Jan 22, 2018 PIB

IASbaba PIB Weekly : Press Information Bureau – 13th Jan to 20th Jan, 2018

IASbaba Press Information Bureau 13th to 20th January, 2018 ARCHIVES GS-2 ‘Make-II’: Major Steps towards ‘Make in India’ in Defence Production (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) As a major boost to ‘Make in India’ in Defence, the Defence Acquisition Council has cleared a simplified ‘Make-II’ procedure which will enable greater participation of industry in acquisition of defence equipment. This process will greatly help import substitution and promote innovative solutions. This simplified ‘Make-II’ procedure will amend the existing ‘Make Procedure’ in Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)-2016. India-Israel Business Summit (Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations) India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (i4F): To combine the talent pool of the two countries in pursuit of path-breaking technological solutions that can be commercially exploited. India-Israel Innovation Bridge will act as a link between the Start-ups of the two sides: India has size and scale. Israel has sharpness and edge. India-Israel Relationship: Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3 + Link 4 (Solve) Gigabit Connectivity with Sri Lanka (Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations) What: Gigabit connectivity between the National Knowledge Network of India and LEARN network of Sri Lanka This dedicated high speed internet connectivity will boost the collaboration among the academic institutions of India and Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Minister for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure Both countries signed MoU for enhancing cooperation between India and Sri Lanka in the IT sector, cyber security and eGovernance. International Solar Alliance Forum (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) On receipt of 15 ratifications, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework Agreement entered into force on the 6th December, 2017 thereby making ISA a de jure treaty based international intergovernmental organisation. So far 19 countries have ratified and 48 countries have signed the ISA Framework Agreement. About ISA The Paris Declaration establishes ISA as an alliance dedicated to the promotion of solar energy among its member countries. The ISA’s major objectives include global deployment of over 1,000GW of solar generation capacity and mobilisation of investment of over US$ 1000 billion into solar energy by 2030. As an action-oriented organisation, the ISA brings together countries with rich solar potential to aggregate global demand, thereby reducing prices through bulk purchase, facilitating the deployment of existing solar technologies at scale, and promoting collaborative solar R&D and capacity building. When the ISA Framework Agreement entered into force on December 6th, 2017, ISA formally became a de-jure treaty based International Intergovernmental Organization, headquartered at Gurugram, India. ISA promotes actual on ground rolling out of solar projects Must Read: Link 1 + Link 2 + Link 3 + Mindmap GS-3 India’s First agri-Options by National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) (Topic: Indian economy; Agriculture) Aim: To provide farmers better engagement in the commodity markets.​ ​ The country’s First Agri-commodity Options in Guar Seed is the unique first-of-its-kind hedging tool which will prove to be a game changer for the farmers. By: Uniquely designed by NCDEX and approved by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Expected to deepen trade in that commodity Benefit farmers in reaping improved price realizations for their produce, with limited downside risk – a powerful tool to empower farmers by allowing them to lock in the prices of their produce at a minimum cost Will give a strong impetus towards systematic development and transformation of commodity derivatives market in India, which will make the agri-economy more efficient and bring huge amount of value for the farmers of India About the Trading: A large number of informal trading centres in some communities of Rajasthan already practice some form of informal options trading while the guar seed is one of the most liquid contracts on the NCDEX platform. NCDEX is the second exchange after MCX to launch option trading in commodities following markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI) approval for such trade last year. In October 2017, MCX had launched gold options. Guarseed is the first agri-commodity options. Options are derivatives which give a buyer the right but not the obligation to buy or sell an underlying asset or instrument at a specific price on or before a certain date. There are already 59 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) trading on the NCDEX NCDEX National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) is an online commodity exchange based in India. It has an independent board of directors and provides a commodity exchange platform for market participants to trade in commodity derivatives. It is a public limited company, incorporated on 23 April 2003 under the Companies Act 1956 and obtained its Certificate of Commencement of Business on 9 May 2003. It commenced operations on 15 December 2003. Successful Fifth Flight Test of Agni-5 Ballistic Missile (Topic: Awareness in the field of Space) Long Range Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile, Agni-5, was successfully flight tested for its full range   Please note: Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA): The PMSMA programme was launched in 2016 to ensure comprehensive and quality antenatal checkups to pregnant women across India. Results of Ease of Doing Business in India In the last three years, India has moved up 42 places in the index of Ease of Doing Business of World Bank; We have moved up 21 places on the Global Innovation Index of WIPO in two years. We have also moved up 32 places in last two years in the Global Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum - the highest for any country; We moved 19 places on the Logistics Performance Index of 2016 of World Bank; We are among the top 10 FDI destinations listed by UNCTAD But we will not stop.      3. Ministry of Minority Affairs Is working with commitment to welfare of Minorities through "3E - Education, Employment, Empowerment" Thousands of educational institutions of all minority communities including madarsas, have been included in the mainstream education system by connecting them with "3T-Teacher, Tiffin, Toilet".      4. Rise of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): One of the types of fatty liver which occurs when fat is deposited (steatosis) in the liver due to causes other than excessive alcohol use. Avoiding consumption of junk food and alcohol, eating a balanced diet, ending sedentary lifestyles and doing regular exercises or Yoga-Asanas are essential for people, particularly the youth, to remain healthy and not fall prey to various other diseases. Quotes by Vice President On Governance Reforms in the style and substance of governance should be the constant endeavor Fruits of democracy will reach the citizens if we can combine a resolute political will with robust administrative skill. Effective service delivery deepens the roots of democracy because it ensures that all citizens, especially those whose voices are not adequately heard, participate actively in nation building. Any policy is only as good as its implementation. The positive impact of policies has to be felt by the citizens. This will happen only if the administration is responsive, the decisions are judicious, the execution is swift and there is a culture of continuous monitoring and evaluation. With an efficient civil administration, India can leverage every challenge that comes its way in transforming itself into a world leader in various spheres in the years to come. As we expand globally and open our doors to the entry of multinational corporations to participate in nation’s progress, there needs to be more emphasis on efficiency, transparency and ethical compliance. Public administration is no longer concerned with just implementation and monitoring of government policies. In a rapidly changing world, the administrative apparatus must be more agile than earlier. It must be innovative, humble, emphatic and objective. On Education Education is the key lever for transforming India. Education is a powerful tool that empowers individuals and transforms communities. It can break the vicious cycles of poverty. It can enable a country like India with a large youth population, to grow. But only if it can capitalize on its demographic advantage True education gives us the humility that makes us realize as to how much more there is to learn. This humility makes us lifelong learners and we grow as individuals. Without a good human resource development strategy, country cannot achieve sustainable development. Without equipping our children, youth and adults with the required knowledge, skills and attitudes, we cannot be a developed nation. Humanistic, inclusive, harmonious vision given to us by ancestors must be integrated into our education system. We must now get down to making our schools, colleges and universities great places of learning. The new resurgent India can be built on excellence and equity in education India requires a curriculum that makes learners knowledgeable, skillful and responsible. We should make put the children at the centre of schooling. We should make the system respond to the learning needs of youth and adults. The higher education system must focus on research and extending the frontiers of knowledge Education system must have essential guiding principles to help students become good human beings. Education is for employment. Education is for enlightenment. Education is for empowerment. Education is for evolution into a competent and caring individual. Education is for transformation of societal norms

Jan 21, 2018 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – Art of Focusing – Inspirational & Educative Articles

Art of Focusing: If you understand the nature of the mind, you will realize that there is no other obstacle to accomplishing any task apart from the constant distractions of the mind. Distraction is not a negative quality of the mind; it is the very foundation of the functioning mechanism of the mind. What is a mind that is not distracted? What you call distraction is your mind’s way of constantly stimulating you about what is happening around you. It is not in the nature of the mind to simply leave you alone to accomplish a task. Focusing is a learnt and practiced habit of the mind. It is not a natural quality of the mind to focus. So, if you are complaining about constant distractions, know that you have not trained your mind to focus. A child is nothing but a distraction. It takes a herculean effort by the parents and teachers to teach a child how to focus. Some children learn this quickly while others wage a constant battle throughout their lives to stay focused. A few things are important to know about distractions. Distractions are the minds way of trying to momentarily satisfy a desire. Have you noticed? Almost all distractions satisfy the mind in some form. That is all the mind is searching for; all it wants is to experience momentary pleasure. This is why it is so difficult to keep the mind focused to attain to anything that takes longer than few days. Since distraction is the very nature of the human mind, you have to find a way to go around it to be able to stay focused. One of the best ways to go beyond unnecessary distractions is by watching your thought process constantly to observe its pattern of distraction. The more you are able to observe the patterns of the mind, the easier it becomes to control it. There is a word that is used to designate this process of watching thoughts; it’s called meditation! Don’t stop reading this article now that you have heard the word meditation. Meditation has a tremendous ability to help you to stay focused. In fact there is no other system through which you can learn how to focus. If you are constantly struggling to focus then just try meditating for 20 minutes a day. 20 minutes a day will bring a sea of change in your ability to focus. The way meditation works is very simple; in every 20 minute sitting you can watch approximately 5 days equivalent of thoughts. Which means all the thoughts you would watch in the duration of 5 days can be watched in just 20 minutes. The only way you have been learning anything is by watching your thoughts, having a conversation with them and then reflecting on them. Meditation accelerates this process of learning. With regular practice your ability to focus will improve tremendously. If you find it difficult to meditate; if you are too distracted to meditate; then it is a clear indicator that you are not able to focus and you need meditation! “The articles are a copyright of The Ahamo Movement and IASBABA.”

Jan 20, 2018 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 20th January 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 20th January 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) Pact to protect health of planet Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation Key pointers: UN Environment and the World Health Organisation have agreed on a new, wide-ranging collaboration to accelerate action to curb environmental health risks that cause an estimated 12.6 million deaths a year. UN Environment and WHO has signed the agreement to step up joint actions to combat air pollution, climate change and antimicrobial resistance, as well as improve coordination on waste and chemicals management, water quality, and food and nutrition issues. The collaboration also includes joint management of the BreatheLife advocacy campaign to reduce air pollution for climate, environment and health benefits. This represents the most significant formal agreement on joint action across the spectrum of environment and health issues in over 15 years. There is an urgent need for the two agencies to work more closely together to address the critical threats to environmental sustainability and climate — which are the foundations for life on this planet. This new agreement recognises this reality. Our health is directly related to the health of the environment we live in. Together, air, water and chemical hazards kill more than 12.6 million people a year. Most of these deaths occur in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America where environmental pollution takes its biggest health toll. The new collaboration creates a systematic framework for joint research, development of tools and guidance, capacity building, monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals, global and regional partnerships. Article link: Click here Smart City Mission: 99 cities Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Infrastructure Key pointers: Nine more cities, including Silvassa, Erode, Moradabad and Itanagar, will now be part of Smart Cities Mission, increasing the total number of such cities to 99. With 99 cities now part of the Smart Cities Mission(SCM), the total proposed investment in these cities is estimated to be Rs. 2,03,979 crore. The newly announced cities will have approximately 409 projects. The funding sources for these projects is proposed to include contribution from State and Centre, convergence, PPP, the SCM’s own sources and other sources. Liveability index To make cities more ‘liveable’, Puri also announced the commencement of the Liveability Index Programme in 116 cities. The programme seeks to develop a common minimum framework for cities to assess their existing status and chart their path towards better quality of life. Article link: Click here Office of Profit: Explained Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Parliament and State Legislatures - structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. Key pointers: What are the basic criteria to disqualify an MP or MLA? Basic disqualification criteria for an MP are laid down in Article 102 of the Constitution, and for an MLA in Article 191. They can be disqualified for: Holding an office of profit under government of India or state government; Being of unsound mind; Being an undischarged insolvent; Not being an Indian citizen or for acquiring citizenship of another country What is ‘office of profit’? The word ‘office’ has not been defined in the Constitution or the Representation of the People Act of 1951. But different courts have interpreted it to mean a position with certain duties that are more or less of public character. How do courts or EC decide whether an MP or MLA has profited from an office? The Supreme Court, while upholding the disqualification of Jaya Bachchan from Rajya Sabha in 2006, had said, “For deciding the question as to whether one is holding an office of profit or not, what is relevant is whether the office is capable of yielding a profit or pecuniary gain and not whether the person actually obtained a monetary gain… If the office carries with it, or entitles the holder to, any pecuniary gain other than reimbursement of out of pocket/actual expenses, then the office will be an office of profit for the purpose of Article 102 (1)(a)…” However, a person who acquires a contract or licence from a government to perform functions, which the government would have itself discharged, will not be held guilty of holding an office of profit. What is the underlying principle for including ‘office of profit’ as criterion for disqualification? Makers of the Constitution wanted that legislators should not feel obligated to the Executive in any way, which could influence them while discharging legislative functions. In other words, an MP or MLA should be free to carry out her duties without any kind of governmental pressure. Recent instances: In March 2006, President APJ Abdul Kalam disqualified Jaya Bachchan of the SP from Rajya Sabha with retrospective effect from July 14, 2004, for holding an office of profit as chairperson of the UP Film Development Council. In January 2015, UP MLAs Bajrang Bahadur Singh (BJP) and Uma Shankar Singh (BSP) were disqualified from the assembly after they were indicted by the Lokayukta for bagging government construction contracts by misusing their position. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL  TOPIC: General Studies 2: India and its neighborhood relations, International 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, Indian diaspora. Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. India admitted as the 43rd member of the Australia Group Introduction: India was recently admitted as the 43rd member of the Australia Group, an informal bloc of countries that keeps a tight control over exports of substances used in the making of chemical weapons. With its admission into the Australia Group, India is now part of three of the four key export control groups in the world. Australia Group is the third multilateral export control group – after the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and Wassenaar Arrangement – that India has become a member of. India joined the MTCR in June 2016, followed by the Wassenaar Arrangement in December 2017. The only export control group that India is not a part of is the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which controls the export of sensitive nuclear technologies and equipment, with the aim of preventing nuclear weapons’ proliferation. Basics: The four key export control groups: MTCR, NSG, Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement – are the four nuclear regimes – aim to restrict the proliferation of items that could lead to the spread of, among others, weapons of mass destruction and chemical and biological weapons. Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR): It is a multilateral, consensus – based grouping of 35 member countries (includes India, China is not a member of this regime) who are voluntarily committed to the non-proliferation of missiles capable of carrying chemical, biological and nuclear weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). It controls the export of the technologies and materials involved in ballistic missile systems and unmanned aerial vehicles particularly capable of carrying nuclear warheads of above 500kg payload for more than 300 km. This is a non–treaty association of member countries with certain guidelines about the information sharing, national control laws and export policies for missile systems and a rule-based regulation mechanism to limit the transfer of such critical technologies of these missile systems. India had joined MTCR as a full member and also agreed to join the Hague Code of conduct made it bolster its position as a responsible nuclear state and strengthen its case for the membership of other multilateral export control regimes like Nuclear Suppliers Group, Australia Group, and Wassenaar arrangement. Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG): Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment, and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. 48-nation group that frames and implements agreed rules for exporting nuclear equipment, with a view to controlling the spread of nuclear weapons. It is not a formal organization, and its guidelines are not binding. Decisions, including on membership, are made by consensus. India is not a member of NSG. Australia Group (AG): It is an informal bloc of countries that keeps a tight control over exports of substances used in the making of chemical weapons. It was established in 1985. It has now has 43 members. China, Pakistan, Iran, North Korea are not its members. Wassenaar Arrangement (WG): The Wassenaar Arrangement (not to be confused with the Wassenaar Agreement), (full name: The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies) is a multilateral export control regime (MECR) with 41 participating states. The Wassenaar Arrangement was established to contribute to regional and international security and stability by promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, thus preventing destabilizing accumulations. Participating States seek, through their national policies, to ensure that transfers of these items do not contribute to the development or enhancement of military capabilities which undermine these goals, and are not diverted to support such capabilities. Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT): 1968 treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to foster the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of disarmament. It identifies “nuclear weapons states” as those that tested devices before January 1, 1967, which means India could never be one and thus it refused to sign it. Conclusion: With its admission into the AG, India has demonstrated the will to implement rigorous controls of high standards in international trade, and its capacity to adapt its national regulatory system to meet the necessities of its expanding economy The inclusion will help to raise India’s stature in the field of non-proliferation, though it is not signatory to Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and help in acquiring critical technologies. It is also expected to strengthen India’s bid to enter 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Connecting the dots: India wants to be part of the rule-making groups rather than being out of them and on the sidelines. Examine the statement keeping in view the steps and efforts taken by India to gain entry into the missile treaty club. India’s admittance into three of the four key export control groups is a big step forward in its quest for formal acceptance as a responsible nuclear power. Comment. ENERGY SECURITY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Technology, Energy Security Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Generating energy through nuclear fusion: Challenges Background: Power generation through fusion reaction has been one of the most attractive fields of nuclear research and has consequently seen considerable investment since the middle of the last century. While the world has been awaiting a breakthrough in an affordable and clean power source for long, nuclear fusion has always been seen, since the 1950s, as the energy source that was 50 years away from commercial availability and would always remain so. In recent years, however, it seems we are getting very close to the first real goals of harnessing this energy, i.e., working prototypes of fusion reactors. Advanced technologies and supercomputing have remarkably accelerated the pace of R&D in this field, which has probably led to the recent confident claims. Nuclear fusion technology: In nuclear fusion, various isotopes of hydrogen are fused together to form a new element, helium. In the process, a small amount of matter is converted into heat energy, as in the case of nuclear fission. This energy is enormous and could be harnessed. But the temperature required for nuclear fusion to occur is in the range of 13 million degrees centigrade. No material can withstand such high temperatures. Hydrogen fusion experiments are therefore presently being carried out in apparatuses called ‘Tokamaks’ (toroidal plasma chambers), where the hydrogen in extremely hot plasma form is fused together while being suspended away from the walls of the apparatus using extremely strong magnetic fields. Challenge: The problems in achieving successful nuclear fusion have mainly related to sustaining the reaction for long durations and plasma containment. The moment the plasma comes into contact with any other material in the tokamak, it immediately loses heat and the temperature required to be maintained comes down drastically, stopping the reaction. At present, it has been possible to stably hold the plasma in the tokamak only for a few seconds or at best a few minutes. Large amounts of input energy are also required for the experimental apparatus to work and to sufficiently raise the temperature of the plasma for the fusion reaction to start. In all the experimentation conducted till date, it has not proved possible to obtain a higher output of fusion energy than the input energy. The best output to input energy ratio has been 65 per cent. For fusion to become a viable source of energy generation, the reaction will have to be sustained for long durations and output energy will have to be many times greater than input energy. Though research is being carried out at almost 200 tokamaks worldwide, including the famous International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), none is envisaging imminent breakthroughs as in the case of compact fusion, even though some successes have been recently achieved in boosting the energy output tenfold. India is also a prominent participant in the ITER programme. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER): ITER is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject, which will be the world's largest magnetic confinement plasma physics experiment. It is an experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor that is being built in southern France. The machine aims to demonstrate the principle of producing more thermal power from the fusion process than is used to heat the plasma, something that has not yet been achieved in any fusion reactor. The project is funded and run by seven member entities—the European Union, India, Japan, China, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. The EU, as host party for the ITER complex, is contributing about 45 percent of the cost, with the other six parties contributing approximately 9 percent each. Positives: Entities working on compact fusion also claim that their technology will avert the major environmental impacts of global warming, expected by 2050. The positive climate mitigating impact of such technologies would, however, depend on the economic viability of fusion energy, which, in turn, would depend on the costs of reactors, cost of materials, complexity of technology, access to technology, product patenting, etc. Cost effective fusion reactors would be able to provide practically limitless power for all the needs of mankind from domestic to industrial supply to desalination of sea water without environmental degradation and further energize pollution control mechanisms. It is safe and cannot lead to the making of a fusion bomb. There would be no danger of accidents similar to Chernobyl as a runaway fusion reaction is intrinsically impossible and any malfunction would result in a rapid shutdown of the plant. Research being undertaken in fields of energy storage, especially vis-à-vis battery technology, are also showing encouraging results. High-capacity battery technology would form a perfect partner with compact fusion technology in providing clean energy in the future. Fusion does not generate long-lived radioactive products and the unburned gases can be treated on site. While there would a short-to-medium term radioactive waste problem due to the activation of structural materials. Some component materials will become radioactive during the lifetime of a reactor, and will eventually become radioactive waste. The quantity of such waste is, however, likely to be insignificantly small. Disruptive potential of fusion energy: The greatest and immediate hit of attaining success in harnessing fusion energy is likely to be on oil prices. FOil prices probably would similarly plummet if and when the fusion experiment succeeds. As such, global oil demand is predicted to see a downtrend beyond 2025. Even other energy investments such as in wind, solar, coal, etc. could suffer major setbacks. Issue: The technology would be under strict US or UK governmental controls for many years or even decades to follow, as these are the nations which are making investments in fusion experiments. The percolation of fusion technology to other nations in all likelihood would, therefore, be at very carefully measured rates for the next two to three decades. Besides, since compact fusion would be solely their creation, Western companies and governments are likely to exploit it for profits for many years to come. Thus, even if this technology has the potential to take care of all of mankind’s energy needs it will not be so in near time. Indian context: India has its own plasma research experimental tokamaks called ‘Aditya’ and SST-1 at the Institute of Plasma Research, Gujarat, for conducting fusion research. These have given invaluable experience to Indian scientists because of which they have found a prominent place in the ITER project. India has not ventured into compact fusion research so far. In view of the various recent developments in compact fusion, India also needs to carefully tread forward in the energy sector, especially when getting into long-term contracts for power generation. India’s demand for forthcoming decades is huge. It would be prudent therefore to keep an eye on developments in this field, conduct technological forecasts of fusion research and revisit future energy plans as needed. Conclusion: Energy generation through nuclear fission seems to be not very far away. Western nations are investing in the technology. Its time developing nations like that the benefit of such a technology is reaped by all, if the mankind has to benefit. Connecting the dots: What do you mean by nuclear fusion technology? Many experiments are going worldwide to generate energy for mankind usage using the technology. Discuss the challenges involved and the associated benefits. MUST READ On a new keel The Hindu Signs of a geopolitical whirlwind The Hindu A poor prognosis The Hindu Educating India Business Line

Jan 20, 2018 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Cabinet Approval to National Medical Commission Bill

Cabinet Approval to National Medical Commission Bill ARCHIVES Search 17th December 2017 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. For long, the medical education sector was under scrutiny for corruption and unethical practices. The National Medical Commission Bill was introduced. It will repeal the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and provide for a medical education system which ensures: Availability of adequate and high-quality medical professionals Adoption of the latest medical research by medical professionals Periodic assessment of medical institutions Effective grievance redressal mechanism Highlights National Medical Commission (NMC) is to be set up to frame policies for regulating medical institutions and medical professionals, determine fees of private medical institutions and deemed universities, assess requirements of healthcare-related human resources and infrastructure and more. Medical Advisory Council, a primary platform to through which the states/union territories can put forth their views and concerns before the NMC Uniform National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admission to undergraduate medical education. Practitioners of Ayurveda and other traditional Indian systems of medicine the licence to prescribe allopathic drugs after they have passed a ‘bridge course.’ In brief This bill was long pending. Like the government has changed the planning commission into NITI aayog, similarly, Medical Council of India will be revamped into a new body which will have a 25-member National Medical Commission selected by a search committee headed by the cabinet secretary. The composition of the body will take place for the positive direction and composition of work. Government will be able to control 40% of the seats in private medical colleges which is a positive move in regulating the fee structure in private colleges. Most of the students are from rural background and want subsidized medical education. Earlier, the fees were nominal, there was no donation and capitation. Since independence there were only 6-7 medical colleges but over the years they have increased manifold. The growth in the government medical colleges was not sharp and big as compared to private medical college. Few medical colleges are opened in rural areas. 60% of medical students come from rural background or smaller cities. Once the students get habit of city lifestyle, it becomes difficult for them to go serve in rural areas. Thus, opening of medical colleges in rural areas is good move. Though colleges are added in rural India, there is need of more nursing institutions, pharmacists and more doctors. The current mindset in the young generation is that medicine studies are time taking and takes long to establish the career. So less young students are opting for medical education. The medical education and its system should get right so that more people do graduation and post graduation in medicine. Registration of medical colleges will be done and then only they will have independence to control those seats. Criticism The NMC is proposed to be government-nominated chairman and members, thereby it becoming a body run by government. In merging of Ayush with modern medicine, many fear it as a potential threat to patients and risky as an untested medical “trial.” Medical colleges will need permission only once for establishment and recognition, with no need for annual renewal. The quality of monitoring can be diluted. Reforms needed Overall improvement in health care system of country is the basic need today. There has to be demand fulfilment of better doctors nurses, medical institutions as well as an efficient regulatory authority for the same. The need of medical system is changing. There is more of private hospitals in the fray, corporate hospitals, government colleges are increasing their seats in post graduation. However, primary healthcare should be considered the most crucial one to maintain the health of the nation. For this, there is a need to reform private hospitals providing healthcare. Also, medical insurance should not be over-premium that people cannot afford it. The concept of family doctor has gone who would know the patient’s history. Today the doctor refers to ten specialists as he himself is unable to diagnose as he has lost touch with regular patients. This gives rise to unnecessary tests, reports and inflated medical bills.  Thus, it is a matter of individual audit where the doctor has to audit itself at the time of making diagnosis and prescribing medicines. Nobody can audit a doctor but himself as she/he takes oath while coming into this profession and should remain true to their profession. Conclusion There is a need for structural integrity, structural vision, and institutional vision in reforming the medical education system in India. There should be regional medical councils for looking after the compliances of NMC and Medical Assessment and Rating Board. There can also be standards set for individual medical professionals and professional medical affiliations. Though much is done to provide better health care to the people, India still remains low in many healthcare indices. For this, the population explosion is to be blamed as whatever the government does, it gets diluted by growth of population. However, these concerns have to be dealt separately and make sure that each person gets quality healthcare. Connecting the dots: Healthcare is an important area for development of nation and thus matters the quality of healthcare practitioners. Critically examine the salient features of National Medical Commission Bill 2017.

Jan 20, 2018 Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance: Book Review – Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand

Atlas Shrugged: A ruthlessly original and bold writer takes you on an unbelievable journey through human motives, emotions and actions. Ayn Rand is a mast story teller. More importantly she is a master philosopher. This incredible book will make you question all your assumptions of life. Read this book to enter a world of characters that are both intriguing and unfathomable. This is one of Ayn Rand’s best works till date. This story grips you with its plot, story and above all the intricate web of human relations. This is not a novel; it is a philosophical treatise on life. The scale and scope of this work will surely leave you surprised. What drives the world, what is the motive for action, and what is the motive for power? This book will ask questions that you would not have even thought of. If there is one book you want to read this year, let it be Atlas Shrugged. Ayn Rand has created a new world of her philosophy objectivism. Her characters are so authentic and compelling that it will not only change your way of thinking but it will influence also your way of life. She has a gift that is rare and irresistible. Feast on this book.  

Jan 20, 2018 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 19th January 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 19th January 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) EWDS (Early Warning Dissemination System) Part of: Mains GS Paper III- Disaster and disaster management. Key pointers: Odisha will become the first Indian state to have an early warning system in place for natural disasters. Odisha is the first State in lndia to have developed an automatic public address system that can be activated along its entire coast. Early warning Dissemination System project aims to establish a fool-proof communication system to address the existing gaps in disseminating disaster warning up to the community level. The EWDS comprises of technologies like Satellite-Based Mobile Data Voice Terminals (SBMDVT), Digital Mobile Radio (DMR), Mass Messaging System (MMS) and Universal Communication Interface (UCI) for inter-operability among different communication technologies. Disaster warnings would be issued through sirens that will go off simultaneously from 122 towers in six coastal districts. It is being implemented with assistance from the world Bank's national cyclone risk mitigation project. Article link: Click here Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health Key pointers: GATS is a nationally representative household survey of adults 15 years of age or older that is intended to enhance the capacity of countries to design, implement and evaluate tobacco control interventions. GATS 2016-17 was conducted by the Union health ministry with technical assistance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US. Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2016-17, India has witnessed an overall decline in the number of tobacco users in past seven years, especially among the age group of 15 to 24. Pic link: http://images.indianexpress.com/2018/01/survey1.jpg Article link: Click here Report highlights India’s digital divide Part of: GS Paper II – National; India and Bharat; Urban-Rural divide Key pointers: ·         Report name: Pratham’s Annual Status of Education Report, 2017 ·         Report focused on rural youth in the 14-18 age group ·         Kerala - far ahead of all Indian States in breaching the digital divide (very low percentage of the surveyed rural youth had never used the Internet and mobile phone) ·         West Bengal seems right at the bottom in terms of the rural youth’s access to the Internet, computers and mobiles (high percentage of rural youth had never used the Internet and mobile phone) Article link: Click here Agni-V successfully tested for 5th time Part of: GS paper III: Defence and Security India successfully tested Agni-V About Agni V: intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) long range surface-to-surface ballistic missile part of Integrated Guided Missile Development Program range of over 5,000 km; can reach most parts of China   Pic link: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article22467759.ece/alternates/FREE_660/th18-Dinakar-LoG0A38SJF81jpgjpg Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) Towards solar-powered agriculture Introduction: Renewable energy is now seen as the key electricity supply option, given its rapidly falling costs and its contribution to enhancing energy security at a time of ever-rising fossil fuel imports. Among renewable energy, solar energy is increasingly becoming mainstream due to cost feasibility and higher efficiency. India must exploit the potential of this technology to help farmers meet irrigation needs. Agricultural areas receive an abundance of sunlight, thus they make fantastic sites for solar power. Masses of unused land is ideal for large solar systems that can offset the burden of a high electricity consumption. Shift towards solar-powered agriculture In the past few years, solar pumps have consistently stimulated the interest of various bureaucrats and politicians. There is no shortage of ideas which the Centre, States, civil society organisations, and enterprises are adopting to enhance penetration of solar for irrigation. For instance, Maharashtra is solarising its agricultural feeders by installing solar power plants at the substation level, through competitive bidding. Karnataka is promoting solar pumps for existing grid-connected farmers under a net-metering regime, allowing them to generate additional income by feeding back surplus energy into the grid. In eastern States, GIZ, a German development agency, has piloted community ownership models providing water-as-a-service using solar pumps. However, there are some concerns: Despite the diversity of approaches and significant government subsidies, only about 1,42,000 pumps have been deployed till date against a target of one million pumps by 2021. Majority of the marginal farmers still rely on buying water, the costliest option for irrigation, or on renting pumps to meet their needs. Such limited demand, in a country with 132 million farmers and 28 million existing irrigation pumps, calls for a reflection on existing deployment approaches. So, how should India proceed with this impactful technology? What type of deployment approaches should it adopt? Research studies from Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) highlights the following – The government should target marginal farmers with smaller solar pumps, particularly in areas with good groundwater development potential. Second, government should couple solar pump deployment with micro-irrigation and water harvesting interventions at the farm and community levels. Third, government should focus on technology demonstration and deploy at least five solar pumps in each block of the country. In regions with already good penetration of electric pumps, prefer feeder solarisation through competitive bidding over solarisation of individual pumps. In regions with prevailing local water markets, promote community-owned solar pumps. Encourage sharing of solar pumps among farmers through farmer extension programmes. Provide interest-subsidy to farmers combined with reduced capital subsidy to enable large-scale deployment of solar pumps in a shorter span of time. Conclusion: In India, 53% of the net-sown area is still rain-fed. Solar pumps hold potential to enhance irrigation access, advance low-carbon agriculture, reduce the burden of rising electricity subsidies, and improve the resilience of farmers against a changing climate. The above methods and efforts suggested by CEEW could have a profound effect on farmers’ willingness to adopt solar pumps and spur bottom-up demand. Such an approach would cover a greater number of farmers, helping them reap the benefits of solar pumps sooner, and increase overall returns to the economy. India must exploit the potential of this decentralised technology to achieve the dual national targets of 100 GW of solar and doubling farmers income by 2022. Connecting the dots: Despite the stimulated interest of various bureaucrats and politicians and significant government subsidies to enhance the penetration of solar for irrigation, its deployment is very poor. Do you agree? Suggest what kind of deployment approaches should the government adopt? NATIONAL/EDUCATION  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. Issues relating to development and management of Social sector or Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. ASER 2017: Current challenges in primary education Introduction: There is a direct bearing of poor learning outcomes in primary schools on the students’ future. The rot in India’s primary education is bound to affect the quality of our workforce. Pratham’s latest Annual Survey of Education Report (Aser) 2017, “Beyond Basics”, that focuses on students in the 14-18 age group highlights the following – While 86% of adolescents are enrolled in schools, they are under-equipped to contribute to the economy in any meaningful way. 25% of the students cannot read a basic text in their own language fluently. 40% of 18-year-olds cannot read a simple sentence in English. And most of them lack basic arithmetic skills; only 43% of them could perform a simple division. More girls than boys drop out of school between ages 14-18. While boys drop out to work, girls usually stay at home and help with domestic chores. All these translates to unacceptable performance in everyday tasks, such as - calculating time, applying the unitary method, comprehending the instructions written on a pack of oral rehydration solution etc. Concerns: India has achieved universal enrolment at the elementary level. This is a great achievement, but getting students to school is only the beginning of human capital formation. Learning requires a lot more than attendance. In order for students to stay in school, the school needs to create a noticable difference in the students’ abilities. The drop in the enrolment rate in secondary education (78.5%), despite the high returns to education, shows that something is wrong in our quality of instruction. Performance of private unaided schools better than government schools The ASER report highlighted that - Private unaided schools have much better learning outcomes per unit of expenditure. Contrary to popular opinion, most private unaided schools are inexpensive; 80% of them charge a fee that is lower than the government’s per-pupil expenditure (PPE). In terms of learning outcomes, both private and government schools performed poorly, but private schools perform better. Private unaided schools are delivering the same, if not better, learning outcomes than government schools at a fraction of the cost, despite resource constraints. This shows that more inputs do not translate into better outputs. Despite qualified teachers, mid-day meals and free admissions, 13 million students left government schools between 2011 and 2016, while private school enrolment increased by 17 million in that duration. Clearly, people are choosing private schools for their better service. What implications does this have for India’s education policy? For starters, the government needs to acknowledge the fact that “unrecognized” private unaided schools play an important role. The Right to Education Act stipulates that private schools cannot be established or continue to function without obtaining a “certificate of recognition” from the state government, i.e. until they meet stipulated norms such as the maximum pupil-teacher-ratio and infrastructure. This has made many schools economically unviable and forced them to shut down. Given that millions of students have left government schools for private ones, the government should support their education by giving school vouchers to all underprivileged students. The students can choose to spend the voucher in their government school, or give it to a private school. This will increase the purchasing power of all parents and allow them to send their child to school for more years, or send them to a better school. Better managed schools will attract more students and expand, while poorly performing schools will shrink. The increasing number of government schools that are emptying-out, but continue to drain resources, will have to improve their performance or they might cease to exist. Policies such as free bicycles to girls in Bihar have been successful in increasing enrolment by improving mobility. Building gender-specific toilets in schools is another measure that helps in improving girls’ enrolment. As a welcome move, the upcoming New Education Policy is likely to focus more on outcomes than inputs. Conclusion: 2018 will be a historic year for Indian education policy. The Kasturirangan Committee is expected to release the New Education Policy, outlining the principles, policies and, perhaps, specific programmes and pilots that will guide education delivery in the country. An educated citizenry is vital for a democracy. If our education system does not enable people to comprehend the written word, keep stable jobs and participate in reasonable debates, it is a problem that needs immediate redressal. While the Aser report does not paint a favourable picture of the quality of the present workforce, education reforms can change the situation for the next generation. Connecting the dots: Despite the stimulated interest of various bureaucrats and politicians and significant government inputs to enhance the enrollments in primary and secondary education, its enrollment is very poor. Do you agree? Suggest what kind of implications does this have for India’s education policy? MUST READ  Transparent Marking Indian Express Current challenges to growth, and long-term constraints Livemint Reading is power Business Line We need labour reform of the right kind Business Line

Jan 19, 2018 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 126]

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 126] Archives Q.1) Consider the following statements about ‘SangeetNatakAkademi’ It is an Autonomous Body of the Ministry of Culture The Chairman is appointed by the President of India and holds office for a term of five years Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) "Cloud AutoML" is launched by Google Microsoft Adobe Amazon Q.3) 'Eco mark' is given to the Indian products that are Pure and unadulterated Rich in proteins Environment friendly Economically viable Q.4) Which one of the following elements is essential for the construction of nuclear reactors? Cobalt Nickel Zirconium Tungsten Q.5) Which one of the following is a language of Baluchistan but linguistically Dravidian? Brahui Kui Parji Pengo To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best  IASbaba

Jan 19, 2018 AIR

All India Radio (AIR) : Developmental Projects in North Eastern States

Developmental Projects in North Eastern States ARCHIVES Search 16th December 2017 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 1 Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism. General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies 3 Infrastructure: Energy North-east India for decades has seen poor infrastructure and limited connectivity which has acted as roadblocks for socio-economic development of eight states. Thus, now is the vision to develop north east region at par with nation. In Mizoram, PM inaugurated 60 MW Tuirial hydropower project which was sanctioned years ago. The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) cleared the project for implementation in July 1998. Encourage the entrepreneurs DONER ministry had set up 100 crore venture capital fund. This is to inculcate the spirit of enterprise among the north east youth which augers well for the entire region. Reason for less development of north east states Insurgency in Mizoram- 1966 to 1986 Naga insurgency dates back to pre-independence days. Only in 1970s there was some ceasefire. As there was lack of peace, not much development could happen Assam also had lot of insurgency (ULFA) issues Manipur is the only state which has remained undisturbed. What matters in North east? Until there is peace, no development can take place. The attitude of the central government matters a lot. DONER ministry (Development of North East Region) was established in 2000. DONER ministry was created specially to look at the needs of the north east region and act as a planning commission for the region and agency between the state governments and central ministries. It bridged the gap between state government and central government. Every fortnight, one of the central ministers will be visiting on rotation to each of the north eastern states. Instead of waiting for officers from north east to visit Delhi, the DONER ministry started visiting the states. Government now aims to work at war footing pace to bring development in north eastern region at par with that of nation. For any development, industrial or IT, power is a necessity. No power, no industry, no IT activities. The entire region is interconnected. If there is problem in one area, the entire corridor is affected. There is comprehensive scheme for power transmission and distribution for north east. There are other hydropower projects too with installation of 694 MWs of power generating capacity. 2540 kms of transmission lines and distribution lines have already been laid. Connectivity in the north east region is a major hurdle for the government. 3840kms of national highway was sanctioned with investment of 32600 crores. In the last three years, approx. 1100 kms of national highways have been constructed. Investment of 60000 crore is proposed for roads in the north east region. A highway was inaugurated in shillong which is very important for any development in the states as good highway cut shorts the travel time. North east road development scheme for rehabilitation, upgradation of important but neglected state roads. Making north east tourist friendly. Recently, Sangai festival concluded in Manipur, festival in Mizoram. Tourists from mainland india as well as broad are coming to north east. Rs 2700 crores sanctioned in 2016 to protect the Majuli Island from erosion. It is a world heritage site and thus attracts more tourists. Destination north east is organized every year to boost business and tourism. Development of Umiyam lake under swadesh darshan scheme (barapani in meghalaya). Development of spiritual circuit in manipur as it has traces of old culture, heritage sites. Development of tourist circuit in Sikkim Planning to start a tribal circuit in Nagaland Homestays and hotels have come up in these areas. North east importance in act east policy North east is gateway to south East Asia- borders will Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan. GoI is keen to create all the infrastructure in the north east and strengthening the connectivity between north east and ASEAN countries in trade, culture, people to people contact and infrastructure. Role of north east council The North-Eastern Council (NEC) is a nodal agency for economic and social development of the north-east. The NEC members include governors and chief ministers of these eight states. It is implementing body of DONER ministry. It monitors whatever the projects are sanctioned by DONER ministry are properly implemented. NEC has spent 2309 crores in last three years to develop the region. The number of projects handled by NEC has risen from 56 to 138 in 2016-17 compared to 2014-15. Conclusion Given the north-eastern region’s strategic location, India has been keen to involve countries of South East Asia and East Asia in its development. The ten key areas for development of north east are highways, railways, power, internet, BPOs, Organic food, assistance, timely implementation of projects for job creation, tourism and development of rural areas. The pro-active approach in the north east region is the key to give fillip to development of the region. Connecting the dots: ‘North east India has the resources to develop itself. It only needs capacity building and hand holding from central government.’ Do you agree with this statement? Analyse.

Jan 18, 2018 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs [Prelims + Mains Focus] - 18th January 2018

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs (Prelims + Mains Focus)- 18th January 2018 Archives (PRELIMS+MAINS FOCUS) India considering becoming member of Budapest convention Part of: Mains GS Paper II- Internal security Key pointers: India is reconsidering its position on becoming a member of the Budapest Convention because of the surge in cyber crime, especially after a push for digital India. The move, however, is being opposed by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) on the grounds that sharing data with foreign law enforcement agencies infringes on national sovereignty and may jeopardise the rights of individuals. A deadline of February this year has been set to operationalise the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). The Home Minister had announced the setting up of I4C in 2016 to deal with all types of cyber crime at the national level. “I4C will be set up under the newly created Cyber and Information Security (CIS) division of the MHA. CIS will have four wings, namely security clearance, cybercrime prevention, cyber security and information security”. The Budapest Convention: It provides for the criminalisation of conduct, ranging from illegal access, data and systems interference to computer-related fraud and child pornography, procedural law tools to make investigation of cybercrime and securing of e-evidence in relation to any crime more effective, and international police and judicial cooperation on cybercrime and e-evidence. The Convention has 56 members, including the US and the UK. There is a need for international cooperation to check cybercrime, radicalisation and boost data security. Article link: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL TOPIC: General Studies 2: 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 and Israel relations. India-Israel Relations: Past and Present Introduction: The below articles deals with India-Israel ties, have it evolved since the countries became nations in 1947. The two countries established diplomatic ties in January 1992. The two countries are celebrating 25 years of friendship, and collaborating in a spectrum of areas. Timeline: 1947: The UN drafted a plan of partition of Mandate Palestine. This was approved by the UN General Assembly, but rejected by most of the Arab world and also by India. 1950: India recognised Israel, but did not establish diplomatic relations. 1956: The then Israeli foreign minister visited India in the middle of the Suez crisis when Israeli armed forces pushed into Egypt after Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the canal. India was one of the mediators along with the US, the UK and Yugoslavia. 1962: PM Jawaharlal Nehru writes to Israeli PM Ben Gurion seeking arms and ammunition supply during the war with China. Israel responds, making it the basis for defence ties between the two countries. 1971: PM Indira Gandhi asks then Israeli PM Golda Meir for weapons for the war against Pakistan. Meir agrees. 1977: Foreign minister Moshe Dayan visits India, meets PM Morarji Desai. 1985: PM Rajiv Gandhi meets with his Israeli counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. It’s the first public meeting between leaders of the two countries. 1992: Diplomatic ties between India and Israel formally established by the Narasimha Rao government. Israel opens its embassy in New Delhi in February and in May, India opens its embassy in Tel Aviv. 1996: India acquires 32 IAI Searcher unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, from Israel. 1996: Israeli President Ezer Weizman leads a 24-member business delegation to India. Weizman is the first Israeli head of state to visit India. Weapons deal involving the purchase of the Barak-1 vertically-launched surface-to-air missiles is finalised. 1999: Israel supplies weapons as India battled Pakistani insurgents and army regulars during the Kargil war. 2000: Home minister L.K. Advani meets Israeli President Weizman in Tel Aviv to discuss techniques employed to curb terrorism. India and Israel set up a joint anti-terror commission. 2003: Ariel Sharon becomes the first Israeli PM to visit India. (Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime) 2006: Israel and India sign an agriculture cooperation pact 2009: Israeli Barak 8 air defence system is sold to India for $1.1 billion. 2013: Israel announces help to India to diversify and raise yields of its fruit and vegetable crops through centres of excellence across India. 2014: PM Narendra Modi meets Israeli PM Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, the first such meeting in over a decade. 2015: India abstains from vote against Israel at the UN Human Rights Commission, signalling a shift in its Israel-Palestine policy. 2015: President Pranab Mukherjee visits Israel to initiate deals on various collaborative projects on technology and culture. 2016: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj visits Tel Aviv. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin visits India for six days. 2017: Three warships from the Indian navy dock in the Israeli port of Haifa. 2017: Pilots from India join pilots from Israel, the US, Germany, France, Italy and Poland for the 2017 Blue Flag exercise, the largest aerial training exercise to ever take place in Israel. 2017: PM Narendra Modi makes a stand-alone visit to Israel, the first ever by an Indian PM, and spends three days in the country. 2017: India voted against the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the UN General Assembly. Now (2017): Benjamin Netanyahu, second Israeli PM to visit India. India-Israel recent highlights of Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit: Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu visit will further cement close friendship between the two nations. His visit to Mumbai, where the majority of India’s Jews community live, is expected to boost Jews’ profile. Emphasis on forging technology and innovation partnerships to elevate ties. Focus areas for cooperation: defence, agriculture, water conservation, high technology and innovation. Israel wants to upgrade economic linkages with India. Bilateral trade is currently at $4 billion excluding defence purchases by India India-Israel Innovation Bridge will act as link between start-ups of India and Israel. India and Israel will begin work on a free trade pact that Israel has been pushing for. Israel has given initial approval for Indian energy companies to explore oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean, in the first such move by Indian firms in that region. ‘Trilateral Fund’ of $50 million has been created by Israel-India Technology Group (I-ITG) to promote entrepreneurship and trilateral business opportunities between the US, India and Israel. In terms of global innovation index ranking, Israel is 17th while India is at 60th spot. Both countries inked nine pacts to boost cooperation in key areas, such as cyber security, agriculture, technology security, oil and gas sector, film-co- production, amendments to an air transport pact, AYUSH  (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homeopathy), space, solar-thermal energy panels, strategic areas of defence and counter- terrorism etc. Concern area: India’s shrinking Jew Community Although historians believe Jews first arrived in India 2,000 years ago, their descendents today say they are virtually unknown in a country where they are hugely outnumbered by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and Zoroastrians. Nor are Jews officially recognised as a minority community by India’s government. India is in fact home to several distinct Jewish groups. India’s Jewish population peaked at around 20,000 in the mid 1940s. Numbers have dwindled rapidly because of emigration since the creation of Israel in 1948. Connecting the dots: (The above article only deals with understanding the ties and background of India-Israel relations. In upcoming articles, we will be dealing with assessment part.) NATIONAL/SOCIAL ISSUE TOPIC: General Studies 1 Population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. Family Planning in India: Targeted approach Introduction: India in 1952, started the world’s first family planning programme. On the whole, these programmes have done well in tackling India’s fertility challenge. The recently released report on the fourth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), carried out in 2015-16, shows where it has succeeded—and where shortcomings remain. Success and failures: Total fertility rate: The total fertility rate has declined to 2.2, marginally above the replacement rate of 2.1. This is substantial progress from 2005-2006 when NFHS-3 pegged the rate at 2.7. There are a number of takeaways from slicing the numbers in different ways. Geographic variance: The fertility rate in 23 states and Union territories—including all the southern states—is below the replacement rate. It is substantially higher in a number of states in central, east and north-east India. Bihar, for instance, has the highest rate at 3.41, followed by Meghalaya at 3.04 and Uttar Pradesh and Nagaland at 2.74. Way ahead: The nature and scope of the fertility-related public health challenge facing state governments varies widely. So must the response. The most effective way of enabling this is a greater role for local bodies in both urban and rural areas. Education is a clear differentiator: Women with 12 years or more of schooling have a fertility rate of 1.7, while women with no schooling have an average rate of 3.1. Education levels are strongly correlated with another important aspect of the fertility rate. Higher levels of schooling mean lower levels of teenage pregnancy. In the 15-19 cohort, as many as one-fifth of the women with no schooling have begun childbearing, while only one in 25 women in the same cohort who have had 12 years or more of schooling have done so. Teenage childbearing, in turn, results in greater health risks. Birth intervals smaller than 24 months “are associated with increased health risks for both mothers and newborns”. Thus, lack of education robs women of reproductive control, feeding into India’s maternal and child health problem. Combined with younger pregnancies and higher childbearing rates, it also constrains women’s economic choices. This, in turn, reinforces a lack of reproductive control—44% of women who are unemployed use modern contraceptives while 60% of women who are employed for cash do so—perpetuating a vicious cycle. The skewed pattern of contraceptive usage: Knowledge of contraceptive methods is now almost universal in India; the government has done well here. Despite this, men have not taken up the responsibility of managing fertility. The most popular contraceptive method by far, at 36%, is female sterilization. Male sterilization—a less invasive and easier method with a much lower chance of medical complications—accounts for a mere 0.3%. Male condom usage is low as well, at 5.6%. The public healthcare system, which accounts for almost 70% of modern contraceptive usage, doesn’t do enough to address this problem caused by societal attitudes. Way ahead: The targeted approach for fertility management. Poorly informed women, largely in rural areas, in order to hit bureaucratic targets, often violate reproductive rights in the process. Thus, Supreme Court in its 2016 verdict in Devika Biswas vs Union of India & Others, to call for an end to sterilization camps. Thus, rather than setting a fertility rate target as done in National Health Policy 2017 we need to have a decentralized planning. Conclusion: Almost a century ago, in 1920s, social reformer D Karve took the then radical view that women could best confront the fertility challenge via emancipation and gender equality. This continues to hold true today. Successive governments have done well over the decades; NFHS-4 shows improvement in almost all metrics from the 2005-06 NFHS-3. Now, its time the government focuses on enabling educational and economic opportunities for women. Connecting the dots: India launched the world’s first family planning programme in 1952. The country has moved ahead with many successes. However, issues like geographic variation in fertility rates etc can be tackled only with decentralised planning and enabling educational and economic opportunities for women. Discuss. MUST READ Talking over a law The Hindu Three cheers for civil society The Hindu The Aadhaar system leaks too much data Livemint The flip side to a formalised economy Business Line 

Jan 18, 2018 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 125]

UPSC Quiz- 2018 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz [Day 125] Archives Q.1) Malimath Committee is concerned with Judicial Appointment Reforms Railway Reforms Education Reforms Criminal Justice System Q.2) Consider the following statements about Sholas They are patches of stunted evergreen tropical and sub-tropical moist broad leaf forest They are found in valleys separated by grassland in the higher mountain regions of South India Select the correct statements 1 Only 2 Only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Nilgiri pipit They are endemic to Western Ghats It is a non-migratory bird It is listed as ‘vulnerable’ under IUCN Red List Select the correct statements 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 All of the above Q.4) World Development Indicators (WDI) is compiled by World Economic Forum World Bank World Trade Organisation International Monetary Fund Q.5) The concept of Eight-fold path forms the theme of Dipavamsa Divyavadana Mahaparinibban Sutta Dharma Chakara Pravartana Sutta To Download the Solution – Click here All the Best  IASbaba