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IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 12th June 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 12th June 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Organ transplant racket surfaces in Tamil Nadu Part of: Prelims and GS Mains Paper II and IV – Health; Welfare and Ethical concerns In news: An organ transplant racket has surfaced in Tamil Nadu. International patients get priority in cadaver transplants, bypassing long list of Indians. Three of four hearts harvested from brain-dead patients were given to foreign nationals, bypassing Indian patients on the waiting list. Key Pointers: About National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) is an all-India apex body for coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of organs/tissues and transplantation. NOTTO functions under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Protocol of organ transplant – The protocol is that an organ should first be offered to an Indian. If no Indian is available, an NRI should be considered. The question of an international patient arises only when both decline an organ offer. Going by the rule book, allocation of organs to recipients on the waiting list is based on criteria that include the date of registration and the medical condition of the recipient. The wealth, race or gender of a person on the waiting list has no bearing on when and whether a person will receive a donated organ. According to the Indian law, organ sales are banned and therefore no foreigner can get a local donor. Human organ transplant laws are very strict in India and the penalty incurred for organ trade is also very high. About Transplantation of Human Organ Act (THO) The legislation called the Transplantation of Human Organ Act (THO) was passed in India in 1994 to streamline organ donation and transplantation activities. The aim of the THO Act is “to provide for the regulation of removal, storage and transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes and for the prevention of commercial dealings in human organs”. Despite the THO legislation, organ commerce and kidney scandals are regularly reported in the Indian media. Important value additions: The growing disparity between the rich and poor, demand for human organs and availability of technology in the country makes the trading of organs a quick means to riches for some and a relief for others. Invariably Organ trade leads to exploitation of the poverty-stricken people by tempting them with financial gains to meet their immediate short-term financial needs. The sad reality is that India has one of the lowest organ donation rates among developed and developing nations. Article link: In Chennai, the hearts beat for foreigners Animals/Species in news: Black Softshell turtle Part of: Prelims - Environment and Biodiversity; Animal Conservation In news: Nilssonia nigricans or Black Softshell turtle, which is declared extinct in the wild by the IUCN Red list, was sighted in sacred waters of temple ponds across northeast India. Tests at the Nagshankar temple pond in Assam have confirmed the presence of two more species — Nilssonia gangetica or Indian softshell turtle, classified as Vulnerable, and Chitra indica or South Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle, listed as Endangered by the IUCN. Pic link: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2018/06/12/CNI/Chennai/TH/5_01/6c9f05c2_2166606_1_mr.jpg Pic link: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2018/06/12/CNI/Chennai/TH/5_01/6c9f05c2_2166606_2_mr.jpg Key pointers: Black Softshell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) : : IUCN status ‘Extinct in the wild’ Indian softshell turtle (Nilssonia gangetica) : : IUCN status ‘Vulnerable’ South Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle (Chitra indica) : : IUCN status ‘Endangered’ Do you know? Use of Environmental DNA (eDNA) technology – This fast emerging testing tool monitors the biodiversity of an area without physically collecting specimens. eDNA is DNA that is collected from a variety of environmental samples such as soil, seawater, or even air rather than directly sampled from an individual organism. Article link:Under divine care, turtles swim on in Assam's temple tanks India to host first BIMSTEC war games Part of: Prelims and GS Mains Paper II – India and its neighbours; International Relations In news: India will host the first military exercise of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) group focussing on counter-terrorism in September. The exercise is scheduled to be held in Pune. The theme includes counter-terrorism in semi-urban terrain and cordon and search, and each side will bring in some 30 soldiers. BIMSTEC countries held a disaster management exercise in 2017, but this is the first military exercise of the grouping. Important Value Additions About BIMSTEC: BIMSTEC was set up in 1997 and includes India, Bangladesh, Bhutan Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. (7 nations) The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an organization of South Asian and South East Asian countries which are dependent on the Bay of Bengal. Leadership is rotated in alphabetical order of country names. The permanent secretariat is in Dhaka. Article link: India to host first BIMSTEC war games in September Maldives asks India to remove its helicopters from Maldives Part of: Prelims and GS Mains Paper II – India and its neighbours; International Relations In news: Maldives government led by Yameen made it clear that it would like India to remove copters located in Maldives. India had gifted two Dhruv advanced light helicopters in 2013, of which one was operated by the Indian Coast Guard and the other by the Indian Navy, manned by six pilots and a number of maintenance ground staff. Yameen government has alleged that tensions over the presence of the two Indian helicopters in two strategically important locations in the Laamu and Addu atolls have been growing. Frayed ties Relations between New Delhi and Male have been frayed since last year, when the Maldives rushed through a free trade agreement with China, and plummeted further after President Abdulla Yameen declared an Emergency in the country in February. Article link: Remove copters by June-end: Maldives - NATIONAL - The Hindu Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) Part of: Prelims and GS Mains Paper II – Government schemes; Welfare and Health About PMMVY It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme Ministry of Women and Child Development Maternity Benefit Programme would be implemented in all the districts of the country in accordance with the provision of the National Food Security Act, 2013. It would provide grants-in-aid to the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations (UTs) in a dedicated Escrow account for the purpose of direct benefit transfer to the beneficiaries. PMMVY is implemented using the platform of Anganwadi Services scheme of Umbrella ICDS under Ministry of Women and Child Development. PMMVY shall be implemented through a centrally deployed Web Based MIS Software application and the focal point of implementation would be the Anganwadi Centre (AWC) and ASHA/ ANM workers. The scheme is being implemented on a 60:40 cost-sharing basis with the State governments. Pic link: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2018/06/12/DEL/Delhi/TH/5_11/5945ef25_2167321_101_mr.jpg Under the scheme, pregnant women and lactating mothers are offered a cash incentive of ₹6,000 on the birth of their first child as partial compensation for wage loss, to reduce maternal mortality and malnutrition levels among children. For more, refer to the link – http://www.wcd.nic.in/sites/default/files/PMMVY%20Scheme%20Implemetation%20Guidelines%20._0.pdf Article link: PM's maternity scheme benefits 23.6 lakh Lateral entry into civil services Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Civil services reform Key pointers: The government has opened the doors of bureaucracy to skilled people from the private sector, inviting applications for 10 senior-level posts. The post of the joint secretary -- crucial to policy making and implementation of government programmes -- is filled by career bureaucrats, who usually join the service after passing exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. Those eligible includes "Individuals working at comparable levels in Private Sector Companies, Consultancy Organisations, International/Multinational Organisations" above the age of 40 years and with a minimum of 15 years' experience. The posts are also open to officials of any state or union territory government who are already working at equivalent level, and individuals working at comparable levels in public sector undertakings, autonomous bodies, universities and research institutes. The recruitment will be done on contract basis for three to five years. Recruitment will be made for 10 departments -- including Revenue, Financial Services, Economic Affairs, Commerce and Civil Aviation. The idea of lateral entry into bureaucracy has been under discussion on and off for years, but this is the first time it has been acted upon. The government has said it is keen on it to bring in "fresh ideas and new approaches to governance". The step has been hailed as a welcome step that would bring in the much-needed field experts in governance, but critics have pointed out the system can only work if the method of selection is impartial, objective and transparent. Rs 500 crore fund to facilitate infrastructure investment Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Infrastructure Key pointers: The government is planning to launch the Rs 500-crore fund next month to facilitate infrastructure investments by big players like insurance and pension funds. A credit enhancement fund provides an additional source of assurance or guarantee that the borrower will service their loan. It can also help borrowers raise loans at lower interest rates. The dedicated fund will operate as a non-banking financial company (NBFC) with 49 per cent government stake. It has got support from investors such as India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL), Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The initial corpus of the fund will be Rs 500 crore, and it will operate as a non-banking finance company. Currently, only $ 110 billion is being invested in infrastructure, against a requirement of $ 200 billion, leading many analysts to classify India as an infrastructure deficit country. However, he said there is a need for the private sector to be more active on the infrastructure investment front. (MAINS FOCUS) SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TOPIC:General Studies 3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Kickstarting the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem in India Background: We have already covered AI - very comprehensively: What is AI? Real-world examples from around us Applications of AI With regard to Indian context, what are the applications of AI and challenges Summary of Potential Benefits of AI and Risks Refer to this link and revise once – Artificial Intelligence: Potential Benefits & Risks You should be able to connect the dots - What is Artificial Intelligence? Discuss what the potential benefits are and associated risks? Also what the challenges are in adoption of AI in Indian context? Therefore, among the challenges, we had highlighted that India fares average in the surging competition for AI technology development. There is no clearly stated policy document or vision statement for AI development. We also know that, in February 2018, the Department of Defence Production had constituted a 17-member task-force to study the use of AI for both military applications and technology-driven economic growth. In news: NITI Aayog has published an ambitious discussion paper on kickstarting the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem in India. The paper talks of powering five sectors — agriculture, education, health care, smart cities/infrastructure and transport — with AI. It highlights the potential for India to become an AI ‘garage’, or solutions provider, for 40% of the world. Can India win the Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) race? The below article provides the concerns/challenges that India face today with regard to AI. Concerns For India, in order to catch up with China or U.S., it would first have to resolve some stumbling blocks, such as poor data quality and lack of expertise in this field. India would have to develop AI tools for a range of applications: reading cancer pathology reports, rerouting traffic in smart cities, telling farmers where to store their produce, and picking students at high risk of dropping out from school, among them. The U.S., Japan and China have published their AI strategy documents and, importantly, put their money where their aspirations are. China, for example, plans to hand out a million dollars in subsidies to AI firms, as well as to run a five-year university programme for 500 teachers and 5,000 students. The NITI Aayog does not talk about how India’s ambitions will be funded, but proposes an institutional structure to get things going. This structure includes a network of basic and applied research institutions, and a CERN-like multinational laboratory that would focus on global AI challenges. India hardly has any AI expertise today. The paper estimates that it has around 50 top-notch AI researchers, concentrated in elite institutions like the IITs. Further, only around 4% of Indian AI professionals are trained in emerging technologies such as deep learning. India also lacks quality data in building smart AI tools and insufficient research support, especially in sectors like agriculture and health. India is lagging the global dominance presently in the AI space ... It will take time before (it) positions itself at a global standing. Conclusion: India's efforts come as the AI competition between China and U.S. intensifies, with China aiming to be the world leader in the space by 2030. India, meanwhile, is late to the game, and will probably not dominate in the field except in a few areas. India stands a chance to compete at a global level, provided the above listed hurdles are overcome. Despite these formidable challenges, the scope of NITI Aayog’s paper must be lauded. The trick will be to follow it up with action, which will demand a strong buy-in from policymakers and substantial funds. The coming years will show if the country can manage this. Connecting the dots: India is lagging the global dominance presently in the AI space. Do you agree? Suggest what policy actions are needed for India in order to dominate the global AI race. India aspires to become an AI ‘garage’, or solutions provider, for 40% of the world. Critically examine where does India stand in the global race and will India succeed to become an AI ‘garage’? AGRICULTURE/ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment Comprehensive Plan for Dairy Development: An assessment Background: A sustained growth of milk production in India, growing at a CAGR of 5 per cent between 2010-16, and the leading position of milk among all the agricultural commodities have placed dairy in the forefront of the government’s commitment to double farmers’ income by 2022. Vision 2022: National Action Plan on Dairy Development (NAPDD) In order to bring dairying in sync with its grand vision of doubling farmers’ income, the government formulated a comprehensive plan for dairy development — Vision 2022: National Action Plan on Dairy Development (NAPDD) — in 2017. It envisages increasing milk production to 300 million tonnes by 2023-24. To realise the desired milk production targets, the plan projects to increase the in-milk bovine population from 88 million to 116.38 million and average milk yield per bovine from 4.35 kg/day to 7kg/day between 2015-2023. Is it feasible? Enhancing the herd efficiency ratio: The plan is to enhance the herd efficiency ratio (Herd Efficiency Ratio is defined as the ratio of in-milk bovine population to total bovine population) from 27 per cent to 40 per cent by 2023. At present, only Punjab has herd efficiency as high as 39 per cent. Challenge: Considering the today’s political environment (Many State governments enforcing restrictive rules on cattle slaughter and private vigilantism on the rise causing interference with the established system of disposal of unproductive bovines), disposing of unproductive animals has become a big challenge for the farmers. Increasing the milk yield per bovine: Vision 2022 puts special focus on increasing the milk yield of low-yielding, non-descript local cattle from 2.15 kg/day to 5 kg/day by 2023-24. It plans to upgrade 50 per cent of non-descript cattle using seven indigenous dairy breeds and another 50 per cent using 33 indigenous dual-purpose breeds. Concern: The plan doesn’t conside upgradation by using exotic breeds such as Holstein Friesian. According to Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2016, the average milk yield per day of crossbreed-exotic is more than 7 kg/day; which is the required target of Vision 2022. States such as Punjab and Kerala have exhibited commendable achievements in milk production by grading up their local cattle with exotic breeds. Way ahead: Re-visioning the dairy plan In its present form, Vision 2022 has several infirmities and appears unrealistic in its commitment of doubling the milk production by 2023-24. The plan doesn't reflect the ground realities of milk production in India and ignores the wide inter-state gaps present. The entire eastern India have both herd efficiency and average milk yield below the national average of 27 per cent and 1,600 kg per year respectively. States such as Chhattisgarh, Assam, Odisha and Jharkhand are at present in a position where the rest of India was four-five decades back in terms of herd efficiency and average milk yield. Instead of bringing the rest of India on the same footing as Punjab in a short span, Vision 2022 should follow a more equitable and pragmatic approach to accelerate dairying in the country. It should first prioritise its energy and resources in shifting bovine functions more towards dairying in the eastern geography. Just by taking up the herd efficiency ratio and milk yield to the national average in the eastern States (Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Assam and West Bengal) alone could bring additional 35-40 million million tonnes of milk to the national milk pool. Conclusion: The hike in milk production especially in eastern states will have far-reaching socio-economic and livelihood impacts, which pragmatically should be the vision for India’s dairy development. Connecting the dots: The government must be more pragmatic in its dairy targets and must promote dairying in a big way in the Eastern States. Comment. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1) Consider the below statements: Health is a state subject. National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation is an all-India apex body for coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of organs/tissues and transplantation. NOTTO functions under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Which of the statements above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 Q.2) Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists: List I                                         List II Black Softshell turtle                 1. Endangered Koalas                                        2. Vulnerable Chitra indica                              3. Extinct in the wild A-B-C 1-2-3 3-2-1 1-1-2 3-1-2 Q.3) Consider the below statements with regard to BIMSTEC: It was set up in 1997 and includes all the South Asian and South East Asian countries. The permanent secretariat is in Dhaka. India will host the first military exercise of the BIMSTEC Which of the statements above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 Q.4) Laamu and Addu atolls – these 2 strategically important locations were in news recently. It belongs to which among the following countries? Sri Lanka Australia Maldives Indonesia Q.5) Which of the following statements is/are correct about Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY)? It is a cash incentive scheme for pregnant women and lactating mothers It is a pension scheme exclusively for the senior citizens aged 60 years and above It provides an assured return of 8% per annum for 10 years Both (b) and (c) Q.6) Consider the below statements with regard to Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, i.e 100% cost by Central government. It is implemented in all the districts of the country in accordance with the provision of the National Food Security Act, 2013. It is implemented using the platform of Anganwadi Services scheme of Umbrella ICDS under Ministry of Women and Child Development. Which of the statements above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 Q.7) Which of the statements given below is/are correct about Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)? Under this scheme, monetary benefits are extended to BPL pregnant women and lactating mothers. Beneficiaries will get Rs. 6000 each in three installments. Choose correct answer: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 MUST READ To the brink and back The Hindu The story of the two ceasefire The Hindu India redefines its regional role The Hindu When gun falls silent Indian Express The age of surplus Indian Express

PIB

IASbaba PIB Weekly : Press Information Bureau – 3rd June to 9th June, 2018

IASbaba Press Information Bureau 3rd June to 9th June, 2018 ARCHIVES GS-2 Launch of ‘JANAUSHADHI SUVIDHA’ – Oxo-biodegradable Sanitary Napkin (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health) Why: According to the National Family Health Survey 2015-16, about 58 percent of women aged between 15 to 24 years use locally prepared napkins, sanitary napkins and tampons. Further, about 78 percent women in urban areas use hygienic methods of protection during menstrual period; only 48 percent women in rural areas have access to clean sanitary napkins. Under: Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) Affordable sanitary napkins at Rs. 2.50 per pad now available at over 3600 Janaushadhi Kendras functional in 33 States/UTs across India Ensure Affordability, Hygiene as well as Ease of use and disposal for them Jan Aushadhi Suvidha comes with a special additive, which makes it biodegradable when it comes in contact with oxygen after being discarded. This would ensure ‘Swachhta, Swasthya and Suvidha’ for the underprivileged Women of India The average price of sanitary napkins available in the market today is around Rs. 8 per pad, whereas now with the launch of the SUVIDHA napkins at Rs. 2.50 per pad, this will go a long way in making the basic hygiene requirement aid for Women affordable for the underprivileged sections. One of the most important requirement in ensuring the Health Security to that section of Women in India who still use unhygienic aids during menstrual period due to non-affordability of some of the popular brands of sanitary napkins available in the market today. Such unhygienic aids cause fungal infections, Reproductive Tract Infection, Urinary Tract Infection, Cervical cancer and also make women vulnerable to infertility. Ministries of MSME and Ayush Sign MoU for the Development of Ayush Enterprises (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health) The MoU will create synergies through the institutions and schemes of both ministries for the development of AYUSH enterprises in the country. Objective: To position India as a world leader in “Holistic Healthcare”. AYUSH is a rising sector, having immense potential for preventive, curative and rehabilitative health and has been part of India's socio-cultural heritage. AYUSH industry include the Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy drug manufacturing units as well as the healthcare delivery centers in public & private sectors and are essentially dominated by MSMEs, which need handholding support in the areas of entrepreneurship development, capacity building and financial assistance in order to grow and increase the market share of AYUSH. The domestic market for AYUSH sector has been increasing steadily over the past decade. There is also an acceptance of traditional medicines worldwide. Therefore, export of AYUSH products like food supplements, nutraceuticals and herbal extracts has increased significantly. In order to benefit from this the Ministries of MSME and AYUSH have agreed to join hands for developing enterprises in this sector. Both Ministries will organize regional workshops for entrepreneurship development in AYUSH sector and Ministry of MSME will frame new schemes for AYUSH industries to get the benefits of SIDBI. Cabinet Approves Extension of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Netherlands on technical cooperation in the field of Spatial Planning, Water Management and Mobility Management: to promote and strengthen the collaboration between the signatories in the areas of Spatial Planning, Water Management and Mobility Management on the basis of equivalence, affordable housing, smart city development, geographical information system (GIS) for water supply & sewerage system, waste water reuse and recycle, conservation of fresh water by artificial recharge of aquifer, integrated  solid waste management and heritage conservation and mutual benefit, taking into account the practical needs of both the countries. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Denmark on technical cooperation in the field of Sustainable and Smart Urban Development: To promote bilateral cooperation in the field of sustainable and smart urban development on the basis of reciprocity and mutual benefit through exchange of knowledge, institutional cooperation, research & development and commercial relations on related issues. Areas of cooperation include smart urban solutions, liveability, sustainable and integrated urban planning, re-development and land use, integrated solid waste management including waste to energy, sustainable transport systems, water and sanitation management, energy efficiency, resource mobilization and other related areas mutually agreed upon. Between India and United Kingdom on technical cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development: To facilitate and strengthen India-UK institutional cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development. The areas of cooperation include smart cities development, solid waste management, green affordable housing, waste water management, capacity building of urban institutions, skill development in urban areas, urban mobility, intelligent transport system and transit-oriented development, innovative access to finance and other related areas as mutually agreed upon by the Contracting Parties. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III Continuation Programme – Phase 6 – Thirty Operational Flights of PSLV: The Programme will also meet the launch requirement of satellites for Earth observation, Navigation and Space Sciences. This will also ensure the continuity of production in Indian industry. Memorandum of Understanding between India and Oman on Cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space: Enable the following areas of cooperation such as, space science, technology and applications including remote sensing of the earth; satellite based navigation; Space science and planetary exploration; use of spacecraft and space systems and ground system; and application of space technology. Agreement between India and France on technical cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development: To promote technical cooperation in the areas of smart cities development, development of urban mass transportation systems, urban settlements and utilities (water supply and sewerage systems), disposal and treatment of solid waste, landfill remediation, management of non-revenue water, water reuse & recycle, technology transfer, conservation of fresh water by artificial recharge of aquifer, circular economy, mass housing, green housing, urban planning, heritage, human resource development, capacity building and other related areas as mutually agreed by the Contracting Parties. GS-3 Achievements of Power Ministry during last 4 years (Topic: Infrastructure: Energy) (i) Generation capacity- 1 Lakh MW generation capacity added. (2,43,029 MW in March 2014 to 3,44,002 MW in March 2018) India emerges as net exporter of electricity. 7203 MU supplied to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar in FY 2017-18. Energy deficit reduced from 4.2 per cent (in FY 2013-14) to 0.7 per cent (in FY 2017-18) (ii) One Grid One Nation- Expansion of transmission grid by 1 lakh ckm Highest ever transformation capacity addition of 86,193 MVA in FY 2017-18 26 projects worth Rs. 48,427 crore awarded through Tariff Based Competitive Bidding Inter-regional transfer capacity addition more than tripled (16,000 MW in FY 2010-14 and 50,500 MW in FY 2014-18) (iii) Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGKY) 100 per cent of village electrification Outlay of Rs. 75,893 crore Funds to states increased by 2.5 times (Rs. 10,873 crore in FY 2010 -14 and Rs 24,890 crore in 2014-18) 2,56,750 km HT and LT lines 4,09,989 distribution transformers (viii) Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) Outlay of Rs. 65,424 crore 1376 towns IT enabled 1900 additional towns under progress 1156 towns reported reduction in AT&C losses 1,29,093 km HT and LT lines 66,947 distribution transformers (vii) UDAY More than Rs 20,000 crore interest cost saved by DISCOMs under UDAY Reduction in AT&C losses in 17 states within one year of operation Revenue gaps bridged by 33 per cent in one year of operation India’s rank improved to 29 in 2018 from 111 in 2014on World Bank’s Ease of Getting Electricity Ranking. (vi) SAUBHAGYA Launched for universal electrification Camps organised at village level. Minimum documentation required Special drive for economically weaker sections under Gram Swaraj Abhiyan 60.34 lakh households electrified since 11th Oct, 2017 (ix) Power for All 24*7 – Joint initiative of Govt. of India and State Govts. Roadmap for 24*7 power supply prepared. States ready to ensure 24*7 Power for all from 1st April, 2019. (x) Focus on North-East region- Electrification of 5855 villages and intensive electrification of 9004 villages completed. 130 towns IT enabled. 52.28 lakh LED bulbs distributed under UJALA Rs. 9866 crore projects undertaken for strengthening/development of intra-state transmission (iv) UJALA 107 crore LED bulbs distributed 30.01 crore LED bulbs distributed under UJALA resulting in saving of 15,500 crore per year 77.99 crore additional LED bulbs distributed by industry. 87 per cent reduction in LED bulb procurement cost through demand aggregation. (v) 4376 MW hydel capacity addition (FY 2014-18) Innovations and Initiatives- Electric vehicles – No licence required for charging stations Procurement of 10,000 e-vehicles for Government institutions Smart Metering- Procurement of 50 lakh smart meters done. 1 crore prepaid meters under procurement Energy efficiency- Star labelling program saved energy worth Rs. 22,500 crore. Energy efficiency measures through PAT in large industries saved energy worth Rs. 9500 crore Energy Conservation Building Code for energy efficient buildings launched in June, 2017 Digital initiatives- e-Bidding and e-Reverse Auction for short and medium term procurement of power. Enabling payments through NPCI platforms such as BHIM, BBPS, Bharat QR etc. More than 24 crore digital transactions in FY 2017-18 for electricity bill payments. To bring transparency and to disseminate information to public at large following Apps are launched by the Ministry of Power: SAUBHAGYA – App for tracking household electrification. VidyutPravah – The Mobile/Web App provides real time information of current demand met, shortages if any, surplus power available and the prices in Power Exchange. UJALA (UnnatJyoti by Affordable LED`S for All) – App provides real time updates on the LED distribution happening across the country. UrjaMitra – monitoring of power availability and sending power cut information through SMS MERIT– information pertaining to marginal variable cost and source wise purchase of electricity. UDAY- Allows people to compare DISCOMs on the basis of 26 major performance parameters. URJA (Urban Jyoti Abhiyaan) – It is an informative App for Urban Distribution Sector. It captures Consumer centric parameters from the IT systems created under IPDS. TARANG (Transmission App for real time monitoring & Growth) – It is an IT Web/mobile based platform to provide status of both inter and intra state Transmission Projects in the country. This platform also shows the prospective interstate as well as intra state Transmission Projects. DEEP e-bidding (Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price) – The portal will provide a common e-bidding platform with e-reverse auction facility to facilitate nation-wide power procurement through a wider network so as to bring uniformity and transparency in the process of power procurement. Ash Track- linking fly ash users and power plants for better ash utilisation. “Methanol Economy”: NITI Aayog (Topic: Infrastructure: Energy) What is it? Methanol Economy is the “Bridge” to the dream of a complete “Hydrogen based fuel systems”. Methanol is a scalable and sustainable fuel, that can be produced from a variety of feedstocks like Natural Gas, Coal (Indian High Ash Coal), Bio-mass, Municipal Solid waste and most importantly from CO2. The Concept of “Methanol Economy” is being actively pursued by China, Italy, Sweden, Israel, US, Australia, Japan and many other European countries. 10% of fuel in China in transport Sector is Methanol. Why? Methanol is an alternative fuel for internal combustion and other engines, either in combination with gasoline or directly ("neat"). Methanol is less expensive to produce sustainably and is a less expensive way to reduce the carbon footprint. Methanol burns efficiently in all internal combustion engines, produces no particulate matter, no soot, almost nil SOX and NOX emissions (NEAR ZERO POLLUTION). The gaseous version of Methanol – DME can blended with LPG and can be excellent substitute for diesel in large buses and trucks. To adopt Methanol as a transport fuel, it requires minimal infrastructure modifications and capital both in vehicles and in terminal and distribution infrastructure. Why does Methanol have the potential to be an enduring solution to human energy needs? Because the beltched out C02 (greenhouse gas emission) both from using Methanol and while producing Methanol can be tapped back to produce Methanol. Thereby a seamless loop of CO2 sequestration cycle is created to perpetually burn fuels without polluting the environment at all. NITI Aayog’s plan NITI Aayog has drawn out a comprehensive plan to replace 20% of crude imports from Methanol alone. Adopting Methanol in this scale would bring down pollution in the country by more than 40% and not to forget the benefits from import substitution. Indian Railways alone burns three billion litres of diesel every year. Plans are in place to convert 6000 diesel railway engines to work on 100% Methanol and make railways a carbon neutral organisation. India by adopting Methanol can have its own indigenous fuel at the cost of approximately Rs. 19 per litre at least 30% cheaper than any available fuel. Methanol fuel can result in great environmental benefits and can be the answer to the burning urban pollution issue. Please Note: June 21st: International Yoga Day June 5th: World Environment Day; Prime Minister’s ‘mantra’ of 6 Rs – Reduce Recycle Reuse Retrieve Recover Redesign Remanufacture First World Bicycle Day: 3rd June Gulf of Aden Also known as the Gulf of Berbera Amidst Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea and Guardafui Channel to the east, Somalia to the south, and Djibouti to the west In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, and in the southeast, it connects with the Indian Ocean through the Guardafui Channel Socotra, Yemen - A very Severe Cyclonic Strom Mekenu – Operation NISTAR Agni-5 missile: Long range ballistic missile Intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India Other intercontinental missile countries: P5+Israel Canister based (Road mobility, all weather, flexible launching) [Others: Shaurya, Brahmos (Only supersonic cruise missile in the world)] Range: >5ooo km 3 stage solid propellant Nuclear warhead Usage: small satellites, shoot down enemy satellites in short range Ganga Praharis:  A new grassroot-level volunteer workforce is out there to protect the bio-diversity of river Ganga. A group of 427 trained volunteers are reaching to each and every house in areas along river Ganga to educate them about the importance of protecting river’s bio-diversity. They are spread over Ganga basin states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal. Zigzag technology: To reduce carbon emissions from burning of bricks in brick kilns As part of the Nationally Determined Contributions, India is committed to reducing thirty-three to thirty-five percent of emission intensity of its GDP during 2005 to 2030. India’s Journey in Renewable Energy Globally, India stands 4th in wind power 5th in renewable power and 6th in solar power installed capacity. India is well on track to achieving 175 GW target of installed renewable energy capacity. KUSUM – Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan Scheme SRISTI - Sustainable Rooftop Implementation for Solar Transfiguration of India – new scheme for solar rooftop Transparent bidding and facilitation for procurement of solar and wind power through tariff based competitive bidding process have led to significant reduction in cost of solar and wind power. Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) One of the several initiatives that are part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change To establish India as a global leader in solar energy, by creating the policy conditions for its diffusion across the country as quickly as possible 21 MW Solar PV projects have been undertaken with meticulous planning by Indian Navy towards achieving the GOI target of 100 GW by 2022 Ministry of Railways PSU IRCTC introduces bagasse based food packaging to commemorate World Environment Day 2018 – Bagasse, the fibrous remains left behind after extracting sugarcane juice, is being used to make disposable cutlery and containers in which meals will be served. Provision will be made to collect the used packaging which will then be processed for disposal through composting to ensure environmental sustainability. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the largest behavior change programme in the world, the rural sanitation coverage of India has now risen to 85%. Through mobilization of rural communities, 7.4 crore toilets have been built across rural India, and as an outcome, over 3.8 lakh villages and 391 districts have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). This is significant because, under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen), sanitation coverage has increased to more than double the coverage at the time of the launch of the Mission. Krishi kalyan Abhiyaan: To aid, assist and advice farmers on how to improve their farming techniques and raise their incomes Will be undertaken in 25 Villages with more than 1000 population each in Aspirational Districts identified in consultation with Ministry of Rural Development as per directions of NITI Ayog. In districts where number of villages (with more than 1000 population) is less than 25, all villages will be covered. Various activities to promote best practices and enhance agriculture income: Distribution of Soil Health Cards to all  farmers 100% coverage of bovine vaccination for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in each village 100% coverage of Sheep and Goat for eradication of  Peste des Petits ruminants (PPR ) Distribution of Mini Kits of pulses and oilseeds to all Distribution of Horticulture/Agro Forestry/Bamboo plant @ 5 per family(location appropriate) Making 100 NADAP Pits in each village Artificial insemination saturation Demonstration programmes on Micro- irrigation Demonstrations of integrated cropping practice Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana – For extending the coverage of irrigation ‘Har Khet ko pani’ and improving water use efficiency ‘More crop per drop' in a focused manner with end to end solution on source creation, distribution, management, field application and extension activities PMKSY has been formulated amalgamating ongoing schemes viz. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR) Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Department of Land Resources (DoLR) On Farm Water Management (OFWM) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC) President Approves Promulgation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018: Link 1 + Link 2 Drop in Maternal Mortality Rate: According to the just released SRS bulletin (2016), India has shown impressive gains in reduction of Maternal Mortality with 22% reduction in since 2013. Nearly one thousand fewer women now die of pregnancy related complications each month in India. Maternal Mortality Ratio of India has declined from 167 in 2011-2013 to 130 in 2014-2016. Consumer Protection Bill, 2018: The Bill provides for setting up of an executive agency to be called Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), which will look into unfair trade practices, misleading advertisements etc., provision for 'mediation' as an alternate disputes resolution mechanism to facilitate quick disposal of consumer disputes, provision for product liability action arising out of injury to a consumer from a defective product and several provisions relating to simplification of the adjudication process in the consumer Commissions. New Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 2016: The new Act has provisions of bringing under compulsory certification regime any goods or article of any scheduled industry, process, system or service which it considers necessary in the public interest or for the protection of human, animal or plant health, safety of the environment, or prevention of unfair trade practices, or national security. It also provides for notifying multiple types of conformity Assessment Schemes, including Self declaration of conformity, to facilitate ease of doing business for the manufacturers. It has provision for making hallmarking of the precious metal articles mandatory. INGRAM under National Consumer Helpline launched to provide a common IT platform for various stake holders involved in the Consumer Grievance Redressal Mechanism and for disseminating information to consumers. About Cyclone: Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3 + Link 4 + Link 5

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 11th June 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 11th June 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) 18th SCO summit in Qingdao Part of: Prelims and Mains GS Paper II- International relations; India and its neighbours Fast recap: About SCO SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, and military organisation. It was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The headquarters in Beijing, China. June 2017, at a summit in Astana, India and Pakistan officially joined SCO as full-fledged members. Currently, China is the host and chair of the SCO. In news: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain met in 18th SCO summit in Qingdao. After engaging with China in Wuhan and Qingdao, India appeared to be rebalancing its ties with Pakistan in order to build bridges with Eurasia, within the framework of the eight-nation SCO. India is exploring the possibility of connectivity to Central Asia through the Pakistan-Afghan corridor, under the SCO framework. SCO has resolved to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism with a renewed vigour in the next three years, and called for a unified global counter-terrorism front under the coordination of the UN [UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism]. In the summit, the leaders also talked about the special role of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in the fight against “the three evils” — terrorism, extremism and separatism — to ensure regional security. Pic link: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2018/06/11/DEL/Delhi/TH/5_11/2e527882_2165210_101_mr.jpg SECURE PM Modi also spelt out his new mantra applicable to the SCO, which he termed as SECURE: ‘S’ for security of citizens, ‘E’ for economic development, ‘C’ for connectivity in the region, ‘U’ for unity, ‘R’ for respect of sovereignty and integrity, and ‘E’ for environmental protection. Do you know? India and Pakistan relations have been strained after an attack on an Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan-based terror organisations in 2016. Article link: India rebalancing ties with Pak. to open path to Eurasia India refuses to endorse China's Belt and Road Initiative Part of: Prelims and Mains GS Paper II- International relations; India and its neighbours Key pointers: More than a year after boycotting the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, India again refused to endorse the ambitious Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). After the two-day SCO summit, the eight full members signed the Qingdao joint declaration but India was missing from the section that referred to the BRI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India welcomed connectivity projects that respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. Background: The BRI, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, is aimed at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes. India has staunchly opposed the project citing the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – an important part of the BRI – that goes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Citing its opposition to the CPEC, India had skipped the Belt and Road Forum in May last year, which 29 state heads had attended. Rise in India-ASEAN naval games Part of: Prelims and Mains GS Paper II and III - International relations; India and the World; Defence and Security In news: India is instituting a series of bilateral and multilateral naval exercises with Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries as part of the increasing military-to-military cooperation. This is in addition to assisting the countries in capacity-building and sale of military hardware. Key points: Navies of India and Indonesia to hold their first bilateral exercise in the Java Sea. India will stage a new trilateral exercise with Thailand and Singapore soon. Navy recently conducted maiden bilateral exercises with Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) Naval exercise between India and Indonesia India has deployed INS Kulish, a Kora class missile corvette, and one Dornier maritime patrol aircraft in recent CORPAT exercise. Article link: Rise in India-ASEAN naval games - NATIONAL Insolvency Code: what’s new Part of: GS prelims - Indian Economy In news: Last week, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his nod to promulgate the Insolvency and Bankruptcy code (Amendment) Ordinance 2018. In a major change, homebuyers would now be treated as financial creditors or, in other words, on par with banks. The amendment enables homebuyers (either as an individual or group) to initiate insolvency proceedings against errant builders. Homebuyers shall have the right to be represented in the committee of creditors (CoC), which takes the key decision regarding revival of the company or its liquidation. Just know that homebuyers now treated as financial creditors. Article link: Economy Insolvency Code: what's new (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3: Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security Implementing the Forest Rights Act in true spirit In news: As per a report- Official figures say 62 per cent of land claims made by tribals were rejected in Maharashtra. Such rejection, though not uncommon, is against the spirit of The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA). The FRA: The Act vests a number of rights with forest-dwelling communities, including rights over forest land for habitation and cultivation, right of ownership, access to collect, use, and dispose of minor forest produce, right to govern and manage any community forest resource which they have been traditionally conserving for sustainable use. Historically, during the colonial and post-colonial periods, forest management and access to forest resources like non-timber forest products (NTFPs) was largely driven by the principles of centralisation, exclusion and exploitation. The FRA envisages to change this and ensure that the economic benefits of NTFPs accrue to tribal people — this is one reason that claims on forest resources should be addressed without bias. Importance of the NTFPs: The report of the sub-group on NTFPs and their sustainable management in the 12th Five Year Plan highlighted that NTFPs constitute one of the largest unorganised sectors in India. Almost 275 million people depend on NTFPs with a turnover of at least Rs 6,000 crore per annum. There is a strong potential to scale up NTFP collection and processing. However, NTFPs potential as a source of development and poverty alleviation has been deeply neglected. Role of the FRA: Prior to the enactment of the FRA in 2006, forest laws nationalised non-timber forest produce and regulated the market process, creating severe inefficiencies. The FRA provides the legal basis of ownership rights over NTFPs to forest dwellers. Case study- Vidarbha region: The remarkable impact of ownership rights over these forest products in terms of incomes and empowerment can be observed in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region. In the region, the community rights under FRA have been implemented at scale, with almost 5.86 lakh hectares of forests being transferred to the jurisdiction of gram sabhas. Ownership over minor forest produce, specially tendu leaves and bamboo, has improved the economic condition of forest dwellers. There is a significant change in their socio-economic condition due to the additional income from NTFPs. Migration has reduced and, in some areas,, reverse migration has started. Villagers also report that dependence on middlemen for loans has come down drastically as the payment for NTFPs like tendu leaves and bamboo is made before June, which helps them in their agricultural activity. Investment in education and health by the villagers has increased. The improvement in their economic condition has empowered the poor, marginalised tribal and forest dweller to be more assertive in the decision-making process at the gram sabha and panchayat level. These are remarkable developments, wherein recognition of rights over forests and forest products seem to have kick-started a process of economic development and empowerment in one of the poorest, left-wing extremist affected parts of India. Positive developments due to the FRA: The recognition of rights over forests and forest products has transferred the decision-making power to communities to decide when, where, how and to whom to sell their non-timber forest products and how to govern their forests. The FRA also fosters democratic control over customary forests by forest-dependent communities, ensuring more effective, sustainable and people-oriented forest conservation, management and restoration. For instance, in the Vidarbha region, the recognition of community rights over forest resources and land has led to dramatic reduction in incidence of forest fires. The forest cover regeneration has improved and indiscriminate felling and diversion of forests has been contested. Concern: Unfortunately, above mentioned positive developments have been largely confined to Vidarbha, a few villages in Kalahandi district of Odisha and Gujarat’s Narmada and Dangs districts. In the rest of the country, state governments continue to resist and create hurdles in the implementation of community rights over NTFPs and forests. Despite several orders from the nodal agency, the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the implementation of the provision of collective rights over NTFPs under the FRA has been weak and ineffective. The failure to recognise access rights of forest dwellers over NTFPs is a perpetuation of the historical injustice on India’s forest-dwelling communities and a missed opportunity to democratise forest governance and improve the economic condition of marginalised forest communities. Conclusion: A report of the Rights and Resources Initiative (2015) suggests that if the FRA is implemented properly, it could lead to the recognition of the rights of at least 150 million forest-dwelling people over 40 million hectares of forestland in more than 1,70,000 villages. The economic impact of this could be huge in rural areas as NTFPs constitute about 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the annual income of forest dwellers. It provides them critical subsistence during the lean seasons, particularly for tribal groups such as hunter-gatherers, and the landless. Given that most of the NTFPs are collected, used and sold by women, it would also lead to financial and social empowerment for millions of women. Connecting the dots: A report suggests that if the Forest Rights Act is implemented properly, it could lead to the recognition of the rights of at least 150 million forest-dwelling people over 40 million hectares of forestland in more than 1,70,000 villages. The socio-economic impact of this could be huge in rural areas. Discuss. ECONOMY TOPIC:General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Government Budgeting. e-technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Open data, open government Introduction The new wave of a technological revolution will not be from pure data or access to consumer behaviour, but the application of data and their assimilation with solving social problems, enabling better governance and powering elected governments to serve their citizens better. Key pointers: Data-driven governance is ushering in a new revolution. A real paradign shift has begun – due to integration of Artificial Intelligence and open data. Consumer-behaivour is being redefined as most of the companies have access to customer’s choice and information-sharing and they embrace data-driven innovation. Concerns around privacy and consent This “datafication” of businesses has also brought to the fore the criticality of developing data management, storage and privacy laws. For instance, European Union introduced General Data Protection Regulation. India has adopted a collaborative model to develop privacy laws, which includes deliberations with creators of data (the consumer) and users (corporates). Open government data Open government data is a silent but powerful movement unfolding globally. Over 100 governments have already signed a charter to proactively share data collected by various government departments, for public consumption. Fostering collaboration, enabling creative innovations and collective problem-solving are giving accountability and transparency a shot in the arm. Open government data means publishing information collected by the government in its entirety, such as government budgets, spending records, health-care measures, climate records, and farming and agricultural produce statistics. If the advent of data-driven business models was a watershed moment, this is the real pot of gold. Unfortunately, the potential of this national asset is being grossly underutilised. Significance of open government data Such data collected by governments are for citizen welfare; hence they have an implicit right to benefit from the information. Data sets such as government budget usage, welfare schemes and subsidies increase transparency and thereby build trust. It paves the way to develop technology-led innovations which can unlock massive economic value, thereby benefitting even the poorest of poor, the under-represented and the marginalised. Availability of data on yearly produce of crops, soil data health cards and meteorological data sets can help companies develop customised crop insurance solutions with specific risk-based pricing. Data points around progress in literacy rates, demographic data and density of educators can help develop customised solutions for villages. Similarly, information on availability of facilities in public hospitals, current occupancy rates, hospital and demographic data can pave the way for curated health-care applications. It can help India achieve its stated objectives to double farmers’ incomes by 2022 and provide universal health coverage and micro loans to micro, small and medium enterprises among others. Open data can add an additional 1.5% to the country’s GDP. (about $22 billion) India’s current position The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has made some laudable efforts, including a policy around open data. India currently houses more than 1.6 lakh data resources and has published over 4,015 application programme interfaces (APIs) from across 100-plus departments. As a result, India’s global ranking by the Global Open Data Barometer has jumped. Open Data project shows good intent but sporadic execution. Even though India publishes data points, very little of it is getting utilised by data consumers, scientists and corporates. Naturally, the socio-economic impact is limited. The way forward: Five-point framework 5C framework can help to address the current underlying execution gaps of the Open Data project The first step is to ensure completeness of data stacks opened for use either through machine-readable formats or direct APIs. Completeness would imply a data set. For example, soil data cards will have data on all relevant aspects as well as current emerging technologies such as Blockchain and the Internet of Things to provide the opportunity to automate data collection. Comprehensiveness of a data stack or various data sets is essential. For example, a comprehensive agri-data set would have digitised data sets on soil data, rainfall, crop production as well as market rates. Currently, data sets shared in India are somewhat disjointed and not comprehensive. Clustering of relevant data sets and APIs would be the next step. This would mean combining data sets which can lead to the creation of applications such as farm insurance from weather, soil and crop cycle/sale data. Therefore, technology developers have a road map of “innovations in focus” for national development. The fourth step is building anchor cases or use-cases to encourage data usage. A case in point is Aadhaar/identity data which has seen exponential growth (post identification in e-KYC). Taking the Aadhaar case further, its API has led to the development of market applications, an Aadhaar-enabled payment system, and direct benefit transfers among others which are clearly pushing the “financial inclusion” drive. The final step would be setting up a comprehensive governance framework which includes an open data council with cross-sector representation to monitor, regulate and build usage after proportionate oversight. The time is now ripe for the government to create a data-driven governance architecture by building digital trust in the economy and its intent. Connecting the dots: Data-driven governance is ushering in a new revolution. Do you agree? Discuss how Artificial Intelligence coupled with Open data can help in good and open governance? (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1) The Qingdao Declaration is related to which of the following organsiations: Select the correct option SAARC G7 SCO None of the above Q.2) ‘Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure’ is associated with which of the following organsiations: SAARC G7 SCO UN Q.3) Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) is associated with which of the following countries: India, Thailand and Singapore India and Japan India and ASEAN India and Indonesia MUST READ Open data, open government The Hindu Draw the line for the speakers and governors Indian Express In good faith: Saving planet, looking within Indian Express Digital revolution will transform India Business Line

Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Expand your vision – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Expand Your Vision: It is very easy to get lost in the day to day struggle of life. It is very easy to become narrow sighted and focused on unnecessary details. One thing a young aspiring mind should always guard against is becoming lost in small things. Life is a collection of infinite small things, learning to see beyond the daily routine of life is what separates one individual from another. You are only what you envision. If your vision is narrow and limited, your life will also be narrow and limited. Your ability to see beyond the daily struggles of life determines your entire course of life. Your vision is the only measuring yardstick of your life; the shorter it is the shorter will be your scope of life. It takes courage to have a grand vision for life. This vision should encompass all your skills, abilities, likes and dislikes. Your vision should be based on your complete understanding of life, not any one particular department of life. Your vision is your only guiding light in the deep darkness of daily strife and struggle of life. Why is it so important to look at your life in totality and come up with a vision that will keep you inspired and motivated? Life is a very long journey. Very few truly understand how long life is. Every time people talk about their dreams for life, they usually refer to the next 3 or 5 years. Very rarely do people envision a life 20 or 30 years ahead. For most, thinking that far is a very scary proposition. Only when you can envision your life in decades can you truly appreciate the effort it takes to accomplish anything. It takes effort to succeed; there is no secret in that. But how much effort does it actually take depends on your long term outlook of life. The longer your vision of life, the more clear becomes the effort necessary to reach it. In a way, your long term vision keeps you grounded in the present moment to put in the necessary effort. If your vision is short term and is not very clear, then it is extremely difficult to motivate yourself on a daily basis. This is where most people struggle to stay inspired to achieve something. They lack the motivation because their vision is limited to just the next few years. If you can look at your entire life, your individual desires and ambitions and come up with a precise long term vision of your future, it becomes very easy to be inspired to move towards your goals. Your long term goal itself will pull you towards it, because now you can see your life in totality. Surprisingly very few people pay close attention to this aspect of life. Only a clear and precise long term vision can motivate you and keep you inspired to go beyond the hurdles on the path to success. Without a long term vision, you can never be sure of what you are doing; hence you will always be lacking the necessary inspiration. Take time and come up with a very detailed long term vision of your life. This vision can be altered as you progress. But without developing this long term vision you cannot travel very far. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 9th June 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 9th June 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Uranium contamination in aquifers Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Government interventions in key sectors Key pointers: Aquifers in as many as 16 States in the country are contaminated by uranium, whose presence in drinking water has been linked to chronic kidney disease by several studies, a recent study has shown. The main source of this contamination is natural, but groundwater depletion by extensive withdrawal of water for irrigation and nitrite pollution due to the excessive use of nitrogenous fertilisers may be exacerbating the problem, said the study. The WHO has set 30 parts per billion as the provisional safe drinking water standard for uranium. Uranium doesn’t figure on the list of contaminants monitored under the Bureau of Indian Standards’ drinking water specifications. 80% of Indian population pays out-of-pocket payments on medicines Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Government interventions in key sectors Key pointers: India is touted as the world’s pharmacy bowl, but ironically a large chunk of its population slips below the poverty line due to exorbitantly priced medicines, mostly for cancer, injuries and heart ailments. A study published in British Medical Journal (BMJ) points out that the proportion of the population reporting out-of-pocket (OOP) payments on medicines has increased from about 60 per cent in 1993-1994 to 80 per cent in 2011-12. The study is the first ever attempt to link health expenditure to disease conditions. In 2011-12, OOP for medicines pushed about 3.8 crore persons into poverty, of the 5.5 crore that were impoverished due to total health costs, including lab tests, diagnostics, doctor and surgeon fees. Households incur the highest monthly per-capita OOP on account of cancer followed by injuries and cardiovascular diseases. (MAINS FOCUS) 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 Multiple engagements: Indian diplomacy Background: In his keynote address to the Shangri La Dialogue (SLD) in Singapore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had articulated India’s geopolitical conception of the Indo-Pacific. As India becomes a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the PM will have an opportunity to expand on India’s idea of Eurasia at the annual summit of the organisation in Qingdao, China. SLD and SCO: Like the two ideas — Indo-Pacific and Eurasia — the SLD and SCO are quite different. The SLD is a forum that brings together the Asian defence establishments and the strategic community. It is increasingly preoccupied with the sharpening maritime conflicts in the Indo-Pacific. The SCO is an effort by China and Russia to consolidate a continental coalition in the heart of Asia. India’s engagement in all directions: India is one of the few powers straddling the maritime and continental coalitions. Barely a day before PM Modi travels to the SCO summit, senior Indian officials met with their counterparts from the US, Japan and Australia in Singapore to offer an endorsement of the Indo-Pacific conception. India’s engagement with the US and Japan (the triad) has steadily advanced through this decade. India continues to sit with the Russians and Chinese in a trilateral forum as well as the BRICS with Brazil and South Africa. India is not the only one that embarks on partnerships that appear contradictory. All countries do it. Engaging in both directions: The principal question for Indian foreign policy is not whether India should engage both sides. It is about how best it can maximise the gains in both directions. Delhi must look for stronger ties with both the maritime and continental powers. Most of India’s trade, investment, technology and cultural ties are currently with the maritime powers. It is in the Western world, especially in the Anglo-Saxon states, that the Indian diaspora has flourished. The US and the European powers are also increasingly important security partners for India. The continental construct, in contrast, is about managing India’s intractable problems. Unresolved territorial disputes with China and Pakistan have resulted in the militarisation of its northern borders and blocked India’s access to the inner Asian space. SCO: New opportunities The SCO opens possibilities for limiting the conflict with China through greater regional cooperation on countering terrorism, religious extremism and pacifying conflict zones in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The SCO offers a platform to construct sustained high-level engagement with Central Asia and strengthen the traditional collaboration with Russia in inner Asia. Conclusion: Inevitable contradictions may arise from the dual engagement. Indian diplomacy thus needs to manage contradictions. India needs a balancing act between the growing strategic partnership with the US on the one hand, and its renewed effort at holding onto Russia and advancing the complex relationship with China. Connecting the dots: India needs a balancing act between the growing strategic partnership with the US on the one hand, and its renewed effort at holding onto Russia and advancing the complex relationship with China. Discuss. HEALTH TOPIC: General Studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health. General Studies 3: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it Branded Generic Drugs: Strengthening Indian healthcare Background: Till the year 2001, the drugs available to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) — a common cancer of white blood cells — weren’t satisfactory. The only treatment which provided a long-term respite was bone marrow transplant. This was not only an expensive procedure, but also complex — largely because not many centres were carrying it out at that juncture. Then, around 2003, Glivec (scientific name — Imatinib) came into the market and revolutionised the treatment of the disease. One pill a day could control leukemia. However, due to its cost, the drug was beyond the reach of many. The cost is justified scientifically, but from a patient’s perspective, it is not fair. So, after the drug went off-patent, it was manufactured by dozens of Indian pharmaceutical companies. Today, a pack of 10 costs around Rs. 3,000. Branded generics: Currently, branded generics are helping to bring down the cost, apart from increasing accessibility without compromising on quality. It is a solution for an economy like ours, which doesn’t follow strict regulations on quality. Quality issues: Branded generics is the best approach to achieve universal healthcare. Despite the affordability, unbranded generics cannot provide quality assurance. It is easier for branded generics to maintain quality as they follow regulations. Blatantly promoting generics will boomerang sooner or later, if issues around quality of such drugs are not attended. It is time we bring back ‘care’ into health, by ensuring quality, accessibility, availability and affordability. Going forward: The regulatory system for quality checks should be extremely robust wherein not just doctors, but even the patients and pharmacists feel confident in using any medicine under a salt name. There should be stringent parameters to allow manufacturers to market medicines and it must be ensured that these are adhered to. A system should be put in place where any violation should lead to cancellation of licences or other such other stringent penalties. Conclusion: The onus to fulfil the vision of quality in healthcare delivery is not only on the doctors but also on the government, drug manufacturers, hospitals and better-informed patients who would not settle for substandard quality. This is doable, not impossible. Connecting the dots: Branded generics can help to bring down the healthcare cost and increase accessibility without compromising on quality. Discuss. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1) Which of the following statements is/are true regarding the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation? It is a Eurasian political, economic, and security organisation. The organisation is headquatered in Astana. India is a full member of the organisation since its inception. Select the correct option 1 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 None of the above MUST READ A vicious cycle The Hindu Questions of promotions The Hindu English-vinglish, culture-vulture Indain Express Saving multilateralism Business Line

Important Articles

Think, Learn and Perform (TLP) 2018 ONLINE: Phase II- Mains Answer Writing Programme

After every battle, it takes some time for the dust to settle. The same goes for examinations conducted by UPSC. All the stages of the prestigious Civil Services Examination (CSE) create a storm of sorts after they get over. However, the preliminary stage creates the most noise and confusion simply because of the sheer number of people appearing in the first stage and also the knack of UPSC to ask questions that are rather ambiguous. This year was no exception and as anticipated the forums got inundated with discussions, arguments and counter-arguments. But the time has come to stop this virtual pandemonium and focus on the next stage of CSE i.e. the MAINS. The Mains stage in CSE is the one that challenges you to the core. All your intelligence, readings and observations are put to test by UPSC in this stage. Naturally, it requires the maximum effort from a candidate. Not only it requires an in-depth understanding of the issues but also demands thorough practice to produce your thoughts in the most precise and economical way. Such has been the demand of this stage that many well-read and highly intelligent candidates fail to clear it because words don’t come as easily as they usually should for lack of practice and confidence. IASbaba has been helping and guiding you on this front tirelessly since the very beginning. Our flagship online Think, Learn and Perform (TLP) initiative is the most popular programme for Mains answer writing practice. What’s even better it that it’s free! No wonder that TLP has been the most potent tool for hundreds of qualified candidates in the past. We have already finished the first phase of TLP 2018 before Prelims. Kindly check it here Now, we are ready with the second stage of TLP. This is the advanced stage of TLP that will challenge you in the same way as UPSC does. In fact, we try to be a notch above in terms of the quality of questions so that you are at ease while appearing on the D-Day. Although most of you already know the fine prints of this programme, we are reiterating them for your reference: TLP Phase II, 2018: Objective: To impart original thinking, inspire pure reasoning, and instil clarity in your mind. Expose you to a variety of questions and make your preparation pattern proof. Give you access to the answers written by others and know others’ line of thinking. Make you a master of answer writing. To help you qualify Mains 2018! Fine prints: Daily 5 Questions– 3 Static + 2 Current Affairs. We will cover Paper Wise – GS1, GS2, GS3. GS4 – Ethics will be covered every week Essay every alternative week. Duration – The Programme will start from 25th June 2018 and end on 16th September 2018. Reviews from IASbaba and daily synopsis will be provided. This is a FREE Initiative! What’s different? On certain days, we will pose ‘twist in the tail’ questions just to unsettle you. We want to give you the feel of shock and surprise that one feels when UPSC asks unexpected and out of the league questions. These questions will help you handle unexpected scenarios in the future. DOWNLOAD THE FULL PLAN OF PHASE 2 The most difficult and complicated part of the writing process is the beginning. For most of you, the hardest thing about writing must be facing the blank page. Don’t leave that page blank. Start with us, you will accelerate for sure. Before you embark upon this journey, let us give you a pearl of wisdom on answer writing: “Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.” P.S- ILP 2019 ONLINE and Test Series details will be released very soon.   All the Best IASbaba

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 8th June 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 8th June 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Nationalism Part of: Mains Essay and GS II – Nationalism, Secularism and Tolerance Key points: Secularism and inclusion were a matter of faith to the country. “Any attempts at defining our nationhood in terms of dogmas and identities of religion, region, hatred, and intolerance will only lead to dilution of our national identity.” Our national identity has emerged through a long- drawn process of confluence, assimilation, and co-existence. We derive our strength from tolerance. We accept and respect our pluralism. We celebrate our diversity. These have been a part of our collective consciousness for centuries. Constitution is “not merely a legal document but a Magna Carta of socio-economic transformation.” It represents the hopes and aspirations of billion plus Indians. From our Constitution flows our nationalism. The construct of Indian nationalism is constitutional patriotism, which consists of an appreciation of our inherited and shared diversity. The soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance. Important Value Additions: IASbaba recommends you to finish following chapters from Class 11 NCERT (Political Science) – Political Theory Chapter 7 Nationalism – Class 11 NCERT Political Theory Chapter 8 Secularism – Class 11 NCERT Political Theory Article link: We derive our strength from tolerance, says Pranab at RSS event Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction Part of: GS Prelims and Mains Paper II – Welfare and social issue In news: Indian government is not yet ready to sign the Hague Convention on inter-country abduction of children by parents fleeing a bad marriage. We had read last month (DNA 7th May 2018) about this Hague Convention on inter-country abduction. Recap: Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is a multi-national treaty that seeks to protect children wrongfully removed by one of the parents from the custody of the other parent. There has been immense pressure from the U.S. on the government to sign the treaty. However, Indian government has long held the view that the decision could lead to harassment of women escaping marital discord or domestic violence. In 2016, the government had decided not to be a signatory to the treaty. Justice Rajesh Bindal Committee was set up in 2017 to suggest model legislation in regard to issue of inter-country parental child abduction. Important value additions: The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or Hague Abduction Convention is a multilateral treaty developed by the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). The Convention was drafted to ensure the prompt return of children who have been abducted from their country of habitual residence or wrongfully retained in a contracting state not their country of habitual residence. The Convention applies only to children under the age of 16. Under the Convention, contracting countries must establish a central authority to trace unlawfully removed children and secure their return to the country of habitual residence, irrespective of the country’s own laws on the issue. Do you know? Since Indian government is  not yet ready to sign the Hague Abduction Convention, it is planning to put safeguards by setting up a Child Removal Disputes Resolution Authority to act as a nodal body to decide on the custody of the child as well as a model law to deal with such disputes. Article link: India not yet ready to sign the Hague treaty: Maneka UN India-NITI Aayog Investor Consortium for Women Entrepreneurs Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Indian Economy; Inclusive development In news: The UN India Business Forum and the Women Entrepreneurial Platform of NITI Aayog formed a consortium to reduce gender disparities in start-up investments. The consortium aims to strengthen women’s entrepreneurship by creating an enabling ecosystem for investments. Women entrepreneurs will be identified through key partners, including WEP, UN Women, and UNDP. Article link: UN India business forum, NITI Aayog form consortium to help women ... DEFENCE: Defence Acquisition Council and ‘Buy (Indian) IDDM’ category Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Defence and Security In News: Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved procurement of high powered radars for the Indian Air Force and air cushion vehicles for the Army and the Coast Guard. The 12 high power radars will be procured indigenously under the ‘Buy (Indian) IDDM’ category. Important value additions: Do you know? ‘Indian (Designed, Developed and Manufactured)’, or Buy (IDDM), this category replaces ‘Buy (Indian)’ as the most preferred category in the hierarchical order of procurement categories. Besides these two categories, the hierarchy of categories consists of ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’, ‘Buy and Make’, and ‘Buy (Global)’, in that order. The ‘Buy (IDDM) category has ostensibly been devised to encourage indigenisation of defence products. About Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) DAC – is the government’s highest decision-making body on procurement. DAC is chaired by Union Defence Minister. To counter corruption and speed up decision-making in military procurements. Do you know? The decision flowing from the Defence Acquisition Council are to be implemented by the following 3 Boards – Defence Procurement Board headed by the Defence Secretary Defence Production Board headed by the Secretary (Defence Production) Defence Research & Development Board headed by the Secretary (Defence Research & Development) Article link: DAC approves procurementof radars, air cushion vehicles (MAINS FOCUS) ENVIRONMENT TOPIC:General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Environmental conservation and biodiversity Sustaining earth for the future Introduction: India is blessed with an extraordinary richness of life. A great number of unusual and exquisite species occur in the countless ecosystems spread across our vast lands, rivers and oceans. Woven into this rich fabric of biodiversity is a stunningly vibrant and colourful tapestry of peoples, cultures and traditions. India’s unique bio-cultural life and diversity has been able to withstand difficult changes and conditions for centuries. However, with the unleashing of unprecedented economic and environmental forces, it is now subject to increasing wear and tear. Ultimately, these forces could destroy our vibrant and colourful life, cultures and traditions — and in the process, ourselves. Major concerns – Biologists all over the world have been documenting the ongoing loss of life forms. Modern extinction rates are more than a thousand times greater than the rates of the geological past. In recent decades, populations of more than 40% of large mammals have declined and insect biomass has decreased by more than 75%. Natural habitats all over the world have shrunk. For these losses, our country ranks higher than most. Anthropocene era According to scientists, we have entered Anthropocene era — a new period in earth’s history, when humans have begun to impact environment at the global scale. Forests have degraded and diminished, rivers are getting vanished and our air has become unfit to breathe. It is not just only river Ganga which requires cleaning but all life forms including our body requires nurturing. Concept of Half-Earth To protect life on earth, the famous American biologist E.O. Wilson has described an ambitious project he calls “Half-Earth”. He calls for formally protecting 50% of the earth’s land surface in order to conserve our rapidly disappearing natural heritage. India’s forest policy calls for forests to cover almost a third of the country (33%), and if we include other natural systems such as grasslands and wetlands, the area to be protected could amount to almost 40%. In a populous country such as ours, that would be a huge achievement. Some areas could be fully protected while others might be managed by stakeholders for sustainable use and enrichment of biodiversity. The way ahead: We need a massive new effort to catalogue, map, and monitor life, using fundamentally different approaches. Current efforts to map India’s biodiversity are largely restricted to forestlands, while plans for species monitoring are even more inadequate. Today, we have the digital tools and artificial intelligence today to efficiently catalogue, map, and monitor life’s fabric in a manner never before attempted — and with the potential engagement of millions of students and citizens. This mapping effort would include not only all life, including cultures, ethnicities, and dialects, but also the use of biodiversity and its vulnerability to changes in land use and climate. Therefore, effective cataloguing, mapping and monitoring life will give us a glimpse of what we have, and what is most vulnerable. It is important to understand how society interacts with biodiversity, and how economic, social and political forces can erode the biodiversity that ultimately sustains us. It is important to learn how myriad species interact to drive our ecosystems, and how these systems in turn maintain our soils, water and breathable air. For instance, it is vital to learn how the wild pollinators, the microbiota of soils, and the many enemies of agricultural pests — and many other natural services — underpin our agricultural productivity and mitigate climate change. Need for a new science? Academic institutions need to place far more emphasis on the scientific study of life at higher levels. We also need a comprehensive inquiry into how our society is shaping as well as responding to changes in biodiversity. A new biodiversity science is taking shape across the globe, focused on the intimate interweaving of nature with human societies. India has not been, but must be, at the forefront of this emerging science, because nowhere on Earth are natural and human systems tied together more inextricably than on the subcontinent. Fortunately, some in the Indian science establishment, such as the Departments of Biotechnology and of Science and Technology, have recently started programmes and initiatives in the broader areas of science and society. Several non-government think tanks in the civil society sector have strong interdisciplinary programmes in environmental sustainability. The India Biodiversity Portal has the ambitious goal of mapping India’s biodiversity with the engagement of civil society though the portal relies largely on private support. However, the scale of the problem is so massive and its importance so vital for our future that government and private philanthropy need to bring together multiple stakeholders to develop a programme to document, map and monitor all life, and develop a new knowledge enterprise to fully explore various dimensions of biodiversity and ecosystem services and their critical link to our future. Connecting the dots: In spite of environmental moments dating back to post independence years India’s progress in environment conservation and management is not noteworthy. Critically discuss. Can biodiversity be integrated with development? Examine. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1) Consider the following statements about ‘Hague Abduction Convention’ It is an international treaty to ensure the prompt return of a child who has been “abducted” from the country of their “habitual residence”. Under the Convention, contracting countries must establish a central authority to trace unlawfully removed children and secure their return to the country of habitual residence, irrespective of the country’s own laws on the issue. The Convention only applies to children under the age 16. India is yet to ratify the convention Select the correct statements 1 and 2 1, 2 and 3 1, 2 and 4 All of the above Q.2) Recently, Centre had constituted a Committee to suggest a model legislation to safeguard the interest of the child as well as to deal with issue of inter-country parental child abduction. The committee is headed by – Rajesh Bindal Committee Geetam Singh Committee Preetham Reddy Committee Mahendra Lama Committee Q.3) Consider the following with regard to Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) DAC is the government’s highest decision-making body on procurement. DAC is chaired by Union Defence Minister. Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Arrange the below categories from most preferred category to least in the hierarchical order of procurement categories. Buy and Make Buy (IDDM) Buy and Make (Indian) Buy (Global) Code: 4-3-2-1 2-3-1-4 3-2-4-1 3-2-1-4 MUST READ Is the Indian economy on an upswing now? The Hindu Green good deed for the day Indian Express India must take action before it runs dry Livemint Why 15th Finance Commission should provide states greater resources, autonomy Livemint

RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : To Abort or Not

To Abort or Not Archives TOPIC:  General Studies 1: Women related issues General Studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector or Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources In News: Ireland has said an overwhelming yes to a woman’s right to safe abortion — unthinkable in this largely Catholic country even a decade ago. The Irish voted overwhelmingly to repeal the Eighth amendment to the country’s constitution, which was passed in 1983 and which placed a foetus’s right to life and that of its mother on an even keel, making abortion all but completely illegal. Currently, abortion is only allowed when a woman's life is at risk, but not in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality. Background: Halappanavar, a young dentist who was 17 weeks pregnant, had been admitted to a hospital in Galway with back pain, which ended up into a raging infection and sepsis. Doctors refused her requests for an abortion, in fear of violating the law, leading to her death. Halappanavar’s death galvanized a generation of young Irish women to fight for their reproductive freedom because it revealed to them the horrors of the Eighth Amendment and made plain how the law could affect — and even end — their lives. Right to ‘Safe’ Abortion – Human Right In countries where abortion is heavily restricted, lawmakers are less likely to be invested in reproductive health, and this includes prenatal care and access to other reproductive health services. Where individuals are denied abortion care, they also tend to be denied lifesaving medical care at other stages of their reproductive lives, including before and after pregnancy. Combating maternal mortality must go hand in hand with ensuring access to safe and legal abortion for everyone who needs it. When we restrict abortion access, we force people to go to great lengths to get the care they need, which often means traveling out of state and taking time off work. This is an especially difficult burden for those who are low income. If the pregnancy was the result of sexual violence and the woman does not want to continue with the pregnancy, then forcing her to do so represents a violation of the woman’s bodily integrity and aggravates her mental trauma, impeding her healing and recovery from violence. Unsafe abortion takes the lives of 47,000 people worldwide every year, making it a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity globally. These are all preventable deaths. Ensuring access to safe, legal abortion, coupled with the promotion of effective contraceptives, is quite literally the only way to reduce complications and mortality rates connected to abortion worldwide. Abortion is often the only essential health care service not provided by people’s regular reproductive health care provider and within their usual health care system. We know that when abortion is legal, it is extremely safe. It is a basic human right to decide whether and when to have a child without putting your health and very life at stake. The Way Forward For women in India, access to abortion has been marred by extreme stigma, lack of awareness about its legality, unavailability of safe services near the community, and high costs charged by providers. Unsafe abortion practices were the third largest contributor of maternal deaths in India. While India has legalised abortion by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, this privilege is clouded by the fact that unsafe abortions remain the third highest cause of pregnancy-related deaths. We need to urgently address this – First, recognise a woman’s right to exercise her choice and protect her by amending the Indian Penal Code to decriminalise abortion for the woman. Second, support and provide last-mile access and availability of safe abortion by widening the provider base as proposed by the pending amendments to the MTP Act. Third, acknowledge the termination of pregnancies with major abnormalities as a part of standard medical care any time in pregnancy as was traditional practice, without having to seek legal exception for each case. Fourth, further grounds should be incorporated for the abortion – for example it should be extended to 24 weeks and not just 20 weeks as other abnormalities may surface then. Finally, identify and avoid potential conflation of the MTP Act with the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act that results in stigmatisation of all doctors providing abortions to ensure women are not denied abortion. Awareness amongst women is of paramount importance. The judiciary and lawmakers need to maintain a secular outlook and strive to ensure that the women citizens of this country have equal citizenship rights in consonance with the Constitution and with accepted international covenants on human rights. These include a right to life for the woman, as also a right to dignity and a right to benefit from scientific progress. Religion and other traditional frameworks are inherently imbued with patriarchy and cannot be used by a secular state to direct its laws and policies.

Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – This Moment – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Present Moment: It is very easy to get lost in the conceptual understanding of time and forget that all we are given at any point in time is just one moment. We are not given an hour, a week or a month to accomplish something. We are only given a moment. Once this understanding sinks in, it becomes extremely easy to understand how we waste most of our time. Most of our time is wasted in thinking about either the future or the past. We are rarely in the present moment fully. Just think about this; is it possible to accomplish any task in the future or the past? Is it possible to go back and change what has happened or go into the future and accomplish something? If the answer is yes then the conceptual understanding of time is enough to manage it well. If the answer is a no, then we have to re-look at the concept of time from an altogether fresh perspective. Whatever that we need to accomplish can be accomplished only this moment. The story that we tell ourselves to either accomplish or not accomplish something is all that matters. Every moment we are confronted with a choice to do or not to do something. What we tell ourselves in this moment is what determines our actions. More often than not, we keep telling ourselves stories that keep moving us into the future. We keep postponing things by telling a story that is convenient and easy to accept. Pay close attention to the language you use to talk to yourself. If your language is filled with stories of past and the future, then for sure you are a procrastinator. You will be finding it difficult to accomplish a task if you are a good story teller. It is very easy to convince yourself if you are a good story teller. You can convince yourself on why you should not be doing that all important thing right now. When we shift from the conceptual understanding of time of past and future and pay close attention to the present moment, it becomes extremely easy to focus and accomplish any particular task. When we realize that all we have is this moment, then we will use that moment to do what matters the most. The moment we start telling ourselves that we will accomplish something in the next one hour, or a week, or a day, we will be moving too far away from the present moment. It is very easy to keep drifting into the future. The ability to observe this story telling quality of ours and pulling ourselves back from the future to the present is the whole secret of managing time effectively and accomplishing anything we want. Don’t listen to your mind when it is trying to give some justification for postponing an action. Be in the present moment all the time. This is where you can accomplish all that you want to accomplish. Remember, there is no past and there is no future. All you have is this moment. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 7th June 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 7th June 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) RBI MPC Policy Highlights and REPO RATE Part of: GS Prelims and Mains Paper III – Indian Economy - Monetary Policy; RBI Reforms and its functions In News: The six-member monetary policy committee (MPC) of the RBI increased the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25%. This is the first rate hike in four-and-a-half years; the last was in January 2014. Key pointers: Reasons for increase of repo rate – RBI raised rates after 4.5 years as crude price surges and due to inflation. Immediate effect – RBI lends money to commercial banks at higher rate and banks will raise their lending rates. Since, lending rates are high, people abstain from borrowing and consequently it leads to decrease in money supply in economy and decrease in inflation rate. Do you know? What is Repo rate? Repo rate is the rate at which the central bank of a country (RBI in case of India) lends money to commercial banks in the event of any shortfall of funds. Repo rate is used by monetary authorities to control inflation. RBI increases the repo rate during inflation and decreases it during deflation. Important value additions: Let’s see what happens when RBI increases and decreases Repo rate – When RBI increases repo rate In order to control excess money supply and inflation in the economy, central bank increases repo rate and lends to commercial banks at a higher rate. Now, because of increased repo rate, funds come to commercial banks at a higher cost, so in order to cover those increased costs of acquiring funds, commercial banks increase their lending rates for loans and advances. Since, lending rates are increased, people abstain from borrowing and postpone their purchases thereby decreasing demand for products and services, consequently it leads to decrease in money supply in economy and decrease in inflation rate. When RBI decreases repo rate: In order to cure depression and lack of effective demand, central bank decreases repo rates and lends to commercial banks at a reduced rate. Because of reduced rates, commercial banks can acquire funds at a lower cost and in order to acquire new consumers and markets they pass their benefit of lower cost to consumers by decreasing their prime lending rates on loans and advances. Since, lending rates are reduced by banks, credit is cheap and this induces people to venture in new business activities and purchase of capital goods leading to increased demand for capital goods and increased employment rates. Key takeaways from RBI MPC Policy Repo rate: 6.25% Reverse repo: 6% FY19 growth projection retained at 7.4 % RBI increased its inflation projection to 4.8%-4.9% It sees major upside risk to the inflation path as crude prices rose 12% Says volatile crude oil prices adds uncertainty to its inflation outlook Geo-political risks, financial market volatility, trade protectionism to impact domestic growth Adherence to budgetary targets by the Centre and states will ease upside risks to the inflation outlook Pic link: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2018/06/07/DEL/Delhi/TH/5_01/75e6c72c_2154768_101_mr.jpg Article link: RBI hikes repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25% Co-op banks can become small finance banks Part of: GS Prelims and Mains Paper III – Indian Economy - Monetary Policy; RBI Reforms and its functions In news: RBI has decided to allow urban co-operative banks (UCB) to convert into small finance banks (SFB) Detailed scheme will be announced shortly. UCBs currently face regulation by both the RBI and the respective State governments. By turning into SFBs, they will be regulated only by the RBI. Article link: Co-op banks can become small finance banks, says RBI Maternal mortality ratio drops Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Welfare and health; Social issue In news: Maternal mortality ratio in the country drops to 130 from 167, according to latest Sample Registration System (SRS) data MMR (number of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births) Do you know? Maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes. Key points: Kerala remains at the top with an MMR of 46 (down from 61). Maharashtra retains its second position with 61. Tamil Nadu with 66 is in the third position. Three States have already achieved the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of MMR 70. Fresh impetus is required to bring the MMR below 30 for all States. Article link: Maternal mortality ratio in the country drops to 130 from 167 - The Hindu World Bank to fund Atal Bhujal Yojana Part of: Prelims and Mains – Government schemes In news: World Bank and Indian Government join hands to address concerns about depleting groundwater reserves in India. World Bank nod for ₹6,000 cr. scheme called the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY). Important Value Additions About Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY) Central Sector Scheme to be implemented over a period of five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23 aims to improve ground water management in priority areas in the country through community participation The priority areas identified under the scheme fall in seven States – Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) is regulating ground water development in 23 States/UTs. Do you know? Water being a State subject, steps for augmentation, conservation and efficient management of water resources to ensure sustainability and availability are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. Difference between Central sector schemes and Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) Under Central sector schemes, it is 100% funded by the Union government and implemented by the Central Government machinery. Central sector schemes are mainly formulated on subjects from the Union List. In addition, the Central Ministries also implement some schemes directly in States/UTs which are called Central Sector Schemes but resources under these Schemes are not generally transferred to States. Under Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) a certain percentage of the funding is borne by the States in the ratio of 50:50, 70:30, 75:25 or 90:10 and the implementation is by the State Governments. Centrally Sponsored Schemes are formulated in subjects from the State List to encourage States to prioritise in areas that require more attention.Funds are routed either through consolidated fund of States and or are transferred directly to State/ District Level Autonomous Bodies/Implementing Agencies. Article link: World Bank nod for ₹6000 cr. groundwater recharge plan India improves in global peacefulness rankings Part of: GS Prelims In news: India’s rank has marginally improved in global peacefulness, according to the Global Peace Index (GPI) India’s GPI rank was 137 out of 163 countries in 2017, when the year 2016 was assessed. India’s rank moved up to 136 for 2017. Pakistan’s rank too has improved marginally. Pakistan’s rank moved from 152 to 151. However, the best performer of South Asia, Bhutan, slipped from 13th to 19th position, while Bangladesh’ peace index deteriorated sharply. Bangladesh moved from 84th to 93rd position. About Global Peace Index (GPI) Global Peace Index (GPI) is released by Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). The GPI gauges global peace using three broad themes: the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarization. Do you know? Peace continues to record a “gradual, sustained fall” across the world, the report noted. Syria remained the least peaceful country in the world, a position that it had held for the past five years. Iceland continues to remain the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. Article link: India's rank marginally improves in peace index (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL TOPIC:General Studies 2: India and its International relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora. India-US Relations: No longer seeing eye to eye? India and the U.S. “shares similar vision” of an open and secure Indo-Pacific region. However, their equation is not quite balancing out recently. Concerns for US: According to US, Indian government views its relation with the U.S., Russia and China in equal measure. Last year, the NDA government had hinted at challenging the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and to back a Quadrilateral grouping of India, the U.S., Japan and Australia to maintain an open Indo-Pacific. Today, the Doklam issue has been buried, the BRI isn’t as much a concern as before, and the government’s non-confrontational attitude to the Maldives and Nepal indicates a softened policy on China in the neighbourhood. India’s closer engagement with Chinese President Xi Jinping and a relationship reset with China after the Wuhan meeting. The Quad formation has been given less attention. India rejected an Australian request to join maritime exercises along with the U.S. and Japan this June. Indian Navy Chief alsi hinted that there was no plan to “militarise” the Quad. India’s acceptance of military exercises with countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Russia-China led grouping. Delay in signing of outstanding India-U.S. foundational agreements. India intends to continue energy deals with Iran and Venezuela in defiance of American sanctions. Concerns for India: There has been a surge in disputes between the two countries: Trade protectionism is clearly the other big point of divergence between India and the U.S. Several issues/disputes in World Trade Organisation (WTO) Disputes on the new American steel and aluminium tariffs the proposed cuts in H1B professional visas and cancellation of H4 spouse visas, disputes on India’s tariffs and resistance to U.S. exports of dairy and pork products, disputes on Indian price reductions on medical devices, and Reserve Bank of India rules on data localisation on Indian servers for U.S. companies. The row over Harley-Davidson motorcycles, where US calling for India to scrap its 75-100% tariffs, given that the U.S. imposes zero tariffs on the import of Indian Royal Enfield motorcycles. India’s plans to acquire the Russian S-400 missile system. The biggest challenges to a common India-U.S. vision are now emerging from the new U.S. law called Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act and the U.S.’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal with the threat of more secondary sanctions. Both actions have a direct impact on India, given its high dependence on defence hardware from Russia and its considerable energy interests in Iran. Conclusion: From the above differences, it is equally clear that the India-U.S. equation isn’t balancing out quite the way it did last year. Connecting the dots: India-Us trade relation holds huge potential. However the key to tap this potential lies in focusing on reaping low hanging fruits rather than trying to address major concerns. Discuss. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1) Consider the following statements about the reverse repo rate It is an interest rate at which the Banks deposit their cash with the RBI If reverse repo rate is increased the bank’s lending rates to customers will also increase Which of the following statements is/are incorrect? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Match the following statements with the related terms given below: It is rate at which scheduled banks can borrow funds overnight from RBI against government securities. It is amount that banks have to maintain a stipulated proportion of their net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) in form of liquid assets. It is amount of funds that banks have to keep with RBI. It is rate at which banks lend funds to RBI. Terms: Reverse Repo Rate Repo Rate Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) Select the correct answer using the following codes: 1-E; 2-C; 3-B; 4-A 1-E; 2-C; 3-A; 4-B 1-C; 2-E; 3-D; 4-A 1-C; 2-E; 3-D; 4-B Q.3) Consider the following: Currently, urban co-operative banks are regulated by both the RBI and the respective State governments. Currently, urban co-operative banks are regulated only by the RBI. Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements with regard to Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY): It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is the Nodal Ministry for the overall policy, planning, funding and coordination of the programme. It aims at providing every person in both rural and urban India with adequate safe water for drinking and cooking. Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 only 1, 2 and 3 None Q.5) The primary entry in the Constitution relating to water is in the – State List Union List Concurrent List None Q.6) Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY), a ₹6,000 cr. scheme is collaboration between – India and UN Environment India and World Bank India and Israel India and IMF Q.7) Global Peace Index (GPI) is released by – World Justice Project International Court of Justice The Office of UN Commissioner for Human Rights None of the above MUST READ Pre-emptive strike The Hindu What RBI’s rate hike indicates Indian Express Nagaraj: The law on SC/ST promotions Indian Express Merge ideas, not cadres Indian Express The plastic ban needs a management plan Livemint Is the great FII sell-off a cause for concern? Livemint Informal enterprises should be encouraged Livemint

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