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RSTV- The Big Picture : Citizenship Amendment Bill

Citizenship Amendment Bill Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Refugee issue; Citizenship Amendment Bill. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora. In New: A key amendment in the Bill to grant citizenship to people without valid documents from six minority communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India, has led to a series of protests in Assam and neighbouring Meghalaya. Assam has long resented the influx of Bangladeshi Muslims, citing pressure on its limited land and resources. To weed out migrants, the Assam Accord was signed in 1985, which says anyone who entered the state after 1971 would be considered an illegal resident. There are an estimated 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants in Assam and they have inalienably altered the demography of the state, besides putting a severe strain on the state’s resources and economy. The people of Assam — which has historically had the highest migration from what is now Bangladesh — see the bill as an unconstitutional attempt to undermine the current NRC process, and grant Indian citizenship to a large number of people who would otherwise be ineligible. Behind this lies the fear of being swallowed up by a much-larger community. There are concerns that the BJP is trying to create a vote bank among Bengali Hindus just as the Congress had done with the Bengali Muslims. Historical Tension: The demography of Assam has been changing ever since the British encouraged landless peasants, mainly Muslims, from (then) East Bengal to migrate and settle in Assam to cultivate vast tracts of fallow land and the fertile ‘chars’ (areas and islands constituted by floodplain sediments). Before Independence, Sir Syed Muhammad Sadullah, the then prime minister of the state, encouraged migration of Muslim peasants from East Bengal. The late 1940s, just prior to and immediately after Independence, saw lakhs of Bengali Hindu refugees settling in Assam. Hindus once again migrated from (then) East Pakistan in large numbers fleeing persecution from the Pakistani army in 1970-71. Since then, a combination of factors - the porous borders of the state with Bangladesh, a poor country with the highest population density in the world, the ease with which Indian citizenship documents are allegedly acquired from corrupt local officials in the state, and politicians reportedly encouraging this illegal migration in order to cultivate vote banks - has led to unabated influx from across the international border. Not only has the demography of the state changed, socio-economic and ethnic unrest has also risen. What is it the Assamese fear the most? It is not hatred for other communities, but the fear of being reduced to a powerless minority in one’s own homeland. Assam is already on the edge because of the NRC or National Register of Citizens update process, which seeks to update the 1951 NRC by including the names of those people (and their descendants) who came to Assam till midnight of March 24 1971 — the start of the Bangladesh Liberation war. Even this date is viewed as highly discriminatory by several groups in Assam as the cut-off date for citizenship in the rest of India is July 19, 1948. March 24, 1971 is the cut-off date as per the Assam Accord of 1985 for detection and deportation of foreign nationals — regardless of their religion — from Assam. The proposed bill will advance this cut-off date for detecting foreigners to December 31, 2014. The Citizenship Act, 1955, already has provisions for citizenship by naturalisation, provided the applicant has entered legally, and resided in India for 11 of the past 14 years — the proposed amendment bill seeks to reduce the period from 11 to 6 years for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, even if they have entered illegally. In 2005, the Supreme Court while striking down the controversial IMDT Act (largely due to the efforts of present CM Sarbananda Sonowal), which was seen as actually beneficial to illegal migrants, observed that the state of Assam was facing “an act of external aggression” through unabated influx from Bangladesh. It is increasingly being felt in Assam that the only measure that would save the land and its people are Constitutional safeguards in terms of land ownership, jobs and businesses, political representation, and an Inner Line Permit system (something which the rest of the Northeast states already have). The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, and raises several issues – It makes illegal migrants eligible for citizenship based on their religion and clearly violates Article 14 of the Constitution. The bill clearly violates the Assam Accord. Whatever one may think of it, the issue of the credibility of an accord signed by the Union of India is not entirely a trivial one. And it may have ramifications for future negotiations. The bill has potentially interesting implications for asymmetric federalism. One of the proposals under consideration is to exempt Assam from the purview of the bill while making it applicable to the rest of India. There is not much opposition to this bill in other states. The political consequences of this bill are not nearly as severe as in Assam. The Way Forward: Assam has borne the brunt of migration in ways that unsettled so many identities and created distributive conflicts. The process of completing the National Register of Citizens is on, and either way its results are going to leave large numbers of people disaffected and vulnerable. The real challenge for India will begin after the process of identifying immigrants is done. What do we do with people we will have declared stateless? How do we address these concerns without a disproportionate burden falling on Assam? Instead of simply saying that members belonging to particular religions will be eligible for differential treatment, the bill should have laid down some general secular criteria (persecution history, history of migration etc.) which could, in principle, at least, be applied to all groups. But the direct exclusion of Muslims from being eligible for this pathway under any circumstances makes the constitutional form and citizenship communal. No solution in Assam is an easy solution. But a cross-party dialogue and consensus, will help avoid any further tragic conflict in Assam, whose consequences will be national. Be Prelims-Ready: British Constitution: The idea of single citizenship In India, both a citizen by birth as well as a naturalised citizen are eligible for the office of President Parliament has the power to make any provision with respect to the acquisition and termination of citizenship and all other matters relating to citizenship. The Constitution promotes the feeling of fraternity by Single citizenship Fundamental Duties (Article-51A) Modes through which Indian citizenship can be lost – Renunciation Termination Deprivation The power to grant citizenship lies only with the Home Ministry under the Citizenship Act.

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 26th May 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 26th May 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Higher educational institutions can now offer degree courses online: UGC Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Government interventions in key sectors Key pointers: Higher education institutes can now offer certificate, diploma and degree programmes in full-fledged online mode. The decision was taken by the University Grants Commission. The certificate, degree and diploma would be given only for those disciplines which the institute has been offering the similar programmes/ courses at graduation level in regular mode (of classroom teaching) or in Open and Distance Learning mode and from which at least one batch has been graduated and approved by the statutory councils, as applicable. The online learning shall have minimum four quadrants: video-lectures, e-content, self-assessments and discussion forum to clarify doubts. Examinations would be conducted in the proctored mode and in conformity with any norms for such examinations stipulated by the UGC. First national sports university to be set up in Manipur Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Government interventions in key sectors Key pointers: The Union Cabinet has approved an ordinance to set up the country's first national sports university in Manipur. The Manipur government has already allocated land for the proposed university. As of now, there are some institutes which offer various courses for athletes and coaches. A void exists in the sports environment of the country in various areas such as sports science, sports technology, high performance training. The proposed university is expected to bridge this gap. (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 India- Indonesia: Enhancing the strategic partnership In news: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his first visit to Indonesia next week, the first by an Indian PM since 2013. PM Modi has been to half the ASEAN countries and the biggest of them, Indonesia, finally gets its turn. Modi’s summit with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, is an important one. They have met annually since their first meeting at the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Myanmar in 2014. Similarities: Both India and Indonesia have among the world’s largest Muslim populace, which are youthful, aspirational and have a commitment to development. Both are members of the G-20, NAM, EAS and the like. India and Indonesia have a common heritage, cultural and trade linkages going back to antiquity. Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, all came through these exchanges to Indonesia. Differences: Despite these similarities and the rather short distance between the Andamans and the Western State of Aceh in Indonesia, the distance in the mind is rather long. India and Indonesia were allies in the fight against imperialism but in the 1970s, they started looking away from each other, till the return of multiparty democracy to Indonesia. Since 2011, India and Indonesia are strategic partners, and an ambitious agenda of cooperation has been on the table but has not been implemented in a fulsome manner. Enhancing the strategic partnership: On the political front, there are signs of thaw in our engagement. Many stalled bilateral fora have successfully met in the last year. The governments needs to rationalise their calendar and implement decisions in a timely way. More consultation on regional and global issues — G-20, EAS and maritime security and sustainable development, for instance will give greater cohesion in regional and global outlook. Indonesia has a view of China and the BRI which is at variance with ours. But it recognises India’s balancing role in maritime security, has cooperated on the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and is not supportive of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on its anti-Indian rhetoric. Political need is to focus on commonalities, discuss issues frankly and establish political trust. India-Indonesia maritime cooperation, exercises and patrolling between the Andamans and the Malacca straits have developed well. The engagement between the Indian navy and coast guard with the Indonesian navy has improved. We can now focus on supplying defence equipment to Indonesia and to look at joint production and development of such equipment. We could invest in a strategic port in Sumatra, which could support exports like coal and palm oil and support to Indian naval assets which require deep draught ports. A cooperative effort against terrorism and radicalisation needs to be high on the agenda. On the trade and investment side, it is not advisable to curb trade for a balance since imports by India of coal and palm oil give Indonesia a surplus. This can be compensated by Indonesian investment in India and allowing better access to Indian entrepreneurs to the growing Indonesian market for infrastructure, healthcare, mining and power. A special fast-track facility should be sought from Indonesia to support Indian business houses to secure and maintain business interest in Indonesia. Most Indian businesses feel that Indonesia is partial to China. Indonesia needs to be equitable in their engagements with India. Indonesia, which has opened its market to Indian beef and found its positive economic impact needs to do the same for pharmaceuticals, rice, sugar and infrastructure machinery. Around human resource development and education, much can be done by the two countries to fulfil each other’s aspirations. Most Indonesian students coming to India pursue religious studies, hardly any Indian students go to Indonesia. There is a need to develop a system of twinning universities to have common projects, faculty and student exchanges. Our common cultural heritage needs to be updated. Common archaeology projects can be undertaken. An Indonesia-India Ramayana festival held periodically should encourage development in the related dance forms over ASEAN countries and beyond. Moreover, the mainstream Muslim organisations, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah need to be more closely engaged as they are the best bulwark against radicalisation. Greater space to such civil society cooperation efforts will give a long-term and popular base for the new thrust expected to the India Indonesia relationship through the PM’s forthcoming visit. Conclusion: PM Modi's upcoming visit to Indonesia is a welcome one. The engagement needs to recognise the positive factors and the contradictions which impede it, to create a new paradigm. Connecting the dots: Despite many similarities, the India-Indonesia relationship is marked with contradictions. In this light it is necessary to take calculated measure to engance the strategic partnership the two countries have with each other. Disucss. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 1: Urbanization, their problems and their remedies. General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act, 2016: Implementation In news: Recently, the Central government notified June 30 as the date by which all States have to do away with dilutions and bring in all incomplete projects within the ambit of RERA. This date is also the deadline by when permanent regulators have to be formed and for the websites of all States to become functional. Background: It is a year since the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) came into effect (May 1). Stocktaking presents a dismal picture as far as its implementation and expected benefits are concerned. There is still a long way to go before the real estate sector operates in an “efficient and transparent manner and protect the interest of consumers”, as set forth in the statute’s preamble. A record of extremes: Only 20 of the 28 States (the Act is not applicable in Jammu and Kashmir) have framed the rules stipulated under RERA to carry out its legal mandate. In some States such as Uttar Pradesh, the Act’s provisions have been watered down in favour of builders by altering the definition of “on-going projects” which need registration under RERA. There is also a dilution on the penalties for non-compliance. The speedy dispute redress mechanism envisaged by the Act is yet to take shape. Apart from Maharashtra, only Punjab and Madhya Pradesh have appointed a permanent regulatory authority (to be established within a period of a year). To ease the transition, RERA allows State governments to designate an existing body as the regulatory authority until a permanent one is established. This has resulted in 13 States working with only a designated regulatory authority. Only six States have set up the online portal contemplated by the Act. In the Northeastern States, RERA has been challenged on certain constitutional grounds — of land belonging to the community and autonomous councils. Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority: An example In contrast, Maharashtra, which has established both the regulatory authority (Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority, or MahaRERA) and the appellate tribunal, has shown that with earnest action, the Act and the establishment of the permanent regulator can have a positive impact in reassuring real estate purchasers. MahaRERA’s online portal has led to builders registering projects and a high degree of compliance in terms of registration by real estate agents. This along with fast track adjudication of consumer complaints has made the MahaRERA an example of how other States need to implement the Act. Focus on the consumer: Besides procedural compliances, implementation of the Act eventually needs to focus on consumer interests. In these efforts, rudimentary compliance must be eliminated and practicality adopted. For example, in U.P., a large number of new projects are concentrated in Ghaziabad or Gautam Budh Nagar/Noida. However, even though the Act provides for State governments to establish more than one regulatory authority, the interim regulator designated in U.P. is located in Lucknow. This has led to consumers being inconvenienced as they need to travel to Lucknow to file their complaints. One of the most notable provisions of the RERA is the requirement to keep 70% of funds received for a project in a separate escrow account, a step to prevent a diversion of funds which usually happens and in turn results in project delays. Because of this stipulation and the overall ill-health of the real estate sector, many developers are now facing insolvency proceedings under the new Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). There appears to be a potential conflict developing between the IBC and RERA which needs to be checked as it would be against consumer interests. Conclusion: RERA provides for the regulation and maintaining of records of real estate projects, the objective being to facilitate the growth and promotion of a “healthy, transparent, efficient and competitive real estate sector”. Given that the Central government is keen to curb black money, a large part of which has its origins in or finds its way into real estate, it needs to ensure that States give full effect to RERA. Connecting the dots: It is a year since the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) came into effect (May 1). However, the implementation is dismal and expected benefits are not yet achieved. Comment. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1) In which state is the first national sports university proposed to be set up. Select the correct option Manipur Meghalaya Nagaland Assam MUST READ A cure for medical malpractice The Hindu Tipping point in the West Asia The Hindu The segregated city Indian Express Disturbing the peace Business Line

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 25th May 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 25th May 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) 'Clean Air India Initiative' Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Environment conservation Key pointers: Prime Minister of Netherlands Mark Rutte, who is in India on a two-day visit, launched the ‘Clean Air India Initiative’ in the national capital. The Clean Air India Initiative is a collaborative project between Get In The Ring, a platform for start-ups, the government of the Netherlands, Start-up India, and INDUS Forum, an online matchmaking platform of Indian and Dutch businesses. The campaign aims to curb air pollution in Indian cities by promoting partnerships between Indian start-ups and Dutch companies and build a network of entrepreneurs working on business solutions for cleaner air. A major business opportunity for Dutch firms that was highlighted included the potential for sale of equipment (such as sensors), data, and solutions concerning air quality monitoring (AQM). It is estimated that 80% of India is not covered by AQM data collecting which is the first step toward monitoring and combating air pollution. ‘INDUS impact’ project: An ‘INDUS impact’ project aims to halt the hazardous burning of paddy stubble by promoting business partnerships that “upcycle” it. This entails using paddy straw as feedstock to make materials that would find use in construction and packaging — a technology and expertise that Dutch companies are keen to market in India. Severe air pollution in Delhi is caused by the burning of paddy straw in neighbouring Haryana and Punjab. 'Samagra Shiksha' Programme Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Environment conservation Key pointers: It aims to make school education an integrated whole from pre-school to Class-12. The programme will subsume three existing schemes: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shikskha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE). The programme will focus on quality education and enhancing learning outcomes of students, bridging social and gender gaps in the school education, and promoting vocalisation of education. Focus will also be on empowerment of girls. The upgradation of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) has been extended from class VI-VIII to class VI-XII. CWSN (Children With Special Needs) girls from Class I to XII would be given a stipend of ₹200 per month. To focus on the importance of libraries, schools would be given an annual grant of ₹5,000 to ₹20,000 under the initiative. As part of the scheme, the Centre will give government schools grants for buying sports equipment so as to promote sports in schools, so that one hour can be devoted to sports daily. Nepal: First in WHO’s South-East Asia Region to defeat Trachoma Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Government interventions in key sectors Key pointers: The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Nepal for having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem – a milestone, as the country becomes the first in WHO’s South-East Asia Region to defeat the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. Trachoma was the second leading cause of preventable blindness in Nepal in the 1980s. In 2002, the Government of Nepal stepped up efforts to eliminate the disease with the establishment of a national trachoma programme. From 2002 to 2005, following the implementation of sustained control activities, the prevalence of active (inflammatory) trachoma fell by 40%. To increase awareness, the national trachoma programme collaborated with the Ministry of Education to include a module on trachoma in the school curriculum. Between 2002 and 2014, eye hospitals and dozens of eye centres and clinics with trained staff were established across Nepal. (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL TOPIC:General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. Protecting Digital Health Data: DISHA In news: Recently, the government has put in place the draft of a new law - Digital Information Security in HealthCare Act (DISHA). The law is meant to protect digital health data. With healthcare providers’ growing dependence on IT, there’s all the more need for stronger data protection laws. Data leakages: The recent reports of Aadhaar data leakage and the still recent breach of information by Facebook of its registered users have posed more questions on the significance of data protection and the need to have strict laws for the same. In a serious breach of data safety, the health data of about 35,000 people in a pathology laboratory in Maharashtra was leaked in 2016. Notably, it was the EMRs (electronic medical records) that were leaked. As we use computers on a routine basis and depend on them to process the data of a large number of patients, we are increasingly susceptible to hacking attempts and data theft. IT Technology: A necessity Computer or IT technology is no longer a luxury or value addition, it has become a necessity. ‘Big Data Analytics’ is the new buzzword in the field of healthcare with data analysis being used by healthcare providers to record, share and study a number of parameters associated with diseases, their types and demography. In healthcare, IT is being increasingly used today for analysing, simplifying and applying algorithms to data collected from patients for further productive purposes. This practice is also duly included in the Clinical Establishments (Registration & Regulation) Act 2010, which mandates maintenance and provision of EMR for every patient by clinical establishments. Maintenance of data in electronic form provides several benefits to the hospitals for clinical establishment. It also helps the government in analysing mass data and formulating public policies. Thus, the solution lies not in doing away with IT but to have strong data protection laws with sufficient deterrent against theft and hacking attempts. Where are we today at data protection? The need for data security is recognised in Indian healthcare to save the data of patients from being misused or leaked. Under the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, doctors are required to maintain confidentiality of all patients during various stages of the medical treatment and procedures and also of the information provided by them. However, it failed to clearly define the time-line for accessing data of patients. It also failed to include URLs and IP addresses as sensitive information, something which is of paramount significance in the internet driven world today. Certain sections of the Information Technology Act also provide a basic framework for the protection of personal information in India, but these suffer from a number of flaws. For example, Section 43(a) is applicable only to a ‘body corporate’ and leaves out individuals and legal entities like trusts or NGOs and many others from its purview. ‘Electronic Health Records Standards for India’: To overcome some of these shortcomings, the government came out with ‘Electronic Health Records Standards for India’ in 2013. These standards safeguard patients’ data in many ways and require safeguarding of financial information of patients. These standards also require healthcare providers to designate “a privacy officer who will be responsible for implementing privacy policies, audit and quality assurance”. It also has a provision for patients “to request a healthcare organisation that holds their health records, to withhold specific information that he/she does not want disclosed to other organisations or individuals.” The new Digital Information Security in HealthCare Act (DISHA): It makes any breach punishable with up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 5 lakh. It redefines personal information of the patients. It adds, “use of narcotic or psychotropic substances, consumption of alcohol, human immunodeficiency virus status, sexually transmitted infections treatment, and abortion” related information of the patient to the list of sensitive information. DISHA also defines a ‘clinical establishment’ as well as the term ‘entity’ clearly and unambiguously to include individuals, trusts, private and public establishments, hospitals, diagnostic centres, pathological laboratories, radiology laboratories, etc. It also accords great significance to “informed consent” of individuals and emphasises on obtaining explicit consent before transfer and use of digital health data. While it is yet to be seen what the final shape of this new law will be, it is definitely a move in the right direction as it ensures protection of digital health data at every step, including at the time of their generation, collection, storage and transmission. Conclusion: As it is true for any law, the devil lies in implementation. Unless implemented effectively, no law, howsoever stringent, can have the desired impact. It will be pertinent to look at actual cases of data theft after DISHA is implemented and other emerging trends to revise and replenish this legislation from time to time. Connecting the dots: Recently, the government has put in place the draft of a new law - Digital Information Security in HealthCare Act (DISHA). It is definitely a move in the right direction as it ensures protection of digital health data. Discuss. NATIONAL TOPIC:General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. The Protection of Human Rights (Amendments) Bill, 2018 In news: On April 4, the Union Cabinet approved the Protection of Human Rights (Amendments) Bill, 2018, in order to protect and promote better human rights in India. The Bill intends to give the NHRC teeth as well as claws to act against human rights violations. Background: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has been often described as a paper tiger, unable to protect ordinary citizens from human rights violations, committed at times by the state machinery. In one such case, the NHRC, disillusioned by its helplessness in bringing justice in the alleged extrajudicial killings of 1,528 persons in Manipur, had last year referred to itself as a “toothless tiger” before the Supreme Court. The Protection of Human Rights (Amendments) Bill, 2018: Salient features To ensure that the NHRC is more inclusive, the Bill proposes to include one member of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights within its fold as a deemed member as well as a woman member. It proposes to enlarge the scope of eligibility and selection of the Chairperson of the NHRC as well as of State Human Rights Commissions. It proposes to incorporate a mechanism to look into cases of human rights violations in Union Territories. It proposes to amend the term of office of the Chairperson and members of the NHRC and the State Human Rights Commissions to ensure that it is in consonance with the terms of the Chairpersons and members of other commissions. The Amendment Bill seeks to strengthen human rights institutions so that they can discharge their roles and responsibilities effectively. Sync with agreed global standards and benchmarks: The amended Act will be in sync with the agreed global standards and benchmarks on ensuring rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of individuals in the country. The amendment to the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 will make the NHRC and State Human Rights Commissions more compliant with the Paris Principle “concerning its autonomy, independence, pluralism and wide-ranging functions in order to effectively protect and promote human rights”. Connecting the dots: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has been often described as a paper tiger. In this light discuss the salient features of the Protection of Human Rights (Amendments) Bill, 2018. (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 'Samagra Shiksha' Programme'. It aims to make school education an integrated whole from pre-school to Class-12. The programme will subsume three existing schemes: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shikskha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE). The programme will focus on quality education and enhancing learning outcomes of students, bridging social and gender gaps in the school education, and promoting vocalisation of education. Select the correct option 1 only 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1,2 and 3 Q.2) Which of the following statements is/are true regarding 'Clean Air India Initiative'. It is a joint initiative between Indian and Netherlands governments. The campaign aims to curb air pollution in Indian cities. On similar lines, ‘INDUS impact’ project aims to halt the hazardous burning of paddy stubble by promoting business partnerships that “upcycle” it. Select the correct option 1 only 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1,2 and 3 Q.3) Nepal has become the first in WHO’s South-East Asia Region to defeat Trachoma. The disease Trachoma affects which body part: Select the correct option Eyes Ears Eyes and ears None of the above. MUST READ The transatlantic variants The Hindu Remembering Azad The Hindu The Russian ride The Hindu Broken promise Indian Express The direct approach isn't always best Livemint

RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : Hospitals: Capping Profits

Hospitals: Capping Profits Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. In News: Based on the recommendation of an expert panel headed by Director-General of Health Services Kirti Bhushan, Delhi Govt. to come out with a policy to cap profit margins of city hospitals on drugs and devices. The committee had suggested capping the profit margin for drugs and devices at a maximum of 50 per cent above the manufacturing price or procurement cost, whichever was lower. Objective: Will help the consumers access medical devices at reasonable prices What led to this move? Incident: The move comes after a public outrage on the death of a child due to dengue last year at a private hospital in Gurgaon, which charged the family around Rs 16 lakh for treatment. Report Findings: Allegations of overpricing and inflated bills against private hospitals with mark-ups of sometimes 1,192% on medicines were confirmed during an analysis of bills from four hospitals in New Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). Also, Overcharging, refusal or delay in providing immediate medical care to victims of crime or road accidents Hospitals compelling patients to purchase drugs from in-house pharmacy The pharmaceuticals industry in order to get bulk supply orders, is “forced” to print higher maximum retail price (MRP) in accordance with “market requirements”, and it was amply clear that for claiming higher margins, doctors in hospitals preferred prescribing and dispensing non-scheduled branded medicines instead of scheduled ones. Institutional bulk purchases by private hospitals, which in most cases keep a pharmacy of their own, makes it easier for them to get very high profit margins and indulge in profiteering on drugs and devices even without need to violate the MRPs, which is already enough inflated. Diagnostics services that constitute more than 15% of the total hospital cost were found to be higher than facilities provided by other independently run private centres. Rude behaviour by healthcare workers Delay in initiating medico-legal cases The Way Forward: Supply of public hospital facilities should be enhanced and improved: Private hospitals will keep overcharging the public because they are forced to go to them. As a result, the ‘out-of-pocket expenditure’ of patients in India is one of the highest in the world, at 62 per cent. As many as 70 million people sink into poverty each year due to the burden of healthcare. Monitoring profits of private hospitals is also not easy, especially when there are many ways of evading the regulatory authorities’ scrutiny. Multi-skilled Regulators: Need regulators who have multi-skills - medical as well as financial skills Standard Services at standard cost: It should be realistic costing. Service should include the cost of all the relevant materials going for the service. Proper costing framework needs to be followed by the private sector. Digital Tool: Need an e-platform where the prices of the medicines and diagnostics are listed. We can use a software to evaluate the input and output cost and create packages, w.r.t the services required per person. Product – Lack of specialist doctors: India needs to address this bigger problem of the dwindling specialist doctors owing to talent drain, and lack of PG seats. Once this problem starts getting addressed, the input cost would automatically come down. It is high time we bring in order. Guidelines should be formulated, and be followed. There exist high level of complexities, and complex operations. Therefore, after realistic evaluation, prices for certain healthcare can be fixed. Post that, we need to let the hospitals compete and people to choose as per the service they need. Proper consultations need to be done with all the relevant stakeholders before any rule is finalised. Be Prelims-Ready Health: State subject Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD): Defines itself as an umbrella association of Indian manufacturers of medical devices covering all types of medical devices including consumables, disposables, equipment, instrument, electronics, diagnostics and implants. Connecting the Dots: Will putting a cap on the profits of private hospitals solve the deeper malady of lack of affordable healthcare in India? Discuss.

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 24th May 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 24th May 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Nipah Virus Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Government internventions in key sectors Key pointers: Nipah Virus is an emerging infectious disease that broke out in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998 and 1999. It first appeared in domestic pigs and has been found among several species of domestic animals including dogs, cats, goats, horses and sheep. The infection is also known to affect human beings. The organism which causes Nipah Virus encephalitis is an RNA or Ribonucleic acid virus. Nipah virus infection gets its name from the village in Malaysia where the person from whom the virus was first isolated succumbed to the disease. How does Nipah spread or get transmitted? The disease spreads through fruit bats or ‘flying foxes,’ of the genus Pteropus, who are natural reservoir hosts of the Nipah and Hendra viruses. The virus is present in bat urine and potentially, bat faeces, saliva, and birthing fluids. Nipah Virus, which is a zoonotic disease, was known to affect humans in Malaysia and Singapore after coming in direct contact with the excretions or secretions of infected pigs. Symptoms of the Nipah infection: The human infection presents as an encephalitic syndrome marked by fever, headache, drowsiness, disorientation, mental confusion, coma, and potentially death. There is no specific treatment for Nipah Virus. The primary treatment for human cases is intensive supportive care. Palestine to join the Chemical Weapons Convention Part of: Mains GS Paper III- International relations Key pointers: The Palestinians have joined the global convention to halt the spread of toxic arms, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Palestine will become the 193rd state to join the CWC Palestinians are campaigning for the creation of their own state of Palestine, and have stepped up a campaign in recent years to win recognition from international organisations. Israel however is vehemently opposed to these attempts and has pursued intense diplomatic efforts to stop them. In 2012, the United Nations upgraded the Palestinians to a non-member observer state. Interpol, the International Criminal Court, UNESCO, and now the OPCW all refer to the Palestinian territories as a state. About the OPCW and the CWC: The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, which entered into force on 29 April 1997. The OPCW has its seat in The Hague, Netherlands, and oversees the global endeavour for the permanent and verifiable elimination of chemical weapons. Only four countries, including Israel, have yet to sign up to the CWC, which aims to eliminate an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. The CWC prohibits the development, production, acquisition and stockpiling of chemical weapons by its member states. (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT TOPIC: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Calculating 'Green GDP': Developing a feasible transition path to a green economy Introduction: A few years ago, India suffered a cost of $550 billion, about 8.5% of GDP, due to air pollution, according to a World Bank report; the cost of externalities such as water pollution and land degradation were possibly far higher. Through commodity exports, we effectively transfer natural capital to our trade partners, raising the risk of desertification and land being degraded significantly. Within a century, our food production could see a loss of 10-40% if these trends continue. So, when we talk of GDP growth, we should also consider the decline in natural capital in our national accounts. Natural capital: Natural capital can cover entire ecosystems such as fisheries and forests, besides other hidden and overlooked services — for example, the regeneration of soil, nitrogen fixation, nutrient recycling, pollination and the overall hydrological cycle. Such natural capital is often self-generating (water, clean air) but needs to be handled in a sustainable way in order to avoid depletion. Valuing such ecosystems can be challenging, with their market value often termed as zero. Consider groundwater. Most groundwater basins in India are subjected to unrestricted extraction until the water table drops so low that new borewells are needed. Externalities of economic growth: While India might have a GDP of $2.65 trillion in nominal terms, it fails to take into account the externalities of such economic growth. For example, India routinely suffers from high levels of air pollution that impose costs on local transport, health and liveability in urban and rural areas. When economic growth leads to the destruction of forests, wetlands and woodlands for agriculture, mining or even urban expansion, it is typically the poorest of the traditional dwellers who suffer. Ecological collapse can soon come, examples being the Darfur region in Sudan and countries in the Horn of Africa. All were subject to rapid socio-economic decline. Estimation is a challenge: GDP computations indicate the economic activity in a country, with rising GDP growth rate often leading to international prestige. However, such estimates often exclude the variations in natural capital by assuming them to be constant and indestructible. When pollution happens, it is actually a depletion of our natural capital as, for example, acid rain damages forests and industrial seepage affects water quality. In a modern economy, the challenge is to estimate such depreciation to natural capital. ‘India’s current national accounts incorporate environmental considerations in a limited fashion’. GDP includes the value of: minerals extracted; timber, fuelwood and non-timber forest products; natural growth of cultivated assets for some crops; and the output from dung manure. In addition, ‘gross fixed capital formation contains output estimates from the improvement of land along with irrigation works and flood control projects’. However, even in GDP estimates of timber value, there is significant under-estimation — non-monetised goods and services provided from timber forests are not considered. Some attempts to estimate the externalities: India has sought to unveil “green GDP” figures in the past. In 2009, the Centre announced that it would publish a “green GDP” that would include the environmental costs of degrading and depleting our forests, grasslands and natural stock. An expert programme, sponsored by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, released a Compendium of Environment Statistics 2013. The group recommended that India shift to a system of measuring comprehensive national wealth, which includes items such as human capital, capital equipment and natural capital. Implementation of recommendations as in the Compendium has been constrained by the lack of micro-level data on capital formation, particularly in a natural context. While the 12th Five Year Plan undertook groundwater resource mapping at the national level, a similar focus is essential for data on land usage, forests and mineral wealth. Way ahead: India must calculate ‘its green GDP’ to factor in the value of the environment in its growth. India should seek to publish “green GDP” figures that take into account depreciation of natural capital stock due to economic exploitation and environmental degradation. This can follow the template provided by the UN’s System of Environmental-Economic Accounting. Adapting our national accounts in line with this framework will help in incorporating the value of the environment in our growth while helping us to focus on developing a feasible transition path to a green economy. Connecting the dots: What do you mean by the terms 'Green GDP' and 'Natural capital'? India must calculate ‘its green GDP’ to factor in the value of the environment in its growth. Comment. Also read: What has happened to 'Green GDP'? DEFENCE/SECURITY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism. Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security. General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Defence Planning Committee: Apprehensions Introduction: The government has set up a defence planning committee last month to reboot defence planning in India. The step has been taken four years too late. Also read: Setting up of Defence Planning Committee: As significant policy reform Apprehensions: The step calls into question the relevance of the existing long-term, five-year and annual plans of the armed forces, which form the basis of several procurement proposals that are in the pipeline. The move also infuses uncertainty in the rollout of several steps taken to promote Make in India in defence. Revamping of the “make” procedure for indigenous design and development of equipment and the introduction of the strategic partnership scheme for production of aircraft, helicopters, submarines and armoured fighting vehicles were expected to rejuvenate the defence industry. Now there is no saying whether all this will fit into the new strategies and plans prepared by the committee. The committee consists of extremely busy persons like the national security advisor, service chiefs and secretaries of three of the most important ministries of the government. It will require extraordinary effort on their part to meet often enough to do justice to the committee’s charter. The committee will be assisted by four sub-committees on policy and strategy, plans and capability development, defence diplomacy and defence manufacturing ecosystem.   Their usefulness will depend on their composition and terms of reference, both of which are yet to be decided. A challenge for the sub-committees is to ensure that deliberations are free from presumptions and prejudice. This has been the bane of defence planning. It’s important that the committee makes ready-to-implement recommendations. The committee will be required to submit its reports to the defence minister, which implies that these would be subjected to examination by the ministry officials who may not find all the recommendations workable. This has happened in the past with many committees recommending measures like appointing a chief of defence staff or integrating the services headquarters with the MoD but the latter finding these suggestions impractical for various reasons. Conclusion: All the apprehensions notwithstanding, any effort, even if belated, to set right the problems besetting defence planning should be welcomed. The establishment of Defence Planning Committee recently, is expected to have a far-reaching consequence on the way defence planning is undertaken and on defence preparedness. And for this to happen the above mentioned issues must be resolved. Connecting the dots: The government has set up a defence planning committee recently to reboot defence planning in India. The step will strengthen the process of defence planning in India. Analyse critically. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1) Which of the following statements are true regarding Chemical Weapons Convention. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an intergovernmental organisation, is the implementing body for the CWC. The CWC prohibits the development, production, acquisition and stockpiling of chemical weapons by its member states. Five countries, including Israel and Palestine, are yet to sign up to the CWC Select the correct option 1 and 2 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 None of the above Q.2) Which of the following statements are true regarding solar power infrastructure in India. Nipah virus infection gets its name from the village in Singapore where the person from whom the virus was first isolated succumbed to the disease. Nipah Virus is a zoonotic disease. It spreads from animal to humans through animal bite. Select the correct option 1 only 2 only 2 and 3 only None of the above MUST READ Do we need the office of the governor? The Hindu Justice and redemption The Hindu A blunt instrument Indian Express Wrong end of the frame Indian Express Dhaka treading a thin line on Rohingyas Business Line

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 23rd May 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 23rd May 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Emerging solar trends: India Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Energy security, Infrastructure Key pointers: A report on emerging solar trends has been produced by the US-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), a research body backed by a bunch of philanthropic organisations including the Rockfeller Brothers Fund and the Rockfeller Family Fund. Five out of the world’s biggest under-construction solar parks are in India. Once, Bhadla Industrial Solar Park, in Rajasthan — houses solar plants to its fullest capacity (2,225 MW), it will be the world’s biggest. When it comes to operating solar plants, India has two of the world’s top ten. These two are the 1,000-MW ultra mega project in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh and the Adani group’s 648-MW Kamuthi project in Tamil Nadu. India has made rapid strides in installation of solar power capacity. In the calendar year 2017, India contributed 8 GW to the 98 GW global addition of solar capacity, or 8.1 per cent. Some distinctions: The world’s biggest single rooftop solar plant happens to be in India- The 19-MW Dera Baba rooftop solar project in Amritsar, Punjab. India’s name also figures in the list of top ‘corporate PPAs’ — instances when companies directly buy solar power from developers. India’s Kochi airport, with 40 MW, is the world’s first airport to be fully powered by solar energy. Contract farming: Model law Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Indian agriculture Key pointers: After two drafts that received wide criticism from both industry and farmers groups, Agriculture Ministry has recently released the model law. Ashok Dalwai, CEO, National Rainfed Area Authority, who chaired the committee that drafted the model law. The law is aimed at reducing farmers’ risks by creating an assured market for their produce at a pre-agreed price, while encouraging investment from agribusiness and food processing industries by enhancing productivity and cost efficiency. It provides for State-level boards to be set-up to promote and facilitate — rather than regulate — contract farming and sets out a framework for registering and recording agreements. It also provides for a dispute settlement authority. The model law stipulates that the sponsor will not be allowed to build any permanent structure on the farmers’ land. (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL 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; Effects of liberalization on the economy Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. Issues relating to poverty and hunger. India at WTO: Poverty, Hunger versus WTO rules Background: In an attempt to combat rural distress, the Union budget announced this year promised a new deal to farmers—minimum support prices (MSP) that would be 150% of the cost of production. The new MSP policy could pull India into a confrontation at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Higher MSPs will likely make Indian farm subsidies breach the limit that the WTO finds acceptable. US versus India: The US has announced that it will be dragging India to the WTO because it claims India has under-reported the market price support (MPS) for rice and wheat. According to the US, the MPS for wheat and rice, respectively, appears to be over 60% and 70% of the total value of production, against the permissible cut-off of 10%. India is planning to officially respond at the WTO’s committee on agriculture meeting in June. US versus India's export promotion schemes: The US has also launched a case against India’s export promotion schemes. These schemes— Market access initiative (MAI) Market development assistance (MDA) Merchandise exports from India scheme (Meis) -are primarily aimed at promoting better export-oriented infrastructure facilities, capacity building, and export competitiveness. They also assist exporters of agriculture and processed food products, thereby indirectly benefitting small and marginal farmers. These schemes are, therefore, critical in keeping agriculture remunerative in India and hence are worth defending at the WTO. Questioning WTO: India needs to question the foundation of the entire subsidy regime defined by the WTO. The relevant question is not how much support a government can provide to farmers to avoid distorting trade. It is how much it should provide to feed a country that is home to a fourth of the world’s hungry population. Also, small farmers and poor consumers in developing countries are the most vulnerable to volatile price movements in commodity markets. Calculation of subsides: The government needs to question the way WTO calculates subsidies, as well as the way the rich countries support their farmers. For example, for the purpose of calculating current subsidies, the WTO uses the average of 1986-88 global prices as the base. Therefore, the difference between the ongoing MSP and these reference prices looks too high. The way rich countries support their farmers: Last year, before the 11th ministerial committee meeting of WTO at Buenos Aires, India and China jointly submitted a paper to the WTO. The paper highlighted the subsidies that developed countries dole out to their farmers. Developed countries- The six industrialized nations are entitled to an overall cap for their farm subsidy called aggregate measurement of support (AMS), which entails subsidy up to 10% of the value of total production. This gives them an opportunity to manipulate the subsidies for individual products. For instance, product-specific support in the US and the European Union crosses over 50% for a number of crops and reaches as high as 89% for rice in the US. Developing countries- On the other hand, are trapped with a product-specific de minimis limit of 10%—for no crop can the AMS be higher than 10% of its value of production. India, along with other developing countries, should make persistent efforts to fight the way WTO rules have been rigged to suit the developed countries. Conclusion: India needs to make it clear at the WTO that it needs to stand by its poor at this stage of development, and that trade law should not meddle with the fight against poverty and hunger. Connecting the dots: India's new minimum support prices (MSP) policy breaches the rules set by the WTO. Comment critically. NATIONAL/SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 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: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Awareness in the fields of IT, Space The Internet of Things: Risks involved Background: By 2020, there will be more than 20 billion devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT), according to Gartner — that’s roughly 2.5 devices for every single person on the planet. What is IoT? The Internet of things (IoT) is the inter-networking of physical devices, vehicles, buildings, and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity that enable these objects to collect and exchange data. The IoT allows objects to be sensed or controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure, creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, and resulting in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit in addition to reduced human intervention. The IoT ecosystem: We already rely on IoT on a daily basis. This ecosystem will become even more indispensable in the future. Not only will it enhance quality of life for individuals — allowing us to control our homes with just a swipe on our smartphones, for example — it will allow companies to create new business models and to be more proactive in how they maintain their assets and equipment. In India, which suffers from congestion in many urban areas, IoT can act as a platform for smart cities by empowering local authorities to effectively manage traffic and to reduce noise and pollution. Risks: Like all emerging technologies IoT fuels emerging risks. Four main risks that require careful consideration and the implementation of strict cyber-security controls are: The risk of an IoT network being hacked. Example- A hacker can inflict human and physical damage by taking control of a self-driving car. Security should be a fundamental pillar of any IoT network, and it should be in place from the outset. Testing IoT infrastructure presents a significant risk. IoT is currently being implemented in a fairly agile(quick) way, with new devices and sensors being introduced on an ad-hoc basis and people experimenting as they go along. With IoT the infrastructure is not being tested at all. No one is necessarily checking that the data sent by the sensors on different devices is actually accurate. Instead, people tend to assume that the sensors are properly calibrated and the information they provide is secure and correct. Having accurate data is critical in an environment in which machines are talking to other machines and making decisions without interacting with humans. Organisations should use tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and statistical analysis to identify those sensors that are producing accurate data, and those that are not. IoT is giving rise to new privacy issues that need to be addressed. Lack of awareness around privacy controls may expose customers’ personal data so it can be used for unauthorised purposes. In addition, IoT devices generate a lot of unstructured data; any data analysis conducted on this raw data could generate an inaccurate representation of the individual and reflect incorrect behavioural patterns. Human behaviours and social engineering are major risk factors in an IoT environment. Example- Traffic lights. We all know that red means stop, yellow means wait and green means go. What would happen if someone were to turn all the traffic lights in a smart city to green? Just as infrastructure needs to be protected from cyber threats, people need to be educated so they are able to challenge algorithms generated by machines that are responding to incorrect information. Indian context: India is at a nascent stage when it comes to IoT, and adoption is slow compared with the rest of the globe. Many Indian organisations are still content with legacy IT over cloud infrastructure, making IoT a low priority in terms of changing business processes. Conclusion: The government’s ‘Digital India’ and ‘Smart Cities’ initiatives are accelerating India’s journey towards adopting digitisation. On this journey, it is imperative that adequate measures are taken to secure the IoT ecosystem, and to prepare organisations to unleash the full potential of IoT by mitigating the associated governance, privacy and security risks. Connecting the dots: What do you mean by Internet of Things(IoT)? Discuss its potential benefits and the risks associated with the IoT ecosystem. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1) The Ashok Dalwai committee is related to which of the following: Select the correct statements Data protection law in India To study Artificial intelligence in military 15th Finance Commission Model law on contract farming Q.2) Which of the following statements are true regarding solar power infrastructure in India. Once at its full capacity, the Bhadla Industrial Solar Park located in Madhya Pradesh will be the world’s biggest The world’s biggest single rooftop solar plant happens to be in India. India’s Mangalore airport, with 40 MW, is the world’s first airport to be fully powered by solar energy. Select the correct option a) 1 only b) 2 only c) 2 and 3 only d) None of the above MUST READ The fading appeal of soft power The Hindu We are very interested in joining Exercise Malabar The Hindu The Nipah test The Hindu Because the judges spoke out Indian Express The Shaky frame Indian Express Why can't grassroots bureaucracy deliver? Business Line

IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2018 ENVIRONMENT & CURRENT AFFAIRS [Day 60]

Hello Friends,  The 60 Days Training has finally begun:) Before any competition, there is a preparatory phase. That phase involves a lot of sessions on strengths and weaknesses. Throughout the preparatory phase, the athletes train in a gradual manner. In the last phase, just before the actual competition, the training is done so as to sharpen their skills. This training requires complete focus and dedication. In this phase, the athletes do not try anything new or train in a new fashion rather focus on sharpening of skills, focusing on strength and precision. Similarly, the upcoming 60 days, is like the last phase (training session), just before the actual competition. Here, the focus should be on sharpening the concepts, consolidating the knowledge base and solidifying the learning with loads and loads of revision. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL DETAILS AND SOLVE QUESTIONS

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan

Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan ARCHIVES Search 24th April, 2018 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation In News: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi gave its approval for restructured Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA).    Influence: Mahatma Gandhi always highlighted the importance of villages and spoke about 'Gram Swaraj' Objective: To make rural local bodies Self-sustainable Financially stable More efficient Address critical gaps that hinder the success of panchayats by Enhancing their capacities and effectiveness Promoting devolution of powers and responsibilities Presence: In all States and Union territories; will also include institutions of rural local government in non-Part IX areas, where panchayats do not exist. Centre-State Responsibility: The sharing ratio for the state components will be 60:40 barring the Northeast and hilly states where it will be 90:10. For UTs, the central share will be 100 per cent. The Central component includes national level activities such as ‘National Plan of Technical Assistance’, ‘Mission Mode project on e-Panchayat’, ‘Incentivisation of Panchayats’; while the State component includes ‘Capacity Building of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)’. The State Governments will formulate the Annual Action Plans for seeking assistance from the Central Government. Nature of the Scheme The key principles of SDGs, i.e. leaving no one behind, reaching the farthest first and universal coverage, along with gender equality will be embedded in the design of all capacity building interventions including trainings, training modules and materials. Priority will be given to subjects of national importance that affects the excluded groups the most, e.g. poverty, primary health services, nutrition, immunization, sanitation, education, water conservation, digital transactions etc. The scheme is designed keeping in view programmatic convergence with Mission Antyodaya GPs and 115 Aspirational districts as identified by NITI Aayog. As Panchayats have representation of Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes and women, and are institutions closest to the grass­roots, strengthening Panchayats will promote equity and inclusiveness, along with Social Justice and economic development of the community. Impact: Help more than 2.55 lakh Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to develop governance capabilities to deliver on SDGs through inclusive local governance with focus on optimum utilisation of available resources. Increased use of e-governance by PRIs will help achieve improved service delivery and transparency. Strengthen Gram Sabhas to function as effective institutions with social inclusion of citizens particularly the vulnerable groups Establish the institutional structure for capacity building of PRIs at the national, state and district level with adequate human resources and infrastructure. Panchayats will progressively be strengthened through incentivisation on the basis of nationally important criteria which will encourage competitive spirit among them. Conclusion: Individual citizens and village level institutions in rural India have the most at stake in the development of their communities. Good Rural Governance programs empower these communities by engaging citizens and members of village level institutions to actively participate in their own development. Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhyaan seeks to include and expand developmental experience at the grassroots level. Be Prelims-Ready April 24: National Panchayati Raj Day Father of Local Self Government in India: Lord Ripon Committee to first recommend constitutional status for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI): Ashok Mehta Committee Committee that became the basis for drafting an amendment bill aimed at conferring the constitutional status and protection to the Panchayati Raj institutions: Gadgil Committee Prime Minister of India when Local Self Governments were made constitutional: P V Narasimha Rao Recommendations by L M Singhvi Committee: The Panchayati Raj institutions should be constitutionally recognized, protected and preserved. For this purpose, a new chapter should be added in the Constitution of India. This will make their identity and integrity reasonably and substantially inviolate. It also suggested constitutional provisions to ensure regular, free and fair elections to the Panchayati Raj bodies. Nyaya Panchayats should be established for a cluster of villages. The villages should be reorganized to make Gram Panchayats more viable. It also emphasised the importance of the Gram Sabha and called it as the embodiment of direct democracy. The Village Panchayats should have more financial resources. The judicial tribunals should be established in each state to adjudicate controversies about election to the Panchayati Raj institutions, their dissolution and other matters related to their functioning. 73rd Constitutional amendment act: A significant landmark in the evolution of grassroot democratic institutions in the country. It transfers the representative democracy into participatory democracy. Exempted States and Areas The 73rd CA act does not apply to the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram and certain other areas. These areas include, the scheduled areas and the tribal areas in the states; the hill area of Manipur for which a district council exists; and Darjeeling district of West Bengal for which Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council exists However, the Parliament may extend the provisions of this Part to the scheduled areas subject to such exceptions and modifications as it may specify. Under this provision, the Parliament has enacted the ‘Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act’, 1996 (PESA).

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 22nd May 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 22nd May 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) The Permanent Residency Status Scheme Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Indian Economy Key pointers: Pic credits: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/fu19hy/article23944217.ece/alternates/FREE_660/21THFDIcol In news- Two years after it was launched by the Union government, the Permanent Residency Status (PRS) scheme is yet to find a single applicant. The Union Cabinet had cleared the PRS in 2016 to boost its “Make in India” policy. The scheme is open for foreign investors who invest a minimum of ₹10 crore within 18 months or ₹25 crore in 36 months. Except Pakistani citizens or third-country nationals of Pakistani origin, the scheme is open for citizens of every country. Most European Union countries, the U.S., Canada and others offer permanent residency to foreign investors. The U.S. offers the EB-5 visa programme where foreigners could apply for permanent residency if they created employment opportunities for 10 people with a minimum investment of ₹6.5 crore. (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 National Policy on Biofuel: Key features and Challenges In news: India’s new National Policy on Biofuel has been announced recently. Key provisions: The policy significantly expands the sources from which ethanol can be produced and also allows for blending ethanol from multiple bio feedstock — and not just ethanol produced from sugarcane, as was the case earlier — with petrol. The policy also holds significant potential gains for farmers. Under the new policy, the raw material sourcing net for ethanol is being significantly expanded to include, besides sugarcane juice, sugar beet, sweet sorghum, corn, cassava, damaged wheat, broken rice and rotten potatoes. There is also a bonus for civic administrations, since ethanol can now be produced from municipal solid waste, as well as fuels like bio natural gas. To that extent, the policy can help turn refuse into gold. The policy also envisages using rice and wheat chaff and other biomasses as feedstock for ethanol production. This opens up a large and remunerative market for products on which the farmer was bearing the losses caused by erratic weather and poor storage conditions. Beyond this, used cooking oil can also double up as a feedstock for biodiesel which is welcome since India is one of the world’s largest consumers of edible oil and generates a huge quantity of used cooking oil as waste. Execution will be a challenge: To convert India’s existing biofuel potential into reality, huge investments need to be made in creating bio refinery capacity. However, this is easier said than done. While state-owned oil marketing companies are in the process of setting up 12 bio-refineries, this can only be a base to build on. On the ground, private sector investment in this space has been hampered by financial constraints and lack of cohesive support from the Central to the local level. Creating the requisite supply chain infrastructure to source and efficiently transport low value biomass to the refineries is another challenge. Way ahead: The Centre should ensure that it actively involves the private sector in this exercise especially for functions like procurement, storage and distribution. It should steer clear of micromanaging the supply chain but, instead, help in land acquisition for the bio-refineries and working with the stakeholders to fix a reasonable price for the end product. The policy should be followed up with coordinated action at the user end to ensure that the larger goal of the policy — of cleaning up the air, reducing the carbon footprint and shift to more sustainable renewable fuels — is not lost sight of. Conclusion: From encouraging the use of biofuels in public transport to ensuring that civic bodies actually realise the potential of municipal waste and sewage the policy needs to be implemented in mission mode on a nationwide basis. Connecting the dots: The government has recently released National Policy on Biofuel. Disucss its key provisions. Also, highlight steps required to ensure its effective implementation. 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 Improving connectivity in South Asia: India and China Introduction: One of the key non-military issues that does not just bedevil India-China relations but also significantly affects many countries in the region is the inability of the two Asian giants to communicate, cooperate and coordinate on matters of regional trade and connectivity which could have benefited all. Poor connectivity in South Aisa: Poor connectivity is the major reason why intra-regional trade is among the lowest in South Asia. South Asia, with its 1.8 billion population, is only capable of conducting around 5% intraregional trade as connectivity remains a constant barrier. Non-tariff barriers (NTBs) continue to plague the region and addressing infrastructure deficits can do away with 80% of the NTBs. In addition to enhancing trade, connectivity can significantly improve people-to-people interaction leading to better understanding, greater tolerance\ and closer diplomatic relations in the region. Regional initiatives: States in South and Southeast Asia are involved in multiple regional initiatives led by India and China but are unable to get the benefit due to their slow progress. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation remains moribund with little hope of it becoming functional in the near future. BIMSTEC: The India-led Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) involving Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, has made little progress. Serving as a funnel to the Malacca Straits, one of the world’s busiest waterways, the Bay of Bengal has now become one of the most important strategic hotspots for global trade. All countries in BIMSTEC are losing out due to this prolonged period of dormancy. The organisation till now has only had meetings, negotiations and leaders’ summit and stalled free trade agreement negotiations. There has been some progress through the establishment of the BIMSTEC Energy Centre and a task force on Trans Power Exchange and Development Projects, established to develop a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection. Initiatives by China and India: Complementary rather than competing China is leading its own regional ambition with its BRI. A portion of the Maritime Silk Route crosses the Bay of Bengal and involves Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Both China and India are pursuing regional initiatives on their own which could lead to benefit for all involved states. Regional agendas could have been pursued efficiently if the initiatives were complementary rather than competing. The BRI, BIMSTEC and BBIN should be developed through coordination and consultation, led by the two Asian giants, so that the projects under the schemes can be implemented more efficiently. With the minimum required cooperation in pursuing regional initiatives, India and China can significantly enhance trade, investment and connectivity in the region. This would not only would be a win-win for the two giants but also enormously benefit smaller countries. The BBIN: An example In South Asia, most multi-country connectivity initiatives are usually deemed to be mere talk shops, one recent positive development has been the trial run of a Bangladesh-Nepal bus service through India under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) motor vehicles agreement. Although Bhutan failed to ratify the agreement due to opposition from its parliament, instead of halting progress, the country asked other stakeholders to move ahead and expressed hope of joining the initiative if and once it gets clearance from the parliament. Bhutan’s positive go-ahead demonstrated the immense potential to be realised through simple cooperation and showed that it is possible to implement pragmatic plans even when all members are not able to participate at the same time. Conclusion: Slow moving regional projects end up hurting the resource-constrained citizenry of the region who are deprived from the benefits emanating from well-thought-out and carefully strategised regional connectivity projects. India and China must forge a pragmatic understanding on the efficacy of regional initiatives through greater communication, enhanced cooperation and better coordination. Connecting the dots: States in South and Southeast Asia are involved in multiple regional initiatives led by India and China but are unable to get the benefit due to their slow progress. Discuss the need of improving connectivity in the region and also discuss the need of making the initiatives complementary rather than competing. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1) Which of the following statements are true regarding the Permanent Residency Status Scheme. The scheme was introduced so as to boost foreign tourism in India. Is open for foreign investors and the should result in generating employment to at least 20 Indians per financial year. PRS will be granted for a period of 10 years with multiple entry. Select the correct option 1 only 2 only 2 and 3 None of the above MUST READ Miles to go The Hindu What's in an election? The Hindu The Meghalaya example The Hindu India's diplomacy, Trump effect Indian Express The invisible majority Indian Express

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IASbaba PIB Weekly : Press Information Bureau – 13th May to 19th May, 2018

IASbaba Press Information Bureau 13th May to 19th May, 2018 ARCHIVES GS-2 Role of Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) in revolutionizing Common Service Centre Movement (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) CSC VLEs are enabling the disbursement of entitlement and pension to various citizens living in far flung areas of the country Numbers: 2.92 lakh CSCs across the country 54,000 women VLEs are working hard to achieve the goals of Digital India mission in rural areas. In just 4 years, the total transactions of VLEs have increased from just one Cr (in year 2013-14) for an amount of 180 Cr to 17.83 Cr for an amount of Rs. 19,000 Cr in 2017-18. CSCs have given employment to more than 10 lakh people in India. Cabinet apprised of MoU between India and France on Technical Cooperation in the field of railways (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) The MoUs provide a platform for Indian Railways to interact and share the latest developments and knowledge in the railway sector. The MoUs facilitate exchange of technical experts, reports and technical documents, training and seminars/workshops focusing on specific technology areas and other interactions for knowledge sharing. The MoU will provide a framework of cooperation for focused approach in following key areas:- High speed and semi-high speed rail; Station renovation and operations; Modernisation of current operations and infrastructure; Suburban trains Cabinet approves MoU between India and Morocco in the legal field: The MoU will give an opportunity to the Lawyers, Law Officers and law students to discuss issues in the field of law and justice in seminars, symposiums and workshops arranged by authorities of India and Morocco. MoU between the India and Swaziland on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine: The MoU covers the following areas of cooperation:- Drugs & Pharmaceutical products; Medical Consumable products; Medical Research; Medical Equipment; Public Health; Communicable Disease Control & Surveillance; Health Tourism MoU between India and Suriname for cooperation in the field of electoral management and administration: Including exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of organizational and technical development of electoral process; support in exchanging information, institutional strengthening and capacity building, training of personnel, holding regular consultations etc. MoU between India and Equatorial Guinea for Cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine: The Traditional Systems of Medicine in India are well organized, codified and well documented comprised of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy. These systems hold tremendous potential in the global health scenario. The Ministry of AYUSH having the mandate to promote, propagate and globalize these Traditional Systems has taken effective steps by entering into MoU with Malaysia,Trinidad & Tobago, Hungry, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius, Mongolia, Iran and Sao Tome & Principe for cooperation in the field of Traditional Medicine. MoU on Cooperation in the field of Medicinal Plants between India and Equatorial Guinea: India is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of biodiversity, having 15 agro-climatic zones. Out of the 17000-18000 species of flowering plants, more than 7000 are estimated to have medicinal usage in folk and documented systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha & Homoeopathy (AYUSH System of Medicine). About 1178 species of medicinal plants are estimated to be in trade of which 242 species have annual consumption levels in excess of 100 metric tonnes/year. Medicinal plants are not only a major resource base for the traditional medicine & herbal industry but also provide livelihood and health security to a large segment of Indian population. There is global resurgence in traditional and alternative health care systems resulting in world herbal trade which stands at US$ 120 billion and is expected to reach US$ 7 trillion by 2050. Moreover, there are a large number of medicinal plants, particularly those found in tropical region, which are common to the two countries given similar geo-climatic factors. MoU between India and Morocco in the field of Mining and Geology: The MoU will provide an institutional mechanism between India and Morocco for cooperation in the field of geology and mining. The activities involved in the cooperation viz. development of geological infrastructure, promotion of mining and geology, training programs and establishment of geological data bank would serve the objective of innovation. GS-3 National Policy on Biofuels – 2018 (Topic: Environment and Ecology; Biodiversity; Pollution) The Policy categorises biofuels as "Basic Biofuels" viz. First Generation (1G) bioethanol & biodiesel– made from sugar + starch + oil + animal fats + food crops like corn, sugarcane, sugar beet, wheat and sorghum (made from feedstocks that can also be consumed as human food) "Advanced Biofuels" - Second Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels – made from non-food crops + agricultural waste + wood chips (not normally used for human consumption) Third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG etc. to enable extension of appropriate financial and fiscal incentives under each category – made from algae + other biomass sources Raw materials: The Policy expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of Sugarcane Juice, Sugar containing materials like Sugar Beet, Sweet Sorghum, Starch containing materials like Corn, Cassava, Damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice, Rotten Potatoes, unfit for human consumption for ethanol production. Appropriate Pricing: Farmers are at a risk of not getting appropriate price for their produce during the surplus production phase. Taking this into account, the Policy allows use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee. Funding Scheme: With a thrust on Advanced Biofuels, the Policy indicates a viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol Bio refineries of Rs.5000 crore in 6 years in addition to additional tax incentives, higher purchase price as compared to 1G biofuels. Supply Chain Mechanism: The Policy encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, Used Cooking Oil, short gestation crops. Roles and responsibilities of all the concerned Ministries/Departments with respect to biofuels has been captured in the Policy document to synergise efforts. Expected Benefits: Reduce Import Dependency: One crore lit of E10 saves Rs.28 crore of forex at current rates. The ethanol supply year 2017-18 is likely to see a supply of around 150 crore litres of ethanol which will result in savings of over Rs.4000 crore of forex. Cleaner Environment: One crore lit of E-10 saves around 20,000 ton of CO2 emissions. For the ethanol supply year 2017-18, there will be lesser emissions of CO2 to the tune of 30 lakh ton. By reducing crop burning & conversion of agricultural residues/wastes to biofuels there will be further reduction in Green House Gas emissions. Health benefits: Prolonged reuse of Cooking Oil for preparing food, particularly in deep-frying is a potential health hazard and can lead to many diseases. Used Cooking Oil is a potential feedstock for biodiesel and its use for making biodiesel will prevent diversion of used cooking oil in the food industry. MSW Management: It is estimated that, annually 62 MMT of Municipal Solid Waste gets generated in India. There are technologies available which can convert waste/plastic, MSW to drop in fuels. One ton of such waste has the potential to provide around 20% of drop in fuels. Infrastructural Investment in Rural Areas: It is estimated that, one 100klpd bio refinery will require around Rs.800 crore capital investment. At present Oil Marketing Companies are in the process of setting up twelve 2G bio refineries with an investment of around Rs.10,000 crore. Further addition of 2G bio refineries across the Country will spur infrastructural investment in the rural areas. Employment Generation: One 100klpd 2G bio refinery can contribute 1200 jobs in Plant Operations, Village Level Entrepreneurs and Supply Chain Management. Additional Income to Farmers: By adopting 2G technologies, agricultural residues/waste which otherwise are burnt by the farmers can be converted to ethanol and can fetch a price for these waste if a market is developed for the same. Also, farmers are at a risk of not getting appropriate price for their produce during the surplus production phase. Thus conversion of surplus grains and agricultural biomass can help in price stabilization. Background: Aim: Promote biofuels in the country By: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy during the year 2009 Biofuels in India are of strategic importance as it augers well with the ongoing initiatives of the Government such as Make in India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Skill Development and offers great opportunity to integrate with the ambitious targets of doubling of Farmers Income, Import Reduction, Employment Generation, Waste to Wealth Creation. Biofuels programme in India has been largely impacted due to the sustained and quantum non-availability of domestic feedstock for biofuel production which needs to be addressed. 1G: Most common first-generation biofuels include: Biodiesel - extraction of vegetable oils, with or without esterification, from the seeds of plants like soybean, rape (canola) and sunflower Ethanol - fermentation of simple sugars from sugar crops (sugarcane) or starch crops (corn, wheat) Biogas - anaerobic fermentation of organic waste and crop residues as energy crops As with any industry, certain concerns (in this case related to cost and inefficiency) arose out of first-generation biofuel production. This evolution naturally led to second-generation biofuels. 2G: Second-generation non-food feedstocks include woody crops and agricultural residues or waste, which are a little more difficult to extract. For this reason, advanced conversion technologies are needed in the process, which is also why second-generation biofuels are known as "advanced biofuels." Second-generation technologies cover a wider range of biomass resources, from agriculture to forestry and waste materials. One well-known second-generation technology is called lignocellulosic processing, which uses forest materials. 3G: Impressive diversity: Algae can produce such fuels as biodiesel, butanol, gasoline (petrol), ethanol, and even jet fuel! Higher yields: Algae is capable of producing much more than its other feedstock counterparts, and with lower resource inputs. By some estimates, algae can produce 10-fold what even the best conventional feedstocks can generate. The capital and operating costs of third-generation production are the highest. This subsector requires additional research and development to reach the point of being a sustainable method of consistent biofuel production on a commercial scale, but the potential is highly promising 4th generation biofuel (4G): Made from specially engineered plants or biomass – to: Produce sustainable energy Capture and store carbon dioxide (they are carbon-negative; take away more carbon dioxide than it produces) Do Read: Link 1 Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) (Topic: Environment and Ecology; Biodiversity; Pollution) Realizing the need for developing the green skills, the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) is utilising the vast network and expertise of Environmental Information System (ENVIS) hubs and Resource Partners (RPs). Aims to: Get 80, 000 people imparted green skills and in filling the skill gaps in the environment sector Objective: The programme endeavours to develop green skilled workers having technical knowledge and commitment to sustainable development. The number of people to be employed under GSDP will be increased to cover 2.25 lakh people next year and to about 5 lakh people by the year 2021 It will help in the attainment of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), National Biodiversity Targets (NBTs), as well as Waste Management Rules (2016). Review of Skill Development in Aviation Sector & Progress being made on developing National Air Cargo Policy (Topic: Infrastructure: Airports) The demand for aviation skilled personnel has been rising commensurately with the boom in the civil aviation sector witnessed in the last 3-4 years. Recognizing this demand and to bolster the Skill India Mission, Shri Suresh Prabhu made the following observations: Steps must be taken so as to have skill development centres across all States. Institutional strengthening – In the context of training, the existing institutional structure should be strengthened further to ramp up the training. The business model of the Aviation University should be re-looked keeping in mind the vast demand for the human skilled resources in the coming years. As per a study, by 2035, the Indian Civil Aviation sector would require 0.8 to 1 million personnel directly and another 3 million indirectly. Training process re-engineering – outline actionable ideas to modify the existing training process to enhance the quality of the output as well as to make the system more efficient A comprehensive development plan on skill development should be prepared along with funding related strategies that will aid the capacity building required in the sector Recognizing the need for increasing air cargo industry size in India, the Sh. Prabhu made the following observations: Sufficient land should be earmarked in the upcoming airports for cargo operations. Should create air cargo trans-shipment hubs in India – sourcing cargo from neighbouring states and partner countries The policy should aim at creating inter-modal hubs and should have air-sea, air-road, air-inland waterways connectivity Geographical location and distinct products related to that location should be kept in mind while developing the cargo policy National Wind-solar Hybrid Policy (Topic: Infrastructure – Energy) By: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Objective of the policy is to provide a framework for promotion of large grid connected wind-solar PV hybrid system for efficient utilization of transmission infrastructure and land Aims at reducing the variability in renewable power generation and achieving better grid stability The Policy seeks to Promote new hybrid projects as well as hybridisation of existing wind/solar projects. The existing wind/solar projects can be hybridised with higher transmission capacity than the sanctioned one, subject to availability of margin in the existing transmission capacity. Provides for procurement of power from a hybrid project on tariff based transparent bidding process for which Government entities may invite bids Permits use of battery storage in the hybrid project for optimising the output and further reduce the variability Mandates the regulatory authorities to formulate necessary standards and regulations for wind-solar hybrid systems Launch of Intellectual Property mascot – IP Nani (Topic: Issues relating to intellectual property rights) Mascot IP Nani is a tech-savvy grandmother who helps the government and enforcement agencies in combating IP crimes with the help of her grandson “Chhotu” aka Aditya. The IP mascot will spread awareness about the importance of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) among people, especially children, in an interesting manner. This character is also in line with the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) campaign for the World IP Day which celebrates the brilliance, ingenuity, curiosity and courage of the women who are driving change in our world and shaping our common future. It also highlighted that how a strong IP system can support innovative and creative women and indeed everyone in their quest to bring their amazing ideas to the market. Objective of National IPR Policy: IPR Awareness: Outreach and Promotion”. Under this objective, one of the key focus areas is awareness on IPR for school children, as it is essential to nurture creativity and the ability to innovate starting out from a young age. Prelims oriented news: Prime Minister of Malaysia: H. E. Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad Botanical Garden of India Republic (BRIG) project: Help preserve the endangered vegetation in the country. Recent Cyclonic Storm over Gulf of Aden: SAGAR Samarth - Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector Objective: To provide demand driven, placement oriented National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) compliant skilling programmes to incentivize and supplement the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the textiles sectors. Target: The scheme targets to train 10 lakh persons (9 lakh in organised and 1 lakh in traditional sector) over a period of 3 years (2017-20), with an outlay of Rs. 1300 crore. Establishment of National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation at Bhopal To provide rehabilitation services to the persons with mental illness, capacity development in the area of mental health rehabilitation, policy framing and advanced research in mental health rehabilitation. NIMHR will be the first of its kind in the country in the area of mental health rehabilitation.   It will serve as an institution of excellence to develop capacity building in the area of mental health rehabilitation and also help the Government to develop models for effective rehabilitation of persons with mental illness. Mt. Bhagirathi-II: Located in the Garhwal Himalayas in Gangotri National Park Indian Army Women Officers’ Mountaineering Expedition to Mt. Bhagirathi-II (6512 metres) consisting of nine women officers has begun – The expedition aims at encouraging women in the field of adventure where dauntless courage, will-power and determination is put to test. The Indian Army women officers are exploring their maximum potential in the field of adventure sports. Locate it on the map National Geoscience Awards: Started in 1966 by the Ministry of Mines Geological Survey of India, the leading geoscientific survey organisation in the country, was founded in 1851. It was the world’s second such survey organisation. In March 2020, India will host the 36th International Geological Congress. This is the biggest geological conference in the world. Atal Pension Yojana: Subscribers base crosses 1 crore mark on completion of 3 years of launch of the Scheme A guaranteed Pension Scheme for citizens of India Focused on the unorganised sector workers which constitute more than 85% of workforce Under the APY, the guaranteed minimum pension of Rs. 1,000/- or 2,000/- or 3,000/- or 4,000/ or 5,000/- per month will be given at the age of 60 years depending on the contributions by the subscribers. The Spouse of the Subscriber is also eligible for pension and the nominee would be receiving the accumulated pension wealth. “AYUSH” finds a place in English Language: Acronym for five traditional and complementary systems of medicine, namely Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy As approved by the Commission, the word ‘ayush’ will have the meaning “Traditional and Non-Conventional Systems of Health Care and Healing which include Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa, Homoeopathy etc. India participates for the first time at the Meeting of Cultural Ministers of the SCO held in Sanya, Hainan province, China The main objectives of the SCO are to strengthen relations among member states; promote cooperation in various fields like political affairs, economics, and education, culture, tourism, environment protection etc. and promote regional peace, security, and stability among others. India attaches special importance to SCO in promoting multilateral, cultural, political, security, economic and people-to-people interaction in the region. India became full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on 9th June, 2017 during the SCO Heads of State Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. An eight-member multilateral organization, established on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China by the leaders  of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. SCO represents approximately 42% of the world’s population, 20% of its GDP and 22% of the landmass. National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) Seeks to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor through access to gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities Provide social security Strengthen tenure security Improve basic infrastructure and public services in informal settlements where urban poor are concentrated Reduce vulnerability Improve working conditions Indian Railways fits specially designed aerators in basin-taps of Tejas Express as a step towards water conservation The aerators through their fine pores break the stream of incoming water into fine water sub-streams. Hence, while the outflowing water is sufficient for utilisation towards cleanliness, the aerators prevent wastage of water by reducing excess water flow. Quotes: Swachh Bharat and Swastha Bharat must be mass movement The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu Media should take the truth into the society with courage and enthusiasm Media should dedicate itself to a new TRP philosophy of promotion of Truth in a Responsible and Professional manner Media should be a Means of Empowerment for Development through Informed Actions Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh During the last decade, India has attained first position with around 14% average annual growth in the export of fish & fishery products. Fish production in India has also grown by 27% in 2014-18 as compared to 2010-14. Government has made a budget provision of Rs 7,522.48 crore for the establishment of Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FAIDF) which has the potential to benefit 40 lakh marine and inland fishermen, especially women, self-help groups, weaker sections by making available modern infrastructure facilities and increased value of the produce. Owing to low prospects of fisheries production along the coast, the government has decided to promote deep sea fishing and has introduced a sub-component 'Assistance for Deep Sea Fishing' under the Blue Revolution: under this scheme, self-help groups of traditional fishermen are being given 50 per cent of the vessel cost i.e. the central assistance of Rs 40 lakh for vessel costing up to Rs 80 lakh. Advanced and modern deep sea fishing vessels will be built in the country by indigenous technology. National Policy on Marine Fisheries: will promote the integrated development of marine fisheries in the country for the next 10 years. State governments should take all necessary steps to ensure sustainable fishing. There is a need to fix fleet size, gear size, minimum legal size of fish, and minimum net size in their respective territorial waters to ensure proper utilization of marine fishery resources through fisheries management. Essential for physical and social infrastructure in the North Eastern Region (NER) HIRA: NITI Aayog has recently launched the ‘NITI Forum for the North East’ which envisages that development projects in the NER will be based on the concept of “HIRA” (Highways, Inland Waterways, Railways and Airways) Three ‘I’s are important: Institutions; Information and Infrastructure Supply-driven approach to infrastructure development has overlooked the local developmental aspirations in NER. Besides mega infrastructure projects, micro-interventions like e.g. storage facilities could help optimize the utilization of local resources for promoting entrepreneurship and job creation. Need to have a bottom-up approach rather than the top-down approach for developing the required infrastructure – there is need to have in place grass root R&D facilities at par with global standards. Local engagement is the key. Proper pricing, efficient supply of raw materials and product diversification can support the local industries to catch-up. Agri-based value chains have higher prospects in the NER. Special attention needs to be paid for extending digital connectivity across the region especially digital solutions for remote areas. NER has great potential for developing Green and Clean Energy based on generating Solar Energy. There should be provisions for addressing the specific financing requirements of the aspirational areas so as to ensure balanced regional development in the NER. There should be a dedicated think tank for the NER at the Central Government level.

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