IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – India - ASEAN 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)
Economy and Employment Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Rajya sabha took up a short discussion on state of economy, investment climate, job creation and the challenge of unemployment. Macro economic data has mixed news- there is some indication of recovery in the manufacturing sector but the private investment is yet to see any pick up. The corporate sector is moving up but agriculture, investments, MSMEs have not shown much improvement. NPAs are still lingering. The budget can have increased expenditure by the government as it is easy and direct. But the room for it is coming down as if the government goes easy on fiscal target of 3.2% GDP, it would breach 3.5% target which it certainly looks forward to avoid. Two more macro economic problems are: Under estimation of the deficit impact. Today the deficit of the state is larger than centre. Oil prices have touched 67USD. RBI calculations are based on 55USD. Each dollar difference in the crude oil prices makes the Rs.10000 crore difference as India is the largest importer of crude in the world and every dollar increase means 1.5 million dollars extra expenditures and 10 dollars means 15 million dollars lost. GDP accelerated to 6.3% in September quarter of 2017-18 after dropping to 5.7% in June quarter. The economists expect sustained recovery in next two quarters and expect the Indian economy to grow in 17-18 at 6.8%. The immediate requirements Spurring of private investments in India is critical. Generation of quality jobs through better social protections is one of the surest means to attract more private investments. The external demand, particularly the export demands in global markets are down. As a consequence of which, there has to be increased sustenance of internal demand. The domestic demand has to be spurred up for encouraging the private investments and growth of industrial sectors. For this, quality employment is the essential. Demand generation development in India depends on bringing money to hands of people who spend. This includes focus on rural economy- farming sector as well as non-farm jobs and others non-low grade sectors. The crucial need is to create decent work in unorganized sector. Revival of work in unorganized sector, upgradation, modernized, integrate with the economy is the key to bring sustainable growth in economy. Most of the increase in working population is going to take place in northern states- Rajasthan, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and MP. The real challenge is to generate this type of dynamism in non-agricultural growth in these states. South is getting into opposite state of maximum development whereas western and eastern India will get there in a decade. Thus, there is a need to work hard to galvanise, upgrade, modernize maximum population in northern India and ensure decent well paid jobs on a larger scale. Resent cause of concerns The wage income shares in organized manufacturing- during last 4 decades, the percentage of wage has declined from 40% to 10-12% and the corresponding increase has happened in profit shares. Thus the people were getting shares in value added are not necessarily spending it in economy. Today, the formal sector has also seen growth but the money is going to people who are not spending it. According to a report, the top Indian management gets 300 times of what average Indian worker gets paid. The expenditure is done by the ordinary worker. For higher aggregate demand, the incomes of workers have to be increased in the formal sector as well as informal sector. The open unemployment may be low. But the unemployment figures among the educated young people are rising which is a cause of concern. That can be tackled through coherent education employment policy and that policy coherence is critical. India is categorized into ‘Not in employment, education and training category’. This is called as NEET category. NEET is a relatively new concept. According to the OECD, youth inactivity presents the share of young people (age 15-29) not in employment, education or training (NEET) as a percentage of the total number of young people in the corresponding age group. The inactivity in India needs to be found out- what is causing it? Is it the job search assistance that is provided to young people is weak, the job aspirations are not being resorted to or little incentives or face too high constraints to be in the education and training systems. The third cause of concern is in respect to quality- universalization of social security. India has a distinctively different employment structure. There are 51% self-employed in India and thus tough labor regulations is not the sole answer. Way forward Get MSME sector back on it’s front foot and modernize it. Agricultural focus has to be increased. No unpredictable measures for economy in the remaining term of government. Stability, growth in terms of taxation side as a policy. Labour intensive manufacturing to be encouraged- leather, food prcessing, handicrafts give special status. Conclusion There is a cruel disruption in the Indian growth story of almost a decade. Soon after 2008 global financial crisis, there were expectations that there would be resurgent India growing fast at double digit or more on a sustained basis for 30 years. So by 2030, India becomes world’s top 3 economies. However, due to policy paralysis from 2011 to 2014 and unprecedented structural changes from 2014 till present has not allowed the economy to grow as expected. However, in last three years, India’s economy has been among the fastest growing at the global level. The reforms to address the structural issues faced by the economy had resulted in an upgrade in India’s credit ratings as well as an increase in India’s rankings to 100 in World Bank’s ease of doing business index. The government is getting good signals on the investment climate and there are several initiatives taken on those lines. Slew of measure are in place to help the banks and bulk of NPAs, which are today adversely impacting the banks. More investments in agricultural sector, increased private investments, focus on reviving MSMEs will help to give the necessary filip. Thus, the Indian economy will see an upturn soon thereby galloping towards one of world’s fastest growing economy in the world. Connecting the dots: Critically explain how economy and employment drive each other.
ARCHIVES Hello Friends This is the 32nd edition of IASbaba’s Monthly Magazine on Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Examination. This edition covers all important issues that were in news for the month of JANUARY 2018 DOWNLOAD THE MAGAZINE- CLICK HERE
IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 1st February 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Allahabad High Court judge Shukla to be impeached Part of: (Mains and Prelims) General Studies- II: Governance and Polity In News: Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra recommended the removal of Justice Shri Narayan Shukla of the Allahabad High Court. A three-judge panel examined the role of Justice SN Shukla in the medical admissions scam. In their report to the Chief Justice of India, the panel recommended the judge's removal after he refused to step down. The role of Justice Shukla came under scanner after he permitted a private medical college to admit students despite a government ban. Understanding Basics: (Important for Prelims) Removal of High Court Judge A judge of a high court can be removed from his office by an order of the President. The President can issue the removal order only after an address by the Parliament has been presented to him in the same session for such removal. The address must be supported by a special majority of each House of Parliament (i.e., a majority of the total membership of that House and majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting). The grounds of removal are two—proved misbehaviour or incapacity. Thus, a judge of a high court can be removed in the same manner and on the same grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court. Do you know? The procedure relating to the removal of a judge of the High Court by the process of impeachment is regulated by The Judges Enquiry Act (1968). A removal motion should be signed by 100 members (in the case of Lok Sabha) or 50 members (in the case of Rajya Sabha) and it is to be given to the Speaker/Chairman. The Speaker/Chairman may admit the motion or refuse to admit it. If it is admitted, then the Speaker/Chairman is to constitute a three-member committee to investigate into the charges. The committee should consist of the chief justice or a judge of the Supreme Court, a chief justice of a high court, and a distinguished jurist. If the committee finds the judge to be guilty of misbehaviour or suffering from an incapacity, the House can take up the consideration of the motion. After the motion is passed by each House of Parliament by special majority, an address is presented to the president for removal of the judge. Finally, the president passes an order removing the judge. It is interesting to know that no judge of a high court has been impeached so far. Things to do: Know the appointment of judges of High Court and Supreme Court and related articles (Refer Indian Polity by Laxmikant or D.D.Basu) Article link: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/allahabad-high-court-judge-shukla-to-be-impeached/article22598457.ece ’Supermoon Trilogy’: Super Blue Blood Moon Part of: General Studies- I and III: Space; Science and Technology In News: January 31 witnessed a rare three lunar phenomenon: A supermoon, a blue moon and a blood moon. This was the first time all three events occurred simultaneously since 1866 - more than 150 years ago. This phenomenon was visible in large parts of the US, north-eastern Europe, Russia, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, and Australia. Pic link: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2018/02/01/CNI/Chennai/TH/5_01/205bf5bf_b7b57471_1_mr.jpg Do you know? The next blue moon total lunar eclipse won’t be until December 31, 2028, according to NASA. Terms explained: (Important for Prelims and Mains) Blue moon, supermoon and blood moon coincided on a total lunar eclipse day, also called "Chandra Grahan". Lunar eclipse The lunar eclipse is a phenomenon that occurs when the Earth, moon and sun are in perfect alignment, blanketing the moon in the Earth's shadow. In total lunar eclipse, the direct sunlight is completely blocked by the earth's shadow. Blue Moon "Blue Moon" is the term used when a second full moon in a calendar month. Jan 31 witnessed first lunar eclipse of the year and had second full moon in the month. This is called "Blue Moon". In addition, the moon will appear crimson in colour. Blood Moon During total lunar eclipse, when the moon gets shadowed by earth, the sunlight passes through the earth's atmosphere and breaks down. The red part of the sunlight gets least refracted, giving moon the tinge of orangish red. This is called "Blood Moon". Supermoon When the eclipse happened, the moon was close to earth by 60,000 km against the average distance between the moon and the earth. The moon appeared brighter and bigger. This is called "supermoon". INS Karanj boosts Navy’s firepower Part of: (Prelims) Defence, Security Key pointers: INS Karanj, Navy’s third state-of-the-art Scorpene class submarine was launched recently. The new submarine is named after the earlier Kalvari class INS Karanj, which was decommissioned in 2003. Earlier launches - two Scorpene submarines — INS Kalavari and INS Khanderi. Pending launches - remaining three submarines — Vela, Vagir and Vagsheer. Link: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2018/02/01/CNI/Chennai/TH/5_09/abb62ae0_1849643_101_mr.jpg Do you know? Six Scorpene class submarines are being built under Project 75 by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL), Mumbai. India and France collaboration ($3.75 billion technology transfer) Programme has been delayed by four years due to construction delays. The Scorpene class is the Navy’s first modern conventional submarine series in almost two decades, since INS Sindhushastra was procured from Russia in July 2000. The entire project is expected to be completed by 2020. Things to do: Know about Project 75 Basic specs of all 6 Scorpene class submarines Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL/SECURITY TOPIC: General Studies 2 and 3: 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. Aadhar and related security issues; Right to Privacy. Aadhar: Good, Bad And Ugly? Introduction: From food rations to marriage certificates, entrance exams to train ticket concessions, mobile phone cards to banking, Indians are now being asked to produce a 12-digit Aadhaar number to access both government and private sector services. India’s Unique Identification project is the world’s largest biometrics-based identity programme. Initially, the project had a limited aim – to stop theft and pilferage from India’s social welfare programmes by correctly identifying the beneficiaries using their biometrics. But now, the use of Aadhaar is expanding into newer areas, including business applications. The below article makes a quick comparison between India’s Aadhar and US’s Social Security Number (SSN) US’s Social Security Number (SSN) The United States enacted the landmark Social Security Act in 1935, giving birth to the Social Security Number (SSN). When the Act was introduced, American conservatives of the 1930s criticized the initiative, declaring - “Never in the history of the world has any measure been brought in here so insidiously designed as to prevent business recovery, to enslave workers, and … opens the door and invites the entrance into a political field of a power so vast, so powerful, as to threaten the integrity of our institutions....” Christian fundamentalists joined the crusade by proclaiming that SSN was the very Mark of the Beast prophesied in Revelation 13:17: “…no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Crux: Even when the US introduced SSN, there were intense debates whether the Act was highly contentious. Conservatives were involved in actions of deliberately arousing public fear or alarm about harmful impacts of SSN. However, they failed to impress the American public and Social Security was introduced. Over the years Social Security and its counterpart, Medicare, have become the only safety nets for a majority of America’s elderly. SSN has been overused for purposes that it was not intended for. There are many instances of leakage of information linked to it, nonetheless it continues to be the backbone of citizen interactions with the state. None has come up with a better alternative. India’s scenario: Eighty-three years later, i.e. today, Indian activists opposing Aadhaar can be compared with that of American conservatives of the 1930s. There are arguments like: “Aadhaar tends to terrorise citizens with the country becoming a totalitarian regime; ” and “it is a ‘giant electronic mesh’ and will turn the country ‘into a surveillance state.” However, there is one important difference: The opposition to Social Security was informed by right-wing ideology, which saw it as the harbinger of socialism and an existential threat to America’s capitalist enterprise. In stark contrast, the movement against Aadhaar is led by a small group of Left-leaning activists, who are well known for advocating more and more government in people’s lives (the public distribution system, rural employment guarantee, food security, and so on), but who are now arguing in the same breath for the citizens’ right to be left alone. The biometric difference There is another crucial difference between the SSN and Aadhaar: biometrics. Critics argue that - Unlike other personal information that one can change at will to protect one’s privacy, one can’t change one’s fingerprints. However, one of the learned Supreme Court justices observed recently, Google and other social media, mobile operators, and our own voter lists have a lot more immediately damaging personal information that one has no real control over. (Have you ever tried to delete highly personal and sometimes libellous information that show up when you Google your own name?) Another Justice observed – “So Indian’s who wholeheartedly link ID’s like SSN to everything in foreign countries and give all kind of Bio metrics to obtain visa’s of many countries without caring about their personal information being compromised and protesting in their own country against this strong anti corruption move. So is it like some fractions of Indians want India to remain corrupt and at the same time, blame India from Developed country that India is Corrupt??” Besides, none of the examples of Aadhaar data breaches that have been reported involves fingerprints or iris scans. So, the argument that biometrics somehow make a more compelling case against Aadhaar simply does not hold water. In fact, in a nation with the world’s largest safety net programmes, historically largest levels of leakages, and systemic fraud in every past ID programme, it is indeed the biometrics that bring credibility to Aadhaar as a national ID. So, what is the future? On the one side, we have a well-organised group of anti-Aadhaar activists who can take full credit for catapulting the privacy debate on to the national stage, but who have not offered a single viable alternative tool to better administer the nation’s massive subsidy regime. On the other side, we have a government at the Centre whose party opposed Aadhaar prior to the elections, but upon taking over the reins quickly realised the power of a single national ID in effectively administering welfare schemes; and which has been much more internally unified than the previous government in its determination to make the best use of Aadhaar. And we have the UIDAI, which has consistently shown its seriousness in addressing data security and privacy issues; is poised to add more layers of security, such as virtual Aadhaar ids; is taking an active part in crafting a national data privacy law. In the middle is the Supreme Court, now hearing detailed arguments from both sides, trying to deliberate where the nation should draw the line between personal privacy and the national interest. Conclusion: Mandating Aadhaar for all government schemes and subsidies, and allowing it as a tool to prevent money laundering and terrorism are the most logical places to draw that line. And, lighting the fire under the government to quickly enact a comprehensive national data privacy law, which enshrines internationally accepted principles of privacy, must be the citizens’ insurance policy to prevent mass surveillance and other excessive use of Aadhaar, like in the case of the SSN – should be the next immediate action. PS: (The above article has less content to directly pick for Mains but will help to have different dimensions and assessment, comparing Aadhar with US’s SSN) Connecting the dots: Are privacy concerns over Aadhar valid? Critically examine. Should Aadhaar be made compulsory for availing the benefits of government schemes? Examine in the light of the recent SC judgement in this regard. ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 2 and 3: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Payments Bank: Making it a success Background: In late 2015, when the Reserve Bank of India gave ‘in principle’ approval to 11 companies to form what we call payments bank. The model was hailed as a game-changer as it was meant to deepen access to formal financial services in unbanked and under-banked areas and further the agenda of financial inclusion for all. Two years down the line, the model is attracting severe criticism from all corners, questioning the very feasibility of the model. Recently, India’s first payments bank was charged with opening accounts without requisite approvals and custom consent as well as reporting losses for 2016-17. What is Payments Bank? A payments bank is like any other bank, but it operates on a smaller scale without involving any credit risk. It can carry out most banking operations but can't advance loans or issue credit cards. It can accept demand deposits (up to Rs 1 lakh), offer remittance services, mobile payments/transfers/purchases and other banking services like ATM/debit cards, net banking and third-party fund transfers. Financial Inclusion still a challenge: The idea of financial inclusion, particularly in developing markets, has always met with challenges pertaining to accessibility and affordability. The RBI and the Government have tackled these challenges in numerous ways and have made substantial progress. But problems remain in reaching out to those who are most vulnerable, namely, the illiterate, low-income and rural population. As of 2017, 37 per cent of the Indian adult population remain excluded from the formal financial system; 21 per cent of those included do not actively use their bank accounts. The idea of payments banks: The goal was to broaden the reach of payments and other financial services to small businesses, low-income households and vulnerable populations. The USP was the fact that people could open a bank account almost at their doorsteps with the help of an agent, could make transactions using their phones and had the facility to make deposits of up to Rs. 1 lakh. On the face of it, the model was a win-win for both consumers and financial service providers, thereby tackling the problems of accessibility and affordability. Issues: There are multiple issues the payments bank is facing- Little awareness about the model among last mile consumers. Dearth of incentives among last mile agents to promote the product and services of a payment bank. Agents reported lack of administrative and technical support from the payment banks, and limited training on the features of the product, terms and conditions and its benefits. In terms of the levels of awareness, both the last mile customers and the agents seemed to know little about the product and did not have an understanding of the uses of the product, leading to low consumer awareness and subsequent low demand for the product. Way forward: Payment banks need to intensify their efforts and try different approaches. There is significant potential for the product to expand into rural areas, given the low density of bank branches and ATMs in these geographies. So, payment banks need to heavily invest in marketing, especially in rural areas. Compensate agents substantially — ideally, above and beyond the commission-based compensation structure — to motivate them to spend time with customers in explaining the benefits of the product. Payment banks need to explain the features and uses of the product to their agents such that they can effectively transfer this knowledge to the consumer. Currently, agents themselves do not seem sufficiently familiar with the product features. Empowering retail agents- There needs to be more involvement by payment banks throughout every part of the process. Payment banks must take a holistic approach, investing heavily in agent training and handholding their agents in the short run to reap longer-term benefits. Agents, in turn, must also provide continued support to customers in terms of assisting them in the uses of the product and resolving problems. Conclusion: A one-time introduction is not likely to be enough for payments bank. Adequate steps must be taken to make it a success. Connecting the dots: What are payments bank? How far has the model been successful in deepening financial inclusion in India? Discuss. Recent surveys and news report that Payments bank aren't functioning as was supposed to be. Discuss the reasons. Also suggest measures to make it a success. MUST READ For a clean judiciary The Hindu The de-urbanization of India's manufacturing Livemint The rot in higher education is deep and wide Livemint Catalysing science Business Line
UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 134] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about ‘INS Karanj’ It is a scorpene class submarine It is built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in collaboration with French Naval Group (formerly DCNS). Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statement about ‘Nilgiri marten’ It is endemic to the Western Ghats of India It is listed in Schedule II of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Recently the creation of the Indian Enterprise Development Services (IEDS) was approved. It will be under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs Ministry of Commerce and Industry Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Q.4) Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) is under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Commerce and Industry Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry of Home Affairs Ministry of Corporate Affairs Q.5) Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan was an organisation in Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Uttar Pradesh Rajasthan To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best IASbaba
IASbaba Press Information Bureau 21st to 27th January, 2018 ARCHIVES GS-2 Rapid Reporting System for the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health) What: A web based on line monitoring for the Scheme for Adolescent Girls Will facilitate the monitoring of the scheme and taking corrective measures by ensuring faster flow of information, accurate targeting of the beneficiaries and reduction of leakages The scheme aims at providing them nutritional support @ Rs.9.50/beneficiary/day for 300 days in a year, motivating out of school girls to go back to formal schooling or skill training under non-nutrition component of the scheme. Government has also approved expansion and universalisation of the Scheme for Adolescent Girls in a phased manner i.e. in additional 303 districts in 2017-18 and the remaining districts in 2018-19 with the simultaneous phasing out of Kishori Shakti Yojana. Launch of Management Information System (MIS) portal for Anganwadi Services Training Programme (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health) 1st phase: Enable NGOs to submit proposal to the respective States/UTs. They, in turn, process the proposals and recommend requirement of funds for running the Programme in the States/UTs. The Central government would further examine the proposal and release the funds. It will ensure that funds are released timely and reach the beneficiaries for training purpose. Anganwadi Services Training Programme Under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme, it is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and the overall administration; management and monitoring of the implementation of the Scheme are being done by the respective State Government/UT Administration. The training provided to the Anganwadi Workers (AWWs)/Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) and the Supervisors at the Anganwadi Workers Training Centres (AWTCs)/Middle Level Training Centres (MLTCs) are a part of the Anganwadi Services. Please Note: INSV Tarini: First-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew The expedition titled ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’, is in consonance with the National policy to empower women to attain their full potential Aims to showcase ‘Nari Shakti’ on the world platform and help revolutionize societal attitudes and mindset towards women in India by raising visibility of their participation in challenging environs. 2. India has committed to Install 175 GW of solar, wind and biomass electricity by 2022 Reduce emission intensity by 33-35% from its 2005 levels by 2030 Create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030 though additional forest and tree cover Produce 40% electricity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030. 3. IREPS (Indian Railways E-Procurement System): A single portal of Indian Railways handling all procurements tenders and e-auctions digitally 4. UNICEF study estimates that a household in an ODF village in India saves Rs.50,000 every year by way of disease treatment costs averted, saving of livelihood by not falling ill, etc. At the macro level, a 2007 World Bank study estimated that lack of sanitation costs India over 6% of our GDP. 5. Quotes from Vice President of India’s addresses at Republic Day celebration A Republic is its people. Citizens do not just make up and preserve a Republic; they are its ultimate stakeholders and in fact pillars. Each one of us is a pillar – the soldier who defends our Republic; the farmer who feeds our Republic; the forces that keep our Republic safe; the mother who nurtures our Republic; the doctor who heals our Republic; the nurse who tends to our Republic; the sanitation worker who makes our Republic cleaner and hygienic; the teacher who educates our Republic; the scientist who innovates for our Republic; the missile technologist who puts our Republic on a new trajectory; the wise tribal who conserves the ecology of our Republic; the engineer who re-imagines our Republic; the construction worker who builds our Republic; senior citizens who can look back with pride at how far they have brought our Republic; the youth in whom lie the energy, hopes and future of our Republic; and our dear children, who dream for our Republic. Nation building is a grand project. But it is also the compilation of a million – rather, a billion – smaller projects, each as sacred as the other. Nation building is also about building a family, building a neighbourhood, building a community, building an enterprise, building an institution. And building society. Graduation Ceremony at Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai Researchers must explore ancient Indian medical systems like Ayurveda for alternative solutions and see if there are some indigenous cost-effective solutions that may be useful to make cancer treatment more affordable. Cancer is a major public health concern in India and has become one of the 10 leading causes of deaths. Cancer is one of the dreaded diseases and also a very costly disease in terms of treatment. A better understanding of the likely causes and early detection could help reduce the disease burden in our country. Regarding treatment of cancer patients, there is a need to operate more number of palliative care centres or hospices. Such centres are needed to provide relief from pain and emotional distress to suffering patients. Yoga training should be imparted to students as part of ensuring healthy lifestyles. Yoga is a holistic approach to healthy living and there is evidence that it enhances the well-being and quality of life ASEAN & India Must Read: Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3 + Link 4 + Link 5 + Link 6 + Link 7
IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Zero Budget Natural Farming 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)- 31st January 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Simultaneous Elections: Pros & Cons Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Key pointers: The idea of simultaneous Lok Sabha, Assembly and local body: · The Justice B P Jeevan Reddy-headed Law Commission in 1997 recommended simultaneous elections. · The Parliamentary Standing Committee in 2016 suggested that “elections to all state Assemblies whose terms end prior to or after a time period of six months to one year from the appointed election date can be clubbed together”. How exactly will holding Lok Sabha and Assembly polls together help? · It will cut costs. · Frequent elections and campaigns hurt the federal structure as leaders are “forced to talk politically”. This point was raised by PM Modi. · Many have argued that election campaigns end up sharpening faultlines of caste, religion and community across the country. · The Model Code of Conduct puts on hold all development programmes. Simultaneous elections would reduce disturbance from political rallies, etc. It would free up large numbers of security personnel and other staff. Criticism: · Amending the Constitution to effect simultaneous elections would fundamentally alter its democratic and federal character. · India is a “Union of States”, states have their own directly elected governments, and fixing a term adversely affects this right. · Logistics issues. The deployment of security forces and officials in 700,000 polling stations located in widely varying geographic and climatic conditions all at the same time will be extremely difficult. · State and national elections are often fought on different sets of issues — and in simultaneous elections, voters may end up privileging one set over the other in ways they might not have done otherwise. This could lead to national issues being ignored, or, conversely, local issues being swept away by a national ‘wave’. Article link: Click here Simultaneous Elections: Pros & Cons Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Government interventions in important sectors related to health Key pointers: · The Indian government has asked the Supreme Court to classify tobacco as “res extra commercium”, a Latin phrase meaning “outside commerce”. · This would strip the $11 billion tobacco industry’s legal right to trade. In denying an industry’s legal standing to trade, it gives authorities more leeway to impose restrictions. · The effort is aimed at deterring tobacco companies from challenging tough new regulations. Main focus: · Tobacco consumption kills more than 9,00,000 people each year in India. · The government has in recent years raised tobacco taxes, started smoking cessation campaigns and introduced laws requiring covering most of the package in health warnings. · India’s tobacco labelling rules, which mandate 85 percent of a cigarette pack’s surface be covered in health warnings, have been a sticking point between the government and the tobacco industry since they were enforced in 2016. · The industry estimates 45.7 million people in India depend on tobacco for their living. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL/ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes. General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it Investment and Infrastructure Agrarian/Rural distress and Rural Development Improving rural income Introduction: Around two-thirds of India’s population is in rural areas and a large proportion of this population lives in abject poverty. According to the ICE 360° Household Survey conducted in 2016, of the bottom 20% of India’s income quintile, 89% live in rural areas. There is an urgent need to improve the economic scenario in rural India to have a sustainable and robust growth model for the country as a whole. Issues: · National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data shows that more than one-fifth of rural households with self-employment in agriculture have income less than the poverty line. · Agriculture labour productivity in terms of gross value added (GVA) in India is less than a third of that in China and 1% of that in the US. Improving agriculture: · The productivity (ratio of agriculture output to agriculture inputs) of most crops in India is well below the global average. Farm productivity can be improved through better irrigation facilities, technology improvement, diversifying towards higher value added crops (like fruits, vegetables, spices, condiments), and increasing crop intensity. · Better price realization for farmers will help in improving income. There needs to be a mechanism in place to ensure that agriculture prices do not fall below the minimum support prices (MSP). For instance, last year we saw the prices of pulses fall below the MSP, causing distress to farmers. In 2016, the government had announced its intention of doubling farmer incomes by 2022. Focusing on agriculture-allied sectors: · The livestock sector, which contributes around 4% to India’s gross domestic product (GDP), is particularly critical. · India has a mixed crop livestock farming system, with livestock becoming an important secondary source of income. · Small and marginal farmers have high dependence on the livestock sector. Hence, measures to boost livestock sector growth and productivity will have a significant impact in alleviating rural distress. Reducing the dependence on agriculture: · Rural India does not mean only agriculture and agriculture-allied sectors. Interestingly, the share of agriculture in rural output is 39%, whereas the rest is contributed by the manufacturing, construction and services sectors. However, a large 64% of rural employment is in the agriculture sector. · Reducing the dependence of rural masses on agriculture as a source of income will help improve the overall income of the rural population. · According to a NITI Aayog report, income per farmer is around one-third of the income per non-agriculture worker. Improving rural employment in the manufacturing and services sectors: The manufacturing sector in rural India contributes 18% to rural output, but employs only 8% of the rural workforce. The rural workforce finds it difficult to get absorbed in the manufacturing sector. Improving education facilities and skill development programmes in rural areas will play an important role. Services sector growth: The sector can play a critical role in improving rural income. Sectors like transport and storage have recorded reasonable growth in the rural area. · There is need to further increase the contribution of the services sector to rural output. · The services sector contributes around 27% to rural output, as against 55% to India’s GDP. · A strong push to sectors like food processing, warehousing and logistics will be very beneficial as it will help push up farmer incomes, reduce the wastage of perishable agriculture commodities and provide employment to rural workers. Conclusion: Villages are India’s backbone, contributing around 46% to the country’s net domestic product and employing 70% of the total workforce. While it is very critical to increase farmer incomes, it is even more important to increase overall rural incomes. This could be achieved through reducing the over-dependence of the rural population on agriculture as a source of income. A suitable push needs to be given to infrastructure development and industrial and services sector growth in rural areas. Imparting skills to the rural workforce appropriately to enable them to get absorbed in the non-agriculture sector is equally important. Connecting the dots: · Around two-thirds of India’s population is in rural areas and a large proportion of this population lives in abject poverty. Improving rural income thus must be a priority for the government. Suggest measures to do so. NATIONAL/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. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it Investment and Infrastructure Agrarian/Rural distress and Rural Development Transforming Indian agriculture through Corporate farming ventures Introduction: Despite serious attempts, improving farm productivity on a large scale remains our most significant challenge. It is time to think of alternative models for the rapid development of agriculture. Pooling resources and engaging in systematic, collaborative farming, with initial support from external agencies is the way. Major reasons for low farm output are: Low land unit sizes. High dependence on rain. Poverty which prevents the use of appropriate seeds, fertilisers, and insecticides. The farm-to-market linkage is also weak. How it works? Land on lease is taken from a group of farmers. Expert firms then use the best inputs and technology to grow and market produce that meets the highest quality standards. This model may supplement the existing government schemes, and can be implemented in a two-step process. In step one, the ministry of agriculture in consultation with State governments can identify 100 contiguous pieces of land, 500 sq km each. These will be called Agriculture Development Regions (ADRs). State governments will need to persuade farmers within each such region to agree to lease their land to them for 10 years.. Ownership of the land will remain with the farmers. State governments can then invite corporate farming ventures (CFVs) to work on each of the ADRs. In return, they will pay the money that State governments owe the farmers. This means zero financial burden on State governments. CFVs may employ local farmers by giving them wages. CFVs will be applying modern techniques and will be investmenting to get high-quality products. Significance of CFVs Today, the Government does not have enough resources to reach the last farmer. CFVs by investing money can create islands of excellence. The best practices will then spread to adjoining areas. CFVs have reported higher yields for most crops. These include wheat, rice, sugar, cotton, potato, gherkin, tomato, groundnut, safflower, marigold, safflower, poultry and milk. Much of India’s exports originate from the CFVs’ baskets. They have already proved that agriculture can be profitable. CFVs today engage with lakhs of farmers across the country. CFVs also understand the importance of maintaining product quality and supply-chain integrity. They know that many countries do not accept India’s agriculture produce as they do not meet the prescribed quality or health and safety standards. Thus, they invest in good agricultural practices such as maintaining specified standards in pesticides residue levels, assaying, grading, packaging, and storage. They understand the technology and investment needs of the sector. They can reduce the cost of cultivation by 25 to 30 per cent by using laser land levellers, and precision seeders in combination with the residue management. CFVs know the importance of farm-to-fork supply chains. For perishables goods like fruits and vegetables, this means transportation in refrigerated vans after pre-cooling of produce. Most farmers cannot afford these. The Government may help CFVs with tax breaks on these investments. Examples of CFVs: PepsiCo in Punjab and eight other states, Hindustan Lever, Rallis, and ICICI jointly in Madhya Pradesh, Amul and NDDB in Gujrat, Sugarcane Cooperatives in Maharashtra, and Suguna in Tamil Nadu, are important CFVs. Way ahead: Hundreds of CFVs are already successful in India, but in isolated pockets. We need to use their expertise on a large scale with the help of the Government. Conclusion: CFVS holds potential to improve farm productivity. High-profit margins and exports will follow. Within a few years. Farmers who participates with CFVs can form a group within the village. They will pool their land and start collaborative farming where external CFVs will not be needed. As the movement will spread it will bring social, political and economic benefits to the 50 crore farmers spread across 5 lakh villages. Connecting the dots: What do you mean by Corporate Farming Ventures(CFVs)? How do these ventures work? CFVs hold potential to transform Indian agriculture. Discuss. MUST READ The balancing act The Hindu In Davos: A toast to India Indian Express The non-trivial costs of a slow judiciary Livemint The high dropout rate of girls in India Livemint
UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 133] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about the recently launched high performance computer (HPC) system ‘Mihir’. It is launched by Ministry of Earth Science It is dedicated to weather and climate forecasts Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) What is "virtual private network"? It is a private computer network of an organization where the remote users can transmit encrypted information through the server of the organization. It is a computer network across a public internet that provides users access to their organizations network while maintaining the security of the information transmitted. It is a computer network in which users can access a shared pool of computing resources through a service provider. None of the statements given above is correct description of virtual private network. Q.3) With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, consider the following: The Right to Development The Right to Expression The Right to Recreation Which of the above is/are the Rights of the child? 1 and 2 1 and 3 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 Q.4) Which of the following is known as Berne and Paris-plus agreement? WIPO TRIPS Sustainable Development Goals UNFCC Q.5) Lisbon treaty is related to European Union MERCOSUR African Union Trans-Pacific Partnership To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best IASbaba
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 also help you in Essay, Sociology and PSIR Optional as well. This is the Fifth edition of Economic and Political Weekly (EPW)- Bimonthly Magazine. Hope you all like it 🙂 DOWNLOAD THE MAGAZINE
