IASbaba's Union Budget Gist 2018-19
Archives Hello Friends, We present the gist of Union Budget 2018-19. Note- Economic Survey gist and analysis of both Budget and ES will be published in few days. Download- Click Here
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IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Budget 2018 and Agriculture
IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Budget 2018 and Agriculture 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 [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 7th February 2018
IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 7th February 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Bhutan, Nepal & Bangladesh to be part of India's Tiger Census Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Environmental conservation Key pointers: India’s tiger census, which began late last year, will see coordination with Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh in estimating the territorial spread of the animal in the subcontinent. In a first, all countries will jointly estimate big cat numbers While India has engaged with Nepal and Bangladesh in previous tiger counts, this is the first time all countries are uniting in arriving at tiger numbers, particularly in regions with shared borders. Since 2006, the WII — a Union Environment Ministry-funded body — has been tasked with coordinating the tiger estimation exercise. The once-in-four-years exercise calculated, in 2006, that India had only 1,411 tigers. This rose to 1,706 in 2010 and 2,226 in 2014 in later editions on the back of improved conservation measures and new estimation methods. Commissioned by the Union Environment Ministry’s National Tiger Conservation Authority, the ₹10 crore exercise this year involves 40,000 forest guards traversing 4,00,000 sq. km. of forests; wildlife biologists independently assessing them; approximately a year’s duration of field work; 14,000 camera traps; and coordination with 18 States. Along with tigers, the survey also collects information on the prey population of deer and other animals. Article link: Click here India-EU to step up cooperation to counter terrorism Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Internal Security Key pointers: India and the European Union have vowed to step up cooperation to counter terrorism as both sides seek to exchange information on terrorists organisations and their safe havens. Both countires are in close contacts with Indian institutions on counter-terrorism efforts. Under the existing uncertainties and doubts, India and EU have a lot in common. Both are in favour of a rules-based international order. The joint statement on cooperation in combating terrorism that was agreed upon during the last India-EU Summit that was held in October. In the statement, both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation to take decisive and concerted actions against globally proscribed terrorists and terror entities. During the summit it was agreed that both India and EU will explore opportunities to develop cooperation between the relevant institutions on both sides, to share information, best practices, including on countering the on-line threat of radicalisation, and to engage in capacity building activities, such as training and workshops. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) ENVIRONMENT TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Reducing GHGs emissions from Solid waste management Background: GHG emissions from solid waste disposal as reported to the UNFCCC in 2015/16 by India increased at the rate of 3.1per cent per annum between 2000 and 2010. GHGs: Greenhouse gases (GHGs) create a natural blanket around the Earth’s atmosphere by preventing some of the sun’s heat energy from radiating back into space, thus keeping the Earth warm. Over the last century-and-a-half, human activities have added considerably to GHGs in the atmosphere, and that continues to result in global warming. The global warming potential of methane is 25 times as much and nitrous oxide 298 times as much as that of carbon dioxide, over the long run (100 years). Solid waste management and GHGs: Activities involved in the management of solid waste generate (GHGs) results into release of gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and small amounts of nitrous oxide. GHG emissions from solid waste disposal as reported to the UNFCCC in 2015/16 by India increased at the rate of 3.1per cent per annum between 2000 and 2010, and by China at 4.6per cent per annum between 2005 and 2012. Way out: The volume of waste sent to the landfill sites can be reduced if biodegradable waste is processed locally. Aerobic decomposition into compost: Aerobic decomposition with the help of microbes or earthworms (vermicomposting) to produce compost or organicfertiliser. Compost helps store carbon back in the soil. Its usage reduces the need for chemical fertilisers which emit large quantities of nitrous oxide — both during production and in application— and thereby helps mitigate emissions. Compost also improves moisture retention in the soil. Only two per cent of the municipal solid waste in India is composted. The Supreme Court order of 2006 directed fertiliser companies to co-market city compost with chemical fertilisers. However, the government incentive of market development assistance for city compost at Rs 1,500 per tonne to fertiliser companies is no match for the capital subsidy and transport subsidy provided to chemical fertilisers, which renders compost uncompetitive vis-a-vis chemical fertilisers. Anaerobic decompostion: An alternative to composting for biodegradable waste is biomethanation or anaerobic decomposition. Biomethanation generates biogas which is a substitute for fossil fuel and produces slurry which is an excellent organic fertiliser, both helping to mitigate global warming. Local processing also means that biomethanation saves on transportation. Very few Indian cities are trying biomethanation because segregation at source and feeding biodegradable waste to the plants in time remain a major challenge. Recycling of waste: It helps reduce GHG emissions because the energy required to manufacture a product using virgin materials is higher than when using recycled materials. While India has had a tradition of recycling paper, glass, metals, etc with the engagement of the informal sector, lack of segregation comes in the way of realising the full potential of recycling. This is particularly true for paper that soils easily when waste is mixed. Only 27 per cent of paper in India is recycled, compared with 60 per cent in Japan and 73 per cent in Germany (CPPRI, 2013). Recycling requires up to 50 per cent less energy compared to production of paper based on wood pulp, and it also saves trees from being cut. Refuse Derived Fuel: The non-biodegradable and non-recyclable waste other than hazardous waste (batteries, CFLs, etc), can be converted into Refuse Derived Fuel for use in high-temperature furnaces, for example, in cement kilns and power plants. Technologies are also available for controlled incineration and/or gasification for energy recovery from this waste. These are commonly referred to as “waste-to-energy” plants. Landfills: Not a viable option If incineration is not desirable or acceptable, the solution is not simply to dump untreated mixed waste at landfill sites. Issues with landfills- Landfills in India are neither scientifically engineered nor scientifically closed. They serve as open dumpsites. The discarded plastics in the mixed waste are a major contributor to dumpsite fires. Disposal of mixed waste including biodegradable matter (sometimes as high as 60per cent) in these dumpsites provides a perfect anaerobic environment for generation of methane and leachate. One tonne of biodegradable waste releases 0.84 tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions if left to decompose anaerobically. The untreated disposal of mixed municipal solid waste at landfill sites is around 80per cent for Mumbai and Chennai, 50-60per cent for Delhi and Bengaluru, and 35per cent for Pune. This implies that Mumbai emitted 921 k-tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent of GHG gases from landfill sites in 2016, equal to annual emissions from 1,96,000 typical cars. For Delhi, the estimate is 137,000 cars. Solution: Bioremediation offers a relatively quick and inexpensive mitigation instrument for reducing the GHG emissions from landfill sites through aerobic decomposition of organic fraction of the waste. Lessons from other countries: GHG emissions from solid waste have been declining in Germany and Japan. A ban on landfilling of non-pre-treated waste in Germany has led to 47 per cent of the waste being recycled, and 36 per cent incinerated. In Japan, 75 per cent of the waste is incinerated, while 21 per cent is recycled. The regulations in both countries ensure that incinerators have state-of-the-art emission control technologies, and the directly landfilled municipal solid waste is as low as one per cent. Conclusion: India needs to get its act together to improve its municipal solid waste management with the triple objective of resource recovery, improving public health conditions and mitigating the risks associated with human-induced global warming. Connecting the dots: What is the relation between solid waste disposal and GHG emissions? In this light, managing solid waste can help tackle climate change too. Discuss. AGRICULTURE/ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies Farmers need economic freedom Introduction: Farm incomes have virtually stagnated for the past four years, mostly owing to – falling prices, an output glut, large untimely imports and demonetisation. India with a huge population dependent on agriculture for livelihood, increasing their purchasing power becomes extremely important. Because the growth of larger economy depends on economic potential and power of this group itself. Therefore, such slow growth in farm incomes doesn’t augur well for the government’s stated objective of doubling farmer incomes by 2022. This article deals with – How to improve their incomes and productivity? How to wean away a big chunk of the workforce from agriculture? What are the concerns in farm sector? Recent Budget measures. Recent Budget Measures: Some of the Budget measures deserve applaud: Government has decided to offer a minimum support price (MSP) of at least 1.5 times the expenses borne by farmers for all crops. The tax holiday for farm producer companies, i.e. 100% tax deduction to farmer producer companies with annual turnover of Rs 100 crore for the period of 5 years. Another farm-friendly measure was the announcement of 22,000 village-level mini-marts or Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs) – that would enable a direct link between farmer producers and consumers, and thus bypass the burdensome APMCs (agricultural produce market committees). “Operation Green” – to promote Farmer Producers’ Organization (FPOs), agri logistics and processing. It aims to increase shelf-life of perishable commodities. All these are a step in the right direction. However, there is need for a true solution than some of the piecemeal Band Aid-type fixes. Concern: The MSP has always been a political instrument. The recommendations of the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) have often been overruled in the cabinet, to accommodate the political demands of coalition partners from certain states. The actual fiscal resource set aside for the large MSP hike is not very much. Besides, there is some lack of clarity on the base for calculating the cost of cultivation. It is important to note that since 1950s, the farm story has been one of continuous and intrusive price and movement controls, monopoly food procurement, storage and distribution, with massive attendant leakages, with innumerable piecemeal Band Aid-type fixes. Farming is never accorded the status of a business, to be run along capitalist principles, with unshackled economic freedom, so that the farmer can plan, sow, reap, sell and distribute as he deems best. Most of the famers are denied direct access to consumers, to forward markets, to capital, technology and to corporate structure. And this is the basic flaw in our approach or farm policy. Farmers are not free to sell to any buyer they wish but must go through the APMC. For example, for the past 10 years, all exports of pulses have been banned. This was presumably for food security and price stability. But this export ban has hurt farmers, who couldn’t take advantage of high prices. Indeed, it’s in countries where bourgeois capitalism sprouted and flourished in agriculture (e.g. Japan, Switzerland) that farmers enjoy a high standard of living. When prices of food crops go up, the Central government swings into action, clamping down on exports, bringing in zero-duty imports, imposing stocking and storage limits, and so on. But when the opposite happens, that is when prices crash, often, there is no corresponding reverse rescue. This is an example of the inherent urban bias in India’s agriculture policy, which persists to this day. The real solution: Export restrictions must go. Monopoly procurement must go. Essential Commodities Act restrictions must go. Arbitrary stocking limits must go. Therefore, in order to truly unshackle the farmer and farm sector, it is important to accept the paradigm that what the farmer needs is more economic freedom, not more price and quantity controls, and cleverly designed subsidies. For instance, removing the concept of a minimum export price for all crops is a step in that direction. It acknowledges the right of the farmer to tap into an international price, without constraint. Doubling agricultural income by 2022 is a mammoth task but is also one that is the need of the hour. With majority of the country’s population dependant on agricultural activities, no true development can be said to be meaningful unless it incorporates the needs of this sector. There are intense complexities and therefore, the focus of the government on this sector is much needed. The journey to double the farmers’ income is a long and very tedious but the journey has begun. The need is to ensure that the implementation in right direction by all stakeholders is uniform, effective and done whole heartedly. Connecting the dots: Critically analyze the strategies outlined by the Indian government to achieve the target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. Elaborate on the need to make structural changes in Indian agriculture and what more is required to achieve the target. MUST READ The manufacturing muddle The Hindu A roster of questions The Hindu Rethinking protectionism The Hindu A villain in paradise Indian Express Farmers need economic freedom Livemint
MOTIVATION: ‘IF’ (अगर) – The Story of every UPSC Aspirant (Must Read)
IF (अगर) - The Story of every UPSC Aspirant As I entered the jam-packed auditorium, I started feeling the heat. All the faces in the crowd were filled with confidence, were high on aspirations and were all set to crack the prestigious UPSC exam. The stage was set, the arrangements were made and the clock was set for the session that was about to change my life. The dais was adorned by young and experienced bureaucrats. Soon, the session started and all I remember in the end was “I have to crack this exam at any cost”. It’s been three years since then and here I am. I am one of the aspiring candidates with an enlightening and challenging experience of struggling with UPSC preparation for the last few years. I could not even clear Prelims in the last two attempts. The only thing that makes me red-faced is my inability to realize my past mistakes. I, like all of you, had/have access to everything that is on the earth to crack this examination, except trust, honesty and sincerity. I won’t talk about content or material since that is the only thing I am surrounded by at my home, and even on my laptop. How trust deficit ruined me? Remember, like many, I already have tasted the sweetness of joining and being part of one of the coachings in Delhi. It didn’t work out because of the recent changes of UPSC and its demand. Carrying forward, I was part of the enchanting B2B (Business to Business) exercise done by all the aspirants i.e joining test series, collecting sea of content (only to drown) and accumulating false satisfaction that I am preparing well. I was no different when it came to efforts and all the holy things to be done. The D-day (prelims exam) made me realize that this exam is something else. It is not about your effort that is linked to success but about the level of trust in your preparation level. Moving forward, I stumbled upon IASbaba’s initiatives and IASbaba’s ILP-2017 Programme and its details. In no time, the seed of preparation became sapling and I decided to join it next moment. (Nothing new -did the same previously with other such programmes). The magma of qualifying UPSC was already at its peak and after joining ILP, my dreams started erupting like lava. All was going excellent as far as rejuvenation was concerned. Three months passed and the eruption of lava stopped. The magma started solidifying. Rather than assessing my abilities and procedural inefficiency, I started doubting IASbaba’s initiatives/ILP. It was all because of innate nature of constantly being in a dissatisfied state. I even started writing emails to IASbaba questioning the quality and credibility of their content and its relevance with UPSC. This audacity, to scold my mentor, came due to the years of tryst I had with CSE. Over the period of few days, I fell into a vicious cycle of false satisfaction of preparation and it was well supported by covering everything that I felt was important (I was being very diverse by covering various websites, notes, Xerox etc. :P) Days went by and I never looked back at ILP/IASbaba’s initiatives with the same zeal. To my ignorance, I even went on to miss most of the tests and content, thinking of them to be irrelevant. Prelims arrived and I appeared for the exam. I fared well (at least I had that thought after the exam). Then B2B of comparing with various keys started and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was done on Cut-Offs. With the solar eclipse, the result was served and my roll number was missing from the list. Disheartened, disillusioned and fragmented I went into hibernation. Nothing is permanent, not even hibernation, so I had to come to life. The first thing I did was to look back and connect the dots. I took the question paper and started analysing my faults. As I was going through question paper with much more attentiveness, realized that few questions were very familiar to me. I could not trace their source instantly but was very curious and that curiosity landed me to Babapedia and ILP/AIPTS Tests. I started digging deep and found IASbaba’s post- Click Here Initially, I was like “Huh”. Anything for publicity! After 6-7 hours of assessment, digging all the links and content (since I had access), I was nothing but ashamed of myself. To my surprise, not only 68 as mentioned in the link, I could have solved even more with my knowledge, had I followed it sincerely. I realized it is not only about the direct appearance of questions but your ability to conceptualize and consolidate your preparation. The relevance of content was a confidence booster but at the same time a reminder of shame. And the only thing that played villain in my case was “TRUST DEFICIT” Friends, trust is the foremost requirement if we have decided to learn under MENTOR/GURU. It wasn’t my blind eye attitude towards my preparation but towards my GURU. It hit me really hard when I realized “Why did I join IASbaba’s ILP or followed its initiatives in the first place when all I wanted to do was to satisfy my ignorance and over-confidence”? Had I trusted my GURU and followed the advice sincerely, the story would have been different. I never focused on consolidation and revision of content: I kept running behind the fascinating content and in-demand sources and get sinking in false bliss. The realization of truth has been quite a time-intensive process for me. Now that I am in the second year of IASbaba’s Gurukul (ILP-2018), I am sharing this with my fellow aspirants and unknown friends, not because I am a preacher or have achieved a milestone to preach, but to help you learn from my mistakes. I am no achiever but a loser who doesn’t want the same attitude to destroy anyone’s precious time and effort; only to repent later. My journey this year has been satisfying if not fantastic, to say the least. Satisfying, as I have taken each and every advice of my GURU with utmost sincerity. Let me explain this with examples for you to connect better ILP started in August (roughly) I didn’t start it as a fresher but even if I had to start as a fresher, no change in planning was to be done by me. I started revisiting the subjects more as a revision (not merely reading the Blocks as per ILP plan). Let me explain taking Polity as the discussion in point. Since I was determined to consolidate my preparation, went through the syllabus of the given Block of Polity and spent few hours glancing through the topics from Laxmikanth. I made sure to take the tests on time with full sincerity and then spend more time in learning from the tests, reverting back to standard sources and taking the cue from the concepts I come across in the test. For example, 20 questions on DPSP and Fundamental Rights in a single test exposed all the important and associated concepts of that topic and by retrospectively going through Laxmikanth and Value Add Notes again for DPSP and FR, I made sure not to miss anything extra. This exercise along with innumerable revision (yes, I cannot compromise on my revision diet), has raised my confidence to some other level. Not sounding overconfident, but nothing out of FR and DPSP is unsolvable for me now. Same thing I am repeating for other subjects as well. Contentment is all I can cherish now :) Coming to Current Affairs I am being very regular with Babapedia and everything mentioned in the ILP Plan as a follow-up, from Daily Quiz to DNA. The best service IASbaba did to me was to force me in note making- hard notes of Babapedia, VAN and Test concepts as advised through various motivational posts also. Now I carry very concise notes of everything; specially Babapedia and current affairs concepts fetched from Tests and Daily Quiz. This, I make sure to revise every 3rd day without fail. Somewhere (some motivational post) Baba mentioned to revise on daily basis and I wasn’t late to abide it. ‘The magic of Baba’s advice is in its implementation’ (This is all I can say) It is all about your productivity in the process (Baba mentioned this in one of the motivational posts). This exam doesn’t count your effort, time, money and sacrifices spent in the process but your productivity through which you get your name on the list. Our preparation is just like Millennium Development Goal set for 2015 that shifted to Sustainable Development Goal- 2030 because of failed attempts due to failed productivity. Failed crops or less production of food grains doesn’t mean efforts were not made or time/energy/money was not spent. Mains related Preparation Mains examination is all about your in-depth understanding of the subject and its relevance to current affairs. Most of the aspects of paper 2 and 3 are nothing but issues in current affairs. The variety and quality of coverage that IASbaba provides through ILP Mains Value Add Notes, Mains Mocks and Synopsis, Monthly Magazines (DNA), AIR/RSTV, YK Gist and newly started EPW/Frontline/IDSA and the most famous Think, Learn and Perform (TLP)- Mains Answer Writing Programme where feedback/review along with Synopsis is more than enough to tackle Mains, to say the least. I was wondering why fellow aspirants are not able to assess its importance by going through them and then tracing the UPSC Mains Question Papers themselves. It will surely be an eye-opener. I would not hesitate, and I feel proud in saying that IASbaba’s content resemblance is nothing less than amazing as I went on for a proper assessment and found this: UPSC Mains 2017 “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. they are father, the mother and the teacher.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Analyse. (150 Words, 10) IASbaba’s TLP 2017-Phase 1 “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.” Comment on this famous quote by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. You can cross check full assessment in this link- Click Here This augments immense CONFIDENCE and BUILDS TRUST that most of us lack while preparing for UPSC. Once I had a discussion with IASbaba: He explained to me the beauty of “THOUGHT PROCESS” and its exemplary relevance with enriching Mains preparation. He said; “Take any issue and put your thoughts before indulging in the race of accumulating the content around it. Pose as many as questions around the issue and start answering them one by one. Try to diversify as many as dimensions coming to your mind. Then simply Google the keywords from the issue and click on “NEWS” feed. Get all the articles linked to that issue in recent past and check which all dimensions you missed and update them. Use the latest articles for any relevant data/facts/reports etc. Since basics remain the same, stop reading multiple articles on similar issues and rather focus on revising the content you prepared through answering the questions around the issue. Interlink the issue with other aspects of Mains Paper- Use Key Words from mains syllabus. DONE! Keep on revising it. Update only if something unprecedented has happened around that issue, otherwise, move on” Why be Honest and Sincere? In Baba’s words, Honesty is not an outward attitude you add on to your personality when required and take it off when not needed; honesty is the very foundation of who you are. Honesty is not a behaviour; it is a science of measuring yourself against the world. If you are not honest, then you lose all possibilities of learning and growing. Honesty taught me to explore my potentials; redefine my limitations; reinvent my attitude towards this preparation. It taught me not to miss my targets; that revision is my only saviour and that consistency in redoing the things will make me sharpen the skills I need for this examination. Honesty is the only shield because there is no other communication channel that connects you to yourself. If you are not honest, you sever all connections with your personality/preparation. If you are not honest, you lose track of your life/preparation and everything that is happening in it/preparation. Without honesty, you are just a collection of experiences that have no meaning and purpose. This realization will make you sincere. And coupling of honesty and sincerity will open the heaven’s door in no time. (See, honest flow of thoughts will also help us in ETHICS, What if UPSC asks “Why is it important for an individual and public servant to be honest in public and private life”. Explain with examples? :) ) Stating Goals We have been busy stating goals and targets all through our preparation only to reset it. When it comes to stating goals, it often is a slightly easier process for many. Some may struggle. Some may just decline to state. Some may state them casually. Sometimes you take longer than expected to even come up with them. But what happens when one starts working towards them? For you, what were the first steps that you took to achieve your dream of becoming a civil servant? After those first set of steps comes the hard part – the Preparation itself. You start preparing. You are glad that everything is happening according to your set vision. And slowly the day of your first test comes. You performed brilliantly. You scored really well. You are elated. Happiness all around! One day, in a test, you scored slightly lesser than expected. You start feeling that the walls are closing on you. How could this happen to you? You had prepared well. In fact, you were more than just prepared. And yet, here you are. With the test marks that you never wanted to see against your name. You start wondering – What if this is not what I am supposed to be doing? Or what if I am going on the completely wrong track altogether? Is this right? Is it time to consult a person who can help me excel? Should I quit? Thousands of questions, and a sense of dejection due to a short-term failure! Struggle, setbacks and short-term failures don’t have to drain your motivation. They don’t have to make you want to quit before you’ve put in enough time and effort to reach your goal. According to decades of research, it has been found that there are two fundamental belief systems, also known as “mind-sets,” that determine how people respond to struggle, setbacks and failure when pursuing their goals. In one mindset, you’re likely to get discouraged and give up on your goal. In the other, you tend to embrace the struggle, learn from the setbacks and keep moving forward – you persevere. If you study the background of any successful person in any field, you’ll often see a long road of struggle, setbacks and failure stretching out behind them. J.K. Rowling is a fine example. Depressed, practically broke and living on welfare, she was rejected by a dozen publishers before she finally found one to publish her Harry Potter book series. As you probably know, she’s now a multi-millionaire. So it is not about your destiny or luck or circumstances – what ultimately made them successful was their choice to keep learning, keep working and keep moving confidently in the direction of their dreams, no matter how hard it got. What ultimately made successful people successful was their choice to persevere. When you adopt the right mindset, that choice becomes much easier to make. “When we hear about extremely successful people, we mostly hear about their great accomplishments – not about the many mistakes they made and the failures they experienced along the way. In fact, most successful people throughout history are also those who have had the most failures. That is no coincidence. People who achieve great feats, no matter what field, understand that failure is not a stumbling block but a stepping-stone on the road to success. There is no success without risk and failure. We often fail to see this truth because the outcome is more visible than the process—we see the final success and not the many failures that led to it.” — Tal Ben-Shahar from Choose the Life You Want Recent notification of UPSC should give a clear indication of the level of competition we are going to face. The total number of intake is further reduced to 782 much lower than previous years. It becomes imperative to identify past mistakes and work in the right direction. On an ending note, IF I have had the courage to continue with the TRUST IF I have had the Honesty to learn and grow IF I have had the Sincerity to follow IF I have had the Perseverance to muster IF I have had the ability to translate the Stated Goal IF I have had the Right mind-Set to make Choices I would have found my name in the Rank List last year! Best Wishes IASbaba
UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 138]
UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 138] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about World Food Programme (WFP) It is a member of the United Nations Development Group It is directed to fight micronutrient deficiencies, reduce child mortality and improve maternal health FITTEST is a small, elite, technical team of emergency responders within the IT division of the World Food Programme (WFP) Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Which of the following statements about REDD+ is/are correct? It is not only about reducing emission from deforestation and degradation but also include Conserving and enhancing the carbon sink It was adopted at the 13th CoP held in 2007 at Bali Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) The Investment Dispute Settlement Navigator (IDSN) is compiled by World Trade Organization United Nations Conference on Trade and Development World Economic Forum None of the above Q.4) Consider the following statements about Agni-1 It is developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program It is an indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements about the European Court of Justice (ECJ) It is based in Luxembourg It was established by the Maastricht Treaty 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
IASbaba’s Bimonthly Gist of Frontline and IDSA-Edition 5
ARCHIVES Hello Friends, Continuing our effort towards right guidance and quality coverage to assist you in all possible ways, we are glad to introduce this new initiative where Frontline, IDSA and Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) will be covered considering the relevance of UPSC Examination. This initiative will help you in Essay, Sociology and PSIR Optional as well. This is the 5th edition of Frontline/IDSA- Bimonthly Magazine. Hope you all like it 🙂 DOWNLOAD THE MAGAZINE
All India Radio (AIR) : Industrial Reforms
Industrial Reforms ARCHIVES Search 30th December 2017 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. In news: Recently, the new estimates recorded a spike in GDP which is a good sign for revival of economy. In second quarter, the GDP was 6.3% compared to 5.7% in first quarter. Revival of economy talks about industrial growth which can bring the country back on growth trajectory and give fillip to job creation in the country. Some of the important areas for industrial reforms are- Manufacturing boom Manufacturing- India’s industry has gone through several phases and lot of evolution has happened. Beginning with industrialisaton, India experienced license raj, then liberalization and now global competitiveness. In global competitiveness period, GDP plays a crucial role. Also, FDI and the FII play a vital role in improving the GDP. This can happen when there is boost to industry and job creation, and it catapults industry to such a regime wherein India becomes the manufacturing hub for the world. In manufacturing sector, many mobile companies, luxurious brands, automobile brands are in process of opening manufacturing industries in India. Thus, the manufacturing sector has the potential to reach upto 1 trillion US dollar by 2025. 11 out of 23 industry groups from manufacturing sub-index witnessed growth. Industries such as pharmaceuticals, medicinal, chemicals and botanicals has gone up by 26.4%. The registration of patents and enforcements of patent right holders within the economy is an important indicator within the economy for the increased research and development within various industries. The purchasing managing index has gone up to 52.6 in November 2017 from 50.3 in October. This shows the buying behavior of the industry. The index will thrive on 3 Ds- democracy, demography and demand as these are improving, it is improving the index. Infrastructure Revival There is lot of impetus on developing industrial corridors and smart cities wherein it will have smart infrastructure, resulting in more organized places thereby improving the quality of life. The industrial corridors will further assist in integrating, monitoring and assisting in the conducive environment in the industrial development. This will promote advance practices in manufacturing and service sector. So government should aim at holistic development of nation by providing requisite and affordable infrastructure for the masses. Thus, industrial corridors and freight corridors development for the movement of people, goods and services are critical for economic growth. Real estate industry 2017 is watershed year for real-estate industry- RERA was rolled out. Though demonetization has impacted but the affordable housing scheme has recovered from the slump and prices have been increased in cities. The uplift of rural estate industry will increase the demand for employment in construction, technology and services industry. Embracing the digital revolution There is lot of importance of capital goods for generation of income for any business. Unless there is no strong base of service industry, technology industry which is laced with new technological endeavors, the growth will not be sustainable. With new concepts like artificial intelligence, IOT, 3D printing, robotisation, it is going to be a game changer for this industry. New entrants in market The electric vehicle is going to be game changer in automobile industry. The current fuel engine consists of 2200parts whereas the electric vehicles has 8-10 parts in the engine. So there is going to be total turnaround in manufacturing strategies of automobile companies. There will be focus on renewable energy which will convert solar energy to electric energy. It will be one of the cheapest source of energy. In terms of employment opportunity, new employment generation will happen as entire assembly line will be scrapped which currently contains around 20-30 different types of modules whereas electric modules will have only 2-3 modules in assembly line. Way forward Indian economy is on the rise after a brief setback period. Some of the other measures to spurt growth in economy are- reduction of income tax rate to 25% for MSMEs having turnover of 50 crores, MAT credit carry forward extended to 15 years from 10 years, abolishment of FIPB. In these sectors, government has launched Phased Manufacture Programe PMP which is aimed at giving domestic push to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and chemical industry as such. Labour and land reforms There are labour laws broadly divided into 4 categories- wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety and working conditions. Once the codification of labour laws happen, it will remove multiplicity of definitions and authority and do ease of compliances without compromising on wage security and social security of the workers. Compliance cost has gone down because of ease of doing business. Once the labour laws are rationalized, the global markets are going to come more to India. Conclusion Time is to reap the benefit of the demographic dividend. There will have to be enough jobs generated for gainfully absorbing an additional 12 million people each year to the workforce over the next 10 years. The manufacturing industry as a whole will play crucial role in generating jobs, bringing up the MSME sector and infrastructure development. Connecting the dots: The critical sectors of the economy are looking forward to an upward trajectory. Examine the reasons behind the same and
RSTV- The Big Picture : Bureaucracy Affecting Investments?
Bureaucracy Affecting Investments? Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies. The role and function of bureaucracy have increased enormously since the British raj. The normal function of the bureaucracy is to execute the policies of council of ministers. Under the system of delegated legislation, the powers of bureaucracy has steadily increased. As India accepted the principle of welfare state, the economic and social functions of the state have also steadily increased. Every increase in the power of government has corresponded in the increase in power of bureaucracy and this has also led to red tapism. Bureaucracy affects investments in a positive way. Bureaucracy is an enabler of change. In the British era, they were the regulators whose primary role was regulation in accordance with the government’s policy at that time. Later on, with independence and current regime, they are perceived as the agents of change as in law also, the government services are considered at par with private sector. So the private citizens are at liberty to choose from private services to government services- for eg. education, hospitals, electricity, civil aviation. So it is imperative for the government functions to also improve the standards of their services in the same level. Government has taken series of steps to ensure that the bureaucrats are responsible to the stakeholders. Earlier, the promotion was based on annual confidential report by superior. Now there is 360 degree assessment which means that even the stakeholders and the subordinates are able to comment on the performance. So the bureaucrats are cautious of their role and thus more responsive. However, bureaucracy has not been able to function in the way it ought to because of regulatory framework. Prevention of corruption act cannot distance the civil servants from possible action against genuine mistakes. The PCA has to be amended because unless it is done so, there will be very few bureaucrats who are bold enough to carry out the action without the fear of prosecution after retirement. There is a need of a strong bureaucracy which can take strong decisions and doesn’t have policy paralysis of decision making. Also, there is a need of proper regulatory framework by which they are protected after retirement or during service. Challenges for bureaucracy The bureaucracy is as good as political masters. As long as communication line, the decision making impetus is clear, the bureaucrat can serve the way he is trained. In past few years, bureaucracy is not attracting the best talent as private sector has come up. There is a need to create an environment wherein the younger people are attracted towards the services. Bureaucracy should match up with current needs. There should be capacity building of bureaucrats periodically, training and specializing. Technology is a great enabler and bureaucracy has to work along with it. There is a greater need for supervision and monitoring with regard to framing of rules on the basis of laws. When it comes to framing of rules, the distortions come in and the bureaucracy wants to do things in a certain way can over run the provisions of the law. Political will for successful bureaucracy A decisive government mostly results in a decisive bureaucracy In past three years, it has been observed that as government wants quick results, the bureaucracy is pushed to deliver that. Indian bureaucracy has got the competence to deliver results if there is a political will behind those policies. Conclusion In a way, the bureaucracy is perceived as an enabler and facilitator. It is a reflection of a confident nation. In terms of relative growth, India has one of the highest growth rate among large economy. So there are many positives which gives India the mindset of control. For investor facilitation, FDI policy has been liberalized, barring few sensitive sectors such as banking, print media, private security, insurance and multi-brand retail. Minimum government, maximum governance- it is yet to be fully realized. Digital transactions have to be encouraged more as and when the services become institutionalized. Also, there is a need for more sectoral experts who can guide the bureaucracy to perform at its efficient best. Connecting the dots: ‘Bureaucratic activism is more of a boon when political will is at peak’. Critically analyse the statement.
IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 6th February 2018
IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 6th February 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) SC on Honor Killing Part of: Mains GS Paper I- Social Issues Pic credit: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/article22663517.ece/alternates/FREE_660/05inthkabKDR-GAE3CE7IU1jpgjpg Key pointers: Parents, society and khaps have no right to harass them: SC Two adults are free to marry and “no third party” has a right to harass or cause harm to them, said Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, speaking against honour killings. A three-judge Bench upheld the fundamental right of two people who wish to marry and live peacefully. SC: No one has any individual, group or collective right to harass a couple. Article link: Click here Agni-I ballistic missile Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Developments in Science & Technology Key pointers: India recently flight-tested the indigenously developed Agni-I ballistic missile that can carry a nuclear payload as part of a user trial by the Army from a test range off the Odisha coast. It has a specialised navigation system, which ensures it reaches the target with a high degree of accuracy and precision 18th version of Agni-I. The missile was inducted into service in 2004. The surface-to-surface, single stage missile, powered by solid propellants, was launched as part of a regular training exercise by the armed forces. The missile has a specialised navigation system, which ensures it reaches the target with a high degree of accuracy and precision. The 15-metre-long Agni-I, weighing 12 tonnes, can carry payloads up to 1,000 kg. Article link: Click here SEBI gets more power Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Indian Economy, Regulatory Bodies Key pointers: As part of the proposed amendments in the Finance Bill 2018, the government has given more power to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to impose monetary penalties on important market intermediaries such as stock exchanges and clearing corporations. SEBI can also against newer categories of participants likes investment advisers, research analysts, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs). The proposed amendments to the SEBI Act and the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act now allow the capital markets regulator to impose a monetary penalty of at least ₹5 crore on stock exchanges, clearing corporations and depositories for non-compliance with regulatory norms. The amendments also allow SEBI to act against entities that furnish false or incomplete information to the regulator. Earlier, it could act only if the entity did not furnish any information. The whole-time members of SEBI have also been given additional powers to act against wrongdoers. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) HEALTH TOPIC: General Studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes. The National Health Protection Scheme: An analysis Background: The National Health Protection Scheme has promised to cover 10 crore families involving 50 crore family members with health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakh for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation. How will it work financially? The NHPS is not a classic insurance programme, since the government pays most of the money on behalf of the poor, unlike private insurance where an individual or an employer pays the premium. The scheme operates around the insurance principle of ‘risk pooling’. When a large number of people subscribe to an insurance scheme, only a small fraction of them will be hospitalised in any given year. In a tax funded system or a large insurance programme, there is a large risk pool wherein the healthy cross-subsidise the sick at any given time. The NHPS will be financially viable, despite a high coverage offered to the few who fall sick in any year, because the rest in the large pool do not need it that year. Apart from budgetary allocation, it will draw additional resources from the Health and Education Cess and also depend on funding from States to boost the Central allocation. Comparison with RSBY: The scheme will provide cost coverage, up to ₹5 lakh annually, to a poor family for hospitalisation in an empanelled public or private hospital. The precursor of the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), provided limited coverage of only ₹30,000, usually for secondary care. Though it improved access to health care, it did not reduce out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE), catastrophic health expenditure or health payment-induced poverty. The NHPS addresses those concerns by sharply raising the coverage cap. It shares with the RSBY the weakness of not covering outpatient care which accounts for the largest fraction of OOPE. The NHPS too remains disconnected from primary care. Financing challenges The Budget has made this positive announcement and added that resources will be provided for the same. At the financing level, this will require some innovative methods. The average cost for covering a family of five persons where the oldest person is less than 30 years old for Rs. 5 lakh, yields an average of Rs. 11,000-13,000 per annum. Multiplying this by 10 crore families, the outlay would be Rs 1.1-1.3 lakh crore per annum. The amount is a recurring one, and has to be paid every year by the government. A way out is for the States to contribute a fixed proportion. However, this would be difficult as almost all States are facing a stiff fiscal position with limited funds for executing their capex projects. The government can subsidise the scheme and make the families pay a part of the premium. But these families do not have the wherewithal to make such payments given their very low levels of income, which barely provides them with one full meal a day! The NHPS needs a buy-in from the States, which have to contribute 40% of the funding. Even with the low cost coverage of the RSBY, several States opted out. Some decided to fund their own State-specific health insurance programmes, with distinctive political branding. Implementation challenge: Enrolling such people is always difficult. Just like the farm insurance scheme which promises a lot but covers very few farmers, access to this grandiose scheme would be limited as most would be excluded.Aadhaar and Direct Benefit Transfer are definitely structures created to ensure better delivery but they have to be made accessible to all deserving people. There could be resistance from private hospitals. The insured poor would prefer to go these hospitals as they get better treatment from the best doctors. Hospitals normally do not encourage such transactions as there are delays in receipt of payments from when dealing with the insurance companies. Given the magnitude, insurance companies would not make money on these policies when pooled. It would be impossible to settle claims leading to non-viability of the business. Way ahead: In a federal polity with multiple political parties sharing governance, an all-India alignment around the NHPS requires a high level of cooperative federalism, both to make the scheme viable and to ensure portability of coverage as people cross State borders. The NHPS will pay for the hospitalisation costs of its beneficiaries through ‘strategic purchasing’ from public and private hospitals. This calls for a well-defined list of conditions that will be covered, adoption of standard clinical guidelines for diagnostic tests and treatments suitable for different disorders, setting and monitoring of cost and quality standards, and measuring health outcomes and cost-effectiveness. Both Central and State health agencies or their intermediaries will have to develop the capacity for competent purchasing of services from a diverse group of providers. Otherwise, hospitals may undertake unnecessary tests and treatments to tap the generous coverage. Conclusion: Conceptually, the programme is compelling, but it would be hasty to rush into it, given the complexities involved. Thus it is required that the implementation challemges and funding issues are sorted before the programme comes into effect. Connecting the dots: Discuss the provisions of National Health Protection Scheme. Also analyze implementation and financial challenges associated with the programmer. 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. India's poor performance in enforcing contracts Introduction: India has shown dismal performance in one key component in the Ease of doing business indices- “enforcing contracts”. In the World Bank report which covers 190 economies, evaluating them on 10 specific parameters required for doing business, India’s ranking in the ‘enforcement of contract’ component is 164. The report says that it takes an average of 1,445 days (or nearly four years) to enforce a contract in India. The cost to a litigant to recover amounts legitimately due to him is 31% of the value of the claim. This is a shocking state of affairs. Distance-To-Frontier score: It measures the distance of a particular country’s economy from the “frontier” which represents the best performance. Simply put, the “frontier”, measuring 100, is the ideal situation and a DTF ranking indicates how far a country is from that ideal. Though India’s DTF score was 56.05 in 2017 and is projected to improve to 60.76 in 2018 in the overall ease of business rankings, unfortunately, in ‘enforcing contracts’ our score was a dismal 38.90 in 2017, projected to improve feebly to 40.76 in 2018. Background: A nation’s ranking in the “ease of doing business” index is based on the average of 10 sub-indices which are: starting a business; dealing with construction permits; getting electricity connections; registering property; getting credit; protecting minority investors; paying taxes; trading across borders; enforcing contracts; and resolving insolvency. The sub-indices about “enforcing contracts” is directly dependent on a country’s ability to provide an effective dispute resolution system. Legislation: Parliament has passed the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Act. The purpose behind the Act is to provide a forum with upgraded infrastructure to resolve a certain class of disputes, classified as “commercial disputes” in the Act, in a time-bound and effective manner. Provisions under the Act: The legislation also requires establishment of appropriate infrastructure and manpower training on a constant basis. In identifying disputes above a specified value to qualify as commercial disputes, it has ensured that these courts are not cluttered up with small claims. The Act essentially paves the way for the setting up of commercial courts at the district level and a commercial division in High Courts that have original jurisdiction along with a commercial appellate division in the High Courts to hear appeals arising under the Act. By mandating that High Courts must show levels of disposal of such claims on their website, the Act also ensures transparency. However, for this statutory scheme to work, many players must play their respective parts. Poor enforcement of the legislation: The Act contemplates the “appointment” of commercial court judges in districts. Issue- In most States the government has merely vested the presiding district judge with powers to act as a commercial court. Given that the workload of principal district judges is already quite staggering, vesting them with the powers of commercial courts in districts goes against the intent and purpose of the Act. Whenever presiding officers are appointed to commercial courts, it must be ensured that they have experience in dealing with commercial disputes, as Section 3 of the Act ordains. Issue: In most cases the incumbent is a district judge without any experience. In terms of Section 19 of the Act, the respective State governments must, in consultation with the High Courts, establish necessary infrastructural facilities to run these courts. In terms of Section 20 , the State government is to establish facilities providing for the training of judges who may be appointed to these courts. In terms of Section 17, statistical data regarding the functioning of these courts are to be displayed on the website of the respective High Courts. Conclusion: Without institutionalising above mentioned improvements, it will be difficult commercial courts businesslike and our ranking in “enforcing contracts” any better. Connecting the dots: India has performed poorly in one of the sub-indices under Ease of doing business rankings- "Enforcing contracts". Discuss the reason behind. Also suggest measures to solve the issue. India has performed poorly in one of the sub-indices under Ease of doing business rankings- "Enforcing contracts". The Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Act if implemented effectively can help improve the rankings. Analyze. MUST READ What India must do? Indian Express A candle for Ankit Indian Express The nuances of India's dehyphenated policy Livemint India needs a sewage system not free toilets Livemint
UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 137]
UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 137] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about Global Terrorism Index (GTI) It is released by Institute for Economics & Peace India is ranked 8th on GTI 2017 Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Which of the following is nearest to Maldives? Colombo Mauritius Seychelles Christmas Island Q.3) United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) manages which of the following? India, Brazil and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation India-UN Development Partnership Fund Select the correct code: 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements Article 29 protects the interests of the minorities by making a provision that any citizen / section of citizens having a distinct language, script or culture have the right to conserve the same. The Parliament has the power to regulate the right of citizenship in India Select the correct code: 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) The terms 'Agreement on Agriculture', 'Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures' and Peace Clause' appear in the news frequently in the context of the affairs of the Food and Agriculture Organization United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change World Trade Organization United Nations Environment Programme To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best IASbaba