Posts

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 13th February 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 13th February 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) INS Chakra Part of: (Prelims) Defence; India and Russia Russian authorities have demanded ₹125 cr. to carry out repairs on INS Chakra About INS Chakra Indian Navy's only nuclear-powered submarine (Akula Class submarine). INS Chakra is a nuclear-powered submarine which was taken by India on lease from Russia in 2012 for a period of 10 years at an estimated cost of US$670 million. Belongs to Project P71 Russian name - K-152 Nerpa (Nerpa is the Russian word for the Baikal seal and Chakra is the mythical weapon of the Indian god Vishnu) INS Chakra is a Russia-made, nuclear-propelled, hunter-killer submarine. Unlike conventional submarines that India operates which need to surface to charge their batteries often - sometimes as frequently as 24 hours - INS Chakra can stay under as long as it wants. Its ability to stay underwater is restrained only by human endurance to stay underwater. Also, another problem that the submarine could face is acidity. This is because of a lack of exercise inside due to prolonged deployments. Link: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2018/02/13/CNI/Chennai/TH/5_01/12b2948d_1879079_101_mr.jpg Things to do: Find out which other nations possess nuclear-powered submarines. Revise 6 Scorpene class submarines and Project 75 (From 1st Feb DNA Prelims Focus) Article link: Click here Forest Cover: ISFR (India State of Forests 2017 Report) Part of: (Prelims+Mains) GS Paper III – Environment, Ecology and Biodiversity; Conservation Highlights of India State of Forests 2017 report: India’s forest and tree cover has increased by nearly 1% since 2015. Forests in most of the biodiversity-rich north-eastern part of the country have been contracting continuously over the last few years. (Concern) Forest cover in hill districts and tribal districts grew. The latest ISFR report includes information about water bodies in forests. (a new feature) – There has been increase in the extent of water bodies in forest areas Do you know? India ranks among the top 10 countries of the world in terms of forest area. India has shown an increasing trend in forest and tree cover compared to the global trend of decreasing forest cover during the last decade. India targets to have 33% of its geographical area (GA) under forest cover. According to the report, at present 15 states and Union territories have more than 33% of their GA under forest cover. Among the states, Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover (77, 414 sq. km), followed by Arunachal Pradesh (66,964 sq. km), Chhattisgarh (55,547 sq. km) Odisha (51, 345 sq. km) and Maharashtra (50,682 sq. km). However the forest area in all above states, except Odisha, has decreased since 2015. (Concern) As per the latest FAO report, India is 8th in the list of top 10 nations reporting the greatest annual net gain in forest area. Top 5 states where forest cover grew: Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Kerala Odisha Telangana Top five states where forest cover declined: Mizoram Nagaland Arunachal Pradesh Tripura Meghalaya Pic link: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2018/02/13/CNI/Chennai/TH/5_09/f975eef8_1879088_101_mr.jpg Important: India announced a voluntary target in 2015 of creating additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 (carbon dioxide) equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. Article link: Click here Kambar to head Sahitya Akademi Part of: Prelims – Persons in news Key pointers: Kannada litterateur Chandrashekar Kambar has been elected as president of the Sahitya Akademi. Hindi poet Madhav Koushik has been elected as vice-president. Prof. Kambar is the third Kannada writer to head the country’s premier literary institution, after Vinayak Krishna Gokak (1983) and U.R. Ananthamurthy (1993). The Sahitya Akademi is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: 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. India and West Asia Relations. Growing importance of West Asia Introduction: India seeks to pursue a multi-dimensional engagement with West Asia. Focus on India’s ‘Look West’ policy is evolving rapidly. India and Palestine relations: PM Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Palestine. India signed six agreements – (worth around $50 million) setting up of a super speciality hospital in Beit Sahur setting up of a centre for empowering women procurement of equipment and machinery for the National Printing Press investment in the education section PM Modi was conferred the ‘Grand Collar of the State of Palestine’ by President Mahmoud Abbas, recognising his key contribution to promote relations between India and Palestine. The Grand Collar is Highest order given to foreign dignitaries — Kings, Heads of State/Government and persons of similar rank. India hopes for Palestine to soon emerge a sovereign and independent country in a peaceful atmosphere. India and UAE relations: PM Modi re-connected with the UAE leadership for the second time in three years. Trade and economic ties are becoming central to the India-UAE relationship. A landmark pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10% stake in offshore oil concession will be the first Indian investment in the UAE’s upstream oil sector. The above move transforms a traditional buyer-seller relationship into a long-term investor relationship with stakes in each other’s strategic sectors. There was also an MoU aimed at institutionalising the collaborative administration of contractual employment of Indian workers. Growing convergence on tackling terrorism - The two countries reiterated their condemnation for efforts, including by states, to use religion to justify, support and sponsor terrorism against other countries, or to use terrorism as instrument of state policy. Significance of Oman for India Oman has been a long-standing partner of India in West Asia, where Indians constitute the largest expatriate community. With the Indian Ocean becoming a priority focus area for India, Oman’s significance is likely to grow. China’s expanding footprint in the Indian Ocean Region has alerted India to the possibility of strengthening security ties with littoral states. India is likely to step up its military presence in Oman. Naval cooperation has already been gaining momentum with Muscat giving berthing rights to Indian naval vessels to fight piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Regular naval exercises have now become the norm. India and Oman have made military cooperation more expansive. Other areas of cooperation - health, tourism and peaceful uses of outer space. Conclusion: All these shows the depth of India’s foreign policy outreach in West Asia. India’s engagement with West Asia should now focus on delivering on its commitments and strengthening its presence as an economic and security partner. This will be crucial as traditional powers such as the U.S. and Russia are jostling militarily, even as America’s stakes in the region decline by the day. China and India, as two emerging powers, are yet to articulate a clear road map for the region. While India is still stuck in the age-old debates of Israel-Arab rivalry, West Asia has moved on. Growing rivalry between the Sunni Arabs and Shia Iran is reshaping old relationships and India will have to be more pragmatic in its approach towards the region. Connecting the dots: What importance does the West Asian region hold for India’s economic and strategic interests? Discuss. Also elaborate upon the role of past economic and cultural ties in shaping India’s relations with West Asia today. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Biofuel: As an alternative fuel for transportation sector Introduction: India faces a major paradox today. While a robust transport sector fuels a growing economy and heralds the economic growth on one hand, on the other it also leaves an unsustainable carbon footprint on cities, severely impacting the health and well-being of citizens. The transport sector is the second largest contributor to carbon dioxide. In addition to the health costs of pollution, fossil fuel dependency of the sector continues to burden the exchequer. Oil as only fuel for transport sector: Over the next 20 years India’s energy intensity and fuel dependency is expected to rise. According to IEA, India’s oil demand is to rise the fastest — by 6 million barrels per day to 9.8 mb/d in 2040. It has also projected that oil production will fall behind demand, pushing oil import dependence above 90 per cent by 2040. Meanwhile, projections are that the transport sector will contribute to two-thirds of the rise in India’s oil demand. Pushing the policy: Given India’s rapidly growing fossil fuel dependence and rising demand of the transport sector it is required to look at policies for the transport sector that aim both to reduce the carbon footprint of the sector and meet the nation’s transport demand. E-mobility: Good but should not be the only option The government has made a major announcement to incentivize and go all-electric by 2030. While the thrust on e-mobility is welcome, current policies have not given similar policy support to alternative fuels, in particular the high potential of biofuels as a promising vehicular fuel. Relying on e-mobility alone will not accomplish our ambition to create a sustainable and green transport on a pan-India basis. Market uptake of pure electric vehicles has been largely confined to scooters. We have not seen a rapid rollout of electric buses and cars. Even if there is rapid adoption of electric cars, the problem of congestion remains as private vehicle growth is not the desired direction. We need a shift to public transport, notably buses, which are space and cost-efficient. Biofuel-run buses — private and public — present an unprecedented solution. What is biofuel? A biofuel is a fuel that is produced through contemporary biological processes, such as agriculture and anaerobic digestion, rather than a fuel produced by geological processes such as those involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum, from prehistoric biological matter. Advantages of bio-fuel: India generates around 70 billion litres of waste water every day, which is expected to double in the next 15 years according to the McKinsey Global Institute. By building biogas generation and upgrading facilities at the STP sites, the output can potentially substitute 350 million litres of diesel, 2.3 gigawatt hours of natural gas fired power and over 8 million LPG cylinders of 14.2kg each. India could replace over 40% of the projected demand for diesel in 2020 by . Energy generated from biofuels is equivalent to 340 million barrels of oil or over $22 billion (assuming a landed price of $65 per barrel). Production of biofuel from crop residue would solve the challenge of stubble burning resulting into thick smog in Delhi-NCR. Considering that in the first quarter India had a current account deficit of $14.3 billion, we could wipe out almost a third of our current account deficit. The increase in ethanol production alone has the potential to create over 700,000 jobs when targeting only the base potential. States with a combination of high agricultural activity and large fuel consumption like Maharasthra, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh are best positioned to exploit this opportunity. Pilots: Biofuel-driven buses in cities like Nagpur, where the government has allowed special purpose vehicles to own and operate these buses along with the plants and the depots required to fuel the buses. The city administration has worked with a manufacturer of biofuel buses to roll out green fuel buses that not only solve the green transport problem but also a waste problem. The fuel which is used in these buses is generated from local waste, in effect converting local waste into local fuel for local transport. Way forward: The economic viability of scaling up of pilot projects will happen if a rational tax policy is implemented. Successful pilots of biofuel-run large transport such as buses have not yet received national policy support. Any rapid adoption and scale requires government support to all stakeholders in the vehicular biofuel supply chain, including, manufacturers of biofuel engines, suppliers of biofuels and of course fuelling infrastructure. Scaling models that promote ideas based on local waste, local fuel and local transport. There have been no fiscal incentives to encourage biofuel-based mass transport — buses which can run on biofuel now attract 28 per cent GST plus 15 per cent cess. This would place renewable fuel-enabled buses in the same category as luxury vehicles and cigarettes! Conclusion: Pushing for biofuel buses for public transport within a specific timeline like 2020, would help transform our public transport services, improve the health of our citizens, provide economic impetus and create jobs. E-mobility thrust is welcome, but it is not a panacea to issues facing the transport sector. A holistic approach which includes biofuels as vehicle fuel is required to achieve our dream of creating an environmentally and economically sustainable transport sector. With a holistic approach, which includes the full potential of biofuels for vehicles, we will be able to achieve our dream of creating an environmentally and economically sustainable transport sector. Connecting the dots: Discuss how bio-fuels can solve the problem of pollution in India. Given its potential, adequate policy push is required. Analyze. MUST READ Adapting better to climate change The Hindu The Jallikattu Challenge The Hindu Aadhaar that doesn't exclude biometric authentication Indian Express Is India ready for NHPS Indian Express Privacy in the air Indian Express E-way bill: Simple is effective Business Line Why Indian IT needs an urgent reboot Business Line 

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 143]

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 143] Archives Q.1) ‘Pamir Knot’ is the junction of which of the following ranges? Karakoram Kunlun Tien Shan Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Duqm Port is located in Jordan Yemen UAE Oman Q.3) Consider the following statements about Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) It is a statutory body Bibek Debroy is the chairman of the current EAC Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about ‘Indo-HCM’ It is developed by CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) It is India’s first ever Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) to guide road engineers and policy makers about road expansion Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) With reference to 'Changpa' community of India, consider the following statements They live mainly in the State of Uttarakhand They rear the Pashmina goats that yield fine wool They are kept in the category of Scheduled Tribes Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 and 3 only 3 only 1, 2 and 3 To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best  IASbaba

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Meeting of Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs

Meeting of Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs ARCHIVES Search 4th January 2018 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. At a recent CCEA meeting, following major decisions were taken: Mandatory jute packaging It was decided to make it mandatory for foodgrains and sugar to be packaged in jute bags. The jute industry has been going through major crisis for several decades. The importance of jute has been recognized by the government. It is ecofriendly as compared to more polluting plastic. Huge number of people are employed Till 10 years ago, there was a heavy pressure for plastic industry lobby to see that the compulsory jute packaging norm was diluted or no such rule should exist. Jute industry is the only industry in eastern India which employs maximum people and is a major source of income for most of the cultivators in eastern India- Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam and to some extent Andhra Pradesh. If the rule for dilution of compulsion of jute bags is brought into force, then the jute industry will be finished as majority of people will become unemployed. Thus, the government decided to extend the requirement for packing of foodgrains in jute bags. The jute industry is predominantly dependent on government, which purchases jute products worth more than Rs. 5,500 crore every year. However, diversification of jute industry products is needed to sustain the growth of the industry and increase its value in the market- jute is woven with cotton and silk clothes, jute handbags, jute baskets etc. Thus, there has to be quality improvement in jute products. But it lacks in finishing due to lack of proper infrastructure to create best quality products. Another challenge is the huge competition with Bangladesh. India had been liberal in giving them access to market. Hence there is a need to rationalize import duty. There will be growing need for jute products for its environment friendly nature. The Jute Year 2017-18 period is from 1st July 2017 to 30th June, 2018. Construction and maintenance of Zojila Tunnel In a strategic decision, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved 6,808-crore Zojila Tunnel project in Jammu and Kashmir that will provide year-round connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh when completed. This is important as this areas is mostly cut off for 6 months because of snow. The Zojila tunnel has serious environmental problem due to avalanche threat. Thus, it is in defence interest and security interest of India if an all weather road is provided. Also, the project would ensure safe, fast and cheap connectivity between the two regions of Kashmir and Ladakh. It will also provide employment potential for the local labourers for the project activities. Set up panel to approve amendments to model concession agreements (MCA) to make port projects more investor friendly The destination has to be investor friendly and then only investors will come. Indian Ports need serious modernization. The amendments in the MCA envisage constitution of a Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes-Ports (SAROD-PORTS), similar to the provision available in the highway sector, as a dispute resolution mechanism. PPP in ports is very crucial but many investors found that the exit clause was difficult. Thus, not much development was being made in the modernization and upgradation of port projects. Another problems included lot of time taken in environmental clearances and acquiring land. The recent amendments are expected to clear the hurdles created by some of the provisions in the current model concession agreement. Efforts are made to get foreign investments in ports also. The revised investor-friendly contract —providing for relaxed exit, expansion, lower charges for land use based on each container, cheaper dispute resolution mechanism, online complaint portal for users — will be applicable for prospective projects. Connecting the dots: The CCEA plays an important role in floating the domestic economy above the danger line. Discuss with suitable examples.

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 12th February 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) India and UAE @ World Government Summit (WGS) Part of: (Prelims+Mains GS Paper II) – India and the World; India and UAE World Government Summit (WGS) was held in Dubai, UAE. Understanding basics: About World Government Summit (WGS) The World Government Summit is a global platform dedicated to shaping the future of government worldwide. World Government Summit (WGS) will be held in Dubai, UAE every year. Each year, the Summit sets the agenda for the next generation of governments with a focus on how they can harness innovation and technology to solve universal challenges facing humanity. WGS is a knowledge exchange center at the intersection between government, futurism, technology, and innovation. Just remember – WGS is a global platform, a non-government body, it focuses on focus on the issues of futurism, technology and innovation. It analyzes the future trends, issues, and opportunities facing humanity. WGS 2018 WGS highlights: Efforts to address the misuse of cyberspace by terrorists and hackers. Importance of assimilating technology with governance to ensure equitable growth and prosperity for all. India is aspiring to assume leadership position in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, cybersecurity and cloud computing. “Technology should be used as a means to development, not destruction”. (Can be essay question) Other Key Pointers: India and UAE PM Modi inaugurated a project for the construction of the first Hindu temple (Swaminarayan temple) in Abu Dhabi. India and UAE to hold a bilateral naval exercise (to conduct the first bilateral Naval Exercise during 2018). UAE supports India’s proposed Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations. UAE’s sovereign wealth fund ADIA (Abu Dhabi Investment Authority) to participate in India’s National Infrastructure Investment Fund (NIIF) - a joint investment platform for ports, terminals, transportation and logistics businesses in India. Article Link: Click here SpaceX Falcon Heavy (FH) Part of: (Prelims+Mains) GS Paper III – Science and Technology; Space Missions Key pointers: The privately-funded Falcon Heavy (FH) is now the most powerful working booster on Earth and can lift 64 tonnes of cargo to near-Earth orbits, claims SpaceX (Space Exploration). FH, with its reusable rocket stages, dwarfs the power of NASA’s Delta IV Heavy by half at a third of its cost. Where does India stand in rocketry? 58-year-old Indian Space Research Organisation is currently perfecting a rocket that can lift four tonnes to higher orbits and about eight tonne loads to lower orbits, the GSLV Mark III. ISRO has envisioned developing super-heavy launchers that can one day lift loads as heavy as 50 to 60 tonnes. ISRO is currently developing reusable technologies. The re-entry component was demonstrated in 2016. Article link: Click here Three new eel species found in Bay of Bengal Part of: (Prelims+Mains) GS Paper III – Environment and Biodiversity Key pointers: Scientists have discovered three new species of eel. Where? Bay of Bengal (Digha coast of the Bay of Bengal and Visakhapatnam coast) With these new discoveries, the Bay of Bengal coast has yielded at least five new species of eel. Eels are found mostly at the bottom of rivers and seas. Across the world about 1,000 species of eels have been identified. In India, the number is around 125. Article Link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Economic Development – Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment; Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth. Inclusive growth and Challenges of inequality. Fighting Inequality: Empowering women and Farmers Background: How to fight inequality as become an important question in recent times. An Oxfam report reported, the top one percent of the world increased their wealth by $762 billion while the bottom 50 per cent saw no growth, increasing the divide between social classes. This kind of economic inequality can result in unfair political institutions, unfair control by a few wealthy over others and unfair workers’ laws. Solutions: Solutions to reducing income inequality lie in three aspects: investing in women investing in agriculture reforming workplace laws (1) Investing in women – Why is it necessary? Investing in women as important workers is necessary and urgent today to reduce inequality and increase nations’ gross domestic product (GDP). As IMF Chief Christine Lagarde recently said, if women’s participation in the workforce matched men’s, Japan could grow at 9 per cent per annum and India at 27 per cent. McKinsey reported in August 2016 that women contribute only 17 per cent of India’s GDP, and estimates that India could add $700 billion to its GDP in 2025 by closing this gap. How? Helping women stay active in the workplace while raising a family is key to achieving this growth. More family-friendly work policies, such as paid parental leave. Creating an environment where kids are allowed in the workplace. More men should take equal responsibility in raising kids and managing household chores. Men in leadership roles should build a culture where there is more relevant empathy in the team members toward parents of all genders. (2) Investing in agriculture – Why is it necessary? As per the World Bank, agriculture can help reduce poverty for 80 per cent of the world’s poor who live in rural areas and work mainly in farming. It further states that 65 per cent of the poor working adults make a living through agriculture. More than one billion people have moved out of extreme poverty in recent decades, but 80 per cent of those that remain live in rural areas. How? Providing farmers with a bundle of services like access to seeds, plant nutrients and production practices are critical. But today, climate smartness and climate resilience also need a special focus. We should focus on risk mitigation mechanisms like weather insurance and risk prevention mechanisms. (3) Reforming workplace laws Reforms in workers’ laws can reduce inequalities. How? Minimum wages and universal basic income (UBI) are two of the popular ways to reform workplace laws. They both have the same aim — raising incomes of the least fortunate to reduce the income gap. These are imposed by law and paid by the employer. Minimum wages should have inflation adjustment and a premium for inequality reduction. This needs an annual reassessment and suitable correction. Hiking minimum wages alone won’t alter the root cause of inequality. Globalisation and technology create bigger wage premium for the top employees and stagnating wages for the bottom. UBI, supported by tech gurus like Mark Zukerburg and Elon Musk, envisions that everyone receives a monthly pay packet from the state that covers their basic needs — no strings attached. UBI through cash transfers ensures that the benefits of technology are felt by everyone. In developing countries such as India, despite having hundreds of pro-poor schemes, the biggest question is whether such benefit is reaching the poor. But the real challenge will be in distinguishing the poor from non-poor, particularly when such data are questionable. Conclusion: Let us not forget history. The Roman Empire was one of the richest on the planet, with wealth concentrated in the hands of a few senatorial elite and the rest were utterly poor. Warning signs of inequality were ignored and it resulted in civil war and the entire empire collapsed. Keeping this in mind we need to collectively work towards making an equitable world. Connecting the dots: How to fight inequality has become an important question in recent times. Discuss. Suggest at least three measures by which we can reduce inequality. 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. Formulating a National Urban Policy Background: India is in the midst of a major urbanization boom. As per Census 2011, 377 million Indians comprising 31.1% of the total population lived in urban areas. This is estimated to have risen to 420 million in 2015 (UN-Habitat “World Cities Report 2016”). India’s level of urbanization is lower than its peer group of developing countries: China (45%), Indonesia (54%), Mexico (78%) and Brazil (87%). Going ahead, by 2030, India’s urban population is projected to increase to 600 million. Issues: Indian cities face challenges in terms of deficits in infrastructure, governance and sustainability. With rapid urbanization, these problems are going to aggravate, and can cumulatively pose a challenge to India’s growth trajectory. AMRUT- Government inititatives: Keeping in mind the above challenges, the government launched the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut)) as a step towards harnessing the agglomeration economies of the urban centres and making cities engines of growth. The mission lays emphasis on creating infrastructure, improving service delivery, making cities smarter for improved livelihood and providing for faster and integrated mobility. It envisages convergence across various initiatives such as Amrut, Smart Cities, Hriday (National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Swachh Bharat. The intent is matched with a corresponding mobilization of resources. For 2018-19, the government increased the budget for the housing and urban affairs ministry by 2.8%, to Rs41,765 crore. The centre has also formulated separate policies for urban sanitation, transport, transit-oriented development and also a national mission on sustainable habitat, each with a specific mandate and vision. Way forward- A comprehensive framework required: A comprehensive framework that takes a holistic approach to the interrelated challenges is required. Sustainable urban development needs to be led by the central government working closely with state and local governments. India needs to develop its own national urban policy (NUP) as an instrument for applying a coherent set of interventions in relation to the future growth of cities, in partnership with all stakeholders. Globally, around one-third of countries have a NUP in place. National Urban Policy: NUP will outline and highlight the importance and objectives of cities. We need to update our definition of urban areas, understand the importance of cities and what we can achieve through urbanization with responsive infrastructure. India needs to fine-tune this vision in light of the aspirations of citizens, state capabilities, historical legacy, cultural context and present economic situation. It will highlight the key enablers, cross-cutting principles, desired outputs and eventual outcomes. Urbanization in India is a complex issue, with the majority of city-related issues being state subjects. States would have to take the lead in order to make cities vibrant economic centres. There is a need to build adequate capacities at the state/urban local bodies level to prepare cities for future challenges. The NUP would set the common minimum agenda, involving participation of all stakeholders. For instance, the Australian national urban policy document identifies objectives of productivity, sustainability, livability and governance as key agenda drivers for its cities. In India, such agenda setting would encourage programmes and policies to be integrated and aim at operationalizing the spirit of the 74th Amendment. The importance of such a common minimum agenda cannot be overstated. It is required to get the entire ecology of urban-related stakeholders on the same page as a starting point. The world of the 21st century is substantially more complex than the traditional urban world of the 20th century when citizens, government and civil society were, to a large extent, the only stakeholders. The stakeholders may also not be physically located in the cities of operation. Various aggregators like Uber and Amazon; distance learning universities; the active participation of non-resident Indians; service aggregators such as UrbanClap present a complex web of interdependent and interconnected stakeholders. A NUP framework would recognize all these stakeholders and prevent cities from seeing through these participants. Conclusion: A NUP is a prerequisite, obviously, for leveraging urbanization to the fullest extent and with the greatest efficiency. Addressing India’s current urban woes without NUP will be considerably more difficult. Connecting the dots: Discuss the issues related to urbanisation in India. What are the government initiatives taken in this regard? Also analyze the need of a holistic national urban policy. MUST READ Let the chips fall where they may The Hindu Hardly a game changer The Hindu Status of health The Hindu Big Data, Large concerns Indian Express The great Artificial Intelligence challenge Livemint

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 142]

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 142] Archives Q.1) Finance Ministry formed a new panel to frame response with respect to the Bitcoin issue. It is headed by Subhash Chandra Garg Bibek Debroy Duvvuri Subbarao Amitabh Kant Q.2) Consider the following statements about Standing Deposit Facility Scheme (SDF) It is one of the tools for liquidity management Urjit Patel proposed the introduction of the SDF as part of measures to improve the monetary-policy framework. Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about India Health Fund (IHF) It is an initiative led by Tata Trusts, in collaboration with The Global Fund It supports innovations and technologies designed to combat public health challenges of tuberculosis (TB) and malaria in India Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Which of the following statements is/are correct wrt. Development Impact Bonds (DIBs)? They are a performance-based investment instrument intended to finance development programmes in developing countries The world's first development impact bond (DIB) in healthcare is focused on improving the quality of care among private maternity care providers in Rajasthan. 10-million-dollar Development Impact Bond (DIB) to help improve education for over 200,000 children in India was launched by the British Asian Trust (BAT) Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.5) Consider the following statements about Great Indian Bustard It occurs in the Indian Subcontinent and inhabits arid and semi-arid grasslands It is legally protected under Schedule 1 of Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2002 Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best  IASbaba

RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : SMART CITY MISSION @ 100

SMART CITY MISSION @ 100 Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. In news: Silvasa from Dadar and Nagar Haveli was declared as the winner of the National Smart City Competition along with eight cities. These cities will have approx. 406 projects with investments of Rs. 12824 crore rupees. Majority would go to Area Based Developments and other in pan city initiatives which would be impacting 3.3 lakh persons living in these areas. Now, total 99 cities have been selected under Smart cities mission. Why government went with smart cities mission? In history of urban development, urbanization has happened by default. In 1979- the first big scheme was Integrated Development of Small And Medium Towns, then the Mega City Mission and then JNNURM. JNNURM was primarily the infrastructure mission in which the small mega cities were combined and then reformed. It was here found that city is like an ecosystem and various things cannot be separated. Roads cant be separated from houses, building cannot be separated from roads and sanitation is part of buildings. This is where the integration concept and smart city concept came. What is smart city? It is looked at it as three concentrated layers Core- provision of basic services and infrastructure- better roads, water supply, sewerage- the things that matter to people the most. Digital technology- it has the possibility of improving both the services and infrastructure. Area based development- lightened streets, parks, clean air. Key areas to have fulfill Smart city mission Socio economic aspect Physical components Institutional mechanism If these three objectives are woven together and in each other, it is easy to diversify and address number of problems like mobility, development of physical infrastructure, ICT, health, and economy. The main aim of the smart city mission is to ensure better quality of life. Smart city framework Smart cities mission is a continuous process. And it has to be a trigger for better urban development and planning in the years to come. The most important mission that smart city came out was to encourage states to come up with similar mission. If the cities have to transform themselves and become engines of economic growth, the central government can provide a meta framework and help the state government to execute it. The state governments can ultimately empower the cities to become local governments. Unlike earlier missions, there is feet light touch framework. The cities should themselves develop their plans in consultations with citizens. Maharashtra and MP are developing their own smart city missions. There is also undertaking of National Urbanistion Policy Framework within which the cities and states will develop their own instruments and their policies. ICT can be put to maximum use so that people can get to know the information for their best possible use. The people feel smarter by virtue of getting immediate information. And helps in decision making. Formal acknowledgement of urban developpment As a country, there has been under investment in cities and the urbanization process in terms of policy focus, energy levels and funding. This has increased the energy levels of city managers to make their city a smart one. It has unleashed creativity, has brought interesting aspects like SPVs, and ecosystem of players to rally around municipalities and solve the challenges there. Change yet to be seen Out of 46800 crores approved, only 500 crores have been used and only 83 projects have been initiated out of 964 projects. Thus, capacity building has to be done in faster manner as most of the top decision making powers are too dependent on foreign consultants for city management. Though smart city project may not have optimistic results to fast, there are projects proposed worth 2 lakh crores. Out of it, 2500 crores are paid for project completion. 20000 crores in tenders and 15000 crores on ground. These are not run of the mill projects or business as usual. Now, more time is going in planning and thinking before than doing it and later start thinking and regretting. Takeaway The competition of selection process is going for two years now. Allocation of public funds on large scale is made on competition and not norms. Cities like dharamsala are beating cities like Bombay. Thus, the changes in way urban planning for development is taking place is seeing a change in approach. Challenges to conquer Area based development is a way to rejuvenate. It could have huge impact on economy and job creation. The cities should be started to look upon as centres of job creation and economic growth. Factors like productivity, investments is needed which is still lacking from urban areas.   It holds out model for how to fix one area of city and then do SOP in other neighborhoods. It is impossible and unnecessary to do area based development in every part of the city. There could be side stepping of root cause challenges. The state government need support from central government in this areas. The extremely big problem of special development planning in cities in terms of policy framework etc. The current UDPFI may not measure upto that standard. Making the cities financially self sufficient and financially accountable is the sustainable way forward. Municipal staffing- The city counsels are toothless and largely managed by state governments. There is need for institutionalized citizen participation like area sabhas to encourage citizen participation in city development. These are tough issues which need to be concurrently addressed along with missions like smart cities mission which are largely project focused. Else there will be same set of challenges faced every 10-15 years. Conclusion There is no compromise on the smart city mission and its components. The cities are not given solutions for their problem. Instead, areas are identified various options are given and the cities have to identify the best and the most suitable option for them. There are 20 smart city control command centres under implementations. These command centres have centralized management system which takes into account data from multiple factors concerning the city- like water management, energy management, e-governance services, ICT enabled solid waste management etc. Today, all centres have ITMS (Intelligent Transit Management System) as a city cannot thrive without a digital transport solution. There is no compromise in selection and no universal general prescription to a city. In last three years, lot of money and energy has come in urban sector and across the centre, states and cities which is a huge positive step. However, along with focus on individual projects, schemes and missions there is a sharp need to build the municipalities. Intuitional reforms should be strong and fundamental to democracy. Connecting the dots: Smart City Mission is a way forward for a sustainable economic growth. Critically analyse.

MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Southern Asia - Power Realignment

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Southern Asia - Power Realignment 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)

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 141]

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 141] Archives Q.1) ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ is under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs NITI Aayog Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Q.2) Consider the following statements about ‘VIVID 2018’ It is organised by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) The Theme for VIVID 2018 is ‘Cyber Security and Innovation’ Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Which of the following statements about ‘Asian Waterbird Census (AWC)’ It is co-coordinated by Wetlands International- as part of global programme, the ‘International Waterbird Census’ In India, the AWC is annually coordinated by the Bombay Natural history Society (BNHS) and Wetlands International Both (a) and (b) Neither (a) nor (b) Q.4) United Arab Emirates is bordered by Saudi Arabia Yemen Oman Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.5) Consider the following statements about RFID It is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify people or objects It has completely replaced bar codes Select the correct code: 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best  IASbaba

Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Become an Individual – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Become an Individual: You are not a single individual; you are a mob. If you were a single individual you would have had total control over your mind and body. If you were an individual you would not have to struggle to instruct your mind and body to do what you want them to do. If you were an individual, you could have simply told your mind to do something and it would have done it without complaining. You are a different person in the morning and a different person in the evening. You are a different person when relaxed and a different person when angry. You are a different person in success and a different person in failure. You are a collection of individuals. This is why it is so difficult to control and direct your mind and body. The first step on the path of success is becoming an individual. This might all sound crazy, but if you observe yourself experientially from moment to moment, you will see what I am talking about. It takes enormous effort for you to follow through on your commitments because you are not a single person. You can tell yourself before going to bed that you will wake up at 5 in the morning but when you wake up at 5, since you are a totally different person, you simply go back to bed. The person who is making the decision to do something is different from the person who actually does it. When I say you are mob, I don’t mean it literally. Of course physically you are one individual and you remain that individual throughout your life. Although you are physically one, you are psychologically, emotionally and behaviorally made up of a collection of individuals. It is as if you have different compartments in your mind and each one of these different personalities is locked up in one of the rooms and the key is forgotten. The first step in becoming a single, coherent individual is to unlock these various personalities and let them interact with each other. Face your different emotions, personalities, fears and prejudices. Do not hide behind the veil of excuses and explanations. Look at this crowd that is within you honestly and objectively. Slowly by and by through observation, you will discern a pattern. Hidden behind all these different personalities is your true individuality. The day you are able to identify this individuality, you become a totally different person. You become a complete individual for the first time. Then there is no more effort and striving. It is infinitely easier to deal with an individual; it is infinitely easier to deal with one coherent individual. Till you become this individual, everything you do is an effort. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”    

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Electoral Bonds

Electoral Bonds ARCHIVES Search 3rd January 2018 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. Funding of political parties has always been under some kind of suspicion or controversy. Hence in 2017 budget, the government came out with electoral bonds for political donation. An electoral bond is designed to be a bearer instrument like a Promissory Note. In effect, it will be similar to a bank note that is payable to the bearer on demand and free of interest. Electoral bond scheme can be purchased by an Indian citizen and a body incorporated in India. They are available in multiples of Rs. 1000, Rs. 10000, Rs. 1 lakh, Rs. 10 lakh and 1 crore. There has to be a KYC but the names will not be made public- who is donating to which party. The bonds will be available for purchase for a period of 10 days each in the beginning of every quarter, i.e. in January, April, July and October. The party can convert these bonds back into money via their bank accounts which are verified by ECI. Condition to have donations via electoral bonds The electoral bonds will have a life of 15 days during which they can be used to make donations to registered political parties that have secured not less than 1% of the votes polled in the last election to the Lok Sabha or State Assembly. This is a small step towards electoral reforms. Flip side This measure will help any party that is in power. Any potential donor or industrialists do not have to worry about giving donations to party in power. If the party in power knows that particular institutions is giving money to opposition party, then they might create trouble for them. India’s democratic climate, value and institution building is not strong as it should have been after independence and this where the democratic institutions need to be strengthened. Benefits This is good for ushering in transparency in donations to political parties because their funding has always been under some kind of suspicion and they are averse of bringing them under RTI. The eligibility criteria for getting donation through electoral bonds is a good idea as what political parties do is fund non-serious candidate to cut into the votes of the opponents. For eg. In Gujarat election, a namesake of popular tribal leader was fielded against the tribal leader to create confusion. This takes away the democratic spirit in which the elections are fought. So, it will help to weed out non-serious candidates. Specified banking channels will be used to make donations through electoral bonds. The political parties have to disclose to ECI also the amount they received from electoral bonds and cash. The returns will have to be filed by the political parties to get the tax exemptions. Conclusion Political parties by their nature and character have not been open to transparency and accountability as far as the funding is concerned. Muscle power, corruption, crime, black money are at huge scale in democratic system. There is need to scrutinize the expenditure of political parties. There is a huge gap between what is actually spent and the ceiling. Political parties receive cash donations, now through electoral bonds- what is the pattern, how much money was spend on public travel, rallies and other schemes. The lok sabha constituency has 40 lakhs to spend but this is hardly enough money for an entire constituency. So there has to be a more realistic picture to fulfill the demands of the economy. It remains to be seen if political parties are inclined to favour and go for the bonds for donation, whether they will make use of these bonds and to the extent they will use these bonds and what is the extent to which the people, corporates will give money is yet to be analysed. Many electoral reforms have taken place and more needs to be taken. Today, candidates have to declare their assets, their criminal records. The most important political reform was reducing age of voting to 18 which has empowered the young minds to take part in the development process of the country and understand its political system. Even if there are pros and cons to the current step, it is worth facing as the benefits are long term and the shortcomings can be evaluated and improved upon. Also read: IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Click here Connecting the dots: How can electoral bonds help in redefining the process of initiating electoral reforms? Examine.

Website
Terms and Conditions Privacy Refund Policy Learning Management System by Testpress