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Creative Guidance – Nurturing a Dream – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Nurturing a Dream: It does not take any great skill or talent to dream big. If given an opportunity everybody dreams big. Dreaming big by itself does not make you special or unique. Every dog wants to chew on the biggest bone and every man wants to make it big in life; there is absolutely no big deal about dreaming big. If you think that you have big dreams and just because you dream big, people around you should love you and respect you, you are in for a rude shock. People really don’t care about your dreams. Dreams belong to your private domain; they cannot impress anybody on the outside. The more you try to assert your big dreams on people around you, the smaller you become in their eyes. A dream is not meant for taking on a parade to showcase its grandness. Rather a dream is a silent inner longing. It takes a divine reverence to protect and nurture a dream; boastful show of it only destroys it. When you are pregnant with a great dream, you become something different; you become quiet and secretive about it. Something changes in you when you are infused with a real dream. You walk differently, talk differently, think differently, eat differently and sleep differently when you are nurturing a dream. People around you will find it difficult to connect with you. They can notice that something has gone wrong with you but they cannot tell what that is. When you nurture a dream, you become mysterious to yourself and to people around you. Only a deep silent longing is a sign that you have begun to nurture a great dream; a dream that will consume your entire being and will eventually come to define you as a person. Finding a great dream is like finding a precious diamond; you don’t run around announcing that you have found it, rather you keep it a secret. There is something in the very nature of the mind that nurtures and protects a secret better than something that is open and visible to all. By the very nature of the mind, you will lose interest in your dream if you don’t keep it a secret. Secrecy increases the longing and helps it acquire new creative expressions. It does not matter if you have found a great dream or a great dream has found you, what is more important is learning how to protect and nurture it. Nurturing a dream is almost like starting a fire, it is best done when you find a quiet corner and work towards kindling it. Almost 90% of your work to nurture this dream has to be done within you, in secret. It takes patience and effort to nurture a dream. Nurturing a dream is infinitely more difficult than finding a dream. Just pause for a moment and ask yourself this question. Have you found a great dream to work towards? If the answer is yes then tell yourself that there is absolutely nothing special about it, everybody finds a great dream. Then ask yourself another question. Do you know how to nurture and protect a dream? If the answer is no, then your actual work has just begun. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”

IASbaba's OFFLINE CLASSES

REGISTRATION OPEN (Classroom Programme): IASbaba’s OFFLINE INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAMME – ILP 2019

For the Detailed write-up about our OFFLINE Classes -> Click Here Dear Friends, This program is meant for those who have completed 0% of syllabus yet determined to succeed in the first attempt itself. We place no restriction on your initial knowledge or competence as this program enhances both during the course! There are aspirants who have attended Mains/Interview and yet joined this program to redefine their basics with our smart strategies and then there are people who have not even touched 6th standard NCERT’s and joined this program. Both the above types have gone on to write mains and qualify for the interview.You will hear more about them in this year’s results!! Our flagship program ILP OFFLINE is designed to help freshers/Working Professionals/mains qualified/interview attended, learn from first principles and build strong basics. This approach helped our students solve several confusing/ambiguous questions of Prelims 2017. We believe in smart work. Our classes and materials guide aspirants to get the best results with minimal time and effort. Even working professionals who were regularly attending our weekend classes of ILP Offline 2016-17 have given their interview and are waiting for the results. In line with our tagline – “One Stop Destination for UPSC Preparation”, we have created an ecosystem that would stand true to its name ‘One Stop’ for every student who is part of it. The quality and pedigree of IASbaba faculty is unmatched by UPSC standards. Regarding the quality and importance of ILP OFFLINE 2018 programme, you can hear it from the students themselves. Features of IASbaba’s Offline Classes: Working Professionals can also join. There will be classes on Saturday's and Sunday's. Integration of Online Programme with Offline Classes – Offline Classes will be complemented by ILP online program which would contain Babapedia (Current Affairs), Value Added Notes (VAN), Test Series. Duration of the programme will be 15 months. The classes will be conducted keeping all the 3 Stages of the examination (Prelims, Mains, Interview) in mind. All GS papers will be covered before Prelims. Prelims (GS + CSAT) and Mains Tests are incorporated in the programme. The tests will be designed keeping a fresher’s preparation in mind. Accordingly, there will be a gradual increase in the difficulty level of the test. In tune with the demand of UPSC, there will be weekly Current Affairs Classes/Discussions and Test. Motivation and Prelims & Mains Strategy class exclusively by Toppers and Founders. We have the best mentors for the programme who will guide you throughout with the best possible support. Library Facility with WiFi and AC. This is where you get to interact with veterans many of them who are rank holders and accelerate your preparation. (It will be separately charged) Note: Optional guidance for subjects like Public Administration, Geography, Anthropology, Sociology is provided. Kannada Literature Optional Classes are charged separately. Admission Process for OFFLINE ILP 2019: Fill up the REGISTRATION FORM <- Click Here. Please note that all the fields in the registration should be filled. Incomplete forms will not be accepted. Once the registration form is filled, selected candidates will get an INVITE giving you the complete details of the programme (Course details, fees, date of commencement of the programme etc.) Also, the PAYMENT LINK will be given to make the payment for the Offline Classes. Once the payment is made, please send the acknowledgement to offline@iasbaba.com. This confirms your admission process! Please note that admission is through phone call/invite and then through first cum first serve from the process of the invites we have sent. It is our sole discretion to accept or reject any aspirant into the program. IMPORTANT DATES: REGISTRATION OPEN  for Admissions into OFFLINE ILP 2019 -  7th April 2018 REGISTRATION CLOSES – 30th June 2018 INVITIE’s for the Selected Candidates (via mail offline@iasbaba.com) -  1st May 2018 onwards CLASSES will commence from of 3rd week of JULY Queries Email- offline@iasbaba.comMobile No- 9035077800 Thank You IASbaba

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 7th April 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Maharashtra Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture: WB to provide loan Part of: Mains GS Paper II,III- Key interventions by the government, Environment conservation Key pointers: The World Bank has approved a Rs. 2,700-crore loan to improve water harvesting structures and adopt climate resilient agricultural practices in the water-starved Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra. The multilateral funding agency signed an agreement with the Centre and the Maharashtra government for a 30-year long loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which will be used to improve water availability in rain-fed areas in these regions, an official release said. Called Maharashtra Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture, the project is said to benefit seven million people, mainly small and marginal farmers, in over 5,100 villages in 15 climate vulnerable districts in these two regions. The project is expected to take a series of measures at the farm and watershed level. It will scale up climate-resilient technologies such as micro irrigation systems, expand surface water storage and facilitate aquifer recharge, which is expected to directly contribute to a more efficient use of scarce water resources. Besides, it will encourage farmers to adopt seeds of short-duration, and drought and heat-resistant crops so that farmers face lesser risk of climate-related crop failure. Article link: Click here Declining population of the Great Indian Bustard Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Environment, Conservation Key pointers: The global population of the GIB plummeted from 1,300 in the 1970s to a mere 300 between 2011-12. Rajasthan and Abdasa (Kutch, Gujarat) are the last remaining abodes of the GIB. Apart from power lines (high voltage ones, running above the ground) and loss of grassland are the reasons behind the decline. Loss of grassland — the habitat of the GIB — is primary cause: There is unhindered grazing and installing of windmills and power stations on grasslands, thereby encroaching upon the breeding and wintering ground of the GIB. Large parcels of grassland are converted to agricultural land. The changing agricultural pattern that is moving away from traditional crops is another reason. With the disappearance of the traditional Bajra and Jowar crops, whose by-products served as fodder, their food has been on the decline. An increase in the use of pesticides has further depleted the population of insects like the beetle, which the GIB and other birds feed on. About the GIB: The GIB is a heavy bird, weighing 15-16 kg. The GIB is a flagship species of the grassland; it determines the health of the grasslands, on which many other species of birds and animals, and even the dairy industry is dependent on. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) HEALTH/NATIONAL 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 Bringing in behavioral change for success of healthcare policies Background: The World Health Day, which is celebrated every year on on April 7, happens to be the day (in 1948) when the constitution of World Health Organization (WHO) came into force under the flag of the United Nations. This year’s World Health Day happens to be the 70th anniversary of WHO, which is being celebrated with the theme “Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere”. Healthcare challenges in India: One can talk at length about the healthcare challenges India faces. The country’s diversity in terms of geography, culture, and demography Political system Unsafe boundaries Huge population burden Poor investment in health Changing the behaviour pattern of the Indian masses, including the patient population, is something which has been focused upon much yet. How behavioural patterns, old traditions, beliefs, and habits affect the success of healthcare efforts? A case study: Gramin Health Care clinics were set up at IFFCO bazaars. The clinics were strategically located at IFFCO bazaars to ensure easy accessibility for a cluster of nearby villages. People were expected to begin accessing a modern healthcare clinic, which was operational throughout the year. However, the turnout was very low. A new approach was adopted- holding camps and reaching out to the villages and people started responding. The experience of interacting with the villagers exposed the strong hold that conventional beliefs and habits had on people. The lack of trust on existing healthcare models was evident given over the years, thousands of villages in India were left untouched by primary healthcare. Busting various myths, sharing continued education and awareness, and rendering door-to-door services especially for women and child care — triggered a change in the behavioural patterns of the villagers who began trusting a scientifically sound model, and moved away from long entrenched practices of going to quacks and unqualified doctors. In a short span, daily footfall at the clinics increased. The roadmap: A public policy promoting health awareness and healthcare delivery is unlikely to succeed if no efforts are made to modify individual behaviour. The focus needs to be towards the following: Effective people participation and engagement in healthier practices is essential. The more interactive health policies are, the higher will be chances of developing public understanding. New care delivery models should have behaviour change as a core component. Convincing the influencers first is vital. From the head of the village panchayat to celebrities, there needs to be a strategic approach in taking their help in bringing about behavioural change. Using modern technology to bridge the gap is key. Social media, digitisation, tele-assisted medicine, video and audio campaigns can play a significant role in reaching to the remotest of regions. The role of incentives and penalties cannot be overstated in bringing about beahvioural change. Including more accountable stakeholders is also important. Conclusion: Approaching healthcare policies from the behavioural angle can ensure better systemic efficiency and large-scale transformation. Connecting the dots: Ensuring behavioral change for the success of any policy is crucial, same is the case when it comes to health policy. Discuss. Also suggest measures to bring the behavioral change for the success of healthcare efforts. 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 Normalising India-Nepal relations Background: The current state of India’s relations with Nepal is unhealthy. Standing up against India has unfortunately become an important part of Nepal’s definition of sovereignty. Delhi must try and understand the sources of this negative tradition and address the problem purposefully. Issue: Delhi inherited from the Raj, the sense of paramountcy over the Subcontinent. And Delhi has refused to adapt to the new circumstances. If the Raj’s hegemony was based on a partnership with friendly feudals, Delhi was torn between aligning with the monarchies and responding to the democratic aspirations of the people in the peripheral states. One way or another, India was inevitably sucked into the internal affairs of its neighborus, including Nepal. The most recent case was India’s involvement in Nepal’s constitution-making. Way ahead: Nepal PM Oli's visit this week provides a major opportunity for Delhi to put the relationship with Nepal back on a new set of rails. As in India-US ties, the initiative to reduce suspicion and generate political comfort must come from the larger nation, which is India in case of India-Nepal. Three broad imperatives stand out for Delhi. India should acknowledge Nepal’s sovereignty and promise to conduct relations on that basis. Delhi needs to shift from underlining “the special relationship” with Nepal to one based on “sovereign equality”. This would mean that India should stop meddling in Nepal’s internal affairs and focus more on the state-to-state relationship. Also, it is in India’s interest to have a strong and sovereign Nepal on its northern frontiers. Instead of demanding an “India first policy” from Oli, Prime Minister the government must affirm that India’s strong support for a “Nepal first” policy. Situated between the world’s two fastest growing economies, Nepal has every reason to benefit from its location. While the Indian security establishment has long claimed a special political relationship, Delhi’s economic policies have prevented the full development of the natural economic complementarity between the two countries. The rotting trade infrastructure on the long and open border, Delhi’s cumbersome procedures for administering economic assistance and the inability to implement infrastructure projects in reasonable time, have all added to India’s woes in Nepal. Conclusion: The two sides must focus on the already committed projects and the ones that promise early returns to the people on both sides of the border. An emphasis on projects relating to cross-border trade, transport and tourism could be the beginning of a solid economic foundation for a sustainable political partnership with sovereign Nepal. Connecting the dots: The current state of India’s relations with Nepal is unhealthy. The initiative to reduce suspicion and generate political comfort must come from the larger nation, which is India in this case. Discuss. MUST READ Forging a culture of innovation The Hindu Healthy India, happy India Indian Express Ends and means Business Line 

RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : State of Our Cities

State of Our Cities Archives 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 In News: An assessment was carried out on the quality of laws, policies, institutions, and institutional processes – commonly called city systems in the 2017 Annual Survey of India’s City System (ASICS), by Janaagraha, a city-based non-profit. The study suggests that the city systems are the base or structure on which the quality of life of its residents depends. For this study, four factors were taken into account to gauge the quality of life for residents of a city Urban planning and design Urban capacities and resources Transparency, accountability and participation Empowered and legitimate political representation The study scores cities on a scale of 0 to 10. The Indian cities are also compared to benchmark cities across the world like New York and London. While both New York and London score 8.8, Indian cities struggle to cross the 5 point mark. Rankings: Pune is the best Indian city to live with a 5.1 rating followed by Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram and Bhubaneswar, each receiving a rating of 4.6. Capital Delhi manages a score of 4.4, while Hyderabad a 4.3. Mumbai is at 4.2, Chennai gets a 3.4 with Bengaluru at 3. Image source: https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/5H1c8l1WXm4bnuMNWGgojI/Countries-and-happiness-best-governed-cities-Messis-centu.html How has Pune gone from fourth to first position in the last three years? Undertook AMRUT Reforms seriously, laying down a plan in place and following it effectively. It has improved the share of its own revenue in total expenditure and raised the average per capita capital expenditure for the last three years. First city to use Municipal Bonds. It has made available online municipal staff data and a roadmap for digital governance. This led to the building of confidence and increased connect to community. Key Messages from ASICS: India’s cities need to address five systemic challenges in order to deliver better quality of life to citizens in a sustainable manner – Lack of viable spatial planning and design standards for public utilities – India has 1 urban planner per 400,000 people compared to UK’s 148 for the same Weak finances, both in terms of financial sustainability and accountability – more than half of the municipalities do not generate enough money to pay their salaries, 70% of the cities’ budget vary by 30% Poor human resource management – 35% average staff vacancy Powerless mayors and city councils, severe fragmentation of governance – multiple civic bodies, parastatals – multiple civic bodies with frequent change of toothless mayors, commissioners. Local government has the least amount of capability, quality of delivery and poor processes that are being followed. Most of the laws and policies that they are following are archaic. Total absence of systematic citizen participation and transparency – Only two cities have ward committees The Way Ahead Cities and their Foundation: There is a need to focus on building stronger foundations – not just focus on outcomes but also policies. Policies are very important and nobody talks about it. There is an urgent need of giving the highest importance to ‘urban designing’ and not just planning. Cities need to be seen as a unit of empowerment at the systems level. Cities and Reforms: Reforms in the big cities have been painfully slow also due to political instability. Smaller cities under AMRUT are witnessing better transparency, accountability and participation. Finances need to not just be generated but also be managed and accounted for. City people and City government: Government needs to meaningfully engage with the citizens. They need to update the citizens and push the envelope on the issue of discussions being done at the systemic level. City and local body of governance: There is a need to strengthen local body’s capability and capacity to deliver. A discussion on autonomy and devolution of power is long pending. Mayors need to be empowered with decision, and be trusted for the same. Absence of participatory citizen platforms: Citizens need to be involved and sensitized. More awareness programs in public places, schools and colleges need to be conducted. Must Read Articles: Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3 + Link 4 Connecting the Dots: For India to make urbanisation sustainable, it must first tackle the problems of multiplicity of jurisdictions, weak revenue base and human resource capacity deficit that impact most of its cities. Analyse.

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 6th April 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 6th April 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) 5.62 Lakh Indians affected by FB data leakage Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Issues related to governance Key pointers: Facebook has said that 5.62 lakh Indians were ‘potentially affected’ in the episode involving UK-based data miner Cambridge Analytica. Only 335 people in the country had installed the application that leaked information to CA. This corresponded to 0.1 per cent of the app’s worldwide installations. The data-breach episode had sparked a furore in India, with Law and IT Minister warning the social media giant of stringent action for any attempt to influence Indian elections through data theft. The government sent Zuckerberg a show-cause notice on March 28, asking if the company, or its related or downstream agencies, utilised Facebook data to manipulate the Indian electoral process. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Reforming the vocational education/training system in India Background: In 2016, the Government of India formed the Sharada Prasad Committee to rationalise the Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and improve ‘Skill India’. The committee submitted its report in 2016. Now over a year later, it may be prudent to look at the reforms it suggested and action taken in the vocational education/training (VET) system. Goals of ‘Skill India’: To meet employers’ needs of skills. To prepare workers (young and old) for a decent livelihood. The Sharada Prasad Committee's report: The recurring theme in the report is its focus on youth. Each recommendation underlines that- The VET is not just for underprivileged communities. It is not a stopgap arrangement for those who cannot make it through formal education. It is for all of us. Streaming for students: It suggests concrete steps to ensure a mindset change, such as- Having a separate stream for vocational education (in secondary education). Creating vocational schools and vocational colleges for upward mobility. Having a Central university to award degrees and diplomas. China, for instance, has such a separate stream after nine years of compulsory schooling, and half the students choose VET at the senior secondary level (after class nine). A global alignment: Aligning the courses to international requirements, ensuring a basic foundation in the 3Rs, and life-long learning is required. National standards for an in-demand skill set with national/global mobility that translates into better jobs. Short duration courses (with no real skills) that provide low pay for suboptimal jobs cannot be called national standards. Hence the current national standards have to drastically improve. The focus should be in strengthening reading, writing and arithmetic skills. No skill development can succeed if most of the workforce lacks the foundation to pick up skills in a fast-changing world. Strengthening regulation: As in other industries, the regulator has displayed a limited capacity to regulate. Cases of a conflict of interests, of rigged assessments and of training happening only on paper are not new. A recent parliamentary report on private ITIs reported that the number of private ITIs has grown from under 2,000 to over 11,000 in five years. It points to failure of regulation, accompanied by a lack of quality training on offer at such ITIs. There is a huge ethics and accountability issue if there is no credible assessment board and when there are too many sector skill councils, each trying to maximise their business. The Sharada Prasad Committee had recommended that the number of SSCs should correspond to the National Industrial (Activity) Classification (which has 21 economic activities across the entire economy). Unification of the entire VET system: This should be first policy step. What we have today are fragmented pillars. An NSDC-centric focus has left the skill development efforts of 17 ministries out of the same scrutiny. ‘Skill India’ can have an impact only when all of them work together and learn from each other. Enhancing employer ownership: The private sector places the onus of unemployment on the government, treating it as a welfare responsibility, while the government looks to the private sector since it is the end consumer of skills. The result is that only 36% of India’s organised sector firms conduct in-firm training. In this regard the committee’s recommendation of a reimbursable industry contribution model (applicable only to the organised sector) should solve the problem. It could ensure reimbursements for those companies undertaking training while rewarding industry for sharing and undertaking skilling until everyone in the company is skilled. Conclusion: India can surely become the world’s skill capital but not with what it is doing right now. The reforms suggested by the committee can be a good starting point. Taking advantage of the Indian demographic dividend must be a key part of India’s growth story. Connecting the dots: The Skill India mission needs certain reforms. In this light discuss the recommendations made by the Sharada Prasad Committee. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social sector or Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. Granting autonomy to educational institutions: Issues with latest policy Introduction: A new scheme of greater autonomy to educational institutions has been announced. Depending on the NAAC scores the institutions will be slotted in category I, II and lower. There will be less autonomy as the rank declines. Those in the highest category will have the freedom to start new courses, hire foreign faculty and pay higher emoluments to faculty. So, some will have more freedom but others will have even less. Autonomy has been identified as the key to improving the quality of higher education in India. Would the current move lead to high quality higher education? Issue: Can “standards be achieved by standardisation”? UGC and its committees have become the arbiter of standards and all institutions are expected to fall in line. This includes the points an academic had to collect under the API system to get promoted, the degrees and tests needed to become a teacher and so on. Teachers had to be upgraded periodically through training institutions. The entire structure of teaching-learning was progressively determined by the UGC. With each pay commission, there were more and more regulations and diktats. The quality of education has not improved with all these standards. Institutions have deteriorated in quality. Understanding what makes an institution great: Great institutions of learning accept that knowledge is not ready made and has multiple sources. Different people have different ways of learning and producing knowledge. Someone may publish many papers each year while some may publish a seminal work in a decade. Nobel Prize winner Higgs (God particle fame) said for the first 15 years at Cambridge he did not publish anything. What is required? A multiplicity of approaches are needed for knowledge to advance. In higher education a great deal of freedom is required to generate ideas. What does autonomy mean in real terms? Autonomy implies the freedom to pursue one’s own path of knowledge generation. Teachers in higher education institutions need to devise their own courses to teach the perspective they feel best reflects the subject — standardised courses, like in schools, are undesirable. Good teaching and research go hand in hand. This requires commitment which comes when academics have autonomy. Academic autonomy must filter down. The institution must have autonomy from external pressures, the department must have autonomy from the head of the institution and the teacher from the head of the department. Why the latest move is not a step in right direction? The latest move to provide graded autonomy to institutions will curtail the autonomy of academics in these institutions. The institutions will have to generate their own funds for many of the freedoms they are being granted. So, they would be subject to the dictates of the market. Consequently, professional courses may get money but not the core social sciences or sciences. There would be pressure to move towards paying courses. Those not catering to the markets would be marginalised and the generation of the socially relevant knowledge would decline. Conclusion: The idea of becoming world class implies that our institutions would have to create facilities that prevail in the advanced countries to attract faculty and students from there. In a poor country like India this would result into drain of resources from other institutions. The new policy confuses the autonomy for individual faculty members with that for the institution, that too truncated by the dictates of markets. Connecting the dots: A new scheme of greater autonomy to educational institutions has been announced recently. Analyze how far the policy will help in making higher educational institutions in India 'great'. MUST READ Expanding the SC ST Act The Hindu Was the SC right on the anti-atrocities law? The Hindu Consent is crucial The Hindu The health coverage challenge Business Line

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Various Aspects of Social Media

Various aspects of Social media ARCHIVES Search 21st March, 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 General Studies 3: Role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, Basics of cyber security In News: Cambridge Analytica is said to have accessed Facebook users' data without permission and, is claimed to have helped manipulate election results. SCL had access of user data through a Facebook app called “thisisyourdigitallife" and the app was downloaded by 270,000 people. The firm got the data from a researcher who paid 270,000 Facebook users to complete a psychological profile quiz back in 2014. But the quiz gathered information on their friends as well, bringing the total number of people affected to about 50 million. As the news of the breach spread, a hashtag emerged, #deletefacebook, which ironically trended on the social media site. This is not the first instance of a data breach on Facebook— but it surely is one of the biggest so far. Data Analytics in the times of Social Media: Governments over the world has increasingly started using the social media to establish a voice and presence on the platform and invite citizen engagement, embed information in new media channels that citizens frequent daily, leverage crowds to pull information on security/law and order issues, for coordinating community policing efforts and to put a human face on policing. Nowadays, businesses are collecting small pieces of data leading to a profile creation to influence his/her mode of thinking by ‘using data analytics’. This is helpful in influencing a person to show his/her interest in the advertisements by the businesses.   The Way Ahead: Responsibility of an individual: The problems plaguing social network security and privacy issues, can only be resolved if users take a more careful approach to what they share and how much. With the growth of social networks, it’s becoming harder to effectively monitor and protect site users and their activity because the tasks of security programmers become increasingly spread out. Crimes of house burglary and child kidnapping have been taking place as users themselves inform the world that they are vulnerable to the same by posting photos of their vacation or the whereabouts of the children as frequent updates. Responsibility of the social media channel: Private data needs to be private and no information should be shared without prior information/ consent with any third party. Responsibility of the State: Vigilance and training are crucial to minimizing risks for individuals and business, and therefore the State needs to incorporate this into legislation. A national law on cyber security is the need of the hour, and absence of which has resulted in a fertile ground for for the misuse and unauthorised access of users' data by the service providers. India should not allow its data to be stored outside its boundaries. Service providers must (be made to pay) high penalty if they are found to be misusing the data of Indians irrespective of if they are physically located in the country or not India should also not cut-paste any other country's law as India's social realities are entirely different. The country has to deal with the huge issue of Aadhaar which is reeling under variety of cyber-attacks because we have failed to apply cyber security as an integral part of the Aadhaar architecture. Political parties should refrain from using the same data to manipulate the public opinion. Connecting the Dots: Discuss the ways in which Social Media should be regulated to thwart the security challenges posed by its burgeoning growth in India.   With social media becoming more and more socially and politically relevant, should there be a strong regulatory mechanism for it? Discuss

IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2018 SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY & CURRENT AFFAIRS [Day 27]

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

MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Data Privacy Laws

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Data Privacy Laws Archives NOTE – Instructions to download Mind Maps/Images Right Click on the image and ‘Open in a new tab’ Remove/Delete the resolution part from the URl. Eg. “-1024×869” and Press Enter/Load Again Afterwards the URL will look something like this – “iasbaba.com/…./…/..-IASbaba.jpg” Right Click and Save As/Download (You’ll get the maximum resolution)

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 5th April 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 5th April 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) One candidate, one seat Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Salient features of ROPA Act. Key pointers: A petition has been filed in SC challenging Section 33(7) of the Representation of the People Act, which allows a candidate to fight from two seats at the same time. As per the law, a person can contest elections for the same office from two constituencies simultaneously. Section 70 of the Act specifies that a person who wins on both seats can hold one seat only. In 2004, the CEC had urged the Centre for amend the Act to provide that a person cannot contest from more than one constituency for the same office simultaneously. Issues raised by the petitioner: When a candidate contests from two seats, it is imperative that he has to vacate one of the two seats, if he wins both. The financial burden on the public exchequer, government manpower and other resources for holding a by-election against the resultant vacancy. It is also an injustice to the voters of the constituency which the candidate is quitting from. Article link: Click here NIRF rankings 2018 Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. Key pointers: The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has recently announced the National Institution Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2018 rankings for higher education institutes. The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, topped the overall rankings and also secured the top position in the best university category. IIT Madras secured the second place followed by IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur. The rankings, according to the report was released under nine categories: Overall, universities, engineering, colleges, management, pharmacy, medical, architecture, and law. The NIRF also added several new criteria such as total budget and its utilisation, combined metric for quality of publications, university examinations and how many graduating students admitted into top institutions. Article link: Click here 10 GW of wind power by 2022 Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Energy security Key pointers: The Centre is looking to boost the country’s renewable energy footprint through offshore wind energy projects. The first bid for setting up an offshore wind project in Tuticorin will come this year. The government is expecting to have 10 GW of installed offshore wind power generation by 2022 Article link: Click here (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 China-India-Pakistan-Bangladesh axis: A game changer for South Asia Background: At the heart of South Asia’s poor integration is India-Pakistan rivalry, complicated by China-Pakistan proximity and India-China hostility. A new dimension has been added with souring of Pakistan-Bangladesh relations and the India-China tug of war over Bangladesh. Time has come to make a paradigm shift in South Asia’s regional integration strategy. Caught in a tangle: Today the big three of South Asia (IPB) are caught up in a complex web, both within and beyond the region. The remaining five — i.e. Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan — are paying the price of regional disintegration caused by unresolved puzzles having roots in the China-IPB (CIPB) axis. If the big three can have a strategic partnership that also factors in China, the remaining five can effortlessly fit into positive regionalism with a win-win situation for all. India-Pakistan-Bangladesh: IPB account for approximately 95% of South Asia’s GDP and population. Along with China, they account for 18.5% of global GDP and 41% of global population. Intra-regional trade: Far below potential: South Asia’s intra-regional trade, currently 5% of total trade, can grow to $80 billion from the current $28 billion, the lion’s share being within IPB. Pakistan and India have potential trade capacity of $20 billion compared to the current $3 billion. Underdeveloped transport and logistics services and bureaucratic procedures are deterring India-Bangladesh cross border trade, which can grow by 300%. Accelerating inward investments: Although the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is being developed as a bilateral initiative, if Indian sensitivities can be addressed, it can be a multilateral project, integrating India as well as other South Asian and Central Asian regions. China has already pledged $38 billion to Bangladesh under the BRI. Synergetic integration of the economic corridors with other BRI projects can accelerate inward investment into IPB. Connectivity: Issue: Due to cross-border barriers and lack of transport facilitation among IPB, freight movement is taking place along expensive routes, escalating investment cost. Movement of trucks across the international frontier is confined by absence of cross-border agreements between India and Bangladesh and India and Pakistan. Rail connectivity is restricted due to technical problems of different gauges, track structures, signalling and so forth. Absence of a multilateral agreement has restricted the realisation of the railway potential. Way ahead: The deep-pocketed Chinese can invest in land and rail infrastructure to develop both inter-regional connectivity and intra-regional connectivity. Although India and Bangladesh have started exploring opportunities using Ashuganj inland port, regional inland waterways must be explored. China can lead in transport and transit agreements to facilitate smooth movement of freight and passenger vehicles across IPB resulting in integration with China and also South Asia. Meeting the energy potential: The supply-demand gap of power in IPB is estimated to be 18,707 MW. To unravel the full potential, energy treaties based on renewable sources have become imperative. With greater electricity generation and utilisation of domestic energy endowments, combined efforts of BCIM, CPEC and the proposed China-Nepal-India (CNI) Economic Corridor under BRI, can capitalise on regional energy potential. Meeting the water demand: By 2050, China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will experience water shortages. Issue: The three largest trans-boundary river basins, Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra, are all within CIPB. This represents a huge potential for water-sharing and hydro power projects across the basins, but political mistrust is an impediment. While there exist bilateral river-water sharing treaties between India and Pakistan as well as India and Bangladesh, China is absent except for a hydrological data-sharing collaboration. China has expressed interest to pursue water- sharing treaties and the other three affected can come together in a collaborative framework. This can boost the livelihoods of millions across the region. Promoting tourism: Issues: IPB fail to attract sufficient tourists due to poor civil aviation connectivity, complex regulations and lack of visa liberalisation procedures. Of China’s total outbound tourists, only 1% are to IPB. Inadequate, expensive and mediocre travelling facilities against the backdrop of pickpockets, burglary, and sexual assaults have resulted in tourists lacking interest in the region. If these issues are resolved, it would enhance mobility of both tourists and students. Conclusion: A strategic collaboration between CIPB that rises to the occasion, looking beyond historical animosity and misgivings, can unlock a new era of regionalism whose benefits far outweigh negatives. Connecting the dots: Today the big three of South Asia (India-Pakistan-Bangladesh) are caught up in a complex web, both within and beyond the region. Time has come to make a paradigm shift in South Asia’s regional integration strategy. Discuss. MUST READ Confidence in the house The Hindu Anti-forest, anti-dweller The Hindu Failing the law Indian Express The friend of my enemy Indian Express An untenable defence Indian Express

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Innovation and Entrepreneurship ARCHIVES Search 19th March, 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 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources   The vision of a newer and better India calls for meeting certain developmental milestones, some of these as early as 2022, the year the country commemorates 75th anniversary of Independence. It is imperative that India becomes a growth engine for the world and provides a new model of inclusive development by providing a large number of open technological and other solutions for the developing and developed world. A comparison of India with its peers in BRICS economies in a recent study suggests that perception about entrepreneurship on rise in India. The report suggests that perceived opportunity is the highest and perceived capability is the second highest among all. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Report found An increase in the rate of entrepreneurial intention to 14.9% in 2017 compared to 9% the previous year Fear of failure rate has decreased to 37.5% from 44% in 2016. Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) Aim: To recognise, showcase and reward innovations and to promote a supportive ecosystem for innovators from all over the country Would provide platform to the innovators for building the linkages with potential stakeholders whose support can improve their prospects in coming years for the larger social good Help in promoting lateral learning and linkages among the innovators to enrich the ecosystem for sharing of ideas Provide a window to showcase creative and innovative solutions for social development through innovation emerging from grassroots, student ideas and other technologies Organised by: Rashtrapati Bhavan in association with the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) India and the Department of Science and Technology Gandhi Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards were given to 23 innovators for their innovative products that ranged from innovations in microscopy to biotechnology, including one on the solar cooker. FINE also includes an “In-Residence” Program as part of which a batch of ten innovation scholars will stay within the President’s Estate and will be provided mentoring as well as opportunities for idea sharing with key stakeholders. The Way Ahead – Setting rules for our tomorrows Innovations have the potential to make India a collaborative society, and there is a need to translate innovation to entrepreneurship. At the same time, these innovations need to revitalize every link in the innovation value chain, and be replicable that can reach out to all cross-sections of the society. Mantra to be followed: Innovate, Patent, Produce and Prosper – IPPP Create the right set of conditions for game-changing business models to emerge and flourish – India needs to nourish a true culture of innovation. Entrepreneurship should become the centerpiece of contemporary education, as it is not only about the ability to start companies, but also to think creatively and ambitiously. Students need to be “innovation-ready” to face the challenges of the complex world they will be a part of in the future. To have an entrepreneurial mindset is to have the ability to identify and solve problems. Schools should encourage children to tinker rather than memorise and mug. Work cultures should be such that young talent looks up and questions – rather than looks down and nods. Technology is the key We have to promote cutting-edge technologies alongside grassroots innovations so that a pipeline for future applications is generated. Big or small, businesses are looking to adopt emerging technologies. To keep pace, we must be re-inventing, challenging and rethinking the way we do business. That means venturing into unfamiliar territory. Step one for India in seizing the global tech stage is internalizing this elemental spirit of innovation. Adopt the culture of embracing failure and fear Failure is an essential ingredient for innovation. But in India, we have traditionally been much more risk-averse. We need to grow comfortable with risk—and pursue forward-looking opportunities with potential for enormous payoff. Innovations by themselves are not enough. We must also build an ecosystem for converting innovations into enterprises. This requires support for start-ups and for incubating young innovators. Therefore, India must work towards translating innovative ideas into accessible and affordable products and services for its people. At the end of the day, innovation is all about people, and that’s a resource that India has in abundance. Must Read: Link 1 Connecting the Dots: For a country sitting at the cusp of a demographic disaster, it is imperative to unleash the entrepreneurial energy of its marginalized and weaker sections. Discuss. Examine the provisions of the Stand Up India Loan Scheme. What are the roles of skill development, training and entrepreneurship for both post-harvest management and food processing industry? Examine.

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