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RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : SMART CITY MISSION @ 100

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

MindMaps

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

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

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

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

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

Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Become an Individual – Inspirational & Educative Articles

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

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Electoral Bonds

Electoral Bonds ARCHIVES Search 3rd January 2018 here http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Funding of political parties has always been under some kind of suspicion or controversy. Hence in 2017 budget, the government came out with electoral bonds for political donation. An electoral bond is designed to be a bearer instrument like a Promissory Note. In effect, it will be similar to a bank note that is payable to the bearer on demand and free of interest. Electoral bond scheme can be purchased by an Indian citizen and a body incorporated in India. They are available in multiples of Rs. 1000, Rs. 10000, Rs. 1 lakh, Rs. 10 lakh and 1 crore. There has to be a KYC but the names will not be made public- who is donating to which party. The bonds will be available for purchase for a period of 10 days each in the beginning of every quarter, i.e. in January, April, July and October. The party can convert these bonds back into money via their bank accounts which are verified by ECI. Condition to have donations via electoral bonds The electoral bonds will have a life of 15 days during which they can be used to make donations to registered political parties that have secured not less than 1% of the votes polled in the last election to the Lok Sabha or State Assembly. This is a small step towards electoral reforms. Flip side This measure will help any party that is in power. Any potential donor or industrialists do not have to worry about giving donations to party in power. If the party in power knows that particular institutions is giving money to opposition party, then they might create trouble for them. India’s democratic climate, value and institution building is not strong as it should have been after independence and this where the democratic institutions need to be strengthened. Benefits This is good for ushering in transparency in donations to political parties because their funding has always been under some kind of suspicion and they are averse of bringing them under RTI. The eligibility criteria for getting donation through electoral bonds is a good idea as what political parties do is fund non-serious candidate to cut into the votes of the opponents. For eg. In Gujarat election, a namesake of popular tribal leader was fielded against the tribal leader to create confusion. This takes away the democratic spirit in which the elections are fought. So, it will help to weed out non-serious candidates. Specified banking channels will be used to make donations through electoral bonds. The political parties have to disclose to ECI also the amount they received from electoral bonds and cash. The returns will have to be filed by the political parties to get the tax exemptions. Conclusion Political parties by their nature and character have not been open to transparency and accountability as far as the funding is concerned. Muscle power, corruption, crime, black money are at huge scale in democratic system. There is need to scrutinize the expenditure of political parties. There is a huge gap between what is actually spent and the ceiling. Political parties receive cash donations, now through electoral bonds- what is the pattern, how much money was spend on public travel, rallies and other schemes. The lok sabha constituency has 40 lakhs to spend but this is hardly enough money for an entire constituency. So there has to be a more realistic picture to fulfill the demands of the economy. It remains to be seen if political parties are inclined to favour and go for the bonds for donation, whether they will make use of these bonds and to the extent they will use these bonds and what is the extent to which the people, corporates will give money is yet to be analysed. Many electoral reforms have taken place and more needs to be taken. Today, candidates have to declare their assets, their criminal records. The most important political reform was reducing age of voting to 18 which has empowered the young minds to take part in the development process of the country and understand its political system. Even if there are pros and cons to the current step, it is worth facing as the benefits are long term and the shortcomings can be evaluated and improved upon. Also read: IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Click here Connecting the dots: How can electoral bonds help in redefining the process of initiating electoral reforms? Examine.

RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : Indian Diaspora: Global Mark

Indian Diaspora: Global Mark Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Indian diaspora In news: The Indian diaspora is getting influential across the world so much so that there are 285 people of Indian origin in various positions of leadership such as Heads of state and governments, senators, state leaders and members of parliaments. In a unique initiative to forge ties with this influential diaspora, India hosted the first ever PIO Parliamentarian conference. The PIO Parliamentary Conference is expected to see 125 parliamentarians of Indian origin. This conference is only for MPs and mayors and not ministers and heads of states and governments MPs and mayors and not ministers and heads of states and governments because regular interactions already happen at that level. Guyana is sending the largest delegation of 20 MPs and 3 mayors followed by Trinidad and Tobago, UK and Mauritius. Despite the rise of Indians in state governments and senate, US congress is sending 2 senate as it was in session during the conference period. This initiative will be a great platform for India and rest of world for tie up for political and economic empowerment Indian Diaspora- Length and breadth The Indian diaspora around the world now stands at 31.2 million. In recent times, the government has laid a strong foundation by making diplomacy people-centric with government’s constant interaction with the Indian diaspora. The idea of the event is to “break the barriers” that may have existed due to the lack of communication between India and any of the other country. It was also an occasion for many countries to upgrade their idea and image about India which is more than slums and poverty. Take away from conference India can help its diaspora in other countries in health and education with its remarkable improvement. Medical tourism and travel is one of the biggest takeways Technology transfer can help countries to mutually grow in this technology-aided times. Sports is one area where India and other countries like Kenya, South Africa can collaborate for better opportunities for sportspersons The conference is a good opportunity to interact with other MPs of various nations. The information and initiative will be shared during the conference will help countries to bring in improvement in their functioning. New ideas of synergy can be made and relations can be taken forward. The conference aimed also to teach about governance of India, policies, protocols etc. so as to learn and adopt from it. Segmentation of Indian diaspora There are four segments of the Indian diaspora: The diaspora in the Gulf numbering around 8.5 million; Older diaspora who went as indentured labour numbering around 1.7 million; People who hold Indian citizenship but are living abroad; The floating overseas Indians that include students and people going for short and research purposes. End note The Indian diaspora is the bridge between their nation and India where they can grow simultaneously for betterment of their citizens. The MPs aimed to concentrate on progress that India has made since 1947. The Indian diaspora can compare themselves with each other and become more developed together. The government connection between countries should be encouraged by MPs of Indian origin. Moreover, India’s foreign policy is respected by the Indian diaspora for its non-interference, cooperative and understanding stand. The future holds great place for India to bank upon its diaspora for economic development and geographical influence. Connecting the dots: Indian Diaspora is India’s asset in disguise. Elaorate with suitable examples.

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 10th February 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 10th February 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) US blocks India's request at WTO for JNNSM related dispute Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Key pointers: The US has blocked India’s first-time request for the establishment of a panel to settle a dispute on whether the country complied with a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling against domestic sourcing of solar cells and modules mandated in its national solar power generation programme. Canada and the EU supported India’s call for a compliance panel. The US continued to disagree with India’s claims of compliance and reiterated its right to use WTO procedures for retaliation . New Delhi is seeking the establishment of a compliance panel again as the WTO rules don’t allow any country to block a second request. Background: The DSB, in 2016, had ruled in favour of a US complaint against the requirement that power producers under JNNSM should compulsory procure a part of solar panels and modules for their projects from local producers as it argued that the provision discriminated against foreign producers.  Article link: Click here Health Index Report by NITI Aayog Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Issues related to health Key pointers: Kerala, Punjab and Tamil Nadu were the top rankers in NITI Aayog’s latest Health Index report. NITI Aayog has for the first time, attempted to establish an annual systematic tool to measure and understand the heterogeneity and complexity of the nation’s performance in the health sector. The document has been developed by NITI Aayog with technical assistance from the World Bank and in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The report indicates that Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh showed the maximum improvement in indicators such as Neonatal Mortality Rate, Under-five Mortality Rate, full immunisation coverage, institutional deliveries, and People Living with HIV (PLHIV) on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART). Common challenges for most States and Union Territories include the need to focus on addressing vacancies in key staff, establishment of functional district cardiac care units, quality accreditation of public health facilities and institutionalisation of human resources management information system. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) GOVERNANCE/ETHICS TOPIC: General studies 3: Indian Economy General studies 4: Ethics and human interface Probity in governance Unethicality in India Background: India was ranked the most unethical of 13 major economies in the 2016 Global Business Ethics Survey, behind even Brazil and China. Last year, Ernst and Young’s Asia-Pacific Fraud survey found that unethical practices are rife in India’s business community. Introduction: Seventy years after Independence and more than 25 years after landmark economic reforms, India, despite its many obvious attractions, is seen as a tough place to do business in. Red tape and the inconsistent and arbitrary manner in which our governments have administered taxes and investment rules and regulations. Also, Indians are seen as highly unethical. Unethicality not just restricted to politicians and civil servants: This is not just about politicians. Political corruption plagues many societies. Even the Scandinavians are not above making pay-offs when it suits their interests as we saw in the Bofors scandal. The negative perception of India is not even about our civil servants. True, India ranked 79th out of 176 countries in Transparency International’s 2016 Corruption Perception Index, and last year the same organisation found India to be the most corrupt country among the 16 Asia Pacific countries surveyed. Nearly seven in 10 Indians who had accessed public services — be it schools, hospitals, official documents, utility services, the police or courts — had paid a bribe versus only 0.2 per cent in Japan, the least corrupt country. The decline of public morality is now mirrored by fall in ethics in the private sector. The cancer of corruption has spread well beyond the corridors of power to our educated and affluent elites — professionals, salaried employees and businessmen — who are increasingly on the take. Corruption in public life: Foreign investors and companies complain that Indian businessmen don’t understand the concept of good faith in negotiations. Legal agreements are routinely flouted. Illegal diversion of profits by promoters is common. The non-performing loan crisis in India’s banks is largely due to cheating and fraud by crony capitalists with the connivance of bank executives. These dishonest practices are carried abroad. Indians in the management ranks are known for taking cuts on deals and purchasing contracts. Indian names feature disproportionately in insider trading scandals on Wall Street and the City in London. Even in Silicon Valley, Indians dealing with outsourced staffing for technology companies are notorious for collecting facilitation fees through their spouses.  Cause of concern: Back in the days of the licence raj, many blamed corruption in India on red tape and socialist controls. However, even as the economy has been liberalised to a great extent since 1991, corruption has only grown worse and today infects not just government but Indian businesses and corporate life. Even low-income levels are no excuse — dishonesty appears to have more than outpaced rising compensation packages. The corroding ethical fabric of the country is not just an issue of morality for its own sake. No economy can perform at a high level without a basic level of integrity. Unethical behaviour destroys trust. As trust erodes, the cost of doing business will soar, affecting India’s competitiveness and attractiveness as an investment destination. Conclusion: Stricter rules and regulations and better policing of businesses are no solution for improving ease f doing business. No amount of compliance and governance can substitute for sound moral fibre. We need to reflect more on the state of our morality as a nation. Connecting the dots: India was ranked the most unethical of 13 major economies in the 2016 Global Business Ethics Survey. Unethical business practices is on rise. Analyze. 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 India's policy towards Middle East region: Making it more practical In news: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Saudi Arabia recently and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is traveling to Palestine, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. India is expected to host President Hassan Rouhani of Iran next month.  Turns in the Middle East: Liberation from social controls imposed in the name of religion: Women in Iran are taking off their head scarves in a bold protest against Iran’s rule on compulsory wearing of the veil in public. It was among the first prohibitions imposed by the Islamic Republic after the 1979 revolution. Women in Saudi Arabia are learning how to drive as they await legal sanction this summer. Riyadh has also lifted a four decade-old ban on movie theatres. The quest for “moderate Islam”: Key leaders of the region, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, and Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia, have all made reclaiming Islam from the extremist groups an important political priority. For decades now, the region’s political leadership has been under pressure to yield to the conservative religious flank. Any reversal, of course, would be hugely consequential for India and the world. Meanwhile, the Sunni monarchies that traditionally looked to the United States to ensure their security, are taking matters into their own hands to shape the regional security architecture. Troops backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE are battling groups backed by Iran across the region. Indian context: The Indian government must come to terms with a changing region and the opportunities it presents. Although Delhi’s relations with the Middle East have gained greater traction, many feel there is need for the articulation of objectives and a strategy to achieve them. There is need to formulate “Look West Policy” that puts India’s relations with the region on a sound basis. The success of India’s “Look East Policy" provides a precedent. The transformation of India’s engagement with South East Asia was celebrated last month by the presence of the 10 ASEAN leaders at the annual Republic Day celebrations. Challenge- Lack of forum: One big difference between the Middle East an Southeast Asian regions is an institutional framework that facilitates India’s regional diplomacy. If the Association of South East Asian Nations has been the vehicle for India’s expanding partnership with South East Asia, there is no similar forum in the Middle East. Groupings such as the Arab League, or the Organisation of Islamic Conference, were never really effective. Organisations like the Gulf Cooperation Council (though little focused) are beginning to crack amid the region’s turbulence. Once formed to counter the Iranian threat, the GCC is badly divided today. Way ahead: India needs to adopt a process-driven diplomacy, with multiple lines of continuous engagement. In the Middle East, the principal impulse has to be India’s own strategic appreciation of the region matched by a vigorous bilateralism. Rapport at the leadership level is critical for success in a region ruled mostly by monarchs and strong rulers. Delhi’s bureaucracy must be able to follow through on declarations and joint statements.  India needs to change its perceptions: In the first decades after Independence, India had bet that its commitment to pan-Arabism and anti-imperialism would counter Pakistan’s claims for special affection of the region as a state founded on Islam. While religion remains important, pan-Islamism is no longer a dominant force in shaping the politics of the region. The rise of sectarianism has undercut pan-Islamism. After the Cold War, India pursued a more practical policy towards the region. Even as India’s economic ties deepened after the economic reforms launched in 1991, Delhi appeared defensive in the region. For example- Delhi’s persistent tendency to view the region in terms of the conflict between Israel and Arab states. This seems at odds with what is happening in the region. Israel which with Iran tried to balance the Arabs, is now partnering the Sunni Arabs to defeat the growing influence of Shia Iran. Conclusion: India needs to view the Middle East on its own merits, pays sustained political attention, and deliver on the Indian economic and security commitments made at the highest levels. Connecting the dots: India needs to view the Middle East on its own merits, pays sustained political attention, and deliver on the Indian economic and security commitments made at the highest levels. Discuss. MUST READ For here to go The Hindu Testing the diagnosis The Hindu An unethical place Indian Express Revolution and regression Indian Express Focussed spending Business Line 

MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Budget 2018 and Education

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Budget 2018 and Education 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)