and mentoring students since 2010. Famously called by the students fraternity as a one-stop destination for Kannada literature Optional subject. His rich experience in teaching, his depth of understanding the subject and his interpretation skills in literary context has helped many students to get into the All India Services, Central Services and State Civil services. The one-one discussion sessions of Dr.Rakesh is well appreciated across by the students fraternity because of its fruitfulness with respect to doubt solving nature. His list of successful students includes Sachin.K (AIR-652, 2018) Ashok (AIR-711, 2019) Chanappa IPS, GuruPrasad IRS, Anoop Shetty IPS, Vishnu Gowda IRPS, Dyamappa IRS and many more! We will be starting off with KANNADA LITERATURE OPTIONAL OFFLINE CLASSES from 1st August 2019 (Thursday). ORIENTATION Class will be held in the month of July (2nd Week). Key Highlights of the Class guidance Programme: 1) The optional subject Kannada literature will be taught in the philosophical and Literary context to ensure,the students develop the critical analytical ability while writing answers. 2) The techniques of answer writing in the PAPER-2 by utilising the principles and ideologies mentioned in the PAPER-1 will be taught in the class room sessions. 3) Since many students  from  non literary backgrounds (Science & Commerce graduates) are opting for kannada literature for in depth understanding of the subject in a comprehensive way and to solve the doubts, the class room teaching involves discussions and debates. 4) The study materials(Notes) issued in the class room includes the • Critical analysis of the best books • Notes of the Mysore University • Model answers of the selected candidates of UPSC. 5) Unit Tests will be conducted after completion of each unit of the syllabus (Total 8 tests from both the Paper's will be conducted).To enhance the answer writing capability of the students discussion sessions are held after evaluating the papers. 6) Since Personality test is a part of the examination process to infuse philosophies &  thoughts through literature, guest lecturers will be taken by senior writers and intellectuals. 7) Interaction sessions with the successful candidates (Topper’s) of the UPSC exam is part of the class room teaching programme. MODE OF ADMISSION : Interested students can fill up the registration form (below). Once registered you will get an invite, with the payment link. Once the payment is done, send the acknowledgement to offline@iasbaba.com. This confirms your enrollment to the program.  (OR) You can directly come to the office and make the payment and confirm your admission. REGISTRATION FORM –> CLICK HERE Please Note that all the OPTIONAL'S will have Test Series included and One-One Mentorship with the Respective Faculties!! To know about SOCIOLOGY, GEOGRAPHY, ANTHROPOLOGY -> CLICK HERE   OFFICE ADDRESS : Admission can be done at 2 Centres ! Vijayanagar Centre: 1737/ 37, MRCR Layout, Vijayanagar Service Road, Vijaynagar, Bengaluru-5660040 Landmark: Vijayanagar Metro station or Above Apple Showroom Chandra Layout Centre: No. 1443/1444, Above Carzspa, 80 Ft. Main Road, Ganapathi Circle, Chandra Layout, Bengaluru- 560040 FOR QUERIES: You can also reach us on Email: offline@iasbaba.com Contact No.: 9035077800/7353177800 (10 AM to 5.30 PM) Thank You IASbaba

May 3, 2019 Topper's From IASbaba

TOPPER'S STRATEGY/MOTIVATION: Namita Sharma, Rank 145 UPSC CSE 2018 –a regular follower of IASbaba, A Working Professional cracks the exam in her Last Attempt!!

TOPPER'S STRATEGY/MOTIVATION: Namita Sharma, Rank 145 UPSC CSE 2018 –a regular follower of IASbaba, A Working Professional cracks the exam in her Last Attempt!! "Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It's quite simple, really: Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn't at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that's where you will find success." -- Thomas J. Watson Hello Friends, This is Namita Sharma, Rank 145 UPSC CSE 2018 (My final attempt). I would be sharing my strategy in 2 Parts. In the 1st Part, I will be discussing only about Prelims, Mains and Interview Preparation will be discussed in the 2nd Part. MARKSHEET: MAINS MARKSHEET: PRELIMS A brief background about myself: I am presently working as Tax Assistant in Central GST. Previously I have worked in IBM as a software engineer. I am engineer by graduation. I started giving all government exams since I passed graduation and in this while I had exhausted my initial 3 attempts at UPSC without even knowing about the exam. I failed in 2016 prelims despite preparing alot, but not in right direction. CSE 2017 was my 5th attempt where I cleared Prelims for the first time and reached till interview, missing out the final list by a small margin. CSE 2018 being my last attempt, gave me this opportunity today to share my experience with you all. I am thankful to almighty and each and every person who made me stand where I am today. I have shared my marksheet for my last 2 attempts – Click Here Now talking about the upcoming D-Day 2nd June 2019 I hope you are doing awesome with your preparation as prelims is just 30 days away. You must be feeling mix up of anxiety and excitement. It may be first attempt for you or may be last attempt. The target is same for everyone right now - To clear this hurdle of prelims and get a chance to write mains and finally see your name shining in the holy PDF. First of all, we must feel grateful to have got this opportunity to realise our dream through this exam. The first stage being the toughest in the sense of being filtering stage where the serious and well prepared candidates get a chance to qualify for the next phase of examination. I am not sharing any booklist or strategy for prelims as everyone has their own sources to prepare. Whatever the sources may be just make sure you have covered the syllabus given by UPSC in a comprehensive manner to able to qualify each stage of examination.   My learnings from UPSC and how to do best in Prelims: For the next few weeks before examination- 1) REVISE. REVISE. REVISE. No alternative to thorough revision of both static and current affairs. Important to boost confidence and to increase accuracy in solving questions in the exam. 2) Practice from Mock Tests - AIPTS . Preferably in the 9-12 morning window. Revision tests (IASBaba 60 day challenge), full tests and sectional tests are helpful to practice questions and improve on accuracy and reduce negative marking. Prepare your strategy of solving the paper - how many questions to attempt, how to make intelligent guesses, how to eliminate options, and to maximise the score in real exam. Please pay attention to this - Don’t get bogged down by low marks in mock tests, purpose is to gain knowledge, make strategy as to how to attempt your paper and not to score high in mocks 3) Try to give 15 minutes daily to MAP reading and revising factual information. 4) Don’t ignore CSAT Paper-2. Practice atleast few past year papers and see if you are managing to score enough. 5) Staying calm is the key to sail through this journey. Practice meditation, yoga or some physical exercise to keep yourself pumped up and positive to tackle the anxiety of approaching exam. 6) Health is wealth. Eat healthy - no/minimise outside food and proper sleep helps to maintain good health. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. Don’t compromise on your health. Keep yourself hydrated. 7) LAST 1 WEEK should be left solely to revise and keep calm. No solving, no reading new, no analysing of your performance. Only staying composed and focused. On the D- Day: 1) Have faith in your hardwork and blessings of parents and mentors. 2) Go through the paper quickly, try to mark the questions which you know 100% and move on. Solve the paper in 3 readings - it helps to recollect few facts which you may not be able to remember in first go. 3) Even if you don’t know many questions in first reading, keep calm you will do good only if you hold your nerves in those 2 hours. SELF-CONFIDENCE is the key. 4) Keep sufficient water with yourself. Chocolates if you like them are true friends always :) 5) Keep an eye on the Clock. (this practice should be followed in the mock sessions to utilise the 2 hours in best possible manner). Please remember we don’t have to top the prelims paper, we just have to clear it, jump this hurdle to write MAINS EXAM - which is the real game to see yourself in the final list. Just focus on each day to improve yourself. YOU are your only competition. Each day become better and better. Be confident that THIS is your attempt. Prelims is just the starting of this long war ahead which you shall win :) My Best wishes - hope we meet again for Mains preparation. Jindagi ki asli udaan abhi baaki hai Jindagi ke kai imtehan abhi baaki hai Abhi to naapi hai mutthi bhar zamin humne Abhi to sara aasman baaki hai…   Thank You Note: "I want to thank IAS baba team for the contribution in helping me achieve this rank in my last attempt.  I have followed iasbaba website at various stages of exam. I am really thankful to the team for providing guidance to aspirants through online material."  - Namita Sharma

May 3, 2019 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 3rd May 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Cyclone Fani: Odisha evacuates over 11 lakh Part of: GS Prelims and Mains I and III – Geography; Natural Hazards; Disaster Management In news: Odisha state government evacuated over 11 lakh people from low-lying areas in 15 districts. The administration of coastal states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are bracing up to tackle the "extremely severe cyclone". Have you been wondering how do Cyclones get their names? World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has a process in which countries give a list of name suggestions from time to time. Countries like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan and Thailand submit a list of names to the regional tropical cyclone committee for the cyclones developing in the North Indian Ocean. All the eight countries have suggested eight names for naming future cyclones. The name Fani for this cyclone was suggested by Bangladesh. Fani means snake. Do you know? Cyclone Titli which caused damage in Andhra Pradesh and parts of Odisha last year was named by Pakistan. Cyclone Ockhi hit Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu in 2017. It was named by Thailand. (MAINS FOCUS) WOMEN/SOCIAL ISSUE TOPIC: General studies 1 Role of women and women’s organization, women related issues, Social empowerment General studies 2 and 3: Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections Indian economy and employment; Gender parity; Women participation in workforce Factors responsible for poor participation of women in the workforce Women participation in workforce in India Currently, the participation of women in the workforce in India is one of the lowest globally. The female labour force participation rate (LFPR) in India fell from 31.2% in 2011-2012 to 23.3% in 2017-2018. This decline has been sharper in rural areas. Reasons for this poor performance: low social acceptability of women working outside the household lack of access to safe and secure workspaces widespread prevalence of poor and unequal wages dearth of decent and suitable jobs engaged in subsistence-level work in agriculture in rural areas, and in low-paying jobs such as domestic service and petty home-based manufacturing in urban areas rising levels of education for women (as women are refusing to do casual wage labour or work in family farms and enterprises) Education and work Social scientists have long tried to explain poor female labour force participation because of rising levels of education for women. Studies revealed a strong negative relationship between a woman’s education level and her participation in agricultural and non-agricultural wage work and in family farms. Women with moderately high levels of education do not want to do manual labour outside the household which would be perceived to be below their educational qualifications. Women prefer salaried jobs as their educational attainment increases, but such jobs remain extremely limited for women. Unpaid work Women devote a substantial amount of their time to work which is not considered as work, but an extension of their duties, and is largely unpaid. This includes unpaid care work such as childcare, elderly care, and household work such as collecting water. The burden of these activities falls disproportionately on women, especially in the absence of adequately available or accessible public services. The way ahead: Any government which is serious about ensuring women’s economic empowerment and equal access to livelihoods must address the numerous challenges that exist along this highly gendered continuum of unpaid, underpaid and paid work. Policies should facilitate women’s access to decent work by providing public services, eliminating discrimination in hiring, ensuring equal and decent wages, and improving women’s security in public spaces. It must also recognise, reduce, redistribute, and remunerate women’s unpaid work. Gender-responsive public services such as free and accessible public toilets, household water connections, safe and secure public transport, and adequate lighting and CCTV cameras to prevent violence against women in public spaces and increasing their mobility, will help. Fair and decent living wages and appropriate social security including maternity benefit, sickness benefit, provident fund, and pension are other important areas. Policies should also ensure safe and dignified working and living conditions for migrant workers. Recognition as farmers In addition, women have strongly articulated the need to enumerate and remunerate the unpaid and underpaid work they undertake in sectors such as agriculture and fisheries. Their fundamental demand is that women must be recognised as farmers in accordance with the National Policy for Farmers. Thereafter, their equal rights and entitlements over land and access to inputs, credit, markets, and extension services must be ensured. Unless policymakers correctly assess and address the structural issues which keep women from entering and staying in the workforce, promising just more jobs is unlikely to lead to the socio-economic transformation India needs. Connecting the dots: Discuss the various factors responsible for poor participation of women in the workforce in India. Also discuss what measures are needed to improve the same. Currently, the participation of women in the workforce in India is one of the lowest globally. How can we reverse that trend? Discuss. Discuss some of the important initiatives needed to be taken to create gender parity in the economy. SECURITY TOPIC: General studies 3 Challenges to internal security Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security Lost lives: on Gadchiroli naxal attack Introduction: The death of 15 security personnel in a landmine attack in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, is another grim reminder of the Indian state’s continued failure to crush naxalism. Less than a month ago, a legislator and some security personnel lost their lives in a similar attack in the neighbouring State of Chhattisgarh ahead of polling. The Gadchiroli incident shows not only the audacity of the perpetrators but also the unpreparedness of the security forces. The attack comes a year after Maharashtra police gunned down 40 suspected Maoists in the same region. Clearly, the Maoists want to sent out a message that they still posses the firepower to take on the security forces and establish territorial dominance. The Gadchiroli attack makes it clear that Maoists continue to pose a significant challenge to the country’s internal security. Do you know? The Maoist movement or CPI (Maoist), born out of splits in the communist movement in the 1960s, has reinvented itself many times to become an influential militarist political group. Its cadre base too has shifted from peasants in the 1960s to tribals in the 1990s and thereafter. However, a decade since the then prime minister, Manmohan Singh, described them as the gravest internal security threat, the ultra-left political movement is now restricted to pockets of Central India. A focussed and co-ordinated effort by security agencies could further limit its footprint and finally end its violent run. That’s both a political and administrative challenge. In the Arthashastra, Kautilya wrote that a state could be at risk from four types of threats – internal, external, externally-aided internal, and internally-aided external He advised that of these four types, ‘internal threats’ should be taken care of immediately. According to him, “internal troubles, like the fear of the lurking snake, are far more serious than external threats. The most dangerous enemy is the enemy within”. Conclusion: Synergy is essential to deal with India’s complex internal security operations. We need a comprehensive centre-state strategy to deal with different insurgencies. It should include broad-based domains of national and state policies including accelerated economic development and social justice, security and media policies. Most importantly, it should address dedicated and effective governance through good administration, prompt and fair judiciary and a law and order machinery that inspires public confidence. Connecting the dots: What are the current strategies to deal with the problem of naxalism? How effective have they been? Examine. What is the threat perception of naxalism in India? Why naxalism has succeeded to widen its reach? MUST READ Is India doing enough to combat climate change? The Hindu Don’t give in to polarization The Hindu  Making every vote count: Time for a change in manner we elect our MPs, MLAs? Indian Express Namami Gange is still far from its touted goals Financial Express How solar energy can catalyse India’s agricultural energy transition Financial Express Asia as the new ground zero for Islamist terror Livemint The persistence of caste despite years of rapid economic growth Livemint

May 2, 2019 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - World Water Day

World Water Day ARCHIVES Search 22nd March, 2019 Current Affairs here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3: Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Water Pollution, Wastewater management Theme: Leaving no one behind; This is an adaptation of the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: as sustainable development progresses, everyone must benefit. Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water for all by 2030. By definition, this means leaving no one behind. What is the problem? Today, billions of people are still living without safe water – their households, schools, workplaces, farms and factories struggling to survive and thrive. Marginalized groups – women, children, refugees, indigenous peoples, disabled people and many others – are often overlooked, and sometimes face discrimination, as they try to access and manage the safe water they need. What does ‘safe water’ mean? ‘Safe water’ is shorthand for a ‘safely managed drinking water service’: water that is accessible on the premises, available when needed, and free from contamination. Access to water underpins public health and is therefore critical to sustainable development and a stable and prosperous world. We cannot move forward as a global society while so many people are living without safe water. Human right to water? In 2010, the UN recognized “the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.” The human right to water entitles everyone, without discrimination, to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic use; which includes water for drinking, personal sanitation, washing of clothes, food preparation, and personal and household hygiene. Why are people being left behind without safe water? People are left behind without safe water for many different reasons. The following are some of the ‘grounds for discrimination’ that cause certain people to be particularly disadvantaged when it comes to accessing water: Sex and gender Race, ethnicity, religion, birth, caste, language, and nationality Disability, age and health status Property, tenure, residence, economic and social status Other factors, such as environmental degradation, climate change, population growth, conflict, forced displacement and migration flows can also disproportionately affect marginalized groups through impacts on water. In India India is suffering from ‘the worst water crisis’ in its history with about 60 crore people facing high to extreme water stress and about two lakh people dying every year due to inadequate access to safe water, NITI Aayog said in a report on Thursday. The report, titled ‘Composite Water Management Index’ further said the crisis is only going to get worse. 600 million people in India face high to extreme water stress in the country. About three-fourth of the households in the country do not have drinking water at their premise. With nearly 70% of water being contaminated, India is placed at 120th amongst 122 countries in the water quality index. 75% of households do not have drinking water on premise. 84% rural households do not have piped water access. Major Issue: Data and centre-state and inter-state cooperation are some of the key levers that can help address the crisis. Data systems related to water in the country are limited in their coverage, robustness, and efficiency. Limited coverage: Detailed data is not available for several critical sectors such as for domestic and industrial use, for which data is only available at the aggregate level and lacks the level of detail required to inform policies and allocations. Unreliable data: The data that is available can often be of inferior quality, inconsistent, and unreliable due to the use of outdated methodologies in data collection. For example, estimates on groundwater are mostly based on observation data from 55,000 wells, while there are 12 million wells in the country. Limited coordination and sharing: Data in the water sectors exists in silos, with very little inter-state or centre-state sharing, thereby reducing efficiencies. How will climate change hit supply? While growth in urban population is leading to increased water demand, climate change will make supply more variable. In some places, it will lead to a reduction of availability. In future, one in six large cities is likely to be at the risk of water deficit. Increased demand for urban water supply will put pressure on groundwater resources. We investigated urban groundwater stress by calculating the urban groundwater footprint of regional aquifers. Climate change and socio-economic factors like urbanisation will lead to an increasing urban groundwater footprint. Historically, many cities in less developed countries had systems that were inadequate to provide 24X7 water access to its people, a goal that will become even harder to reach in the future. Solutions: Need to make “every drop count” Expanding water supply Increasing storage This will ensure that cities survive under drought. This can be done by Long-distance water transfers, but can also come from groundwater or desalination. When cities appropriate more water, they impact the freshwater ecosystem. Sometimes urban water usage is more than in agriculture. Society should make more efficient use of water. Putting in place an efficient piped supply system has to be top on the agenda of policymakers and planners. Steps must be taken to make farmers efficient in use of irrigation water. Water reuse is an option too. Both in urban and rural areas, digging of rainwater harvesting pits must be made mandatory for all types of buildings. Nature-based solutions can address overall water scarcity through “supply-side management,” and are recognised as the main solution to achieving sustainable water for agriculture. Environmentally-friendly agricultural systems like those which use practices such as conservation tillage, crop diversification, legume intensification and biological pest control work as well as intensive, high-input systems. The environmental co-benefits of nature-based solutions to increasing sustainable agricultural production are substantial as there are decreased pressures on land conversion and reduced pollution, erosion and water requirements. Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment can also be a cost-effective, nature-based solution that provides effluent of adequate quality for several non-potable uses (irrigation) and additional benefits that include energy production. Watershed management is another nature-based solution that is seen not only as a complement to build or “grey” infrastructure but also one that could also spur local economic development, job creation, biodiversity protection and climate resilience. Three areas that need urgent measures are Efficiency in Agriculture: The agricultural sector consumes over 85 per cent of the available water today in India, and there is enormous scope to save water here through improved efficiency. Shifting cropping pattern from water-intensive to less water consuming crops can save significant amount of water. Micro-irrigation method (drip and sprinkler) of rice cultivation promises to enhance water use efficiency with increased crop productivity. Rainwater harvesting is one of the cheapest and easiest ways of augmenting water stock. Investing and promoting water-recycling technologies and storm water capturing schemes should also be given utmost emphasis. The proposed water conservation fee on groundwater extraction is definitely a right step in the direction of regulating water use. Strict pollution control enforcement: User-centric approach to water management, especially in agriculture Decentralisation of irrigation commands, offering higher financial flows to well-performing States through a National Irrigation Management Fund Steady urbanisation calls for a new management paradigm – augmenting sources of clean drinking water supply and treatment technologies that will encourage reuse. Rethink water management Creative and imaginative governance in the form of building larger storage dams which can store excess water in lesser time is the need of the hour. People should be sensitised about the judicious use of water and educated about water-retention dams and other conventional structures such as eari, bawli, talab, anict, dam etc. to store water. The old practice of rainwater harvesting should also be popularised. Tamil Nadu has made mandatory installation of water harvesting structures in every house and this must be replicated in other States as well. Investing and promoting water-recycling, storm-water capturing technologies and micro-irrigation techniques in crop cultivation can also solve the problem of water scarcity. The cost effective method of reviving the traditional small water bodies under the age old practice of Kudimaramath should be given top priority. The Way Forward: The corrective measures that we need to take are not only in the areas of storage, but also in efficiency in managing supply, demand and use. Conscious efforts need to be made at the household level and by communities, institutions and local bodies to supplement the efforts of governments and non-governmental bodies in promoting water conservation. Sustained measures should be taken to prevent pollution of water bodies, contamination of groundwater and ensure proper treatment of domestic and industrial waste water. Reduce, reuse, and recycle must be the watchwords if we have to handover a liveable planet to the future generations. Note:  Water is a State subject. ‘Composite Water Management Index’: This index is an attempt to budge States and UTs towards efficient and optimal utilization of water and recycling thereof with a sense of urgency.The Index and this associated report are expected to: Establish a clear baseline and benchmark for state-level performance on key water indicators Uncover and explain how states have progressed on water issues over time, including identifying high-performers and under-performers, thereby inculcating a culture of constructive competition among states Identify areas for deeper engagement and investment on the part of the states. The Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) is a major step towards creating a culture of databased decision-making for water in India, which can encourage ‘competitive and cooperative federalism’ in the country’s water governance and management. Must Read: Link 1 Connecting the Dots: Why has water become a stressed resource in many parts of the world? Analyse. To solve the growing water crisis, the solution that is proposed and pushed by world bodies such as WTO and IMF through international agreements is privatisation of water. Do you think India should also privatise its water? Critically analyse. Many parts of the country are facing severe water crisis and drought conditions. There are many traditional water harvesting and conservation practices in various parts of India which can be employed locally to fight the ongoing crisis. Can you identify few such practices? Also mention the states where they are more prevalant. Addressing the deepening drought, agrarian distress and water-management are critical not just for our governments to survive but for us to survive our governments. Comment.