Dec 21, 2017 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Need for Democracy within Political Parties

Need for Democracy within Political Parties ARCHIVES Search 30th October 2017 here http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity. In news: PM called for a debate on internal democracy in political parties. The development of a true democratic state is within its political parties which is necessary for the country’s future and democracy. To make democracy within political parties is subject of debate as people are not aware of the structure of the parties, their ideology and functioning. This is also very crucial as rarely a political party regularly organises its elections, selections, internal party setup and changes made within the party leadership. Funding to political parties is often debated but not their values, ideologies, internal democracy and how they give opportunities to the new generation of leaders. Democratic ethos is not consistent in India’s political parties. The two national parties are one story of Indian politics. But in many states, dynastic politics is still prevalent- Jammu and Kashmir has National Conference, Uttar Pradesh has Samajwadi Party, BSP is not dynastic but centralises power completely, Trinamul Congress is emerging as one woman party, AIADMK though is not dynastic, it is also very centralised, RJD has one family controlling the entire party, DMK, Akali Dal and Shiv Sena are dynastic and AAP is too new to be analysed on it.  Thus, the whole scenario is promoting the children and relatives of few family lineages. One of the reasons why senior leaders have turned away from senior colleagues in parties is because they feel they wont stand a chance against family preferences.  As Indian politics has lots of money, families- generations and extended- are interested to be affiliated with political parties. Encouraging new generation of leaders The demographic dividend is huge energy which India has in the form of 65% of its population being under the age of 35. This is the segment which, if it ventures into politics and in a transparent way of functioning of political parties, can change the way Indian politics function presently. If a person joins a political party how she or he will be accommodated in the party? What kind of avenues this political career? All these things matter to coming generation. For long, there is a widespread impression created that lot of good people shy away from politics. It is therefore necessary that this impression be changed and efficient people brought into political arena. Conclusion There are many other issues like the disorder in Parliament, the non-functioning of  parliament in a smooth manner, state funding of election or electoral reforms over the decades which have been talked many a time but little significant output has come out of it.  So this thing of inner party democracy is being very vital as India has parliamentary democracy and functioning of parties is as critical as the functioning of parliament. It is a stupendous task to undo the varied structure of the way India’s political parties are questioned. This calls for the media opinion and public opinion. Unless some serious reforms are not done about it, Indian parliament and Indian politics will be limited to 500 families alone and that doesn’t speak well for democracy. The paradox is- the power is getting decentralised because of the vote to communities that are not so far developed, intermediate castes who have not been at the top and it amounts to inserting powers and from the other hand there is this parallel trend of power getting concentrated in the hands of few families. Connecting the dots: “The development of a country’s polity has its base on political ideologies prevailing in that country.” Analyse the statement with suitable examples.

Dec 20, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 20th December 2017

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 20th December 2017 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Poor progress of clean Ganga project Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Report by CAG: The NDA government’s record in implementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet Clean Ganga project has been very poor. The NMCG [National Mission for Clean Ganga] has been able to spend less than a quarter of the funds earmarked for the project in the last two financial years. Central focus: The low utilisation of funds indicate poor implementation of the programme. Not having an action plan also led to non-utilisation of any amount from the corpus of Rs. 198.14 crore available in the Clean Ganga Fund – created through voluntary donations by citizens and non-resident Indians. The mission also did not finalise long-term action plans even after more than six-and-a-half years of signing with the consortium of Indian Institute of Technology. It could not formulate a river basin management plan even though the National Ganga River Basin Authority notification was issued more than eight years ago. Article link: Click here Pradhanmantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections Key pointers: Better workforce management- Better job security, worker's happiness, higher productivity. A central government initiative to encourage enrollment of new employees under Social Security Network, assured security to the workforce and relief to the employer. Government pays 8.33% EPS contribution for the new employees. For selected sectors of Garment industry, complete 12% contribution of the employer paid by the government. Scheme applicable for new employees drawing monthly salary of upto Rs 15,000. Easy to operate through online enrolment and Aadhaar. Article link: The Hindu India has largest diaspora across the world Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Indian diaspora Key pointers: Indian tops the world in the number of migrants sent abroad and more than half of the 16.59 million live in the Gulf region, according to a UN report. The 2017 International Migration Report showed that during this century's period of rapid globalisation, the number of Indian migrants doubled from 7.98 million in 2000. Mexico sent out 13 million migrants, the second highest number. The United Arab Emirates has the largest number of Indian migrants followed by the US. Most of the international migration takes place among developing countries with 60 per cent of the migrants from Asia going to other Asian countries. About $400 billion is sent to developing countries by migrants and the remittances are used to finance education, housing and other activities that promote development. In the current political climate, "migration has become a toxic" topic as a result migrating is a problem for those outside the "global elite" made up professionals who can move easily to other countries, he said. Therefore there was need for policies to take care of the migrants who do not fall in that category. Article link: Click here RERA's administration brought under Urban Affairs Ministry Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Key pointers: The matters related to the administration of the RERA for regulation of the real estate sector and to protect the interest of consumers will be dealt by the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry. The central government has amended the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961, in this regard. The administration of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, will also be done by the same ministry. RERA: The RERA is for regulation and promotion of the real estate sector and to ensure sale of plot, apartment or building in an efficient and transparent manner and to protect the interest of consumers in the real estate sector. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health Development processes and the development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders Mental Health Care Bill: Making it comprehensive Introduction: The need for legislation which secures the rights of people with mental illness is a necessity for a nation like India. Instances such as the 2001 Erwadi mental home fire, in which chained patients were charred to death, are a reminder of our apathy towards the mentally disabled. The neglect of mental health is evident from a World Health Organization report which estimated that 50 million Indians suffered from depression. Background: The enactment of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 by the current government is an attempt to protect the rights of the mentally ill and enable citizens to decide on the method of treatment in case of mental illness, lest they are mistreated or neglected. India ratified the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities in October 2007. The United Progressive Alliance government (UPA-II) initially introduced the Mental Health Care Bill in August 2013 to replace the Mental Health Act, 1987 to bring the law in consonance with the obligations of the UN convention. The Bill lapsed due to the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. The 16th Lok Sabha led by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) reintroduced the Bill in August 2016 with 134 amendments. The modifications led to a complete overhaul of the intent, structure and provisions of the original Bill, and the spirit of the UN convention was missing. Issues: Key issues that should be considered in order to ensure that the legislation creates an ecosystem for proper treatment of the mentally disabled. The Act recognizes mental illness as a clinical issue which can only be treated by medicines and clinical procedures. The important issue of prevention and promotion of mental well-being has been neglected. Research shows that in cases of mental illness, medical interventions occur at an advanced stage. Illness is also a result of one’s social setting and preliminary treatment can be provided by qualified psychotherapists, counsellors and psychoanalysts. The current definition of ‘mental health professional’ is restricted to clinical psychiatrists and professionals holding a postgraduate degree in Ayurveda, homoeopathy, Siddha and Unani—all on the clinical side. Although including specialists from non-allopathic fields of medicine is laudable, it is unclear why psychotherapists and psychoanalysts were excluded. The Act proposes an ‘advance medical directive’ through which individuals can dictate how they “wish to be” and “wish not to be treated” and can nominate a member who can make decisions on their behalf should they lose their mental capacity. But it is unable to provide a clear procedure for preparing it. The Act fails to provide for the full list of treatment options available, so that a decision can be taken by the individual without information asymmetry. The Act provides for the constitution of an expert committee for periodic review and effective implementation of the Act. Neither the Act nor the rules define the constitution, procedure and terms of reference of the committee. Such an important body should be more transparent and subject to public scrutiny. Conclusion: The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 is an important legislation that is indicative of a progressive nation. The ministry must listen to stakeholders who have submitted responses on the draft rules and regulations before finalization. The legislation will be effective only if the gaps pointed out by the stakeholders are discussed and solved. Connecting the dots: The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 is an important legislation that is indicative of a progressive nation. However there are issues that needs to be resolved after a consultative discussion with all the stakeholders. Discuss. NATIONAL/SECURITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections 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. India working on robust data protection regime Introduction: Government (Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, MEITY) had set up the committee on Data Protection in India, led by Justice B.N. Srikrishna. The objective of this committee was: “to ensure growth of the digital economy while keeping personal data of citizens secure and protected”. “to study various issues relating to data protection in India and make specific suggestions on principles to be considered for data protection and suggest a draft data protection bill”. The Committee has recently released its provisional views on the formulation of a data protection framework and invited public comments. Social media sites, telecom operators, government agencies and every such body that gets to collate data on individuals by way of the nature of their operations would soon be governed by a set of laws that would protect an individual’s sensitive personal data or information (SPDI). Pic link: http://images.financialexpress.com/2017/11/Graph6-6.jpg Seven key principles Following are the seven key principles proposed by the committee on data protection: Technology agnostic: The data protection law must take into account the continuous change in technology and standards of compliance. Technology will evolve rapidly and the law will need to keep pace with changes. Holistic application: The law must cover both the private sector and the government sector, maybe with different obligations though. Informed consent: The consent should be not just consent but "informed and meaningful". Data minimisation: The data collected or being processed should be minimal -- only that data which is necessary for the purpose for which it is being sought. The Committee clarified that all information is not personal data. Only such information by which a person can be identified would be categorised as SPDI and come under the ambit of law. Controller accountability: The committee is clear on fixing accountability of data controllers. It says, "The data controller should be held accountable for any processing of data, whether by itself or entities with whom it may have shared the data for processing." Structured enforcement: The committee proposes to set up "a high-powered statutory authority", which “must co-exist with appropriately decentralised enforcement mechanisms." It envisions three main objectives of a data protection authority: monitor, investigate and enforce the laws; set the standards; and generate awareness in an increasingly digitised society. Deterrent penalties: It proposes for "adequate" penalties for "wrongful processing" to ensure deterrence. Crux: Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee suggest that the above seven key principles should guide the data protection framework in the country. The Committee has done a commendable job on a number of counts: It has covered a wide range of issues pertaining to data protection and privacy. It has looked at the issues from the prism of what is relevant in India, however, it has also brought in perspectives from other countries. Our country urgently needs a strategic position on data which represents risks such as colonisation, privacy issues and a “winner-takes-all market,” in which the best players are able to seize a very big portion of the rewards, and the remaining contenders are left with very little. Data is being vacuumed out of the country and going into unaccountable systems that don't come under Indian law, which probably share data with foreign governments. In order to protect people's privacy and make companies accountable, India needs a data protection law "as soon as possible" as it is a "fundamental thing" so that the users can demand from the domestic or foreign companies to share their data when needed. "This is not a technology problem, but a policy problem." Instrumentally, a firm legal framework for data protection is the foundation on which data-driven innovation and entrepreneurship can flourish in India. Fostering such innovation and entrepreneurship is essential if India is to lead its citizens and the world into a digital future committed to empowerment, experiment and equal access. Connecting the dots: The dawn of the information age has opened up great opportunities for the beneficial use of data. However, it has also enhanced the perils of unregulated and arbitrary use of personal data. Discuss. Also examine the need of framing a robust law to protect individual data. Discuss the need to have a comprehensive Data Protection Law in India. Also discuss the recommendations of Justice B.N. Srikrishna led committee on Data Protection in India. MUST READ AI's won't really rule us, they will be very interested in us The Hindu Seeing through a glass darkly The Hindu Reveal, recognise, resolve bad loan recovery Indian Express The decline of the WTO Livemint

Dec 20, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 106]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 106] Archives Q.1) Global Innovation Index is released by Cornell University U.S World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) INSEAD Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above  Q.2) Consider the following about IMPRINT India IMPRINT India’ is a Pan-IIT and IISc joint initiative to develop a roadmap for research to solve major engineering and technology challenges Ministry of Science and Technology is the nodal ministry but will have convergence with centres of excellence across the nation Select the correct answer 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about White Spotted Bush Frog It is endemic to the Western Ghats The male frogs guards the eggs and tadpoles until they are mature enough Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about ‘KeRanger’ It is ransomware targeting computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system It encrypts the user's file tables and then demands a BitCoin payment to decrypt them Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) ‘Sorek’ is the largest de-salinization plant of the world producing drinking water from saline sea water. Which of the following statements are correct about it? It is developed by Israel The desalination facility uses seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) Select the correct code 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best  IASbaba

Dec 20, 2017 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Centre’s Actions Against Shell Companies

Centre’s Actions Against Shell Companies ARCHIVES Search 27th October 2017 here http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. In news: The central government has asked states to complete identification of properties owned by deregistered companies at the earliest and ensure district administrations prevent transactions in those assets. Earlier, the names of around 2.25 lakh companies which have not been carrying out business activities for long have been struck off the official records and a number of directors associated with such firms have been disqualified. What are shell companies? There is no clear definition for it. In the US, however, the Securities Act defines a shell firm as one that has no or nominal operations and assets. The assets must consist mainly of cash and cash equivalents with very little other assets. In other words, a shell company should not have active business operations or assets. But they are used to make financial transactions. Many individuals and corporates abuse shell companies, either to avoid tax or use them as conduit for money laundering The objective of the government of India is to clean corporate culture. India’s corporate culture should be very transparent and clear. The shell companies were creating lot of problem through various channels of money laundering, misuse of funds and transfer of funds to the other companies. Along with it, Sec 164 (2) (a) of the Companies Act, 2013, that pertains to disqualification of directors due to non-filing of financials and annual returns for three years, is applicable to all types of companies, including private ones. India’s growing economy is the fastest moving economy and this is major breakthrough in the economy that the government has motivated the corporate culture that shell companies should not operate in the system. Use of resources The companies should create efficiency and efficacy of our natural resources, of resources from the financial sector and from the factors- land, labour, capital, and entrepreneurship.  If we are not able to use them efficiently then they create inefficiency in the system and the economic cost is huge because of the misuse of these kinds of assets.  These companies are debiting the employment within the economy. Whatever assets they are holding is not put to any kind of productive use. So there is a macroeconomic reason why these shell companies are being investigated. These assets should be used in a productive manner to create employment opportunities as employment is the major problem in the economy. Lot of employment opportunities have to be created because not much employment is generated as compared with many comparable economies. The next step is to rectify the benami properties and how the resources were mis-utilised and how the resources were gapped from the system. There is a need to identify it and make them punishable which is for the benefit of the economy and for the benefit of young generation which is debarred from the employment opportunities. Banking was also suffered as these are inter-related. The needy persons are not able to take credit from the banks because banks are facing huge NPAs due to creation of fictitious assets on paper as well as borrowing of large credits by such shell companies. Cooperation with state government Cooperation of the state government is required in terms of the assets holding especially immovable properties of shell companies. They also register sale and purchase of these properties.  State government help is required firstly to identify their assets where they are located, what is the integrity behind those assets, how the land was allocated and how the provisions were made for them.  These shell companies should not be dissolved without the help of the states and hence the state should come forward as prosperities of the states are the ambitious part of the whole process. They also have to create a lot of employment opportunities for the young public, tackle their fiscal deficit manuals and to allocate for the developmental activities. However, it is not that so easy as afterall the conduct that is been challenged is criminal in nature and the state government have the overseeing authorities for these kind of immovable properties which are either in the name of the beneficiary or the person concerned or the person whoever has registered in his or her name or its name if it’s an entity. In addition, it also creates a nature of economic offence which will involve the state police. So centre has to gain lot of cooperation from states to fulfil the objectives. Previous decision of central government like demonetisation was welcomed by the state government. Many states took decisions to facilitate people in their respective states and make demonetisation a successful attempt. When the GST regime was about to be implemented, the centre and the state worked together to ensure that there is sufficient trained man power to enforce the system. Thus, in the same line, the central government is expecting good support from the state government to clean up corporate system because sometimes the bad element impact all the good companies too. Conclusion Going forward needs lot to be done at the ground level to clean up the system because this is the start-up of the system. Whole system has to be cleaned to give a push to economy and to the businesses. So the recovery of such kind of properties whether in cash or capital sitting ideal or immovable property is also subject to tax evasion and it is also not known whether income is being earned legally or illegally or still subject to tax. Either they will fight against system or they will try to evade the investigating authority. So the government taxation in terms of enforcing aadhar to identify individual through their mobile phone or computer or any kind of electronic device is very important. Government will identify compliant and non-compliant companies and also talk to all the stakeholders. For the present cleanup of the system too, there are lot of agencies with the central government and at the state level also there are good departments. Hence, with the cooperation of the central and state agencies there are no difficulties to resolve all these issues. Connecting the dots: What are shell companies and how to they affect the economy of a nation? Explain in brief.

Dec 19, 2017 MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Technology and Corruption

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Technology and Corruption 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)

Dec 19, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 19th December 2017

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 19th December 2017 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Making right to health a fundamental right Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health Key pointers: A right to health under which people are entitled to avail health protection services free of cost should be in place on the lines of the right to education, according to a private member bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha. An amendment in the Constitution by introducing a new article 21 B for making right to health a fundamental right has been proposed. The state shall provide a system of health protection to all citizens, including prevention, treatment and control of diseases and access to essential medicines, the bill proposes. It states that all citizens should also have access to basic health services, emergency medical treatment and mental healthcare. The bill seeks to secure the above objectives with the state earmarking not less than 8 per cent of the annual financial statement for healthcare. Central focus: The government expenditure on health is only 1.4 per cent of the GDP. The public health infrastructure is inadequate and unequally distributed. The Draft National Health Policy, 2015, takes note of the fact that over 63 million people are faced with poverty every year due to healthcare costs alone as there is no financial protection for the vast majority of healthcare needs. Background: The right to health is also internationally recognised as a fundamental human right. It is also included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, of which India is a signatory. Private members bills can be introduced by any member of Parliament but have little possibility of getting the parliamentary nod. Article link: Click here Mishap Prevention System in Railways Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Infrastructure Key pointers: The Indian Railways has cleared a Rs 12,000-crore proposal to equip electric locomotives with the latest European train protection system. The system- European Train Control System (ETCS) Level-II will help drivers - or pilots -- to prevent rail mishaps. The ETCS Level-II system will be used on the entire 9,054 km-long Golden Quadrilateral route connecting the four metros to make it a fully accident-free corridor. Currently, the Railways has a basic automatic train protection system based on the ETCS Level-I specification to provide a back-up to loco pilots on a limited stretch. Disadvantage of the ETCS Level-I is overcome in ETCS Level-II, which ensures that the status of the signal ahead is continuously available in the loco through a wireless radio medium using a GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communication-Railways) network. Article link: Click here Very high Out-of-pocket Expenditure on health impoverishing many Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health Key pointers: Out of pocket medical expenses make up about 62% of all healthcare costs in India, as per Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). This is extremely high and leads to impoverishment of patients. In comparison, out of pocket hospital expenses in developed countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. is 20% and in BRICS countries about 20-25%. There is a need to create health insurance products that were simple and intelligible to customers, provided coverage to the aged and infirm and those suffering from chronic ailments, brought down distribution costs, and ensured that there was no profiteering to the detriment of the insured. Article link: Click here India's growth rate projections Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Indian Economy Key pointers: The UN, in its latest report, projected India’s growth rate to be 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019. The annual ‘World Economic Situation Prospects’ report, released recentlys, said the GDP growth for India in 2017 is projected to be 6.7 per cent. India can achieve an eight per cent growth rate for the next two decades . 2017 has been a year of major economic reforms in India: There has been deregulation and further liberalisation of the policies regarding foreign direct investment. Demonatisation The policy reforms are positive, it now needs to be implemented effectively. Next series of reforms should be: Promote investment. Improve the living condition of its population. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Hidden Indian Scientists Background: Many of the greatest scientists that independent India has produced are little known in their own homeland. Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri in cosmology, G.N. Ramachandran in protein crystal structures, and C.K. Majumdar and Dipan Ghosh who extended the quantum Heisenberg spin model. These are household names in the international scientific field, but are little promoted by the Indian scientific establishment, even neglected in graduate teaching. Issues: India has numerous well-funded institutions designed to produce high-quality scientific research, but many eminent Indian scientists think the resulting research is mostly mediocre. Relatively small amount of world-class research produced emerges despite the national scientific establishment. The resistance to a U.S.-returned scientist at times, ensures that the system remained largely unchanged. The system is run by scientists-turned-bureaucrats, who have absorbed the culture of government. Dependent on political patronage for continued funding, these leaders groom loyalists and yes-men rather than cutting-edge researchers (and women are scarce). This has led to an insider culture, reproducing privileges rather than promoting excellence. India’s scientific institutions are a blind spot in the state’s modernisation project. Owing to a conscious decision at the time of independence, research institutions, which house a numerically small elite, get most of the funding while universities focus mainly on teaching and get very little. Research and teaching are segregated, and both suffer as a result. Experimental science “is very poor in India”. To succeed, experiments require at least two conditions: guarantees of long-term funding and scientists’ collaboration with each other. Funding varies with the political climate: there will be money to buy equipment but no certainty that resources will flow for all the years needed to ensure significant results. And collaboration is lacking among scientists. Bureaucrats no longer active in cutting-edge research regard themselves as capable of judging working scientists, dispensing with principles of peer review. Conclusion: With globalisation, it is easier to notice the growing contrast between the fame diaspora scientists achieve in the West, and the challenges their counterparts face in their own countries. India’s problem is hardly unique. Durable institutions and cultures of innovation are not widespread in the Global South. But India is the most successful of all the nations in the Global South, with a more affluent diaspora than virtually any other country. There is need of a wider discussion about the career of Indian science, acknowledging internationally celebrated scientific accomplishments, and asking why they were ignored for so long. Connecting the dots: Many of the greatest scientists that independent India has produced are little known in their own homeland despite being household names in the international fora. Discuss the reasons behind. With globalisation, it is easier to notice the growing contrast between the fame diaspora scientists achieve in the West, and the challenges their counterparts face in countries like India. Critically analyze. NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 3 Awareness in the fields of IT, computers, Challenges to internal security through communication networks, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention. Linkages of organized crime with terrorism. General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Important aspects of governance Making India Cyber secure In news: India is the fifth most vulnerable country in the world in terms of cybersecurity breaches, according to the Internal Security Threat Report of 2017 by Symantec. Till June 2017, 27,482 cybersecurity threats had been reported in the country, according to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team’s report. As this is a 23% increase from 2014 figures, it coincides with rapid growth and innovation in the ICT sector. Rapid growth and innovation in the ICT sector: India is one of the key players in the digital and knowledge-based economy, holding more than a 50% share of the world’s outsourcing market. Pioneering and technology-inspired programmes such as Aadhaar, MyGov, Government e-Market, DigiLocker, Bharat Net, Startup India, Skill India and Smart Cities are propelling India towards technological competence and transformation. India is already the third largest hub for technology-driven startups in the world. India's Information and Communications Technology sector is estimated to reach the $225 billion landmark by 2020. Innovation in technology, enhanced connectivity, and increasing integration in commerce and governance also makes India vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. Ransomware attacks: These have been the most common in the last few years Definition: Ransomware is a type of software that threatens to publish a person’s data or block it unless a ransom is paid. Example- Apart from WannaCry and Petya, other Ransomware attacks that made news globally were Locky, Cerber, Bucbi, SharkRaaS, CryptXXX and SamSam. In India, in May 2017, a data breach at the food delivery App, Zomato, led to personal information of about 17 million users being stolen and put for sale on the Darknet. The company had to negotiate with the hacker in order to get it taken down. Similarly, hackers stole data from 57 million Uber riders and drivers. Uber paid the hackers $100,000 to keep the data breach a secret. The attacks aren’t limited to mobile phones and e-Pads. All devices, including televisions that use Android, are also potentially vulnerable. A number of viruses, malware and cryptoworms are also being developed in the JavaScript, which gives the attackers cross-platform options. Recognizing the issue: The government has announced that it will award a grant worth Rs. 5 crore to startups working on innovations in the field of cybersecurity. The second Global Cybersecurity Index, released by the International Telecommunication Union in July, which measured the commitment of nations to cybersecurity, found that India ranked 23 out of 165 nations. Way forward: India needs to quickly frame an appropriate and updated cybersecurity policy, create adequate infrastructure, and foster closer collaboration between all those involved to ensure a safe cyberspace. There must be enhanced cooperation among nations and a global call to action is required for all United Nations member nations to not attack the core of the Internet even when in a state of war. More than ever before, there is a need for a Geneva-like Convention to agree on some high-level recommendations among nations to keep the Internet safe, open, universal and interoperable. Conclusion: Given the huge number of online users and continued efforts on affordable access, cybersecurity needs to be integrated in every aspect of policy and planning. Connecting the dots: India is the fifth most vulnerable country in the world in terms of cybersecurity breaches. In this light discuss the need of integrating cybersecurity in every aspect of policy and planning and of enhancing cooperation among nations. MUST READ Rebuild the trust Indian Express Aadhaar and Inefficiency Indian Express Food Security: Time to move to cash transfers Livemint Engaging with assertive China Livemint India's jobless growth is a myth Livemint    

Dec 19, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 105]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 105] Archives Q.1) The Kangri is earthenware filled with glowing embers and encased in pretty handmade wicker baskets and is carried as a personal warmer. Kangri making is practiced in which of the following states? Jammu and Kashmir Himachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Sikkim Q.2) Which of the following is correctly matched?                Invasive Species                       Native Papaya Mealy Bug                           Central America Cotton Mealybug                             Papua New Guinea Select the correct code: 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Methylglyoxal High levels of methylglyoxal targets proteins and DNA and modify them in such a way that they are non-functional Methylglyoxal is highly toxic in all organisms including humans at higher concentrations Due to increased blood glucose levels, methylglyoxal has higher concentrations in diabetics Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.4) Consider the following statements about ‘Kolleru Lake’ It is the largest brackish water lake in India It spans in two states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements about Great White Pelican It is listed under Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species India is one of the breeding ground for the species It is listed an ‘vulnerable’ under IUCN List Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best  IASbaba

Dec 18, 2017 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 18th December 2017

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 18th December 2017 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Tuirial Hydro Electric Power Project Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Infrastructure  Key pointers: A 60 MW Tuirial Hydro Electric Power Project (HEPP) has been constructed in Mizoram. It has been constructed as a Central Sector Project and implemented by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power. This is the biggest power project located in Mizoram and will feed the entire energy to be generated to home State. The State’s current power demand is 87 MW and this is being met by the mini power projects and Central sector projects. Article link: click here Fixed dose combination- Issue fixed by SC Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Key pointers: The Supreme Court in its verdict on fixed dose combination medicines paved the way for greater transparency in the approvals of these medicines. As per the SC's order the government can order a drug off the market shelf if it is found to be unsafe, without having the issue first examined by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB). The government can take a product off the market if there are reports that it has been banned in other countries or there are reports within the country that the product was unsafe. The pharmaceutical industry that had stressed on the need for DTAB’s evaluation before an FDC was banned. FDC: A fixed dose combination (FDC) medicine involves more than one ingredient bundled into a product, and the market place has seen sometimes five to seven drugs being combined into a single product. Background: Rampant introduction of irrational FDCs not only exposes the patients to unnecessary risk of adverse drug reactions but also creates health problem in larger groups of people. Most of these FDCs are available in India as over-the-counter products. In an attempt to address the issue, the Centre had the Kokate committee look into it. The panel had termed 963 FDCs “irrational”, posing health threats. The government finally banned 344 FDCs last year. But with pharmaceutical companies arguing against the order, the case landed up at the Supreme Court. Article link: Click here Exercise Ekuverin Part of: Mains GS Paper II- India and its neighbours Key pointers: India and the Maldives carried out Exercise Ekuverin, their eighth annual joint military training event, in Belagavi, Maldives. The focus of the exercise is to acquaint both armies with each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism operations in an urban or semi-urban environment under the U.N. charter. The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability between the two armies as the contingents hone their tactical and technical skills. Starting 2009, Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force have been holding Exercise Ekuverin, meaning ‘friends’ in the Maldivian language, in their countries on alternate years. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States General Studies 1: Social empowerment Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India. Criminalising triple talaq: Justified or not? In news: The Centre has proposed to make instant triple talaq an offence punishable with three-year imprisonment and a fine. The proposed Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, has provisions for maintenance or subsistence allowance to the wife and children in the event of triple talaq being pronounced. Background: By a three-two majority, the Supreme Court has declared that the practice of talaq-e-biddat, or instant divorce of a Muslim woman by uttering the word ‘talaq’ thrice, is illegal and unenforceable. While two judges in the majority said the practice was arbitrary and, therefore, unconstitutional, the third judge ruled that it was illegal because it was contrary to Islamic tenets. Issue: It is an unnecessary attempt to convert a civil wrong into a criminal act. Disagreements in marriage are normally civil matters and injustice to one party, not constituting violence, is best treated as a civil offence. State can step in to resolve differences and ensure equitable terms of disengagement. Criminalising divorce, even an illegal one, would be overreach. Instant triple talaq is viewed as sinful and improper by a large section of the community itself. Therefore, there can be no dispute about the need to protect Muslim women against the practice. But it is also well established that criminalising something does not have any deterrent effect on its practice. There is no need for a fresh criminal provision when existing laws, under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code or provisions of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, already allow the prosecution of a husband for inflicting physical or mental cruelty, emotional and economic abuse, and for deprivation of financial resources. Regardless of whether instant talaq would fall under any of the forms of cruelty or domestic violence under PWDA Act, criminalising it risks defeating the objective of preserving the husband’s legal obligations, and the payment of maintenance. Irrespective of the government’s intent three years in prison of the convicted husband will end up penalising the already aggrieved wife and children too. The draconian punishment cannot but aggravate the already acute insecurity and alienation of the Indian Muslim community — its womenfolk included — under the current regime. Given the widely acknowledged anti-Muslim bias in a section of the Indian police, there is no guarantee that the new law will not be used against Muslim men. Way forward: The Centre would should reconsider its draft and limit its scope to providing relief to women, instead of creating a new offence out of a civil matter. The fine amount under consideration can be awarded as maintenance or subsistence allowance. In the best interests of justice to Muslim women it is better to invoke a secular law that already exists: Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005. Parliament should pass a law unambiguously stating that the very utterance of the words “talaq, talaq, talaq” would amount to “domestic violence” as defined in the PWDVA. The PWDVA was conceived as a law that ensures speedy relief — ideally within three months — to an aggrieved woman: Right to stay in the marital home, protection against violence, right to maintenance etc. Provided the free services of a government-appointed “protection officer” under PWDA would save Muslim women money on hiring a lawyer. Government must consult all stakeholders, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan. Some Muslim women groups would prefer codification of Muslim personal law rather than piecemeal legislation. Conclusion: The right approach would be to launch a massive campaign across India to publicise the Supreme Court judgment. Criminalising acts that do not result in the commission of crimes will be legally untenable. Connecting the dots: Criminalising triple talaq is not justified. Critically analyze. Also read: Triple Talaq case: the judicial intervention GOVERNANCE TOPIC: General Studies 2: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability and institutional and other measures. Party reform in India Introduction: In India there is no real movement towards democratisation of parties; the selection of candidates, Chief Ministers and office-bearers of party units is usually left to the discretion of a handful of leaders who take decisions behind closed doors. India’s success in consolidating a democratic system of government has paradoxically forestalled pressure for party reform. Taken as a whole, the electoral process is more representative but political parties look a lot like oligarchies. Most parties are subservient to one supreme leader. Political parties still refuse to lay down settled and predictable procedures for almost everything they do, from the selection of candidates to the framing of a manifesto. The question of party reform is a pressing one in India. Issues: The lack of institutionalisation and, partly as a consequence, democratisation. The biggest weakness of parties is that they are leader-centric and most leaders are unwilling to institutionalise procedures for the selection of candidates and increase the participation of members in party functioning. As a rule, strong leaders rarely support institutionalisation because it constrains their discretion and personal power. The lack of internal democracy in the party. The practice of adhering to the principle of dynastic succession in contrast to the rise of party workers to top echelons. Quite a few political families have sprung up in the recent past, and more are mushrooming. Nearly all parties are centralised in their decision-making and have been run from the top down in terms of distribution of party tickets, selection of Chief Ministers and State party leaders, and party finance. Winning elections has become the only role a party envisages for itself. The privileging of elections at the expense of other aspects of the democratic process implies that parties are inattentive to the need for constant organisational change and renewal. The opacity of political financing, necessitates ‘unhindered top-down control’ and ‘absolute loyalty down the line’. As party funds are raised and controlled centrally, it weakens the State units and rank and file vis-à-vis the central leadership on a range of issues including leadership selection and nominations for elections. It also discourages democratisation as this would limit their power to accumulate wealth or amass a fortune or promote personal power at the expense of public interest. Fallout: In the absence of intra-party democracy and a well-defined process for the distribution of tickets to candidates before polls, political parties hand over tickets to ‘winnable’ candidates, leading to the presence of criminals in the Parliament. The lack of intra-party democracy has also contributed to the growing nepotism in political parties. For the MPs in the 15th Lok Sabha, there is a direct relationship between age and links to a political family. Leader-centric political parties are detrimental to the political system as it impedes the growth of broad-based non-sectarian parties. Need of Intraparty democracy: It is the political parties that form the government, man the Parliament and run the governance of the country. It is therefore, necessary to introduce internal democracy, financial transparency and accountability in the working of the political parties. A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be exposed to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It is the political parties whose governments deliver ‘good governance’ through bureaucracy and legislative mechanisms. Political parties play a central role in the functioning of India’s vibrant democracy. Given their centrality, it is imperative that their functioning be subject to some regulation or public scrutiny. It is to ensure that the institution is truly free, fair and untainted as envisaged in our Constitution for a representative democracy. Global example: Evidence from other democracies shows a trend towards greater intraparty democracy, decentralisation and transparency within parties. In Germany parties are required to meet certain conditions in nominating their candidates to party posts. They have to be chosen by a direct secret vote at both constituency and federal levels. In the U.S., laws were enacted that required the use of secret ballots in intraparty elections. The British Labour Party, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, the Democratic Party in the U.S. and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada have all seen movements by party activists and by the rank and file to reduce the power of entrenched party elites. Way forward: A number of committees set up to suggest electoral political reforms have recommended introduction of intra-party democracy mechanisms in recruitment of members and candidates; elections for important party posts such as secretary, treasurer and president; consultations with party members on deciding party agenda; fund raising and spending and providing opportunities for young politicians to climb hierarchy ranks. The 170th report of the Law Commission of India on reform of electoral laws, dedicated an entire chapter on the necessity of providing laws relating to internal democracy within parties. It states, The report from the National Commission for Review of Working of Constitution recommends that there should be a comprehensive legislation, regulating the registration and functioning of political parties or alliances of parties in India. Conclusion: It is imperative that political parties undertake party reforms and ensure intra-party democracy. This would not only attract the youth toward politics in India and thus new energy but also strengthen overall democracy. Connecting the dots: Lack of inner party democracy and institutionalization is a serious issue with political parties in India. Discuss. 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Dec 18, 2017 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : India Bangladesh Bilateral Relations

India Bangladesh Bilateral Relations ARCHIVES Search 23rd October 2017 here http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 India and its neighbourhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests In news: India and Bangladesh have moved further to consolidate their ties when External Affairs Minister of India returned after attending Joint Consultative Commission, a machinery under which the two countries hold the consultations. 15 projects have been finalised and have been worked out during this period. This is a period of re-consolidation where importance should be given to implementation and not announcement to any new projects because a lot of agreements have been signed during the visit of PM Haseena and PM Modi before. This is a period of consolidation, of looking at the implementation of procedures and also a period of expansion in terms of certain things that have been already started like infrastructure projects, railway connectivity and energy. Collaboration in energy Energy is a emerging as a major factor in the bilateral relationship because both sides are dependent on imported energy.  Both sides needs energy for faster growth of their economies and both countries are growing by more than 6% in their GDP. Hence, energy is a major player to increase and improve ties between both countries. Bharat Petroleum does the refining in collaboration Bangladesh at the Numaligarh refinery and the oil and gas come from India. It helps Bangladesh in a big way as India is a major exporter of petroleum products like high speed diesel.  Bangladesh needs a lot of high speed diesel for their riverine craft, the barges and the boats. It is done in Numaligarh in Assam because it is nearest to the northern Bangladeshi ports. Now there is a plan to build a pipeline so that to deliver that high speed diesel and other petroleum products, so logistics from there can be done easily internally within Bangladesh by barges, by trucks or whatever mode they have. There is a proposal for the LNG terminals along the coast line in Bangladesh so that these terminals can easily import oil, liquefy gas and then re-gasify it and then supply to various industries and households. The Palatana power production in Tripura is a very bright example of India-Bangladesh joint venture. When the gas in Tripura was first found, there was an idea to request Bangladesh to build a pipeline. There was exploration in Myanmar also where gas was found. And thus there was an idea to build gas pipeline between these 3 countries Myanmar, Bangladesh and India but that didn’t happen. However, it was researched that supplying gas to other parts of country would be expensive, so it was decided to be converted into electricity and then send it to neighbouring states and countries. At present, the total export of electricity to the west and the east is around 700 MWs which is expected to go up. Water sharing Issues about water-sharing is still a concern but it has to be sorted out at the earliest. India is an upper riparian country and Bangladesh is a lower riparian. Both countries share about 54 rivers and there is an element of anxiety in Bangladesh about if they will get adequate water but it is no longer about sharing water of just one river. Now it is about management of the whole issue as it is done with Nepal and Bhutan. However, China is not very encouraging in terms of sharing data or in terms of coming forward with water sharing as an arrangement. The water sharing issue is seasonal as there is too much water in one season and too little in another season. So there is an imbalance in the availability of water in different seasons. It is equally important to manage the agricultural practices in both side which use large amounts of water in the main season when there is less water, especially for water hungry crops like rice cultivation. Trade balancing Bilateral trade is another issue and there is a huge gap between what Bangladesh imports and exports. In 2016, India exported 5.4 billion and Bangladesh exported 689 million. This can be tackled by making Bangladeshi goods tariff free, giving free customs and free entry into the Indian market and raise their exports to India. It is true that Bangladesh is small to India, both in terms of the size and economy. Not too many things are manufactured by Bangladesh that can be exported to the Indian market except for garments. But India is also a garment producer so there is a competition there rather than complementarity. So they are competing thus making it very difficult for trade balance to be addressed by just one or 2 commodities or one or 2 lines of goods. The trade should be constantly encouraged despite trade balance being tilted immensely. For example, though India has huge trade deficit with China but it still carries on as it is aware of its needs. Similarly, Bangladesh also needs goods from India and should focus on increasing trade dynamics to support each other mutually. Chinese influence There is no doubt that China is encroaching into the Indian neighbourhood in a big way through projects, through incurring their influence via other things including arm sales or selling submarines to Bangladesh. China now regards itself the global power and wants to increase its influence. However, it also regards India as a competitor to some extend and has tried to ensure that the smaller countries will try to balance India v/s China to get benefits from both sides and has to win over them. Security of the nations Security cooperation is very important and is growing its importance because of the radicalisation and its attacks on both countries. Bangladesh has gone through a very bad patch in terms of radicalisation as a new kind of terrorism where young people from educated families have been radicalise to an extend that they can conduct an independent attack. Thus, it is important to look at social media to stop radicalisation. Bangladesh has to be made a strong democratic republic where extremism is not able to find any foothold. Another is Rakhine state problem of Myanmar where influx of Rohingyas is worrisome for India and Bangladesh. Both the countries have to find out ways to not let its security get compromised, especially from threats coming across borders. Connectivity There have been talks of restoration of pre-1965 links encompassing road, rail, water and coastal shipping links to increase connectivity between the two countries. Conclusion India has been a reliable development partner and the development has been all in competency. At present, 8 million dollars’ worth of line of credit is committed to Bangladesh which is the highest that India has given to any country. So there is commitment in terms of money as well as doing projects on the ground which would affect the lives of the people at the same time. Also read The Big Picture – Takeaways from Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s India Visit Connecting the dots: India-Bangladesh share a healthy relationship which encourages competition as well as complimentary behaviour. Analyse.

Dec 18, 2017 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 104]

UPSC Quiz- 2017 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 104] Archives Q.1) Cabinet recently approved Agreement with UNESCO on establishment of International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography. It will be located in Mumbai Mangaluru Kochi Hyderabad Q.2) Consider the following statements about Pavagada Solar Park Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) is the implementing agency It is located in Maharashtra Selected the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about ‘Ilkal saree’ It has been accorded Geographical Indication (GI) tag It is completely woven out of cotton It uses Kasuti form of embroidery Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.4) ‘Exercise Ekuverin’ is a bilateral military exercise between India and Maldives Sri Lanka Cambodia Vietnam Q.5) Consider the following statements about ‘Bioluminescence’ It is the production and emission of light by a living organism The principal chemical reaction in bioluminescence involves the luciferin and the luciferase Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best  IASbaba