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IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 11th Nov 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 11th Nov 2017 Archives ECONOMY TOPIC:General Studies 3 Economic Development – Indian Economy and Issues relating to growth and development – Different indicators used to measure growth Social Progress Index: An index import for balanced development Is Gross Domestic Product (GDP) an adequate measure of a country’s development across many dimensions? The GDP calculation focusses exclusively on economic growth. Even while focusing on economic growth, it does not capture the level of inequity which can exist in a society despite overall economic growth. The inequity can in fact even be exacerbated by it. It pays no attention to the social and environmental measures of development which are as important as economic development. The most significant weakness of GDP is its exclusion of voluntary market transactions. GDP as a measure of economic growth fails to account for productive non-market activities, like a mother taking care of her child, a homemaker doing household chores, a homeowner doing maintenance of his house, leisure (paid vacation, holidays, leave time), improvement in product quality, etc. GDP also ignores important factors like environment, happiness, community, fairness and justice. Alternate measures and their limitations: Several alternative measures have been proposed to capture the social dimension of development, combined with or independent of economic indices. Gross National Happiness, which was introduced in the 1970s by the king of Bhutan, measures the happiness levels of the citizens in a country while it ignores other important elements like gender equality, quality education and good infrastructure. A World Happiness Report is now periodically published from the Columbia University which compares self-reported levels of happiness of people from different countries. A composite Wellness Index was proposed by noted economists Stiglitz, Sen and Fitoussi, for a measure of development that looks beyond GDP. A Global Multidimensional Poverty Index was developed at Oxford to gauge inequity within and across societies. GINI coefficient which was introduced in 1912 by Corrado Gini and adopted by World Bank, and measures the income inequality among a country’s citizens — fails to measure social benefits or interventions that reduce the gap or inequality between rich and poor. Human Development Index, devised and launched in 1990 by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq, is computed and published by the United Nations Development Programme and overcomes most of the shortcomings of the Gini coefficient and GNH. However, HDI, as a measure, falls short in its capture of the unequal distribution of wealth within the country and the level of infrastructural development. Many prospects of a healthy society, such as environmental sustainability and personal rights, are not included in HDI. The need of Social Progress Index: An index of social progress is needed which do not try to displace GDP but has additive value. Such an index can be used to remind political leaders that their vision must accommodate both economic and social progress as being important for a country, recognising, of course, that these two tracks are closely interlinked and sometimes inseparable. About SPI: The SPI was launched in 2013 and is based on 52 indicators of countries’ social and environmental performance. It includes no economic indicators and measures outcomes. it has been created by a group of academics and institutions constituting the Social Progress Imperative (www.socialprogressimperative.org). This index has three major domains: 1) Basic Human Needs. 2) Foundations of Wellbeing. 3) Opportunity. Each of these has several clusters of specific indicators (as shown below). Pic credit: https://www.slideshare.net/socprog/20130411-skoll-world-forum-panel-final Pros of SPI: The index offers a new tool to explore the complex two-way relationship between economic and social progress. It provides a metric for comparison of countries, and States within a country. The SPI indicators can serve as a checklist to monitor our progress over time in each of the important areas of human welfare. State level: The study (2005-2016) helps analyze whether States, especially using social and environmental indicators, are heading in the right direction. It is also essential to help adjust policies as well as public and private investments. States can be ranked using social and environmental indicators on the basis of: Their capability to provide for basic needs such as shelter, water, and sanitation. A foundation for well-being with education, health, and communication facilities. Analysing the prejudices that prevail in a region prohibiting people from making their personal decisions; and Evaluating whether citizens have personal rights and freedom or whether they are susceptible to child labour, human trafficking, corruption, etc. Major findings of the Social Progress report, 2017: The overall social progress score for the country now stands at 57.03 (on a 0-100 scale), approximately eight points higher than in 2005. The country performs better in the provision of basic human needs rather than opportunities for its citizens. Therefore, creation of a society with equal opportunities for all still remains an elusive dream. The scores for opportunity have increased over the years followed by smaller, but important improvements in the areas of basic human needs and foundations of well-being. All the States have climbed the social progress ladder, with the group of States that had the worst performance in 2005 — Tripura, Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Bihar — now showing improvement. This suggests that States with a relatively low level of social progress can improve rapidly. The greatest improvements have been in areas where social progress most often accompanies economic prosperity. On the other hand, areas where performance has declined or stagnated is where the correlation with economic development is weak. For instance, “Access to Information & Communication and Inclusion” depicts a strong relationship with per capita GDP and are the ones that have improved the most over the years. And “Health and Wellness & Environmental Quality”, that are least correlated with economic development, have eroded. One significant difference between GDP and SPI is that SPI focusses on outcomes rather than inputs that are used in GDP. For example, the quality of life and longevity are measured instead of spending on health care, and people’s experience of discrimination is looked at instead of focussing on whether there is a law against discrimination. SPI also reframes the fundamentals about development by taking into consideration not just GDP but also inclusive, sustainable growth that will lead to a significant improvement in people’s lives. SPI can best be described as a complementary index to GDP and can be used along with GDP to achieve social progress. Policies need to target social issues directly: The States should focus on policies that target social issues. The focus on economic parameters will result in unbalanced social development. The overall findings show that while the economy is on the right track, there is an urgent need to identify and focus on social parameters. The reliance on the idea that economic development will automatically transform social conditions will hamper further improvements in social progress. Social progress needs to be stimulated by focusing on policies directly targeting social issues. Summary: In conclusion, SPI can bring substantial betterment in the policy discourse on development. With the move to getting it introduced at a sub-national level, the index is expected to help development practitioners and other stakeholders in analysing well-being in a better manner. Focusing exclusively on GDP implies measuring progress in purely monetary terms and failing to consider the wider picture of the real things that matter to real people. GDP isn’t bad but it’s not the whole story, alongside economic growth social progress is more important for policymaking. Even as India commits itself to move on the fast track of economic growth, it must be mindful of the need to invest in improving its social indicators as well MUST READ Hope floats on a boat The Hindu Asian disorder Indian Express The witch hunters Indian Express Affordable housing- a costly affair Business Line Course correction Business Line

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : 75 years of Quit India Movement

75 years of Quit India Movement ARCHIVES Search 9th August 2017 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 1 The Freedom Struggle - its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country. General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. In brief Celebrating the 75 years of Quit India movement as a national event without linking it to any political party is a tribute to the determination of nation and also making it a landmark in India’s freedom struggle and subsequence. To mark this event, PM talked about Quit India Movement in a special session in Parliament where he spoke about how the freedom fighters have fought for the country and that there was a need for such a movement to fight some challenges currently faced by the country. Mahatma Gandhi wanted the country to be united and thus invited all segments of the society and not only political parties during Quit India Movement. The aim was to collectively work towards the ‘Quit India’ slogan.  Similarly for the present challenges, the people are expected to follow “Sankalp se Siddhi” slogan wherein they not only make commitment towards these goals but also accomplish them in the time frame of 5 years. PM outlined 6 major challenges which are being faced even after 70 years of independence. To tackle them, PM has said that the nation should inspire from Quit India movement where within just five years of this movement, the country got independence. Similarly, the following challenges out to be fought in a way that by 2022, they are driven out. Poverty Cleanliness Casteism Communalism Terrorism Literacy Quit India movement although given by Mahatma Gandhi later on became a mass movement. As a matter of fact, the leadership of the movement was taken over by the people and therefore that time nobody perhaps even thought that Mahatma Gandhi’s call for Quit India Movement will result into freedom in 5 years. It is true that many of the issues like poverty eradication, cleanliness, education have been priority issue for different governments in the last 70 years. Many programs, central government program as well as state government programs including flagship scheme are being run for these sectors. The plan budget is about 2.5 lakh crore for most of the schemes and the government in last 2-3 years with NITI Ayog has come up with programmes to tackle these challenges. But 5 years is a short period to remove them. Is it possible today? The leader’s job is to involve people, enthuse them to do something. If entire nation gets into that and somehow resolve to do it, it won’t be unachievable. There is need to have a determination, a will to follow the slogan ‘Sankalp se Siddhi’. Sankalp is people’s commitment to remove the evils of society and Siddhi will be being accomplished in it. Some of the challenges are fresh, like cleanliness. It’s the very first challenge because of the growth in population and industrialization has resulted into non-achievement of goal which actually should have. Now, the cleanliness campaign is branded up as a mass movement where unless there is peoples’ participation, there is no achievement. Therefore making it a campaign, the idea is to involve people and make it a collective effort. To be realistic, poverty alleviation can’t be achieved in 5 years’ time but quite a lot can be done to towards that. And once again, people can’t just depend upon the government policies alone. The society has to become a part of it. Certain things can be achieved in 5 years’ time like cleanliness and not seen as a very distant target like casteism. Casteism can’t be fought and completely rooted out in 5 years’ time but there can be awareness. The recent government data does suggest that there has been increased in the incidents of lynching, marginalisation of the weaker sections. The government has to make efforts to make a peaceful society. One major issue is corruption which has deep rooted into the society. To expose corrupt people and practices, the citizen and government should target higher echelons of the society, like political corruption. Today, such atmosphere has been created where a government servant is not quite willing to engage into bribe or any other corrupt practices for fear of being caught. Setting an example all these things in particular in place of corruption the example has to be set on a highest level. Prime Minister himself has set an example that none of his Cabinet minister has to indulge into corruption and anybody who does will be thrown out of the Cabinet. Thus, the leadership has to take a call and set example for the people to percolate down the system. The whole project and the mission is to create awareness among the people. Once people realize that it is their duty, the things become more easier to cope up with. All these things can be taken as a mission, launched as a campaign and increase more awareness amongst different section of society. The role of media is extremely important in this aspect. Role of state government and private sector India is federal country and no targets can be achieved without the help of the state government.  The 6 six issues are such that hardly any political party can afford to disagree. There will be need of public support and it has to be visible that they are fighting against these evils. How they fight it and strategies adopted to fight can be different but it is necessary to fight. Many state CMs and their government have been voted out on issue of corruption in irrespective of the party.  These fight against evils will send out the message that politicams are working for benefits of the people. Hence, different political parties will come into in getting credit for that but here it’s not something which should be done merely for political gains but basically to improve the society. The private sector has a huge role to play. For instance, Swacch Bharat Abhiyan alone in the last 3 years has seen varied participation from private sector, enterprise and people in general. Infact the leaders association, resident welfare association have come forward and are contributing. Private sector can also help in other sectors such as poverty alleviation by adopting villages, adopting areas where they can do some kind of the growth. So the role of the private sector particularly the corporate sector is important. Conclusion India today is seen all over the world as an emerging power. India is an IT super power but on this 6 fronts there really lacks lot of cooperation from the people. Together will all, the challenges can be overcome. Now it is about determination and action performed should be in sync. Connecting the dots: What are the most pressing challenges faced by people in recent years? Analyse their impact and way forward to tackle them.  

RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : US Exits UNESCO: Can UN Bodies Survive US Apathy?

US Exits UNESCO: Can UN Bodies Survive US Apathy? Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora. Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate. In news: US announced withdrawal from UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural organisation (UNESCO) accusing the body of anti-Israel bias. The US would establish an observer mission to replace its representation. That will allow the United States to engage in debates and activities, though it will lose its right to vote on issues. Three views Is UNESCO or entire UN system is becoming irrelevant? UNESCO programmes are very few. There is criticism of UNESCO for bloated bureaucracy and total waste of money. Trump has no use for UNESCO. It is not first time it has withdrawn. Reagan in 1984 also withdrew. Somehow the organisation has become very politicised. Instead of uniting people, joining people, it has become an arena for political grandstanding and political formulations. Hence, it is losing its purpose. Does it reflect trump’s America first policy and staying away from multilateralism? The withdrawal marks another decision by the Trump administration to distance itself from the international community. US is one of the largest funders of these all agencies. But in last few years, lot of core funding for UNESCO has gone down. Lot of important programme has not come in. In 2011, UNESCO recognised Palestine as a member state. Soon after that, there is US congressional resolution that if any UN body accepts Palestine as member, no funding can go from US. So funding has not been there since six years. Their voting rights have been suspended. So whether they remain member or observer makes no effect. It also shows that they have no real principle to commitment towards UNESCO. What led to this situation? In early 2017, UNESCO designated the old city of Hebron in the West Bank, with its Tomb of the Patriarchs, a Palestinian World Heritage site, which the Israelis duly objected to. The present crisis represents the crisis across the world now in fragmented identities. Whose history does the mosque belong to? US withdrawal in support of Israel is support to the existing crisis. This shows that grip of Israel on American foreign policy is strong. China gains Japan also has a problem with UNESCO because china has managed to get Nanjing massacre records included as historical records of the world and japan since 2016 has suspended its own contribution of 35 million dollars. When top funders move out, then they are seeding space to china. It may be a useless and ineffective organisation but it is a world organisation and has soft power. So if America withdraws from Asia or TPP or trade and UNESCO, then only china will occupy this space unless Europe steps in. There should be even in terms of League of Nations while writing records, a kind of balancing instead of some major countries dominating the UN structure. Unfortunately, because of idea of permanent Security Council members having veto rights, India has previously also argued that there should be say for all the countries including smaller countries in UN. UN is byproduct of WWII and has gone through cold war and later years. Its not changed through this and is becoming obsolete to the changing times. If UN doesn’t seem to be reforming, UNESCO may also see same fate as UNICEF or WHO. Number of observers have said over the decade that it is time to rejig to strengthen the UN system otherwise more issues will arise and more people will echo Israel and US and then it will be difficult to reform the system. UNESCO and its role Introduction UNESCO is responsible for coordinating international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication. It strengthens the ties between nations and societies, and mobilizes the wider public so that each child and citizen: has access to quality education; a basic human right and an indispensable prerequisite for sustainable development; may grow and live in a cultural environment rich in diversity and dialogue, where heritage serves as a bridge between generations and peoples; can fully benefit from scientific advances; can enjoy full freedom of expression; the basis of democracy, development and human dignity. UNESCO has to try to make it relevant to the members and rejig. It is an educational and scientific and cultural organisation and members should try to be away from political agendas. The organisation should adhere to its charter and main purpose. The political issues should be settled in UN GA, UNSC etc. UNESCO- runs wide range of pogrammes Helps maintain major cultural sites around the globe, Best known for the World Heritage program Trains Afghan police officers how to read and write Only U.N. agency that has a program to teach the history of the Holocaust. UNESCO has responsibility to have open dialogue and have culture of peace through text books, conferences, seminars. Suggestive way forward There is a problem in discourse as Arab nations are badly fractured. There is no unity even fighting ISIS. There are different positions by number of countries. There is an economic factor and the situation is not as there was in 1960s and 1970s. In such situation they try to maintain whatever influence they have in UN bodies and make sure that UN bodies don’t collapse. Then the problem is of funding. Obviously, US by withdrawing is giving a message that they are paying for things on which they don’t have control and therefore if these organisations have to work, they should be listened to. If the UN organisations don’t change themselves, they are going to be irrelevant. This time is such that culture is extremely fragmented. This organisation can bring in convergence of ideas, people, science, culture together. The education curriculum in some countries is so poisonous to sustain. It has to be reformed. Who will decide the parameters of writing history? If the countries in global south don’t like the way textbooks are written, they will not associate with it in the future. The idea should be to head towards liberalism but at a pace which people can accept. When the experts of each country are involved in the process, the biasness is expected to be less. Connecting the dots: UN is losing its relevance as it is not able to cope up with post cold war years’ development. Do you agree? Substantiate with suitable examples.

IASbaba's OFFLINE CLASSES

Aiming For TOP 100 RANK in UPSC- IASbaba's OFFLINE Mentorship Programme (Connect to Conquer)-Exclusively for Mains 2018

Hello Friends!! When we began our journey, we had not anticipated the kind of love and faith that was showered upon us. We kept ourselves on our toes to keep up with your expectations and also improve on a daily basis to keep pace with demands of the new generation. At IASbaba we have a single guideline before starting any initiative “Can we at IASbaba do it the best in comparison to any existing system, Can we redefine the way things are delivered”  Last year when we announced about our Offline classes we received close to 5000 requests. In the end, we prioritized 250 students. Our concern was that we raise the quality which we have been offering online to make it the best in India If the answer to the above is yes, then only we go ahead with an initiative and not for mere sake of doing things And the results themselves speak for: We started 60-Day programme (FREE) - Few other websites try to copy us but failed and changed to other programs. Why is 60 Day Programme so famous and most trusted? The answer is its QUALITY and resemblance with real UPSC Questions.  Integrated Learning Programme (ILP)  - Today it is the number 1 Online Programme that provides the best guidance for not only Prelims but Mains and is standing apart with best quality and affordability. Our classroom programme, which is the best programme in terms of quality and largest offline programmes in Bangalore is known for imparting individual attention to students. A testimony to our quality has been the strength of our programmes. A further testimony to the above has been  60 Day Program,  TLP program  ILP Program which has now become the biggest online environment for UPSC learning. 120 selections in the span of two years including Ranks, 4, 6 and 9 in TOP 10 and Our Hit Ratio in Mains and Prelims- 2017, which is close to 85 % and 70% respectively - How IASbaba was helpful in Mains 2017  and 68+in UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2017-How IASbaba Helped One to Get MAINS Call! In sync with the above vision, we proudly announce the commencement of our New Initiative for Mains Answer Writing "Connect to Conquer (C2C)" (Offline Mentorship Programme) for 2018 aspirants.  Kindly Note: Connect to Conquer- Mentorship Prorgamme will be open for everyone having finished the syllabus atleast once and is ready to undergo rigorous Answer writing and skill development for Mains with IASbaba.  UPSC is known to throw surprises each year. This year was no exception. The number of questions in each paper remained the same but the marks and word limits changed. How the aspirants managed to tackle the change, only time will tell. However, in all these years, with so many changes and surprises, one thing has remained true- that UPSC is starving for quality aspirants and is trying its best to weed out those who can only reproduce what they have learnt. UPSC wants candidates who possess the ability to think and that too beyond the obvious. Take for example the following questions asked by UPSC in GS Paper I- “The spirit of tolerance and love is not only an interesting feature of Indian society from very early times, but it is also playing an important part at the present. Elaborate.” What information does one require for such answering such questions? Which coaching institute teaches to analyse such issues? Can one write the answer to such questions through only a plain understanding of the newspaper articles? No! Definitely not. As aspirants, you have to change. Why? Simply because UPSC has changed its expectations for you. You need to think before you write. Now, you need to even more and improve your answer writing abilities. You need someone to compete with. You need someone to mentor you not like a trainer but like a coach, telling you the nitty gritty of your answers, the ways to improve them and to constantly monitor your progress to suggest course corrections whenever required. Keeping in mind, the changing demands of UPSC, we have come up with a new initiative to help you conquer this examination by connecting you with the best mentors at IASbaba. We call this initiative as Connect to Conquer (C2C). The features of (C2C) are: Students will be divided into smaller groups and each group will have a MENTOR 10 Months Programme divided into 3 Phases- First phase- December to March-Mains Focus, Second Phase March to May (All India Prelims Test Series)- Prelims Focus, Third Phase- June to September- Mains Focus 40 High Quality and High Order Thinking Mains Tests/Essay to be conducted under strict supervisions and monitoring of the mentors.  A DRAFT PLAN is given as PDF- Click Here Micro-Features of the Programme 40 Mains Tests + All India Prelims Tests (AIPTS)- 31 GS and 10 CSAT Tests 16 Subject Wise Tests + 4 Essay practice tests before prelims 12 rigorous Mains Practice Tests after Prelims. 8 Full-length Tests (2 for each paper) and 4 Essay tests. Synopsis and individual feedback from the mentors. Regular tracking of your progress through intensive one on one session with your mentors. Provision of customised solutions for each candidate as per his/her needs and strengths. Mentor moderated group discussions (GD) within and with the groups for helping you develop a critical perspective on the issues in hand. Selected aspirants will have library facility and discussion room for SIX months. After the completion of the programme, you would have: Practiced more than 500 subjective questions. Gained in-depth perspective on Mains issues with the help of synopsis and practical learning from your mentors. Improved yourself a lot with the help of critical inputs from your mentor. Developed the ability to answer any type of question asked by UPSC. Formed a highly energetic, compact and competitive group of sincere aspirants into a social capital. Gained the wherewithals to conquer Mains 2018!! So why wait? Come to us and convince us of your willingness to embark on a highly intensive, specialised and outcome-oriented journey with IASbaba. The other details of the programme are given below: Duration: December 2017 to September 2018 Venue: Bangalore Address: No. 1737, 37, Service Rd, MRCR Layout, Stage 1, Near Vijayanagar Metro Station, Vijaya Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040. You can come to our office to enquire about it. Process of Enrollment: Fill the google form given below. Selected Students will get a call from IASbaba Fees of the programme- Will be communicated to selected candidates Fill the form only if you are sincerely looking forward to joining this programme ENROLLMENT FORM- FILL IT HERE Connect to Conquer (C2C)- Mentorship Progamme will be open for everyone having finished the syllabus atleast once and is ready to undergo rigorous Answer writing and skill development for Mains with IASbaba.  We are looking forward to "Sincere, Committed and Hard Working Candidates"   P.S- For any query, you can contact, ilp@iasbaba.com. Fill the form only if you are sincerely looking forward to joining this programme. Selected candidates will be getting a call from IASbaba.

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 10th Nov 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 10th Nov 2017 Archives INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: India and its neighbourhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests India-South Korea: Expanding ties In news: Recent political developments between India and South Korea have created an opening for the two countries to share mutual security interests in Asia. President Moon Jae-in, who celebrated his administration’s 100th day in office two months ago with strong public support, has invited India into South Korea’s diplomatic domain. South Korea dispatched a special envoy to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reinforce bilateral relations. The clear message is to place India on par with the US, Russia, China, and Japan. Mutual strategic recalibration between India and South Korea: Expanding ties between the two countries would produce substantial convergence of interest in planning global and regional strategic frameworks. The mutual strategic recalibration between India and South Korea is a modest effect of their growing partnership since 2010. South Korea: It has emphasised its desire for stronger security cooperation with India and in reinforcing strategic and military ties. Seoul’s strategic calculation appears to be in searching for a stronger diplomatic stand on imminent regional issues beyond the alliance system. Balancing East Asia affairs: The South Korean administration’s approach to India is an unambiguous gesture toward balancing East Asian affairs more broadly than before. From Seoul’s perspective, the enduring regional tensions in South Asia — especially between India and China — create a common interest for India and South Korea to discuss a collaborative approach for regional stability. South Korea’s key interest in managing their nuclear neighbour on the Korean Peninsula is similar to India’s considerations toward Pakistan. The provocation of North Korea’s nuclear weapons development and the premeditated launch of its nuclear-capable missiles continues to augment impending pressures on South Korea. The US alliance system, established with South Korea and Japan, puts pressure on North Korea to cap its nuclear programme; however, this long-lasting regional security dilemma is filled with continued verbal provocations and a conventional arms race among all actors. Supporting India: Seoul continued to support New Delhi’s approach to nuclear nonproliferation with the civil nuclear pact in 2011. During negotiations, Seoul conveyed that it valued India’s clean NPT record more than its status of a non-NPT signatory. With this strong foothold, South Korea played a critical role in moderating opposing members in India’s application for the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group’s membership as a host country of a plenary meeting. Seoul’s move was bolder and more independent than that of any other US ally in Asia. India: New Delhi too is in favour of Seoul-Delhi ties. Containing North Korea: Early this year, New Delhi started building an increasingly incompatible stance toward North Korea. At Seoul’s request, the Modi government discontinued the provision of training courses to North Korean students in the Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific, Dehradun, and suspended the training of North Korean soldiers in Indian languages in a Madhya Pradesh-based military school. India also aligned with the UN to ban all trade with North Korea except for humanitarian aid. India implemented a plan to launch a strategic initiative, ‘Korea Plus’ to facilitate Korean FDI and forge larger economic cooperation in pursuit of the Act Asia Policy. Above moves is part of the strategy to downplay New Delhi’s political and economic ties with North Korea while reinforcing its bond with Seoul and its allied countries. Containing North Korea is beneficial to India’s economic and regional ambit in East Asia as well as its approach to the global nuclear nonproliferation regime as a responsible nuclear state. Strong strategic and security ties: Since 2010, New Delhi and Seoul have regularly conducted joint naval exercises and had official talks on combating terrorism and nuclear proliferation. In every summit meeting over the last decade, both sides have promised stronger strategic and security ties to enhance regional stability through the expansion of defence deal. In response to the Special Strategic Partnership with South Korea in May 2015, New Delhi has agreed to get arms supplies from South Korea, a segment dominated by the US, Russia, Israel, France, and the UK. Since early 2017, India has pushed three defence deals forward with South Korea. Many New Delhi signed the MoU with Seoul for five joint fleet support ships worth $1.5 billion. India also invited South Korean corporation, Kangnam, for design consultation, and the technological assistance of 12 mine countermeasure vessels worth $5.5 billion. The latest deal between India’s local defence-supplier, Larsen & Toubro, with Korean firm, Hanwha Techwin, over 100 self-propelled artillery guns worth $696 million made this bilateral relationship even more lucrative. Globally, India-South Korea’s growing ties reinforce the US-Japan-led multilateral security frame in the Asia-Pacific region, primarily designed to compete with China and North Korea. Challenges: First, emerging political interests and motivations in Seoul and New Delhi still lag behind the regional and global demand. Most official talks are repetitive, confirming the significance of strategic partnerships heavily weighing on economic cooperation. Moderating the dissimilar style of diplomacy and communication under cultural differences is another challenge. Thus, cultural and political differences could present a challenge to India and South Korea forging effective regional ties. Conclusion: Overall, the strategic ties between Seoul and New Delhi present promise for mutual interest as well as regional stability. It is a critical time for both countries to explore the topic, the scope of the possibility, and the limits of the bilateral cooperation in different time periods. The above mentioned shortcomings needs to be resolved soon. Connecting the dots: The strategic ties between Seoul and New Delhi present promise for mutual interest as well as regional stability. In this light the two nations are mutually recalibrating their strategic ties. However, there are certain challenges that exists when it comes to dealing with each other. Discuss. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 1: Poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Adopting landscape approach while tackling climate change Background: In 2015, India made a Bonn Challenge commitment to place into restoration 13 million hectares (Mha) of degraded land by 2020 and an additional 8 Mha by 2030. India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) have also pledged to sequester 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent additionally by 2030 through enhanced tree cover. Initial government estimates suggest that to achieve this, India will need to extend tree cover on at least 28-34 million hectares, outside of the existing forest cover. An over-reliance on plantations: As different States work to achieve the commitments, it appears that there is an over-reliance on plantations. In July this year, Madhya Pradesh planted 66 million trees in 12 hours to enter the record books, overtaking Uttar Pradesh’s record of planting 49.3 million trees in a day, in 2016. Other States are also expected to follow suit. Neither the Bonn Challenge nor the NDCs are about large-scale plantations alone. Adopting landscape approach: The Bonn Challenge lays emphasis on landscape approaches — a model aimed at improving the ecology of a landscape as a whole in order to benefit local livelihoods and conserve biodiversity. The NDC lays emphasis not only on carbon sequestration but also adaptation to climate change through a strengthened flow of benefits to local communities that are dependent on forests and agriculture for sustenance. India’s policy framework on forests also lays emphasis on a landscape approach to manage forest and tree cover, so that the flow of multiple ecosystem services — including food security, climate mitigation and adaptation, conservation of biological diversity and water supplies — is secured. Issues arising due to over-reliance on plantations: Large-scale plantation drives do not lay stress on- Species selection. The quality of planting materials or survival rates. Does not recognise tenure and resource rights to ensure that the benefit flows to communities. Operationalising a landscape approach: We must protect healthy forest areas from deforestation, degradation and fragmentation. We must also creatively integrate trees into different land uses. India has numerous models that are suited for different regions and farm household sizes to draw upon, and must not rely on plantation drives alone to secure environmental and developmental outcomes. In India at least 35 types of agroforestry models are practiced. These combine different trees that provide timber, fruits, fodder, fuel and fertilizers with food crops. It diversifies income from farming, and improves land productivity. Engaging farmers in natural regeneration: Systems where farmers protect and manage the growth of trees and shrubs that regenerate naturally in their fields from root stock or from seeds dispersed through animal manure can deliver several economic and ecosystem benefits. Global example: In Niger, West Africa, farmers operating on 5 Mha of land added roughly 200 million on-farm trees in the past 30 years. This has sequestered 25-30 million tonnes of carbon and increased annual agricultural production by about 500,000 tonnes. In India: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development’s (NABARD’s) ‘Wadi’ model is a good example of tree-based interventions which is proving to have great value in terms of cost-effectiveness as well as the range of benefits they deliver to communities. 'Wadi' project: It is a livelihood project launced by NABARD in Jhansi and Lalitpur districts of Uttar Pradesh. It aims at reducing the migration of tribal people to urban centres by providing them livelihood in the form of income and basic necessities like fuel wood, timber and cattle fodder. The programme will assist tribal families by giving assistance to develop orchards and related activities. It is actually a tree-based farming system that consists of fruit tree suitable to the area or a combination of trees with forestry species. Two or more tree crops are selected in Wadi model to minimise biological and marketing risks. In five years, a poor village of 100 families can get converted into an orchard of a 100-150 acre producing hundreds of tonnes of fruits. Way forward: Participatory approach- As we regenerate trees through different interventions, it is critical to ensure that owners have the right to manage and use these trees. Determining the best method of landscape restoration- It is also critical to use scientific evidence-based methodology with a participatory approach to determine the right type of tree-based interventions most suitable to a certain land use. This can be done by rigorous analysis of spatial, legal and socio-economic data and draws on consultations with key stakeholders to determine the right type of interventions. A performance monitoring system to quantify tree survival rates and the benefits to communities should be established. This can be achieved through a combination of remote sensing, crowd sourced, ground-level monitoring with support from communities and civil society organisations. An important success factor in large-scale tree-based programmes is security of tenure and land rights. In several parts of the world, securing tenure over forests has been established as a cost-effective way of achieving climate sequestration. Considering this the land and tenancy legislation in the country needs to be reviewed. Conclusion: India has the policy framework, the political will and financing to endorse landscape restoration. What we really need now is innovation and imagination to build replicable and scalable models with a participatory approach to achieve the country’s climate goals through landscape restoration. Connecting the dots: India needs to adopt a participatory and a landscape approach when it comes to handling climate change through extending tree or forest cover. Discuss. MUST READ It takes a village The Hindu Wil bank recapitalisation fox NPAs The Hindu What Delhi hasn't learned? Indian Express Paradise papers, Gorakhpur Indian Express Deepening innovation ties with the US Livemint Will roads and banks stimulus revive the economy? Livemint  

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 78]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 78] Archives  Q.1) Acid rain leads to Damaged automotive coatings Release of aluminium in the soil Nitrogen Pollution Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.2) Through the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 which subjects were transferred from State to Concurrent List? Forests Education Electricity Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.3) Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an example of Monopoly Oligopoly Perfect Competition None of the above Q.4) Which of the following consumer rights are categorized in India? Right to seek redressal Right to free choice Right to Consumer Education Select the correct code: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.5) Rivers originating on the Eastern Ghats include: Rushikulya Tungabhadra Vamsadhara Select the correct code 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above To Download the Solution – Click here All The Best  IASbaba

MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Labour Reforms

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

RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : Pesticides Tragedy: Hazards of Chemical Farming

Pesticides Tragedy: Hazards of Chemical Farming Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 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 In news: 9 Farmers died in Maharashtra after spraying pesticides in their cotton fields. Over 1800 farmers affected by the inhalation of these pesticides since August 2017. The main cause is unscientific use of pesticide leads to harmful effects on environment, health as well as homes. Unscientific use of chemical fertilisers only? Some of the pesticides are used for last 35-40 years. So when it is used for such a long time, there is nothing wrong with the pesticides. But something else which government has to investigate in detail is about illicit liquor or tobacco use while using pesticide. The pesticides in use for last 40 years can’t be made entirely responsible as any pesticide is highly regulated and its registered by Ministry of Agriculture after tons of data is collected and analysed. World over, chemical fertilisers as well as pesticides have been a great cause of concern on soil fertility and ill effect on human life. There is empirical evidence that pesticides and chemical fertilisers are not used as per the norms set causes the harmful damage. The bio-geo chemical systems within the soil also have to be properly treated on the fields. To go ahead with use of fertilisers, there should be policy dispensation where all the stakeholders have to come together to understand what is good and bad. Using it properly is key? Any chemical which is used to kill pests are going to cause disease in humans. On the packet, the usage has to be mentioned- how to dilute it, how to spread, see the direction of wind, and be opposite to it but sometimes, the gravity of problem is not fully realised. Sometimes, proper awareness is not there. Rather than selling pesticide, the pesticide seller should be asked to sell the pest control. In developed country, the farmer doesn’t buy pesticide and uses it. In many cases, the pesticide dealer goes to the field and applies the pesticide. This is the solution to problem of adverse effect because of use of pesticide. In India, the indiscriminate use of fertiliser is everywhere which leads to many health problems, sometimes which are fatal. Pesticide use in India- vis a vis other country.- use of pesticide per hectare is 10 times in japan than in India. But the pesticide residue on the food used in japan is not beyond the permissible limits. Hence, it is not that just the quantity matters, but also its application. The fertilizers and pesticide companies should make more awareness that pesticides and insecticides are poison and every poison affects humans. Proper mask, hand gloves are to be used to avoid contact of those pesticides otherwise it can be harmful. Ministry of agriculture- All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues- Every year they test more than 16000 samples of various food products and in 2% samples residue is found above the limits. In India, Minimum Residue Limit (MRL) is not a big problem other than Europe which has higher MRL. Pesticides are poisonous, but same time they are helping in our food security. Dr. Norman borlough said that when India’s population was 60 crore, only 40 crore people could be fed with existing technologies used in agriculture. So new tools of technology has to be used but scientifically and with right information about their right use. Stakeholders’ responsibility As long as companies are making profits out of it, they are not going to evolve. All the stakeholders have a key role- NITI ayog has a serious role in this issue as to laying down guidelines for proper use of fertilisers. Education campaign can happen across the farming community as to how to apply pesticides. The corporates have a larger stake as they are doing business and get profit out of it. They should invest the part of profit to educate the farmers about the right use of fertilisers. For example, Bio stimulants, bio fertilisers, bio pesticides have been tried in fields. The parliamentary standing committee has recommended setting up a pesticide authority to understand the issue of chemical pesticides. These are some of the ideas which need to be concretised to move forward without damaging food security. There should be a balance in short term and in long run there should be some kind of alternative. In the western world, chemical pesticides is not allowed to be used haphazardly. There is need of comprehensive policy. Education of farmers about the hazards of using chemicals is needed- Some of the farmers are not in position to buy safety equipment while using the pesticides. They need to be helped with subsidized equipment or cooperatives providing them on rent whenever they need it. Between producers of pesticides and fertilisers and users, there are dealers. These dealers do not have technical knowledge of chemicals nor of agriculture. The license for sale of these pesticides and insectoids should be given to people who have knowledge of these things. A case was made that license should be given to people who are graduates in Bsc agriculture but then there aren’t so many trained agriculturalists graduates. So then the private persons were also allowed to have the license but with training by ICARI. It is even sold by unregistered dealers and quacks. When it comes to plants and agriculture, Indians are not that sensitive. The cost of this kind of neglect is becoming heavy. With little knowledge, more harm is being made to the agriculture. Hence, now it should be obligatory for part of sellers to give required instruction to buyer, the farmer. The incidence of deadly diseases is on rise. It is not affordable to ignore it. There is responsibility of sellers as well as farmers. There is corporate law which says that 2% of profit should go into CSR. The industry can come with a plan which is for educating the farmer. Way forward Every life is important and shouldn’t be lost due to pesticide usage. Ministry of agriculture has designed a course on dealer extension education programme. More universities should use this course. Government has these Krishi Vigyan Kendras whose major role is to drive the technology and give training to dealers and farmers. But unfortunately, this system has not been very effective. In 2009, agriculture budget said that agricultural extension system has collapsed and there is need for alternate. Yet, no alternate came. Private industry is doing lot, but in a country where 14 crore farmers are there and more than 6 lakh villages, it is herculean task for individual to reach all farmers. Until all resources are put together and work in planned manner, that each farmer and dealer should be educated, there might not be effective change. Organic farming- complete replacement cannot happen in short span of time. Organic agriculture is another extreme of chemical agriculture and if moved into extremes, there is going to be problem. The need is to find how to reduce the chemical to the minimum and how to reduce chemical effect. Some examples are Intercropping, Bio pesticide and Integrated pest management. Also, phasing out of outdated chemicals like DDT should take place as soon as possible. Bring down cost of organic farming and bringing about a balance between use of various farm nutrients shall help in long run. Connecting the dots: Chemical usage in farms is harmful but is essential now. Critically analyse the pros and cons of chemical use in farming.

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 9th Nov 2017

IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs – 9th Nov 2017 Archives NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 1: Poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Building Climate-Smart Cities Introduction: According to UN-Habitat’s estimates, over 64 per cent of the world population is expected to reside in cities by 2050. Cities consume enormous resources. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that urban infrastructure accounts for two-third of the global energy use and 70 per cent of energy related Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. By 2025 megacities of 10 million or more people will house more than half the world’s population and contribute more than half of global GDP. Indian context: As India’s urban population grows from 410 million in 2014 to 814 million in 2050, with about 7 cities having more than 10 million people, there will be rise in energy consumption, degradation of forest areas and agricultural land and disturbed ecosystems, problems of water supply and solid waste management. This will be accentuated by growing risks of climate vulnerability (frequent floods, cyclones, extreme temperature and heat waves) disrupting city lives and affecting the poor who typically lack adequate resources and safeguards to fight such stresses. Lot to lose: The scale of such damages enormous- the 2011 Bangkok flood caused damages of $45 billion to the global supply chain of which only 10 billion was insured. Swiss Re, a reinsurer estimated that of the $50 billion or so losses to floods, cyclones and other disasters in Asia in 2014, only 8 per cent were covered. This provides an opportunity for cities to lead the world towards a sustainable future by becoming resilient and climate-smart and, ‘leap-frogging’ the inefficient and resource-intensive systems of the past. Climate-smart transformation: It needs set of city-specific strategies to systematically reduce city’s carbon footprint and enhance resilience to climate change through smart, affordable and, resilient infrastructure, and mixed form of adaptable land-use. Cities can use ‘predictive models’ to assess the potential risks of climate vulnerabilities (erratic rainfalls, flood, high temperature) and, monetise those risks to account for additional financial and social costs for building safeguards. Decoupling city’s economic growth from the growth of GHG emissions: Each city should have a clearly defined ‘low carbon pathway’, a series of interventions like Integrated solid waste management (ISWM). Energy efficient energy/ water supply. Harnessing rooftop solar and battery storage. Green urban mobility (including electric mobility, public and, non-motorised transport). Green and affordable building infrastructure. Smart grids. Financing climate-smart cities: Needs innovative solutions. The ability of cities to finance urban infrastructure largely depends on their budgets, revenue sources and creditworthiness. Issue: The perceived lack of creditworthiness (among 500 largest emerging market cities, only 4 per cent are creditworthy) for most cities in India becomes a critical barrier to secure affordable financing on international market or issue bonds to fund climate projects. Way out: Credit enhancement facilities such as, Guarantee Fund can help cities to overcome such barrier and raise funds by issuing bonds, etc. An effective way to catalyse private investment in urban projects is to mobilise credits through local financial institutions (LFIs). These are better positioned to assess and manage the risks inherent to the local authorities and, mobilise medium and, long-term financing in local currencies, thus eliminating the forex risk. To attract investments, cities should develop a pipeline of ‘bankable’ projects that meet broad feasibility parameters. Project preparation is expensive, typically accounts for 5-10 per cent of the project cost, and, most cities lack capacity for conducting feasibility, design and, financial structuring of the projects. Development partners and multilateral banks, equipped with global best-practices, can step in to support cities in setting project selection criteria to favour climate-smart infrastructure, laying right indicators for monitoring sustainability, and building technical and financial capacity of city officials to mainstream climate goals in planning, designing, operations and maintenance of the city. Conclusion: Transformative change is needed in how we build our cities, transport people and goods, and manage our landscapes. The need is urgent; the time-frame for making the choice is critical due to lock-in effect of capital and technology. The challenge is not simply to increase the volume of funding in the pipeline, but also to create an enabling environment to catalyse new finance flow from a broad spectrum of investors — public or private. Connecting the dots: Transforming cities into climate-smart ones is the need of the hour. Discuss. Also elaborate on ways Indian states can be made so. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. General Studies 1: Social empowerment Population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues Focusing on improving nutrition Background: Many people are not eating the right food. For some, it’s simply a decision to stick with food they enjoy, but which isn’t too healthy. This is leading to an increase in non-communicable diseases. This in turn leads to major burdens on our health-care systems that have the potential to derail the economic progress that is essential for the poor to improve their lives. For others, it’s about limited access to nutritious foods or a lack of affordability, leading to monotonous diets that do not provide the daily nutrients for them to develop fully. Diets are changing, but not always for the better. Part of the reason nutrition is under threat worldwide is that our food systems are not properly responding to nutritional needs. In other words, somewhere along that long road from farm to fork, the movement is not smooth. Global efforts: There is now a major international effort to improve global food systems and link those improvements to better nutrition and diets. Last year, in Rome, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) and the World Health Organisation convened an International Symposium on Sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition. It was a follow-up to the Second International Conference on Nutrition in 2014. These conferences are placing nutrition at the centre of the debate on improving our food systems because while improving nutrition is a personal responsibility, it also depends on how policies are framed. Way out: The vast majority of the food we eat is produced by smallholder farmers, many of whom are poor and undernourished themselves. Improvements to food systems must be achieved in ways that benefit their livelihood and nutritional needs. The Sustainable Development Goals have a target that recognises that smallholders provide a critical entry point for building dynamic rural economies and they need to be resourced with inputs and technology and linked to higher market value. Bringing together the key players in the food system- the people who grow our food, and the people who transport it, process it, market it and sell it-for policy making. This would facilitate informed decision. Conclusion: We must place nutrition at the centre of the debate on improving our food systems. We must all work together to equip our food systems to produce and deliver more nutritious food. Only then can the goal of achieving zero hunger be realised. Connecting the dots: There exists a serious disconnect between farm to folk resulting into poor nutritional status of most of the Indians. Analyze. MUST READ The great reset a year later The Hindu Right to privacy as right to life The Hindu Informal is normal The Hindu General speaks too much Indian Express Growth minus development Indian Express Not for the nation Indian Express Don't treat Big Tech as the enemy Livemint Asia's maritime quad might prove elusive Livemint Doklam dispute is far from settled Business Line  

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