Jan 2, 2018 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 2nd January 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 2nd January 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Photovoltaic Highway in China Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Science & Technology Key pointers: China successfully tested its first photovoltaic highway based on home-grown technology in the country’s eastern Shandong province. The road has wireless charging systems for electric vehicles. The road is constructed using solar panels which have a thin sheet of clear concrete on top of them, protecting the surface. The panels were built to transfer energy to electric vehicles passing on top of them. The stretch has three layers. At the bottom is an insulator to prevent moisture from getting to the photovoltaic devices in the middle layer, and on top is the layer of transparent concrete. The tested segment of highway can generate 817.2 KW of power and is expected to generate 1 million KW hours of electricity each year. The electricity generated will be connected to China’s national power grid. China has become the second country to construct a photovoltaic highway. France was introduced the world’s first photovoltaic road fitted with solar panels in late 2016. Article link: Click here Ujh Multi-purpose Project Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Infrastructure Key pointers: Looking to fast-track utilisation of India's rights under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), the Central Water Commission (CWC) has finalised a detailed report on Ujh multi-purpose project. The proposal aims to harness water that was flowing untapped across the border. The project, which is to come up in Kathua district, will store water from Ujh (a tributary of Ravi) to irrigate produce power. Background: The government decided to take a relook at the implementation of the Indus treaty. The decision was taken following the attack by Pakistan-backed terrorists on the Army camp at Uri in 2016. An inter-ministerial task force was formed to examine the IWT with Pakistan. The Ujh project is a step towards India's utilisation of waters of the Indus and its tributaries in keeping with its rights under the treaty. Under the IWT, signed with Pakistan in 1960, waters of Ravi are allocated to India. Article link: Click here Cryptocurrencies: Ponzi Scheme Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Key pointers: The Finance Ministry expressed concern about spurt in the prices of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and likening them to Ponzi schemes. An official statement said- “VCs don’t have any intrinsic value and are not backed by any kind of assets. The price of bitcoin and other VCs is entirely a matter of speculation resulting in spurt and volatility in their prices.” The Finance Ministry’s position regarding taxation of gains on cryptocurrency trade is still unclear. Issues: The government said VC transactions are encrypted and are likely being used for terror-funding, smuggling, drug trafficking and money laundering. The Ministry said VCs are not reliable as they are stored in digital/electronic format, making them vulnerable to hacking and malware attack. VCs are not backed by government fiat” and are not legal tender. VCs are neither currencies nor coins, and the government or the RBI has not authorised them as a medium of exchange Article link: Click here (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. Next Wave of Structural Reforms: Democratising benefits Background: India has shown itself to be an especially exciting place on the world map in 2017. The last 12-18 months have been a significant period and one which could potentially affect the country several decades going forward. The defining feature of this period has undoubtedly been the string of structural reforms. String of reforms: As per the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), we already implemented 122 reforms in India in 2017, with a further 90 on the anvil. Deep-rooted structural reforms like the goods and services tax (GST), Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and Real Estate Regulatory Act (RERA) have struck at the core of long-festering problems around taxation, asset quality, financial inclusion and housing for all. As the benefit of these reforms flows incrementally into the system, they will help resolve the current challenges around these issues and give an overall boost to economic growth. The striking part of these reforms is their breadth in terms of coverage across industries and the depth to which these have tried to address existing structural challenges plaguing the country. Welcomed by the global community: The reforms have also received validation and approval from investors, both domestic and overseas. The rapid rise in the market is a thumbs up from investors for the reforms-focused agenda. The ratings upgrade from Moody’s. The improvement in the ease-of-doing-business ranking. Time for next wave of reforms: Democratizing the benefits While a lot has been done on the reforms side, a lot remains to be done. Key reforms in areas like agriculture and labour, specifically for job creation, will help democratize the benefit of reforms to all possible sections of society. Job creation remains an important issue for the country, despite several efforts in this direction. While the boost to the manufacturing segments through other initiatives will provide a collateral benefit to job creation, it is important to explicitly chart out a strong policy road map for job creation and adhere to it. Vocational training, especially, will play an important role in this road map. A lot of effort has gone into making vocational training mainstream, but with limited success. Integrating this into the school curriculum while revitalizing the education imparted in government schools can have a galvanizing effect in the long term. At the same time, a well-funded cluster development mechanism could align the micro, small and medium enterprises’ growth with the job-creation agenda, particularly in the organized sphere. The government has drafted an ambitious target of doubling farmer income by 2022. It has made some notable efforts, including Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), electronic agriculture market (e-NAM) and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, among others. While some of these have seen immediate adoption (like PMFBY), some schemes have lagged in execution. Others will only show an impact in the long term. In this regard, the role of NITI Aayog becomes very important. NITI Aayog is now directly working with states to bring about a transformation in the agriculture sector by initiating a series of reforms, including contract farming, online spot and futures trading, and facilitating and incentivising the private sector to invest in agriculture logistics and cold chains, among other things. What is important is good execution and a feedback loop to ensure that reforms continues in desired direction and pace. Labour reforms are a key ingredient of scale-up on the manufacturing side. Long-term growth cannot be sustained solely by the services sector. With the strong focus on ‘Make in India’, the time is opportune to undertake a variety of labour reforms. The principal shortcoming currently is around the lack of a holistic labour policy which can contribute towards making a competitive manufacturing and service ecosystem in the country. Any policy which is drafted must aim to substitute rigid controls with transparency, while ensuring that the basic rights of workers are well protected. Conclusion: The spate of reforms that have been undertaken have rightly received widespread acclaim. However, it would be erroneous to think that the job is done. The government should recognize the need to keep pushing forward with the reforms agenda. Connecting the dots: What are structural reforms brought in by recent government. While reforms undertaken have rightly received widespread acclaim, more reforms are required especially with regards to job creation, doubling farmers' income and labour reforms. Discuss. NATIONAL/AGRICULTURE 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: Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers. Bringing agriculture marketing into Union/Concurrent list Background: More than ever before, the country’s agricultural marketing sector is garnering attention. NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand, strongly underlined in an article that it is imperative to bring agriculture marketing into the Concurrent or Union list to benefit farmers. Currently it is under state list as per Schedule 7 of our constitution. There is opposition to the move.  Moving agriculture marketing into concurrent or union list: Most States have welcomed the proposal to move agriculture marketing into either the Concurrent or Union list from the State list as this will guarantee remunerative prices to farmers. Some major States continue to offer stiff resistance saying this will pave the way for the death of agriculture and is against the spirit of cooperative federalism. The Committee on Doubling Farmers’ Income under the chairmanship of Ashok Dalwai, in its draft report, justifies the recommendation saying marketing has no boundaries; this necessitates a pan-India operation to meet the demand across the country. The committee has also recommended rolling out the model Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act 2017 which would facilitate single-point levy of taxes, promote direct interface between farmers and end-users, and give freedom to farmers to sell their produce to whomsoever and wherever they get better prices. If States continue to oppose the proposed reforms which promise to allow farmers a wider choice of markets beyond the local mandi, the losers will be none other than the farmers themselves. Why market integration is important? The country’s food production has increased tremendously from just 51 million tonnes in 1950-51 to about 252 million tonnes in 2014-15. However, farm income did not grow much. This was also highlighted by the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) headed by MS Swaminathan. The income realised from cultivation at current prices worked out to be only about Rs. 101 a day during 2012-13. The National Commission on Agriculture (1976) as well as the NCF (2006) had categorically emphasised that higher output alone will not provide higher income to farmers unless it is well marketed. Recent incidents of farmers reportedly dumping their bumper produce of tomatoes and onions and emptying cans of milk into drains is evidence of it. Had the markets been integrated, the surplus produce would have been transferred to deficit regions. The seasonal spike in prices of perishable commodities that pushes up the food inflation cannot be addressed without market reforms. Production and marketing should march together in order to benefit farmers and consumers. Farmers need to be empowered to decide when, where, to whom and at what price to sell. The state of agriculture market: Farmers’ participation in agriculture markets is worrisome. The Dalwai Committee on Doubling Farmers’ Income has pointed out that the share of farmers in consumer’s price is very low; it generally varies from 15 to 40 per cent. Studies conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute and World Bank have confirmed this. The dominant role of middlemen is primarily responsible for farmers not realising a reasonable price for their produce, lowering farm income and profitability. This was recognised by the 12th Plan’s Working Group on Agriculture Marketing (2011). The agriculture markets are crowded with middlemen and commission agents. According to Ashok Gulati, commission agents in Delhi charge exorbitant fees ranging from 6 per cent to 15 per cent. The Committee of State Ministers, in charge of Agricultural Marketing to Promote Reforms (2013) has highlighted that cold storage units exist in less than one-tenth of the markets and grading facilities in less than one-third; electronic weigh-bridges are available only in a few markets, post-harvest losses of various commodities ranged from 6 to 18 per cent. Challenges: Almost 40 per cent of all fruits and vegetables are lost annually in India between the grower and the consumer mainly due to lack of storage facilities, a weak transportation system and bad roads. Climate change is expected to make the situation worse. States alone cannot revamp the agricultural marketing sector, primarily due to paucity of funds and technology. Way forward: Private investment on a massive scale needs to be invited to upgrade and build large storage and warehousing systems that are climate resilient. The intermediary culture needs to be scrapped completely. Sweeping reforms will see light only when agricultural marketing is brought under the Concurrent or Union list with the consent of the States. Conclusion: The country will achieve food security only when the income of farmers is secured and doubled. And for doubling farmers' income we need not focus only on increasing production/yield, market reforms as stated above are equally important. Connecting the dots: The state of agricultural market in India is still poor. Discuss. Also suggest how bringing agricultural marketing into concurrent or union list would be right step moving forward. MUST READ The Asian century The Hindu The secular condition The Hindu The ethics of excellence The Hindu With neighbours Indian Express Classroom & classroom Indian Express Economic policy challenges in 2018 Livemint 

Jan 2, 2018 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 113]

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 113] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about ‘Nyctibatrachus’ They are called as night frogs They are endemic to Western Ghats Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about ‘Epiphytes’ They are parasitic on the supporting plants Most epiphytes are found in moist tropical areas Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about SOFIA It is an airborne observatory It is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Centre, DLR Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Which of the following are breeds of cattle? Mehsani Sahiwal Rathi Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.5) The first to start a joint stock company to trade with India were the French Portuguese Dutch Danish To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best  IASbaba

Jan 2, 2018 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 1st January 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 1st January 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY): Making ‘Housing for all’ a reality by 2022  Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes. Key pointers: The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) has recently expanded its scope to cater to the housing needs of the mid-income group, besides the economically weaker sections (EWS) and low-income group (LIG). The scheme originally was meant to cover people in the EWS and LIG sections, but now covers the mid-income group (MIG) as well. The government envisages building affordable pucca houses with water facility, sanitation and electricity supply round-the-clock. PMAY comprises four key aspects. One, it aims to transform slum areas by building homes for slum dwellers in collaboration with private developers. Two, it plans to give a credit-linked subsidy to weaker and mid income sections on loans taken for new construction or renovation of existing homes. Three, the Centre will chip in with financial assistance for affordable housing projects done in partnership with States/Union Territories for the EWS. Four, it will extend direct financial assistance of Rs. 1.5 lakh to EWS. The country is estimated to have a shortage of nearly 20 million housing units needed by the rural and urban poor. The PMAY aims to address this shortfall. Article link: Click here  Arunachal Pradesh declared Open Defecation Free state  Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Key pointers: Arunachal Pradesh emerged as the second State in the Northeast, after Sikkim, to be declared Open Defecation Free. Arunachal has 21 districts and the State attained the feat much before the national deadline of October 2, 2019. The project undertaken under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) SBM (G) saw the light of day only after the State government extended an incentive of Rs 8,000 per toilet. This is in addition to the Centre’s support of Rs 12,000, raising the grant for constructing a toilet to Rs 20,000. The State government also launched Swachh Arunachal Mission on October 2 this year at Tawang which envisaged the Swachh Protocol (Cleanliness Protocol) aimed at ensuring sustainability of assets created under SBM (Gramin). Article link: Click here Indian women can go on haj without male companion Part of: Mains GS Paper I- Social issues Key pointers: In his last Mann Ki Baat address of the year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to Muslim women, highlighting his government’s attempt at facilitating women’s travel for Haj pilgrimage without a male companion. Even in many Islamic countries this practice does not exist. According to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, now Muslim women aged above 45 will be allowed to go for the pilgrimage without ‘mahram’ in a group of at least four. The PM said removal of the restriction of having a male guardian or ‘mahram’ may appear as a “small thing”, but such issues “have a far reaching impact on our image as a society”. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) HEALTH/ETHICS TOPIC: General studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of social sector/services relating to Health , Education, Human Resources Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General studies 4: Ethics and human interface Probity in governance Clinical trials: Lured by blood money Introduction: The below article deals with concerns/issues in clinical trials in India and provides suggestions for the same. Basics: The goal of clinical research is to develop generalizable knowledge that improves human health or increases understanding of human biology. People who participate in clinical research make it possible to secure that knowledge. The path to finding out if a new drug or treatment is safe or effective, for example, is to test it on patient volunteers. But by placing some people at risk of harm for the good of others, clinical research has the potential to exploit patient volunteers. As the demand grows for newer and better drugs for an expanding range of conditions, so too does the need for clinical testing. ‘Health as a commodity, repositions ethics within an economic framework’, and human experimentation is no exception. Profits, rather than people, become the prime consideration. Concerns: Over-volunteering for clinical trials In India, there is a trend of growing number of people who are over-volunteering for clinical trials in order to supplement their income. Deceiving for personal gain There is even greater problem when volunteers who are desperate for money deceive investigators, lying about their age, health or other medications, just so they can participate. It isn’t uncommon for volunteers to break trial rules and lie. Even though clinical research organisations (CROs) screen for infections such as HIV and hepatitis, and illnesses like anaemia and diabetes, they cannot catch everything. This disturbing trend is putting at risk the health of serial volunteers as well as the reliability of trial data. There are instances where volunteers (especially from Hyderabad, Karimnagar, and Mumbai) participating in over 30 studies in a decade, and to have broken rules to make a quick buck. This included hopping from one trial to another without a three-month gap in between, drinking alcohol, and hiding one’s health history. Such behaviour can distort trial data. Unsafe drugs can make their way into the market as a result, or safe drugs can get rejected. This is why volunteer honesty is paramount. Large demand for volunteers As said earlier, as the demand grows for newer and better drugs for an expanding range of conditions, so too does the need for clinical testing. Drug companies are drawn to India for several reasons, including a technically competent workforce, patient availability, low costs and a friendly drug-control system. Regulations have become more stringent in the developed world. Hence, all drug-makers are moving clinical trials to global south, as greater availability of “naive” participants, fewer regulatory safeguards, high levels of poverty and illiteracy, combined with an almost blind faith in Western medicine, provide an almost endless supply of “willing” volunteers in countries such as Africa, China, India and parts of Eurasia. “It’s a big business”. The large demand for volunteers and the supply of willing subjects has spawned a bustling marketplace for participation in clinical trials. Dozens of groups on the instant messaging platform WhatsApp, with telltale names like “Anytime Money”, share information about ongoing studies. Around half-a-dozen advertisements for volunteers for trials turn up on the group each day. Over-representation of low-income groups The big problem plaguing clinical research is an over-representation of low-income groups among trial subjects. Especially the vulnerable class of people, because of their poverty and low levels of education. Unethical clinical trials The once booming clinical trials in India came under the Supreme Court scrutiny in 2013, after at least 370 deaths were attributed to Serious Adverse Events (SEAs) during such trials. Between 2005 and 2012 the deaths of 2,644 Indian subjects were linked to unethical clinical trials. Trials conducted in various parts of the country had violated patient rights as informed consent was not taken, and the patients subjected to clinical trials included newborns, children, pregnant women and mentally challenged persons are often exploited. There are instances of pharma-company agents exploiting gullible young people. Poor regulation Under the Indian Drugs and Cosmetics Act, an independent body of doctors and laypersons, known as an ethics committee, must oversee a trial to make sure the rights of such groups are safeguarded. But bioethicists say this isn’t happening. Drugs and Cosmetics Act requires every trial death to be investigated, even if it is not related to the drug. This is also not happening. Solutions: One potential solution is a national registry of trial volunteers, which will alert a CRO when someone signs up for two studies simultaneously. But this will need work, because volunteer privacy cannot be compromised. So regulators need to create a system that anonymises each participant’s data. Another option is to pay volunteers less, taking away the financial incentive to fudge their participation history. But this measure, in isolation, would reduce trial participation dramatically: an unacceptable side-effect because clinical trials are essential to drug research. A third, more sustainable solution is to encourage a wider cross-section of society to participate in research on human subjects. Society at large must realise the valuable service that clinical research subjects perform by making drugs safe for the rest of us. It is imperative that this burden not fall completely on the vulnerable groups. Instead, the educated and affluent, who have greater access to the drugs that emerge from clinical research, must grasp the criticality of this research and pull their weight. Selectiveness in recruiting subjects for clinical trials leads not only to human rights violations but also to bad science. Civil society’s vigilance is vital. In any trial that relies heavily on vulnerable groups like daily wage earners, the ethics committee should mandatorily choose to monitor subjects intensively, and counsel them on health risks. For instance, by meeting participants and administering questionnaires to gauge their awareness. Volunteers often keep their families in the dark, leaving them without a safety net when they fall ill or are exploited. The only way to tackle this trend in its entirety is through social campaigns to improve awareness. For every clinical trial, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act requires participants to receive a copy of an informed consent form, which explains the trial protocol in great detail. This needs to be strictly followed. Recent steps: From April, companies and organisations that have registered for clinical trials in India will have to disclose the outcomes of their tests within a year of completing them. Globally less than 60% of clinical trial outcomes are disclosed. Currently, all trials in India are registered on the Clinical Trials Registry — India (CTRI). The Clinical Trials Registry encourages the registration of all clinical trials conducted in India before the enrolment of the first participant. The registry is meant to bring transparency to clinical trials conducted in India. The court asked the government to set in place a proper mechanism to regulate trials. This led to measures which required that compensation be paid to patients affected by trials and that there was audio-visual proof that participants had indeed consented to take part in a trial. Conclusion: Clinical trials involving human subjects have long been a flashpoint between bioethicists and clinical research organisations (CROs) in India. Landmark amendments to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act in 2013 led to better protection of vulnerable groups such as illiterate people, but more regulation is needed to ensure truly ethical research. While CROs have argued that more rules will stifle the industry, the truth is that ethical science is often better science. Efforts should be made for a safer, transparent and continuous monitoring mechanism. The line should be drawn for this, that the trials on the name of academic should not be misused and diverted for commercial purposes. Local activism and human rights agendas can effectively challenge, to some degree, the harmful outcomes of the market and to protect, against the exploitation of vulnerable people in clinical trials. Connecting the dots: Before a drug is approved, it is required to be supported by clinical trials conducted by medical experts. Critically discuss the various issues involved. Critically examine the ethical issues during the conduct of clinical trials. The burden of volunteering for clinical trials must not fall only on the poor and vulnerable. Do you agree? Elucidate your opinion. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3: Infrastructure: Energy Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Energy Security: Challenges and Way forward Introduction: India is on its way to becoming a global economic powerhouse, and energy will lie at the heart of this transformation. The stakes could not be higher to bolster economic growth and enhance living conditions for this nation of 1.3 billion people, which uses just 6% of the world’s energy. Unreliable electrical supplies hinder India’s development. Further, India is home to eleven of the world’s twenty most-polluted cities, according to the World Health Organization. What is energy security? Energy security is the association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption. Challenges: The energy conundrum is how to provide universal access to affordable and reliable energy on one hand, and the imperative to weaken the linkage between economic growth, energy demand and environmental degradation on the other. The imbalances in the energy value chain. There is currently, for example, surplus generating power capacity but approximately 40 per cent of the country still faces power shortages and/or has no access to electricity. There are leakages across the transmission and distribution chain. The government is familiar with the problems. But they have difficulty implementing the solutions because of competitive Centre-state politics, status quo-driven vested interests and lack of resources. The growing bonhomie between Russia and China and their increasing engagement with the energy sector in the Middle East present India with an opportunity and a threat. An opportunity to move into the space vacated by the US. Also, the opportunity to resurrect economically compelling projects of mutual interest to all three countries (transnational gas pipelines). A threat in that China will use its economic weight to secure oil on preferential, exclusionary terms to the possible detriment of India’s supply relations. Way ahead: Securing fossil fuels along with a focus on “clean” renewables is the need of the hour. An integrated planning process that factors in the implications of decisions concerning fossil fuels on renewables and vice versa, and by developing a policy mindset that enables the fulfillment of short-term objectives without compromising longer-term goals. The short-term challenge is to correct the imbalances in the energy value chain, to minimise avoidable losses and create a unified energy market. The “successful” conclusion of GST offers a direction to solve the transmission and distribution losses. The government could contemplate something similar for the energy sector. A nationwide system brings in a simplified, transparent and national regulatory tariff and policy platform. The medium-to-long-term challenge is to redesign and restructure the institutions of energy governance to enable and facilitate holistic energy planning and an integrated energy market. As a first step in that direction, the government should consider legislating an “energy responsibility and security act”. This will raise public awareness on the interconnections between the various components of energy and between energy and the rest of the economy. Cities are the reasons for surging energy demand and air pollution. The government should devolve the energy administration of cities to an autonomous and constitutionally safeguarded “city energy ombudsman”. These ombudsmen should be empowered to tackle issues related to energy efficiency, demand conservation, waste management, urban redesign and transportation and to develop and implement focused, small-scale and distributed solutions. India imports more than 80 per cent of its crude oil requirements. The international oil market is, therefore, a matter of strategic and commercial significance. India should thus hedge against unexpected volatility. China and Russia’s growing involvement in the Middle East means we need to proactively reduce our import dependence on the region. Exploration and production is a long-gestation, capital-intensive and high-risk business; India does not have undiscovered reserves of “low-cost, easy oil”. The ONGC should broaden its footprint to become a world-class energy company. It should contemplate integration with not just the downstream petroleum companies but also the renewables companies. The government has set ambitious targets for renewables and electric vehicles. It will have to invest in supportive infrastructure, regulations, skills and innovation. Niti Aayog must carry out a detailed study on what will be required to shift from the incumbent fossil fuel energy system to a “clean energy” system. Conclusion: Energy security is a sine qua non for a nation like India, which its huge population is aspiring to grow at a faster pace. But for this to happen the baove mentioned steps must be taken. Connecting the dots: What do you mean by the term energy security? Discuss the challenges in making India energy secure and the way forward. MUST READ For a wider pool The Hindu On another new years day The Hindu My dear fellow dashback Indian Express A return to reality Indian Express What can keep India growing Business Line 

Jan 1, 2018 PIB

IASbaba PIB Weekly : Press Information Bureau – 25th Dec to 31st Dec, 2017

IASbaba Press Information Bureau 25th to 31st December, 2017 ARCHIVES GS-2 Launch of electronic-Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS) (Topic: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures) On Good Governance Day – observed to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee By: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions e-HRMS: A step towards the ‘ease of governance’, by which the technology will be put to the optimum use. The software will give a comprehensive and combined view of the human resource deployed by the Government A cost-effective initiative, thus sustainable in the long-term Provide HR analytics for the Government, and will help Government to post right man at right post, thus extract best of an employee. Employees will be able to not only see all their details w.r.t service book, leave, GPF, Salary etc., but also apply for different kind of claims/reimbursements, loan/advances, leave, leave encashment, LTC advances, Tour etc. on a single platform. Launch of Pencil Portal to Eliminate Child Labour (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources) PENCIL - Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour Purpose: To provide a mechanism for both enforcement of the provisions of Child & Adolescent Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 and effective implementation of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme for rehabilitation of child & adolescent labour. Components of PENCIL portal: Complaint corner Child & adolescent labour tracking system NCLP and State Resource Centre which are connected with the Ministry of Labour & Employment. Major Reforms in Education sector (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources) Guideline on Strengthening of District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs): As per the National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986, DIETs were envisaged for In-service as well as pre-service education. However, over the years, the focus had gradually shifted to pre-service education. Currently, there is no nodal agency with expertise in in-service training and thus to address this challenge, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has recently developed Guidelines on-strengthening of DIETs. Accordingly, States have been encouraged to do a district wise analysis before considering a reconceptualization of DIETs as per the models proposed in the MHRD Guideline on DIETs. This will also allow flexibility of getting more expertise into in-service teacher training. DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing): DIKSHA will accelerate and amplify solutions, experiments and innovations that are underway, and is being attempted in the areas of teacher training and professional development. States and TEIs have the autonomy and choice to repurpose and extend DIKSHA to suit their own needs and purposes. DIKSHA is for the benefit of Teachers in Schools, Teacher Educators and Student Teachers in Teacher Education Institutes (TEIs). SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds): Provide one integrated platform and portal for online courses, using information and communication technology (ICT) and covering all higher education subjects and skill sector courses to ensure that every student in the country has access to the best quality higher education at affordable cost. The SWAYAM IT platform is indigenously developed that facilitates hosting of courses, taught in classrooms from 9th class till post-graduation in a number of disciplines that can be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time. The three cardinal principles of Education Policy viz., access, equity and quality shall be achieved by providing high quality e-content to all learners in the country through SWAYAM. Courses delivered through SWAYAM are available free of cost to the learners and are delivered by best of the teaching fraternity. Swayam Prabha It is an initiative to provide 32 high quality educational channels through DTH (Direct to Home) across the length and breadth of the country on 24X7 basis. This would enable to deliver e-education in a most cost effective manner. The Department of Space has allotted two Transponders of GSAT-15 for the same. IMPRINT INDIA   IMPRINT India is an effort to direct research in the premier institutions into areas of social relevance. Under this, 10 domains have been identified which could substantially impact the living standards of the rural areas: (1) health care technology, (2) energy security, (3) rural urban housing design, (4) Nano technology, (5) water/river system, (6) advanced materials, (7) computer science and ICT, (8) manufacturing technology, (9) advanced security and (10) environment/climate change. More than 2,600 research proposals have been submitted by scientists in the priority areas of these domains. These have been examined by eminent scientists and 259 proposals for Rs. 595.89 crore have been approved for implementation. 142 research projects costing Rs. 323.17 crore with joint funding by MHRD and various participating Ministries / departments are currently under execution under IMPRINT – I. IMPRINT-II is under process for approval. Global Initiative for Academics Network (GIAN): The GIAN programme brings together foreign and Indian faculties to teach an academic course that provides the credit to participating students selected from the world’s leading academic institutions. NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): Government of India’s flagship program to promote innovation and entrepreneurship nationwide in schools, universities and industry Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs): ATLs are innovation play workspaces for students between Grade VI to Grade XII, stimulating innovations combining science & technology. These open-ended innovation workspaces equipped with state of the art technologies like 3D printers, Robotics, Sensor Technology Kits, Internet of Things, miniaturized Electronics etc enable the students to learn and solve local community problems using emerging Technologies. Students are encouraged to explore and experience Design Thinking and Innovation, using a do-it-yourself approach, and develop innovative solutions to India’s social, community or economic problems Schemes for Skill Development of Youth (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources) Seekho aur Kamao (Learn & Earn): A placement linked skill development scheme for minorities aiming to upgrade the skills of minority youth in various modern/traditional skills depending upon their qualification, present economic trends and market potential, which can earn them suitable employment or make them suitably skilled to go for self-employment. Ensures placements of minimum 75% trainees, out of which at least 50% placement is in organized sector Implemented through selected Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) all over the country including Kerala. Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/ Crafts for Development (USTTAD): To preserve the rich heritage of traditional arts/crafts of minorities. The scheme aims at Capacity building and updating the traditional skills of master craftsmen/artisans Documentation of identified traditional arts/crafts of minorities Set standards for traditional skills Training of minority youths in various identified traditional arts/crafts through master craftsmen Develop national and international market linkages Nai Manzil: Aims to benefit the minority youth who do not have a formal school leaving certificate i.e. those in the category of school dropouts or educated in the community education institutions like Madarsas, in order to provide them formal education and skills, and enable them to seek better employment in the organized sector and thus to equip them for better lives. Enactment of Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources) Makes maintenance of parents /senior citizens by their children/relatives obligatory and justiciable through Tribunals Provides for revocation of transfer of property by senior citizens in case of neglect by children/relatives Penal provisions for abandonment of senior citizens, medical facilities for senior citizens; and protection of life and property of senior Citizens Note: As per the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, “Police” and “Public Order” are State Subjects and, as such, the primary responsibility of prevention detection, registration, investigation and prosecution of crime, lies with the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations. Cabinet approves UNESCO Agreement to be signed for establishing International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography (ITCOocean) as Category-2 Centre (C2C) The International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography, hosted at the ESSO-INCOIS (ESSO-Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services) campus in Hyderabad will be established as a Category-2 Centre (C2C) through an agreement to be signed with UNESCO. The field of operational oceanography involves systematic ocean studies aimed at supporting day-to-day operations and providing information services to  various sectors of the blue economy (valued at millions of crores of rupees) viz. fishing, disaster management, shipping and ports, coastal management, environmental management, offshore industries and defense forces i.e. navy, coast guard. ESSO-INCOIS is India's premier institution in operational oceanography providing several services - Potential Fishing Zone Advisory Service, Ocean State Forecast Service and Tsunami Warning Service. Objectives: Provide an opportunity for India to emerge as a leader in the Indian Ocean, forging cooperation among South Asian and African countries Cater to the worldwide increasing need to build technical and management capacity in marine and coastal sustainability issues as well as efficient management and response to marine natural hazards Contribute to achieving UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goal-14 (SDG 14) and fulfill commitments to support Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries etc. Strive to improve skills of students and other trainees which will increase employment opportunities within and outside India $318 million loan Agreement Signed with World Bank to Support Climate Resilient Agriculture (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) The Government of India, the Government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank today signed a $318 million loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project – To promote climate resilient agriculture technologies Improve water management practices Increase market opportunities for small and marginal farmers Improve the efficiency of water used in farming Diversify into high value crops, and produce crops that are resilient to the increasing threats of climate change. By helping farmers’ access modern technologies, linking them to markets, and providing postharvest management support, the project will enable farmers to shift from a mono crop paddy system to mixed cropping including high-value crops (fruits, vegetables, and spices), pulses, oilseeds, and millets. To enhance the ability of crops to withstand expected adverse impacts of climate change, the project will support smallholder producers adopt new conservation technologies such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and Sustainable Sugar Initiative (SSI). They reduce average water usage by 35 percent and increase yields by 22 percent per ha. The project is expected to increase the yield of rice, maize, and pulses by 18–20 percent. India Signs Loan Agreement with the World Bank for USD 40 Million for “U.P. Pro-Poor Tourism Development Project” (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) Programme size: Approximately USD 57.14 million Objective: To increase tourism-related benefits for local communities in targeted destinations. The project is expected to have far-reaching social, economic and environmental benefits by targeting local communities and entrepreneurs near some of the main tourist and pilgrimage attractions in Uttar Pradesh, namely, Agra as well as Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana and Govardhan in the Braj region. GS-3 Launch of Climate Resilience Building among Farmers through Crop Residue Management (Topic: Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers) In another significant step to combat climate change, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has approved a regional project on ‘Climate Resilience Building among Farmers through Crop Residue Management’ under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC). The first phase of the project has been approved at a cost of approximately Rs. 100 Crore for the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The project will leverage approximately three times the approved amount with contribution from the States as well as farmers. Aim of the Project: To mitigate climate change impacts Enhance adaptive capacity Counter the adverse environmental impacts that arise from burning The ‘Why’ behind the project – The problem of crop residue burning has been intensifying over the years, with Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh being the major burning hotspots. Increased mechanization, declining number of  livestock,  long  period  required  for  composting  and  no  economically  viable  alternate  use  of  residues  are  some  of  the  reasons  for residues being  burnt in  field. This not only has implications for global warming, but also has an adverse impact on air quality, soil health and human health. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) (Topic: Disaster and disaster management) The Sendai Framework is a 15-year; voluntary, non-binding agreement which recognizes that the State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk but that responsibility should be shared with other stakeholders including local government, the private sector and other stakeholders. Aims for the following outcome: The substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries. The Sendai Framework is the successor instrument to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. The Seven Global Targets Substantially reduce global disaster mortality by 2030, aiming to lower average per 100,000 global mortality rate in the decade 2020-2030 compared to the period 2005-2015. Substantially reduce the number of affected people globally by 2030, aiming to lower average global figure per 100,000 in the decade 2020 -2030 compared to the period 2005-2015. Reduce direct disaster economic loss in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030. Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, among them health and educational facilities, including through developing their resilience by 2030. Substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020. Substantially enhance international cooperation to developing countries through adequate and sustainable support to complement their national actions for implementation of this Framework by 2030. Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to the people by 2030. The Four Priorities for Action Priority 1. Understanding disaster risk Disaster risk management should be based on an understanding of disaster risk in all its dimensions of vulnerability, capacity, exposure of persons and assets, hazard characteristics and the environment. Such knowledge can be used for risk assessment, prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response. Priority 2. Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk Disaster risk governance at the national, regional and global levels is very important for prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and rehabilitation. It fosters collaboration and partnership. Priority 3. Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience Public and private investment in disaster risk prevention and reduction through structural and non-structural measures are essential to enhance the economic, social, health and cultural resilience of persons, communities, countries and their assets, as well as the environment. Priority 4. Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction The growth of disaster risk means there is a need to strengthen disaster preparedness for response, take action in anticipation of events, and ensure capacities are in place for effective response and recovery at all levels. The recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction phase is a critical opportunity to build back better, including through integrating disaster risk reduction into development measures. Development of Space Science (Topic: Awareness in the fields of Space) 2014-15 Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM): Launched on September 24, 2014, has made ISRO, the fourth Space agency in the world to reach Mars orbit. Initially designed for six months, MOM is still continuing and sending important data for scientific studies. 2015-16 AstroSat: Launched on September 28, 2015, is a unique satellite providing common platform for simultaneous multi-wavelength observations of celestial sources. It has completed more than two years and performing. 2016-17 RLV-TD: It was successfully flight tested on May 23, 2016. It is the most technologically challenging endeavors of ISRO towards developing essential technologies for a fully reusable launch vehicle to enable low cost access to space. 2016-17 ScramJet: The first experimental mission of ISRO's Scramjet engine towards the realisation of an Air Breathing Propulsion System was successfully conducted on August 28, 2016. Future Reusable launch vehicle together with Air Breathing propulsion system will bring down the cost of access to space far low. ISRO has worked out a 3 year action plan, 7 year strategy and 15 year long term vision for Space Programme, under four vertical - Space transportation system Space infrastructure Space applications Capacity building International cooperation is a part of India's space programme since its inception. In the past, ISRO has developed Meghatropiques and SARAL satellites in cooperation with French space agency CNES. Currently ISRO and NASA are working jointly on NISAR (NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) project. Bilateral cooperation with foreign countries/institutions in the field of space science and research helps in analysis of data, identification of key areas for future missions and utilisation of space and ground based resources. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has taken several measures to promote scientific research by the Indian scientists especially the youth, which include: ISRO Space Science Promotion Scheme (ISRO-SSPS) intended towards supporting and strengthening of research in space science in universities. ISRO's Sponsored Research (RESPOND) Programme involves academic institutions for joint research to meet specific requirements in area of space technology, space science and space applications. Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (lIST), Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) and National Atmospheric Research laboratory (NARL) established under Department of Space encourages young researchers to undertake research in space science and technology. Space Technology Cell was set up by ISRO at premiere institutions like IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, IISc Bangalore and University of Pune to carry out research activities in the areas of space technology and applications. Must Solve: Link Please Note: India’s ranking in World Bank’s doing Business Report rose to 100 - 30 places up over its rank of 130 in the Doing Business Report 2017 - highest jump in rank of any country in the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Report, 2018. This made India the only country in South Asia and BRICS economies to feature among most improved economies of the EoDB Report this year. “Sampark, Samanvay, Samvad” – To break silos (sampark), improve co-ordination (samanvay) and find solutions (samvad) to the critical issues facing Indian Railways Nyaya Gram project: High Court of Allahabad UN’s World Economic Situation Report projected India’s GDP to grow at 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019 India currently ranks 60th out of 127 countries on the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2017 as compared to 66th rank on GII 2016. India is the second largest producer of horticultural crops and fruits. 10 principles which have helped in delivering results earlier in making India a coal surplus nation as well as in the rapid electrification of around 18,500 villages including in the remotest corners of the country – Partnership with all stakeholders Decisive leadership Outcome oriented action Root cause analysis) Rule of law and transparency Prioritisation of issues Time bound execution and fast dispute resolution Innovative financing Technology focus Accountability and close monitoring Politics and Politicians: 4 Cs: Character, Calibre, Capacity & Conduct are important to Politicians 4 Ps: Philosophy, Principles, Policies & Performance required in politics 3 Cs: Community, Caste & Cash to be avoided in Politics Gazzola Prize: Winner: Professor Saleh Lamei Mostafa (Egypt) for his contribution in the fields of engineering, architecture and archaeology Established in 1979, the Piero Gazzola Prize commemorates an outstanding personality in the history of the conservation and restoration of monuments and sites, closely linked to the creation of ICOMOS. Every three years the prize is awarded during the ICOMOS General Assembly to an individual or a group of people who have worked together and contributed with distinction to the aims and objectives of ICOMOS. ICOMOS is a non-governmental international organisation dedicated to the conservation of the world's monuments and sites. Mizoram: The "Land of the Hill People" Father of India's Space programme: Dr Vikram Sarabhai Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya: Notable for his role in the Indian independence movement; Served as Congress President four times—in 1909 (Lahore), in 1918 (Delhi), in 1930 (Delhi) and in 1932 (Calcutta) Rabindranath Tagore gave him the title “Mahamana”, Mahatma Gandhi called him a “Pratah Smaraniyah” and “Devata Purush”. He’s also been called a ‘Dharmatma’, “Karmayogin” and “Prince of Beggars”. Founder of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) at Varanasi, and founded a highly influential, English-newspaper, The Leader He popularised the phrase Satyameva Jayate, from the Mundaka Upanishad, which means Truth Alone Triumphs. It was adopted as India’s national motto and appears on its emblem. Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), which is a major credit-linked subsidy programme, aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector by helping traditional artisans and unemployed youth in rural and urban areas. Udyami Mitra Portal: Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched the ‘Udyami Mitra’ Portal to improve accessibility of credit and handholding services to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY): Earlier known as Khadi Karigar ‘Janashree Bima Yojana’- Aim is to provide insurance cover to Khadi artisans against normal and accidental death and disability Mājuli Island: A river island in the Brahmaputra River, Assam; Geomorphologically, the entire Majuli island is a part of the alluvial flood plains of the Brahmaputra river. In 2016, became the first island to be made a district in India Recognised as the world's largest river island It was formed due to course changes by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries, mainly the Lohit. Mājuli is the abode of the Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture. The Island is formed of soil consisting mainly of silt deposits. The soil is without cohesion and thus, susceptible to erosion. The problem of erosion has been severe after the disastrous earthquake of 1950. India attains global 4th and 6th position in global Wind and Solar Power installed capacity. Government is on its way to achieving 175 GW target for installed Renewable Energy capacity by 2022 Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana: Aims to target creation of Infrastructure and increasing capacities of processing and preservation in entire supply chain of food processing sector right from farm gate to retail outlets. The New Scheme will help in integrating food processing units and food trade with the farmers creating huge opportunities for employment of increasing income of the farmers. PowerTex India: to support 44 lakh workers/weavers; scheme has components relating to loom upgradation, infrastructure creation and concessional access to credit. It has the potential to generate investments worth Rs. 1000 crores, employment for 10,000 people and will also result in higher returns to powerloom units. SAATHI (Sustainable and Accelerated Adoption of Efficient Textiles Technology to Help Small Scale Industries): To provide energy-efficient powerlooms, motors and rapier kits to small and medium powerloom units at no upfront cost. Energy Efficient Services Limited (EESL) would procure and provide these equipments to the workers at no upfront cost and the worker would repay in installments to EESL over a period of 4 to 5 years. The initiative will help 24.86 lakh powerloom units in the country. Food and agro-based processing unit and cold chain infrastructure have been classified under agriculture activities for Priority Sector Lending Identification of Workers in Unorganised Sector: The Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008, defines an unorganized worker and provides for a self-declaration by such worker confirming that he or she is an unorganized worker. There is no centralized national database of unorganized workers in India. It has been decided to create a national platform for unorganized workers. A proposal to issue a Unique ID i.e. Unorganized Workers Identification Number (UWIN) and allotment of an Aadhaar seeded Identification number to them without issuing any smart card, has been approved by the Central Government Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) System of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully scored a direct hit on incoming missile. The interceptor directly hit the target at an altitude of about 15 kilometre and destroyed it into fragments. The spectacular success puts India in the league of a very few select nations world over in the arena of critical defence technology. ‘SAMADHAN’ to fight Left Wing Extremism – S for Smart Leadership, A for Aggressive Strategy, M for Motivation and Training, A for Actionable Intelligence, D for Dashboard-based Key Result Areas and Key Performance Indicators, H for Harnessing Technology, A for Action Plan for Each Theatre and N for No access to Financing. Viswanathan Anand won the World Rapid Chess Championship. Must Read: Locate these universities: Nalanda, Takshashila, Vikramshila, Pushpagiri and Valabhi Well-known American historian, Will Durant had this to say about India: "India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit the mother of Europe's languages: she was the mother of our philosophy; mother, through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity; mother, through the village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all". American writer and humorist, Mark Twain said: "India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great-grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only." Iconic scientist, Albert Einstein said “We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made”.

Jan 1, 2018 Motivational Articles

MOTIVATION: You Need to Identify Your Strengths to Crack UPSC Exam- Happy New Year to IASbaba Family!

Hello Friends,  Imagine if J.K. Rowling had focused more on becoming more orderly, and not on her storytelling abilities. Would she ever be able to write Harry Potter? Imagine if Mahatma Gandhi would have concentrated in just eradicating the violence. Would he be successful in imparting the importance of peace to millions across the world? This leads us to an important observation – if you want to excel at anything, it’s not enough to fix your weaknesses. You also need to identify your strengths and leverage them. This will stop you from seeing yourself through rose-coloured glasses of just success or failure. Many a time, we end up comparing ourselves with others around us, and this leads us to feel superior or inferior, based on their strengths and their weaknesses. What we forget is that each individual is different and functions differently from the rest. Therefore, it actually makes no sense to base our decision on someone else’s capabilities and weaknesses. What can be life-changing for you is getting to know yourself and your own capabilities! “When we do things we’re already good at, our business acumen is quicker,” says Todd Kashdan, a psychology professor at George Mason University and author of Curious? (William Morrow, 2009). "When it comes to the best way to leverage your ability, it's (best) to go through your strengths." he says. Now, how would this observation help you in your UPSC CSE preparation? Saves your time: Understanding what you are good at will not only help you save time on going through the same information again and again but also gives you the confidence that you will be able to perform well. You can just make small notes to revise in points and you are good to go. Allow you to work on subjects in which you need to put more efforts: These subjects are not your weaknesses, but subjects which require extra attention and labour. Now that you are playing to your strengths, you will also be getting more time to give these subjects the attention they deserve. And you never know – how the same subjects that have caused you trouble can end up becoming your saviours. A great boost to your self-confidence: Finding out your strengths, no matter how important or trivial they are, can change your attitude. When we feel confident, we can achieve better understanding, better marks, better rank and a better perspective. You will become a happier person: Deep inside, if you know your strengths and if you learn how to play it in your favour, you will be a very very happy person. This is the most important aim, isn’t it? To achieve your goal is to be happy – and achieving your goal happily is something that is magical, a gift to oneself So, now, if I ask you, what are your strengths, and will you play with them – what will your answer be? Time to step into your strengths. Time to step into your greatness. Your friend, philosopher and guide IASbaba

Jan 1, 2018 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 112]

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 112] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about ‘Narcondam Hornbill’ It is endemic to Andaman Islands It is a migratory bird It is listed as ‘endangered’ according to IUCN Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Agariyas is a group of people known for Salt Farming. They are from which of the following state? Maharashtra Gujarat Andhra Pradesh Odisha Q.3) Consider the following statements about ‘Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)’ It is an inter-governmental organisation The Blue Flag is a certification by the FEE that a beach, marina or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its stringent standards Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Ticks and mites are actually Myriapods Crustaceans Insects Arachnids Q.5) The purpose of the inclusion of Directive Principles of State Policy in the Indian Constitution is to establish: Political democracy Social democracy Gandhian democracy Social and economic democracy To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best  IASbaba

Jan 1, 2018 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Bharat Net Project

Bharat Net Project ARCHIVES Search 13th November 2017 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. General Studies 3 Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Digital India is one of the flagship program by government of India. Many services like online education, e-health, telemedicine, e-governance and m-governance are being made possible in India to provide quality and time-bound delivery. For this to be a success, the basic requirement for the Digital India is broadband connectivity all over the country. Bharat Net aims to provide broadband in 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayat in the country. Recently, the government launched phase 2 of Bharat Net and phase 1 is expected to be completed by 2017 end. When phase 1 of the project is complete, broadband will be available in 1 lakh villages. This will be a big achievement as a study by Indian Culture for Research and International Economic Relations (ICRIER) says that even a 10% increase in broadband penetration in India would lead to a 3.3% increase in GDP. Provision of services is the goal The total cost of Bharat Net is around Rs 45,000 crore of which about 11,200 crores have been used for the first phase. The government has already laid 1.2 lakh of optical fibre network and broadband is already available in 75,000 villages and rest of the 25,000 villages will be connected with broadband by the end of 2017. By 2019, another 20 lakh kms of fibres will be laid and another 1.5 lakh Gram Panchayats will be connected. However, still all this is just the infrastructure, the backbone for the benefits to consumers. Though the fibre is being laid at fast pace, applications are being created to bring services to people, access is given to better infrastructure, the core question is availability of laptops, PCs, smart phones to use the infrastructure. At present, the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) fund which is basically implementing the project, there is no provision for providing laptops and smart phones. Hence for this, state governments, local governments and NGOs can set up another scheme to provide for terminals. USOF is an American concept where if a person asks a telecom service provider for a telephone connection (Ex: BSNL, Idea, Airtel etc.), these services provider cannot refuse him on pretext of non-feasibility due to its presence in a remote area. The idea behind USOF is that every citizen in the country gets connected irrespective of the cost and if it is not feasible for the telecom service provider to service him profitably then the telecom service provider should be subsidised to that extent. Even in the 2nd phase of Bharat Net Project, the government is subsidising 3600 crores to the private operators to do the last mile connectivity as private telecom operators are not capable to give service to the rural customers even at a breakeven point. Once the consumers have been connected, there will arise need of terminals which are either smartphones or laptops or PCs’. Content especially in local languages which can be understood by rural population is being created through many mobile applications and websites. There will be applications which are useful to them such as telemedicine, remote health diagnosis, banking services, market services and a lot of agricultural information including weather information, irrigation information and pest information. Communication of the same in local language will help to take quick actions. This medium will turn out to be a big cost and time saver where the rural people don’t have to go absolutely out of way to get services by keeping their livelihood at stake and there will be less burden on transport system. The farmers’ access to different mandis through e-portal will allow him to sell his produce at best price. Blow to corrupt practices Lot of vested interest are being hit because of digital India. The government is coming to the citizen rather than person having to visit the government offices to get his papers approved. Thus, through digital governance, it is possible to reduce corruption at local as well as state level. This is the reason officials who make the money from the corruption or having vested interests are certainly opposing this arrangement. Thus, last mile delivery in terms of infrastructure and services provided is important. New partnerships Now in the second phase, Bharat Net is aiming to get private sector in process. The private sector companies are capable to provide the last mile connectivity where they will buy bulk bandwidth from the Bharat Net and then serve the customers at the last mile in rural areas. Network in the 2nd phase will be laid by both central PSUs like BSNL, Railtel and Power Grid as well as state governments. The telecom ministry is expected to sign agreements with seven states Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand which will roll out the project on their own with partial funding from the central government. But there still are some apprehensions regarding support by state governments as they do not have previous experience of implementing telephone networks. So initially it looks as a challenge as it may slow down pace of the project due to possible separate process of preparing equipment and even delay in projects due to lack of experience. However, in reality, it is actually the state government and local government which has to deliver much more than the central government as they are more answerable to the population.  The biggest problem in optical cables is the right of way of laying cable because roads have to be dug, sometimes farms or houses have to be crossed or existing infrastructure has to be demolished.  If the government gives a prior intimation about such project in a right way, chances of clearances and redressal of any grievances is easier. Conclusion- Digital beginning The possibilities brought out by the internet education, health services provision, governance possibilities and grievance redressal has seen quantum jump in the capability between wide generation and the next generation because the new generation. The multiplier effects of these schemes are immense. For instance, when women are educated then automatically their children get educated, family has better health, nutrition. So at the ground level, one initiative in terms of improving connectivity, bringing timely information to the people, teaching them what they need to do, especially in banking services or registry of land records, health records, birth and death certificates land disputes will get settled quickly. So implementing to Bharat net project is a big step towards achieving digital India. Let us hope it will bring transparency in the system and it will help in increasing India’s GDP Connecting the dots: The fibre optical network will change the face of rural economy. Examine in detail.

Dec 31, 2017 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Being You – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Being You: Life is a long, testing and arduous journey about being you. You have to travel very far before you acquire the courage to be yourself. There is no meaning to a long life if it has not been about you and your true calling. Find your true purpose might sound like a cliche but there is no other cliche that you would rather embrace and pursue to the fullest. The saddest thing about life is when you are old enough to sit back and reflect on what has been, everything is there but you are missing. The saddest feeling is having lived a life where you have been absent. It might sound crazy to say that you have lived a life but you have been missing, but there is a harsh truth to it; most people are missing in their lives. Their life is about everything except them. Each individual is unique; you are not like someone else precisely because you were not meant to be like someone else.  Finding your true identity and dedicating yourself in pursuit of that identity will never disappoint you. There is no other joy like the joy of being you. There are a thousand shades of life you can choose from, but in the end the color that reflects the nature of your heart and being is all that matters. Well, it is not easy being you because there is a vast different between thinking about you and being you. It is very easy to think, reflect and imagine you being a certain way; everybody is doing this all the time. It doesn’t take any special skill and effort to think and dream about who you are and what you want to be. The hardest part is having the courage to walk the path you have chosen. Courage is what separates a thinking you from the being you. This might sound too simplistic. But you will know the enormity of this difference if you observe your life more closely. Most of the time you are simply thinking about what you want to be, there is very little change happening in the direction of finding the necessary strength and courage to assert your individuality and being who you are. There is a part of you that already knows your true purpose and calling. There is not a single day that goes by without you reflecting on this inner calling. But somehow your rational and logical mind puts it aside thinking that it is just a crazy desire. You will never be able to fulfill your purpose if you don’t let your heart triumph over your mind. The battle between the heart and the mind is the whole struggle of life. If you let your mind win then you will be its slave forever. If you are able to conquer the fears of your mind by trusting your heart, then everything life has to offer is yours. There is a small difference between living from the mind and living from the heart; this is the difference between being you and being someone you are not. Remember, if you were meant to be someone else, you would have been! “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”

Dec 30, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 30th December 2017

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 30th December 2017 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) The National Medical Commission Bill 2017 Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Key pointers: The National Medical Commission Bill 2017 envisages allowing Ayush practitioners (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) to practise modern (allopathic) medicine after clearing a bridge course. The Bil seeks to overhaul the structure of medical education, introduce a medical exit examination and bring an end to the Medical Council of India. It envisages a “joint sitting” of the (National Medical) Commission, the Central Council of Homoeopathy and the Central Council of Indian Medicine at least once a year to decide “approving specific bridge course that may be introduced for the practitioners of homoeopathy and of Indian Systems of Medicine to enable them to prescribe such modern medicines at such level as may be prescribed”. A 25-member commission selected by a search committee headed by the Union Cabinet Secretary will replace the elected MCI. Four boards dealing with undergraduate, postgraduate medical education, medical assessment and rating and ethics and registration will regulate the sector. Replacing the MCI with a new regulatory structure was necessitated by allegations of corruption dogging the council ever since the arrest of its then chief Ketan Desai in 2010. Article link: Click here Amendment to Insolvency and Bankruptcy code  Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Indian Economy Key pointers: Pic credit: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article22329388.ece/alternates/FREE_660/29-Phukan-InsolG4A350G741jpgjpg The Lok Sabha amended the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code law to prevent wilful defaulters and existing promoters from taking part in insolvency proceedings of stressed assets of companies unless they make their bad loans operational by paying up interests. Changes have had to be made to ensure that ineligible people do not find loopholes to walk back into the companies against which insolvency proceedings were initiated. Article link: Click here Smart Robo Cop Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Awareness in the field of robotics. Key pointers: A life-sized robot, claimed to be the world's first smart policing robot, was launched in Hyderabad city. The bot called the Smart Robo Cop is equipped with cameras, and an array of sensors connected to GPS in its beta version and has been developed by H-Bots Robotics, a Hyderabad-based robotics technology company. All the components have been sourced from within the country. It has been created to support security systems in the city. The robot can move, recognise people, take complaints, detect bombs, identify suspects, interact with people and answer to queries. How does it work? Placed in any locality, the robot has been equipped with a system where people can lodge a complaint with the police from where it is stationed. The complaints can be lodged through video, audio and photos. People can also make use of emergency services. For example, an accident can be reported from the spot or even if one wants to complain to the SHE Teams with the help of capture option that is available. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) ETHICS & INTEGRITY TOPIC: General studies IV: Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions. Strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance. Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity. Codifying conflict of interest Introduction: There is a need for removing discretion and codifying the conflict of interest inherent in having senior bureaucrats assuming corporate roles post-resignation or retirement. What is conflict of interest? A conflict of interest (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests, financial or otherwise, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation or decision-making of that individual or organization. A conflict of interest exists if the circumstances are reasonably believed (on the basis of past experience and objective evidence) to create a risk that a decision may be unduly influenced by other, secondary interests, and not on whether a particular individual is actually influenced by a secondary interest. Examples- The case of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. FSSAI is theoretically supposed to be independent in monitoring food safety and yet, until 2014, industry representatives were regularly appointed to scientific committees. The Sharada Prasad Committee constituted to review the functioning of sector skill councils (SSCs) had termed these councils a hotbed of crony capitalism because of conflict of interest. Issue: India has an official policy, regulated by the Ministry of Personnel, whereby senior bureaucrats have to seek permission for commercial employment after their retirement. However, such grants of permission within cooling-off period depend primarily on government discretion, with no codified mechanism. Some bureaucrats seem to have meshed the virtues of public service with private profit in retirement. They expose themselves to a potential conflict of interest. At present, conflicts of interest that arise out of an MP’s private interest are regulated by the Code of Conduct for Ministers; Code of Conduct for Members of the Rajya Sabha, Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and Handbook for Members. Both Houses have an Ethics Committee to oversee the ethical conduct of MPs. The similar is the case with civil servant and judiciary. But by and large, these ethical books have been ineffective so far. Example of Canada: In Canada, ministers must follow the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code that outline ethical standards and private and public interests. It prohibits use of information obtained officially for personal gain. All Members are barred from voting on matters in which they have pecuniary interest. There is a lobbyist registration system. Ministers cannot engage in an outside profession or actively in business. It restricts members from simultaneously holding certain posts. There are some post-tenure employment restrictions. Way ahead: Making disclosing conflict of interest mandatory: We need legislation to make non-disclosure of a conflict of interest punishable. M.S. Natchiappan’s private member’s bill (The Prevention and Management of Conflict of Interest Bill, introduced in 2012), the legislation ought to cover all arms of governance, including the judiciary, the legislature and the executive. The Bill talks about setting up of an institution for prevention and management of conflict of interest. The recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Department of Personnel and Training, calling for early retirement if interested in post-retirement private service is established, needs to be implemented. Increasing the mandatory cooling period to five years so that no undue influence can be exerted by the retired bureaucrat. To solve the issue, it is important to understand the scale of the problem, determine the right legal mechanism to deter and work towards changing our lackadaisical cultural norms on conflict of interest. Towards transparency: A culture of transparency needs to be fostered. Bureaucrats, retired and current, should talk openly about their post-retirement plans. Public disclosure of their interests would clear the air, enabling their views to be given appropriate merit. An open, public data platform enlisting all post-retirement appointments of civil servants will increase transparency. There is nothing wrong in letting experienced bureaucrats utilise their expertise in the private sector — if adequate rules are framed and followed that enable the elimination of any conflict of interest. Conclusion: As acknowledgement of conflict of interest exists in the corporate world, with significant oversight through consumer watchdogs, credit rating agencies and activist shareholders, the same should exist for governance. Conflicts should be codified in a stringent legal framework, making compromise of the public interest a serious crime. Cleaning up business interests, and strengthening a moral code over such conflicts is needed. Without such transformation, India’s society, governance and its private sector will remain open for insider trading. Connecting the dots: What do you mean by the term 'conflict of interest'? There is a need to codify conflict of interest in regard to Indian governance system. Discuss.  DISASTER MANAGEMENT TOPIC: General Studies 1: Urbanization, their problems and their remedies. General studies 2 and 3: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Disaster and disaster management. Solving the problem of Fires Accidents: Mitigation and Prevention strategy Introduction: On an average, in India, every year, about 25,000 persons die due to fires and related causes. Probably many of these deaths could have been prevented, had we taken enough fire protection measures. No comprehensive data is available in India on the economic losses suffered on account of fires. Recently, on the night of December 28, 14 people died and 54 others were injured as the result of a fire at a restaurant in Mumbai’s Kamala Mills. There were at least 11 major fires in Mumbai alone this year, of which the second-last one on December 25 killed 12 workers in a Gujarati snack shop in Saki Naka. The greater number of these cases occurred in factories or small manufacturing units. The onus of the majority of these fires rests with the owners of the places. But whether the fires took place in residential buildings, work places or restaurants, the main culprit is the respective State Municipal Corporation within the Indian polity. The real concern: Unplanned Urban Planning It is mandatory for every single new residential building (in many cities) to have a rigorous fire audit before it gets an occupancy certificate. One cannot stress the need for zero tolerance of any short-coming, flaw or missing element. The same holds for every factory, laboratory, office, school, workshop, library, zoo, museum, research facility, restaurant, four and five-star hotel and any other building. However, these pre-conditions are not tested prior to getting the occupancy certificate. Lack of fire escape routes in buildings and mock fire drills are common in most Indian cities. The manner in which some areas are laid out, there are urban villages which are unplanned, unorganised sections of settlements. These are places where the road-width is so small that even a fire tender may not go in. For instance, in Delhi, certain urban chic places such as Hauz Khas Village, Shahpur Jat are firetraps. The fire rescue has to be motorcycle-based in these places because even four-wheelers may not reach. Mitigation Strategy: For mitigating a fire in any occupancy, whether it is a business house or in a factory or in a residential building, require a deep understanding about the problem, comprehensive Fire Safety Audit, regular inspection, maintenance and repair of defective equipment. Infrastructure in place- fire-stations equipped with modern technology and well trained fire-fighters, dedicated helpline to reduce response time- mapping of cities using color coded zones based on their level of vulnerability. Adherence to SOPs’ (Standard Operating Procedures), since in many cases Standard Operating Procedures are already in place but are not implemented due to untrained staff/inadequate numbers of deployment or political interference On ground execution- mandatory fire safety drills & training for response at all public and private work places, schools, educational institutions- courses for people interested in being volunteers in case of fire-incidents. Arrangements for speedy medical attention should be done by ensuring prior medical aid at event location, implementing concepts like green corridor  Prevention strategy: Fires start when source of ignition comes into contact with combustible material. If we can control all sources of ignition and combustible material, we can greatly reduce the potential for fire. Adhering to explosion resistant building codes and reorientation of all existing infrastructures to make it fire resistant. Heating and lighting systems that are inadequately maintained or safeguarded present risks. Many fires occur from electrical faults or misuse. Smoking is a notorious fire risk. It should be prohibited in all areas where it is especially dangerous. Strict quality checks and standards of electrical appliances, equipments, households items like stoves etc that often are cause of fire accidents. Automatic fire sprinklers coupled with detection are the most effective fire protection system found in High Rise buildings which can, not only detect the fires, but also extinguish the fires in the initial stage itself. Application of Water Mist in various situation is gaining momentum every day. Major fires start in storage area and warehouses than production areas. Poorly stored goods, even though they are not flammable, may help to spread fire and hinder fire fighters gaining access to the seat of the fire or reduce the effectiveness of sprinkler systems. Goods tidily stored with gangways may help to inhibit the spread of fire. The legislations, standards and codes have a vital role in forcing the occupiers to provide the required fire protection system, both active and passive. Complying with all the fire and safety measures and adhering to the National Building Code of India, 2005. The way ahead: Notions of safety, security and quality are not built into us from school level. We don’t get basic first aid training. Our cultural attitude is one of “chalta hai” (It is Okay!!) and we think the next building will catch fire, not ours. It will happen to somebody else not me. The buildings have to be planned, designed and detailed to be fire safe. There have to be fire audits of each of the buildings every six months, or at least once in a year. There has to be a safety officer who sits in a room with CCTV monitors, sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, fire extinguishers. Often people are not trained how to use the fire extinguisher, and which one to use when. We have national building codes, local building bylaws, national electrical codes. But they are never implemented or enforced because of systemic problems. There should be lessons learnt from the fatal fire in Mumbai. By properly blending both precautionary and mitigation measures, we can greatly reduce the adverse impacts of a fire hazard and thereby prevent the loss of lives and property. Connecting the dots: There were many incidents of major fire tragedies in our country. What precautions should be taken to prevent fire hazards? What are the mitigative measures for fire accidents? Discuss. MUST READ Lured by blood The Hindu Taking on the gatekeepers The Hindu Before the next Mumbai disaster Indian Express Changing chalta hai Indian Express Welcome reform Business Line

Dec 30, 2017 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Prime Minister’s Visit to Manila and its Significance

Prime Minister’s Visit to Manila and its Significance ARCHIVES Search 12th November 2017 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests In news: Prime Minister went to Philippines on a 3 days visit to attend 15th India-ASEAN summit and the 12th East Asia summit. This visit is an enhancement and a boost for India’s Act East Policy. 2017 is again a landmark year due to 25 years of dialogue partnership and 15th year of India ASEAN Summit, thus Prime Minister personally interacted with leaders of ASEAN members as well as 8 other members who are in the summit. Boost to India-US relations At present, there is good chemistry and equation between India and United States as countries and also between its leaders.  US President has said that there are few issues in the region where India’s support, understanding and cooperation is desired, whether it is rise of China or it is North Korea or whether it is regional trade. It is also very significant as US President in all his statements has called Asia’s Pacific region as Indo-Pacific and that shows due importance given to India as well as the security of Indian Ocean. It can be somehow a counter to China as China has been quite aggressive and exerting itself very strongly in Asia. This is a course change from past when few years’ ago, US’s focus perhaps was on the security of Western Pacific and India’s focus was more on the security of the sea lanes and maritime traffic in the Indian Ocean. But now interests of India, United States along with other countries like Japan, South Korea and Australia are converging. These countries are little concerned about the rapidly increasing naval might of China and whatever China is doing in South China Sea, for instance by unilaterally claiming a huge area. Thus, this has given rise to apprehension that in course of time, China could try to impose some kind of limitation on the maritime traffic. India has very strongly said in ASEAN Summit that the maritime traffic should freely flow and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea should be obeyed by all the countries. So in this Indo-Pacific region has a common security issue concern. The new QUAD Recently, there has been lot of talk of the quadrilateral arrangement which involves India, United States, Australia and Japan. The idea of the quadrilateral has really come from Japan where earlier also it was in operation for a while about a decade ago. But now the situation in East Asia, Asia Pacific, and Indo Pacific is changing rapidly and it is important that the major democracies which are active in this area should work together, exchange views and harmonise their position so that no country unilaterally is able to disturb the peace at present. India’s Act East policy China has given major loans to Dhaka and has invested heavily in Colombo. In recent years, India has also really pushed for its relationship with its neighbours, whether it is Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan. This time India has gone into South East Asia which is not on immediate neighbourhood but where China plays a much more dominant role. However, this is not any move to counter India China. India’s Act East Policy stands on its own which has its own logic for its own prosperity and own economic integration. India could not look towards our West because Pakistan is hostile to India, Afghanistan is in turmoil and Iran had all kind of sanction. Thus, for its own economic growth, prosperity and integration of North East, India adopted the Act East policy form previous Look East policy. Whatever China does or does not do in neighbourhood, there is a very strong logic for India to work very closely with all the countries of Asia and further East with Korean and Japan. The trade between India and ASEAN in 2015-16, was at more than 60 billion US Dollars. This bulk of trade in keeping this relationship intact or in giving a stronger further boost to this relationship has a major role to play. Any relationship becomes closer if it has a strong economic and investment partnership. ASEAN and India together are about 1.85 billion people and the total GDP of India is equal to the GDP of the other 10 ASEAN members which is about 3.8 trillion dollar GDP. 17% of FDI in India has come from ASEAN countries mainly from Singapore, Indonesia and India has also invested about 40 billion dollar in ASEAN countries. There is a trilateral highway which is connecting India’s North East through Manipur to Myanmar, Bangkok and Thailand. Once this happens then the trade relations will go further but the economy relations are good. Thus, the relations between India and ASEAN are well placed on the growth trajectory. A tough, but possible task Today, there are different centres of power- United States-Russia-China-Japan. Yet India has been able to maintain the delicacies that come with maintaining relations with these centres of power. For example, maintaining relations with the US President and at the same time maintaining a good relation with Russia or with Japan or China. Traditionally India has been nonaligned. Now, the present foreign policy is that of a multipolar focus and it looks to all the countries which are friendly to India with the equal attention. In all this forum there are so many opportunities to exchange words, to have some kind of very brief interactions which sometimes can be very useful in giving a relationship a push. So all these interactions will help India in promoting its own interest and relations. Conclusion At such forums, even though the interactions will be on one on one basis, there will still be the common thread for the quadrilateral of a common security umbrella. The world’s different centres of powers are coming together so that may be one can try and assure a peaceful rise of China. China’s rise is a good thing but it should be a peaceful rise. When China talks about its core interests, it should also take into account the core interests of other countries and in that all the countries want that China should have a policy which accommodates the interest of other countries. Now it is really for China to respond positively and look forward to a stable Indian Ocean region along with Pacific region. Connecting the dots: The formation and revival of ‘Quad’ represents ‘coming of world together’. Critically analyse the statement.