Mar 14, 2018 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 14th March 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 14th March 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) India to eliminate TB by 2025 Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Government interventions Key pointers: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said India will fully eliminate tuberculosis by 2025, a good five years ahead of the global deadline of 2030, and has already started working towards achieving this goal. The Delhi End TB Summit is being organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare jointly with the WHO’s South-East Asia Region Office and international coalition Stop TB Partnership. India is also implementing the National Strategic Plan for TB elimination that is backed by Rs. 12,000 crore in funding for the next three years to ensure every TB patient in the country has access to quality diagnosis, treatment and support. The new strategic plan adopts a multi-pronged approach which aims to detect all TB patients, with an emphasis on reaching patients seeking care from private providers and undiagnosed cases in high-risk populations. The latest Budget has proposed to set aside $100 million to provide nutritional support to TB patients. TB is the leading infectious killer in India. There were an estimated 28 lakh new cases in 2016, with over 4 lakh people succumbing to the disease, including those with TB and HIV. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: India and its neighbourhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests India-France relationship Introduction: With French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent visit to India, the India-France Strategic Partnership launched in 1998 seems finally to have come of age. In these two decades, both sides have gradually enhanced cooperation in diverse fields covering civil nuclear, defence, space, counter-terrorism, education, research and development in science and technology, culture, urban development, climate change, trade and economics and people-to-people contacts. The bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding signed, the detailed ‘joint statement’ and accompanying ‘vision statements’ on cooperation in space and the Indian Ocean Region, indicate that the relationship has received a momentum. A shared world view: France has always been sympathetic to similar Indian claims based on its ancient civilisation. This is why both countries were quick to voice support for global multi-polarity once the Cold War ended. Defence cooperation with France began in the 1950s. Joint naval exercises, Varuna, date back to 1983. Cooperation in the space sector has continued since the 1960s when France helped India set up the Sriharikota launch site. After the nuclear tests in May 1998 when India declared itself a nuclear weapon state, France was the first major power to open dialogue and displayed a far greater understanding of India’s security compulsions compared to other countries. It was the first P-5 country to support India’s claim for a permanent seat in an expanded and reformed UN Security Council. Today, it is a relationship of near equals. Establishment of a Strategic Dialogue: Cooperation in defence, civil nuclear, space, intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism has grown. An agreement for building six Scorpène submarines in India with French help was signed in 2005. The ambitious offset target of 50% (nearly Rs. 25,000 crore), properly implemented, can help in building up India’s budding aerospace industry. Terror strikes in France in recent years by home-grown terrorists have enlarged the scope of counter-terrorism cooperation to include cyber security and discussions on radicalisation. Recent developments: B2B and P2P relations- In recent years, it was clear that for a wider partnership, strengthening business-to-business and people-to-people relationships was essential. Climate change and renewable energy resources, particularly solar, soon emerged as a new plank, reflected in the multilateral initiative of the International Solar Alliance. Another area identified was urban planning and management of services like housing, transport, water, sanitation, etc using the public private partnership model which the French have employed successfully. Maritime cooperation: Like India, France has expressed concern about China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean Region. French overseas territories in the Indian and the Pacific Oceans provide it with the second largest exclusive economic zone globally. It has long maintained bases in Reunion Islands and Djibouti and established one in Abu Dhabi in 2009. The signing of MoUs regarding the provision of reciprocal logistics support to each other’s armed forces provide the basis to strengthen joint naval exercises. Strengthening cooperation with France, particularly in the western Indian Ocean Region makes eminent strategic sense even as India develops its presence in Oman (Duqm) and Seychelles (Assumption Island). Trade: It has grown in recent years but at $10 billion is half of the trade with Germany. Nearly $16 billion worth of agreements was signed at the business summit. There are nearly 1,000 French companies present in India while over a hundred Indian businesses have established a presence in France. Educational links: Potentially, the most significant was the focus on youth and student exchanges. Currently about 2,500 Indians go to France annually to pursue higher education, compared to more than 250,000 from China. A target has been set to raise it to 10,000 by 2020. The agreement on mutual recognition of academic degrees and the follow-on Knowledge Summit, where 14 MoUs between educational and scientific institutions were signed, is a welcome move. Tourism: This is another area that has received attention. A target of a million Indian tourists and 335,000 French tourists has been set for 2020. Other developments: In the past, Indian companies saw the U.K. as the entry point for Europe; now with Brexit approaching, India can look at France as its entry point for Europe. Francophonie! The flagship programme of Smart Cities in which France is focussing on Chandigarh, Nagpur and Puducherry is taking shape. Conclusion: The Strategic Partnership has already created a solid foundation; other aspects have now received the much-needed focus. Proper implementation can add to the growing strategic convergence that draws India and France together. Connecting the dots: Discuss how India-France relationship has evolved over time. Outline major aspects. 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: Mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment New classification of the MSMEs Introduction: The Union Cabinet last month decided to change the basis of classification of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). This bodes well for this important segment of India’s industrial base. Present rules: Presently, enterprises qualify as micro, small or medium enterprises if their investment in plant and machinery (for manufacturing units) and equipment (for service providers) is within the limits laid down in Section 7 of the MSMED Act 2006, which are as follows: Type of Enterprise Investment in Plant of Machinery Investment in Equipment Micro Not exceeding Rs 25 lakh Not exceeding Rs 10 lakh Small More than Rs 25 lakh but not exceeding Rs 5 crore More than Rs 10 lakh but not exceeding Rs 2 crore Medium More than Rs 5 crore but not exceeding Rs 10 crore More than Rs 2 crore but not exceeding Rs 5 crore Although Section 7(8) of the Act provides for the Advisory Committee constituted under the Act to make recommendations regarding the need for higher investment by MSMEs in plant and machinery or equipment for technological upgradation, employment generation and enhanced competitiveness, the investment limits have remained unchanged since the commencement of the MSMED Act 2006. These limits are too low in the contemporary context. Classification of enterprises based on fixed monetary limits also places newer units at a disadvantage vis-a-vis those set up in earlier years as the former have to invest more for the same type of plant and machinery or equipment. More importantly, self-declaration by enterprises as regards the cost of investment at the time of registration with the authorities concerned entails verification, adding to the transaction cost. The Union Cabinet has decided to change the basis of classification from investment in plant and machinery or equipment to annual turnover without making a distinction between manufacturing enterprises and service providers. Amendments made: The revised classification and eligibility thresholds: Type of Enterprise Annual Turnover Micro Not exceeding Rs 5 crore Small More than Rs 5 crore but not exceeding Rs 75 crore Medium More than Rs 75 crore but not exceeding Rs 250 crore An enabling provision will be also be made in the MSED Act 2006 to permit the Central Government to vary these limits in future by simply issuing a notification. This will ensure that the monetary limits remain contemporaneous at all times as changing these limits will not require a formal amendment to the MSED Act 2006, which is a time-consuming and cumbersome process. Benefits: The new system of classifying enterprises based on annual turnover will be more reliable, transparent and objective as the qualifying criteria will be verifiable with reference to the data available in the Goods and Services Tax network. This will also reduce transaction costs as it will no more be necessary to carry out any inspection. With a more realistic criterion linked with annual turnover, many enterprises that presently do not qualify should come within the ambit of the MSMED Act, 2006 and benefit from a large number of schemes promulgated by the government for this sector from time to time. Existing MSMEs should also be able to invest more in plant and machinery and equipment without losing out on the benefits available to them. Connecting the dots: The Union Cabinet has recently decided to change the basis of classification of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. What are these changes and why are they beneficial? Discuss. MUST READ An urgent prescription The Hindu First the basic science The Hindu We must enact Indian Express The new protectionism Indian Express A right for the rich Indian Express 

Mar 14, 2018 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : World Sustainable Development Summit 2018

World Sustainable Development Summit 2018 ARCHIVES Search 16th February, 2018 Spotlight Analysis here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Theme of the Summit: 'Partnerships for a Resilient Planet – Attaining Energy, Water, Food Security for All’ India and Sustainability Trusteeship philosophy of India There exists a tradition of harmonious co-existence between man and nature in India. Respect for nature is an integral part of our value system. Our goal is to be able to live up to our ancient texts which says, “Keep pure For the Earth is our Mother and we are her children”. We believe that all resources and all wealth belong to Nature and the Almighty and are just the trustees or managers of this wealth. Journey towards a Sustainable Future As part of the Nationally Determined Contributions, India committed to reducing 33 to 35 percent of emission intensity of its GDP during 2005 to 2030. Goal of creating a carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030 – According to the UNEP Gap Report, India is on track to meet its Copenhagen Pledge of reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 20 to 25 percent over 2005 levels by 2020. India’s Philosophy of ‘Convenient Action’ While the world was discussing' Inconvenient Truth’, India translated it into ‘Convenient Action’ through her different initiatives and policies. India believes in growth but is also committed to protecting the environment. The UN Sustainable Development Goals put us on the path of equality, equity and climate justice. Every country should fulfil their commitments based on Common but Differentiated Responsibility and equity. India is focused on Ease of living –through Good Governance, Sustainable Livelihood and through Cleaner Environment. India’s Development needs – Need to be fulfilled but in a cleaner and greener way India is one sixth of the global community, and our development needs are enormous. Our poverty or prosperity will have direct impact on the global poverty or prosperity. The fact that people in India have waited too long for access to modern amenities and means of development, needs no more reiterations. As the world’s fastest growing major economy, India’s energy needs are immense. Plans to draw One 175 Giga-Watts of energy from renewable sources by 2022 – this includes 100 Giga-Watts from Solar Energy and another 75Giga-Watts from Wind and other sources. Added more than 14 Giga-Watts to solar energy generation which was just about three Giga-Watts three years back. Currently, we are already the fifth largest producer of solar energy in the world and the sixth largest producer of renewable energy. With growing urbanization, as our transportation needs are growing, we are focusing on mass transportation systems especially metro rail systems. Even for cargo movement to long distances, national water-way systems are established. Each of our states is preparing an action plan against climate change. The ‘Collaboration’ Approach – The Key Key players between which collaboration should take place – Between governments Between industries Between people This collaboration needs to play out for the following actions – Policy correction to modify our growth pattern Instruments for sustainability needs to a mixture of technology, taxation, PPP, and budgetary considerations (Sizable change in the budget allocated for cities) Need to develop a right set of ecosystem for small mid-sized industry to be able to adopt green norms and adhere to environmental regulations Making shifts and habits that complement the objective of preserving environment Mechanism for Central to push certain policies in a federal state Role of the developed world – For a successful climate action to be put in place, collaboration with the developed world is one of the most important aspect we look forward to. Incentives and innovations to make development truly sustainable is the urgent need of the hour. Access to financial resources: For effective implementation of policies, and to take efforts in bringing about a behavioural change as well. Ease of access to technology: Technology can help countries like India develop sustainably and enable the poor to benefit from it. Connecting the Dots: The Sustainable Development Goals are too many in number and too vague in substance to warrant any concrete ground results. Comment. Development is a multifaceted process. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have captured the vital aspects of human life and set targets accordingly. Does India’s developmental discourse resonate with the SDGs? Critically examine.

Mar 14, 2018

IASbaba’s Bimonthly Gist of Economic and Political Weekly (EPW)- Edition 7

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 Seventh edition of Economic and Political Weekly (EPW)- Bimonthly Magazine. Hope you all like it  DOWNLOAD THE MAGAZINE

Mar 14, 2018

IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2018 GEOGRAPHY & CURRENT AFFAIRS [Day 10]

Hello Friends,  The 60 Days Training has finally begun:) Before any competition, there is a preparatory phase. That phase involves a lot of sessions on strengths and weaknesses. Throughout the preparatory phase, the athletes train in a gradual manner. In the last phase, just before the actual competition, the training is done so as to sharpen their skills. This training requires complete focus and dedication. In this phase, the athletes do not try anything new or train in a new fashion rather focus on sharpening of skills, focusing on strength and precision. Similarly, the upcoming 60 days, is like the last phase (training session), just before the actual competition. Here, the focus should be on sharpening the concepts, consolidating the knowledge base and solidifying the learning with loads and loads of revision. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL DETAILS AND SOLVE QUESTIONS

Mar 13, 2018 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 13th March 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 13th March 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) World's largest nuclear power plant soon to come up in Jaitapur Part of: Mains GS Paper II, III- International relations, Infrastructure Key pointers: France and India reiterated their intention to start work this year on what could become the world’s largest nuclear power plant. French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Electricite de France SA and India’s monopoly atomic energy producer, Nuclear Power Corp., to accelerate discussions on a contract and start work at the site in Jaitapur, Maharashtra. Once installed, the Jaitapur project will be the largest nuclear power plant in the world, with a total capacity of 9.6 gigawatts. International equipment makers have been hesitant to move forward with projects in India because India’s nuclear liability law exposes reactor suppliers to claims for damages during an accident. Facts: Jaitapur, a small town on India’s western coast known for its mango and coconut orchards. India’s nuclear power capacity is about 6.8 gigawatts, barely 2 percent of the country’s total generation capacity. Article link: Click here Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Part of: Mains GS Paper II- International relations Key pointers: 11 Asia-Pacific countries, including Japan, Australia and Canada, have signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The CPTPP is, in effect, the original Trans-Pacific Partnership struck during the Barack Obama presidency minus the U.S. The CPTPP comes soon after the U.S. had made clear its plan to impose tariffs on the import of aluminium and steel in an attempt to protect domestic manufacturers. T The countries signing the agreement, which account for more than 13% of the world economy, have agreed to bring down tariffs on cross-border trade by as much as 98% after domestic ratification. More countries are expected to sign the CPTPP in the future, and there is hope that a post-Trump U.S. may join the bloc. Article link: Click here India's first national academy to train police Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Internal security Key pointers: India's first national academy to train police forces in effectively safeguarding the Indian shoreline will soon start functioning along the Gujarat seafront. The Union home ministry recently sanctioned the launch of the National Academy of Coastal Policing (NACP) in the newly created Devbhoomi Dwarka district. The first-of-its-kind institution of the country will be created and run by a multi-agency team of paramilitary and defence forces and sharpen the response and skills of the marine forces of multiple states which have sea lines. The academy will train police personnel and other security agencies staff in maritime laws, seamanship, boat work, navigation, weapons handling, usage of sea guidance and surveillance gadgets and survival skills for long haul operations on the sea or during distress times when they may get stranded in these waters running up to 12 nautical miles from the shore. India has a vast coastline of 7,516 kms touching 13 states and union territories (UTs). It also has around 1,197 islands. Article link: Click here NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 1: Social empowerment 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 related to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Taking advantage of technology to create jobs Background: Millions of jobs could be lost by 2020 due to various global disruptions — digitalisation, AI, automation, robotics, longevity, IoT, etc. At the same time, a few million jobs will be created in specific sectors. Of these, business and finance ops, management, and computer and mathematics-related job families will see the biggest growth. At the same time, some of the largest economies in the world — the US, the UK, Japan, South Korea — will face a significant gap between talent supply and demand with a net talent deficit position. India’s tryst with technology, On one hand: Jawaharlal Nehru, educated in Britain and inspired by Fabian Socialism, placed technology-driven modernism at the top of his priority list. He was instrumental in creating world class institutions such as the IITs and NITs; he believed that technology would be the bedrock of India’s transformation into a modern society and trained workforce. Leaders such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Rajiv Gandhi and Chandrababu Naidu did take the pain to pioneer policies, import computers and court global technological giants to create tech-driven jobs in India. Many believe the agglomeration of tech giants in Hyderabad and Bengaluru, and India’s solid foundations on digital literacy, is an outcome of such efforts. On the other hand: Deep-rooted distrust, and, to a large extent, the broader policy paralysis existed around promoting technology at a greater pace. Unfortunately, the overwhelming perception amongst some sections of stakeholders and policymakers is that greater induction of technology will only lead to job losses. In more recent times, job insecurity has fuelled the formation of unions in the IT/ITes sector which has so far remained untouched by unionisation. Unfounded fears: Rather than causing job losses, technology has created new businesses, processes, products and systems which couldn’t have been imagined before. They improved productivity, which led to a rise in wages and that drove the purchasing power upwards. This expanding purchasing power further created new business opportunities. According to one report, the internet created 2.4 new jobs for every one job lost. More job creation with greater technological penetration: India stands out as the country with likely the largest talent pool surplus. India is positioned uniquely to capitalise on the opportunity that will be created through technological and other disruptions given India’s surplus talent pool and strength in the identified job segments. At the heart of job-creation is our ability to create new businesses and entrepreneurs. Technology is a core enabler of this aspect. India is a global growth leader and a leading centre when it comes to startup ecosystems. As new businesses emerge and grow, technology-powered entrepreneurship will be a key platform for millions of jobs in India across all segments of society. Technology has enabled connectivity and provided increased access to opportunities. This in turn has led to a robust growth in consumer spending. This is a virtuous cycle which will further create demand for more goods and services and thereby create more business opportunities across all tiers and segments of jobs. What needs to be done? India must focus on a comprehensive policy framework that addresses three key pillars in an integrated manner: A calibrated national talent management approach through a deeper labour market analysis as talent scarcity, surprisingly or not, is also on the rise. Introducing strong elements of technology and innovation into the country’s education curriculum, backed by systematic institutional collaboration. Focus on broadening and/or enhancing existing skill development/re-skilling programmes, including planning around job rotation and mobility support. Conclusion: How India can take advantage of technology to potentially create millions of jobs will depend on the Government’s ability to establish an ecosystem that helps businesses to benefit from technology to drive innovation and growth. Above mentioned steps should thus be taken. Connecting the dots: India can take advantage of technology to potentially create millions of jobs. This will depend on the Government’s ability to establish an ecosystem. Discuss. (MAINS FOCUS) HEALTH 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 Tracking health status Introduction: As India moves towards creating structures for universal healthcare with the National Health Protection Scheme, we need to challenge following beliefs- Private practitioners are less suited to deliver healthcare services than public healthcare professionals based on the presumption that private practitioners are committed to profit while government doctors exist to serve the public. This has resulted into lack of institutional systems to rope in private practitioners into the public health system. Health outcomes of patients are immaterial, that there is no need to track patients or maintain records, spending more money on healthcare is enough. The fear that the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) will promote corporate hospitals and put healthcare out of reach of the people exists. Whether it does or not will depend on the institutional systems that are put in place to regulate the NHPS. Tracking health status: It means that patient outcomes like disease, death, infection and so on, be regularly ascertained, reported and monitored. In some countries, it is routine to set up such reporting systems. In India, till date, there has been no institutional framework fixing such key indicators, nor is there any general rule mandating that these should be reported regularly, whether in the public or private sector. Since India already have enough IT professionals for setting up such systems we can easily create one. Doctors, like all professionals, whether in the public or private sector, respond to institutional signals. If there is an institutional requirement to report patient-related indicators by the government, that in turn would pressurise the managements of private institutions to set up systems for tracking health status. In the absence of system-wide requirements, it is merely ideology and individual conscience that determines the quality of care available to patients. Making private practitioners an important part of the public healthcare: It is counterproductive to insist that private practitioners should not be an integral part of the overall government effort to provide good healthcare to people. Such an insistence makes the notion of maintaining disease-specific countrywide registers in which individual doctors and hospitals participate almost impossible. A truly universal healthcare system is driven by protocols that care for the patient and integrate all practitioners. Once such a system is put in place along with regular reporting, the distinction between private and public becomes meaningless. Conclusion: To successfully put care and quality back into healthcare, it is important to set up this kind of system to track the health status of patients. This will help remove smoothen the public-private healthcare debate. Connecting the dots: India lacks a system to tack health status of its citizens. Discuss the importance of creating an institutional system so that a track can be maintained. MUST READ Ineffective and arbitrary The Hindu The cost of education The Hindu Always a rule maker The Hindu Indo-French harmony The Hindu

Mar 13, 2018

IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2018 GEOGRAPHY & CURRENT AFFAIRS [Day 9]

Hello Friends,  The 60 Days Training has finally begun:) Before any competition, there is a preparatory phase. That phase involves a lot of sessions on strengths and weaknesses. Throughout the preparatory phase, the athletes train in a gradual manner. In the last phase, just before the actual competition, the training is done so as to sharpen their skills. This training requires complete focus and dedication. In this phase, the athletes do not try anything new or train in a new fashion rather focus on sharpening of skills, focusing on strength and precision. Similarly, the upcoming 60 days, is like the last phase (training session), just before the actual competition. Here, the focus should be on sharpening the concepts, consolidating the knowledge base and solidifying the learning with loads and loads of revision. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL DETAILS AND SOLVE QUESTIONS

Mar 12, 2018 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 12th March 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 12th March 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) India commits $1.4 billion for International Solar Alliance Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Energy security Key pointers: India recently announced one of the world’s largest investment plans in solar energy at the Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). The $1.4 billion line of credit will cover 27 projects in 15 countries and boost the much-required financial power to the solar sector. India will start a solar technology mission with international focus, which will cover all government technical and educational institutions. The Founding Conference was co-chaired by Mr. Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. Mr. Modi presented a 10-point action plan aimed at making solar power more affordable while raising the share of power generated. Three issues that needs to be addressed — the solar energy potential in each country should be be identified; mobilisation of finance; and the provision of a favourable framework. Article link: Click here Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Energy security Key pointers: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of achieving 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar power by 2022, accounting for more than half of the 175 GW the country plans to produce from renewable sources. This was announced at the International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit. It was announced at the summit that a Project Preparation Facility (PPF) has been set up by India to help partner countries prepare viable project proposals that can be considered for concessional financing under Lines of Credit. The PPF fills the capacity gap in identifying a need, conceiving a project and preparing a proposal. ISA envisages generating 1 TW (terawatt) of solar power by 2030. The Delhi Solar Agenda: It was released after the summit. According to the agenda, the ISA will facilitate “affordable finance, access to appropriate, clean and environment-friendly technology and undertake capacity building.” About ISA: The ISA is a coalition of 121 solar resource-rich countries created to address special energy needs and bridge gaps through a common approach. India will contribute $27 million towards the ISA corpus, for infrastructure and for recurring expenditure over a five-year period from 2016-17 to 2020-21. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) HEALTH 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 For the success of NHPS Background: India recently announced an ambitious plan called the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) to provide government-sponsored insurance to roughly 500 million people or nearly 40% of India’s population. Is the NHPS a good idea? Definitely yes. There are several reasons: Financial wellbeing: India under-invests in the healthcare of its citizens and this is affecting the health and financial well-being of Indians. Out-of-pocket payments for healthcare services are very high in our country (about 70%, according to the National Sample Survey Office, 2014), which causes impoverishment to nearly 7% of our population. Health-financing policy directly affects the financial protection of people when direct payments that are made to obtain health services do not threaten their living standards. So, the NHPS should be considered a significant move towards universal health coverage. Cost-effective: Providing insurance to the poor not only saves lives but is also “cost-effective”. It provides good value for money as the benefits of insurance far outweigh the costs. Case study: Vajpayee Arogyashree Scheme (VAS)- health insurance scheme in Karnataka. A study found that- VAS lowered mortality for covered conditions for BPL families and erased rich-poor disparities in mortality rates. Most of this reduction was due to fewer deaths from cancer and cardiac conditions, which account for the bulk of VAS claims. They found that people covered by insurance were more likely to seek healthcare for their health issues and symptoms (such as chest pain), had better access to tertiary care hospitals, and had better post-operative outcomes likely due to seeking care at higher quality hospitals. Insurance lowered out-of-pocket medical costs and lowered the chances of having catastrophic expenditures that are likely to push people into poverty. What more needs to be done? We need to pay attention to both the design of NHPS and its implementation: Making insurance easy to use Insurance that is difficult to use will not be used. Therefore, we need to streamline both the enrollment process and access to care once enrolled. The number of forms people face to enrol in NHPS must be minimized. Aadhaar makes it easy to verify eligibility and enrol. For this, Aadhaar should be made readily available to demographics where it does not exist. Once enrolled, access to care should be provided where people live. This is a challenge in rural India but can be addressed with innovative models. For example, In Karnataka, health camps organized by super specialty hospitals were successful in improving access to care. Telemedicine in Uttar Pradesh where patients at primary health centre are connected to specialist doctors in Andhra Pradesh for virtual OPD care. Right targeting: A programme financed by public money needs to conserve resources. Therefore, we should provide government sponsored insurance only to those who cannot afford insurance on their own. “Mission creep” or mis-targeting, however, is a significant threat as we witnessed in the case of Aarogyasri, where nearly 80% of Andhra Pradesh‘s population reported having coverage while the scheme was exclusively aimed at population below poverty line. This is why the Aadhaar platform becomes fundamental to enrolment to the NHPS. In addition to targeting the poor, insurance should target health conditions where disease burden is high and effective interventions are available but underused. Contracting with private hospitals and clinics Nearly 75% of out-patient department care and 55% of in-patient department care in India is exclusively from the private sector. Therefore, private hospitals and clinics need to be part of NHPS. We thus need to monitor them and create the right incentives for them. Not all hospitals should be eligible for NHPS. Only hospitals that meet certain quality standards should be allowed to serve NHPS beneficiaries. Quality should be measured not only by the infrastructure available at the hospital but also by actual patient outcomes achieved. NHPS should institute prior authorization for expensive medical procedures and surgeries. NHPS doctors should review the medical records of NHPS beneficiaries to make sure that the surgery in medically warranted and meets evidence-based guidelines. Using data to learn and evolve The NHPS will have access to health information of 500 million people. This is an unprecedented amount of data and if curated well, it can have far-reaching applications. It can be used for comparative effectiveness research or understanding which treatments work in the real world rather than just in clinical trials. Treatments and interventions can be highly contextualized to local conditions. It can be used to advance personalized or precision medicine. That is, tailoring treatment based on individual genetic or other characteristics. It can be used to improve the health system and understand how different delivery and financing designs affect care outcomes and costs. It can be used to improve transparency by providing information on quality of care provided by different hospitals or clinics in India. Conclusion: Not addressing health issue disproportionately affects the weaker and vulnerable sections of society – women and children. A well run NHPS has the potential to become the cornerstone of India’s healthcare needs for several future generations. Connecting the dots: Importance of an insurance scheme for country like India is immense, given it promotes financial well-being and is also cost-effective. In this light discuss steps required for successful implementation of NHPS. Also read: For the success of Modicare(NHPS) ENVIRONMENT/NATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests. General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. International Solar Alliance: Multiple opportunities for India Introduction: India has often sit at the high table of global negotiations. On the contrary, it is also many a times seen by the rest of the world as a deal breaker on issues such as global trade and climate change. Background: The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a breakthrough in our global positioning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a driving force ever since he first announced the idea at the India-Africa Summit in New Delhi in October 2015 and followed this up with more concrete moves during the United Nations climate change talks in Paris in November 2015, with France being an important partner. India has suddenly became a catalyst in the global attempts at capping climate change. This is important in a geopolitical sense when China is clearly expanding its global footprint. There are now 121 countries which have signed up for the global solar alliance. Domestic commitments: Central to this new role in global affairs is the domestic commitment to generate 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy by 2022, part of the broader 175GW target for renewable energy. The strategic thought behind this: India has to push towards mass prosperity at a time when climate change is a huge concern. Key challenges: Ways ahead Unilateralism will not do- Fighting climate change cannot come at the cost of halting the urgent fight against poverty. Global initiatives should always be seen through the lens of national interest. That is why an international alliance based on credible commitments is important. The rich countries that are responsible for most of the stock of excess carbon in the atmosphere as well as the high current levels of per capita carbon emissions (as against national aggregates) need to be pushed to provide asymmetrical funding for climate change mitigation and technology transfers. This will continue to be an important challenge for the global solar alliance. The shift to solar energy should not be seen only as a defence mechanism. It can also be an opportunity. The fight against climate change—and the broader move to low-carbon economies—is likely to create the next big technological wave. New technology will be the critical factor in the transition to a green economy which also grows rapidly, and India should take a shot at global leadership. Conclusion: ISA thus offers many opportunities —from geopolitical advantages to economic benefits in the next wave of global innovation. Connecting the dots: International solar alliance offers many opportunities —from geopolitical advantages to economic benefits. Discuss. MUST READ Bifurcation and blame The Hindu Under a humane constitution The Hindu In testing times Indian Express Social injustice Indian Express New Delhi is walking into the China trap Livemint What's the role of public sector banks? Business Line

Mar 12, 2018 PIB

IASbaba PIB Weekly : Press Information Bureau – 4th March to 11th March, 2018

IASbaba Press Information Bureau 4th March to 11th March, 2018 ARCHIVES GS-2 Launch of National Nutrition Mission (Topic: 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 ;) Aimed at: 10 crore beneficiaries, mainly children up to the age of 6 years, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent girls. Target: To reduce stunting, under-nutrition, and low birth weight by 2 percent per annum, and anaemia by 3 percent annually Half of the amount required for the scheme is proposed to come from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other multilateral development agencies. It would be executed with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) as the nodal ministry along with Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare which is in-charge of immunisation. The mission aims to bring down the stunting percentage as per the National Family Health Survey-4 (2014-15) from 38.4 percent to 25 percent by 2022. ICT would be used for real-time monitoring of the services provided by anganwadi workers, ASHA workers (accredited social health activists) and auxiliary nurse midwives. Must read: Link 1 Launch of Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) (Topic: 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 ;) By: NITI Aayog Aimed at: Building an ecosystem for women across India to realize their entrepreneurial aspirations, scale-up innovative initiatives and chalk-out sustainable, long-term strategies for their businesses. Three pillars on which WEP is built: Ichha Shakti (motivating aspiring entrepreneurs to start their enterprise) Gyaan Shakti (providing knowledge and ecosystem support to women entrepreneurs to help them foster entrepreneurship) Karma Shakti (providing hands-on support to entrepreneurs in setting-up and scaling up businesses). “Make in India” Action Plan (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Under the “Make in India” action plan, 21 key sectors have been identified for specific actions under: Policy initiatives Fiscal incentives Infrastructure creation Ease of doing business Innovation and R&D Skill development Key sectors have been opened up for FDI: defence manufacturing, food processing, telecom, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, civil aviation, space, private security agencies, railways, insurance and pensions and medical devices. Key Points: In 2016-17, FDI inflow stood at a record of USD 60 billion, highest ever recorded for a fiscal year ever. According to IMF World Economic Outlook (April2017) and UN World Economic Situation Prospects 2017, India is the fastest growing major economy in the world and is projected to remain so in year 2018. Draft Indian National Strategy for Standardization (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) The Strategy considers the current state of development across sectors, the existing quality infrastructure and the policy directions in relation to domestic economic developments and trade in goods and services. Key Objectives of Draft INSS Positioning standards as a key driver of all economic activities relating to goods and services Developing a comprehensive ecosystem in India for standards development taking into account the diversity of interests and expertise available Using standards as enhancer of competitiveness of Indian goods and services in domestic and international markets Providing level playing field to domestic industry Adopting best practices in standardization, conformity assessment and technical regulations and creating an integrated infrastructure, roadmaps and institutions for their effective management Playing an active role and taking leadership positions in apex international forums in the related areas Creating response mechanisms to global developments on standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment practices that impact market access of Indian goods and services Aligning the Strategy with other national policies related to trade & industry, consumers and environment Cabinet Approves: Signing of Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement between India and France: The Agreement represents a major milestone in enhancing people-to -people contacts, fostering mobility of students, academics, researchers and skilled professionals and strengthening cooperation on issues related to irregular migration and human trafficking between the two sides. Signing of an Agreement between India and France to facilitate "Mutual Recognition of Academic Qualifications": To facilitate Mutual Recognition of educational qualifications and periods of study undertaken by students in duly approved, recognized and/or accredited educational Institutions within the two countries The agreement will be instrumental in encouraging mobility of students from both the countries by facilitating possibilities for them to continue their studies in the other country and would also promote excellence in higher education through innovative partnerships/collaborations and research activities which will be leading to the improvement of the quality of education in India. Agreement between India and France to prevent illicit consumption and reduction of illicit traffic in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Chemical Precursors and related offences: Aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation between the two countries in the prevention of the said offences through exchange of information, expertise and capacity building. MoU between India and Hellenic on Renewable Energy Cooperation: Both sides aim to establish the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable issues on the basis of mutual benefit equality and reciprocity. Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 for introduction in the Parliament: It is a part of the efforts of the Government to encourage institutional arbitration for settlement of disputes and make India a centre of robust Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism. Benefit: Will facilitate achieving the goal of improving institutional arbitration by establishing an independent body to lay down standards, make arbitration process more party friendly, cost effective and ensure timely disposal of arbitration cases. Background: To give a boost to institutional, arbitration vis-a-vis ad hoc arbitration and to remove some practical difficulties in applicability of the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2015, a High Level Committee (HLC) under the Chairmanship of Justice B. H. Srikrishna, Retired Judge, Supreme Court of India, was constituted by the Central Government. The HLC was given the mandate – To examine the effectiveness of existing arbitration mechanism by studying the functioning and performance of Arbitral Institutions in India; To devise a road map to promote institutionalized arbitration mechanisms in India; To evolve an effective and efficient arbitration eco-system for commercial dispute resolution and submit a Report on suggested reforms in the statute. Memorandum of Cooperation between India and France in the field of environment: Will enable establishment and promotion of closer and long-term cooperation between the countries in the field of environment protection and management of natural resources on the basis of equity, reciprocity and mutual benefits, taking into account the applicable laws and legal provisions in each country. India – Vietnam Relations (Topic: India and its neighbourhood- relations) President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: H.E. Mr. Tran Dai Quang Fathers of the Nation, Vietnam: President Ho Chi Minh Defence & Security – an important and effective pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Stronger cooperation between their armed forces and enhanced cooperation in areas of cyber security, combating terrorism and violent extremism in all their forms and manifestations, transnational crimes, human and drug trafficking, maritime security, climate change and food security. Reaffirmed their commitment to an open, free, secure, stable, peaceful and accessible cyber space under the auspices of the United Nations and called for greater cooperation and effective implementation of the agreements signed between the two sides on cyber security Both sides agreed to expedite the implementation of the US$100 million Line of Credit for building of high-speed patrol boats for the Viet Nam Border Guards and urged for early signing of a framework agreement on the US$ 500 million Line of Credit for defence industry Economic Relations – Need to enhance strong trade and economic engagement To explore new trade and investment opportunities in identified priority areas of cooperation: hydrocarbons, power generation, renewable energy, energy, conservation, infrastructure, textiles, footwear, pharmaceuticals, machine tools, agriculture and agro-products, tourism, chemicals, ICT and other service sector industries To intensify cooperation to increase productivity, quantum and content of science and technology in agricultural products Energy Cooperation – Welcomed Indian oil and gas companies to avail of opportunities in the midstream and downstream sectors in Viet Nam, to expand their oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities on land and in the continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Vietnam Culture, Education & People-to-People Exchanges To intensify cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange, widen and deepen cultural and historical ties by cooperating further in the areas of archaeology, conservation and museums to revive and reconnect the civilizational and historic cultural heritage between the two countries Connectivity The Indian side urged Viet Nam to utilise various initiatives of India for CLMV countries, including the US$1 billion line of credit for physical and digital connectivity projects. The two sides agreed to explore the possibility of extending the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway further to Viet Nam through Cambodia and Lao PDR. The two sides stressed the importance of the early signing of an ASEAN-India Maritime Transport Cooperation Agreement. They sought acceleration of the establishment of direct shipping routes between the sea ports of India and Viet Nam. Regional Cooperation Underscoring the significance of sub-regional frameworks in strengthening bilateral cooperation and complementing regional cooperation through ASEAN frameworks, they agreed to optimally develop and utilise existing sub-regional frameworks, especially the Mekong-Ganga Economic Corridor. The Vietnamese side reiterated its consistent support for permanent membership of India in a reformed Security Council. The two sides re-affirmed their determination and efforts to further cooperate in maintaining peace, stability and development in the Indo - Pacific region as well as in the world at large. They also reiterated the importance of, and the need for complete compliance with international law, notably the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS), including the implementation of international legal obligations in good faith, the maintenance of freedom of navigation and over-flight in the South China Sea, full respect for diplomatic and legal processes, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to the threat or use of force, and in accordance with international law. In this regard, both sides support the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and look forward to an early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. Please Note – Thousands of educational institutions of all Minority communities including Madrasas have been included in the mainstream education system by connecting them with 3Ts – Teacher Tiffin Toilet Key Statistics: School dropout rate among Muslim girls down from 70% to about 40% UNICEF has stated that 25 million child marriages were prevented worldwide in the last decade with South Asia witnessing the largest decline largely due to progress in India. It was stated that in the current trend, 27 per cent of girls get married before they turn 18 years—steep decline from 47 per cent a decade ago. Quotes by: PM of India – Shri Narendra Modi On your journey towards success: “Take up one idea. Make that one  idea your life, think of it, dream of it, live on that idea, let the brain, muscles, nerve, every part of your body be full of that idea and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.” Education: “Your education should be an education of the heart and the spirit, and of the spirit as much of the brain; it should be a living connection between yourselves and your past as well as the modern world!” Former President Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam: “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.” The architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: “I measure the progress of community by the degree of the progress which women have achieved”.

Mar 12, 2018 MindMaps

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue – Passive Euthanasia

IASbaba’s MINDMAP : Issue –Passive Euthanasia 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)

Mar 12, 2018

IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2018 GEOGRAPHY & CURRENT AFFAIRS [Day 8]

Hello Friends,  The 60 Days Training has finally begun:) Before any competition, there is a preparatory phase. That phase involves a lot of sessions on strengths and weaknesses. Throughout the preparatory phase, the athletes train in a gradual manner. In the last phase, just before the actual competition, the training is done so as to sharpen their skills. This training requires complete focus and dedication. In this phase, the athletes do not try anything new or train in a new fashion rather focus on sharpening of skills, focusing on strength and precision. Similarly, the upcoming 60 days, is like the last phase (training session), just before the actual competition. Here, the focus should be on sharpening the concepts, consolidating the knowledge base and solidifying the learning with loads and loads of revision. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL DETAILS AND SOLVE QUESTIONS