Dec 27, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 27th December 2017

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 27th December 2017 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Personal Rapid Transit (PRT)  Key pointers: The projected ₹4,000-crore pod taxi scheme — also known as Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) — is a dream project of Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. The NHAI has been mandated to execute it on Delhi-Gurgaon pilot corridor (12.3 km) from Delhi-Haryana border to Rajiv Chowk in Gurgaon on a PPP (public-private partnership) basis. PRT is an advanced public transport using automated electric pod cars to provide a taxi-like demand responsive feeder and shuttle services for small groups of travellers and is a green mode of uninterrupted journey. Pic credit: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article22282384.ece/alternates/FREE_660/TH27New%20Pod%20Taxicol The pilot project, to be taken up on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis, is meant for a 12.3-km stretch from Delhi-Haryana border. The model is in place in London’s Heathrow airport, Morgantown and Masdar city. Article link: Click here India to become 5th largest economy in 2018  Key pointers: India is set to overtake the United Kingdom and France to become the world’s fifth largest economy next year, as per a report. Currently ranked seventh, India will move up to fifth place in 2018 and vault to third spot by 2032, the Centre for Economics and Business Research, a London-based consultancy, said in its annual rankings. “Despite temporary setbacks... India’s economy has still caught up with that of France and the U.K. and in 2018 will have overtaken them both to become the world’s fifth largest economy in dollar terms,” said CEBR. Cheap energy and a digital revolution will drive economic growth globally, it said.  Article link: Click here Rs 500 a month for TB patients Key pointers: The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) has approved an incentive of Rs 500 a month for all tuberculosis patients for the duration of the treatment, irrespective of their income level. The money is for nutrition support, as TB is known to be a disease of undernutrition. The incentive amount, though, is a fourth of what was envisaged in the National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination released earlier this year with the aim of eliminating the disease by 2030. "To address financial and nutritional hardship the patient and family undergoes due to TB and to reduce catastrophic cost to patient due to TB, cash incentive of Rs 2,000 will be provided for every TB patient through Direct Benefit Transfer,” says the National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination. TB burden in India: India is the country with the largest TB burden in the world. The bacterial infection kills an estimated 4.80 lakh Indians every year and more than 1,400 every day. India also has more than a million ‘missing’ cases every year that are not notified (despite a government directive on mandatory notification of TB cases) and most remain either undiagnosed or unaccountably and inadequately diagnosed and treated in the private sector. A joint monitoring committee set up to evaluate the TB programme had singled out fund constraint as a major challenge. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Economic Development – Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment; Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth. Inclusive growth and Challenges of inequality. Countering inequality in India: Lessons from China In news: The release recently of the World Inequality Report 2018 has brought into focus an aspect of economic progress in India- the continuous growth in inequality since the mid-1980s. The top 1% of income earners received 6% of the total income in the early 1980s, close to 15% of it in 2000, and receives 22% today. As this is a report on a global scale, we can see the trend in inequality across the world, providing a comparative perspective across countries. A comparison between India and China: Since 1980, while the Chinese economy has grown 800% and India’s a far lower 200%, inequality in China today is considerably lower than in India. The share of the top 1% of the Chinese population is 14% as opposed to the 22% reported for India. This shows that growing inequality need not necessarily accompany faster growth, observing that inequality actually declined in China from the early 21st century. By then China had grown faster for longer than most countries of the world ever did. How meaningful the above comparison is? Though representing different political systems, they had both been large agrarian economies at similar levels of per capita income when they had started out in the early 1950s. Moreover, the absence of democracy in a society does not by itself guarantee faster economic growth and greater income equality. For a populous poor country to lift itself to a higher growth path and stay there requires imaginative public policy and a steady governance. Lessons from China: Its leadership combined the drive for growth with the spreading of human capital. Human capital may be understood as a person’s endowment derived from education and robust health. The share of the Indian population with secondary schooling is less than 15%. China had by the early 1970s achieved the level of schooling India did only by the early 21st century. The spread of health and education in that country enabled the Chinese economy to grow faster than India by exporting manufactures to the rest of the world. These goods may not have been the byword for quality but they were globally competitive, which made their domestic production viable. The resulting growth lifted vast multitudes out of poverty. As the human capital endowment was relatively equal, most people could share in this growth, which accounts for the relative equality of outcomes in China when compared to India. An added advantage is the greater participation of women in the workforce of China, an outcome that isn't true for India. Indian context: India has lower per capita income, persistent poverty and by all accounts rising inequality. Economic progress here has been neither efficient nor equitable. Democracy per se cannot be held responsible for this. There are States in India with superior social indicators than China. This shows that not only is democracy not a barrier to development but also that similar political institutions across India have not resulted in same development outcomes across its regions. Way forward: Deepening democracy Given the growing inequality in India, the direction that public policy should now take is evident. There is need to spread health and education far more widely amidst the population. India’s full panoply of interventions, invariably justified as being pro-poor, have not only not spread human capital, but they have also not been able to prevent a growing income inequality. We now need to reorient public policy so that the government is more enabling of private entrepreneurship while being directly engaged in the equalisation of opportunity through a social policy that raises health and education levels at the bottom of the pyramid, as China has done. Connecting the dots: China fares far better than India when it comes to income inequality. Discuss the reasons behind. What lessons India can take from China? Also read: India's high inequality is hurting growth NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Tackling pollution: Checking Stubble burning Background: The pollution level in Delhi reached unprecedented levels this year. Paddy stubble burning in October and November is a major contributor to Delhi’s air pollution. Punjab and Haryana governments have banned it, and a stiff fine is levied — Rs 2,500 for two acres and up to Rs 15,000 for larger areas. Despite this, stubble burning goes on.  Issue: Bans and fines are unlikely to be effective. To devise a policy with a chance to succeed, one needs to understand the reasons why farmers prefer burning. Today, paddy harvesting is done by harvester combines, which leave two thirds of the stalks on the ground. When manually harvested, the crops can be cut at the bottom and the stalks could be sent for other uses such as paper mills, animal bedding, etc. However, manual harvesting has become very expensive. Labourers charge around Rs 4,000 per acre and take three to four days. A harvester combine does it in half an hour and charges Rs 1,200 per acre. Farmers burn paddy straw after the crop is harvested. It is the cheapest and quickest way to get their fields ready in time for the sowing of next crop. Stubble burning has also some other advantages. It kills weeds including those resistant to herbicides. It also kills slugs and other pests. Disadvantages of stubble burning: Stubble burning causes smoke and particulate pollution that can move over long distance. In Punjab alone, 15 million tonnes of paddy straw is burnt every year. One tonne of straw when burnt releases 3 kg of particulate matter, 60 kg of carbon monoxide, 1,460 kg of carbon dioxide, 199 kg of ash and 2 kg of sulphur dioxide. Thus 15 million tonnes of paddy straw will generate 45 million tonnes of particulates. This poses a lethal hazard. Stubble burning also implies loss of nutrients. Yet, a farmer’s economic compulsions dominate his decision. Checking stubble burning: To check stubble burning, we need to find a way that provides him economic incentive to cease from it. Punjab and Haryana plant some 10.5 million acres of paddy. If the burning is to be stopped, farmers would want Rs 2,800 per acre, which is the extra cost of employing manual labour. Bearing such cost is not only impossible but also irrational. We need to thus generate a demand for economical use of straw, so that it will be gathered and used, eliminating the need for burning. Stubble can be used to make bio-char or cellulosic ethanol, burn in a power plant or plant the next crop without tillage. Bio-char is a fine-grained, carbon-rich, porous product remaining after straw has been subjected to pyrolysis at low temperatures in an environment with little or no oxygen. Bio-char with its highly porous structure, improved water retention and increased soil surface area when used with other fertilisers, increases the yield by up to 30 per cent to 50 per cent for some soils and crops. Another use of paddy straw will be as fuel in a power plant. A 12MW plant of IFCL in Patiala district collects a lakh tonne of straw and generates 5.5 crore kWh of electricity. Around 10 to 12 power plants can cover the whole paddy-rice area in Punjab and Haryana. Using stubble to make cellulosic ethanol. HPCL is setting up a plant in Punjab to produce ethanol from paddy straw. Both power generation and cellulosic ethanol provide options that can be implemented quickly. Also, they provide additional income to farmers for the paddy stubble. While power plant is a proven technology, cellulosic ethanol production is a new one but a very important technology for the country’s energy security and emission reduction. Conclusion: Thus, a multipronged strategy is called for promoting power plants and ethanol production. A subsidy can be given so as to encourage private entrepreneurs to set up these plants. Only then can we hope to reduce stubble burning substantially and also add to the farmers' income. Connecting the dots: Levying stiff fines and banning stubble burning is an ineffective way to deal with the issue. Analyze. Suggest better ways to check it, if any. Stubble burning in adjoining states of Punjab and Haryana has been responsible for pollution in Delhi. How far do you agree with the statement? Suggest ways stubble burning can be checked. MUST READ How India rejects bad patents The Hindu Segregation must begin at home Indian Express The 'poor' proxy in public interest litigation Livemint Mental health care Act- A paradigm shift Livemint

Dec 27, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 109]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 109] Archives Q.1) World Migration Report 2018 is released by World Economic Forum United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Amnesty International International Organization for Migration Q.2) Consider the following statements International Organisation for Migration is the United Nations migration agency China has the largest diaspora in the world according to World Migration Report 2018 Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) SHAKTI scheme is under the aegis of Ministry of Coal Ministry of Power Ministry of Corporate Affairs Ministry of Women and Child Development Q.4) Consider the following statements about Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) It is a member of the World Bank Group It provides guarantees to cross-border investors in emerging markets to cover political risks It is governed by its Council of Governors which represents its member countries Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.5) 'Abinava Bharat' a secret society of revolutionaries was organised by Khudiram Bose D. Savarkar Prafulla Chaki Bhagat Singh To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best  IASbaba

Dec 27, 2017 RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : India's Cyber Security Challenge

India's Cyber Security Challenge Archives TOPIC: General Studies 3 Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life The government is stepping up authority around cyber security to check the rising menace of financial frauds. Global Conference on Cyberspace was conducted in India for first time where the theme for the conference was Cyber4All: A Secure and Inclusive Cyberspace for Sustainable Development. GCCS was launched with a view to establish internationally agreed ‘rules of the road’ for behavior in cyberspace, and create a more focused and inclusive dialogue between all stakeholders on how to implement them. GCCS 2017 aims to foster a holistic view of cyber space ensuring not only empowerment of individuals but also enabling the Governments to achieve national goals of sustainable development. What is cyber space? Cyberspace doesnot have a specific and formal definition but it arrives at a common explanation that it is an electronic world created by interconnected networks of information technology and the information on those networks. The basis for cyberspace is the Internet as a universal and publicly accessible connection and transport network. Importance of cyber security Cyber security is an important arena of internet when the country is moving forward towards a cashless society and digitization. Till 2013, India did not even have a cyber security policy in place. It is of paramount concern to take cyber security seriously in India with most of the transactions going online and cashless. Security becomes a challenge as now privacy is a fundamental right as per SC verdict and the rise in cybercrimes can lead to violation of private space and liberty of expression. Cyber security becomes a vital law of cyber law today. There is need of new tools; capacity building must be done in various departments and a mechanism in place to address these challenges. Looming challenges There is now a situation where everything is interconnected. In the modern world, cyber warfare is possible situation. There is a need of technology, processes, procedure and laws and the enforcement agencies which are in turn accountable to government. At present, nothing of this sort is in place. Today a large part of infrastructure of telecom network is procured from companies about whose equipment and integrity has no guarantee from cyber security point of view. Many countries have made progress in quantum communication including china. India still buys equipment from foreign companies. It is time that India invests into indigenous and in telecom sector as communication is extremely crucial for country’s security. India cannot afford to ignore cyber threats as information systems are an essential part of day to day functioning of government: more so with the Digital India programme which intends to empower its citizen digitally. Cyber Threats The IT act is not sufficient to deal with cyber security. The POCSO act about child harassment online has been growing but the conviction rate is only 2.5%. There have been just 11000 reporting done on cybercrime registration as per NCRB data. The enforcement has to be stronger and the law has to be stricter. Mostly the three year term is given and most of the sections of IT act make them bailable which is not deterrent enough to prevent the criminals. There is no clear provision for cyber stalking, no provision against spamming in IT act, new offences like phishing, sexting, sextortion are still not covered along with others. There is need for better laws and amend existing laws. For instance grooming, in the IT act, sec 67B doesn’t speak in terms where even contact offence, where the child is contacted online and then met in person offline, is not covered. This can be seen in UK and Scotland. Ransomware and cyber war and terrorism has increased. Sec 66F deals with cyber terrorism but there are other aspects which need to be addressed. Way forward- A wishlist India should become signatory to cybercrime convention which puts a hurdle in dealing with transborder crime particularly. There is a need of cybercrime expert at important police-stations. Cyber awareness must be spread and there should be multi-stakeholder approach- technological inputs, legal inputs, strengthening law enforcements, systems and then dealing with transborder crime involves lot of international cooperation. Awareness should be at industry, school, college level and law enforcement level and judiciary. Build capacity centers nationally and internationally, create disaster recovery centres, monitoring command centres outside India. Secure our supply chain. Operating systems, applications, everything is almost outside India. Take control of India’s supply chain. Effective and efficient role of national cyber security coordinator who heads the National Cyber Coordination Centre which intends to screen communication metadata and co-ordinate the intelligence gathering activities of other agencies. This years’ budget has specially created a computer emergency response team for the financial sector. Conclusion In the last couple of decades India has carved a niche for itself in IT. Most of the Indian banking industry and financial institutions have embraced IT to its full optimization. Reports suggest that cyber attacks are understandably directed toward economic and financial institutions. With innovative, technology led programmes such as AADHAAR, MyGov, GeM, Digital Locker the new India is the land of technological prowess and transformation. Government and the private sector jointly have to give cyber security some priority in their security and risk management plan. Also Read RSTV- The Big Picture : New Cyber Law: A Wishlist IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Cyber Security Examine the need to review India’s National Security Cyber Policy 2013 in light of the emerging cyber security challenges. Connecting the dots: What is cyberspace? How does it impact India’s national, economic and financial security? Critically examine.

Dec 26, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 26th December 2017

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 26th December 2017 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) LIGO-India Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Science & Technology Key pointers: A new gravitational wave detector to measure ripples in the fabric of space and time is set to be built in India by 2025, in collaboration with universities from across the globe. The new Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detector will add to the two already operational in the US. A third LIGO detector will help pinpoint the origin of the gravitational waves that are detected in future. The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) Pune will run the detector. The LIGO India partnership is funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) through its Newton-Bhabha project on LIGO. The Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology in Indore and Institute for Plasma Research in Ahmedabad are in charge of building various parts of the system. IndIGO: IndIGO, the Indian Initiative in Gravitational-wave Observations, is an initiative to set up advanced experimental facilities, for a multi-institutional Indian national project in gravitational-wave astronomy. The IndIGO Consortium includes Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) and Delhi University, among others. Since 2009, the IndIGO Consortium has been involved in constructing the Indian road-map for Gravitational Wave Astronomy and a strategy towards Indian participation in realising the crucial gravitational-wave observatory in the Asia-Pacific region. Gravitational waves: The existence of these waves were first predicted by Albert Einstein 100 years ago in his general theory of relativity. Massive accelerating objects - such as neutron stars or black holes orbiting each other - would disrupt space-time in such a way that ‘waves’ of distorted space would radiate from the source. These ripples travel at the speed of light through the universe, carrying with them information about their origins, as well as invaluable clues to the nature of gravity itself. Article link: Click here Reservoir computing system Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Science & Technology Key pointers: Scientists have developed a new type of neural network chip that can dramatically improve the efficiency of teaching machines to think like humans. The network, called a reservoir computing system, could predict words before they are said during conversation, and help predict future outcomes based on the present. Reservoir computing systems, which improve on a typical neural network’s capacity and reduce the required training time, have been created in the past with larger optical components. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNAL SECURITY/NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3: Security challenges and their management in LWE areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism. Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security. General Studies 2: Development processes and the development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders Maoist Problem: A permanent solution Introduction: The Central Reserve Police Force lost 40 personnel in two Maoist attacks in the first half of 2017 in Sukma, the most severely Maoist-affected district of Chhattisgarh. Though the forces were jolted by these attacks, their spirit to fight back has not dampened. Rather, they continue to undertake challenging development work in the red corridor areas. This shows how the paradigm on tackling Maoism has changed over time. The government’s response has matured in terms of deliverance — from reactive it has become proactive, and from localised it has become holistic. Background: The Red Corridor is the region in the eastern, central and the southern parts of India that experience considerable Naxalite–Maoist insurgency. These are also areas that suffer from the greatest illiteracy, poverty and overpopulation in modern India, and span parts of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, and West Bengal and eastern Uttar Pradesh states. Pic credit: http://indpaedia.com/ind/images/6/61/Districts_affected_by_naxal_violence.jpg Proactive policing: Security forces are no longer reactive. When the Maoists decided to deepen their roots into Gariaband, the State government notified this division as a new district, which gave a fillip to development work. Many new police stations and security camps were set up to prevent any major Maoist attack. The cadre strength of the Maoists has consequently reduced. Similarly, a police action in Raigarh district eventually forced the Maoists to abandon their plan of expansion. The Ministry of Home Affairs, too, subsequently removed Raigarh from its Security Related Expenditure scheme. When the Maoists decided to create a new zone in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, the target districts were immediately put on alert, so as not to allow them to gain ground. Security forces were redeployed to ensure better territorial command. As the Chhattisgarh police have experience in tackling Maoists in Bastar, they are now coordinating with the bordering States to strengthen intelligence and ground presence. Such coordinated proactive policing will dampen the Maoists’ plans. Steps taken: Finding a permanent solution The Maoist problem is not merely a law and order issue. A permanent solution lies in eliminating the root cause of the problem that led to the alienation of tribals in this area. The focus now is to build roads and install communication towers to increase administrative and political access of the tribals, and improve the reach of government schemes. The government has enhanced the support price of minor forest produce like imli(tamarind). More bank branches have been opened to ensure financial inclusion. All India Radio stations in the three southern districts of Bastar will now broadcast regional programmes to increase entertainment options. And a new rail service in Bastar is set to throw open a new market for wooden artefacts and bell metal. Despite the Maoists not wanting their children to study and get government jobs, remarkable work has been done in the field of school education and skill development. The government has opened up livelihood centres, known as Livelihood Colleges, in all the districts. If the youth are constructively engaged by the government, the recruitment of youth by the Maoists will slowly stop. Path ahead: Winning a psychological war - Role of civil society Winning a psychological war against the Maoists remains an unfinished task. Though the government’s rehabilitation policies have helped the surrendered cadres turn their lives around, security personnel are still accused of being informers and are killed. A permanent solution lies in reversing the alienation of tribals. To end this, civil society must join hands with the government in realising the villagers’ right to development. Loopholes in implementing government schemes must not be used as a tool to strengthen the hands of the Maoists. Indian democracy is strong enough to absorb even its adversaries if they abjure violence. Conclusion: The two-pronged policy of direct action by the security forces combined with development is showing results — the government has already made a dent in most of the affected districts and is determined to check the expansion of Maoists. The paradigm of proactive policing and holistic development should ensure more such significant results in the future. However, for the success of Winning Hearts and Minds (WHAM) strategy it is essential that the civil society is roped in. Connecting the dots: The two-pronged policy, of the government, of direct action by the security forces combined with development in Maoist-affected areas is showing results. Discuss. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment Promoting financial Inclusion: Moving beyond BC model Background: Since Independence, several attempts have been made towards financial inclusion of the poor, particularly in rural areas. The initiatives include the cooperative movement, followed by priority sector lending, lead bank scheme, service area approach, creation of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural development, introduction of regional rural banks/ local area banks, microfinance, kisan credit cards, business correspondence and finally Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana. It is time to introspect as to why these programmes have not been effective in improving economic conditions of the poor people. Poor success: The outcome of earlier financial inclusion programmes has been much below expectations. According to NSSO reports, the share of institutional credit to farmers declined from a peak of 69.4 per cent in 1991 to 56 per cent in 2012. Farmers’ dependence on non-institutional credit has gone up from 30.6 per cent in 1991 to 44 per cent in 2012. According to the 70th Round of National Sample Survey, among the institutional agencies, the share of commercial banks’ lending to agriculture was the highest at 25.1 per cent, followed by co-operatives at 24.8 per cent in 2012 due to their low cost. Self-help groups contributed only 2.2 per cent of total institutional credit. Micro finance institutions (MFIs) continue to charge poor borrowers 24-34 per cent, close to the usurious interest rates charged by village money lenders. Issue: All the above initiatives are supply driven — supply of banking services to the poor people at their doorstep. Availability of finance is a means to an end, but not an end in itself. The ultimate objective is to provide a constant source of income to the poor so that they will demand financial services. If banks do not wish to penetrate into remote rural areas, other service providers could surely do so, provided there is a genuine demand for it. Supply-driven financial inclusion does not work. The RBI has nudged banks to open a brick and mortar branch in every village with a population of 2,000 or more. However, according to the 2011 Census, 96 per cent of Indian villages have a population of less than 1,000. The BC model: In order to provide banking services at reasonable costs to the poor people, the business correspondents model was introduced in 2006. Being technology driven, the BC model played a critical role in opening large number of Jan-Dhan accounts during the recent period, but was unable to provide basic banking services to them for several reasons. Why BC model failed? The BC model is similar to the agency model followed by insurance companies and pension funds. Out-sourcing of financial services through agents for a commission has been somewhat successful in case of other financial services, as the agents get a constant flow of income. The compensation in the case of the BC model is awfully inadequate compared to the services expected from them. Banks’ lending activities through BCs are negligible. The activities of BCs are typically limited to opening new deposit accounts for a commission. The opportunity of opening new deposit accounts is quickly exhausted, particularly after the success of Jan-Dhan Account scheme. BCs are expected to provide small withdrawal and deposit facilities besides remittance service to all deposit holders. He is all in one — a clerk, cashier, branch manager, financial adviser and agent for rural digitization. BCs either neglect these activities, or are not in a position to do justice to them due to the sheer workload. Some BCs do agency functions for mutual funds or sell small savings instruments as they get a fair amount of commission. Hence, it is natural for them to ignore basic banking activities that are less lucrative. Handling cash is also risky, particularly where the base branch is far away. BCs have limited overdraft facility that may not be sufficient for daily requirement of the account holders. Way forward: As highlighted in Economic Survey 2015-16, the centre can invest in last-mile financial inclusion via further improving BC networks. Regulations governing the remuneration of BCs may need to be reviewed to ensure that commission rates are sufficient to encourage BCs to remain active. The commission-based BC model is not working well for the banking system, unlike for other financial services. Thus, all ultra-small branches with a BC model with more than 1,000 accounts may be immediately converted into brick and mortar branches. Alternatively, for every 1,000 Jan-Dhan accounts in a locality, there should be a physical branch. Accounts from multiple banks may be shifted to the bank ready to open a brick and mortar branch to serve 1,000 such account holders. Conclusion: The Government should pool all resources under several rural development schemes and provide a scheme-based permanent source of income through gainful employment to the rural people. Although, schemes may vary from state-to-state, it would provide a constant source of income and make the financial inclusion truly demand-driven. Connecting the dots: What do you understand by the term BC model for financial inclusion? The model has failed to promote financial inclusion. Critically analyze. MUST READ This year on Jerusalem The Hindu The rise and fall of the WTO The Hindu A glimmer of hope The Hindu Catching up on information statecraft Indian Express For kinder smart cities Indian Express 

Dec 26, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 108]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 108] Archives Q.1) ____________ is the first state in India to operationalise a law that makes social audit of government programmes and schemes a part of government practice. Maharashtra Meghalaya Tamil Nadu Gujarat Q.2) Consider the following statements SDG 14 emphasises on Conservation and sustainable use the oceans, seas and marine resources High seas are international waters where no country has jurisdiction Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about International Whaling Commission (IWC) India is a member of the IWC It is one of the United Nations Agencies It acts under the Law of the Sea Convention Select the INCORRECT statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.4) Consider the following statements about ‘Huntington’s Disease’ It is a degenerative brain disorder, in which afflicted individuals lose their ability to walk, talk, think, and reason It is generally inherited from a person's parents It is more prevalent in females Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.5) AG600, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft was developed by Japan China Russia Israel To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best  IASbaba

Dec 26, 2017 PIB

IASbaba PIB Weekly : Press Information Bureau – 16th Dec to 24th Dec, 2017

IASbaba Press Information Bureau 16th to 24th December, 2017 ARCHIVES GS-2 Labour Law reforms (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources) Reforms in labour laws are an ongoing process to update the legislative system to address the need of the hour so as to make them more effective, flexible and in sync with emerging economic and industrial scenario. Recommendations of Second National Commission on Labour Existing Labour Laws should be broadly grouped into four or five Labour Codes on functional basis – Wages Industrial Relations Social Security & Welfare Occupation Safety, Health and Working Conditions The Labour Code on Wages has been introduced in Lok Sabha on 10.08.2017 and subsequently, referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour. The rest of the codes are at pre-legislative consultative stage. The Ministry has taken a number of legislative initiatives in labour laws during the last 3 years. Some of the important initiatives are as follows:- Amendment to the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 by which eligibility limit for payment of bonus enhanced from Rs. 10000/- to Rs. 21000/- per month and the Calculation Ceiling from Rs. 3500/- to Rs. 7000/- or the minimum wages. Payment of Wages (Amendment) Act, 2017 enabling payment of Wages to employees by Cash or Cheque or crediting it to their bank account. Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 provides for complete ban on employment of children below 14 years in any occupation or process. Maternity Benefit Amendment Act, 2017, increases the paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks. The Employee Compensation (Amendment) Act, seeks to rationalize penalties and strengthen the rights of the workers under the Act. Ministry has notified “Ease of Compliance to maintain Registers under various Labour Laws Rules, 2017” on 21st February 2017 which has in effect replaced the 56 Registers/Forms under 9 Central Labour Laws and Rules made there under in to 5 common Registers/Forms. The number of forms provided under 3 Central Acts/Rules has been reduced from existing 36 to 12. The register can also be maintained in digitised manner. This will save efforts, costs and lessen the compliance burden by various establishments. A Model Shops and Establishments (RE&CS) Bill, 2016 has been circulated to all States/UTs for adoption with appropriate modification. The said Bill inter alia provides for freedom to operate an Establishment for 365 days in a year without any restriction on opening/closing time and enables employment of women during night shifts if adequate safety provisions exist. A category i.e. Fixed Term Employment has been introduced under Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 to impart flexibility to an establishment to employ people in case of Apparel Manufacturing Sector to meet the fluctuating demands of the sector due to its seasonal nature. Refer Mindmap Must Read: Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3 Must Solve: Link 1 + Link 2 Steps being taken by Government to reduce malnutrition Deaths (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources) Malnutrition is not a direct cause of death but can increase morbidity and mortality by reducing resistance to infections. Addressing malnutrition which includes under nutrition and over- nutrition – Is a preventive strategy, as it has the potential to minimize the health care costs by reducing the requirement for curative health care. Reduces morbidity and mortality due to communicable diseases e.g tuberculosis, diarrhoea and pneumonia in children and micronutrient deficiencies such as anemia, Vitamin A deficiency etc. Addressing over-nutrition can curtail the disease burden due to non - communicable disease conditions e.g diabetes, stroke, hypertension and coronary heart diseases (CHD), cancer etc. by reducing over-weight and obesity. MoHFW under the umbrella of National Health Mission (NHM) has implemented following schemes and programmes which address the issue of malnutrition: Promotion of appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices that include early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding till 6 months of age through ASHA worker and health care provider at health facilities. In order to promote and support breastfeeding, Government has implemented “MAA- Mothers’ Absolute Affection” programme to improve breastfeeding coverage and appropriate breastfeeding practices in the country. A greater emphasis is laid on capacity building of the health workers on lactation management at both community and facility levels and 360 degree IEC campaign to create awareness regarding breastfeeding. Treatment of sick children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) at special units called the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs), set up at public health facilities. Presently 1150 such NRCs are functional in States and UTs admitting around 1.8 lakh SAM children annually. Provision of incentive for ASHA for referral and follow-up of SAM children discharged from NRC is also made. Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) for children till the age of 5 years. ‘National Iron Plus Initiative’ has been launched as an effective strategy for supplementation and treatment of anaemia in children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, in programme mode through life cycle approach. Specific program to prevent and treat micronutrient deficiencies through Iron & Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation across lifestages are: Bi-weekly IFA syrup supplementation to children 6 – 59 months. Weekly IFA tablet supplementation to children 5 – 10 years and adolescents 10 – 19 years. IFA tablets to pregnant and lactating women. National Deworming Day is a fixed day strategy to administer Albendazole tablets to all the children in the age group of 1-19 years through the platform of AWCs and Schools. More than 75 crores doses have been administered since 2014. In order to increase awareness about the use of ORS and Zinc in diarrhoea, an Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) is being observed during July-August, with the ultimate aim of ‘zero child deaths due to childhood diarrhoea’. Incentives are provided to ASHA for tracking of Low birth weight babies. Promotion for intake of iodised salt and monitoring salt quality through testing under National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme. Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) systematic efforts are undertaken to detect nutrition deficiency among children and adolescents respectively. Mission Indradhanush: Launched on 25th December, 2014 with the objective to ensure high coverage of children with all vaccines in the entire country with a high focus on reaching the unreached to achieve 90% full immunization coverage of India by year 2020. Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) provides child health screening for 30 common health conditions by expanding the reach of mobile health teams at block level and establishment of District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs) at the districts for early interventions services. Village Health and Nutrition Days and Motherand Child Protection Card are the joint initiative of the Ministry of Health & Family welfare and the Ministry of Woman and Child Development for addressing the nutrition concerns in children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Village Health and Nutrition Days (VHNDs) are monthly days held at village level in Anganwadi centre to increase the awareness and bring about desired changes in the dietary practices including the promotion of breastfeeding. MWCD has implemented the following schemes to address malnutrition: Under Umbrella ICDS scheme of MWCD Supplementary Nutrition Programme is being implemented through platform of Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) for addressing under-nutrition in pregnant and lactating women, under-6 children and out-of-school adolescent girls. Recently National Nutrition Mission has been approved under MWCD for addressing malnutrition status of the country in a comprehensive manner. Must Read: Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3 + Link 4 + Link 5 + Link 6  + Link 7 Must Solve: Link 1 National Health Policy 2017: Link 1  + Link 2 + Mindmap   Important Schemes under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources) National Medical Commission Bill 2017: The Bill envisages to: Replace the Medical Council 1956 Act. Enable a forward movement in the area of medical education reform. Move towards outcome based regulation of medical education rather than process oriented regulation. Ensure proper separation of functions within the regulator by having autonomous boards. Create accountable & transparent procedures for maintaining standards in Medical Education. Create a forward-looking approach towards ensuring sufficient health workforce in India. Expected benefits of the new legislation: End of heavy handed regulatory control over medical education institutions and a shift towards outcome based monitoring. Introduction of a national licentiate examination. This will be the first time such a provision is being introduced in any field of higher education in the country, as was the introduction of NEET and common counselling earlier. Opening up the medical education sector will lead to significant addition in the number of UG and PG seats and substantial new investment in this infrastructure sector. Better coordination with AYUSH systems of treatment. Regulation of up to 40% seats in medical colleges to enable all meritorious students to have access to medical seats irrespective of their financial status. National Nutrition Mission: Joint effort of MoHFW and the Ministry of Women and Child development (WCD) towards a life cycle approach for interrupting the intergenerational cycle of under nutrition. The impact of the mission is envisioned to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies. It will create synergy, ensure better monitoring, issue alerts for timely action, and encourage States/UTs to perform, guide and supervise the line Ministries and States/UTs to achieve the targeted goals. Major components/features of the Mission: Mapping of various Schemes contributing towards addressing malnutrition Introducing a very robust convergence mechanism ICT-based real time monitoring system Incentivizing States/UTs for meeting the targets Incentivizing Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) for using IT based tools Eliminating registers used by AWWs Introducing measurement of height of children at the Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) Social Audits Setting-up Nutrition Resource Centres, involving masses through Jan Andolan for their participation on nutrition through various activities, among others Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 The Act adopts a rights-based statutory framework for mental health in India and strengthens equality and equity in provision of mental healthcare services in order to protect the rights of people with mental health problem to ensure that they are able to receive optimum care and are able to live a life of dignity and respect. The Act strengthens the institutional mechanisms for improving access quality and appropriate mental healthcare services. The Act increases accountability of both government and private sectors in delivery of mental healthcare with representation of persons with mental health problem and their care-givers in statutory authorities such as Central and State Mental Health Authority. The most progressive features of the Act are provision of advance directive, nominated representative, special clause for women and children related to admission, treatment, sanitation and personal hygiene;  restriction on use of Electro-Convulsive Therapy and Psychosurgery. Decriminalization of suicide is another significant facet of the Act, which will ensure proper management of severe stress as a precursor for suicide attempts. HIV & AIDS (Prevention & Control) Act, 2017 It aims to end the epidemic by 2030 in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. A person living with AIDS cannot be treated unfairly at employment, educational establishments, renting a property, standing for public or private office or providing healthcare and insurance services The Act also aims to enhance access to healthcare services by ensuring informed consent and confidentiality for HIV-related testing, treatment and clinical research. Every HIV infected or affected person below the age of 18 years has the right to reside in a shared household and enjoy the facilities of the household. The Act prohibits any individual from publishing information or advocating feelings of hatred against HIV positive persons and those living with them. No person shall be compelled to disclose his/her HIV status except with their informed consent, and if required by a court order. Every person in the care and custody of the State shall have right to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and counseling services. The Act suggests that cases relating to HIV positive persons shall be disposed' off by the court on a priority basis and duly ensuring the confidentiality. Universal Immunization Programme (UIP): India’s UIP is one of the largest public health programmes in the world. It targets 3 crore pregnant women and 2.7 crore new borns annually. More than 90 lakh immunization sessions are conducted annually. It is the most cost effective public health intervention and largely responsible for reduction of vaccine preventable under-5 mortality rate. New initiatives under UIP: Mission Indradhanush: A targeted programme to immunize children who have either not received vaccines or are partially vaccinated. The activity focuses on districts with maximum number of missed children. Four phases of Mission Indradhanush have been completed wherein 2.94 crores children have been vaccinated, of which 76.36 lakh children have been fully immunized. In addition, 76.84 lakh pregnant women were vaccinated against tetanus. Under Mission Indradhanush, the annual rate of increase of full immunisation coverage has increased from 1% to 6.7 % during the two rounds. Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) will be held in 121 districts in 16 States, 52 districts in the North Eastern States and 17 urban areas where immunization coverage has been very low in spite of repeated phases of Mission Indradhanush and in UIP, with an aim to rapidly build up full immunization coverage to more than 90% by December 2018. During the two rounds of IMI, held in October and November, a total of 39.19 lakh children and 8.09 lakh pregnant women have been vaccinated in 190 districts/urban areas. LaQshya: MoHFW launched LaQshya to improve the quality of care that is being provided to the pregnant mother in the Labour Room and Maternity Operation Theatres, thereby preventing the undesirable adverse outcomes associated with childbirth. The goal is to reduce preventable maternal and new-born mortality, morbidity and stillbirths associated with the care around delivery in Labour room and Maternity OT and ensure respectful maternity care. Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA): The program aims to provide assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care, free of cost, universally to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month. Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK): For child screening and free treatment for 4 Ds i.e. Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies and Development delays including disability. Cabinet Approves Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS): The scheme will have National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) compliant training courses with funding norms as per the Common Norms notified by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). To provide demand driven, placement oriented skilling programme to incentivize the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile and related sectors To promote skilling and skill up-gradation in the traditional sectors through respective Sectoral Divisions/organizations of Ministry of Textiles To provide livelihood to all sections of the society across the country. MoU between India and Cuba on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine Exchange & training of medical doctors, officials, other health professionals and experts; Assistance in development of human resources, health services and setting up of health care facilities; Short term training of human resources in health; Regulation of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and exchange of information; Promotion of business development opportunities in pharmaceuticals and others identified by parties; Procurement of generic and essential drugs and assistance in sourcing of drug supplies; Procurement of health equipment and pharmaceutical products; Any other area of cooperation as may be mutually decided upon. MoU between India and Italy on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine Exchange & training of medical doctors, officials, other health professionals and experts; Assistance in development of human resources and setting up of health care facilities; Short term training of human resources in health; Regulation of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and cosmetics and exchange of information thereon; Promotion of business development opportunities in pharmaceuticals; Procurement of generic and essential drugs and assistance in sourcing of drug supplies; Procurement of health equipment and pharmaceutical products; Collaboration in the prevention of NCDs of .mutual interest, such as neurocardiovascular diseases, cancer, COPDs, mental health and dementia, with an emphasis on SDG3 and related factors; Collaboration in the field of climate change impact on communicable diseases and vector borne diseases; Nutritional aspects of food intake, including malnutrition (over nutrition andundernutrition) in the light of the SDG2 and organization of nutritional services; Safety of production, transformation, distribution and food delivery; Research and training of food industry operators; Information and communication to citizens on hygiene and food safety and healthy eating habits India signs Financing Agreement with the World Bank for US$ 125 Million (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) For: Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement Operation (Strive) Project Objective of the operation: To improve access to quality and market-driven vocational training provided in it is and apprenticeships. Result areas for the project- Improved Performance of Industrial Training Institutes Increased Capacities of State Governments to Support Industrial Training Institutes and Apprenticeship Training Improved Teaching and Learning Improved and Broadened Apprenticeship Training. GS-3 ISRO’s First Solar Mission (Topic: Infrastructure: Energy) Mission name: Aditya-L1; a fully indigenous effort with the participation of national institutions Aim: Studying the Sun from an orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point 1 (L1) which is about 1.5 million kilometres from the Earth. It would carry seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun, the corona in different wavebands. Aditya-L1 can provide observations on the corona and in addition can provide observations on the solar Chromosphere using the UV payload and on the flares using the X-ray payloads. The particle detectors and the magnetometer payload can provide information on charged particles and the magnetic field reaching the halo orbit around L1. NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) (Topic: Infrastructure: Energy) ISRO and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/ NASA are jointly working on the development of Dual Frequency (L&S band) Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Satellite named as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR). The L-band SAR is being developed by JPL/NASA, while ISRO is developing S-band SAR. The L & S band microwave data obtained from this satellite will be useful for variety of application – Natural resources mapping & monitoring Estimating agricultural biomass over full duration of crop cycle Assessing soil moisture Monitoring of floods and oil slicks Coastal erosion, coastline changes & variation of winds in coastal waters Assessment of mangroves Surface deformation studies, ice sheet collapses & dynamics etc. The data obtained from NISAR mission is not meant for building climate resilience. However, the data acquired from this mission will be useful in developing certain applications, which include – Identifying crevasses in the glaciers hidden by fresh snow, where human movement takes place Identifying the snowpack parameters as an input in Avalanche forecasts Studying Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) hazards Identifying inundated area due to floods/ cyclones Please Note: Cabinet approves India's First National Rail and Transportation University: Vadodara Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box): In order to ensure the effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, the Ministry of Women & Child Development has launched an online complaint management system titled Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box) for registering complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace of all women employees in the country, including government and private employees. ‘Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY)’ to provide social security during old age and to protect elderly persons aged 60 and above against a future fall in their interest income due to uncertain market conditions. The scheme enables old age income security for senior citizens through provision of assured pension/return linked to the subscription amount based on government guarantee to Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). Majithia Wage Board: Related to the dispute for journalists and non-journalist employees of newspaper establishments. World AIDS Day: 1st December, 2017 – Theme was “25 Years of National AIDS Control Programme” National AIDS Control Programme is based on three pillars – Prevention, Care-counselling and Treatment. The “Mission Sampark” launched to bring back People Living with HIV who have left treatment after starting Anti Retro Viral Treatment (ART) The aim is to achieve elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis as well as elimination of HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination by 2020. On prevention of new infections, National AIDS Control Programme(NACP) aims to achieve 80% reduction in new HIV infections by 2024 from baseline value of 2010. Further, by 2024, the target is to ensure that 95% of those who are HIV positive in the country know their status, 95% of those who know their status are on treatment and 95% ofthose who are on treatment experience effective viral load suppression. Surya Mitra programme: For developing a cadre of trained manpower for deployment of solar energy projects The Technology Acquisition and Development Fund (TADF) Scheme is aimed at facilitating acquisition of clean, green and energy efficient technologies by Micro Small and Medium Enterprises. Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) - under which khadi, village industries and coir clusters have been taken up for development by providing them with improved equipments, common facilities centres, business development services, training, capacity building and design and marketing support, etc. Under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) Scheme, any individual can avail credit from Banks to set up micro-enterprise in the non-farm sector. New Urea Policy – 2015: To maximize indigenous urea production To promote energy efficiency in the urea units To rationalize the subsidy burden on the Government of India Archaeological Survey of India Under: Ministry of Culture Founder: Alexander Cunningham Founded: 1861 ASI: It is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. Maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance is the prime concern of the ASI Regulates all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 Regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972 3686 historical sites/monuments protected by the Archaeological Survey of India Inter-Linking of Rivers: Must Read: Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3 Must Solve: Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3 + Link 4

Dec 26, 2017 RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : India Trumps UK at ICJ

India Trumps UK at ICJ 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: India won a major diplomatic battle at the International Court of Justice when Justice Dalveer Bhandari was elected final judge at ICJ after defeating UK which always had a place in ICJ since its establishment. Though it might be a small thing amongst the large geopolitical battles underway currently, this battle between UK and India was a test of loyalties of old friends and new relationships established. In a new model, three people from UNSC and three people from UNGA were opted to choose for post of ICJ. However, the members developed cold feet as these members will have to go through open voting and their so called ‘support’ to both the countries would have been exposed. Once this was declared, UK had decided to withdraw and India emerged as winner as in the initial round; India got more votes in UNGA. Why UK withdrew? UK is facing tough time post brexit. The forces of international council are shifting and it is clearly visible. UK could have demanded a joint conference to break the deadlock but it decided otherwise and withdrew citing ‘close ties’ with India and its support to India in UN. UK has formulated good partnership with china and India. Once UK is cut off from European institutions, they will be obliged to find international partners. Thus, UK is not meandering into possible danger zones which might lead to future challenges. India and UN agencies In 1996, India suffered a humiliating defeat at hands of japan in the election in UNSC where India got only 40 votes out of 181. The tide turned in 2010 when India got selected in UNSC after 19 years with 187 votes out of 192. India has in terms of international organizations has become once again a crucial country. Many countries lately have given bilateral support to have permanent membership in UNSC or have strategic partnership with India. India has been actively participating in the peacekeeping process of UN. It has high reputation with regards to international cooperation and partnership. Also, India has been growing rapidly on economic front. It has abided by decisions taken by ICJ or has approached ICJ only when it thought it should, for example- maritime boundary dispute with Bangladesh. Importance of ICJ In this era of globalization, ICJ plays a significant role. This has more of symbolic role than actual role. ICJ operates on basis of jurisdiction on basis of parties. In this climate of globalization, ICJ exercises lot of authority and its decision. It is not like a domestic court where every decision would be binding. It is by protocol of an option. But if the two countries sign that they give the jurisdiction to ICJ, then the decision of ICJ would be binding. For example, India and Pakistan went to ICJ over jadhav case. ICJ granted a significant interim stay which is binding on Pakistan and effect of it can be seen in its behavior in this case. ICJ plays a legal and a morale role also. India now being a fastest growing economy in world and an important part of Asia with 21st century being century of Asia, its impact can be reflected in international order. For instance, in 1950 after WWII, Europe was a significant power. UK, France, Russia commanded strong power and hence they had significant influence and impact in such multilateral forums. Today, Asia is a bigger and stronger continent, so it demands to be fairly and adequately represented. Hence, there is really a change in world order in that sense and the world order is truly reflecting ground realities. Dynamism of relationships Out of the countries to decide, three were India’s new friends- US, France and Japan. As India is the new emerging power, the election was a truth meter to gauge the substance in the new ‘strategic partnerships’ it formulated over last few months. In the UN, everything is tradeoff. The victories that are achieved in UN since 2010 UNSC election should be continued by India by using its networking capabilities to proceed with the permanent membership of Security Council. New equations are emerging, including Russia, India, China partnership, BRICS etc. The new Quad which has re-emerged recently has also pointed towards new development in Asia where it says that Asia cannot be dominated by only one country but others want a peaceful Asia where everybody can have a voice as per international rules and regulations. The developed countries feel that there should be a peaceful, balanced Asia abiding by international rules and regulations with more transparency. Now in the international community, there are many countries which pay attention to what India has to say and offer. This is possible because today Indian diplomacy is free of ideological constraints. Now it is more self-assured, more confident in its role in international politics. Connecting the dots: Global platforms are a mirror to rising power of ‘Asia and Asian countries’. Analyse with suitable instances.

Dec 26, 2017

IASbaba’s Bimonthly Gist of Economic and Political Weekly (EPW)- Edition 3

Archives Hello Friends,  Continuing our effort towards right guidance and quality coverage to assist you in all possible ways, we are glad to introduce this new initiative where Frontline, IDSA and Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) will be covered considering the relevance of UPSC Examination. This initiative will also help you in Essay, Sociology and PSIR Optional as well. This is the Third edition of Economic and Political Weekly (EPW)- Bimonthly Magazine. Hope you all like it 🙂 DOWNLOAD THE MAGAZINE

Dec 26, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 25th December 2017

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 25th December 2017 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Rising employment gap Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Inclusive growth Key pointers: About 26 million people joined the potential workforce in the year to August 2017, while only about 1.5 million people were employed on an incremental basis, according to survey data provided by BSE-CMIE. The population in the age bracket 15 years or above (the potential workforce) was up from 942 million to 968 million, while the number of employed increased from 403 million to 405 million. BSE-CMIE conducts three surveys in a year on employment – with a sample of 1,01,724 households across 25 States. According to BSE-CMIE, at least 16 million people are unemployed today. Pic credit: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/multimedia/dynamic/03217/bl25-blmtu-job-_G1_3217940e.jpg Central focus: Many economists have said that if the pace of job creation is not accelerated, the ‘demographic bonus’ could become a ‘demographic onus’. About 12 million people are expected to join the Indian workforce every year till 2050, according to the 2017 UN population estimate, mandating that many jobs to be created every year. Labour force participation among women, at 11 per cent (as compared to 72 per cent for men), is among the lowest in the world. The government needs to focus more on sectors with higher employment elasticity to catalyse job creation. Currently, sectors such as construction (1.1), apparel (0.79), leather and leather products (0.64) have relatively higher employment elasticity as against utilities (0.04), trade and transport (0.2). Employment elasticity- Employment elasticity is a measure of the percentage change in employmentassociated with a 1 percentage point change in economic growth. The employment elasticity indicates the ability of an economy to generate employment opportunities for its population as per cent of its growth (development) process Article link: Click here 115 'backward' districts uplift plan Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Inclusive growth Key pointers: The government has drawn up tailor-made action plans for 115 identified “most-backward” districts in the country to improve their socio-economic profiles by making available basic services like healthcare, sanitation and education as well as basic physical infrastructure like roads and drinking water supply in a time-bound manner. The 115 districts, including 35 affected by left-wing extremism, were selected on parameters like deprivation (extent of landless households), health & nutrition (institutional delivery, stunting of children and wasting in children), education (elementary dropout rate and adverse pupil-teacher ratio) and infrastructure (un-electrified homes, lack of toilets, villages not connected by road and lack of drinking water). The government’s focus is to work with states to bring a transformative change in these backward areas through rapid government-anchored programmes and interventions by 2022, the 75th year of India’s independence. The district collectors will be the chief executors of the action programmes in districts. At least one district has been included from each state under the backward district programme. Central focus: In 2016, India ranked 131 among 188 nations in the UN Development Programme’s human development index (HDI) with major inter-state and inter-district variations. Nearly 40 per cent of children born in India are stunted and/or underweight while almost 50 per cent of women are anemic. On nutrition, India even lags behind neighbours such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and China. Among states, in Jharkhand nearly 50 per cent children are underweight, 64 per cent of class 5 students can’t read standard 2 English, density of population to doctor/hospital beds are the lowest in the country and 40 per cent households are not electrified. While , Jharkhand has the highest number of districts with 19, followed by Bihar (13) Chhattisgarh (10) and 8 each in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha. Article link: Click here UNSC approves sanctions against North Korea Part of: Mains GS Paper II- International relations Key pointers: The UN Security Council unanimously approved tough new sanctions against North Korea in response to its latest launch of a ballistic missile that Pyongyang says can reach anywhere on the US mainland. North Korea today has termed the UN sanctions to target the country "an act of war" that violates its sovereignty, and said it is a "pipe dream" for the United States to think it will give up its nuclear weapons. The resolution adopted by the Security Council includes sharply lower limits on North Korea's refined oil imports, the return home of all North Koreans working overseas within 24 months, and a crackdown on ships smuggling banned items including coal and oil to and from the country. Article link: Click here ‘Awakened Citizen Programme’  Part of: Mains GS Paper IV- Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values. Key pointers: The Central Board of Secondary Education has tied up with the Ramakrishna mission to impart value education to its students and make them “awakened” citizens with values of peace, harmony, humility and cooperation. Values such as harmony, peace, compassion and humility have for centuries been a part of the discourse of every society of the world and their need and importance is universally accepted and felt. With the objective to strengthen, promote and develop cooperation in promoting values education, the Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi has prepared ‘Awakened Citizen Programme’ for teachers and students'. This programme is a three-year graded Values Education programme for students of Classes 6 to 8 (or Classes 7-9). The implementation of the programme by schools is voluntary. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL  TOPIC: General studies 2: Structure, organization and functioning of the Judiciary Time to increase budgetary allocation for the judiciary Background: In democracies, elected governments often view a strong and independent judiciary with suspicion. Politicians, regardless of ideology, desire a weak and submissive judiciary which will not come in the way of fulfilling the promises made before elections. The executive, at all times, tries to keep the judiciary in check. One such way is to keep the judiciary’s budgetary allocation to a bare minimum.  The judiciary’s budgetary allocation is bare minimum: For 2017-18, the Union budget allocated a meagre about 0.4 per cent of the total budget. To put this in perspective, each of the 12 companies with the highest non-performing assets (NPA) have debts at least eight to 10 times more than the judiciary’s budget. Issues: There are reportedly about 3.4 crore cases pending across all courts.. Poor manpower and crumbling infrastructure, coupled with a boom in litigation, made the judiciary underperform. As a result, courts were buried under cases. New laws have been enacted by Parliament without a commensurate increase in judicial officers or courts. For example, dishonour of cheques was made a criminal offence in 1988. There are an existimated 38 lakh such cases pending before magistrates across India. This took away manpower from other cases, with a cascading effect on pendency. For 1.7 billion people in India, there are 31 judges in the SC and 1,079 in high courts. As of April 2017, there were 430 posts of judges and additional judges lying vacant in high courts, and 5,000 posts vacant at the district level and lower. When suggestions to fill vacancies are made by the chief justice, the government’s response is the same: They do not have the money for it. In the Supreme Court (SC), each judge is tasked with reading huge number of cases. Judicial decision-making is a complex, time-consuming process. It directly affects the rights and livelihoods of persons, which in turn requires hearings on facts, legal precedent and the arguments of lawyers of both parties. Thus, the requirement of manpower is huge. Way forward: The government should cut down the number of cases it files in courts, as the Government of India and state governments file the maximum number of cases. A policy should be put in place, and officers made accountable for filing of frivolous cases. It would also be wise for the government to consider that whenever legislation (primarily economic and criminal) which would result in new kinds of disputes arising is proposed, for example, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, additional amounts should be provided for setting up of new courts and appointing officers to deal with such cases. Constituting tribunals headed by retired judges is not enough, since cases eventually travel to a criminal court, and then to a high court or the Supreme Court. The government ought to estimate such jumps in the number of cases and increase the judiciary’s budget proportionally. Conclusion: Lack of infrastructure is a serious issue in the courts. Also, the salary offered to judges is very low. Given the work stress on the judiciary, it is time the government loosened its purse strings and give the judiciary a substantial hike. Connecting the dots: The budgetary allocations to the judiciary has been kept very low. This has led to issues ranging from poor infrastructure, pendency of cases, and overstressed judges. Discuss. MUST READ Time for an icebreaker The Hindu Technology isn’t the solution The Hindu Flawed in the name of indecency The Hindu How India can negotiate Donamld Trump's world Indian Express In the 2G debris, questions for the CAG Livemint India can make a fight of it at WTO Business Line

Dec 25, 2017 RSTV Video

RSTV- The Big Picture : Challenges to Freedom of Press

Challenges to Freedom of Press Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity Development processes and the development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders National Press Day is commemorated each year on November 16 for a free and responsible press in India. Free press is the corner stone of vibrant democracy and the role of media in giving the voiceless voices is commendable. Many a times, it is the media which translates and transfers information about various social, political and economic activities happening around the world and literate the masses, even in their own languages. Thus, freedom of press is crucial for proper democratic functioning where the media highlights appreciation as well as criticism of stakeholders of democratic country. Freedom of press There was an impression in the press that right to dissent is not being encouraged by the new government. Many leaders were showing total intolerance to criticism. Rajasthan government even tried to curb the freedom of the press by bringing a law to bar media from naming any public servant for corruption till the government gives its nod for investigation. Democracy cannot survive unless the press gets the freedom as it involves people’s right to know. If they don’t get proper information, they will not able to make proper choices. Though it is in constitution, it has to be in practice too. And that is the purpose of right to dissent. Expansion of space There is a considerable enlargement of space for media. Previously, media meant only the print media. Though broadcast and tv media is being not able to deliver at par as print media, however, the literacy bar required in print media has not been continued in electronic media and thus, it has resulted in its populism. Subsequently it became online media. Now with the advent of online publications, a space for digital media has also been opened. There is a rise in social media and news is consumed through mobile phones. This reach of media will make it more democratic and participative. The considerable amount of capital to publish one’s views across the audience has decreased substantially. A competition is created amongst new players with starting to have a niche products for themselves and thereby bringing almost all around information. The combination of alternative media and electronic media has changed the nature of news from information to largely opinion based news regime. Challenges faced by press- variety of sources Government through legal means Business model of media- the free information flow and freedom of writers is compromised by the advertisers which are mostly corporate sector Social media and technological changes- It encourages unilateral and one way communication. Political and institutional pressures The complaint of the media today has been on access. The earlier records of previous governments show that they have treated the media as special category of citizens who had exceptional access. This culture has eroded now. Instead, the government has become less vulnerable to unauthorized leads and information. This has not gone down well with media and thus was portrayed as government trying to restrain media. However, there is a mechanism- RTI - which has helped in getting institutional information. The customers of the media should have greater judicious point of view for the information available. Internal reforms required Everyone wants to ‘break news’ on the word go. This is different from traditional ways of journalism. The newspapers no longer have investigative teams. Investigative journalism has moved its platform. The online platforms are doing investigation and trying to uncover the truth. News has becoming commoditized. Many a time, rumours take form as news and easily are broadcasted through social media. This is causing harm to journalism as truth is not coming out. Paid news is yet another faction of ethical wrong in journalism. Thus, there is need to change the media model where the users pay instead of government and advertisers. It needs to get out of its source of revenue from advertisements and let users pay for the required news and information. Way forward The Indian media is reinventing itself. Just as Indian media is quick to adapt to technology, it will be ready to take certain risks in its business model whereby the over dependence of advertisers will turn to people paying for quality news. Emphasis is on how to sustain quality, improve quality and get over irritants like paid news. But it so happens that those who don’t pay get victimized. Emphasis to robust professional standard and alertness to technology is now constantly demanded. The media has to play god to readers by discerning news that reader must consume and offer wide array of choices and make up their mind on what they need to do. The media is the fourth estate of democracy. It still largely retains its independence where it is expressing its views on wide range of issues and thus retains diverse character. Also, the media has to continue to remain free regardless of government. Press freedom can survive only because of belief that there exists free media. India has to improve its ranking on Press Freedom Index. Connecting the dots: ‘Freedom of press is a more myth, less reality’. Examine.