May 23, 2018 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

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

May 23, 2018

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

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

May 23, 2018 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan

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

May 22, 2018 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

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

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

May 22, 2018 PIB

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

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

May 22, 2018

IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2018 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND CURRENT AFFAIRS [Day 59]

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

May 21, 2018 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 21st May 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 21st May 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Incorporating Artificial Intelligence in military Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Internal Security Key pointers: In an ambitious defence project, the government has started work on incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the operational preparedness of the armed forces in a significant way. It would include equipping them with unmanned tanks, vessels, aerial vehicles and robotic weaponry. A high-powered task force headed by Tata Sons chairman N. Chandrasekaran is finalising the specifics and framework of the project, which would be implemented in a “partnership model” between the armed forces and the private sector. The application of AI in border surveillance could significantly ease the pressure on armed forces personnel guarding the sensitive frontiers with China and Pakistan. The move comes amid rising Chinese investments in AI — an area of computer science devoted to creating intelligent machines — for its military. China has been pouring billions of dollars into AI research and machine learning. The U.S., Britain, France and the European Union are also investing significantly in AI. The U.S. has been carrying out successful operations targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan using drones which operate with the help of artificial intelligence. (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. The EU’s Data Protection Regulation: Lessons for India Introduction: The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the latest new regulation to address the issue of data privacy. The GDPR adopts a rights-based, consent-driven approach towards protecting the data of natural persons. Key features of GDPR: The GDPR applies to any act of processing data. The scope of the term ‘processing’ is broad enough to cover any operation, from data collection to analysis, storage, transfer, erasure and others. The GDPR’s territorial applicability clause states that it can be applicable to you in one of three ways: An establishment in an EU member-state, one offering goods or services to natural persons in the EU and one monitoring the behaviour of natural persons in the EU. The GDPR is not merely applicable to entities which collect or order the collection of data from EU natural persons for their own purposes, but also places liabilities on people who process this data on behalf of controllers. The GDPR addresses the concerns related to the transfer of personal data to third countries or international organisations. In addition to providing for compensation to natural persons whose privacy rights are violated, the GDPR empowers EU statutory authorities to impose administrative fines of up to €20 million or 4 per cent of total group turnover of a company, and to impose bans on data processing. A new paradigm in global privacy regulation: Any person processing data, whether on their own or on someone else’s behalf, having any kind of ‘establishment’ in the EU, or offering goods or services to natural persons in the EU, or monitoring the behaviour of natural persons in the EU, is subject to the GDPR. It is this factor that sets the GDPR up to become a new paradigm in global privacy regulation. Indian rules: Under India’s existing data protection regime, the Information Technology Act, 2000 (the IT Act) has attempted to deal with data protection in a comprehensive manner. The manner in which the GDPR addresses data protection compliance is hard to compare to the approach taken by the IT-RS Rules. The IT-RS Rules commit a portion of a single provision to consent, requiring that consent be obtained in writing through electronic communication. The GDPR, in contrast, commits five detailed provisions to the essentiality of lawful consent for processing data, factors to determine whether consent was lawfully obtained, conditions for consent etc. The language of the GDPR indicates that consent is interwoven through most of its important provisions, making it a key foundation of GDPR compliance. There are certain aspects of the GDPR which are not reflected anywhere in the IT-RS, such as the adoption of a rights-based approach to data privacy. The GDPR makes it clear at the very outset that it protects the fundamental right to protection of data of natural persons. Future of data regulation in India: The GDPR is being adopted at a time where India is arguably at a cusp regarding data privacy. The August 2017 decision of the Supreme Court in Justice Puttusamy vs Union of India confirmed the existence of a fundamental right to privacy, recognised the concept of informational privacy and noted that legislation should be enacted to ensure enforceability against non-State actors (private entities). The Justice Srikrishna Committee, established to make recommendations for a proposed data protection legislation in India, released a white paper on Data Protection Framework in India which utilises much of the GDPR’s terminology and approach. Conclusion: A future data protection legislation in India should be set by the standards set by the GDPR. GDPR compliance may be considered an opportunity for Indian companies to achieve early compliance with a potential Indian data privacy legislation. Connecting the dots: The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the latest new regulation to address the issue of data privacy. Discuss its key features. A future data protection legislation in India should be set by the standards set by the GDPR. Discuss. NATIONAL TOPIC:General studies 2: Structure, organization and functioning of the Judiciary Judicial reforms : Modernising Indian courts Introduction: The Indian judicial system suffers from case delay and the use of antiquated methods. The discourse on judicial reform remains focused on areas such as appointments and vacancies. Two areas that greatly affect court efficiency are: case listing practices and court infrastructure. Number of cases listed per day: It is not uncommon to see over 100 matters listed before a judge in a day. When a judge is pressed for time, not only does the quality of adjudication suffer but it also means that several cases will inevitably go unheard. Matters listed towards the end (usually cases near the final stage of hearing) tend to be left over at disproportionate rates and often end up getting stuck in the system. The uncertainty around which cases will come up for hearing means neither judges nor lawyers can plan their preparation. This situation compels lawyers to waste time waiting in court. Registry staff must manage the massive task of re-listing leftover matters in an already bulging docket, instead of streamlining case flow. There is a need to scientifically determine how many cases should be listed per day. Court infrastructure: Issues ranges from inadequate support staff for judges to the dearth of basic courtroom facilities. Without research and secretarial support, judges are unable to perform their functions in a timely manner. For instance, in a private interview, a judge said that even though he managed to hear close to 70 cases in a day, it took two days for the stenographers to finish typing the orders. A 2016 report published by the Supreme Court showed that existing infrastructure could accommodate only 15,540 judicial officers against the all-India sanctioned strength of 20,558. The lack of infrastructure also raises serious concerns about access to justice. A recent Vidhi study on district courts in the National Capital Region found that even basic needs such as drinking water, usable washrooms, seating and canteen facilities are often not available in court complexes. Solutions: Courts must become more open to applying management principles to optimise case movement and judicial time. In this, external support agencies competent in strategic thinking should be allowed to work with judicial officers to understand and help the institution function better. Judicial policymakers will also have to expand their reliance on empirical data   There appears to be little quantitative evidence available to back judicial policies, from how long cases at various stages actually stay in the case pipeline to audits of judicial infrastructure. Recording and analysing appropriate court-related data is thus the first step in addressing any problem that plagues courts — from arriving at reasonable case listing limits to improving infrastructure. Court processes must be modernised, and the role of technology is critical. Courts have taken various initiatives over the years to digitise case records and filing; the case information system (CIS) 2.0 is currently being implemented across the country. But using technology in courts cannot remain limited to digitising records alone but must affect how cases actually move through the system. Initiatives such as CIS must be supplemented with file-tracking and knowledge management systems, to help courts achieve an optimal level of functioning. Conclusion: For courts in India to dispense speedy justice, there must be a change in leadership thought and the willingness to seek help where it is evidently required. Solutions for above challenges will require a fundamental shift in how courts are administered. Connecting the dots: A fundamental shift is required in the way courts are administered. Discuss. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1) The N. Chandrasekaran committee is related to which of the following: Select the correct statements Data protection law in India To study Artificial intelligence in military 15th Finance Commission None of the above MUST READ Making sense of Wuhan reset The Hindu The smart cities project must promote diversity Livemint We must adapt to EU data privacy rules Business Line

May 21, 2018 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Saying No – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Saying No: Somehow we don’t like the idea of saying no. The first emotion that swells up within us when we have to say no is guilt. Why is it? If you actually think about it, it is natural to say no most of the time if you are focused on what you are doing and don’t want to be disturbed by unnecessary interruptions and distractions. And yet, it doesn’t come naturally to tell now. Why is it? This is a part of our upbringing. As children we are told to obey our parents and elders all the time and hence naturally we grow up saying yes to pretty much everything. But as adults, saying yes to everything is one of the worst habits we can develop. This is one of the biggest reasons why you are distracted most of the time. In a way, each individual is living in his or her own reality, trying to move towards a life that they are aspiring for. And in almost everybody’s life you are simply one small part of their journey of life. You are never the most important person in anybody’s life. This is one of the harsh realities we have to come to accept as adults. Life is all about knowing what you are doing and how to move towards it. When you develop the habit of saying yes to everything, you simply become a part of somebody else’s life. You will be left with very little time for your own dreams and aspirations. This is where being too good is almost always detrimental to one’s progress. Of course as social beings we want to be useful to others and also want others to be useful to us, but trying to be too good all the time is never the right approach. Developing the ability to say ‘No’ without feeling any guilt and regret is one of the best habits one can develop. It frees us from the burden of having to constantly think about and worry about all the no’s we have said. Once we accept that saying ‘No’ is natural, it helps us to keep our human interacts simple and effective. Of course, just because we can say ‘No’, it doesn’t mean that we say it just for sake of saying it. But in most situations it is better to say ‘No’ than ‘Yes’. We go through different phases of our lives. Some phases require us to be very firm on our individual decisions and say ‘No’ to most others. It is extremely important to understand the phase of life you are in now and accordingly decide on your level of human interactions. In a phase that requires you to be focused, if you keep saying ‘Yes’ to anything and everything, then you will end up nowhere. We have to let go of this childhood conditioning of saying yes to everything to be able to keep our human interactions honest and beneficial. It is perfectly alright to say ‘No’ to anybody. As long as we don’t use the habit of saying ‘No’ just for the sake of being rude, it is perfectly alright to say ‘No’, even if required, most of the time. “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”

May 21, 2018

IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2018 ENVIRONMENT & CURRENT AFFAIRS [Day 58]

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

May 19, 2018 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 19th May 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 19th May 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Zojila: Asia's longest bi-directional road tunnel Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Infrastructure Key pointers: Zoji La will provide  all-weather connectivity between Ladakh and Kashmir. It is said to be Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel Situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway The project, on completion, would lead to enormous boost in employment as local businesses will get linked to the national market and the beautiful region is able to receive round-the-year tourist traffic. It will also be of strategic value to the armed forces. Part of Bharatmala project The government has set an ambitious target of construction of 35,000 km of national highways in the next five years involving an investment of Rs 5,35,000 crore under Bharatmala. Speaker Pro Tem Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Indian Polity Key Pointers: As provided by the Constitution, the Speaker of the last Lok Sabha vacates his office immediately before the first meeting of the newly- elected Lok Sabha. Therefore, the President appoints a member of the Lok Sabha as the Speaker Pro Tem. Usually, the senior most member is selected for this. The President administers oath to the Speaker Pro Tem. The Speaker Pro Tem has all the powers of the Speaker. He presides over the first sitting of the newly-elected Lok Sabha. His main duty is to administer oath to the new members. He also enables the House to elect the new Speaker. When the new Speaker is elected by the House, the office of the Speaker Pro Tem ceases to exist. Hence, this office is a temporary office, existing for a few days. (MAINS FOCUS) ENVIRONMENT TOPIC: General Studies 2 and 3: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Death by Slow Poisoning Introduction: An estimated 10 million people in nine districts of West Bengal drink arsenic-laden groundwater — a poisonous metalloid that sickens and kills with chronic exposure. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) prescribed safe level is 10 mcg per litre. However, about 15 years ago, scientists discovered that the shallow groundwater in some places had high levels of the mineral: up to 1,000 micrograms (mcg) per litre in places. When such water is consumed for years, either directly or through the food chain, the mineral damages organs like the skin, kidneys and lungs. Symptoms: The most visible symptom in early years is a classic blotchy pattern on the skin, a condition called raindrop pigmentation. If people showing such pigmentation don’t switch to safer water, they develop hyperkeratosis — dark crusts on their palms and soles, which can get infected and make it painful to work. Eventually, the skin can turn cancerous. Simultaneously, arsenic can destroy the kidneys and liver tissue, cause conjunctivitis and affect the lungs, just as heavy smoking does. Mass poisoning West Bengal’s problem first attracted international attention in 1995 when researcher from the University of Colorado compared its scale with the Chernobyl disaster. But despite the grave warnings from international bodies like the WHO, the West Bengal government has moved very slowly to tackle the crisis. Even though multiple technologies to filter arsenic from groundwater are there, awareness of arsenic’s ill-effects remains low. People continue drinking toxic water, even when alternatives exist. Concerns: Poor awareness: Despite the availability of water treatment plant, several people continue drinking contaminated groundwater. Children are worst affected. Outwardly, the children seem symptom-free. Arsenic is a silent killer; it takes years for keratosis to show in adults and even longer in children. But there is extensive evidence that children are not immune to internal damage — their lungs, kidneys and other organs are slowly being ravaged. Studies also show that arsenic-exposed children have lower IQ compared to control groups. If they continue drinking this water, they will definitely develop keratosis. Government’s slow reaction: The government did appoint committees in 1983, ’88, ’92 and ’93 to examine the problem, but the findings didn’t trigger substantial action. Polluted wells not marked: After denial in the initial years came some questionable decisions by the government. Even though the State had tested 1,32,267 tube wells for contamination by 2007, the polluted wells weren’t marked. Instead, the government dug alternative tube wells in some spots and installed filters in some others. Do you know? Several experts, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), advocated that unsafe tube wells immediately be painted red, so that people would avoid them. Toxic arsenic sludge from both community and household filters were sometimes disposed of unsafely, sent back into the environment, instead of being treated as per protocol. Studies have shown that the source of arsenic is in the Ganga delta. The process is thought to have begun between 18,000 and 6,000 years ago, when small Himalayan rock particles, coated with iron oxide, entered the Ganga river delta. Source of arsenic is the Ganga delta The Ganga delta was also home to swampy wetlands some 5,000 years ago. The organic matter from these wetlands is now decaying slowly, alongside the arsenic. When the bacteria responsible for this decay come in contact with the iron oxide in the arsenic-bearing rocks, they use the oxygen from the iron oxide for their own metabolism, setting both arsenic and iron free. This is why the groundwater in West Bengal and Bangladesh are rich in both minerals. Researchers agree that shallow tube wells, less than 150 meters deep, are the worst affected, because they contain arsenic-rich sediments from the Holocene era, when the arsenic arrived in the delta. Conversely, deep aquifers, more than 150 meters underground, are unaffected because they tap into the older Pleistocene sediments. Such deep tube wells can potentially be used for a long time without fear of contamination. However, even deep aquifers can become tainted with the overuse of groundwater. Such overuse can disturb the clay separating the deep and shallow aquifers, allowing the arsenic to enter previously pristine waters. Way ahead: There is an urgent need for mitigation strategy such as - painting wells, holding door-to-door campaigns, conducting street plays and distributing flyers about the danger of using contaminated tube wells. Unless this happened, patients would not go to government-run arsenic clinics or switch to safe tube wells. Two solutions: State’s short-term strategy is to provide Hooghly water to about half the arsenic-affected villages. The other half are to be served by community arsenic-treatment plants. Until West Bengal is able to get safe water for all the 10 million at risk, its villages will remain dotted with tragedy. 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. Improving ease of doing business: Focusing on micro-policy enforcement Introduction: The government must be commended for their focus on incremental reforms that resulted in India breaking into the top 100 in the World Bank’s Doing Business rankings for the first time. However, despite this success India continues to perform relatively poorly in many perception-based surveys of trade facilitation and ‘open-ness’ despite all these major reform initiatives. The governance challenge: Three broad institutional challenges in the Indian system. Poor quality of enforcement and lack of transparency: Mismatch between the intent of reforms and quality of actual enforcement and transparency on the ground, — the governance challenge.   All businesses, Indian and foreign, complain that risk management and transparency related reforms that are boldly announced by senior officers in ministries are not adopted in spirit and content by their junior colleagues responsible for enforcement. This is true for a wide array and departments and services ranging from fire and safety inspectors and indirect tax officials to road transport regulators and municipal officers. Part of the problem is that a high level of discretion still exists with the officer enforcing rules on the ground. This is aggravated by the lack of a time-bound grievance redress mechanism, and the absence of independent ‘auditors’ who monitor on-ground enforcement quality and ensure there is accountability for poor decisions made in the field. The design challenge The second problem can be called the ‘design challenge’. Procedures are often designed to cater to the few instances of failure or non-compliance and not for efficiency and facilitation. Examples- India is perhaps the only country in the world that requires a boarding pass to be stamped after security check at airports (earlier even luggage tags needed the stamp). This entire activity is to ensure that no one ‘slips’ through the security system and is eventually apprehended at the boarding gate. Despite GST, if a truck is caught with a shipment about which authorities have some doubt, the entire vehicle is held up at the check-post. What is required is confidence in the government’s own enforcement ability. The management challenge: The third problem is the management challenge. There is a tendency to blame poor quality of government services on lack of infrastructure or human resources. This often over-looks the fact that there are many examples of better services with effectively less resources. Example- The problem of quality of policing in India. Per capita police personnel deployed is one of the lowest in India. But this cannot be an excuse to make the simplest of tasks, the filing of a formal complaint (i.e. FIR), to become an insurmountable challenge for the common person. Similarly, many efficient ports and cargo terminals in other countries have higher square-meter per ton ratio compared to Indian counterparts that are much less efficient. These management challenges add to transaction costs. Way ahead: The extent of India’s macro-policy reforms has borne results, it is time start focusing on the micro-policies of enforcement. Top down macro reforms can only be effective if they are twinned with bottom-up micro reforms. Unless the day-to-day experience of doing business improves, we will continue to under-perform relative to our true potential. Connecting the dots: While macro policy initiatives have helped us in improving overall ease of doing rankings, it is time that the enforcement of policy at micro-level and transparency is focused on. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1) Consider the following pairs               Passes                           Connects     1. Banihal Jammu and Srinagar     2. Zoji La Srinagar and Leh     3. Shipki La Himachal Pradesh and Tibet     4. Mana pass Uttarakhand and Tibet Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched? 1 only 2 only 1 and 3 only All the above Q.2) Consider the following statements about ‘Zoji La Pass Tunnel Project’ It will be the longest tunnel in Asia when completed It is an upcoming project which aims at providing all weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh. Select the correct statements 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 MUST READ Death by slow poisoning The Hindu Questions of representation The Hindu New great game in the Indo-Pacific Indian Express Restoring trust Indian Express Let it fly Business Line