Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 27th April 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 27th April 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Government schemes and programmes; Education reforms In news: GIAN was launched by Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) in 2015 It aims to boost the quality of higher education in India, facilitate participation of high quality international academicians for delivering short-term courses and programs in Indian institutions Do you know? Under GIAN, initially 500 international faculties will be engaged in conducting courses and later in subsequent years 1000 faculties would be engaged throughout India. GIAN aims at tapping the talent pool of scientists and entrepreneurs to engage with the institutes of higher education in India Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty (VAJRA) scheme Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Government schemes and programmes; Education reforms In news: Launched by Ministry of Science and Technology VAJRA scheme enables NRIs and overseas scientific community to participate and contribute to research and development in India. Do you know? The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology will implement the Scheme. Foreign researchers of Indian origin or otherwise can collaborate with faculties in public funded Indian institutions. Public funded academic institutions and national laboratories will be eligible for hosting the VAJRA Faculty. The VAJRA faculty can reside in India for a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 3 months a year. Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Government schemes and programmes; Education reforms In news: Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur is the National Coordinating Institute to implement the SPARC programme. SPARC aims at improving the research ecosystem of India’s higher educational institutions by facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian institutions and the best institutions in the world. Under this Scheme, 600 joint research proposals will be awarded for 2 years to facilitate research collaboration between Indian research groups with the best in class faculty and renowned research groups in the leading universities of the world Do you know? The Ministry of Human Resource Development had recently launched the web portal of the scheme – “Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC)”. 1 million species risk extinction due to humans: draft UN report Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and conservation; Role of International Organization or NGO/CSOs In news: According to a draft UN report – Up to one million species face extinction due to human influence. It warns about how humanity has undermined the natural resources upon which its very survival depends. The accelerating loss of clean air, drinkable water, forests, pollinating insects, protein-rich fish and storm-blocking mangroves poses no less of a threat than climate change. The report warns of “an imminent rapid acceleration in the global rate of species extinction”. The direct causes of species loss, in order of importance, are shrinking habitat and land-use change, hunting for food or illicit trade in wildlife body parts, climate change and pollution, the report finds. Do you know? April 22 is celebrated as Earth Day The theme of this year’s Earth Day is ‘protecting the planet’s species diversity’. The theme is important one considering nearly half of 177 mammal species surveyed in a study saw their distribution fall by more than 80% between 1900 and 2015. Scientists strongly believe that the planet may be in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, and unlike other times in the past, this could be largely anthropogenic. (MAINS FOCUS) HEALTH ISSUE TOPIC: General studies 2  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions Issues and policies related to health Battling malaria Introduction: In 1987, the pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline began testing a vaccine to target the malaria parasite. The initiative received support from the WHO, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the international NGO PATH. The collaboration bore fruit on April 23, 2019, when health workers in Malawi rolled out the first vaccine against the viral disease. Do you know? A total 3,60,000 children across three African countries — Malawi, Ghana and Kenya — will be covered every year with the vaccine. (pilot countries) The vaccine (named RTS,S) has taken three decades to come to fruition, and is the first one ever against a disease that kills 4,35,000 people a year, most of them children. India ranks high in the list of countries worst affected by the mosquito-borne disease. In 2018, 3,99,134 cases of malaria and 85 deaths due to the disease were reported in India, according to data from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme. Every year, April 25 is celebrated as World Malaria Day, to consolidate and re-strengthen efforts to control the disease. Malaria has been in existence since the last 1,00,000 years and despite the progress made by science and medicine in controlling the disease, it continues to be the biggest killer of mankind. About RTS,S vaccine RTS,S aims to trigger the immune system to defend against the first stages of malaria when the Plasmodium falciparum parasite enters the human host’s bloodstream through a mosquito bite and infects liver cells. The vaccine is designed to prevent the parasite from infecting the liver, where it can mature, multiply, re-enter the bloodstream, and infect red blood cells, which can lead to disease symptoms. According to WHO, the malaria vaccine has the potential to save tens of thousands of children’s lives. About NGO PATH PATH is an international nonprofit team of innovators which advises and partners with public institutions, businesses, grassroots groups, and investors to tackle the world’s toughest global health problems, including malaria. PATH’s Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) works with various stakeholders towards the development of a malaria vaccine. Why is malaria such a major global public health challenge? Malaria is a potentially life-threatening parasitic disease caused by the parasites Plasmodium viviax (P.vivax), Plasmodium falciparum (P.falciparum), Plasmodium malariae (P.malariae), and Plasmodium ovale (P.ovale), transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. In its most virulent form, malaria is a difficult disease to deal with. Plasmodium falciparum, the most dangerous of the virus, replicates very fast in the human body. This means if a person infected with the virus does not get diagnosed urgently, the infection assumes fatal or near fatal proportions rapidly. Unlike bacteria, parasites evolve complex ways to evade the immune system. The malaria parasite passes through multiple life stages, each of which presents a unique challenge to vaccine developers. Moreover, inside the human body the virus changes shape making it very difficult for the proteins produced by a vaccine to target the pathogen. Malari remains one of the world’s leading killers, claiming the life of one child every two minutes. Children under the age of 5 are at greatest risk from its life-threatening complications. The poorest children suffer the most and are at highest risk of death. Limitations of the new vaccine In clinical trials, the new vaccine reduced malaria cases by less than 40 per cent — the measles vaccine, by comparison, is 97 per cent effective and the chickenpox vaccine prevents almost 100 per cent of severe cases of the disease. Another issue with the vaccine is that children need four doses. Critics of the vaccine argue that four trips to a clinic could be tough for families in rural Africa. Conclusion: Once the pilots have been completed, the WHO will review the results and come out with its recommendations for the use of the vaccine. For a country like India, the key question though is likely to be as much the efficacy of the vaccine as its cost. The vaccine is also a significant intervention given that the WHO estimates that climate change will exacerbate the mortality caused by the disease. Connecting the dots: While India has successfully eliminated small pox and polio over time. It is time coordinated efforts are put in to eliminate malaria. Discuss the challenges associated with the same. Also, suggest measures to address these challenges. India has suffered from a major burden of malaria for decades, but the World Malaria Report 2018 of the World Health Organisation shows that sustained public health action can end the epidemic by 2030. Critically comment. HEALTH ISSUE TOPIC: General studies 2  Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions Issues and policies related to health How South-East Asian countries spearheading the global push to end TB Context: Each of the WHO South-East Asia Region’s member states have played a critical role in the global push to end TB by or before 2030. For example, in 2017, health ministers from across the region issued a call for action, highlighting the measures needed to contain and fight the disease. By next year it came up with a statement of action, which pledged intensified efforts to achieve that outcome, even as domestic funding reached unprecedented levels. In the same year, at the UN General Assembly, member states vigorously canvassed for a political declaration on the fight against tuberculosis, which was subsequently endorsed. Region-wide commitment, resolve and action is to be commended. It is also vitally important. Do you know? The South-East Asia Region is the world’s most TB-affected region. The life-threatening disease has serious social, political and economic impacts. Significantly, TB remains the region’s leading cause of death and lost productive years in the crucial 15-49-year-old age group, impacting the prospects of individuals, families, communities and countries. The region is also home to a growing number of drug-resistant cases of the disease. According to UN’s Political Declaration on TB, member states’ should ensure that by 2022 – 18 million TB patients are diagnosed and effectively treated; more than 500,000 patients with drug-resistant TB are successfully treated; and preventive treatment is provided to around 12 million people at risk of developing the disease Steps needed to meet these challenges: Intensifying active case-finding, especially amongst high-risk groups, is essential. Intensified case-finding can dramatically reduce case incidence while also ensuring all patients receive quality treatment. Member states should develop a joint roadmap on how they can harness novel diagnostics to find missing cases, as well as how people-centred treatment can be provided to all. Covering all groups at risk of developing TB with preventive treatment should also be prioritised. All plans should be aligned with WHO guidelines, which recommends treating childhood, adolescent and adult contacts of TB cases, alongside other at-risk groups such as people living with HIV or those who are immuno-compromised. All partners should support the supply of first-line drugs via south-south cooperation, precisely as India has offered to do. Royalty-free technology transfers will improve access to diagnostics and the efficacy of outreach. Community engagement, including capacity building, must be a core priority of all countries. Connecting the dots: Tuberculosis can be one of the major hurdles in converting the human capital in India to Demographic Dividend. Highlight the reasons for the rising TB problem and suggest measures to eliminate the problem. TB remains one of the leading causes of death from any single infectious agent worldwide. Comment on the national and global efforts to eliminate the disease by 2035. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Featured Comments and comments Up-voted by IASbaba are the “correct answers”. IASbaba App users – Team IASbaba will provide correct answers in comment section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1) Which among the following is the first State in the country where the WHO will collaborate for elimination of malaria? Bihar Uttar Pradesh Punjab West Bengal Q.2) National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) is an umbrella programme for prevention and control of vector borne diseases. Vector borne diseases that are being targeted are: Malaria Dengue Lymphatic Filariasis Kala-azar Which of the above options is/are correct? 1, 2 and 3 only 2, 3 and 4 only 1, 3 and 4 only All the above Q.3) World Malaria Report is released by WHO Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Roll Back Malaria Partnership None of the above Q.4) Consider the following pairs Disease : : Pathogens Tuberculosis : : Virus Malaria : : Protozoa Chicken pox : : Bacteria Which of the pairs given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 only 1 and 3 only 1 only Q.5) The new vaccine RTS,S is associated with - Malaria Tuberculosis HIV Dengue Q.6) Health Ministries, NGOs and private sector representatives from 120 countries have signed the Moscow declaration of WHO. The target of declaration is To eradicate polio from the world till 2030 To eradicate vector borne infections To eradicate Tuberculosis by 2030 To end deaths by hunger in the world by 2030 Q.7) Consider the following statements about ‘VAJRA’ Scheme It is an outreach programme, conceived to hook children early on to science and research. Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology will implement the Scheme Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 MUST READ The long wait for safety: tracking the Safe Cities programme The Hindu Lessons from a military encounter The Hindu Danger of Islamic State (IS) expansion in the Subcontinent Indian Express Gap between expectations and realisation could undermine governments Indian Express Five steps that India needs to take to improve learning outcomes Financial Express How behavioural science bettering the impact of govt policies worldwide? Financial Express

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - Environment and Current Affairs (Day 48)

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - Environment and Current Affairs (Day 48) 60 Day plan has been published on the website (www.iasbaba.com -Click here). Since we have come up with the 'Quiz Format', it will not be feasible to publish it on the app. For feasibility and getting to know where you stand among your peers (we have a leaderboard which gives your marks and rank) it would be advisable to take the test on the website. All the best. make the best use of the initiative ! Before taking the Test, read the post below, ARCHIVES Hello Friends,  The most beloved 60 Days for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019  has finally begun :) Once again the time has come for the battle (Prelims). And who else than your best companion in the last preparatory phase for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 i.e 60 days plan. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.  Hope the message given above makes sense to you all. The productive utilization of this programme demands consistency, honesty, faith and strong determination to be in the process of learning and unlearning. You might not be fully prepared to solve all the questions but the learning and unlearning through these questions will prepare you for the real battle on 2nd June 2019. You have to unlearn your repetitive mistakes, gut feeling on which you mark doubtful questions. You have to learn new things and also those concepts that you were very sure of but somehow because of traps in the option, got it wrong. You have to learn 'how to convert knowledge into marks' (Because most of the times, after ending the exam, you regret making mistakes in known concepts).  Secondly, keep a long distance from following too many things at this point. It will always backfire. Once you are here, put complete faith and follow this initiative along with whatever you were doing. It is very important to consolidate your preparation with many revisions. Simply following many things will leave you in despair. You can cross check this with veterans. Everything that seems attractive is not productive. You should always go for productivity. Be wise! Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days of this plan! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to type/post their answers in the comment box on a daily basis. There were huge participation and discussion below the test post. Putting answers in the comment box has been very effective to self-track yourself after updating the score. In the end, you can cross check your performance through Disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time-bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last few months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out a few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How can you make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 25 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in the UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So, make effort to know the answers to all questions. Do not cheat :P DETAILED MICRO ANALYSIS MATRIX SAMPLE- is given here. You can download this and do an assessment for yourself (the excel sheet must be modified as per this years planning. The provided excel sheet is only for reference).  DOWNLOAD You can copy paste the same format/modify as per your need in Google Spreadsheet and update it on daily basis. Feedback talks about daily test results. Follow-up talks about daily target achieved from sources and the number of revisions to do/done and dates. Sources column is to ensure that aspirants do not run behind various sources and follow the same throughout. Would like to end on this quote:  Either you run the day or the day runs you.  Are you ready? Let's start! Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)  You can post your comments in the given format  (1) Your Score (2) Matrix Meter (3) New Learning from the Test

TOPPER’S STRATEGY and MOTIVATION: Rahul Sankanur, Rank 17 UPSC CSE 2018 – Inspiring Journey of the Topper from Karnataka, had been to Interview twice, before clearing the exam in his 4th Attempt!!

TOPPER’S STRATEGY/MOTIVATION: Rahul Sankanur, Rank 17 UPSC CSE 2018 – Inspiring Journey of the Topper from Karnataka, had been to Interview twice, before clearing the exam in his 4th Attempt!!   Hello Everyone, I am Rahul Sankanur. I have secured AIR 17 in UPSC CSE 2018. My optional is Anthropology. About Myself My father S.V.Sankanur is a retired Govt servant and my mother Savita Sankanur is a Home Maker. I hail from Hubli town of Karnataka. Due to the transferrable nature of my father’s job, I did my schooling in Hidkal of Belagavi district , Khanapur town and in Mysuru. Later, I did my Engineering in R.V. College, Bangalore. I also worked for 2 years in an IT company after which I decided to pursue studying for CSE. Unlike most of the aspirants who have an IAS/IPS officer( or an incident) that inspired them, I had none. Factors such as simplicity of my father, secular and egalitarian outlook of my mother and overall family’s service orientation influenced me to aspire for a life based on public welfare. Also, my stay in Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, Mysuru and subsequent study of Swami Vivekananda literature further strengthened the resolve for public service. Though I wanted to do public service, I wasn’t sure how exactly it is to be done. Various options were available like joining NGO while I work in Private, CSE etc. It was only during my 3rd year of Engineering that I started thinking seriously about CSE. After graduation, the job I got was interesting. But I soon realized that I could not dedicate time to pursue my passion. Therefore I quit my job and started full time preparation for CSE. My CSE Journey CSE-’15 - Prelims - Mains - Personality Test - NOT IN FINAL LIST CSE-’16 - Prelims - Mains - Personality Test - NOT IN FINAL LIST CSE-’17 - Prelims - Mains - DIDN’T CLEAR MAINS Got a gap of 4 months till CSE-’18 CSE-’18 - Prelims - Mains - Personality Test - All India Rank  - 17th What went Wrong in Previous attempt? Every success story is a story of great failures. I believe I am a good example for it. Let me dwell on the mistakes I did in my CSE journey: Mistakes in MAINS: I had a lackadaisical approach towards answers writing and always felt I could ‘manage’ it in exams(which I never could). My writing speed was slow and handwriting was really bad(especially towards the end of paper). In Mains,the content and quality of last 4-5 answers in every paper was very bad due to bad time management. Mistakes in PERSONALITY TEST : I followed the same strategy that I followed for Mains. I would only read current affairs magazines instead of forming my own opinion on various issues. Though it may sound silly, another problem I faced was that, I was quite hesitant to speak in front of elders. This affected me in answering in front of panel members in Personality Test. I would not express myself openly and would give single sentence answers. This led to average scores in Personality test. What went Right in this attempt? In previous attempts, I was in the cycle of going through Prelims-mains-Personality Test and Failure. Therefore, I didn’t get time to improvise on the mistakes I committed. In third attempt when I didn’t get through Mains, I knew I had around 4 months time till next prelims and I had to make best use of it. The following conversation with my college friend was an eye opener. Friend: Hey Rahul, 2 interviews and 3 mains, yet you aren’t getting into the list. What’s going wrong? Myself: I have no idea buddy. I think I am doing everything but things are not falling in place. Friend: okay. Let me ask you something. Tell me what is stupidity ? Myself: !!!!!!. Friend: Stupidity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different result. Somehow , this statement stuck a chord. All previous attempts, I was following the same approach and was expecting that I succeed , which didn’t happen. As I had decided this would be my last attempt, I though of doing things a bit differently. I knew my weakness was answer writing (including handwriting). I was confident that I can manage Prelims so I took the risk of allocating only 30-35 days for Prelims. I joined Insights test series(between Feb and Apr). Though the papers weren’t evaluated, discussion after writing test helped. I had also realised that my optional score in previous attempts were above average . So I did some value addition in time available to get few more marks. Once Prelims was over, I joined a Test series. Slowly, I started getting good scores which boosted my confidence. Also, I tried to improve my handwriting. On those days when there was no tests, I would write static answers (TLP) from IASBaba website. This exercise enabled me to practice writing and since I wrote few questions, it didn’t consume lot of time. For optional subject, I spent very less time. I didn’t join test series nor did I do any value addition post prelims. I was confident that with improvement in writing speed, I will get additional 10-20 marks (which I subsequently got). Once I cleared Mains exam , I again wanted to change strategy for Personality test preparation . I used to spend 75-85 days for Personality test preparation in previous attempts. This time, I travelled to different places (my hobby) and spent more time with my friends. This exercise helped in becoming more composed. Also, as I spent less time in discussions with others aspirants,the ‘INTERVIEW HEAT’ didn’t affect me lot. CIVIL SERVICES EXAM-UNDERSTAND YOURSELF TO SUCCEED CSE is not a test of our intellectual ability , but a test of one’s personality. The pressures from outside is immense. To succeed, one ought to be patient and persistent and this can be achieved if one understands oneself. For instance, spending time with friends , listening to music acted as a stress buster for me . So I made it a point to have them in my routine each day. What I want to convey is that , each one of us has to make our own strategy based on our personality. Something(like studying in night) may work for some but may not work for others. Some lessons I learnt which I would like to convey: 1. FOR NEW CANDIDATES:  When you begin preparation, give greatest importance to understanding basics. Initially, you may not understand current affairs as your basics won’t be strong. I know of candidates who would discuss and debate on GST but didn’t know the difference between Direct and Indirect Tax. These candidates didn’t fare well. Atleast for the first 3-4 months into preparation, don’t attempt answer writing. Later , you can slowly start with simple conventional questions (for eg: difference between Parliamentary and Presidential form of Government )and later , questions based on current affairs. Without any inhibition, ask lots and lots of questions. This CSE journey is going to be a challenging journey. It will have its highs and lows. People will doubt your abilities. But always have your goal motivate you. Also, this journey will enable you to make great friends. You will be amazed with the dedication and hard work which you will be putting in the time to come. 2. FOR VETERANS: I can feel the pain, helplessness and frustration that is you are It is indeed tough. For me, music , spirituality, meditation, reading Swami Vivekananda literature helped. Try to identify what may help you to stay focused and positive. There should be some reasons for which you have not been able to get into the list. It may be clarity in basics, low scores in essays, answer writing or inability to express in Personality test. You need to first identify it. You may take the help of your friends, seniors or other support staff to identify it. Be open to inputs from everyone, even if coming from a person who is not doing CSE preparation. Let your ‘Seniority’ in CSE preparation not block the knowledge inflow. 3. PRELIMS: Paper-1 broadly has Conventional static questions and Current Affairs questions. There is a trend wherein aspirants give lot of importance to Current affairs. But if we see Prelims paper, UPSC is asking such current affairs questions which aren’t mentioned in most of Current affairs magazines. Therefore,one should give equal importance to Static questions. As we have the books from which these static question come, we should aim to make no mistakes in static questions. Generally, when we write mock tests, we tend to look only at our marks and our relative performance. Mocks will be more effective if we analyse the mistakes committed and identify why we made mistake e. was the mistake committed due to carelessness in reading or was in due to lack of understanding etc. Generally, we tend to read those subjects in which we are already good at :). it is here that we need to really identify our weaknesses and give more importance to them. Mantra to clear Prelims:-”Concept Clarity,Limited Sources, MULTIPLE REVISIONS”. 4. MAINS: Here again, identifying our mistakes is the key. For some it may be answer writing, for some it may be basics. Some may have issue with optionals and essays. Present trend in GS is that the UPSC is asking very generic questions. When such questions are asked, we tend to give generic answers leading to average marks. It is here that we need to become creative and mention interesting examples, facts, figures to get those extra 1-2 marks. Let the answer structure be as simple as possible. You may follow the below mentioned structure: Introduction consisting of Definition/Interesting fact/Present Context Main body wherein you may write in points format. If sub-questions are asked, answer them separately. Conclusion may be some recommendations/some emulative models etc. GS-4 (Ethics Paper): Let your answers be written in Indian context i.e. try to have more Indian examples, Indian thinkers etc. Also, it is recommended to give day-to-day examples for ethics answers. It will convey a message to evaluator that the aspirant has understood the question. PERSONALITY TEST It took me 2 summons to UPSC Bhavan to realise that its not an Interview but Personality Test. What they are looking for is not a candidate who is perfect in facts but a honest and compassionate aspirant. The biggest issue you will face is not ‘knowledge deficit’ but concerns such as ‘lack of confidence, panic’. It is better to introspect on one’s personality, one’s strengths and weaknesses than spend time mugging up facts. if one is composed in front of the panel, decent marks can be obtained. MY SUPPORT SYSTEM I would like to thank Pruthvik Shankar(IPS-2017 Batch) who guided me in the course of preparation. His guidance in answer writing helped me get good marks. Also, his energy and humility was and is ever inspiring. My friends played a great part in securing this rank. Mention should be made of Rajavardhan K, Praveen, Naveen Kumar, Madhu, Prateek and many more who had faith in me when I doubted myself the most. I would like to end with some Swami Vivekananda’s quotes which guided me in my preparation. -The greatest sin is to think that your are weak. -Conquer yourself and the whole universe is yours. -Arise,Awake and stop not until the goal is achieved. MARKSHEET - MAINS MARKSHEET - PRELIMS Thank You Rahul Sankanur

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 26th April 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 26th April 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Former SC judge A.K. Patnaik to probe ‘conspiracy’ against CJI Part of: GS Mains II – Accountability and transparency; Social Justice In news: SC appointed its former judge, Justice A.K. Patnaik, to probe ‘conspiracy’ against CJI. Over 250 women, including lawyers and activists, had penned a letter to the SC, demanding a special, impartial inquiry into the allegations against Gogoi under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013. According to the activists, CJI Gogoi’s request for an in-house committee violates the 2013 Act that requires an outside, independent panelist to probe allegations of sexual assault. Do you know? Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) comprising 6,000 lawyers passed a resolution stating that the CJI violated legal procedure by hearing a case against himself. The SCBA also asked the SC to take necessary legal action for an unbiased hearing against Gogoi. There is a need for a judicial accountability mechanism for the high courts and Supreme Court through a constitutional amendment, as in so many countries. There must be a procedure to answer the adage Quis custodiet ipsos custodes: Who will be the custodian of the custodians? CCMB working on cell-based meat or ‘Clean Meat’ Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and conservation; Science and Technology; Food security In news: The country’s first project to research on cell-based meat, also called clean meat, would be taken up at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). Department of Biotechnology (DBT) decided to give ₹4.5 crore for the two-year work as the initial grant. The National Research Centre on Meat would partner with the CCMB in the pioneering work to develop cultured meat, which is said to be equivalent to conventional animal meat in terms of taste and feel, with the only difference being in the method of production. Clean meat would be produced through cellular agriculture with cells sourced from animals and cultivated into meat. Hence, it promises to revolutionise the food system by providing protein without harming the environment. The Atal Incubation Centre of the CCMB is working towards promoting clean meat sector. It aims to feed 10 billion people by 2050 by creating a platform for tasty, affordable protein. Do you know? Cell-based meat companies across the world are receiving significant government support, with the governments of Netherlands, Japan and Israel among others investing in clean meat companies. Additionally, the regulatory authorities of countries like the US are deliberating on the path to market these products. These efforts reflect the potential of the clean meat sector to provide future generations with sustainable nutrition. Bt brinjal being grown in Haryana: activists Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and conservation; Science and Technology; Food security In news: Genetically modified (GM) brinjal is being illegally grown in the Fatehabad district of Haryana, according to anti-GM activists. They demanded that Central and State regulatory agencies immediately take action to stop the cultivation, investigate the spread of the illegal variety and destroy all such crops, seeds and saplings as dangerous biohazards entering the food chain. Do you know? Brinjal has been genetically modified by inserting a protein gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis to give protection against certain pests. Bt Brinjal, which was developed in India by Maharashtra-based seed company Mahyco, was on the verge of becoming India’s first GM food crop, when the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee cleared it for commercialisation in 2009, before doubts about the long-term impact on consumer health and plant biodiversity led the then Environment Minister to slap an indefinite moratorium on the crop. Himas or Khasi kingdoms to revisit 1947 agreements Part of:  GS Prelims and Mains II – Polity; Tribal/Welfare issues; Centre versus state In news: A federation of 25 Himas or Khasi kingdoms that have a cosmetic existence today, plan to revisit the 1948 agreements that made present-day Meghalaya a part of India. The revisiting is aimed at safeguarding tribal customs and traditions from Central laws in force or could be enacted, such as the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Do you know? The 25 Khasi states had signed the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement with the Dominion of India between December 15, 1947, and March 19, 1948. The conditional treaty with these states was signed by Governor General Chakravarty Rajagopalachari on August 17, 1948. The Khasi states, though, did not sign the Instrument of Merger unlike most other states in India. After independence, Khasi states had to sign documents beginning with the Standstill Agreement that provided a few rights to the states. Though the Constitution has provided self-rule to a considerable extent through tribal councils, there has been an increasing demand for giving more teeth to the Khasi states. WHO says one in 10 children did not get vaccinated in 2016 Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Role of International Organization; Social/Health issue In news: Despite immunisation being one of the most successful and cost-effective means to help children grow into healthy adults, worldwide 12.9 million infants — nearly 1 in 10 — did not receive any vaccination in 2016. According to WHO, infants missing the first dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine means putting them at serious risk of these potentially fatal diseases. Do you know? Global vaccination coverage remains at 85%, with no significant changes during the past few years. An additional 1.5 million deaths could be avoided if global immunisation coverage improves. According to WHO in 2017, the number of children immunised — 116.2 million — was the highest-ever reported. Immunisation prevents illness, disability and death from vaccine-preventable diseases including cervical cancer, diphtheria, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, rubella and tetanus. World’s forests are ‘in emergency room’: study Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and conservation; Role of International Organization or NGO/CSOs In news: According to a study and data from Global Forest Watch – The world lost 12 million hectares of tropical tree cover last year It was the fourth highest annual decline since records began in 2001 Indigenous communities are considered to be the most vulnerable to losing their homes It warned that the planet’s health was at stake Do you know? Global Forest Watch (GFW) is an open-source web application to monitor global forests in near real-time. GFW is an initiative of the World Resources Institute (WRI), with partners including Google, USAID, the University of Maryland (UMD) and many other academic, non-profit, public, and private organizations. Global Forest Watch originally began in 1997 as an initiative to establish a global forest monitoring network, convened by the World Resources Institute and partners. Scientists track Indian Ocean’s plastic Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and conservation; Pollution In news: Indian Ocean is the world’s biggest dumping ground for plastic waste, but where the trash ultimately ends up has remained a mystery, scientists say. According to researchers, unique characteristics of the southern Indian Ocean pushes floating plastics towards the western side of the ocean, where it leaks past South Africa into the South Atlantic Ocean. Because of the Asian monsoon system, the southeast trade winds in the southern Indian Ocean are stronger than the trade winds in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. In the northern Indian Ocean, the simulations showed that there may be an accumulation in the Bay of Bengal. It is also most likely that floating plastics will ultimately end up on beaches, transported by the reversing monsoon winds and currents, researchers said. Do you know? Studies show that atmospheric and oceanic attributes of the Indian Ocean are different to other ocean basins and that there may not be a concentrated garbage patch. Antarctic penguins suffer huge breeding failure Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and animal conservation; Biodiversity In news: The second largest Emperor penguin colony (Halley Bay colony in the Weddell Sea, Antartica) in the world has suffered a “catastrophic” breeding failure. According to research, nearly all chicks born over three years died as their icy Antarctic habitat shrinks. Do you know? Halley Bay has long been home to one of the largest emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica, second only to Coulman Island in the Ross Sea. Over the past 60 years that researchers have been observing the Halley Bay colony, between 14,300 and 23,000 pairs have flocked to the site's sea ice to breed. About Emperor Penguin It is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species. Feathers of the head and back are black and sharply delineated from the white belly, pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ear patches. Like all penguins it is flightless with wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat. IUCN Status: Near threatened. Miscellaneous Maruti to dump ‘dirty’ diesel models from 2020 In news: Maruti Suzuki, which is the largest car maker in the country, plans to stop manufacturing diesel-powered vehicles from the next financial year. It cited uncertainty over demand for such vehicles due to “significant” increase in price once the new BS VI emission norms kick in. There have been efforts to ban diesel vehicles older than 10 years and environmental activists say that diesel is a more polluting fuel. (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL/ENERGY TOPIC: General studies 2 and 3  India and the World International Relations Policies of developed and developing countries and their impact on India’s interests Energy and Infrastructure US sanctions and the end of cheap oil Context: The Trump administration has decided not to renew any of the oil waivers it had granted earlier. In other words, the temporary exemption granted to India and seven other countries from US sanctions on purchase of Iranian oil to end shortly. And the countries that do not stop buying Iranian oil by then could face American strictures. Implications: The removal of Iranian oil from India’s energy sourcing basket may have major implications. India has been a major importer of Iranian oil. India imports more than 10% of its crude oil from Iran, so the government faces the immediate challenge of having to find alternative suppliers to meet its huge energy needs. The price of Brent crude oil to increase further, which will have negative impact on India’s current account deficit, fiscal deficit and inflation in the wider economy. The rise in the price of oil will automatically increase the price of the commodity. The currency could be impacted if the trade and current account deficits were to widen. An increase in the import bill will tend to put pressure on the rupee. The big concern is that the substitute crude suppliers — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Nigeria and the US — do not offer the attractive options that Iran does, including 60-day credit, and free insurance and shipping. The challenge is to secure an alternative supplier at competitive terms in an already tightening global situation. The way ahead: India in order to protect its interests in the ever-volatile global oil market, will need to take steps to diversify its supplier base and also work towards increasing domestic sources of energy supplies. Opening up the renewable energy sector for more investments will also help avoid over-dependence on oil from the global market to meet the country’s ever-increasing energy needs. Another key area for Delhi to focus on is setting up of large-scale refineries to process crude oil. India may increase its dependency on oil imports from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at a time when the West Asian nations plan to increase their investments in India. In addition, US shale production may offer India a reprieve, with the world’s third largest oil importer upping its bets on American supplies. In an uncertain geopolitical landscape accompanied by unpredictable behaviour by state actors today, India will constantly need to recalibrate policy and balance relations to ensure its interests are maintained. Connecting the dots: How can India ensure that its relations with the US and Iran, and particularly its energy interests are not affected? Suggest. What do you understand by the term ‘energy mix’? Elucidate it’s importance for India in fighting out the ensuing energy crisis. NATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2 Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary The case for comprehensive reforms of our judicial system Context: We are aware of issues confronting the judiciary Issues confronting the judiciary: Slow delivery of justice and pendency in courts Abnormal delays that amount to justice being doubly blind Inadequate infrastructure and lack of facilities for judicial functionaries Insufficient budgetary provision Vacancies or delays in promotional appointments Resourceful defendants are seen escaping culpability not necessarily on merit, but due to their ability to quickly manage judicial processes to their advantage Without self-discipline and enforceable timelines, non-judicial staff are also found taking advantage of the prevailing opaqueness Disposal delays largely occur when lawyers seek unnecessary processes and repeated adjournments. Often, lawyers are found trying to influence the conduct of courts. State and central governments are held responsible for the above issues. However, a scrutiny of higher financial allocations in the last 10-15 years, including hikes in salaries of judicial officers vis-à-vis other state services, does not suggest that visible improvements in facilities have led to noticeably faster disposal of pending cases. The courts cannot hold governments responsible for vacancies or delays in promotional appointments either, since the Supreme Court and respective high courts now exercise full control over judicial appointments. Elected governments are blamed for even judicial mal-administration, including the pendency pile-up. Conclusion: Therefore, it is time to examine the functioning of courts and signs of an increasing loss of public faith in the judiciary. The judiciary needs to overhaul and regulate itself, as none other is empowered to do this under the constitutional architecture as interpreted by apex court. It is also time to make genuine procedural changes to discourage the prioritization of a few high-profile cases, fix timelines for submissions by litigants, bring in IT-based automation, have petitions registered online and pload digitally-signed copies of every court order. It is equally essential to impose punitive measures on those who indulge in frivolous litigations, document-faking, perjury, contempt of court, and the like. Connecting the dots: Judiciary is no longer a ‘secret’ organisation when it comes to its functioning. Discuss the various transparency initiatives taken by Indian judiciary. A fundamental shift is required in the way courts are administered. Discuss. The role of a robust judiciary in a nation’s development is pivotal. Discuss. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Featured Comments and comments Up-voted by IASbaba are the “correct answers”. IASbaba App users – Team IASbaba will provide correct answers in comment section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1) A genetically engineered form of brinjal, known as the Bt-brinjal, has been developed. The objective of this is (2011) To make it pest-resistant To improve its taste and nutritive qualities To make it drought-resistant To make its shelf-life longer Q.2) Other than resistance to pests, what are the prospects for which genetically engineered plants have been created? (2012) To enable them to withstand drought To increase the nutritive value of the produce To enable them to grow and do photosynthesis in spaceships and space stations To increase their shelf life. Select the correct answer using the codes given below: 1 and 2 only 3 and 4 only 1, 2 and 4 only 1, 2, 3 and 4 Q.3) Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is the apex regulator of genetically modified seed. GEAC is established under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Science and Technology Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Trade and Commerce Q.4) Transgenic plants are the ones Generated by introducing foreign DNA into a cell and regenerating a plant from that cell. Produced after protoplast fusion in artificial medium Grown in artificial medium after hybridization in the field Produced by a somatic embryo in artificial medium Q.5) Consider the following statements about Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, 2013 The Act uses a definition of sexual harassment which was laid down by the Supreme Court of India in Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997). It is compulsory for any organisation with 10 or more employees to set up an internal complaints committee for addressing complaints of sexual harassment. It covers all women, across formal and informal employment, including clients, customers, domestic workers, contractual employees, volunteers, probationers, trainees, and interns. Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.6) Himas or Khasi kingdom was in news recently. They are associated with which of the following state? Meghalaya Assam Arunachal Pradesh Tripura Q.7) Which among the following is considered to be the second largest Emperor penguin colony in the world? Weddell Bay colony Halley Bay colony Coulman Island colony Davis Bay colony MUST READ The IS shadow: On Sri Lanka Easter bombings The Hindu Breaking new ground: The Madras High Court’s recent judgment on LGBTQ community The Hindu Vision for our cities Indian Express Real estate can lead conservation efforts in environmental sustainability Financial Express Are there limits to policy-induced growth? Financial Express Improving learning outcomes: Shifting the focus from syllabus Financial Express

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019- Science & Technology and Current Affairs (Day 47)

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - Science & Technology and Current Affairs (Day 47) 60 Day plan has been published on the website (www.iasbaba.com -Click here). Since we have come up with the 'Quiz Format', it will not be feasible to publish it on the app. For feasibility and getting to know where you stand among your peers (we have a leaderboard which gives your marks and rank) it would be advisable to take the test on the website. All the best. make the best use of the initiative ! Before taking the Test, read the post below, ARCHIVES Hello Friends,  The most beloved 60 Days for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019  has finally begun :) Once again the time has come for the battle (Prelims). And who else than your best companion in the last preparatory phase for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 i.e 60 days plan. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.  Hope the message given above makes sense to you all. The productive utilization of this programme demands consistency, honesty, faith and strong determination to be in the process of learning and unlearning. You might not be fully prepared to solve all the questions but the learning and unlearning through these questions will prepare you for the real battle on 2nd June 2019. You have to unlearn your repetitive mistakes, gut feeling on which you mark doubtful questions. You have to learn new things and also those concepts that you were very sure of but somehow because of traps in the option, got it wrong. You have to learn 'how to convert knowledge into marks' (Because most of the times, after ending the exam, you regret making mistakes in known concepts).  Secondly, keep a long distance from following too many things at this point. It will always backfire. Once you are here, put complete faith and follow this initiative along with whatever you were doing. It is very important to consolidate your preparation with many revisions. Simply following many things will leave you in despair. You can cross check this with veterans. Everything that seems attractive is not productive. You should always go for productivity. Be wise! Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days of this plan! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to type/post their answers in the comment box on a daily basis. There were huge participation and discussion below the test post. Putting answers in the comment box has been very effective to self-track yourself after updating the score. In the end, you can cross check your performance through Disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time-bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last few months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out a few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How can you make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 25 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in the UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So, make effort to know the answers to all questions. Do not cheat :P DETAILED MICRO ANALYSIS MATRIX SAMPLE- is given here. You can download this and do an assessment for yourself (the excel sheet must be modified as per this years planning. The provided excel sheet is only for reference).  DOWNLOAD You can copy paste the same format/modify as per your need in Google Spreadsheet and update it on daily basis. Feedback talks about daily test results. Follow-up talks about daily target achieved from sources and the number of revisions to do/done and dates. Sources column is to ensure that aspirants do not run behind various sources and follow the same throughout. Would like to end on this quote:  Either you run the day or the day runs you.  Are you ready? Let's start! Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)  You can post your comments in the given format  (1) Your Score (2) Matrix Meter (3) New Learning from the Test

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Houses for all (An account of initiatives)

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 25th April 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 25th April 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Potato farmers cry foul as PepsiCo sues them Part of: GS Mains II and III and Prelims – Welfare/social issue; Farmers’ issue; IPR issues In news: Multi-billion dollar conglomerate PepsiCo sued four Gujarati farmers, asking them to pay ₹1.05 crore each as damages for ‘infringing its rights’ by growing the potato variety used in its Lays chips. Farmers groups have launched a campaign calling for government intervention. According to the farmer groups, the law allows them to grow and sell any variety of crop or even seed as long as they don’t sell branded seed of registered varieties, and warned that the case could set a precedent for other crops. Do you know? The issue: alleged infringement of intellectual property rights (IPR) of a plant variety registered under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001. FL 2027, also called FC5 – is a variety of potato on which PepsiCo claimed exclusive rights by virtue of a Plant Variety Certificate (PVC) under the Act. India had designed a sui generis law in compliance with the WTO’s TRIPS Agreement (Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights), which is the PPV&FR Act, 2001. Under this statute, farmers’ apriori rights with regard to seeds and planting material have been clearly protected under Section 39 of the said Act. ‘10 Pak.-based terrorists had role in cross-LoC trade’ Part of: GS Mains III – Economy; Security issues In news: Ten Pakistan-based terrorists have been found involved in funneling illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency into the Valley after the government suspended cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Ministry of Home Affairs had cited misuse by militants as the reason for shutting down the trade. Firms under the control of some militants were doing LoC trade with Indian trading firms operated by their own relatives on the Indian side. The channel of LoC trade, meant to facilitate exchange of goods of common use between local populations, was being exploited to fund illegal and anti-national activities in Jammu & Kashmir. Army to build tunnels to store ammunition Part of: GS Mains III – Defence or Security In news: Indian Army is planning to construct underground tunnels for storage of ammunition along the border with China and Pakistan. Public Sector Undertaking NHPC Limited is being roped in for the purpose. Underground storage offers improved safety, easier camouflage from enemy observation and satellite imagery and protection from enemy strikes like those seen during the aerial engagement on February 27, a day after the Balakot air strike when Pakistan Air Force jets targeted Indian army installations along the Line of Control (LoC). These tunnels will be built in high altitude areas in the Northern and Eastern borders. Libor transition opens up avenues for IT majors Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Economy and issues related to it In news: The London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) transition opens up a sizeable business opportunity for large consulting firms such as PwC, KPMG, EY and Deloitte and also for global IT firms, including leading players in India. Individual banks, financial institutions and lending houses are expected to spend anything from $50 million to upwards of $100 million a year for the next two years until the migration is completed by the end of 2021. Analysts say IT will be 50% of this opportunity. Regulators globally have asked firms to move away from Libor to other alternate, risk-free rates (RFRs). Derivatives, bonds, mortgages, loans, mutual funds, securities, underwriting, deposits, advances, pension funds and contracts, worth $370 trillion, are currently linked to the scam-hit Libor. Opportunities around the migration include assessment of current exposure to Libor, design, development and implementation of new products based on new rates, creation of new valuation models, creation of fresh legal documents and policy frameworks. The transition involves a code replacement towards new benchmark rate. The Libor marketplace is very large and it comprises of banks and all large lending agencies, including country lending from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. As far as the business opportunities are concerned, all financial products that are currently linked to Libor would be moved to an optimum benchmark. This would require remodeling, predicting tax implications, contractual changes and system infrastructure including processes and controls. The change would also involve designing new products or remodeling existing products. Another Y2K wave For technology companies, Libor transition is like another Y2K wave and it involves creating new systems, processes and platforms to support the entire migration. However Libor conversion would provide opportunity in systems integration, compliance, and customization of packaged apps for meeting reporting needs and related consulting in the short term. Majority of large banks and trading houses, including Bank of America, Bank of England, Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Japanese banks have started working on Libor transition. However, Indian banks are yet to start any work towards migration as the regulator is yet to make any announcement in this regard. Do you know? In 2017 the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced that after 2021 it would no longer persuade or compel panel banks to submit the rates required to calculate LIBOR. LIBOR is a benchmark interest rate at which major global lend to one another in the international interbank market for short-term loans. LIBOR, which stands for London Interbank Offered Rate, serves as a globally accepted key benchmark interest rate that indicates borrowing costs between banks. The rate is calculated and published each day by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). Why is LIBOR being replaced? There are concerns about manipulation of LIBOR. Manipulation included both reporting low rates to make the bank look stronger than it was and reporting false rates to profit on LIBOR-based financial products. In June 2012, the CFTC announced that it was levying a large fine against a bank on the LIBOR panel for manipulating LIBOR along with another benchmark rate based on the results of an investigation that had begun in 2008. Ultimately, several large institutions that were implicated payed substantial fines, and several senior bank executives, including the CEOs of two large banks, resigned.2 Additional controversy arose when it was revealed that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York had communicated its concerns about LIBOR manipulation to the Bank of England four years earlier, in 2008. Concerns about the potential for LIBOR manipulation were amplified by the thinness of the market on which the reference rate was based. For a variety of reasons, including post-crisis credit concerns and downgrades, copious liquidity provided by QE-swollen central bank balance sheets, and regulatory changes, banks have significantly reduced their short-term unsecured borrowing and Schrimpf and Sushko. In 2018, the Federal Reserve Board estimated that only six or seven transactions occurred in the one- and three-month tenors (the most used tenors) at banks on the dollar LIBOR panel, with even fewer transactions at longer tenors. Magic milk: fighting infections with a clue from the echidna Part of: GS Mains II and III and Prelims – Health issue; Animal in news; Science and Technology In news: Scientists at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research – Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) here have isolated an anti-microbial protein found in the milk of an egg-laying mammal. The protein promises to serve as an alternative to antibiotics used on livestock. Echidnas, also known as spiny anteaters, are unique egg-laying mammals found only in Australia and New Guinea. Their young hatch from eggs at a very early stage of development and depend completely on mother’s milk. But the mammary glands of the echidnas are devoid of nipples, forcing the young ones to lick milk from the mother’s body surface and potentially making them vulnerable to micro-organisms. However, nature protects its own. The milk of the echidna has a protein that can puncture the cell membranes of multiple bacterial species, thus destroying the source of infection. It can then be used to fight infections. Pic: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2019/04/25/DEL/Delhi/TH/5_18/cae181a8_2894254_1_mr.jpg The scientist pointed out that there is a rise of superbugs due to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics by the animal husbandry industry to raise livestock. The superbugs can cause mastitis, an infection of the mammary gland, in dairy animals. The team has been able to show that the protein from echidna milk is effective against mastitis-causing bacteria. China announces plan to build moon station in 10 years Part of: GS Prelims – International affairs; Science and Technology; Space missions In news: China plans to send a manned mission to the moon and to build a research station there within the next decade. China aims to achieve space superpower status and took a major step towards that goal when it became the first nation to land a rover on the far side of the moon in January. It now plans to build a scientific research station on the moon’s south pole within the next 10 years. Beijing plans to launch a Mars probe by 2020 and confirmed that a fourth lunar probe, the Chang’e-5, will be launched by the end of the year. (MAINS FOCUS) SOCIAL/ECONOMY TOPIC: General studies 1 and 2 Women empowerment Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General studies 3 Indian economy and employment; Gender parity; Women participation in workforce Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Water Pollution, Wastewater management Empowering women through safe water Context: Citizens dwelling in the areas, where use of contaminated underground water is prominent to meet the demand of their basic needs, are on the verge of getting more prone to water pollution related disorders. Nearly 2 lakh people die every year in India because of consuming contaminated drinking water. Do you know? Surface water contamination receives a lot of attention because of the visible pollution of this water. In India, 19 states have reported fluoride contamination of water and groundwater in at least 10 states is contaminated with arsenic. Of the 10 states that have arsenic contamination, 7 - West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Chhattisgarh - have reported contamination level that is above the permissible limit of 10 micrograms per litre (µg/L.) Consumption of arsenic contaminated drinking water can lead to cancer. It can also cause arsenicosis, a condition that is as sinister as it sounds, manifesting as skin lesions, pigmentation changes and an abnormal thickening of the skin. Excessive fluoride may cause fluorosis that can cause discolouration of teeth or can lead to skeletal deformities. It can also cause damage to neurological, muscular and gastrointestinal systems. Several studies have linked exposure to uranium in drinking water to chronic kidney disease. Relationship between women and water Women have traditionally been water bearers, walking miles, lugging water home. They are disproportionately burdened with unpaid tiresome domestic work, care for the sick, robbing them of opportunities to learn skills and be employed. According to a World Bank report, India ranks 120 among 131 countries in female labour force participation rates. The economic contribution of women in India stands at 17% of GDP, which is lesser than half of the global average. Therefore, their participation is important for an economy to grow sustainably. Small water enterprises (SWEs) can play an important role in fostering women entrepreneurship and ensuring their economic participation in the nation’s development. SWEs can provide opportunities to women to turn from water bearers to water managers, improving availability and accessibility of safe drinking water, earning livelihood, and improving their quality of life. Role of Safe Water Network India (SWNI) Promoting the concept of SWEs, the Safe Water Network India (SWNI) took up the initiative to empower grass-roots women—self-help groups or slum-level federation by empowering them with skills, deploying technology, and reducing their work hours to mainstream them into an economic activity, thus changing their historical role from water carriers to safe water managers. SWNI is a nonprofit organization Conclusion: Despite India’s notable GDP growth rate, a huge population is underutilised. (especially women) Engaging women in the management of SWEs can help achieve the twin objectives of women’s empowerment and provision of safe drinking water to the communities, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals 6 (Clean Water), 5 (Gender Equality) and 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Investment in SWEs provide an opportunity to women, particularly in rural areas, to improve the health of communities and earn livelihoods. More initiatives need to be taken to create gender parity in the economy. It’s the collective responsibility of the government and society to realise the goal of a more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous future. Connecting the dots: Discuss some of the important initiatives needed to be taken to create gender parity in the economy. The absence of women from the start up ecosystem in India is a worrisome sign for the economic empowerment of women. What strategies should be adopted to address the existing gender asymmetry? Discuss. Economically empowered women can contribute better to the developmental process. Do you agree? Comment. In this regard, examine the benefits of engaging women in the management of Small water enterprises (SWEs). INTERNATIONAL/ECONOMY TOPIC: General studies 2 India and its neighbourhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate General studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Beyond the free trade idealism Context: The U.S. has begun trade skirmishes with India. It objects to India increasing import duties on electronic product and desires India to cut back duties on U.S.-made motorcycles. With the WTO thought-about to be within the medical care unit, it's imperative to use basic principles to reshape a trade regime that's fair to all. Free Trade Idealism According to this idealism, if each person would do only what he or she does better than everyone else and all would trade with each other, everyone’s welfare will increase. Also, the size of the global economic pie would be larger because there will be no inefficiencies. Dani Rodrik has estimated that for every unit of overall increase in global income, six or seven units of incomes will have to be shuffled around within. Moreover, according to this theory, people should not start producing what others are already producing, because they will produce less efficiently until they learn to do it well. According to this theory of free trade, Indians should not have bothered to learn how to produce trucks, buses and two-wheelers when the country became independent. They should have continued to import them from American, European and Japanese companies. Free trade purists say that easy import of products from other countries increases consumer welfare. Consumers everywhere welcome a lowering of import barriers because it brings products into their shops they could only dream of before. Milton Friedman had observed that, in international trade, exports help companies and imports help citizens. Therefore, resistance to free trade does not come from consumers. It generally comes from companies which cannot compete. Concerns with extreme free trade idealism: Free trade hampers the domestic producer of developing countries which lack competitiveness due to infrastructure; technology etc. and which is not at par with developed countries. This will have impact on job and which ultimately impact on consumers too, because, to benefit from easy imports, citizens need incomes to buy the products and services available. Therefore, they need jobs that will provide them adequate incomes. Domestic producers can provide jobs. For example, after liberalization in 1990s, India’s shows impressive GDP growth, however it is not generating enough employment for India’s large youth population. India’s economy should have been a powerful job generator, instead the employment elasticity of India’s growth — the numbers of jobs created per unit of GDP growth — is among the lowest in the world. The way ahead: A developing country needs a good ‘industrial policy’ to accelerate the growth of domestic production, by building on its competitive advantages; and by developing those capabilities, it can compete with producers in countries that ‘developed’ earlier. The scope of ‘industry’ must be broadened to include all sectors that can build on India’s competitive advantages. For example, the tourism and hospitality industry, taking advantage of India’s remarkable diversity of cultures and natural beauty, has the potential to support millions of small enterprises in all parts of the country. India’s policy-makers must find a way for economic growth to produce more income-generating opportunities for Indian citizens. While India seeks to capture larger shares of global markets, India’s own billion-plus citizens’ economy can become a stimulus for growth of millions of enterprises. If citizens earn more, they can spend more. The ‘Employment and Incomes Policy’ should guide the Industrial Policy to where investments are required, and also what is expected from those investments to produce more income-generating opportunities for young Indians. Production and technology must be indigenised in phased manufacturing programmes. The WTO’s governance needs to be overhauled to promote the welfare of citizens in all countries, especially poorer ones, rather than lowering barriers to exports of companies in rich countries in the guise of free trade idealism. Indian economists, distracted by the mathematics of universal basic incomes, should return to the fundamentals of economic growth — more opportunities to earn incomes from productive work with development of new capabilities. A robust ‘Incomes and Employment Policy’, supported by an imaginative Industrial Policy, must guide India’s trade policy. Connecting the dots: The issues of free trade policy are too complex to be wrapped up in the slogan “liberalise trade”. Discuss. Critically evaluate India’s Free Trade Policy in the post-reform period. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Featured Comments and comments Up-voted by IASbaba are the “correct answers”. IASbaba App users – Team IASbaba will provide correct answers in comment section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1) The “Heavenly Palace” which is expected to go into orbit in 2022 is associated with which country? Unites States of America India Russia China Q.2) ‘London Interbank Offer Rate (LIBOR)’ is computed for which of the following currencies? Euro (EUR) Japanese yen (JPY) Pound sterling (GBP) Canadian dollar (CAD) Swedish krona (SEK) Swiss franc (CHF) Select the correct code: 1, 2 and 3 Only 1, 2, 3 and 6 Only 3, 5 and 6 Only All of the above Q.3) Monotremes are a subdivision of mammal. The unique feature of Monotremes is They don’t have hair on their skin. They lay eggs instead of giving birth. They don’t have sweat glands. They fertilise the egg outside the female’s body. Q.4) Echidnas are robust creatures and found in various environments. Which of the following statements are correct regarding Echidnas? They usually have much lower body temperatures than other mammals Their back feet points backwards which help them to dig burrows. They lay eggs but keep their young ones in the mother’s pouch. Select the code from below: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.5) Consider the following statements about Echidna They have spines like a porcupine They are Marsupials They are only found in Central India Select the incorrect statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.6) Which of the following can be found as pollutants in the drinking water in some parts of India? Arsenic Fluoride Formaldehyde Sorbitol Uranium Select the correct answer using the codes given below: 1 and 2 only 2, 4 and 5 only 1, 2 and 5 only 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 MUST READ Taking advantage of BRI The Hindu Suspension of J&K LoC trade is a regressive step and a lost opportunity Indian Express The greater role of schools and teachers in shaping democracy Livemint When the justice system is in the dock Livemint Smart farming: Agriculture data can reap a bumper harvest Financial Express Creating schools that are functional Financial Express

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019- Economics and Current Affairs (Day 46)

60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 - Economics and Current Affairs (Day 46) 60 Day plan has been published on the website (www.iasbaba.com - Click here). Since we have come up with the 'Quiz Format', it will not be feasible to publish it on the app. For feasibility and getting to know where you stand among your peers (we have a leaderboard which gives your marks and rank) it would be advisable to take the test on the website. All the best. make the best use of the initiative ! Before taking the Test, read the post below, ARCHIVES Hello Friends,  The most beloved 60 Days for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019  has finally begun :) Once again the time has come for the battle (Prelims). And who else than your best companion in the last preparatory phase for UPSC IAS Prelims 2019 i.e 60 days plan. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.  Hope the message given above makes sense to you all. The productive utilization of this programme demands consistency, honesty, faith and strong determination to be in the process of learning and unlearning. You might not be fully prepared to solve all the questions but the learning and unlearning through these questions will prepare you for the real battle on 2nd June 2019. You have to unlearn your repetitive mistakes, gut feeling on which you mark doubtful questions. You have to learn new things and also those concepts that you were very sure of but somehow because of traps in the option, got it wrong. You have to learn 'how to convert knowledge into marks' (Because most of the times, after ending the exam, you regret making mistakes in known concepts).  Secondly, keep a long distance from following too many things at this point. It will always backfire. Once you are here, put complete faith and follow this initiative along with whatever you were doing. It is very important to consolidate your preparation with many revisions. Simply following many things will leave you in despair. You can cross check this with veterans. Everything that seems attractive is not productive. You should always go for productivity. Be wise! Let us pledge to make it a big game changer (better than last year) in the next 60 days of this plan! Importance of Self - Tracking: Learning from Last Year Last year, aspirants used to type/post their answers in the comment box on a daily basis. There were huge participation and discussion below the test post. Putting answers in the comment box has been very effective to self-track yourself after updating the score. In the end, you can cross check your performance through Disqus profile. It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes. The importance of this initiative stands time-bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last few months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice. So, take out a few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise. How can you make the best use of it? Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 25 minutes only.  Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then? The same will be replicated in the UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So, make effort to know the answers to all questions. Do not cheat :P DETAILED MICRO ANALYSIS MATRIX SAMPLE- is given here. You can download this and do an assessment for yourself (the excel sheet must be modified as per this years planning. The provided excel sheet is only for reference).  DOWNLOAD You can copy paste the same format/modify as per your need in Google Spreadsheet and update it on daily basis. Feedback talks about daily test results. Follow-up talks about daily target achieved from sources and the number of revisions to do/done and dates. Sources column is to ensure that aspirants do not run behind various sources and follow the same throughout. Would like to end on this quote:  Either you run the day or the day runs you.  Are you ready? Let's start! Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)  You can post your comments in the given format  (1) Your Score (2) Matrix Meter (3) New Learning from the Test

MUST READ: PRELIMS 2019 MOTIVATION- All Possible Scenarios-Where Do You Fall in Exam?

MUST READ: PRELIMS 2019 MOTIVATION- All Possible Scenarios-Where Do You Fall in Exam? Hello Friends, Given the fact that the coveted civil services attract lakhs of youngsters to appear in the examination every year, stiff competition is a given! With the experience attained through multiple interactions with thousands of students and mentoring them, we have realised that cracking this examination takes more than just plain learning and application of concepts. It requires emotional management also. In fact, we can put it first in the prerequisites of qualifying this examination. With hardly a month remaining for the preliminary examination, we thought that sharing our experiences and the ways to tackle various scenarios that you must be facing now will help you manage your anxieties and apprehensions. One thing that we must understand is that we are all different, our problems, priorities and pains are different and therefore the ways and means to address them are also different. You might be facing the same examination as your roommate is; but for both you, the challenges and moods might be different. In the next few paragraphs, we present an exhaustive list of scenarios that you as a candidate might be facing. Please see whether you fit somewhere in this classification. We have also provided the reasons behind the feelings that you might be experiencing in different scenarios and have also tried to give solutions to address them positively. It is also possible that you find yourself in two or even more than two scenarios. We hope that this objective scenario analysis will help you overcome your anxieties and lead to your success eventually. Scenario 1: You have not yet completed your revision. Wit each passing day, you rewrite your schedule and convince yourself that there is enough time to revise all the subjects. But deep within, you are a bit scared. Why does it happen: It happens because your emotions are torn between your commitment to excel and reality. You are committed to clear the exam but at the same time have apprehensions that you might lose it eventually. It happens with the majority of candidates (in fact with the top rankers as well!). The major factor could be your overcommitment due to which you covered so many things in the first phase of the study that it is becoming unmanageable to revise them all. The fear of not revising the hard work already done creates even more anxiety! Another reason could, of course, be procrastination. This is a fundamental human trait in the 21st century. With the internet and social media in our hands, we tend to postpone important things in our life. What can be done: The first and the foremost thing that you need to do is to prioritise. Believe us, it doesn’t take more than 50% of your acquired knowledge to take the form of wisdom. It is wisdom that does the rest. It simply means that an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. You might not be able to revise everything that you have read in the past few months but still, the wisdom acquired with the help of those readings will sail you through. Therefore, make a fixed time table and stick to it. Prioritise the areas you need to focus without getting too much concerned about the portions that you are going to leave in this process. The second most important thing to do is to stop procrastinating. Do it now, sometimes later becomes never! Scenario 2: Everything was going fine. You were scoring high marks test after tests and everyone was betting on your preparation and potential. But then, the last few tests have gone haywire. You have lost the sheen and your performance has dropped. You feel that you are losing it now! Why does it happen: Success makes us complacent. It also makes failures hard to accept. Our mind and emotions get habitual of pride and praise. A departure from the norm makes it difficult to adapt to the new realities. It hurts the confidence and brings a further dip in performance. What can be done: No success is permanent and no failure is fatal. The mocks that you are appearing in are meant to train you for the ultimate battle. By no stretch of the imagination, they can become the yardstick to decide your performance in the actual examination. Your failure or rather the limited success in the recent tests mean nothing more than a reminder. It simply tells you to be more careful and don’t take things for granted. You are well prepared and only need to focus harder. Don’t lose the momentum now! It will be fatal. Take your failures with a pinch of salt and move on. Neither try too hard nor be listless. Just keep doing your job. Scenario 3: This is your last attempt and you are in severe stress. You always think about the results. What if you don’t qualify this time too? What will your parents, friends and family think? have you waited your career? Why does it happen: It happens because we humans are insecure beings. The feeling of insecurity of any kind overpowers our thinking. We start focusing too much on the negative possibilities rather than the positive ones. We start blaming our fate and also lose faith in hard work. Moreover, having spent a considerable amount of time, the feeling of impatience and frustration starts to foster. Lack of security in terms of career makes us uneasy an under-confident. What can be done: Understand the concept of time zones. Different parts of the world have different times because they lie in different time zones. Human beings are also in their time zones. It simply means that just like sunlight doesn’t come all at once to the entire planet, success also comes at different times for different individuals. What affects your chances however is despondency. What if this is your time right now? What if there is a guarantee of success this time? Don’t lose this opportunity. Give your 100% and hope for the best. If you sail through, nothing can be better and even if you don’t, there are millions of opportunities waiting to be explored. Scenario 4: This is your first attempt. You know that there are so many experienced players already in competition. You have a feeling that you don’t stand a chance. Why does it happen: Contrary to the concept of ‘beginner’s advantage’, freshers suffer from the ill-placed syndrome of ‘beginners disadvantage’. They have a feeling that cramming up concepts of UPSC for years can give an individual edge over the others. This is natural as it happens in many other fields also, most notably sports and jobs. What can be done: How do some sportsmen have the dream debuts? Why do many first-timers crack UPSC in the very first attempt? The answer is simple. If you have the right tools, the right attitude and the right frame of mind, it doesn’t matter if you are a fresher or a veteran; you will always succeed. You have nothing to lose and no one to compete with except yourself. Just focus on improving your own performance without bothering too much about the people around you. Scenario 5: You see highly intelligent people around yourself. They study in groups and always keep discussing new concepts, some of which just fly over your head. You have a feeling that you don’t have what it takes to become a civil servant. Why does it happen: We always tend to put ourselves in comparison to others. Even a slight hint of inferiority bewilders us. We start feeling that we can’t compete with the more competent and the smarter lot. We start feeling excluded and that affects our confidence adversely. What can be done: Even the smartest and the most talented players have been defeated by the consistent ones. Civil services examination requires consistency in efforts and a willingness to better ourselves. If one goes on to make others as the benchmark, he is bound to get lost in the process. The best thing to do is to stay true to your commitment, strive hard with each passing day and hour and keep improving your abilities. Believe us, success shall be yours. Scenario 6: You are scared of numbers. Can you succeed by competing lakhs of students? You didn’t even feature in the top 20% of your class in the school/ college! How can you be there in the top 0.5% of the candidates appearing in the examination?  Why does it happen: We get overwhelmed by numbers. India is a country of millions of jobless youth competing neck to neck with each other to get their dream jobs. It is natural to be scared of such stiff competition. What can be done: A reality check will soothe your senses. Of the lakhs that appear in the preliminary examination, the ones who are actually prepared and hold some potential might only be thousands in number. Moreover, they are all facing the same competition. They are all equally scared of the numbers. You are not alone in this fear. The more you overcome this fear, the better are your chances to succeed. Scenario 7: Everything is going great. You are high on confidence. You have firm belief in your abilities and hard work. You are sure to crack this examination.  Why does it happen: Hard work and a high level of preparedness give confidence. But it can also lead to overconfidence which can be fatal for you. Many times, brilliant candidates peak much before the actual examination and falter on the ‘D day’. What can be done: Don’t let your performance peak right now. Remain humble and wait for the right time to give your best performance. There are many like you who are confident of clearing the examination. You have to compete with them and the best way to do it is by not letting your confidence corrupt your senses. Scenario 8: You are appearing this year just to measure the depth of waters. You will come stronger and better prepared next year. You simply want to have a “feel” of this examination.  Why does it happen: This again is a natural human tendency. Many a time, we don’t give the full throttle fearing failure. We keep convincing ourselves that we have the potential to succeed and we will definitely taste success one day. This escapist tendency might actually be harmful sometimes. What can be done: Don’t appear in the examination if you aren’t fully prepared. Examination as a process seeps into your intellectual faculties and can cause irreversible harm by affecting your confidence. You won’t even realise it and it will break your spirits. So it is better to stay away from such wishful thinking. If at all, you want to have the “feel”, it would be much better if you attempt the paper at home after the examination. So, where do you find yourself? It’s perfectly fine to be scared or anxious. We are all human beings. But at the same time, we must have the intelligence to tackle our emotions and move in the right direction. Success is what we want and success is what we should work for! All the Best IASbaba Team

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 24th April 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 24th April 2019 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) India may stop oil imports from Iran Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – India and the World; India-US ties; Indian economy and development In news: Petroleum Minister said the country plans to increase imports from major oil producing nations other than Iran, indicating that it will be acceding to the U.S. plan to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero, a move criticised by the Congress. The U.S. that it would be cancelling the waivers from sanctions it had granted eight countries, including India, allowing them to import oil from Iran. In addition, the U.S. has also stipulated that India’s “escrow account” used for Rupee-Rial trade cannot be operated after its May 2 deadline. However, there is no change in the exemption given for India’s investments in Chabahar port as a trade route to Afghanistan. Animal in news: Olive Ridley hatchlings make their way into sea In news: Note – We have covered many articles on Olive Ridley turtles (Refer - https://iasbaba.com/2018/06/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-prelims-mains-focus-19th-june-2018/ and https://iasbaba.com/2019/01/daily-current-affairs-ias-upsc-prelims-and-mains-exam-27th-december-2018/) The Olive ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world, inhabiting warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. hese turtles, along with their cousin the Kemps ridley turtle, are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs. They are carnivores, and feed mainly on jellyfish, shrimp, snails, crabs, molluscs and a variety of fish and their eggs. These turtles spend their entire lives in the ocean, and migrate thousands of kilometers between feeding and mating grounds in the course of a year. Interestingly, females return to the very same beach from where they first hatched, to lay their eggs. During this phenomenal nesting, up to 600,000 and more females emerge from the waters, over a period of five to seven days, to lay eggs. They lay their eggs in conical nests about one and a half feet deep which they laboriously dig with their hind flippers. The coast of Orissa in India is the largest mass nesting site for the Olive-ridley, followed by the coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica. After about 45-65 days, the eggs begin to hatch, and these beaches are swamped with crawling Olive-ridley turtle babies, making their first trek towards the vast ocean. During this trek they are exposed to predators like jackals, birds, hyenas, fiddler crabs, and feral dogs lurking around, waiting to feed on them. It is estimated that approximately 1 hatchling survives to reach adulthood for every 1000 hatchlings that enter the sea waters. This may also be the reason why arribadas happen and a single female can lay 80 to 120 eggs and sometimes even twice in a season; to increase the hatchlings survival rate. Tendered vote Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Polity In news: According to Section 49P of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, if a voter realises that someone has already voted in his/her name, he/she can approach the presiding officer at the polling booth and flag the issue. Upon answering the presiding officer’s questions about his/her identity satisfactorily, the voter will be allowed to cast a tender vote. Tender votes are cast on ballot papers and sealed and locked away. These votes are useful when the margin between the winning candidate and the runner-up is slim. However, if the difference is large, tender votes are not counted. (MAINS FOCUS) SOCIAL/WELFARE ISSUE TOPIC: General studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes A half-written promise Introduction Recognition of sexual and reproductive rights of women in India is almost negligible. Manifestos of major political parties’ reveals piecemeal promises to women and the reproductive rights are limited to child marriage, female foeticide, sex selection and menstrual health and hygiene. Sexual and reproductive rights in India must include concerns with – maternal deaths access to maternal care to safe abortions access to contraceptives adolescent sexuality prohibition of forced medical procedures such as forced sterilizations and removal of stigma and discrimination against women, girls and LGBT persons on the basis of their gender, sexuality and access to treatment State of women in India: According to the UNICEF India and World Bank data, India has one of the highest numbers of maternal deaths. (45,000 maternal deaths every year or an average of one maternal death every 12 minutes) Unsafe abortions are the third leading cause of maternal deaths in India. Unsafe abortions: a major concern The Lancet Research shows that half of the pregnancies in India are unintended and that a third result in abortion. Only 22% of abortions are done through public or private health facilities. Lack of access to safe abortion clinics, particularly public hospitals, and stigma and attitudes towards women, especially young, unmarried women seeking abortion, contribute to this. Doctors refuse to perform abortions on young women or demand that they get consent from their parents or spouses despite no such requirement by law. This forces many women to turn to clandestine and often unsafe abortions. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 provides for termination only up to 20 weeks. If an unwanted pregnancy has proceeded beyond 20 weeks, women have to approach a medical board and courts to seek permission for termination, which is extremely difficult. The MTP Act is long overdue for a comprehensive reform. The way ahead: Progressive view of Supreme Court on women’s reproductive rights The court held in the Navtej Johar judgment (striking down Section 377) and while decriminalizing adultery (Section 497) that women have a right to sexual autonomy, which is an important facet of their right to personal liberty. In the landmark Puttaswamy judgment in which the right to privacy was held to be a fundamental right. SC held that “Privacy includes at its core the preservation of personal intimacies, the sanctity of family life, marriage, procreation, the home and sexual orientation... Privacy safeguards individual autonomy and recognises the ability of the individual to control vital aspects of his or her life.” In the case of Independent Thought v. Union of India in the context of reproductive rights of girls, judges held, “The human rights of a girl child are very much alive and kicking whether she is married or not and deserve recognition and acceptance.” Therefore, the right of women and girls to safe abortion is an important facet of their right to bodily integrity, right to life and equality and needs to be protected. Conclusion: Political parties, which also represent India’s women, have an obligation to take forward the debates on reproductive rights, equality, and access to abortion in political debates as well as in framing laws and policies. The responsibility also lies with civil society and development actors to bring up these issues for public debate and in demands. The silence around unsafe abortions is leading to deaths of women and hides important problems that lie at the intersection of these concerns, such as the formidable barriers for adolescent girls to access reproductive health services, including abortion services. Access to legal and safe abortion is an integral dimension of sexual and reproductive equality, a public health issue, and must be seen as a crucial element in the contemporary debates on democracy. Connecting the dots: Women’s emancipation and safety is most important for society as well as government. Elucidate. Constitutional guarantee for gender equality remains vacuous independent of complementary value systems. Comment. INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General studies 2 India and its neighbourhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests India’s perilous obsession with Pakistan Context: As a country born of the two-nation theory based on religion, and then having to suffer dismemberment and the consequent damage to the very same religious identity, it is obvious why Islamic Pakistan must have a hostile Other in the form of a ‘Hindu India’. It is widely recognised that the fulcrum of the Pakistani state and establishment is an anti-India ideology and an obsession with India. But what is not obvious is why India, a secular nation, must have a hostile antagonist in the form of Pakistan. Though India’s post-Independence nationalism has been also driven by an obsession with Pakistan but it is not seen in front but recent reinvigoration of nationalism in form of hyper-nationalism and a ‘Hindu India’ identity fueled this obsession similar like Pakistan, which is ultimately self-defeating. Impact of hostility with Pakistan Learning from Pakistan shows that such ideology lead to self-destruction of the country. Pakistan’s vastly disproportionate spending on the military to attain military parity with India, a country that is six and half times larger in population, and eight and a half times bigger economically has been self-destructive for a poor nation. In 1990, Pakistan was ahead of India by three places in the Human Development Index. In 2017, Pakistan was behind India by 20 ranks, a sad reflection of its ruinous policies. More critically, the Pakistani state’s sponsorship of Islamist terror groups has been nothing less than catastrophic because Pakistan, ironically, is also one of the worst victims of Islamist terrorism.  High military expenses, huge human and material costs High military expenses without war due to such hostility. India-Pakistan attempts to secure the Siachen Glacier, the inhospitable and highest battle terrain in the world. India alone lost nearly 800 soldiers (until 2016) to weather-related causes only. Besides, it spends around ₹6 crore every day in Siachen. Operation Parakram (2001-02), in which India mobilised for war with Pakistan, saw 798 soldier deaths and a cost of $3 billion. This is without fighting a war. Add to this the human and economic costs of fighting four wars. Deaths of around 6,500 security personnel in Kashmir and the gargantuan and un-estimated costs of stationing nearly 5 lakh military/para-military/police personnel in Kashmir for 30 years. Hindrance to attain rightful place of India in international community India-Pakistan relationship is “toxic”. Both the countries suffer from “minority” or “small power” complex in which one is feeling constantly “threatened” and “encircled”. The disastrous conflict with Pakistan can be considered as one of the main reasons why India has been confined to South Asia, and prevented from becoming a global power. The way ahead: Instead of hostility with Pakistan, India should learn from China’s early success in universalising health care and education, providing basic income, and advancing human development, which as Amartya Sen has argued, is the basis of its economic miracle. The more India defines itself as the Other of Pakistan (a nation practically governed by the military) the more it will become its mirror. Any nation that thrives by constructing a mythical external enemy must also construct mythical internal enemies. That is why the number of people labelled ‘anti-national’ is increasing in India. India has to rise to take its place in the world. That can only happen if it can get rid of its obsession with Pakistan. Connecting the dots: Discuss the critical phases on India-Pakistan relations. Essay: “Every battle is won before it’s ever fought.” MUST READ The permanence of Arab uprisings The Hindu The problem with cherry-picking data The Hindu A natural next step The Hindu Outer space lessons The Hindu Explained: Life without Iranian oil Indian Express Supreme Crisis Indian Express Small shows the way Indian Express